Just call me Betty Crocker

Today I went to the grocery store for the first time in FOR-EV-ER and got all the ingredients for the big recipe exchange between friends. Mitzi, Adam & Jill, Amy, Rachel, Brenda and I have talked about a meal swap in the past. This weekend, it seemed that Mitz, Adam & I all had some time on our hands and grocery lists to purchase, so we decided to test out the logistics of it.

Basically, the main idea is to make a big batch of something and then split it into servings for one or two people and then trade. Being a single person who lives on her own ... I loathe cooking for myself because it takes me forever to make something and then I'm eating it for the next 5 meals. No fun.

If it works after this first swap, we'll have the add the others to the exchange and get a calendar set up. Jill said she'd try to do one on google so we all didn't end up making and swapping the same type of pasta dish on one day! The keys to the swap are price, taste, how easy it is to make, and I think now that we are going into the winter ... making things that can be frozen would be ideal! That way you don't have to rush home to eat it that night.

Now that I've gotten excited for this, I found a few great recipes that seem easy to make and easy on the wallet. I got all the ingredients today at the grocery store thinking that I would make all 3 dishes tonight. WHAT WAS I THINKING? The others will have to wait a few days. Tonight's first trial was chicken enchiladas that I saw Cristina Ferrare make on Oprah this week. Sure wish the people I talked to about this dish would have told me that things seem MUCH easier when they are doing it in 7 minutes on TV.

1 1/2 hours later, I just finished my yummy dinner with part of my portion! I poached my own chicken, then made 3 separate containers of the enchiladas and froze 2 and heated up one for myself! I was a bit worried that they wouldn't turn out ... but they were damn good!

I should have taken a picture, but by the time I finished, I was so hungry and dove in immediately. I'll be sure to keep you all posted on how well the swap is going! Anyone else in town want to join in?? The more the merrier! =)