BamaHippie

The End of Locavore Season

2011-10-28T07:32:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the last day of our local farmer's market. In the last couple of weeks I have fallen woefully short of my goal of cooking with only fresh, local produce. With my husband working longer hours, it's harder to get dinner ready without pulling out the last string of my unraveling patience with my two girls. So, these last two weeks I have opted for sanity rather than sustainability, using more frozen than fresh and making way too much mac 'n' cheese.

Even though I haven't eaten exclusively local as I planned, I call this season a great success. With a little extra planning, discipline and self-forgiveness, I was able to feed my family some spectacular food, support my community, and rediscover the excitement of cooking creatively.

In the morning I'll go to the market in the cold and say goodbye and thanks to the farmers and vendors who have fed us all summer, and I'll start looking forward to the spring, when I will undoubtedly start this adventure all over again.

Fish, Greens, and Rainbow Pepper Salad

2011-10-17T06:09:00.000-07:00

I blew through much of my weekly veggie stash for dinner last night. I had frozen tilapia--I am not a true vegetarian. I think I might be a lacto-ovo-pescatarian, though pescatarian is about as proper a word as rage-aholic ... Anyway, I also had a drawer full of greens, green and plum tomatoes, young onions, and five beautiful bell peppers, all different colors. So here's what we did.

Tilapia over Tomatoes and Mixed Greens
Chop a handful of collards and a bunch of swiss chard leaves. Chop the chard stems separately, along with 2 or three young onions, whites and tops. Also chop two small green tomatoes and three plum tomatoes into 1-inch chunks. Melt 1TB butter and 2TB oil in a skillet. Add the onion, chard stems, and tomatoes and cook until chard is soft.
Meanwhile, season tilapia fillets with a little salt and pepper or lemon pepper seasoning. Spray a pan with oil and add fillets, then add enough white wine to cover bottom of pan and cover. I turned mine once during cooking, but I'm not good at this so they fell apart. They should cook through easily without turning in five or six minutes.
When onion chard mixture is ready - don't cook this so far down that the tomatoes get really mushy - add green leaves, cover the skillet, and remove from heat. Try to avoid letting the leaves get too wilted.
Serve tilapia over greens mixture, and don't skimp on the liquid.

Rainbow Pepper Salad
One farmer at our weekly market sells baskets of mixed gypsy peppers for $2 apiece. I buy these every week. Last week my basket had two greenish-yellow gypsies, an orange, a red, a green, and a gorgeous purple. The orange was the sweetest pepper I have ever had. This salad was the best way I could think of to show off the colors and the flavor.
Cut several peppers of various colors into matchstick slices and place in a seal-able container. Add olive oil (about 1/4 cup), cider vinegar (about 1/4 cup) and about 1 tsp sugar. Cover and shake to combine.
If you're tempted to add herbs to this, try them out before adding to the whole salad. I originally added fresh basil to mine and as soon as I tasted it I knew it was a mistake. Lost the flavor of the peppers. If your peppers are fresh and tasty, you shouldn't need anything else to make this salad delicious.

Soup, Soup, Soup

2011-10-02T07:06:00.000-07:00

I am always on the lookout for great soup recipes this time of year. I'm not exaggerating when I say I could eat soup every day in the fall and winter. The secret is to have a variety of flavors and textures you know you love.

I have played around with a lot of soup recipes, but there's one standby I've been making for years that I never have to change. The recipe is perfect. It's called the ultimate vegetarian soup, and it lives up to its name. Friends and family who weren't crazy about vegetarian fare have eaten seconds and thirds of this bad boy. Plus, although it takes a good bit of chopping, it's really a pretty easy recipe. And it's really healthy.

Roasted Eggplant Soup - A link

2011-09-26T07:53:00.000-07:00

I haven't been as diligent as I should be the past couple of weeks; extended work schedules and out of town trips have sabotaged a lot of my cooking and produce-buying plans. But I hope to update with a couple of recipes soon.

Meanwhile, some links instead.

Roasted Eggplant Soup, from Smitten Kitchen, adapted from Bon Appetit. I further adapted this by omitting the cream (which is totally uncharacteristic of me, but once I smelled the soup and saw its texture I felt cream was entirely unnecessary), serving with feta rather than goat cheese, and adding a handful of Israeli couscous to make it a little more like a main dish soup. The couscous got mixed reviews: my husband felt it made the dish, but I was never quite convinced and would like to try the soup without. Still, a really flavorful dinner soup. My only complaint is that the eggplant seeds caused some texture issues, but I think that's more about the age of my eggplant than the quality of the recipe.

