So I got this recipe from my brother and sister in law who got it from my mother in law. So I guess you can say this is a recipe that has been "passed down". It's easy, pretty quick, kind of fool-proof and uses stuff you may already have in your house (except for the sausage, perhaps) I made it today for a family friend who is battling cancer. I think it's good comfort food too. I actually didn't get to taste it, but Darrin did and said it was good. Plus, I've tasted it when my brother in law made it -- and it was great then too! :) Here we go:
Ingredients:
1 package Italian sausage (hot is best)
1 package Rotini pasta
1 Green bell pepper (or I guess whatever veggies you want to throw in), diced
2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
1 Jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
Mozzarella cheese (for topping)
Olive Oil (to brown sausage)
Directions:
1. Take sausage out of it's casing
2.. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large, deep skillet. Add sausage meat, and garlic
3. Put on a big pot of salted water for the pasta
4. Brown garlic and sausage meat (while you're waiting for the water)
5. When the water comes to a boil, put in the pasta
6. After the sausage is about browned (about 5-7 minutes) add in diced veggies, let cook about 2-3 minutes
7. Add in your jar of sauce to the skillet and turn heat down to low
8. Let simmer until veggies are soft
9. When pasta is al dente, drain
From here -- you can either add this all to a 9X13 dish, top with cheese and pop it in a 350 degree over for a couple minutes until the cheese is all melted. This is the best option if you're using an electric skillet. OR, if your skillet is deep enough, add the pasta straight into the sauce/sausage/veggie mix, mix in cheese and cover for a minute or so -- until the cheese is melted. Transfer to a serving dish and top with a little more cheese.
**Healthy Options **
IF you want to make this a little healthier - trade in the regular Italian sausage for JennieO Hot Italian Turkey sausage and make with whole wheat Rotini. These are simple changes and it doesn't alter the taste at all. Still REALLY good. Oh, and don't use as much cheese! :)
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My ideas for with this dish
Although this is a great Italian dish (really good seved wtih garlic bread and ceasar salad), I think I want to try to go Tex-Mex with it. Mix in some red bell pepper, some olives maybe some carrots. Then serve with cornbread. Yummy, right? Maybe use some kind of hotter spaghetti sauce (maybe something that has jalapenos in it). I also feel like you can just have ground turkey or beef and season it with whatever . Hmmmm.....lots of options for this dish and lots of ways you can take it and play with it to make it your own! Let me know if you try it and how you it turns out!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
Crockpot Corned Beef
By Karen Waters
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Corned-Beef-and-Cabbage-3/Detail.aspx
A couple years ago, I was searching for a corned beef recipe to make for St Patty's Day. I ran across this recipe on AllRecipes.com. This is by far the BEST recipe for corned beef. It taste SO good! The only problem is that corned beef can be expensive - so I keep my eye on it and stock up when it goes on sale. It freezes nicely - although I've noticed that if I cooked from frozen, it tastes a little freezer-burnt. So thaw it out first overnight or so.
Here's the recipe - check out my tips and changes below:
INGREDIENTS
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered (optional)
1 pound baby carrots (optional)
3 cups water
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (3 pound) corned beef brisket with spice packet, cut in half
1 small head cabbage, cut into wedges (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Place the onion, potatoes and carrots in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Combine water, garlic, bay leaf, sugar, vinegar, pepper and contents of spice packet; pour over vegetables. Top with brisket and cabbage. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf before serving.
-----
Ok that was the real recipe and this is how I do it:
Same ingredients expect no carrots, potatoes or cabbage.
Added ingredient - about 2 Tbls brown sugar
Cut onions into wedges and place on bottom of pot. Take the brisket and all it's bloody glory and rub the brown sugar all over. **Make sure to put the sugar in a separate bowl first, then throw out whatever you don't use. Put the brisket, fatty side up, in the pot over the onions. Wash hands. :) Measure the water in a measuring cup and then add the garlic, bay leaf, sugar, vinegar, pepper and contents of spice packet. Stir it up and pour over the brisket. If the brisket isn't covered (mainly) with water, top it off with some more water. Cover and let it cook for 8+ hours on low. Serve with some mustard.
