One Part Inspiration...

 Lacking inspiration, and with a time crunch looming, I wander around the house hoping that by some miracle, I will look at the stove and find something cooking itself.  No luck. I open the pantry and peer in at the recipe books.   I have quite a few to choose from, but since not one of them rips a page from themselves to give me tonight's menu, I close the door again with a sigh.   What to do, what to do?  I consider taking a page from my daughter's trick book.   She looks up recipes online, using her phone. Then she multi-tasks.  She talks on the phone, using a headphone, while following the recipe she's found at "Recipes R Us".  Uploading a recipe on my phone may take more time than I have.  I need something faster  than 3 GB can offer me.  My husband has just phoned to say he is on his way home.  I have about twenty minutes to roll out a meal.  ...

What do you think of when you hear the word 'Valentine's'? I think of sugar cookies. It is one of two times a year I make them. This is a time-consuming job because it requires making the dough and rolling it out, and then cutting it out, and then salvaging the leftover dough to roll it out again. You get the (flour) drift. So I usually save this activity for Christmas and Valentine's. It is a random activity, so I doubt my family even knows that is my M.O. They love the cookies, but there's no sense in raising their hopes by making it a regular occurence. This year, I scored big, by finding two cookie cutters at 50 cents each. I couldn't help myself. It sure beat crawling into our storage area and trying to find the other ones in my collection. When the kids were small, I made an even of sugar cookies. I had a big collection of cookie cutters and let them cut out the cookies, while I tried to keep ahead of them by rolling, and rescuing the dough from going in...

I had a stroke of brilliance the other night. I wandered around the grocery store, after work, when I was already tired and I came up with the most innovative meal EVER! Usually, when I am trying to get a 'meal in a hurry', I default to the frozen section and see what I could fake my family into believing that is really homemade. This meal I designed, was so good, I didn't have a chance to take a picture of it before we gobbled it up, but for those of you who are 'auditory' learners, read the instructions out loud, and try and imagine how good this was.. and how easy, and fast. I present: TACOJOES . (even named it myself). [The ingredients, in case you are dazzled by this recipe, and want to try it at home (kids), are numbered.] The grocery store had those new 'flat' hamburger buns (#1). They are almost like an English muffin, only bigger and flatter. Not exactly as shown, but for the 'visual' learners among you, they will help you appreciate ...

Wendy:" Welcome to Wendy's, may I take your order? " Me:" I would like to order four meals". Wendy:" You'd like a number four meal? " Me: ( wondering what word would make it more clea r) "No, I want four meals " Wendy: " You want four number one meals? " Me: "Never mind. I will order now. I would like a cheeseburger meal combo, with root beer to drink, no ice." Wendy: " You want to make it a combo ?" Me: ( I thought I said that...oh, well.. .) "Yes. And no ice in the root beer." Wendy: " Will that be all ?" Me: "No I would like to order another meal." Wendy: "You would like to have more?" Me:" Yes. I would like a junior cheeseburger meal combo, with an extra cheeseburger." Wendy: " Would you like to make it a combo ?" Me: ( again, thinking I'd said that already, but not wanting to make an issue of it.. .) "Yes...and the drink is a root...

Today, studio audience, I am going to show you how to save time, save face, and stretch your dollars on dinner. I like this product. It fits my criteria for a meal I can serve in a hurry. It is delicious and quick and easy to prepare. The ingredients are good - it has protein, carbs and veggies, - and the sauce is really yummy. I found it earlier in the year, when my family was away more than they were at home. Served for two, it goes a long way. Served to voracious consumers of food (kids ), it doesn't go very far at all. And to buy two or more packages to serve the family is cost-prohibitive. So I haven't served it since the summer. Still, last night, as I was coming home - knowing I was the last to arrive there - and knowing I only had only half an hour from the time I arrived until I had to be out the door again, the ease of preparation appealed to me.... I knew two things: Time was of the essence and every one was hungry. I rose to the challenge. I took out two ...

This is a project I started more than a year ago. When we got married, my mother-in-law-to-be gave me this small binder. In it, she had transcribed recipes which she used in her kitchen. I thought it was the best gift. Very personal. She had dividers in it to categorize the recipes. I have used it often, and transcribed my own recipes into it. Well, I have to say, that some of the recipes I only used once or twice, but still, the book became one of my 'go-to' books when I was trying to come up with something that had a vague resemblance to a meal or a dessert. The book has begun to show signs of wear though, especially in the past two or three years (cookie dough being dropped on it, writing smudged from thumbing through it). The size and the shape of this binder also meant I had to put it into the shelf sideways to get it in. Although I'm not obsessive-compulsive, I did notice it every time I tried to put it into the shelf, that I had to turn it. I have a couple of other b...

I was taught not to apologize for my cooking. I was told that it is disheartening to the guests at the dinner table when someone compliments the cook only to hear her/him say "Well, the roast is a little tough", or "I left the cake in too long". I have come to the point where I figure if people are willing to applaud my efforts, I'm willing to take the compliment. So I generally try not to make a disparaging comment in return. It's not that I don't know the roast is a little tough, or the cake has some rather brown corners. I'm committed to"faking it until I make it". Sometimes though, I am unable to mask my deficiencies in cooking and baking. I have definitely had my share of cooking disasters. Some of them I've released to the big baking rack in the sky before anyone saw them. Others have been left out to inflict on unsuspecting family members and guests. No use wasting food! Here are some that I don't mind sharing publicly : I w...

Say you opened up your email and saw that your son's drama coach was asking for help with intermission snacks for the crew. Say you decided to email back and commit to making snacks for them for one night. Beware dear reader. This decision will alter at least half of your day. Let me share my experience and you will see why. It all began with a http://www.tadalists.com/ reminder I was on tap to make snacks for the dress rehearsal. I wondered to myself if I had any chocolate chips left. Chocolate chip cookies and spaghetti are two things I know how to pull out of my cook's hat. So off I wandered to the kitchen to find chocolate chips. Only to be confronted by what I had been denying for a long time. My baking/spice cupboards were a mess. I had little bits of this and that in bags (which I hate) as well as odds and ends of drink mixes, spices, etc. So I took the plunge. I pulled everything out. It was amazing what I found. Anyone need some vanilla pudding mixes? Ice cream cones?...