I hear so many people (mostly moms) talk about how they wish they just enjoyed cooking more. I get it- it is the end of the day, we are tired, we can hardly form a sentence. The last thing you feel like you have energy for is a beautiful dinner. And let's be honest, that's why most of us turn to something unhealthy in that moment. Because unhealthy = quick and easy. When I am exhausted my first thought is, "Yum, Mexican food."
So here are a few of my suggestions, must haves, tips, whatever you want to call them, for falling in love with cooking. I will post one new suggestion in each blog over the next couple of weeks. Also, stay tuned for my go-to favorite recipes.
-Set the Atmosphere-
You will never, and I mean never, walk into my home at dinnertime and find me cooking without French music playing. About 50% of the time, I will have a glass of wine poured that I sip on as I prepare my dishes. I have so many friends who don’t like to cook. Part of my goal is to help you! The first way to become a good cook is to figure out the best ways to ENJOY cooking! I believe the key “ingredient” to that, is creating a beautiful and peaceful atmosphere in which to do your cooking. I can genuinely say that I look forward to cooking 99.9% of the time, ok maybe 99.8% of the time. It is rejuvenating, peaceful, creative, enjoyable, and fabulous thinking time. And when I present whatever amazing dish I have created, I feel so proud, so fulfilled, and so excited to eat! If you are a friend of mine, you will often hear me shamelessly compliment my own dishes! You know what? If you are a great cook, you know you are! And there is no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy every bite as much as the person that you have prepared the food for is enjoying it! I will sometimes be so excited about what I have cooked, that Luke laughs and tells me I am embarrassing him and to get a hold of myself!! He is just kidding though, he loves that I can cook, and he fully delights in the rewards of it!
In the next several blogs, I will share my tips on beginning the journey down the delightful road of enjoying/learning to cook!
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
New Font
Just wanted to let you all know (whoever of you are partaking in the blog) - I changed my font. My dear family, who cannot for the life of them NOT give their opinion, even when I kindly ask them to just keep it to themselves, went ahead to inform me that the font on my blog was "laborious" I believe was the word that they used. Actually, even though I am kind of kidding (not about my family giving their opinions) I actually went back and read through my blog, and after giving myself a headache, I realized, the font was a little difficult.
So, enjoy the new font, hope it makes it a little easier on your eyes. Oh gosh-are we getting old?
So, enjoy the new font, hope it makes it a little easier on your eyes. Oh gosh-are we getting old?
Monday, October 21, 2013
Luke's Spaghetti Meat Sauce
I promised I would share my home made marinara sauce. It truly is the simplest dish, yet I have never made it for anyone without getting compliment after compliment! Try it out and wow your honey tonight! I call it Luke's sauce because it was one of the first dinner's I attempted to make for him when we were married. My original recipe came from a jar...it took me a few years to figure out this one, and I have never strayed from it.
Luke's Spaghetti Meat Sauce
1 1b. lean beef
1 medium sized onion (sometimes, I am not in the mood for the onion and leave it out) Great both ways
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of fresh basil
salt and pepper
1/4-1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes (if you are nervous about the spice, omit or add just a sprinkle)
2 - 28 oz cans of Crushed tomatoes
1/4 - 1/2 cup of red wine (use a wine that you would drink)
Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauce pan or skillet.
Brown the meat. When the meat is browned and cooked through- drain and set aside
In the same pan reheat a few more tablespoons of olive oil. Saute the onion for about 2 minutes, then add the garlic. Sprinkle of salt and pepper.
After the onion and garlic have cooked for a few minutes, add the meat back to the pan. Another sprinkle of salt and pepper, and crushed red pepper. Pour in both cans of crushed tomatoes, chop of 1/2 of your basil (leave the rest for the end) and add 1/2 cup of red wine.
***Moms- At this time, grab a wine glass and also pour yourself a cup. It makes the cooking more pleasant and relaxes you at the end of your busy day. If it is the morning and you are preparing the sauce for dinner that night...well maybe hold off on the wine and have a nice cup of coffee. :)
If it is late in the afternoon and you are beginning the dish, there is no shame in an afternoon glass of wine!
Bring sauce to a gentle boil and immediately turn down to medium low and cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes - 1 hour. I believe this is one of the secrets to a great sauce! Let it cook for a long time.
Before serving, chop up the rest of your fresh basil and toss it in. It brings a freshness back to your dish. (add as much as you want, you can't go wrong here) Salt and pepper if needed.
* If you don't have fresh basil, then add about 2-3 Tbls. of dried basil when you are sauteing the onion and garlic.
I learned from a chef that when using dry herbs, toss them in with the other ingredients that you are sauteing...it wakes them up!
Serve over your favorite whole wheat or whole grain pasta, or gluten free pasta if needed.
