Chronicles of a Woman in Training

What to do with an eggplant?

2011-09-18T19:22:00.001-05:00

Eggplant is something I've never been that fond of. I think it's the consistency. I don't hate it, but I don't love it. And I never order it. So when the hubby came home with an eggplant from his parents' garden, I had to think about what to do with it. It was easy to figure it out: soup! I love soup and I love making soup. And something you don't LOVE can be blended with a lot of yummy things and be awesome. So I set off to make some eggplant soup. I looked up recipes but nothing tickled my fancy. So I made my own. This is it!

Tomato eggplant soup

Ingredients
2 medium carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 leek, sliced
1 potato
1 medium eggplant
1 tablespoon thyme
pepper
1 tsp salt (I used herbed salt)
2 cups tomato soup (I used V8 tomato herb. I suggest using something similar, the boxed kind!)
5 cups vegetable broth
olive oil
1tsp sriracha
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400. Slice eggplant in half, brush with olive oil, and place on baking sheet. Bake for about 45 minutes and remove.
2. Heat oil in stock pot. Add celery, carrots, leek, and potato and cook for 5-10 minutes to soften.
3. Scoop eggplant out of skin with a spoon.
4. Add salt, pepper, and thyme and stir.
5. Add stock and tomato soup and stir in sriacha.
6. Cook for 30 minutes on medium high heat, covered.
7. Blend until smooth, using immersion blender.
8. Stir in cream if using. Simmer 5 minutes and remove from heat.
9. Garnish with parmesan cheese and serve (mine is with homemade applesauce and bread!)

I cooked with meat! And modified a recipe to be vegetarian! Yay!

2011-08-08T18:21:00.000-05:00

Summer is over. Yep, I'm going back to work and I don't want to end my culinary adventures from the summer! I decided I'd make some freezer meals and I also bought a freezer so I can freeze meals to easily reheat on those days that I have meetings that go late - which are endless!

There is a great cooking message board over on thenest.com, and freezer meals are a common thread topic. I found this recipe from a great blog and decided I'd make it - with a twist!

Anyone who knows me knows that I don't eat meat. And I never will. But I've been wanting to cook more with it for my husband's sake, though he never complains. This seemed like a great start because it had veggies in it too. But not only he was going to get the yummy benefits!! I decided to alter the recipe and make a vegetarian version too.

I followed the recipe exactly for the chicken version, except I didn't use mushrooms. I used zucchini instead, along with a bag of frozen peas/carrots/green beans/corn. Next time I'd use even more veggies. The hot sauce was a must. I used sriacha sauce, just a bit, and it gave great flavor. I also used herb salt from Adventures in Spice, a great local spice company, to cook the veggies in.

The first thing I did was cook the veggies according to Annie's recipe. I used a little more since I was making more pies and wanting more veggies for my version.

The zucchini and peppers are from my garden!

I cooked the sauce according to her recipe too, for the chicken version. For the veggie version, I used veggie stock instead of chicken stock in a separate pot. I also halved the recipe because I was going to make more chicken pies, some to give to a pregnant colleague who is on bed rest.

Then I separated the veggies and added chicken to half, poured the chicken sauce over it, and then the veggie sauce over the veggies alone.

Then I poured them into containers I marked with being veggie or chicken.

Then I made the crust - I made the same amount that Annie recommends, even though I knew I'd have more pies. It ended up working out fine too.

I rolled out the dough and cut circles based on the size of my containers. I didn't make it curl over the edges like in Annie's recipe because I have tops to put on my containers for the freezer and I didn't want to have to mess with the dough spilling over.


These are tart dishes that are disposable, worked great to give away!

These modifications turned out 6 large and 4 medium pot pies. 3 of the large ones were veggie.

I baked two, froze 4, and gave 4 to my colleague.

They were DELICIOUS!!! Thanks Annie!! Can't wait to eat and make more!

What to do with 20 pounds of blackberries? Part 3

2011-08-07T21:02:00.000-05:00

Ok, maybe I should've titled this: What to do with a gazillion pints of jam? When I think of jam, I think of THUMBPRINT COOKIES!

I made a lot because they are freezable and yummy, and I gave some to different people.

Here is the recipe:

2 cups of butter (2 sticks or 8 ounces), room temperature
1 cup of sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
4 cups of flour
Any flavor jam

Directions:

Mix butter and sugar together with mixer until creamy and well blended.
Separate the egg whites from yolks. Dispose of whites and mix yolks and vanilla in with butter mixture.
Add flour and salt to mixture and blend.

Make flat 3" discs with the dough. Press down in the center and add jam into indent. I don't use my thumb because it just seems a little dirty with long fingernails. Instead, I use a small teaspoon.

Bake for 12-15 minutes at 350.
Makes about 4 dozen

They were delicious!

Dinner straight from the garden!

2011-07-31T08:30:00.000-05:00

I'm harvesting a lot of fresh veggies from the garden this week. It's the best feeling to eat food that I picked an hour before! This year, I'm growing beans for the first time, thanks to my father in law building me an awesome trellis! I've eaten several but um... they usually don't make it inside! I have been letting up and picked these bad boys for dinner.

Because of how the trellis is, some grow inside of it and are hard to see, so grow HUGE!


Yes, you're reading that right. If I stretched it out it would be a foot long!!

The other thing that I have A LOT of is zucchini. They get big fast so I had a couple huge ones to use. I have bookmarked several zucchini recipes, but one that I've wanted to try for awhile is zucchini pancakes. This was the day. I love potato pancakes and zucchini ones sound a lot healthier! Now, to shred zucchini you can either do it by hand, or you can have a cool gadget to do it for you. I chose option B. I have the best attachment ever for my Kitchenaid mixer, the slicer/shredder. All you do it cut the zucchini into smaller pieces, get rid of the seeds, and put it in the slot and it shreds it for you!

Viola!

Then I mixed in some panko breadcrumbs- these ones were "Italian" style, and very tasty. I also mixed in garlic, dried oregano, shallot, parmesan cheese and 2 egg whites to keep it together.

I made the patties and put them in a little olive oil - not too much, didn't want to deep fry them! I tried them in the oven too but they didn't get the crispy edges and were more like burgers - fell apart.

Dinner is ready!

What to do with 20 pounds of blackberries? Part 2

2011-07-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

First, I froze some. Then I made muffins. And I was still left with A LOT! So what did I do?

