Cooking for Dummies

You know it's sad that I can't even use a recipe and cook a decent meal. It's a pretty well known fact that I can't cook. Well I *can* cook but most of what I cook is from memory. I'm terrible about following instructions. I'm one of those do it and then when it all falls apart, go back and read directions type people. So my husband was pleasantly surprised last night when I came home with a new recipe book and the "fixings" for something new. I will tell you that Jr. did not marry me for my cooking skills. He also didn't marry me for my cleaning skills. Come to think of it, considering how he complains about our lack of sexual intimacy lately, I'm wondering why he married me at all. But that's another subject. So...where was I?

Oh yes, my oldest sister can cook amazingly well despite all her character flaws. She's one of those that could look through your pantry, freezer and fridge and manage to find something to whip up and make it taste pretty damn good. I think it's from all those years of welfare when times were tight and she had to get by to feed her kids. My middle sister Deb, is Martha Stewart. She IS Supermom. She can cook anything and everything if she has a recipe. Desserts are her specialty. She can make homemade gingersnap cookies that will make you want to slap your grandma! She uses our GREAT grandmother's cookie recipe and while my mom and her aunt used to make a pretty mean batch of these cookies, there is something Deb does that just makes them delectably delicious! She's sort of like Rachael Ray and doesn't really measure some of her ingredients and I think maybe that's the difference. A hint more ginger or maybe a dash more of other spices. But hers are always so chewy and yummy and will keep forever and still be chewy. OMG My mouth is watering just thinking about them.

But I missed out on the cooking gene. So my recipe last night was for steak stroganaff with parslied noodles. Seemed easy enough, right? But lets see, I accidentally doubled the salt in the noodles, no biggie, Jr. likes salt. The recipe called for 4 oz of mushroom stems and pieces or 1 can. I bought an 8 oz can and didn't realize it. Not really that big of a deal it was just way too much mushrooms so I got a slotted spoon and just scooped out half a can. I really needed the 8 oz size of juice though to help with the sauce. Then I made too many noodles. Again, not a big deal, I just threw the extra away.

When all was said and done it was actually quite good. It tasted *just like* the hamburger helper beef stroganoff and that would have taken less than 30 minutes to prepare. It took me an hour to prepare this myself. Ah well, maybe Jr. hangs on to me because I can do all his bookkeeping for the business and he doesn't have to pay me. He thinks that the perk of "sleeping with the boss" is pay enough. Um...er...whatever.

Peace!