Recipe Junkie

about me

Q: What is your only comfort in life and in death?

A: That I am not my own, but belong body and soul in life and in death to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.

He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.
He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head
without the will of my Father in heaven:
in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.

Because I belong to him,
Christ by his Holy Spirit ,
assures me of eternal life
and makes me whole-heartedly willing and ready
from now on to live for him. ~ The Heidelberg Catechism

I have a cookbook collection that threatens to exceed my home's capacity.

Like so many here, I love to get up in the morning, brew a nice cup of coffee and sit at my computer and check out the new Zaar additions, and add them to my cookbooks!

My favorite cookbooks are little church cookbooks that you find in second hand stores. I love practicing hospitality in my home and preparing meals for people who have just had a baby, are grieving over the loss of a loved one, or for people whose family members are ill.

Even with Zaar, I like to keep my book collection, because you never know what you'll find, looking for the perfect recipe to match what you have on hand.

My food pet peeves are soggy cooked vegetables, peeling veggies, as it wastes time and nutrients; poppy seeds, cooking on electric stoves, Chinese restaurants where you have to ask for chopsticks, raw broccoli and cauliflower and hard taco shells.

Cooking quotes that have inspired me:

"I'm your cook, not your nurse!" ~ Paula Deen

"Tips for cooks at home: Always start with a glass of wine, don't sweat the small stuff, and always relax. The food knows when you're not having fun. Remain flexible." ~ Alan Greeley

"Be comfortable and confident to try what you know tastes good. People have been eating for thousands of years. It's very difficult to create something entirely new." ~ Suzette Gresham-Tognetti

"Follow instructions in recipes but use your common sense. Don't be intimidated, just dig right in." ~ Emily Luchetti

"A great cook is someone with an excellent palate, a curiosity about foods, a willingness to experiment and make mistakes - then make them right." ~ Margaret Fox

"There is no magic to being a good cook. You just have to care." ~ John Downey

My advice to new cooks: Don't let people tease you about being a measurer. If you're not comfortable guessing, don't do it. Eventually you'll feel comfortable guestimating. And even if you never do, it's okay.

We taste Thee O Thou living bread
And long to feast upon Thee still
We drink of Thee, the fountain-head
And thirst our souls from Thee to fill
and thirst our souls from Thee to fill.

~ O Jesus Joy of Loving Hearts
William B. Bradbury ~ 1816-1868

Favorite Foods:

I love sweets, but I'm trying to use Splenda and date sugar instead of table sugar. Old habits die hard, but I'm learning to eat healthier and thus, enjoy food more. I also love sour with sweet, and I love hot mustard sauce and wasabi!

I love using exotic spices on meats and vegetables - garam masala, curries, chutneys, horseradish, etc.

One of my favorite vegetable dishes is simple vine tomatoes with avocados and cukes sprinkled with salt and pepper. I also love the South Beach Diet's roasted vegetable platter recipe. That's really the only use I have for that book since I'm not into low carb diets!

Although I am an omnivore, a vegetarian diet works best for weight control for me, so I do enjoy cooking and eating vegetarian and vegan meals from time to time.

I'm most adept at cooking standard American comforting casseroles, Tex Mex and Italian American dishes, because these are what my family enjoys, and the basic ingredients are easy on the budget.

I don't like cooking with my microwave. I only use it to heat TV dinners and leftovers!

Favorite Restaurants: Middle Eastern, Ethiopian, Vietnamese, Sushi Bars, Real Chinese Restaurants, and Japanese Steak Houses - but I love eating at places like Coco's, TGIF, Scholtzky's Deli, Red Robin and other All American places too!

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