I love to serve Spaghetti over Angel Hair pasta, it tends to keep it a little lighter and you don't feel horribly heavy after eating it.
I also serve it with Whole Wheat Penne pasta as well. (honestly-I use whatever is in my pantry)
Enjoy!
Luke's Spaghetti Meat Sauce
1 1b. lean beef
1 medium sized onion (sometimes, I am not in the mood for the onion and leave it out) Great both ways
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of fresh basil
salt and pepper
1/4-1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes (if you are nervous about the spice, omit or add just a sprinkle)
2 - 28 oz cans of Crushed tomatoes
1/4 - 1/2 cup of red wine (use a wine that you would drink)
Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauce pan or skillet.
Brown the meat. When the meat is browned and cooked through- drain and set aside
In the same pan reheat a few more tablespoons of olive oil. Saute the onion for about 2 minutes, then add the garlic. Sprinkle of salt and pepper.
After the onion and garlic have cooked for a few minutes, add the meat back to the pan. Another sprinkle of salt and pepper, and crushed red pepper. Pour in both cans of crushed tomatoes, chop of 1/2 of your basil (leave the rest for the end) and add 1/2 cup of red wine.
***Moms- At this time, grab a wine glass and also pour yourself a cup. It makes the cooking more pleasant and relaxes you at the end of your busy day. If it is the morning and you are preparing the sauce for dinner that night...well maybe hold off on the wine and have a nice cup of coffee. :)
If it is late in the afternoon and you are beginning the dish, there is no shame in an afternoon glass of wine!
Bring sauce to a gentle boil and immediately turn down to medium low and cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes - 1 hour. I believe this is one of the secrets to a great sauce! Let it cook for a long time.
Before serving, chop up the rest of your fresh basil and toss it in. It brings a freshness back to your dish. (add as much as you want, you can't go wrong here) Salt and pepper if needed.
* If you don't have fresh basil, then add about 2-3 Tbls. of dried basil when you are sauteing the onion and garlic.
I learned from a chef that when using dry herbs, toss them in with the other ingredients that you are sauteing...it wakes them up!
Serve over your favorite whole wheat or whole grain pasta, or gluten free pasta if needed.
I love to serve Spaghetti over Angel Hair pasta, it tends to keep it a little lighter and you don't feel horribly heavy after eating it.
I also serve it with Whole Wheat Penne pasta as well. (honestly-I use whatever is in my pantry)
Enjoy!
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Having Children = Having Adult ADD
In my last post (My Journey in the Kitchen-Thank you Martha) I had every intention of sharing my Marinara recipe at the end of the blog. Instead, I reached the end and happily posted it right away. The main point I wanted to share in that particular post was my recipe, and that was completely forgotten. Adult ADD- I blame my children.
I can honestly say, there are times I wonder if I have adult ADD due to the absolute nuttiness of a house with children in it. They wake up talking, they go to bed talking. Silence? I have no idea what that sounds like anymore. My son has my gift of talking, he never stops. I believe his talking has actually somewhat cured my urge to talk....because I don't have a chance anymore. I literally find myself competing with Jonah at times to tell Luke a story. Then I realize what is happening, and I actually feel embarrassed that I was trying to outtalk my 3 1/2 yr. old.
Adult ADD. All moms know EXACTLY what I am talking about when I say "pregnancy brain." I cannot explain it, but you literally can't think straight when your entire body is working to build a human being. It is exhausting!! While pregnant with my first child, Jonah, I unloaded groceries 2 different times and could not find the fresh milk the next day that I knew that I had bought the previous day. Where was it? Always found a day later in my baking dish cabinet....and yes, I said 2 different times, it didn't happen once, it happened twice. Fresh milk (now not so fresh) stored safe and sound in my baking dish cabinet. Another time, I could not find for the life of me the leftovers to an amazing dinner I had cooked the night before? Where did I finally find it? Yes, that's right, in the drawer below my oven. Spoiled....again. This is pregnancy brain. My best friend stared me straight in the face during my second pregnancy and said, "I love you so much, but I have never seen you dumber." The sad part? The pregnancy brain does not go away once you have your baby. It then just morphs itself into Adult ADD. If you are a mom and you cannot relate to what I am talking about, and thinking, "I never feel like I can't focus around my kids. I never feel like my head is floating off my body." So sorry, but I am pretty sure I would say you are lying...and if you were one of my friends and said you could not relate to this. Well then, I would most likely have to phase you out, because I would simply not understand you.
So all to say, I was looking forward to posting my recipe, and then totally forgot and blissfully pushed the "publish" button. Yes, this was the same day that I actually almost took my dog's heart worm pill. You read correctly my friend, I found my dog's heart worm pills (while organizing my pantry-mind you, I did not set out to organize. I put something up, saw some misplaced objects, and began organizing-Adult ADD) and thought, "oh my gosh, poor Sully, I must give him one." I opened the tablet tossed the pill in my OWN mouth and reached for my water glass. As the cup reached my lips, I realized what I had done, screamed, and spit the pill out. That's right folks, no lie, I almost took my Yorkie's heart worm pill. In my entire life of owning dogs, this has never happened once. I blame my kids.
