Can I be honest for a moment? (When am I not?)  Pinterest stresses me out most some of the time. I got on there out of convenience so I would no longer have 37 windows open at the same time on my screen.  It was amazing to “pin” stuff for my classes, for the yard, for dinner, and for my sanity. And so that Nate wouldn’t turn on the computer and repeatedly close everything for the sake of his sanity (which then brings my crazy back).

But then people started following me, and I them.  They started pinning baby stuff and wedding stuff which begs certain questions!!  Some people write “someday” on their pins, but others don’t and such life events — well, are they impending? are you wanting all of us pinners to know?  to like? to repin? We’re watching you.  And we’re curious.

Therefore, I’m sticking to yard, home, food, and education *for now*  (see it kills you doesn’t it?).  The food part is intriguing because I see many recipes for pizza balls, fried potatoes, and so.many.desserts.  So when this little gem appeared from my friend Sara, I repinned it instantly: Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale Pizza.

People ask on a consistent basis what we’re growing.  I quickly rattle off bed by bed what’s brewing beneath the surface: beets, kale (2 kinds), leeks, more leeks (seriously have you seen the price in the store!), broccoli, cauliflower, onions, green onions, garlic, carrots, asparagus, artichokes, strawberries, lettuce… and the list keeps growing (pun intended).

Recently someone inquired, Did you always eat this many veggies or cook like you do?  No. Our tastes have certainly changed.  This echoes in the fact I didn’t pin the pizza balls, rather I pinned the kale pizza.  I can hear my stepdad just about to lose it!    Kale.Pizza. yeah right. (He hates veggies).

This isn’t about villainizing the pizza balls.  Heck, I had pizza yesterday, the frozen kind, and it was delish!  But I can’t eat that way every day anymore.  The superbowl is my new junk food Thanksgiving. And I paid for it with a full stomach that only let me sleep for four hours last night — it’s laughing at me — hahaha, payback is a…. well, you know.

We love rethinking comfort food on our homestead though.  We made a dish that resembled mac and cheese this weekend, but instead of noodles, we used cauliflower.  I know for some that is a stretch – I used to think that too.  But when you know what to do with a vegetable instead reheating a frozen bag in the microwave — my world has opened to a whole new horizon of cooking and eating.

After watching all those terribly skinny models on the commercials yesterday, I must say, I didn’t feel an ounce of guilt for eating junk food or anything else!  It’s just not worth it when you know what food is supposed to taste like – when you caramelize cauliflower or squash, when you mix homemade jam in with yogurt or oatmeal – then, yes, of course my tastes change because every taste is a new adventure.  One that pizza balls and cheetos can’t replace — because every once in a while they taste amazing, but after a while, they taste like a cheap replacement for real food.  (Which is exactly what they are).

So as I dream of planting tomatoes this week and homegrown basil (I’m seriously tempted in this 70 degree weather!),  I leave you with pics from the kale, squash pizza (both grown in our backyard), because it was one of the tastiest pizzas I’ve ever eaten — I would just recommend maybe cooking the pizza a little longer and throwing the kale on in the last 10 minutes of cooking.

I am aware that kale is very trendy right now. But it deserves these accolades because who doesn’t after being ignored for so long?

We froze some of our squash.  I couldn’t think of a better reason to defrost it and throw it on the baking sheet with onions and thyme.

We pieced it all together with some mozzarella cheese after sauteing the kale with garlic.

And here it sat on my place. But not for very long.  Needless to say, I slept great that night.

Recipe from http://bevcooks.com/2011/09/roasted-butternut-squash-and-kale-pizza/