COOKING TODAY

Today I'm cooking! It doesn't happen often, but every once in a while it must be done. Since I don't have any pressing appointments or friends available for a sit down visit I'm heading to the kitchen. A Dallas friend sent me a recipe for baby back ribs that she swears is terrific. I think it involves marinating for hours, we'll see. Usually if something takes longer than 10 minutes I pitch that idea. Since company is coming in a couple of weeks I'm going to practice today and see if it's fit for them! Honeybuns loves to be the guinea pig for new entrees. Well, most of the time!

Remember the "Cook Once for a Month" fad? I probably still have that cookbook somewhere. The premise was this: shop and cook 200+ recipes in one day, freeze those precious little bundles and have food for a family of 4 for 30 days. Sounds great! Our youngest son and I rolled two shopping buggies piled high that day we checked off the list of everything needed for the plan. The total was well over $300.00. NEVER in my life have I spent that amount at a grocery store! Now at yarn shop or quilt boutique, you bet, several times...but NOT on FOOD! Everything was hauled into the kitchen and the next day I cooked from sun up to dark thirty. I put on the cutest little apron and laid out the recipes. The day started out good but as the evening hours wore on I was exhausted and careless. At one point I dumped a pot full of hot spaghetti water all over me and the floor. Our eldest son rescued me and insisted I stop the cooking immediately before I hurt myself or burned down the house. I gave up and we went out to dinner.

Those frozen bundles DID last all month in the freezer but they did NOT all win family approval at the kitchen table at mealtime. At one particular sit down family dinner we just all stared at it, Honeybuns and the boys afraid to speak, until I blurted out, "let's go to Wendys". They cheered and we raced for the car laughing. That was the end of the "Cook Once for a Month" plan. Never again!

I think I do my best cooking when I'm in the mood, which occurs about every 6 months. (And WHEN I'm in the mood it is gourmet time!!!) However, Honeybuns has this crazy idea that he should have something to eat for dinner EVERY DAY! Where did that idea come from?? I'm convinced that is why God invented restaurants!