Sick Chef

Well, my new year quickly crashed and burned as I got attacked by some kind of cold/virus/evil thing. I was in New York for the new year celebration and for a few days after. I guess I had too much fun and got sick from it. Just in time to drive back to West Virginia to spend another week. I have spent the last two days here in bed, barely able to do anything besides blow my nose and flip the tv channel. Not much fun, I tell you. Today I am starting to look up. I hoped to wake up fresh and energetic but that didn't happen. I am definitely on the road to recovery, but I may have to give myself another day or so to complete health.

I did have a nice time over the holidays. I got to spend time with friends, play a little, move into my new place, and have some fun. A resolution I have made for this year is to cook more. I love to cook, especially to try new recipes and foods. Unfortunately, my many living situations, constant moving, and busy lifestyle made it difficult for me to do much cooking. I vow to make more of an effort to make it happen this year. Not only is it fun, but it tastes good and SAVES MONEY! Tell me what is wrong with that?

I started out the year making a couple of recipes from my new cookbook I got for Christmas: Great Food Fast. This book seems like a pretty good one because it has a lot of recipes that look practical and pretty easy to make. I sometimes get into the trap of making things that take forever and make big gourmet dinners, but I don't have a clue what to make for dinner TONIGHT! This book looks like a good one for that problem. It also divides its recipes into sections according to season, which is nice because (if I follow these sections) I will be able to use ingredients that are fresh and in season (aka. better tasting and more affordable!).
Besides this book, I plan on taking several of my cookbooks that I had left in WV back to NY with me. That way when I want to cook I will have a lot of great recipes on hand. I had been trying to look up recipes on the internet as I went along, but when I found myself without high-speed internet I found myself in trouble! In addition to my books, a few of my important tools, pots, and gadgets are going to have to come with me. The only thing I really took last year was my spice box. It, I knew I couldn't live without. Gotta have flavor even if you don't have a recipe or a spoon to mix it with. A girl has to have her priorities.