fresh tomatoes

so we decided to use the freshly picked tomatoes from ours and our friends' backyards and create a delicious pasta that i found in my newest favorite read. seriously, i am not kidding, i highly recommend that you pick up rita konig's book "Culinary Trickery: How to Get Dinner on the Table Even if You Can't Cook". i have loved every minute of reading books by Rita, and i am hoping she puts some more out soon. again, i recommend "Domestic Bliss"; which was also a brilliant read, and helped me to desire to make my home a more beautiful version of itself.

strawberry shortcake, Grandma Nancy style

ok, so when i was a kiddo, my Grandma Nancy made me the best darned "Strawberry Shortcake"

....i took it for granted when i was a kid. today we (my hubby and i) made it together, and it was better than i even remembered it...

a perfect summer treat....

if you don't have time for the dough for the biscuits, make it with bisquick, so easy.

for the whipping cream, mix a cup or so heavy whipping cream with a tablespoon of sugar. (that was for two people)

and....if you're old fashioned like my Grandma was, pour a little trickle of milk on top. it's actually surprisingly good.

what to do with a bucket of lemons?

so it's been what, a year since i blogged about food? not my forte i guess, but i have come to understand a few things about what i love and what i need to do in the kitchen:

1. i love to cook with my husband more than doing it alone.

2. i am super weird about clean counters, i am learning how to "get my hands dirty".

3. it's fun when there's a theme each week. (this week's theme is fruit)

4. it's okay that i am not cooking every day in the kitchen. my husband LOVES cooking and i love cleaning and helping him in the kitchen. that is what God made us for.

so here's my first installation of our fruit-themed week:

after a jaunt over to my friend beth's house for a bucket of lemons (seriously, it was a full bucket...oops, got carried away), i sat scrolling through foodnetwork.com looking for recipes. i finally came across this one: Lemon Cream Meringue Pie.

it was to die for. a lot of work, but worth every bit of it.

(*we substituted homemade graham cracker crust for the dough one)

batter blasters

for the cost of a fancy cup of coffee, you can have pancakes made at ease. seeing your kiddos enjoy: priceless.

just wanted to take a second to give my fellow cooking fans (1=thank you Jenny for reading my cooking blog :) out there a delightful little plug for batter blasters. we've been buying them for a few years now. all i have to say is:

no prep work

no mess

no clean up

simply throw away the can after making pancakes. seriously, can it get better than that? and they are organic, for those who are concerned, and taste great!

try them out, they are in the dairy aisle of albertsons, vons and ralphs, usually near the cool whip or milk area!

new years resolve

i did it. first new years goal underway. i am cooking ONCE a week.

this week, it was rachel ray's recipe:

Cumin Pork Tenderloin

with

Spicy Creamed Corn *

*the only thing to add to it is a block of cream cheese. Lessen the amount of stock as well, to make it thicker.

I give it four stars out of five. (The only reasoning is that pork isn't my favorite, because I think it is super salty.) But the creamed corn is out of this world!!!!

busy

life's been a bit crazy, but i will write soon!

ANYONE can cook!

i bought this dvd for o when he's older because: 1. it was cheap 2. it comes highly recommended from friends who know we love food and 3. it has a darling story line

the main theme of the movie: anyone can cook!

i loved it! i highly recommend showing your kiddos (who are old enough not to be too scared by villians, and flying rats, and hanging dead rats from traps) to encourage a love of cooking and all things kitchen!