bareblueskin: On your left: Get into that cooking groove

Monday, February 25, 2013

Get into that cooking groove

I've never been much of a cook, I think mainly because I don't take the time to plan, shop, or actually cook the meals!

My big sis is my inspiration for cooking. She has a stack of recipes she wants to make and sets aside Sundays to cook up a storm. I often call her to catch up and she's making a giant batch of chili.

During my last visit in January, things were a bit different as she is a new mom - isn't my nephew John cute? He will be three months old this week!

So this time, she made her stack of recipes, 6 in all some tried and true, some new. She ordered groceries from a delivery service. And then I took over the kitchen and set to work. I made two quiches, chocolate chip cookies, meatloaf, green bean casserole, and plowed through the prep of ingredients for a few other things. It was great cooking in her kitchen with so much counter space, a big oven and room to move around. I felt accomplished in my day, even if we polished off a quiche a few hours after the making.

I really want to start this practice in my own life. Make time for cooking, and maybe set aside one evening, or a weekend day, to cook healthy recipes in preparation for the week.

Last week Boston was expecting another snow storm and I prepped by ordering groceries from Peapod.com, only this time I based my order on three recipes I want to try, not on past orders or whatever I had a craving to eat.

Lat night during The Oscars I managed to cook a Kale and Butternut Squash Saute. Yum! I halved the oil, and I would leave out the lemon entirely - it eliminated the sweetness of the squash. I ate it with some apple chicken sausages and it was a great winter meal. I have a few others saved in my Pinterest that I hope to try by the end of next weekend.