First you heat it...

I made jam. LOTS of jam. 12 pints and 3 quarts, to be exact.

Ingredients? Blackberries, lemon juice, pectin, honey and agave nectar. Yum!


Then you divvy it out...


Then you give it a bath...

Ta da!

What to do with 20 pounds of blackberries? Part 1

2011-07-27T15:14:00.000-05:00

Whenever I have an ingredient that I want to use, I google it and recipe and see what comes up to help me think outside the box. One of the things that came up was muffins, so I did a couple more searches and found this recipe. It turned out to be the best fruit muffins I've ever had! I doubled the recipe and it made almost 4 dozen. I gave several away to my family and my in-laws, and everyone really enjoyed them. The sour cream and fruit made them extremely moist. I froze some fruit and can't wait to make them again!

Pickin'!

2011-07-25T21:10:00.002-05:00

I'm totally on a seasonal eating kick right now along with the whole canning thing. Also, freezing. I'm buying a deep freezer this week so I can preserve some of the stuff from my garden and also produce from friends and farmer's markets.

One of the things that I lack in my own garden is fruit. Now, I am growing blackberries this year but they take a year or two to produce so I have a couple teeny tiny ones and that's it. And I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE fruit. When I was a kid, one of my favorite books was Blueberries for Sal, by Robert McCloskey. It's about picking blueberries, which I did often, living in Michigan. I've always loved going picking and have dragged various friends and family members to pick fruit, and have even gone on my own. If you have kids or have friends with kids, I HIGHLY suggest checking the book out!

Anyone who lives in St. Louis HAS to go to Eckert's to pick fruit. They have several varieties of apples, plus strawberries, blackberries, and peaches, varying from farm to farm. They also have pumpkins and Christmas trees for those seasons.

I knew I wanted to go peach and blackberry picking and got my mom to go with me last week on Friday. At first, she wasn't going to come at all because the forecast was HOT. But she came.We went to the Grafton farm and arrived around 11am.


See these rows? Empty. That's what 100 degree weather does!

No one was there so no competition.

There were a lot of unripe berries, but lots of ripe ones too. And they were HUGE.


My hand isn't big. But these berries were seriously gigantic.

We picked and sweated, picked and sweated. We were going fast and barely talking because it was so hot. In the end, we picked 20 pounds.

We picked peaches too, but... FAST. And no camera came out because we were sweating so badly. We ended up with 25 pounds.

That is a LOT of fruit!

I can't wait to go back to Eckert's... maybe even for peaches again, but definitely for apples.

Stay tuned for what I did with all this fruit!

I'm not the only one who loves Eckert's!!!

Pickles!

2011-07-19T07:00:00.001-05:00

Anyone who knows me knows that my sister and I are complete opposites. My mom often tells a story about how when we were little and on road trips, we'd stop at a McDonald's and get a cheese burger - my sister would eat the meat and I would eat the bread and cheese. She's a vegetarian now (thanks to me!) but the same philosophy persists. One of her absolute favorite foods is dill pickles. She can eat an entire jar in one sitting. She is truly a pickle connoisseur. I however, am not a pickle fan. No surprise there. BUT I love canning and giving my goodies to friends and family, so I decided to make pickles!

Canning makes a huge mess and takes time. But when you end up with lots of goodies and start hearing those seals pop, it is worth it!

You need basic supplies for canning: jars with lids, what I call my cauldron, a pot deep enough to submerge the big jars, a funnel and tongs that will grip jars are the minimum.

Ingredients: Pickling cucumbers (this is a special variety, be sure to get them and not regular ones!), white vinegar, water, kosher salt, fresh dill, and garlic.

Quantities can really vary here. The below recipe made 12 quarts of pickles. I used 2-3 cukes per jar, depending on size and chip or spear style (spears take up more room).

Directions:

1. Fill your "cauldron" high enough so the water will cover your pint jars and start to heat so it's ready when you are. If it starts to boil too far in advance, turn heat off and it will boil more quickly when you are ready for it.

2. Wash jars in warm, soapy water. Set aside.

3. Sterilize lids and lid bands in a saucepan full of boiling water.

4. Make brine mixture: Mix 17 cups water, 4 1/2 cups white vinegar and 1 cup kosher salt in large pot. Bring to a boil and set aside.

Right, the "cauldron"; back left, the big pot for the brine, and left front, the saucepan for sterilizing the lids

5. In the bottom of each jar, put a layer of fresh dill. I used herb scissors to cut it into little pieces. Then put one garlic clove in.

6. Fill the jars with cucumbers, packing as many in as you can. Leave a little space at top. You can cut them like chips, spears, or leave them whole if you want, if they are small enough. Mine weren't!

7. Put another layer of dill and another garlic clove in the top.

I made chips and spears! Fresh dill from the garden made it even better.

8. Ladle brine mixture into each jar, leaving about an inch of room in the top.

9. Put lids on and put into the boiling water bath. Leave in for about 5 minutes.

I didn't fill the cauldron up quite high enough so I had to tip the jars over!

10. Remove jars and set to cool. Check the seals to make sure they have sealed properly. Some might take an hour or two to seal.

11. Let sit for 2 weeks at least before opening to allow flavors to absorb. Turn upside down every other day during that period to mix.

12. Eat!

Pickles!

The best seasonal dessert ever!

2011-07-16T23:29:00.001-05:00

It's one of my favorite times of year - peach season!

Peaches in season are unmatched in flavor. And we are lucky enough in St. Louis to have wonderful local peaches that you can find at any farmer's market! You can even buy local peaches at Schnuck's. Or, go peach picking at Eckert's!

One of my favorite desserts is my mom's peach crisp. Peach crisp is basically peaches with a crumble topping. I ask for this pretty much every year for my birthday instead of cake. This year, I tried it myself and we've had a steady supply of it! Everyone who has tried it is a fan. Here's how to do it:

1. First, you need to buy PEACHES! The amount really depends on how big they are. So prepare how many you think you'll need and you can always add more. Just buy a lot and eat whatever remains!

2. Peel and slice the peaches thin. Peeling is so easy! All you do is boil a pot of water and drop the peaches in. Leave them in for about 5 minutes (or longer - I usually leave them in while I peel one, then get another out). I take them out with a ladle and then dip them in cold water. The peel literally falls off. Then slice! This is a great recipe for over ripe peaches too - they work really well.

