The Cookbook Junkies

Before my onion dip post I hadn’t written anything but nasty notes to my husband….during all that time – we were dealing with packing up the house in New  York and moving across the country to Colorado.

There was three weeks when Jim was in New York finishing up working and Andrew and I were alone in Colorado.  It was exhausting – not because Andrew is hard to be around – but just what I need to do to talk him into leaving the house is an exercise beyond your wildest dreams.

Andrew started school in mid August and seemingly was doing well and then fell into the rabbit hole.  Suicide talk, angry bouts, depression, sadness, severe anxiety – it was unbearable to watch and unbearable to live through.  His teacher is over the top fantastic and the school is great.

We love our house, our neighbors and neighborhood.  Jim’s job is okay – but, of course, he has fallen into his bad habits of over achievement.  The last three weekends working from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning from home on my kitchen table – the phone on speaker and Andrew and I trying to be as silent as possible  These guys doing this cabling work – sound like NASA engineers scheduling a lift off – but then I remember they are just nerdy IT guys.  I’ve had some pretty dark thoughts the last few weeks – mainly fantasizing the life of a widow.  Joking people joking.  Really.

Roughly ten days ago we took the iPad and any type of video games away from Andrew – we’ve seen marked improvement.  Me being the ever optimist is now wondering whether this is from being on Fall Break (all week) or the lack of anxiety brought on by the games.  Time will tell – next week when he goes back to school we will see how he does.

I’ve been really cooking some amazing things on my own without getting inspiration from a recipe.  I think I can be more creative in this kitchen- it’s just a thousand times nicer and it works so much better.

I tested a recipe for a friend’s book and had this wonderful red pepper sauce left over – I decided to take the red pepper sauce, add the ingredients for marinara – tomato sauce, garlic …set that sauce aside.  I had some pesto left over from my basil and I added that into some ricotta and set that aside.  I bought some fresh pasta sheets and started layering — sauce, pasta, cheese/pesto, Parmesan, mozzarella, and then repeating.  I was very worried about this -because Jim and I bought dislike red and green peppers.  It came out of the oven and I served it.  It was fantastic.  Jim said it was the best lasagna I ever made – Andrew loved it-and I enjoyed it – I’m not a pasta fan – but it was delicious.

Last night I played around and made a creamy chicken and rice soup – and it was the best soup of that variety I have ever made.

I am rambling.  I feel a little lost lately.  I have no tolerance for anyone that doesn’t share my last name and even then it is doubtful.

Time to make dinner…while computer techs provide the “noise pairing”.

Lately, I’ve been so disappointed in the Food Network – one boring reality show after another and each of them starring the bleached pointy hair fellow or the steroidal one.  I have no ill will toward these guys – everyone needs a job – but I miss real cooking shows.  I was thrilled to see a commercial for a new show – Heartland Table with Amy Thielen.

I watched the first show and was hooked – loved Amy, her home, her garden — her kitchen.  My first thought was to check Amazon and see if she had a cookbook out – and I was thrilled when I completed my order of her book, The New Midwestern Table.

After looking through the book – I knew I wanted to cook my way through the book and have some type of group on Facebook to organize it all.  I messaged Amy and she was thrilled with the prospect (not as thrilled as I was).  Three weeks later and we have 164 members that are cooking through her wonderful book.

The first recipe I chose for our group to make was the Fried Onion Dip.

My son is home all week for Fall Break here in Colorado and we made the dip today.  Well, I made it and he kept asking “what smells so good???”

This will swear you off the powdered stuff — Lipton onion soup mix that is — forever.

I thought I would have to end up sharing with my neighbor because my husband does not eat anything with onions – but Andrew and I finished off half of this incredible dip.

Come join us on Facebook.  We are cooking two recipes a month – try something new!

I am not a “food blogger”.

I will never have a cookbook deal.

I will never type a status that reads “that moment when”.  Kill me now.

I will never beg any brand to give me something free.  I’ll take it don’t get me wrong – but I will not beg.

I am a woman who loves to cook and bake and I will blog about that here and there along with a crispy order of autism with sarcasm on the side.

I will not write sappy prose that will cause tears to well up in your eyes and threaten to spill over.

I will not gaze out the window and see the swirling leaves cascading down covering the hard ground that will make you long for Spring.

I will never write a status that includes a letter to myself, signed to myself.

I will not share dozens upon dozens of pictures of witty sayings or cute animals.

I will, however, have to share Andrewisms – it’s in my contract.

I will never say food for cowboys, entitle something “the best ever” or have a giveaway where you have twelve chances, enter codes that you cannot read and give you a message that states “you are posting too quickly”.  I also will not make you follow my blog, be my friend, follow me on twitter — I don’t give a shit.

I will never sign a post xo or love.  I save that for people I love and xo.

I will never make something gluten free, sugar free, diary free, or taste free.  If you have an allergy – you figure it out.

I will never write like this.  Oh. My. God. I. couldn’t. stop. eating. them.

I will never use a hashtag.  #hashtagsarestupid.

I think that is all I have, for now.  Have a sunshiny day!

P.S. that wasn’t all….I will never, ever stuff a brownie or cookie with an Oreo.  Oreos have rights too!