Yep like Dorothy in the land of OZ or Alice in Wonderland I too was lost in a strange land for a couple of days.  Only my land was the kitchen and the things that threatened me were spoons, bowls, skillets, the oven, and a Taste Of Home magazine.  Some unknown power took control of my brain and forced me to open the magazine and start to read.  A little voice in the back of my head kept saying put the magazine down!  You hate to cook!  Put it down and walk away.  But I couldn’t leave it alone on the counter.  I found a pencil and pad and started writing down all the things I would need.  Butternut squash—I have that in my food room.  Carrots—those are in the vegetable drawer.  Onions—in the newly hung baskets in the laundry room.  Potatoes—in the wooden bin Jay made me some years ago.  The bacon strips—in the meat keeper and the stew beef in the freezer down in the mud room.  Beef broth—I could make that right here with my concentrate.  That left very little for the store—cabbage and green peppers.

Almost magically the book flipped over to page 48 where the words Cashew Beef Stir-fry grabbed my attention.  But I thought I don’t do stir fry—never have.  But look, my eyes told me, we have carrots, onions, rice and a 1/4 of a can of cashews.  When you are at the store you can pick up the broccoli. a red pepper, a beef sirloin steak,  and a yellow summer squash. 

So there you have it with list in hand it was off to Rosati’s to buy my needs.  I have to be crazy I kept thinking .  I hate to cook.  It will turn out lousy,  I’m buying sirloin and I’m not even Chinese!  But I kept marching through the store crossing off the items on my list as I put them in the cart. 

Then it was back home and on Wednesday the adventure became a reality.  The Wok my son had bought me several years ago appeared from out of the basement and with Jay assisting the Cashew Beef came together.  Actually it was quite good and I had enough to freeze some for another meal. 

On Thursday before going to get the income taxes done I threw the ingredients for the Loaded Vegetable Beef Stew in the slow cooker and let is merrily simmer away for about six and one half hours.  That also came out quite good with enough for another two meals in the freezer. 

But today I think I have escaped my spell because I don’t care to cook anything.  I don’t even want to warm up canned soup.  However my hubby wanted to know if I wanted to continue getting the magazine seeing I had done so well.  ( Man I don’t know——-)