Kitchen Inspiration

Some of you may have noticed that, at the bottom of the sidebar, I have a place to post my weekly menu. Some of you also may have noticed that I hadn't updated it for, oh, two months or so (the entry for "Audrey's Birthday" blew any cover I may have had). I generally enjoy cooking and trying new recipes but, for the past while, I've been in quite a rut. In my defense, for the past month or so, we haven't even eaten at home much, with holiday parties, family gatherings, and the like keeping us well-fed with minimal effort. Then, Jared spent last week in Mexico on a business trip, and since my kids tend to turn up their noses at pretty much anything I cook (Audrey is especially bad about this!), I catered more to their tastes and we dined on PB&J, macaroni and cheese, or chicken nuggets most evenings.

Well, no longer! I've actually been tuning in to Food Network and PBS cooking shows like Everyday Food and America's Test Kitchen, and I'm excited to get back in the kitchen! I've got some new ideas for dinner, and they make everything on the show look so easy to put together, that I just know it's got to be simple, right? ;)

The best part is, the kids are totally on board, too. They are both Rachael Ray fanatics. They'll sit and watch 30 Minute Meals with me, and then Audrey will head over to the kitchen table and put on her own cooking show (which generally involves pulling every utensil from the utensil drawer and using them to smash something like goldfish crackers in an Ikea bowl to smithereens). Anyway, I'm hoping that throwing around the "Rachael Ray" name might get them to try something they'd be otherwise reluctant about. Here's to hoping!