Giada

I want to be Giada De Laurentiis.  I mean seriously, who can look that cute chopping onions?  Please stop.  You are making the rest of us look bad.

I'm pretty sure Kyle wants me to be Giada too...and it ain't for the cookin'!  His favorite episode is when Todd (her husband) has been out all day surfing with the boys and she decides to make he and his friends a hearty white bean chili to warm them up while they enjoy a nice stout by the fire-pit on the beach.  Gag.

Back to reality in H-town...when Kyle spends all day golfing with the boys, he is lucky if there is a plate of leftovers waiting for him to wash down with the half glass of wine that i *maybe* saved...if he is lucky!

Kyle and I both love to cook big meals on the weekends.  The more "out there" the recipe the better.  42 ingredients?  SURE!  Two hours spent at Central Market on a Saturday?  HEAVEN (provided we have a babysitter)!  

On the weeknights its a different story.  I get home from work between 5:30 and 6 and try to have dinner ready by 6:30 so we can all eat together before Cooper boy goes down.  We definitely get in a rut.  "Do you want salmon tonight with your broccoli, or would you rather just have chicken, again?" BLAH!

So when Giada came out with her new cookbook, Weeknights with Giada, I pre-ordered it!  I must say, it hasn't disappointed!  My goal is to try a new recipe from it per week and have come up with some winners that will definitely stay in the rotation.  It is not some cheese-ball cookbook for dinners in "30 minutes or less using only 3 ingredients".  Its the real deal, only faster!  There's a whole section on breakfast for dinner and a "change of pace" section that is more worldly than her traditional Italian.  If you decide to get it, be sure to try the spicy meatballs, turkey and pancetta pot pie and mango fish tacos.  

Here's a picture of our Asian Chicken Salad the other night.  Delish!