My Secret

Shhhh.

Let me share a little secret with you. I hate to cook! I’m actually a really good cook but it’s not something I enjoy. I do it because my kids would starve to death if I didn’t. Personally, I would be just fine eating a cheese tray filled with brie, fruit, crackers, and boar’s head meat, all washed down with a glass of wine of course.

I’m a “dump” cook and I don’t use recipes. I know if a dish is sufficiently seasoned if it “tastes” right. I can tell if it’s done if it “looks” right. When people ask for one of my recipes all I can do is recite the ingredients as I remember them and the rest is up to the curious chef. My instructions go something like this, “add some sausage, ground beef, beans, green peppers, onions, salt, pepper, honey, {secret ingredient}, and cinnamon, and then bake it in the oven”. By the way, that’s the recipe for my famous baked beans (I think that’s the only reason my friends invite me to cook outs…lol).

I learned from the best soul food chefs – my mother and both grandmothers. They all cook the same way and their meals are always wonderful! My paternal mother makes the best pound cake around. Oh, and her sweet potato pie is the best I’ve ever tasted. It’s so good that I won’t even eat anybody else’s pie.  And her biscuits dipped in sorghum syrup (only people from the country know about that)……… I could go on for days.

Being a “dump” cook is a great thing because I can create a meal out of anything in the fridge but it doesn’t help too much with variety. I tend to cook the same meals over and over again. A chicken breast doesn’t have a chance in my house.  Every day I find myself stewing over what to cook for dinner. It’s actually quite stressful because I often run out of ideas.

Today, I came across the 30-Day Meal Plan on the nannygoat blog. I was so excited when I saw it that I just had to blog about it. She has a brilliant way of creating and organizing her monthly meals. I think I’m gonna try it myself and post my progress here every day,  or as much as I can. I think this will simplify my dinner dilemmas and add some variety to my daily routine. Check it out for yourself and leave me a comment letting me know how it works out for you.