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 My husband graciously calls me a “creative” cook. To his credit, he has been eating what I’ve cooked for twenty-one years now, and he rarely complains. My children, on the other hand rarely eat what I cook without complaining. It is rather depressing to spend two hours creating a masterpiece, only to hear “Eeehhuuwww! What is this?” I’ve come to the conclusion that the amount of time I spend creating a meal is inversely proportional to the chances that my children will eat it.

Hubby and I have had a running gag (pun very much intended) about my method of cooking. He will look at what I have created, and ask “Did this come from a recipe?” I will respond with “Well – I started with a recipe…”

Tonight, for example, I decided to try to make Pesto sauce. I found a recipe a while ago, and the basil in my windowsill garden has been flourishing, so I decided to give it a try. I’ve never eaten Pesto sauce, so I had no idea if I would like it, but I’ve seen it made on cooking shows and I’ve been wanting to give it a try.

The first ingredient on the list was two cups of fresh basil leaves. My potted basil was flourishing, but not quite that much, so I added some spinach. It said to chop it in a food processor, but I don’t have one, so I mushed it with my hand blender. I had Parmesan cheese, garlic, and olive oil, so I actually did follow part of the recipe. It called for pine nuts or walnuts. I had neither, but I did have almonds, so I used them. The outcome was a very green sauce. I think pesto must be an acquired taste.

My motto for cooking is “Use what you’ve got, and cook it all in one pot.” I’ve developed a system for one pot cooking. It takes a bit more time, but it’s a much more relaxing way to cook.

I start with pasta in the pot. When it is done, the pasta goes in a colander in the sink, and gets rinsed with cold water. Then I put a little olive oil in the same pot, and stir fry some vegetables, and I add some chopped meat – whatever I have on hand. Today I threw in some pineapple, to balance out the strong taste of the pesto sauce. Then I put the pasta back in the pot with the vegetables, add the sauce, and voila! One pot cooking.

And how did it turn out? It was very green. I still think pesto must be an acquired taste.