Pumpkin Carving Party Appetizers

When it comes time for Halloween, everyone wants to act like a kid, eating candy, dressing up in ridiculous costumes and of course, carving pumpkins. This year I hosted the 2nd annual Pumpkin Carving Party, everyone is required to bring their own pumpkin and design idea. Contestants eat while they carve and at the end of the night the winner is chosen by a blind ballot.
The centerpiece for the appetizer table was an assortment of gourds and pumpkins that had been carved to be candle holders. It was a cheap and festive way to dress up the table.

Spooky Sausage Dip

This sausage dip recipe has an odd source, but it has turned out to be the biggest crowd pleaser in my recipe box. I was given the idea from a bartender at our local bar when I needed a last minute recipe for a party and it has been a hit ever since.

1 package Jimmie Dean Sausage Hot

2 bars of cream cheese

1 can Rotel (your choice Hot or Regular)

2 tablespoons diced pickled jalapenos

1. Brown the sausage

2. Drain the fat from the pan

3. Add the cream cheese, Rotel and jalapenos until creamy

4. Best served in a crock pot or hot off the stove

Bone Breadsticks with Bloody Marinara Sauce

1tube Pillsbury Garlic Bread Sticks

1 Jar Marinara Sauce

Parmesan Cheese

Garlic Salt

1. Flatten the garlic bread out on a baking sheet

2. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and garlic salt

3. Cut into square pieces and then cut slits 3/4s of the way into the piece

4. Bake according to instructions

5. Serve warm with marinara sauce

Mummie Weiners

Before I even had a chance to take a photo of these, they were all gone!

2 packages of mini beef franks

2 rolls Pillsbury pizza dough

1. Roll the pizza dough out flat on a baking sheet

2. Cut the pizza dough into thin strips with a pizza cutter

3. Wrap the strips around the beef frank beginning at the bottom and overlapping as you move up, leaving the top uncovered

4. Bake until golden and puffy

5. Serve with ketchup dipping sauce

Deviled Egg Eye Balls

1 dozen hard boiled eggs

1/3 cup mayonnaise

4 tablespoons mustard

Black Olives sliced

Salt and Pepper to taste

Green and Red Food Coloring

1. Gently squeeze hard boiled eggs in their shells so they are cracked

2. Soak the eggs in water and red food coloring over night

3. Peal shell off under running water

4. Slice egg in half and remove yolks

5. Mix yolk, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper and green food coloring together

6. Spoon yolks back into egg halves and place sliced olive on top

Winter Survival

As the air starts to get a little bit cooler in Charlotte, I happily pulled out my favorite winter gadget this morning to start my day, introducing the Mr. Coffee CocoMotion. I requested the CocoMotion for Christmas in 2004 and it has been a hot chocolaty heaven ever since.

It is the simple things that make me so happy and this little guy, couldn't be any simpler. Plug the machine in, fill it up with your choice of water or milk and use the helpful lines on the sides to measure out 1-4 servings. Toss in your favorite drink mix and then press the on button and then sit back and wait just a few minutes for your drink to be perfectly prepared. The CocoMotion whips and froths your beverage to the perfect temperature, not so hot that you burn your tongue, but just warm enough to take the chill off in the morning. Since I try to stay in bed to the very last second possible, I barely have time in the morning to put make up on, so I love that I can have a hot drink on my way to work, with no extra out of bed time.

You can mix any of your favorite powdered hot chocolates or get fancy with chocolate syrups and don't even get me started on the potential the CocoMotion has outside of the world of hot chocolate. I have seen the CocoMotion go anywhere between $15-$25, Wal-Mart typically sells them for about $20 and sometimes you can find them at Big Lots or other discount stores.

Fall is here folks, enjoy some hot chocolate!

Ladies Birthday Beach Weekend

Back in August, it was time to celebrate my birthday and there wasn't anything that I wanted more than to head to the beach and spend a relaxing weekend eating good food, drinking good wine and laying on the sand all day. A few great ladies and I packed up and headed down to Wilmington to celebrate the birthday of Julie and myself.

