Having Trouble Picking the Right Cook Book?

Looking at cookbooks can be so overwhelming! They are designed to look pretty and to entice you to buy them. But choosing the right one for you is important. You want to choose one that makes it easy for you to follow and to help you make the recipe a success.

If you are a more inexperienced cook, choose a book that has great pictures and helps show you how it works and that gives you step by step instructions that you feel comfortable with. Also make sure that you pick books that have easy recipes with simple and few ingredients. If you start out with something too complicated you could get discouraged and frustrated. You want to pick things that you will be able to do and that will taste yummy and allow you to just have fun in the kitchen!

As you become more advanced, still go with recipe formats that make you feel comfortable. This is a great time to start trying new ingredients and new techniques but don’t get discouraged!!!! Remember that you are trying something new and it may take a few times to get it right.

All in all…just make sure you are taking time to really look through a cook book before you buy one, make sure that there are at least 10 recipes that you know that you will try to make. It’s not just a decoration; it is supposed to be used! Used to make you and your kitchen happy! Enjoy!

Learn to Live the Unexamined Life

I have had so much going on lately! I just got engaged!!!! Yeah!!!! I’m the luckiest girl in the world!

So now I have a wedding to plan, but I also nanny and have the awesome opportunity to be working to teach people to cook or cook a little bit better.  It is my favorite thing to do in the world! I love to be able to teach people how to eat better for themselves and for their families.

I do also want people to know that I COMPLETELY understand feeling overwhelmed and just like you don’t want to be in the kitchen! I feel that way sometimes too!!!! But I have made it to the point where going out to eat is a special occasion and not something that is normal and I want to share with you how I do it.

The first thing is planning. I know…..planning and cooking? Really? Yes, Really! I sit down every week and decide what dishes I would like to make that week or that I might want to try and then go to the pantry and see what I already have on hand to make each dish. After I know what I have, I start making my shopping list. Now there are things that I try to ALWAYS keep on hand so that I can always whip up my favorites and I think that everyone should have these things on hand and available like…..

1. Chicken broth
2. 2 or 3 types of pasta
3. Basmati or brown rice
4. Seasonings that you like, for me it’s lemon pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, pepper
5. Ground beef, ground turkey and some chicken breasts (I buy them in bulk and then individually freeze them or by 1 lb at a time so that I can just take out what I need.)
6. Salad items

This will make life so much easier for you! You will know that everything you need to make an awesome meal is right at hand and it keeps you from over shopping and from food going bad. If you can, take one night and make a few meals if you know you are going to be super busy, then you can just warm it up and still have time to eat with your sweet family or just know that you as a single or couple are going to have a great and healthy meal. Your life may be overwhelming and I understand, but you can do it! Get into that kitchen and let the stress melt away and then ENJOY!!!!!!!!

For the Love of Asparagus

So, I have been getting a lot of requests on how to cook asparagus. It's sooo delicious and so very good for you! So I decided to give you guys some of my favorite ways to make that are quick and easy! But first...some tips on picking it out and storing it.Make sure when you pick out your asparagus that you look at the tips. Make sure they are a not wilted or slimy! They should look dark green and feel sturdy.

• Also, be careful not to pick ones that are too thick. The thinner they are, the more tender the asparagus. What if you only have thick ones to pick from? Take your vegetable peeler and peel them down to the tender part.
• When bringing asparagus home, store it either with a damp cloth around the bottoms or even better, in a cup with some water in it. This will help keep them longer. They will probably only last 4 to 5 days tops!
• And finally, when preparing, take your asparagus and bend until it breaks naturally.
  This will let you now where the most tender part is. You can them cut all of the rest of the bunch to that length and go for it!

1. If you have always wanted to like asparagus but haven't been able to...OR for a GREAT appetizer!!!! My favorite recipe is to get some procuitto and spread a thin layer of cream cheese on it and wrap it around the asparagus. Bake at 350 degrees until the asapargus is tender and the procuitto is nice and brown. These are wonderful at room temperature or cold. I LOVE them!!!!

2. Asparagus are always good marinated in some olive oil and a little bit of balsamic vinegar with some salt and pepper and a little onion and garlic powder and I always add lemon pepper (my favorite seasoning EVER) and then put on the grill with your chicken, beef or fish. Remember- cook it until it's at the texture you like! I then like to finish it off with a little butter or extra olive oil right when it comes off the grill and then a good squeeze of lemon juice!

3. Now to my FAVORITE! Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put your asparagus (I usually make 2 bunches) on a sheet pan and spread liberally with olive oil. Then season with 1 Tbsp each of sea salt, garlic powder and onion powder and 2 Tbsp of lemon pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes or until at the texture you like. I like for my tops to get a little crispy at the edge! :-)

I hope this helps you asparagus lovers and want to be lovers out there! Let me know what other things I can help with next!