Chicken Chili Recipe

So there are those recipes that are generic, very blande, and very simple.  Then, there are those that can be altered into something FABULOUS!  I got this recipe from Melanie a few years ago.  I believe it was originally a Rachael Ray dish that she suped up.  Here's my variation. 

Chicken Chili Recipe

1 small onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 T minced garlic

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1 package 2 Alarm Chili Kit

1 envelope chili seasoning (reduced sodium)

1 large can crushed tomatoes

1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 can Chili Ready Tomatoes

½ can chipotle peppers with sauce (mince peppers)

Chicken stock

1 can Bush’s black beans, drained and rinsed

1 small bag frozen corn



Begin by seasoning chicken with Tony Chachere’s or your choice of all-purpose seasoning. In a large, heavy bottom pot, saute’ vegetables, add chicken. Brown until veggies are soft and chicken is cooked through.



Reduce heat to medium and add 2 Al arm Chili kit withhold the salt packet. Add chili seasoning envelope. Stir to incorporate. Add chipotle peppers and sauce and stir. Stir in cans of tomatoes, reduce heat to simmer. Allow mixture to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often. At this point, you may choose to add chicken stock to thin mixture if you find it too thick.

Add frozen corn and black beans. Simmer until corn is thawed and warmed. Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream.

I believe I added chipotle peppers to the original recipe and corn.  I can't remember.  All I know is that it is some good eatin' on a crip Fall night!

Just one of those weeks

This has been a week from hell and it is only Wednesday! I really think there is a line of people somewhere pushing a button that says F with Melanie this week.

Monday was just full of being mad because I haven't gotten a routine down for this semester and school started a month ago. I'm trying to figure out how to do EVERYTHING in this freakin apartment ALONE and still study for the ton of tests I have every week, homework, papers to write, cook, and see about the dogs. I think I'm going on stike very soon.

Then came Tuesday. I went to school and in my third class of the day I wanted to physically hurt the professor. She almost had a angry mob to deal with. She is a great lab teacher but sucks as a lecture teacher. Just on Tuesday, she changed our test day (which was good because we learned we have to research and teach ourselves half of the material), explained to us how she is using our quizs from in class as 20% of each test (she quizs us on material we have not been taught), and adds a chapter to our test and says I think you should know this so I'm not teaching it. How I wanted to climb over my table and show her how I can use latex gloves for things other than Lab. You don't mess with my grades. Luckily I have extra points and a A- average on the quizs so far and will just have to give up a few more hours of sleep a night until December. AHHHHH!

Anyway, today is just another one of those days when I wished I had a restart button . First, I was woken up by the fire alarm going off in the bedroom. I spent a few minutes trying to unplug the alarm and stopped when I heard fire trucks. I pulled the dogs out of the bedroom in their kennel and went outside to escape the noise. There was no escape, the entire complex and grounds had alarms sounding. I think my ears began to bleed after fourty minutes. To add to the noise and frustration of the situation, all the dogs in the complex were whining and barking for the entire time. Thank God, after an hour and a half of firemen running around and a headache from hell, there wasn't a thing wrong.

Next, I had to try to study for tonight's government test. That wasn't going how I would like so I took a break and got on facebook to learn that my cousin was found dead in his house this morning. I never knew how informative social networking could be....can you sense the sarcasim. I don't think that is appropriate to post your brother's death on facebook before he has even been taken out of his freakin house. I just love how classy my family can be. Trying to be a good daughter, I call to let my dad know about my cousin.

I call and my dad answers the phone. I ask what's going on and said I heard that my cousin died and wanted to let him know. I figured know one had called yet because he had not called to tell me. His says he has been on the phone all day with family. Well that was sure nice of him. Then he asks how I heard and I tell him FACEBOOK. His respose--oh, that's good....I saw Heather and the kids at her sisters. Ok, thanks for the info dad. What the hell? Again no info about the cousin from him. I get back on facebook and see all the details. CLASSY! Family can be so annoying. All I can say is I remember why we moved and I LOVE living in Texas.

After a day, or week, like this I wish my best friend was closer. I've made a few good friends since we have moved but no one can come close to matching her. I sure could use a few drinks with her right now! Maybe after four or five stiff drinks, we would be able to figure out when our lives changed to what they are now. I know have many things to be thankful and haven't forgotten that fact but today and this week has just made me ask WTF!

Grape Salad

8 cups red seedless grapes

8 oz light sour cream

8 oz reduced fat cream cheese (room temp)

1/2 cup splenda

1 cup walnuts

1/4 cup brown sugar or brown sugar substitute

De-stem and wash grapes.

