cookbooks

I had planned on listing some of my favorite cookbooks when I brought up my lack of cooking skills when we were first married.

Rachel Ray 30 minute meals: Everything I have made we have all enjoyed. The only comment I would have in the negative is that her cooking times for chicken are rather on the low side. Her pans and stovetop must cook faster than mine.

Super suppers: Recipes are easy and everything I have made has been yummy! It is supposed to be a make and freeze cookbook but I have never used this cookbook that way. But I use this book at least once a week.

Dream Dinners: Again, everything I have made has been fabulous. I do use this one to make 2 meals at a time, one for the freezer. I lists the ingredients for one meal or for 3. With our family size I do the 3 meal portion and split it into 2 meals :)

You've got it made: I just received this one from amazon this week. I have yet to make anything from it. But I have marked over 80% of the recipes to try. It is also a make and freeze book but it does not double the recipes for you. Most of the recipes are to feed 6 adults with a large number of them feeding 8 to 10 adults. But in my experience, feeding sizes are for one serving per person, so if you have say a 15 y/o boy that will eat 3 servings of something. Count that child as 3 people ;) I can't wait to try her chicken pot pie recipe and her fruit turnovers.

I do need to mention that I am a great cook now :) Good thing with a big family to feed. Hubby and I both enjoy cooking and we love to try new recipes on the weekends that we make together.

Another terrific resource is the foodnetwork. We especially enjoy Bobby Flay, Paula Deen, Sandra Lee, Rachel Ray, Robin Miller, Tyler Florence and Guy Fiero's recipes.

new pictures

I took a couple of really cute pictures of the baby this week.

He was looking very intently at my camera. I wonder what he was thinking?


This one cracks me up. He decided to grin and laugh like a maniac :)


I used a couple of actions I bought. The good news is they are available for PSE users. I can do all this myself, I have been doing it for a couple of years. But I just love the time saving I am doing by using an action. Mindy's actions don't flatten when you use them so you can tweak them. I tweaked the black and white image to be less contrasty.

cooking

When I got married I didn't know how to cook. Well except for pancakes and tacos. In high school, I was known for my tacos. At parties when everyone got hungry, someone would run to the store and I would make dozens and dozens of tacos. I am not even sure how I learned how to make them. Sure you brown the meat, add the seasoning packet. But I would fry up corn tortillas. I don't know how I learned that part. My mom was a healthy cook even then. So she didn't fry much. But anyway, I did know how to cook those two things.

My mom is a great cook. But she did not like to have me in the kitchen with her. So I did not learn how until I was married. Poor hubby. Looking back I did get more food right than wrong. But still, he loved me so would eat it regardless. I did know how to bake. I taught myself. My mom did not and does not bake. So she would let me in the kitchen (by myself) to bake. I still love to bake.

I find myself struggling with kids in the kitchen too. Probably take after my mom. I am a tidy cook. Kids are messy. :) But I am really trying to change. I want all of my children to be able to run a household. For one thing I don't want things to fall apart when I am sick or having a baby. Plus I want them to be able to care for their families when they get married. I plan on starting by teaching 3 of the older children one meal. My oldest daughter is mentally retarded so she will help in other ways. and my 9 y/o is not ready so I will teach her how to put together a salad and other simple items like that. My 11 y/o daughter is already pretty handy in the kitchen. She has had an interest in cooking for several years so I have slowly taught her things and she is great with a cake mix :)

On that same note, for dinner we are having

lasagna

garlic bread

and a big green salad.

rain rain keep coming :)

As I type, the rain is just pouring down. I love to sit and listen to the rain. and boy do we need it! Severe drought. So hopefully it lasts for a while. Our poor grass is dying.

Still so excited to be having a girl. Bought some cute clothes for next summer. All the summer clothes seem to be on clearance.

Hopefully everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend. We did :) Very relaxed day on the 4th. Took the kids swimming. On the 6th was our block party. Had lots of fun with friends and neighbors.

Here are a bunch of pictures. One of each child :)