Slow Cooker Cheesy Potato Soup

Thanks for all your enthusiasm about my Aldi posts. I'm feeling really good about finding a less expensive food source for my family. One of the most requested additions to this series has been recipes -- so I thought I'd start posting some of the foods I'm making that use Aldi ingredients entirely.

I make at least two soups/stews a week in the crock pot. One is usually a crazy mix of whatever veggies and beans we have left over. I make it before heading to the grocery store + it helps me get a handle on exactly what I need to put on my list that week. The other is usually something a little more creative or experimental.

Like this lightened-up Cheesy Potato Soup!

CHEESY POTATO SOUP
a lighter, veggie-filled option for this old favorite

What you'll need . . .

• 3-4 large potatoes (sweet potatoes would work, too!), peeled + cubed
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 10-12 white mushrooms, chopped + stems removed
• 8 ounces cheese of choice, cubed -- I used mostly Colby-Jack
• 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1-1/2 cups almond milk (or substitute)
• 4-5 cups water, whatever fills up the pot
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• I also think smoked paprika would taste great!

Method . . .

1. Toss all solid ingredients in your crock pot and then pour in the Greek yogurt, almond milk, water, and spices.
2. Mix to incorporate everything fully, then set on HIGH for about 4 hours. Soup is "done" when potatoes are softened. 
3. Simply let cool a bit and then transfer into your blender (we use a our Ninja) and blend until smooth.

And after you blend . . .


A crockpot full of this soup is enough for a hearty lunch-side for two people all week or at least several good-sized dinners. I love sneaking in extra veggies for both flavor and nutrition -- all on the cheap. To read more of my Aldi posts (which are totally #notsponsored), click here.

I'll be back next week with our favorite Aldi meal -- loaded quesadillas. Don't forget to check out my Whole Wheat Naan recipe + cooking video. And if you have kids, today I wrote some tips for how I keep up with Ada.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Food for Runners: P-E-P-P-E-R-S

I love that you guys + gals love these Food For Runners posts. I lost a bit of momentum when local produce stopped overflowing from our farmers market basket in the fall. But I figure there's no use waiting because before we know it, we'll thaw out and so many foods will be ripe and ready to eat.

If you're catching up, we've covered tomatoes, almonds, pumpkin, cucumbers, bananas, eggs, garlic, quinoa, berries, and kale -- and included our favorite recipes from across the web.

Though a sometimes controversial choice, there's no denying peppers are packed with nutrients:

"A recent study took a close look at vitamin C, vitamin E, and six carotenoids (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin) + found that two vegetables contained at least two-thirds of all nutrients. One of these foods was the sweet bell pepper." (Source)

Specifically interesting for runners: "All colors of bell pepper are high sources of potassium. This mineral helps keep your fluids and minerals balanced in your body, enhancing muscle function and regulating blood pressure." (Source)

5 main health benefits of peppers: "Burn off fat, control cholesterol, keep arthritis at bay, lower breast cancer risk, and are heart healthy/prevent stroke." (Source + more information)


If you can -- and this is the rule with most fruits + veggies -- grow your own or buy organic and/or locally. Unfortunately, peppers taste great and are good for you, but they are also on the dirty dozen.

You can find all types of peppers at the supermarket.  

"But, in fact, peppers are a seasonal vegetable, and when freshly picked they are sweeter and more intense than any hothouse variety. The skin is thinner, and the flavors are vivid. Eat the real ones often enough, and you may never return to the bland, expensive ones from the grocery store." (Source)


Here are some of our favorite recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner:

Our Pepper Omelet Rings
Colleen's Roasted Red Pepper + Tomato Soup
Kelly's Tomato-Basil Bell Pepper Tartlets
Jo's Grilled Works w/ cheese, roasted peppers, and onions, etc.
Pamela's Red Pepper Sauce
Kat's Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Our Cherry Pepper Poppers
Jodi's Baked Parsnip Fries w/ Roasted Red Pepper Pesto
Lisa and Anna's Roasted Poblano Salsa (like Chipotle!)
Michelle's Raisin + Couscous Stuffed Peppers
Our $5 Dinner: Veggie Stuffed Peppers
Aida's Charred Poblano Pesto Pasta
Alexandra's Red Bell Pepper Pie


The fastest/easiest way to eat them is raw -- washed well and chopped as a quick snack. But my favorite is roasting. Just set your oven to broil, rinse peppers and chop in half (remove seeds). Place face-down on baking sheet, and roast for 10-15 minutes until lightly blackened.

I then fill with cooked veggies/grains or chop up and add to omelets or top pizzas. You can also remove the skins by gently rubbing and store in olive oil -- great on sandwiches!

