A lot

I have been spending a lot of time with my friends. We have been cooking... A lot.  I have cool friends. They hunt mushrooms and dive for abalone.

Which is great for me because I love to eat mushrooms and abalone.  This week, we made pizza, a lot of stir fry, eggplant chili verde, veggie tacos, enchiladas, and brownies, just to name a few. I have learned a lot.

I learned that the produce stand in Moss Landing is open 24 hours.

I learned that if a recipe calls for you to use foil, you should use it. 

I learned that I like anchovy pizza and fresh picked Chanterelle mushrooms... A lot. 

I learned that "a lot" is an informal phrase perhaps not often seen in print because most formal writers usually use other expressions.

Oooops, I used it a lot.