My Rules

There aren't any!

My recpies are more general ideas than perfectly measured amounts, so have fun! Throw in handfulls, get flour all over you, lick the beaters (turn them off first!). Life is messy, good cooking should be, too.

I do, however, have a few guidelines when I cook. more specifically, when I shop. I am a firm believer that the more we can do things ourselves, the more we should. That means buying my cooking supplies as close to as God made them as I can. The fewer ingredients, the closer to home, the least amount of chemicals, the fresher, the better. Now, don't get me wrong - I am all about quick, convenient and inexpensive when I need to be. But I like to feed my family the best quality food that I can, when I can.

Here's what I try to stick to:

1. Single ingredient purchases. I try to make basic sauces, spice mixes, etc. myself as much as I can. That way, I know exactly what's in them. It's also usually cheaper to make these things (like tomato sauce) in bulk and store them or freeze them. You will find some of these recipes here.

2. Local purchasing. The less something has to travel, the fresher it is and the less that has to be done to it to preserve it for the trip. Also, no trucking and less packaging often means lower prices and is better for the environment. Plus, I like the idea of my friends and neighbors getting my money over some faceless corporation I don't know if I can trust. (I have issues).

3. Organic, hormone-free, non-genetically modified, fed-what-they're-supposed-to-eat, etc. ad nauseum. Eating a bug is a lot less damaging for my kids than Organochlorine hydrocarbons. I TRY to purchase at least the "dirty dozen" list clean, more if I can, but I am the slave to a budget like most of us. So the rule is "do the best you can". Well washed non-organic broccoli is better for kids than no broccoli.

4. Speaking of broccoli, the good news is - it's easy to grow! Guideline #4 is "Grow a Garden." Whatever space you have, use it to cut your grocery bill and give you further control over what you feed your family. Growing thier own food is a GREAT experience for kids, and they are more likely to eat what they grow than if it came out of a can. Even what you grow in a window box can make a difference - imagine what you could do if you replaced your lawn with FOOD!