My First Cookbook

Monday was a low point for Cold #3.  I could’ve sworn I was feeling better on Sunday, only to spend an hour straight coughing like there was no tomorrow once I got into bed.  I got out of bed on Monday morning long enough to brush my teeth then returned to bed, saying “I just can’t.”  I ended up going to the doctor later on — and she prescribed me some codeinerrific cough medicine that isn’t doing a thing! —  and then spent the rest of the day in bed with a book.

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A cookbook to be more precise.  It all started the other night when Joey and I were cooking with Herbs de Provence and I reminded him that that exact jar had been our first dry herb purchase, probably, oh 5 years ago.  My mom had just given me this Rachael Ray cookbook.  Joey and I picked a recipe a week.  It was our very first foray into cooking.

Five years ago, I remember thinking each and every one of these recipes seemed to have an ingredient list a mile long, containing things I’d never heard of — I probably called my mom every time I went to the grocery store…I only call every other time nowadays 😛 — and that all seemed “too expensive!” for my college student working 15-hours-a-week budget.  So we spent “a lot of money,” burnt numerous pans and took far longer than 30 minutes on every meal, and that cookbook has been gathering dust on our shelf ever since.

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After coming across that jar of Herbs de Provence, I thought it would be fun to give it another look-through.  You know, just to see if it looked as confusing and ingredient-heavy as it did 5 years ago.  Guess what?  It didn’t.  Shocker.  Turns out, 5 years later, our pantry has grown, and {I’d like to think} our culinary knowledge has grown too.  I spent most of the afternoon drooling bookmarking recipe after recipe, remembering only the fun times we had cooking from this book and feeling really inspired to give Rachael another chance.

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Maybe we should try cooking every single recipe for the entire year!  Then I could write a blog about it!  And then it could get turned into a movie, starring Amy Adams!  Now why does that sound so familiar?

May Photo-a-Day

I realize we are now 5 days into June, making this post a little late, but I wanted to share my collection of May Photo-a-Day pictures with you all.  Also, please remind me not to commit to these challenges anymore, as I kept forgetting to put my picture up and half of these never even made it onto Instagram.  Oops!  All forgetfulness aside, May was a fantastic month and I’m ready to start June on a happy note.

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“I bought this!”  New hot pink running shoes.  I’m very loyal to my Brooks.

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“Morning ritual” I think I have my dad to thank for my tea drinking obsession.  Although I think he drinks about 5x as much as I do per day.  I’ve been in love with this lemon ginger tea for years.

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“This is really good!”  If I have to be home sick on a Friday night, at least I can watch the Rockies game from bed.

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“In my cup”  An iced latte at the Wooden Spoon, possibly the cutest little breakfast place I’ve ever been to.

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“Paper”  Program and ticket to Mary Poppins at the Buell Theater in Denver as part of Joey’s mom’s birthday celebration.  Thank you, Lori!!

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“Broken”  There’s nothing like asparagus season.

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“Something beginning with F”  My feet, kicking back after a day at work.  My fashion sense can’t be replicated.

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“Shape”  Not sure if I was referring to the shape of these donuts or what they might do to your shape if you eat too many…

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“Snack”  Cough drops: the snack of the sick.

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“Stars”  I love this album of Ellie Goulding’s.  We’re actually seeing her in concert (with Bruno Mars!!) later this summer and I could not be more excited.

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“A smile”  Okay, is anyone else laughing at the disinterested look on Hunni’s face?

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“Mother”  My own mother, my sister and I on Mother’s Day.

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“Sunset”  Larimer Street on a warm Monday night in Denver.  Joey and I spent a lovely anniversary dining al fresco at Rioja.  I was in my happy place.

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“Need”  Believe me when I say this pre-Vegas pedicure was much needed.  I wish I remembered the name of that color because I love it!

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“7 O’Clock”  Just finishing up at the gym.

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“Mailbox”  I’ll consider myself a real adult when I check my mail and actually have stuff in there.  For now, it’s basically Cooking Light and our city newspaper, which is about 5 pages long.

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“Season”  Nothing says spring like blossoms on the trees.  Or in Colorado’s case, nothing says spring like freak snowstorms one day and blossoms on the trees the next.

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“Want”  I really wish I could remember the exact description of this burger on the menu.  I just know that it was delicious, especially alongside a beer and 3 sides of fries 😛

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“My favorite view”  Nuff said.

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“Light”  That would be a psychedelic image of Jim Morrison during the light show down on Fremont Street in Las Vegas.  He was only 27 when he died — tragic!

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“I care about this”  Or more like “I care about these.”  I came across this picture of my parents on my sister’s phone.  She took it in front of our hotel in Vegas and I find it hysterical.  I wish I had seen my mom doing this in person!

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“Change”  Confession: Joey always leaves change on our kitchen counter and I always snag it and add it to my change collection.  Which I keep in a little cupcake-shaped container I painted when I was about 10.  And Joey may or may not be reading this over my shoulder right now, so I guess the secret’s out.

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“PJs”  I no longer know the difference between my pajamas and my work-out clothes.  But pairing it with slippers automatically makes it pajamas, right?

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“Go”  Green light on a cloudy morning drive to work.

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“Us”  Joey and I at the Boulder Farmer’s Market on a very busy Saturday morning.  All busy-ness aside, the weather was beautiful and the pupusas were delicious.

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“Fave thing to do on Sunday”  There’s nothing better than a lazy Sunday morning with a cup of tea, a delicious breakfast and some Food Network going on in the background.  True Story: I love watching “Sandwich King” on Sunday mornings.  Jeff Mauro is so fun — I bet the camera crew has a blast filming him and how adorable is his son Lorenzo??

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“Can’t live without”  Uh no, not referring to that Michelob Ultra — blech!  Referring to my two Bolder Boulder companions.  I look forward to hanging out with these two at Folsom Field every Memorial Day.

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“What you’re doing now”  Snacking on some Nut Thins and hummus.  I forgot how much I love these crackers until I saw them on sale and grabbed two boxes last week.

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“Kiss”  Doesn’t he look like he’s enjoying my affection?

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“Tool”  Work tools.  For the record, those highlighters stood up like that all on their own.

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“Four things”  Four perfectly crispy sweet potato fries at Friday night’s dinner at Park Burger.  Does anyone else remember not even knowing what sweet potato fries were?  They’re everywhere now!

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What were the highlights of your May?

What is your favorite thing to do on Sunday?

Sweet potato or regular fries?