Food Made with Love

Proverbs 15:17 "Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred."

I would propose a corollary: cooking for others is better than cooking for yourself.

Growing up, I never cooked much. Meals were always provided free of charge and free of effort, and honestly, my help wasn't particularly welcome in the kitchen. When I lived with roommates, we often had crazy schedules that didn't allow us to eat many meals together... and even when we did, it was usually something quick and easy, without much effort (or actual cooking) involved.

Being married now has given me not only someone to cook for consistently (someone with a healthy appetite to boot), but also a place in which to entertain guests. And with that comes the lovely temptation to try out new recipes.

So, having nothing particularly philosphical or poigant to write about today, I thought you would enjoy a pictoral summary of my latest culinary successes.

First, the Super Bowl party appetizers:

• Pigs in a blanket, with parmesan cheese and garlic salt toppings...

• Lil' smokies sausages in the Crock Pot with barbecue sauce and brown sugar...

• Rice Krispies treats (chocolate and regular). I thought I made these "for the kids," but actually the guys ended up eating most of them.

Then, the blue frosted cupcakes from my coworker's baby shower. I frosted them, added a blue spray coloring, and topped them with these cool blue-foiled Hershey's kisses (complete with "It's a Boy!" streamers). If you've never used spray frosting coating, I highly recommend it—very fun to play with and adds a distinctive flair to the finished product.

This past Monday, I opted for the traditional "chocolate = love" approach and gifted my husband with this double-layered, heart-shaped chocolate cake. Yeah, I know. It's overly cutesy, even a tad schmaltzy, but... eh. That's how we roll.

And tonight, I baked my very first homemade pizza. Despite destroying the dough before reconstructing it into a semi-circular shape, and not using "pizza grade" shredded cheese, it was pretty tasty. Next time, however, I think we'll opt for less than a pound of sausage on a twelve inch pizza. But, if you're gonna go overkill on toppings, meat-heavy is the way to go.

So there you have it. Cupcakes, chocolate cake, and lots of meat. Ok, so I'm no Julia Child. But it's been fun trying new recipes.

Anyone else been attempting any fun cooking projects lately?