Cook It Yourself

I love to go out to eat. Lately, funds have been tight and about once a week is all we have managed to spare. That means I have been cooking many things at home. In doing this I have discovered that there are some things that are just better made at home. It has actually been fun to be able to say to myself, "I don't want that any other way than the way I make that!" Here is my list of

8 Foods I Make Best At Home
1) Brownies- I have tried Fat Witch and I just like mine better. I can't put my finger on it. Maybe because its just what I am used to.

2) Lemonade- the recipe that I have for lemonade is from my mother's 1965 Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. There are some weird recipes in there like hot dog casserole but the lemonade recipe is a gem. My brownie recipe comes from here too.

3) Ham, egg & cheese on a bagel- I think mine is better than the deli cause it is a lot less greasy. I also know that mine is made on a clean surface. I also toast my bagel before I make the sandwich thereby making it infinitely better.

4) Chicken Soup- canned soup is kind of scary. There is a ton of salt in it and the veggies are always mushy beyond belief. I don't really have a recipe for this. I just watch my former boss's wife make it a few times. The key is fresh parsley and dill thrown in right at the end.

5) Guacamole- so I can't really claim to make THE BEST guac. That is reserved for Gabriel's restaurant in Santa Fe NM. They make it table side so I learned how to do it from just watching the waiters. I still haven't tried anything that tastes the same. Even Dos Caminos guac isn't quite as good.

6) Fried Chicken- once I mastered making this, I just had no desire to eat this anywhere but home.

7) Tomato Pie- this isn't really something you see on menus out. So this is kind of a one off. This just tastes like summer and I will be making is ASAP.

8) Spaghetti, Meatballs & Sausage- my mom learned how to cook red sauce from her Polish friend who was marrying an Italian boy. One day the women of the Italian boy's family dragged her into the kitchen and showed her how to cook the family recipes. She showed my mom how to make the sauce cause my dad loves Italian-American food. My mom in turn showed me and I am so glad! With meatballs and sweet Italian sausage, this has become a great Sunday supper.