Everything Worth Having Requires Effort

I'd like to take a moment to discuss an important lesson. Always trust your gut. Always.. it will never lead you astray. When the choice is, "Do I trust my gut and say no, or do I just go for it because I'll always wonder if I don't?" TRUST. YOUR. GUT.  Do not delete pieces of yourself to make someone else comfortable, and for fucks sake, do not ever allow someone else to make you feel like you're not good enough or worth their effort. I live in Maine. The decent, date-worthy people here are spread out all over this state. I've gotten used to the fact that if I am going to be serious about meeting someone, I am going to have to be willing to travel a little bit. Potentially, if something becomes serious.. someone may have to move. None of us are trees - we are all capable of moving if our situation changes. I feel like I'm comfortable with this mainly because I am NOT comfortable with settling. I have spent so much of my adult life in the wrong relationships - so, I'm willing to put in whatever work it is going to take if I think that I have found someone who is worthy of that effort. If you are so focused on meeting someone who is merely convenient-you're going to pass up a lot of opportunity.. you're going to settle. It doesn't matter how much "dating potential" you have - settling on mediocrity because it's easy, is really unattractive.

You know what I love? Corned Beef Hash. Like... I LOVE it. If I go to a breakfast place that says they have homemade corned beef hash.. the chances that I'm going to shove some of it in my face is pretty high. I'm also frequently disappointed with the hash that I get in restaurants.. mostly because I make it better at home.  So yesterday, I decided I wasn't going to go out for breakfast today.. I was going to get a brisket... and I was going to make Corned Beef Hash at home.

LOOK AT THAT! I don't like soggy corned beef... and I have finally perfected the crunchy outside, completely moist inside that a slice of corned beef needs to be absolutely amazing. I put this 3lb bad boy in the crock pot on low at 9pm last night.. and got up at 5:30 this morning and turned it off and went back to bed.

Since this was mostly a last minute decision, I didn't put together the corning spices myself- I did use the packet that came with the brisket, but I also added minced garlic, some sugar, pepper, a bay leaf, a tiny amount of apple cider vinegar, (here's the tip to non-soggy corned beef.) and just enough water to cover the corned beef about 25%. (I think I used about a cup.. but it depends on the size of your brisket, and the size of your crock pot.) When I took it out this morning.. this is what it looked like. 

 I cubed up approximately three slices of the brisket to throw in with my hash.

And I roughly chopped one medium sized potato, half of a shallot, three more cloves of garlic, and a couple of handfuls of chopped cabbage.

If you shop at Hannaford Grocery Stores in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts or Rhode Island, and you like butter (If you don't like butter, I'm not sure we can really be friends...) you need to pick yourself up some Casco Bay Creamery (formerly Casco Bay Butter Co. they're in the middle of a name change) butter. My college friends Alicia, Jennell and Andrew started this company a few years ago, and I have to tell you... I'm SUPER proud of all that they've accomplished... but the butter... the butter speaks for itself. Anyway, I threw half a stick of this 84% butterfat butter into a medium heat pan along with all of the above ingredients. There was no way this was going to suck. 

The trick to a crispy potato and corned beef hash? Cook all that stuff on medium heat. Stir it every 5 or 6 minutes until it's reached it's desired crispiness. (Also, I was lazy this morning.. I didn't parboil my potatoes first. You should definitely do that.. the potatoes will be cooked.. and get crispy quicker.) 

At the tail end, I chopped up some kale and threw that in there too.   Because... everything is better with kale. 

That's a gigantic bowl of corned beef hash.. I didn't eat it all... but I TOTALLY wanted to. 

Both of my sisters have been obsessed with these nut pod Coconut Cream coffee creamers. They're non-dairy, so I was totally willing to give it a try... I'm sad to say I didn't enjoy it. Something about the consistency of my coffee changed with the creamer.. and I can't do it. I gave the pods to Sister D. If this is your thing, they're Whole 30 approved... just not for me.  BUT, if you need a heavy stoneware cat face mug.. you should head on over to  Migration Goods (my friend Eling's business) and get yourself one. Easily one of my absolute favorite mugs.. but I love all of her stuff.  ALL OF IT. 

After my busy morning of cooking, I thought I would go to the local coffee place and write this entry.. but it was gorgeous out, and so I went to Sister D's and hopped in the pool instead. From there, we got some lunch with Sister R's kids, and headed to School House Farms, and Beth's farm stand to get some veggies for the week. Then we went and got some ice cream at Harjula's Dairy Bar. 

It was a perfect way to end the afternoon before coming home to get to work.  I do have a sink full of dishes though, if any one wants to come over and do them for me.