Challenge complete

Well, it's over. I picked up my last co-op share on Saturday. It was a good last pick-up: Sweet potatoes, lettuce, greens, apples, mushrooms and cider. We also got apple butter, which I've been waiting for since the co-op started, and a special surprise of kettle korn. I also picked up my last chicken, which made four uncooked chickens though I cooked one yesterday.

Back in March, on my very first post, I listed three goals: cook more, eat healthier and get over some of my pickiness about food. I would say I accomplished all of those things and even to a greater extent than I expected. I think I was somehow spared the foods I was most afraid of, i.e. turnips, but the fact I eat asparagus, cooked spinach, squash of all varieties and zucchini is a huge change from April.

While I definitely cooked more over the last eight months, what I found surprising was how much I enjoy cooking. A day in the kitchen is something I look forward to and find relaxing, which had never been the case for me. But I love making things from scratch and trying new recipes. That is not at all what I expected, but I'm hoping that's what keeps me motivated for the next four months.

As far as eating healthier, I definitely got more vegetables in my diet and actually rely on mostly vegetable dishes. And I no longer eat frozen pizza or cereal for dinner every night. But I cook with a lot of butter, and I made a fair amount of sweet things with the stuff I got in my shares. I don't think that was bad, but I'm not going to claim I was the healthiest eater either. I'm not one to focus on calories or fat, but eating healthier is still on my list of goals (along with returning to the gym).

When I started this, I wasn't sure if it was going to be a one-time thing or something I did year after year. I think it only took two pick-ups for me to decide that I would continue to participate. But it is going to feel like a long time until the end of April. I do still have three chickens, some squash and potatoes that will last me for a while longer, but it's going to be hard to go back to the produce section at the store. Maybe continuing to blog will keep me motivated to try new recipes, so I have something to post about.

Anyway, I just felt the need to wrap up the co-op season, the other posts this week will be Christmas related.

Winter squash

Most of the things I am picky about (or was picky about before this experience) were things I had tried or at least seen prepared on a regular basis. But the latest thing I am moving into the like category is not something I've even been in a situation to try until the last year or so. But now I am wondering where winter squash has been all my life.

So far I've gotten delicata squash and carnival squash and I enjoyed both of them. Last week for dinner I found directions for cooking the carnival squash in the microwave. I mashed it up, added some butter and brown sugar and thoroughly enjoyed it and especially liked that it only took 15 minutes. 

I still had two carnival squashes left, and I went searching for recipes all week. I found two recipes for soup and then made it up as I went along, and it actually turned out really well.

Here's my rough recipe (I'll probably be eating it all week):

• 2 carnival squash
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1 small potato, chopped
• 4 green beans, cut in small pieces
• 1 cup of chicken or vegetable stock
• Salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg to taste
• 1/2 cup of half and half

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut top off squash, remove seeds, drizzle with olive oil and salt, roast for 45 minutes. Once cooled, scoop out pulp and put in food processor. Process as much as you want or don't. I only pulsed it a few times, I don't like completely pureed soup.

Saute onion in butter in the bottom of a dutch oven or other heavy pot until translucent. Add potato, green beans and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat and allow it to simmer for 20 minutes.

Stir in squash and seasonings and allow to simmer for another 10 minutes. Add cream and let it simmer for another few minutes. 

The soup was good, but my other favorite thing is the seeds. I let them dry out, then coat them with olive oil, add salt and roast at 275 degrees for 15 minutes.

Winter squash was one of the things I had been worried about, but now I can't get enough. The other bonus is it doesn't go bad as long as it hasn't been cut. I'm excited to see what variety I'll get this week.

More adventures in food

I had a good weekend, but it wasn't filled with the long list of everything I got to do and photos that usually come on Mondays. I think I was just burned out and needed some down time this weekend. I still had plenty going on, but I also turned some stuff down to get things done and go to bed early. 


I would like to report on two things I ate this weekend. I was at lunch with two of my friends, and they told me I needed to document my lunch. We were at a local restaurant where they supposedly have the best pizza crust. They had limited choices for lunch, but I was really brave and ordered a pizza with artichoke pesto, roasted red peppers and goat cheese.

