Still trying to get back into things but actually found a fairly simple recipe for "oven fried chicken". Simple enough even for me.

Guess what? It actually turned out tasty! I know, right? Imagine that.

I have a new guinea pig, by the way. But let's not let him know that. It's my youngest. He likes to eat just like mom so it shouldn't be TOO hard. Right?

Also, trying to get back into writing so forgive me for being so rusty.

One more thing, I took a picture and will post when I figure it out.

Ciao!

Well, hello there!

It's been awhile but I'm back. Still not a fan of cooking but willing to give it another shot. A lot has happened. New job, new location; also lost my best friend and guinea pig, my dog, Beau. But he would want me to continue so here I am.

No guarantees again but feeling the urge to try...something
So be on the lookout for more!

The Beauty of Food

No, not mine. Because we all know how mine turn out. I'm talking about those people that actually enjoy it (I know, right?) and make it into an art form. Those curious folk that look forward to getting their hands and hearts into something they truly love.

I don't get it, either.

I have one such friend, Bailey.  He's a very good friend, actually, and promises one day to travel to the US just to teach me how to enjoy it.

I say good luck.
lol

But it is so awesome to hear him talk about food. He's very passionate about it and honestly can't understand how I can't be the same way. Maybe it's something you're born with; or you stumble upon it by accident. Either way, it skipped me completely.  Let me show you some of the things he's shown me. I must say, they do look incredible. But to eat. Not to make. Chargrilled smoked salmon. Looks awesome, doesn't it?

Nothing simple about cheesecake with this enchanting view. Yes, I fell in love at first sight, as well. Almost don't want to ruin the view by eating it. Almost.

Never let it be said that Bailey doesn't have fun with his chosen profession. Here we have what he calls his "hamburger fort". (There is a child in all of us lol) Not exactly sure where he was going with this but it sure looks like fun!

Anyway. We all know how much I love to eat and beautiful looking dishes makes it that much more appealing. But now I know someone that actually makes these pretty pieces!

Bailey, teach me to enjoy it? Ha! I wish you the best. But it'll be an experience to watch you create such lovely dishes.

The Magic of the Internet

As everyone has already figured out, I REALLY don't like to cook.
Not sure if the wiring went wrong in the womb or what but it absolutely bores me to even
THINK about cooking.

Although, I LOVE to watch people create different things in the kitchen. Which is why I love those cooking competitions on TV. Like "Worst Cooks in America" (I'm not THAT bad) or "Chopped"

And as you all possibly read in the last post, I'm trying to lose weight.
Finally weighed myself after eight months of not smoking.......

Sigh

I have gained over THIRTY pounds. May not seem a lot to some, but when you're already fighting
a weight problem, its HUGE. (Play on words intended...lol)

Well, I put myself on a strict diet. More or less, anyway. (I do like my food..lol) And went on the internet to find good foods to eat and snack on. Found quite a bit and am doing pretty good.

My favorite snack I found I could eat? Hard-boiled eggs. Love 'em....

Just not sure how to cook them.
Go ahead. I'll wait til the laughing dies down.

Mentioned it to a friend and she actually found a recipe for it.
Easier than I thought....

Love the internet.
And the eggs?
Awesome, of course
LOL

Thanks for listening
Paige

Popcorn: Trials and Tribulations

Okay.

Well, I tried the "homemade microwave popcorn"

Needs work. Oh, it tastes like popcorn, all right.
It IS popcorn, after all.

But I added some "butter" salt, I guess you could call it.
It doesn't stay on the popcorn. Unless I want to salt each one as I'm eating it and that just sounds ridiculous.

So, I need to come up with a way to make it "sticky"
I've received several suggestions.

"Spray it down with vegetable oil"
"Melt butter down and pour over"

Couple others....but I'm leaning toward melting some butter and pouring it and the popcorn in a bag and shaking it. Sounds like a lot of work to me and y'all KNOW how much I don't like to work in the kitchen.

