Mexican Lasagna

This was a rather unique dish.  We enjoyed it.  I didn't think to take any pictures of it.












Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey or beef
14 ounces tomato sauce
4 Tablespoons taco seasoning mix
2-3/4 ounces Durkee French Fried onions
12 ounces cottage cheese
1 egg, slightly beaten
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
12 flour tortillas

Brown meat and drain.  Add tomato sauce and taco seasoning.  Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.  Stir in 1/2 of the French Fried onions.

In a bowl, combine cottage cheese, 1 cup cheddar cheese, and egg.

Line bottom of pan (I used a 9x13 glass pan) and sides with tortillas.  Spoon meat mixture on the tortillas.  Top with three more tortillas, then add cheese mixture.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.  Sprinkle remaining cheese and onions in center of casserole.  Bake uncovered for 5 more minutes.

Note:  This was actually better, in my opinion, as leftovers.  Ever since my pregnancy with Gracie, I've been funny about eating eggs.  The mixture of cottage cheese and egg was kinda strange, but edible the first time around.  As leftovers, it was really good.  I don't think I put half the onions in the mix and half on top. I think I overlooked that and just mixed all of them in.

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

This is a "copy cat" recipe that I got online a number of years ago.  It wasn't until recently that I tried it.  They are very good!









Ingredients:
2 cups Bisquick baking mix
2/3 cups milk
1/2 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese (or any other variety)
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
parsley flakes as needed

Combine Bisquick, milk, and cheese with a wooden spoon and beat for about 30 seconds.  Spoon onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake in 450 degree F oven for 8-10 minutes.

Combine melted butter and garlic powder.  Drizzle over hot biscuits.  Sprinkle parsley on top.

Old Enough to Know Better

Sometimes I wonder how I'm going to come up with new ideas for posts on my blogs.  I shouldn't worry.  Everyday life usually provides some fodder. And today is no exception.

I did something rather stupid today (Thursday).  My toilets needed cleaning, badly.  I usually use the Clorox drop-ins to help with automatic cleaning, and they had evidently long been dissolved.  I put it off (I know, gross, right?) until this morning, I decided to finally "eat the frog" (which is a productivity tactic of doing what you dread the most first to get it out of the way).

I dug under the main bathroom sink to find the toilet cleaner, something called The Works which my husband had bought some time before.  I had thrown away my toilet scrubber and had not replaced it (but will be soon!).  I decided to just use a washcloth.

So I squirted the stuff in there and went to work -- without gloves.  I wanted it done quickly, you see, and never even THOUGHT about there being any danger.  I noticed that my hands started itching, so after I cleaned the first toilet, I washed with soap and water.  I moved on to my bathroom and, same thing, itchy hands.  I washed my hands, then decided to look on the back of the bottle. Hazardous!  Use Gloves!  If it gets on skin, call Poison Control!   Whaaaaat?  So I ran cold water over my hands for about 5 minutes, and then called Poison Control for the first time in my life.  Fortunately, I already had the number in my phone.

Here it is for you:  1-800-222-1222  Put it in your phone.  You never know when you might need it!  (And, by the way, they also have a free app!)

The lady was very helpful.  She told me to run my hands under running water for another five minutes and to treat like any other burn, putting cold compresses on it throughout the day.  She asked me how old I was.  I told her, "39 - old enough to know better."  She kinda laughed and said it happens to all of us.

My hands were still red and I could imagine blisters forming.  I debated on calling my doctor and making my appointment.  I like my doctor, but I do NOT like the long wait time, especially with a cranky toddler.  This is my regular primary physician, not my OB-GYN.  My OB-GYN can do no wrong (after all, she delivered my baby).

Reading on the back of The Works bottle, I found out that the stuff is 20% hydrogen chloride, some derivative of hydrochoric acid, big bad stuff in the chemical department.  I started off as a chemistry major, switched to science education with a chemistry minor.  Don't be too impressed: I've forgotten 95% of anything I ever learned.  Except that HCl is some bad stuff.  I remember making the Lab TA get it for me because I was scared of the stuff!  This is the same reason why I do not clean my oven.  That is my husband's job, and before that, my mom's job.  Nope, not kidding, not touching it.

