Convenience Food

Hello!

I apologize for being MIA lately.  I will start by catching you up on what has been going on in my life and why I have been absent for so long....My husband and I recently made a huge move to New York City and our life has been in quite a whirl wind since we made that decision.  After the holidays everything happened so fast with the move and we had to pack-up quickly and get everything in order to make the transition 3,000 miles away to a brand new city.  Although stressful and sometimes daunting, the move was also exciting and new.  We have settled in and are absolutely in love with New York and where we are living in Brooklyn! 

I will admit it has been an adjustment trying to keep up with the chic organic lifestyle I became accustomed to living in Las Vegas for 20+ years.  In Las Vegas I became so comfortable with my environment and I have had to adapt to my new NY surroundings.  That being said I also see all the potential in New York that Las Vegas didn't even come close to having.  There is so much culture and attitude in NYC that is incredibly contagious! NY also has so many great restaurants and so much amazing food it is unbelievable!  I am so psyched for Spring and all the open air farmers markets and new fresh produce that will be available.  I have been thinking a lot about learning how to can and pickle and are open to any suggestions and recipes that you may have.  We are on a pretty tight budget right now which has its obstacles when trying to shop and eat organic, but there are also so many options in New York and we are making it work as much as possible.
I am so excited to be back and can't wait to share all the exciting chic and organic experiences I encounter during my adventures in New York!

In the mean time, I wanted to share a really interesting article I read on twitter yesterday titled "Serving Convenience Food for Dinner Doesn't Save Time"  here
Lately, I have really taken notice of all the ridiculous products that are being advertised and marketed as "Homemade".  Hamburger Helper is considered homemade...really?!?  Well, according to this article there is "no significant difference in the total cooking time for dinners made primarily from convenience foods and those made primarily from fresh ingredients or a combination of fresh and some or limited convenience foods...the difference was only 10 to 12 minutes."  I found that really interesting considering that most people purchase the pre-packaged / convenience food well for the convenience and time saving aspect of them.  I personally love cooking and creating homemade meals from scratch for a number of reasons. 

Homemade, from scratch meals are typically healthier because you can control the ingredients and the portions and don't have to worry about unwanted additives and preservatives.  They also tend to be cheaper especially when using items that are local and in season and the groceries can go a lot further towards other meals.  I personally find cooking relaxing and calming and I love providing healthy, nutritious meal for my family to enjoy.  I have also discovered that I love the challenge and find satisfaction in coming up with new and unique recipes.  I usually take an hour or so on one of my days off and chop up a bunch of vegetables for the week, soak beans, marinate protiens and prep anything else I may need...I find that helps with meal inspiration, convenience and when I may be short on time. 

What do you love most about home cooking?
Do you have any tips for how to make homemade meals more convenient?

Enjoy and Happy Home Cooking!