Try new recipes.

Of course, I’ve known this is possible in theory. But now that I know someone who does it, I’m totally doing it. In fact, I told her that I’m inviting myself over so she can teach me how.

Just making beans, easy. Very easy. I’ll never buy a can again.

The veggie burger…well, it was more like a bean/rice cake. Not quite how it was supposed to turn out. I’m going to give it another try, though.

I was in a grocery store on vacation the other week that was hit hard by the economy. The shelves were EMPTY. They had to sell all of their current stock in order to afford buying new stock…it made me realize how precarious our eating lifestyle (meaning us relying on other people to get our food ready for us) is. Even if you think to yourself, yeah, I can cook, does that mean throwing cans together? What if the cans were no longer available for some reason? Kind of scary to think about.

So between that revelation and my new slightly-vegetarian bend, I have more things for the list.

A new breed of stuffed peppers (original list)
spring rolls (original list)

New items:
BEANS, like buying raw beans in bulk and making both cooked beans and refried beans…this is something I typically get from a can and would like to make on my own, just to make sure I know how.

VEGGIE BURGERS. I like veggie burgers, but I don’t like buying them processed from the grocery store. I’m kind of weirded out by that, honestly…I think of being a vegetarian as a way to get away from excess food processes and get back to the natural order of things, so it’s weird to then rely on frozen/packaged/processed food. No digs on anyone…I just don’t want to be that kind of meat avoider (Oh, it’s my meal to avoid meat, so I’m going to buy something inside a plastic wrapper instead…no thanks). I found a recipe for black bean veggie burgers that I’m looking forward to trying this summer.

FALAFELS. Yum. I found a recipe that looks pretty easy.

which are my new-style stuff peppers and spring rolls…

The stuffed peppers will be easy. Maybe next time I host the monthly friend dinner, I will make them (rice/pineapple/shredded chicken/sauce eaten on fresh orange/yellow peppers like a spoon).

But oh, how I do want to try to make spring rolls. I have a very adventurous cooking friend. Maybe tomorrow at happy hour I will ask her if she is willing to try to make these one day with me…I have a feeling it might require an extra hand the first few times.

Once I finish these two recipes, the original ones I wanted to make, I’ll consider this done.

I did make a wild rice stuffing for TG that everybody loved!

My dad taught me how to make them yesterday…oh my, they are putzy to make but oh so good…

I don’t know that I would call it that…it’s more like spicy mexican inspired tomato soup. But it was good.

I have never made chili before. Ever. Which is weird, it’s like the easiest thing to make. But I don’t love chunks of tomatoes, which is pretty much what chili is…my husband always makes it. But we had a chili potluck tonight at our house, and my husband was out this afternoon. So I made a traditional chili as well as a white chicken chili, which I’ve always wanted to make and never had before. They both turned out really well (one in crock pot, one on stove top). The white chili was much easier to make than I thought it would be…came together very quickly since I had already cooked the chicken.

So there’s something new for the rotation, I guess.

After a few weeks with the CSA veggies, you think, ok, I’ve never made borscht, I’m not necessarily sure that I’ve ever eaten borscht, but it sure as heck uses a lot of veggies, including weird things I had like cabbage and beets. And turnips. It didn’t call for turnips, but I didn’t have potatos, so I used the turnips instead. It was quite possibly the most labor intensive thing I have ever made (right up there with lasagna) but I think it will be good. Honestly, I hardly have an appetite anymore because of all the veggie cutting and other things on my mind, but isn’t most soup better the next day anyway? I think with some grilled cheese and a little sour cream tossed in, it should be good.

I don’t like these, but I made them for my husband last night for him to heat up today, and he told me they were great. Quick too. Good for him when he wants real food and I want a grilled cheese sandwich.

in August…but my husband has raved about it. The best part? It had no broth…just all natural flavor from the onions and ham. I think the boiled cabbage added flavor too, which seems weird.