What's for dinner?

After spending the day with my sister, celebrating her birthday, and still recovering from a terrible sinus infection, I sat at my computer and thought about what to blog about. What was on my mind? What did I feel like discussing? Yes, that is how I do it lol. I have to “feel” it. Sounds crazy, but I have to feel like talking about it. I started to share with all of you about some cool housekeeping tips I learned this week, but I just did not “feel” it. I deleted it. I was not into it. Then, I started to talk about the cool places I had been investigating in Texas I wanted to go to, nope, that is not it. Why was I not “feeling” it? Hmm, maybe I was thinking about all that I needed to get done. I had just made my grocery list out and decided on a menu. See, I am having my siblings over for our monthly game night and we are also celebrating my sister’s birthday as well. So, I decided to do what I called a brain dump. Lots of people use the term but I love it. I take out a sheet of paper and write down all the things I am thinking about. Then read them aloud. If unimportant or stupid, yes, some can be quite dumb, I cross off. Then, I know that I have written down things that could be needing my attention and hopefully free up space for important stuff. Like, my blog! It is important to me. I make myself sit down for a couple of hours each week and write. I want to take a writing course so it would not be so painful for some to read, but, then again, you might suspect that I was not doing it on my own. If I cut and pasted something, I always give them the credit so you will know that it is not quite my own thoughts or words! So, what came to mind after all this?

Have you ever cringed when someone asked what for dinner? Have you ever been driving home from work and thought what the hell am I going to cook for dinner? Or, better yet, have you ever just said we are having the tried-and-true easy spaghetti and salad night! Cooking. Learning to love to cook again … or maybe you have never enjoyed cooking. I believe we all get into a rut where we do not feel like cooking or have never learn to like or appreciate. I have always explained that its not the cooking, it’s the mess afterwards. Louis has never been too good at the cooking or the cleaning. Unless it’s a recipe that he found and wants to do, he is out. Maybe two or three times a year, he will come up with some green egg recipe that he wants to make, and I become the sous chef and clean up crew. His way of cooking: Janie, what pan do we have for this? Janie, do we have all these ingredients? Sometimes, I give him the solutions before he even asks. I must admit, he usually does a great job because he is so intense. He made the turkey AND gravy last thanksgiving and I had to admit both were sensational! It was such a process but well worth it. Why do we not like to cook? I believe it is the cleanup, the planning, and grocery shopping. Why should we learn to cook? Most above all is health. You will eat better if you cook it yourself. You will eat less if you eat at home. I truly believe this. Now, how do we learn to love to cook? Or, how do we “fall” back into tolerating cooking? Let’s start with the planning. Make a list weekly on ideas, recipes, etc. and make a grocery list. Pick a day each week at the same time and you will get into a rhythm. If you already cook most of the meals, but are miserable, or just plain bored, I have a bit of advice. Start following a few people on Instagram. I love Modernproper. Talk about some cool recipes. I have bought their first cookbook because I was so impressed. I have also enjoyed servingdumplings. I just paid for a membership on her blog and get to watch her cooking videos which are terrific. This is how you spice up your cooking attitude! Both of these sites are filled with all kinds of fun recipes. This is a fabulous way to spice up your old tried and true recipes by throwing in few more to the rotation and suddenly, you have a fresh repertoire.

Now, if you are someone who only cooks frozen dishes or microwaves leftovers, don’t start there. Just sit down and google a recipe that sounds good. Print it out, make a grocery list, read through the entire recipe, get all the ingredients together, then make. If there is any advice, here it is: read through the recipe, gather all the ingredients, then begin. I will always say, anyone can cook who can read, we just get better with practice. Practice will not bring perfection lol! I still have lots of mistakes! Think of some of your favorite fast-food items that you buy or favorite dishes in restaurants and begin there. This will hopefully encourage you to do your own. Look at the money you will save! You could buy you a new set of cookware! LOL. Or, maybe, a new pair of shoes. What ever melts your butter.

There are always going to be times with takeout or going out fits best! In fact, as I started out, I took my sister to lunch at Press Café and then we went to Amorina Gelato for dessert. No clean up, no hurrying around to get everything out a once, and most of all, time to spend in great conversation. So, I am not advocating boycotting restaurants or asking you to give up on a quick and easy frozen pizza, I am just sharing some tips on how I am putting a little more excitement in my daily cooking. In fact, I cooked hamburgers last night on the stove and they were delicious. What did I do to make a little different and put a little more excitement in the air? I bought Brioche Buns and toasted them on a griddle, and it just adds a little more flavor.

So, let us all get some fresh ideas about cooking at fire up the stove! Check out those two Instagram peeps and see what you think.

Cleaning tip that I learned? I am embarrassed to say that I did not know that we should be cleaning out our filter regularly on our dishwasher! Mine was disgusting. Took me fives minutes to clean but oh my was it scary. You probably have been doing, but I did not know. Louis said he did. So, I asked “ have you ever cleaned it”? He said yes I have. It did not look like it had been done in a LONG while. Oh well, it will get done regularly now! See, you are never ever too old to learn a new trick!!!!

Happy Cooking!