I've been pretty proud of myself in the kitchen lately. Not because I've been crafting from-scratch artisan meals in my kitchen hearth. I don't have a hearth. I have a space heater. It doesn't make anything edible. I guess I could make beef jerky with it.
No, I'm proud because I've been resourceful. I've been tired lately, mentally and physically. I've been getting home later than usual. I have a lot on my mind. At times, I have sinned: I've bought "food" that comes in a box, because it's quick and easy. You add water, and sometimes some variety of meat, and cook it in a skillet. You can do it with your eyes closed. Which is handy for me because of the whole tired thing. But that stuff ain't good for ya. Just ask my belly jelly.
But lately, instead of falling for the idea that dinner has to be either an elaborate recipe or, the other extreme, straight from a box, I've been combining the two concepts to meet somewhere in the middle. (Not like this is a new idea. Her name is Sandra Lee. Her show is called Semi-Homemade Cooking. And she is rich. And thin. And blonde. Ugh.) The longer you've cooked, the more recipes you've tried, the more techniques you've mastered, and the better you get at coming up with stuff on your own and adapting things your remember.
Here's an dinner example of this philosophy from our kitchen from the night before last:
1. Italian Chicken breast: I had thawed 2 chicken breasts, the kind that come frozen in a big bag. I simply seasoned them and cooked 'em in my FABULOUS non-stick Calphalon non-stick pans (thank you, Nevues). For seasoning, I used a bread-dipping seasoning we received in an Italian-themed Christmas gift basket (thank you, Berrys). It comes in a tin, and you're supposed to mix it with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and dip your bread in it. It'a yumyums that way, but it was awesome as a seasoning too. It has all kinds of crushed herbs and dried garlic and onions. I heated the skillet to high to get a nice golden sear on the chicken and a crust of sorts from the herb rub, then cooked in on low with the lid on.
2. Fake Risotto: This was left over from the weekend, but it is another great semi-homemade concoction. My mom simply cooked regular white rice in chicken broth with chopped onion (and maybe garlic? Mom?). Then she topped it with flakes of fresh parmesan. You could also add toasted pine nuts or almonds if you wanted to. Or whatever nut you have on hand. The idea is for you NOT to run to the store for special ingredients.
3. Artichoke Gratin: I had half a can of artichoke hearts left over from a fish dish from the other night. So, I pulled out my handy Better Homes and Garden Cookbook and looked up 'artichokes' in the index. There was a gratin recipe that I didn't quite have all the ingredients for, so I improvised. I sauteed some canned mushrooms (I love fresh, but ALWAYS keep canned on hand because the're so handy) and turkey bacon, and made a white sauce with butter, flour, and milk in the pan. I put the chopped artichokes in a mini casserole dish, poured the sauce over top, and topped the whole thing with breadcrumbs and cheese. Then, I baked it.
The whole dinner only took about a half an hour to make, and was so much better than box food. And while it wasn't nuts and granola, I felt it was healthy. I also felt proud, cuz I made it up allll my by self. I've come along way since the beginning.
Showing posts with label Cooking and food - YUM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cooking and food - YUM. Show all posts
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
The Food We Eat When We're Alone
What would you do if your husband left you, for the third weekend in a row, to go to his hunting lease?
The first weekend, you might go visit your dear friend who just had a baby and help her around the house. The second weekend you might put up Christmas decorations. The third weekend, you might begin by cleaning the house, and then through you hands up in the air and say, "SPICY THAI PEANUT CURRY!!!"
Well, that's what I did. With Tanner gone, I decided to treat myself to one of my favorite recipes that Tanner just so happens to strongly dislike. We won't even get into how he has never actually tasted it or really even seen it. He just decided that he hated it when I described it to him. And, well, that was that.
But guess what? Tanner wasn't home last weekend, so I made my all-time favorite peanut curry. And you better believe I ate it for 6 straight lunch and dinner meals. (I had to take a break for breakfast.) After 6 meals of curry, I ingested a bottle of charcoal pills and gained 40 lbs, but that's beside the point.
