Lets face it, we all get stuck in food ruts. Seared salmon on top of mixed greens has been my fast and healthy go-to dinner for far too long. Time to shake things up! Of course like anyone, saying one thing and doing another can be challenging when you work full time, have a family or planning within a budget.

1. Make it Easy on Yourself
You don’t have to get all Martha on everyone and make every single meal from scratch, complete with hand-sewn napkins. Obviously, that would be pretty cool, but maybe you should work up to that. You can still buy a pre-made roasted chicken at the store on the way home, but instead of serving rotisserie chicken as is, cut off the meat and put it in a panini or toss it with a vegetable-packed salad.

2. But I Love Spaghetti Every Night…
Really? Okay, no one is going to blame you, but you might want to mix it up a little bit- what about adding some sauteed peppers or throw in some olive and capers for a little puttanesca inspiration? Try a different sauce or put that irresistable tomato sauce on a grilled chicken breast or roasted eggplant.

3. Plan Ahead
Doesn’t someone telling you to plan ahead sound super bossy and for some of us, unrealistic? I get that. Honestly though, doing one thing like throwing flank steak into a quick marinade the night before or prepping one thing for tomorrow’s dinner while you are throwing tonight’s dinner together doesn’t add up the hours, 15 minutes maybe. Have an office refrigerator? Cooler in your car? If you get a long lunch break, you can save a trip to the grocery store after work, by going on your lunch break.

4. Buy a New Kitchen Tool to Experiment and Force Yourself to Try Something New
Nothing makes you think outside the box more than purchasing a fun new kitchen tool. You don’t even need to splurge on a Vitamix to stir things up. Even buying something as cheap as a potato peeler that has fun ridges on the sides or even purchasing a panini press from the Goodwill will help inspire you to write up a different shopping list.

5.  Use Resources Right Around You
If you are grabbing lunch at a restaurant, don’t just read the menu for what you are eating now, see what else looks appetizing and try and replicate it yourself for dinner later on in the week. Ask all your friends, your mom and your co-workers what they are making for dinner, sometimes the simplest ideas are buried underneath all your creative brainstorming. And lastly, nothing is more inspiring for getting you out of your food rut by reading food blogs. They are overflowing with ideas and they are all cooked by real people who are not trying to sell you something!

Here are a just a couple of food blogs to check out:

Steamy Kitchen
Roots and Grubs
Cooking with Amy

Above Photo by: Gudlyf

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• Friday Fun Links
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• The Great Stuffing Debate!
• Wine from Scratch: Wine in the Kitchen
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We’re excited to announce the International Food Blogger Conference (IFBC) happening here in Seattle, May 15-17. We have a fabulous line-up of speakers and sponsors who are going to make this weekend the “must-attend” food blogging event of the year!

With the changes happening in traditional print media, the down-turn in the economy, and the loss of jobs, we’ve seen more and more people turning to blogging and/or turning their blogging into a business. We’re not the only ones who think this is just the tip of the iceberg, and feel exciting things are on the horizon for the food blogging community. That’s why we felt it important to organize an event to help us work together, learn new things, share ideas, and talk about issues surrounding food blogging.

The focus is on three themes: Food, Technology, and Writing.

The agenda is still a work-in-progress, but we’ve got some compelling speakers, topics and activities already on the schedule. Here’s a taste of what’s included:

• Ruth Reichl from Gourmet will talk about her new memoir Not Becoming My Mother: and Other Things She Taught Me Along the Way - you’ll get a signed copy of her book too!
• Renee Behnke, President Emeritus of Sur la Table will talk about her life in food and present her new book Memorable Recipes: To Share with Family and Friends
• Molly Wizenberg, creator of the award winning blog Orangette, writer for Bon Appétit, and new author of A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes From My Kitchen Table will be here to talk about her life and experiences in writing.
  
• Jaden Hair from Steamy Kitchen will talk about blogging as a business, food photography, and more.
• Publishers will be here to talk about what they are looking for in food writers, how to write proposals, etc.. (Yes, they are looking and want to connect!)
• We’ll talk about everything from Food Porn (tools, tips, techniques) to Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Top local chefs will fill you up on fabulous gourmet food
• We’ll send you home with a goody bag so fantastic you’ll think it’s Christmas in May
• And we’ll have prizes raffled throughout the day.

This is one-of-a-kind networking, tasting, and learning event. Because space is limited and expected to sell out quickly, early registration is closed to the general public, but we want to extend the invitation to our loyal Foodista readers! Email us at ifbc@foodista.com for an invitation.

OPEN REGISTRATION STARTS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2009.

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• The 2,000 Pound Rib Feast
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• Oktoberfest