What's for Dinner?

My desire to cook comes in waves. Some days, it's the very last thing I ever want to think about. I always say that if I had to choose, I would much rather have a personal chef than a full time maid. Sad, I know... to think that I would rather clean toilets than have to cook dinner every night. That isn't entirely true though... sometimes the process of cooking can be fun. And there is something satisfying in hearing a kid say, "MOMMY!! This is my most favoritest dinner ever!" Even if the night before they told you dinner was their worst favorite.

Perhaps if I had a maid, then I would find more pleasure in planning and executing meals... not that a maid is anywhere in my immediate future.

So, my energy and desire to cook waxes and wanes. My family trudges through many boring and predictable meals in hopes that I will soon enter a period of inspiration and actually start to cook. You know, real honest to goodness food.

When I do cook, there are some things that I absolutely will not compromise on. Butter, for example. There is NO substitute. I never, ever have anything but real butter in my fridge. I will use other healthy oils, I will use butter in moderation (and sometimes with reckless abandon), but I will NOT use a butter substitute. Especially when baking. Butter is the ONLY way to go.

Other things I like to cook with? Fresh parsley. Do you KNOW how good fresh parsley is? Sometimes you can't get it fresh and that's fine. But oh, how deliciously wonderful it is when it IS fresh... added to sauces, sprinkled on pasta. I love it. It makes me happy. And don't tell me it's just a garnish. It has flavor, people! Real flavor!

And cream. Now, I'm not gonna cook with cream everyday. I don't actually have a death wish, you see. But oh, what a blissful treat it is to use it on occasion.

And wine. Not expensive wine, mind you, because I wouldn't even know how to buy expensive wine... but wine that's you know, meant for cooking, I'll happily purchase and splash upon simmering onions and mushrooms or into my spaghetti sauce with much delight and pleasure.

This coming week, the MommyJ clan should rejoice with much happiness and many shoutings of hallelujah because I feel inspired. To cook.

Would you like to know what we're having? I just spent over an hour browsing through new recipes looking for things that I would like to try. And because she's a cook that is NOT afraid to use butter and cream, I found myself spending the most time digging through Pioneer Woman's recipes. Can I just tell you how much I would love to eat at her house all the time?

Here's what I'm cooking... I'll let you know how it goes and tell you what recipe was the family's favorite.

Tonight, we're having Pork Tenderloin with Cranberry Sauce. I often make Pork Tenderloin and serve it with a delicious homemade cranberry apple sauce, but I like the idea of the onions in this sauce, so I'm giving it a go.

Among next week's offerings, this Mushroom Soup, this recipe for Spaghetti and Meatballs, this recipe for homemade pizza, and my own recipe for Oven Baked Salmon with a delicious dill sauce that my husband could eat with a spoon. His birthday was this week and I promised I would make him this meal. It's always been one of his favorites. So, better late than never, right? I'm also going to try a simplified version of Beef Bourguignon that was in Martha Stewart's Everyday Food this month. I'd give you a link, but it isn't up on the website yet. If it's delicious, I'll post the recipe for you.

How bout that?

What are you cooking this week?