Motivation???!!!

    Well I guess my life is getting back on track - I have moved an starting to get a handle on life as a single parent,  and getting through the grief.   My passion to cook does not sit right with being a single parent.  Spud is a great eater thank goodness, but he my worst critic.   I miss having someone to cook for who is my biggest fan.  
     Over the weekend, I had some reasons to cook.  I was scheduled to bring food to church, and it was a holiday weekend, so I thought - picnic food!   What is relatively easy and inexpensive to make for a crowd?- Potato Salad!    I invented my own recipe.  I boiled up some red skin potatoes withthe skins on.   When they were done and cool I mixed in Fat free plain yogurt and just enough sour cream to add the flavor.   Then for seasoning, I stirred in a package of Dilly Dip mix that I buy every year at my local Hoboken Art and Music Festival from my friends at Country Herbs.  Country Herbs makes some great dip mixes.  I keep a bunch of packages in my freezer and it keeeps forever and can be used many different creative ways. It was a perfect way to season my Potato Salad - and so easy!
     I brought it to church, shared with my in-laws and fed my office today.
     I was supposed to make Fried Chicken to have with it on Sunday, but my mother-in-law made such a fabulous late lunch ( Shrimp and snow crablegs, and ribs and sliders and salad - and lets not forget the Carvel Ice Cream cake! :- YUM)  that it made so sense to come home and cook.   So since the chicken spent 2 days bathing in butermilk and onions, I had to make it yesterday.   There was enough for a crowd and again it fed my office today.  It is Claritha's Fried Chicken from Gourmet - page 368.  This is one of the first things I ever cooked from my bible - and it was what sold me on the book!   The secret is definitely in the buttermilk and onion.  It is such a simple recipe.
     So after making a pasta dish I am embarrassed to admit I cooked,  tonight I watched a video and learned how to prep an artichoke and now I have it baking at 425 for an hour.   I plan to use it tomorow in a dish.   I'll keep you updated on how it turns out.   Many thanks to my sister-in-law who just helped me realize that at least someone was reading this and kick me back to blogging.   I really enjoy it and need to find the time to spend on it..  I'll write tomorrow to follow up on the artichokes.