I first made this when recipe when I lived alone in my temporary apartment inhell on earth Amarillo. It was my respite from constant hurricane-force winds and the lingering smell of cow manure. Most people wouldn't think of curry as a comfort food, but I do. And it was my litle single-life reunion for the weekend since the rest of my lease-widow weekends were decidedly domestic.
What do you eat when your husband's out of town? Pick up some sushi? (Another one of my favorites.) Down nothing but popcorn and coke? If you don't have a go-to yet, and you love peanut butter, try this:
Spicy Thai Peanut and Chicken Curry
2 Tbsp peanut oil
3 Tbsp red curry paste
1 Tbsp sambal oelek (chili paste, looks like this)
1.5 lbs chicken breast cut into chunks (I used leftover turkey last weekend)
2 cups coconut milk or light coconut milk
2 Tbsp fish sauce
3 Tbsp brown sugar
4 Tbsp cream peanut butter
3-6 cups cooked white rice (depends how much rice you like with your curry)
crushed peanuts
lime
cilantro, green onion, cucumber slivers, bean sprouts (whatever green you have on hand)
1. Saute peanut oil, curry paste, and sambal over medium heat for a few minutes.
2. Add the chicken chunks and cook through.
3. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, brown sugar, and peanut butter.
4. Simmer for about ten minutes, stirring every once and a while.
5. Serve over white rice, and top with crushed peanuts, lime juice, and cilantro, green onion, cucumber slivers, bean sprouts or whatever green things you have around the house.
You can adjust the curry, sambal, fish, sauce, brown sugar, and peanut butter up or down about a tablespoon or two until you find the combination spiciness, savoriness, and peanutbuterygoodness that suits you. I like it extra peanutbuttery and medium spicy.
I had no crushed peanuts, but trust me, they make it sooo much better.
>
This recipe was adapted from HeidiSue's
The first weekend, you might go visit your dear friend who just had a baby and help her around the house. The second weekend you might put up Christmas decorations. The third weekend, you might begin by cleaning the house, and then through you hands up in the air and say, "SPICY THAI PEANUT CURRY!!!"
Well, that's what I did. With Tanner gone, I decided to treat myself to one of my favorite recipes that Tanner just so happens to strongly dislike. We won't even get into how he has never actually tasted it or really even seen it. He just decided that he hated it when I described it to him. And, well, that was that.
But guess what? Tanner wasn't home last weekend, so I made my all-time favorite peanut curry. And you better believe I ate it for 6 straight lunch and dinner meals. (I had to take a break for breakfast.) After 6 meals of curry, I ingested a bottle of charcoal pills and gained 40 lbs, but that's beside the point.
I first made this when recipe when I lived alone in my temporary apartment in
What do you eat when your husband's out of town? Pick up some sushi? (Another one of my favorites.) Down nothing but popcorn and coke? If you don't have a go-to yet, and you love peanut butter, try this:
Spicy Thai Peanut and Chicken Curry
2 Tbsp peanut oil
3 Tbsp red curry paste
1 Tbsp sambal oelek (chili paste, looks like this)
1.5 lbs chicken breast cut into chunks (I used leftover turkey last weekend)
2 cups coconut milk or light coconut milk
2 Tbsp fish sauce
3 Tbsp brown sugar
4 Tbsp cream peanut butter
3-6 cups cooked white rice (depends how much rice you like with your curry)
crushed peanuts
lime
cilantro, green onion, cucumber slivers, bean sprouts (whatever green you have on hand)
1. Saute peanut oil, curry paste, and sambal over medium heat for a few minutes.
2. Add the chicken chunks and cook through.
3. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, brown sugar, and peanut butter.
4. Simmer for about ten minutes, stirring every once and a while.
5. Serve over white rice, and top with crushed peanuts, lime juice, and cilantro, green onion, cucumber slivers, bean sprouts or whatever green things you have around the house.
