Tag: lifestyle

How to Cookbook Cook on a Budget

Posted on by Samantha Dedea

Personally, I don’t follow recipes to the T because, well for one thing, it usually costs so much money and I’d rather utilize what’s in my kitchen. But, I love cookbooks. And when I say I love cookbooks, I mean I LOVE cookbooks. They’re incredibly inspiring and give me the foundation to make some great recipes of my own. I am currently flipping between Ina Garten’s “Cooking for Jeffery” and my grandmothers 50 year old Jewish cookbook. So here are a few tips to stay on budget while cookbook cooking:

  • Whenever a recipe calls for a type of mushroom, JUST GET WHAT’S ON SALE (don’t waste money on cremini mushrooms when button mushrooms are BOGO)
  • Find recipes that incorporate the ingredients you currently have in your fridge and pantry
  • If the recipe requires a pan/pot that you don’t have, TURN THE PAGE because there’s nothing worse than committing to a recipe only to find out that you need a dutch oven and do not in fact own a dutch oven

Cookbooking can be so fun and you can learn a lot about culinary arts just by having cookbooks from a wide variety of chef’s and I encourage everyone to have at least 3 different types of cookbooks. But following a recipe doesn’t mean you have to break the bank. What are some of your favorite cookbooks? Let me know in the comment section below!

CRAVINGS

Posted on by Samantha Dedea

Cravings cravings cravings… There are days I wake up craving a protein smoothie, days I wake up craving pancakes, and days I wake up craving a big bowl of penne alla vodka. My love for food has only grown with age and experience tasting, cooking, and learning about new foods. Being a student my entire life has meant that I was always around cafeterias, free pizzas, and cookies. So it’s also become common that I wake up and crave pizza, french fries, or sour gummy worms. But my cravings don’t just stop at food. I can wake up and crave a run, a weight lifting session, or my most common craving is a Harry Potter marathon because DUH. But I’ve recently learned to make my cravings a part of my lifestyle so that I can keep a balanced life. I eat what I want when I want it in moderation ( like a small remkin bowl of penne alla vodka or some paleo banana pancakes). I workout when all of my other tasks for the day are done IF I WANT TO and sometimes I don’t even get a 10 minute brisk walk in. But I have learned and am continuing to learn what my cravings mean about my needs. It’s obvious that when I’m craving a Harry Potter marathon that it means I haven’t watched any of them in a month. But when I wake up craving pasta, it usually means I wasn’t satiated the previous day. My cravings are constantly changing based on my lifestyle changes but one thing that remains the same is the fact that I have them. What are some of your cravings?