eat it, julie/julia

Okay, so I admit it. I've always been one of those people who can cook, I just don't always choose to. During college, I very rarely ventured beyond basic pasta dishes and occasionally a just-toss-in casserole for consumption throughout the week. It's hard to cook for one, and since my schedule was usually such that I didn't care so much to cook for roommates or join a dinner group. Those exist. I have no interest. So I mean-- lots of macaroni and cheese, Hamburger Helper, and bagel chips and/or Cheez-Its dipped in flavored cream cheese.

To my credit, I can make that macaroni and cheese without measuring any of the ingredients, so yeah-- I'm a pretty good cook.

I've gotten a little better about trying to cook since Mr. Ames and I got married. I've made some meatloaf and lasagna and various casseroles that are slightly more challenging and include more ingredients. Let's be real though, we're still living a "student" lifestyle, so mac&cheese is pretty much a staple.

Note: after months of deliberation, we have determined Kroger brand m&c to be superior, as far as low-priced m&c goes. Specifically Three Cheese Shells kind. Typically $0.49-$0.53.

But now that I've become super awesome health conscious (which I promise I am, in spite of the meals I've eaten this weekend, which would make it seem like I've fallen off the proverbial wagon, and perhaps I did, though I weighed myself this morning and was the lowest I've been all month so go figure), I'm learning to actually want to cook things.

I know, right?

Turns out if you cook things-- like, get a whole bunch of ingredients together and combine them according to a recipe-- it's way good for you and low in calories/WW points, if that's your bag.

Now I know I've been told for years and years that buying food from the grocery store is cheaper than going out to eat, and I will dispute that until you tell me to stop vocally disputing that. Exhibit A: I just bought a head of cauliflower, some cream cheese, and chives to the tune of $7.53, which is approximately $0.56 less than what we spent at Taco Bell for both of us to eat lunch this afternoon for Memorial Day Tacos.

That said, it's starting to feel much more rewarding to cook up something interesting and tasty and limited-caloric-intake friendly. And blah blah blah, yeah I know about budgeting and coupons etc. etc. etc.

My point, is that I got home from reading in the park and was overcome by the desire for cauliflower cheese soup. Found a recipe on ww.com for such a thing at the tune of 1 ww point per serving and hopped right back on my bike to get a few missing ingredients at Smith's.

Another Note: tooling around town on my bike is the best and I feel so darling, economical and heart-healthy about it.

It's currently simmering on the stove, not yet pureed and who knows if it'll live anything up to the Zupas kind I love so much (and is probably dreadfully fattening (which is why it's so tasty)). Also, I'm going to use the hand-held mixer we got as a wedding gift last August for the third time ever (don't judge me).

Aren't I domestic?

A delightful cooking tip: Will & Grace is best for listening to while you cook. Realistically, it's possible it is the greatest sitcom ever written no contest this is my blog you can't argue with me.


UPDATE: two hours, six dishes, two chopping boards, four spoons, a hand mixer, a vegetable chopper, a blender, 6 oz of cream cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella, 1 tbsp of garlic, a drop of not-butter, and a few shakes of parsley later, we've got soup.

How does it taste? Garlicky. Bland.

First attempt at soup: not really a success. Also, no longer 1 point. At least I'm getting like all my vegetable servings for the day.

Eh. Good try, self.


SECOND UPDATE: Ames just came home and without letting him taste it, I said I just wanted to get rid of it. Let's be real, I'm not going to take another sip of that stuff. And just how the half-pureed mixture that was chunky and such a lovely color might have (did) remind one (me) of some gross bodily excrement, so did it sound as Ames dumped it down the toilet.