What’s for dinner?

The very last time I turned on my oven in Washington, D.C. was about a year ago. It was a feeble attempt to make a real dinner and the smoke alarm went off so many times that I had to disconnect it from the wall – including the one in the bedroom. After that, I relied entirely on obtaining dinners from Whole Foods, practically living in the prepared foods section and relishing the fact that I never had to stand over a steaming pot of water or scrub dirty dishes.

This ideal was short-lived because Whole Foods is nonexistent in Shreveport and I panicked at the thought of having to learn how to cook. For real.

But I have learned. Kind of.

I’m not going to write about how I failed miserably at trying to bake a potato. Twice (true story). Or how I botched a batch of vegetables trying to roast them. Or how I learned the importance of a corn brush other than being a seemingly useless kitchen tool that couples put on their wedding registry. Instead I will share the stories of success that prove even the most domestically challenged can channel their inner Barefoot Contessa.

Behold, my masterpieces:

1. “Chicken Marsala Pinot Grigio” – I tried this recipe from HowSweetEats.com but I couldn’t find marsala wine. The Pinot Grigio worked just fine!

2. Spice Lamb Chops - I finally used one of my Real Simple cookbooks. This was easily one of the top 5 meals I’ve ever made.

3. Homemade Lasagana – I used the Kraft recipe and I burned the edges a little, hence the reason for showing you the before picture.

4. Homemade Guacamole – The. best. guacamole. ever. Take that, Cactus Cantina!

Not shown above: The best turkey burgers ever from HowSweetEats along with spicy sweet potatoes; Chicken Parmigiana; Flatbread pizzas; and pancakes from scratch!

Bon Apetito!