54.54 pinches

I love when my son is cooking in the kitchen and how he seasons his food. It's very normal for him to grab a pinch of salt out of this beautiful olive wood covered bowl and sprinkle some over his meal with a chef-y flourish. Having said that, salt is one of those controversial issues that is troubling for some. Yesterday, Anne Marie and I were chatting about the blog, and it prompted me to look up some facts and figures.

Apparently on a physiological level, people NEED 500 mg of sodium a day. The "guideline" for sodium consumption is 2400 mg of sodium a day. So far so good.

SO? What did this mean for our chef-y pinches of salt over a great steak, over some fresh tomatoes, basil and bocconcini cheese, over some freshly steamed asparagus and lemon zest? Just how much sodium was I pumping into the veins of those I feed, not to mention my own (sometimes stressed-out) self? Was I elevating my blood pressure? Was I harming my young son? Was I putting my love at risk for a stroke?

They're good questions although my gut instinct said NO - as long as our heathy eating habits were in place. If they were out of whack with junk/factory/over-processed foods, then probably, yes.

I use a local Windsor Kosher salt which I switched to when I started watching "The 100 mile challenge". It has 1760 mg of sodium per teaspoon. I took out my salt, and pinched. Then I put it on a dinner plate as if I was normally seasoning it. I did this five times. Then I dumped it in my measuring spoons - 1/8 tsp. I just repeated it again before writing this.

(My math teacher in high school would be proud of this...) 1/8 tsp salt has 5 pinches. That means 12.5% of a tsp is one eighth. 12.5% divided by 5 pinches is 2.5% of a teaspoon per pinch. 1760 mg of sodium multiplied by 2.5% is 44.
So - the pinches of salt (44 mg) aren't the problem for a daily allotment.

I am really happy to say that I had to look for a while to find something prepared in the house to get a sodium read on. Triscuits have 115 mg for 4 crackers. 1 tbsp of soy sauce has 450 mg. My beloved Frank's Red Hot has 180mg per tsp. The worst offender in my house, cream of mushroom soup that my son loves, has 850 for one bowl! I'm going to keep my pulse on the sodium content on my meals this week, just to be sure.

Prepared stuff is LOADED with it to keep it from going bad. This is logical, since salt is a preservative which has been used for centuries. It's a pickler!

BUT - and here's the (salt)rub - if it makes what you eat from scratch taste better (and it absolutely does) you might just eat more of the good stuff. Eat more of those green, red, yellow and purple veggies you might otherwise pass on? Enjoy a fresh steaming hot new potato? Devour half a roasted butternut squash? Taste the ocean while biting into a flaky poached fish? Dive into a creamy avocado with some lime juice?

So, after a bit of research, a bit of experimenting, and a but of math, I'm going to take one last pinch of salt, throw it over my shoulder for good luck, and relax!

Carrots and Rainwater

I have a million things to do today... And yet I took a half hour or so (in the rain) to weed the garden. I am so excited about my carrots - I planted seeds in April, and lined them up with an old hockey stick. They are gorgeous now - "toy" carrots, that look so unbelievably cute, and purple haze carrots that are beet purple on the outside and bright orange inside.

When I was done weeding, with four carrots in hand, I noticed the rain was literally running down the rainspout at the house. Instead of pouring all the dirt from the carrots down the kitchen sink drain, I rinsed them in the rainwater.

I love these little, enchanting moments. How calming they are - how addictive they are. Carrots pulled fresh from the ground have the most incredible smell. It's 9:28 and I have so much to do today, but I'm at least going to have breakfast before I get at it.

Carrots.

Walk the Talk

It is way easier to give advice than to take it.

I mentioned the blog to Andrea and Jay today - the former while at work, the latter while working out. It's easy to give advice while things are humming along, when I've eaten breakfast, when I've had a healthy lunch, etc... etc... etc...

