Artichoke Dip

This recipe has been a favorite for literally decades. My old best friend Donna and I would make this for dinner and take it to parties, and this was back in the late 1980s. I can't remember where I first found the recipe or ate it, but I know it came from me, because I'll never forget the first time she made it and used jarred, marinated artichoke hearts instead of canned hearts, and -- well, you would have had to have been there.

Later, this became a staple for me and Robert, sharing it with friends and family. And even later, it was a favorite for my kids. I admit, it sometimes sufficed for dinner; no doubt I added a side dish of fruit in an effort to give some nutrition.

Robert and Holly have been talking about it and finally chose to have it for dinner last night. Apparently, it's a recipe that never has made it to my blog. Holly's comment just now was, "At least if the house goes up in flames, the recipe will survive." Yep, into internet eternity now. :)

ARTICHOKE DIP

1 can of artichokes, drained and chopped (rinsed, drained, use food processor)

1 c. mayonnaise

1 clove of garlic

1/8 t. yellow mustard (seems I've always used a tad more)

5 oz. shredded Parmesan (about a cup)

1 T. lemon juice (or 1 t. or so of Worcestershire)

 

Place all in baking dish; mix well. Bake at 350 for 20 mins. until bubbly.

Serve with cubed french bread or corn chips (okay, or carrots, celery, zucchini, etc. but I can say I've NEVER done that!)

Chocolate Waffles and Clam Dip

No, not together, yukkkkkk!

Good Eats recently showed up on Netflix, so Trevor and I have begun watching the show from way back.  Gosh, Alton is so good.  Yesterday, we watched a show on waffles, and he made chocolate waffles.  I made them for dessert.  They were very easy, although my batter seemed much runnier than on the show.  They also had relatively minimal sugar, which I liked. They freeze--and reheat like any other frozen waffle.  Holly already had another tonight.

Chocolate Waffles

1-1/2 c. flour

3 T. sugar

1/2 c. cocoa powder

1 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

1/2 t. baking soda

3 eggs, beaten

4 T. butter, melted (I misread and used only 2 T.; it was just fine)

1 t. vanilla

16 oz. buttermilk

4 oz. chocolate chips, optional

 

 Preheat waffle iron.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In another bowl, beat together the eggs, melted butter and vanilla, and then add the buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir in the chocolate chips just until combined. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Ladle the batter onto the center of the iron. Close the iron top and cook until the waffle is crispy on both sides and is easily removed from iron. Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200 degree F oven until ready to serve.

 

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/chocolate-waffle-recipe.html
* * * * *

I have always loved clam dip.  Trevor loves clam dip. It's a treat when we make it, because we both eat a LOT of it. Eons ago, back to waterskiing summers or so, we used to eat clam dip. I don't remember the recipe, so for the past 20 years or so, I've winged it.  But the internet brings up wonderful and mysterious things, and I found the recipe, or a close facsimile, of long ago.  Be still my heart.

Classic Clam Dip

1 can minced or chopped clams, mostly drained
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temp
1-1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. minced garlic
2 t. lemon juice
1 t. onion juice (I used dehydrated onion)

I also add 2 T. mayo and 2 T. sour cream.

Blend all ingredients well.  Chill for several hours to let flavors set.

Serves 2. 
(Just kidding about that.)

Mexican Day!

Yesterday, our work team of ten had a Mexican Day to celebrate a job promotion within our group. These people go ALL OUT. A couple spent the evening before making giant paper flowers and coming in early to decorate our conference room. Check out this picture--painted chiles on our windows, printed placemats, place setting decorations. The radio hidden in the centerpiece played Mexican music.  The left side of the photo shows just half of the food table, which was laden with beef or shrimp taco and taco salad fixings, homemade chicken enchiladas, rice casserole, 7 layer dip, salsas, cheese sauce, guacamole, and more.  The back table (with the green cloth) is the dessert table--faux fried ice cream (with homemade cinnamon sugar tortilla bowls), and my sopapilla cheesecake. 

It was all pretty amazing and delicious and even fun.

