Thursday, September 27, 2012

Cooking Confessions

Sorry folks, no new recipe today, but I do have something a little different.  But first, since I feel bad for not posting a recipe in a while, you should check out these two quick recipes from the archives. They are both perfect for this time of year.

Smoky Corn Chowder Great recipe for those of us doing Fresh Fork. This week we're getting what is probably the last of the corn.

Candy Corn and Peanuts Quickest treat ever and no baking required.



Today marks the beginning of a series of posts called Cooking Confessions.  It won't be weekly or anything, I'll just throw them out there at random.  These confessions (sometimes embarrassing) will be about cooking, baking or food things that I like or don't like.  Some of them might surprise you even if you know me in real life so stay tuned!


Grilled Cheese & Pancakes: This is basic cooking right here, but I can't do it without "burnination". The problem is that I'm impatient. I start it off at the right temperature, get impatient then walk away and forget. Or I standby, get impatient and end up cranking the heat. It seems I'm willing to wait for more elaborate cooking (probably because there are other food tasks to be handled) but when it's such a simple food and it seems like it takes forever I have issues. I AM getting better with grilled cheese, but I haven't attempted pancakes for two in such a long time (I'm a waffle girl anyway).

On a recent family vacation, I made breakfast for everyone one morning and only had whatever pans the rental house provided. I had the bacon in the oven and pans on all four burners. None of the pans and burners heated the same so I was constantly having to adjust (aka no time to get impatient). I think these were the best cooked pancakes I've made in forever.


Tomato Sauce:
I use jarred tomato sauce. *gasp* I don't use red sauce that much so I just buy it. Sometimes it's a jar of local stuff and sometimes it's just whatever's on sale, but it's rare if I make it myself. 


Spaghetti and Meatballs:
While we're on the subject of tomato sauce I might as well tell you my feelings about spaghetti and meatballs.  Even though Kevin loves spaghetti, I won't make it.  I just don't like it. I'm not sure why, but it is what it is. I love me some bolognese sauce, but that's really the only meatsauce I like (is it a coincidence that bolognese isn't usually served with spaghetti noodles? hmm).  Everything else is meh including meatballs.  So you can count me off the band wagon for this meatball craze that's going on.  I'll eat them, but they don't really do anything for me.


So there you have it, my first installment of cooking confessions.  Do you have any cooking confessions?
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Thursday, September 6, 2012

30 Before 30: 10 Month Update

Only 2 more months until I'm 30! I have to say I'm not nervous/scared/whatever some people feel as they age. I'm actually a little excited! I don't know why, but maybe it's just because a milestone birthday is a great excuse to have a party. And I am having a party!

30 Before 30:
(in no particular order)
  1. Attend a concert at Blossom (We went when the Cleveland Orchestra had a John Williams tribute: soundtracks from Star Wars, Indiana Jones, E.T., Jaws, etc.)
  2. Keep in touch with people better (I've been texting a lot more so this helps)
  3. Blog more regularly (I was doing well until the summer hit, but I've been getting back into again)
  4. Participate in a blog swap (Since my last update I guest posted on Clue Into ClevelandEat*Drink*Cleveland and Peave Love Bagels. My posts were about local BLTs with homemade mayo, my favorite wine shop and how to DIY microwave popcorn, respectively.
  5. Sing karaoke in public 
  6. Bake for a good cause
  7. Visit my sister in Atlanta
  8. Visit my brother in New Orleans
  9. Volunteer (nothing since April, I should volunteer at least one more time)
  10. Attend a Tremont Art Walk 
  11. Visit one of Cleveland's beaches
  12. Now that the elephants are back in their new habitat, I want to visit the zoo again.  (I won tickets to Date Night at the Zoovies. We got to wander around after hours and watch The Breakfast Club in their ampitheater.) 
  13. Visit the MetroParks outside of Solon
  14. Host more parties (I've hosted 5 parties in 10 months and I've got my first bimonthly supper club dinner this weekend.)
  15. Learn how to draw
  16. Spend less time on the computer (I've been doing okay)
  17. Visit Stan Hywet Hall (I work near there now, so this should be easy to do in the next few months)
  18. Try to relax (This is even harder now that we have 5 temporary roommates)
  19. Make our wedding album (our 5 year anniversary is a month before I turn 30) (Haven't even started, I need to get moving!)
  20. Visit the West Side more often
  21. Attend a Lake Erie Monsters game
  22. Attend a Burning River Roller Girls bout 
  23. Go skydiving (Coming soon!!)
  24. Learn how to use some of the features on our camera
  25. Go tobogganing
  26. Be more positive about day to day stuff
  27. Try at least 6 new restaurants
  28. Drink more wine
  29. Visit Cleveland's Asiatown and eat dim sum (This was so fun!  We took my parents when they were in town for Father's Day)
  30. Exercise more (I'm on and off)
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