I remember last year, sitting on the couch with M while trying to rack our brains about what we were going to eat for dinner. Such a mountainous question. One that has puzzled many a hungry person for ages. Or, perhaps, it is just a family thing. We NEVER can decide on where to eat and or what to eat. This is probably what some would call first world problems. Nonetheless, it has posed as almost an object of anxiety for me. Do not ask me that dreaded question, and if you have the gall to ask do not disagree with my choice! It’s a vicious cycle. And it only leaves everyone getting hangrier by the second.
It got so bad that M even went through the trouble of writing down all the possible options on a piece of paper and putting them in a small origami take-out box to draw from when a decision inevitably could not be made. But, instead of making the box the supreme decider- we just kept drawing until we could both agree on something. This also seems to happen when we flip a coin. Hmmm….
Therefore, I have found a few ways of avoiding this dilemma whenever M and I are on our own. One way is that we both have a favorite restaurant in town that we hardly ever disagree on, so that has simplified things slightly. But, I finally had the bright idea of getting organized. Every Sunday, I would try planning out our meals at least for the next four days. Finally, we entered into a normal household routine. The final dilemma for my twenty-year-old self was figuring out what to make, because we obviously weren’t going to eat out every day and I have a finicky appetite for frozen meals (living in a college dorm room for two years broke my soul, no more Ramen for me man!). Luckily, Pinterest came to my rescue! It is like a free, unlimited cookbook. It became my all things cooking and baking advisor.
I am definitely one of those women addicted to Pinterest ( I know there are some men out there!). However, I feel like this is excusable because even though I have probably wasted many an hour perusing through the limitless options of the site, it feels like a productive procrastination. Impossible? Nay. I have found many recipes and ideas that I would never have even thought of it weren’t for the website. A part of me wonders if it is possible I am letting others be creative for me, but then again, would I have ever really had the ingenious idea to use a recycled ketchup bottle to create the perfect pancakes while camping? I think not. (Seriously, if you have ever tried making pancakes while on a camping trip- this is genius!)
And that is just scratching the surface! So, in planning meals for the week, all I had to do was skim through the endless possibilites given to me by Pinterest’s tasty pictures.
But I digress, today I am going to be sharing some recipes with you that I have tested myself (with approval from family and friends, as well) and found to be incredible! If you have spent any time trying out the website for yourself, you may have heard of the Epic Pinterest Fails. Alas, pictures can be deceiving. Or, perhaps, some of us pinners just don’t have the knack for some things. I think it is probably a combination of both.
One of my own Pinterest fails was a recipe that had me blend all the sauce ingredients for a pasta sauce (tomatoes, garlic, basil, etc), and then throw it on top of the pasta- without cooking the blended ingredients, which I thought might be refreshing. Oh, heavens no. It looked like barf and tasted like it too (I looked and looked and the recipe said nothing about cooking it, I was so confused! Perhaps I should have anyways.) M was such a trooper in the taste test. But, we are glad to have that behind us now. I would like to think I am a savvy pinner of recipes now, and I certainly delete the duds from my boards. No misleading here!
So, I wanted to share some recipes with you that have been instant favorites (and pretty simple too). I’m just going to provide links to the recipes since they are not mine and belong mostly to other bloggers- so thank you to those others who have gone before us in the kitchen!
Also, I found that many of these bloggers are worthy of bookmarking to go back and see what other good recipes they have.
Photo from original recipe author
I cannot even explain how incredibly amazing this bundt cake is. While the cake consists of chocolate and vanilla cake, it is not a truly overwhelming sweetness. Honestly, it’s the perfect morning snack to go with a hot cup of coffee. Okay, I may have to go make some now….
Photo from original recipe author
The pin description for this said the “Best Blueberry Lemon Scones you have ever tasted!”. While weary of these, this one was entirely true. These scones are delectable. This has been the best recipe, hands down, I have found on Pinterest. If you like scones, or even if you just like Blueberries or Lemon, you will love this. If you don’t you need your tastebuds checked.
Photo from original recipe author
This is perhaps the perfect Cinnamonn bread on the planet. I’m usually not huge on breads- like banana bread and what not- but this blew me away. If you like Snickerdoodle cookies, this recipe is a perfect new medium to try out an old favorite! In fact, I made this just two days ago, and it turns out exactly like the picture. I would have taken my own picture, but one loaf is already gone and the other one is half gone. Whoops.
Photo by original recipe author
This has been the easiest way I have found to make salmon. Literally, it is too easy. It definitely isn’t fancy or the best salmon I have ever had, but if you are lazy like me sometimes I just want to throw something together quickly and painlessly (that is relatively healthy), then this is a go to dish. That is, if you like salmon.
Photo by original recipe author
This dish is absolutely incredible if you are a pasta junkie. It does take a bit of prepping compared to other pasta dishes I am used to, but it makes all the difference! It was an immediate favorite.
*Side note- I’m always looking for new recipes. I’m a foodie, so if you have some recipes of your own- let me know!
Anyone else Pinterest addicts? And, hopefully, I am not the only one with a few Pinterest fails. But then again, I’m pretty good at knowing what is in my skill range and what isn’t. Now, I must get back to all those DIY projects and baking…. oh my! 😉
Simply & Softly 