My Personal Rules in Cooking

As I sit there at 4 am prepping crepe batter for my family (both regular and GF) I was thinking about the rules I have created for myself when cooking.

1. Always clean up as you go. I find it so much easier to cook these days when I take the time to tidy up my area as I cook. Also this kills the dreaded fear of having all those dishes to do when I am done cooking.

2. Try new recipes each week. During a busy or low energy week I will often repeat a few family favorites such as Ginger Chicken or Dijon Chicken, however I try to push outside of those boundaries and make something new each of the weeknights that I cook. I find that this challenges not only my own palette, but also lets me see how far I can push my husband's as well.

3. Leftovers are only edible for three days. I am not really sure why I set this limit on my food. Perhaps it is because after three days if you haven't eaten it, more than likely you won't bother at all. I love left overs, but really only the next day. Thankfully now that my husband has a less cushy and snack stocked job, leftovers are often going with him for lunch.

4. Rachel Ray had the right idea with that garbage bowl. On the Rachel Ray show she uses a bowl off to the side to throw waste in. Now I believe on her show she only puts food waste in it, as I think it is an effort to compost, but I generally chuck everything in there while I cook. Then at the end I toss it out. I definitely like the idea of touching the garbage can as little as possible while cooking.

5. Always wash hands/knives/cutting boards immediately after touching raw chicken, eggs, pork, and other meats/seafood. I am not a fan of salmonella, plus it's just gross. This idea really got ingrained in me when I started watching Food Network. I saw many contestants on Chopped and other shows who would cross-contaminate their food and then the judges would refuse to even try it. 

6. Plan out the week ahead of time. As many of you have noticed I plan my weeks each Sunday by posting my meal list on Facebook. This gives me a sort of cross check and responsibility to cook what I talk about. I also try to do my shopping on the same day so I have everything ready to go for the week. 

7. Teach. Even though Emma is still to small to wield a whisk, or saute an onion, I still tell her what we are doing. I am excited for the days when she can help in the kitchen, but not too anxious for her to get that big. :)

Thanks for reading,

Tait