AND THEN LIFE HAPPENS. I've worked out HARD between 5 and 6. My man calls me to have a drink after work with a business colleague. I get to catch up with my son briefly in between his own busy social schedule. Bill's catching up with his son while I see mine, and suddenly.... it's 8:10, and I'm starving.

My first thought is to grab dinner at a restaurant. My second thought is there is lots in the fridge at home. My third thought is "forget the first thought, I'm REALLY hungry". My fourth thought has made the blogspot.

What good is my advice to busy professionals if it's not true? Why should anyone read this and spend their own precious time if I don't walk my own talk?

Crap. I hate being principled. My own advice is for other busy people, not myself! You mean I actually have to take my own advice? And yet, I do.

So? I grabbed a bottle of the same wine I had with my colleagues at the LCBO (at 8:15), and headed home to my fridge. And the result was amazing - at 8: 25, and before I would have even been served an appetizer at a restaurant.

A great tip I learned from a busy cookbook author was to grab an apron and throw it over your work clothes when you walk in the door instead of changing. So I turned on the burner, grabbed the apron, took out the chicken breasts (organic, free range, no antibiotics, YES, more expensive but it's my body).

Crap again, I'm out of olive oil. Oh well, I have butter and that will only make my "sacrifice" more yummy, and more French. In it goes.

There is a tiny bit of Dijon - just the last few bits that cling to the jar that make it almost ready to just be washed.... Except there is wine! So in it goes - about 1/8 of a cup, and sloshes around with the dijon and some salt.

And here's one of my favourite expressions... "meat is like a man. It moves when it's ready to move,". My friend Maureen loves this quote, mostly because she's married to Don;) (meat molecules shrink when they're ready... which is really unlike men, who enlarge when they're ready, but I digress...)

Meat of any kind will easily flip when it is properly cooked so DON'T PRY THE MEAT OFF THE PAN OR THE GRILL UNLESS IT DOES SO EASILY!!!!)

So I have two beautifully browned chicken breasts. Now I'll add the dijon mustard wine liquid to deglaze. I go to the garden to grab some thyme, which apparently is in everything delicious. So in the pan it goes...

THIS SAUCE IS AMAZING. Seriously, I probably never would have even tried it without YOU, the blog readers. I would have just gone to Foia, and had Vanessa make dinner for me. But this one's a keeper...

The front door goes "click" - Bill's home for a few before he heads to hockey... He loves that the blog describes the craziness of being a busy professional. He loves that it would apply to anyone with a busy career, with a busy life and an empty stomach. And he loves that I'm being honest about how challenging it can be at times.

I don't have all the answers - but I promise... if you're reading this, I won't pretend to. I'll just give you real, honest dialogue on how to feed yourself whenever it's really possible. I surprised even myself tonight thanks to this blog.

K

A lightly scrambled question...

I'm listening to the audiobook "My Life in France" - about Julia Child's experiences as an American in Paris, and the evolution of her revolutionary cookbook and career.

Parisians take nothing for granted - every detail matters. I love this. At L'Ecole du Cordon Bleu, even the making of the simplest scrambled eggs was revered by her beloved instructor Chef Max Bugnard. His exactingly high standards for this well-known dish were described in vivid detail. Most important was to only lightly scramble the eggs with a fork.

Ina Garten, whom I revere as a fabulous home cook, made scrambled eggs on her show yesterday. She was guiding her neighbour through it. He asked "can you over-scramble them?" to which she replied "you can't!". Two trusted advisors - and two totally different messages!

I believe both of them. It's like that joke : if you have two lawyers in a room, you have three opinions.

These questions and contrasts leave me hungry for more - even if my stomach is full.

I am afraid sometimes of how much more I want to know about cooking. I hit a point a while ago where I finally felt like a really solid capable cook. And now this whole scrambled egg thing is scrambling my confidence because apparently there was a lot that I am now quite sure I DIDN'T know even 6 months ago.

I guess knowledge is like one of these omlettes - always satisfying with endless variations.

Shop Talk

Bill asked if he could help with dinner last night. While he often offers, it's really the only time of the day that I don't want him right next to me.

