Damn New Years Resolutions

I have firmly resolved not to make New Years Resolutions. Months ago I promised a nagging friend (uh-um Adeana) that I would get this thing off the ground. It didn't happen. Then I promised after the holidays & our move that I would REALLY do it this time. So I guess it has turned into a resolution. Oh well.

One thing I know about myself is that I try to have everything perfect & outlined & planned out before I do anything. Guess what happens? I never end up doing it. So I guess the resolution this year is to just START! It's not going to be pretty, it's not going to be perfect. But it will be here.

Did I forget to mention what this thing is? Damn. Guess I should have had an outline. Bygones.

It's a food blog. Sort of. It's also sort of a mommy blog & sort of a way to connect with all my friends & family that are spread out all over the place. Did I mention that I don't have a plan. Um, yeah.

I am not promising much of anything. I will cook what I cook, look for new ideas, try to teach a few tips that help me, and try to introduce some new foods. I can't promise healthy, fast, kid friendly or time saving all of the time, but I'm sure they will all make appearances.

I love to cook. And I really love to cook for my family. I also love the feeling of sitting down nightly with said family, over a home cooked meal, sharing the days events (usually something about Aztec sports as luck would have it). I like "real" food. Fresh veggies, grilled meats, yummy baked goods. Things that fill our stomachs & hearts and add some nutritional value to our bodies. But I'm not a slave to rules either. I don't count calories & I think that "real" should rule over fat grams. So, I cook with butter & olive oil, and I try to balance that with nutrients, taste & balanced meals. I'd like to cook more vegetarian meals & less meat, more local & less processed foods. But I use frozen veggies & prepared meals to save time & sanity. Not always, but it happens.

I find a lot of recipes online, in books & in magazines. Sometimes I follow them to a tee, but mostly I tweak them to work for my family & my pantry. I'll site any recipe I "steal" from elsewhere or any combination I used for inspiration.

One last note. I do the majority of my shopping at Trader Joe's, so you can expect some of their specific items to show up here. I'll try my best to suggest substitutions for those of you unfortunate enough to not have one in your area. For those of you that do, and just choose not to shop there...well, you're just dumb. =)

Take what you want, ignore what you don't & send me ideas, questions & comments! I promise make this a collaborative effort.