A Good Cookin' Kinda Day

Something happened that I didn't pursue, and would never have dreamed: I LOVE to cook! I have the best time trying new recipes out on my unsuspecting family. Challenges come in finding ways to use the surplus food I am blessed with every week, i.e. eggplant, Mexican gray squash, tomatillos, kale (haven't found a good use for that...yet! Family is kinda tired of boiled collard greens, boiled turnip greens, and spinach salad) When money was a bit more plentiful, I even would look up national food days, and adjust my menu accordingly! Anyway, if you would have told me years ago that I would look forward to filling out my monthly menu, keeping a freezer inventory (mind you, I am still a "work in progress" so only a small freezer is inventoried...not the chest freezer), I would have called you a lunatic. Now, I am not great at it...this cooking thing...I am still just trying out new things. Today, for instance. I found out it was National Peanut Butter Lovers' Day. This inspired a new cookie recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies...so far, a hit! And then, for dinner, I made a very different kind of enchiladas, recipe thanks to my daughter in law's blog, omitting any onions. Hubby loved them, and he is one tough cookie to please! So, it ended up being a good cookin' kinda day, and I had an absolute BLAST.

Now, thanks to Allison and her great encouragement, the Cafe Rio style pork meal was a great success with Kayty. Now, for my next challenge: homemade bread, without the machine! I will let you know how that goes!