Help!

I am treading lightly into the world of cooked vegetables. To paint a picture, i’m dipping a toe in the dirt.

I was not raised on veggies, to say the least. If we had a vegetable on the table, it was probably Thanksgiving, and it was definitely from a can. We didn’t have a lot of money, and the money we did have went to the major food groups like carbs, sugar, and salt. We had no room in our freezer or fridge for things like lettuce and eggplant. The boxes of preservatives took up too much space for that nonsense.

So now here i sit at 37. A Weight Watchers dropout. Overweight and on blood pressure medicine. I seem to have a couch that hypnotizes me to hibernate in it for an hour at a time, and i’m getting tired of my own self at this point. Added to that, the absolute abhorrence from my daughter anything green be on/near/touching her food or plate, and the cycle now needs to stop. If I don’t manage some sort of physical exertion every day, at least I can say I consumed fresh organic produce!

I purchased a groupon or livingsocial deal for a company called Full Circle – http://www.fullcircle.com/ – and am now the proud recipient of a box full of organic fresh veggies and fruit.

Now what ?!

Just to push myself even further over the challenge ledge, I bought an eggplant at the store yesterday. I’m tempted to put googly eyes on it and red bell pepper appendages. Instead, i feel i should somehow cook it or prepare it for consumption, but honestly, i’ve never cooked an eggplant or eggplant part in all my life.

Added to the fray of confusion and ignorance I am now a proud owner of a bag of fresh spinach, a bunch of cilantro, some sort of curly red and green lettuce, (red leaf, perhaps?) one huge zucchini, one small zucchini, and two red bell peppers.

So on one hand, i’m looking forward to figuring out what to do with the healthy stuff in the fridge. On the other hand, i’m now hungry and am snacking on chips and dip because i understand how to operate that food…. my daughter is snacking on yogurt and applesauce, so there is still hope for her!!

I have been scouring Pinterest for EASY, BEGINNER veggie recipes and simple chicken + 1 or 2 veg ingredient dishes. What I really need is some great ideas on what to do with all of this wonderful ( and not cheap) produce in my kitchen. We are talking basics, people. As if you were explaining to a first grader how to cook, please barrage me with your veg-friendly idiot-proof recipes!

Here’s what i’ve got so far:

Skinny Eggplant Rollotini with Spinach

Eggplant Dipping Sticks

Baked zucchini fries

Easy Eggplant Parm

I’ve even had crazy nutball fantasies about starting a SMALL like itty bitty veggie garden for the kids in the yard. What puts me off it is my lack of commitment and follow through on most projects, and the possibility it will just lure deer and bears into my back yard.

Ideas? Jokes? Tips/Tricks? Share away!! No tip is too condescending, and no joke is too low brow.

by the way, i love this person’s blog, but it’s a bit advanced for this beginner

http://thugkitchen.com/

Looking forward to your tips and comments!