I brought Pioneer Woman's 7 Layer Dip recipe. It received a great response, and Robert and Trevor gave the highest praise for the one I kept for home.  This recipe is definitely a keeper:

7 LAYER DIP

1 can refried beans
hot sauce to taste
1 can diced green chiles, undrained
ground cumin to taste (I used about 1/4 t.)
3/4 c. shredded cheese
1 c. sour cream
1-2 avocados
3/4 c. shredded cheese (yes, in addition to the above cheese)
1/2 can black olives, chopped
 1 c. pico de gallo (recipe below)

Mix beans with green chiles, hot sauce, and cumin.  Spread evenly in bottom of 8" square or similar sized serving dish.  (I used a pretty glass pie plate.)  Sprinkle with first 3/4 c. cheese. This works best if you try to spread everything evenly.  Carefully top cheese with a layer of sour cream.  At this point, you can cover and refrigerate until ready to use or overnight.

Just before serving, cube avocado/s and sprinkle over sour cream.  Sprinkle the second measurement of cheese, then black olives, and then pico de gallo.  I served mine with a big spoon to make it easier for people to serve themselves. (Scooping chips into the dish makes it messy and ugly very quickly.)

----------------------

Despite my heavily bandaged finger (upcoming post), I spent quite a bit of time chopping things to make my own pico de gallo. The secret appears to be in using similar amounts of tomato and onion.

PICO DE GALLO

1 red onion
4 Roma tomatoes (slightly underripe is fine)
1/2 c. fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 small jalapeno (I used jarred)
lime juice
salt

Dice up equal quantities of onion and tomato.  Roughly chop the cilantro. Finely dice the jalapeno--you want a hint of hot, no burning.  Mix all in bowl.  Sprinkle 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of lime juice over all, along with 1/4 t. salt. Stir together until combined.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  You can make this the night before.

Makes about 2 cups.

Original PW recipes can be found here and here.

Life and Tortilla Rollups Recipe

Life in general has been busy.  We are nearing the end of soccer season, and we'll be going to the playoff games next week.  We ended up in fourth place out of eight teams.  This was a good (surprise) ending.  Although we think we have a great team, we didn't win as many games as we expected.  I did note, however, that we scored more goals than any other team this season, no small feat!  (And no, we did not have the most goals scored against us to contrast that.)

Holly is working on college applications.  I'm sure that everything will come down to the early November deadlines, as she is applying "Early Action" to several schools.  We'll see how things pan out, as our financial stuff is wonky, and even using FAFSA worksheets, we have no idea where our EFC will end up.  As it stands right now, she's applying to JMU, GMU, Elon, and University of Denver. She took the SAT earlier this month for the second time, and she's retaking the ACT at the end of the month. 

Trevor's new curriculum is continuing to go very well.  He's 20% through the school year already, a very nice advantage to us moving up the start of school this year by several weeks. 

I don't feel like I'm accomplishing much of anything (and believe me, I don't have much to do with any of the activities above).  Robert slipped on the basement steps Wednesday night (thought he was already on the landing), and 30 minutes later, the washer overflowed, flooding 1/3 of the basement in a LOT of water.  Robert's ankle is swollen and bruised, but it is getting better every day or two.  And the basement flooding could have been worse.  There was just a button that had been turned too hard, so no repairs necessary, and anything damaged in the basement wasn't enough to make me cry.  At least we were home (well, not me) when it happened.

The weather has turned overnight from summer to late fall.  Everyone else seems happy with this, but I'd prefer to turn the clock back a few months, in more ways than one.

Trevor went to a party on Saturday and was asked to bring a snack to share.  He's long loved Tortilla Rollups.  Since I've never found a great recipe, I winged this last minute Friday night. Apparently it was pretty good. Not only did he like it, but a friend called up raving that I should write this down and sell it, haha.  (It wasn't nearly that good, but it will do.)

