Channeling Betty Crocker

Apparently the Suzie Homemaker vibe is hitting a new high around here. Not only have I thrown myself into my knitting with a vengeance, but I have also started cooking again. Cooking! Will wonders never cease. If I start dusting, though, I want someone to call the police, because it will be a sure sign the pod people have landed.

Recent Hits:

Chicken Parmesan

I have actually never made chicken parmesan before, and I decided it was about time. Or actually I just had the ingredients on hand. Whatever. It was delicious.

Chicken Thighs with Balsamic and Garlic Sauce

This was really delicious, but doubling the sauce as I did is totally not necessary. Apparently you can have too much sauce. Who knew?

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I followed this recipe pretty closely, except I pureed it before adding the chicken so there would be no offensive vegetables floating in my daughter's soup. She is pretty good about eating vegetables, but has firm ideas of exactly how they belong in a meal. Which is apparently not in soup.

Pork Tenderloin with Maple Glaze

So, so good. Fantastic, awesome, mouthwatering excellence. It should be called "perfect pork tenderloin". Or maybe "maple magic".

Or maybe not.

Soft Beef Tacos With Salsa

This is the best taco filling ever invented. Ever. It makes all other taco fillings pale in comparison. Especially fish. Because, uh, ewww.

They have not all been successes. I tried, once again, to make rice pudding and failed miserably. This is the third time I have tried to make rice pudding and had it turn out a complete mess. Normally at this point I would just quit, but I love rice pudding and I refuse to be bested by a handful of rice, so I am hoping this recipe will be the key to my success. I also attempted a banana bread I found on the internet, and it was a dismal failure. So dismal Mr. Man asked if I was trying to poison him. Eighty three people said this particular banana bread was the best they had ever tasted. Eighty three people lied. It was so awful I immediately baked a strawberry rhubarb crisp just in case I dropped dead in the next few days and someone thought that banana bread was an example of my culinary skills.