--------------
Tips:
1. I put "optional" by the carrots, potatoes and cabbage. I do not put those in the crockpot. I've noticed that if I put all the stuff in one pot, it all tastes the same. So I just cook the beef and whip up the carrot and potatoes by themselves as a side dish.
2. I just have crushed bay leaves -- not whole. So I put in a good teaspoon or two. It works just fine.
3. I love onions so if it's a small onion - I'll use 2. you can play around with the type of onion too - mahalo sweet onions are a good choice along with just regular yellow onions.
4. I don't cut the brisket in half - unless it can't all fit in my crockpot.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Corned-Beef-and-Cabbage-3/Detail.aspx
A couple years ago, I was searching for a corned beef recipe to make for St Patty's Day. I ran across this recipe on AllRecipes.com. This is by far the BEST recipe for corned beef. It taste SO good! The only problem is that corned beef can be expensive - so I keep my eye on it and stock up when it goes on sale. It freezes nicely - although I've noticed that if I cooked from frozen, it tastes a little freezer-burnt. So thaw it out first overnight or so.
Here's the recipe - check out my tips and changes below:
INGREDIENTS
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered (optional)
1 pound baby carrots (optional)
3 cups water
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (3 pound) corned beef brisket with spice packet, cut in half
1 small head cabbage, cut into wedges (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Place the onion, potatoes and carrots in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Combine water, garlic, bay leaf, sugar, vinegar, pepper and contents of spice packet; pour over vegetables. Top with brisket and cabbage. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf before serving.
-----
Ok that was the real recipe and this is how I do it:
Same ingredients expect no carrots, potatoes or cabbage.
Added ingredient - about 2 Tbls brown sugar
Cut onions into wedges and place on bottom of pot. Take the brisket and all it's bloody glory and rub the brown sugar all over. **Make sure to put the sugar in a separate bowl first, then throw out whatever you don't use. Put the brisket, fatty side up, in the pot over the onions. Wash hands. :) Measure the water in a measuring cup and then add the garlic, bay leaf, sugar, vinegar, pepper and contents of spice packet. Stir it up and pour over the brisket. If the brisket isn't covered (mainly) with water, top it off with some more water. Cover and let it cook for 8+ hours on low. Serve with some mustard.
--------------
Tips:
1. I put "optional" by the carrots, potatoes and cabbage. I do not put those in the crockpot. I've noticed that if I put all the stuff in one pot, it all tastes the same. So I just cook the beef and whip up the carrot and potatoes by themselves as a side dish.
2. I just have crushed bay leaves -- not whole. So I put in a good teaspoon or two. It works just fine.
3. I love onions so if it's a small onion - I'll use 2. you can play around with the type of onion too - mahalo sweet onions are a good choice along with just regular yellow onions.
4. I don't cut the brisket in half - unless it can't all fit in my crockpot.
Crockpoting
I LOVE to crockpot. I really think that it's one of the greatest inventions ever created. Seriously - you just throw in meat (frozen or fresh) along with some kind of liquid (whether that be a soup, or salsa, soda, broth.....whatever) and BAM in as little as 4 hours or as long as 12, you got a meal. It's the perfect contraption for anyone that doesn't want a lot of prep time or for a family that works and wants dinner practically made when they walk through the door. Really, anyone CAN cook with one of these. It's practically fool proof! So either run out and get yourself one, or break it out from the back closet. It'll soon become your favorite gadget in the kitchen!
Spaghetti Carbonara
Spaghetti Carbonara
From Lifetime's "Cook Yourself Thin"
http://www.mylifetime.com/on-tv/shows/cook-yourself-thin/recipes/spaghetti-carbonara
Serves 4
Calories per serving: 412
Calories per serving garlic bread: 78
For the spaghetti
3 slices bacon
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1/3 cup low-fat (1-percent) milk
1 large egg
8 ounces spaghetti
1 cup frozen peas
1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, finely grated (6 tablespoons)
1/4 cup sliced fresh flat-leaf parsley
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
For garlic bread
1 whole-grain baguette, sliced
1/2 garlic clove
Olive oil
Chopped basil
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally until browned and crisp, about 6 minutes. Drain pan and dry bacon on paper towels; keep the skillet on the heat. Add the oil and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Whisk together the milk and egg in a large serving bowl until well combined. Stir in the onion.
3. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti, and cook according to the directions on the package.
4. While pasta is cooking, slice baguette thinly on bias. Place slices on sheet pan. Lightly rub with flat side of garlic clove, and brush on a little olive oil and sprinkle basil. Place into oven on top rack for 5 to 7 minutes, until golden.
5. Two minutes before the spaghetti is done, stir in the peas. Drain and immediately transfer to the milk mixture. Toss until the pasta is well-coated. Add the cheese, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and toss well. Crumble the bacon into small pieces over the spaghetti, and toss. Serve immediately.
---------------
Ok -- this one was ...pretty good.
1. A little bland - so I needed to add more salt and pepper. I also think that next time I'll sautee up some garlic with the onions for a little flavor kick.
2. After you cook the bacon, drain the excess fat off (I did it in a little bowl to cool and then toss) but don't wash the pan or anything. When you cook the onions - you want that extra flavor from the bacon that's still in the pan.
3. I didn't do the garlic bread because I had garlic bread that I bought on sale from the grocery store. BUT sometimes when I do the whole "rub bread with garlic" trick it doesn't really work right. Instead, I use some garlic powder. So brush with olive oil first, then garlic powder, then the basil.
4. I didn't have peas, but I did have broccoli. So I used that and it worked just fine. I added fresh broccoli to the pasta pot about a minute before it was done(so after about 5-6 minutes of cooking) and it was perfect.
5. Again, me and the whole "I need protein with my pasta" thing. I sautee'd up Keilbasa and served with it. Pretty good. Chicken or shrimp would have worked too.
6. The sauce. I was really afraid the heat from the pasta would scramble the egg/milk mixture in the bowl. But it didn't!! I drained the pasta and let it sit there for a second as I got out the bread and plated it. Then I poured the pasta/broccoli into the bowl and started mixing. Just like the directions say -- it turned into a creamy texture. I was really surprised and REALLY happy!
From Lifetime's "Cook Yourself Thin"
http://www.mylifetime.com/on-tv/shows/cook-yourself-thin/recipes/spaghetti-carbonara
Serves 4
Calories per serving: 412
Calories per serving garlic bread: 78
For the spaghetti
3 slices bacon
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1/3 cup low-fat (1-percent) milk
1 large egg
8 ounces spaghetti
1 cup frozen peas
1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, finely grated (6 tablespoons)
1/4 cup sliced fresh flat-leaf parsley
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
For garlic bread
1 whole-grain baguette, sliced
1/2 garlic clove
Olive oil
Chopped basil
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally until browned and crisp, about 6 minutes. Drain pan and dry bacon on paper towels; keep the skillet on the heat. Add the oil and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Whisk together the milk and egg in a large serving bowl until well combined. Stir in the onion.
3. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti, and cook according to the directions on the package.
4. While pasta is cooking, slice baguette thinly on bias. Place slices on sheet pan. Lightly rub with flat side of garlic clove, and brush on a little olive oil and sprinkle basil. Place into oven on top rack for 5 to 7 minutes, until golden.
5. Two minutes before the spaghetti is done, stir in the peas. Drain and immediately transfer to the milk mixture. Toss until the pasta is well-coated. Add the cheese, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and toss well. Crumble the bacon into small pieces over the spaghetti, and toss. Serve immediately.
---------------
Ok -- this one was ...pretty good.
1. A little bland - so I needed to add more salt and pepper. I also think that next time I'll sautee up some garlic with the onions for a little flavor kick.
2. After you cook the bacon, drain the excess fat off (I did it in a little bowl to cool and then toss) but don't wash the pan or anything. When you cook the onions - you want that extra flavor from the bacon that's still in the pan.
3. I didn't do the garlic bread because I had garlic bread that I bought on sale from the grocery store. BUT sometimes when I do the whole "rub bread with garlic" trick it doesn't really work right. Instead, I use some garlic powder. So brush with olive oil first, then garlic powder, then the basil.
4. I didn't have peas, but I did have broccoli. So I used that and it worked just fine. I added fresh broccoli to the pasta pot about a minute before it was done(so after about 5-6 minutes of cooking) and it was perfect.
5. Again, me and the whole "I need protein with my pasta" thing. I sautee'd up Keilbasa and served with it. Pretty good. Chicken or shrimp would have worked too.
