The Family Cook

I just finished watching the film Julie and Julia which made cooking look like so much fun and so easy that it made me want to dive back into the kitchen after having just put my feet up on the coffee table to rest for a while. It made me want to whip up a beautiful stuffed chicken for my children who have just gone off to bed and left me some room to breathe.

I know that many women out there enjoy cooking and find a sense of satisfaction from it which  is probably because they are so good at it. I know my grandmother and mother have had their cooking sworn by... and they say the apple does not fall far from the tree... but that is debatable. I admit, I love cooking when I have a big bright kitchen, lots of help and above all the time and creativity.

Being a working mom simply makes the job of cooking healthy hearty meals for the family such a drag. I usually come back from work and delve into the task of peeling, chopping, frying, boiling, and...and...and...before the cooking process actually begins, when I would much rather spend that time playing with the kids or out on the porch watching them play. To be totally honest, I actually do not mind all the above tasks before cooking but it is deciding WHAT to cook that drives me bananas.... something easy to cook... I do not think that cooking stuffed chicken or lobster is a reasonable dish to cook for a family in 30-45 minutes. 

I tried asking my husband for suggestions on what to cook the next day and all I got was, "Whatever comes to your mind!" or "Anything!"... which means he is just as stuck for ideas as I am.  So what did I do? I started turning to the internet... trying to find recipes for easy quick dishes. And since I am a visual person who needs pictures to stimulate her brain and keep her focused, I quickly lost interest in the words. I need pictures... how to pictures... or videos... now I understand why those cooking shows are so popular and in demand.

A few years ago, I found help on an unusual site... a comic strip website. Yeah, I know... it sounds weird doesn't? Now I must confess that it does not ALWAYS suit my needs as I might not have the ingredients at that time but I could go back years and years searching for the right comic strip with the right ingredients and the right amount of time.

So now I will reveal this fun site... and hope that you enjoy searching through it to find the right recipe for you and your family... 

http://comics.com/cheap_thrills/

Enjoy!