Upside Down Cats

A case study - in case you aren't familiar with the term - is a factual vignette presented as a short story. Think of it as a verbal snapshot of a specific situation. They're intended to draw the reader into a scenario in which he identifies with the subject and/or the problem presented in the case study. They're often open-ended, sparking the reader's independent consideration of the issue.

Writing case studies differs from other the other types of professional writing I do (like articles, eBooks, blog posts, instructional guides and website text) due to their particular purpose and unique format. Since I first became aware of them, case studies have seemed like an interesting challenge. I've thought of interesting topics over the last few months and added them to my independent projects to-do list, to write when I have free time. Lately it seems case studies are everywhere and they're wanting to be written by me!

At first I was leery of writing case studies because of their very nature which is quite unlike all those other pieces I write and especially my "anything goes so long as it flows" style which I employ here on my blog. No, case studies are more like writing poetry, complete with definitive guidelines distinguishing their construction from that of plain ol' prose.

Continue reading "Cooking Up Some Tasty Case Studies" »

Wondering what NaBloPoMo is? Read this to learn all about it and why (and how) I'm participating!

What a difference a year makes - #14

2009: I thought I was frugal. Then came "The year of living frugally." I remember breaking into tears standing in the grocery store because bagels were $4.00 for six. At that point, $4.00 represented a bigger part of our grocery budget than I wanted to spend on bagels.

Realizing that there had to be a cheaper place to buy bagels (and other things) we searched for alternative bagel sources and discovered a Wonder outlet store where bagels were more affordable.

2010: It was not the way I would have chosen to learn the lesson, but even as frugal as I was, I could have been moreso, Necessity taught us where to get what we needed for less. We found ways to stretch those dollars even more.

It's a new year and the tide is turning for us. We have learned from our difficulties, though, and continue shopping as frugally as possible. We discovered that we can get the same things for less - so why not spend less?

At least so good frugal habits were born from adversity. It would have been even worse had we not learned a thing or two.

Last week I had a beautiful 3.22 lb half pork tenderloin in the freezer. What I've done in the past, realizing that there are only two of us, is to slice a large roast like this in half and freeze one, thus minimizing the one-time 'pork commitment.' This time, alas, the pork was hastily stored away in the freezer without prior portion consideration on my part.  Continue reading "One Pork Tenderloin, Four Recipes" »

I'm preparing for a busy week ahead by planning our meals for the week in advance. Here's what I'll be cooking up this week.

 

Chicken Bacon Ranch Burgers, French Fries & Mixed Greens Salad

Roast Beef, Homemade Biscuits & Oven Roasted Broccoli, Cauliflower & Carrots

Breaded Tilapia, Buttered Rice Medley & Mixed Greens Salad

Bucatini w/ Chicken & Broccoli in Alfredo Sauce

Mexican Beef & Vegetable Soup & Homemade Cornbread

Breakfast Cornbread Bake w/ Eggs, Bacon & Cheese Sauce

 

Look out - here comes a new week!

Our nieces came over to our house yesterday for an Uncle and Aunt Day. They are lovely young ladies, aged 11 and 13, both interested in cooking. This is encouraging to me that there are still young people out there who recognize that food can actually come from that room in the house that has the big box that gets hot and not only from places with neon signs out front. I was so encouraged, in fact, that I offered to teach them how to make my Chicken Parmesan. It is a very simple recipe to prepare and I've never encountered anyone who wasn't impressed when I served it for dinner.

I don't usually follow a recipe unless I'm baking but I wanted to send them home with one so they could cook it for their families - so I typed up what I supposed the quantities would be for six servings. I had them follow it to see if any adjustments were necessary and I'm happy to report that it came out perfectly!

Here it is, as promised. A tasty recipe made with simple ingredients, easy enough for a beginning cook to follow.

Continue reading "A Successful Cooking Lesson at Chez Gina" »

It has been a while since I took the time to post an installment of my What's Cookin'? series! I had to do some early planning this week because I am giving our nieces (ages 11 and 13) a cooking lesson on Saturday. I'm teaching them how to make Chicken Parmesan and sending them home with a recipe so they can make it for their families. We'll see if I can make an impression on the next generation's appreciation for the culinary arts...

At any rate, I have - as usual - planned our meals for the upcoming week in advance. This week is different only in that I am actually posting it for all the world to see (or at least my handful of readers). Here's what will be cooking in my kitchen over the next few days:

 

Chicken, Rice & Refried Bean Burritos w/ Lettuce, Tomatoes & Cheddar-Jack Cheese

Polish Sausage, Potato & Onion Pierogies & Creamy Coleslaw

Eggs in a Rye Bread Frame, Hash Brown Potatoes w/ Sausage & Cheddar-Horseradish Sauce

Chicken Parmesan, Bow-Tie Pasta w/ Butter & Garlic & Tossed Salad

Bacon, Egg & Cheese "Boats" & Hash Brown Potatoes

Lamb Meatballs, Rice Pilaf w/ Toasted Walnuts & Oven-Roasted Asparagus

Chicken-Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes/Sweet Potatoes & Turnip/Mustard/Collard Greens w/ Bacon

Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches on Toasted Garlic Rolls, French Fries & Mixed Greens Salad

Homemade Macaroni & Cheese & Oven-Roasted Broccoli/Cauliflower/Carrot Medley

Homemade Ravioli Filled w/ Ground Veal & Ricotta in Garlic-Butter Sauce & Mixed Greens Salad

Asian Sesame Marinated Sirloin Tip Steak, Steamed White Rice & Broccoli Spears w/ Garlic

 

It feels good to post my menu again...really, I will try to do it more regularly! Once in a while I've had requests for the recipes for dishes I've listed in my What's Cookin'? series. While I am very flattered, the fact is that most of the time I don't use recipes - except for baking, of course. My cooking tends to be of the "off the top of my head" variety. This week, however, since I need to write up a recipe to give our nieces, I will post my Chicken Parmesan recipe, so stay tuned if you want an easy, yet impressive recipe.

I'm baaaaack with another What's Cookin'?! I have missed having the time to do this each week - has anyone missed me? Hopefully now I can begin doing this on a weekly basis again. What exactly is 'this' you ask?... Well, 'this' is where I share with the world the meals I've planned in advance to cook here in my kitchen during the upcoming week. So, here we go after a far too long absence...

 

Cheesy Sausage & Potato Soup & Homemade Bread

Italian Macaroni & Cheese & Spring Mix Salad

Lamb Shoulder Chops, Rice Pilaf & Mixed Vegetable Medley

Caribbean Shrimp Salad & Homemade Bread

Balsamic-Glazed Chicken Thighs, Rotini Tossed w/ Olive Oil & Garlic & Oven Roasted Broccoli

Italian Sausage & Ground Chicken Burgers w/ Provolone on Garlic-Toasted Rolls, French Fries & Marinated Vegetable Salad

Sausage, Egg & Cheese Bagel Sandwiches & Hash Brown Potatoes

 

MMMMM, as I am writing this, that aforementioned Homemade Bread is baking, creating one of the top five best aromas on Earth...And it looks almost as good as it smells. Is it dinner time yet?

Is it really time to post another weekly menu? Time sure flies when I have an "alternative" work week! Oh, then to top it off, I suffered one of the worst headaches I've ever had, which lasted for two solid days! But enough about me... It's time to answer the burning question, "What's to eat this week?" Here's a taste of the meals I've planned in advance to cook for us...

 

Shrimp Lo Mein (My salute to Chinese New Year!)

Tortilla Crusted Tilapia, Spanish Rice, Oven Roasted Corn & Peppers

Mexicali Pub Burgers, French Fries & Creamy Coleslaw

Beef Roast, Herb Roasted Potato Slices & Broccoli

Bacon, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Sub Sandwiches, Hash Browns & Clementines

 

Well, the plan is in place...now all I have to do is feel well enough to implement it!

Although we're still in the grips of Winter here in the midwest, our 20 degree days actually feel warm compared to last week's sub zero temperatures! All these bitterly cold days make me glad for the warmth of my kitchen! As usual I've planned our meals in advance for the upcoming week. Here's a peek at what will warm us this week...

 

Homemade Macaroni & Cheese & Broccoli w/ Garlic & Lemon

Chicken Breast Wraps w/ Lettuce & Tomato & Cross Cut Fries

Chicken Parmesan, Pasta w/ Olive Oil & Garlic & Mixed Greens Salad

Polish Sausage, Homemade Macaroni & Cheese & Marinated Broccoli, Cauliflower & Carrot Salad

Almond-Crusted French Toast, Maple Sausage Links & Blueberries

Bacon & Garlic-Herb Cream Cheese Omlette & Whole Wheat Bagels

 

Hopefully by keeping the food interesting we can keep the Winter "blahs" at bay!

Here it is...my first post of 2009! It's nothing particularly creative...just another installment of my What's Cookin'? series. At least it's an effort toward blogging this year. My blogging sure fell apart at the holidays! When my schedule changed so did my blogging routine. Hopefully this is the start of another busy blog year for me.

Regardez...the triumphant return of What's Cookin'? where I share with you some of what I've planned in advance to cook during the upcoming week:

 

Hot Dogs, French Fries & Spring Mix Salad

Honey-Lemon Glazed Mahi Mahi, Homemade "Rice-A-Roni" & Oven Roasted Broccoli

Italian Sub Sandwiches w/ Turkey, Roast Beef, Genoa Salami & Provolone & Homemade Vegetable-Lentil Soup

Double Shell Beef Tacos w/ Refried Beans, Lettuce & Tomato

Greek Marinated Chicken Breasts, Couscous w/ Walnuts & Spinach Sauted w/ Olive Oil & Garlic

Pizza Bread & Homemade Vegetable-Lentil Soup

Chicken Enchiladas Blanca & Spring Mix Salad

 

So there we are...I'm back on the blog horse with grand plans to entertain and delight in 2009.

Amen