The kitchen is my domain. I enjoy working alone, rather than having to explain what I need. I like seeing him on the other side of the counter after his long day at the office. I unwind vicariously if he is relaxing while I'm cooking. It doesn't feel like work.

Yesterday, though, I was tired and hungry for some down time so I actually said yes. Watching him cut cherry tomatoes in half and asparagus into bite-size pieces with a paring knife was interesting. I noticed how tentative his hand motions were. In other areas (...using power tools, playing hockey, painting, etc...) he can be so confident and strong with his hands. When I mentioned this at lunch, his answer was that the paring knife I gave him was too small to swiftly do the job. I was impressed that he knew that. It really shouldn't have suprised me since if there is one thing guys know about, it's tools.

Speaking of tools, when I watch people use knives that are too small and too dull, it makes me crazy. Don't make a job harder than it has to be. I have a small knife sharpener that I use often. It's the size of a laser level. It gives me a great cutting edge, and makes easy work of prepping food.

A properly sized cutting board is critical. (Why they even SELL glass cutting boards that are the size of a cocktail coaster is beyond me.) No wonder people hate cooking with those things. Everyone needs a proper work surface. It's like a good workbench.

Maybe men would adventure into culinary more if we moved a kitchen to their garage? We could give the knives names and extension cords? Maybe they'd call out to their buddies, "hand me the Global" and some guy would automatically know to grab the thing with a specific handle? They'd all stand over a roast and stare at it, with each of them making suggestions on how to fix it. Someone would bring over the new tool he just bought, nowithstanding the fact that he already had three. Everything would be in place, incredibly functional, have cool names, and be discussed over a beer. We wouldn't see them for hours, because it wouldn't seem like work!

I bet if I asked Bill to customize the pasta, he'd do it! Next time I ask for help, I'm going to use man language. I'll tell him that I need him to powerwash and disassemble the asparagus, carve the tomatoes into two parts, and then combine one part pesto with two parts pasta. He can even save the leftover bits in an old jar.


Yes, I think I'm on to something... as long as I don't make him read the instructions;)

Gutsy professionals can be too "chicken" to cook!

I am surrounded by independent, amazing, do-it-all professionals. Lawyers especially. And while my friends are incredibly strong, some of them even admit to being afraid to cook for themselves much of the time. This is something they would never admit in a professional context.

Can you imagine your lawyer saying that he was just not good at researching the law on your file so he asked his friend to do it? A financial planner who hired someone do the math needed to manage your portfolio? A doctor who said he was uneasy about reading your MRI correctly, so he sent out for the results?

And yet one little room in everyone's house has the power to inspire feelings of dread in these same strong amazing people, and to ultimately mean delegation of the meals they eat to a factory, a restaurant or a box.

As professionals we all have things to do that inspire dread. And usually, once we actually stomach the time to start these dreaded projects they NEVER turn out to be as bad or as hard as we thought. COOKING IS LIKE THIS.

It made me think that cooking is actually good for your career. Here's how.

Those same lawyers, whose lives are measured in billable hours (note the super-clever title of my blog:) might find two more hours a day if the need to eat at restaurants was quelled. Two hours a day, equals 14 hours a week. MORE BILLABLE HOURS! Multiply that by their hourly rates, and then by the number of weeks they work. This number is shocking.

The financial planner might find that instead of restaurant bills, there was MORE MONEY to either save or spend! It could be like getting a serious salary hike.

The doctor might find that they experience BETTER HEALTH, have more energy and experience less stress while trying to help or even heal really sick people.

Cooking for yourself as a professional is EMPOWERING. I love a great restaurant, and a great time saving meal but I like choosing them rather than defaulting to them.

The worst part for these folks is often where to start? First - save me the junk excuse that you don't have time. You do, and it takes less time than you'd think.

Here's the six minute version ( .1) as we say in the docketing world.

1. Just start with ONE meal. ONE. Not ten, not a month's worth. Just pick one.

2. Picture you're at your favourite restaurant, looking at their menu and saying "mmm, what do I feel like tonight". Now do this at your grocery store and just buy it.