The menu for the weekend was extraordinary, lots of yummy foods to munch on while sipping lots and lots of great wine.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Cheesy Veggie Salsa

This is such an easy dip and perfect for the beach, it is light and flavorful and leaves you wanting to come back for more.

1 English Cucumber

1 Red Bell Pepper

1 Green Bell Pepper

1 Tomato

1/2 Red Onion

1 Jalapeno

1 Cup Ranch Dressing

2 Cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar

1/2 Cup of Salsa

1. Dice all the vegetables, finely dice the jalapeno

2. Mix vegetables together with Ranch dressing, salsa and cheese

3. Serve chilled

Monterrey Jack Pimento Cheese

Spaghetti and Meat Sauce w/ Garlic Rolls

Easy Cheese with Triscut Thin Crisps

Peel and Eat Shrimp in Cajun Seasoning

Sausage Breakfast Casserole

6 eggs

6 slices of white bread, cubed

2 cups milk

1 tablespoon mustard

1 teaspoon salt and pepper

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 package Jimmy Dean Sausage Hot

There is no better cure for a hangover than a pre-made breakfast casserole, this one is my favorite so far because it is simple and easy.

1. Brown sausage and drain fat

2. Whip together eggs, milk, mustard and seasoning

3. Spread cubed bread in baking dish and pour egg mixture over it evenly

4. Sprinkle cheese on top of the soaked bread mixture

5. Cover and refrigerate over night

6. Pre heat oven to 375 degrees and bake covered for 30 minutes, uncovered for the last 15. The eggs should be fluffy and bounce back when you touch them.

7. Serve with salsa or hot sauce

Birthday Cookie Cake

Who doesn't love a cookie cake? Forget buying a pre-made one from the store, you can make a quick and easy cake in no time.

1 tub of Toll House pre-made chocolate chip cookie dough
1 disposable baking pan
Icing to decorate

1. Press the cookie dough onto a grease pan making a flat and even cookie
2. Bake for the indicated time
3. Let cook and then decorate



This birthday weekend was the perfect mix of good friends, good food and good wine!

Tomato Bacon Mac and Cheese

It is a constant challenge in my kitchen to make the perfect mac and cheese. I love the creamy and cheesy sauce, not the dry baked style. It is pure joy when the mac and cheese that I have ordered at a restaurant arrives in that perfect creamy style, but utter disappointment when the dry and baked version shows up.

I tried to re-create the creamy texture that I love in this recipe, plus I figured adding spicy tomatoes and bacon couldn't hurt.

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons finely minced onion
3/4 tablespoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon paprika
4 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 cups milk
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups pasta cooked
1 can Rotel Hot
4 strips bacon, diced and cooked

1. Melt the butter over medium high heat
2. Add the minced onion and cook until tender
3. Add dry seasoning and flour, cook flour through
4. Whisk in milk slowly and allow to thicken, typically 5 minutes of cooking
5. Add 2 cups of the cheddar cheese, stir until completely smooth
6. Mix in the cooked pasta and stir pasta through
7. Pour pasta into a baking dish and sprinkle with bacon and drained Rotel
8. Top with remaining cheese
9. Put in the oven at 350 degrees just to let the cheese melt and get bubbly

While this isn't the ultimate mac and cheese, it gets pretty close to it! The bacon and Rotel adds a great kick and crunch to the dish. It is surprisingly quick and easy to make after a long day, especially when you just want a big bowl of comfort food.

What is the soup du jour?

I consider soup to be an entire food group of its own, I don't care if it is 90 degrees outside, I will still order soup. If you ever go out to eat with me, you will hear the question, "What is the soup du jour?" because I will most likely order it, no matter what it is. I am lucky to have a variety of places around my work where I can pick up a yummy soup for lunch, but my bill usually ends up way too high as I pick up impulse buys and with the calorie count at most places unknown, it makes eating cheap and healthy difficult.

I am not a big fan of soup from a can, I mostly use them for adding to a dish, but don't usually consider them to be a stand alone dish on their own. I continued to hunt for a cheap and easy solution to my soup craving at lunch time, especially as the days get cooler and the leaves are falling.

