New Food! Weight Watchers tracking included!!!

Hi everyone!

I've been cooking and in addition to what is available as posted in December on the blog, I now have:

$12.00  Vegetarian Moroccan Stew  (This is a really delicious concoction with sweet potatoes, white potatoes, garbanzo beans, lentils, carrots and lots of spices.  It's very fragrant and yummy.  Weight Watchers points = 8 for 2 cups)

$12.00  Curry Chicken  (Breast of chicken in a curry flavored almond milk.  Very healthy and delicious.  Serve it on your own rice or eat it from a bowl.  Weight Watcher's points = 6 for 1 1/2 cups.  Rice will add another 5 points for 1 cup cooked brown rice.)  

 

$10.00  Broccoli Cheese Soup  (Not on Weight Watcher's!!  This is the creamiest, cheesiest broccoli soup I've had.  Organic broccoli is the base.)  

I have a number of clients who are using Weight Watchers to take off those extra holiday pounds.  I'll try to always include the Weight Watchers points with each dish.  I'm also attempting to make less caloric main courses, soups and sides.  I'm always glad to customize your order as well.  

Soups are normally $8.00 but I have increased the amount in each dish so I'm charging a little more.  It gives you more for your money and costs me a little less labor.  

I hope you like these new additions.  For a complete list see the December post on this blog. 

See you soon!  Rhonda 

The Menu for December

The Thanksgiving holiday is over and most of our leftovers are depleted.  Praise God for a wonderful bounty, much loving family and a good time on Thanksgiving Day! 

We were blessed with a visit from our cousins, Bill and June Harris, for the first time in a long time on a holiday.  They live in Mississippi and usually spend the holidays with my Missouri cousins.  Happily, they may return for Christmas too.  They have owned a home in Tavares for many years and we love when they come to stay for a while.

December is going to be a little different than previous months.  My freezers are full and there is no room to store more "new" menu items so I'm going to publish what is available now.  Once I have room for more I'll publish what I'm adding.  Meanwhile, if you have a special request please let me know.  I'm always glad to prepare for you something your would like to have. 

I have been doing a few catering jobs as well and that seems to work out for those who would love to entertain but have no time to cook and prepare.  I'll be glad to deliver or you can stop by and pick up. 

Here are the available menu items on hand:

MAIN DISH:
$12.00      Butternut Squash Ravioli
$12.00      Chicken Marsala
$12.00      Chicken Pot Pie
$12.00      Maple Glazed Pork Loin Casserole
$12.00      Spinach and Mushroom Quiche
$12.00      Spinach and Quinoa Quiche
$12.00      Roast Turkey and Dressing with Turkey Gravy
$12.00      Pulled Pork
$10.00      Meatloaf
$10.00      Mexican Bean and Corn Casserole
$10.00      Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (Stuffed w/Turkey & Spinach)

SOUPS:
$ 8.00      Chili Con Carne
$ 8.00      Chicken Taco Soup
$ 8.00      Corn and Potato Chowder
$ 8.00      Pasta Fagioli
$ 8.00      Potato Leek
$ 8.00      Pumpkin Kale Curry
$ 8.00      Roasted Tomato Basil
$ 8.00      Spicy Turkey Chili
$ 8.00      Vegetarian Vegetable
$ 8.00      White Bean and Kale

SIDES:
$ 6.00      Broccoli Soufflé
$ 6.00      Candied Sweet Potatoes
$10.00     Corn Pudding
$ 6.00      Glazed Carrots
$ 8.00      Kicked Up Kale (Sautéed and a little spicy)
$ 8.00      Mississippi Rice Casserole
$12.00     Roasted Vegetables with Gruyere Cheese
$10.00     Spaghetti Squash with Black Olives, Tomatoes, Feta
$ 6.00      Squash Casserole
$10.00     Zucchini, Corn and Edamame
$ 6.00      Zucchini and Tomatoes

I have very limited supplies of some of the items listed above.  Everything is first come first served.  If I receive many orders for something that is in short supply I'll make more.

Thank you again for your patronage!  I do what I do because I love it and you seem to appreciate it. 

October Menu

It's not always easy to get into the "fall" spirit when it's still 90 degrees everyday but I'm giving it a go!  I am making fall...ish dishes this month in hopes cooler weather is not far away. 

As always, I am hoping I'll receive some feedback from you as to what you want to see on the menu each month.  For instance, a friend called me last week with a recipe to try.  It was a salad and needed to be fresh.  It was no problem to gather the ingredients, put together the salad and deliver it for lunch.  I'm happy to do it if I am able.

 Call me if you have a special request for yourself or your office.  I'll do my best to accommodate.

I have placed the menu on an excel spreadsheet this month that only requires you to fill in the quantity of each item.  If it works properly the totals of your order should update as you enter quantities.  It is two pages as the items still available from the September menu are on the second sheet.

You will need to save the spreadsheet to your own computer then attach the completed spreadsheet to an email back to me.  Of course, if this is clear as mud to you, just email me with your order. 

