How Do You Say… Cook?

This week is a little bit crazy. In fact, the past few weeks have been a little bit crazy. What I’m trying to say is, my life has gone from having days where I didn’t know what to do, to having very little free time (in which I can’t decide what to do because there are so many things left to do).

I know what you’re thinking. “Welcome to my life.” And yes, you’re absolutely right. I guess I’m just not used to having a packed schedule, and I’m doing my best to adapt. I’m happy, exciting new things are happening every day, and I truly have nothing to complain about.

Well, my kitchen could use some love. I hear my utensils cry a sad little moan every once in a while, and the oven has been a little empty. As has a little space in my heart. Eating out is fun, and it’s crazy convenient, but it definitely gets old. I mean we haven’t been eating out for every meal, but I don’t think anyone’s real excited about fish sticks and corn tonight either.

So I cook. I write things in my planner daily and I have to get out of bed earlier if I want to start my days off right. Big deal. Let’s do this. Bring it on. (I could keep going but I think you get the picture).

This Thursday is our anniversary (4 years! I feel ‘legit’ now)… and we also have some friends in from out of town, and we also get to see good friends who are expecting and…the list goes on. So I have (realistically) only about 3 meals to plan. But dammit, those 3 meals are going to be spectacular.

I’ve recently found myself scrolling through pages and pages of the adorable, witty, and drool-worthy blog, How Sweet It Is, and it served as my inspiration for meals this week. I’ve only gone a few pages deep but I think I’ve already found the recipes I want to make this week. This week will be different than my “Cooking with Alli” posts in the past. I’ll just go ahead and post the recipes and the grocery list, and I’ll post my “review” and pictures as I make them. I figure you’ll either cook with me or you won’t, but maybe, just maybe there’s some of you out there who are like me and don’t have your week’s meals planned, so you’ll see my post and make a pit stop at the store and cook with me. These meals after all, might just change your plans.

Hot Blueberry Cheddar Dip with Toasted Bread (shut up, this looks so good!)

Southwest Chicken Salad Slider Melts (makes a lot, but who doesn’t like leftovers?)

Bacon, Egg, and Asparagus Personal Pizzas (Love me an egg on pizza. And bacon? I’M IN.)

Here’s the grocery list: Just click here to print!

I can’t wait to cook this week. I’m excited to make time. I don’t know just what nights it will be yet, but these meals are going to be delicious. If you have time to cook with me, print out the grocery list, whip it up, and send me your pics and I will post them! If not, drool over these recipes, enjoy How Sweet It Is, and have a great (busy) week.

Let the Cooking Begin…next week.

Sorry guys, ice cream is not on the grocery list…

First off I want to say thank you to all of you who went and filled out the survey and told me what you wanted to cook. I can’t thank you enough. It really excites me that you are out there and want to cook with me!

As for the results of the survey, most of you seem pretty easy to please. Only a few of you have particular diet restrictions (tisk, tisk), and over-all it looks like we will be cooking 3 meals just for 2 people. This, we can do.

So to keep things a little mysterious (who doesn’t like a little mystery?) I thought I would give you a grocery list, without telling you exactly what we’ll be cooking. Sound good? I think you will find that you will have a lot of the listed ingredients already in your kitchen, and the rest of the items are pretty basic and affordable. The idea is that the meals will be easy and can be made in a short amount of time, yet are perhaps new or different versions of things you’ve had before.

You can find the grocery list here, and let’s aim to cook next Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. So as long as you get your groceries before Monday night, we will be all set!

I’ll let you know what we are cooking the night before, so you can prepare yourselves, and then the full recipes the morning of. You can thank me later. 

Cooking With You (Part Two)

Do you remember that time I posted a full grocery list and a week’s worth of “impressive” meals? If you don’t remember that post, read up, and if you do, shame on you for remembering but not cooking along.

But seriously, I understand if you didn’t. I realize the meals may have been a bit ambitious, or labor intensive. Perhaps they just didn’t sound good. But because so many of you showed interest in the idea, I set up this simple, six question survey for you. If you answer these basic questions, we can get cooking!