The Great Food Rush

Food Network, Cooking Channel, TLC, PBS, QVC, DSC, Hallmark, Bravo, HSN, ABC-XYZ...... Websites, blogs....and the list continues...  We find ourselves in a time when, 24/7, we are exposed to someone or something seeking to make our cooking dreams a reality.  We have professionally trained chefs, celebrities, and celebrity chefs who are making it their mission to become a part of our lives so that their names are mentioned in our homes as if they were close friends or family members.  We want to tune in to catch a glimpse of their newest recipes and see their newest must-have-because-it-will-make-my-life-so-much-easier cooking tools.  Is it any surprise then that during this "Food Rush" the nation's obesity rate is at its highest?  People can't go to the gym, they are glued to their TVs waiting to see if they'll win the bet as to how many sticks of butter Paula or Ina will use in today's episode.  And I'm here to admit - I'm one of the guilty ones! I'm hooked! Love to cook, love to eat, love to try new recipes, love to create recipes, love to try new restaurants!

Having recently moved, I was unpacking my box of cookbooks, many of which have only been opened a few times.  In addition to the published, purchased cookbooks sitting neatly on my new shelf, I also have my binder of 'printed off the internet' recipes; mostly from the 'this looked delicious when someone made it on TV that I need to try it' category.  And again, most of them are still waiting for action.  Isn't this the case with most of us?  We have all of these tools surrounding us, yet we fall into the same patterns.  The same chicken/pasta/beef/seafood dinners because we know they work, and we're exhausted at the end of the day, without the patience to try something new.  You want to, but it just doesn't happen.

So, I've decided to join in on The Great Food Rush by getting out my feather-duster and cooking through these recipes.  And at the urging of others, I'm subjecting you to my journey and hoping you'll join me!  I don't want to be limited to just recipes, we're talking all things food!  I hope that in this process I can share my great, mediocre and just plain terrible findings, as well as any helpful hints.  I promise to give credit to the original source of published recipes.  I will also be attempting to actually measure out and write down my own recipes into which I usually just throw in a little of this and a pinch of that, whatever looks good at the time.  I have a running joke with my husband that when he enjoys one of my meals, he needs to really take it in because he'll never have it that way again.  Not sure what spice I used, how much of it, and the order of how things went into the pan - so glad you love it :)

I'm off to go see what's stirring in the kitchen.......