You can adjust the curry, sambal, fish, sauce, brown sugar, and peanut butter up or down about a tablespoon or two until you find the combination spiciness, savoriness, and peanutbuterygoodness that suits you. I like it extra peanutbuttery and medium spicy.
I had no crushed peanuts, but trust me, they make it sooo much better.
>
This recipe was adapted from HeidiSue's
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Eggcellent Way to Say, 'I Love You'
Tanner and I don't often get to enjoy the mornings together, because (when I'm on time) I leave for work a good hour before he does. Which is a shame, because we are both morning people, and really enjoy piddling and puttering around the kitchen and TV room together in the morning.
This morning was an exception, because I went in late to work, and I was able to "make" us some Williams-Sonoma croissants (which means I just put them in the oven). We ate together while we chatted about world news, financial planning, literary criticisms, and apple butter vs. raspberry jelly (he's all butter, and I'm all jelly, which sounds like it should be a Beyonce song).
In the past, on normal mornings, I've made my decaf, eaten a bowl of cereal, and left Tanner to fend for himself. Lately, however, I've really been trying to serve Tanner in little ways -- doin sweet little things just to show him I care. I especially like doing things for him in the morning, since he's still snoring away as I leave at the bootie crack of dawn, and we don't have much interaction. Even though we can't enjoy quality time together most mornings, I still want him to start his day off knowing I care. SO, I've been setting his coffee pot each morning so it's brewed at the time he would be getting ready to head out the door, and leaving him something to eat for breakfast.
Lots of times, though, Tanner takes his breakfast with him in the car, because he's running late or because he's not quite hungry yet. So, I leave out a croissant or a toaster pastry or muffins.
Today however, I found some Hungry Girl recipes in my inbox. They're for mini egg casseroles that seem like a super-quick and easy way to prepare a savory breakfast that's just as easy to take on-the-go. It's all in the microwave, which means no pots and pans to clean, and when you're done, you can grab the mug of yummy, warm eggness and head out the door. I'm thinking I can do most of the work, and then leave Tanner a note to microwave for the final 45-60 seconds to set the eggs. Plus, it's a super easy way to make breakfast for two if you and your spouse don't like all the same fixin's in your eggs.
Here are the recipes, below. I'm also curious to know if any of you marrieds have morning routines, and how if they developed and changed over time?
Chicken Fajita Scramble Mug
PER SERVING (entire recipe): 163 calories, 0.75g fat, 583mg sodium, 12g
carbs, 1.25g fiber, 5.5g sugars, 26g protein
Ingredients:
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 oz. cooked skinless lean chicken breast, chopped
1 tsp. dry fajita seasoning mix
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
2 tbsp. shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
1 tbsp. fat-free sour cream
Directions:
Spray a large microwave-safe mug with nonstick spray. Add veggies,
chicken, and fajita seasoning. Stir well to evenly distribute seasoning.
Microwave for 1 - 2 minutes, until veggies have softened.
Add egg substitute and microwave for 1 minute.
Add cheese and gently stir. Microwave for an additional 45 - 60 seconds, until
scramble is just set.
Allow to cool slightly. Top with sour cream.
Denver Omelette in a Mug
PER SERVING (entire recipe): 122 calories, 0.75g fat, 702mg sodium, 6g
carbs, 0.5g fiber, 2.5g sugars, 21.5g protein
Ingredients:
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 tbsp. chopped onion
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
1 oz. (about 2 slices) 97 - 98% fat-free ham, chopped
2 tbsp. shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
Directions:
Spray a large microwave-safe mug with nonstick spray. Add veggies and
microwave for 1 - 2 minutes, until softened.
Blot any excess liquid from veggies. Add egg substitute and microwave for 1
minute.
Add ham and cheese and lightly stir. Microwave for an additional 45 - 60
seconds, until scramble is just set.
