It's been awhile

Becoming domestic?

Tonight's meal was pan-fried fish, mashed potatoes, and farm-style green beans. The green beans were fabulous, but I would add some extra herbs to the fish for next time. My biggest accomplishment was pan-frying something :)

Our latest endeavor in our young married life is the use of coupons. I was never a big coupon clipper growing up, and have tried several times to little avail. However, my mother-in-law in the queen of coupon clipping and finding deals. It is my new goal to be more like her, and learn to use the coupons. Something about them always made me feel a bit weird before, but now I'm starting to get into it. Yet another step in becoming more domestic. The trick now is to find an online program to manage them all. Anyone have a suggestion?

Asian Salmon and a new knife

Thursday was fabulous! I made Asian Salmon with Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans, and Focaccia Breadsticks. Yum! The sauce for the salmon and sweet potatoes really made the dish. Definitely a keeper recipe.

Big news of the weekend, though, is that my wonderful husband stopped by Rose's (restaurant supply store) and picked me up a new (sharp!) chef's knife and a glove for my non-cutting hand. I can't wait to use it. Hopefully now I won't have to use extra force just to slice red pepper!

I can't wait until making my next meal. Last night and tonight were restaurant nights. I'm thinking pan fried fish and farm-style green beans.

Anyone can cook...

I was at Costco the other day, and came across a new cookbook put out by the wonderful folks at Better Homes and Gardens called "Anyone Can Cook." It caught my eye with its beautiful pictures, but it is very informative about how to handle everything in the kitchen. There are pictures of how to break down almost every type of vegetable, what to do with herbs, and even shots of what different cuts of meat look like. Especially helpful in grocery stores that, for some horribly twisted reason, feel the need to call cuts of meat by different names. Mostly, I feel this cookbook gives me the confidence I have been lacking in the kitchen. My mother was kind enough to teach me cooking skills, for which I am very thankful. However, Northwest cuisine is a bit different from where I grew up, and I have found the need to branch out in my culinary vocabulary. This provides a wonderful result, but getting there has been quite the uphill battle. It also doesn't help that I married into a family of chefs and "foodies".

Last night I made Honey-Balsamic Glazed Beef Stir Fry, which was heavenly. It tasted like a meal from a restaurant, and it was so easy to make! My biggest accomplishment was that I remembered to do my mise en place first! Thank you, cookbook :) Tonight I will be attempting Asian Glazed Salmon with roasted sweet potatoes, green beans, and fococcia breadsticks. Yummy.

I hope that after a few months of this being domestic will come a bit more naturally...

A New Year's Feast!

The traditional southern meal for New Year's is as follows:

*Ham (We had a real honey-baked ham!) for positive forward movement as pigs root forward and are unable to look back.
*Black-eyed peas for prosperity in the new year (ours are topped with a bit of sweet pickle juice)
*Greens (collards are best) for folding money

It was especially fun to bring these traditions to the west coast. I was quite unsure how it would go, but I've made a few converts :)

Entertaining is a bit of a lost art. How often do we pull out the fancy plates with cloth napkins? I'm not saying we should do this every day, but a bit more often would be nice. Perhaps in my quest for creating more home cooked meals, I should invite people over more often to show how it's done!

No more cooking this weekend. Lots of leftovers to consume, but they will be delicious. Oh, and the pork with cherries was awesome! Here's to our next wonderful meal. Any suggestions?...

A New Year, a new you?

Several years ago, back before we were married, my husband and I discussed the art of New Year's Resolutions. Both of us thought this tradition was rather useless. Who really keeps their New Year's Resolutions? I would like to know, and perhaps meet that person. Also, why wait for the start of a new year to better your life or change something about yourself?

I was raised in a southern family, and was gently guided through the steps of being a good wife with excellent etiquette throughout my childhood. Often I fall short, but have a better start than most. One of the things I love doing, but had lost sight of, was the art of the homemade meal. Being a teacher, I often come home tired, and am frankly too lazy to put dinner on the table every night. But, this winter break has renewed my love of cooking. Each day this week has brought a new recipe, and it makes me feel good about myself for putting a homecooked meal on the table for my husband when he gets home from work.

It is unfortunate this realization comes just as the New Year approaches. I don't want people to think this is a resolution (especially since I think they are silly), but it something I would like to work on for myself. I'm sure my husband will appreciate it, too!

Tonight's menu: Pork Roast with cherries served over rice with buttered almond asparagus
Tomorrow: "Traditional" Southern New Year's Meal - honey glazed ham, cheesy scalloped potatoes, black eyed peas with sweet pickle juice, collard greens with bacon, and broccoli salad