Hi everyone. I just wanted to share what I've learned this week (as you can see from the post title)
Lesson #1-Cafe Rio is cheaper
On monday(our day off), Nate and I decided that we were going to be adventurous and try to re-do our favorite Cafe Rio meat.....the yummy pork.We found a recipe online that sounded pretty good. As we were looking at the recipe blog, it came to our attention that we have to have rice to go along with it, and the beans, and the dressing, and fresh tortillas.(probably because she listed those recipes as well) And what the heck...why not make homemade guacamole and salsa to go along with it? So off to Costco(for the uncooked tortillas, yum) and the grocery store we went. We had a HUGE list of stuff we needed. I have to tell you all that the total amount of our items was so big that I can't even post it on the internet!!!(if you really want to know, I'll tell you in person). Warning...making your own Cafe Rio is not something you want to do if you are trying to be frugal. I wish someone would have told ME that. Anyway, we came back home and got started. I do have to admit that we did have a lot of fun making the food. It is much more rewarding than standing in line at the restaurant, even though it takes pretty close to the same amount of time.....3 1/2 hours. When we were done, we had quite the spread and I must admit that it tasted pretty darn good! Our friends, Sadee and Mike joined us and were very impressed with our culinary skills, if I do say so myself!
Lesson #2-Makind bread takes too long!!!
This lesson is a sad one for me, because I can never seem to find the time to make it. In the past year or so, I realized I really wanted to be a great bread maker. My mom showed me how to make rolls in November, something I ever dared do myself. You might ask why. The answer is that I AM AFRAID OF YEAST! I have a fear that I will ruin the bread/rolls since I don't really know how yeast works. I finally decided that I don't care anymore and I just want to try it. The worst possible scenerio is that I have to throw it away. But now I have a new problem....IT TAKES TOO LONG!!! I thought I had time today, but when I looked at my recipe, I realized that the process is over 3 1/2 hours(ironically the amount of time it takes to make a Cafe Rio meal with your husband). Hmmm...I just realized that maybe I do have the time. I just need to enlist him.
OK, maybe this lesson is teaching me another lesson.....sorry that this post was SUPER random. Just a few thoughts for posterity.
The Dancing Diva!
14 years ago
10 comments:
I have to agree with you on both counts -- we have done that Cafe Rio salad at home (and are trying to find tomatillos so we make it down here) and it is WAY more expensive than just going out, but it does make you proud when you are finished making it.
And as much as I LOVE homemade bread, it does take a long time and even though I intend to do it a lot, I usually end up going to the bakery next door!
Look at you all domestic :-)
Sounds yummy. I wish I was there. And I must agree on the pricey-ness of the adventure. Kessee and I have tried to make several restaurant items and they all end up being more expensive...but they are yummy. And it is fun to do it together.
Check out my blog and see my quilt. Still a work in progress, but it is coming along.
You are funny. My Relief Society is having a class on Saturday the 20th on making bread in one hour. This lady claims it can be done, but you have to add a special ingredient called lecthitin??? Something like that. Anyway, if you want to come up to the class, let me know. Then you could be kicking out your own homemade bread every day! :)
ok...this post is hilarious....as far as making bread goes...get a bread maker....bread only takes so much time because of the time it takes to rise in between....the actual work doesn't take much time...just the waiting...but you can do other things....as far as Cafe Rio goes....if you'd made the tortillas instead of bought them that would have been cheaper (just flour and lard)...and you have to serve a lot of people...either way its fun and yummy! I'm all about it! Way to be adventurous!
You are too funny. I was also afraid of bread until recently... and I have never tried to make my own Cafe Rio... but it does sound fun/ expensive.
I think I learned a long time ago that it can be cheaper to eat out than to buy every single ingredient and make it at home. Of course, it also depends on how many you are feeding. As far as bread/rolls go, you don't see me making them like I used to. I think I had more time when I was younger, which really doesn't make much sense. But there really isn't anything better than a homemade roll, fresh out of the oven! mmmmmmmmmmm!
I'm afraid of yeast to, but only because I hear you can get some kind of infection from it.
Eeeeeew, Michael.
Hi Nicole! It's Christina. I agree it can be more expensive but it ends up cheaper if you are cooking for a crowd. For some reason, I like to cook for a ton of people. After a while you will have a lot of things on hand (like the rice and stuff like that) so the cost won't hit you all at once, too. I am a cooking nerd. I hear you on the bread thing. It takes forever. I go through phases when I can handle it.
Haha, this is too funny! I had no idea it would take so long to make.
Post a Comment