Culture Shock

I used to always joke that coming down to Utah would be a big culture shock after Boise. Well thank you God for the irony because I just so happen to be experiencing culture shock now. I really feel a bit out of place.

There has only ever been one other time in my life that I picked up and moved to a place where I didn't know anyone (when I moved to Boise). I think it was different then because I lived in the dorms my first year and immediately had a group of people to hang out with. Here it has been much harder to get to know people. I know I haven't been here long, but it would be nice to have some friends and not just acquaintances.

Part of the problem here is everyone's obsession with marriage. It is hard to get to know a guy that you just want to be friends with because you are automatically being evaluated for marriage and they are wary of you expecting something. I swear if too many more of my conversations get awkward all of a sudden I'll lose it and just tell them to chill out. 

I know it will get better. I'm just frustrated right now.

And now for something completely different. I have a soup recipe that I was skeptical of but tried it today and it is amazing. It is a roasted cauliflower soup which sounds kinda weird. The end result has the texture of a delicious creamy potato soup with a slightly different taste. It will be a great alternative to potato soup for me. It's not that I can't have potatoes. I can in limited amounts, but potatoes have a higher glycemic impact because they are so easy for the body to process. In contrast, cauliflower has a glycemic score of one which is almost as low as it gets. Anyway, here is the recipe just in case you want to try it. I promise it is super healthy and super yummy (a rare combo).

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

1 large head cauliflower (3 lbs), cut into florets

1 large onion sliced

2 cloves garlic halved (I used three because I like garlic)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 14.5 oz cans of chicken broth

1 cup water (somehow I missed this but the soup still turned out fine)

1 bay leaf (I didn't have one)

1 teaspoon snipped fresh thyme (also didn't use)

1 cup half and half or light cream (did you know that they make fat free half and half)

1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large roasting pan (a baking sheet works fine) toss cauliflower, onion, garlic and olive oil. Roast, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring once after 15 minutes.
2. In a large saucepan combine the roasted cauliflower and onion, broth, the water, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
3. Discard bay leaf. Working in batches, transfer soup to food processor or blender; process or blend until smooth (make sure you leave a way for the steam to vent while you blend...otherwise the top might go flying). Return soup to saucepan. Stir in half-and-half, salt, and pepper. Heat through (do not boil).

Makes 8 side-servings

Per serving: 98 calories, 9 g fat (less if using fat free half-and-half), 13 mg chol., 741 mg sodium, 4 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 2 g pro.

Enjoy :)