Inspired by a little-known picture book from the pen of Bethany Tudor, this is a diary, of sorts, where I document some of my thoughts, activities, and ideas as I explore the challenges met by the characters in the story: hard work, the care and nurture of others, housekeeping skills, life changes, charity, community, and cooperation, among others. Like Samuel and Samantha, the ducks in the tale, I struggle and succeed, cope and celebrate, work and play, handling the tasks that come my way. I invite you to join me on my journey.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Scoop, Nuke, & Grill

With my husband working past 5:00 PM on most nights, sharing a car, and preparing for the upcoming school year, the dinner schedule at my house is a bit challenging these days, tempting me to forego kitchen chores for the local restaurant. To deal with this time crunch and my addiction to restaurant and convenience food, I started a food experiment this week: scoop, nuke, & grill. The scoop is my crock pot; the nuke is my microwave; and the grill is, well, my George Foreman® countertop grill. The last all-important ingredient: one copy of Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly: Healthy, Low-Fat Recipes for Your Slow Cooker by Phyllis Pellman Good. The idea is to put an entree or side dish in the crock pot, microwave a fresh vegetable, and grill some meat or fish.

So far, the lab rats (aka my family) have responded positively. No one is complaining about the crock pot food being too heavy. No one is grumbling about the food being too dry or overcooked. No one is whining about not eating out for dinner. In short, no one seems to be fussing at all. Not bad for the second day of an amateur gastronomic study.

Meal #1: Hungarian goulash over brown rice
Meal #2: Crab cakes & “stir fry” veggies

1 comment:

batgirl said...

Go Michelle! As long as you have electricity, you'll be okay. Summer has drained any of my cooking enthusiasm. Lots of Annie's mac and cheese, Spaghettios, hot dogs...