The Big Launch!

Well, here it is! My Joplin blog! I've been in Joplin since Friday night (6/11/10) and there's so much to tell you, Jenn. Hahaha. That's a little joke I have with Jenn, my sole audience. Hi, Jenn!!!! *ENTHUSIASTIC WAVE* I've never written a blog before. But I did figure out how to get my own background picture! What you see here is the sunset over the train tracks last night. I was in the parking lot of Dillon's, which is a grocery store that must be owned by the same people as King Soop's- same in-store organic brands. Where to start, oh where to start. I've been taking a lot of naps. A LOT of naps. My new sidekick is Bailey the Dog.

Bailey and I like to go on walks, chase mail carriers, and take leisurely drives to the store. We're also learning Spanish. Yesterday we had our first siesta together, too. The syncopated rhythm of our snoring lulled us into deep, deep slumber. Because we were muy cansada.

I have yet to truly explore the hidden gems of my new little town, but I have been cooking. As of yesterday, this summer has been declared (by me, privately in my head) as, "The Summer of Healthy Eating." My carefully crafted plans for two sinful desserts per week have had to change, and I will now embark upon a journey toward healthful, yet mind-numbingly joyous, concoctions. Before this was decreed; however, I made these:

Mmmmm-hmmmm! Damn, girlfriend! Yes! These are adapted from a recipe my Mom and I found years ago from Maida Heatter. They're called "Chocolate Whoppers." But Will calls them "cow pies." My secret ingredients include the addition of sea salt, and semisweet, milk AND peanut butter chips. And I don't add the nuts. Because I'm not fond of nuts in cookies. Are you? They always seem to dry cookies out. Anyway, these bad boys are pretty incredible. I made them once for Will when I visited this winter. They tasted horrible and I couldn't figure out why. Later, when I found Will's unopened bag of sugar in his cabinet, I realized I must not have used any in the cookies. Hence, yuck. They need sugar. As many, many things do in life.

What else have I made? Exotic rice! I used a Mark Bittman recipe, but added ginger. I really love Mark Bittman. Kind of in the way he-who-shall-not-be-named-but-is-dating-my-sole-reader-Jenn loves Alton Brown. I cooked basmati rice in coconut milk, onions, garlic, curry powder, crushed tomatoes, ginger, red pepper, chick peas and green peas. I think Will found it peasing. HA! Here's a picture:

Last night's dinner had to be quick because Will had an engagement. Not that kind of engagement. More like a meeting with people who accomplish things for a purpose. I decided to make sloppy joes. With soy! And Will ate them! He's a good sport, bless his heart. He might have even muttered, "As much as it kills me to admit it, I probably wouldn't have known these weren't made with meat." But he'll deny this. I also cut up a tater* for oven fries with various spices, and tossed spinach and broccoli slaw with oil and vinegar to infuse our diet with a little greenery.

*a charmingly folksy way of saying "potato"

We were going to have leftovers tonight, because Will has another engagement. But he just sent me this terrifying story about the effects of soy on men. I already knew it wasn't great for women, but I figured once in awhile wouldn't hurt. Now I'm just thinking it's evil. Pure evil. Read it and weep. Then buy your man friend a pretty brassiere, if he eats much soy. http://www.menshealth.com/men/nutrition/food-for-fitness/soys-negative-effects/article/0ad3803313651210VgnVCM10000013281eac

I think I should probably end this post. It could just keep going and going and going and going. Though never fear, there will be more Joplin details to follow, loyal reader! But am I liking it (Joplin) so far? Yes! And I'm loving Will. Because he's a rock star.

And the sweetest man in the universe. More on that later...