Corn on the Cob

They don't eat it in France but we love it in the Midwest. Boiled on a Tuesday for dinner with from the box macaroni and cheese. Sounds modest but its great.

Little by Little

As I was making myself a refreshing salad last night in our 90 degree apartment, I found myself becoming a little overly-ambitious with the ingredients. To make a long story short, I ended up with a mushy mix of hard-boiled eggs mingling with raisins and blue cheese, walnuts schmoozing with cilantro, plus a few other laid-back vegetables that can hang at any party - vegetables like cucumber, lettuce, and red pepper. I topped off this mess of flavors with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

In my attempt to create a tangy combination of textures and nutrients, I found myself overwhelmed. Oh yeah, I forced it down - I've never been one to waste good food unless it's totally unpalatable. But more importantly, I'm finding a good salad to be parallel to a good life and good relationships. Too much of everything at once results in a mushy mess, not perfection at all. But even a poorly planned combination of ingredients can be swallowed until the next opportunity presents itself. And next time I'll know - just skip the raisins...

Spring

The spring ground returns to life and yearning for the great outdoors tingles. Sitting on the couch it seems no idea is better than rushing off to wild nature.

In the city you don't rush anywhere. On Saturday morning the streets are coagulated with slow moving trucks and buses, furiously honking yuppies, unaware cyclist and cars, cars, cars. You either become a bhuddha or a raving lunatic, or both. Either way, you get were you're going, whole foods for us.

Feeling like inspired (or insipid) yuppies we combed the aisles for free cheese, which I popped in my mouth like a bum off the street, goat cheese to take home, crusty bread suitable for a picnic, fruit, meat, frou frou drinks. We got it all. Yes I'm going to admit right now that I like something about shopping there. I don't want to because I think I shouldn't But F*ck I've got to stop riding the guilt train and start riding the all American glory train. That's another post.

Anyway we soon rushed up the raging river of concrete, I love, the Kennedy for a date with the Chain O' Lakes. And Picnic.

Yes we arrived ravenous and ravenously we tore that bread, chopped that canteloupe, attacked the cheese and mauled the meat. Or I did. Noel's a dainty little philly who finds all that manly type A approach to eating unseemly at best. So she nibbled, I munched, and we both ended up happy.

Iron rich foods

Maaaaan. I really didn't want to be one of those people who talks babies non-stop. I wanted to keep this blog mainly about food and our cooking trials and tribulations - remember the stuffed grapefruit? Oh, the nostalgia.

But nevermind all of that. The truth is, I've got baby on the brain, literally. I mean, the hormones flooding through my noggin are truly overpowering. I'm incessantly plagued with baby thoughts - from What does this fetus look like? to Am I going to be some sort of overprotective parent who projects all of her insecurities onto her child? I mean, maybe my entire framework for childrearing is based on some false idea that most people think like me?!? Oh god!

Okay nevermind all of that either. You see, when the hormones flood your brain, it's easy to lose your train of thought and become instantly fraught with emotion.

I did start typing with a purpose. And the purpose was to share with you that I am again tolerating vegetables. I think I might be low on iron, so I've started eating more dark green vegetables and meat (see title).

Oh Baby

Yes, that last post was written by my husband-to-be. And yes, we're having a baby. Therefore, I don't feel like cooking anymore. Between my fluctuating tastes, sporadic "morning" sickness, and complete exhaustion, I've not been in the mood.

So what have we been eating? Pizza, french fries, peanut butter sandwiches, crackers, and the occasional leaf of lettuce. Jesse keeps pinching himself, wondering if he's in some sort of heavenly nightmare.