Finally, I found an answer to my problem, introducing Campbell's Soup at Hand, Creamy Tomato Parmesan Bisque. Just the putting the word bisque on the label forces me to try it out and this time, I was not disappointed. This tomato soup is perfectly creamy, with a touch of Parmesan, it reminds you of every time your Mom made you tomato soup and grilled cheese on a chilly day.

I love to heat it up in a bowl and then sprinkle in goat cheese crumbles to add a grown up feeling to this classic treat. Trader Joe's is the best place to stock up on goat cheese a package of pre-crumbled goat cheese is only $2.99. I also add some croutons in some days to add a great crunch and sometimes add some hot sauce to kick up the flavor.

Each container has 220 calories and 7 grams of fat, so I like to eat 1/2 a container and pair it with a homemade salad or sandwich, that way I cut the fat and get two meals out of one can.

Now if only I could figure out how to make a grilled cheese in the stand up toaster, without all the cheese slipping out, I would have the best lunch every day.

This Guy I Know had a Birthday

This Guy I Know turned 27 this past weekend and to celebrate he requested that we attend the Widespread Panic/Allman Brothers concert. Of course, I began dreaming of what tailgate treats I would serve up for such a special celebration. My goal was to bring food that would be easy to prepare before hand and then easy to cook and serve once we were tailgating. Like everyone else, I was sick of the standard hamburgers and hot dogs, so I decided to mix it up a bit.

Here is the final menu:

Veggie Platter with Garlic Spinach Dip

Sausage Dip (this recipe deserves it's own post)

Taco Dip

I love tacos, especially after drinking a few cold ones, but I hate the way they make me feel, fat and greasy. Taco dip is a perfect way to get all the great flavors of tacos, without all the guilt!

Mix together a bar of cream cheese with a packet of taco seasoning, spread this on the bottom of your serving dish. Then layer all your favorite taco toppings to your preference! I layered salsa, shredded cheese, peppers, onions, jalapenos, green onions and diced tomato's. You could add sour cream, olives, your favorite taco meat or tofu! Every dug into this dish with Frito's Scoops which make an easy finger food.

Grilled Pizzas

I purchased the pre-made pizza crust (I personally love Boboli) in the small personal size and started thinking of all my favorite toppings. I made 6 mini pizzas, Classic Cheese and Pepperoni, Greek Chicken, Buffalo Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo.

Classic Cheese and Pepperoni

I used store bought pizza sauce, topped with a six cheese Italian mix of shredded cheese and then added the most adorable mini pepperonis. I think anything in a mini size is cute and I will instantly buy it.

Greek Chicken

I took a pepperonichini spread that I had found at Super Wal-Mart, it has a great tang that I love about Greek cooking. I spread this and then topped it with red onions, green peppers, crumbled feta and grilled chicken. I cheated and purchased the pre-cooked chicken strips from Purdue and no one noticed!

Buffalo Chicken

I spread the pizza crust with Hidden Valley Ranch dressing (please see my blog entry about my love for Ranch and it's many uses), this may seem like an odd base sauce, but trust me. I took the pre-cooked chicken strips and let them soak up Frank's Buffalo Wing Sauce. I topped the ranch dressing with shredded mozzarella cheese and then sprinkled the buffalo chicken and crumbled goat cheese. This pizza ended up being my favorite of them all!

Broccoli Alfredo

I started out with a canned Alfredo sauce and then topped it with a six Italian shredded cheese. I then sprinkled fresh cut broccoli, red onions and oregano. This was my vegetarian offering, which I learned you must always have from Melissa D'Arabian, of Next Food Network Star.

I prepared all of these ahead of time that morning, wrapped them in Saran Wrap and then threw them on the grill, the crust gets crispy and with the top closed, the cheese melts perfectly! Such an easy treat to make and something different that you wouldn't expect on the grill.