If you are not on my email distribution list and would like to be just send me a request at imcookingforyou@gmail.com  I'll add you right away and send the menu to you. 

Thanks again everyone for all your support and comments.  Love you all, Rhonda

The Most Popular Menu Item

Amazingly, since I am a vegetarian, I assumed everyone would really love my Ratatouille.  I truly thought that would be the most popular menu item on my list.  I was wrong!

Since the Ratatouille is not number one I have a tie for first place and I'm not surprised.  People seem to love comfort food.  Everyone wants to come home to a homey meal in the evening but almost everyone I know is either too tired to cook or they simply don't enjoy it.  For many it means going to the grocery first as well.

I am very pleased I am able to fill an apparent much needed gap in the lives of my friends and family.  Not only do I enjoy the prep, cooking and packaging but I know I'm providing healthy, wholesome food for some who otherwise may not eat as well.

When it was suggested to me I come up with a menu and let people choose what they would like to order, I thought it was a great idea.  As in any new endeavor, I made a couple of mistakes.  One mistake was to publish a menu with many entrees, sides, soups and desserts from which to choose.  What happened was I received several large orders at one time and everyone ordered different dishes.  That meant I had to get cookin'. 

I think I cooked for 5 days straight from early morning to late night.  I was thankful my granddaughter, Brittany, came to help.  Now I know better.  I should have published what I had available as I completed a menu item.  Thankfully, it's all under control now and I'm planning and cooking September's menu.

Okay...are you curious what are the most popular menu items?  The tie is between Chicken Pot Pie and Shepherd's Pie.  Most definitely comfort food.

I sent out an email last evening letting everyone know what I still had available and everyone who ordered wanted the Shepherd's Pie.  I had so many requests I made more today.  I just didn't want to tell anyone I was out of something they seem to love.

Here's a hint of what's on the menu for September:

It's a frittata of eggs, potatoes, onions and sweet peppers topped with Roma tomatoes and chiffonade of basil from my towers. 


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Thank you for your support!

I am overwhelmed by the interest my cooking tales have generated.  I have received encouragement, questions, suggestions and compliments.  It means everything to have my passion for cooking shared by so many folks.

Thank you to all who have taken the time to contact me in one way or another.  I appreciate every one of you.

I'm still cooking but not from morning until night.  I am able now to slow down and enjoy cooking again.  I am making several dishes this week but at a much more reasonable pace. 

Sooooo....a new project has just been born.  I ordered a real German fermenting crock and a cabbage shredder, the old fashioned wooden box type.  I also ordered about 30 pounds of cabbage from the organic produce co-op.  Tomorrow is the shredding and salting day. 

 

I'm going to be attempt this fermenting process and determine if it's something I may be successful doing.  I love sauerkraut and can't wait to taste it. 

 

I'll report on the outcome in about six weeks.  Making 'kraut is a slow process.  

 

The Passion of Cooking!

For years I have claimed I could not determine my passion in life.  I will tell you I love to cook.  I love experimenting with my own recipes.  I grow my own herbs and many vegetables.  I love gardening and all the work the that goes with it.  I have always enjoyed entertaining although I do less and less every year.

After a great deal of thought I have decided cooking and gardening are my passions.  I used to just think I liked spending time in the kitchen and the garden but now after two weeks of cooking every day, I know for sure it's my passion. 

How did it come about?  A friend who has always used a personal chef told me their chef has decided to end this service to concentrate on other endeavors.  The friend said she had found a place online that would deliver and before I could check my tongue I blurted, "I'll cook for you!" 

About a week later my friend handed me a recipe and said this would be a trial.  It was an interesting recipe but very vague.  For instance, the recipe called for tomato sauce.  No size or flavor, just tomato sauce. 

To shorten the tale, I cooked for most of two days.  I made their recipe and one I like.  I froze each in glass containers lined with parchment, removed the contents from the containers and vacuum sealed the spicy concoctions in Food Saver bags.  Now my friend can just remove the dish from the freezer, drop it back into the glass dish and either microwave or bake it. 

When I mentioned what I was doing to a couple of people they wanted to participate as well.  Now after cooking for a solid week I still have not caught up with the orders.  Amazing!

Here's what's cooking this week:

Chicken Taco Soup
Vegetarian Taco Soup
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Red Lentil Soup with Spinach
Vegetarian Vegetable Soup
Ratatouille
Shepherd's Pie
Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
Chicken Pot Pie
Vegan Pot Pie
Parmesan Pork with Black Beans and Rice
Pot Roast Beef with Potatoes, Carrots, Celery
Maque Choux (Okra, Tomatoes and Corn)
Zucchini, Corn, Edamame Sauté
Squash Casserole
Broccoli Soufflé
Almond Green Beans
Berry Crunch
Snickerdoodle Cookies

This is the Maque Choux:

 

I'm not finished yet.  I'm up early and I stay up late but I have enjoyed my time in the kitchen.  I think when it's all wrapped up (pun intended) for this week I'll take a well deserved vacation.