Veggie Eggs-plosion Mug
PER SERVING (entire recipe): 130 calories, 2.25g fat, 495mg sodium, 10g
carbs, 2g fiber, 5.5g sugars, 17g protein
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
1/4 cup chopped asparagus
1/4 cup diced tomato
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese
Optional seasonings: black pepper, garlic powder
Directions:
Spray a large microwave-safe mug with nonstick spray. Add all veggies and
microwave for 1 - 2 minutes.
Thoroughly blot excess moisture from the veggies. Add egg substitute and
microwave for 1 minute.
Add the cheese wedge, breaking it into pieces. Stir gently, and then
microwave for an additional 45 - 60 seconds, until scramble is just set.
Allow to cool slightly. If you like, season to taste with black pepper and garlic
powder.
These recipes are all courtesy of Hungry Girl. You can find additional egg mug recipes here and here. And, you can sign up for her newsletter, here.
This morning was an exception, because I went in late to work, and I was able to "make" us some Williams-Sonoma croissants (which means I just put them in the oven). We ate together while we chatted about world news, financial planning, literary criticisms, and apple butter vs. raspberry jelly (he's all butter, and I'm all jelly, which sounds like it should be a Beyonce song).
In the past, on normal mornings, I've made my decaf, eaten a bowl of cereal, and left Tanner to fend for himself. Lately, however, I've really been trying to serve Tanner in little ways -- doin sweet little things just to show him I care. I especially like doing things for him in the morning, since he's still snoring away as I leave at the bootie crack of dawn, and we don't have much interaction. Even though we can't enjoy quality time together most mornings, I still want him to start his day off knowing I care. SO, I've been setting his coffee pot each morning so it's brewed at the time he would be getting ready to head out the door, and leaving him something to eat for breakfast.
Lots of times, though, Tanner takes his breakfast with him in the car, because he's running late or because he's not quite hungry yet. So, I leave out a croissant or a toaster pastry or muffins.
Today however, I found some Hungry Girl recipes in my inbox. They're for mini egg casseroles that seem like a super-quick and easy way to prepare a savory breakfast that's just as easy to take on-the-go. It's all in the microwave, which means no pots and pans to clean, and when you're done, you can grab the mug of yummy, warm eggness and head out the door. I'm thinking I can do most of the work, and then leave Tanner a note to microwave for the final 45-60 seconds to set the eggs. Plus, it's a super easy way to make breakfast for two if you and your spouse don't like all the same fixin's in your eggs.
Here are the recipes, below. I'm also curious to know if any of you marrieds have morning routines, and how if they developed and changed over time?
Chicken Fajita Scramble Mug
PER SERVING (entire recipe): 163 calories, 0.75g fat, 583mg sodium, 12g
carbs, 1.25g fiber, 5.5g sugars, 26g protein
Ingredients:
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 oz. cooked skinless lean chicken breast, chopped
1 tsp. dry fajita seasoning mix
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
2 tbsp. shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
1 tbsp. fat-free sour cream
Directions:
Spray a large microwave-safe mug with nonstick spray. Add veggies,
chicken, and fajita seasoning. Stir well to evenly distribute seasoning.
Microwave for 1 - 2 minutes, until veggies have softened.
Add egg substitute and microwave for 1 minute.
Add cheese and gently stir. Microwave for an additional 45 - 60 seconds, until
scramble is just set.
Allow to cool slightly. Top with sour cream.
Denver Omelette in a Mug
PER SERVING (entire recipe): 122 calories, 0.75g fat, 702mg sodium, 6g
carbs, 0.5g fiber, 2.5g sugars, 21.5g protein
Ingredients:
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 tbsp. chopped onion
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
1 oz. (about 2 slices) 97 - 98% fat-free ham, chopped
2 tbsp. shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
Directions:
Spray a large microwave-safe mug with nonstick spray. Add veggies and
microwave for 1 - 2 minutes, until softened.
