Month 2 Summary

Originally posted 3/5/2019

What I have learned during the second month of this personal challenge…

• It is possible to have more cheese than will fit in the big fridge drawer and still not have all the different kinds of cheese you need. This may be my favorite part of this challenge – learning to love new cheeses. After trying the Havarti I will never go back to American for a grilled cheese.
• Fresh herbs are just too expensive if you cannot cook from scratch every day. I have kept up a pretty good pace and still wasted a LOT of expensive herbs before calling it quits and switching to dried.
• Cooking from scratch a lot ups your skill level on rarely used kitchen gadgets. My food processor and emulsion blender have been used more in the last 2 months than in the previous 5 years. Which means having them stored in the laundry room is no longer convenient which…
• Forces you to get organized. Not only the gadgets, but the measuring spoons and cups, mixing bowls, baking dishes, dry goods staples… I did the spices in month 1 and took on the larger items this month. The kitchen is much more user friendly now!
• A leak in your roof trumps upgrading your stove, so the electric will have to stay for a while.
• If she included the cleanup time along with the prep/cook/cool time in the recipes I might never start any of them. So I am glad she didn’t and I am so thankful that Mark is such a wonderful husband and does so much of the cleanup after I collapse in a food coma after a marathon cooking session.