Lesley's Random Thoughts on Cooking

1.  Plan ahead.  Plan meals that you can do most of the prep work ahead of time.  This will give you the added
benefit of cleaning up a lot of the mess before dinner and you'll be more relaxed.

2.  Eat in the dining room.   If you take the time to make an incredible dinner, take the time to set the dining
room table.  Light candles and use cloth napkins.  Make dinner a special occasion.

3.  Experiment.  Don't be afraid to try new things.  Your family will appreciate the effort and you'll escape from
the humdrum of making the same recipes over and over and over....

4.  Making a pot roast is not the same as baking cookies.  When you bake cookies you need to follow 
the directions exactly.  When you make a pot roast you can experiment with the recipe.  Feel like a little 
more garlic?  Add it!  Have a cup of red wine leftover from the weekend?  Pour it in!  Do you love the flavor 
of thyme?  Put some in.  Play with your food!

5.  Learn to love your outdoor grill.  Not only can you make tremendous meals on your grill but using it makes
clean-up easier, you avoid smoking or smelling up your kitchen, and it's fun!  Plan meals where you do the entire
meal outside.  Get yourself a grill basket for vegetables, learn to bake potatoes on your grill, and make mixed-grill
suppers where you pull out that one chicken breast, those two Italian sausages, and the lone steak from you freezer
and make a meal.

6.  Teach your family to love "Mixed-Up Supper".  Got a ton of leftovers?  Make a meal of them.  Pull out all your
leftovers, make a big salad and enjoy!  Don't serve the leftovers in plastic containers!

7.  Use fresh when possible.  Fresh garlic, fresh basil, seasonal fruits and vegetables -- these are the things that make
your recipes special.  Plant an herb garden.  Plan your meals around what's fresh and available.  

More thoughts coming as they occur to me.

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