YUM

For some reason, food is on my mind.  Could it be that my favorite family owned lunch cafe closed its doors for good.  After 11 years in business, I probably ate there twice a week for the past eight years.  Of late, my lunch consisted of a simple salad with provolone cheese, homemade croutons and balsamic vinegar dressing & their soup of the day.  Not one of their soups ever dissapointed me ~ I most certainly had a couple of favorites. 

I would not describe myself as a "foodie".  I always thought of a foodie as someone who actually likes to cook.  But when I searched Wikipedia for a definition I was quite surprised.  I learned that a foodie is basically someone who likes to eat food, prepare food, learn about food and is an amateur food person (and I don't think it has to be collective).  So I love to eat but most certainly don't love to cook.  I dislike that cooking can be an all day event ~ the shopping, the preparing, the cooking, the eating, the cleaning up.  Yikes.  During the time I actually spend at home, this process just doesn't seem to be my priority.  But did I mention that I love food?  Does this make me a foodie?

At work today, a friend and I were talking about treats for this coming weekend.  She mentioned that her daughter tested a homemade caramel dip with peanuts.  Yum!  She thought the ingredients may have been mismeasured, just didn't taste quite right.  So my natural inquiry was why don't you just buy the caramel dip.  There are alot of great brands on the shelf, prepared and ready to go.  All you have to do is add the peanuts.  That is without a doubt what I would do.  Some things are just better bought already prepared and ready to serve (ok, so maybe a lot of things in my culinary world).  So my friend just looked at me ~ she wasn't convinced.  Props to her and her daughter.  Maybe they will save some and give me a taste.

So I've determined that part of my kid's story is that they will miss out on fine dining within the walls of our house (sad but true).  They know frozen pancakes instead of homemade pancakes,  they know frozen chicken fingers and boxed mashed potatoes.  Once in awhile I surprise everyone ~ I either whip out the cookbook or the box of pancake mix.  Take a look sister ... are you impressed?  THIS was created in MY kitchen: 

Tracy