the joys of cooking. and baking.

another one of my goals for this year is to cook more at home. d and i actually made this resolution a few months back while looking over the budget. i knew we were wasting a bunch of money every month on eating out, but didn't really want to acknowledge it. well, we've been doing pretty good for these few months, but it's getting harder and harder to decide what to cook. i have a few make-ahead meals that get started in the crock-pot before i leave in the morning, but i try to limit that to once a week so we don't get tired of those recipes. i have found a few new and wonderful blogs, though, that will hopefully help me out this year. not only do these gals take amazing photos of their food, but they always have stories that are amusing and fun to read... here are a few of my favorite new food sites...

(all photos from their respective websites)

The Pioneer Woman Cooks. ree is amazing. she recently released her own cookbook but she shares lots of recipes on her website. like this chicken parmigiana. which i made last night. which is amazing! so tasty and it wasn't that hard to put together. AND she gives you lots of direction and photos of pretty much every step. i did change it up a little to reflect stuff we already had in the pantry and our own likes and dislikes... but d said i could keep making this (this is always a big deal, my friends) !! i have already printed a few other recipes from her website that i can't wait to try out...

Bakerella. this is more for those who want to make sweet treats. i haven't made these cute little 'cake pops' yet, but i have an upcoming 'event' i'd really like to try them out for... yes, one that does involve babies. but it does not directly involve me... i honestly don't bake a lot, other than for special occasions, because... well... i tend to want to eat sweets constantly if they are in the house. but, this chick has a great sense of humor and beautifully styled photos.

Kiss My Spatula. this girl is a do-it-yourself-er. from goat cheese (above) to soy milk, she isn't afraid to try making something herself. and... she pairs her recipes with songs for the perfect setting. while there aren't tons of recipes on there that i will likely try myself (lets just say i can barely get d to eat cheddar cheese...) her stories and photos are enough to keep me coming back.