6. The sauce. I was really afraid the heat from the pasta would scramble the egg/milk mixture in the bowl. But it didn't!! I drained the pasta and let it sit there for a second as I got out the bread and plated it. Then I poured the pasta/broccoli into the bowl and started mixing. Just like the directions say -- it turned into a creamy texture. I was really surprised and REALLY happy!
Penne alla Not-Ka
Penne Alla Not-Ka
From the show "Cook Yourself Thin"
http://www.mylifetime.com/on-tv/shows/cook-yourself-thin/recipes/penne-alla-not-ka
This is the low cal version of the dish "Penne alla Vodka" and let me tell you, it was GOOOOOOD. Not just "oh this is really good for being healthy" -- I mean GOOD! It was a little spicy but I loved that about it. The recipe calls for only a half a bag of pasta for 4 servings, which at first, I laughed and said, "That's how they got the calories so low -- you can have like 4 noodles each!" But surprisingly, this made enough for 3 people and 2 lunches. However, I also served garlic bread and a salad -- so that helped with the portion sizes too (and brought the enitre meal's calorie count up). This would be really good to make someone who's sick or something. A good "take to someone's house" dish.
Here's the recipe and then under it - I'll tell you my changes.
Serves 4
Calories per serving: 371
2 teaspoons olive oil, plus extra for serving
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup chopped red onion
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes or whole tomatoes in juice, pureed in a food processor
Pinch red pepper flakes
8 ounces penne
1/4 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons evaporated nonfat milk
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded fresh basil
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the penne.
2. In a large saucepan, heat the 2 teaspoons oil with the garlic over low heat until the garlic begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt, cover, and cook until the onion is softened, about 2 more minutes. Add the tomato, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat and simmer very gently 10 minutes. Stir in the cream and evaporated milk and simmer 1 more minute.
3. Meanwhile, after the sauce has cooked 5 minutes, add the penne to the boiling water and cook until just shy of al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup pasta water. Add the drained penne to the saucepan and simmer until the penne is al dente, 1 to 2 minutes, adding a little of the pasta cooking water if the mixture is dry. Stir in 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, along with the basil and black pepper.
4. To serve, divide pasta among 4 serving bowls. Drizzle each serving with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.
-----------------
I bascially follwed the recipe to a T. Here's a couple tips and changes that I made ( which also up'd the calorie count, do beware of that)
1. I LOVE garlic and the cloves I had were on the smaller side- so I used 5 cloves, not just 3. Which probably attributed to the spiciness.
2. I didn't measure out the onions - I just did a half a red onion and that was perfect.
3. Basil -- first off - USE FRESH BASIL. It's like $2 at the grocery store and makes ALLLLL the difference in dishes. Secondly, I didnt' measure out the basil either - I just picked 5 or 6 good size leaves and cut them up to add in. Reserve a little bit and garnish each dish with it at the end. The heat will brown the leaves a little when you add it to the pasta -- so some pretty green on top looks nice.
4. I have a wierd thing of just eating pasta without protein - so I added some grilled chicken. That was good but probably not even needed. The dish offered up a lot of flavor and the penne is pretty hearty, so next time I'm going to exnay the chicken.
From the show "Cook Yourself Thin"
http://www.mylifetime.com/on-tv/shows/cook-yourself-thin/recipes/penne-alla-not-ka
This is the low cal version of the dish "Penne alla Vodka" and let me tell you, it was GOOOOOOD. Not just "oh this is really good for being healthy" -- I mean GOOD! It was a little spicy but I loved that about it. The recipe calls for only a half a bag of pasta for 4 servings, which at first, I laughed and said, "That's how they got the calories so low -- you can have like 4 noodles each!" But surprisingly, this made enough for 3 people and 2 lunches. However, I also served garlic bread and a salad -- so that helped with the portion sizes too (and brought the enitre meal's calorie count up). This would be really good to make someone who's sick or something. A good "take to someone's house" dish.
Here's the recipe and then under it - I'll tell you my changes.
Serves 4
Calories per serving: 371
2 teaspoons olive oil, plus extra for serving
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup chopped red onion
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes or whole tomatoes in juice, pureed in a food processor
Pinch red pepper flakes
8 ounces penne
1/4 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons evaporated nonfat milk
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded fresh basil
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the penne.