TORTILLA ROLLUPS

2 bricks cream cheese, softened
1 can diced green chiles (not the usual small can, but slightly bigger, but not enough to be two small cans)
1/2 c. shredded cheddar
1/4 c. red salsa
2 T. chopped cilantro
1/2 big can black olives, chopped
2 to 3 tsp. dried minced onion
large tortillas


Mix all filling ingredients (everything but tortillas).  Spread on tortillas, roll up, and wrap in plastic wrap.  (As you continue rolling up each tortilla, you'll need to keep the edges of the tortilla free, as the filling will mush in and fill the space.)  Chill for several hours.  Before serving, unwrap, and slice in 3/4 - 1" pieces.  Eat the ends before serving; they aren't pretty, but they taste great!

It made 5 tortillas, but the first three were really, really full, so it could have made 6-7 tortillas.

Recipe -- Dinner Roll Sandwiches

Using leftover dinner rolls, I made these delicious little sandwiches for lunch. They would be quite appropriate as a party appetizer or to take along to a potluck.

DINNER ROLL SANDWICHES

1 pkg. of 24 dinner rolls (Hawaiian rolls or otherwise; I used leftover potato rolls)
thinly sliced deli-style meat, such as ham, turkey, or roast beef
thinly sliced cheese, such as swiss, mozzarella, pepper jack
1 stick butter or margarine, melted
3/4 T. horseradish
1 T. mustard
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. poppy seeds
1/2 T. garlic powder
1/2 T. dried minced onion (I crushed to powder form)

Preheat oven to 325.

Taking care to not separate the rolls, slice in half horizontally. Place bottom half of rolls in pan or baking dish. It's best to fit them to the pan, but there can be extra space in pan, if necessary.

Layer with meat, then cheese, and put on top half of rolls. Brush with butter mixture. Bake for 20 mins., until cheese is melted. Slice through rolls and serve.
Keeping rolls

Recent recipes

Potato Skins

That classic bar food at home!!

8 large baking potatoes, baked
1/4 c. + 2 T. oil
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
1 t. salt
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
sour cream
green onion, sliced

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-in. shell (save pulp for another use). Place potato skins on a greased baking sheet. Combine oil, parmesan cheese, salt, garlic powder, paprika and pepper; brush over insides of potatoes, turn over, and brush on outside (this lets any extra oil drip out of the inside). Bake right-side up at 475 degrees F for 7 minutes; turn upside down. Bake until crisp, about 7 minutes more. Sprinkle bacon and cheddar cheese inside skins. Bake 2 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted. Top with sour cream and onions. Serve immediately.

____________________

Basic Chicken Salad

Who knew it was really this easy?

1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 T. lemon juice
1/4 t. pepper
2 c. chopped, cooked chicken meat
1/2 c. almonds (or other nuts)
1 stalk celery, chopped

Mix all together; if possible, chill for several hours to let flavors blend.

____________________

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Trevor's friend Kurt made this for our Thanksgiving dinner. I love pecans, I'm not wild about pecan pie, but this was delicious!

9" unbaked pie crust
3 eggs
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/3 c. margarine, melted (uh, what's wrong with butter???)
1 c. light corn syrup
1 c. pecan halves
1-1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Beat eggs, sugar, salt, margarine, and syrup with hand beater. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips. Pour into pie shell. Bake until set, 40-50 mins. Cool.

Click here to see additional comments about this recipe.

____________________

CROCK POT MASHED POTATOES

A bit misleading, as they are first cooked on the stove and then kept warm in the crockpot. But they were terrifically easy to make ahead, some of the lightest, fluffiest potatoes I've ever had! I hope I remember to make these for every holiday, whether or not we have company. It was so nice to get them done and out of the way!

5 lbs. potatoes
3 cubes chicken bouillon
8 oz. carton of sour cream
8 oz. brick of cream cheese (I used light)
1 stick of butter (relax, people, it's the HOLIDAYS)
salt/pepper to taste

Boil potatoes as usual, tossing the bouillon cubes in the water as it boils. The recipe says to save some of the cooking water when the potatoes are drained.

Mash potatoes with sour cream and cream cheese, adding reserved water if necessary.

Transfer to crock pot, cover, and cook on low for 2-3 hours. Just before serving, stir in butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Recipes and more

We went out to Lynchburg on Sunday night to hear an overview of recent missions trips the church has sponsored this year. There were teams from Russia, Haiti, and of course Holly's team from Peru. It was a wonderful evening. I wish that it were closer, that we could be an active part of this church.