I'll say the goat cheese was what swayed me, but the artichoke pesto was pretty amazing and I didn't even pick off the peppers. I was pretty proud of myself.


The other thing I ate this weekend was chili. That may seem like a normal and safe choice to you, but it's something I've always been. If I'm in a situation where I have no choice, I can usually eat enough to be polite. And I remember a time when I was on a mission trip and chili was all there was for dinner. The beans are usually what get me, and I remember this one having a lot of those big, mushy beans. I hated it and didn't want to eat any of it. But that was all there was, and my youth leader literally sat with me and told me to smile after every bite. It was like I was 5, and I was probably acting that age.


Anyway, on Sunday I voluntarily went to a chili cook-off with church. I did not try the 10 different chilis, and the one I did eat was called "Traditional." So I wasn't so far out of the box, but I did eat and enjoy an entire bowl of chili. 


I didn't compete in the chili cook-off, but I didn't go empty-handed either. I found a recipe for a green bean dish that didn't have to be hot, and I was able to use the last of my green beans. I liked it, and it was all gone after the party. Here's the recipe:


Green Bean Salad from The Food Network

• 1/2 pound green beans, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped red onion
• 2 teaspoons walnut oil or olive oil
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of water with a steamer basket to a boil, add green beans and steam for about 4 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Toast the walnuts in a small dry skillet over medium heat until they become fragrant, about 2 minutes, and then transfer them to a small bowl to cool. Add the parsley and onion to the walnuts and stir to combine.

In another small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar and mustard. Toss the dressing with the green beans, top with the walnut mixture and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

End of the week randomness

First of all, I can't believe it's October. I'm definitely excited for fall, but I feel like it's going to fly by. Anyway, here's my random list of things for today.

1. So I tried the beets. I wrapped them in foil and roasted them at 400 degrees for an hour. After they cooled, I peeled them and then added them to my salad. The thing is I wanted to like beets. It seems to be the one thing most people dislike, and I wanted to finally like something most people don't, instead of disliking something most people love. But this was not the case. I even tried more than just a bite, but it was a very strong dislike.

2. Thus far I've been unimpressed with fall TV. I haven't tried any new shows, but my old favorites seem to be struggling, particularly Desperate Housewives (it might be time for this one to end, like two seasons ago) and Brothers and Sisters (skip a whole year with no warning and resolve most of the plot lines all in the premiere, why should I keep watching?). And bringing back Brad Womack on The Bachelor is a horrible idea. So I guess it's ABC and I that are not agreeing right now.
 
3. It's been raining here for the last two days. It's good, we definitely need the rain, but it has made me want to curl up in my reading chair with a good book and hot tea and not go anywhere. Unfortunately, I can't do that and not only that I have get to walk to work. And while I've been looking forward to fall and cooler weather, I forgot that at some point in the fall I have to give up wearing my flip flops. I may have some more flip flop days left, but it was a rude awakening to have to switch to socks and closed-toed shoes this week.
 
4. So I got Bakerella's cookbook a few weeks ago. Let's just say there is a cakepop for everything. I haven't had time or a reason to try anything cool since I got it. But this week was a co-worker's birthday, and I wanted to try these cupcake bites. I imagined writing this post and having a cute photo of my success. Well, I don't have a photo because it did not go well and only added to my frustration with candy coating. Someday I'm going to make something cute from the cookbook, but first I've got to come up with a vegan version.

5. I'll leave you with a link to this post from Bebo Norman that describes beauty and brokenness in a way I never could. And then this quote from Andrew Osenga via a friend: "Hoping is always filled with sadness. It is the exhausting activity of choosing to not give up, to believe in the fulfilling of longing."