Also, if you've never been to Fat Free Vegan Kitchen, head over and search her recipes. I can't single out one to highlight right now because there are so many I've tried over the last several years. I don't think I've disliked any of them.

Ta-ta for now. I'll try to post my Cold Taco Salad recipe in a few days!

Curried Butternut Soup

2011-09-07T18:25:00.000-07:00

It finally rained this week for the first time in I don't know how long. I was so excited I nearly went out and danced in it. The temperature plummeted and the rain came down for two days straight, and Alabama is green again for a little while.

In honor of the weather I made soup. My recent discovery of the yummy lentils, butternut squash and pear combo -- along with the fact that I had fresh pears and squash from the farmers' market Saturday -- made it easy to decide what kind of soup to make. A few years ago I fell in love with this recipe for Gingery Sweet Potato Soup, and my curried butternut builds on it.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup
3 TB oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground clove
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp cayenne
2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeds and pulp removed, cubed
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 medium pear, peeled, cored and chopped (could easily use more)
5C vegetable broth
1/4C dry lentils
2/3C coconut milk

Saute onion and garlic in oil until onion is translucent. Add spices and stir to coat. Saute for about 30 seconds more.
Add squash, sweet potato, pear, vegetable broth, and lentils. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer until vegetables are tender - took me about 20 minutes.
Remove in batches to blender or food processor (or use immersion blender) and process until smooth. (I left some chunks in mine for texture.
Add coconut milk and heat through. Serve immediately with warm, crusty bread and salad.

That's good stuff.

August Garden Casserole

2011-08-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

This was a total winner with everyone. Even my three-year-old wolfed it down.

Boil 1 package of whole wheat rotini according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Saute some garlic, onion, and diced swiss chard stems together for a few minutes until tender but not brown. Add a handful of fresh snap beans, chopped bell pepper, chopped tomato and some sliced carrots (though these can be omitted -- they weren't local) and heat just to warm. Then add to a large casserole dish along with the chard leaves (chopped) and the rotini.

Then make a roux. I would tell you how but I always forget and I end up looking it up in Joy of Cooking. It's basically melting butter and whisking in flour to create a base for a white sauce. So I made a roux and added milk and grated cheese to make a nice, thick cheese sauce, which I added to the casserole with 2 TB oregano, salt and pepper. There was only enough sauce to lightly coat the pasta and veg.

Covered with bread crumbs (seasoned with basil and oregano) and baked at 375 for 20 minutes.

Veg Dinner

2011-08-26T07:41:00.000-07:00

I've always been a big fan of the vegetable dinner. It's usually on my menu once a week. It's just a bunch of side dishes without an entree, and I love it. With so much fresh veg in the house, veg dinner has been spectacular lately. Some favorites:

Fried okra - Okra chopped into 1-inch chunks, dredged in milk and egg, covered in cornmeal, and fried till done.

Baked pattypan squash: Yummy little funny looking squash, sliced longways into thick slices and covered in butter and parmesan, then baked.

Stir fry: This usually includes pepper, yellow squash, onion, and tomatoes, all sauteed together over high heat and spiced with something. Salt and pepper are sometimes enough, but we've also used lemon herb seasoning as well as italian seasonings like oregano and basil.

Roasted Butternut Squash Stuffed with Lentils and Pear

2011-08-22T15:53:00.000-07:00

Cut two butternut squash lengthwise and remove seeds and strings. Lightly oil a baking dish and place the four halves, cut side up, inside and brush with oil. Cook at 375, covered, for 40-50 minutes until just tender.

Meanwhile, cook 1/2 C or so of yellow lentils in a small pot, adding water until tender. Add one small pear, chopped. Cook until crisp-tender.

When squash are cooked and slightly cooled, scoop out the pulp, leaving 1/4-inch to 1/2- inch shell. Add pulp to lentils, mix to combine. Add about 1/4 tsp sage, salt and pepper, 1 TB brown sugar, 2 TB butter. Mix until butter is melted.

Fill squash shells. Return to over and bake uncovered 20-30 minutes more. Serve with rice.

(Some folks don't like the butternut squash shell -- like my husband -- so if you're one of those, you could also serve the pulp mix over rice or in a ramekin.)

