Back in Business

As we all know, during my pregnancies I seem to become someone I'm not usually. My dear husband has to endure a wife who pukes, feels ill pretty much at all times, doesn't have the energy to clean (and he ends up doing it all) and most certainly doesn't have the energy, or stomach, to cook much of anything. Unfortunately, we end up eating out a lot, ordering pizza and becoming regulars at the Chinese take-out restaurant. Well, I use "we" loosely because it's mostly David as I could rarely stomach much of anything beyond Cheerios (and some days those were a stretch). I was looking forward to not being pregnant and being a stay-at-home mom, having the time to clean, cook and just take care of the house like I want to and should. Praise the Lord I'm feeling better and able to do stuff again!

While I was pregnant I was thinking of ways to spice up my weekly meal menu. I have made it a habit to make up a menu and do the grocery shopping from that. This has really helped our food budget, and it also helps to know what we're going to have for supper when that time comes every single day. My sister has been singing the praises of The Pioneer Woman for some time now. I had wanted to look into her recipes more but had kinda forgotten about them. That is until my sister and her crew came up for supper a few weeks ago and my sister made brownies from The Pioneer Woman's cookbook and also pita chips (I think). I started looking through the cookbook (I tend to read them like novels)  and was impressed, interested, enthralled and totally wanted to cook everything in the book. My sister generously let me borrow the book, and I have made quick work of trying different recipes.

For the past several days/week we have tried enchiladas, chicken pot pie, blackberry cobbler, oatmeal crisp cookies, pizza crust and meatloaf. We have loved everything! I wanted to try a variety of things so I would know if I wanted to buy the book--I want to buy the book. And so, I shall buy the book, and we'll continue to cook our way through it and try out different things. I'm sure we won't love everything (then again, maybe we will) but it'll at least make us try new things, or new twists on things, and will get us out of our menu rut!

Chocolatey Goodness

I love being a stay-at-home mom! It gives me time to do things like baking and cooking without the stress of having 100 other things piling up on me because I'm working outside the home for 40+ hours a week. Granted, being pregnant has limited my energy levels and so I'm not doing as much right now as I'd like to be, but oh well! Food is still being made and eaten! :) I am not the biggest cookie fan. If it's a chocolate cookie that certainly helps, but I pretty much only like Oreos, chocolate chip cookies and no-bakes. I know, I'm boring, but that's just the way it is. Have you ever had a no-bake cookie? I have found a new appreciation for them recently due to their simplicity and lack of colossal mess in the kitchen. It takes 1 pot, a swack of wax paper and that's it! No-bakes are like lots of other things in that everyone has their favorite recipe. And, they can fail--if it's too humid out I tend to not make them as they don't seem to set up as well. In any case, they really are easy to make and are deeeeelish! :) Here's the recipe I use and have great success with.

Boil together for 5 minutes (make sure it's a rolling boil before you start timing):
1 1/2 c sugar
1/4 c cocoa powder (more/less depending on how chocolatey you like things)
1/3 c butter or margarine
1/2 c milk
1 tsp salt

Remove from heat. Immediately add:
3 c uncooked oats
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
nuts, optional (some add peanut butter, also very  yummy!!!!)

Drop by tablespoons on waxed paper to cool or spread on cookie sheet to harden. Cut into bars. Be careful! These things are addicting! :)