Six mostly unrelated thoughts

Struggling for topics to write about right now, so here's a random collection of thoughts:


1. I had a post written on Friday, but it pretty much turned into a debate about what to use to clean my toilet. I don't think that's worth a full post, but here's my issue: I bought one of the wands and the disposable scrubbers because I hate toilet brushes. But now I can't find the refills to fit the wand, and I even checked two stores. I can't stand to have a toilet brush in my bathroom, but I didn't want Clorox to win by starting all over with the disposable stuff. So I'm back to the toilet brush but still disgusted, any other suggestions?


2. About the time we were wandering through the garden at Thomas Jefferson's home, my sister, who came to visit this weekend, pointed out that the theme of her weekend here was local food. And it's true, I took her to the city market, an orchard for some apples and cider and to restaurants that pride themselves on using local ingredients. But I feel like it is more than just a theme for the weekend — it's a theme of this town and of my life for the last few months. And I'd like for it to continue to be a theme and not just a passing fad for me.


3. My sister and I also did some shopping, and I remembered why I never buy anything when I shop by myself: I don't have my mom or sisters there to pick stuff out and be honest with me about what I try on. My sister found a cute dress and a good sweater for fall for me that I never would have noticed. Now I'm on a hunt for some black boots if anyone has suggestions.


4. I rediscovered my perfectionist tendencies last week when I was trying to finish this project for my niece's nursery:

As I was working on it all week, I was also reading about God's sovereignty in John Piper's Desiring God. Piper talked about God's narrow lens, where He sees and grieves over the hurt and sin in specific situations, but He also looks through His wide-angle lens and sees the way good comes out of those things and helps bring together His ultimate plan. God's sovereignty is something I've struggled with before, especially when things seemed difficult, and found this imagery very helpful. But I also used this theory in trying to get over the imperfections of this canvas I worked on all week — forcing myself to step back and realize the imperfections aren't as noticeable as I think they are when you look at it from a distance. So please don't look at the middle of the B too closely!

5. A lot of times when I go out to eat, I am still surprised at how my decision-making has changed and how many things I'm willing to eat on a menu. At dinner on Saturday, I was debating between a pasta dish and a steak but was struggling because I really wanted the asparagus that comes with the steak. Normally, the asparagus would prevent me from ordering the steak. I also realized it's been a while since I had a steak because I am so satisfied with veggies these days. I did get the steak, and it was worth it — for the meat and the asparagus.

6. My friends, however, reassured my sister that some things don't change: I still order a plain turkey and cheese sandwich at Subway and always ask places to leave off the mustard and/or mayonnaise. But I even broke that rule when I ordered a tomato sandwich for lunch on Saturday. Ordering the tomato sandwich alone was significant change for me, but I got it with the mustard/mayo on it. I not only liked it but think something would have been missing from the sandwich if it wasn't on there. (I did ask for the foie gras butter that came with my steak on the side, and there was definitely nothing missing by leaving that off!)


That's about all I've got today. I picked up some fresh okra at the market this weekend, so hopefully, I'll try some new recipes this week. And here's hoping that fall does actually arrive when it's supposed to and it cools down around here!

Still surprising myself

My pick-up this week had some of the same but also some new things. Green beans returned, and I realized I had actually missed them, despite this post. Plus they were the thin, round ones, which I prefer to the flat ones. Cantaloupes were repeated, and lettuce really is sticking around.

But I got a watermelon, which is a first.

And the first of what I expect will be many shares of apples.

And then I got peppers. Somehow I have avoided peppers, even though they have been on the list before. I either trade them or they've been out of them anyway by the time I pick up. Not this week, though. I got a green pepper and these snack peppers:

Of all the things I am picky about and have actually come to like, I never expected peppers to make the list of things I would even try, much less like. Anytime peppers have been in a salad or something I wasn't expecting and I've gotten a bite of one, I would either spit it out or swallow it whole. I was not very polite about not liking peppers.

But I have eaten and even liked these snack peppers. Even though they have the pepper smell, they are actually sweet and not spicy at all. I'm not saying I'm going to like all peppers, but I might be more willing to taste them. So far I've stuffed them with goat cheese and warmed them in the toaster oven, put them on a pizza and just eaten them plain.

I'm wondering what else I will be surprised by over the next few months.

