there's an app for that

Margaret Mason over at Mighty Girl (holy cow that woman has a lot to say) posted this about apps to help you keep your resolutions. You know, in case you're not so great at that purely intrinsic motivation thing.

This weekend was an epic failure in the raw veganism department. I had breakfast tacos at least 10 times in 2 days (I mean, we were in Austin) and then at my friend's son's birthday, it was a "ball" theme so you best believe I not only put away a hamburger (for shame!) but equal to or more than my weight in sausage balls. Eesh. I heard on NPR last night that a lady quit smoking by her friend telling her that every time she smoked a cigarette she was going to send $5,000 to the KKK. That's my kind of motivation.

In other news, yesterday we came home with the intention of going to the grocery store but then my hubs got a gleam in his eye...the one that says "We have enough food. Let's just create something out of what we have here." If there's something sexier than a man who will roast garlic just for funsies on a Sunday night, I dare you to show it to me.

Here's what we had:

1 butternut squash

bright lights chard from the garden

LOTS of garlic

leftover pasta

pine nuts

spinach

red onions & green onions

1 portobello mushroom

herbs from the garden: rosemary, thyme, parsley

We took the butternut squash, peeled it and cubed it into 1" pieces, then tossed it with olive oil and salt and pepper and roasted it in the oven on 450F for 10-15 minutes, then cut the mushroom up and added it to the pan in the oven. At the same time, we popped a couple ends-cut-off, olive oil drizzled, foil-wrapped garlic(s?) in the oven. While I fed baby A, he sauteed the red onions and chard stems on the stove, then added everything else including the yumminess from the oven and sauteed it a bit to combine all the flavors. I'd leave you with a picture but, uh, I ate the last bit of it for lunch. It was crazy good. 

My favorite thing in the world is cooking like that - deciding to forego the store and make it work with what you've already got. Is there a stroke of culinary genius you've had in a pinch like this? Please share!