Bad Blogger = Me

Oy.  It has been CRAZY since I wrote back in...January?!  Really?  That long!?  Oh my.  Sorry for my L O N G absence.  I promise I will try to be better. 
So first things first: I need to write about two food adventures.  First off is the scone...
It all began...a year ago?  This fall?  I can't even remember.  But I was at French Meadow Bakery (go figure...), and I saw it.  The scone.  Or, as I affectionately refer to it as, "The Happy Scone".  It's real name is the Chocolate Ginger Spelt Scone.  I think I began drooling on the spot because: 1. I love chocolate. 2. I love ginger. and 3. I love, love LOVE spelt flour.  There are several things in the world of cooking/baking that I am very fond of, and let me tell you, spelt flour is one of them.  Why?  No clue.  I just love it.  So I bought the scone.  And had it for breakfast the next morning, and that is when the obsession began.  I loved every single thing about that scone.  From that point on, every time I went to French Meadow would result in me first marching up to the bakery case, and if I spied the scone, that was the first thing I ordered - to go, of course - to feast on the next morning.

The original scone from French Meadow

Eventually, it got so bad, that I searched out a recipe for the scone online, and lo and behold, I found one.  I excitedly printed it off....and forgot about it.  About three months later, after a string of going to French Meadow and not finding my beloved scone, I broke down and yanked the recipe out.  The result was a recreation of the one and only scone that I love...  Honestly, I almost feel as though these scones turned out better than the ones at French Meadow did.  (But don't tell them that...)  And yes, I realize you are all going to think I'm crazy, but that's ok.  I am a little crazy, but it helps keep me sane.  :-)

The next adventure happened today.  About a year ago at my friend Nancy's bachelorette party, I had a pizza with fennel on it.  I had never cooked with fennel before, and actually had it for the first time in 2010 in Virginia.  I had always heard about it, but wasn't sure about it, and after I tried it I eventually knew I would cook with it.  After that pizza at the bachelorette party, I secretly became obsessed with recreating a pizza with fennel on it.  Once winter came, I sort-of forgot about it, until about three weeks ago, and was hit with an inspiration...ham + fennel + goat cheese (since I can't have cow's milk cheese).  So tonight I made the pizza...wow.  I mean, W.O.W.  It was awesome.  I would highly recommend it.  :-)

                                 Cutting up the fennel                             Sauteeing the fennel

                                                The ham                                     Goat's cheeeeeeese

                                                Pizza dough                               Before going in the oven

The finished product

So, I also realized that photography definitely is my passion.  I have been taking pictures since I was in 4th grade, and even then I was always looking for the artistic shot.  Apparently I have been destined to be a phogographer my whole life. :-)

In Christ,

Meg

High-Maintenance Food Snob

Ok, if the title of this entry doesn't scare you, I don't know WHAT will.  The words "high-maintenance" in and of themselves are scary, but adding the word SNOB to it...that's just downright terrifying!!  But alas - I must be honest...I am exactly what the title of this blog entry is...a "High-Maintenance Food Snob". 

Now, this does not mean I am high-maintenance with anything else.  Yes, there are certiain things I NEED in a day - for example, lots of water and exercise is also highly important for me (or else I get very crabby very fast) but as a general rule, I am not high maintenance.  I'm usually the opposite, actually.  Except when it comes to food.  There, I reach a whole different level that a lot of people never experience...I am by far QUITE high maintenance in regards to food. 

I also am not a snob about much else (well, maybe that's not totally true, I tend to like high-quality things...), but as a general rule, I don't tend to think of myself as a snob.  I have never once in my almost 31 years of life on this earth been called a snob by anyone - at least not that I know of...  But yes, a food snob I am.  So, in reality, this term for myself is sort-of an oxymoron...I am, yet I am not...

Let's get another thing straight...as I am sure you have been able to gather by reading what I have written thus far (all about food) that I am not opposed to food at all.  Quite the contrary.  I LOVE food.  I love to cook new things, try new flavors, bake new and exciting things...and quite honestly to EAT (hence the reason I exercise!)...but the high-maintenance food snob part comes in when we begin to discuss QUALITY.  I am all about good quality, good for you food.  I love organic.  I love whole foods as much as possible.  And I love anything that is "weird" and "left of center"...anything that most of the general public may not know much about.  This is one of my deepest passions. 

