I'm going to cook. Like real food.
Now, I DO do this every once in a while. Get out my cooking toys and prepare a real meal that the family actually likes and chows down. But it seems like those occassions get few and far between or maybe just have some annual special occassion tied to them.
For instance, somewhere along the way, it was decided that we would have steamed crab legs on New Year's eve. Here are some of the latest ones steaming away. I don't remember how many batches I steamed, but they disappeared in a frenzy of flying crustacean exoskeleton garbage.I'm not saying that we will be having crablegs every week. But note that I do have a bamboo steamer - one that I enjoy using. I hadn't used it since LAST New Year crabs! *sigh*
I made much loved scalloped potatoes on Christmas. What is so special about scalloped potatoes!? Well, for one thing, around here, they seem to only appear at Christmas! *sigh* While I like keeping the crablegs special for new years, I think I can manage some freaking scalloped potatoes once in a while other than Christmas!
And really, my recurring resolution isn't just about certain dishes to prepare, but it's the whole big picture. Part of the reason I don't cook real food as often as I'd like to is because I don't plan. As good cooks I know know, meal planning is our friend.
To help me, I read an article this morning titled "Eat Some Lucky Foods for a Prosperous New Year". Well, prosperity! That's inspiring. It mentions a tradition of eating pork on new year's day since "Pigs are considered good luck because they root forward, symbolizing progress..." I never heard of that and missed the boat this year as we just scrounged some boring food yesterday for the first of the year.
Other tips include:
Eating food shaped like coins (for obvious reasons)
Eating folded greens (looks like money)
Eating fish scales (symbolize silver)
Eating long noodles (long life)
Eating ring shaped foods (the year coming full circle)
Okay, so I am going to do this thing. Or at least, I'll do it better, right?
Although I'm not quite willing to chuck my emergency stash of Kraft Mac 'n' Cheese just yet...
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4 comments:
Bravo on your resolution to cook real food more. I enjoy cooking from scratch (and not just burning something on the grill), but I have to have the right motivation. Lately I have been on a pasta kick. I did have a little black-eyed peas and cabbage for New Years.
It takes some effort to get the ingredients/stuff to cook healthy, but the results are worth the effort. And no backsliding into the Chef-Boyardee recipes (noodles, ring shaped food sounds like spaghettios).
This past year I found out that I do like to cook. Real food. And I seem to have turned the corner onto the straight and narrow, because even though I am now living alone, I am cooking. Real food. And liking it.
Big sigh.
Yes! YOUR cooking kick will help keep me motivated with MY cooking resolution, and hopefully vice-versa. I too have found that I enjoy cooking, but fail to plan. There's nothing more frustrating than wanting to cook something "good" and finding you don't have the necessary ingredients.
I often complain that we don't eat well around here. It's one of my big guilts in life. I haven't taught my kids healthy eating habits. And I don't mean that we need to eat health food, necessarily. We just need to eat something other than breakfast food, convenience food and fast food.
I recently hosted a Pampered Chef party - sort of a favor to a cousin who is selling the stuff - and also because I like the products. I have found that having "good" cook wear and utensils also makes cooking more enjoyable. So maybe refresh some of your kitchen tools to help kick-start your plan.
Good luck!
Good stuff! Let us know what you make so we can be inspired too - I love picking up interesting recipes from the internet, especially if they are recommended by blog friends.
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