Outside the box

This blog thing has been more fun than I expected. I've enjoyed the chance to write about something besides the financial world, and it has kept me motivated as far as cooking. But I've also enjoyed the interaction with my friends and readers through comments, conversations or emails.

But sometimes in this world of instant online communication, I forget how great snail mail is. I recently got an unexpected card from my dad, encouraging me in everything I'm doing, including this blog/cooking thing.

It reminded me that a few months back, I also got a card from my aunt commenting on my blog but also reminding me of a great vacation I took with her and my uncle. She included a photo that reminded me I did occasionally try new things as a kid.

Yes, this is when I discovered I liked lobster (apparently I wasn't fazed by putting the live ones in to cook and then eating them).

We were spending the week in Maine, staying in a cabin on a lake in a small town. I was about 9, and my aunt and uncle who lived in Connecticut at the time also came up with their kids.

Most of the time I was floating in an inner tube in the lake, fishing or canoeing. In the evenings we'd go for ice cream and then sit on the dock and practice our loon calls. (I'm thinking this is a vacation I need to repeat as an adult.)

I distinctly remember being hesitant to try the lobster, but by the end of the week, I couldn't get it cracked to reach the meat fast enough.

My uncle was always telling me, "Just try it once." This applied to both food and waterslides. And most of the time, I was willing to try it again, it's just finding the nerve to step outside my comfort zone.

In his card, my dad told me he was proud of me for stepping outside my box (i.e. comfort zone) over the last year, both food-wise and in life.

I think in some ways I needed a physical move and a chance to start fresh in order to do that, and I was intentional about changes I wanted to make in my life when I moved here a little over a year ago.

In the midst of these changes, I've found a more relaxed attitude. I seem to have loosened my grip on life (or at least some parts of it). I used to be such a control freak, I wouldn't even ride places with people, and if I was going to be in a situation where I didn't have some control over what was happening, I wouldn't even participate. But I'm having more fun and more of those unexpected, amazing experiences now that I'm willing to let go of this need for control and live without always having a plan.

And that's a lot of what God has been trying to show me over the last year. My plans are not His, and I should actually be grateful for that. Instead of grieving over my failed plan, I should be celebrating the road I'm on and relaxing in the passenger seat.

Not sure how I managed to go from lobster to God's plan for me or if it even makes sense, but that's what I've got today!

Picky eater

I say that I’m a picky eater, but when people ask me what I don’t like, it’s hard to explain it exactly but here’s my attempt.


I don’t like spicy foods and could be just fine without ethnic foods. But I can find something on a menu at a Mexican or Chinese restaurant. The perfect sandwich for me is bread, deli meat and cheese (much to the dismay of employees at sandwich shops). I like sauces and dressings “on the side” like in “When Harry Met Sally.” And I avoid gravy all together.


I eat carrots and broccoli but only raw, not steamed. I love peas from a can but despise frozen ones. I won’t go anywhere near mushrooms and avoid peppers of any color. Tomatoes are fine for salad and in soup but leave them off my sandwich.


I like fresh fruit, but I don’t really liked fruit pies, although cooked apples and apple pies are growing on me. I like yogurt but don’t eat any chunks of fruit in it. I like bananas but never buy them because there is too much pressure to eat them quickly.


I like shrimp, lobster and crab but would rather not eat fish, scallops or oysters. But I do like fried calamari.


I don’t like my food to get mixed together and casseroles and lasagna make me nervous unless I’ve made them myself. I think I'm afraid of biting into a mushroom or some other unidentified vegetable.


Typically, I don’t like chili, but I had some recently that I actually liked. I don’t eat black beans or black-eyed peas. I eat salsa but only dipping a chip and bringing it out without any chunks.


I love breakfast foods, but I only eat my eggs scrambled, never fried, boiled or deviled.


Does that explain it? I know I probably sound crazy, and some of it doesn’t even make sense. I realize that part of my problem is that I’m not willing to try many new things. That's why I think the challenge of the co-op will force me to try new things and maybe discover that things like turnips aren't so bad after all.


What are you picky about?