One of the coolest things has been how many people I have discovered share the SAME passion as me.  I have several good friends that are very much into organic, whole foods and are also "food snobs".  I find it amazing how God had a way of bringing these awesome, fun, wonderful people into my life.

Not saying that I never indulge or eat crap.  Trust me - if you know me well enough, you know I do eat plenty of "crap".  After I ran a 9.3 mile race in Milwaukee this fall, I decided I got to eat anything I wanted the rest of the day.  And let me tell you, I did.  A gigantic sandwich, a honey latte from Alterra (love, love LOVE), massive amounts of sushi, and pizza at 1:30am.  All of which I loved every bite of. 

Ever since discovering my dairy sensitivity, I have become a bit more laid back in regards to resturants, because I know to avoid most dairy now - and that has made my stomach feel a lot better - before this knowledge, I would avoid certain things thinking they were the problem, and eat only other certain things and the things that I chose to eat were actually the ones that were giving me problems.

I must admit that I have turned my nose up at many a dish, many a resturant, and many a package of food in the store due to my food snobbiness (dairy sensitivity excluded).  However, I have come to embrace it.  I am not afraid.  I am fearless in the kitchen.  Fearless in a way I never dreamed of.  Even though I may be a high-maintenance food snob, I have never been more proud to wear this title...weird food habits and all. 

In Christ,

Meg

Christmas Traditions and New Resolutions

After the hustle and bustle of Christmas, I had to sit back and reflect...I first of all realized how dear my family is to me.  I treasure each day, moment and time we get to spend together.  The laughter, food, harassing each other...all such fun times and great memories made.  I also had to reflect on how THANKFUL I am.  After all, God has blessed me so far above and beyond what I deserve...I am overwelmed at how He has blessed me.  I also thought about traditions. 

There are some things you do in your family and you have no idea why - and then others that you know why.  And this is where two of my favorite food traditions come in.  The first one is a tradition I have known my entire life on my dad's side - a dish we have every Christmas Eve and only then: Tourtiere.  This is a special tradition to me because it is very rare to find anyone else that actually knows what this is.  Tourtiere is a meat pie.  My ancestors who came to Minnesota from Quebec have been making this for years, and my grandma learned how to make it when she married my grandpa - even though she herself is not French. 

So here is where the confession comes in: I have not always loved this tradition.  For years and years I have thought Eew! This is SO GROSS!!  How can anyone eat this? I will NEVER eat this!  Well that vow went out the window along with my vow in 8th grade that I would never wear nail polish or carry a purse.  Apparently when I vow I won't do something, the opposite happens. :-)  So, as it were, in the last three years, I have fallen in love with Tourtiere.  Maybe it's because Jesus has done so much work in my heart I am more adventurous than I ever have been and my palate has expanded, but whatever the reason, I now love and adore this Christmas Eve family tradition.  I shared this with the Buffalo Narrows team when I was in Canada for a missions trip last summer.  I'm sure you can imagine my excitement when they knew what I was talking about!  Almost anyone state-side would have been clueless. 

Tradition number two is the "chocolate cookie dessert", or as we grandkids call it, the "chocolate Christmas log".  :-)  It is absolute awesomeness, and heaven on a plate.  Again - the only time we eat it is Christmas Eve.  It is basically Oreo cookies on steroids.  My grandma buys these large, chocolate wafers and then makes home made whipped cream and slathers it all over the cookies.  To make it look pretty, she adds little merichino cherries on top to look like flowers.  The dessert is then cut at a diagonal, and you devour every last drop.  (Possibly even licking the plate - shhhhhhh, don't tell!)  The only unfortunate thing about this tradition is that now with my diary allergy, I can no longer partake...unless I attempt to make it with coconut milk whipped topping....which I just may have to try... :-)  (Dessert pictured below).  What are some family traditions you have that you love and enjoy?

We are now into a brand new year - and I have a very good feeling about 2012.  I am excited to see what all God is going to do this year.  So, as usual, I came up with a few resolutions...or rather, goals.  Hopefully I can stick to them - with the help of the Lord!!  I won't post them all, but a few more fluffy ones are: paint my nails more often (once again, that vow in 8th grade definitely didn't last!), try cooking new things in the kitchen, run one race a month, get outside more, and journal more.  I am slowly learning balance, which has been very valuable to me...so hopefully I can keep that going!!  May your 2012 be blessed beyond measure! 

In Christ,

Meg