A homecooked dinner

Today I was in the mood to cook.

To cook a healthy and hearty meal.

To cook a healthy and hearty meal and to serve it in a cozy manner.

I wandered the aisles of Wal Mart looking at the produce and meat until I could decide on a menu. I was inspired by the fresh zucchini and yellow squash and the sale on chicken breasts. I made a baked chicken with a balsamic marinade that I concocted. I broiled some zucchini, yellow squash, onions, and peppers with basil infused olive oil and parsley flakes. I made whole wheat linguine. The salad consisted of red leaf lettuce, feta cheese, dried cranberries, and walnuts. I bought a nice whole wheat french bread which I sliced up and served with butter. And, like almost EVERY meal at my house, there was applesauce! For dessert I made cheater apple dumplings - which is where rather than making the actual dumpling dough you just wrap the peeled and cored apples in a refrigerator biscuit. The meal was delicious, healthy and hearty. I decided that I didn't want to turn on the glaring florescent lights that are in my apartment, so I got out some candles and we ate by the light from the lamps in the Living Room and the candles on the table.

A group of five women from one of my residence halls came down for dinner. They were a group that really appreciated the ambiance, flavors, and healthful aspect of the meal. It was a lovely evening.

This is what my table looked like...