Lots of Cooking

Jeron and I watched Julie & Julia the other day, so of course I have been experimenting with cooking more than usual. My first adventure was with broccoli. We both enjoy eating broccoli as much as anyone could be expected to, but I usually just boil or microwave it. I saw a picture in a cookbook of roasted broccoli and thought it looked pretty, so this time I tossed it with some olive oil and salt and threw it in a hot oven for about half an hour. What came out was, simply, heavenly. Crispy and savory, this is the way I will most likely make broccoli from now on. We ate an entire bunch between the two of us.

The next morning also met with success when I tried my hand at cornmeal pancakes for breakfast. They looked just like regular pancakes but tasted like cornbread (imagine that). Instead of the usual butter and syrup I tried them with raspberry preserves and it was delicious. I also tried them just with honey. That was ok, but not exactly what was desired on a hungry Saturday morning.

Rarely do I make something that turns out absolutely inedible, but that is what happened last night. I tried making falafels (fried chickpea patties). I had made some in the oven before and they were pretty good, so I figured frying them in oil would be the next step up. I don't know where I went wrong, but as soon as the patties hit the oil they disintegrated into a million tiny particles. I tried scooping some out once they were browned and even ate a spoonful, but they were extremely greasy and not at all what I was going for. We ended up eating pita pockets stuffed with vegetables for dinner, when there were supposed to be fat, tasty falafels tucked in there as well. Oh well, we didn't starve. Tonight I'll whip up some hummus to add to the sad little sandwiches and try out something else tomorrow.

Also on a cooking note, I've found the most delightful cookbook. Veganomicon is a vegan cookbook, but looks to be the most delicious, approachable cookbook I've come across in a while. Jeron and I love a good helping of meat, but also find times when we enjoy eating vegetarian or vegan meals because, well, good food is good food. I had seen a recipe from it here or there on other blogs and found it at the library yesterday. I may just have to buy this one, there looks to be so much good information. It may even convince me to try tofu (but don't tell Jeron!). One thing I'm wondering is if regular milk is interchangeable with soy milk? I have no desire to buy soy milk (which many of these recipes call for) because I know I won't drink the rest. Despite my love of food, I have a very bizarre relationship with beverages. Water, juice, milk, and the occasional (carefully chosen) cocktail are the extent of my beverage choices. Milk is a somewhat new addition to the repertoire. When I got pregnant they recommended that I drink two glasses of it a day and I felt I owed it to the little bean to do so. Prior to that it was relegated to meat and potato dinners and, of course, chocolate chip cookies. Post pregnancy I've kept my consumption up mostly due to fear of osteoporosis later in life from babies drinking all the calcium straight from my bones. I also don't drink more than the occasional sip of soda borrowed from my husband. Soda is a vice I gave up in high school for health reasons. Any other beverage I find just plain gross. Milkshakes are out of the question. Even chocolate milk has never seen my fridge. No coffee, and rarely a tea. Don't even get me started on eggnog. So, back to the point, I will not be drinking soy milk, or almond milk, or anything else I know to be suspended in water. Can I substitute cow's milk for soy milk in these recipes? Only failure will tell...

Peg Bear

Yesterday my mom and I threw a baby shower for my sister Casey, who is due to have a baby boy on April 20th. In preparation for the shower I spent the last few weeks working on sewing her baby a peg bear that I had a pattern for. I made one for Lola first, in an effort to work out the kinks (and many kinks there were). The first one took me about two weeks, working on it here and there during nap times and other moments of free time. I made quite a few mistakes on that one, but it still turned out alright. The second one only took me a couple of hours since by then I knew what I was doing. It also looks a lot better, with fewer cosmetic flaws. Hopefully Casey and Baby will like it. Here are some pictures of both bears.

Avocado Cookies

I had heard previously about using avocado as a healthy replacement for butter in cookie recipes. It sounded a little far fetched, but I was curious. Jeron protested the idea, but I figured I could get him to eat it without knowing. I finally tried it the other night with fairly successful results. I used my regular, Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie recipe and replaced half the butter with mashed avocado. I think they turned out pretty good. A few differences included a slightly greenish tint, a lack of spreading in the oven, and a softer, chewier cookie. Jeron licked the beater and ate two cookies before I told him the difference. He felt a little misled, but seemed to like them alright. All this being said, I probably won't make them this way again.