I can't wait till they're in season again (August and September)! For now, we'll enjoy the occasional store-bought + our CSA's locally frozen variety.


What's your favorite way to use peppers?

Don't forget to read up on these other healthy ingredients:

Food for Runners: T-O-M-A-T-O-E-S
Food for Runners: A-L-M-O-N-D-S
Food for Runners: P-U-M-P-K-I-N
Food for Runners: C-U-C-U-M-B-E-R-S
Food for Runners: E-G-G-S
Food for Runners: B-E-R-R-I-E-S
Food for Runners: B-A-N-A-N-A-S
Food for Runners: G-A-R-L-I-C
Food for Runners: Q-U-I-N-O-A
Food for Runners: K-A-L-E

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Lazy Woman's Stir-Fry

Wow. First: THANK YOU! We've had quite a lot of feedback on our reader survey from this morning's post. As always, I appreciate the (sometimes brutal) honesty. We want to make this site as great and useful as it can be for you all. And I'm seeing that the new site design isn't well received. It isn't totally hot over here either, but it's difficult to change quickly, unfortunately.

I was frustrated that the new template had the whole "read more" and click option (some of you mentioned I might be trying to get more clicks -- which isn't actually the case, I just wasn't savvy enough to tool around with the template). Anyway, I was able to somewhat remedy it (still a few kinks) with some crafty trial-and-error editing this afternoon. But I'm still 50/50 on if I want to keep the slider with the featured sections.

Oh, yeah. I want my old banner back, too. I need to figure out HOW to get the header section to take an image of that same size. None of this is your concern. I just want you to know I'm listening. Keep those survey comments coming!

Onto more exciting things. Like this stir-fry.

I call it the "Lazy Woman's Stir-Fry" because despite how much I love to play with sauces and spreads, the secret ingredient that makes this dinner great is this:


Now that we're on a super tight budget (hell, when HAVEN'T we been?), I make almost everything from scratch. Everything. It gets ridiculous when I've whipped up some hummus for lunch and have to "quickly" get a batch of naan going so I have something to eat it with. Or when guests come to our house only to find raw ingredients, no snacks.

My mom told me the other day that the one critique she has of this blog is that my recipes are often too involved for the "normal" cook. I can completely see where she's coming from.

Truth is -- full-time worker or not -- I love to cook. I often whipped up elaborate meals for dinner when I worked a 9-to-5 because I love time in the kitchen. It helps me relax. I love the creation process. It gave me time to think. Now that I'm home all day, you'd think I'd have tons of time. Well, I'm home all day with a baby . . . a baby who's starting to get into everything, all that "time" I have is segmented. I'm discovering I need to find time-saving measures and clever shortcuts more than ever.


LAZY BUSY WOMAN'S STIR-FRY

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cake tofu, drained well and cut into cubes
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 2 small heads of broccoli, chopped
• 1 large green pepper, chopped
• 1 cup white mushrooms, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (or stir-fry oil, if you have it)
• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce

Method . . . 

1. In a fry pan over high heat, toss in the sesame oil and heat until sizzling. Then lower heat just a bit and add tofu. 
2. Cook, stirring often to get all sides, until well browned. Set aside. 
3. In another, larger frying pan or wok -- toss in the olive or stir-fry oil. Then add the onions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until glassy. 
4. Add the broccoli and green pepper. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, then add the mushrooms, soy sauce, and sweet chili sauce. 
5. Stir well and cover for 5 to 7 minutes. Until broccoli is softened, but still slightly crisp. 
6. Stir in the tofu and cook until warmed. 
7. Serve immediately. With brown rice!

Some lazy busy woman tricks for this dinner:

• Cut veggies into chunks on Sunday afternoon. Toss everything you plan to use for a meal in a large zippered bag. Date and label for the week. 
• Or even consider buying a few pre-sliced and cleaned items -- like mushrooms -- so you can just toss them in. (With mushrooms, I still give them another quick rinse.) 
• Drain tofu early in the day so it's ready and dry at cooking time. Or just deal with tofu that's slightly soggy. I did the latter. 
• Cook double so you can enjoy the next night or night after. I'm not a huge leftovers fan, so I wouldn't go beyond the next evening. 
• As already mentioned -- use a store-bought sauce to flavor. More expensive, yes. But sometimes well worth the extra pennies because you only need very little to flavor an entire meal.

How do you find time to cook yourself/your family quality meals mid-week? I'd love to add to these tips. Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker@gmail.com.

And don't forget to fill out our reader survey! (And if you have comments on how I changed the main page, send those along, too!)

