1. Pimento and cheese.
If you're a good little Southern child like me, you've probably grown up eating a whole lot of this sinful spread, but up until recently I had never made it before. And not because it's complicated, because it absolutely is not, but because I didn't have access to a food processor haha.
Here's what you need.
2 cups cheddar cheese (I used mild, but if you like sharp, go for it)
2 tablespoons mayo (just enough to get that spreadlike consistency)
4 tablespoons of pimentos
Dash of salt (I used sea salt)
Dash of pepper
Dash of cayenne
Here's what you do
Throw it in the food processor. Really. That's it. I mixed it up a little in a bowl first, but you really don't even have to do that. Of course, you can always add jalapenos or extra seasoning if you want an extra kick. It is so easy and I had enough for sandwiches all week!
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| This photo is extremely close up haha. |
If you're like me, football season and fall can't get here soon enough, and I was definitely in the football kind of mood when I made this stew.
Here's what you need
This dish is a variation of a recipe you can find here. I made a few slight alterations, including using ground turkey instead of ground beef. I also didn't have any Italian seasoning on hand, but since I was working with a well stocked spice rack (and Italian seasoning is just a mix of a lot of spices), I used an Italian seasoning recipe you can find here, except that I omitted the rosemary, which I don't really like. These are the ingredients I used
1 pound ground turkey
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 onion, chopped
2 large baking potatoes, cubed
About 6 carrots, thinly sliced
Approx. 4 stalks of celery, thinly sliced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 can of condensed tomato soup
1 can of beef broth
1 soup can of warm water
Dash of Italian seasoning (see note above)
Dash of Cajun seasoning
Here's what you do
Brown the meat, then throw in the onions and bell pepper to give a quick saute . Chop vegetables as instructed above. Drain meat, onions, and peppers and combine with other ingredients in the pot. If you make it in the crock pot, like I did, make sure to start it in the morning because the vegetables will take a while to cook.
3. Paula Deen's Lemon Bars
I am absolutely a beginner in the baking department. Actually, until I made these lemon bars, the only thing I had ever baked from scratch was brownies (which is really easy). Because I basically don't know what I'm doing, I just stuck to the recipe, which you can find here. They turned out delicious. Next time I'm going to try Ina Garten's recipe, which was my original plan, but I was staying with the sick puppy at Terry's house when I made these, and realized I didn't have quite enough flour. Paula's recipe is good too though!
4. Brinner, Shelley & Terry Style
All I can say about this is OM NOM NOM. This meal was a team effort by yours truly and Terry.
Bacon
Cooking bacon is the easiest thing in the entire world. Heat a pan on medium. Throw on the bacon. Flip it every few minutes until it is at the crispiness level you desire. It is so fatty that it can just cook in its own fat.
Hash Browns
We took an easy route with the hash browns, and bought the super convenient dried ones. Seriously, if you are a hash brown lover, like I am, Hungry Jack makes some that come in a little carton that looks like the milk cartons they used to give you in elementary school. And it is cheap, coming in at less than $1.50. However, you can use frozen or refrigerated ones, or if you're so inclined, make your own. I'm a little more Sandra Lee than legit gourmet, so I used the dried ones.
Here's what you need
Hashbrowns
1 1/2 cups Colby Jack (really any cheese will do)
1 cup of diced onion
2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil
Here's what you do
To make the dried ones, you heat up water on the stove. I use my tea kettle. Open the carton and pour the water in to the fill line, then close it and leave it for 12 minutes. When the 12 minutes are almost up, heat the oil in a pan on medium low until it sizzles. I would recommend using the largest nonstick pan you have. Add the hashbrowns and onions and just let them cook for about 4-5 minutes. The package on the Hungry Jack says 3-4 but it always takes longer than that. Flip them and leave them for another 4-5 minutes. Don't stress out if you have a hard time with the flipping. I almost always have to enlist Terry to help with that task haha. When they are almost ready, add the cheese and let it melt.
Spicy Omelets
Part of the reason I am so proud and obsessed with these omelets is that they were made from eggs laid by my parents' chickens. That's right, my mom and dad now have about 12 chickens which lay the most delicious eggs. Anyway, these omelets are one of those great combinations that happens when you have perfect leftovers. A couple of days ago, Terry made stuffed chicken with chorizo, mushrooms, and onions. When I suggested omelets, he informed me that he had some stuffing left over. It was a match made in heaven.
Here's what you need
1 pound of chorizo
1 cup diced onion
1 cup sliced mushrooms
Eggs (as many as you want)
2 tablespoons Butter
Cheese
Salsa (if desired)
Here's what you do
Brown the chorizo on the stove top like you would ground beef. It comes in a casing, so I would recommend removing it from the casing, although you could just dice it. Add the onions and mushrooms, and saute them with the sausage. Drain and set aside. Heat a pan to medium low, and melt the butter. Whip your eggs, and add as many as you want for one omelet. I prefer a 2-egg omelet. Terry likes 3. Watch the eggs until they firm up to a consistency similar to a pancake. You may have to prod them a bit with a spatula. Flip if desired. Add a few spoonfuls of the chorizo mixture and a sprinkling of cheese, then fold over. Flip again if desired. I ate mine with a side of salsa, but the chorizo filling is so spicy and flavorful, that you really don't need anything else.