LOL

Anyway. For now, that's all I've done
Will let you know as developments happen.

Thanks for listening!

Ballyhoo!!

I'm still here.
Just a lot of things going on.

I quit smoking (yay me) and I have been eating everything in sight.
Even small children had reason to be afraid....lol

But now trying to find things to eat that are better for me.
I still feel the urge for that cigarette every now and then but its been
seven months so the urges don't last long.

I just discovered two recipes that I can use and actually MAKE
I know, right?

"Fried" carrots and homemade microwave popcorn.
Simply simple...

Stay tuned!

Yes, I am back!

Okay.
I tried to learn to enjoy cooking. There were some sparks; but nothing caught on fire. I kept trying with different things but nothing seemed to work.

So, I tried a different tactic.

I love my dog, Beau. He is my everything. And I kept reading all these different articles on how much healthier it would be for him to eat home-cooked food as opposed to food in a bag or can. And THAT started off fairly well. But it takes time. Time I was willing to take but then I remembered, I DON'T LIKE TO COOK. Funny, I know.

So that fizzled. I thought of giving up this blog; it just wasn't working for me. So, I did.

Gave up, I mean.
Can't have a blog about learning to enjoy cooking if you can't enjoy cooking.
Right?

But, as much as I really don't like to cook, I LOVE to watch others do it. I still avidly watch the cooking shows and most definitely the cooking competitions. I still think it's amazing to watch people come up with the most amazing dishes on the very weird or even the very little. It's like watching a ballerina or a surgeon at work. Sheer heaven.

So, we're going to take a little turn. Still going to talk about the cooking. But not mine.
Even if I only have a few people that read this blog, it's still going to be fun to share my excitement at the turns and twists of these incredible people. Most on the Food Network but other channels have some really good offerings, also.

Join me, if you will, on this trip and maybe join in if you'd like.

Thanks for reading!
Paige

Change of Heart

Well, it took me awhile to figure it out but I guess better late than never! You can't find the perfect spaghetti sauce recipe without actually COOKING them. Well, hell. I wanted to cook it just once.

I've also come to the conclusion that cooking really isn't for me. Yes, I still watch the cooking shows on Food Network. They are fascinating and I'm still impressed with how the chefs can create beautiful and tasty things out of most anything. But I've decided it's just not me.

But no need to fret. My journey is going to take a slight twist. I have a new guinea pig that will eat anything I make; no matter what. (Although he isn't a big fan of veggies) But it doesn't have to be fancy or especially tasty, even. AND it'll save me money and he'll eat healthier.

I'm talking about my dog, Beau. He's a basset hound and almost five years old. He's not really spoiled; I'm just well-trained! He is the love of my life and I'm looking forward to a long life with him.

So we're still going to learn how to have "fun" with cooking; just in a different way!

Thanks for listening!
Paige

Mango Vs Apple

Okay. I absolutely love mangoes. One of the best-tasting fruits, in my opinion. But I've always bought them already cut up and ready to go. Perfect. But since deciding to eat better (yes, you heard me....no more TV dinners!), I decided to buy my fruits and veggies fresh. In their original packages. Who knew, right?

Have you ever tried to slice up a mango, though? Me, either. I thought it would be fairly simple. Just cut it up into sections like an apple and eat. Ha! Not even close. Darn thing has a large pit in the middle that is knife-proof. Well, my knives don't go through it. So, I thought I'd peel it and try to slice around the pit. Ha, ha!

Ever held a peeled mango? They are incredibly slippery and REALLY hard to hold. I fought through it but only managed about three good pieces. Lesson learned. Sort of, anyway. This morning I tried again but left the peel ON. Ate it over the sink. Boy, I love those things but this is truly messy!

There HAS to be an easier way to do this!

Thanks for listening.

Paige

How Many Cloves does it Take?

I haven't disappeared. Just can't seem to find inspiration to cook when I don't have my guinea pig...er...son around to test it. Yes, he can always have the leftovers but to me, it just sort of defeats the whole purpose.

