I made some stir fry last night, with a recipe for Garlicky Hoisin sauce from Real Simple magazine. It was very good, except for the fact that I forgot to turn off the burner underneath the rice, and it kind of, um, overcooked just a bit. It was still edible, but very "fluffy".

Also, I finally used my food processor! I chopped a lot of the veggies last night with it. It really made it go much faster, and I loved that everything was uniform.

Okay, back to work.

My new pot!

Okay, I have been lusting after a Le Creuset pot for about a year now. However, I cannot afford it. I know I can find some at TJ Maxx for much cheaper than probably anywhere else, but they are still a bit too pricey. Then, I read an articile on Cooks Illustrated magazine about inexpensive dutch ovens. They rated the Chefmate dutch oven from Target as the best buy. According to their tests, it kept up with the Le Creuset in every aspect. Of course, this item was out of stock in Target stores and online. For the next few weeks I called Target's store relations number every few days to check on the status of the pot. Finally, the other day, they said it was in stock in the Target store on Olentangy River Rd, which is about a mile from me. The kicker is, that is the only store within 100 miles that had it. It was a sign. So, I bought the pot, and here is a picture:




I haven't used it yet, but I will be tonight. I am making Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic with couscous and some sauteed peppers. I will most definitely take some more pictures. =)

I have been cooking!

Okay, so I haven't posted in awhile. There is something about the new year that makes me exhausted. It is either the previous holidays or the year ahead. But, I have been cooking with my new toys. So far, I LOVE my new Cuisinart stainless steel pans. They are fantastic. And they really clean up just as easily as non-stick. This might be because I am anal about my dishes being done immediately after dinner, so the food doesn't sit in the pans overnight. The thought of that happening makes me lightheaded.

I am ashamed to admit, though, that I haven't actually used my food processor yet. I don't know why, but I just haven't really gotten around to it. I wanted it for so long, and now that I have it, I am not sure where to start!

I can't think of anything new that I have made that I can share. Actually, I am making something new tonight, though. I am making a pork loin roast over at my friend Charla's house, and with that I am making some Mustard-Roasted Potatoes from the new Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook. They look delish. I can't find the recipe online, but I will post it after consumption.

I am really wanting to go to Wasserstrom tomorrow, but I have to keep myself at home. If I go, I will just spend money. And, I have no money to spend! After Christmas bills are killing me. All those gifts seemed like a good idea at the time...

Okay, so this weekend my goal is to stay at home with my bag of flour, sugar and sticks of butter and make Geoff some cookies. I also want to make SOMETHING with the food processor! Sigh. I did push the Pulse button once with nothing in the processor just to see how loud it was. It was pretty quiet! Maybe I will just shred some carrots to get the ball rolling.

Have a good weekend everyone! I am off Monday now that I am a giddy State of Ohio employee! =)