Happy Wife Healthy Life

Blogging has provided plenty of wonderful opportunities in my life. To name a few: it has introduced me to some amazing blogger friends and awesome readers, allowed me to open up and be myself through my words and storytelling, offered a fresh way for me to be creative, and it has also given me the opportunity to grow as a person, as well as a writer.

I not only adore writing Happy Wife Healthy Life, but I also love reading other blogs too. I enjoy learning about new and exciting information from those writers through their own personal stories, experiences and advice. It is always helpful to see how other people approach similar situations that I may someday find myself in, or may have already gone through at an earlier time. I believe it is imperative to learn from other people and to grow as a person by sharing our own stories with others through words, whether those are shared written or verbal.

As much as I enjoy reading about more serious topics, I also like to be entertained with lighthearted posts. I especially adore finding new recipes and am always trying to learn from others so that I can grow as a cook and baker in the kitchen. To me, nothing is more fun that trying a new ingredient I just read about for the first time. So many of my now kitchen staples were once considered strangers, but I can thank the blog world for opening my eyes to new creations and flavors.

I have made, used and enjoyed everything from quinoa to spaghetti squash, to ground flax and chia seeds, thanks to reading about these alternative ingredients on a blog at one point or another. However, the one ingredient that I had still never used before in my own kitchen was one that is probably much more well-known than even oat bran or almond milk, and that my friends is tofu.

Actually, the only time I have ever had tofu is at Fusian where I always order the roasted tofu as the protein in my handmade sushi roll. It is my absolute favorite thing to order there, but the thought of buying and making recipes using tofu in my own kitchen has always made me incredibly nervous.  Something about that white blob  lying in a container filled with water; looking pretty unappetizing nonetheless, has never been appealing to me in the least bit.

Has anyone else ever experienced this tofu fear as well, or just me?!

Anyways, last Sunday at the grocery I decided to bite the bullet and buy my first package of tofu. Ever. I was pleasantly surprised to see it was cost efficient, especially important in case I ended up loathing my purchase and throwing away the entire package. Priorities people!

I brought home the tofu and placed it in my refrigerator, where it proceeded to stare at me for the next two days. Finally, I couldn’t take the suspense any longer and decided to open up the package and try the ‘Peaches and Cream’ recipe from the Tone it Up plan. I can’t give the exact recipe since it is a part of their membership, but it is basically just peaches, (I used light canned), tofu, and almond milk. I also added a splash of vanilla extract for a little extra flavor. I threw everything in the blender, turned it on high and blended until everything was smooth and creamy. I poured out the tofu concoction into a glass, took a deep breath and proceeded to have a sip…

So how was it you may ask?

I wish I could tell you I loved it; I wish I could say that I couldn’t wait to have tofu again; I simply wish I had a better result to share, but instead I want to be honest with you: I thought it tasted terrible.

The texture, the smell, the taste…I just couldn’t do it. I drank about one quarter of the smoothie and had to pour the rest down the drain. I wanted to like it, but unfortunately that was not the case. Sorry tofu, but I don’t think you will be making another appearance in my grocery cart anytime soon.

(FYI – As much as my husband encourages me and my cooking trials, let’s just say that he didn’t lose any sleep over knowing that my tofu experiment was not a success. I think deep down he was fearful I would love it and tofu would begin making a regular appearance in our weekly meal plans. My meat and potatoes loving husband enjoys quinoa, will eat butternut squash from time-to-time, and will even (reluctantly?) allow pumpkin to be added to his turkey chili, but tofu for dinner may have just been crossing the line)!

Talk to Me!

• Have you ever tried tofu before? Are you a fan? If so, what is your favorite way to enjoy it? Feel free to leave any recipe links if you think it will change my tofu experience!!
• What are some ingredients that you have tried thanks to recommendations and recipes shared by other bloggers? Which ones did you love and now regularly use, or which ones are never gracing your kitchen table again?!