Grapes may be used whole or sliced in half.

In a large bowl, mix grapes, gream cheese, sour cream, and splenda.

Sprinkle walnuts and brown sugar on top.

Makes 8 servings.

Sausage and Tasso Jambalaya

Recently, Ina Garten had a friend on her show that is originally from Louisiana.  She was teaching Ina how to cook a Cajun jambalaya.  Although it has Cajun roots, this Jambalaya is more Creole because it is made with tomatoes.  I wasn't sure if I would like it; but, boy was I surprised!  It turned out great.  I've made it twice, and both times it came out perfectly. 

Ingredients


1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound sausage (preferably LeJeune's)
1 pound tasso
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup diced celery
1 green bell pepper, cored and diced
1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
1 cup seeded and diced tomato
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 cups chicken stock
3 cups long-grain rice, rinsed
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped scallions, divided
3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided

Directions

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or black iron pot over medium heat, add the sausage and saute for 8 to 10 minutes, until browned. Remove the sausage to a bowl, and set aside. Add the tasso to the same pot and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to the bowl with the sausage, and set aside. Add the onion, celery and peppers to the same pot and saute for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the tomato, garlic,cayenne, and tomato paste and cook until all the vegetables and herbs are blended well. Add the stock and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in the rice, and add the sausage, tasso,  salt and pepper. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of the scallions, 1/4 cup of the parsley, stir well. Cover the pot, remove it from the heat and allow the jambalaya to steam, for 15 minutes, before serving.



Garnish with the remaining 1/4 cup scallions and 1/2 cup parsley, and a dash of hot sauce, if desired.

The original recipe also called for shrimp.  But I don't care to mix seafood and meat.

Crawfish Lasagna

1 lb crawfish

1 small bell pepper
1/2 yellow onion
salt
pepper
red pepper
basil
oregeno
1 bar cream cheese
1 small tube riccota cheese
1 small container of small curd cottage cheese
1 small can tomato sauce
1 large can tomato sauce
6 to 8 oven ready lasagna noodles (boiled for 6 minutes)
1 -2 cups cheese of your choice for topping lasagna


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix riccota and cottage cheese.

Saute onion and bell peper until tender. Add one small can of tomato sauce and crawfish. Season to taste. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Next, mix until smooth - 1 can of tomato sauce, room temperture cream cheese, herbs, and seasoning to taste. Place a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9x11 pan. Place two lasagna noodles side by side then smooth a layer of the riccota/cottage cheese mixture about an inch thick. Add more sauce befor placing another layer of noodles. Now, place crawfish mixture and add a layer of noodles atop crawfish. Add another layer of cheese mixture, sauce, and noodles. Pour the last of the sauce on top and sprinkle cheese of your choice on top. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until cheese is bubbly.

Nola's Shrimp and Smoked Cheddar Grits

Thanks to Emeril Lagasse and Food Network for this oh so yummy dish!

Ingredients
For the Shrimp:
2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 1/2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
3/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 recipe Smoked Cremini Mushrooms and Rendered Bacon, recipe follows
1 recipe Abita BBQ Glaze, recipe follows
1 recipe Smoked Cheddar Grits, recipe follows
1 recipe Citrus Buerre Blanc, recipe follows
1 recipe Grilled Green Onions, recipe follows
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the shrimp with the Essence and salt and toss to blend. Set aside as you prepare the skillet. Place a large, 14-inch skillet over high heat and add the olive oil and heat until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the pan. Swirl to melt, and then add the shrimp to the pan, being sure that the shrimp are in 1 layer in the pan. Sear the shrimp until well caramelized on the first side, about 1 minute. Turn the shrimp over and add the Smoked Mushrooms and Bacon and Abita BBQ Glaze to the pan. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are well coated with the sauce and just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining butter to the pan and swirl until melted into the sauce.
To serve, divide the grits between 8 entree-sized shallow bowls. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of the Citrus Beurre Blanc around the edge of the grits near the rim of the bowl. Divide the shrimp-mushroom mixture evenly between the bowls, and place a grilled green onion on top of the grits in a circle. Serve immediately.
For the Smoked Cremini Mushrooms and Rendered Bacon:
3/4 pound cremini mushrooms, halved, or quartered if large
1 1/2 teaspoons Essence
4 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 pound bacon, diced
Special equipment: stovetop smoker
In a medium bowl, combine the mushrooms, Essence and olive oil. Toss to combine and place on the rack of a stovetop smoker. Prepare the smoker over medium-high heat using applewood smoking dust, or the smoke chips of your choice. When the smoker begins to smoke, close the lid. Smoke the mushrooms until cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the smoker and set aside until ready to use.
While the mushrooms smoke, place the bacon in a 10-inch saute pan over medium-low heat and render the fat from them until they are just beginning to get crispy, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan using a slotted spoon and transfer to paper towels to drain. Set aside until ready to use.
For the Abita BBQ Glaze:
1 cup ketchup
1 cup Abita amber beer
6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
Combine the ketchup, beer, brown sugar and crushed red pepper in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and continue to cook at a steady simmer until the sauce is translucent and reduces to a consistency thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside. You should have about 1 1/4 cups of glaze.
Yield: 1 1/4 cups
For the Smoked Cheddar Grits:
6 cups water
Salt
1 1/2 cups quick cooking or old-fashioned grits (not instant!)
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter
6 ounces grated smoked white Cheddar
Freshly ground black pepper
In a large, heavy saucepan bring the water to a boil. Add a generous teaspoon of salt and the grits and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. When grits thicken, add the milk, cream and butter and return to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, partially cover the sauce pan and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until grits are very tender, smooth, and creamy-thick. Add the Cheddar, season with black pepper, and stir until cheese is melted. Serve hot

