I'm a "cooking from basics" kind of person. My soups are always made from scratch, so thick you'll never need a cracker to add substance. I soak dried beans overnight for my bean dishes. Cut and chop veggies and throw in spices to whatever I'm making. Instant mashed potatoes? Not for my husband!!! We eat very little from a box. I mean, have you read the ingredients? There's just something about putting stuff with chemical sounding names I can't pronounce into my stomach that makes me a little queasy.
I'm certainly no gourmet cook. I learned the craft at a young age, growing up on the farm back in...well...back before women wore jeans out of the house. Yeah, I'm that old.
Cooking is like therapy for me. Give me my trusty chopping block, my favorite knife and fresh vegies and, as I chop, I find myself relaxing. And thinking...and plotting...and remembering where I need to insert a snippet of conversation to make things flow better.
But my days are filled with writing, so I don't always have the time to cook. I don't know how it happens, but my "writerly" flow seems at its best around five o'clock, just when I should stop to start supper. Or my heroine's in danger...or my hero's in a foul mood...or I've led them to the bedroom door and things are cookin' that have nothing to do with dinner. And, boy, do I hate to stop then!!!!
Because I love to cook and have little time, I'm working on shortcuts, like crockpot cooking and other time-saving tips. Things I'll be sharing with you from time-to-time in the "From My Kitchen" page of my blog. (*** Note the tabs at the top of my blog) Today, for example, I've got the recipe for my Calico Chili. Make it as spicy or as mild as your tummy allows. After all, we're all delightfully different.