3. Slice enough so your pan is filled to about 2-3" from the top and fill up. This recipe is for a square 8x8 glass baking dish. I have also doubled the recipe and made it in a 9x13. You can't have too much crumble topping!

4. Mix in 1/4 cup sugar and 3 tbsp flour with the peaches.

5. To make the crumble topping, put following in a bowl and mix - my Kitchenaid works perfectly for this. Mix until it has a crumbly texture.

- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2/3 cup flour
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 cup (stick) of cold but slightly softened butter

6. Spoon mixed topping over peaches.

7. Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes.

Word of wisdom: The peaches can get a little bubbly, so if you filled your pan to the top, you might want to put a cookie sheet with foil under the pan in case it bubbles over, because it can be a sticky mess!

Serve warm or cold with ice cream or without. YUM!

I'm back! Married and busier than ever.

2011-07-16T22:56:00.002-05:00

In the last year, I got engaged, got married, started graduate school, and more. I haven't stopped my training, but I'm back to blogging about it!

A Delicious Meal!

2010-09-25T23:05:00.001-05:00

It's amazing how long it's been since I've blogged. My excuse is that I'm wedding planning and while I am cooking, I have been too busy to document it!

Tonight I got it in my head to make two new side dishes (veggies) that I had read recipes for in a food magazine that Ben's mom ordered us. They both turned out so well!

The meal:

Clockwise from the left - TJ's Harvest Grains, Sesame Ginger Broccolini, and Warm Brussels Sprout Salad

1. Trader Joe's Harvest Grains mix. Let me say that I think that it is freaking AMAZING! It has quinoa, baby garbanzos, Israeli couscous, and two kinds of orzo (red pepper and spinach enriched). So easy to make - just cook in broth (I used veggie) for 10 minutes and voila! It's a dry good found near the soups and pastas. Definitely try it.

2. Warm brussels sprouts salad. I love brussels sprouts. I've never cooked them like this before, and really liked them prepared this way.
Recipe:
Ingredients: Brussels sprouts, salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon, parmesan cheese.
Directions: Cut brussels sprouts into shreds. To do this, cut off the stem, halve it, then cut lengthwise so they are small strips. Heat oil on low, put BS into the oil, season with salt and pepper. Toss well and stir over heat for 10-15 minutes. Take off heat, squeeze some lemon over it, then top with a bit of parmesan cheese when you serve it warm.

3. Sesame ginger broccolini. You can also use this with broccoli or baby broccoli. It takes a little more effort than the sprouts, but is delicious!
Recipe:
Ingredients: broccolini, sesame seeds, olive oil, water, fresh ginger, garlic, soy sauce.
Directions: Toast sesame seeds first, heating over low and stirring frequently. Set aside. Cut broccolini off stalks. Heat about 2TBP of oil, then add broccolini, along with 1-2 garlic cloves and 1 piece of fresh ginger, cut into strips. Put a couple tablespoons of water in and cover. Cook for 10-12 minutes (or until desired consistency), stirring every couple minutes. Pour 1-2tsp of soy sauce in, stir and cook for about 3 more minutes. Stir in sesame seeds and serve.

4. And for dessert, apple crunch pie! I usually make this as apple crisp (no crust), but wanted to try Trader Joe's pie crusts, so I adapted it. So delicious, especially with vanilla ice cream, also from TJ's. We have had a lot of apples from going picking at Eckert's, so I've been making stuff with them.
Recipe:
Ingredients: apples (any good cooking apple - I've used jonathan, honeycrisp, and fuji), brown sugar, white sugar, lemon, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, salt, butter. Pie crust optional.
Directions:
1. Peel apples and slice into thin slices. It's hard to say how many you'll need because they vary in size so much. I usually throw them into whatever pan I am using and keep going til it reaches the top. This recipe fits a standard size pie pan or a square glass baking pan.
2. Pour apples into a bowl. Add 1TBP lemon juice, 1/4 cup white sugar, and 1/2tsp cinnamon. Toss and set aside.
3. Mix the following ingredients in a mixing bowl: 3/4 cups brown sugar, 2/3 cup flour, 1/2 cup oats, 1tsp cinnamon, 1/4tsp salt, 1/4 tsp nutmeg. Add 3/4 of a stick of cold butter and mix with a mixer until it gets a crumbly texture.
4. If you're using a pie crust, put it in the pan and pour the apples in. If not, pour the apples directly into the pan. Sprinkle crumbly mixture over the apples.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 375. Check the apples to see if they are cooked. Can cover with foil or other top to help it bake through.
6. Serve warm with ice cream!

Tomatoes out the wazoo! Plus - More updates

2010-08-03T12:12:00.000-05:00

This garden experiment has taught me some things. The biggest surprises have come with my squash plants. I have a million of them. They've all flowered. But some just haven't produced fruit, like my zucchini plant and my yellow summer squash plant. The summer squash did have several small fruits on them, which shriveled up and died. Hm. The plant next to it is thriving. Same soil, same sun. I'll have to try again next year because I think both of those varieties are kaput for me. I have a couple other squash plants that are producing fruits. The problem? I don't know what kind they are! I bought little plastic plant markers and wrote the types in Sharpie on them. The rain washed the Sharpie off somehow. So now they are mixed up and I don't know what is where. I'm pretty sure this is a butternut squash, but isn't it not supposed to come til Fall?

Maybe an acorn squash?

I guess we'll have to see as they grow!

Peppers are growing huge still and starting to get some color. Haven't eaten any yet.

Brussels sprouts are starting to come through.

And tomatoes.. TOMATOES! I have a million of them. 4 varieties- though they also got mixed up and I have to wait for them to ripen to know which is which. The cherry tomatoes are going crazy - there must be 100 fruits on there. I've already harvested about 25.

Several larger varieties too.

These will come in handy because I'm entering a salsa making competition in a couple weeks. I am practicing my recipes this week and will post them after the contest, lest someone actually looks at this and steals them! Ha! Let's just say they aren't the typical salsa.

As for my rabbit problem, problem solved! For my birthday, Ben & his dad fenced in the garden area for me. It doesn't seem right typing that because it was an ordeal that took them an entire day (or more). Ben's dad bought some fencing at a garage sale. He made the posts himself and also made this awesome gate himself!

Did I mention that the guys did this on one of the hottest days of the year? I don't know how they stood being outside from about 7:30-5:30. They were soaked with sweat and quite tired after that! I'm a lucky gal to have such nice people in my life!

