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Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Make your own damn lunch!!

So I'm loading the dishwasher the other day wondering, once again, what I'm going to do with myself.  I know I will have to do something or I will go crazy and take everyone with me.  It occurs to me that as my ideals were changing over the last 3 years of living on the ranch, my view of the roles that men and women play was not.  Perhaps I should look into that.  

I find value in making my own things.  I like knowing where my food comes from.  (Okay, I still have trouble help raising calves then sending them off to the butcher, but I know this is how it goes.  I'm a farmer until it comes time for killing, then I'm a vegetarian.  This is why we seek our opposites as mates.  Someone has to be the nurturer and someone has to be the butcher, but I'm way off track.....as usual.)

Back to my food.  I love knowing where my food comes from, but I'm not fanatical about it.  I still love those cheap frozen pizza and yes, I eat that cheese from the can that makes those cool flowers on your crackers.  Yup.  Love it!  Ok so if I want to be closer to my food and control the quality of what we eat, it takes time.  If I'm going to make more and buy less, I'm going to have to give up something.  Time.  It takes time to do these things.  In retrospect,  this is really harking back to our grandmother and great grandmother's generations.  When there were not convenience foods and drive-thrus.  You wanted it, you made it.  Wait.  Didn't I always say I never wanted to be like that?  I mean those women didn't have a choice, they were forced to stay in the kitchen.  How many times did I hear Coach Berry say, "You've come a long way, Baby.  Don't let anyone ever push you back into the kitchen.)?  Didn't I learn that I had to be a strong, independent, self-empowered woman?  I can't stay at home gardening, canning, and making things and still be self-empowered.  Can I?  I can't ask my husband what he wants for lunch and then just make it for him.  He can make his own damn lunch!!  I am woman hear me roar!!

Oh, wait.  He didn't tell me or even ask me to make his lunch.  Sometimes I like to make him things he wants and likes.  I find value in doing things myself that I could pay others do, probably better and in less time, for me.  Does this make me any less self-empowered?  No it does NOT!!  (I know, a lot of exclamation points today.  Sorry, Mrs. Igert.)  I can do those things so long as I choose to do those things.  No one is forcing me to make them lunch or churn my own butter, I choose to do so and there is nothing wrong with that.  I can have a job outside of our home or I can make my job in our home, or I can do both.  It is a choice I have and I am independent enough, empowered enough, to do whatever I choose.  

It occurs to me that I have learned a lot about myself in a relatively short amount of time recently.  Everything I thought I knew, is not what I thought it was.  I am still struggling with my place, but at least now I know there are more options than I had ever considered before.  Now that I have figured out what I will allow myself to do and think, on to new and better things.


I love food.  I always have.  I love talking about food, eating food, taking pictures of food, and most importantly, sharing food.  Food=Love for me.  Here's what I made today.  I want it to be summer so badly, but there is still snow, so I made it summer in the kitchen.  Nothing says summer like a fresh BLT.  Ripe tomatoes, crispy bacon, crunchy lettuce and toasty bread.  Well, I had to improvise.  Here's how you can too.  I decided that while I am figuring out what to do with myself, I should stock the house with quality ingredients and not junk.  This means when I am hungry, I have to do something about it.  I can't just grab some junk and veg out on the couch.  This is helping me move through this.....whatever it is better than moping on the couch.

January tomatoes need some help so slice them and lay them out on a cookie sheet lined with foil.  I used a toaster oven, but whatever works for you.  Drizzle them with olive oil, salt, pepper and basil.  Broil them to concentrate their flavors.  Let them go as far as you want.  You can add a little Parmesan cheese if you like.  These are very tasty, and I could make a meal of just these too.

While they are getting yummy, butter your bread and toast it in a skillet.  I had leftover bacon so I heated it up along side the bread.  Fry some up if you don't have leftovers.  I put a slice of provolone for smokiness and one slice of Munster for ooey gooey goodness on my bread.

Meanwhile mix up a little mayo (NOT Whip) mustard and a splash of balsamic vinegar.  It isn't the prettiest sauce ever, but it tastes good.  When your cheese is nice and melty, add the bacon, tomatoes and a piece of lettuce or baby spinach and top with your sauce.  I had a avocado sitting around so I sliced it and added it to the pile too.  Take second to admire your handwork, then chow down.

*Just a note:  This was kinda hard to eat unless you use a knife and fork, but who eats a sandwich with silverware?  Definitely not first date food, but it was soooo worth the mess.  

While I have some avocado and tomato out, I figured I should make some guacamole too.  I didn't have any peppers, so I just used a little adobo sauce from the chipotle in adobo I keep in the freezer and it was just enough.  The rest of the tomato and avocado from the sandwich, another avocado, green onions, cilantro, salt, pepper, garlic, and a splash of lime juice.  You can make yours as chunky or smooth as you like.  Now, where is that margarita?    
         


  
  












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