After Thanksgiving Day

It was a black Friday, but not for us.

Avoid all the shopping malls or stores, but had lunch at a restaurant owned (or managed) by one of Food Network next starts, whom we did not like that much...

I had their signature hamburger, which was chosen for the best burger on the show. It was really good - not a typical burger in the sense of the bun (sour dough bread toasted with a touch of garlic oil). No ketchup but mozzarella cheese. I would categorize this not a burger but a sandwich.

Another cooking night - debated between chicken soup and beef stew, and we ended up with cooking the stew. I did not brown the meat on the stove top, but in the hot oven - 500 degree for 20 minutes (I learned this method from Ina). Carrot, onion, celery, garlic, and potato along with diced tomato and chicken stock.

After 2 and a half hours in the 350 degree oven, it came out perfectly... Eating with brown rice is the way we usually serve and a bit healthier than with mashed potato or so.

We finished the day with sweet potato pumpkin pie from a whole foods warmed up in the oven... It was good but I did not want to know how many calories that one piece had...