Eating Local - Panzanella

2011-08-21T11:15:00.000-07:00

My family has decided to learn how to eat locally. We're not taking an exclusive Eating Local challenge or boycotting any big-box stores, but we are trying to progressively ease ourselves into a more local food life. We've been shopping almost exclusively at the local farmer's market or roadside stands for fruits and vegetables, and we've bought all our milk and eggs and nearly all our cheese from Wright Dairy, a couple of cities away, and we've been making our own bread (which is made a ton easier by my parents' recent donation of their old bread machine). And we've planted our first garden, after a few years of talking about it. It's even growing itty bitty plants!

I'm a vegetarian, so eating from the farmer's market isn't a huge jump for me. But eating only in-season fruits and vegetables could be a challenge. So far the only things I've missed are potatoes and onions, which I've had a hard time finding. But this is the time of plenty for so many other crops, we've truly had it pretty easy so far. You're likely to hear a lot more complaining in a couple of months when all my meals feature kale.

I'm going to start posting the best recipes we've used or manufactured to fit our farmer's market haul each week. The biggest problem with my recipes is that I don't usually have measurements to offer - I just make what looks right. If you're adventurous enough to wing it with me, I'd love to hear how yours turn out. This one is from our very first day of eating local. Thanks to my brother and his girlfriend for the inspiration!

Farm Fresh Panzanella
Cut a hearty bread into cubes. We used around half a loaf of homemade wheat, and it served three. In a cover-able bowl, mix bread with oil, sage, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme. Cover the bowl and shake to coat all bread cubes evenly. Then toast them on a baking sheet in the oven at 375 or until crisp - it took me 15-20 minutes.

Take a large bunch of swiss chard and cut stems from leaves. Dice stems and coarsely chop leaves. Keep them separate.

Melt 2TB butter and 2 TB oil in a hot skillet. Add a good handful of chopped onion and about 1 TB of minced garlic, and cook 30 seconds. Add chard stems and cook about 5 minutes more. Then add a bunch of fresh snap beans - we probably used 1.5 cups or so. Add about 1/2 C white cooking wine and cover.

Meanwhile, husk and remove silks from 1 cob corn. Rub with butter, cover in foil and roast at 450 for 15 minutes or until tender. Cut corn from cob.

When the green beans in the skillet are bright and nearly tender, add your chard leaves and stir until wilted.

Combine croutons, corn and chard mix. Serve hot.

2010-10-20T07:10:00.000-07:00

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing
My kid rocks.

Biblical Interpretation Through the Eyes of a Two-Year-Old

2010-09-28T08:49:00.000-07:00

Last night The Wee's devotion was about John 15:5 - "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." It used a cute little picture of a boy in overalls climbing a ladder to pick cherries off a tree to illustrate the difference between branches with fruit and branches without fruit. The devotion's last question was "What kind of branch do you want to be?" (Meaning, do you want to have fruit or no fruit?)
The Wee immediately and excitedly replied, "I'm a branch! No, I'm the ladder. You be the vine!"
Maybe next year.

Love Rusts When It Rains on Romance ...

2010-06-03T12:26:00.001-07:00

Starship's single "We Built This City" has been labeled by more than one source as the worst song of all time. Anyone who believes this has clearly not heard the rest of that album.

I bring this up because I've had "Love Rusts," the last track from Knee Deep in the Hoopla, stuck in my head for days. DAYS. It's my own fault for having bad taste in music as a child. Knee Deep in the Hoopla was one of three tapes I took with me on my family's bus tour of Europe when I was 7, and I played it continuously on my Walkman throughout the trip, pausing only to pop the tape, flip it, and rewind to the beginning. I can't remember what I ate for dinner last night, but I can't manage to forget the words to "Rock Myself to Sleep."

If you think "We Built This City" is the worst song ever, you have to listen to "Love Rusts."

You've got to sit back and appreciate the inanity of these lyrics. "Tell my landlord I'll be home by June" is not the type of line that deserves a dramatic high note. Grace Slick does what she can to inject a little something into the lines, but she ends up sounding like Catwoman reading a script she just doesn't get. If you can't make yourself sit through the whole thing, the 2:30 mark is a favorite spot for a chuckle, when the backup singers start getting overzealous. The track is basically over at 3 minutes, but the beat goes on for an agonizing two minutes more, and after a while even Mickey gets bored of bursting in with his little pop-scream interjections.

Worst. Song. Ever.

