Calling All Chefs

I've mentioned before that I am a good cook. I'm pretty sure, if I was honest lol, that I've mentioned I tend to be timid in the kitchen. Cooking new dishes can overwhelm me until I get the hang of it. So here's my dilema. I bravely got spareribs, which I've never made, and am ready to try something new. Here's were you come in! I want to hear your recipes! Please, help me out!

Fall

I love fall but we seem to have skipped it this year. At least fall weather. It seems like it went straight from summer to winter. And with 4 kids in 5 sports? Time just flew! I can't believe it's November and that Thanksgiving is just around the corner. It just seems the older I get, the faster time flies. It's my least favorite part of aging I think.

Anyway, I HATE the cold weather outside and, as my friends will tell you, I am a total snow grinch but I DO love cold weather cooking and making the house as cozy as I can. I'm so excited for lasagna, roast, and all the other great meals cold weather brings. Of course, I'll be ready for grilling by the time it's all over lol.

Nemesis Conquered

For anyone who knows me it's no surprize that I like to cook. And ya, I'm pretty good. I'm not nearly as good as several women in my family and a couple of my foodie friends but, in general, I'm proud of my cooking. I have, though, never mastered the simple meatloaf. Most of the time it tastes good but crumbles into bits. It's been dry a time or two. I could just never get it right. Until last night. Holy wow. The taste? Spot on. It was moist. IT DIDN'T FALL APART!!! And oh my word the gravy. The best I ever made. I sat and ate it by itself by the spoonful. EVERYONE liked it. Mission finally accomplished. I have defeated the mighty meatloaf!!!!!

PS: I didn't measure so I can't give a recipe per se. I can say I put ketchup, oregano, an egg, bread crumbs, oatmeal, and parmesan cheese in it. I'm too much like my mom and I never measure unless I'm baking. I'll probably never be able to do it again! LOL.

Another Give Away

You might want to check this out if you're on a tight budget! The author/blogger is giving away copies of her cookbook "The Five Dollar Mom Cookbook."

Cooking Part 2

I guess it's my lack of self-confidence when it comes to cooking that causes me to be leery of trying to make a dish I've never made before. It doesn't seem to matter how easy I'm told it is to make. Tonight? I was making sloppy joes for six of us (B was here) and I FORGOT to buy the sauce. I dug in and made a quick homemade version for the first time ever and it was a major hit with all of us. Sometimes the simplest things make me proud and happy lol.

Cooking

I mentioned before that I LOVE food. I've always loved to eat and most of my family are great cooks. For the longest time I thought the cooking "gene" had skipped me lol. When I was a nanny and then living on my own I had three or four staples I made but I didn't cook much. Tuna noodle casserole and green bean casserole were my go to "dishes to pass" when I needed one. I still use them to a point. I made lasagna and eggplant parm for the last family I nannied for on occasion. It wasn't until I had all 4 boys that I really settled down to cooking on a regular basis. LOL Cory, Ty, and I ate a lot of processed food and Mc'Ds before Jay and Logan arrived. The more cooking I did, of course, the better I got. I really enjoy cooking, especially now that Cory has taken an interest and cooks with me quite often. And I enjoy the process, the food itself, and even the occasional compliment or thank you from the boys! It adds a whole new dimension to enjoying the food I'm eating.

Stuffed French Toast

Many of my friends and family are "foodies" and along with that, great cooks. It's been a saying in my family for as long as I can remember that "Some people eat to live, we live to eat!" So as you can imagine we exchange recipes and ideas a lot. I especially enjoy doing this with my friends Renee, Camille, and Kathy. Well, I'm a good cook but still a relative newbie as I didn't cook much until I had the boys. That means they do most of the sharing of recipes lol. Anyway, for lunch today I made a stuffed french toast that Renee told me how to make. Well, it's not so much a recipe if you already know how to make french toast as it is an idea to take it to the next level. It's actually quite easy but we all thought it was to die for!

First, make your basic egg mixture to dip the toast in. (Eggs, milk/cream, and I add in some vanilla and cinnamon.)

Take two slices of whatever bread you're using and spread cream cheese on one slice and jam on the other. Renee suggested raspberry, which I LOVE, but I used strawberry due to some pickiness here hehehe. Anyway, put the slices of bread together like you were making a sandwich.

Dip the "sandwich" in the egg mixture and heat in a pan on the stove like you would regular french toast. It all melts together and sticks in one piece like a grilled cheese. Top with syrup or powdered sugar if desired.

It was SOOOOO good and so easy. If you make this, enjoy! And thanks Renee!