There was a potluck, and I brought two pretty fabulous dishes. I first made this dip a week ago to bring to dinner with friends. It's versatile, a dip, a filling, a topping. There was a salsa contest last night, and even though it's not quite "salsa," I entered it. (Not that it won.) I'm not sure what exactly to call it. It's super easy to make, and the recipe makes a lot. It was enough for ten of us last weekend.

NO NAME DIP

1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz. can white corn, rinsed and drained
2 oz. (half a small can) of chopped green chiles, undrained
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped (or sub yellow, orange or green)
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, finely chopped
2 t. garlic, chopped
1/4 c. rice vinegar
1/4 c. oil
2-1/2 T. sugar
1 avocado, optional

Mix beans, corn, green and jalapeno chiles, bell pepper, onion and cilantro in a large bowl.

Mix vinegar, oil and sugar in a glass measuring cup. Microwave until boiling, stir to dissolve sugar. Cool dressing, pour over bean mixture, toss well.

Preparing ahead of time will allow flavors to blend. Just before serving, dice avocado and add to bean mix.

-----------------------------------

I also brought a dessert. I chose a new recipe, based on its online ratings, inexpensive ingredients, and ease in pulling together. This went over very well. Friends commented on it, not knowing I'd brought it, and then asked for the recipe. We're going to another potluck picnic next week, and I'm planning to make this again.

SOPAPILLA CHEESECAKE DESSERT

2 pkgs. cream cheese (I always use reduced fat; you could easily substitute no fat), softened
1 c. sugar
2 t. vanilla
2 cans/tubes crescent rolls
3/4 c. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. butter, softened in microwave
1/4 c. honey

Grease a 9x13 baking dish.

In small bowl, beat cream cheese, 1 c. sugar, and vanilla until smooth.

Unroll the first tube of crescent rolls. If you unroll the whole thing, it will be about the size of your baking dish. Unroll it into the baking dish, press seams together with your fingers so crust will cover the whole bottom of the pan. This is somewhat forgiving. I didn't find that the rolls unrolled evenly, but it worked out.

(The directions state to unroll the tube on a cutting board and use a rolling pin to shape it into a 9x13 rectangle. I started out trying that, but it seemed too complicated.)

Spread cream cheese mixture over this first crust. Top with second unrolled tube of crescent rolls.

Mix softened butter, 3/4 c. sugar, and cinnamon, and spread over top of crust.

Bake in 350 oven for 35-50 mins. until center is set when you jiggle the pan. Mine took 50 mins.

Remove from oven, drizzle with honey, and let cool before cutting. Serves 12; I cut mine small for potluck and made 40 squares.

------------------------------------

And one more thing I've been making lately is a Chipotle-styled rice. The waiting is the hardest part, but it's what makes the recipe what it is.

CHIPOTLE-STYLE CILANTRO LIME RICE

1 T. oil
1 c. long grain white rice (or whatever's on hand)
2 c. water
1-1/2 to 2 T. lime juice
2 t. fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 t. salt

Saute the rice in the oil until almost translucent. Add water; bring to a boil. As soon as the water begins to boil, turn heat to low.

Simmer, covered, for 15-20 mins. until all water is absorbed.

Turn off heat. DON'T PEEK. LEAVE IT COVERED for 30 minutes. This is what makes the rice fluffy. You won’t be happy with yourself if you don’t do this. Be patient!

Remove lid. Mix salt and lime juice together until salt is dissolved. Pour over rice. Add in cilantro. Fluff with fork.

We've been cooking

And I'm not talking about heat.

Robert, Trevor, and I keep seeing Cuban Sandwiches pop up. Robert came up with his own variation.

CUBAN SANDWICHES
deli turkey
deli ham
swiss cheese
dill pickle chips
pickled jalapeno slices
homemade garlic mayo*
sub rolls

Put sandwiches together. Spread thin layer of softened margarine or butter on top and bottom sides of roll. Fry in pan on stove over medium low heat, putting another heavy pan on top of sandwich to smoosh the whole thing down (think sandwich press here). When lightly browned, turn sandwich and brown on other side.