The Little Red Hen Is a Jerk

2010-03-25T14:06:00.001-07:00

I censor books. It's true, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

When I'm reading "Bella the Bravery Fairy" to my daughter, I leave out the words on the last page. Because Bella has just helped three baby birds learn to fly, and she closes the lesson by saying, "You can do anything, if you only believe you can." Hey, I think kids should believe in themselves. But they can't do anything if they believe they can. My child, for instance, cannot fly, no matter how hard she tries. And I would rather she not believe she can.

And don't even get me started on "The Little Red Hen." Yes, it's rude of the pig, the duck and the cat to refuse over and over again to help her with her seeds and wheat and flour. No question. But really, you don't yell out the window "Who will help me eat this bread?" if you don't intend on letting anyone touch it. That's just mean-spirited. Plus, I want to teach my kid that treating others well, even when they're not nice to you, is a virtue she should cultivate and be proud of.

In my version, they all sit down together and share the bread. The end. She likes it better that way anyway.

Mmmmm, seafood.

2009-06-19T10:45:00.001-07:00

From today's Anniston Star story on the new Three Dudes Fresh Seafood store open in Anniston:

"We were all in Vegas last year for a Jimmy Buffet concert when we said hey, let's open up a seafood market in town," said Whittington.

Now that's a business plan.

TUBES!

2009-05-13T10:45:00.000-07:00

Wow - I am actually posting something that is more personal update, less deep thoughts. Normally I do this sort of thing in 200-character status statements, but I have been under-using my blog for way too long. So on to the update:

The Wee has to get tubes put into her ears on Tuesday! She has had ear infection after ear infection in the last seven to eight months, and this should lessen the problem. It's a really short and easy procedure, and they don't have to run an IV, but she does have to be anesthetized. I am already debating the ethics of videotaping her in her loopy stage, but I imagine the idea will seem much less funny when I'm drowning in nerves at the hospital at 6am.

I feel I should already be more nervous than I am, but then again, it's not a big deal as surgeries go. However, if you would like to bring us brownies for comfort, we will not object.

It's Easter Already?

2009-04-08T08:20:00.000-07:00

Around October, we all start thinking about Christmas. It's on our minds for months. I start listening to carols on the radio at the beginning of December. We all shop in advance. It takes over our lives, most of us, for a good long while.

And yet Easter is this Sunday, and I keep forgetting. I have picked up a little Easter gift or two this week. Haven't gotten my daughter anything yet. I think I may need to buy a dress, but I haven't shopped or even looked around.

The birth of Christ is monumental and important. But plenty of historians believe that Jesus existed; the existence of the person doesn't make our faith. The resurrection of the Son of God is what made our salvation. Where's the pageantry around this holiday? Where's the excitement? Isn't this where joy to the world really belongs?

Where's my own sense of celebration?

Re: Doubt

2009-03-31T12:03:00.000-07:00

So I've been thinking a lot about doubt in Christian faith lately. Actually I think about it a lot all the time. Today I was doing a Bible study that pointed me to Matthew 14:28-31, when Christ calls to Peter to walk to him across the water and Peter does, but then, seeing the waves, begins to sink.

When I read this earlier in my life, I saw Christ's response, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" as a severe chastisement, or worse, a condemnation. How could you not have known better? Haven't you figured it out by now? What do I have to do to get through to you? Peter doubted. Peter sank.

But that's the thing. Peter didn't sink.

"... beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." ³¹Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him ..." As soon as Peter cried out for help - immediately -Christ saved him from the waves and took him safely to the boat. Sure, he might have been disappointed. He might have been upset. He also might have been laughing. I don't know. I just know he saved him.

And Peter's doubt didn't end there, so it wasn't doubt Christ saved him from, it was peril. In spite of his doubt, Christ returned to Peter again and again in the gospels to encourage him, guide him, and use him. I think I can take solace and even joy from that.

Let's All Get Nothin' for Christmas

2008-12-09T19:40:00.000-08:00

I imagine that if I went into a room of eight-year-old Sunday School students on Christmas and asked them, “Why is this day different from all other days?” their first answer would be “PRESENTS!” Then, with a little prodding, they’d all probably be able to explain that Christmas is the day of the birth of Christ, who came into the world to save us.

Kids who are raised in the faith – and while I know there are exceptions, I think this goes for the majority of Protestant American children – they know what Christmas is supposed to be about by rote. But that’s not really what it’s about for them. And why should it be? It may be what they’re told by their churches and their parents, but it’s not what they see in their culture, or, in many cases, in the behavior of their families.

