Things I have learned recently

[holdouttrout]

1. Articles about long-term singles read by a single woman (who is generally very upbeat about her singleness) on Valentine's Day can, for some reason, cause melancholic texting.

2. Friends who respond to said texting with encouragement and/or snark (and who do not say "Don't worry, you'll find someone.") are worth their weight in gold.

3. It's Girl Scout Cookie Season.

4. There is an astonishing variety of meatless protein meat substitutes, most of it quite good.

5. Kale is very delicious, and you can cook it remarkably like spinach.

6. Sometimes, the best part of the chocolate tasting event is the spicy cooking sauces booth.

Comments

[jennickels.livejournal.com]

Kale--I'm not sure I can ever bring myself to eat it. I worked in food service and we used it as decoration for the serving lines. Which meant we soaked it in a mixture of water and miracle whip to preserve it. At the end of the night it'd be all wilted and gross. I just can't look at it as anything but garnish, lol.

I like spinach, though.

Also, my nephew's name is Kail. But that has nothing to do with not wanting to eat it.

Oh and Valentine's Day...hate it. And I've been married for 12 years. I avoid it at all costs and pretend it doesn't exist. Blah.

[holdouttrout.livejournal.com]

I'm just not going to think about tortured, wilted Kale. *shudders*

[shutthef-up.livejournal.com]

4. There is an astonishing variety of meatless protein meat substitutes, most of it quite good.

5. Kale is very delicious, and you can cook it remarkably like spinach.

4. I actually really like TVP - Texturized Vegetable Protein. In high school the burritos you could by at the 'grill' were *really* good. The TVP takes on the flavor of whatever it's a part of so yeah. I've always laughed at it but Greg bought some at Whole Foods and uses it quite a bit. I like it a LOT better than tofu.

5. Recipes please? I really want to like Kale but have never found a palatable way to prepare it. Like jennickels it's a garnish for me but it's really, really good for you.

Please? and thank you!

[supplyship.livejournal.com]

Crispy Kale - easy and delish, mmmmmmm!

[shutthef-up.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, thank you! I'll have to pick some up the next time I go to the store now.

I also saw a couple of other recipes on that site that look good!

Thanks again!

[holdouttrout.livejournal.com]

I basically followed this recipe: Sauteed Kale Recipe (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/sauteed-kale-recipe/index.html), only with more spices. *g*

[shutthef-up.livejournal.com]

Oooh, that looks nummy! I'll definitely try it!

[nandamai]

I like to combine 4 and 5 by making tofu scramble with kale. I ♥ kale.

(Tofu is probably not what you had in mind, but it's the only meat substitute I use.)

[holdouttrout.livejournal.com]

Oooh. I like tofu, although I would not actually lump it with "meatless protein meat substitutes," which is a category that really means, "not-meat designed to look, taste, and act like specific forms of meat."

Tofu is deliciously its own thing.

[nandamai]

Yes. That's why I don't eat any of the real meat substitutes. :) They're too much like meat!

[annerbhp.livejournal.com]

NOW I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT I TEXTED BACK. lol

[holdouttrout.livejournal.com]

Something about how I was too young to die, I think.

And then about how romance novels ruin people's lives.

[annerbhp.livejournal.com]

Ah, well then. Not too bad. Lol.

[archersangel.livejournal.com]

3. yea! although i keep missing opportunities to get to where they're being sold.

[holdouttrout.livejournal.com]

3. Oh, man. They're just about everywhere here this year. Makes them hard to ignore!