Creole Jambalaya Fatigue

Well, it's Friday again. In my perception of time, the only day more frequent than Friday is Sunday. I know this because I have a drug (prescribed) which I need to take on Sundays, and it always seems to be Sunday. So many days now mush themselves together.

I saw a meme that said 2020 doesn't count so really, none of us are a year older. Tell that to my body parts which at this point seem to be aging at warp speed.

On the bright side, it's a beautiful, warm, t-shirt day today with no wind, so I was able to walk with minimal allergy discomfort. After my morning trek, I struggled through a jambalaya recipe, the meal which I had planned for today. Personally, I don't really care for any kind of multi ingredient, one dish type food. I guess I'm more like the kid who likes everything separate on a plate. Hubby on the other hand really enjoys jambalaya.

I learned through extensive recipe googling, that there is Cajun jambalaya, and there is Creole jambalaya. The difference is that the Creole jambalaya contains tomatoes and Cajun does not. Since I'm fairly certain that the restaurant meal which hubby likes, is reddish, I opted for the Creole recipe.

Here's the Martha Stewart Cajun recipe I found.

https://www.marthastewart.com/1512701/cajun-jambalaya

I soon discovered why this meal is expensive in a restaurant. Besides having many costly ingredients, it's time consuming and exhausting. I used the following recipe but substituted kielbasa because it's what I had, and because I have no idea what andouille sausage is.

https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/jambalaya-recipe/

 Here is my completed jambalaya.

I have made some discoveries which will provide shortcuts should I ever actually consider serving this again.

Shortcut # 1 - Chop all the veggies, chicken, shrimp, and sausage the day before. I now have                                             peppers, onions, parsley, chopped and ready to go in my freezer for many recipes.

Shortcut  #2 - Look at several recipes and find the one that looks easiest. I neglected to do this.

Shortcut  #3 - Go to M&M's Meats and get their frozen Jambalaya. I can't guarantee it's any                                                                good.  Haven't tried it.

Shortcut #4 -  My favourite - Order take out from CJ's restaurant. Go for a walk. Bring it home, and                                                   pretend I made it.

So, we just consumed the jambalaya that it took me all morning to make. It tasted pretty good, even to me. Apparently, the one from the restaurant is preferred. Next time, I'll definitely use shortcut #4.

You say tomato and I say bleeachhhhhhhhhhh.....

I'm not certain where to start with this one except to say that most of the time, I hate tomatoes. Whether this is a genetic or learned dislike, is debatable. My children don't care for them and my mother did not ever eat tomatoes. Since this always seemed to be so shocking to her friends, mom finally decided that it would be easier to say that she had an allergy rather than dare admit that she just didn't like them. Ironically, a year after her death, I visited the cemetery to find a tomato plant growing somewhat victoriously atop mom. There was something about that sight that made me grin before I unceremoniously yanked out the offensive intruder. The tomato was not going to win.

For me, I think it's the consistency, the slime, the ick factor of a raw tomato not to mention the lack of any great flavour that causes me to cringe. I will occasionally cut up a tomato into tiny specks, omit the seedy gooey part, then put the remainder on a salad. Sometimes, I even have a craving for a toasted BLT in which case, I will make my sandwich, adding thin slices, then whatever tomato gut droppings fall back onto the plate when I take bites, get left there.

I felt so affirmed the first time I met another person who disliked tomatoes. She was a co-worker who would refer to the offensive fruit as "poison". When we went for lunch together, she would order a sub sandwich "without the poison" pointing all the while toward the container of sliced Romas. We chuckled when I would order mine "same as hers...no poison." There was no exception when we had takeout Wendy's salads either. Luckily, there were lots of takers for free food in our staff room. The nasty cherry tomatoes which contaminated our luscious green leaves were usually in great demand.

I never made a fuss in front of my children. In fact, I don't remember ever disliking tomatoes in my early life. I didn't pick them off my food nor did I order anything without tomatoes so I have no idea where their aversion originated. Having said that, we all eat and enjoy ketchup and tomato sauces and since cooked tomatoes are the best source of lycopene, I don't feel a huge sense of loss.

In the last three years, I have discovered two things. One is that my new hubby is the tomato growing king. We have tomatoes in various shapes, sizes and forms of ripeness everywhere...on vines, in the fridge, on countertops, in the freezer and on the patio. He cooks, freezes, eats and gives tomatoes away. I am ready to gag if I have to look at another tomato. I must first admit though that I recently I tasted a bit of one of the Beefsteaks. It had a pleasant scent and actually contained some flavour. I remembered a similar sampling at the Kitchener Mennonite Market many years ago. This is not enough to convert me however. Secondly, I have learned that at least two of my newly inherited grandchildren detest tomatoes. Hurrayyyyyy...there are more of us out there...and part of my new family too!

Last week, I went to visit the cemetery. There I saw a giant green beanstalk growing. Odd. I like green beans. I have no memory of my mom and green beans, however, not being one to discriminate, I pulled the plant, beans and all and contributed it to the compost pile.