We're constantly checking out cookbooks from the library which is great, but at the same...not so great. You can try out all the recipes, browse through the pictures, and decide whether the recipes work for you or not, all without having to shell out a ton of money (cookbooks are pricey). However, you have to to keep them clean (so hard in our kitchen), and when you find a cookbook you really like you incur a lot of late fines because you don't want to return it!
One such cookbook that we've been holding onto for far to long is the Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers cookbook
. Steve and I are always trying to find delicious meals that don't revolve meat, which is hard to do when you live in a meat-centric country. We try whenever we can to eat at least 3 or 4 dinners a week without any meat, but that means we've had to be creative because beans can get tiring really fast. This book is great for that and what's even better is the recipes are quick and simple. The best feature though: it pairs things together for you, so when you look up curried tofu w/tomatoes, it tells you that coconut rice is a good side for it.
. Steve and I are always trying to find delicious meals that don't revolve meat, which is hard to do when you live in a meat-centric country. We try whenever we can to eat at least 3 or 4 dinners a week without any meat, but that means we've had to be creative because beans can get tiring really fast. This book is great for that and what's even better is the recipes are quick and simple. The best feature though: it pairs things together for you, so when you look up curried tofu w/tomatoes, it tells you that coconut rice is a good side for it. 
This is a great, filling, and quick weeknight meal.
. But where is the shrimp in the picture? Nowhere, but rather little slices of andouille sausage. I don't have exact measurements for anything in it, but here's what to do.
. I've never been a huge Martha fan, but I've heard countless times that her recipes very rarely disappoint. I ended up making Citrus Cornmeal Shortbread. Her original recipe calls for orange zest, but having no oranges on hand I went with lemon instead. I helped the lemon flavor along by replacing the vanilla extract with lemon extract. 
, and reading
by Michael Pollan, I've really had to rethink my relationship with food and my duty as an inhabitant of this planet. It really is so important to try and eat locally and organic. The impact that industrialized food has on your body and on the earth is not worth the cheap prices or "delicious" taste that they supply. I know fast food is easy, so are microwave dinners and other prepacked meals. It's also certainly cheaper to buy industry food, but, BUT, think about it. The nutrients in industrialized are so lacking compared to naturally grown food that you have to eat so much more of it. So yes, organic food may cost more, but you will have to eat less, and you will probably enjoy it much much more. Okay I won't go on and on, but I urge you to read more about it and educate yourself about the food that goes into your body and the impact it may have on our planet.
