So far I have tried the following:Chili - very good and will make again!
Chicken Jambalaya - So good! And Mark took my leftovers that I was saving for my lunch! Yes, it was that good. So I have to rub it in.(sorry, no photo)
Stuffed Peppers - These were easy and good. I did add a few extra things to it. Like some taco sauce on the top and used pepper jack cheese in the filling and extra sharp cheddar on the top. (sorry, no photo of this either)
Old-Fashioned Beef Stew - I have made stews before, but this one was really good. Normally I do it in the crockpot, but this time I did it on the stove and it worked out very well I think.What have I been thinking, I keep forgetting to take a photo. So here is a photo from the left overs. FYI, they are also just as good. Maybe better even.
I even tried out Swedish Meatballs - I liked them. Mark thought they needed something more. But there are kind of a subtle flavor to them. The recipe called for Allspice or Nutmeg. I used Allspice, but I think Nutmeg would be better. I also used Milk. The recipe stated to use Milk, Half-and-Half or Light Cream, so maybe the Cream or Half-and-Half would do more. Also I baked the meatballs, so I didn't have as much pan drippings, so next time I will just fry them so I have more drippings. Over all, I think it was a success. And of course, I forgot a photo. But at least I had left overs for it.
Up next is one that intrigued me. Winter Pot Roast. Since it is winter and pot roast sounded so good, I figured why not try it. Normally I just through stuff in the crockpot, but this isn't a crockpot recipe and I want to make it with the recipe to see how it is supposed to taste. But I will prep some stuff early, so I don't have to do it all at once.
In the morning I prepared the veggies and items that needed some chopping or other prep.
First I chopped up some carrots and parsnips. The recipes called to use either, but I figured that I would do a half and half thing with them. Cause I love them both. If you haven't had parsnips before, to me they are a little sweeter than carrots.
(if you want to mess with family and friends for dinner, try cooking a bunch of parsnips in boiling water and then drain and mash. Just like mashed potatoes, only sweeter. Just need a little butter. Mark didn't care for them, but I also didn't tell him what they were until after he tasted them. Yes, I can be evil.)
Next I did the garlic. I have three gadgets that make using garlic a breeze. First is the peeler. It is the tube thing in the photo. All you do is but the clove of garlic in it and roll it back and forth for a few seconds and the skins come right off.
Look at that! Way to easy really. The silver item is used to mince the garlic. This is the best tool ever for mincing garlic. Plus when you wash it, rub it over your hands. It actually takes the smell out. I use it when I do onions and garlic. So when I'm done, takes both the smells out.
It called for one large onion cut into wedges, so I used two small ones and just chopped them largely. 
Next up, I halved the apricots and prunes. No cool tools for this. Just a knife.
That was all the prep I was able to do. Cooking time is 2 1/4 hours. So I started about at about 3:30 p.m. so that dinner would be done around 6.After the first hour and 45 minutes, I added all the veggies and cooked for 40 more minutes.
The results were really good. Mark of course wasn't a fan of the parsnips, but did like the meat and the gravy. I like the whole thing and next time, no Parsnips. Maybe I will throw in a rutabaga or turnip. :)Coming up next, Cashew Pork and Pea Pods and Scalloped Potatoes.
