A New Inspiration

So I have recently been enjoying trying new recipes. I guess it's actually more about creating my own recipes by modifying ones I find online. Or just simply finding something that sounds good and trying to re-create it from scratch. It has come out of two years of staying home and watching food network. I started making recipes I would see on shows that sounded good. At first, I would follow the recipes to the letter, making sure everything was done exactly as recommended. But after a while, I began realizing that there are some easy ways to change recipes that may make them more appealing to me or my family! One of the first things I found was to use half of the oil in baking recipes (and even then use only a light olive oil) and replace the remaining half with applesauce. At least it makes baked goods that much more healthy! From there I expanded to changing spices (adding, deleting) and reducing the amount of sugar in baked goods. I then started playing with cooking (as opposed to baking) which is much more easy to modify. The reason for this is that in baked goods, you really can't change the amounts of flour, leavening agent, eggs, fats etc. or else the recipe just won't turn out in the oven! But when cooking something that doesn't require those specific combinations of ingredients to turn out, you can be a lot more creative. I think that part of my recent branching out in my cooking is owed in part to being pregnant and cravings! I find things that sound good, but can't find any equivalent in the store that satisfies the craving. So I decide to try and do my best to make it myself. The other day was the pico de gallo...tonight was Yakisoba! I have made stir fry for years, but it was never anything special and definately not what I was craving. So I decided to look online for some inspiration. I found a base recipe for Yakisoba and went from there, changing the sauce and the cooking technique just a bit to make it so the cabbage wasn't overcooked and the sauce was not runny...I will create another post soon with the entire recipe, but for tonight I think I have written enough! I say all of this to make a point. I have found a new inspiration for this blog. For those of you who love to cook, or who want to become better at cooking, I am going to post my adventures in cooking here! All of the regular family updates will still be included. But in addition, I will share my newest recipes, and maybe some of our tried and true favorites, and give tips that I am learning. Hope you want to join me as I learn and experiment along with me! Bon Appetit!