Today I spent 90 ¢ at the market. I got away with two red potatoes and a small yellow onion for under a dollar! I almost cannot believe it. I paid with change. Do I really have to deduct the 90¢ from my twenty dollar budget? I paid with change. I did not even break a dollar bill. Let me know what you think. Do I need to deduct it from the budget of twenty dollars or not 🙂

So, tonight I am making a homemade chicken pot pie. I have never made such a thing. It is in the oven right now, and it smells pretty amazing. Photographs and comments will come tonight.

I worked on my knife cuts today. For one of the first times in my life, I have cut an onion in the proper way. Today I held my chef’s knife correctly. I chopped up two carrots and one stalk of celery. I cubed my two red potatoes. I cooked all of the veg (sans the onion) in chicken stock.

Anyhow.

The other day, one of my friends asked me why I cook and bake. My automatic answer was, “I love cooking. That is why I do it.” Today I was thinking more about the question. I sort of find cooking addictive. As you know, I love chopping vegetables. I love making salads. I love trying new recipes. Today I really did not want to go to the market. I am pretty sure that I am coming down with a cold. I have a sore throat. I was enjoying some quality couch time with my book (Right now I’m reading L’Affaire by Diane Johnson – it takes place in France, and that is the only reason I started reading it. I find reading about the place you want to be in really helps enhance your day dreams!) But I knew I had left over chicken and a recipe chicken pot pie that I really wanted to make. I had the celery, I had the carrots, I had the chicken stock, the chicken, and the puff pastry. So I made myself get up, put on a coat and boots, and I went to the market to spend my 90¢. It was a pretty good deal. As I was putting on my coat, I remembered the question that was just asked of me a couple of days ago… I almost shrugged and I definitely said in my head, “it’s just what I do.” I cannot help myself.

I have to cook.

Once I go back to work (in just a couple of weeks, I am almost excited) I know things will change. I definitely will not be cooking every day. I will be eating more salads and omelettes, but I fully intend to cook something on Sunday that I can eat until Tuesday and on Wednesday I will have an idea of what I’m going to make for the next couple of days. I will be all about meal plans. I will be all about cutting up red peppers, celery and carrots into veggie sticks for snacks. I will be all about putting apple slices and peanut butter into my lunch bag for an afternoon snack.

Ok. My chicken pot pie might just be ready. I am going to check on it, and then I will get back to you, bloggies.

Until then…