*To make homemade garlic mayo: Put 1/2 c. chopped garlic in a bowl. Add 1 T. mayonnaise; let set overnight. Okay, I exaggerated a bit, but the way Robert's been going through garlic, I wouldn't be terribly surprised.

These were delicious. Holly was skeptical but ended up having seconds.
turkey ham garlic mayo mustard swiss pickles jalapenos


------------------------------

HOMEMADE DONUTS

Robert's long wanted to make donuts, from scratch, in a deep-fryer, the whole nine yards. It did not sound so great to me: hugely messy, hugely greasy, and besides, we don't have a deep fryer. I found this recipe for homemade donuts online, and I surprised everyone by making them before anyone even knew what was going on. From the time I began gathering ingredients to the finished plate of donuts was less than 15 minutes. They were delicious. I am not sure how long they will hold up--but that doesn't matter, who can keep from eating these all right away.

I'm just linking to the recipe. The photos were very helpful to me the first time around.

Amended:  I changed the topping though.  The melted butter turned the granulated sugar into an unappealing goo.  Instead, I made a quick glaze with 1.5 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 t. vanilla, and 1/4 c. water.  (Cinnamon optional; I omitted it.) I dunked the doughnuts in this glaze and let them sit for 5-10 mins. to set.  There was enough glaze to double dunk (or one on each side) one tube of biscuits.  I just love when my family thinks I'm so wonderful to feed them such delicious food!

------------------------------

From the same cookbook as the donuts above, and my new favorite macaroni and cheese recipe, comes this gem. I was thinking it'd make a cool summer dinner, and while that didn't quite pan out (pun, haha), it was a huge hit. It's also healthy, quick, and made great leftovers.

CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS

3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts--can be cooked/leftovers, or raw
8oz. pkg. of mushrooms, finely chopped
3 green onions, finely chopped
2 cans water chestnuts, finely chopped
3 T. brown sugar
6 T. soy sauce
hoisin sauce
chopped peanuts
rice sticks and oil to cook them in
head of lettuce (iceberg or romaine) to serve them in

If the chicken is not cooked, prepare chicken by sauteeing, poaching, microwaving, etc., and dice into small pieces. Set aside.

Pour a small bit of oil into saute pan and cook mushroom and onion. Add soy sauce and brown sugar, stirring to mix. Add water chestnuts and chicken. Remove from burner when mixture is heated through.

Rice Sticks:

Prepare per package directions. You'll have to pull off a small amount of rice sticks and cook a small amount at a time. They do not cut, tear, or anything else, and if you cook too much at one time, you will have uncooked, inedible noodles in the middle. For a great video, check out the original recipe, and go almost halfway down the page.

To assemble: place a small amount of chicken mixture in center of lettuce leaf. Top with rice sticks, chopped peanuts, and hoisin sauce. Wrap the lettuce around it as well as you can. You'll thank me, I already know.


---------------------------------

Last, but not least, I was looking for a quick and yummy addition to dinner last night and found this homemade bean dip recipe. It's got to be healthy--black beans and a few spices, and I'm totally convinced that tortilla chips count as a whole grain.

HOMEMADE BLACK BEAN DIP / HUMMUS

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 t. apple cider vinegar
2-1/2 t. balsamic vinegar (I'm sure it wouldn't be ruined if you just used 1 T. of either vinegar)
1-1/2 T. ketchup (this was pretty ketchup-y; next time, I'll cut it down to 1 T.)
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. onion powder (I substituted dried minced onion)
1/4 t. chili powder

Combine all in food processor; pulse until creamy. Add water to thin if necessary (I used 1 T.). Serve at room temp.

New Year's Eve

I can barely remember that far back!

We had friends over in the evening. The boys played video games and visited with us--because we were in the room with the food! Holly was not feeling well. Robert and I fixed cheese fondue, meatballs, homemade Chex Mix, rum cake, a cookie plate, hummus, and shrimp dip.

