a week of meatless meals

I've been trying to incorporate more meatless meals into our repertoire here at the Taylor home for a couple of reasons:

1.)  Having a "plant slant" to your diet is supposed to be a step toward healthier eating.  That is, eating a more plant-based diet is better than one heavy on animal products.  You get more fiber and a wide variety of vitamins and minerals.  Or something.

2.)  I thought it could help us save money.  We cut our monthly grocery budget this year--partly to save money, partly because I wanted a challenge.  Shortly after that, beef prices skyrocketed.  Since I'm not so good at cooking chicken, I needed to come up with some other options.  (Also: we at a LOT of pork).

recent recipes

I've been trying some new recipes lately, and it's lots of fun.  Here's what I've been up to.

(None of these pictures are mine... I think that will be obvious...be sure to check out the recipe links!)

Parmesean Baked Potato Halves from Favorite Family Recipes.

I was pleased that (for once!) they turned out pretty much like they look in the picture.  That never happens for me!

Lemon Pasta

Recently I have fallen in love with The Pioneer Woman's blog, especially the Cooking section.  I stumbled across this recipe in the "Cowgirl Food" category.  It seemed strange enough that I figured I just might like it (I am working on trying new flavor combinations--I tend to stick with the same old kinds of stuffs because I know they're good).

Macaroni & Cheese

As I read and follow other blogs, I often feel inadequate.  How is everyone else's life so picture-perfect and cute?  How do they find the time to do all of that crafting, decorating, and cooking while taking awesome pictures of the whole process and then find the time to blog about it?!  Satan has somehow snuck the idea into my mind that in addition to having a clean, perfectly and stylishly decorated home, cooking fabulous (yet nutritionally balanced) meals, as well as doing my best to look attractive myself, being wifish also requires me to be an excellent blogger as well.  I am fighting this lie, and God continues to remind me that He wants me to be me, not someone else.