New York here we come!!!

I am so pumped about our future trip to New York. I think this would be a great place to spend lots of money. Yummy!!!!!!

http://www.nycbestbar.com/stumble/menu_food.html

A Sweet Life

I've been trying to take up the hobby of scrapbooking between school, Chase, and everything else.  Needless to say, I've not had much time.  I actually have another blog that I plan to add my projects to once I actually have time to work on them.  In the mean time, here is something that I am currently working on.

I purchased a Photo Stand by 7 Gypsies.  The idea is to create a hanging scrapbook of sorts.  This is my coverpage for the stand.  Not the best work, but it's as creative as I can be given the few hours of sleep I have under my belt these days, not to mention limited time.

I chose the brown paper with pink crowns for the simple fact that I am partial to both colors.  So the combination just made sense to me.  And, when I see these two colors together, I automatically think of ice cream.  Hence, the theme.  I LOVE the episode of I Love Lucy when she and Ethel are working in a candy factory and get into a bind when the conveyer belt turns out candy too fast.  When I visited my local scrapbook store, I found the piece at the bottom of the page and decided it was a must for my project; as was the cupcake.  I made the flower next to the ephemera of a woman out of old dictionary pages and Prima flowers.

I hope to complete this project soon, as this stand is going on my desk at school to show off pictures of my family and friends.

A yummy way to cool down without guilt.

This place is awesome!!

http://www.paciugo.com/

Sopapilla Cheesecake

Not sure where this originated but I got it from my mother-in-law.

2 cans crecent rolls
2 8oz bars of cream cheese (softned)
1 1/2 c sugar
1tsp vanilla
1/2 stick butter (melted)
Cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling

Layer 1 can of crecent rolls in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Mix cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Spread mixture over crecent rolls. Place the second can of crecent rools on top of the cream cheese mixture. Pour melted butter over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake in @ 350 for 30 - 35 minutes.

Hey, Did I Ever Tell You I Might Be Famous?

Famous?  Not really.  If only fame could be captured by having a recipe posted on the Real Cajun Recipes site...  I've been meaning to post the recipe here.  I have concocted a knock-off to the Copeland's crawfish ravioli dish. 

Ingredients


1/2 stick butter or 1/4 cup margarine
1 cup to 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 small yellow or white onion
1/2 medium to large bell pepper
3 cloves minced garlic
1 green onion, coarsely chopped
Cajun seasoning to taste
Pinch nutmeg
1 pound cleaned crawfish tails
1 box breaded cheese ravioli (found in the frozen food section) or 1-Package fresh cheese ravioli
Parmesean cheese to garnish


Directions

Begin by preheating oven to appropriate temperature marked on breaded ravioli package. -OR- If you are using fresh ravioli, bring salted water to a boil in pasta or "soup" pot.

In a heavy bottom saucepan, melt butter/margarine over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Saute until onions are clear. Add crawfish tails and stir. Saute for 3-5 minutes until tails begin to curl. Add heavy whipping cream, Cajun seasoning and nutmeg. Stir to incorporate. Allow to simmer for ten minutes over low to medium heat. Meanwhile, boil fresh ravioli, or bake breaded ravioli according to package directions.

