100 mile culinary disaster

This 100-mile challenge is ... well, it's a challenge. I had a hankerin' for some rice today, something I don't eat a lot of normally, oddly enough. But I just had to have it today. What to do? Do I cheat? Again? NO. I won't. Not this time.

Oh the things we do for a cause. Pilaf with spelt berries. What the heck are spelt berries? Well, I can tell you this; they're chewy and . . . squeaky. Yes, squeaky. They're supposed to be a rice substitute but really, who wants squeaky rice? Me, apparently. And now, by virtue of me being the cook in the house, my entire family. Let me tell you something else; they taste nothing like rice. They're plain ol' chewing, squeaky, tasteless little kernels of nothing. Mmmm... dinner is served.

Maybe I can make up for this culinary disaster with a side dish. Let's see, what local vegetables do I have in the fridge here at the end of the shopping week? Hmmm... swiss chard. Oh great. Another new addition to the palate. One can only hope my young toddlers are adventurous eaters, or at least that I can scrounge up a little peanut butter and jam to smooth the ruffled baby feathers.

It's challenging to come up with new meals each day using less pantry items than we're used to. It's sometimes hard to come up with a substitute or to pass over the recipe book entries that look oh-so-delicious, yet carry at least 5 contriband items on the ingredient list. One thing could be said for the challenge though - it certainly pushes you to try new things as you become desperate for a seasonal vegetable (hence, the swiss chard) or a side dish (enter, spelt berries). It's challenging. It's interesting. It's too far from over.