Sunday, January 24, 2010

Are your menus ready for this week?


No worries, mine aren't fully tweaked yet either, though they will be by tomorrow.

I just love when I get a telephone call from my friendly library lady, the one where she announces a book I've reserved is awaiting pickup.

The past few days I've been nose to nose between the pages of a good book, not a usual kind of wonderful type of storybook, but a recipe book.


Of interest to me has always been recipe books for using my crockpot. The first one I purchased was over 32 years ago now, the first of its kind at that time.


Actually I was one of those silly young girls because I collected several cookbooks even before I married and had a family, just because.


Many years later I've noticed cookbooks keep on getting better and better, and depending on one's specific category interests, anything is possible for kitchen dinner fixings these days.


I already own "Fix it and Forget it", a gold ribbon winner in my eye, but as I perused bookstores online a few weeks ago, I came across the newer version I'd forgotten about, the "Fix it and Forget it Light" book seemingly caught my eye in the book stack aisle at Costco before Christmas, the very book I felt drawn to handle and run my hand over it's super tempting cover, restraining myself all the while not to slip it into my shopping cart - just because it was a non-necessity and I was thinking "budget", "simplicity" and all those things during that time period.


When the withdrawal emotions over not purchasing that book for real finally dissipated into thin air, just like that (snapping my fingers), my fairy library lady called to announce (with shrill fairy library lady voice sounds) that my reserved copy was ready to borrow from her.

I like those types of telephone calls. I get all tingly inside and I end up having to contain myself because the temptation to jump up and dance my boogie off right there on the spot becomes uncontrollable! I do that sometimes you know, dance on the spot to get my 20 minutes of break-out-in-a-sweat-cardio-boogie in during the day. It's a great stress reliever. You oughta try it sometime. Just make sure no one is watching so you can really jiggle and jump well! Great too for calming down hormones .... (wink)


Was it any coincidence then this book was featured on top of one of the library bookshelves right near the entrance last week? Nope. As we are currently following this year's show, ah, why not borrow and read this one too. (Gosh, hankie alert on every episode though, sheesh!)


I love my library, old fashioned wish list centered and all!

Yes, the old crockpot has been calling my name out loud once more, unused for a wee while now.

Armed with several new and "light" recipes to try out, I'll be revving up my crockpot and looking toward one other new (mine, ohh, la,la) cookbook on "Eating Clean" by Tosca Reno, both offering "easy" and "light" dinners for my kitchen cooking duties in the upcoming week. Menu tweaking here I come!


First though, there was no use in even attempting to try anything, that is until;

  • a) - the refrigerator had a good washing - inside!
  • b) - the weekend entailed the to-do list errand for purchasing fresh produce at our local vegetable market.


Just look at all that color! Don't these just make you want a veggie platter right now? Or a yummy rabbit type of wonderful salad?


First, before refilling the produce drawers in my fridge, I'll take some of those tortilla chips, with some spicy hot salsa to dip them in. Oh heavenly....


As our oldest daughter would say; "Any time is nacho time". Yum!


Oh, I'm happy to report my husband offered his assistance this weekend. He was the one who rolled up his sleeves and performed the grand feat of refrigerator wash out. And he was the one who also rolled up his sleeves and donned his new apron to make this dinner entree tonight, his own creation!



Jasmine rice under a hot steamy mix of Indonesian curried chicken, chick pea and spinach, a few pepper/vinegar cucumber slices and a dollop of mango chutney. He's learning to steam instead of fry in butter. And besides, let's just forget all of that love lipsync from Julia Child when it comes to the Parisian cooking with plenty of butter included. Let's face it; in the real world - THAT type of cooking is just NOT "light" eating at all.



So how is your week ahead looking for you?


  • Is your sink scrubbed and shiny (Flylady)?
  • Is your fridge all squeaky clean and ready for fresh produce stashes?
  • Is your menu drawn up?
  • Is your crockpot all dusted off?



As Shania Twain might burst out in song about now...
  • Let's Go Girls! Feel like a woman?
Best of all, do share if YOU got a call from your wonderful fairy library lady this past week like I did.

snicker..