04 February 2009

cooking up a storm!

so, remember that cookbook i nagged you about, and begged you to contribute to, and then harassed you to print out...etc.?

remember?
well, i dont know if it has been treating you as well as it has been treating us- but man all that effort was worth it on my end. i have been having fun browsing through it and knowing that all these people i know and love have made all these things.

my sister-in-law jenny told me that one of her new years resolutions might be to make everything in the tried and true recipe book and i liked that idea. i decided to try it, but i have been kind of going about it randomly- like whatever strikes my fancy that night or usually whatever i actually have ingredients for that night. the last two times i have gone grocery shopping i have stopped to look through the cookbook before and written down stuff i need for at least two new recipes i havent tried yet.

ok, needless to reiterate, i am having fun.

here's the stuff i have made so far and me and my little family have loved them all!

logan hazard's grilled vegetables (i made it on the stove and note to self, a grill is always better)
melissa p's apples are such a crowd pleaser (true)and melissa's delicious dish (it's so good-cheesy, easy bread)
meg thomander's bbq chicken pizza with pizza crust of course (who knew? homemade pizza isnt impossible to make. why did i always think that?)
ashley moffat's honey mustard chicken (this will be in our regular rotation, quick, tasty and it has CURRY!)
molly tanuvasa's german pancakes (growing up thomas' family called this "egg ocean" so fun to see it puff up in the oven and so so good)
suzanne bjork's cheesy potato pie (think quiche-like and think really freakishly good, another to add to our regular rotation)
bille gniewosz's cafe rio pork (it's frankly as awesome as it sounds and although it's a slow cooker meal it takes very little prep on your end and DO NOT Skip out on the creamy tomatillo dressing- it's a delicious MUST)
lizzie heiselt's the best pancakes (this just might be a true claim, oh my gosh they're good) and mom heiselt's lasagna (i am so glad she submitted this! we had it at their house and i have dreamed of it ever since- there's like some sausage in it and other flavors you wouldnt normally expect and we had friends over to share with when we made it this time and we were all going back for more and more... totally worth the effort)
echo allred's very good pizza (very good, very easy, and makes a ton) and peanut butter cornflake no-bakes (easy as well and everyone in the family loves them! i had some corn chex that were getting old and needed to be used and they were the perfect substitute for cornflakes)
brittany greene's thai chicken stir fry (i always thought this would be more complicated to make when i had it at her house because it tastes like something you would order at a restaurant but it is totally doable- dont forget the cilantro and peanuts on top- incomplete without them)
betty hawkins' cheesy chicken (always a classy favorite for sundays or whenever you need something that looks nice and tastes great but isnt time consuming to make)
diana palmer's glorified quesadillas (bomb-diggity and diana takes first prize for her recipe writing skillz)
matti parker's chicken noodle soup and raspberry ribbon pie (the soup is perfect for days when you need some home cookin' and the pie is comparable to olive garden's cheesecake that i love so much- if you added some white chocolate shavings it would be the same exact taste and texture)
shauna white's norwegian (rolled up) pancakes (aka- french crepes i believe. i was proud of my technique! this is also not as hard to do as i had made it out to be- sometimes you have to just face your cooking fears- it's never as hard as i tell myself it is)
morgan mecomber's (she doesnt have a blog that i am aware of) one big bag chocolate chip cookies (we took these to preschool and they were gone in 5 seconds flat and the ones we left at home for our family to eat were gone shortly after!)
liko miller's (key) lime pie (thomas' favorite and it is so delicious!!! and yes, another thing i assumed would be complicated but was very very simple)
julie frederiksen's peach cobbler (my first cobbler and so good we practically licked the pan and so quick and easy too!)


and that's it! it's been a tasty, busy month a half or so.... have we gained a hundred pounds from all this cooking? maybe, but i'm 5 months pregnant so it's not a good time to measure such things. ;) actually, when you get right down to it- home cooking and meal planning is always the cheaper and healthier and often times tastier option so thanks everyone! nothing has been too complicated or expensive to make and that is just what we need these days.

i'm off to cook some more! i'll post the next big list in about a month or two. yum.

if you are one of the few people who dont have a copy of this yet and want one- let me know you want it and i'll email you the pdf. this book is too good to not share thanks to all the people i mentioned and many other contributors.

and for the rest of you- have you made something out of the book that you liked? i'm dying to know.

15 comments:

meg fee said...

ohhhh i'd love to get this cookbook from you as I venture into the world of the kitchen!

Emily said...

Are you kidding me??? I've got that book memorized! Seriously, I've been going cover to cover and almost everything we've tried now has "FAMILY FAV!" scribbled beneath it! I can't thank you enough, steph! 2009 is going to be YUMMY!

p.s. Natalie's contributions are my favorite so far!

Christina said...

Ok I want this cookbook now! Anyway to work it out so I can get a copy up here in the great white north? sydneyv at yahoo dot com

J and Christy Brown family said...

so is it okay to request one now? I hope I am not too late. christybrown520@gmail.com to exchange that I would give you some of favorite recipes.

laurel said...

man I'm getting hungry.

ashley said...

i made the most disgusting dinner tonight.

it was not from the cook book, thanks heavens.

. said...

I used 2 recipes in one night the other day, and I was thankful to have that handy book.

Alicia said...

I have made quite a few of the recipes and have been pleased with each one. I also go through it cover to cover before grocery shopping to make sure I have ingredients. I can't wait to try even more.
One of my favs is the Thai Pork and noodles made with Ramen. I was a little hesitant at first, but even my very picky 2 yr old devoured it. I substituted chicken and it was still delightful.

liko said...

i love mine, as i've said before. you are difinitely ahead in trying the various recipes, though. i have tried tons of the desserts, i am making it a goal to try the main dishes. so far, everything i have made has been fantastic!

melissa said...

you've made so many - awesome! - but i think the most important thing we can all glean from your comments today (what the teacher mode?) is that cooking is easy!

seriously the day i learned that making homemade pizza crust is easier and better my life changed. and same with brownies.

thanks again for the book!

Hailey, Brandon & Connor said...

I want one but missed the cut off! my email is war02009@gmail.com.. I need some new recipes BAD!

Nate and Julie said...

You have inspired me to go home and try something from the book this weekend. I can't wait!

Stephanie said...

christina, christy and hailey- i emailed it to you this morning- let me know if you didnt get it and i'll re-try and meg i just need your email address! yeah! happy cooking everyone.

Carrie said...

Ah! I'm loving it! The family went crazy for Star's breadsticks, and the apple pie you submitted singlehandedly converted me to pies. I kid you not. I've not made a fruit pie since I got married because I thought I didn't like them. Thanks again!

Ashley said...

I made Melissa's "Ground Turkey & Roasted Red Pepper Meatloaf" last week and it was so, so delicious. Such a fresh, yummy flavor.