The reason I changed the name of my blog to ‘The Red Plaid Apron’ is because…..I am writing a cookbook. An inspirational, lifestyle, artistic cookbook. I’m writing it because I have a story to tell. Well, we all do but most just don’t have the inclination to put it down in sentences. But I want to share my story because I have so enjoyed reading the stories of others. Especially the real, honest, poignant, strong, encouraging stories of women of faith. Some didn’t start out in faith but found their faith through along the way. As I read their words and stories I realize that we are all on similar journeys and we all have something to offer. Sharing your story makes you feel ‘less alone’ and more ‘understood’. And I’m going to do it with food.
As I have shared previously, I love to eat and I love to make food. What can I say? It’s one of my languages of love…even to myself. So I am on quest to make better food. ‘Good for you’ food. Food as medicine. But also food as love and nourishment. My motto is ‘all things in moderation’. Well that actually hasn’t been my motto at all. My food motto has been more of “if a little is good then a lot must be wonderful”. Not so much. I’m starting to realize that all things in moderation will serve me better. More wise words from a wise person are these ‘All things may be permissible but are they beneficial?’
But back to my cookbook. I’ve been collecting cookbooks from the discount table at the local book store for about a year and a half now and I have a wonderful collection. I’m not planning on making all the recipes – ever. I bought them to read more as novels. I only bought hardcovers. I only bought cookbooks with stories about the people, the geography and food customs. I only bought cookbooks with beautiful photography. They had to be under $10. I feel bad for the authors of those cookbooks because I am picking them up for $3 and $5 but I’m loving their books. Maybe someday my Cookbook will be on the discount table. I don’t care. I’m doing it anyway. These books are now my inspiration and my education.
So I am going to spend the next sixteen months testing recipes and sharing my experiences with you on this blog. Possibly making up recipes. I’m going to resurrect and modify old family recipes that were my favorites growing up. Most will be healthy but a few will be decadent. All things in moderation. One has to live, right? And celebrate, right? And I will do all of this wearing my Red Plaid Apron. (There is a previous blog post about my red plaid apron).
In fact I started tonite. My daughter and I have committed to eating much healthier. It finally hit us…why are we abusing our bodies as we have been? Do we feel great? or even good? A resounding NO. We are feeling kind of Meh. So we are committed to eating mostly whole foods as much as possible and nothing processed. For the most part. That is the goal. So I promised her I would make homemade mayonnaise tonite. Because I can make it out of whole foods and then we can enhance other whole foods to our liking. Well….I made two batches and broke them both. One is not as broken as the other. But they mean what they say when they tell you to use ‘light’ olive oil and ALL ingredients at room temperature. This is key. Oh…and if you are using a regular blender. Make sure its turned off before taking the lid off. Unless you like to have homemade mayo in your hair.
I also clarified some butter. This does not mean I gave it a lecture. It means that I melted the butter and skimmed off the frothy white dairy portion for those that don’t do dairy. Seriously you can barely tell the difference when you are eating baked potatoes. YUM. Or popcorn…which I am trying to limit as corn, apparently, was never meant for humans. When I think of the prodigal son eating with the pigs, I’m thinking it couldn’t have been that bad if they were eating corn. I love corn. However, the body doesn’t digest corn. How do I know this? Do you have to ask?
Finally…I finally made Alfredo cheese sauce out of cashews. I’ve been meaning to do this forever. I have to admit I was skeptical. Cheese flavor from cashews? I felt the same way Mike does when I tell him that portobello mushrooms taste like steak. But it really is awesome. I added quite a bit of real garlic because…flavor. I sauteed the onions before I put them in as well because…well, flavor. Lemon juice to take the cashew flavor away. I even used nutritional yeast. I can’t even believe I had that in the house but I did and I used it. Not sure what that contributed. Feel free to enlighten me if you are wise about these things.
Tomorrow’s adventures with food….I have a barrel full of small apples I picked from a friends yard that I have to do something with..stay tuned
The Red Plaid Apron 