What Do You Wish You Had Brought Or Left Behind?

The great thing for me was I never cooked before I moved to Argentina so I don't miss one flour vs another :)

Practically - sheets for sure, towels, cookware, knives, etc. Not so much an issue for a shorter stay but buying local on a local salary - those kind of things are cost prohibitive and the quality is really bad.

Spices for sure.

Also, you probably will be able to go back once or twice a year. Don't stress too much if you forgot something.
 
Thanks to hannstew and ejcot. I bought the ezcast first and I bought this android tv box last week:

It looks like Kodi can be downloaded to it, so that's the next step. I would love to say chau forever to DirecTV.

If it has a browser already installed browse to:

http://mediahhh.com/ for uk tv
https://www.mobdro.com/ for the rest of the world.
 
I bake bread here all the time...store bought bread is very expensive and non of it is very good. Don't worry about flour...and I make pancakes all the time...they are just perfect. There is nothing wrong with the flour.
 
I've been able to find almost every spice and herb I normally use (the basics, don't go much for the exotic ones) - except one!

Dill.

Made me crazy, visiting all the health food stores and fresh markets (biggest one in my area is Mercado Progreso, on Rivadavia). Everyone has dill seeds (semillas de eneldo) but no one has dill weed (hojas de eneldo). A friend said she could get me some but I'd have to take a kilo! So desperate I said yes, but when it came time for her to take delivery from the guy who swore he had hojas showed up with a kilo bag of seeds. So they burn the leaves after they harvest the seeds? Beats me.

Guess what I brought with me last time - in quantity?
 
I brought back some Dill and coriander seed from the UK last year. They grew well until the hot summer sun frazzled them. Must experiment more. What I would like is some rhubarb and horeseradish roots. Apart from that it's easy enough to bring back from one trip home enough spices to keep me going for years. A couple of years supply of tinned Baked Beans are not as easy though.
 
I bake bread here all the time...store bought bread is very expensive and non of it is very good. Don't worry about flour...and I make pancakes all the time...they are just perfect. There is nothing wrong with the flour.

I have been experimenting with bread since I arrived. I think the secrets to get a good bread are two:
  • patience
  • flour
Patience
A rising time of over 24 hours do really makes a difference. Use little yeast and wait longer, instead of using a ton of yeast and bake in 2 hours - it might looks the same to the eyes, but not to your stomach. I usually prepare 1kg of dough which lasts 1 week in the fridge, then I take out as little as I need daily to bake fresh bread. I am currently following the no-knead bread recipe, which is also very good for pizza (at last I found a way to have a delicious pizza at home using conventional flour).

I am still currently starting with industrial yeast, but I have promised myself to start trying sourdough.

Flour
I buy white flour at the supermarkets, and I haven't been able to get any regular flour at the dieteticas. There is no much variety nor choice at the supermarket (no flour with different strengths / W-values) , and white flour is less rich in nutrients than unrefined flours. However, since white flour lasts longer, it is more used and also cheaper. Odd.

I like to play by mixing plain white flour with whole flour, cereals, flours of cereals, seeds. This way, it gets less boring. I still have to find a way to use my no-knead weekly dough with these - I am just at the beginning. I have been a fast-riser for 4 years and have recently discovered this easy no-knead recipe that takes very little time and gives extremely good results.



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In reply to the OP - I wish I hadn't taken with me my silicone moulds for baking, as they get burnt in these damn gas ovens!
 
If it has a browser already installed browse to:

http://mediahhh.com/ for uk tv
https://www.mobdro.com/ for the rest of the world.

It does have a browser and I just downloaded the mobdro app. The next program on ESPN is Cubs vs. White Sox in ENGLISH!!!!

I am not a huge sports fan,but I watch the Cubs whenever possible. My store in Chicago was a block from Wrigley Field.

Thanks, Ejcot!
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PS: The EZcast device did not automatically work with my Moto G cell phone. I had to disable google play to be able to cast photos from my phone to my TV and I haven't been able to cast the screen from my browser. Perhaps I'll have to buy a smart TV stick (instead of another box).
 
Since we have almost everything you guys in the US have, I always bring back from home(Honduras):
FOOD
Coffee, coffee here is AWFUL. Considering Honduran coffee is awesome.
Spices such as Mrs Dash salt-free mixes, garlic powder, black pepper, italian seasoning(you wont find any here).
Dressings such as hot sauce or Sirachs, Tartar, Caesar, Ranch. The ones they sell here are awful and kinda expensive. I personally make my own ranch but you can always bring either bottles or the dip mix packages.
Flavored creamer. They barely sell the regular kind. I basically cant live without my hazelnut creamer so if you are like me, bring some.
Refried beans, maseca flour.

Electronics
Computers, ipads, headphones, speakers, cables, even a small Smart Tv.

Clothes
Winter clothes, shoes, etc. basically all kinds of clothes. Prices here are very high and to be honest, quality's not the best.

Those are the things I can think of for now. Hope it helps!!
 
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