COOKING
Everyone's gotta eat! And I looove making food. I'm not really fancy with my dishes. I mostly stick to easy, familiar (or easy to familiarize myself with) foods. I get creative and am always trying new recipes, but most of my food will have a homey feel and taste. I really love to eat fancier exotic foods and wines, but I much rather have those prepared for me.
I'm also a health nut and my daughter has a gluten allergy. So I really enjoy making healthy homemade comfort foods. I was raised in South Jersey and Philly, and around cultures that love food - Italian, Spanish, and Russian Jews. There was lots of bread, pasta, matzah ball soup, fish, bagels w/cream cheese and lox every weekend, cheesesteaks, and always eating out. I take what I was grown up around and put a healthy spin on it (and as gluten free as possible).
Both my mom and dad have had a knack for food. They've always worked with it, and loved cooking at home. My mom was a littler more health nutty and experimental. My dad loved the warm and fuzzy comfort foods. I didn't appreciate either of them and how well they worked with food until I was in my early 20s and had children of my own. Now, every Thanksgiving, I think back to when my dad tried to teach me how to make the turkey. I followed along, but half-assed it. And now that I'm so infatuatingly in love with my crockpot, I often think back to when I'd come home to the crockpot dinners my dad would make. The house always smelled SO good and of course it tasted even better! I sure do miss the days.... and I wish I had said "thank you" much more. Cooking for my family now is my way of saying thank you, how's that?
So, yes, I'm a crockpot mom. I have no shame in preparing a meal 6-8 hours in advance and letting it sit all day, with no other thought about it and then running errands, going to soccer/boxing/work, and being able to then feed my family a completely homemade meal. By 6pm, I feel like a fairy godmother came down and whipped up a delicious meal while I was out doing stuff all day.
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BAKING
~ Kai and Me baking her a chocolate gluten-free birthday cake ~
Cakes, pies, muffins oh my! We love to bake in this house. There are 2 main baking items that I have special recipes for and everyone can't wait for holiday season, because that's when I begin to make them A LOT!
The Apple Pie
and
The Cookies
This year, I decided to sell cookies for the holidays. Not like a mass or even small independently owned bakery sell them thing. Just to a few people I know. I'd love for people who enjoy them to be able to share them with their families. You know how on Christmas Eve, people run to the only grocery store or gas station that's opened and find a box of stale premade cookies to bring to dinner? Well now you don't have to do that. I'll make you some homemade with love incredibly yummy pixie dust chocolate chip cookes and everyone will love you.
I'll add a "For Sale" tab that will have all kinds of information.
Stick around and you'll get to see some things we make for dinner, new recipes we're trying, and of course I'll post pix.
My advice when it comes to cooking/baking:
~Never be afraid to try something new.
~Read all directions (and reviews!!) to a recipe BEFORE beginning - heck, before even shopping for the ingredients!
~Research how to make it healthier if it's not already a "healthy" recipe. Things like substituting applesauce for oil/butter, different veggies or fruits you can sneak in, etc.
~If you mess something up or something doesn't taste right the first time you make it, try to figure out wether it's just a dish you and your family don't like or if there's something you could change. Maybe ommiting ONE seasoning could end up being the key to success!
~Use your crockpot!! Go to THIS BLOG anytime you need a recipe. Using your crockpot allows you to make a meal when you have available time, and you can double up on a recipe and freeze some!