3. Don't go nuts trying to get fancy. If you went to Paris with the extra billed time and leftover funds you would see how they eat. Simply. With great ingredients, and not too many OR too much.

4. For the scientific among you, take an hour to experiment. Buy a club pack of chicken breasts. Practice! Open the package and salt and pepper the whole thing, even while it's still in the plastic. Put in a bit of olive oil in a pan and get it hot enough. Drop the chicken, hear the sizzle, WAIT till it browns, flip it, wait till it browns.

Squirt with lemon juice, and cracked black pepper. Lemon Chicken.

Do another one - grab some hot sauce and dijon mustard. Sprinkle with some bleu cheese. Spicy buffalo chicken.

Do it again - squeeze some orange juice and add some honey. Orange honey glaze.

Do it again - splash some white wine, some real cream, or butter. White wine cream sauce.

Don't want cream or butter? Do it again - add some cherry tomatoes, basil and garlic. Tomato Basil Sauce.

Here's a thought : there are lots of things that you didn't do well the first time you did them. But you kept going. You got through serious schooling, you achieved a professional designation that you worked your butt off for. You showcased your talents for employers, clients and other people who now respect you.

Leverage that respect by using a few of those smart molecules in your body by feeding them something that you made.

Accountability, Confessions and Perfect Eggs Benedict

Have you ever heard the expression "when you meet new people, you meet yourself"? Since starting this blog, I really can not believe how often I think about food, food pairings, and what would be or has been delicious. Sharing thoughts on food is a bit daunting, but it's been great to hear everyone's feedback, and see my friends "following". So here is a little insight:

1. I was a VERY fussy eater as a kid. Now, I have the most adventurous eater as my own child. Go figure.

2. I was a vegetarian for years before I got pregnant with my son. During my pregnancy, all I wanted was meat. Go figure.

3. I hated whole wheat bread as a kid. Now I think it's tantamount to child abuse to feed kids white bread which has no usable nutrients for a growing body or mind. I realize this makes me incredibly judgmental.

4. My mom, despite feeding her kids white bread (but arguably before anyone knew any better) is the founder of all of my great eating habits. She was and is an amazing cook, and really limited the junk food we ate as kids. She is the best mom ever, and I credit her with my lack of a sweet tooth. I am greasing the wheels now, because grandparenthood apparently has erased all these good qualities. She loves feeding my son all the sugary stuff I would have given my right arm for when I was 9!

5. When I was growing up, if my friend's mom cooked anything with curry during the entire week, I would refuse to play over there. My son's favourite flavours are Indian. I'm Ukrainian.

6. I love to work out really really really hard so that every so often I can eat a lot of ice cream. Wince.

7. If I was going to die tomorrow, I would make my perfect eggs benedict, and serve it with perfectly chilled Grand Dame Veuve Cliquot Champagne.

Perfect Eggs Benedict
Poached Egg - this is not hard, just remember to add vinegar to the water and lower the egg in slowly.

Extra Lemon Hollandaise. Whisk the YOLKS of the eggs in a bowl until golden yellow. Add lemon juice - keep whisking. Add a tbsp of dijon mustard. Keep whisking. Add clarified salted butter in a slow stream until emulsified. To "cook" the mixture, hold it with an oven mitt over the boiling egg pot.

Serve on a crisp, but soft-on-the-inside whole grain english muffin. Crumble with very crisp proscuitto.

The contrasts are striking. The smooth hollandaise, light egg, crisp bread and crackling proscuitto are heavenly.

This meal can only be improved in two ways : when it's shared with the man I love, or with my 9 year old bareley watching his Sunday morning cartoons because he's too busy eating:)

Strawberry Speed Dating

Sometimes unlikely matches really really work.

Thanks to Alicia's reminder, I have NOT missed strawberry season, but just barely.