Grilled Cheese Sammies

Who doesn't love a grilled cheese sandwich? I prepared a loaf worth of sandwiches by buttering each side of the bread and layering cheese and bacon inside for a nostalgic treat. Some sandwiches were the classic cheddar, some had a pepper jack twist and I even snuck in goat cheese in a few (I couldn't resist!). I wrapped the pre-made sandwiches in Saran Wrap and then threw them on the grill, cutting each sandwich into four's before they were gobbled up by everyone.

Burger Sliders

Once again, if you make it mini, I will fall in love with it, so the latest trend for sliders caught my eye and made it's way into my menu. These couldn't have been easier, I took 1 pound and a half of ground beef and mixed in Paula Deen's House Seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic) and Worcheshire sauce. I made small burger patties, about 2-3 inches each. These grilled quickly and luckily, the bun makers have caught on to this trend and make slider buns now as well.

Purple Gatorade Shots

This is a local favorite in Charlotte, if you come visit, I will most certainly order you one

1 Bottle Grape Vodka

1/2 Bottle of Sour Mix

1/2 Bottle of Triple Sec

Sprite to taste

Mix all ingredients and enjoy!

It's special because I wrapped it in bacon

The month of May is usually controlled chaos (more chaos than the control part) in my life, wedding season starts heating up, everyone I know seems to have been born during this month, NASCAR comes home to Charlotte and we host our annual National Convention at work.

After a particularly rough week this past May, This Guy I Know had taken the toll of my stress and I decided to make him a special dinner to show my remorse and appreciation for him putting up with me.



I decided to make him bacon wrapped fillet mignon with a Gorgonzola butter sauce, twice baked potatoes and roasted asparagus with goat cheese sauce.

Bacon Wrapped Fillet with Gorgonzola Butter Sauce

This is one of those dishes where the name of the dish will impress your guests and you will be impressed with yourself at how easy it was to cook!

You will need:

- 2 inch thick cut of fillet mignon per person

- 2 slices of bacon, per person

- Butter

- Gorgonzola Crumbles

- Salt and Pepper

1. Cook the bacon in a skillet, preferably a cast iron. You want the bacon to be partially cooked, but not crispy, because you are going to wrap it around the fillet.

2. Season your fillet with salt and pepper on both sides, that is it, you don't need to marinate or smother this meat in seasoning.

3. Wrap your cooked bacon around the fillet and secure with toothpick or cooking twine.

4. Sear both sides of your fillet in your bacon grease. If you need too, add a turn of EV olive oil to the pan. Cook it just long enough for the outside to get a nice color, about 3 minutes on each side.

5. If you have a cast iron skillet, throw it under the broiler. If you don't, use a broiler pan. Make sure to keep the oven door cracked open while you broil, otherwise you will just steam your meat. You should broil it for 2 minutes to get medium rare and about 5 minutes to get the center to be medium.

Gorgonzola Butter Sauce

This is so simple you will wonder why you don't make it every night.

1. Soften some butter in a dish

2. Crumble the Gorgonzola into the butter

3. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste

4. Place the butter in the refrigerator to let it set up

Top your fillet with this butter, you can either let the heat from the fillet melt the butter or you can add it during your last minutes of broil time to really get it bubbly!

Twice Baked Potatoes

I love making these because you can throw anything in them and they will taste great, you can go for the traditional baked potato "all the way" with cheese, bacon and sour cream or you can go savory and mix in garlic, chives and Boursin cheese.

1. Bake your potatoes for 1 hour at 350 (if you are in a time crunch you can microwave your potato for 5 minutes on each side)

2. Let the potato cool down before you try and work with it, then cut it in half and scoop out the insides into a bowl, saving the skins.

3. Mix your potato insides with your choice of mixins. I used sour cream, a little bit of milk, cheddar cheese, bacon pieces, salt and pepper.

4. Spoon your mixture back into the skins and top it with more cheese, bacon and scallions.

5. Bake the skins for 15 minutes at 350 to let the cheese melt.

Please see my entry "We are Family" for the roasted asparagus with a goat cheese sauce recipe.

This meal may sound intimidating, but it is one that I would recommend to celebrate any special occasion! What better way to say "I am sorry for being a brat for the past 4 days" then with bacon wrapped meat!

