SHOPPING!!

I enjoy having extra money. I finally bought a cute colander, 3 size strainer and my toaster oven!!! I baked in it today and it work wonders. I watched Giada at Home today and she made a rice/lobster dish that I am dying to try. I guess you can buy lobster tails but I think it would be more adventurous if I killed it myself. I could write so much about it. I figured that there are two ways to kill a lobster so I need to figure out what works best. I also need to make crab cakes and crab legs with steak. If only I had parties to invite people over or if my family would eat it. I should date someone and have them eat my food.

I have been so stressed out lately because of school I have no idea of what is going on in my life. Good think cooking keeps my sanity cause I would definitely go insane. Since the holidays are coming up it makes me wanna decorate my moms house. Like to get a cute table cloth, napkin rings, nice napkin cloths and just center pieces to decorate with. I have a while before the holidays so I should just look around for now. I also need more elegant cook books, I already have my dads old cookbook that is great but I want the French cooking one by Julia Child. What am I supposed to do?

Eat it or Leave it.

I honestly think that I am so behind in my cooking. I have so many recipes that I wanna try in my cookbooks and ones that I have found online. I know that it takes time for me to get them all done and that I even have till I get married but I will forget about them and I really don't want to wait. I am seriously the most impatient person when it comes to cooking. I found all new recipes for frying and using a food processor for. If only I had tons of money for all my appliances, more cookbooks, and spices. I do not have enough spices; You can't make indian food with one type of spice. I need a spice rack and stuff. UGH this is so frusterating!

I made an amazing casserole today. It was a brand new recipe I found on gomeat.com it was Cheesy Potatoes with Sausage. This is what I am taking about when it comes to making something new and completing my recipe list. I also decided that the new that I have is that I will make whatever I want but its your choice if you want to eat it. My mom didn't want me to make that casserole but when I made it she loved it. Whatever I make is amazing, yeah sometimes it flops but I make it work. Everyone loves my food so they can either eat it or go hungry. I would rather eat cause its better than nothing!

PORK!

What's cookin' tonight? Pork chops with spicy spice rub and potatoes along with Chocolate chip caramel coconut cookies. Who’s coming over? haha. I tried out that new spice rub I made. It was really good but spicy!! I should not put as much on the next time. That way I can have an equal amount of flavor on the meat. I am surprised that the cookies turned out well too. I messed up the batter so I had to re-do it then I realized I didn't have enough All-purpose flour. I had to use unbleached flour. I think that is why they are so flat and that the batter didn't rise. That flour is made for cakes to allow them to be moist. I guess it didn't work that well for cookies haha. I need to go buy more flour now. I also need buscuits for my next dessert I'm making. Its a surprise so I'm not telling anyone I'm making. lol

I also went to Ikea today, I found some cute stuff I need like a tea pot, dinner platters and some cheap cooking stuff I want. I can’t wait till I move out and get married. I found some counter tops I like and some dinnerware I like. I would like white countertops and light wood cabinets with an island in the middle. Having two ovens is a must!! I actually did find a toaster oven I want at Target I want. Yeah its $20 but I won’t use it all that often. The sooner I get my big appliances the happier I will be. I also found an 8 cup food processor I want that is $70. Usually those cost a ton more for an 8 cup one. It’s by Giada De Laurentiis so I know that it is good quality. I also want a small grill so I can make a vegetable salad or something. I love the holidays because I can buy cute dinnerware and party trays for the season. That is another reason why I wanna move out, so I can have food parties with people and show off my decorating and cooking skills. Haha! Cooking also relieves a ton of stress off me. I can’t wait till Thanksgiving so then I can make new creations and try them all out.

Cookin' All Week!

Who knew that I would be cooking so much this week!!! My dad was out of town so my mom gave me money to cook whatever I want. I made brushetta and honey balsamic green beans!! I also bought some fresh herbs. They make my kitchen smell so good!! I got parsley, thyme, rosemary and basil!! Putting it all in my brushetta tasted amazing. I want to make salmon tonight or tomorrow but I can't decide on what recipe I wanna use. A co-worker of mine told me to get honey soy sauce and top the salmon with brown sugar. It sounds good and interesting. I might want to try that or try making salmon with tomatoes, lemon, shallots and spices/herbs on top. I think they would both taste good. I should decide on what to make when the time comes of if I have a budget. haha I should take a poll and see what people think.

I just barely made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Walnut Oatmeal Cookies and they tasted amazing!! I got the recipe from another co-worker at work. I really want to host a pot luck or something. I am so used to having my family eat my food. I kinda want other people to enjoy it too. Who wants to come over for free food? hahaha If I had a choice, I would really cook all day if I had too. I would not really care. My new task is to make really good sloppy joes and hot wings next. If only I had money then I would be totally amazing and make my day. For Christmas, people should get me Target gift cards. haha that way I can buy appliances and other stuff on my wishlist.

Let's Start COOKING!

