Culinary Therapy 4-5

Left over questions, activities, and notes to self...
What level of cooking effort do I find enjoyable enough to do it most nights with my available time and energy?

We're looking at minimal effort here. Throughout the course of this project I have figured out that if I want to cook, it has to happen on a weekend. During the week, it's all I can do to make salad or heat things up. Which is a shame because I like meals--you know, a plate with 3 veg and a piece of meat.

I bought a crockpot. I think it might be a partial solution.

Do I have the recipes or templates to support this level of effort?

Laugh, laugh, laugh. So when I was in Ohio, I expressed dismay about the amount of stuff I have and Cookbook countered with "Believe me, we wondered it ourselves when we encountered THE BOX OF GOURMET MAGAZINES!" It's actually Cooking Light. There is a stack waist high (literally) next to the desk now. I don't know quite what to do about it--I pulled out one to look at and found about 10 things to make. They just changed the format and I don't like it, but the older issues I have have such a great mix of techniques and good food and are filled with ideas. Later this week I will be making Bulgur and Lamb Meatballs in Tomato Sauce. Perhaps I shall also attack an artichoke.

What staples do I need to have always on hand in order to make sure that the routine is, in fact, routine?

I think the list of staples in the previous post is a good start.

Anners sent me an email today that she made Summer Salad for her own family.

Note to self: Clean the fridge, oven, and for heaven's sake wash the dang floor! Find something to hold the spatulas et al on the counter. Also toss and replace the crappy can opener that takes the rim off everything. Finish unpacking the boxes and find places for the cookware, and toss what you're going to offer up to homeless people on Craigslist in one place.

There are no pictures of what I have cooked lately but I made flank steak and fry sauce lately. My goal is still good, and I do succeed when I actually have the food in the house. It's just a combination of having a project that has sucked my brain and motivation for several weeks and not having the cookware to carry through with what I'd like to do. So, meatballs this weekend, and a pot of beans to turn into other things. Maybe Crockpot carmelized onions too--I am very into the sweet potato plus onion these days.