2. In a large saucepan, heat the 2 teaspoons oil with the garlic over low heat until the garlic begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt, cover, and cook until the onion is softened, about 2 more minutes. Add the tomato, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat and simmer very gently 10 minutes. Stir in the cream and evaporated milk and simmer 1 more minute.
3. Meanwhile, after the sauce has cooked 5 minutes, add the penne to the boiling water and cook until just shy of al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup pasta water. Add the drained penne to the saucepan and simmer until the penne is al dente, 1 to 2 minutes, adding a little of the pasta cooking water if the mixture is dry. Stir in 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, along with the basil and black pepper.
4. To serve, divide pasta among 4 serving bowls. Drizzle each serving with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.
-----------------
I bascially follwed the recipe to a T. Here's a couple tips and changes that I made ( which also up'd the calorie count, do beware of that)
1. I LOVE garlic and the cloves I had were on the smaller side- so I used 5 cloves, not just 3. Which probably attributed to the spiciness.
2. I didn't measure out the onions - I just did a half a red onion and that was perfect.
3. Basil -- first off - USE FRESH BASIL. It's like $2 at the grocery store and makes ALLLLL the difference in dishes. Secondly, I didnt' measure out the basil either - I just picked 5 or 6 good size leaves and cut them up to add in. Reserve a little bit and garnish each dish with it at the end. The heat will brown the leaves a little when you add it to the pasta -- so some pretty green on top looks nice.
4. I have a wierd thing of just eating pasta without protein - so I added some grilled chicken. That was good but probably not even needed. The dish offered up a lot of flavor and the penne is pretty hearty, so next time I'm going to exnay the chicken.
Cook Yourself Thin
This is my newest obession -- Lifetime's show called "Cook Yourself Thin" -- I LOVE IT!
It's not really a new idea of cooking TV. Take one woman who wants to loose weight and 3 cute little, skinny chefs and show woman #1 how to loose a dress size in 6 weeks. Pretty Basic....... but I can't get enough.
This show reaffirms another "firm belief" that I have. Which is cooking doesn't have to be fattening. You don't have to use gobs of butter or fattening oils to make something taste good. That you can make simple changes to almost any dish to make it healthier and just as good. I just don't know all those tricks and LOVE that this show gives 'em to me! I'll be making a lot of their meals and letting you all know how I like 'em and what...most likely, changes I made to them.
It's not really a new idea of cooking TV. Take one woman who wants to loose weight and 3 cute little, skinny chefs and show woman #1 how to loose a dress size in 6 weeks. Pretty Basic....... but I can't get enough.
This show reaffirms another "firm belief" that I have. Which is cooking doesn't have to be fattening. You don't have to use gobs of butter or fattening oils to make something taste good. That you can make simple changes to almost any dish to make it healthier and just as good. I just don't know all those tricks and LOVE that this show gives 'em to me! I'll be making a lot of their meals and letting you all know how I like 'em and what...most likely, changes I made to them.
About Me and this Blog
So here's the scoop -- I have a passion for food. I love to cook and I love making all different kinds of recipes. The problem is that once the meal is done, I usually throw away the recipe just to think back several weeks or months later and say "What was that one dish??" So in hopes of actually repeating dishes that I like, I decided to make this blog to store all my favorite recipes - on online cookbook if you will. Really, this is just suppose to be for my reference only, but I recently realized that maybe some other people would like to try out other, new recipes too -- and if someone else has tried it first, they're more willing to take the plunge and whip out their sautee pan. So if that's you - be my guest in trying these recipes. Let me be the first to say though - I'm not this grand chef, I wouldn't even call myself a "cook". I'm just a girl who loves to make food for my family and friends (and myself!!) None of these recipes are my own and I always will try to give credit where credit is due.
I guess though, if other people are going to be reading this - I should say a little about me. So here we go.
I'm a (mainly) stay at home mom to wonderful little girl, Rylee, and an incredible husband, Darrin (or normally referred to as "D"). We've been married for almost 3 years (together for 8) and I can honestly say that I absolutely LOVE being his wife. I also love to cook and take the old fashion "honey can I make you something?" route. And good thing for me - D will eat just about anything if there's bread and it doesn't come from an MRE. So it works out on both our ends.