They see an American Christmas, whose central icons are Santa Claus and the Christmas tree. They sing Silent Night sandwiched between Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus Is Coming to Town. They gorge on TV commercials telling them what their friends will be getting for Christmas. Television, radio and movies take for granted that children will wake up Christmas morning to piles of brightly wrapped, beribboned boxes under the tree. Children watch their parents stress about how many people are coming over for Christmas dinner, who they’ve forgotten to buy for, and what the credit card bill is going to look like next month. In church, they see the nativity on one end of the sanctuary and the Christmas tree on the other.

Now, I know that Santa Claus is supposed to have been derived from St. Nicholas, who was truly a worthy man who gave all he had to help the needy and the suffering. And I know many people say that the Christmas tree is a symbol of the evergreen love of Christ, the lights the host of angels, and the star atop it the Star of Bethlehem. Whatever these icons have been or have not been, in America today they have come to symbolize receiving, not giving, and certainly not Christ.

When I think of a Christmas tree, I think of presents. When I see an image of Santa Claus, I think of presents. And they’re not presents for other people. They’re presents for me. I’m not alone in that. Most of you, and most of your kids, and your neighbors’ kids, and your nieces and nephews, would probably have to say the same.

Our kids have learned that the American Christmas is a special season of the year when they are allowed and even encouraged to fixate on things they want but don’t need and to compare their spoils with those of others who may have more or less. It’s that special time of year when the worst imaginable crisis would be not getting that one, expensive, begged-for gift.

The saddest part about this is, I don’t have a good example of a solely Christian Christmas celebration to contrast with this. This American Christmas has become the Christian Christmas as well; though it may be diluted with Scripture and sentiment, the greed remains.

So what are we supposed to do if we don’t want our children to learn the ways of the American Christmas? The opposition is overwhelming. Everyone is in on it, Christians, non-Christians, family, friends, and we ourselves. I have always loved the “traditional” Christmas. In the face of all this, I say to myself, I can’t change anything. I can’t stop other people from buying too much stuff for my daughter. I can’t censor the references to greed that permeate everything we hear and see this time of year. I want my daughter to recognize that Christmas is not about getting stuff. But what can I do? How can I explain to her that presents aren’t at the center of Christmas?

What if we leave the tree out of our own Christmas decorating, and make the nativity the focal point of our home? What if we cut the Santa songs out of our Christmas playlists? What if we give our children a single, inexpensive gift for Christmas and take them shopping for toys to donate to needy families instead? What better way to celebrate? Christ calls us to help those who have less than we do – shouldn’t we show our kids that we value that teaching? Shouldn’t that account for the overwhelming majority of our Christmas spending? After all, it’s His birthday. Shouldn’t the gifts we get just be the party favors?

Why is this day different from all other days? Because unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

Why Obama?

2008-10-02T07:37:00.000-07:00

My letter was printed this week, and I've had some interesting responses so far.

Many of my friends are wondering why I steadfastly support Barack Obama for president. I’m not going to start spouting misleading statements and falsities about John McCain or Sarah Palin to justify my support. I support Obama not because he isn’t John McCain, but because he is Barack Obama.

I don’t watch cable news. I don’t believe anything I read without checking sources I trust first. I can smell political propaganda, and I have grieved over the number of my dear friends who have become lost in it. I get my information from proven, responsible media outlets. I have been inundated with e-mails and notices accusing Barack Obama of ridiculous sins, and interpreting the fact that he is a black man who doesn’t pretend to be otherwise as racial militancy.

I, for one, am sick of being lied to. I am of a generation whose political views have been formed by lies, and I am so weary of distrust. I am weary of feeling that my leaders are contributing to collapses across the world and across the country, and that no matter how loudly I scream, they’ll continue to cover their ears while they press red button after red button after red button.

Why do I support Barack Obama? Because for the first time in years, I’m excited.

People of my generation, from my neck of the woods—we’re not used to feeling that. We don’t get excited. We get angry. We get snarky. We don’t feel hopeful. We feel threatened. We feel overlooked. When Barack Obama speaks, I get excited. I feel hope. I am beginning to trust this gentleman who says he wants better things for me and for my country, and to believe he will work through any difficulty to get us those things. So I fight for him.

I don’t agree with everything he says. But I believe in him, and I believe that he believes in us. I believe he has the temperament, the judgment and the discernment to make the right choices under pressure and in peace. This country is broken. Many of our spirits are broken. Somebody has to fix it. I truly think he can.

