We have a number of cans of locally produced canned tuna with chilies. Today, Mr. MacGyver crushed up a package of Beef Biscuits, mixed in a can of chili tuna, chopped green onions, some milk powder and 2 eggs.
He made the mixture into patties and fried them on the raclette. We enjoyed the patties along with fruit smoothies. It made for another healthy and delicious meal from our limited pantry.
In our last grocery order, we asked for some more eggs. Looking for an alternative to making omelettes on the raclette, we have experimented with making hard boiled eggs.
Before our arrival, our colleagues brought down a French press so we could make coffee in the room. Fortunately, they sent down a very nice stainless steel insulated press and it turns out, it’s pretty useful for other things besides coffee.
Tim boils water in our electric kettle and pours them over eggs he has placed in the bottom of the French press. He leaves the eggs in the hot water for about 15 minutes and they are hard boiled. In addition to eating hard boiled eggs, we have also made egg salad using guacamole instead of mayonnaise. Today we have good supply of green onions as well, so they were added. The egg salad spread on a cracker makes a very tasty lunch!
Mr. & Mrs. MacGyver in Quarantine
present
Mr. MacGyver Makes an Omelette!
Before we left Dallas, a friend shared that she had received a Raclette as a Christmas present. I had never heard of this kitchen appliance, but was intrigued. When I happened to see that a local person was selling a 220 volt raclette on Facebook Marketplace, I arranged to purchase it and friends picked it up.
Our raclette is a small 2 person appliance and lightweight enough to bring in our luggage. A colleague sourced a Solomons-friendly power cord which arrived yesterday with some other deliveries. Last night we had some melted cheese on the appliance and it worked great!
This morning, inspired by our new ‘kitchen tool’, Mr. MacGyver decided to try making us an omelette. An ambitious challenge, but of course well into quarantine, he was up for the challenge!
Steps:
For next time: We melted 2 spoons together to create a spatula.
When we first settled into our hotel room and quarantine, we weren’t sure how things worked. Soon we learned that if there was a knock at the door, we should grab our masks and open the door. A masked staff member would stand at a distance and pass on information.
Sometimes, the staff knocked at the door to let us know that we had a meal in a small styrofoam box on the table at the end of the hallway. So, we would walk down to the table, find the package with our room number and return to the room. Very soon, the staff did not even stop to talk to us. The just knocked on the door to let us know that something was on the table for us.
The table on which things are left for us, stands in a doorway to an outside patio area. The table normally blocks the opening to keep people from entering/exiting the corridor.
When the staff arrive to deliver the food, they often move the table a bit, in order for them to come into the corridor and knock on doors. When they slide the table, its metal legs scrape against the tile floor with a screeching noise.
It didn’t take us long to learn that when we heard the table moving, shortly afterward, there would be a knock on the door.
By the end of the first week, we had learned that when we heard the scrape of the table, we should put on our mask and peek down the corridor to see if we were getting a meal.
It was then that Tim realized we had been trained! Just like Pavlov’s dog – we hear the noise and go looking for food. Wow. It’s scary how easily we were trained!
Mr. & Mrs. MacGyver in Quarantinepresent
Mrs. MacGyver Craves a Fruit Smoothie
Background: A fresh tropical fruit smoothie is a wonderful treat in the tropics and Mrs. MacGyver has been craving one!
The Problem: No blender
The Solution:
Our colleagues sent papaya and bananas to us. We peeled and cut up the fruit and placed it in a ziplock bag. Then we placed the bag in the freezer section of our small refrigerator overnight.
The next day, we thawed the bag a little, smashed the icy fruit and scooped some into a tumbler. We added a little apple juice, stirred it in and we had a yummy fruit smoothie.
Mr. & Mrs. MacGvyer in Quarantine
Mrs. MacGvyer makes a Dustpan
Background: Because we are in quarantine and no one can enter our hotel room, we are not getting room service of any kind.
Problem: Our floor was getting gritty and needed sweeping, but we didn’t have a broom. Several times we requested a broom and finally a broom, mop and bucket were delivered to our door. I was happy to sweep the floor, but alas, no dustpan was included in the delivery.
Solution: Mrs. MacGvyver took an empty cardboard cracker box, made some folds, a couple of cuts (with Tim’s trusty Leatherman) and formed a dustpan. We don’t have any tape (real MacGvyers would travel with duct tape!), but there were a few pieces of masking tape on our wall from posters that must have hung there at one point. The new dustpan works great!
in which Mr. MacGyver repairs the AC
Background:
While stuck in a hotel for 3 weeks in the tropics with 2 small windows and no fans, we are very thankful for the 2 air conditioning units in our 2 rooms.
Problem:
When the AC unit in the bedroom started dripping (just barely missing Tim’s computer bag), we had a problem. Fortunately, we had been supplied with a bucket, so we put that under the drip, but as Tim was in the middle of a Zoom call – the ‘plop’ of the water hitting the plastic was noisy. As a temporary solution, Mrs. MacGyver placed a piece of clothing in the bucket to muffle the noise.
We reported the drip to hotel management, but since we are in quarantine, no one can come in our room to service the AC (or our phone that doesn’t work).
Mr. MacGyver suspected a blocked drain was causing the problem, so he decided to tackle it. We moved a table so he could reach the AC unit. With his Leatherman, he opened it up. But he still needed to be higher, so we placed a stool on top of the table to get him higher.
While he removed the covers and filters, Mrs. MacGyver took them to the shower and scrubbed them as they were covered with dust, mold and a petrified gecko. (Mrs. MacGyver made Mr. MacGyver remove the gecko.)
The next challenge was finding something to open up the drain tube. Fortunately, before our arrival, colleagues had dropped off a water filter for us which had a tube of the perfect dimension.
Tim inserted the tube into the AC drain and blew it out which opened the drain. Then he flushed water through to make sure it was cleared out. After putting everything back together, the AC has been working great and no drips. Success. Well done, Mr. MacGyver!
We moved a table so Mr. MacGyver could check the AC unit.
The table wasn’t quite high enough, so we added a stool.
Mr. M removed the outside door and filters.
We moved a table so Mr. MacGyver could check the AC unit.
The table wasn’t quite high enough, so we added a stool.
Mr. M. blew through the tubing and cleared the drain
Problem: Our hotel room has 2 very small glasses for drinking.
Solution: Take a plastic water bottle from our travels, remove the label and cut off the top. (Thankfully Mr. MacGyver never goes anywhere without his trusty Leatherman tool!) Use an emory board to smooth the edges of the new tumbler, rinse and you are good to go!
Mr. & Mrs. MacGyver Solution #4
Guacamole – no bowl, no fork, no problem!
Background: At our home here in Honiara, we have an avocado tree which produces huge, wonderful avocados in January and February and we’ve looking forward to enjoying them! In preparation to our return, we brought along packets of guacamole mix and our colleagues were able to send down a couple of avocados.
Problem: We only have plastic forks and no bowl.
Solution:
Place a ziplock bag in a coffee press (to keep it upright). Place slices of avocado in the bag and sprinkle guacamole mix on top. Close the bag and mash the avocado and mix in the seasoning. Open the bag and squeeze out guacamole. Add chips and enjoy!
Mr. & Mrs. MacGyver Solution #3
Securing a window?
Problem: This window latch was missing the pin to keep it closed.
Solution: Mr. MacGyver put a pen in place of the pin.