I’m waiting for my husband so we can start the taxes.  Fixed myself a latte.  I love the ritual of it and the fact that it doesn’t cost $3.65 for a few espresso beans and some low fat milk.  And it comes in a reusable container.

I have come to love to cook. Years of watching Food TV, which was the only lifestyle type cable channel we got for awhile, has hones me into a cook. I understand some basic techniques and can substitute and modify to meet my needs. For instance, I have made this baked pasta casserole three times now and each time it has been different depending on the ingredients at hand. The commonality has been spinach, which is pouring out of my husband’s green house right now. But, once I added ground chicken to make a one-pot non-vegetarian meal, and this time I dropped the meat and added crimini mushrooms from our recent trip to Trader Joe’s and snow peas from the green house. I used a mixture of monterey jack and romano cheese and added some garlic and oregano. I’ve never used the same pasta or the even baked it. I just do it on the stove top the way she suggests in the comments. My husband loves it, and I think it will be a summer staple. It would be nice to have fresh mozarella on it.  Learning to make it and finding the ingredients is on my to do list.

Speaking of mushrooms, I’m supposed to be researching how to grow them. I think I know in theory: you buy a kit. Found a good article from Mother Earth News and am already thinking about putting some in the garden to naturalize. I love the philosophy of the article: one reason to grow things in your own garden is to get something really fresh and not pay outrageous prices. We could certainly do shitake mushrooms out at the property.  The article led me to Mushroom Adventures and they have kits. I think I’m going to get the half portobello, half button kit to get started.

Well, he’s ready so I’m going to click publish!  Here we come, TurboTax!