So I admit that I am lame and I have just BARELY started to cook again. I have been so busy with school and work I have no possible time. I can’t wait till thanksgiving!! I always cook for Thanksgiving; I am also excited that Halloween is coming so I am going to make some amazing treats. I made gingerbread and it was AMAZING!! Adding apple juice really does add tons of flavors. I also made meatball stew and that tasted amazing as well. My new task it’s to make quiche, I’ve never done it before. I also made pasta and Giada De Laurentiis came out with some new topping/sauce for pasta. It tastes good, I got the sauce that’s green and it’s in a small bottle. Can’t remember what it’s called but it tastes good. You can only get it at target. I still needa get her cookware. I am tired of using my parent’s stuff that doesn’t work. When I get $200 I will definitely get some new stuff!

I seriously need a separate storage unit for my cooking stuff. I need stuff for my appliances, ingredients and cook books. I hope I get something for Christmas because I am running out of space. I might just have to buy something myself. I already have a huge tub to put stuff in but I need something bigger. Oh I did buy a cute tea set type thing, it’s floral and it has a small tray to go with. I bought pomegranate tea and I absolutely love it!! Speaking of pomegranates, it’s that time of year for them!! I needa find some good recipes for that type of fruit. I so want to have a small party and make some cute drinks with cute drinkware and finger foods. Imma dork, I know but it’s my fantasy. I figured that when I turn 21 I’m going to have an elegant party with margaritas and martini’s. I don’t wanna go to a bar, it’s not my thing.

I also need to get a spice rack and a Indian cookbook, I need to refresh on my skills in Indian food. Someone seriously have a party so I can cook all my desired dishes and be done with it. Haha I saw this Paula Dean episode where she grilled veggies and made it all into a salad. I wanna try that and get a small grill. I am slowly getting all my appliances I want but then again, I should save the big stuff for when I get married.

Cooking gets expensive

I made BBQ burgers this week. It was the first time I made burger patties by myself. Its hard to make patties by hand when you have tiny hands. I loved the recipe and how I made it but I would change the sauce. It didn't really taste how I would have expected it. I need to play around with the recipe and try new spices to kinda bring it to life. Adding cayenne pepper, hot sauce and BBQ sauce should add it that extra "kick."

Another thing that I have noticed this week is that I am fresh out of ingredients. These aren't your once in awhile cooking ingredients. I am talking about sugar, eggs, chocolate chips, condensed milk, and other stuff that you need. I usually purchase things in bulk and when they are all gone I freak out. I tend to cook out of random so when I am out of ingredients I am so confused on what I can make with the ingredients that I do have. If I had the guts, I would put a pay pal on here so people could send me money for ingredients. I'm not that desperate tho so I don't think I am going to do that any time soon.

I enjoy cooking for others and expressing my talent to the people I care about. I made spaghetti with Giada De Laurentiis Tomato Basil sauce and french bread with butter. I was supposed to be eating dinner with my friend but she bailed on me. Yes, I am upset but things do happen. The thing that I hate more is wasting food. Everything is so expensive and its hard to waste food when you spend so much time in the kitchen. I mean, when your in a small kitchen its tight, so you wanna make everything taste good in the small space you have.

When I get my own house I want a huge kitchen. I am talking about two ovens, dishwasher, huge sink, two stove tops, cabinets, pantries, large counter space and storage space for all my cookware. I found some cookware at Target that I thought about purchasing. No, its not by Giada De Lauentiis but it is made out of aluminum and its non-stick. I think its just Targets generic brand for their cooking line but that does not mean its not bad. Its cheap too, $80 but I don't need much until I get married. I figure when I get married I will ask for more expensive cookware.

My Wish List.

My mother complains on how I am taking over her kitchen and wants to buy me my own stand cabinet to keep all my cooking stuff in. She doesn't even cook so I don't know why it matters. She also told me that I have inspired her to cook, this is a lie. She never cooks let a lone knows how. And the other thing is that she is on weightwatchers. She is so concerned about gaining weight, you can cook without gaining much weight. Just be very specific on what you make.

Ok... so I spent the whole night last night online planning out all the cooking essentials that I need throughout my lifetime. If I had a bucket full of money I would instantly buy everything right now. If the world was going to end today, I would want to spend the whole day cooking everything I have ever desired. So here is my complete list, I'm pretty sure I can find more things that I want and need. I found it all on the Bed, Bath and Beyond website and Barnes and Noble. I am pretty sure I can get some of this at Target or Sur La Table at the Gateway.

• cookware
• Giada's Panini maker
• strainer
• vegetable steamer basket
• box grater with storage
• kitchen scale
• food tray
• waffle maker
• griddle
• salt and pepper mill
• spice rack
• salad spinner
• food processor
• kitchen aid stand mixer
• kitchen aid hand mixer (I HATE hand mixers, for some reason they break or for some reason everything turns into a huge mess.)
• papertowel holder
• can opener
• rolling pin (I don't have a rolling pin, how sad is that?)
• meat thermometer
• laddle
• pastry blender
• electric knife sharpener
• 9" spring form pan (2x)
• wooden salad piece set
• Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child
• Betty Crocker: Italian Cooking by Antonio Cecconi
• Betty Crocker's Indian Homemaking by Ragharan Lyeer
• Complete book of Indian Cooking by Suneeta Vaswani

I also spent the night watching "Good Eats." It was the artichoke episode, I don't want another disaster like the last time. I learned that if you put a steamer basket inside the pot with the artichoke it won't brown. Who knew? I also need to and another bruschetta recipe, if anyone has a REALLY GOOD recipe please give it to me. haha