What's Cookin'

I feel like I've been cooking up a storm since the hurricane.  I enjoy cooking and usually cook several meals a week, enough for us to eat on most of the week.  I've had some flops lately, though.  I tried beef stroganoff and Chicken Santa Fe, both from the same website.  The stroganoff needed more sauce, and I thought the chicken was a bit plain.  I have had some success and thought I would share them.

I'm trying to get away from sandwiches for lunch at school while also avoiding cafeteria food, so Monday I made a pasta salad featured in the latest Southern Living.

I made a few changes and thought it turned out really well.  My box of pasta was only 12 ounces, but I think the 16 ounces called for would have been too much.  I just don't think there's enough dressing for that, but I'm one who would always choose more dressing than less.  I omitted the pecans because I only like nuts in certain foods.  I also bought some packaged chicken to add on the side.  I picked up bacon pieces as well, but I've only tried it with the chicken.  I hoping to get lunch out of it again tomorrow before it gets too dry.

Yesterday morning, Ned started sauce for cheese tortellini in the crockpot.  Other than forgetting to set the timer, he did well.  Once I got home, I only had to add the tortellini and some cheese, and it was ready in about 15 minutes.  I made some garlic cheese biscuits and dinner was done.  Avery, who loves pasta but is still iffy on red sauce, ate it up.  Ned told me to add it to the rotation.  (He's also asked for a few things to be removed!)  Coming home to dinner almost prepared and a clean house on the first day of school was a blessing.

I've bookmarked several recipes from where Kelly's Korner did the crockpot link, so if I stumble across any more delicious ones, I'll let you know.  I'm all about easy in the crockpot, especially when Ned can get it started in the morning.  I have a page in my home organization notebook for recipes I want to try, because I'm always seeing something that sounds good and then forgetting where it is.  More on my under-construction organization notebook and my shiny life planner coming soon!

Finally, I've had the ingredients for this since before the hurricane, and Ned is running out of patience.

The September Southern Living is going to cause me to need an apple peeler, and a fitness program.