Yep, I am burned out with my meal selection… I am tired of eating always the same. I am so so tired.I am always so not looking forward Monday mornings because it is when I do my meal planning for the week. I so hate that time of the week. Chicken parmesan, quesadillas, steak sandwiches, fish, pork chops…… always the same deal.
I am not a cooker. I can cook, my meals taste good (I think, maybe I should ask my family), but I am not one of those that enjoy thinking of a new way to surprise my family with a fancy dinner. My favorite section in cooking magazines is the 30 min meals. I am just not one that enjoys cooking. Still, I pretty much cook everyday of the week, especially since we moved to Spain.
I learn to cook in the States (sorry to those that were expecting Spanish recipes from me).I learn out of the Taste of Home magazines. As soon as I got to the States (once I was married) a lady in church adopted me as her secret sister. She got me a free 1 year subscription to the magazine. I think she realized Matthew was losing weight J.
When I got out of high school, I started working in a city 1 hour away from my house. So I would left in the morning and come back at night. Never had the chance to learn from my mom. Neither did I have the desire.
I remember once before I got married. I was in the States the first time for a visit and my sister call. She needed me to take care of her boys lunch because she was visiting someone and could not make it. She wanted me to make spaghettis. How easy was that? To make my humiliation greater I should say I was about to turn 21. I had never make spaghettis before. So I ask my sister how I was supposed to do that. She really needed to get off the phone so she told me to figure it out.
So I knew it had meat, pasta and tomato sauce. I couldn’t find the tomato sauce but did find a can of tomatoes. I put it all in water. Didn’t fry the meat, just put it in the water. I also put the tomatoes. Are you feeling sick already? Well just imagine how my nephews felt. I recall one of them actually crying (he was 12 or 13) and the other one gagging. I felt so insulted hahahhahah. I still hear from my nephews about “that one time when Pilar made spaghettis for us”. J I think this is why I never venture to make any meals unless I have a recipe.
Yes, I follow recipes, and I follow them pretty well, so I think this is why my family think I can cook. I can make pretty much anything, but I need a recipe, at least the first few times…… until I memorize it. Really, would you be over the fear of “figuring out” how to make something after my traumatizing experience…. I think no…. and I don’t think you would recommend me to J
So, now I am done with my meals and really need some new ones. So, tomorrow night, while the girls are in bed and Matthew is off to football practice, guess what I will be doing? You are right, I am going recipe hunting in the web. Any places that you like to find recipes from. Any recipe that you love that wouldn’t mind sharing with me. Am I the only one that have a very embarrassing story?
17 comments:
I think that I'm exactly the opposite! I like to cook and I only use recipes as a guide. I do a lot of experimenting. Do you know how to make a white sauce?
I don't enjoy cooking either! Not that I can't, or am not good at it...it just isn't my favorite thing to do!
I heard a story about a young wife who tried to make cheese cake for the first time. The recipe said 'Philidelphia Cream Cheese' She didn't know what that was, so she figured it must be the same as Velveeta cheese, so that's what she used. I don't think she ever heard the end of that one!
Ingi...I NEEd to know how to make a white sauce...share with me please!!
Pilar.....your pasta story is so funny!! I have some of my own cooking stories...maybe I'll post about them soon.
I just made my menu for the week want to hear them? If any sound good, let me know and I'll share a recipe if I have one...I don't usually use them though, but maybe we can work it out.
Tonight: Homemade pizza
Wed: Pancakes, eggs and bacon
Thurs: Baked Turkey Breast
Fri: Stir fry with Chicken
Sat: Grill Out with BB players
Sun: Speg.
Mon: Red beans and Rice with sausage
Tues: BBQ Chicken in crock pot
Oh Goodness Pilar. This really made me smile today - and I needed that. I AM in your world. I've been married for 27 years and I still hate to cook. I have scads of cook books and try to use them - sometimes. What I have done is gone to Paula Deen's website, to recipes. com, to Better Homes and Gardens - any magazine usually has a web with the recipes. You can plug in a nationality and get more recipes than you can shake a stick at. This is an admirable area on the web for sure. There is also a place called recipezaar.com It is really good too. If you are going to the web for recipes then boy will you find more than you imagined. And there are so many pictures to show you how it should look - which I think helps.
Don't feel bad about using a recipe to cook. I do too. My food tastes good but I use a recipe. So do all three of my daughters (24,21,15 years). It is not anything to be ashamed of.
In closing - the spaghetti story - it is funny. It made my day. I can sooooooooo relate. Blessings to you Pilar (I love your name), Cathryn
Girl!! I am with you!!! I ask my hubby what he wants to eat and he dreams it up. Sometimes I find a fun recipe and use it till we are all sick of it. Sometimes I can improvize but very rare. I look up a recipe on line by it´s name and pick the one that´s the easiest often times.
I too had to learn to cook but I learned here in Spain. I didn´t want to learn when I was at home and wish I had.
