spring has sprung

We’re joining a CSA. Eater’s Guild has $285 half shares with a $50 salad extra add-on from mid-May to mid-November. Given how much money I’m apt to spend on produce, I’m relatively certain we’re going to save some serious money and we’ll be eating organic. I’m pretty excited about the plan-your-meals-based-on-the-box thing too. It’s one thing to come up with a recipe based on what you want to eat. It’s a whole other way of cooking when you eat based on what you get.

I’ve decided to not go full out with a garden as I previously wanted to. Instead I’m going to try to grow heirloom tomatoes. From seed. And then try and propagate the seeds for next year. Because nothing is sexier than heirloom tomatoes.

I’m going to attempt to make bread without yeast. Because, you know, I’m such a freaking expert bread maker I thought I’d add a couple of more ways I might screw up. Like 14 days worth of possible ways to screw up. But seriously, I took out the Reinhart book and I’m going for it. I’m sick of spending over $5 a loaf for sprouted whole grain bread. I can do this myself.

I baked the infamous Xtina cookies last night sans eggs (seriously! flax seed works!), but avec butter (I just cannot bring myself to buy earth balance which is so…manufactured when I can just buy organic butter for baking) and though good they’re missing…something. Well, half of them are missing being in the shape of a cookie as my stove is so teeny I only have one small cookie sheet so the remainder of the dough was made into bars. Nothing says Midwestern dessert like a bar. I think it’s because I used walnuts instead of almonds. And I was on the phone as I was mixing them so I know didn’t mix them as well as I could. Regardless, it was easy and a perfect recipe for starting off on a cooking-baking adventure.

Tonight: Spanish brown rice, black beans, mango and avocado salad, tamales, and oaxacan chile salsa made with the infamous de-seeded by Erin without gloves chiles.

And beer. Of course.