The Point

I thought I should give an explanation of my blog. I have been avoiding blogging because I really didn't think others cared about what I had to say. What's the point of it if I don't have regular epiphanies, something that might make a little sense of the world? And believe me, my everyday life is not that inspiring.


And then I started thinking about food. (Honestly, food is never very far from my mind. I like to eat every two hours or so!) Over the years I have met enough people who are completely clueless in the kitchen to make me wonder if I could help. I love to cook. I don't claim to be an expert, but I can handle myself with a set of knives. And I love to teach. To teach someone to enjoy cooking is a lot of fun for me. I think it's sad that families don't eat together anymore, or if they do it's often either at a restaurant with a playground, takeout brought home in boxes and bags, or something from the freezer with ingredients you can't pronounce.


The media has also played a role in my adventure into blogland. Watching the news lately I find myself disturbed by what Brian and I like to call "Fat America Syndrome" or FAS for short. It's too easy to eat fast food and processed junk, especially if you are clueless in the kitchen. And as I get older I find that I'm in danger of getting lazy and falling prey to FAS, I realize that I need to do something about it now, before all the bad things become a habit. Don't get me wrong, I love pizza and french fries as much as anyone, but moderation is the key, a key that many Americans seem to have lost.


I love to watch cooking shows, when I can. I love to read cookbooks (I know, I'm a nerd) and cooking magazines. But many of those recipes are so out of reach for the normal person. As fantastic as a recipe may look and sound, I'm not going to go out and buy a cartful of obscure ingredients to use in one recipe. Chances are I'll use it once, and then the rest of the package will sit on a shelf for months, until I find it unrecognizable in the back of the fridge. I really struggle with this. With just Brian and me, I have to plan menus carefully. We don't want to eat spaghetti every day, but I also don't want to be wasteful, and it's hard to buy or cook for just two. The key, I have learned, is planning a week of meals that use common ingredients.


So here's the goal: to post recipes that are healthy, relatively inexpensive, and taste good. Also, to organize those recipes so that you can use common ingredients and not get bored. And, to give little lessons on kitchen procedures that many people don't know, simply from lack of practice. As cheesy as it is, I really believe the kitchen is the heart of the home, and getting more people cooking would be a good thing. Maybe more families will eat at the table together, or sisters will bond while washing the dishes together, or maybe you'll just learn an easy way to chop an onion.


So let me know what you think...What kitchen tips do you have? What would you like to learn? What recipes do your families love?