Cooking like Calvin - Butternut Squash Soup

I love the comic Calvin and Hobbes, and especially the ones where Calvin and his friend tiger played 'Calvin Ball.' The game where the rules change constantly and crazily and it always looked like a blast.

My children and I now have a saying. 'Let's do it Calvin Ball style.' That's when we're playing a game of any kind that's gotten a bit stale, and suddenly you can just start making up the rules as you go. The only rule to making up rules is that you can't contradict another person's rules, you simply have to go with them and add more. And everyone has to have fun.

It occurred to me today that I cook the same way. These days, I cook 'Calvin Ball style.' Calvin Ball cooking is where the ingredients are always changing, but you have to try and have fun. I rarely find a recipe that I can use; usually more than half the ingredients are no-go. So we use a few ideas and then get to use whatever was in season and I happen to have at home. And try to have fun with it.

Finding yourself again

This is the year of change. The year of 'more' change 'again,' anyway. We dropped gluten when were were diagnosed with Celiac Disease, and then more foods when we had more food allergies. And then I had to alter where I went when sulfites were added to the mix.

Now there's more.

Soapnuts, or no shampoo, part 2

After using only baking soda and vinegar for a few months as my hair cleaning regimen, I was starting to have problems with my hair care. There was a slow build up of oil in my hair that I could eliminate, but to do so, it was seriously drying out my scalp and hair with the amount of baking soda I had to use.

Unpleasant.

It didn't work well at all with my teenage daughter, either, who produces a lot more oil in general, and has exceedingly thick hair that was difficult to penetrate with the baking soda mixture.

So, I went on another researching binge and I found something that works well. My daughter and I have been using this since November and it is AWESOME.

Soapnuts.