Strawberry Balsamic Jam:
Added some spashes of dark balsamic vinegar to jam mixture instead of lemon juice for acid. Makes a beautiful dark burgundy colour and adds to depth of flavour in the jam.

Strawberry Avocado Salad
Strawberry salad cut up with cubed avocado and black pepper.

Strawberries spashed with dark balsamic vinegar.
I got my sister-in-law to try this once, and she was shocked at how good it was.

Strawberries with fresh ground black pepper!
I learned this trick while still in law school - it is a really stunning pairing.

Strawberries with Shaved Dark Chocolate
Gives you that hit of decadence like a dipped strawberry but without the excess chocolate. It's gorgeous on a platter for an easy summer dessert.

NOTE: *DO NOT cut up strawberries on the cutting board right after chopping garlic for a honey garlic mustard sauce, and DO NOT stress when the "jam" smells like garlic, and then GRAB lots of fresh mint from the garden, and mix it in with lots of vanilla bean to counteract the garlic smell. I'm, of course, just speculating on this one...but it seems something one should probably not do;-)

Time with leftovers = leftover time!

My son read my blog on the weekend, and says I have to be more concise. He also wants to know why I'm doing this? He's a tough critic, but an amazing eater. I LOVE when he loves something, and that keeps me trying to impress him:)

Another reason is that people are always asking me "Can I have the recipe for that" "How did you make this?" and then saying "I could never do that!". While I am loathe to admit to anyone that I'm less than brilliant, this really isn't rocket science. One chef says most people cook things too much, and don't salt things enough! Also, you need guts. I take chances, mix in things that are in the back 40 of my kitchen to something we already like!!!

Another summer weekend evaporated! It's 4:30 and I really want to get some stuff done this week after work. Hit grocery store to modify last week's easy food prep. Get chicken and pork again, but not much more since there is still food in my fridge which I should use before buying more.

Those ripe tomatoes that didn't make the Thursday sandwich-from-heaven got cut up, spashed with olive oil and salt, joined a red and yellow pepper and were roasted at 350 for an hour. They hit the blender with a very wilted broccoli and some garlic.

Grabbed the 4 leftover lasagna sheets which I froze from last week. Sauce, noodle, cheese (sprinkled with steak spice:), noodle, spinach, salt, noodle, sauce, mozzarella, sauce, done. I love that there are 6 portions here that took minutes.

I have more "sauce" than I needed. Maybe I'll make soup? Grabbed leftover celery stalks, kept the prettier pieces for the stir fry. Cut up the leafy ones and added to pot. Cut up onion in strips for stir fry, cubed the rest, added half to soup.

I feel like Remy in Ratatouille when I make a good soup. That satisfied beautiful smile on his face when he jumps across the soup pot while salting it makes me gleeful every time!!

Since the "indian thing" was awesome last week, and I still have one portion of cauliflower, I'll add another can of chickpeas, evoo, garlic, more tandoori and cayenne. Chicken is ready to go. How do you say Encore in India?

Although I added a tonne of spinach to the lasagna, there is still just a bit more. Basil from my Aerogarden is growing over, so that means pesto. In magic bullet go spinach, basil, evoo, salt, garlic and lemon juice. An ounce or two of parmiggiano/reggiano is still in the fridge. In it goes, buzz, and pesto is done. Reminds me of the "When Harry Met Sally"..."Pesto is the quiche for the 80's" line, and George's quip to Jerry Seinfeld "Why do I order pesto? Why do I think I'll like it?"...

I love that there will be time for TV this week during the evening, because of what I did tonight. I love that I may get out for another run or two. I love that I might spend some evening time gardening, or making my own pasta, or sneaking roasted beets into chocolate cupcakes, or just curling up with one of those books I never ever have time to read.

Asian Pork Stir Fry, Veggie Lasagna, Vegetable Soup, Pesto Chicken, Tandoori Chicken is the week's menu. Cost :$28.50 for the week, or $1.50 per person per meal. Apparently there will be some cash leftover too!

