I love to try out new recipes from my bimonthly Cuisine at Home. The magazine is so fabulous that I have bought it for friends, who have bought it for friends, who have (you guessed it) bought it for friends. One of my cooking comrades always receives her in the mail before me. On delivery day, I get a slew of texts from her talking about the latest recipes that she wants to try which leaves me nothing short of antsy to get my hands on my own copy.

This week I was feeling the fall air so I threw together a meal for the season: Chicken Breasts with Mushroom-Artichoke Ragout, Mashed Potatoes, and Apple Calfouti “Pie”. And the best part? I had it the leftovers lunch the next day!

But wait, there’s more!

After publicly admitting my food sins, I knew that I couldn’t change my course alone (if I could, it would have changed about 20 years ago). To combat my “lonely chore” perception of cooking, I asked for company from my sister and nephew. And to address my “I don’t know what the heck to do in the kitchen” barrier, Michelle Ward of Seasonal Custom Cuisine quickly came to my rescue with some recipes and guidance (thanks for the tips on how to cut corn off a cob – that could have been ugly and dangerous left to my own devices).

Armed with a couple of totes shoved deep within the dark recesses of my cupboard, some cash, and a list, we headed off to the local farmer’s market (knowing that there’s a great, local grocery within a block should I hit a snag).

But wait, there’s more!