I like to cook

I'll admit, up until about a year or so ago, I didn't really enjoy cooking. I considered it another chore ranking right up there with laundry or clipping the dog's toenails (which reminds me...). I especially didn't like to bake.

This is my "oven". It hasn't worked since we moved in here 9 years ago, and it didn't work before then. I didn't care at the time because I didn't bake that much anyway. Now I'm starting to window shop for ovens and the prices are insane.

Up until last year, my main baking was done with a toaster oven. Don't ever discount those little dudes. If you get the right one, you can cook almost anything in them. I was baking chickens, small cakes and other small stuff. I couldn't make anything big, though. We always had to have Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners somewhere else :o(

Still, our main meals were Hamburger Helper and the like. Don't get me wrong. Hamburger Helper is good stuff. Eventually, our family got too big for just 1 box. That became a pain in the hiney, until Hubby went back on the road. With him gone, Hamburger helper could stay. One thing I like to do is make their stroganoff version but add green chili's and extra sour cream. Put that mixture in a tortilla and add cheese to make a burrito. YUMMY!

Last year, for my birthday, Hubby bought me one of those fancy microwave/convection ovens. Man, could that dude COOK! It microwaves stuff in no time flat. The problem is that the turntable still turns when it's baking. That makes the stuff that you're baking take even LONGER than they would in a toaster oven because it doesn't get done in the middle. It's great for a microwave and it would work in a pinch as an oven, but I haven't baked in it in ages.

This is my pride and joy. This is one of those $30 roaster ovens from Wal Mart. I LOVE this thing!!! I do every last bit of my baking right in this little baby. I've made everything from muffins (I can do more than 6 at a time, glory be!!) to a 17 pound turkey in this thing. It takes a little bit longer and if you get your stuff too close to the edge it'll burn. But once you figure out their quirks, they're great! Oh, you have to be very careful to not burn your knuckles, I've done it before. It don't feel good.

With these guys around, the words "What's for dinner?" don't sound so bad anymore. Y'all have a great day!! TW