Foodie Blues

Even foodies get the blues. it;s that doldrums time when holiday goodies are now just a memory and the Super Bowl feasts are just a dream. Winter stews aren't just hearty anymore. They're boring. All those soups and grilled cheese sandwiches are becoming flat. What to do?

Liven up your diet. Better yet liven up the whole culinary experience

i;ts January , time to try new things. Eat stuff you've never dared eat. If you've always had reservations about cuisines you've never tried, now is the time to do so. Make them yourself or visit restaurants. Eat foods that aren't normally associated with winter. A lot of people just crave a big green salad in the middle of all this ice and snow. Go for it. There's something refreshing about a lunch of Cobb or Caesar salad with a glass of iced tea. or do the fun breakfast for dinner route. have pancakes a long with bacon and eggs for supper . Or just serve appetizers like wings or pigs in blanket for a lunch or dinner.

Another fun foodie idea is take cooking and baking courses.Many community schools offer some great four to six week ones that you can learn everything from cake decorating to Italian cooking.They're fun to take plus you get to eat your projects.Of course if you ave the money you can fly to Italy or France and enroll in a winter cooking course there. Overseas culinary studies are a great way to hone your skills plus soak up a culture too. Some will certify you or give you a degree, perfect if you're thinking about entering the restaurant business afterwards.

Don't let the foodie blues get you down. Experiment with different cuisines. Try something new. Take that baking or cooking class you always wanted to take. Get out of your dull culinary existence and go for the unexplored! It'll be quite an adventure!

A simple Saturday lunch

Saturdays are usually busy times in any household. It' s either house cleaning, grocery shopping or catching up on chores. There's no time for an elaborate mid day meal. There's nothing wrong with a simple lunch between the endless rounds of laundry and dusting. Sometimes just a good old fashioned sandwich and a glass of juice will tide you over until dinner,

What makes a simple lunch?For me it's a crunchy peanut butter slathered on two slice s of Arnold's sandwich bread.This and a glass of juice can carry me to dinner thanks to the protein s and sugar respectively in each one. Sometimes it's a simple turkey or roast beef sandwich, again with no mayo, just covered with a light sprinkle of salt and pepper .Now that it's summer another simple lunch time treat is a tomato and mayo sandwich. Nothing beats fresh picked fresh sliced tomatoes on may drenched white bread. of course there are salads. Sometimes just a simple mixed green with tuna and grape tomatoes is all you need on hot summer days. Also a salad make from all veggies is a good , simple lunch and one that can be enjoyed with garlic or onion flatbreads.

of course you can make a simple hot lunch for yourself as well. Boil some pasta and just melt a huge hunk of butter over it if you want add some fresh cut garlic too for taste or a few drops of olive oil to balance out the butter. Polenta is another good simple lunch . Make enough for one or two bowls and serve with butter and Parmesan cheese.A hot open faced sandwich is always good and it;s easy to make. Just used gravy in a jar, deli meats and bread and there you have it. Something hot and satisfying to get you through a round of work

Saturdays usually mean a day of catching up ion chores and finally getting to those DIY projects. Don't bog yourself down with the addition of making elaborate lunches. Stick to simple stuff that will sustain you through all that work!