Turning Over a New…Apron?

Ok, it’s not exactly the New Year any longer, having blown through two months of 2016 already, but those resolutions are still rattling around in my brain. And sometimes the rattle gets loud enough so I pay attention…

Food has never been a big important event in my life. I listen to friends and coworkers extolling the skills of this reality chef or the subtle flavors of that recently consumed menu item and I think, yeah, and pizza is really good too. And someone else prepares it for me (I truly do not understand homemade pizza, unless someone else home-makes it!). A few years ago when my husband and I were camping in Redwood National Park we happened upon what is still a favorite meal; cheese and crackers and a glass (or two) of wine. Add strawberries and maybe some roasted red peppers, well, now we are really in food heaven. It’s really a matter of what I choose to spend my time on and preparing exquisite meals sounds awesome in theory but my experience is that all the work ends up for naught.

That is until Blue Apron arrived at my front door today. But I am jumping ahead of my story, there are things you need to understand.

It all began at lunch one day, because what do we do at lunch, but discuss food of course!

“So, I prepared my first Blue Apron meal last night and it was amazing!” my friend and coworker, Linda, was saying. “I ordered the Vegetarian menu because I am trying to eat healthier. Each spice came in its own little container and the flavors just came together in a way I never would have thought. I can’t wait to cook tonight’s meal and I’m deciding on next week’s menu.” She went on to name all of the choices she had.

At first I paid no attention. It involved cooking; hello!!! cheese and crackers didn’t!

But day after day she kept describing.

And then the rattle caught my attention.

Maybe, perhaps, just maybe, this could be an avenue towards one of my New Year’s resolutions. Those goals that dance through my brain. The very same goals I use to encourage my students to set theirs. I always use the “eat healthier” goal. And I use it because I know I should do it. I know I need more variety. I know I need more vegetables and grains. I know, I know, I know.

So, I tried. I signed up. I chose meals. I clicked, “Place Order.”

And today my box arrived. My first Blue Apron order. The problem was that I was already seriously doubting my decision. The fact that I had ordered food I had to COOK had become the ‘funny haha’ theme at our lunch. Here’s a small sample of what I am talking about:

Linda: “I had to spend so much time slicing vegetables last night.”

Me: “What do you mean? You get whole vegetables?”

Others: “Oh ho ho, Suzanne, this doesn’t sound good.”

Linda: “I couldn’t find my potato masher last night.”

Me: “You have to MASH potatoes?”

Others: “Suzanne, you are definitely not going to like this.”

Linda: “The fish I was frying smelled so good!”

Me: “You have to FRY food!?”

Others: “It’s really sounding bad, Suzanne.”

Just what I was beginning to think. I even secretly tried to cancel my order but it was too late. It was on the way and a catfish meal was hovering on my horizon. Catfish!  What was I thinking? It was definitely going to need to be fried. And I hate frying things, it’s so messy. But it appeared it was too late to change. I just had to hope that the rattle had steered me in the right direction. Maybe, just maybe, I had it in me to meet a goal eye to eye. Maybe I could make this change.

My husband sent me a text at lunch time, “I’m already getting hungry thinking about the meal you’re cooking tonight mmmm. mmmm.”

Yeah, they all got a real charge out of that one at lunch.

But guess what? (I bet you already guessed!)

It wasn’t so bad! As a matter of fact it was down-right ok! It took about an hour to cook my collard greens (I was looking for variety), lentils, and catfish. And you know what? It was good, really good. I felt, I don’t know, kind of like a grown up! Hahaha, grown ups cook, right? And I cooked, so logic tells us ‘If A, then B, then C'(or something like that).

So here’s to resolutions and brain rattles and growing up at any age. Tomorrow night, I mash potatoes! Oh nooooooooooo!