Thursday, March 1, 2012

The Month of March

Although most of us (in our own little corners of this country) can still expect to experience the blustery, sometimes biting winds of March (if not some snow, sleet, hail, ice, slush, rain or combinations thereof), it is technically the birth month of Spring.

In a way, March is akin to the first of the New Year in that it has the felling of a new start, fresh and wonderful things to come.

Some people might suggest it's a good time for cleaning, reorganizing and generally spiffing up your home environment. Others of us will try to avoid such outlandish activity and cling to indoor exertions more along the lines of sewing, quilting, knitting and snuggling under a quilt on the couch with a good book.

Each year the month of March reminds me of something I did (in March) way back in the 1980s. We were living on our first homestead here in Minnesota, a ways farther out of town than we do now. Hubby and daughter went off to school every day leaving me as head of the homestead and all that entailed. I'm imagining this particular March was during a time (there were a few such times if memory serves me correctly) when we had only one working, reliable (reliable being the operative word) vehicle and unless I wanted to go to town with the troops first thing in the morning and wait until they could come home at night, I stayed on ye ol' homestead for weeks at a time.

Since we ate a lot of soups (still do, always have), I decided I needed some new recipes to add to my repertoire. So the first of March I sat down with some cook books and made a list (a long list) of new soups I would make a concentrated effort to try out during the next thirty-one days.

No, I didn't make a new soup every single day, but I did cook, stew and simmer my way through that whole month of March. And do you know what? I ended up with a nice bunch of soup recipes added to my recipe box that I still make frequently to this day.

So, I ask myself, why haven't I embarked on the same kind of adventure again since then? Not to find more soup recipes, but think of the possibilities. A month of trying out new breads. Casseroles. Main dishes with eggs and/or cheese. Sandwiches. Of course, I could always concentrate on cookies, pies or other yummy desserts, but in the name of trying to be a smidge bit healthy here, let's stick with those first categories that came to mind.

Yup, my little experimental culinary adventure during the month of March so long ago is worth repeating.

Maybe next year, I'll look back on . . . say, the month of April . . . and remember it as the month I found that perfect rye bread recipe. Or . . . could it really happen? . . . the month I learned to make a good sourdough!

22 comments:

Amy Dingmann said...

Great idea! A month of new recipes....sounds like a link up coming soon!

And if there is anyone in the world who can teach me how to make a decent rye bread, I'll be forever in debt to them!

Jenyfer Matthews said...

Hmmm... I'm thinking you haven't done that lately because your kitchen was in pieces and you've been so busy with other things!

I like to try to fit in at least one new recipe a month, two if I'm really lucky. Been hit or miss on that goal for quite a while now.

Akannie said...

Ah...the thought of spring!

I'm getting ready to try a rye sourdough--I'll let you know how it works out. I'm a sourdough novice. (Which means that I used to make it, back in the 70's and 80's but that was a long time ago and now I'm old and can't remember ...lol)

It's been crazy warm here, but very windy yesterday. Today is in the 60's again. laundry is heading for the clothesline.

judy said...

ARE YOU GONNA SHARE [ SOME FANTASTIC RECIPES]YOU KNOW ANY LOW SODIUM ,GOOD TASTING EASY TO CHEW THAT SORT OF THING,i NEED TO MAKE A BIG POT OF IT AND DIVY IT UP IT SEPARATE CONTAINERS FOR JERRY SO I HAVE SOME LAST MIN QUICK AS WINK FOOD SO HE DOESN'T STARVE OH ALSO NO POTASSIUM RICH FOODS THIS MONTH EITHER MAYBE I SHOULD JUST HIRE A COOK THATS ALSO A DIAGNOSTICIAN [ I MEANT DIATICIAN--TO HECK WITH SPELL CHECK

Sparkless said...

But I don't like to cook! You are trying to turn me aren't you? Lentil soup today, an entire meal tomorrow and all from scratch!

2 Tramps said...

With your new kitchen you will have a great workspace to enjoy trying new dishes.

Must be the season to search out new recipes. I have been going through the piles of recipes I have clipped through the years. My how my tastes and interests have changed. I have a bag full of recipes from my grandmother's house that I haven't even looked at yet. I just wish we would have a month of snow - it inspires me!

Jane @ Hard Work Homestead said...

What a great idea, although I do think I have had my fill of soups about now. I would love to see what you choose to fill another recipe box with.

Carolyn said...

That is a GREAT idea!! Maybe I should steal your idea and do the Month of May - Eggs & Milk, as we have both coming out of our ears.

