1.) Not get pregnant
2.) Learn to cook
Those are the two that I actually remember. These were the 2 that I really took to heart and have tried to keep.
You might think the first one is kind of silly... or even a joke.. but it's not! It's a very serious thing! :) I realized the other day that this is the longest I have ever gone not pregnant since Jordan and I got married!!! I'm not gonna lie- I'm very happy that it's been almost a full year of having my body at a normal size! Now as soon as Gabriella is done nursing I will be completely free!!!
Now the second thing is also very serious! I've always wanted to be a good cook. My biggest challenge is being willing to try new things. I hate when you want to try a meal and you go out and buy all the food for it and it doesn't turn out right... or maybe you burn it and end up throwing it away. It's never a good feeling when you fail at something. Luckily for me, I was blessed with a husband (and kids) who don't mind eating food that is less than desirable.
My first few times ever cooking chicken I made Jordan completely sick!!! I made chicken enchiladas and didn't realize that you're supposed to COOK the chicken before you roll it up in the tortilla and put it in the oven.... yeah, not good! The next time I cooked it on a skillet and I'm pretty sure I didn't cook it very long because I thought it would finish cooking in the oven. By the third time Jordan asked me not to make him chicken enchiladas anymore. While we were in Guatemala I learned that browning beef is very easy and I am capable of doing it. I also learned boiling chicken is pretty easy as well!!! So if there is one thing I should probably work on, it's cooking meat.
I have a terrible habit of getting into a rut of always making the same thing, week after week after week. I have a hard time being creative and breaking out of the "norm". We eat a lot of pasta.. spaghetti, alfredo, and vodka sauce. Other stuff we eat/ate a lot is lasagna and shepherd's pie. Yep... pretty boring.
So this year, I broke out of that rut. Some of things I made were; taco soup, actual tacos, hamburgers, manicotti, chile rellenos, rice and peas, Mexican chicken casserole, cornbread corn casserole, chicken and rice casserole, homemade mac and cheese, stir fry, black bean soup, vegetarian chili and pot roast! Some of these turned out better than others and some I've only made once or twice. I'm pretty proud of myself for trying new things and experimenting and learning.
One website that I used A LOT is allrecipes.com
I've found that I really enjoy baking. Cookies are probably my favorite, as well as Jayden's! I've been a vegetarian for 12 years and there's one thing that has been consistent my whole life.. I love sweets!!! We eat dessert probably 6 out 7 times a week. Since I don't want to sit around and become a cow, I pass my "goodies" on to my great neighbors.
So what are some of your favorite recipes?? Please, pass them along!!!! The year is NOT over yet and I since the holidays are coming up I'm going to need some delicious dishes to share with family and friends!
Everything you just said is my favorite thing to do EVERY DAY! Hahaha...I love Nacho Libre. No but seriously you sound just how I feel. Stuck in a rut, not creative, cooking the same things week after week. That's me!
ReplyDeleteOne website that I love SO much is kraftfoods.com. Almost every recipe is SUPER simple and the simpler the recipe, the harder it is to mess up. That's why I love it. :) It's really helped me to try some new recipes.
I collect recipes off of everything! And allrecipes.com has become a favorite of mine too as well Betty Crocker's old original cookbook. She taught me how to make an omelet (easier said than done). The best way to learn to cook is to experiment, which I was forced to do in England, so you're right on. Good job on not getting pregnant with Baby #3!
ReplyDeleteI feel you.
ReplyDeleteAlex and I were talking this weekend and I was telling him that I basically know how to make one dish (chicken and rice) about five different ways, and that's it. Ugh, it's terrible! lol. Alex is much more creative in the kitchen..but when he works late most nights I have to cook dinner.
I want to get better too..buuut I also really hate cooking, so..we'll see. ;-)
I was in the same rut as you. I have a good friend who is a chef so it was worst when she would talk about what she made for dinner. She help me by making a menu for our family. I have about 20 meals now that I can make and know to shop for witch makes it cheaper when there are deals. Sundays our my new days where I try something new and everyone knows, if it turns out good and EASY then I put into the menu. I have made a cookbook of the menu items and it is so easy now. Michael is like your family he eats anything and he is just blessed for what we have. I have dinner down now it is lunch that is so hard and so boring.
ReplyDeleteHaha, I was just telling my husband that I noticed myself in a cooking rut too! It was either quiche or grilled chicken ALL the time. Starting to get out of my rut now though...
ReplyDeleteGood job on cooking new things!