I have some firm beliefs when it comes to cooking.
1. I really believe that anyone can cook. I hate hearing people say "I can't cook" -- if you can follow a directions, you can cook. And if you can't - then please go and see my best friend who's a 3rd grade teacher. She may have some pointers for you. Eh...scratch that -- maybe even kindergarten.
2. I think that many people, in regards to the kitchen, are just scared of failing. That their dish won't turn out good or they'll poisen someone or whatever. Or, worse, that if they make a dish and it doesn't turn out good - then they'll never make that dish again. This is one area I am not. I dont' really mind thinking that I'll fail and kind of like the "thrill" of wondering how the dish will turn out. Sometimes, it's good - sometimes it's not so good and other times it's just plain BAD. But either way, chauk it up to a learning experience, give it to the dog, and order a pizza. You can try again tomorrow.
3. I also firmly believe that people are lazy, myself included. I won't normally make something that will take all day to cook (unless it's in a crockpot). Yea right. If I can't do it in an hour or less it's not hittin' my stove. Furthermore, I really like to try and make recipes that are easy to do and taste GOOD. The truth is - homemade food can be quick and easy and doesn't require a degree from Le Cordon Bleu. IT can also cost a lot less than going out to eat and be much healthier for you (although let's be honest, who doesn't like going out to eat?). But we're a lazy bunch of beings and many times don't want to make the effort to dirty some dishes or make a grocery list. But I say that's okay! And that a good meal doesn't have to require a lot of prep work.
These beliefs are another reason I'm making this blog. Because sometimes, just having someone else that has actually made the dish and can say "I did this" or "don't do that" or whatever takes the pressure off of someone. And if I can turn a "I can't cook-er" to a "hunny let me try out this new recipe for you!" -- then my job is done.
So take the plunge and join me in this fun, tasty ride in the kitchen. :)
I guess though, if other people are going to be reading this - I should say a little about me. So here we go.
I'm a (mainly) stay at home mom to wonderful little girl, Rylee, and an incredible husband, Darrin (or normally referred to as "D"). We've been married for almost 3 years (together for 8) and I can honestly say that I absolutely LOVE being his wife. I also love to cook and take the old fashion "honey can I make you something?" route. And good thing for me - D will eat just about anything if there's bread and it doesn't come from an MRE. So it works out on both our ends.
I have some firm beliefs when it comes to cooking.
1. I really believe that anyone can cook. I hate hearing people say "I can't cook" -- if you can follow a directions, you can cook. And if you can't - then please go and see my best friend who's a 3rd grade teacher. She may have some pointers for you. Eh...scratch that -- maybe even kindergarten.
2. I think that many people, in regards to the kitchen, are just scared of failing. That their dish won't turn out good or they'll poisen someone or whatever. Or, worse, that if they make a dish and it doesn't turn out good - then they'll never make that dish again. This is one area I am not. I dont' really mind thinking that I'll fail and kind of like the "thrill" of wondering how the dish will turn out. Sometimes, it's good - sometimes it's not so good and other times it's just plain BAD. But either way, chauk it up to a learning experience, give it to the dog, and order a pizza. You can try again tomorrow.
3. I also firmly believe that people are lazy, myself included. I won't normally make something that will take all day to cook (unless it's in a crockpot). Yea right. If I can't do it in an hour or less it's not hittin' my stove. Furthermore, I really like to try and make recipes that are easy to do and taste GOOD. The truth is - homemade food can be quick and easy and doesn't require a degree from Le Cordon Bleu. IT can also cost a lot less than going out to eat and be much healthier for you (although let's be honest, who doesn't like going out to eat?). But we're a lazy bunch of beings and many times don't want to make the effort to dirty some dishes or make a grocery list. But I say that's okay! And that a good meal doesn't have to require a lot of prep work.
These beliefs are another reason I'm making this blog. Because sometimes, just having someone else that has actually made the dish and can say "I did this" or "don't do that" or whatever takes the pressure off of someone. And if I can turn a "I can't cook-er" to a "hunny let me try out this new recipe for you!" -- then my job is done.
So take the plunge and join me in this fun, tasty ride in the kitchen. :)
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