Speaking of that, part of the reason I haven't blogged at all this month is that Ben & I got engaged on July 2! I'm still pinching myself when I think about what a wonderful guy my future hubby is and how lucky it is that our fates collided. We decided that we wanted to get married in the fall, and there is no way I wanted to wait until Fall 2011, so we are getting married on November 6- which happens to be the day that I posted the fateful ad that brought us together 2 years ago. I've been busy planning away. It will be a crazy couple months, but the outcome is worth it!!

The garden groweth!

2010-06-23T16:09:00.001-05:00

The garden is doing GREAT right now. The only problem I've been having is with my broccoli and cauliflower getting eaten by bunnies, though I still have several broccoli crowns growing.

No brussels sprouts yet, but the plants are doing great and growing like mad. I'm just waiting for the little sprouts to start- the time is near!

The squash plants are all growing a lot too. I do have some growing already, which are a couple inches long, though most are just vining like crazy now. I expect a lot more soon.

While I don't eat pickles, I accidentally ended up with some pickling cucumbers one day, so planted them with the intention of making pickles for Ben & my sister and whoever else wants some. There are massive amounts of tiny cukes growing right now. I think I'll end up with a huge harvest of them. It's hard to see in the picture but they look really small and spiny.

The tomato plants are also growing at a rapid rate. You can really smell them when you are in the garden. I have 4 varieties of tomatoes growing and two varieties have small fruit on them, while the others are blooming now. See the tiny green tomatoes? Even though I don't like tomatoes, I plan on trying them from my garden.

Today I was surprised to see lots of small peppers growing. I hadn't noticed them before. This makes me happy!! I can't wait!!

The family is growing!

2010-06-23T15:48:00.000-05:00

We got a kitty! Since I'm a dog person, never having lived with a cat, and Ben is a cat person, never having lived with a dog til my rowdy crew & I moved in with him, we got a cat for him to come home to.

His name is Fillmore. He is almost one and is the cutest little thing. Very playful! We adopted him from a rescue group. I was originally drawn to looking by a tiny gray kitten named Audrey. Then we opened the cage little Fill was in and he jumped out into my arms and snuggled! He was very playful (a must for Ben) so we discussed it and took him home as foster parents to see how things would go.

At first he was scared of the dogs (even though they largely ignored him) and hissed at them A LOT. He has come around - being much more tolerant and even following Ruby around. We officially adopted him yesterday and so now he is ours! Full house!

Sweet Potato Muffins/Cupcakes!

2010-06-12T23:01:00.000-05:00

As I've mentioned before, reading the food blogs that I do, I often get inspired by something. One major inspiration lately has been this blog. The author fixes healthy and super creative meals for her kids. And posts cool recipes (like the samosas I made recently). When I saw these sweet potato "cupcakes," I was inspired.

These yummy muffins are different and healthier and less sugar than a cupcake. Really, they are a muffin but I added a little cream cheese frosting on top.

Here is the recipe from her blog:

Sweet Potato Muffin/Cupcakes:
6 tablespoons butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cups peeled finely shredded sweet potato (I used a cheese grater)
Cream cheese frosting (optional)

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in egg and vanilla until well blended.
Mix together dry ingredients, add to butter mixture, then add milk. Mix until light moistened.
Stir in sweet potato, mix well.
Spoon into muffin papers or greased muffin tin.
Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into muffin comes out clean.

This made 2 dozen mini muffins and a half dozen regular sized muffins. It got the seal of approval from Ben and his buddy, and I must say it tastes delicious! Kind of like carrot or pumpkin. Not sweet potato at all!

Produce Stories, Parts 1 & 2

2010-06-12T22:27:00.003-05:00

One blog that I enjoy reading is called Produce Stories. I stumbled across it while looking for strawberry jam recipes that used agave nectar. It is what helped me make my own jam! I don't know anything about the author other than that she posts about what she buys at a farmer's market and host much it is (amongst other things). It gave me the idea that I should post my finds!

The Webster Groves Farmer's Market opened last week. I really enjoy it! It has some awesome finds. Last week, amongst other things, I bought some water lilies (that are now blooming), some homemade lip balm, and a lined produce basket (to collect my garden's harvest in!). This week, here was my take:

1 Dozen Eggs - $3
Squash (2 Italian zucchini, 2 patty pan)- $4.50
Homemade, fresh Lemon-Pepper pasta - $3.50
1/2 Pound Fiddleheads- $7
TOTAL - $18

I was REALLY excited when I saw the fiddleheads. I read about them in Sauce Magazine (a local food magazine) a couple months ago. They are locally picked - not something you grow in a garden. The guy hunts them in the "wild" then sells them. Tomorrow I'll prepare them and let you know how they are!

I also went to a local produce stand called Roger's. They have the CHEAPEST produce there! Here was my haul:

- 1 large canteloupe
- 3 ears corn
- 1 pint blueberries
- 2 peaches
- 2 avocados
- 1 large sweet potato
TOTAL: $8.28!!!!

I told you it was cheap!!

Raspberry Adventures!

2010-06-03T17:18:00.009-05:00

Lakeview Farms, take two! After being turned away so early last Saturday and not being able to pick, I decided I would attempt to drag myself out of bed early one day this week to go try to pick again. Wednesday morning, I did just that! Anyone who knows me know that getting up at 7am is difficult. Even on a work day. But I did it!

Arriving at the farm, I noticed it wasn't too busy. Score! One cool thing about this farm is that instead of going on a picking free for all, they give you your own area to pick in. That way, no one is infringing upon your territory and they can keep track of where has been picked over so the next person who comes to pick goes in an area with riper, not yet picked berries. That's a good model in my mind!

I started picking. The pickings were great! Lots of ripe berries to choose from. I really dug in there to get good ones. Raspberry bushes are prickly so it got a bit uncomfortable, but was worth it!
In no time, I had filled up several containers.
Looking to the west, the sky was ominous. I started picking like mad, worried that the skies might unleash upon me at any minute. People started fleeing to their cars. Dangit, I was going to fill all of my containers. If I got a little wet, it wouldn't do me any harm. I finished just as the sky looked like this:
I wanted to strawberry pick, but the lady where I paid said they would probably close so I decided to leave. I ended up with 8 containers. Total cost? $15.
Yummy, yummy berries! This much would've cost $24-36 at a store! So what did I do? I turned these into this:
And this:
DELISH!

