Search Results for: blog cooking for two

Cooking for a Family in Need

This week we are faced with the desire to do some cooking for a family in need. I did a quick meal plan for a few meals plus snacks and quick items. When I added it all up and included disposable packaging, the total cost was more than $125, which is higher than our weekly grocery bill. That would be a blow to our budget, so I made a few changes to allow us to provide hearty, nutritious meals that could be prepared and delivered the same day. I got up very early this morning and got to work putting … Continue reading →

Two by Two

The other night we went over a friend’s house for a party.  I was wondering where we’d all park, because there are 18 people coming, and I didn’t think many of us would carpool.  “We’re all going to be coming two by two,” I said.  I made myself laugh, but it’s true.  When you run in married circles, people tend to go places two by two. I already covered how I resent the idea that Jon and I are attached at the hip.  The group of friends I saw is the same from quiz night.  Most of us go to … Continue reading →

My Bulk Cooking Section –Organized Pantry

Yesterday’s project of organizing the pantry yielded some food that needed to be used up soon. Time to do some bulk cooking. These are items that were nearing the expiration dates or had just over stayed their welcome in the pantry. What I didn’t mention in yesterday’s post is that I actually cleaned out two pantries, plus a smaller three-section bin that usually holds produce. In the latter, was a five-pound bag of organic potatoes that were just threatening to grow eyes. I hate potatoes with eyes. Ew. I mean, really ew. So, this afternoon I decided to attack the isolated … Continue reading →

Generational Differences in Marriage Dynamics: Cooking

Due to all of my volunteering, I spend a lot of time each week with people who are more in my parents’ generation than mine. That’s normal enough; once we graduate and enter the work force, our pool of peers naturally expands beyond our age group. I have no problem with this most of the time, but once in a while I feel our generational difference, and that usually relates to our views on marriage. My friends don’t have extremely different views on marriage than me; they’re certainly not the types who think their husbands rule the roost. I don’t … Continue reading →

Cleaning while Cooking

This week my 15-year-old daughter made an entire meal by herself. It was meat loaf and fried potatoes. I wasn’t home to help her, so she was entirely on her own. When I did come home, it was to a huge mess. I had done a really good job teaching her how to make one of our favorite meals but I had apparently not taught her the art of keeping the kitchen clean while you cook. It drives me crazy when I see someone cooking or baking and there is a mess everywhere. That’s probably why I especially enjoy the … Continue reading →

Inspiration and Motivation Part Two

Yesterday I talked a little about the difference between inspiration and motivation and how understanding that difference can help you to move forward to a place where you the work that is meaningful to you as part of living a meaningful life. When I first thought about exploring the differences between inspiration and motivation, I found a great article on the website of the Lavin Agency. The Lavin Agency is one of North America’s largest speakers’ bureaus, representing some of the giants in the world of public speaking as well as new talent with fresh ideas. The article also contained … Continue reading →

Summer Crops, the CSA and Cooking Corn

It isn’t too late in some areas to join a CSA farm and get wonderfully fresh produce. This week, we receive a bounty of traditional summer crops that were so fresh, you could practically see the drops of dawn sunlight still lingering on them from being picked that morning. Here is what we got, and what we are planning on doing with it. Broccoli This week, our head of broccoli was a little on the small side, so I’m guessing that we are nearing the end of the line with this crop. Still, there should be enough again for my … Continue reading →

My CSA Haul and What I’m Cooking

We got another great batch of produce from Farmer Joe (yes that is his name) and his family in our share this week. We have a half share, meaning that we pick up our fresh organic produce every other week. Each pick up can last us up to two weeks, although it usually takes us about 8 or 9 days to get through everything because of all of the greens that we are getting right now. Here is what we got: A quart of strawberries, plus a second quart I purchased at the farm. My four-year-old adamantly told me several … Continue reading →

The Two Parts to Frugal Living

At its basic level, frugal living can be broken down into two parts. Knowing what these two parts are can help you make good decision toward your savings goals. You can be frugal whether your finances require it or not. Some of the richest people live very frugally. Sometimes this is in order to pass down their riches to their children, sometimes it is to be able to give generously to others in need and sometimes it is just the way that they were built or raised. The first part to living frugally is avoiding or having an aversion to … Continue reading →

Childless Food Network Star Burns Sick Kid

You know, I really enjoy watching Ina Garten whip up healthy and inspired dishes on her Food Network show “Barefoot Contessa.” Sure, she is a multi-millionaire celebrity chef, who lives in an immaculately clean mansion in the Hamptons, and tools around in a posh Mercedes, which is about as far away from my reality as humanly possible, but on TV our differences seem to melt away. Well, they did until I was asked to write a letter chastising the former White House nuclear policy analyst, turned culinary guru. Apparently, there is a huge contingency of parents out there who think … Continue reading →