taco chili

a staple in my fast paced, never enough time to eat life. it freezes well and i somehow don't tire of it easily. put it over rice, with corn chips or in a tortilla.

a post production photo of sorts. sorry for the blurries.

1 lb ground beef (the leaner, the better)
2 tbs minced garlic
1/2 onion chopped
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can ranch style beans, not drained
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
2 packets of taco seasoning
OR
1 packet taco seasoning
1 packet ranch dressing powder

brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic in the pot you're planning to use. add in the remaining ingredients and let it cook until it boils. turn the heat to low and let it simmer for a while. the longer the ingredients sit together, the better the taste. i omitted the ranch because of the dairy content and added another packet of taco seasoning. i actually like it better this way. you can substitute whatever beans you have on hand in place of the black beans and pinto beans. sometimes it's red beans, kidney bean or just lots of black beans. add in an extra can or two as a substitute for the beef if you want to go meatless! my roommates top it with cheese and sour cream. i like avocado on mine. super filling and easy.

~enjoy~

asian pasta salad

this is currently my favorite salad (the dressing has started going on everything...)

i found it in a southern living cookbook my friend let me borrow.

here's the original:

8 ounces cooked linguine
3 cups broccoli flowerets
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 green onions, sliced
2 large carrots, scraped and sliced diagonally
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (omitted this)
1 large clove garlic, minced

place cooked pasta in a large bowl. add broccoli and next three ingredients; toss well.
combine soy sauce and remaining 6 ingredients in a small jar, cover tightly, shake vigorously. pour over pasta mixture; toss gently. yields 4 servings.

i made it like this once, and now i just throw in whatever i have in the fridge. it's usually spinach, angel hair or fettuccine, corn, avocado, and yesterday some feta (not my favorite, probably won't do that again). i make lots of the dressing and keep it in the fridge.

enjoy

baked eggs in a bread bowl

i got this from noblepig.com (i also stole her pictures...hoping i don't get arrested)

it's really simple. you take dinner rolls (got mine in the almost-bad section of the bakery at walmart), cut the tops off and scrape out some of the bread creating enough room for one egg.

crack one egg into each

sprinkle with desired spices and cheese. i used
salt
peper
garlic powder
italian seasoning
dried parsley
parmesan cheese (like you use for spaghetti)

(mine did not look like this as i did not have grated Parmesan...also, the original recipe suggested adding a bit of cream. totally forgot to do this...)

bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until the egg is set. i also toasted the tops of the bread.

voila

mine were a tad bit dry. i'm pretty sure adding the suggested cream (or milk or soy) would fix it. i also really like sweet and salty things so i'm thinking about adding a layer of jelly to the bottom of the roll. next time. :)

a new blog

i cooked breakfast this morning (ok, almost brunch by the time it was ready) and i wanted to share the recipe. my other blog seemed wrong somehow, so i spent an hour making a new one. i've been sewing quite a bit and thought this place could serve as my practical/creative space for the discoveries i am making, the things i am creating, and for my new found love of couponing. here's to great adventures ahead with all things crafty, tasty and cheap!