So I kept putting it off and putting if off; waiting for that one thing to motivate me again. I kept looking and searching but nothing seemed to be what I wanted. But then I realized my mistake. I was LOOKING for it; not letting it come to me.

Lately, I've discovered a craving for Banquet Spaghetti and Meatballs TV dinners. (Yes, I said TV dinners....sorry......that's me cooking for myself) But last week I realized that my "inspiration" had been staring at me in the face this whole time! Homemade spaghetti and meatballs!

Now, to be honest, it sounds fairly simple. And to all you home cooks out there, it probably is. But the first and only time I've ever made homemade spaghetti sauce was about 24 years ago for my new husband. Everything was going great...then it called for a clove of garlic. Do you know that I did not know what a clove was? So...I used the whole bundle. Yup. About 15 cloves. And bless his heart, my husband ate the whole thing. It was just awful, though. The house reeked for at least a week.

But that's then and this is now. So this coming weekend, I'm going to try it again. Although I haven't found the recipe for it yet, I believe that I will. And the best part? I'll share with my son if he's home. Otherwise, it's all mine!

Thanks for listening

Paige

The lack of a Guinea Pig

Okay. Still settling in the new place; trying to find places to put all my stuff so haven't done a whole lot of cooking. Made one dish with pork steaks that turned out fairly well but not much else. It might help if my son the guinea pig were home more often but I guess work and a social life is more important for a 22 year old. Not that I blame him. I want him to enjoy life before he settles down.

Just kind of hard to cook sometimes; only because I'm my own worst critic and think the worst of everything. But that's probably normal, right? But it's all good. I'll start up again one day soon but for now, I thought I'd share the different thoughts and experiences that I may come across in my search for fun food.

I will mention that my son bought some frozen chicken tenders, marinated them in something he found in the fridge and then cooked them all together with things he likes. I was actually quite impressed. He used Italian dressing for the marinade and then fried up some veggies, including green peppers and banana peppers. It turned out very well. I'm almost jealous.

But very proud that he does not have the same inhibitions that I have about throwing things together and making something good without worrying about the results. I should have taken a picture of it but it really didn't last all that long.

Anyway, still here and still wanting to learn more about the joy of cooking. I'll be back soon!

Thanks for listening.

Boston Butt (in other words)....

Seriously wonder at the names of certain foods. Like tonight's course: Boston butt. Hmm...interesting name for a piece of pork. And you know me; had to go look it up. Here's what I found.

According to the experts at the National Pork Board (yes, there actually is one), this is what they had to say:

"In pre-revolutionary New England and into the Revolutionary War, some pork cuts (not those highly valued, or "high on the hog," like loin and ham) were packed into casks or barrels (also known as "butts") for storage and shipment. The way the hog shoulder was cut in the Boston area became known in other regions as "Boston Butt." This name stuck and today, Boston butt is called that almost everywhere in the US,… except in Boston.

So today I'm cooking with, apparently, a less-likeable piece of meat from the vast array of pork products in my freezer. These are in the shape of steaks so tonight, I'm cooking them basically like steaks. Hopefully they'll turn out; not sure if because our pigs were hand-raised that they're better but I will definitely let everyone know.

Wish me luck!

Paige

Cooking....Interrupted

Hello everyone!

I am still on my quest to learn to enjoy cooking; I've just been waylaid by things going on in my life. Finally got the move done (thanks Ken for everything!) and am still trying to find places for everything. So lots of boxes still around. Maybe I should start a blog about building storage space? Nawww....I'd probably hurt myself and the end result would NOT be pretty.

But I have a new kitchen to cook in and a new guinea pig, my son (He doesn't know YET what he's in for). I want to thank my previous guinea pig/cooking guru, Robin, for all the help she gave. It was a tremendous boost to my culinary journey.

Anyway, just wanted to let y'all know I'm still here, just busy. But cooking will resume soon! Thanks for hanging in there with me!

