Clearing The Table, So To Speak

I know I've been neglecting this little blog for a few weeks. And if you read back over the past year or so, you'll start to see a pattern. I wander off, then stumble back and say I'll do better. For quite a while I've been wanting to give this little place a face lift, but I had been hesitant to dive into the deep end of coding and whatnot. This week though I decided I needed to make it a priority and set today aside to get this task crossed off my to-do list. After several hours spent intimately with Photoshop and Blogger, this is the result. New color scheme, new font, and a new header. I've created handy buttons featured on the left to make it easier to find some of the most popular types of recipes. And a new page button, which I'm happy to share with everyone. Feel free to grab the code and spread the word. Hopefully the new Small Time Cooks is a little easier to read and a little more pleasant to look at. And hopefully I'll keep up with it much more often now.

P.S. If you're reading this through an RSS feed I hope you'll click through to see all the hard work I've done. And if you're not, well then I hope you'll consider subscribing. :)

The Easy Out- What Do You Eat When You Don't Cook?

I have to say that lately, mustering the strength to cook has been a gargantuan challenge. I have some minor chronic pain issues which can severely zap my energy. Sometimes when I get home it's hard enough to make myself take a shower, let alone get out my pots and pans and start stirring. I know I can't be alone in my occasional lack of energy. So, what crutches do you keep in your kitchen to lean on when these times strike? Lately we rely on a few key prepared items for occasions such as this:

• Amy's Burritos- Super fast, reasonably inexpensive, organic, and vegetarian. Oh, and delicious too.
• Frozen Spinach & Feta Pizza- We buy Archer Farms' brand (a Target label). It has a wheat crust, and again the nice combo of being organic and vegetarian. We picked one up on a whim a couple weeks ago and it was so yummy that I actually scheduled a pizza night this week.
• Morningstar Spicy Black Bean Burgers- These are really good, and heat up in a flash. I don't really do the whole fake meat thing (especially since I'm still a meat eater, just less of one), but these aren't trying to be anything other than what they're called, a spicy black bean patty. We like to have them on toasted wheat bread with some Pepper Jack cheese. I usually add mustard, and a slice of red onion if I've got it. We've also done a mashed avocado spread, and when I'm really desperate for a protein fix I'll add a fried egg.
• Chips & salsa- Seriously, I probably ate chips & salsa 5 out of 7 days last week. So fast, so yummy, and if you watch the type of chips you buy and just how many it is you're eating it can be a relatively healthy meal too.

So, that's what we've been turning to lately in a pinch. Is there anything you make sure to always keep in your pantry, freezer, or refrigerator for those evenings when your energy reserves are empty, but so is your stomach?

No Heat Week Part 4- The Groceries

I actually didn't make the last meal I had on the weekly menu when the A/C was on the fritz. They installed our brand new compressor halfway through that week, and instead of spending an evening cooking I tried to catch up on some of the chores that had fallen to the wayside to be replaced with laying in front of a fan. But for reference, the last meal I had on the plan was Tuna Salad Sandwiches, Potato Chips and a Salad.

In lieu of having a recipe for the last dinner of the No Heat week I thought I would share just what it was I bought at the grocery store that week to help us have plenty to eat without plenty to "cook". So, here's what I put in the shopping cart that week.

• Orange juice
• Organic lemonade
• Izze blackberry soda
• Red leaf lettuce, 1 head
• Romaine lettuce, 1 head
• Red onion
• Carrots
  
• Celery
• Bell Peppers- red, yellow and green
• Cucumbers
• Baby spinach
• Roma tomatoes
• Avocados
  
• Basil
• Lemons
• Apples
• Peaches
• Blackberries
• Red grapes
• Small watermelon
• Bananas
• Whole wheat pitas, 2 packages
• Roasted red pepper hummus
• Marinated olives
• Fresh mozzarella
• Organic salsa
• Organic tortilla chips
• Sea salt & cracked black pepper potato chips
• Jalapeno potato chips
• Strawberry fruit bars
• Coconut fruit bars

And there you go. Lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, and a few ready to eat items helped ensure that we had plenty to eat- without having to create any additional heat with the stove or oven, or relying on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I got up early the morning after grocery shopping to clean and cut all the veggies during the coolest part of the day. I prepped all the lettuce for salad, per usual, and chopped carrots, celery, cucumber, and the bell peppers for adding to salads or snacking as crudites.

Cold, Cold Kitchen

I haven't actually cooked anything this week. I've been far too lazy, and the weather has just been too cold, which spurs on my laziness. Bad Jessica, cause I can't put much in this here blog without cooking something up. I did however spend most of Tuesday night plotting out my menu plan for the next 2 weeks, and making the grocery list for said menu plan. It can be a struggle to put together a plan that is balanced. I strive for half vegetarian meals, and to evenly plan when and what meat we will eat. I am a waster when it comes to fresh ingredients, and I hate to be. I try to plan meals that use some of the same fresh ingredients, without feeling like we're getting too much of a good thing. But I never use the entire bunch of celery, or spinach, or lettuce. I often end up throwing away half a can of beans or chiles, because I need to divide down recipes and then have nothing to do with a half of this, that, or the other. But I'm learning, or trying to learn anyway. I feel really successfull when I can strike a good balance between all these components. Also, we tend to eat a lot of some things. Zucchini is the thing that comes to mind. We eat a lot of zucchini. We will be having zucchini twice in next weeks menu, although in very different recipes. Eggplant may soon become a popular item, as the parmesan bake went over well, and I got a recipe from Everday Foods on PBS this weekend for a lasagna-like eggplant dish. Tonight will probably consist of me making some pasta. That's just about it, pasta. I have the urge to bake something though, and am looking over cookie recipes online right now. Perhaps we'll see an update before I get to the grocery store afterall.