Found Time

Should I? Shouldn't I? Who would even read this? Don't I have enough to do without writing a blog? I don't even really know what a blog is. So why am I even writing this at all?

Short answer: because the sandwich that is on my plate is so incredibly delicious and last-minute, and easy and healthy and delicious that I have to keep stopping to write this to eat each soft, nutty, lemony, spinachy, proscuittoy, crunchy, doughy, veggie bite. And now I have to lick the plate. I doubt the chefs on food network lick their plates, but I do when no one's around. (OK, ask the guys, I do even when people are around....)

OK - refocus. So why write anything? I am surrounded by amazing people none of whom have "enough" time to do everything they want. So if yummy food on July 2 is what I can do today to share a tiny little talent that I have, then so be it.

Sunday I found myself with LITERALLY some FOUND TIME. Like I had a chance to go to the grocery store, buy food in advance, cut it up into portions, wash it, make stuff, and leave it in my fridge for the week. And it has been the BEST eating week from a simplicity point of view. I come home, things are there, ready, cooked, eaten and then I HAVE A LIFE after it's over.

Grocery Ingredients and Sunday Prep:

Sweet Potato (farmstand)
Onion (farmstand)
Asparagus (farmstand)
Organic Cottage Cheese (50%) off ($4.40)
Skim Mozzarella ($5.69)
Whole grain whole wheat lasagna sheets ($2.14)
Chicken Thighs $10.15
Pork Rib-Eye ($4.09)
Napa Cabbage ($2.49)
Cauliflower ($2.79)
Proscuitto ($4.59)

OK, I'll stop with the list-making... but you get the gist. My point is that there were a lot of building blocks here. Good, healthy whole wheat bread for both breakfasts on the run, or even dinner tonight. Eggs. Lemons. Canned things and pantry items like chick peas, and spices.

Lasagna took the longest. I cut up and sauteed an onion and some garlic in 1 tbsp of olive oil. I dumped a can of tomatoes in the pan and grabbed some fresh herbs from my garden. 5 min. Truth be told, a shake of "italian spice" would have done just fine if you don't have any. I added cayenne pepper ( as I do to almost everything I eat) and that was it. Layer sauce, noodle, sauce, cottage cheese garlic herb layer, noodle, sauce, mozzarella cheese, spinach, noodle, top off with sauce. 10 minutes, tops. And it smells amazing. No meat, yummy melty cheese and lots of healthy veggies, plus whole grain pasta. If my son was home, I probably would have pureed the spinach into a blender with the sauce so I could sneak lots of greens in! Put in fridge.

Soup was easy. Sauteed the other half of the onion in olive oil, peeled and cubed the sweet potato, added that when I was done, moved it around in the hot pan for 5 minutes, added 4 cups of water, some cinnamon, some allspice, some salt and some pepper. Poured the whole thing in the blender - slowly hit the buttons going faster (it's like a food video game) eventually up to puree with a LARGE cloth on top, and the detachable thingy on the blender cracked to let the heat escape. Why is it that pureeing hot stuff can literally blast the top of the blender into the stratosphere? Plus it can burn you? WHY? I have no idea - just be careful, and don't do too much at one time. Poured into 4 plastic things and topped with chopped peanuts from pantry. 10 minutes.

Cauliflower was next - took florets off, divided into three portions - one for Indian thing, two for later... I had no idea what I was going to do with them on Sunday, but at least they were washed and ready for action. 2 minutes, maybe three.

Asparagus - Washed them, snapped off lower woody part, divided into the containers. 1 minute.

Pork - Put on cutting board, cut into 1 inch strips, put in plastic bag. 2 minutes.

Chicken - Took 6 portions of thighs, put in 3 plastic bags, with 2 each. Put Indian Tandoori spice on one, and matched it with cauliflower portion. Thought of chick peas being good, got and opened the can, rinsed the starchy stuff off, added to storage container. Added 1 tbsp olive oil, more tandoori spice, turmeric, and cayenne) Closed lid. 5 minutes.

