Do you ever browse old post from favorite bloggers? I love the bloggers at Dewey's Treehouse. They homeschool, are frugal, loved garage saleing, books, and cooking. This is an old post that actually began at The Common Room, another of my favorite bloggers. I loved reading their answers and wanted to see what mine would be. You all are really just there for me to find myself. Wait, I already did that. OK, to find my thoughts and what to do with them. I feel sorry for you.
1. How many meals does most of your family eat at home each week? How many are in your family?
We eat most meals at home. If we have a crazy week I will pick up pizza or we will eat off the dollar menu at Wendy's. Every couple of weeks my husband and I go out for dinner. We have 6 in our family but at least once a week we have more..like last night we had a total of 22. And it was a blast!
2. How many cookbooks do you own?
Around 30. I use a few all the time and some I have picked up at the library book sale because of the history or because they looked interesting. I would love more time to try out some of these recipes. I am also collecting some for my girls. With three of them, I could essentially buy three times as many...woo hoo!!
3. How often do you refer to a cookbook each week?
Every day, but not just for recipes. I read cookbooks for pleasure. I have one on the Pennsylvania Dutch. It reads like a historical and cultural book. I have others about Old Salem, and one written by Pearl S. Buck on foods of the Far East. YUM!!
4. Do you collect recipes from other sources? If so, what are some of your favorite sources (relatives, friends, magazines, advertisements, packages, the internet, etc)
I collect other recipes from everywhere. The internet is useful but I find there is too much. I have to narrow down the sites I visit like crock pot cooking or this one I want to try. She is located in France. I love to try cooking other nation's food.
5. How do you store those recipes?
I used to paste some in the back of my well used cookbooks. I finally put together a binder with page protectors and slip the ones I want to reuse in them, keeping the ones to try in the pockets. I also have a box I received as a wedding present. I probably need to get a larger one.
6. When you cook, do you follow the recipe pretty closely, or do you use recipes primarily to give you ideas?
I must follow the recipe exactly or I get lost. After a few YEARS...yes years, I may try to do something a little different. But my family REALLY prefers for me to keep to the recipe. I think it comes from being such a literal person.
7. Is there a particular ethnic style or flavor that predominates in your cooking? If so, what is it?
My family prefers southern comfort food like mac and cheese, chicken and rice casserole, and hamburgers. I prefer Mexican, Chinese, European, Middle Eastern, Indian, and whatever else I can try.
8. What's your favorite kitchen task related to meal planning and preparation? (eating the finished product does not count)
I like the menu planning, choosing recipes, and making my shopping lists, cooking with music or ONE child (I have a very difficult time cooking with more that one person. I can't stay on task!)
9. What's your least favorite part? Cleaning up!!
10. Do you plan menus before you shop?
Definitely!! I would buy out the whole store and then some because everything would look good to eat.
11. What are your three favorite kitchen tools or appliances? My blender, my cutting board, and my dishwasher.
12. If you could buy one new thing for your kitchen, money was no object, and space not an issue, what would you most like to have?
A double oven. We bake so much it would come in very handy!
13. Since money and space probably are objects, what are you most likely to buy next? An electric kettle. It might save energy cost. We drink lots of tea around here.
14. Do you have a separate freezer for storage?
A small chest but we are currently looking in the paper for a large one. We plan on buying a cow and pig to freeze.
15. Grocery shop alone or with others?
Almost always with "others" but I have trained the "others" to bring books to read at the front of the store (it is small) and then I feel "alone". It has to do with that distraction thing again.
16. How many meatless main dish meals do you fix in a week?
I try to make 2 a week, for dinners, which could include leftovers for lunch the next day.
7. If you have a decorating theme in your kitchen, what is it? Favorite kitchen colors?
I like simple in the kitchen. (I am beginning to wonder if I am ADD!!) I have blue painted bead board with simple cream-with-ties curtains. I would love to paint the cabinets cream distressed. Don't tell my husband. He may run away.
18. What's the first thing you ever learned to cook, and how old were you?
I tried to make "soup" with a friend when I was 10. It was disgusting. We dared each other to eat it and neither ones of us would. My first dish may have been boiled eggs. I can't remember what we ate when we first got married. We were a little short of cash so I know we didn't go out to eat. My 6 yr old can cook more than I did at 23. Sad but true.
19. How did you learn to cook?
Little by little and with lots of mistakes . I actually didn't learn to cook until I got married. Not that my mom didn't try. I really feel sorry for her. I had two cookbooks at first. Betty Crocker and Cotton Country (I am from the South!). Both were life savers. I bought one at Sam's titled From the Backs of Bottles, Cans. and Boxes .
20. I would love for you to gather your thoughts on your kitchen and send me the link in the comments section. I can't wait to read about you.
thanks for reading,
Reb
