Thursday, October 29, 2020

Portobello and Papaya - Put Them on the List

Happy Thursday, guys!  The best news ever....Harry is coming home for the weekend!  He should roll in late tonight and stay through Sunday afternoon.  YAY!!  I have not seen him since he headed back to Arlington the first week of May.  Chip and I are both excited!  

I will be cooking all of Harry's favorites this weekend, because he has missed his momma's cooking!  It will not be all plants, but as of yesterday I hit 40+ for the week so we are in good shape.  Let's recap yesterday. 

It was chilly yesterday morning and oatmeal sounded perfect for breakfast.  I loaded it up with 1/2 an apple, some cranberries, pecans, almonds, coconut, chia seeds and hemp hearts. Sprinkled it with cinnamon.  It was very filling and I added five plants to the list - bringing us to 40 or 41. Still not sure.


Lunch was awesome!  Chip was working on a sandwich that he wants to perfect for when he is on his own. Chip caramelized some onions, scrambled up some chopped sirloin, melted cheese on top, made a concoction of mayo/ketchup/sriracha for the spread, toasted his bun and topped it with some lettuce. His first try was pretty awesome and I did have a bite so I could confirm that it was as good as he thought it was.  Harry will be a another taste tester this weekend I am sure.


While Chip was busy with his sandwich, I was busy with mine. I marinated a big ol' portobello mushroom cap in a combination of soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, oregano, garlic and salt and pepper.  Let it soak in the marinade for a few minutes while I cooked some onions and jalapeños in a pan.  Then I sliced up the mushroom cap and tossed it in a screaming hot pan.  It took no time at all to caramelize and get glorious. I put the whole mushroom, onions and jalapeños on a little whole wheat slider bun and it was fantastic.  Really, really, really good.  Like, I want to eat it again right now. 



I added portobello mushroom to my plant list, even though I had white mushrooms earlier in the week.  They are different mushrooms and maybe have a slightly different nutritional profile.  But also, it is my list and I wanted to count it.  I am at 41ish.

Finally, to wrap up the day I tried a new fruit that I have not had before. Papaya!  My friend Cindy suggested papaya when we were brainstorming fruits and veggies I haven't had yet.  I put one on my grocery list...and in my mind, I thought papayas were like the size of mangos.  When I picked up my grocery order I was shocked when the papaya was bigger than my toaster. Ginormous.  

I watched a couple You Tube videos on how to cut it and eat it before I dove in.  Look at this beauty! 




As recommended by The You Tube, I squeezed lime juice and salt and pepper on it for optimal flavor. It was so interesting and yummy!  I think I might have lucked into a perfectly ripe papaya.  So easy to eat, firm yet soft.  The texture near the rind is somewhere close to a cantaloupe, but much softer toward the middle.  Look at the colors!  The taste is also somewhere around a cantaloupe, but also not really. You just have to get one and try it. I have no other comparisons to offer.  I do have a big Tupperware container in my fridge (Did you see the size of that thing??) and I will have no problem finishing it off over the next few days. I added papaya and lime to list and am up to 43 plants. 

After my papaya eating, I squeezed in a quick spin on the bike and a dog walk with Judy.  Just had some random mess for dinner...some nuts, part of an apple, a couple peanut butter pretzels.  No new plants! 

I am really jazzed to spend some quality time with my boys this weekend.  It is the best when we are all together.  

Hope you guys have a fantastic day! 

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