Sprout

I know we say this all the time, but it's really hard to believe how fast time slips on by. It always hits me when the time changes to winter time - that very first time it gets dark at 5:30 is tough for me, as I need my daily dose of sunshine! On sunny days in the winter, I have a two o'clock appointment with my couch in the family room, as the sun drenches it for a good hour. What a perfect way to catch some Zzzzz's and that all important Vitamin D to chase the winter blues away. I did finally come to the conclusion this year, however, that Fall is my favourite season of all. The summer heat turns into crisp air, the colors all around are super vibrant, and the food is rustic and aromatic. Today I am attempting my very first real pot roast - in the past these have always been made in my slow cooker - along side a bunch of sides and even Popovers. There is no special occasion to celebrate, in fact, my husband won't even be at dinner tonight, so consider this a practice run! I feel as though I have had many firsts in the kitchen since I began my journey two months ago, and as I learn more, I realize how much I really do not know! Kind of like when you begin your twenties after the know-it-all teen years. I meant to put together a list of 10 things I have learned so far, but I just can't come up with much! Sure, I have learned some new knife skills, and how temperature is vital to the outcome of all food, but to put all that into a list, I just don't know where to begin! On the other hand, I did discover that biscotti originally were dipped in sweet wine, not coffee... how's that for a fun fact? I've noticed that I've gone through a heck of a lot of butter lately (good thing it's so cheap across the border!), that yeast does not allow for any short cuts, and weighing ingredients rather than using cups and measuring spoons gives much better results. I have noticed, too, that I haven't been eating as much as I thought I would before starting this - which confirms to me that eating small portions of rich food replaces the alternative just fine. Oh, and the dust in my house, from all that flour flying around the kitchen, can be a little frustrating at times since I can not stand the look of dust on my dark furniture! What I have loved the most so far is trying out all sorts of new foods, as the possibilities truly are endless, and creativity never needs to be suppressed. I am most definitely only scraping away at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to understanding the science of cooking. Did you know that browning meat does not help to seal in the juices? It adds some nice flavour and certainly does a lot for the visual part of eating, but when it comes to retaining juices, exact cooking time, as well as temperature and some technique are key the components.