I remembered that the home remedy for getting jalapeno juice on your hands is to putting your hands in milk.  So I poured some milk in an oval, french white baking dish, and dipped my hands in.  COLD!  But it did the trick!  The redness went away.  I have it sitting on the counter to dip in every so often.

Now I think I will be on the lookout for some nonhazardous cleaning supplies.  I already tossed The Works in the trash.  Not going through that again!  I may just use some shampoo I don't like; after all, FlyLady says "soap is soap."

Movie Review: The Shunning

The Shunning is based on the book by Beverly Lewis. This is the first book I ever read by this now-famous author.  In my opinion, she is the top writer of Amish fiction, rivaled only at this time by Cindy Woodsmall.  (Granted, I haven't read every author, but that's out of the ones I have read.)

It's been a long time since I read the book (or the rest of the series), but as far as I can tell, the movie followed the book very well.  The acting was very good.  It's definitely worth watching.

Katie is a young Amish girl who is engaged to be married to an Amish bishop.  She struggles with separation from the world in the area of music.  A former beau (who she thinks died a few years ago) gave her a guitar with which to make music.  An Englisch lady comes around looking for the baby girl she gave up for adoption 20 years ago.  Katie turns out to be that daughter.  Her parents never told her and didn't want to tell her even when they found out the other lady was searching for her.

At the end, both Robert and I had the same reaction, "What?  You've got to be kidding me? That's ALL?"  We were expecting more to the story, but I'm guessing that perhaps we'll have to wait for the movie sequel!

REVISED Book Review: The Chocolate Diaries by Karen Linamen

I am revising this review based on Karen Linamen writing a comment on my previous review, clarifying a misunderstanding.


The Chocolate Diaries by Karen Linamen starts off with an engaging introduction to the book which contains stories about people who have turned their “truffles of life” into rich, satisfying gourmet meals.

Sprinkled throughout the book are yummy recipes that will thrill chocolate lovers!  This was probably the best part of this book for me.

Overall the book was ok.  The author, Karen Linaman, relates a number of anecdotes from her own life as well as her friends and associates.  The stories are interesting and help to support her ideas.

Chapter 4, entitled Sweet Pick-Me-Ups, offers both fun and practical ways to help you get a little boost for the day.  Chapter 10, Who’s Your Daddy?, was the best chapter.  It talks about how you can become a daughter of the King.  I was glad to see this as I think that most Christian books are incomplete without a clear presentation of the Gospel.  I do not think it was a very clear presentation of the Gospel, but was an admirable effort.

One thing that bothered me was a story concerning her dog who sneaked away with her birth control device.  The author tells us that she is divorced and is dating.  The Bible makes it very clear that fornication is a sin.  This is not model behavior for a Christian and is an inappropriate detail for a Christian book.

Although I would not necessarily have personally bought this book for myself or as a gift for anyone else, it was not a bad read.  The chocolate recipes definitely make the book.

UPDATE:  Ms. Linamen wrote a very kind and gracious comment on my previous review, saying this, "And thank you for pointing out the missing detail in the dog/birth control story... my apologies to you (and to my other readers!) for not including the time-frame of that story! That story did not happen recently at all, but took place when I was married. Please forgive me for any confusion! (I'll see if my publisher can fix that on our next printing!)"

I am so glad that she clarified this.  I'm a little embarrassed that I automatically thought negatively of the situation.  It's so easy to misunderstand when one doesn't have all the facts.

Thank you, Karen, for being so very kind in your comments and for clarifying the misunderstanding!

I also updated my reviews on Amazon and Blogging for Books.  I upgraded both reviews to 4 stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Multnomah Press book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Recipe Review: Sweet and Sour Meatball Skewers

I used to get Kraft Foods Magazine and I've gotten a lot of good recipes from them, including these Sweet and Sour Meatball Skewers.

