On Saturday night I tried to get an idea of some staples to keep around the house in order to attempt the Ration Experiment with a minimum of fuss. Some suggestions were rejected outright by Collin (Marmite), some with grudging acceptance (only 12 ounces of sweets allowed!), and some with enthusiasm (ingredients for homemade bread). We're both wondering how much "cheating" should be allowed - if I make hummus to have with the veggies, is that fair? It certainly wasn't a known food outside of the Middle East in the 1940s...but it is made of chickpeas...
I made some, anyway. It is delicious. I have no regrets!
I also ended up making a very tasty pumpkin soup. I think if we're going to be cooking a lot of squash or gourds, I'm going to need a machete for the kitchen - taking those darn things apart was by far the hardest part of the whole process. Plus I would like to machete things.
Watch John Belushi - Samurai Delicatessen
Apart from anachronisms sneaking into our veggie-heavy new diet, I'm concerned about what this will do to my social standing. No, really - when we're invited to dinner, I always bring desert. On Game Day, I generally also bring some kind of baked good. We go through an absurd amount of butter and sugar. With both severely limited (and eggs as well!) I may have to experiment with making things sweetened with fruit and bound with applesauce or vinegar. I foresee many doorstop-like fruitcakes in my future. Merry Christmas, everyone!
In other news, Collin and I had a good time wandering around Inglewood on Saturday, through the 3ยบ F weather. The train doesn't go far enough east, so we took it to city hall and then had a nice stroll through some construction sites. Everything looks prettier covered in snow! Standing on a bridge over the Elbow River, we watched burgeoning ice floes drift by geese along the bank. Beyond the geese, where the Elbow meets the Bow River, lacy tendrils of mist hovered over the warmer water flowing south.
Scenic or not, it was still bloody cold, so we hustled into Inglewood proper to find somewhere to defrost. Cafe Nine didn't turn us away (Calgary cafe and restaurants often have inscrutable hours). We each had a soul-reviving coffee, and decided to browse through their stock of Geek Chic gift items. We had to leave after only a cursory glance, though, because they had piped-in music* and Collin was afraid his incipient head-banging was going to break something.
I made some, anyway. It is delicious. I have no regrets!
I also ended up making a very tasty pumpkin soup. I think if we're going to be cooking a lot of squash or gourds, I'm going to need a machete for the kitchen - taking those darn things apart was by far the hardest part of the whole process. Plus I would like to machete things.
Watch John Belushi - Samurai Delicatessen
Apart from anachronisms sneaking into our veggie-heavy new diet, I'm concerned about what this will do to my social standing. No, really - when we're invited to dinner, I always bring desert. On Game Day, I generally also bring some kind of baked good. We go through an absurd amount of butter and sugar. With both severely limited (and eggs as well!) I may have to experiment with making things sweetened with fruit and bound with applesauce or vinegar. I foresee many doorstop-like fruitcakes in my future. Merry Christmas, everyone!
In other news, Collin and I had a good time wandering around Inglewood on Saturday, through the 3ยบ F weather. The train doesn't go far enough east, so we took it to city hall and then had a nice stroll through some construction sites. Everything looks prettier covered in snow! Standing on a bridge over the Elbow River, we watched burgeoning ice floes drift by geese along the bank. Beyond the geese, where the Elbow meets the Bow River, lacy tendrils of mist hovered over the warmer water flowing south.
Scenic or not, it was still bloody cold, so we hustled into Inglewood proper to find somewhere to defrost. Cafe Nine didn't turn us away (Calgary cafe and restaurants often have inscrutable hours). We each had a soul-reviving coffee, and decided to browse through their stock of Geek Chic gift items. We had to leave after only a cursory glance, though, because they had piped-in music* and Collin was afraid his incipient head-banging was going to break something.
*Collin only dances to piped-in music. This means he only dances in supermarkets, cafes, and elevators.
After wandering the snow-packed streets for a little while longer, we stopped and had lunch/dinner at Inglewood's Fire Station No. 3 - now The House and Hound Pub. It's a sports bar. As I sat there all warm and comfy with a pint of local brew, watching the University of Calgary v. University of Regina game on the screen, I felt an entirely foreign emotion. Was this what...interest in football felt like? Maybe living for so long in a place where support of the home team feels more like an obligation because you live there (kind of like I'm obligated to get an emissions test for my car because I have one) is detrimental towards fostering athletic enthusiasm. But the Dinos WON! The people in the pub watched with detachment, as if it wasn't a big deal. Whereas I was nearly compelled to go out and drape myself in Calgary crimson to show solidarity.
Thank god we left before I could get any worse.
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