Yum...Did I cook that?

Ok, for those of you who don't know, I do not like to cook. I like to blame it on the size and shape of my kitchen. I find it stressful, extremely time consuming, and very difficult. I would much rather eat a bowl of cereal and be done with it. I cannot look in a cabinet or the fridge and just "see" what I can make for dinner. I have to ponder over a cookbook, find a recipe, go to the grocery, and follow the recipe to the last detail. If I cook usually we end up with some sort of casserole and some boiled vegetables. Yum! Doesn't that sounds great!

Well, Robert doesn't work this way. He can just start pulling stuff out (when I see that we have nothing), and make a great dinner without a cookbook or recipe! It has always amazed me. I did not get this gift (AT ALL)!

Today Ashley L. and I went to the Big Farmer's Market. For those of you who don't know, Ashley, is a culinary school graduate. The farmer's market was great! If you haven't been...go! I was really just planning to get some fruit. Tate and I LOVE fruit. Well, Ashley looks at me and ask if I would like to split a basket of green and red peppers (Bell Peppers). I told her I had no idea what I would do with them. She gave me a little laugh, said I will help you fix dinner, and we will use these. Then she asked if I would like some cauliflower. I don't even know if I have ever eaten anything that contains cauliflower. Again, I tell her I don't know what to do with it (keep in mind I don't have a cookbook with me). She again tells me she will help me. About 30 minutes later we head home with tons of fruit and vegs. Once we get to my house, Ashley tells me how to make Cauliflower mash (like mashed potatoes). Not hard and very good! She also tells me I should roast the peppers and squash and tells me how to do this. I know this all sounds ridiculous, but I have such tunnel vision when it comes to cooking. Before we left I had already pulled out the recipe for cucumber and tomato salad, so I was planning on fixing that.

So tonight my dinner was easy to cook, not very stressful, done without a cookbook (just a little help from a friend), and delicious!

The Menu:
Cajun pork chops (from Mark's Mart in Selma-SO GOOD!)
Roasted Peppers and Squash
Cauliflower Mash
Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Cheers Ashley! Thanks for a great dinner!