Still Cooking

Yes, it's been awhile and for those of you who have called me to ask where I have been, I have been around and cooking but just have not have time to post. It's nice to know you enjoy my blog but it would be great if you would put it in writing. I love to read comments! Oh, how vain I am.

I have been cooking up a storm. I even made a meatloaf. I searched for a great recipe and my friend told me about the one the Barefoot Contessa has. It is the turkey meatloaf recipe. Let me tell you, it's wonderful. Preparing the meatloaf had my mouth watering. I did not use all turkey as the recipe called for, I used a combineation of turkey, and Laura Lean Beef (A great suggestion from my good friend). I also cut the recipe in half. It still made a lot of meatlaof and we were able to eat it for several days. You actually saute the onions and other ingredients prior to adding it to the meat and that was new for me. Hell, who am I kidding, cooking is new for me and my family! I'm telling you, this was something that someone like me who never cooks can actually cook. Yeah, to the Barefoot Contessa!!!!!!

I also made another recipe from the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. I wanted to prepare fish. So, I decided that I would go to Publix and pick out something. So, I pretended I was an actul cook. We all strive for something, don't we??? I decided to try trout. The Barefoot Contessa dish was Sole Menuire (spelling is wrong I am sure). So, being the foodie I am, I substituted sole for trout. The dish called for the fish to be cooked in unsalted butter and in the end you add lemon and lemon juice. The problem with my dish was the lemon juice over powered the trout but guess what??? The trout was a beautiful brown. You see, I am all about the presentation of a dish and with the broccoli and roasted winter vegetables, the plate was beautiful.

Speaking of winter vegetables, that is my favorite thing to do, experiement with vegetable. AND GUESS WHAT??? I HAVE A VEGETABLE PEELER!!!!!! I am so excited that I am learning to cook. It is the enjoyment of learning the taste and texture of foods and buying neat gadgets like a vegetable peeler. I enjoy the Farmers Market and seeing what is offered. I enjoy the grocery store and wondering what can be made with that item. My very good friend and I now discuss what we are cooking that evening.

My son is on Fall Break and for some reason we are getting home late. This evening I am not cooking again because I had to stop by the mall. But I plan to make the shrimp scampi from the Barefoot Contessa's Cookbook. Check back next week to see how that turns out.