Hello there, food-lovers!

I'm Amanda Cook and I like to cook.  And bake.  And eat.  (Mostly that last one.)

I get most of my recipes on the internet from various cooking and baking blogs, which most of the time is a great idea.  Sometimes, however, it is not.  I'm here to test these recipes and then tell you if they are delicious or if you should just keep on browsing.

I have found some really great recipes online and I would love to share them with the world.  I thought about just making up a Google Doc with links to all the recipes I've tried, but then I decided blogging might be a better vehicle for this since it will allow me to post my thoughts and make changes to the recipes if I decide to.  There is also one thing cooking blogs never tell you, that I will be sure to let you know: how the food tastes when it has been reheated.  See, at my house I have devised a system that means I only cook dinner twice a week.  Easy to do since there's only two of us.  Here's my system: I cook on Monday, then it's Pizza Tuesdays (Papa Johns has $5 large 1-topping pizzas on Tuesdays here), leftovers on Wednesday and Thursday, I cook Friday, then we eat leftovers and/or go out on the weekends.  If we run out of leftovers or dinner just ends up not working out, I usually make breakfast for dinner since it's quick and easy to whip up pancakes/waffles/eggs/toast/bacon etc.  I also sit down and plan our dinners out for the entire month, and try really hard to only go grocery shopping every two weeks.  This means I spend less money on impulse buys, which are almost always something I shouldn't be eating anyway.


How do you decide what's for dinner?

Now, I will say that our dinners are not always the healthiest (see: Pizza Tuesdays), but since I am a pretty picky eater and my husband and I have a difficult time agreeing on vegetables, it's difficult to do.  So we just try to limit our portions and get a lot of exercise (like swing dancing).

This week's meals are:
Monday 8/15:  Cheesy Peas & Pasta (from Pinch of Yum) and Carrot Stick "Fries" (from Sweet Treats and more)
Friday 8/19: Parmesan Crumb Chicken (from Simply Delicious) and Cauliflower "Popcorn" (from Mel's Kitchen Cafe)

I will also be making Mini Spinach Dip Bread Bowls (from My Strawberry Heart) and a Raspberry and Chocolate Cake (recipe not found on the internet, for once) for my lovely friend's birthday party this Saturday.

Now off to the kitchen!