I don't know what is more sad????

Is it that Justin brought this home because he thought I'd like it?

That I loved it so much?

Or that I loved it because it describes my relationship with cooking so well?

Regardless, for your amusement:

"I read recipes the same way I read science fiction.  I get to the end and I think, 'Well, that's not going to happen.' " - Jack Handy

****

In other news, I am leaving forever... pretty much.  Until then, enjoy your time without being hassled by me.

Thanksgiving Treat

Since we did Thanksgiving on Saturday, today was a quiet day.

We did have this yummy treat tonight:

2 cups raspberries
2 cups whole milk
2 cups vanilla ice cream
2 T sugar

Very simple.
Which is why I liked making it.
But I made Justin scoop the ice cream, because I am a pansy.

Molten Chocolate Cake

I found this recipe (and photo) on Pioneer Woman, courtesy of her Tasty Kitchen, courtesy of "Brandielle."

Honestly, Justin and I eat it weekly. It is part of my breastfeeding, eat as much as you can in order not to wither away regime. I plan on it being part of my eat this every week or life is not worth living regime.

Reasons for enjoying this recipe:

It is easy.

It is quick.

It has very few ingredients.

It has very few dishes.

It makes me happy.

This means I can decide to make it after the girls go to bed and it will be ready in under thirty minutes.

It goes like this:

(Yes, I have it memorized)

Preheat oven to 425.

Spray 2 custard cups with cooking spray.

Melt 2, 1 oz chocolate squares (semi-sweet) with 1/4 cup butter. (I do not post healthy recipes as a general rule).

Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar.

Mix in 1 egg and 1 egg yolk.

Add 3 T of flour.

Pour in cups.

Bake for 14 minutes.

Let sit.

Take knive around edge, turn upside down, and serve with whipped cream. (It can also be served with ice cream, but it is better with whipped cream. Even according to Justin, and he loves ice cream.)

Save dishes for following morning (but don't tell Aunt Penny).

The end.

I love this recipe. You should love it too.

The Chili That Ruined Our Food Storage...

So, last month, in the midst of all my un-nesting, I gave up on cooking.

For about three weeks I cooked 1-2 times a week. And that's if Justin was lucky. Luckily, he's nice enough to just scrounge without telling me to go out and get a real job. Of course, maybe that's only because he doesn't have a real job either. What derelicts we are! Anyway, one Sunday I decided that since I hadn't cooked since last Sunday I would/might/maybe/possibly, cook. Of course, I hadn't been shopping lately either. So, that made the whole cooking thing a little difficult. Add to that the afore-mentioned scrounging, and I'd have to say the outlook was pretty shaky.

In the end, I decided I would cook some bake potatoes and put cheese on them. (Yes... that does count as cooking. After all, I did have to WASH them, and POKE HOLES in them - although I'm pretty sure they wouldn't really blow up if I forgot this step, and WRAP THEM in tinfoil. I even had to turn on the oven, and get out the pre-shredded cheese. This is intensive stuff, my friends. But I did it. Oh yes, I did it.)

Afterward, I went downstairs and got a can of our food storage chili so Justin could have more than baked potatoes with cheese. (I thought about chopping up green onions, but that was much too difficult.) Sadly, when I got the can upstairs both Justin and I couldn't help but look at it in disdain.

Because, my friends, that was not chili. It couldn't be. It just couldn't. And there was no way we could possibly eat it. (Unless we were starving... which is convenient since that is what food storage is for, after all.)

This is not to say this was a bad kind of chili. I purposefully didn't buy a disgusting brand. But Justin and I have been exposed to real chili now. And I'm afraid there is no going back. Needless to say, the canned chili went back downstairs. Cheese potatoes ruled the day, and rotation went out the window. Oh well. At least, we can always chuck the cans at all those people coming to steal our food storage. Waste not, want not!!!

Below is the recipe which foiled our rotation efforts (taken from "Bride & Groom: First and Forever Cookbook"- cheesy name, yes):

1 T bacon grease or veg. oil
2 med yellow onions, chopped - It looks like a lot of onion when you cut it up, but you do want it all.
3 T chopped garlic
3 T chili powder
2 T paprika
1 T cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
1 lb beef chuck
1 lb italian sausage links (removed from casings and crumbled) - This is much too difficult for me, I just buy the italian sausage that looks like hamburger meat.
2 tsp kosher salt - I use regular salt.
2 cans (28 oz each) crushed tomatoes with puree
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans (washed and drained) - I think it would be good with 2 cans, but I always forget until I'm eating it.
1 T minced canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce - I always use more. Once I used the whole can because I didn't want to waste it. Not such a good idea. But I definitely always use more than it says.

Heat the oil on medium heat.
Add onions and garlic.
Cook 8-10 minutes.
Add chili powder, paprika, cumin, and oregano. Stir.
Add meat and 1 tsp salt. Cook 8-10 minutes on medium-high heat.
Add remaining ingredients.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.

And yes, it's probably bad for you... just like everything else I make.... ENJOY!

So, You Think You Want To Write...

... but you're supposed to make dinner
... and you can't afford to just order in instead

Two easy recipes that don't take too much time, or too much money, and taste like you actually tried.


Olive Garden Capellini Pomodoro

3 cloves Garlic, mince
2 pounds Plum tomatoes; seeded, diced
1 ounce Fresh basil leaves, minced
1/3 cup Extra virgin olive oil
3 ounces Parmesan cheese
12 ounces Dry angel hair pasta, cooked
1/4 teaspoon Pepper

Heat olive oil and add garlic; cook until it turns white. Add
tomatoes and pepper and heat through, stirring constantly, about
2 to 3 minutes. Tomatoes should not lose their shape. Remove
from heat. Transfer hot, cooked pasta to large bowl. Toss pasta
gently with tomato mixture, basil and half of Parmesan cheese.
Serve immediately and pass remaining Parmesan.

Tortellini Soup (courtesty Brittany Steadman of MBASA)

1 T butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth
1 (9 oz) package cheese tortellini
1 (14 0z) can stewed tomatoes
1/2 bunch spinach or 1 cup frozen
1 tsp basil
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Melt butter. Saute garlic for 2 minutes on medium heat. Stir in broth and tortellini. Bring to boil. Season with salt and peppper. Simmer 5 minues. Add tomatoes, spinach, basil. Simmer for 10 more minutes. Serve with Parmesan.

I'd say more, but I'm going to go write.

As Requested:

Cinnamon Roll Recipe (courtesy of Sarah Lynn):

one 1/4 oz pkg active dry yeast
1 c warm milk
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c butter - melted
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
4 c flour

Dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add sugar, butter, salt, eggs, and flour; mix well. Knead dough. Cover and let rise about 1 hour. Roll dough on floured surface to 21 inches long and 16 inches wide (about 1/4 inch thick). Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1 c packed brown sugar
1 1/2 T cinnamon
1/3 c butter, softened (and no, I can never quite bring myself to use this much butter)

Mix sugar and cinnamon. Spread butter on dough. Sprinkle sugar mix over butter. Roll lightly with rolling pin to flatten. (Or plastic cup, if you have no rolling pin like me!)

Roll dough. Cut into 1 3/4 inch slices and place 6 at a time on a lightly greased baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes (at 12 mine were still a little doughy).

8 T butter, softened
1/2 c powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 c cream cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla

While rolls bake , combine all ingredients. Beat until fluffy. Coat rolls generously while hot. Makes 12 rolls.

Once again, I made no pretense of this being a healthy recipe. So... enjoy!