The Saga of the Bell Pepper

Well, all right. Not really a saga. But a nice little story, anyway.

Dinner last night went surprisingly well. I had a basic recipe for a pasta salad but decided to change it up just a bit. Not a whole lot; just a smidgen. The bell peppers were in the recipe but I decided to add some tomatoes and some Parmesan cheese. Throw in some Italian dressing and those beautiful peppers (green, red, orange and yellow!) and it actually turned out really well. I was impressed and my cooking guru/guinea pig, Robin, said it was good, too.

And, of course, the ever-popular pork chop made it's appearance as well. I was going to brine them but pulled them out to thaw way too late. They should sit in the brine for at least an hour or so but I didn't leave myself enough time. Possibly later this week. If I can remember to pull them the day BEFORE. We'll see.

Anyway. I decided to just fry them. Put some "seasoned salt" on them and threw them in the pan. Worried about over cooking them but also under cooking them. And what do you know? They also turned out great! For once, a complete meal....I was so happy.

I took some pictures and picked the one I liked the best to show everyone. You can see how colorful the pasta salad turned out to be; very festive!

Thanks for listening!

The Missing Herbs

Went to the store today to buy my ingredients for dinner. Trying something a little different; planning on semi-creating my own dish. Semi because I have a basic recipe and wanted to add a few different things to make it my own and to see how good I am at putting ingredients together.

So, I thought I'd get some fresh vegetables and some fresh herbs. The veggies were beautiful (More later on what kind they were when I regal you with my dinner). Then I started hunting for the fresh herbs. Now, I don't know if it's the particular store I picked or if it's like that everywhere but I found two (yes, that's what I said), basil and thyme. Both distinguished herbs but I was hoping for a better choice.

Hmm. Again, not sure if it was the store or even maybe the time of year or what. So, while I was chopping up my veggies, I came up with what I thought was a brilliant idea. Grow my own! Yes, people have been doing it for millions of years but my success with plants is even WORSE than my cooking ever was. But seriously. Is it even possible to kill an herb?

I guess we'll find out. I'll keep you informed on that little idea and definitely will be writing later on how dinner turned out.

Thanks for listening!

Mise en place

Mise en place (pronounced [miz ɑ̃ plas], literally "putting in place") is a French phrase defined by the Culinary Institute of America as "everything in place", as in set up. It is used in professional kitchens to refer to organizing and arranging the ingredients (e.g., cuts of meat, relishes, sauces, par-cooked items, spices, freshly chopped vegetables, and other components) that a cook will require for the menu items that he or she expects to prepare during his/her shift.^[1]

That's the Wikipedia's definition of something I have a hard time pronouncing but find very helpful when working in the kitchen. I heard it first on "Worst Cooks in America". Chef Anne Burrell used it a lot in the show and it seemed to help the cooks when they finally grasped the full concept. I've also heard her use it on "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef" and it was easier to understand at that point. I guess because instead of just telling the learner, she was actually doing it.

And if you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Basically, have all your ingredients prepped and ready before you start putting things together. That way, you're not running all over the kitchen. Which is how I usually roll.....

I wanted to share this little tidbit with everyone; I find it a fascinating phrase and hope to have the concept fully grasped by ME!

Thanks for listening!

The Wonders of Pasta

Ah yes. The decision had been made and acted upon. The ingredients acquired; the recipe read and the cooking began.

Although, to be honest, there wasn't any cooking involved in this pasta dish. Well, okay. I cooked the pasta. But that actually is something I never really had any problems doing. So it wasn't a big effort. Didn't even have to read the instructions on the box. Ha! Bet you didn't know I could do THAT, did you?

Going on...I had found a recipe this morning in my search for just the right pasta salad. It seemed fairly easy and uncomplicated; something I could possibly do successfully. I don't believe it had a name but it was black and green olives (did you know that you can buy them already chopped? I didn't either until after I had chopped them all up). Some chopped onions, some bacon bits, shredded cheese and ranch dressing. I actually got brave and doubled the recipe although I did cut back on some of the ranch dressing. Maybe it's me, but the picture that came with the recipe looked slightly too wet.