To make the jam, I used 6 containers, about 1 cup of agave nectar, juice of 1 lemon, and a squirt of honey. Used my immersion blender (what a handy tool!!) and boiled it for about 30 minutes. Then followed standard canning procedures. I saved a cup of jam to make the raspberry oatmeal bars. Here is the recipe I used. It turned out great!! And I feel good that I hand picked the raspberries at a local farm and turned it into these yummy treats. I might go again tomorrow. I'm addicted!!

Samosas!

2010-06-03T16:43:00.007-05:00

I've become addicted to reading a couple different blogs, and a couple of them are about food. Sometimes I get ideas from blogs, or sometimes I just have an ingredient or idea and Google it and get a bunch of different recipe ideas. My two favorite food blogs are:

- Fed Up with School Lunch: A blog written by an anonymous teacher who is eating the school meal every day for a year to raise awareness for how the nutrition lacks in them. She posts pics and comments about the lunches (which look way worse than our school lunches, but ours aren't very nutritious either) and has a lot of guest bloggers. It's a fascinating topic. As I'm on a healthier kick now and really shunning artificial ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, it's amazing to see what "nutrition" is to the institution that serves kids. How something like tater tots or corn chips satisfies their requirement of a veggie for the day. Yuck!

- BentoLunch Adventures (What's for Lunch at Our House): A blog I discovered through the Fed Up blog. A mom who makes INSANELY ARTISTIC lunches for her kids. You have to see it to believe it. And it's healthy! She also posts a lot of recipes. Which brings me to...

SAMOSAS!

These Indian dumplings are yummy.. and with me being off of work this week, I was feeling rather housewife-ish. So I decided to take the recipe, tailor it to my tastes, and make samosas for dinner.

Ingredients:
2 Yukon Gold baking potatoes
Peas (frozen)
Garlic (2 cloves or so)
Onions (I don't like them, so just used about a quarter of one for flavor)
Olive Oil
Paneer (Indian Cheese)
Curry Powder
Fillo Dough

You can really put ANYTHING you want inside it. Add or subtract what you want!

Here's how I did it:
1. Peel potatoes, cut into small cubes. Boil for about 20 minutes- until soft but not falling apart. Drain.

2. Chop onions and garlic. Sautee in olive oil for about 5 minutes (until they are getting soft).

3. Add about 2-3 tablespoons of curry powder to mixture. Stir to coat.
4. Pour cooked potatoes and peas into the mixture. Stir well to coat with curry powder. Add a little more if needed. (Note, I didn't thaw the peas much. They cooked enough on the stovetop then in the oven.) Cook for 5-10 minutes to absorb flavor. Set to the side.

5. Spread fillo dough out on the counter so the longest side is at the top and bottom. Fold it over into thirds, then turn to "hotdog" position (longest side at top and bottom again).
6. Spoon some of the mixture into the bottom left corner. I added 2 cubes of paneer (which was frozen) at this point. Then fold the corner up so it's a triangle.

Note that my folded fillo is sitting on top of non folded sheets here.

7. Fold down to a triangle again. You will get basically 3 folds and then have a little left over on the end. At this point, get a little water and bush it on the remaining strip of dough. Fold over and stick to the triangle. This seals it. It took me a couple tries to get the folding part. Check out this website for better pictures and instructions.
8. Put on cookie sheet and bake at 375 for about 6-8 minutes, flip over and bake on the other side for the same or until golden brown.
9. EAT! I served it with an Indian masala sauce for dipping!

Strawberry Jam Canning Session!

2010-05-31T19:25:00.000-05:00

Saturday morning, I woke up early (7am), which is very uncharacteristic of me. Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE sleep and sleeping in! Why the motivation, you ask? Strawberry picking! I decided to go to Lakeview Farms, pretty much the only place within 45 minutes where I could find (non-blackberry) berry picking. A couple girls from Yelp met me at my place at 7:30am and we headed off after enjoying some delicious bagels.

I had done extensive research on the farm before going, and decided to go that early so they wouldn't run out of berries. I also called the day before, which they said to do to make sure there was still picking. There was.

We finally were nearing the entrance and drive up, only to see a sign that says "Sorry, we are closed" in the entrance. WTF? We pulled over and called and they were already picked out! BUMMER. We had to turn around.

Now, I had my mind SET on making jam/preserves that day. So I cheated and bought some strawberries from a local produce stand and got started!

I wanted to go chemical free and sugar free, so I found a great recipe on the internet using agave nectar instead of sugar. Here is my ingredient list:

- 3lbs Strawberries
- 2-3Lemons
- 1/2 cup Agave Nectar
- Squirt of Honey
- 1 Apple

I also bought a water bath canner and many jars to preserve my stuff from this season in:

Here are the steps I took:

1. Sterilize five 1/2-pint jars by boiling them in a hot water bath for five minutes or so.
2. Wash and stem strawberries.
3. Put strawberries in a bowl.
4. Stir berries, lemon juice (start with 2 lemons, adjust to taste), agave nectar, and grated apple together in a pot over medium-high heat.
5. You can mash the mixture with a potato masher, but I decided to use my immersion blender to get it more liquified but still with some chunks.

6. Bring to a full, rolling boil and boil at least 10 minutes, or up to 15 minutes. Adjust sweetener to taste after 5 minutes and again after 10 minutes. To test for jelling, put a white plate in the freezer when you start cooking the jam; when ready to test, put a teaspoon of jam liquid on the plate, and return to freezer for one minute. You should be able to make a line in the jam with your finger that doesn't fill back in at all. Mine did after awhile but I don't mind a little liquid!
7. Remove a jar from the water, ladle hot fruit mixture into jar leaving 1/4" headspace, wipe threaded rim of jar clean, and attach lid and band. Repeat until all jars are full. I had EXACTLY enough to fill 5 half pint jars.

8. Process in a boiling water bath for 5-10 minutes. Leave undisturbed overnight or until completely cool.

9. TIP: Being a canning rookie, I wasn't sure if the seals were properly sealed when I pulled out the cans. After about 10 minutes, they all popped and were definitely concave!

New Obsession + My first Harvest!

2010-05-24T20:59:00.002-05:00

New kitchen toys are finding their way to my cocina!

