Tomatoes was the theme this week and since I use tomatoes in basically everything I cook, I decided to try something outside my comfort zone.....seafood.

Seafood always stresses me out because I equate it with food poisoning if not done perfectly. I'm not a huge fish fan, but I love shrimp, scallops, clams and mussels....when ordered at a reputable restaurant. Whenever I try to cook at home, I'm constant paranoid of undercooking it and giving everyone food poisoning so then I overcook it. But I decided to push myself...a great idea the weekend before my son's bday party where I'm already stressing 😬 (getting the yard ready, cleaning the house, decorating, ordering desserts, cooking the food, prepping for 102 degree weather 🥵)

I was planning on buying from Portland Fish Market because they a reputable establishment who wouldn't sell my bad seafood, but I was running low on time before the holiday. Luckily , when I was getting goody bags at dollar tree I swung into New Seasons and they had mussels (as well pork shoulder I needed for th party). Score!

Then came prepping the mussels. I am real skittish cooking something that is technically still alive 😱 but I managed to get them cleaned and through out any suspect ones. The recipe was super easy, but my trouble came with some of my mussels either not opening up, or barely opening up. I tried cooking longer, but didn't want to over cook them, so we just went with opened up wide enough to feel safe.

The sauce was amazing! I would do that again with any other type of meat (seafood is just too stressful for me). The mussels were good too! (Although I'm always stressful to say that ahead of potential food poisoning, fingers crossed I still feel this way in 24 hrs).

Rating: 8/10

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