Monday, March 29, 2010

I said I wanted to start a blog so here I go...

So one day I wrote a status update on Facebook stating that I wanted to write a blog and asked what it should be about. Here are some of the things people wrote: Nothing, me, healthy recipes/cooking, life on the farm, cooking through The Encyclopedia of Cooking (which would take me until about 2013)...
These are all great things but I still could not land on one or even two ideas.
I really wanted to focus on one thing but I am the kind of person who likes to talk about a lots of things.  So I have decided that I will do just that...talk about a lot of things and also focus on one thing (in between). That's kind of how my brain works. I can get a single thought in my head and then talk about it and before you know it I am rambling on about a lot of things that DID actually have something to do with the original thing I started talking about (I think). Then when I realize that I have gone off track, I start the process of tracing back each thought to my original thought. Ever do that? My poor husband wishes I would just get to the point. He occassionally puts up that invisible plexiglass window when it looks like there is no end in sight to my conversation...or rather my monologue. But this is the beauty of a blog. I can write what comes to my mind and you can either read it, read and respond, or put up your plexiglass window.  Are you ready?  Here we go...
Let's start with the one thing I want to focus on in this blog.
About a year ago I had a taste for sushi and asked a few gals if they wanted to join me in a sushi dining experience. I think there were about 13 or 14 of us that went to a little place in Stillwater, MN.  Some loved sushi already, some never tried it before and liked it and some tried it and decided it was not happening again. We talked about getting together again and trying another type of food. This was the beginning of the Girls' Night Out-Eating Around the World in the Twin Cities group. My idea was to go to a restaurant each month that represented a different country. There are approximately 195 countries so I knew we had our work cut out for us. I wanted to bring women from all different circles together to have food, fun, and fellowship with one another. It was also a good way for me to get out with the girls and enjoy something that I love, love, love...trying different cuisines!!  I love my husband dearly, but his idea of a good meal will always consist of red meat (with ketchup) and a starch (limited to potatoes or rice)---and usually hold the starch and just eat the meat. Afterall, he is a beef farmer. So it makes sense, right? ;)
Up until now, we have gone to: Japan, Thailand, Italy, England, Ethiopia, The Caribbean, Germany, Afghanistan, and Ireland all via restaurants in the twin cities and western Wisconsin area who make authentic cuisines . It is important to me to make sure the restaurants we go to are authentic and reflect that countries' culture in their food. I research the web mostly to find these restaurants and read their reviews. So far so good.
So, my idea for the one thing to focus on or rather the constant in this blog will be to take a recipe from each restaurant we go to, make it at home, and blog about that experience. I am in the very beginning stages of my thought process on this idea but I am excited to see what happens. And then inbetween all of these cooking experiences I will blog about life on the farm which out of that comes some crazy stories. I will also blog about my cooking concoctions that I like to make just on a whim, and also my thoughts as I dig into God's word to find out more of who He is and what that means for me, my kiddos who are always interesting (in my opinion of course), and probably add a whole lot of "nothing" in there as well.
So keep an eye out for a post on the first meal I make from Ireland. It won't happen until next week so don't hold your breath...

3 comments:

Koofer said...

YEA!! Way to go Wendi!! I am so excited to hear if Josiah & Lydia turn up their noses at the authentic foods you place before them & what Mr. Meat & Potatoes thinks of the fine cuisine you serve!!! I am also looking forward to hearing about all the adventures you have as a city girl married to a farmer such as Steve!!! Love you guys!! Kris

abby said...

If you want a good Ethiopian cookbook try "The Recipe of Love, An Ethiopian Cookbook". Really easy recipes that taste just like Fasika's. (Except you can control the spicy-ness for the kids.)

abby

Myrna said...

Way to go Wendi! I don't own a plexiglass window :o) I LOVE details!
If you decide to make Seafood Boxty I volunteer right now to be your taste tester...If you need one...which I'm sure you will, right?
Looking forward to your adventures!
Myrna <><