Fix-It and Forget-It

So you know how it is when you need something done around the house. You ask those people who always know this kind of stuff. Who the best furnace-repair outfit is. Which doctor really listens. Which sheets last the longest.

Well, our house needed to be repainted, so I asked a guy who’s done some book photography for us for a suggestion. He knows what’s going on, plus he’s got a great eye.

He told me who he’d recommend, and I lined up an appointment for the painter to drop by.

The painter and I did all of our business—talking about house colors and the crews’ work schedule—and just as we were winding up, the guy paused and asked, “So what cookbook are you working on now?”

I had no idea he had any clue about my work (and this passion I have). I filled him in a little, and then he said, “Well, we’ve cooked tons of meals from your Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook! Beginning when our kids were in elementary school, and then as they got older, once a week or so, my wife or I would bring the Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook to the dinner table. And when we had finished eating, one of us would read recipes to the kids, asking them to pick several recipes that sounded good to them.

“It was a fun way to have them think about how food actually gets to the table. And because they helped to choose what we would have for dinner, they were more enthusiastic eaters.

“They also learned how to read recipes and imagine their outcome. Isn’t that what good cooks can do so well?!”
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I don’t have a garden, but every year, when I bite into a fresh tomato, I make myself promise to plant a garden next year. To me, there’s just nothing quite as summery and delicious as homegrown vegetables—especially tomatoes.

But tomatoes are an all-or-nothing plant, a feast-or-famine plant. They grow only a few weeks out of the year, but once they start, there’s no stoppin’ ‘em. They’re just one of those vegetables that keep producing even after you’ve made all your favorite tomato recipes and given a few basketfuls to the neighbors.

So here’s a recipe that we just love and that celebrates tomatoes. Whether you can your own or purchase cans from the store, this recipe can be used now or all year long. Stewed tomatoes go beautifully with a meat dish and leave a mouth-watering scent in the house. “It smells like the Olive Garden,” said a co-worker at The Good Cooking Store. She’s going to make it at home—and she doesn’t even like tomatoes!
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With a gray sky overhead, we need something colorful for supper. This combination of onions, tomatoes and green peppers not only tastes delicious, but the vibrant presentation is sure to impress those gathered around your table tonight.
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