The One with Homecooked Meals

Did I mention the applesauce I made on Saturday?  It was a completely spur of the moment idea and boy oh boy are we both glad I thought of it!  I had a bag of MacIntosh apples that we were not enjoying as much as the Granny Smiths and the Ida Reds.  Obviously I did not want to see the MacIntosh face their demise so my brain's wheels starting turning.  I found a "fast" recipe in my favorite cookbook by Betty Crocker and within a half hour we were partaking of the perfectly flavored and ideally thickened sauce.  Kevin and I both love chunky apple sauce and both of us eat it like it's candy, so I'm glad I made a triple batch.  It's already almost gone. =D  I'm proud of my first attempt at this comfort food.

Monday brought with it the plan for Stew.  We checked out the price of stew meat at a couple grocery stores but decided against spending $3.50 a pound.  I decided to substitute chicken for the beef and made sure to include plenty of carrots, potatoes, and celery.  I probably could have made a half or even a quarter batch to feed just the two of us, but I figured having frozen leftovers for another day would be a good plan.  Anyways, I used my mom's recipe for "Forgotten Stew" and it turned out deliciously in my new 7 qt. crockpot from Kevin's Mom & Dad.  Once again *proud*.  

Speaking of meals, have I shared my latest expression of my Type A personality?  For the past month or so we have been "meal planning."  On Friday or Saturday of every week, Kevin & I decide what we want for dinner for the nights of Monday through Friday.  It's actually a fairly quick and easy process.  Each week I end up trying a new recipe and each week we have "Pasta Wednesdays" and typically grill on Tuesdays.  Then, on Saturday afternoon we hit the grocery store with the list of items needed to prepare balanced and delicious meals through the week.  It's really nice to not have to be completely undecided 10 minutes before you're to the point of starving to death (a little exaggerated, yes...) and it's cool to have something to "look forward to" food-wise.  I would recommend it.