Well hello! It's been awhile, hope you all have been well! I've been busy writing music and tending to issues with my job. I'm a teacher so I end up being very busy once September rolls around. Never the less, I've still been cooking. In fact, there's something about the Fall months that get my cooking juices flowing. As soon as that first brisk Autumn day arrives, my mind is drawn toward making casseroles and baking. I figure its part of the hibernation impulse that we inherited from our out-in-the-wild forefathers.

So here's some things that I've happened upon that are making my cooking life a bit more interesting.

I like to take pictures of breakfast for some reason, or maybe I like to take pictures on Saturday morning, not sure...

1) Sopresseta Salami - you can get this at your local grocer. I usually get a loaf that is approximately 1.5 to 2" in diameter. There are many, many brands and types but the basic idea is that it is a dry Italian salami made from pork. What I've discovered is that when sliced thinly and fried for a few minutes on medium heat, you've got a wonderful alternative to bacon for your breakfast. It's almost like Canadian Bacon or Taylor Ham on steroids (not literally, mind you.) In addition, I use it sliced match-stick thin in salads for that little porky-spicy surprise (sounds like my wedding night) Oops! did I say that?

2) Lose It! - this is an app for the Internets, Android and IOS that helps you keep track of your calories and if you're so inclined, your fat and carb intake also. I've been using it for the last two weeks to help lose weight, mainly because I was approached by an employee of a local aquarium, asking why I had escaped the Whale Pool.

There's some cool things about this app that keeps me using it:

A) any entries I make on my Android phone will show up almost immediately on any other device that uses that app, including the website LoseIt.com.

B) You can create your own foods and save them for reuse.

C) you can use previous meals that you've taken the time to painstakingly enter into the system for that day's log. In addition, you can deselect foods from that meal if you're not eating that particular item that day.

D) It also keeps track of your exercise and subtracts those calories that you've burned from your intake that day. Rode your stationary bike for 30 minutes? You've now made room for that Almond Horn. Yum!

3) Sortedfood.com - my daughter turned me on to this web site/YouTube channel and these guys from England are not only funny, but they show how to make great food! Although I'm on a diet, I'm going to be making their version of the Cronut real soon. What's great is that one of their presenters is actually a trained chef so it adds a level of credibility. Of course, that doesn't mean you should stop coming to this site...hey! WAIT! STAY!!!! ;)

So that's a bit of what's been going on in my food world. If you have any thoughts about great food sites, please let me know so I can check them out too - Best!

Some New 'Discoveries'