Easy Artichokes

Cooking whole artichokes is a relatively new thing for me.  Previously I would just buy the canned artichoke hearts but I was always left a little dissapointed at how rubbery they can be.  So on a whim I bought I few at the grocery store and have been using this no fail recipe to cook them.  It is so easy and it adds a classy and fun element to the vegetable portion of dinner

You need:
Artichoke or two
1/2 a lemon
2 to 3 garlic cloves peeled
2 bay leaves

To Cook:
Trim artichokes by cutting off the stem so they can sit up in the pot and cut off about 1/2" of the top of the artichoke.  It helps to use a serated knife to do this.
Place about an inch of water in a large pot and sit your artichokes in the water.  Then throw in the lemon, garlic, and bay leaves.
Boil water and then put a lid on the pot and reduce the heat to simmer.  Let cook for 45 minutes. 
So freaking easy.  My favorite is the artichoke bottom in the very center.  Just be sure to peel off the fuzzy stuff that covers it.