Bow Down, Martha

I think the world needs to learn of MY COMPLETE AWESOMENESS.

Because I, Annie, am worthy of praise.

Today, I made honey-glazed wings.

Now, those of you unfamiliar with my culinary talents do not grasp how amazing today really was.

Let me fill you in:

I suck at cooking. You'd think that someone who loves to eat as much as I do would be at least a tiny bit capable in the kitchen. And you'd be wrong. My diet is pretty much made up of sandwiches and raw fruit or vegetables, with the occasional tuna-from-the-can (a splurgy treat, btw, at a buck fifty a pop.) Oh yes, and junk food, with chips and coke and chocolate serving two noble purposes: morale boosting and weight maintenance... because if I lose any more weight here in Ukraine literally all of my clothes will be too baggy to wear, and I'm still not likely to reach the size 3 that would let me buy new ones at the market.

So yes, OH MY GOD wings. Thank you amazing Internet access for giving me the recipe, to the eight year old girl at the market who ran to all the vendors to find one who could dig out a jar of honey, and to Geoffrey, my site mate, who went out and bought me matches at some point so that my stove could be lit.

Everyone, mark this day in your calendars, because for the first time, I made something, all by myself, that tasted good. Now, when confronted with one of the more common questions asked by curious Ukrainians: "what do you eat?" I will no longer have to cringe in fear of their horrified responses and offers of lessons when I blurt out "uh, well, sandwiches?" I can proudly proclaim: CHICKEN. I CAN COOK CHICKEN. AND IT IS DELICIOUS.

I feel so grown up and competent. Now, if I could only convince myself that mopping the kitchen floor and washing my 300 dirty dishes is a good way to spend Sunday morning, I'd be set.

[update: I feel I must be open about some possible wing-related unpleasantness. I may have managed to give myself food poisoning. Again. Or maybe that's just how a body normally reacts to eating a pound and a half of chicken after a prolonged period of sandwiches. Eh, whatever, it was totally worth it.]