Kitchen "Busy"ness

Remember when I said I was back in action? Well, I've been trying to make up for lost time in the kitchen, and last week served to help me along. J and I finally got some time for just us, and it gave me the motivation to cook and bake some treats for us to enjoy as the summer winds its way down.

First task: a trip to the farmer's market.

It's tough to walk through such abundance and not pick up one of everything, but we limited ourselves to some sweet corn, fingerling potatoes, and garden carrots -- the basics, I suppose.

Dinner #1 was pan-seared steak tips and sweet corn. Nothing fancy, I know, but some days call for simplicity.

Yes, it tasted that good, too.

For dinner #2, I went with a lemon-ginger marinated chicken breast and herb-and-Parmesan-cheese potatoes and carrots roasted in the oven. That took a little more prep, but was a nice change from the usual onion potatoes I do. According to J, it was one of the best meals I've cooked for us since we started looking for new things to try. High praise indeed.

Nice little taters...

...plus tangy, juicy chicken...

... makes for a hearty and satisfying meal for two.

I also managed to make up a quick calzone for our lunches, using store-bought bread dough, provolone, and some prosciutto. It came out okay, and I'll now be on the hunt for alternative fillings for the future.

Slice it up!

And since I couldn't do all this cooking and neglect my sweet tooth, I surprised J with some Magic Disappearing Marshmallow Puffs for dessert. A gooey, messy, cinnamon-and-sugar-filled bite of yum.

Bye bye, marshmallow! Hello, sweet sugary ball. Next time: with vanilla ice cream!

Whew! Like I said, I was making up for some lost time. Besides, as the weather begins to cool and the scents of autumn appear, my taste buds get to perk up from a long summer of lazy days and too-hot-to-cook nights. Fall and winter are my favorite food seasons, and I intend to honor them with as much delicious, homemade food as possible.