mom,  recipes

Cooking as a Hobby

February 3, 2021 /

Do you enjoy spending time in the kitchen? For me, it comes and goes. Sometimes, I wish I didn’t have to cook while other times, I get in a cooking mode and try new recipes several times in the same week. So one night you may see us eat hot dogs, box mac and cheese and steamed broccoli while another night may look like the pictures below: quiche, tomato soup and Boston Butt! I always have had a love/hate relationship with baking too so I choose recipes that are simple and quick. I enjoy cooking more when nobody is in the kitchen aka everyone is entertained somewhere else and when the recipes are easy. Recently, I bought a cookbook holder which for some reason makes cooking even more fun for me: I love it keeping my pretty cookbooks open while I look at a recipe.

I like marking the recipes I may be interested in with a post-it note and as you can tell, right now I am on a Magnolia Table cookbook kick. I have both of her books (as well as her new home Homebody book) and the recipes really are not difficult. Most are really quick too.

I recently made the tomato and basil soup as well as the spinach and mushroom quiche. One thing I will not make from scratch is pie crust so store bought refrigerated crust is what I use. I need a shortcut somewhere! The 2 youngest did not want to try either of these but they sure love daddy’s Boston Butt on the Traeger!

A small butt like this barely leaves us with leftovers, it was delicious and it was hubby’s own recipe.

We also have been baking Joanna Gaines’ banana bread and chocolate chip cookies: I fell off the wagon of my low sugar plan this weekend!

We also had the raspberry chipotle pork tenderloin this weekend and the sweet corn cornbread! Oh and the aunt Becky’s mac and cheese recipe was loved by everyone a week ago so I am making it again this weekend for our family get together for my son’s birthday! If you like to cook, I definitely recommend these cookbooks! I love the stories with the recipes, you learn a little more about the Gaines family and all the pictures are beautiful.

A bientôt!

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35 Comments

  • Ellie

    February 3, 2021 at 9:29 am

    I don’t really enjoy cooking for the most part but I’m not a fan of eating out so I cook recipes from scratch that I grew up with and everyone in my family loves most of those. I used to enjoy baking cakes you’d see in German bakeries (they just didn’t look as pretty but are delicious nonetheless) but I’ve not been baking as much now since my cardmaking hobby keeps me pretty busy. Still make them for birthdays and special events. Hoping to try a new cake recipe (one I’ve known from my childhood but never made on my own) for Valentine’s Day if I can find all the ingredients…still waiting on a package with some baking goods my brother sent from Germany in November!!

    Loved the preview I clicked on from one of Joanna Gaines Books. May add it to my cookbooks as her recipes seem easy. Maybe I’ll find some new favorites! Thanks for sharing the link!
    Ellie
    Ellibelle’s Corner

    • mimifce

      February 3, 2021 at 1:06 pm

      All of her recipes so far have been easy. I definitely would say get the books! I hope you will share that cake to if you make it!

  • Joanne

    February 3, 2021 at 9:44 am

    You and I sound like kindred spirits! I love cooking up things in the kitchen… sometimes and others I am all about easy meals just to get these mouths fed. LOL. I too prefer cooking when I have the kitchen to myself though I have been trying to fight that tendency so my boys can all get used to cooking too. I am not much of a baker as I like to cook by feel and taste and baking tends to be more exacting. I have had to learn a bit more about baking these past few years as Alec tries more and more difficult recipes but thankfully he’s getting more and more self- sufficient in the kitchen as well so I don’t always have to be on hand. I’m making crustless quiche for dinner tonight.

  • Leslie Susan Clingan

    February 3, 2021 at 2:34 pm

    Mmmm, wish blog reading had a tasting feature!! Or maybe I don’t. I have already gained too much weight with Covid. Have looked up and pinned the raspberry chipotle pork loin. It sounds divine. Pork loin is fast becoming my favorite meat. Afraid to pin the bread and cookies recipes because I know I will make and then eat them!!

    Your cookbook holder is very nice. I have a wooden one for my iPad which I use to find recipes on Pinterest and follow them. Just ordered a 3 ring binder with page protectors to store my paper recipes. Might be time to invest in Joanna’s cookbook, too.

    • mimifce

      February 4, 2021 at 11:01 am

      I have been going back and forth with dessert, my whole philosophy about food and exercise is balance but I do need to get back to the exercise. Eating but not moving much the last couple of weeks.

  • Mica

    February 3, 2021 at 4:23 pm

    These all look so good! I did a lot more baking last year it was a fun activity to do in lockdown and we needed the comfort food, haha! But I don’t love cooking or baking, not like my mum who makes the most amazing things. I’d rather just make something quick and easy, haha!

    Hope that you are having a good week 🙂

    • mimifce

      February 4, 2021 at 10:58 am

      I love leftovers! That is why I usually make meals than we can reheat during the week especially with hubby out of town. Birthday dinner yesterday was lil caesar pizza and boxed brownies (10 year old will have real meal on Saturday lol).

    • mimifce

      February 4, 2021 at 10:56 am

      When we were first married my hubby would try to be creative in the kitchen but now he sticks to his area of expertise which is grilling. He loves his new grill so he usually grills twice on the weekend. He is out of town during the week so no grilling then.

  • Kate

    February 4, 2021 at 12:11 pm

    This all looks AMAZING especially that quiche! My happiness in the kitchen comes and goes as well. I think it’s more of a chore during the week to get dinner on the table after a long day, but a weekend meal or baking with my daughter is always a treat <3

  • Carrie @ Curly Crafty Mom

    February 4, 2021 at 6:33 pm

    I can get so burned out on cooking, I think I enjoyed it more before I had kids… because, I could really relax in the evening and enjoy more time intensive recipes. Ha! But, like you… I go back and forth on super easy dinners to taking my time and trying something new. I recently just got a bunch of vegetarian cookbooks and I’ve been trying some recipes from them. This food all looks so good!

    Carrie
    curlycraftymom.com

    • mimifce

      February 5, 2021 at 7:49 am

      Thanks, Carrie! It does make a difference to have your own space. My parents lived with us for 5 months a couple years ago and my mother in law lives with us permanently and the main thing that drove me crazy was when everyone was in the kitchen at the same time trying to do something,

  • Gail

    February 7, 2021 at 3:42 am

    It all looks delicious! I wish I had more time for cooking but working full-time and often until 7pm means my options are limited. Cooking a bit of salmon fillet or a steak is as far as it goes most days. But I love the look of the soup, and I sometimes rustle up a soup for lunch; and the quiche -quiche is my favourite! I shared this post at my FB page. Thanks for linking up!

    • mimifce

      February 7, 2021 at 4:18 pm

      Thanks Gail! That is working late! Hope you don’t have to start too early. I would not cook much if I were in your shoes either.