The Dinner Hour

I’ve been cooking since I was 7, when my mother gave me the Betty Crocker Junior Cookbook with its never-fail meatloaf recipe for which I quickly became famous, and the Really Good Joke Cookbook which is responsible for my love of knock-knock jokes.

My husband M and I both work, and because I’m liable to get home at least an hour before he does, I tend to take on the dinner chores (though there are days when I can’t deal and he comes to the rescue with the world’s best scrambled eggs). We’re trying to eat healthier, but we also love to eat well… these are not always in conflict, but sometimes it can make creative thinking about dinner more challenging.

Out of curiosity and also to share the occasional bonus find of a great recipe, I decided to keep track of what we do for dinner for a year. What are we really eating, how often am I cooking, how often is it healthy, how healthy is it, how bad but delicious is it…

I’m by no means a professional. I read a lot of cookbooks and articles, I love local ingredients, I love all kinds of cuisine. I’m sure I’ll post some dinners that make most folks go, “Um, what is she doing?” Or, “Eeewww.” I’m hoping there will be a few that folks will want to try. I’ll share and link to recipes, and when I use a recipe as a launching pad, I’ll make notes of what I change and how it goes. Suggestions like “you could also try” or “____ is a great substitute for ____” are always welcome.