Cooking

A Sampling of Creme

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I did a demonstration of Philadelphia’s Cooking Creme’s today.  In an electric skillet, I added a little water, a 16 oz. bag of frozen vegetables, a package of Oscar Meyer grilled chicken pieces, Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice, and a package of Philadelphia’s Cooking Creme.

This combination actually produced a pretty tasty meal in about 8 minutes.  The people walking by trying the samples really liked it, so much that many stopped to buy the products.  The kids that tried the samples wanted more.

I tried the Santa Fe Cooking Creme with mixed vegetables and brown rice.  At home I am going to add some black beans to this, along with some diced, cooked onions and jalapeno’s.  I kept thinking of different recipes to try with these creme’s while standing there.  They are really good and they are creamy, not clumpy or thick like regular cream cheese. 

If you’re looking for a little something different to try, that is quick and easy, then you might want to try this and see what you think.  The little containers of Cooking Creme have a recipe on the back of them. 

Cherry Coley (c)

The Philosophy of Spilled Cookies

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It’s funny how names come to you.  I struggled with what to name my blog, I wanted something catchy and memorable, but really had no idea of what to call it.  Then one Saturday I was making cookies for a friend’s birthday and as I was taking them out of the oven I managed to clip the oven door with the pan, shift it in my hand so that the pot-holder slipped and wind up dropping them on the floor.  Yep, I had spilled cookies all over the floor.

Then it I remembered doing this same thing before as a teenager.  My brother was off at college and came home on the weekends to do laundry, get food, and I liked to make him a big batch of chocolate chip cookies to take with him back to college when he came. 

I was baking up a nice big batch of chocolate chip cookies and the house was filled with the smell of them cooking.  Part of the reason I love chocolate chip cookies is because of the wonderful aroma they give off while baking.  I had worked so hard to make them in time and there they were spilled on the floor. I wanted to cry, but instead I started over and worked faster.

As I was searching for a name I realized that my life has been a big round of spilled cookies at times, not the hurl up kind, but the work your tail off, try hard to get things right and have time to enjoy things, only to have them somehow get knocked down or dropped and everything to get crumbled and spilled on the floor kind.

There is of course a lesson there and it’s one I thankfully learned pretty early.  First, don’t just rush through the preparation of things and think you will enjoy the end product, take your time, smell the aroma’s, enjoy the taste, the feel, the putting together of things as you go, then even if things don’t work out, you haven’t lost much because you still have the wonderful experiences and memories of the journey to get there. 

Second, learn to laugh and take things lightly.  Life is hard enough without having to take everything so seriously.  It’s okay to drop a few cookies, or have some crumble along the way, it happens!  Just think of all the smiles and laughter that you’ve had along the way and the joy when things do actually go right and everything works out as planned.  

It’s a beautiful day today, and a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.  So, get up, it’s time to start the preparation and take that step on to the next goal, even if it’s just cooking up another batch of cookies. 

Cherry Coley (c)

Thankful At Work Potluck

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It’s here again, the Thanksgiving spread at the office.  Strangely no one really wants to sign the little posted sheets stating what they will bring this year.  It’s a secret, they say.  I have a suspicion they are all in the “I don’t wanna cook, I have to do that next week,” state of mind.  Yeah, me too.

Still I signed up.  I signed the sheet under desserts and am now sitting and wondering what delicious concoction to cook up.  I was talking to some other ladies at the office about Dirt (the jello/cool whip/oreo cookie miracle). 

“That’s something you do at Halloween for the kids,” said one lady.

“Don’t forget to add the gummy worms,” laughed another, “you gotta have the gummy worms!”

Meanwhile, the recesses of my imagination I sit and toy with the idea of creating “Dirt” for Christmas instead.  Wandering around in my head are visions of “Dirt” in a pan with tiny pine tree’s for decorations, and a light dusting of powdered sugar for snow, maybe a tiny sleigh, or perhaps a road lined in candy canes?  Hmm, this bears more thought.  I definitely see a creative dessert in the near future. 

Now, about that potluck…..looks like maybe a pumpkin pie and fruit salad kind of thing to me. 

Cherry Coley (c)