If sauce seems to be too thin, use a thickening agent such as flour, Wondra Quick Mixing Flour for Sauces and Gravy (preferred), or as a last resort, corn starch. Sauce should be thick in consistency similar to that of an Alfredo sauce.

Once ravioli is ready to plate, check for consistency and seasoning one final time. (Remember not to exceed fifteen minutes crawfish cooking time; otherwise, they may become tough.)Plate ravioli in stacked circular pattern, ladeling crawfish cream sauce over ravioli. Garnish with chopped green onion and parmesean cheese.



**Most good Cajun cooks never measure ingredients. We all rely on the three most important cooking senses: sight, smell, and taste. These measurements are extremely rough and may need to be adjusted to fit your own taste.

Recommended Sides Garlic bread or homeade rolls are an excellent complement to this dish. Also, try serving a green salad with a sweet onion dressing or vinegrette.

This is NOT a fat free recipe.  (In fact, not many of mine are...) But, it sure is a wonderful dish. You could easily substitute shrimp, crab, etc. in place of the crawfish.

White Hot Chocolate

So, I apparently have some sort of disorder that makes me crave foods that you normally associate with Winter time.  For instance, this evening, I cooked a huge pot of chicken and sausage gumbo.  (Had to turn up the air conditioner.)  Now, I'm really wanting something hot and sweet.  I like hot chocolate, but I've been dying to try this White Hot Chocolate recipe that I saw on Paula Deen's show last year.  I may attempt it soon. I'm even thinking of how can convert that into "cold" White Hot Chocolate.....

At any rate, here's the recipe:

Ingredients


•1 cup white chocolate chips

•1 cup heavy cream

•4 cups half-and-half

•1 teaspoon vanilla extract

•Vanilla whipped topping, for garnish

•Mint leaf, for garnish

Directions

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine white chocolate chips and heavy cream. Stir continuously until white chocolate chips have completely melted. Stir in the half-and-half, and vanilla extract. Stir occasionally until heated through. Pour into mugs and top with a dollop of vanilla whipped topping and garnish with mint leaf.





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Salmon, pasta, and chutney oh my.

This was very simple since and quick.

Ingredients:

1 bag ricotta stuffed spinach pasta
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup of any mild cheese to finish

Salmon-
ground salmon (1/4 lb per patty)
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
1 egg
juice of one lemon, to sprinkle over salmon

Mix ingredients excluding lemon juice and place in fridge for thirty minutes.


Chutney-
1 cup whole kernel corn
1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple
1/3 medium red bell pepper
1 diced fresh carrot
1/2 cup of water
black pepper

I cooked all three parts of the dish at the same time since each part only takes a few minutes to cook.

First, start water boiling for pasta. Once water has come to a boil, add pasta. Pasta will only take about 4 to 5 minutes to cook. After draining cooked pasta, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cheese.

While pasta is boiling, form salomon cakes. Heat a skillet on medium high heat and add a little olive oil to prevent the salmon cakes from sticking. Once salmon cakes are in the skillet drizzle each with a little lemon juice (save a wedge or two to serve with the dish).

You will also need to heat a skillet (medium Heat) to sautee the chutney ingredients excluding the water. Sweat veggies adding water as need to prevent burning. Once veggie are soft, remove skillet from heat and you are ready to fix a plate full of yummy treats.

Life and Happiness...whatever that means.

I'm just having one of those days after not being able to sleep last night. I'm not even blah, I'm just here.

So, I've had way too much time on my hands lately and not enough to do but I'm not complaining about being bored. I know many special people in my life that could use time to themselves. I've just being thinking alot about life and what I thought my life would be like at this age.

I'll be thirty-three in October and have only achieved two of my goals from childhood. I have met a wonderful man and have been married to him for over eleven years. Although I am in school to hopefully become a nurse and have wanted to be a nurse on and off my entire life, I feel like...well I don't really know how I feel about much of anything anymore. I feel like I'm at a point in my life that I've become numb to so many things and don't know how to feel like myself anymore. I don't know if that makes any sense but it's just how I feel. While I still get depressed on and off, it isn't bad like before we moved to Texas. I love living here and don't regret moving, although I do miss me friends and family. It's just a weird feeling. I've just gotten to the point that after feeling guilty for so long I don't want to deal with guilt anymore and I guess feeling numb is how my mind deals with it.

