Confession time..... I have an addiction. I have a compulsion that I cannot control. It strikes at the grocery store, Walmart, the bookstore, and heaven help me, Home Depot! I cannot escape the temptations! My addiction is cooking magazines. I see these beautiful, glossy, full color, scrumptious food pictures, and I think, oh YUM, something different, I can make that. In truth I probably like it because someone else has made it. My cooking magazines are more like a collection, as I never really make any of the recipes. Oh, I have the best intentions, but when it comes right down to it and my busy schedule presses down on me, I resort to what I know.
I'm not really a food person. Unless you count ice cream and chocolate. I wish I was, because I HAVE to cook! Why couldn't this be my passion? Something useful!!! After all, I have kids to keep alive, and they want to eat every day! The only way I have managed to keep my kids alive this long, was with the "crockpot". What a marvelous invention! I could actually cook dinner in the mornings when things were relatively quiet, and I was not completely exhausted from the rocking, bathing, diaper changing, coloring, lego building, playdough sculpting and homework monitoring. Once I learned you can even throw in a completely frozen roast with all the veggies and it still would be ready by 5 pm, I was the happiest mom on the block.
"Hot-dish" was another staple in the house. The kids would ask, "hey mom, whats for dinner?" And I would reply, "hot-dish". Now anyone who is from the Midwest knows that hot-dish is a term we use for anything that is mixed all together, usually with Campbell soup, and plopped in the oven. So when the kids want to know what kind of hot-dish, I can't really tell them. It all depends on what is in the fridge and pantry.. I just know it is going in the oven and solving all my problems.
I am more of an eat cake for breakfast kind of mom. I am WAY too tired to make eggs or pancakes in the early morning hours. Besides, cake has eggs and flour in it, so whats the big deal. Pie is good too, cause it has fruit. Right? A big brunch is reserved for after church on Sundays. The day of rest. HA
So here is the plan. I have to start using some of the amazing recipes I have collected. So this summer I am making a vow to try some new ones and post them. If they are simple, easy, and good, you can maybe add them to your bag of tricks too. And please post comments.