I’m pretty happy that I enjoy cooking. It’s something most of us have to do so we might as well figure out how to make it something we enjoy, right? One thing I like to do is cook enough of one thing and then disguise it as something else so we don’t realize we’re having leftovers. I’m the only one who really knows but since I’m the chief cook around here, I’m not complaining about things that make life easier for me.
Tuesday I smoked two chickens. Sorry, but from this angle, they don’t look very appetizing, do they? Even though baked beans weren’t on the menu this week, Chad had been asking for me to make them. Since the smoker would be going anyway, I made a batch of baked beans and he’s been happily substituting baked beans for the veggies he doesn’t like (squash casserole, cole slaw, green salad). Too often I open a can of baked beans instead of making them from dried beans but every time I make them from the dried beans, I wonder why I even buy the canned beans. The homemade ones are so much better.
Back to my point . . I smoked two chickens and we at one of them on Tuesday for dinner. I picked the bones and the leftover chicken went into gumbo for tonight and chicken and black bean salad.
We’ve made three meals off the chicken and two meals off the black beans, plus I’m going to make black bean hummus for a snack for the weekend. I truly could have beens every day and never get tired of them.
If you’re not doing once a week cooking, try making something that you can cook once and then get several dishes from. It saves time and . . you know what extra time means . . more quilting time! 🙂
Suzanne says
I wish I lived closer to you…the yummie smells that must come from your home would be very nice to experience! I need to get back to once a week cooking. It sure shared me time, energy and money.
Vicky says
That smoker is amazing. If I ever grow up and learn to cook, I want one of those! There’s nothing better in the whole world than smoked chicken, except for maybe smoked ham!
Mary says
You’re so organized – my weekly dinner plans go something like this:
– meet Keith downtown for dinner
– cook one night
– tell Keith to bring something home for dinner
– cook one night
– go out again
– eat leftovers
– cook one night
Nancy says
ahhhh Gumbo….a women after after my own heart.
Donna says
The chicken and black bean salad looks wonderful. Will you please share the recipe.
Thanks,
Donna
Barbara (in Tennessee) says
Hey, Judy, I, too, am envious of your menu planning skills, I’m mostly in the “stop by the grocery store on my way home every night to pick up something to cook” category.
I do fix a pot of beans once a week or so and I love to have veg. soup in the frig, but I could use some prodding to make a weekly menu. I guess I just need to google some menu planning websites and “borrow” some ideas from them.
BTW, I really like store bought hummus and I really like black beans, so how about sharing the recipe?
Thanks!!!
Barbara (in Tennessee) says
Forgot to add, we made the wheatberry salad from your recipe a couple of months ago and really like it! Thanks for sharing.
Diane says
Every single time you write about your cooking and post a picture you make me so hungry! Can you please share the recipe for the baked beans and the black bean and corn dish?
Randi says
MMMMMM….I want some of that salad!
Katie Z says
I wish my husband could be convinced once-a-week cooking is good. He thinks it sounds like leftovers all week. I like the idea!