Anyway, after many hours of personal reflection I have come to a confusing conclussion..well more really more like questions about life. At what point in your life do you give up on what seems to be unobtainable dreams and goals? How do you stop feeling guilty about things you really do not have control over?

I know I have so much to be thankful for but other than being happily married, I don't feel like I have much to show for the almost thirty-three years of my life. I'm done sulking and rambling on.

Just a few final thoughts. How do you know if you are happy? I would love to know the answer to that question. I would even settle for knowing where I should start when looking for happiness. I just want to feel whole and feel happy with my life. Sorry for being a downer today.

I'm Dreaming of...Christmas

If you know me, then you know I L-O-V-E Christmas!  It is my all-time favorite holiday.  As I cruised some of the Blogs I regularly visit for scrapbooking, I found this recipe and thought that I should post it here. ( It is courtesy of Paper Jewels)

Supplies:
marshmallows
almond bark, melted
leftover candy canes (or starlight mints)
lollipop sticks

Directions:
Melt the almond bark in a double boiler.  Crush the candy canes/mints by placing them in a plastic storage bag and pulverizing them with a meat tenderizer or rolling pin.  Be sure to cover the bag with a folded dishtowel as to not burst the bag.  When the candy is melted, place a stick in each marshmallow and dip in almond bark melt (be careful--marshmallows can melt), then dip in crushed candy cane.  Place on wax or parchment paper and cool in refrigerator. (As soon as they are firm, seal in a zip top bag to keep the marshmallows soft.) 

Now Paper Jewels is one craft chick.  She then designed a box to hold a packet of cocoa and the marshmallow pop.  Here is the link for the directions.

Can't wait for it to get cooler.  And BTW, if you are a teacher at my school, you'll likely be receiving these throughout the colder months as part of the Whale Done initiative.

The Demise of the Soap Opera and Life as I Remember It!

I flipped the channel to 60 Minutes last night so as to not miss my weekly dose of reality television, Big Brother.  (Just because my life isn't real enough?)  I instantly recognized the characters being showcased.  It was the faithful cast of The Guiding Light.  There they were, Josh, Reva, Lillian, Beth, Phillip, Alan, Alexandra, all of them.

It's been nearly a year since the show went off the air.  I remember watching The Guiding Light since I was old enough to remember watching t.v.  I remember when Beth fell in love with Lou Jack and out of love with Phillip and back in love with Phillip before the end of a week.  I remember when Reva took a nose dive off a pier and proclaimed her love for "Bud" or Josh.  It was a little sad seeing the actors talk about their characters with such passion and commitment.  This was truly the last soap opera that I watched faithfully when I was not at work for holidays or the summer. 

Now, As the World Turns is next on the chopping block, leaving us with just The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful.  I like Y & R enough, but B & B  can take a long walk off of a short pier.  It's the sad ending to many years of story lines and drama.  I wonder what they will put in the place of ATWT?  Hopefully not another game show like Let's Make a Deal.  Don't get me wrong, I like Wayne Brady, but that show is rediculously, well, rediculous. 

I've said all of that to say this...Life as I remember it from growing up is drastically changing.  It is leaving.  Simple daytime dramas are exiting to make way for faster-paced talk shows, syndicated programming, or the dreaded info-mercial.  As a child, I remember hearing older generations say, "When I was your age, I remember listening to the radio for our favorite program."  I likely rolled my eyes and thought something along the lines of "Gees, were you born before electricity too?"  Now I know the feeling.  I accidentally mentioned remembering when the Internet was started in class one day.  My students gasped and looked around the room; as if to say, "Do you think her arm will fall off from dry rot?"

The times, they are a'changing.  Whether it's for the good or not, I'm not certain.  This I do know, life is getting easier and easier for these generations, and they are getting lazier and lazier.  They literally don't know how to use a telephone book, dictionary, and heaven forbid they encountered a card catalog in a library...why it must be sent here from the aliens!  Maybe we should return to simpler days of soap operas and the good ol' Kool Aid commercials.  We turned out perfectly fine, thanks to the likes of our parents, Josh and Reva Lewis, and of course good ol' Bob Barker who reminded us to, "Help control the pet population, have your pet spayed or neutered!"

Takes Too Long But Tastes Great Broccoli and Pepper Quiche

Ingredients

1 frozen pie crust

Filling:
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups fat free Half and half, can use cream
1/2 cup chopped blanched broccoli
1/4 cup chopped blanched red or yellow bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons melted butter, cooled
1/2 cup grated Gruyere
Can use Feta to finish dish before serving

I also strongly suggest having a bottle of white wine while preparing this dish!