Cheatin' Chicken

Since I still haven't replaced my camera, I don't have a picture of this dish, but here is what came up when I did a Google Image search for "Cheatin Chicken" - apparently there is actually a product out there named that.

When I went to college, I had very few recipes in my arsenal. The most exciting thing that I could make was a box of Pasta Roni and what I like to call, Cheatin' Chicken. I have always watched my Mother make this delicious dish and it requires no recipe or cooking knowledge. It is almost impossible to screw up and it is perfect for a tasty chicken that you can pair with any meal and no one needs to know how easy it is.

Cheatin' Chicken

1. Defrost your chicken, this recipe can be adjusted for one breast to 12 breasts, just defrost what you need.

2. If you remember to, in the morning, drop the chicken into a zip loc bag and pour Italian dressing over it. My Mother always used the traditional Wish Bone Italian, so I still use that today.

3. If you don't remember, pour it over the chicken as soon as you can and let it sit for as long as possible before you cook.

4. Heat your oven to 350

5. Drop the chicken and Italian dressing mix into a casserole dish, make sure the Italian dressing is not drowning the chicken, you want the top of the chicken to be above your Italian dressing.

6. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on the top of each of your chicken breasts, just enough to coat the top with an even layer.

7. Throw your chicken in the oven for about 30 minutes or until cooked through, don't over cook it or it will be dry!

The chicken will have absorbed the flavors of the Italian dressing and stayed nice and moist. The Parmesan cheese is a nutty crust on top that is baked to perfection. I can guarantee, you can't screw this one up!

Sweet Gift from Above

If I could only have one condiment for the rest of my life, I would without a doubt choose ranch dressing. Ranch is the All American condiment, it is an undeniably wonderful flavor that can universally be put on any food. Outside of a fantastic homemade recipe, the best ranch from a bottle is by far Hidden Valley. Don't even bother messing with the other bottles out there, they won't compare to the deliciousness that Hidden Valley has.

If I took a poll of waitresses, I guarantee they would say the number one thing requested after the food is delivered is "a side of ranch". Once we see our meal, it is natural instinct to want to dip that perfect meal in a side of ranch. We all know even though the meal looks good enough, ranch will make it better.

I challenge your thinking, here are things I love to put ranch on:

- Wings
- French Fries
- Salad
- Sandwiches/Wraps
- Veggies
- Pizza
- Chicken nuggets
- Mozzarella sticks
- Fried Pickles
- Egg Rolls
- Buffalo Wing flavored pretzels
- In tuna salad instead of mayo
- Replacement for pizza sauce
- Hot Dogs
- Tater Tots
- Hamburgers
- Pizza Rolls
- Bagel Bites
- Mixed in any spicy soup
- Tacos
- Rice
- Homemade sytle potato chips
- Bacon
- Bacon Cheese Fries
- Chili Cheese Fries

Kerry's List:
- Pokey Sticks
- Bloomin Onion
- Anything with cheese and bacon
- Anything from Taco Bell

I believe ranch dressing is universally good on any food, I am going to try ranch dressing everything I eat from now on. If Chinese food is for dinner, ranch is on the side.

We are Family

I apologize for the delay, I still haven't figured out how to blog during work hours without feeling completely guilty. But now I am sitting in Plato's Closet, while 2 college girls rummage through 5 bags of my clothing, judging my style and taste and trying to give me as little cash back as possible. Most people are staring at my strangely, that not only do I own a computer, but I choose to bring it out in public with me and am now blogging while I sit on a questionably sanitary leather couch. Remind me to shower as soon as I get home.


I was lucky to go home last weekend and cook Sunday dinner for my family. It is strange to work out of my Mother's kitchen, all her things have moved around since I have lived there, so sometimes it is an Easter egg hunt just to cook dinner. I was at a loss for what to cook, but a quick text to This Guy I Know solved all my problems, "stuffed shells, hands down", who can really argue with that?