It's Ben's fault... he started it by surprising me back in March with an awesome new Kitchenaid mixer. The kind that mixes on its own, has many attachments, and has a bowl that comes with it. It's pretty much totally fabulous.

I've just added a couple more things to my kitchen repertoire. First, a food processor. My first goal: to make pesto with the abundant basil I have growing.

Second, a canning kit. Which leads me to my new obsession! CANNING! My next kitchen gadget will be a water bath canner. This weekend, I'm heading to Lakeview Farms to pick strawberries and raspberries. Then I'm having a canning party! Do I have much of an idea of what I'm doing? NOPERS! But I don't care. I'm gonna give it my best shot! Stay tuned for how it turned out...

On another note, yesterday I harvested my first item for consumption: lettuce! I made a delicious salad with it.

Home grown, organic lettuce. Plus some other stuff (not so organic or home grown!)

Paired with some Dr. Praeger's veggie burgers (the only ones that I will eat) and some Trader Joe's sweet potato fries (TO.DIE.FOR), it made the perfect warm weather meal!

These sweet potato fries are THE BOMB!

The garden is growing like mad - way bigger than in the last pictures even. I haven't complained about how much rain we've had because it's been beautiful for my garden. While weeding the other day, I realized that I have a small berry patch growing that I DIDN'T PLANT! Crazy. My squash is blossoming like mad and I even have fruit on one of the plant. Can't wait til the squash starts coming - we'll be up in our ears with it! Want some? Come on by!

Garden Update

2010-05-19T21:46:00.000-05:00

My garden is finally in the ground!

I know it's been awhile since I updated but it's been busy. Some new things going on in my life are: my teaching assignment has changed (next year I'm at one school full time, YAY!), I started a gym regimen and got a personal trainer, and I've done a little traveling (Florida for pleasure, Columbia MO and Minneapolis for teaching related things).

Now, my energy is going towards gardening. It's been a slow go because the weather has been bad (2 weekends of tornadoes and big rains, and a couple weeks of fluctuating temperatures, some frost creating) but it looks like we're safe now!

I realized how many flower beds I have. WHOA. Lots of planting to do. I'm focusing on planting perennials in many of them for lower maintenance future Springs and then fruits and veggies in a couple places. Ben and I spent quite a bit of time raking all of the twigs and branches that fell during the winter. Ben got our new lawn mower up and running. It's awesome! It's called the Fiskars Momentum. It's made by Fiskars, which makes scissors. It's a reel mower- so not electric or gas. It appealed to us because of our "green" ideas and Ben thought he could use his muscle to propel it. He really likes it and it does a great job so far! I figure that it saves the environment and will only need some money put in each year or so to sharpen the blades, instead of the money we'd spend on gas or electric power.

My first projects were the bed in the front, in which I planted marigolds, and the large back bed by the pond. I have always wanted lilacs, so I bought two bushes to put there plus 3 little flowering bushes called magic carpet spirea.

We also have a lot of roses blooming. They were blooming when we moved in so I would imagine that they bloom all summer!

I ended up planting some of the things that I originally mentioned but the list is longer and more different! Ben's dad built me a raised bed, and I planted several things there, along with around the perimeter (he also brought his roto tiller and tilled it all!). I also expanded to inside the fence and have plans on tilling a little more later this season or maybe next year to make more space.

This is what I planted:

-Tomatoes (4 varieties)
-Green beans
-Lettuce (2 varieties)
-Broccoli
-Cauliflower
-Sweet red peppers
-Brussels sprouts
-Melon (canteloupe)
-Summer squash
-Zucchini
-Butternut squash
-Acorn squash
-Summer medley squash (comes in yellow, green, orange)
-Sweet lightening - an "in between" summer and winter squash
-Raspberries
-Strawberries (2 varieties)

I'm going to have A LOT of squash!

I also have many herbs:

-Rosemary (2 varieties)
-Mint (didn't plant it- it was there and is invading!)
-Lemon thyme
-Chives
-Sage
-Chamomile
-Oregano
-Summer Savory
-Parsley
-Basil - loads of it!
-Dill

I know I'm missing something here!

Just got a food processor and canning supplies, so I plan on being busy this summer. I will blog more as I do it- will have more time then!

Catching up/New Creations

2010-03-14T20:59:00.010-05:00

I've been so busy lately that I haven't updated the blog. Between my second teaching job, finals, giving two big presentations at a conference in Minneapolis and starting a garden, I have just started trying some new things in the kitchen. Look for the garden update later this week.

Since I am starting a garden, I need to be able to prepare the veggies I'm growing to my liking. One thing I'm attempting is Brussels sprouts. I've really only eaten them about 3 times in my life, all being deliciously prepared. Two times Ron made them on special occasions and the other time I had them at Niche (for non STLers, it's a very upscale restaurant that is very "hot" right now). Don't ask me why I decided to grow them. Just sounded interesting. Anyhow, I bought some and prepared them and now they are my new favorite veggie! Ben also gives them 5 stars and even asks for more. I definitely think they get a bad rep. Anyhow, my first try at them, I just sauteed them with some butter until they were nice and caramelized. I also made squash (summer and zucchini) risotto with barley instead of rice, which worked out really well. I know I need to work on my presentation, but here is my finished product:

Tonight I decided to make risotto again since it turned out so well the first time. This time I put broccoli and Brussels sprouts in it.

While I was chopping veggies, I noticed that my dog Ruby was nowhere to be seen. Whenever I'm cooking and she isn't there, I know she is getting into SOMETHING. So I walk into the living room and realize that she is playing with something green. And she doesn't have a green toy. Hmmm. Turned out that she really likes broccoli!

Making the risotto was the second thing I thought to make. The first thing was beer bread, which my friend Brooke gave me a recipe for a month or so ago. I had asked for it because she made it at Mardi Gras 2009 and I remember it being delicious. I was a little nervous that I wouldn't like it as much considering things usually seem to taste better when tipsy, which I was when I had it at Brooke's. Anyhow, I followed the directions and this is what I came up with:

The bread was warm and soft and delicious! The whole meal looked like this and was freaking awesome.

Fighting with Food

2010-02-18T18:25:00.001-06:00

I'm on a diet.. for the first time in my life.

My mom says I've had a lot of "firsts" lately, which is true. This one is the biggest bitch though. It stems from me being tired of being overweight, wanting to be healthier, and wanting to be more active. And from encouragement from certain family members and boyfriends. But I truly want those things - so I joined Weight Watchers. And I'm going to join a gym.

