the rising cost of getting by.....

in the first exciting days of our marriage we cheerfully went forth to the grocery store, frivolously tossing into our cart whatever tickled our fancy. it was common place for us to grab a wedge of brie and some smoked gouda for a snack with a baguette. without a second thought organic yogurt was nestled into the cart next to harris ranch beef, and we never lacked for exotic spices. we are now approaching our third year of wedded bliss and i can't remember the last time i bought brie. i'm spending more now than i ever have before and getting less and less. we're scrambling around for places to cut our spending and the grocery store tends to come to the top of the list, but i wonder why? when a movie lasts two hours but you're stuck in this body for the entirety of your time on earth, why should your diet (and therefor health) take the hit? there has to be a better way! my husband, in what i can only think of as a sick joke, often tells me to quit wal-mart, as if i only go there for kicks. oh, but honey, i just love being judged by strangers and waited on my morons, don't take my wal-mart away! if i could get what i need for a reasonable price anywhere else on earth, i would. but i'm sorry to say that i can't. these days i can barely afford to get what i need even when i compare down to the tenth of a penny per ounce on every item. i need to go where the prices are best. so not only is the variety and quality of our diet taking a down turn, our shopping is taking the same slope. things are just too darn expensive. it used to be that because i cook mostly from scratch, and we love our veggies i could get out of the store for 80-100 dollars a week. and we were living pretty well on that. now i'm good to get out for less than 150 and our situation hasn't changed much. in fact with the beef in the freezer and staying home full time i buy less meat and less convenience foods than ever, yet i still spend more! and i feel terrible about it! why oh why should i regret doing the best i can to take care of my family's health? what is happening in the USA that an average person in our society feels no problem forsaking good quality nutrition for the sake of toys, falling back on fast food? why should i be feeling guilty for not buying my kids a Wii when every day they eat a healthy balanced diet? in short, what the heck is wrong with us? good nutrition is not an unattainable goal. kids that eat veggies, and like them, are not out riding unicorns, they do exist. there is the feeling in the air that a balanced diet is a herculean task and that even if you did manage it, your kids would never go for it. not so. if only the proper priorities are set, it can be done. you just have to put your thumb firmly to your nose in the face of mainstream media to get off to a good start.

potato salad, the method, the way of life

am i silly? surely. but consider this: what better way to show your affection and love for friends and family as a cook than to prepare dishes that take a day, two, or even three to be at their peak flavor? that shows deliberate care, a plan a head of time to make someone happy. even with such a basic thing as potato salad. this culture, in my humble opinion, is too much enamored of the quick fix. food is love, and fast food is a bad relationship. 30 minute meals? sure, a nice date, but no one to take home to mom. a brisket that takes 9 hours in the oven? true love. stew meticulously layered with flavor on flavor and gently simmered to perfection? well. potato salad not thrown together in a steamy hour of haphazard culinocity, but thoughtfully constructed with enough time to develop personality? the one you want your best friend to meet. so. what is the method? and how can it truly be as easy as i claim i insist my cooking to be? simple. take your average russet potato, cut it into thirds. give 5 or so of it's friends similar treatment, boil them until just tender, drain and refrigerate over night. the next day, peel with a small paring knife the majority of the skin from all the potatoes, cut into smaller pieces, season with garlic salt, black pepper, and a bit of celery seed or celery salt. in a separate bowl combine chopped onion, celery, and bell pepper according to taste. now for the dressing, i like to experiment depending on what i'm serving and what kind of mood i'm in. last night we had a bit of mayo, sour cream, dijon mustard, capers, and fresh chopped basil. usually it's mayo, mustard, dill pickle relish and olives. the basic idea is to mix it up until it's not glopy but not dry, gently folding in your potatoes so they don't completely fall apart. put in a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight in the fridge for the best flavor. don't go crazy with the salt the first day, because it will all come out of hiding the second day, believe me. and so, a simple easy side dish, prepared with care, becomes a monumental demonstration of love.