Good News!

In my last blog I set a goal to try and cook one new recipe a week. Well, I'm happy to say that I did it last week and I have already done it this week (let me remind you that it is only Monday). Last week, I cooked fried rice for the first time. It was an easy recipe rice plus green onions plus scrambled eggs. I bought fried rice seasoning from the grocery store. (Next time I'm going to try the Ramen noodle seasoning packets my friends have suggested...remember I'm a college student on a budget)!! Anyways, I'm so proud of myself for that recipe. (Remember, I'm starting easy!)

Last week, while I was getting ready for class, I saw Emeril cooking "Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Dijon Herb Sauce" on Good Morning America. It looked so good that I went out and bought the extra stuff I needed to make it right away (I know the impulse buying thing is really a weakness of mine). Well, Jesse ended up bringing me home dinner so, I did not cook it. Tonight, though, I was really in the mood to cook (and those of you who know me know that this is not common for me). I cooked this recipe tonight and it was pretty good. It looked just like the picture and I followed the recipe completely so I'm thinking that maybe it was just my taste. It wasn't as good as I thought it would be but, it is a rather healthy dish (290 calories per serving I think) which is definitely an added bonus. Overall I would give it a 4 out of 5. If you think it looks good, try it, and let me know what you think!

You know I had to have something to go with it and what better idea than to try another new recipe. I have recently discovered the Pioneer Woman website (http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/). I cooked her "Homemade Potatoes Au Gratin" and this dish made up for what the chicken dish lacked. Oh my gosh....it was so good!!! I think I outdid myself (if I do say so myself). It reminded me of the wonderful comfort food my Grandmother Murell cooks. I thought all hope was lost for my cooking skills but, I think that I have hope after all.

Maybe blogging about my cooking journey is a good idea after all! Keep following...we will see.

For the Love of Food...

So, one of my goals this year is to improve my cooking skills. I feel like I have done a pretty good job so far but, I feel like I need to be more committed to the process. I have actually cooked more new recipes over the holidays and this new year than I probably ever have. I have found out that I really enjoy cooking and, I am not that bad at it. It is a really great way to save money (if you don't go too extreme with your recipes...which trust me, I don't). One of my best recipes that I have made recently was White Chocolate Oreo Cream Cheese balls. I did these for Jesse's family Christmas gathering and I also made some for gifts for some of my family. They are so easy and are a great holiday treat. I also recently made cupcakes (before you get excited...they were from a box) and, I got some remarks that they looked professional (you can imagine my thrill...they were iced and sprinkled with hearts). In terms of dinner I haven't really tried that many new recipes. I usually stick to easy dinners like tacos, spaghetti, and hot dogs. Honestly, though, Jesse and I are beginning to get REALLY bored with these dinner selections. My problem is that I get really excited about cooking new things and then I overwhelm myself so I don't cook anything at all and then we eat out and spend money that we don't need to spend and you can see how ths vicious cycle begins (and continues). So, I am now trying a new approach...I am shooting for ONE NEW RECIPE A WEEK! Surely, I can manage this. This week, the new recipe I am trying is fried rice! Maybe blogging my committment will actually help me stick to it. I hope so! I'll report back...