Real Simple

November 11, 2012

I always said that I didn't have time to cook. Neil thinks that all things food-related are a colossal waste of time, so there were no expectations or complaints from him. When Dorothy was still at home we shared cooking duties, but we spent very little time in the kitchen. That isn't to say that we didn't eat healthy meals. We ate the kind of meals that one would prepare if one was in a hurry or didn't want to spend much time in the kitchen, such as pasta, red sauce, broccoli, and a glass of skimmed milk. (In fact, this was what I ate every night as a college student in my apartment.) Or, baked potato, melted cheese, and microwaved broccoli. Pan-fried boneless, skinless chicken breasts, carrots, peppers, and a jar of sweet and sour sauce. Grilled cheese with cut apple pieces. See? Healthy, but easy. I always maintained that I could cook and when we had company, I usually did cook, but it was not a priority for me or my family.

A couple of years ago, someone gave me a subscription to Better Homes & Gardens. I was not particularly interested. I tend to dislike anything that is marketed for women: shopping, beauty products, spas, beauty parlors...well, you get the point. I perceived Better Homes & Gardens to fall into this category. Neil, however, fell in love with the tips about the yard, flowers, trees, etc. I flipped through the magazines and the "Meals in Minutes" (or something to the equivalent) caught my eye. They actually looked quite simple and really very delicious. I read some of the recipes to Neil and he said that they sounded wonderful, but complicated. OK. No takers yet.

Then I received a gift subscription to Real Simple. I was convinced that a magazine less consistent with my interests could not be found. But, as I age, not only do my hairs get white, but I learn that I am right much less often than I initially thought. It's true that most of the magazine does not interest me much -- except the part called Simple Food, Easy Recipes. The recipes truly looked easy and convinced me that they could be made in the 20-30 minutes as advertised. I figured that I would spend that much time making "the usual." Heck - why not spend about the same amount of time and have a better product? I did and the results were very rewarding. I've been cooking up a storm ever since, using simple, brief recipes. It also helps that I have a local friend who started a flavored butter business about the same time that my interest in cooking was sparked. Between Seacoast Butters and Real Simple, I have been on a tear. Neil is amazed and every time I find a new recipe, he declares, "This is the best meal that you have ever made!" They say that food is the way to a man's heart. I don't think that we need help there, but it's always good to have reinforcement! Here are pictures of some of my most recent creations.