Howdy beautiful people! Let’s talk about one of my favorite things in the world — FOOD!

Fred and I have been a couple for five years, but have been married for two years. Cooking is one of his passions. Therefore, he does the majority of the cooking in the house.

I feel like a winner! It feels good having him cook and plate my meal for lunch and dinner. Sometimes it is chickpea curry, shrimp and broccoli alfredo, squash and zucchini, or plant based burgers with fries.

As of late, I’ve stepped into the kitchen.

Don’t clutch your heart too much.

I recently made a Crockpot meal for us…

Jerk Chicken, Cabbage, Carrots and Brown Rice

We went to Whole Foods and Walmart for ingredients. At Whole Foods, we found a seasoning called, Dizzy Pig Jamaican Firewalk. It was cheaper than the other seasonings I picked up, and I learned it is local to the area. It is manufactured in Manassas, Virginia. That is not too far from hubby and I.

I also bought plantains from Whole Foods too. I burned them ya’ll. Which saddened Fred and I because the last batch I made were on point.

Long story short, he used his cutting skills to prep for me. He had cabbage slices for me, he cleaned and chopped the chicken thighs. I used the Dizzy Pig seasoning. I did layers in the Crockpot — cabbage on the bottom, chicken, cabbage, then chicken, and then the carrots. I put the carrots in the last 2 and a half hours.

Listen man!! We were so hungry, we didn’t even get a picture of the finished product. I only have pictures of everything in their raw state.

I will say it must have been on point. Because for 2 days — 2 days — Fred could not stop talking about how good it was. He was ready to have it for dinner two nights in a row.

Oven-Baked Mac & Cheese

This dish contained diced Tandoori chicken, broccoli, chickpea noodles, shredded cheddar cheese.

For this meal, it was to use the left over Tandoori chicken we had from an Indian restaurant. The chicken was spicy as all get out when I ate it Saturday. I was scared to eat it on Sunday. On that Monday, Fred had an idea to add it to the mac and cheese to rid of some of the spiciness.

I will say, Fred was on to something! While this meal had a kick to it, it was not as spicy as when I ate the Tandoori chicken by itself on Saturday. I had water with this meal. Juice and soda was not my best friend. And I loved how far the cheese would string along when I used my fork.

What have you all been cooking lately? Are you utilizing alternatives like chickpeas, brown rice, or are you remixing what you have been making for meals?