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Roasted Sweet Potato Stew

You're in luck. Today, you get TWO recipes all for reading ONE post. These days, I don't often get time to roast veggies. Taking the time was totally worth it in this case. The oven temperature made our kitchen warm and cozy. The time those sweet potatoes, onions, and peppers spent in the oven gave them tons of flavor.

This hearty winter stew lasted two nights in our household. That's a lot of delicious dinner.

ROASTED SWEET POTATO STEW

What you'll need . . .

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes
• 1 green/yellow/orange/OR red pepper, chopped (I used a frozen bag mix of all -- about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 large white onion, sliced
• 3 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Fenugreek
• 1 can (15 ounces) Canelli beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 ounces) low sodium veggie broth
• 1 large can (32 ounces) whole tomatoes, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon cilantro (I only had dried on hand, I would have preferred fresh)

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, pour in your olive oil, salt, pepper, and Fenugreek.
3. Once you have your sweet potatoes and peppers chopped, your onions sliced, and your garlic minced, toss all these ingredients into the bowl with the oil mixture. Toss to coat well.
4. Pour veggies onto your prepared baking sheet. Put in your preheated oven for about 10 minutes. Then take out, stir around a bit, and return to the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes. Until well roasted.
5. In a food processor or blender, blend together the tomatoes, vegetable broth, and cilantro. Make sure to drain and rinse the tomatoes first. If you use the juice, the dish will be too tomato-y.
6. Place the broth in a large, oven-safe stock pot. When the veggies are done roasting, turn off the oven heat. Mix them -- AND the Canelli beans -- into the broth and place in the oven for 15 minutes. (This allows the flavors to mix without making the roasted stuff bloated and soggy.)
7. Serve with buttermilk biscuits (recipe below).

VEGAN BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

What you'll need . . .

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup bread flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance
• 1 tablespoon golden flax meal
• 1/2 cup almond milk

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment and set aside. (I made the stew and biscuits at different times of the day -- but you could easily make these first and have the oven all preheated for the stew!).
2. Toss all your ingredients -- EXCEPT the almond milk -- into a food processor. Pulse until well incorporated and mealy.
3. Pour into a medium bowl and then add the almond milk. Fold with a spatula a few times. Don't over-mix. Just fold until everything is moistened.
4. Scoop 1/4 cup amounts of the mix onto your baking sheet. Should make 6 biscuits.
5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Then let cool before serving.

Read all about Ada's 8th week of life today on (never home)maker, baby! We're amazed at how she's grown in just two short months. Very much looking forward to her well baby checkup next week!

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Use-It-Up Brunch Bake

On the weekends, we usually have lots of edible odds and ends hanging around the kitchen. A spare tomato. Quarter of an onion. Half a green pepper. Just random stuff that doesn't necessarily constitute a meal. We hate wasting food, but sometimes these bits go bad before we find a good use for them.

On the other hand, we always have eggs and almond milk in our fridge. Cheese is another ingredient we've always got fresh and handy. So, this weekend while Stephen was out running his long run, I decided to whip up something to combine all of these items.

USE-IT-UP BRUNCH BAKE

What you'll need . . .

• 5 eggs
• 1/3 cup almond or other milk
• 1/3 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 large green pepper, chopped
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Few slices crusty sourdough bread, cut into smaller pieces

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 2 to 3 quart baking dish by lightly greasing with some butter or Earth Balance.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Add the black ground pepper. Then add in the chopped green pepper, tomatoes, bread, and cheese.
3. Let sit for a couple minutes -- allowing the bread to absorb the egg mixture.
4. Pour the mix into your prepared baking dish. Place in the oven and let bake for 45 to 50 minutes.
5. Bake is done when the middle is set and somewhat firm, but be careful not to over-bake.

The best part about this dish? You can use up pretty much anything you have on hand. Just stick with the 5 eggs, 1/3 cup milk, 1/3 cup shredded cheese part. The rest is up to you. Use mushrooms, onions, asparagus . . . even kale or collards, etc.

As well, any kind of crusty bread works, but we'd suggest not using regular sandwich bread. It won't taste bad. It just won't be as interesting.


Portion size is also up to you, but I'd say 2 to 3 people can get a good meal out of the dish. Stephen told me, though, he likely could have eaten the entire thing himself!


What's your favorite way to use your edible odds and ends? Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.


And if you're following our baby posts, today on (never home)maker, baby! I share what we learned in our 1-day birth class. It was information-overload, but well worth the time!