I thought it turned out rather well although a trifle dry (Next time I won't cut back so much) It will probably taste better tomorrow when it gets really cold. I only gave it a couple of hours in the fridge.

Oh and I cheated on the pork chops. (Yes, told you we had pigs so lots and LOTS of pork). I bought the packaged Shake n Bake and just popped them in the oven. Needless to say, they turned out really well. But then, even I couldn't mess up Shake N Bake.

I'm posting a picture; please forgive the messy plate. Not used to trying to make it look pretty and I always forget how much the flash on a camera picks up.

Thanks for listening! Possibly Italian food in the near future.....

Ingredient Madness

Okay. I know I don't know a lot about what ingredients work best with other ingredients but I just have to say, the chefs on the Food Network Channel's show "Chopped" are simply inspirational.

They are given a basket with random food items and must come up with a dish that incorporates all those items. And some of the those items are completely bizarre! Well, to me as a beginner, anyway.

Rabbit, rattlesnake, tapioca pearls (not sure about those), mussels and oxtails to name a few. And they are paired with ingredients that no normal person would even consider putting together. Brussel sprouts and sour cream? Pickles and strawberry jam? Totally outrageous!

But the best part? These incredible people actually make dishes that look good, are edible and for the most part, even delicious! I don't know that I'll actually get to that level or even if I'd want to but it is so very interesting seeing what each one comes up with in their own way. Some of them can be quite creative.

So I watch the show, fascinated, and hope that maybe their creative juices will flow out of the TV and into me. Hey! It could happen!

Thanks for listening!

Decisions, decisions....

Italian? Pasta salad? Or maybe a delicious, decadent dessert? (I love that word: decadent. Sounds so...sinful) I've cooked a few dinner meals and learned a few things (reading the recipe is ALWAYS a good thing) but now I think I want to stretch it out a bit. Do I stick with dinner and make something Italian? Or do I push the boundaries and make a fairly simple pasta salad for lunch or a dessert worthy of a king? Well, maybe not THAT good the first time. But pretty darn close.

I have actually cooked all of those before. Just never enjoyed it like I'm doing now. And if I pick Italian, do I start simple with a homemade spaghetti sauce or just throw caution to the winds and go for the big one, lasagna? Hmmm....

And a pasta salad could be anything I wanted it to be. There are so many different possibilities that I wouldn't even know where to start with that one. But should I go for easy or more elaborate? Should it be cold or hot? Just looking through SOME of the recipes for pasta salad took quite a while. Maybe I'll just close my eyes and point to one.

Dessert. Who doesn't like dessert? My first thought of dessert is something chocolate. So that narrows it down quite a bit. Maybe a cake but something unique or something that isn't offered very often.

Not sure yet which one I'll choose although just writing about them makes me hungry. I am leaning more toward the Italian choice (I love Italian food) so maybe I'll start there. Wait. Here's a thought although possibly more than I should even think about taking on at this point in my self-education.

Why not all three? Hmm....definitely worth thinking about!

Thanks for listening. Will let you know my decision!

Winning the Battle

Well. The potatoes turned out fairly well. Better than I thought (I can't believe I forgot to take a picture). I had a huge amount of ketchup on my plate in case I needed to douse them and cover the badness. Ended up throwing most of that condiment away. So I guess I won this potato battle. Until next time, that is. Although I thought this was supposed to get easier....

But the main dish....while not BAD, it wasn't terribly good either. I followed the recipe closely except for a minor substitution or two. I believe my problem was worrying that they wouldn't be done enough AND waiting for the potatoes to cook. They were slightly overdone. Not dry, thank goodness, but not as juicy as I had hoped. One day, I will have the perfect meal; where everything is done at the same time and it all tastes wonderful. Sounds a little far-fetched to me but apparently it's possible; people do it all the time!

Thanks for listening and hopefully next time I'll have a picture to show!