Went to see "the Hangover". Did NOT get nachos :)

Monday: Came home 5:15. I have to leave for bootcamp at 5:35. Put apron on over work clothes, turned pan on, dumped pork into pan with some olive oil, chopped some garlic, chopped three stalks of celery into cool-looking pieces, realized the carrots I bought had gone bad. Decided to work in cabbage and to make rice before bootcamp. No time. 5:25 Cut up cabbage, and decided to have the stir fry over cabbage slaw instead. Thought of peanut butter. Added PB to Magic Bullet, grabbed soy sauce, sesame oil, some water, some lime juice, hot sauce and blended. Yum. 5:30 Added soy sauce to pan (the wetness "deglazed" the brown bits from the meat, added sesame oil to pan, added salt. Took off the heat. Grabbed a bowl - cut up napa cabbage really fine, tossed it with peanut dressing. Cold, crunchy on the plate. Added pork celery thing - hot over cold. 5:35 This was so incredibly good that I licked the plate and first thought of writing a blog. Left the rest for Bill, left for bootcamp at 5:42. Was disappointed that he ate the whole thing - was hoping for leftovers but no such luck.

Tuesday: Baby night is going to be at Greg's - they're ordering pizza. White crust, pepperoni, cheese, probably chips too. 5:20 Where is that Indian thing? Turn on pan, dump chicken thighs in 1 tsp of olive oil. Smells amazing when tandoori hits the oil. Chicken slowly browns. Dumped cauliflower chick pea portions in. Sizzle! Then too much sizzle, so I added water. Yes! Chicken chick pea cauliflower thing makes yummy sauce - added juice of lemon for freshness. 5:35 - pour into bowls. We picked up the pizza at 6, but I only had one slice instead of 6, since I was full of good legumes, veggies and lean chicken. Score!

Wednesday: I am still sore from bootcamp. AND I have the day off, so I suddenly feel like barbecued sausages on a bun with a fake beer, because I hate real beer. Went to Zehrs, found BLUE MENU sausages with only 10g fat instead of the usual 25-30. Bought whole grain whole wheat hot dog buns too. After bootcamp, I am HUNGRY! 6:15 - heated sausages in a pan. Put in bun, with mustard. I should probably eat veggies too... Dump cauliflower into bowl, microwave for 4 minutes - now soft. Added asparagus, cooked until tender. Put on plate. Hot dog is gone by now. Added grainy mustard to pan, pour in some fake beer. Shake in some flour to thicken it - added a bit of milk. Added two chopped up Babybel cheeses. Smells like a delicious fondue. Poured over veggies. Thought again that I should write a blog because it dawned on me that most of the time while I am eating, I really had no idea what I would be eating 40 minutes earlier.... I just grab stuff, adapt to what is there, what I feel like, how much time I have, who I have to feed, and how healthy I should be making dinner.

Thursday: propose the "crazy" idea of writing a blog to Marissa. She says she'll read it. Good enough for me. 5:00 - hungry. Put proscuitto in a pan to crisp it, and was going to add chicken, lemon, spinach and lemon. Grab chicken thighs, open bag, YUCK! close bag, garbage...Now what? Proscuitto in hot pan goes pink, then a beautiful crispy rust colour. Grab healthy bread - pile bread with spinach. Think of making a BLT except that I don't really want a T tonight, even though they're right there and ripe. It's my mouth, so no T. Just B and S, instead of L. Interesting, did I have a BS sandwich? Anyway.... I suppose it's a PS sandwich since I used proscuitto. Yep - that sounds better. Hot proscuitto over spinach. Wilts it slightly. Lots of browned bits on bottom of pan - grab lemon. Lemon juice lifts bits into a gorgeous "sauce", but there is not enough. Added a bit of water. Poured sauce over bread slice. Grabbed knife, and heard the beautiful crackle sound of crisp proscuitto, through soft bread, and crunchy, lemony spinach. Sat down at computer to check email. Took bite of sandwich.


Decided it was worth it to start blog.