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Omelette Rings and Desperate Dishwashers

Eggs. I have this love/hate relationship with them. I mentioned in the Becoming Un-Vegan post that I started eating eggs again about two years ago. Since then, I've probably eaten less than two cartons. So, no. They aren't a staple in my diet. It's not that I don't like how they taste. I just go back and forth with the texture and concept of what I'm eating. There are days when eating a once-over-easy is A-OK with me. And other days when toast dripping with yolk could make me hurl.

I'm having an "I-LOVE-eggs" week this week, though. So, when we couldn't decide what to make for dinner last night, I thought I'd take advantage of my positive feelings toward them. And why not?

There's fantastic nutrition in these incredible edibles:

One egg has 13 essential nutrients in varying amounts – including high-quality protein, choline, folate, iron and zinc – for 70 calories. Eggs also play a role in weight management, muscle strength, healthy pregnancy, brain function, eye health and more. (Source)


OMELETTE RINGS (with white-whole wheat loaf toast)

What you'll need . . .

• 2 green peppers, sliced into thick rings
• 1/4 cup shredded potato
• 1/4 to 1/3 shredded jack cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded onion
• 1/4 cup shredded mushroom
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt
• Salt, pepper, and garlic powder -- to taste

Method . . .

1. First you'll want to soften/char up your green pepper rings (cutting the peppers gave us 6 good-sized rings, we saved all the parts we couldn't use for rings for other stir-fry dishes). Simply heat them on the stove over medium-high heat with a little oil until they don't have much crunch (though, a little crispness is good). Maybe 5 to 7 minutes total. Set aside.
2. Whisk together the eggs and Greek yogurt. Add in the shredded cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Set aside.
3. We chose to cook our potatoes, onions, and mushrooms before adding them to the egg mixture. A couple minutes will do. But don't add them to the eggs right away, only when you're ready to cook everything. (Prevent the heat from the veggies from pre-cooking the eggs.)
4. When you're ready to cook, heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Put a little oil on the pan and start with just two rings. Toss them on the pan, then fill (but not to overflowing) with a couple spoonfuls of egg mixture. Let cook for a few minutes (around 5 or so) until the bottom is browned.
5. Then, carefully flip. It may get a little messy, but we didn't have too much trouble. Let that side cook until browned on the bottom, too. Then continue flipping until you reach your desired done-ness. (I like mine pretty well done, that's why they're so dark.)
6. Continue with the rest of the rings. We were able to do four at once! Then serve with hot sauce and toast. Hash browns would be another great side item!

You see the photo above of the egg mixture? This is what that area REALLY looked like during the whole process.

A d.i.s.a.s.t.e.r. is the best word I can find to describe it.


Yeah. We don't have a dishwasher.

And most of the chopping, mixing, and fixing is done on a large wooden cutting board I slap onto the sink. It's where the best light is in the kitchen. It's where the most elbow room is, too. Many people have told us we should just install a dishwasher. But . . . if you've viewed our kitchen tour, we don't really have cabinet space to devote.



Our kitchen is a tiny 1950s style. Before sprawling kitchens took the spotlight at the center of the house with open views to the dining areas. Nope. Ours is closed in. And filled to the BRIM with every appliance, mixing bowl, spoon/spatula, and pot/pan we need. (To run a cooking blog, you need want MANY.)

Thankfully, I've discovered the world of portable dishwashers. They come in tiny sizes, too. We may just need to pick up this little wonder -- it can scrub up to 8 place settings and gets good reviews, and we can find parts to repair it at Part Select if anything were to happen to it. Though we still don't have a lot of space, I feel like we can carve out enough to accommodate 18 inches. So, hopefully sometime in the next week or so, we'll order it.


(((Stephen . . . can we, can we, can we?)))

Do you also not have a dishwasher? Or could you not at ALL imagine your life without one? We'd love to hear your thoughts. So many people are surprised to learn we're without this "basic" or "essential" device. It's definitely getting old -- FAST! Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Grilled EVERYTHING

There's nothing we love more than playing with fire. Err. I mean, spending the entire day in our backyard grilling. As a result, we've come up with some pretty fun (and dare we say impressive?) recipes. Since the weather is looking good for the coming weekend, today we're sharing foods we'll likely be grilling for ourselves. They're sort of our go-to grill recipes.

If you'd like to grill your own pizza, check out this post with all the details.

Anyway, there's nothing easier that slicing some veggies, throwing them on a skewer, and putting them to flame. Even better is that it's healthy, too. So, check out these grilling recipes. And spend some time outside relaxing this weekend!


