On cooking (and eating)...

I love butter!

Everything tastes better with a little bit of butter.  Especially vegetables.  Last night I melted butter on my carrots while they were still in the pan, then I used the pan to make gravy.  And I discovered that even gravy tastes better with butter!

When I lived at home, my mom bought margerine.  I think this was more about cost than taste, because now there are only three of them at home she buys the good stuff.  So I never really liked margerine, but I was so used to having it that when I moved into my first apartment and started buying groceries I automatically reached for margerine.  Until one day, which I remember well...

I was standing next to the margerine in the grocery store.  I was about to run out at home, and  I slowly reached out to get some more.  I placed it in my little basket.  Then I thought to myself, "Wait a minute.  I've NEVER liked margerine.  Why am I buying this?"  Then I put it back on the shelf and reached for butter, and I have never looked back.

Why was this such a defining moment for me?  It was almost like a symbolic severing of those apron strings--a manifestation that I was really on my own now.  Not part of my mom's household any more, but the head of my own.

I had a similar feeling the first time I bought my own laundry detergent.

I don't think I could ever be a vegan.  Vegetarian would be tough, but I've done it before and I got used to it after a while.  6 months in the junior bacon cheeseburger from Wendy's broke my resolve.  But give up all dairy products?  NEVER!  My shopping budget is really tight, but I always buy fresh milk, butter, cream, and cheese.  As my mom can't cook without Campbell's "cream of" soups, I am completely unable to cook without butter and cream in the house.

Sounds like we really eat unhealthy stuff here, doesn't it?

You know what's really bad?  I never used to cook with salt, but now I have discovered how much nicer it makes food taste.  I've started using it.  And, sadly, I have expensive taste there as well.  It simply must be sea salt!

We're all going to die of heart disease at my house, but at least we'll go with a good taste in our mouths.