A few things I've learned

I'm still no Martha Stewart. Though the closer I get to being married, the more I seem to be aiming for that kind of perfection. Perfection isn't the right word, of course- I'll never be perfect, and certainly never do it all and look good doing it. But I think I'm taking a particular brand of domesticity to heart. And the domesticity? Definitely I have more of a drive for it than ever before. I guess love and impending marriage can do that to a girl. For the record, none of it has improved my cleaning abilities, or my desire to do any cleaning. Too bad about that. So these are the things I've learned lately, in the domestic sphere. Very Martha Stewart. Maybe you know them already?

1: Baguettes can be sliced into chunks, or into little slices, and stuck in the freezer. They probably should be in foil to begin with, so they don't get freezer burned, but I just threw mine in a plastic ziplock. Pull out just what you need for dinner, wrap in foil, and stick in the back of a hot oven for maybe 20-30 minutes while dinner is cooking. They come out nicely toasted, warm, and incredibly delicious. Almost as good as fresh baked. I think I'll do this FOREVER now I know about it, because I used to waste a lot of baguettes because I know I shouldn't eat too much bread. Now I can buy one baguette, and enjoy it at least 3 times. This counts as a money saving tip, as well as a domestic cooking tip. After all, fresh hot bread makes everything better.

2: Another money and time saving tip that I probably knew about, but didn't bother with, was to immediately process grocery items as soon as I get home. Specifically, I like to buy multi-colored pepper packages at Costco (CHEAP!), and cut them up for use in chili, stews, frittatas, etc. I like a blend of every color, so I cut all the peppers up and blend them together. One package of Costco peppers fills 3 or 4 reusable plastic containers, which is probably a cup and a half or two cups of cut peppers in the end. Exactly the right amount for my favorite black bean chili, or I can take out just a little bit at a time for frittatas and omelettes. I toss the plastic containers in the freezer, a little freezer burn frankly doesn't seem to hurt them. And I don't bother defrosting- the peppers defrost and cook beautifully straight from frozen.

3: Toss leftover chicken carcasses (ie, from rotisserie chicken from the store), leftover veggie bits (celery stalks, carrots, etc), etc., into plastic baggies and shove in the freezer. On a quiet Sunday afternoon, make chicken stock. That's my plan for this weekend, in fact.

4. The very oldest recipes are often the best recipes. Plain old roast beef with carrots and potatoes, ziti casserole, and homemade lasagne with the long-simmering meat sauce are still three of my very favorite meals. And when you eat them, it's like childhood all over again. There are also days when all you can muster the strength to cook is Kraft Mac and Cheese. And that's a perfectly fine option.

5. The very newest blogosphere recipes can be just as fun, though. For example, after sampling Gym Buddy's AMAZING chocolate cookies from that infamous 24-hour recipe... well, let's just say I'm on the bandwagon. And speaking of cookies and baking? Bridesmaid J gave me the smartest tip. Spray pam on a 1/4 cup measuring cup, and use that to scoop up your batter for muffins or whatnot. So effective!

6. I take the idea of going green, at least making an effort, very seriously. And we're making some strides! I've switched to using bamboo utensils at work (cute little package, I can wash them in the restroom after each use, and no more take-out plastic forks). We started using fabric napkins at work, and the cheap ones from Target seem to be holding up just fine. I'd like to make fancy ones but... these will do for now! We also are using cheap-o Costco bar towels for almost everything we used to use paper towels for. Good for the environment, and frankly the house looks nicer without all that paper and trash.

Here's my black bean chili recipe. The general idea seems basic enough, but I did steal the gist of it from All Recipes. It's marked in my recipe box as "G loves!" and he definitely does. I like it best with a bit of shredded cheese and some sour cream, but the dish is vegan on its own. G likes to add some hot sauce, and I sometimes add a little bit myself. It's probably kid-friendly- definitely not too spicy without the added hot sauce. You can substitute almost anything of course- this is chili, not rocket science. The original recipe calls for a jalapeno pepper, but I've still never cooked with them, so I give that a miss.

George's Favorite Black Bean Chili
-1 tbsp olive oil
-1 yellow onion, diced fine
-one package mixed frozen peppers, OR 2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
-1 small can sweet corn, drained
-6 plum tomatoes, diced OR 1 can diced no-sodium-added tomatoes. (I use the can, usually)
-1 tsp ground black pepper- cheap stuff is fine
-1 tsp ground cumin
-1 tbsp chili powder
-2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed (you can substitute other beans as needed)
-1 can low-sodium chicken broth, or 1.5 cups homemade broth
-1 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the onion for a few minutes, then add frozen or fresh bell peppers, tomatoes, and corn for 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
2. Season with black pepper, cumin and chili powder. Stir in the black beans, chicken broth and salt. Bring to a boil. Simmer for at least ten minutes.
3. Serve hot by itself or over rice.