I wasn't going to blog about this at first, feeling a little embarrassed about the whole weight thing. But now I don't care - it's obvious to anyone that I have major poundage to lose. So that's what I'm going to do.

My plan: doing Weight Watchers for a bit.. I lost 5lb in the first week, woo. Learning how to control what I eat better and portion it out. Then continue the "food conscious" attitude by myself. Join a gym, work out many times a week, and ride my bike on Grant's Trail a lot when the weather gets nicer.

I want to lose 40-50 pounds in 2010. It might be a lofty goal, but I want to achieve it. And I'm going to work REALLY HARD to do it.

My New Toy!

2010-01-31T19:59:00.008-06:00

I got a new toy.

I've acquired some new cooking utensils and gadgets in the last month to make cooking more efficient and do some cool things. My latest addition is an immersion blender, which is basically a little gadget that you stick into (aka "immerse") into the bowl/pot you have food in to blend it up. It's very low maintenance, easy to clean and use. And only cost around $30.

So Ben and I have eaten like toothless old people this weekend! I pureed and blended the crap out of our food, using any excuse to use my new gadget. Saturday night, I made a sort of root vegetable soup with squash, yams and parsnips. It was ok, but I honestly wasn't the hugest fan. The best part about it was using my new toy.

I also made apple crisp, which was much yummier. The last time I made an apple dish (applesauce), Ben commented how good it would be to put some vanilla ice cream on top. So I granted his wish this time, stopping at Oberweis for some delicious vanilla to top off the crisp.

Last night (Sunday), I decided to make a Pair of Purees - potato puree and butternut squash puree. Both were quite yummy! I also made applesauce - this time, I didn't have to spend forever cutting them up. Just let them bake and then blend them up with the new gadget. The consistency was perfect- just like real applesauce. Yum!! Served all three with some asparagus. Delicious!

We don't have all the answers

2010-01-27T20:31:00.004-06:00

Ben and I just finished watching Bill Maher's documentary "Religulous." We went directly into watching the State of the Union address (me) and playing computer games (him) so we didn't really discuss the points in the movie, and I won't be surprised if we don't. Although now I feel a little inclined to bring it up, but only because I'm thinking about it. Religion is a big issue in a lot of relationships, but in ours, it's been a total non-issue throughout. I know people who have broken off relationships because of religious differences that couldn't be overcome or major compromises that had to be made because of it. All I have to say is "Thank GOD I don't have to deal with that!"

If I even believe in such a being.

Religion isn't something I know a whole lot about or care to talk or debate about. I might just be a huge contradiction when it comes to being religious. I think it's pretty routine to associate religion with one's attendance to services at a religious institution. My church life went like this: Baptized in the Catholic church because my grandparents (Catholic) threatened to disown me if I wasn't; even though I am not and have never been Catholic. Started going to church - Methodist (like my mom was raised) when I was young. Was very involved in music at church all the way up to high school graduation, therefore attending church often. In the end of this time, I questioned religion a lot but enjoyed the music, so continued on. I actually met one of my best friends as a middle schooler questioning my beliefs in youth group - she was too. In college, I was not into church except for a short try at a church close to campus, hoping to meet some new friends (it didn't work- they were very cliquey). When I moved back to St. Louis, I immediately went back to my old church, becoming very involved again in music. People who go to church, if reading this, might be surprised about my questioning my beliefs, considering I'm pretty well known in the church for being active in it.

Which brings me to my beliefs. Let me explain: I have no idea what they are. I don't really enjoy listening to sermons or prayers or scripture. The service I go to has a sermon and a little of the other stuff, but mostly is music. That is the reason I am attracted to it. When I sing, I feel wonderful. I could go as far as to say I feel the spirit inside me. What spirit, I don't know. I like to think of it as my grandma being with me. I know I believe in spirituality. I'd like to believe in a better place for the afterlife and for those people to be with us in spirit. Sure, that works for me. The other stuff, more fundamental, more, well, religious stuff.. I dunno.

I'm one of those in between people, but I like going to church (most of the time - when the sermon is 40 minutes long, I question it!) I actually suspect others who attend my service are in between believers like me, but of course, no one would talk about it openly.

Which brings me to the idea of religion within relationships. Ben is pretty anti-church, although I've managed to get him to church several times to watch me perform in different capacities. He just doesn't feel comfortable there. Which is fine with me. Though I like it when he comes and watches me because it makes me feel good to look out and see him supporting me. We very rarely talk about religion. Although I don't consider him an atheist - because I know he has some spirituality in him outside of organized religion. We have many common interests but we also have some unique interests that the other doesn't share. I think that is important in a relationship, because being your own person helps you really feel secure in who you are as an individual rather than a couple.

I have always scorned couples who couldn't do anything without each other. Ben and I spend much of our time together, but are free to do our own thing if we want. I wouldn't have a problem with him hanging out with his buddies without me. Ditto for him. I remember in grad school, when I had a friend who got married and had to ask her husband if she wanted to do ANYTHING on her own. Really ask his permission! She had to stay home and make his sandwich for lunch because he couldn't/wouldn't do it for himself, or transfer his laundry to the dryer for the same reason. Ridiculous. I never want to be that person- I want to be my own, to have my own free thoughts and actions. And I want him also to be able to freely think, disagree with me if needed, have his own thing to do. If religion is one of these things, no problem. I can't exactly preach my beliefs when I don't even know what they are!

So no, I don't really know what I believe. What I do know: church brings me something positive in my life, so I'll keep going as long as I get good feelings from it.

Adventures with Spanish Food

2010-01-24T20:39:00.005-06:00

Last week, looking at the menu of a tapas restaurant made me nauseous. I was surprised at my reaction; I thought that 6 months post-Spain trip, I'd be over it.

I was wrong.

My first two trips to Spain were in 1997 and 2000. I stayed mostly with families who knew that I was a vegetarian and cooked for me, and we didn't eat out very much. I remembered the food as being decent. This trip, I got a way different, new perspective on Spanish food.

It all started in Madrid. We landed there and went to our "welcome dinner" at a Tapas restaurant. Of course, the menu was pre-set and everything (even the salad) had meat on it. I told the waiter that I was a vegetarian and he asked if I liked asparagus. Why yes, I do. But not the pickled white asparagus that he then brought me - complete with a huge blob of mayo. Double YUCK. I had to move it away from me- the scent was overwhelming. The scent of the pickled asparagus combined with the fishy anchovy looking tuna fish on the salad, meatballs and other meat dishes made me want to wear a gas mask.