Grilled Veggies

Just get for your favorite veggies together (we like green peppers, white onions, garlic, and white mushrooms) and chop as needed. Slide onto some skewers . . . brush lightly with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. And grill, paying close attention so you don't overcook (by this we mean: don't let your lawn games distract you). Veggies are done when they are lightly blackened . . . and, in the case of the green peppers, aren't hard to chew through. Yeah. Test this by eating some.


Grilled Cheesy Flatbread

You'll need to make or buy some pizza dough (we highly recommend the recipe for pumpkin dough, which does well on the grill due to its high moisture content). Divide into handful sized pieces and stretch out much like you would a pizza. Follow the pizza grilling process you find on this post . . . but when you get to the toppings part, just use some shredded mozzarella and chopped basil or cilantro. When you're done grilling, drizzle everything with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. You may wish to broil in your oven for extra browned-ness.



Grilled Panini

This one's REALLY easy. Purchase some ciabatta bread. Then make sandwiches using portabella (you may wish to saute them first), fresh mozzarella, basil, spinach, roasted red peppers, tomato -- etc., you name it. Don't forget some condiments like balsamic and oil. Then lightly brush the crust with a bit more olive oil. Then wrap in tin foil and set on the grill. Get two heavy stones to press the sandwiches down. Cook for between 5 and 10 minutes. If you'd like to add a little extra char, just take them out of the tin foil and lightly brown each side. This creative method comes to you from my in-laws.

One more thing: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!


Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Dinner

What do you do when all you have in the fridge are last week's rejects? I mean, how can you make a dinner out of a few green peppers and a couple tablespoons worth of peanut butter and . . . 1 cup of coconut milk? Don't forget the 1/3 of an onion hiding in there. Oh. And there are some pieces of portabella mushrooms. Parsnips? Goodness!

Yeah. That's right. You suck up your food lust for other tasty treats and get creative with all that stuff. It's definitely the budget friendly way to go. Certainly a way to improve your kitchen cred. And, of course, is far less wasteful than letting all that good produce rot until your husband hangs his head in shame, upset you've "done it again."

Oh, sorry. That last part is all about, well, me. I do that. Often. I'm trying desperately to stop. And our quest to lower our groceries bills (which is going extremely well, thank you) has been helping out. I imagine some of you other foodies out there fall victim to the whole always-wanting-the-absolute-freshest-most-interesting-(and abundant)-ingredients, too.

This recipe should help. Just use all those ingredients up. Slather them in a fun sauce. And call it dinner.


What you'll need . . .

• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 to 1 large green pepper, sliced
• 1 to 2 medium parsnip, skinned and sliced
• 1/2 to 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 to 1 large portabella mushroom, chopped
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 to 3 tablespoons natural peanut butter
• Soy sauce, to taste
• Garlic powder and pepper to taste
• Honey, again, to taste

Method . . .

1. Over medium-high heat, cook onions in a little olive oil until glassy.
2. Add in the green pepper and parsnips and cook until soft.
3. Add portabella mushrooms and chickpeas. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Then whisk together the coconut milk, peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic powder, and pepper. Again -- it's all to your taste. Some people like it more soy-ish, others less. You may even wish to sweeten it a bit with some honey. The key is adding it all in small amounts. Go teaspoon by teaspoon with the extras.
5. Then pour this mixture over the stir-fry and cook until nice and bubbly.
6. Serve with a gorgeous grain like red quinoa.

"Ashley. That is a rather lax/lazy/sorry excuse for a recipe." I know, I know. The measurements are all weird. The sauce formula is far from set in stone. But I share this recipe with you, friends, to make a point. We get lots of emails asking us if it's OK to substitute this ingredient in for that ingredients. And what I want you all to know -- those of you who aren't comfortable cooking up a storm in the kitchen -- is that experimentation is more than OK, it's fantastic. It's the only way you can come up with good eats on your own.

Once you start letting go. Once you stop measuring out every little thing, you'll definitely have some awful creations on your hands. Yes. But you'll laugh about them and PRETEND you enjoy them. Other times, you'll come up with something so incredibly delicious, you'll wish you had written it down (keep that in mind -- I keep a pen and pad of paper in one of our drawers). Cooking need not be a scary venture. Instead, it's just another outlet for your imagination (and cravings) to run wild.



I'd also like to take this opportunity to publicly congratulate my brother on his graduation. He's the reason I'm posting less this week (thanks a lot, little bro!) -- all weekend was spent down in Bloomsburg, PA, sitting in the wind, waiting to hear his name be called so he could receive his diploma. So, employers: If you or anyone you know needs a college grad with a degree in marketing (and mad guitar skills -- I'm just sayin'), Ryan's your man!

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...