One funny thing that happened was one Christmas. (sad part was it was Christmas) I got the roast in the oven and then declared we were going to the Snow!! I figured I had put the oven on low and we would come back to a lovely Roast dinner. OH man, was I wrong.. we came home to a burnt offering!! Moral of the story, don´t go to the Snow!! (no really, I just had the oven on a bit to high. Duhhh!!!)
I never heard about the speghetti story. That´s hilarious. I can imagine you didn´t think so at the time.
Great idea for a post! Very real and fun to read!
I totally understand. I follow recipes more than not. I'm going to try that curry recipe Thurs. night. I'll try to post it soon.
We make homemade pizzas a lot and eat lots of chicken. Epicurious is a good website. I usually just google something and compare it on different websites. If you find lots of good ideas, you must post them!
I have to say that my wife is a super cook! I love everything that she makes, after most meals I tell her that that is the meal that I would request for my last meal, if I were ever to have a last meal before going to the electric chair.
That said, the spaghetti story has to be one of the best stories ever, especially if you were to know her nephews.
Thank you Pilar for all of the meals you make for us, you do a GREAT job!!
Well ladies, I don't have to say why I love mu husband so much after this comment right? Thanks babe :)
I just wanted to say that I always enjoy reading your blog, but I especially enjoyed this post today! :-)
That´s so great that Matthew wrote a comment! Joseph keeps saying he wants to but he won´t open a blogger account. jeje.. Maybe he will do like Matt Boyd and write with my account. jejeje
From Alberto
"I remember the day of the spagettis like it was yesterday!! I was the one gagging and begging my aunt not to make me eat them (I cried too, but not in public). But recently at Matt and Pilar's house I really enjoyed all of the meals. My favorites are the chicken parmesan and the shrimp calzoneto."
Alberto I would use this opportunity to publicly apologize for trying to poison you... wasn't on purposse. :) Today I am making shrimp calzones so I will post the recipe so Ashley can make it :) Love ya guys
Now it is Ashley for real....look Pilar now you have everyone talking about food:) My question before I respond to the post is....WHY IS MATT GOING TO THE ELECTRIC CHAIR???? on a happier note. I have to say I enjoy cooking ,and I am not a recipe follower.I always add at least something or change it a little if I use a recipe it is more as a reference. We tend to eat alot of soups etc.Quess I have been influenced by Spanish culture:) Crema de calabacin, zanahoria, tomatoe soup, pure de verduras... here is a sample for our menu this week
-Lemon Artichoke Halibut, with rice
-Carbonara Pasta and Salad
-Parmesan Chicken, Italian potatoes and salad
-Potaje de vigilia (new one for me)
-Steak with Roquefort and Broccoli
-Crema de Zanahoria with shrimp and verdura a la plancha
-Vegetable soup and stuffed baked potaoes
okay, so it is a little bit of a mixture of Spanish food American food etc. We try to eat seafood at least 2 or 3 times a week, beef only once, and poultry.For whatever reason we usually end up having more than one course, I will post a really good dessert recipe on my blog I made the first time the other day!If you guys like cheese try salmon baked in the oven with a little bit of blue cheese and white asparagus:) YUM!Either way to second my husbands post you cook well, and I am sure as you try new things they will come out wonderfully!
The spaghetti story is hilarious. But hey, your nephews survived and so did you. I also wonder why Matt has to go to the electric chair. But it was sweet that he posted his praise of you.
I don't enjoy cooking either. I use recipes (I like Rachel Ray). I haven't killed anyone yet, but I still get nervous about bringing stuff to our fellowship dinners at church.
Wow! You never told me about the spaguetti day! I should ask Fran tonight! lol but I can picture them being little and crying about it! Poor kids! I'm so glad it wasn't me hehehe I've eaten a lot of your meals and I love them all! you do great!
I don[t like cooking very much but I know I have to do it! We make salads with corn, croutons, tuna, mozzarella balls and olive oil and vinegar like 3 times a week, and Nate loves them. He would eat a super huge bowl by himself! I have to be careful when we share it, lol
Two things that he loves is the ricotta cheese manicotti I make and the filetes rusos. Let me know if you need the recipe. You can tweak it a little bit to make it more yours :) I don't have many other recipes to share because I'm still learning, hehe but I have a few recipe books I'm hoping to try soon!
That's a pretty funny story:) I guess that we all have had some amusing experiences learning to cook.
I've posted several of our favorite recipes on my blog if you want to check them out sometime. By the way, I love the Taste Of Home magazine too...Simple and Delicious is another great magazine that they publish.
One of my favorite recipe websites is Recipezaar. I like it because you can read reviews from all the other people who have made it. I try to only pick recipes that have 4.5 or 5 stars only. Sometimes, I will venture out and try recipes that have no reviews if it sounds really good, but not too often, lol :o)
If you want to see recipes I've reviewed, you can go here. And, a dear friend of mine, Sherry, posted her reviews on Recipezaar over here.
Also, Sherry blogs over at Lamp unto my Feet and posts tons of great recipes and menu plans. :o)
Hope some of those links will help you guys!
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