tamale pie update

Since tamale pie is a staple in my repertoire, I've tried different things with it.  Here's my latest iteration; slightly different than the original and definitely has some high points! Particularly the cheese content and the crusty topping.

Scale the chili powder way back (or none at all)
Only use 1 TB of oil for the onions
No garlic (although it couldn't hurt, am I right?)
2 cans of black beans (or pinto if that's your flavor)
2 (10 oz) cans of RoTel tomatoes (drained, some juice reserved)
2-3 C Mexican cheese blend

Bake the cornbread first and crumble it up. Add 1-1.5 cups of cheese to the cornbread (2+ cups of crumbled).

Cook onions in oil. Add/cook meat. Add beans & RoTel with some reserved juice. Stir in 1-1.5 C up cheese. Sprinkle crumbled cornbread on top. Cook @ 450 for 10-15 min.

If you've never used RoTel, it's a little spicy which is why you don't really need the chili powder. Although a bit of it will add a different kind of spice/flavor. I think RoTel is also available in mild for the wusses. ;)

frozen cookie dough balls

QUITE easily the most shameless thing I've made to date. Seriously. These are impossible to justify using any semblance of rational thinking.

However, completely worth it for that cookie dough fix, and no raw egg guilt.

I used peanut butter, but want to try with the Greek yogurt next time. Obviously the PB isn't a problem, just curious about the yogurt. I didn't make the larger balls like the recipe suggests, just normal cookie-size dough balls (yield ~ 20). I figure they'll last longer this way.

Or, at least that's what I'm telling myself.

Katie's Mac N Cheese

Tried it. 

LOVED it!!

Plus, it was super easy!

I used all sweet potato, which was delicious, but I might try a half & half concoction next time. There seems to be plenty of room to play around with this one. And if you're skeptical about whether your kids will detect the veggies, they won't.  Just leave out the mushrooms if they don't eat mushrooms & puree the veggies really smooth (we loved the mushrooms, btw). Brandon couldn't tell, until he saw the leftover sweet potato on the counter and clued in. The cheese sauce (at least mine was) was pretty thick, so I thinned it with a little pasta water, but you could use some more milk, too, if that's your thing. I also think you could do 2.5 maybe even 3 C of pasta if you add the pasta to the cheese sauce gradually and stop when your heart desires.

I am definitely making this one again!

Laughing Cow

So ladies, I finally went and tried the Laughing Cow cheese. For some reason I always thought it was going to taste cream cheesy... until I wisened up and looked at the ingredients. Cheddar. Swiss. I like cheddar and swiss. :) So I purchased the light garlic/herb Laughing Cow cheese and have since eaten it on toast. Yum! I also spread it on toast, added a fried egg (no butter used in the frying of said egg), and tomato and it was simply delightful. Give it a try. It's quick and delicious. The. End.

sweet potato + laughing cow = must try

Em: Just tried your sweet potato garlic-herb Laughing Cow suggestion . . .

Good crap, where have you been all my life! This is a must-try for everyone. I love sweet potatoes, but the garlic-herb (35 calories anyone?) addition hits it out of the park.

Delightful!

If you haven't made Emily's delightful ooey, gooey karmel bars... boy oh, boy. You should. I think I found my new favorite treat. Goodbye brownies. Hello sticky fingers. :)

(Plus, they have oatmeal, so that makes them healthy, right?)

Mary's Chicken Penne... Yum!

I tried it. I loved it. I added yellow squash when I added the cream cheese. Delicious. :)

Marinated Pork Chops... well, at least the marinade.

So I tried out the marinade for the Marinated Pork Chops posted a while back. I used a pork roast in the slow-cooker instead. Yum! I made a few alterations for the slow-cooker. The pork roast was cooked on low for about 9 hours in just water (about half covered), minced garlic, lemon juice, and worcestershire sauce. Then when I came home, I shredded the meat, drained most of the liquid, and added a triple recipe of the marinade (it was just over a 3 pound roast). Stir, stir, stir. Yum! I ate it on a sandwich today like pulled pork. Last night I ate it with whole grain chips (FoodShouldTasteGood.com... thanks Alisa!), avocado, corn, and tomato. Delicious!

Anyhoo... tried and true, though slightly changed. Thanks for sharing!

Tried and True!!!!

Mary- I made your MAGICAL blueberry muffins - they were wonderful! But they weren't magical for me....I didn't have a baby that day - shucks!!!

Alisa - I made your Cheater Chicken Noodle - sooo good! I think next time I will omit the peas altogether...we are just not pea people. Loved the taste and the smell!!

Adrienne - I made your Crockpot Lemon Garlic Chicken - sooo flavorful!!! I served it with brown rice and steamed broccoli, it was great. But it was a tad dry for me. I think I will bake it in the oven next time.

Thanks for sharing!!!

katie's cookies

i made 'em. they were good. here's a pic!















i might add a little more pumpkin or a little less cinnamon next time. it could be me, but i thought the cinnamon overpowered the pumpkin a little bit. i LOVED the oatmeal addition!

hooray katie!