no tv - a blessing in disguise

john and i had been talking about getting rid of the tv for quite some time (we both agree it does more harm than good). like many families, we fell into a habit of vegging out in front of the tube a few hours a night, wasting valuable hours of our lives.

about a month ago, we downgraded our cable to use the money for our Culligan water filter and softener. (if you're concerned about your drinking water, they'll come out and test it for free)

wellll, when we took the ginormous thing off the wall to re-route the cable in the back, it slipped and bumped john's beefy shoulder :P 'no big deal' we thought, until we tried to turn it on. broken. about $1,000 to repair. no thanks.

it was an adjustment at first...very quiet in the house...but now i hardly miss it. i especially don't miss the celebrity crap they try to pass off as "news", nor the marketing lies too many accept as truth (happy cows my ass!).

i can still watch The Office online, and i am wayyy more productive without the mind-mushing tv. it was truly a blessing in disguise.

what i do miss are my dvr'd episodes of Christina Cooks, Ace of Cakes, Kitchen Nightmares, and Chopped. but now i play Chopped in my own kitchen. =)

for those who haven't seen Chopped, it's a show on the Food Network where four chef's compete using mystery ingredients to create an appetizer, main course and dessert. (of course the ingredients are usually bizarre like gummi bears or cola, and the combinations are always a challenge). the judges look for integration of the ingredients, taste, and presentation.

when i have nothing planned for dinner, i like to play my own version of Chopped to create a meal from whatever i can find in the kitchen. it's much more fun now that i have the garden supplying me with ingredients as well.

this is what i came up with tonight:

veggie quinoa chard wraps

and

salad with veggie quinoa, cucumber, and roasted red pepper

my dishes wouldn't have scored too high on taste or integration, but i think my presentation with the chard wraps may have impressed the judges. =)

the chard and lettuce came from the garden. the quinoa was a mix of random veggies from the fridge. it tasted ok but the flavors didn't really come together too well. i added carrot, asparagus, green pepper, black beans, green olives, smoked paprika, cumin, and salt. interesting mix, huh?

most importantly, the dishes were healthy and filled me up. not to mention, they also provided pretty pictures. =)

a bouquet on a dish