First, the recipe as written:

Prep:  10 minutes    Total:  20 minutes   Makes: 4 servings, 2 kabobs each

What You Need:
32 frozen fully-cooked 1-inch meatballs (1 lb.), thawed
1 red pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
1 green pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
1/4 cup apricot jam
1/4 cup Kraft Original Barbecue Sauce

Make it:
1.  Heat grill to medium-high heat.  Thread meatballs and peppers alternately onto 8 skewers.
2.  Microwave jam in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 15 seconds.  Stir in barbecue sauce; brush half onto kabobs.
3.  Grill 8 to 10 minutes, or until meatballs are heated through, turning occasionally and brushing with remaining jam mixture the last 2 minutes.

Serving Suggestion:  Serve with corn on the cob and a side salad.

What I Did

My ingredients:

32 frozen full-cooked 1-inch meatballs (1 lb.), thawed (I used Great Value Italian style meatballs which were FABULOUS.  Will be using for other things like spaghetti and BBQ Meatballs)

1 red pepper, cut into 1-inch squares

1 green pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
1/4 cup apricot jam (Smucker's No Sugar)
1/3 cup Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce

brown rice + water

How I made it:
Earlier in the day, I counted out 32 meatballs and put them in a bowl in the fridge to thaw.
1.  Start the brown rice cooking.  Soak six skewers in water (in the 9x13 baking dish I used to cook the kabobs).
2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3.  Cut up the bell peppers.  Here's a tip:  I turn them over upside down and cut along the lines, then pull the sections apart from the top which has all the seeds.  It makes it easier to clean up the bell pepper.
4.  Thread the meatballs and peppers on the skewers.  Lay them crosswise on the 9x13 baking dish.  (This is my idea for how to cook all meatballs that need to be baked.  This prevents the crusty flat sides from appearing on the meatballs.)
3.  Mix up the sauce.  I put both the jam and BBQ sauce in the bowl and microwaved them together.  Brush them on the kabobs, turning the kabobs as you go.
4.  Bake for about 15 minutes.  Serve with the rice.

Robert loved it and called it a "keeper."  I whole-hearted agreed!!  Gracie was more interested in playing with her "bome" (spoon and fork) than eating.  If she would've tried it, she would've liked it, though.

There was one kabob left over with some rice.  Not enough for a full lunch, but Robert said it's enough for an appetizer, and he said, "I'll figure out something" -- already laying claim to it!  LOL!  We have a rule in our house:  You Snooze, You Lose!  So whoever gets to it first gets it.

Here are a few pictures:

Soaking the skewers.

Preparing the bell peppers.

All threaded up.

Sauced up.

All done!

My plate.

Robert's plate.

Gracie's plate.

Back to the Basics: Cooking Rice

 I've always been a little timid about cooking rice, unless it's mixed in with a recipe.  I was afraid  that I wouldn't cook it enough and it would be hard and cruncy, or that I would cook it too much and it would be sticky.  My fears were laid to rest when I joined the Cooking Club of America a few months ago.  They sent me a book called Cooking Essentials ($11.99) which is full of information about different types of food and how to prepare them.

Here is the fool-proof way to cook rice (serving four people), with a few of my comments along the way.

1.  Using a measuring cup to ensure exact quantities, pour 1 cup of rice into a medium pot.  Measure 2 cups of water in the same measuring cup.  Add the water to the rice, and add 1 teaspoon of salt.

2.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Stir once, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer.

3.  Cover the pot with a lid and cook gently for the times listed below.  Keep covered while it is cooking.

white long grain rice = 12-15 minutes
brown rice = 20-30 minutes
basmati rice = 10-15 minutes

4.  Lift the lid and check to see if the top of the rice is dry.  Tilt the pot to see if all the water has been absorbed.  If not, cook for a little longer.  When all of the water is gone, the rice will be ready.

5.  Remove the pot from heat.  Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.  Fluff the rice with a fork.

This method worked beautifully for me, with one exception.  It said to cook brown rice for 20-30 minutes.  At the end of 30 minutes, the rice was not done.  I had to cook it for about 45 minutes before it was done.  I do not know why.  It turned out very well, though, and I was quite happy that I'd finally mastered cooking rice!  Silly, I know, since it should be a basic skill, but sometimes the easiest of things trip me up.