My recipe for home made marinara (spaghetti sauce) will be posted this week. So stay tuned!!! (If you have the capability).
I can honestly say, there are times I wonder if I have adult ADD due to the absolute nuttiness of a house with children in it. They wake up talking, they go to bed talking. Silence? I have no idea what that sounds like anymore. My son has my gift of talking, he never stops. I believe his talking has actually somewhat cured my urge to talk....because I don't have a chance anymore. I literally find myself competing with Jonah at times to tell Luke a story. Then I realize what is happening, and I actually feel embarrassed that I was trying to outtalk my 3 1/2 yr. old.
Adult ADD. All moms know EXACTLY what I am talking about when I say "pregnancy brain." I cannot explain it, but you literally can't think straight when your entire body is working to build a human being. It is exhausting!! While pregnant with my first child, Jonah, I unloaded groceries 2 different times and could not find the fresh milk the next day that I knew that I had bought the previous day. Where was it? Always found a day later in my baking dish cabinet....and yes, I said 2 different times, it didn't happen once, it happened twice. Fresh milk (now not so fresh) stored safe and sound in my baking dish cabinet. Another time, I could not find for the life of me the leftovers to an amazing dinner I had cooked the night before? Where did I finally find it? Yes, that's right, in the drawer below my oven. Spoiled....again. This is pregnancy brain. My best friend stared me straight in the face during my second pregnancy and said, "I love you so much, but I have never seen you dumber." The sad part? The pregnancy brain does not go away once you have your baby. It then just morphs itself into Adult ADD. If you are a mom and you cannot relate to what I am talking about, and thinking, "I never feel like I can't focus around my kids. I never feel like my head is floating off my body." So sorry, but I am pretty sure I would say you are lying...and if you were one of my friends and said you could not relate to this. Well then, I would most likely have to phase you out, because I would simply not understand you.
So all to say, I was looking forward to posting my recipe, and then totally forgot and blissfully pushed the "publish" button. Yes, this was the same day that I actually almost took my dog's heart worm pill. You read correctly my friend, I found my dog's heart worm pills (while organizing my pantry-mind you, I did not set out to organize. I put something up, saw some misplaced objects, and began organizing-Adult ADD) and thought, "oh my gosh, poor Sully, I must give him one." I opened the tablet tossed the pill in my OWN mouth and reached for my water glass. As the cup reached my lips, I realized what I had done, screamed, and spit the pill out. That's right folks, no lie, I almost took my Yorkie's heart worm pill. In my entire life of owning dogs, this has never happened once. I blame my kids.
My recipe for home made marinara (spaghetti sauce) will be posted this week. So stay tuned!!! (If you have the capability).
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
My Journey in the Kitchen-Thank you Martha
I never enjoyed cooking when I was younger. Wait, I take that back, my best friend, Anna and I always made "no bake" chocolate oatmeal cookies (or as we called them, "doo doo" coookies-sounds yummy huh?) And that was the extent of my cooking skills, we literally made cookies you didn't have to bake. My mom is a great cook (when she actually takes the time to care about it). Growing up in a small town in Arkansas, I can remember being the only one I knew in my world that had salads with goat cheese, and cranberries, and almonds in it. Sure this is the normal salad now, but not 20 years ago in Arkansas. My mom has always been a great and very healthy cook-she is terrible, and I mean terrible at desserts. My older sister always had a flare for great cooking. She helped my mother in the kitchen most every night. After high school she spent a few months in Europe and the Canary Islands with a missionary team. The entire time she was in the Canary Islands, her assignment was to help in the kitchen with the cooks. So, she learned amazing things there, and I remember her coming home and being all the more interested in cooking beautiful dishes that tasted as great as they looked.
So, my job at dinner time in the Swift home was setting the table. Man, I sure can set one beautiful table! My mom tried several times to include me in the cooking-however, I ALWAYS burned the garlic bread, and the one time she called me and asked me to start the baked potatoes in the oven, I burned them as well. So, I was only asked to fill the ice water glasses, set the table, and light the candles in preparation for our family dinners. I didn't like cooking, I wasn't interested, and I wasn't good at it.
Then I got married.
I married Luke when I was 22. He is the love of my life and the man of my dreams, so of course, I wanted to bless him with beautiful dinners. I remember one of the first meals I cooked for him in our small apartment in Kansas City. His favorite food is Italian, so I attempted to make a simple Spaghetti.