Now don't get me wrong, I have lived with meat eaters all of my life. My parents eat meat, my boyfriend eats meat. Everyone I'm friends with eats meat sometimes. I have eaten countless meals alongside people eating all sorts of meats. I've even cooked meat a handful of times (hey, I'm trying to be a good domestic partner here!)

The welcome dinner was just the beginning. I ended up eating bread and cheese for the next 3 days. I couldn't find anything to eat! Even salads. Out of desperation, I offered to take a group of kids to the Hard Rock Cafe so that I could get some overpriced edible food. I ended up paying about $14 for a small house salad, but it was worth it.

Did I mention that Spain's menus always include foods such as blood sausage, tongue, tripe, and a wide variety of fishy foods, complete with eyes? And more - I've blocked out much of the nasty stuff that is frequently on the menu.

Throughout the trip, I was exposed to countless absolutely disgusting foods in combination with the cigarette smoke that is everywhere (every restaurant IS a smoking section) and hot temperatures. It was enough to keep me in an almost constant state of nausea. I gagged many a time throughout the trip. I just couldn't handle it. It got so bad that one morning, the other teachers were discussing foods (the gross ones) and I literally threw up right there. In my mouth.

I did have a couple good meals there. I went to a vegetarian restaurant, thanks to a teacher who took pity on my lack of any sort of nutrition and found it for me. I found one place - for our last meal in the home stay community- that had a great meal with some squash soup and pasta dish. And I actually found a vegetarian paella in one place!

Hence tonight's meal- the only thing about Spanish food that is tempting to me anymore. I made a veggie paella. Ingredients included yellow squash, zucchini, carrots, peas, asparagus, broccoli, spices (helloooo saffron!) and of course, rice. It was pretty good. Here is the finished product.

Maybe one day I will venture into Spain again. But one thing is for sure: I will take lots of granola bars!

Best Salad Ever!

2010-01-23T18:56:00.004-06:00

One of the first food items that we perfected was the salad. Who knew how interesting and delicious salad could be? The best salad ever is a delectable mixture of:

-Lettuce
-Avocado
-Peppers
-Craisins
-Feta
-Pistachios
-Raspberry Hazelnut Dressing

A Masterpiece!

Experiments in Cooking

2010-01-22T20:34:00.001-06:00

In cooking new things, one of the first foods I experimented with was zucchini. I read another blog post about all of the different things you can do with it plus had some excellently prepared zukes at Casa Schwartz and was inspired to try some myself. It all started with the zucchini boat. I brushed zucchini with some olive oil and topped it with Italian seasonings and feta cheese then baked it for 20-30 minutes.

Since then, I've used zucchini in a variety of ways. Cooking it in soup, zucchini flatbread pizza, zucchini chips, and tonight, zucchini fries. To make the fries, cut them up, sprinkle seasonings over them, and then bake them at a high temp (500 degrees is what I did). I used a combination of garlic salt, onion powder, cumin, chili powder and oregano. This is how they came out:

They were a little overcooked - and I have learned after two times of having sticky zucchini to the very NOT non-stick pan- that I need to use a different pan or some cooking spray first. They were pretty tasty nonetheless.

I also made another dish tonight that I tried before, but this one was better: curried chick pea casserole. I'm trying to eat more protein since I don't get any from meat, so beans are one way. The casserole has chick peas, curry powder, onions, garlic and some tomato paste. Top with some feta cheese and bake.

I served it with naan and over jasmine rice. Delicious! This is what our plates looked like.

Jardin de Sarah

2010-01-21T18:28:00.002-06:00

Along with this whole cooking frenzy, my other major short term goal is to design, plant and cultivate a vegetable garden. Our new house has a southern facing patch of land where the previous owners grew a couple things - some herbs, squash and tomatoes that we saw. The soil is good, the light is great, and it's big. It has some fence on 2 sides where I can plant tomatoes and beans. My major aspiration is to build 2-3 raised beds with wood planks and fill them in with soil & compost to then plant. I am crossing my fingers that Ben & his dad will help me with this. Raised beds are the best method for growing, so I read. I think it will be awesome. I have a long list of things I'd like to grow, but I'll have to look at the space and see what I can manage. So far, the things I think of are:

- Lettuce/greens
- Broccoli
- Beans (different varieties)
- Tomatoes (*I've already ordered 3 heirloom varieties)
- Peppers (*ditto)
- Zucchini/Yellow Squash
- Garlic
- Corn
- Melon
- Asparagus
- Onions
- Carrots
- Celery
- Herbs... parsley, rosemary, thyme, etc.

I'm going to two classes at St. Louis Community College in the next two months, one on herb gardening/harvesting/preserving and the other on growing Spring Crops. I can't wait! I plan on throwing myself into this big time. I really want the satisfaction of cooking AND with things I grew. Just one more goal of womanhood... Feeding my family (ok, my boyfriend and dogs, but I might donate some extras to other family members!) with homegrown veggies. Mmm..

Welcome to My World

2010-01-20T14:07:00.000-06:00

The word "woman" is a pretty simple one, but it's one that I, even at 28 years old, have a hard time using when describing myself. Not that I'm immature (ok, sometimes I am), but I still feel like "girl" describes me better most of the time. Why this is, I'm not sure. While gender roles are pretty unimportant to me, I think that sometimes it is just natural to take certain roles being a female. One major thing is knowing how to cook. This is something I've struggled with. Well, not struggled maybe. Just really not cared about! Didn't try very much because I preferred to spend my time doing other things. Before we moved in together, my boyfriend Ben and I would go out to eat every time we saw each other - which was A LOT. We didn't always get expensive meals, but even a meal at Bread Company costs around $7 a person. It added up. When we moved in together, we wanted to stop eating out so much and start cooking more. We did, only going out twice a week: once for our Whole Foods Pizza special night ($8.99 for a large) and once during the weekend, whether it be go out to a restaurant or get take out. But our meals were pretty boring and didn't take much effort. So I decided to ask for a crock pot and a vegetarian cookbook for Christmas. Which I received. Coupled with some mega inspiration, I am transforming into a cook! I will chronicle my adventures in cooking and more in this blog - the things that are enriching me personally.