Tragedy strikes! The candles are melting because the cake is still warm! The dog got hold of the essential ingredient! You are flatlining and need protein but all you have is an old can of lima beans! You're short on sugar but the neighbor is out....
What do you do? You have to be quick. You have to think on your feet. You can't just throw the whole project out the window...
So throw some ice cream onto the cake and stick the candles in the ice cream. Everyone will think you meant for it to be that way... Replace that essential ingredient with one you've never tried because after all, what's the worst that could happen? Dust of that old can of lima beans and cook a simple, rustic Italian style chili and serve it with toasted bread (to yourself). Short on sugar? Shrink your recipe... look around for some brown sugar, or maybe maple syrup!
Today I made potato soup with wine and beef broth. Basically, the story is embarassing, but I'll tell it anyway. I had bought a dollar frozen meal or two (or five) for emergencies. And today was one... no food, no time. It was so unsatisfying that I had to cook something else and make the time for it. So I looked in the fridge... hmmm... only some thawing southwest style hashbrowns. Ok, I'll just fry those up. In the midst of frying, I started looking for something to go with. Nothing. But... wait... there's some sour cream, a little beef broth, and I have that bottle of wine I've been waiting to open for a "special occasion." This can be special... So I poured in the broth and some wine to cook. Threw it all in a blender, topped with sour cream, basil, and my very favorite seasoning mix, Old Bay. Good enough to put up on eatNation, I thought... so check out the actual recipe!
The point is, there is usually a solution. I have only very rarely had to abort mission because I refuse to be a perfectionist in the kitchen and am I firm believer in serendipity. When tragedy strikes in the kitchen, you may emerge with a new creative solution that turns into a family favorite (or a personal favorite).
I started my seeds too early this year. However, it has been somewhat rewarding to see my plants settled in and getting so big... I started seeds first by ordering a packet of this and a packet of that, looking for interesting varieties that I thought might work. I especially focused on cool season and short season varieties of peppers, lettuce, cauliflower, spinach, and broccoli so that I'd make it through the short Midwest summer and come out on top. Luckily, Minnesota also gets extremely long days of sun and is quite moist. Without further ado, here are pictures of my garden, from starting seeds to current growth!
Seed starting in the basement.
Up close and personal with the cauliflower plants. I cut bottles of all kinds in half and use them as pots.
Getting bigger and bigger... sometimes for no reason, the plants would appear to just SPRING up!
I moved some of my basil upstairs to get some real sunlight... I think they liked that.
When the plants were ready, I brought them outside to get used to the weather.
I sprinkled lettuce in the early spring, and as it started to come up it was a cheery addition to the garden.
I went away for a week to visit family and it rained the whole time... So I came back to THIS!