I first made these meatballs last Christmas for a finger foods potluck. The young men couldn't get enough, and my double batch was one of the first things to disappear. It's one of the funniest recipes I've ever seen. I also made this on Christmas Eve for us to snack on at home, before making them for New Year's Eve.

Crockpot Meatball Appetizers

1 jar of grape jelly
1 jar of chili sauce
1 package of frozen meatballs

Place meatballs in crockpot. Empty both jars into saucepan on stove, and cook on medium, stirring often, until jelly is melted and all is blended well. Pour over meatballs. Cook on high for several hours, stirring occasionally if the sauce doesn't completely cover the meatballs.

I have found that the size of bottle doesn't really matter. I have no idea what I did last year, but this time, I used two bags of meatballs, a big jar of jelly (32 oz.?) and two jars of chili sauce (about 12 oz.?). Store leftovers in the fridge.
_____________________________

I love Chex Mix. I pick through the pretzels and anything else to get to the chex--wheat first, followed by rice and corn. I made Pioneer Woman's recipe a few years ago, but it didn't wow me. I went back to the basics this time. It was very good, but I will increase the spices by 50% next time.

Original Chex Mix

3 c. Corn Chex
3 c. Rice Chex
3 c. Wheat Chex
1 c. mixed nuts (any mix with peanuts is a little too boring!)
1 c. bite sized pretzels.
1 c. bagel chips (homemade, recipe below!)
6 T. butter or margarine
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1-1/2 t. seasoned salt
3/4 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder (I just crushed up dried onion flakes)

Heat oven to 250. In a large bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels, and bagel chips; set aside. In a small bowl, melt butter, then stir in seasonings. Pour over cereal mix, tossing to evenly coat. Pour onto large rimmed baking pan, and bake one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. (I think I baked mine for 1 hour, 15 mins. total). Spread of paper towels to cool, and then store in airtight container.
_____________________________

The kids' favorite part of store bought Chex Mix has always been the bagel chips. Instead of trying to find store bought bagel chips for my own Chex Mix, I decided to try making my own. According to Holly and Trevor, I've made these once before but I don't remember! These turned out great--so well, that I ended up making a second batch so we'd have plenty to snack on.

Bagel Chips

2 bagels (I used four mini-bagels)
2 T. melted butter
1 t. garlic salt

Slice bagels into 1/4 inch slices. Dump into gallon-sized ziplock bag. Mix butter and garlic salt. Pour into ziplock bag, seal bag, and shake like crazy to evenly coat bagels slices as quickly as possible.

Bake at 325 for 15-20 minutes, until chips begin to toast. Cool on wire rack; store in airtight container (if they last that long).
_____________________________

At midnight, we went outside to set off our customary fireworks. For the past few years, we've done this with a lot of privacy and no need to consider neighbors. This year, I was struck with the silliness of me hushing everyone as we went outside, only to set off the somewhat loud fireworks. They aren't fancy or big, but they are more substantial than sparklers and snakes. There was a bit of a laugh when one set off a couple of others at the same time!

hApPy NeW yEaR!

Recipe - Hummus

I've posted a lot of our favorite recipes here, and it's the first place I look when I'm making something. I make hummus frequently and I'm always surprised to find that I haven't posted it yet.

HUMMUS

15 oz. can garbanzo beans*, drained and juice reserved
2 T. nonfat plain yogurt (this is not vanilla yogurt!)
2 large garlic cloves
2 T. tahini (sesame seed paste--but I always substitute a drizzle of sesame oil)
2 T. lemon juice
1 t. ground cumin
2-4 T. reserved garbanzo bean juice

Put everything in food processor and zap until smooth. Serve with pita bread, sun chips, or ???


*Garbanzo beans: also called chickpeas, cece beans, or more affectionately butt beans (just LOOK at them!).

Recipe - Very Veggie Guacamole

A dumb name; a great recipe.

Confession: We had this for dinner tonight. FOR dinner, not with dinner. The only bad thing in it was the tortilla chips. LOL.

