300th Post - And it's a lame one!

In honor of my 300th post I've decided that I want to pay homage to one of my favorite vegetables and one that I think is often overlooked for its wonder...

The Pea.

I LOVE peas. I was that weird kid that would go for seconds, thirds, and sometimes fourths on that little round vegetable that most children just play with. Oddly sweet yet still having that distinct taste of a green veggie, I would mix it with my potatoes, rice, or just eat them plain. When it was my turn to pick out the vegetables at dinner during the week, I would push aside those cans of green beans in search for my little round darlings.

As I grew older, my love for peas did not fade. Once in college, a friend of mine and I were watching some good old "Bad Dating TV" late one night and got the munchies. She asked what I thought I wanted... and I paused. There was only one thing that could satisfy my college midnight craving that night: peas. We went to the campus convenience store and each bought a can. I busted out my good old crank can opener, dumped the contents into a bowl, and after 2 minutes had a delicious and relatively good for me snack.


My room smelled like peas for a week.

College ended and still my love for peas endured. I discovered sugar snap peas and the wonder of them in salads and stir fry dishes. They're tasty, but still not as delectable to me as a good old fashioned side of peas. In my quest to eat healthier I've abandoned the old stand by of canned peas in favor of frozen peas to reduce the sodium and maximize the vitamin value. I've discovered that peas can be good in so many things... in homemade pot pies, in pasta salads, and in homemade soups just to name a few.

What is bringing on my sudden desire to spout the beauty of peas?

This week I've been on a comfort food kick, and one of my favorite stand-bys for comfort food is boxed macaroni and cheese with a serving of peas mixed in. I've evolved over the years from store-brand mixes to organic boxed mac & cheese with thawed frozen peas. Every so often I'll even do a one-person homemade mac & cheese like I did tonight (1 serving each of pasta, peas, and cheese with one serving of Smart Balance all mixed together... mmmm) when Steve isn't going to be around for dinner. Mix that all together and garnish it with a good amount of black pepper. There's nothing that says comfort to my tummy like that heaven in a bowl.

So there you have it. My 300th post, and a profession of love for one of my favorite veggies. Enjoy... and peas be with you.