Sometimes it really drives me nuts how much my family chooses to order food in (usually pizza, subs, wings, and sometimes the occassional chinese).

Bridal shower buffet and the token vegetarian

Today we had a bridal shower, not mine for heaven's sake, but for my cousin-in-law to-be (did I mention that I am in the wedding?). this is the third one of my first cousins to marry (i have a lot of them) and the third one of them that I have been a part of the bridal shower. instead of doing the fooof ourselves (which we usually do, including the fondue one we had for my one cousin), we decided to go to a nice local restaurant that serves a nice all day brunch buffet. Real linens (thanks heavens, I hate the pastic covered table crap), castle-like setting, and nice quality food. my family can be rather picky when it comes to food, we are all pretty good cooks and therefore expect more. for me, being the 'token vegetarian' it wasn't bad, but, as always it could have been better. There just usually do not seem enough choices. We took deserts with us...a cake, a couple trifles, chocolate dipped strawberries, fun and yummy stuff that seemed fitting for a bride-to-be. It's nice when friends and family can get together over food, sharing and celebrating without argument or battles.

I'm Baaaaack

So, I haven't gotten lost. Mostly, I was on a cooking strike at home. My brothers, being the meat and potato type of guys that they are complained about one too many meals of mine and refused to cook for them anymore (or until they decide to act like decent human beings). In the meantime we've been eating a lot of pizza, take-out, and other assorted quick fixes or restaraunts. It has been this ways for the most part, with the exception of my Easter quiche. (It was fabulous and well-received by other members of my extended family.)

Now that it is spring and I have been working to get soil ready for planting, I have beem ready for some home-cooking.... my home cooking. Last night I went through my recipe collection and decided to try some new recipes. I had a recipe for homemade black bean veggie burgers, peanut soup, and a spinach bisque. I cut all the recipes in half and hoped that I would like at least one of the three. The spinach bisque was lovely, the peanut soup was pretty good, but the veggie burgers were a complete other matter (and usuallyI enjoy veggie burgers). I even followed the recipe as written (which goes against much of my nature), The patties were too soft and fell apart when I tried to turn them (I tried a few things to try to make it work, but no), then when I tried them they tasted like they were missing something... not anything I forgot to put in, but just pushing bland. I froze a serving of each soup for later use and now feel like I am back to my cookong phase, even if my family often does nto appreciate trying new things.

Jean Paul Richter quoated: "Because the heart beats under a covering of hair, of fur, feathers, or wings, it is, for that reason, to be of no account?"

Ode to Almond Butter

Yesterday, I baked. I was flipping through one of my cookbooks ("Table for Two" a dairy and egg free cookbook) and was debating on making the recipe for peanut butter cookies (vegan at that). But instead of using good old fashioned peanut butter I went to another pantry favorite of mine- almond butter. I discovered it while living at a youth camp where I worked as finding new ways to keep things on hand that were meat-free and tasty. I started using it part of the time on my pancakes instead of peanut butter (a family favorite) and even got my foreign vegetarian roommate embracing it on pancakes as well. The cookies turned out great and just the right amount when you are cooking for yourself. Of course everyone else in my family looked at me like I was nuts making cookies without butter or eggs. Yummy.

"God made all the creatures and gave them our love and our fear,

To give sign, we and they are His children, one family here".~Robert Browning

Unforgettable

I know it may seem like I have forgotten and abandoned you, but I have not. Hopefully, uou have not forgotten me either. Things have just been a bit hectic around here. Keeping busy in the kitchen; baking, cooking, and trying new recipes. I still can't get certain family members to try new foods, but a person can't make changes over night that easily.

"If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian." as quoted by Paul McCartney