I love to cook. I am a culinary school graduate. I love to cook so much that I have cooked my way to having to diet. I don't believe dieting should strip away a love of food. Food is not the enemy, the mix of food and the amount you eat is. I want to share my love of food that is not only good for us, but also a step above eating 100 calorie packs and frozen foods for every meal. I know they are out there!

I don't have any formal culinary training, but I do love to cook. Dieting makes me sad because it's easier to eat prepackaged foods than worry about everything that goes into a meal when you are cooking. I'm also super busy - working 2 jobs and going to graduate school, so taking the extra time to calculate the calories in a recipe seems almost impossible sometimes.

In the past, I have made meals ahead of time and put them into individual containers in the fridge or freezer, and that works pretty well for me. But I still feel like I end up eating a lot of the same things because not everything reheats well, and I just start to run out of ideas. Hopefully this group can help!

Hi, ladies! I saw this group and I thought it would be good to have a group of people that love food as much as I do! I'm Bethany. I live in Ohio and love food. I love to cook and with this new "lifestyle" I've tried to embrace, I find myself cooking more often than I used to.

I was the fast food queen. I work at Walgreens, so I am on my feet most of the day. I wouldn't pack a lunch and typically I would run to Wendy's or Taco Bell on my lunch break. Not only did I eat fast food, but I ate a lot of fast food for many meals.

I have a husband that loves when I cook for him, but I have trouble figuring out what to make (even though I watch massive amounts of Food Network, read Food Network magazine, and have an extensive cookbook collection). My hardest problem is planning out meals to coordinate with my ever changing schedule. One day I work a typically 7-5 shift, another day I work 1-10:30. Makes meal planning a challenge some times. And the grocery store I live next to is ALWAYS crowded, thus resulting in me not wanting to stop in for a quick couple things at the end of the work day.

Anyhow, I am always looking for some quick meals. Veggienfa, I would love to hear some of your favorite make ahead meals! I have decided that's the way to go for days that I just don't feel like cooking when I get home. I also am looking for some great crock pot recipes if you guys have any to share.

Finally, I have a blog if you are interested in reading it. The address is: onegirlstasteonlife.blogspot.com It's a mix of everything I'm thinking of at the time. Lots of foodie stuff as well as some random thoughts of mine. Here's to inspiring each other's cooking!

Hello VegieFNA! I'm a newbie here and this is my first post to the group. I also love to cook (and have no formal training) and have found that a good pressure cooker (not the rocker type our mothers had) is key to success when you are short on time! I have a Swiss brand called Kuhn Rikon. My Spicy 7 Bean Soup is one of my favorites - cooks up easily, freezes well, and is soooo good for you! I often double the recipe and freeze containers of it. I do buy several kinds of dried beans, toss them in a big plastic container, stir them up, and take out as needed. Use whatever beans you like and can find the more the merrier - mix up the sizes, it's okay and part of the fun. You can cook this in a regular soup/stockpot also - about 1.5 - 2 hours simmering until the beans are the texture you like. So here goes and let me know how you like it!

Spicy 7 Bean Soup

10.5 oz assorted Dry Legumes /softened overnight
2 TBSP Safflower Oil
2 Carrots / coarsely chopped
2 stalks Celery /sliced
1 lg Onion /chopped
2-3 cloves fresh Garlic/minced
1 green or red bell pepper, seeded, deribbed, and diced
1 lg fresh Anaheim chile /minced
1 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 TBSP dried Basil/crushed
1 TBSP dried Oregano/crushed
1/2 TBSP dried Thyme/crushed
2 Bay leaves
1 QT Vegetable or Chicken Broth/ready to use
16 oz can petite diced Tomatoes
2 TBSP Tomato Paste
1 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar

Saute all the fresh vegetables,& red pepper flakes in the safflower oil. Add softened beans, broth, tomatoes, tomato paste,spices, & Balsamic vinegar. Pressure cook @ High for12 minutes. Let the pressure drop naturally. Remove Bay leaves.

Sharon
AZ

Thanks Sharon! I cannot wait to try this recipe.