My Letter to the Editor

2008-09-13T07:07:00.000-07:00

Usually my local paper won't print a letter to the editor unless it involves secession, atheists, or some other sort of crazy. But we're getting an earful of Palin support around here, and it really bothers me. I'm not going to stand by this election and silently watch the people around me be duped by the GOP ticket's refusal to retract the bald-faced lies they've been telling, and I'm sick of the tone of their attacks. So I decided to give the letter to the editor a shot:

I am dismayed by the exuberance with which so many good, Christian men and women stand and cheer the venomous and mocking remarks uttered by Governor Sarah Palin in her rallies since the Republican National Convention. Of course in a political race the candidates will point out what they perceive to be one another’s faults. But Christians who agree with the statements Governor Palin is making about her opponents should consider the tone of these attacks before they yell out their support.

The Sermon on the Mount makes clear that Jesus wishes us to grow as Christians by changing from the inside out, beginning with a clean heart that then becomes outwardly apparent in our attitude and actions. In Matthew 5:21-22, Christ aligns anger and mockery with murder in the eyes of God. Matthew 5:43-44 tells us to not only love our neighbors but to love our enemies. Governor Palin has made a talking point of her faith since joining the McCain campaign, but a clean heart is not shining through in her attitude. In fact, the tone of anger, mockery and disrespect that has accompanied her is damaging to the testimony of every Christian. I’m pleased to see that Senator Barack Obama, who has also discussed his faith during the campaign, has generally rebuffed her attacks with a measured and respectful tone.

I cannot and would not question Governor Palin’s faith; I fail in my faith every day. But I would like to see more Christians thinking twice before so loudly and publically cheering a display that shows perhaps her heart isn’t quite where it should be.

The Old People Are After Me

2008-08-28T18:15:00.000-07:00

I turned 30 last month. It wasn't a cathartic experience for me, because I've felt pretty old for the past year. I didn't get depressed or go out binging to prove I can still take it. I just chilled. 30 didn't bother me.

Then yesterday, I got this in the mail:

Now I'm being asked to join the League of the Elderly. You have got to be kidding me.

The Joys of Working at Home

2008-08-21T14:55:00.000-07:00

Me: What are you working on?

Hubby: Stupid Blackboard. What are you working on?

Me: Workplace Violence.

Hubby: ... but this is your workplace.

Me: ...

Hubby: Are you going to hit me?

Meatless Independence Day

2008-07-01T20:40:00.000-07:00

Choosing what to bring to the family Fourth barbeque is usually sort of tough. I always look around for that wonderdish, the vegan recipe that will be adored and embraced by any carnivore - but I think I'm coming to accept that I'm not going to find it. Now I just look for something I think looks really tasty. This year I'm putting together grilled tofu for my nephew and me, a cold veggie pasta salad, and this berry terrine that I found on the Fat-Free Vegan Kitchen blog. Of course, I have to pick up all my ingredients in Birmingham on Thursday, but it will be worth it.

Vega-Oprah

2008-06-25T13:17:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I saw a news blurb that celebrated Oprah Winfrey's survival of a 21-day stint without caffeine, sugar, alcohol, gluten or animal products. "Yipee!" I thought. I bet myself that she had spent a good portion of her trial telling her viewers how very hard that was on her. So I checked out her "21-Day Cleanse" blog.

I was happy to find that Ophra - as she's inexplicably called by just about everybody here in my adopted home state - actually had a lot of positive things to say about her temporary lifestyle change, particularly about the flavor and variety of food she was allowed to eat. Then I realized why.

Ophra had a cook. A creative, talented cook who could make soy chicken sumptuous and who could do amazing things with berries. She didn't have to know where he got his ingredients or how much time it took him to put together and delicately plate her entrees. She just had to eat up.

Needless to say, this voided any complaining allowance she may have otherwise had. If I had a cook, being a pesci-ovo-vegetarian would be a breeze. I think I speak for a big ole bunch of vegetarians when I say it's not the flavor or variety of food options that makes vegetarian eating difficult. It's the buying, the planning, and the preparation.

This is especially true for those of us in areas that are light on vegetarians. There is no tempeh in my town. If I want a Boca brats, I have to leave the tri-city area. Nobody sells Bob's Red Mill. I've been a vegetarian for two years and I can't cook good tofu to save my life. I've got a ton of cookbooks, but I've also got an eight-month-old daughter who isn't interested in letting Mommy spend an hour making delicious vegan dishes every night. I guess it just doesn't taste the same second-hand.

So I won't be throwing any parties for Ophra. Unless she wants to send that chef my way...