Read Your Recipe!
Let’s discuss the rule of 80 -20. This rule says that 80% of the time, you eat what you know is best for your body. The other 20% of the time, you can eat what tastes good. My students always come up to me and say, “Mrs. B, have you tried the new coffee moo-lata double cream chocolate blah blah at Dunkin?” I say, “no, but I’m sure it’s ridiculous”. If you just let go, there is no shortage of crazy amazing food out there. The thing is, we want to stay “tight” and we want to feel good.
I’m not done with pumpkin. Maybe you are, and that’s fine, but I’m not. Pumpkin. Is. The best.
I figure January is the last month for pumpkin. February is chocolate month, and then it’s spring. Let’s make some pumpkin bread!
I was going to tell a long winded story about my reason for making this tart, but I’ll save you from it; everyone has rough days and there is no need to lament. The bottom line of the story was this; always keep puff pastry in your freezer. It’s made by Pepperidge Farm, it’s cheap, and it’s at every single grocery store.
Why should you have this on hand? Because you can put just about anything on top and in thirty minutes you’ll serve a meal that makes people think you’re a ridiculously awesome cook. You can top it with fruit or sweet stuff and make a dessert, or even with cheese and sauce and have a pizza. It’s versatile and delicious.
Homebeccanomics got a face lift! My baby projectile vomited all over me at 6:10 AM this morning, so it’s nice that SOMETHING is looking good.
Still me, though, and still working out the kinks so bear with me.
Hummus. Yes, you can buy hummus really easily. It’s tasty when you buy it. It’s tastiER when you make it. It’s also way cheaper if you will make it a few times. To make it yourself you’ll need a fresh lemon, a can of chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans), some garlic and a bit of cumin and cayenne. You will also need something called tahini. Know how you grind peanuts to make peanut butter? Well you grind sesame seeds to make tahini. It’s high in healthy fats and vitamin E. You can buy it at any grocery store. It keeps at room temperature for months (years?).
I always hate when I read about recipes that I can’t make because they require a bit of kitchenware I don’t own. So why am I doing it to you? Well, because pizzelles are cool.
My Mom-mom Julia would show up to every family gathering with about thirty thousand pizzelles, and somehow they would all get eaten. My mom has taken this on and the huge Tupperware full of them is always nearby. I’ll never forget the day my mom subbed for my middle school teacher and she brought her dough and press to use the time to make pizzelles. True story.
My students always ask if I make amazing, gourmet meals for my husband at dinnertime. Ha! Not only would that be pricey, it’d be super annoying for me, the one who does the cooking. Though I grew up in a house where dinner meant dinner: a meat, a starch, a veggie, this theory didn’t seem to rub off on me. My thoughts are that food should taste good, and the categories are dumb.
That being said, we have eggs for dinner. A lot.
Look, cake is bad for you. If I want cake, I don’t want it made with egg whites and spenda. I want CAKE. Buttery, chocolaty, fluffy, grin-inspiring cake.
Jess and Monica are the masterminds behind the site, The Real Housewives of Bucks County, which is SUCH a fabulous site that it got showcased on The Nate Berkus Show. They’re crafty and design savvy and lots of other things that sometimes make the lesser crafter feel chagrin. Let’s not despair, let’s just beg, borrow and steal so we, too, can be crafty masterminds.
Anyways, they were kind enough to have me guest post on their site! The price of avocados has JUST been lowered at my local Giant, so it’s time to make some guac! Just try to find me someone who doesn’t like guacamole, because unless I discuss their problem with them I won’t believe it. EVERYONE likes guacamole! Make it this weekend and if you like it, make it again for the Superbowl! Go to their site and check it out! Happy weekend.
Oh, today is my husband’s birthday and Sunday is mine, so look for my BIRTHDAY CAKE post on Monday!
Buying fresh food and then not getting down to cooking it is the WORST. It’s like grinding up twenties in the garbage disposal. By depending more on frozen, canned, and the like, you will rarely waste your food! Buy breads, cereals, fresh meats, dairy and some produce on a “need” basis according to what you plan on making that week.
I’ve never actually had Irish soda bread. Come to think of it, though I’m half Irish I’ve never had any Irish food. There’s a reason for this; it’s not very good. If you are Irish and an adept cook, then please know I’m speaking BIG TIME in general. I mean, do you know that many restaurants that specialize in Irish fare?
So whether this is Polish, Irish, or German in origin, it’s pretty dang good. This was one of my very favorite comfort foods growing up, and for whatever reason I didn’t start making it until recently. It’s mind-numbingly easy and just requires the occasional stir.
Even if your new year’s resolution has something to do with saving money or cursing less, I’m willing to bet “get healthier” is somewhere in your mind. Maybe, like me, you’ve been on a sugar roller coaster since Thanksgiving and you’re starting to feel the effects. Regardless, the Monday after New Years is a GREAT time to make a change.