Peanut Butter at a Dinner Party
I was invited to my first-ever dinner party! Somebody actually wanted to have dinner with me! Never mind the fact that it’s virtual and I can’t actually eat any of the food… (Well, maybe I could try to lick my computer screen. But that wouldn’t taste very good.)
Valerie at Atlanta Mom of Three extended an invitation to participate in her potluck next week, and I wanted to cook the perfect dish to share. Something kid-friendly but classy, something fast but flavorful, something easy but healthy… Continue reading for recipe.
I Own the Rain God
My dog is the rain god. Yes, that’s right, my 15-pound Chihuahua mix is the official rain god. When she wiggles around, chases her tail, and finishes with a satisfied lick, the sun shines. When she neglects to do her little dance, the winds howl and the raindrops splash down on our roof.
Okay, so maybe I need to check into the whole causation vs. correlation thing… Continue reading for recipe.
Hooked on a Filling
With the last-minute exams and grading just before Thanksgiving, I peddled home with barely enough energy to tear open a cardboard box and microwave a frozen entrée. I selected a chicken-and-vegetable dumpling dinner last Tuesday, and during my first bite, a dangerous idea popped into my head…
I could make these myself! Continue reading for recipe.
Even Better Than Campbell’s
As 9-year-olds in P.E. class in February, my best friend and I convinced the instructor that our queasy stomachs needed a break from running laps to visit the nurse. In the front office, we convinced the nurse that out churching stomachs needed to go home for the day. And at my best friend’s house, we convinced her mom that Disney movies and soup were the best remedies for our upset stomachs.
Her mom rooted around in the pantry and pulled out two tin cans, one of tomato soup and another of chicken noodle. Since I refused to eat any tomato product other than ketchup, I politely declined in favor of option #2. Continue reading for recipe.
Einstein’s Cheesy Solution
Fact: I am a scientist.
Fact: I am a little crazy.
Fact: Crazy scientists’ hair shoots straight out of their heads when they’re excited by a brilliant idea.
…Okay, so I have slightly fault logic. But if it were true, a lot of shoppers at the grocery store would have doubled over laughing at my 2-foot-long blonde afro as I walked down the cheese aisle last week! Continue reading for recipe.
Got Beef?
For my final sandwich, I plucked up the courage to face a really big fear: cooking steak. My man absolutely adores steak and orders it every chance he gets when dining out. Too scared of failing to measure up to those dishes, I refused to buy beef—let alone make it for dinner—and always chose chicken instead.
But.
How could I learn unless I actually tried? I’m pretty sure the sky wouldn’t fall if I under seasoned it, or the world wouldn’t end if I turned it into leather. So. Deep breath. March into the store, meander to the back, and… Continue reading for recipe.
It’s Still Sandwich Season!
Just when I decided to beat the heat with a little sandwich streak, the winds blew into town and the temperature dropped 20°. Great. The seasons are mocking me… As the bag of sandwich things threatened to mol, I wanted to put them out of their misery with a protein-packed filling. But what? Continue reading for recipe.
Not Cooking? Not a Problem!
This past weekend, thermometers threatened to shatter as the sun glared down at my tiny California town. Yes, fall officially began on September 22, but a week later the sun was still ignoring our calendar and converted our entire house into an oven.
Too unmotivated to cook (102° temperatures can do that to a girl), I sweated all the way to the store and grabbed a pint of ice cream to cool off. (Yes, I did buy it later. And was so tempted to eat all of it as I walked back home.) I also paid for a bag of sandwich thins, thinking that those sounded much more appealing than the baked chicken I had originally considered making. Continue reading for recipe.
When the Chickens Cluck, I Say “Oink!”
Recently, chickens everywhere starter squawking at me to get my hand out of their hen house and cook another animal for a change. Slightly nervous but still sympathetic, I walked around the butchery section at the store and eventually settled on pork instead. Continue reading for recipe.
Tick Tock, Sprint or Stop
Most days, I rush through the grocery store. Forget the cart: with my bad luck, mine veers off to the side from a sticky wheel and I waste precious minutes forcing it to roll down the aisle in a straight line. Instead, I grab a basked and haphazardly throw in food, bruising my leg with the cans and produce when it bangs against my shin as I power walk around the store.
Not fun.
But on the days without any meetings or appointments on my calendar, I slow down and savor the supermarket. I stroll up and down every (food) aisle, pausing in front of sale items and unusual ingredients. When I discover something interesting, I pull it off the shelf, pay for it at the check-out stands, and immediately begin searching for a recipe to use it in when I walk through the door at home. Continue reading for recipe.
Foods for the Soul 