You're an idiot, so you need to buy this cookbook

Two types of websites/blogs irritate me to no end.  The first is the blog author who tries to be witty and clever, and ends up being nothing but obnoxious.  The second is a cooking website where the author assumes I'm an idiot and they are some sort of guru.  Please.  OK - got that off my chest, now I can get on with today.

There really is nothing to cooking, folks, just a bit of time, patience, a desire to learn, and a will to be flexible and make mistakes.  It took me YEARS to get out of the "I must buy that cookbook!" and "I must follow the recipe exactly or it won't be as good!" mentality.  With the internet and all the resources I have at a mouse click, I've managed to purge most of the cookbooks from my house - I've kept only the ones of extreme usefulness or sentimental value.  What cookbooks will I never, ever part with?  Here they are:

The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins - my parents gave me this book before I was married, and I've referred to it many, many times over the years.  I don't think I've actually made many of the recipes, rather I've learned many cooking how-to's.  I still refer to it often.

The Fannie Farmer Baking Book by Marion Cunningham - I learned how to be brave about baking by reading this book.  I've made many of the recipes, but mostly I've learned baking techniques that boosted my courage.  Want to learn to bake like grandma used to?  This book is the next best thing to being right by her side in the kitchen.

Mega Cooking by Jill Bond - this is my freezer cooking bible.  Rather than recipes for me to copy and pre-done shopping lists of other people's favorite foods, this book teaches me the art of preparing meals for the freezer so that I can turn my own family's favorite dishes into something freezer friendly.  This means we'll still enjoy our favorite meals when little league season strikes, rather than having to order pizza or spend money eating out.  This book saved my culinary life, and is the inspiration for this blog.

Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites - I've always been drawn to vegetarian cuisine, and this book has healthy, yet indulgent recipes that won't disappoint.  I turn to this book when I go on a health kick.  Besides, my sister gave it to me, and when I open it I think of her and all the delicious things she prepared for me from its pages.

The Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking by Brother Rick Curry - my mom let me "borrow" this book, and since she's never asked for it back, it's become part of my collection.  I love the spiritual significance that the author brings to breadmaking.  Plus, the man only has one arm, so I figure if he can make bread from scratch, so can I.

The Great Curries of India by Camellia Panjabi - another gift from my sister, this book is loaded with everything curry, from the basic to the exotic.  You just can't get this sort of depth on the internet.

A Feast of Soups by Jacqueline Heriteau - I love soup, I love making soup, I love how my kitchen smells when it's simmering, and I love serving it with salad and/or homemade bread.  This book has over 500 recipes plus a complete soup-making education.

What cookbooks do you have that you'd never part with?

Meal ministry for one

Gladware and other inexpensive plastic containers make bringing food to others that much easier.  It's not just the convenience, it's that they can go from freezer to microwave with ease.

When I plan meals, I always plan enough for leftovers.  I then assemble one or two meals for the freezer so my husband can take them into work and reheat them in the microwave for lunch.  This saves an unbelievable amount of money because he doesn't have to buy lunch out, and ya gotta admit, would you rather have a cold sandwich or a roast beef, mashed potato, gravy and vegetable lunch?  Yea, I thought so.

Because I always have these frozen entrees in my freezer, it was so easy to respond to the meal ministry call for a woman who's husband was in the hospital.  It's not easy to cook for one, but it's easy to cook extra and freeze.  Plus, the variety can be so much better than just casseroles or soups.

Today I brought a generous portion of cheesy chicken & rice casserole with a nice chopped salad on the side.  What can you think of to set aside the next time you make dinner for your family?

Quick Freezer Lunch

Having the right ingredients on hand is always a plus on busy days, especially when the husband gets off the phone and says "So-and-so will be stopping by in a little bit, hope that's OK!" and it happens to be around lunch time!

Now, I don't care who comes over or how long they want to stay, I will always make every effort to feed whoever is in my house when it's mealtime.  However, my fridge was nearly empty.  No cold cuts for sandwiches, not even a can of tuna in the pantry.  I did have plenty of salad greens, however, including a few tomatoes, cukes and peppers.  Oh look - a small  bit of cheddar cheese!  Then I went to the freezer, and wouldn't you know it, the sandwich/salad portions of sliced grilled chicken were all piled up in there, smiling at me, just waiting to be thawed!  So we had marvelous salads with cheddar cheese and grilled chicken - and I didn't even have to grill any chicken!

Fill that freezer, folks, with whatever you can to make your life easier!