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Crust:

Poke a few holes with a fork at the bottom of the dough. With the same fork press around the edges to finish. Bake for 5 minutes, until the pie shell begins to feel firm.

Filling:
Mix together eggs, half and half, broccoli, bell pepper, salt, and black pepper in a medium size bowl. Chill for 35 minutes. Pour 1/3 of the mixture into the partially baked crust. Bake for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle half the Gruyer cheese over the slightly firm egg mixture. Pour the rest of the egg mixture into the crust. Sprinkle with the remaining Gruyere cheese. Cover with foil and bake for about 20 minutes, until puffed. Remove foil and bake for 10 minutes or until brown.

Serve hot or at room temperature. You can finish the dish with a sprinkle of Feta for added texture and contrasting flavor.

Dying for a GOOD Cheesecake!

Last night, I finished baking my husband's early birthday cake.  I leveled it, filled it, and iced it.  I looks and smells good.  But it's just not calling to me like I thought it would.  I didn't quite understand why, until it dawned on me...I'm Jonesin' for a cheesecake!  Not just any cheesecake.  Not the one that you grab out of the freezer section and defrost, not the one from the Wal-Mart bakery case that has a few varied slices.  A real, hard-core, thick, fattening, dense, creamy, rich cheesecake.  I have absolutely no idea when I'll have the time to make one.  But, I will.  And when I do, oh my! 

Of course, you have to have a great recipe for the ultimate cheesecake.  So, I ventured on-line and found the recipe for Junior's Cheesecake.  Junior's is touted as being the number one rate cheese cake in NYC.  I will definately indulge in one when go next year.  But for now, I'll have to experiment in my own kitchen.  Here's the link.  IF I get time to make one, I'll be sure to post the pics and an update of how well the recipe turned out.

Junior's Cheesecake Recipe

Pasta Salad and Peace

This evening's menu consisted of a super easy Seafood Pasta Salad.  The original recipe came from the Kraft Foods website.  But, because I'm never satisfied with most recipes I find, I gave it a little spice.  So here it goes...

1 box mini Farfalle

2 bundles asparagus

1 pound cleaned and deveined shrimp
1 pound bay scallops
1 can lump crabmeat
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 can Italian diced tomatoes
1 can whole black olives
1 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
Kraft Light Zesty Italian Dressing OR Hidden Valley Ranch Farmhouse Originals Creamy Parmesan
Parmesan cheese to garnish

Begin by sauteing shrimp and scallops in a heavy bottom saucepan.  Midway through the cooking process (3 minutes), add minced garlic.  Season with Old Bay seasoning and/or Tony Chachares if available in your area. Cook seafood for approximately six minutes; until shrimp are firm and pink.  Follow directions on pasta packaging to prepare, add asparagus last five minutes of boiling time until al dente.

In a large bowl, combine the lump crabmeat, tomatoes, olives, and basil.  Add the pasta, asparagus, and seafood.  Toss to combine.  Add dressing and cheese to taste!  Enjoy!

********
While having dinner, Melanie texted a picture of the queche that she prepared for dinner.  I had just taken a picture of my dish to text to her as well!  That's when the idea of a Blog hit me.  Since she now lives in Dallas, and I in Lake Charles, I figured this would be a great way to communicate and share our experiences.  This is my first official posting, and I hope we accumulate readers who may become inspired to do the same with family and friends.  Welcome to Food and Friendship!

Our Story

Many years ago, two girls from the same small town met and developed a friendship that would stand the tests of time, life, and miles. This Blog is a place where they share their stories, day, and least of all, recipes.

Caprese Pie and a Corona

1 pie crust
1 teaspoon softned butter
2 - 3 medium tomatoes, thickly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 cups mozzarella
1/2 cup parmasan
1/2 cup mayonnaise
ground red pepper to taste
salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grab a drink. It has probably been a long day.

Poke a few holes in the bottom of the pie crust with a fork to allow air to escape while baking. Next, rub the bottom of the pie crust with the softned butter and bake for 5 minutes. After baking for 5 minutes, remove the pie crust and allow it to cool for 10 minutes.

While the pie crust is cooling, combine the cheese, mayonnaise, red pepper, and garlic powder.
After the pie crust has cooled, place a single layer of tomatoes in the crust. Next, lightly salt the tomatoes and sprinkle the chopped basil. Using a spatula, spread your cheese mixture over the tomatoes completely covering them. Place in the oven for 20 minutes. Dish is best served warm.