Experimenting with one thing after another seems to have taken over my life. They seem to be in these categories: food, weaving, and the to-do list.

Vegan????

I’m experimenting with food in an effort to eat more healthfully, not that it was too un health, but there’s room for improvement. Also, my doctor said that I might consider a vegan diet to help with inflammation—you know, the arthritis thing. I’m investigating veganism, but I’m not sure I could give up cheese and eggs. And that one cup of coffee in my espresso every morning.

New foods

This week I have tried polenta, quinoa, and meatless crumbles. I have to admit, each of those was quite tasty.

• I made a pot of pintos with onion and Ro-Tel tomatoes and served it with polenta.
• Meatless crumbles
• I had the quinoa with stir-fry vegetables (I meant to add some leftover chicken, but forgot). Actually, the only vegetables used were green onions, mushrooms, and snap peas. I think that’s what they are—no peas inside, just the flat pod itself.
  

  Verdict

• I actually liked the quinoa. For something so tiny (before cooking, you have to rinse it in a fine sieve), there was a little crunch to it. I’ve heard that the popularity of quinoa here has made it difficult for poor people where it is grown, to afford it now. Of course, there seems to be a difference of opinion even about this.
• The polenta was pretty good with the beans, but next time I think I’m going to used coarsely ground cornmeal instead of the instant polenta.
• The crumbles were great with a little spaghetti sauce and whatever else you want to add.

I’m not sure I can keep up the pace on trying new things. Maybe just one new thing this week.

Have you tried a new food lately? I’m looking for ideas!

Just because

My Christmas cactus seems to prefer blooming in January. Here’s one of the blooms.