Building the Beast

Yesterday my husband and I made a big purchase - a gas grill. Since we've moved to a place where it seldom rains and remains above freezing the vast majority of the year (you should try it, Minnesota), I think we'll get a ton of use out of it. Our charcoal grill makes flavorful meat, but it is a pain to maintain, and I'm not sure I could work it on my own. The gas grill seems a lot more wife-friendly. Putting it together yesterday was a major operation, but my husband did a fabulous job. I took some before and after pictures. We made some delicious brats, and are looking forward to chicken kabobs tomorrow for Memorial Day dinner.

I recently found out about a organization called Abundant Organics. They operate here in CA as a co-op of organic farmers. For around $20, you can get a box full of organic locally grown produce weekly. There are tons of pickup locations, ours is only a few miles from our house. The contents vary by week. We recently signed up and will get our first box next weekend. I think it is going to be great for us, we don't always eat enough fruits and vegetables. This is fresh, healthy produce, and we're going to be trying some things we've never tried before. I'm trying to learn to be a better cook, and expanding my expertise to such items as kale, bok choy, and radishes (foreign words to me), is going to be a fun experience. I can't wait to experiment with some new marinades and grill those veggies up on the Weber.

Speaking of food, there is a show on TLC called Extreme Couponing. It's on right now as I write this entry. I try to be a smart shopper, cut coupons, and plan the best I can. It's been difficult with the move, I have to be more efficient now that it is further to travel to the grocery store. I alternately feel envious and sad for the women on the show who spend most of their days planning grocery trips. Groceries are so expensive, and the fact that these women end up paying nothing for their loads is amazing. However, there is a cost on your personal time too, and I just can't see that it would be worth the savings to put so much of your life into the weekly Walmart ads.

In other news, we attempted to take our first hiking trip into the Angeles National Forest today. Though their website says the trails are now open after an extended closure for restoration following a devastating fire in 2009, sadly the trailhead roads were still blocked to automobiles today. Even though we didn't get to hike today, it was great to explore the area a bit, it is a truly beautiful forest. I've always had a weakness for mountainous landscapes (see 8th grade science project on Mount Everest). Even with the effects of the fire still visible (and smell of smoke lingering in the air), we glimpsed Mother Nature trying to make a comeback, with wildflowers and new trees popping up amidst the charred remains of the blaze. I can't wait to get back out once they open up the trails, and explore some of the other areas in Angeles as well.