October 24, 2007

See, I have fashion questions, too! Check out my Q&A at StyleBakery.


I use StyleBakery as a great resource for fashion trends, wardrobe ideas, shopping links, and a bit of celebrity gossip. The editors seem to have it together in terms of their recommendations, and they solicit questions on style.

Just so happens I recently purchased this little swing jacket and wanted advice about what to wear with it... taking into consideration two factors: my height and my age!

Check out my question & Alison's great answer here.

I encourage you to submit a question when you have one, and check out the site for ideas for this fall and winter! Have fun!

October 23, 2007

Recipe for comfort - beer cheese-cheese-cheese soup.


A big pot of soup is the perfect cure for a rainy, blah night, but who has time for something that tastes like it's been cooked all day? Not this girl. I need something quick and easy to put together, but something that can simmer on low until The Bob is ready for dinner. This is my take on beer-cheese soup – I took the basic idea from several recipes to come up with my own, and it was delish if I do say so myself.

Here's what you need:
3 slices bacon, diced
1 clove (or so) garlic, minced fine (I used the preminced jarred kind to save time)
1T butter
2T flour
1t dry mustard
1 small can chicken broth
1 cup (or so) half and half
1 12 oz. bottle of beer (I used a Bud, but anything works - the alcohol cooks out)
16 oz. (or so) Velveeta, cut into chunks
1 jar (5 oz.) Kraft Pasteurized Process Cheese Spread with Bacon
1 jar (5 oz.) Kraft Old English Sharp Pasteurized Process Cheese Spread
Salt & pepper to taste

Here's all you do:
1. Cook the bacon in the bottom of a large saucepan until crisp. Remove to a plate to drain and reserve for garnish.
2. Add the butter and the garlic and sauté until the garlic is transparent and flavorful, just a minute or so.
3. Turn the heat down a smidge, and add the flour and dry mustard to the pot. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes until the mixture forms a pretty thick paste.
4. Whisk in the broth, then the half and half, until incorporated. Add the beer and stir. Let this come up to a simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Add the jarred cheeses, one at a time, stirring until melted. Add the Velveeta in chunks, stirring until melted.
6. Taste for seasonings, and then simmer on low, stirring pretty often, until you just can't stand it any more! I let mine simmer for about 20 minutes.
7. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the reserved bacon bits, and/or anything you like. Bob topped his with bacon AND croutons.

I thought pumpernickel bread sounded good to dunk into this soup. I cut slices of the bread into strips, brushed with butter and toasted in a 450º oven until they were crispy.

While this soup was delicious on its own, we immediately thought of about 3-4 different things you could do with this as a base. This would be awesome with crab meat and/or shrimp. It would be great as kind of a chowder with a couple of potatoes and some drained corn. Tonight I plan to take some fully cooked chorizo flavored smoked sausage, slice it into disks and add it to the soup.

Experiment with what you like. But, try it this the first time. You will sink down into that bowl of cheesy goodness and it just won't matter what the weather's doing outside.

October 05, 2007

We never get tired of a good old casserole – especially with tater tots & cheese!


You already know that The Bob is a casserole junkie. I swear if you layered nails and glass in a dish and covered it in cheese and topped it with crushed potato chips, he would lick his plate clean. I think he might eventually catch on to nail & glass casserole, so I guess I will keep looking for easy, cheesy casseroles to make the man.

I came up with this one as a substitute for my Reuben Bake, and it went over pretty well.

Here's what you need:
1 lb. fully cooked, skinless smoked sausage
1 can green beans, drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup
8 oz. Velveeta, cubed
Tater tots (YES, tater tots!)

Here's what you do:
1. Preheat oven to 350º. Spray an 8" square baking dish with non-stick spray.
2. Cut the sausage into 3/4 inch disks and put in the bottom of the pan. Top with the green beans. Spread the soup over top. Top this evenly with the Velveeta. Then (and this is my favorite part!), put tots all over the top. Really pack them in!
3. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly, and the tots are nice and golden brown.

Modify to your heart's content, but for goodness sake, keep the tot! This actually reheated pretty well the next day, so it won't go to waste.