WHEN LIFE HANDS YOU GRINDS, GROW MUSHROOMS, MAKE AN OMELETTE!

My header was so much better when I thought this brick on my counter was a poo log. All other mushroom growing kits I’ve seen involved animal poo and while the idea of it grosses me out, my inner-kindergardener prepared some fantastic jokes. Back to the Roots’ kit uses coffee grinds, mixed with oyster mushroom seeds! Here’s our monster mushroom’s journey from grinds to omelette.

Every holiday, my mom manages to find a really cool, different gift to give all 3 of us girls. I have loved mushrooms since I first saw Fantasia. Understanding these weren’t those kind, I settled for the anticipation of something delicious.

The gift boasted pictures of a forest of mushrooms in 10 days. I’d received great recipes from my friends, and hoped for a bountiful harvest! I followed all the instructions, 10 days passed and NOTHING happened. I thought maybe my herbicidal tendencies had resurfaced. 12 days later, it finally rewarded us with a tiny shroom. It’s alive!!

This shroom grew so fast it freaked me out! In a matter of 3 days, the mushroom got HUGE!

We went to bed afraid that the mushroom cap would smother us in our beds! Not knowing how much longer we could cohabitate with this monstrous mushroom, this was Harvest Day!

Considering my recipes called for more than one mushroom, I reopened my hunt for recipes. I love the internet – of course the site oystermushrooms.net exists. This recipe didn’t need anything beyond my fridge walls, plus I was curious to marinate the mushrooms whereas all my life I’ve been told not to get fresh shrooms wet.

The kids marveled over the mushroom stem and cap textures but got weirded out by the ridges underneath the cap and down part of the stem. They excitedly offered their mad cutting skills, but tried to avoid tasting it. Our house supports a 1-bite rule: Taste everything once before considering your culinary review.

As usual, they didn’t agree. Lauren loved it.

Carson looked extremely uncomfortable all the way to the restroom to spit it out.

We will tweak our approach, find an Italian recipe to suit Carson, and try for a second harvest from the back side!