I ran to Publix (in my Mother's cute little red VW convertible, top down), which is the Harris Teeter of South Florida, and was pleasantly surprised at my shopping experience, except for the 3 men above 65 who separately complimented me on my car! After politely thanking the dirty old men, I gathered up the following:


1 box of large shell pasta
1 16oz jar of Ricotta cheese
2 cups of Italian Mix cheese
1 box frozen spinach
1/2 pound ground Sausage
1 jar Alfredo Sauce
1 jar marinara
1 package fresh asparagus
1 small package Goat Cheese


Stuffed Shells Two Ways

Stuffed shells are one of those dishes that you really can't screw up, whatever you like, mix it in some ricotta and then stuff the shells, you can't go wrong!

1. Start your pasta in boiling water, cook until al dente. Pre-heat your oven to 350.

2. I split my Ricotta into two pots, my family can be picky (My Dad refuses to eat anything green), so I planned on making one spinach filling and one sausage filling. I let the ricotta cook on medium low, to soften up.

3. Add a cup of the Italian shredded cheese to each pot, you could also substitute just mozzarella here, let it melt and combine with the ricotta.

4. Cook the spinach and drain it completely! I will always be amazed at how much water frozen spinach can hold, insane.

5. Brown the sausage in a separate pan.

6. Here is where I start to throw random things into the pot...I like to add fresh chopped garlic, salt, pepper, some parsley, Parmesan cheese and a little Garlic & Herb cream cheese (Boursin, Alouette or Pub Cheese works great).

7. Mix the spinach into one pot and the sausage into the other.

8. Drain the pasta shells very well, some water will hide in the shells, make sure you get it out!

9. Let the pasta cool. You have to pick them up to stuff them and it is not fun to do while they are scorching hot.

10. While you are waiting for the pasta to cool, set up a stuffing station. I used two 8x8 casserole dishes, in the bottom of one, I covered with some marinara, the bottom of the other, Alfredo sauce.

11. Stuff your shells with the filling and then line them up in the casserole dishes.

12. Put your shells in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, just to let them get nice and bubbly.

Roasted Asparagus w/ Goat Cheese Sauce

1. Trim your asparagus to take off the woody ends.

2. Heat up some olive oil and a little butter in a pan.

3. Saute the fresh asparagus in the oil/butter and garlic. Season with S&P to taste.

4. In a small sauce pot, melt the Goat cheese on medium low.

5. Once melted, whisk in either milk or white wine until the sauce is the consistency you like.

6. Your asparagus should be done now, take it off the heat and serve with the sauce.

The final product!

My family seemed happy, so I guess that is all that matters! Enjoy!

I Get It From My Momma

I learned everything I know from my Mother, (and a little bit extra from Food Network) she really is the hostess with the mostess. Everytime I have come home, she is throwing another fabulous party, today it was a baby shower for a close friend's daughter. It was no surprise, but my Mother out did herself again.

Everything was built around the clothing line theme and tiny onesies and cute baby tees hung off of windows and walls around the house.

The center pieces were made up from an adorable paper bag with bibs and dipers and then stuffed with Gerber daisy's. My Mother had collected about 25 of the most adorable shoes for a baby girl and she decorated each table with them.

There were a variety of quiches served and each was delicious. Swiss cheese and Spinach, Broccoli and cheese, Bacon and Cheddar and my favorite, Sun Dried Tomato, Sasuage and Goat Cheese quiche.

Lots of yummy fruit and salads were served as well. My favorite was the broccoli coleslaw, which is a newer way to eat broccoli that I have discovered. This version was served with broccoli slaw, ramen noodles, oil, vinegar and the seasoning pack from the ramen.

Dessert was sweet treats of dark chocolate cups filled with white chocolate mousse, double chocolate chip cookies, baby onesie shapped sugar cookies and 7 layer bars.

There were present galore, but I think one of the best was a handmade quilt that my Mother made. I only wish I could throw a party like she does, she always pays attention to every detail and everything is always fabulous.