Blot any excess liquid from veggies. Add egg substitute and microwave for 1
minute.
Add ham and cheese and lightly stir. Microwave for an additional 45 - 60
seconds, until scramble is just set.
Veggie Eggs-plosion Mug
PER SERVING (entire recipe): 130 calories, 2.25g fat, 495mg sodium, 10g
carbs, 2g fiber, 5.5g sugars, 17g protein
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
1/4 cup chopped asparagus
1/4 cup diced tomato
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese
Optional seasonings: black pepper, garlic powder
Directions:
Spray a large microwave-safe mug with nonstick spray. Add all veggies and
microwave for 1 - 2 minutes.
Thoroughly blot excess moisture from the veggies. Add egg substitute and
microwave for 1 minute.
Add the cheese wedge, breaking it into pieces. Stir gently, and then
microwave for an additional 45 - 60 seconds, until scramble is just set.
Allow to cool slightly. If you like, season to taste with black pepper and garlic
powder.
These recipes are all courtesy of Hungry Girl. You can find additional egg mug recipes here and here. And, you can sign up for her newsletter, here.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Thanksgiving Eats
In honor of our new (lywed) Thanksgiving, I decided to try out some new recipes to test on the in-laws. (I really should use my own parents as guinea pigs, since they have to love me no matter what, even if I poison them with un-tested recipes. Maybe I'll just tell the Haynes that Tanner made anything I bring to their house... that way they'll pretend to like them even if they're seriously janked up...) Anyways, these particular recipes were a hit. The cake was moist and had a delicious spice to it -- the very essence of the holidays. And the spinach was cheesy and rich. Mmmmmm... I love Thanksgiving left overs!
Best-Ever Pumpkin Cake
(original recipe from Kirsten, posted here on her awesome parenting blog)
Best-Ever Pumpkin Cake
(original recipe from Kirsten, posted here on her awesome parenting blog)
1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin [Erin's note: Yeah, I accidentally used 30oz pumpkin pie mix, added the sugar and oil, and had a slippery, sugary, slop that I put in the refrigerator after I realized what I had done... I have hopes of resurrecting the sacrificial pie slop into something edible when I get back from Eldorado.]
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, beat pumpkin, sugar and oil. Add eggs; mix well. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, spices and salt; add to pumpkin mixture and beat until well blended. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into two round pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until cake tests done. [Erin's note: I had to bake the cakes longer to get them to set in the middle. I took them out of the cake pans so they wouldn't burn on the edges, wrapped them in foil except for the middle, and cooked an additional 10 minutes.]
Frosting
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
5 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
3 to 4 teaspoons milk
Chocolate shavings
Spinach Madeline
Ingredients
2 packages frozen chopped spinach
4 Tbl. butter
2 Tbl. flour
2 Tbl. chopped onion
1/2 cup reserved spinach liquid
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Red pepper and salt to taste
6 oz. Jalapeno jack cheese, cubed
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook the spinach according to package directions. Squeeze and drain the spinach, and reserve 1/2 cup of the liquid. In a heavy saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add flour, stirring until blended and smooth (but not brown). Add onion and cook until soft, 4-5 minutes. Slowly add reserved liquid and evaporated milk, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook until smooth and thick. Add the seasonings and cheese. Stir until cheese has completely melted. Combine with cooked spinach and stir until blended.
With a plastic spatula, scrape the spinach mixture into a large baking dish. Optional: Top with breadcrumbs. Bake in a 350-degree oven until lightly browned on top and bubbling around the edges.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Cooking for 2
Is definitely not as simple as cooking for one.
Single-girl cooking was great. I could experiment with all kinds of funky, ethnic, vegan recipes and unknown, new ingredients and not have to entertain for a moment the worry "What if this doesn't turn out so well?" If it didn't taste so hot (which sometimes it didn't -- cue memory of tofu stir fry with lima beans -- GROSS), it was a bag of popcorn and abottle glass of wine. A standard (eadible) recipe yielded enough food for me to eat several meals and then some. I would freeze extras of my favorite spicy thai peanut curry and enjoy it for up to a month!