I opened the jar, poured it into the pot, sprinkled some salt, pepper, and garlic powder, brought it to a boil (I would have simmered it, but I didn't know what that meant at the time) removed it from the heat, and poured it over the overcooked noodles. We had no table at the time, so we sat on the floor and enjoyed our first pasta dinner in our new home. He loved it, thankfully, and I thought it was pretty good myself. I remember that I actually bought a very nice sauce in a jar--it wasn't Ragu, so it turned out somewhat decent. Now I look back on that and think "gross". But hey- you gotta start somewhere. I will never forget that meal-it was precious and we were so happy to be married. So now every time we move (we have moved 5 times since that first apartment) I always make our first meal in our new home Spaghetti. Thank God, my recipe these days is much better-and it doesn't come from a jar.
So, how did I get interested in becoming a good cook? Honestly, I loved Luke, and I wanted to cook great dinners for him. He was my first inspiration. My second inspiration- Martha Stewart. I know that sounds so cliche, but it is the truth. I began watching The Martha Stewart show (before she went to prison and had her home shows-not her talk shows with an audience) most days at 2pm. She would have a craft segment, a gardening segment, and a cooking segment. I was totally inspired by her. And slowly but surely, every dish she prepared, I would think, "I can do that." That dish would become our dinner that night. I had some major flops, but most of the dishes I would copy from Martha, I was able to pull off fairly decent. Each night I would place my beautiful dish on the table in front of Luke, I was so excited, so proud of myself, and totally inspired to keep on impressing Luke with my skills! In learning how to cook, there were also hundreds of calls to my mother and sister....hundreds. My journey through recipes and cook books began, I subscribed to the Martha Stewart Living, and began reading and believing I could do anything if I just tried.
Cooking has become a moment of creativity and clarity in my busy days. As dramatic as it sounds, it helps center me at the end of the day. I have learned to make it a moment of peace in my crazy days as a wife and mother. I know that seems impossible when you are a mom, but in the next few blogs, I will share some of my secrets that will hopefully make you fall in love with cooking!
My most recent monthly issue of Martha Stewart Living to add to my collection.
So, my job at dinner time in the Swift home was setting the table. Man, I sure can set one beautiful table! My mom tried several times to include me in the cooking-however, I ALWAYS burned the garlic bread, and the one time she called me and asked me to start the baked potatoes in the oven, I burned them as well. So, I was only asked to fill the ice water glasses, set the table, and light the candles in preparation for our family dinners. I didn't like cooking, I wasn't interested, and I wasn't good at it.
Then I got married.
I married Luke when I was 22. He is the love of my life and the man of my dreams, so of course, I wanted to bless him with beautiful dinners. I remember one of the first meals I cooked for him in our small apartment in Kansas City. His favorite food is Italian, so I attempted to make a simple Spaghetti.
I opened the jar, poured it into the pot, sprinkled some salt, pepper, and garlic powder, brought it to a boil (I would have simmered it, but I didn't know what that meant at the time) removed it from the heat, and poured it over the overcooked noodles. We had no table at the time, so we sat on the floor and enjoyed our first pasta dinner in our new home. He loved it, thankfully, and I thought it was pretty good myself. I remember that I actually bought a very nice sauce in a jar--it wasn't Ragu, so it turned out somewhat decent. Now I look back on that and think "gross". But hey- you gotta start somewhere. I will never forget that meal-it was precious and we were so happy to be married. So now every time we move (we have moved 5 times since that first apartment) I always make our first meal in our new home Spaghetti. Thank God, my recipe these days is much better-and it doesn't come from a jar.
So, how did I get interested in becoming a good cook? Honestly, I loved Luke, and I wanted to cook great dinners for him. He was my first inspiration. My second inspiration- Martha Stewart. I know that sounds so cliche, but it is the truth. I began watching The Martha Stewart show (before she went to prison and had her home shows-not her talk shows with an audience) most days at 2pm. She would have a craft segment, a gardening segment, and a cooking segment. I was totally inspired by her. And slowly but surely, every dish she prepared, I would think, "I can do that." That dish would become our dinner that night. I had some major flops, but most of the dishes I would copy from Martha, I was able to pull off fairly decent. Each night I would place my beautiful dish on the table in front of Luke, I was so excited, so proud of myself, and totally inspired to keep on impressing Luke with my skills! In learning how to cook, there were also hundreds of calls to my mother and sister....hundreds. My journey through recipes and cook books began, I subscribed to the Martha Stewart Living, and began reading and believing I could do anything if I just tried.
Cooking has become a moment of creativity and clarity in my busy days. As dramatic as it sounds, it helps center me at the end of the day. I have learned to make it a moment of peace in my crazy days as a wife and mother. I know that seems impossible when you are a mom, but in the next few blogs, I will share some of my secrets that will hopefully make you fall in love with cooking!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)