Jan. 28 - Lisa's Musings from Every Day Life and on a new project

I'm this (-) close to launching a new series on this blog.

And another one in all the Heritage papers.

Like I don't have enough to do -- trying to keep up with everything that's going on in Ann Arbor.

What can I say? I'm a glutton.

But I like a new challenge.

The problem with the new blog series is that it's winter, and not very conducive to my plans, so making it work is going to be challenging. But more on that in a minute.

The newspaper series is coming together and I hope it will launch in March, if not before. So stay tuned.

As for the blog series, I've almost finished reading "Julie and Julia," by Julie Powell, who works her way through Julia Child's "Mastering The Art of French Cooking" attempting to concoct all kinds of interesting food.

Now, French food is fine once in a while, but it's not my favorite.

For one thing, it involves a LOT of calories, something I'm trying to keep in check.

But her adventures in French cuisine got me thinking.

I liked the idea because it involved trying new food and learning to cook and I'm not very good at either of those things.

So, I decided to put my own twist on Powell's idea.

I live alone, and it's just not very fun to cook for one.

But, on most Saturdays I have a friend come to visit and we usually cook, (and I use that term loosely), something that involves tossing together ingredients.

We're both dieting, trying to eat better, and have decided this growing season that we'd split the cost of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share to get fresh, naturally grown produce from a local farmer.

I'm not a big fan of things green so since I want to eat more of them, I need ways to disguise the taste of a lot of them.

So I can choke them down, and hopefully, learn to actually like them.

On the fruit side, I'm pretty good -- it's sweet. But not so much so if it's green.

I'm pretty much a peas, carrots, potatoes, corn and an occasional artichoke, sort of veggie person.

But the CSA includes beans and beets and fennel and leeks and peppers and many more kinds of veggies. I intend to find ways to cook with all of them.

But I'm going to start this experiment in locally grown stuff a little earlier than planned.

Before the CSA kicks in.

And I've decided to use Betty Crocker as my guide.

You probably have some version of one of her namesake cookbooks on a shelf.

I have several, they've been collecting dust since I moved here, so today, I decided to buy the new 10th Edition "with 50 years of experience from America's Most Trusted Kitchens."

It has lots of photos and instructions.

So, beginning Saturday, my friend and I will cook our way through Betty Crocker's cookbook, choosing recipes that have wide appeal, which can be cooked using primarily locally grown foods and/or foods grown in Michigan.

It won't happen every Saturday since I'll be showing my dog on some Saturdays each month, but I'll do my best to cook something from Betty on the other Saturdays.

As I said, it's winter, not a great time to begin this foray, so I'll choose recipes with primary ingredients that come from either the Ann Arbor Farmer's Market or are grown in Michigan.

And, some might just have to be organic when the first two rules can't be applied.

But first, an Early morning trip to the farmer's market (with cookbook in hand) to see what I can find there to begin this adventure in learning to cook whatever locally-grown food I can find.

A la Cuisine!

Or some semblance thereof.