I've Been Inspired

Over the years I have had the privilage to meet some amazing women.  Women who are great housekeepers (okay, so I hired a housekeeper to help with this area), wonderful cooks, wonderful mothers, wonderful wives and have inspired me to be the same. 

Part of my personal goal for this year, in addition to cooking and eating healthy is to challenge my cooking/baking skills.  I want to do more things, try new things and make yummy foods!  For the first 5 or more years of my marriage I made the same things for dinner over and over again because I happened to marry a VERY picky eater.  For several years he would only eat meat and potatoes and I'm not talking baked potatoes or mashed potatoes...I'm talking french fries or fried potatoes...that was IT!!  I struggled to find meals to fix without getting bored and making the same thing all the time.  I finally reached a point where I just started making different things and guess what?!  He ate them!!  He didn't like everything but that's okay, it was a start.  Now we have been married 17-1/2 years and he eats almost anything I cook. 

In 2011 I will get out of my cooking rut and try new things!  I will share (or try to remember to) with you my successes, failures and what the family likes or doesn't like. 

To begin, I bought this outstanding cookbook! 

I made the Chocolate Sheet Cake last night and it was a huge hit!  I even took some to a friend and her husband.  (She returned the favor and sent some blueberry cobbler home with me, but on the way home my "famished" dancer daughter ate almost all of it...with her FINGERS!)  Guess I'll have to get that recipe from her so that I can make it for my whole family.  :)

Stay tuned...

P.S.  The other night we ate at a Mediterranean restaurant for the first time!  Let's just say I am now in love with Chicken Shawarma!!!  I'll have to make that soon too!!!