Cooking from Pinterest

Now that I have more time (having completed graduate school) I have been indulging myself in trying new recipes for my husband and me.  We are both on Weight Watchers so many of these have been ones that come with "Points Plus" tags so we can continue on our weight loss journey.

Yet sometimes a recipe and its photos look so appetizing that I just have to try it and see if I can replicate it.  Don't you just love recipes with photos.  I especially like the ones with step by step photos so I can see if I am following the recipe correctly.  There is nothing worse than trying to replicate a recipe and you do not know what it is supposed to look like when you are completed.

Yesterday, being Mother's Day, I went into a cooking frenzy.   There were two reasons for this.  First Mother's Day is one of the days where I miss my mother the most.  I guess being surrounded by all the social media explosion of friends and their tributes to their mothers just brings it home to me that my mother is no longer with us.  I asked God to give her a celestial hug from me just so she knows that I am thinking about her.  So I cook to help myself focus on things other than my own troubles.  Also, cooking relaxes me, especially on a Sunday when I am not rushed to get anything done by dinner.

So yesterday I tried something new, Buttermilk Bread.  First of all I am not a baker.  I tend to have problems with yeast (too hot and I kill it, too cold and it does not activate) but this recipe calls for the yeast to be included with the dry ingredients.  I followed the directions carefully (baking is chemistry not cooking)  and was a little worried when the bread did not rise really well on the first rise.  Yet I persevered and it turned out perfectly!   Not exactly a no points treat but it was still pretty great.

I love trying new recipes and have developed many that have become standard fare at my house.  The Chicken Fried Rice with Crock Pot Teryaki Chicken that I make is a huge hit with people, as well as the Skinny Taco Dip.  (Not served together of course!)  One of the next goals for me is to compile them all into a recipe book (yes there is software for that also).  That might be a summer project that I complete between semesters.

I love cruising through Pinterest and finding new recipes or something I have not thought of trying.  This will continue to be a source of fun, relaxation and eating enjoyment for my husband and family.