Turning Up the Heat

I have decided to grab my culinary clumsiness by the spatula.  All my life I have been told that practice makes perfect (or at least gets you close), so practice is what I will do.

There are a number of dishes that I have been dying to make, but I just haven't had the confidence to do so.  Now that I've been doing more adult things, like paying bills, vacuuming and knitting, I've come across some sort of kitchen gumption and decided to cook for you all.  Not only that, but I have also decided to let you choose my fate.  Be nice.

The recipes I am most interested in attempting are:

White Chicken Pizza

Baked Mac and Cheese

Barbeque Chicken Rolls

  Bacon, Egg and Toast Cups

Tequila Lime Steak Fajitas

aaaaaand if there's something specific thing you want me to take a whack at, just let me know.  I'm up for anything.  All you have to do is vote (check the right side of the screen) on which one you would have more fun laughing about after I try to make it.  You have about a week to vote, so you better make it count!  Everybody loves a good disaster.  Don't forget to tell your friends -- they'll thank you later.



Photo credits to the following websites: www.mommiecooks.com, www.elephantine.typepad.com, www.canyoustayfordinner.com, www.marthastewart.com, www.ourlifeinthekitchen.com

Being A Better Betty Crocker

As I sit here slurping a freshly puréed mixture of blueberries and bananas (a recipe I am most definitely posting), I had the realization that I have been doing quite well with the process of domestication.  Then I had another realization; I've been doing so well because I spend my days knitting and making smoothies.  The only reason I have stepped foot into the kitchen in the past month is so that I can dump a couple of different fruits into a blender and press "on"...


I suddenly feel so defeated.  The thing is, does it look like I have a reason to cook for myself?

 That omelet is filled with mushrooms, prosciutto and cheese curds, for crying out loud.

Most kids gain weight when they're at school, but my problem is when I come home for the summer....

This is what I mean, though.  Both of my parents are chef-like and my older sister could have her own show on The Food Network.  I am determined to become a better cook.  From now on, I will try to do more in the kitchen; less snitching out of the frying pan and more learning.

Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.
Harriet Van Horne  

Best Smoothie Yet

1 banana

1 1/2 cups of blueberries

1 vanilla yogurt

1 strawberry yogurt

1 tsp of cinnamon

While this is all in the blender, add a drop of coconut flavoring and another drop of almond flavoring. My blueberries were frozen so I didn't use ice.

Makes two... if you like to share...

Wish me luck.  I know you'll be reading.

Welcome to My Kitchen

You are more than welcome to leave.  I decided to start in the kitchen because it is most definitely my weak spot.  I cannot cook to save my life, or the life of anyone else, for that matter.

Senior year of high school I tried a nice gesture for my friends by making them chocolate chocolate chip cookies.  I ended up melting half the spatula in a pot of chocolate chips and all my friends took bets on whose cookie would hold rubber fragments of "the spatula that was."  I have since recommended that my mother switch to silicone spatulas... If anyone else has had this problem, see this website:
http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodli.asp?Keywords=Silicone+Spatulas

Aside from melting spatulas, I have also been known to set microwaves on fire, hide the peanut butter in the fridge and burn everything.  I cannot tell wheat germ from flour or croissants from biscuits.  I am the ultimate kitchen disaster, which is why I decided to start my introduction with the kitchen slowly.

Today I am going through my mother's recipe box.  My return to college is approaching and this year I am living in an apartment with a full kitchen.  This means I must cook my own food. And survive.
I went through my professional chef of a mom's recipes to find:
A) Familiar things
B) Food I enjoy
C) Food I can actually make
I wasn't necessarily looking in that order, but those are the three big ones.

Once I found a recipe that sounded simple and enjoyable, I copied it onto a 3"x5" index card, slipped it into a box and voila, my very own recipe box!

Baby steps, people, baby steps.