Moosewood: Completed!

Darn straight, I decorate my list of goals. And let me tell you, it felt mighty fine to cross off that last task. 

Don't get me wrong, I loved cooking the Moosewood Cookbook. But some weeks it became a chore. I felt uninspired in the kitchen. I was incredibly busy with schoolwork. I had picked a recipe that, well, just didn't sound that appetizing. But I'm so glad I stuck with it! 

After two years, it is finally completed. When I began, I was living with my parents, toying with the idea of going back to school, and was excitedly awaiting the arrival of my sweet niece. Now I've got my own groovy apartment, am studying special education in a crazy delicious program, and have an amazing 2 year old niece with another on the way. I am grateful and thankful and feel lucky everyday.

Here is my collection of ripped up scratch paper, used as makeshift bookmarks for recipes I was about to make, in the process of making, or needed to blog about. One of these is a note from my acupuncturist ("Eat walnuts! Vitamin B supps!"), another from a sign I attached to a huge platter of cookies I made ("Peanut Butter Cookies and Chocolate Chip Cookies!").

Don't worry, I had a serious ceremony when these transitioned into the recycle bin. Thank you, scraps of paper, for guiding me through this cookbook. I would have been an unorganized fool without you!

Thank you to the awesome bloggers who have cheered me on and inspired me along the way. I will never forget your comments, questions, inspiring photography, and camaraderie.
Caton
Kirsten
Kate
Tracy
Joy
Ainsley
Rachel

And to everyone who let me cook in their kitchen: Allowing me to come in, make a gigantic mess, and talk endlessly about food was some sort of a therapy for me. Thank you for taking this journey with me.

There's a whole lot of you, but you each deserve a thank you: Mom, Dad, Susan, Steve, Weave, Chelle, Stephanie, Evan, Adrienne, Dianna, Renee, Randy, Josh, Diva, Frank, Brien, Sylvie, Charlie, Kelly, Sam, Doug, Lisa, Jenna, and Bob. Thank you!


Mom: Thank you for allowing me into your pristine canteen. Thank you for your guidance, your patience, for scrubbing pans and loading the dishwasher. Thank you for assisting so intensely with Zuccanoes when I cut my finger off. You are the kindest, coolest mama around.

Dad: Thank you for eating my triumphs and failures.  Thank you for saying things like, "You could serve this at an auction!" and writing me nice notes. You motivated me to keep going when I felt like giving up.  And lastly, thank you for eating things that were gross. That was really nice of you.

Charlie: Thank you for being my partner in kitchen crime, my dining mate, and most importantly, my friend. Thank you for helping me with so many of these recipes. From the very beginning, you were eager to help! You stood by my side doing the mundane tasks I have a hard time with, like grating cheese and kneading dough. I totally love you and look forward to cooking one million more meals with you in our tiny apartment kitchen.

Mollie Katzen: Hey! Thank you for writing such a wonderful vegetarian cookbook. The handwritten recipes, the beautiful drawings, and the candid way in which you write made it an absolute joy to cook your book. I look forward to cooking from The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest in the near future.

To the rest of you, whoever you are, thank you for reading. In the next week or so, I'll be sharing three of my favorite recipes from each section of the New Moosewood Cookbook. I've had a lot of fun picking these out and am excited to share some actual recipes with you now that I am done.