Confessions of an amateur chef:

I am not a professional cook. I barely know any cooking terminology. I have to admit that most of my success has been because of trial and error. For 22+ years I have been learning how to cook. The dishes that have stayed in my file are the ones that I have gotten good at. Those are the ones that I have tweaked and perfected to the point that, somehow, I appear to know what I'm doing! I really don't!! I have some knowledge and understanding about cooking, but when I browse around online, I am embarrassed at how little I know! Seriously, I didn't know what a sous chef was until I saw it in a movie! But that's okay...I'm the executive chef in my kitchen!!

So, the skills I have in the kitchen are very limited, but I am always learning something new and always adding new ideas to my collection. One thing I have learned recently is that ALL leftovers can be used! I try not to waste anything, as it is very expensive to feed a family of six. You will see me use one cut of meat for two meals, at the very least. For instance, Pot Roast leftovers can be turned into a very rich hash, that when served with biscuits and a salad is a very satisfying meal that my family loves.

The following pictures are of tonight's meal. I had 3 pieces of lunchmeat left...not enough for all the kids to have sandwiches...so, I used them to make my version of a stromboli. (cold cuts rolled up inside pizza dough)

Also, remember the Chicken Cacciatori I had last night for dinner? Well, there was a bit left, but not enough for a meal...so, I took the rest of it and used it on my pizza. You can see from the last picture that it was a success. (actually, the pizza with the most on it is usually the favorite one in this house.)







Remember, I'm just another amateur chef...it's my family who makes me feel like I'm a successful restaurant owner!