Fresh vs. Frozen

Since I am on a budget I am constantly looking for ways to save $$$!! One of the best ways I have found is to buy things in bulk and freeze what you do not need for that week. Some of the things you can buy frozen in the grocery store is vegetables such as potatoes, green beans, bell peppers, corn, peas etc...Also, I buy fresh chicken, turkey, bacon etc.. and keep whatever I am going to use that night in the fridge and then I freeze the rest. I figure it is one less trip to the grocery store and that means I use less gas.

I have heard some debate about using frozen vegetables from some people. "Frozen vegetables have less vitamins than fresh produce." A green bean that has been frozen has the same exact nutritional value when compared to a green bean in the fresh produce section. Sort of a silly argument don't you think? I almost only exclusively use frozen vegetables when I am doing a stir fry dish or when I am steaming or boiling the vegetable. I buy fresh produce when I can, but when I have no time or energy, using whats already in my fridge is the best solution.

So I would recommend buying frozen veggies to everyone, it is a convenient way to save $$$ and eat healthier throughout the week!

-Ditzy Cook xoxo

Something Sweet

I decided to try something sweet for my first attempt at baking on here. The recipe I chose is from the website www.allrecipes.com and the recipe's name is:

“Absolutely Sinful Chocolate Chip Cookies.”

Ingredients:

2 ½ squares unsweetened chocolate

½ cup butter

2 cups flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ¼ cups white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup sour cream

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

-Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.


Since I am such a dork sometimes, I totally forgot to buy baking soda...lol. So I did this recipe without baking soda, and to be honest I did not see a huge difference so you do not *need* baking soda for this recipe:)

1. Put the butter and unsweetened chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds and stir together until smooth.

2. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together; set aside.


3. In a medium bowl beat the sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract together. Mix in the butter/chocolate mixture until well blended.

4. Stir in the flour/baking soda/baking powder/ salt mixture slowly. Also, stir in the sour cream.

5. Mix until smooth then fold in the chocolate chips.

6. Use a spoon to drop dough onto an ungreased baking sheet.

7. Bake for 8-10 Minutes.

So I did my first batch of these and they came out very cakey, which is what they are supposed to be like. I decided to just put the second batch of dough into a small cake dish. So I got a small batch of cookies and a small cake or more like one large cookie haha!

These the are lightest cookies I have *ever* eaten in my life and I would recommend this recipe to anyone who likes light, fluffy cookies!

Thanks for reading and enjoy!

-Ditzy Cook xoxo

Ditzy's First Blog

Welcome to my blog everyone! This is the result of me being unsure of how to express not only my love for cooking, but also my intrigue as well. I have always enjoyed being in the kitchen, even as a young kid I would create "concoctions" (which usually consisted of cinnamon, dish soap and salad dressing) gleefully pretending to be Chef Martin Yan from Yan Can Cook! So now I have the opportunity and time to share with you all, my thoughts and concoctions (I promise they will be edible now :) On a weekly basis.

Some the of the recipes I will be showing you all are either taken from cookbooks which I will reference of course, people, or crazy ideas I thought up on a whim. Since I am a college student, most of the recipes will be low budgeted, but I do admit sometimes I enjoy splurging on ingredients so anything goes here. I will also try to include picture guides for you to follow and of the final result.

That pretty much sums up my intentions for this blog, and I hope you all find it helpful and fun to read!

Sincerely,

Ditzy Cook xoxo