VERY VEGGIE GUACAMOLE

2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and mashed
juice of 1 lemon (2 to 2-1/2 T.)
scant 1/2 t. salt
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
1 c. black beans, rinsed and drained
1 c. cooked corn kernels
1 to 2 t. minced garlic
1 T. chopped green onion
2 T. bottled jalapeno peppers, chopped

Place mashed avocado in bowl. Add lemon juice and salt, then remaining ingredients. Serve with corn chips. Makes about 3-1/2 c.

You. Must. Make. These.

I made these Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos tonight. Actually, I made them this afternoon, because they are easy to fix ahead of time. They were fabulous, and I can't wait to eat them again. I made over 20 and we had just one left uneaten. Even the kids scarfed them down, although Trevor would only eat half of each jalapeno. They would have been great with that beer from last night, but we instead soothed the fire with chocolate milk. (I've read somewhere that chocolate reacts to the chemicals in peppers.)

Caution: The pepper oils can be nasty on your skin. Wear gloves when you seed these, because you can't wash the stuff off with water.

(I am KIDDING about the beer from last night, I'm not really much of a beer fan!)

Pesto-Parmesan Things

I don't know what these things are really called. A friend served some with a lunch last summer, and I fell, well, a little bit in love. They are easy and quick. The only problem is that you can't make just one. I never want to share, but everyone else always wants "just a taste, please, Mom!"




Pesto-Parmesan Things

flour tortillas
prepared pesto (I buy the Contadina's in the refrigerator case)
parmesan cheese, grated (I use fresh, but the green can would probably be fine)
sun dried tomatoes, thinly sliced (oil packed or just plain in the package)

Spread tortilla with pesto. Top with parmesan cheese. Add tomatoes. Bake at 350 until cheese melts and the whole thing is lightly browned. Slice with a pizza cutter into 8-12 pieces and serve warm.

The day after

It was another terrific day, in so many ways. Honestly. When I can see this outside, it makes even a bad day better, and a good day great. It's much warmer today, even at 11 p.m., it's in the upper 30s and the snow is beginning to melt.

Robert decided that all of our leftovers, along with the things I just didn't make, were perfect to go along with turkey. So we left the kids -- you guessed it -- playing PS2, and we went on a turkey hunt. Doesn't look like they've even moved from yesterday, does it?


Turkey hunting was easier said than done, especially the day after Christmas. We went to four grocery stores before finding any thawed turkeys. (And at least one store was STILL out of bread, blaming last week's blizzard for delaying deliveries.) Although we were just running from place to place, it was a wonderful treat--just Robert and I, out together, enjoying each other's company, without distractions. It makes even the most mundane things fun. (Do you really think I'd have gone to four stores hunting turkey on my own?)

When we came home, I quickly fixed Baked Brie with Kahlua Pecan Sauce. This is a holiday staple at our house.


BAKED BRIE WITH KAHLUA PECAN SAUCE

1 lb. wheel of Brie (mine was 2 lbs., so I just used two quarters of it above)
6 T. brown sugar
1/2 c. kahlua
3/4 c. chopped pecans
assorted crackers
green apple slices

Place the Brie on a microwave safe plate.

In a saucepan over medium heat, mix the brown sugar with the kahlua until dissolved. Add in pecans and remove from heat. Pour kahlua sauce over Brie cheese. Place cheese in microwave 1-2 mins. until soft in the center. Check often; it's easier to continue cooking than have it melt too much into a mess!

Serve with crackers and green apple slices.


I even got into the PS2 act tonight. It didn't take much playing time for one of my wrists to ache horribly, and I don't know how the kids can do it. I really stink at it. The two games I like are both racing games, one with cars and one with dirt bikes/ATVs. I crash continually. Holly always feels bad for me because I'm almost always in last place. But I'm happy if I can just SEE ahead on the track, and seeing my car all scratched up from my horrible driving is rather amusing!


Tomorrow is Wednesday and Robert goes back to work. Life goes back to somewhat normal around here, with the exception of school (since we're off). I still have some reading to catch up on with the kids. I still haven't finished Jotham's Journey (but we know how it ends!), and Trevor and I are trying to race to finish up Sign of the Beaver. The only other thing I plan to do is make plans for the rest of our time off!