Splurging

When most young moms think of splurging, they probably think of massages, new clothes and luxury vacations. But I love to splurge on food at the grocery store. Especially produce. Pomegranates are in the stores right now. They aren't very cheap, compared to other fruits, but where else can I buy a sack of rubies for two dollars and fifty cents? Edible rubies, at that! It takes forever to separate out all of those arils, but it's well worth it to me when I see my two little girls poking them down. Fresh produce has a way of taking me away to the place it's been grown. It's an out-of-body experience that can not be attained from canned or packaged food. Sort of a mini vacation in my mouth. The other day a friend asked, "Do you think a pomegranate was the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden?" Hmm...good question.

Trophies and Two-Fold Blessings

Last night I had a friend over who just wanted to cook together. Her enthusiasm for food and for being in the kitchen reminded me of...myself! I got so excited I could barely choose what to make! It's pretty exciting when someone comes over to cook, and not just to eat...and I didn't feel that I had to worry about picky eaters, either. Creating the meal is the fun part for me. I have never been very 'creative' in the way young women 'should' be (quilting, scrapbooking, home decor, etc.) but I think I have found my creative outlet in the kitchen. The funny thing is, the finished product ends up being consumed, so I don't have a 'trophy' to hang on the wall to show off my creativity...which is the way I like it. Simple. Come to think of it, my husband isn't even packing on pounds around the middle. Come on, babe...at least give me that! And to be able to create with another person is like dancing: it's fun to dance on your own sometimes, but not all the time. Oh, and the high point of the evening? We traded cookbooks! Marcella Hazan for Jamie Oliver. (temporarily, of course). I have a feeling my life will never be the same.

The menu was eclectic: my husband made Hazan's "Red, Yellow & Green Pepper Risotto" (which always turns out fantastic! which probably has a lot to do with my husband being a fantastic cook), I tried my hand at a Sweet Potato Soup, which was...sweet. Not sweet, as in awesome, but sweet as in liquid pumpkin pie. I think I could've served it as dessert with a dollop of cream on top. And -- drum roll please -- with a group effort, we made a Ricotta Gnocchi...tiny pillows for the curly heads of fairies. Delicious. I will definitely make those again. They are supposed to take about 15 minutes (I think that means after you have made them several times and become a gnocchi expert). However, the process alone makes this one worth trying...and it doubles as Play Dough for the kids. The blessing is two-fold.

Taking the Leap

I would hope I'm obsessed enough with food by now that it justifies writing about it. But maybe I will end up spending less time in the kitchen and more time on my Mac in doing this. In any case, here I am. Taking the leap into the world of food bloggers...which, apparently, has become quite trendy and I don't think anyone will read mine. Ha!