New Schedule

Mike and I have been having fun new culinary adventures.  We've really gotten into watching cooking shows together, which makes it difficult to not want to snack after dinner!  But we've learned a lot about food just from watching others' techniques and gleaned inspiration from others' creations. It is hard to work full time and also make time to cook - and harder yet to blog about it.  But I still feel a pull to want to - a hobby I suppose! 

Note the 'crunchified' burger!

Through watching shows, however, we realize that Bobby Flay is the core of all that is Food Network.  I'm amazed by 'Beat Bobby Flay' where a cook comes and brings his/her best dish, and on the fly Bobby Flay can create a unique twist on that dish (e.g., crab cakes, mac and cheese, burgers) and beat the competitor!  Pretty incredible. We love watching Damaris - the newest FN Star - and "Southern at Heart."  She's so funky and quirky.  I love Kelsey Nixon - and from getting her newest cookbook, I'm excited to gain 'Kitchen Confidence.'


So as this post states -we have a 'new schedule,' or two really.  One involves our meals, and the other involves shopping!  We are doing: Meat-less Mondays, Taco Tuesdays (anything in a wrap/shell!), Wacky Wednesdays (since I'm at work, Mike is free to go wild!), Take-out Thursday (where I generally still cook something - ha!), and Fish Friday.  We haven't pinned down Saturday/Sunday - but often we'll go out and have some sort of burger (fish, veggie, beef, turkey, chicken...). Yum-O.  Makes it much easier at least for now to have some sort of 'plan' when I need to meal plan!

So good!

I've also gleaned new ideas and energy just from walking through Trader Joe's, where I tend to go on Mondays.  I particularly like walking along the frozen food aisle and seeing the many options, especially ethnic foods.  I've told many people about this pilaf (someone else's blog and thoughts!).  It's super good!  Love the flavor in it - and it was really quick to heat up.  It is great to know that TJ's now has so much that is organic - a growing trend I sense.  

Anyhow, I've also enjoyed perusing other grocery stores.  I know life would go on, but I'd be less inspired were I not to live in such a great location for food stores.  In addition to Trader Joe's, I also love a weekly visit to The Fresh Market, which seems to be popping up more and more.  They caught my attention with their $2.99 Tuesdays - where chicken breasts go on a great sale.  The chicken is the best tasting we've had - and I suppose it's one notch below full 'Organic.'  Their produce tends to be equal/less than other stores I've found.  The meat and seafood is also incredible - pre-prepped poultry dishes always make my mouth water. Generally the 'other' parts of the store (most everything else) is fairly pricey.  And they don't have an incredible selection...but what they have is great quality.  You could find almost anything obscure there!  Mike loves their kaiser rolls. 

I also tend to make it to Harris Teeter within a given week - their sales coming on Wednesdays and Fridays - and usually if there's something that I find a particularly good deal on (milk, toilet paper) I'll drop in.  But generally not otherwise.  They have just redone the larger HT near us (yes I'm spoiled with THREE within reasonable driving distance).  There's a new hot Asian bar where you can buy prepared asian foods fresh out of woks'.  They also have a full out pizza bar with decent looking gourmet slices - I know Mike would love that!

I sound like I should be a grocery store reviewer!  What I do love is that at the above three places, you get free samples!  TJ and TFM give small cups of coffee (refillable, of course!),

Smells amazing

and HT has a fun bread section, generally testing something I've not tried before.  Walking through these spaces helps my mind relax and focus on something else...and yet drives me to get to cooking.  My fridge and pantry is generally way more full than anything we'd ever be able to eat. 

I am hopeful to start a project that's been brewing in my mind - and maybe by writing about it, it will come to fruition.  Like I said, I look to Kelsey Nixon for inspiration.  Her show, Kelsey's essentials, focuses on what the basics are of cooking.  I am envisioning a book that is 'Amie's Essentials', the basic recipes that I turn to on a regular basis - my mom's cookies, my aunt's banana's bread, my friend's tuna steak, and others.  But I'd also like some good 'go-to' and quick meals for during the week.  I find those are the hardest to dream up on the fly, especially when I need to plan meals quickly.  Though obviously I don't find it hard to have a reason to pop in a grocery store multiple times a week. 

Anyhow, I have a white binder and some dividers that I imagine creating sections for various ideas - almost like a 'scrapbook' of my greatest hits.  I do hope to get this going over the summer, on top of all my aspirations for a season that's already chock full!  More to come!