And I'd also like to point out that you teased us with the recipe box, the fact that you made a month worth of soups, yet failed to provide us with a single recipe. Stinking tease.

Sherry said...

This is a great idea, I was talking to my daughter about the same thing...... love it. Have a wonderful day.

Susan said...

What a perfect way to fill the month of March! It's (for me) the last of the real soup months, as I starte to segue to greens. And I agree with Carolyn Renee - don't tease! Another soup recipe (or 10) please!!!!

Katidids said...

New recipe's? Sure as long as the are the desert kind! I've a few berries left in the freezer to use. If you do find a good sourdough PLEASE post it

Erin said...

Sounds like a great idea! Now that I have seeds flats started and seeds out in the garden I'm likely to catch up on reading books and cooking more creative stuff while I wait for things to happen outside :)

Unknown said...

You should share your soup recipes um this month...March! Oh you shall be loved so sharing those tried and true recipes. Is my nose brown?
Heck if I could remember where last years Easter eggs were hid...

dr momi said...

.....after I get all the seeds started :-) And yes I agree, some soup recipes please!

gld said...

Yes, please share some soup recipes with us.

I think that is a great idea about spending a month trying new recipes. I am too flighty to do that for over a week!

If someone starts an egg month, please let me know. I have eggs running out my ears. We are getting over dozen a day now....

Tami said...

I like this idea. Soups yes...Uh, cookies no. My ever expanding waistline would NOT survive! @:)

Karen L. said...

Oh my. Looks like you have created yourself a ton of typing as everyone is going to want any and all recipes you come up with that work well whether soup or bread. My recipes are so disorganized at the moment that I need to categorize them first. Guess if you are stuck indoors for a month, this is at least a good use of the time. Can you believe I still haven't gotten around to making your Italian Bread? I have to get my oven well cleaned first or it will set the smoke alarm off when I get the temp. up high in it. But I am sure salivating for some of that. It's on my list!!!

Mama Pea said...

Mama Tea - If you find someone with a good rye bread recipe, we're BOTH gonna pounce on her or him!

Jen - Heck you haven't had time to do any homemaking type things what with all the cartons, boxes and shipping crates you still have to unpack!

Akannie - Omigosh, if you come up with a good rye sourdough, please, please share!

judy - Your challenge in feeding Jerry right now must be one more challenge you don't really need!

Sparkless - I wouldn't like to cook so much either if I didn't like to eat so much!

2 Tramps - I'm in the same position with lots of unorganized recipes I've saved to try. I know what you mean though . . . when I pull out one of those recipes I wonder why the heck I ever saved it! I guess we do change!

Jane - Somehow I don't think I'm gonna get to another experiment like this until next winter!

CR - Yes, yes, do do a month of recipes using milk and eggs. And post all of them!

Ah, but no, I say. Thee cannot call me a stinking tease. I'm sure all of those recipes have already appeared in posts on this here very same old blog. If you're bored some day, type in "soups" in my Search box and see what you come up with.

Blackberry Brambles - We'd all love to see what you come up with when you give it a try. Okay? Okay!

Mama Pea said...

Susan - Soon as I stumbled across another one I haven't posted, I will be glad to do so.

Katidids - Oh my, you have no idea how many strawberries, raspberries and blueberries *I* have left in the freezer this year. I think I went a little overboard in preserving them! Hubby has helpfully suggested we have a berry pie every day until they're gone. (Burp.)

Erin - Reading! Now THAT'S what I want to do in the month of March!

Nancy - You're so funny! As I said above, I'm sure I've shared all those soups previously.

dr momi - But it's too eeeaaarrrlllyyy to start seeds! At least up here. :o(

gld - Ya know, I'm thinking more and more about an "egg month!"

tami - It's not only my waistline that is expanding. (Ahem.)

Karen L. - You actually CLEAN your oven??! Frequently, my hubby asks what's on fire. Oh, nothing dear, I just turned on the oven.

Poppy said...

Mama Pea,

You make a very good suggestion! We could find so much enjoyment in a quest to try a certain type of food each month! What a worthy adventure!

Have a wonderful day!

Karen L. said...

MP, Well no, I don't actually clean my oven. That's why the smoke alarm goes off. (Why do we say "off" when we mean "on"? Hmmmm.... Now I sound like George Carlin!) But I have been wanting to try that Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day recipe and I just know that oven will be smokin'!!! Scares the heck out of the dogs, poor things!

Mama Pea said...

Poppy - Thanks, Poppy! Like I said in the post, why in the world haven't I done this little experiment time and again??