What's it like to live with a host family?

Here are some pictures from a trip I took with my host family to their dacha, or summer house when I first arrived in September. They go there almost every weekend to work in their garden and relax.

Location: 
Krosnoi Brod

Photos

This is a soup called "Borsh." It's the most popular soup in Russia -- kind of like chicken noodle soup in the U.S.! Everyone makes it differently, but it usually has beets, cabbage, potatoes, tomato paste and onions in it. Sour cream makes it creamy!
One of my all-time favorite Russian foods: "blini"! They're really thin delicious pancakes! People eat them with jam, honey, condensed milk or even savory things like meat!
These are some apples from my host family's "dacha." While they may look a little bit beaten up, we made them into something delicious. In Russia they tend to waste a lot less food because they're not afraid to eat the "ugly" fruit.
This is called "Sharlotka," and it's a popular apple cake in Russia. I learned this recipe from my previous host family and made it for my new host family!
Meet my host mom, Natasha. She taught me how to make these delicious cinnamon roll cookies. It's so much fun to share recipes with each other! This week, for her mom's birthday, I made them pumpkin pie. It was something new, but everyone loved it!

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