Single-girl grocery shopping was a cinch.I knew how much food would last me how long, and usually I only had to go to the grocery store once a month! And how I loved those trips. I knew my local store like the back of my hand, and could quickly pick up all my staples, then wander around looking for deals, extras, and investigating weird Asian fruits. Ahhhh... my food life was so simple.
A week or so ago, Tanner and I made our first grocery outing as a married couple. I had shopped for groceries with Tanner many times before, but this time was different. I wasn't following him around while he picked out frozen pizzas and hot dogs while trying to persuade him to grab a banana or lettuce while he was at it. This time, we were shopping together for our household, and our bounty was supposed to feed the both of us and satisfy us (no lima bean disasters). Suddently, this confident, adventurous foodie was intimdated, big time.
The stores was arranged weird, I didn't know where anything was. Some of the staple items we needed (Santita's corn chips, hello!!) were totally unstocked. In fact, there were many gaping holes on the shelves (I'm guessing this is because we were shopping on a Sunday night?). I didn't come with a shopping list or any recipes in mind, which was no big deal for Super-Shopper-Single-Girl, but was suddenly crippling for Confused-Uncertain-Newlywed. For how many meals-for-two will this bag of frozen broccoli last? Should I get 2? How many protiens should I get? Will Tanner like tofu? Will we have any leftovers for me to take to lunch, or will hungry man eat eat all the extra servings?
Aside from being suddenly befuddled by all these new adjustments and the realization that cooking would never be the same, Tanner was inexplicably hyper that evening, which although very funny, was a little distracting to my yearning-to-figure-it-all-out-in-one-evening brain. I didn't think I'd be this way, but I think at the center of all my worrying, was this huge (unexpected) desire to please Tanner with my cooking and be viewed as a good homemaker in his eyes. I was insecure, "Will he like what I make? Will he be happy? Will I do a good job?"
So, on the verge of a nervous breakdown, instead of harboring my insecurities (I've slowly learned this is not such a great idea), I blurted my fear of marital and culinary failure to my hyper husband dancing down the canned vegetable aisle. In the grocery store and on the way home, Tanner calmed my fears. "This is supposed to be fun! We get to figure all this out by trial and error." Hmmm... I don't mind the trial part, but the error thing, I'm not so good with. I'm a perfectionist, remember! But you know what, Tanner was right (yep, he often is, funny enough). I don't need to figure all this out the first time around. AND, he assured me every meal doesn't have to be a gold-platter meal straight out of The Joy of Cooking. "I enjoy those nights too every once and a while, when you dine on chips and salsa or hot dogs and tortilla. I was a bachelor before I met you, remember???" OK, so I feel the (self-made) burden lightening.
So this perfectionista has been trying to lighten up and find the fun again in the kitchen. Tanner's not judinging me on a scale from 1-30 with 10 pts possible for use of the secret ingredient, 10 pts for plating, and 10 pts for taste. Some meals are gonna be great, and some aren't. Hey, there's always chips and salsa, and my man's OK with that.
As far as our first shopping trip, I think I did OK. I'm not sure I bought enough different vegetables, and I probably should have bought some more ready-made meals (frozen dinners or mac'n cheese) for those nights when I'm too tired to put together a major masterpiece. I should have gotten some smaller portions of different proteins for variety in addition of the bulk bag of chicken breasts. And, I'll just have to resign my self to the idea of follow-up trips in between shopping hauls for items like creamer or chips that we run out of.