Stuffed Peppers and Spicy Corn Chowder

This Guy I Know* wanted to make stuffed peppers one night for dinner, so since we usually split responsibilities and I decided to take on corn chowder to go with the peppers. Each of these dishes really could be a meal on their own, but my eyes are usually bigger than my stomach, so it is no surprise that I tend to overcook as well.

Stuffed Peppers
1. Pick out 3-4 red bell peppers, you want them to be able to sit with a flat bottom in a casserole dish.
2. Blanch the peppers in boiling water for about 5 minutes to make the cooking time in the oven faster.
3. Brown ground beef with onions until cooked through.
4. At the same time, begin cooking a rice of your choice, we used white rice, but Zatarains dirty rice would be good too.
5. Once the beef browns, add a small can of tomato sauce and season to taste. We mixed in taco seasoning, chili powder, crushed red pepper flakes and S&P.
6. Mix together rice, ground beef mixture and shredded cheese, we used Helluva Good Monterey Jack with Jalapenos, which really is helluva good. Mix most of your cheese in the rice mixture, but save some for to top off the peppers.
7. We used a casserole dish to help the peppers stand up, stuff them full of your rice mixture and then top off with cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and cook for about 60 mins at 350 degrees.

I am obsessed with soup, so eventhough we made this dinner in the middle of July, when it was more than 90 degrees out, I couldn’t help but make a soup to go with these peppers. Corn has always been a favorite, especially since a fun college tradition of corn fest! But This Guy that I Know always says that I can screw up a soup, but whenever you make something for the first time, there is always the nerves of serving something that tastes terrible to This Guy I Know.

Spicy Corn Chowder
1. Fry up a packet of bacon, cut into bite size pieces in a pot. Remove the bacon, but leave the grease, it is great for cooking the veggies in!
2. Saute onion, green pepper and garlic until cooked through.
3. Add 2 tablespoons flour to the veggies and bacon grease and make a roux, cook until the flour cooks off.
4. Add 2 cups chicken stock and one 16 oz bag of frozen corn.
5. In a separate pot, boil water and potatoes, boil until cooked through, then dice into bite size pieces and put into the chowder.

I like a chowder to an authentic chowder, so in my book that means it needs to be thick and cheesy, no room for heathly in this pot! This is where I start to throw random things in the pot until it tastes/looks the way I want it too.

6. I threw in a can of Campbell’s Cheddar Cheese soup, a can of creamed corn, diced jalapenos, diced roasted red peppers and 1/4 of a stick of Velveeta.
7. For seasoning, I mixed in S&P, cayenne pepper, Cajun seasoning (I love Tony’s) and crushed red pepper flakes.

When a soup is not thick enough or cheesy enough, Velveeta always makes it better. Another trick to thickening soups is one I learned from a family friend, she mixes 1 part flour into 2 parts water in a tupperware and then whisks in to soup while it is boiling.

8. At the last minute, I mix in most of the bacon and then serve the soup topped with more bacon.

This meal was just delicious, it took a little longer than usual on a weeknight (total prep-cook time was about 1 hour and a 1/2), but it was worth it! These peppers were to die for and you could take this recipe and add anything you like and not screw this one up. The soup was creamy and I spiced it up to have an extra kick to compliment the peppers. Enjoy!

*Editor’s Note: Most of my cooking is done with the same guy, I offered him an alias name and the best/appropriate for public use that he could come up with was “This Guy I Know”. If/when he comes up with a new alias, you will be the first to know.

First Blog!

Hello blog world! I’ve started this blog to share my adventures in cooking. everything I cook is a hybrid of Food Network University, allrecipes.com, my Mother’s advice and my taste.

I don’t believe in reciepes without photos, so when I thought of this blog, I started taking photos of all my recent dinners…and then my camera was stolen. So the first few posts are going to be without visuals, I apologize, I am sure the jerks who stole my camera are really enjoying photos of stuffed peppers and fried raviolis.

Writing about how you cook can be difficult when you don’t always measure and usually just throw random things in the pot, but hopefully I can do a decent job of explaining with words what ended up going into the dish. Expect me to write about anything that involves food from cooking to eating, if it involves food, I am interested in it and will write about it. Here goes nothing…