To Blog or not to blog...that is the question!

Well, my husband (and a few others) make fun of me for having a blog. Hence my blogging silence in a while! However, today I have decided that I don't care what people think...this blog is really for me! Since I couldn't find a cooking class to take and learn through a teacher, I find that this blog encourages me to learn, encourages me to cook and motivates me to push myself and try!

What's weird about the whole "bad cooking" thing is the fact that once upon a time I was a pretty good cook. However, for the longest time I stopped cooking and therefor my cooking confidence and skills have depreciated. I guess it's true...practice does make perfect!

So, a few quick/easy fix meals that I have made recently are some of my favorites for those nights that you just don't feel like cooking because of a long day or whatever.

1. Hawaiian Marinated Chicken with Coconut Rice

• We use the Lowry's Hawaiian marinade --> You'll usually find this in the salad dressing aisle at grocery stores. This stuff is great! When using this marinade, we've found that using chicken thighs is best as it holds the flavor much better! You just throw in some marinade with the chicken thighs for 30 minutes (minimum) and then toss the chicken on the bbq!
• Coconut Rice --> With this you make the rice in a rice cooker per usual, however instead of filling it completely with water, you use about 1 - 2 cans of coconut mlk (depending on how much rice you're trying to make) and then fill to the required marker based on your rice cooker instructions with water.

2. Classic Betty Crocker Meatloaf

• Yeah I just follow the recipe in my handy dandy cook book on this one! This last time that I made it I used BBQ sauce on top instead of ketchup and actually like that a lot better! So, I will probably make it that way in the future. I also added some garlic powder, which the recipe does not call for. I made some yummy smashed potatoes and actually microwaved up some of those frozen veggies that are in the cheese sauce. I know I could have made these myself...but yeah it's so much easier this way!

I'm also VERY excited! My wonderful husband got us a flat screen LCD TV for the kitchen and installed it on Friday! Now I have set the DVR to record a few tv shows and I can now watch them in the kitchen while I cook! So, I will get to see and then do now...and I am very excited about this! Right now I'm watching Iron Chef America, and they are cooking everything with Mexican Chocolate! Oh my this looks REALLY good! I actually would absolutely love to get my hands on the recipe for the Arepa De Puerco!

Anyways, that's the latest! This week I am really wanting to make korean bbq short ribs and steamed white rice. This is another item that we make fairly often, but we haven't in a while and I'm really wanting some! This is one of those that Jarrod really makes because of the fact it should only marinate for a certain number of hours and since he is home during the day he gets to put it together and then I come home and throw it on the grill! It's a good team effort for some yummy food!