If y'all have any tips for cooking for 2, or any grocery shopping strategies, let me know! In the meantime, we'll be figuring it out as we go. OH, and Tanner DOES like tofu :)
Single-girl cooking was great. I could experiment with all kinds of funky, ethnic, vegan recipes and unknown, new ingredients and not have to entertain for a moment the worry "What if this doesn't turn out so well?" If it didn't taste so hot (which sometimes it didn't -- cue memory of tofu stir fry with lima beans -- GROSS), it was a bag of popcorn and a
Single-girl grocery shopping was a cinch.I knew how much food would last me how long, and usually I only had to go to the grocery store once a month! And how I loved those trips. I knew my local store like the back of my hand, and could quickly pick up all my staples, then wander around looking for deals, extras, and investigating weird Asian fruits. Ahhhh... my food life was so simple.
A week or so ago, Tanner and I made our first grocery outing as a married couple. I had shopped for groceries with Tanner many times before, but this time was different. I wasn't following him around while he picked out frozen pizzas and hot dogs while trying to persuade him to grab a banana or lettuce while he was at it. This time, we were shopping together for our household, and our bounty was supposed to feed the both of us and satisfy us (no lima bean disasters). Suddently, this confident, adventurous foodie was intimdated, big time.
The stores was arranged weird, I didn't know where anything was. Some of the staple items we needed (Santita's corn chips, hello!!) were totally unstocked. In fact, there were many gaping holes on the shelves (I'm guessing this is because we were shopping on a Sunday night?). I didn't come with a shopping list or any recipes in mind, which was no big deal for Super-Shopper-Single-Girl, but was suddenly crippling for Confused-Uncertain-Newlywed. For how many meals-for-two will this bag of frozen broccoli last? Should I get 2? How many protiens should I get? Will Tanner like tofu? Will we have any leftovers for me to take to lunch, or will hungry man eat eat all the extra servings?
Aside from being suddenly befuddled by all these new adjustments and the realization that cooking would never be the same, Tanner was inexplicably hyper that evening, which although very funny, was a little distracting to my yearning-to-figure-it-all-out-in-one-evening brain. I didn't think I'd be this way, but I think at the center of all my worrying, was this huge (unexpected) desire to please Tanner with my cooking and be viewed as a good homemaker in his eyes. I was insecure, "Will he like what I make? Will he be happy? Will I do a good job?"
So, on the verge of a nervous breakdown, instead of harboring my insecurities (I've slowly learned this is not such a great idea), I blurted my fear of marital and culinary failure to my hyper husband dancing down the canned vegetable aisle. In the grocery store and on the way home, Tanner calmed my fears. "This is supposed to be fun! We get to figure all this out by trial and error." Hmmm... I don't mind the trial part, but the error thing, I'm not so good with. I'm a perfectionist, remember! But you know what, Tanner was right (yep, he often is, funny enough). I don't need to figure all this out the first time around. AND, he assured me every meal doesn't have to be a gold-platter meal straight out of The Joy of Cooking. "I enjoy those nights too every once and a while, when you dine on chips and salsa or hot dogs and tortilla. I was a bachelor before I met you, remember???" OK, so I feel the (self-made) burden lightening.
So this perfectionista has been trying to lighten up and find the fun again in the kitchen. Tanner's not judinging me on a scale from 1-30 with 10 pts possible for use of the secret ingredient, 10 pts for plating, and 10 pts for taste. Some meals are gonna be great, and some aren't. Hey, there's always chips and salsa, and my man's OK with that.
As far as our first shopping trip, I think I did OK. I'm not sure I bought enough different vegetables, and I probably should have bought some more ready-made meals (frozen dinners or mac'n cheese) for those nights when I'm too tired to put together a major masterpiece. I should have gotten some smaller portions of different proteins for variety in addition of the bulk bag of chicken breasts. And, I'll just have to resign my self to the idea of follow-up trips in between shopping hauls for items like creamer or chips that we run out of.
If y'all have any tips for cooking for 2, or any grocery shopping strategies, let me know! In the meantime, we'll be figuring it out as we go. OH, and Tanner DOES like tofu :)
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