Monday, April 18, 2011

Do You Like to Cook?

I really like to cook.  I love to watch Top Chef (which really helped me improve my knife skills) and Food Network.  Worker Bee and I love to go out for a good meal - not just okay - but an I'm dreaming of that carrot-blood orange-sunchoke soup after eating it last year-----again. (Can't get that one out of my mind.)

I'm definitely not a chef.  But I like to try new recipes.

The question I always ask, "Is it a make again?"  To me that's the ultimate compliment and what I want to hear from Worker Bee.  I think that's why I experiment with new recipes so much 'cause I'm always wanting to know if my dear one would like to try this again.  He never asks me to make anything for him (he is really a very low-key, non-demanding individual), so I keep trying to find that dish that will spark that desire in him.  After 21 years of marriage, I'm still trying.

So, I probably went on a bit too long about my honey, but I wanted to let you know why I'm always trying new dishes.

One of my favorite magazines for good recipes is Cooking Light.  It is filled with recipes that call for good, fresh ingredients, cooked in a healthy way.

Since my dad passed away, we have my mom over for dinner every Sunday night and I try to make something really good to send everybody off to a good week.   

Now what was I saying?

Ah yes....my new recipes I tried Sunday night.

We grilled a pork tenderloin, had some delicious fresh blackberries, and had Pappardelle with Baby Spinach, Herbs, and Ricotta.  

This was yummy!  Baby spinach, ricotta cheese, fresh chives and flat-leaf parsley (from the kitchen garden), fresh dill (snails ate my dill so I had to buy some - stinkin' snails), pecorino Romano cheese, a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Perfect for a lovely spring evening.  It was so nice outside we ate under the trees in our backyard.  

For dessert I tried a recipe I got in my e-mail box from Real Simple.
Chocolate Panini!

I love my panini machine!  But I've never made dessert with it.
Doesn't that look yummy?

It's just semi-sweet chocolate that I chopped up and white bread.  (I cut off the crusts to make it a little fancier.)  Just put the chocolate between the bread and heat in the panini maker.

Well, it looked a lot better than it actually was.  It was okay.  Worker Bee suggested I put a layer of peanut butter on it.  I'll try that and let you know how it was.

So, do you like to cook?
Do you like to try new recipes?

Well, I'll cook something tasty for you when you can pop over for a visit.  We can just chat and chat out on our backyard patio.  Doesn't that sound nice?

Thanks for buzzin' by!  

 
Thanks to Runner Bee, we will probably have some cake balls for dessert when you come over.  She has convinced me I need to try these.  Have you made 'em?

15 comments:

  1. Love to cook and new recipes are always fun to try. Like that magazine too. The old faves are what I usually make though.

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  2. Oh, you talked about my cake balls! You're so sweet! I finally made the carrot cake pops - they looked more like chili pepper cake pops! I'll post them soon!

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  3. I LOVE to cook! You can find several recipes on my blog!
    I collect a number of cookbooks. The recipes I make that my family or church really love get written down in a notebook with the name of the recipe, which cookbook and the page number. That way I'll always be able to find them again!

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  4. I love to read recipes and cookbooks but usually don't make much because hubby, though a wonderful man, wants just meat and potatoes....lol....I experiment more when we eat out. It would be lovely to visit with you on your backyard patio. The hubby's would get along fabulously.

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  5. Yep, I'm always cooking up something:@)

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  6. I like to try new recipes too. You are lucky to have a hubby like that. Believe me!

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  7. I too LOVE to cook. I have my father in law over for dinner ever Thursday night. My husband will eat anything I cook and just thinks that I am the greatest cook E-VAH! ..Cake balls, Delish... I made a bouquet of them and took them to my daughter-in-loves class room on her birhtday. You spinach salad look amazing. Thanks for sharing.

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  8. Oh I love to cook and your recipe sounds great!

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  9. I'm afraid I'm not a great cook but I love to eat! My son would like to be a chef so we watch the cooking shows all the time.

    Try some Nutella for the pannini. The nutty flavor with the chocolate makes it work better with bread.

    Love your background!
    Dawn

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  10. Yummm! You do enjoy cooking..I love to eat LOL.
    I do enjoy cooking when I have the time,during the week we kinda just through dinner together but then on the weekends we like to make something special. A dear friend of mine was over visiting on Sunday and she brought cake balls that she had just made...they were really good, I had not heard of them so they were new to me!
    I am going to try and make them on a weekend. Your salad looks so good and refreshing..
    Have a sweet day and big hugs, Elizabeth

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  11. My hubby is a garbage pail and will eat just about anything...LOL I love to experiment but most times I don't feel like I have the time. I really need to organize and do a weekly meal planning.

    I have a friend who loves to cook and has a blog that everyone should visit http://multitasking-mom.com/ She has awesome recipes that "try" to be on the lighter side.

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  12. I like to bake more than cook. I have been trying some new recipes I find on other people's blogs, but sometimes the amount of work that goes into the meal doesn't match with how it tastes. So if it's a complicated recipe, it better taste pretty good or I probably won't make it again.

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  13. Sweet Bee, dear, I love to cook and the recipes look delightful! The dessert looks good too, but I'd jazz it up with some nutella. That stuff is elegant and decadent and really cheap at Costco. You will be hooked! Have a great week!
    Hugs,
    Sherry

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  14. One of the things I'm doing while I'm laid up is going through my recipes....I have millions! I love trying new ones, and that is my favorite part of owning the inn. I love making new breakfast recipes.
    Your dinner looks and sounds delicious-pannini, too!
    hugs,
    gail

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  15. I love to cook but have a VERY picky husband! I am always trying to make something new and delicious but he is happy with the same ol' same ol'! Cake balls are delicious and fun...my 16 year old nephew requested them for his birthday present! Have a great week!

    ~Trisha

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