An easy crock pot Reuben dip for your next carry in

You have the invite to a pot luck, but what to take? A bag of chips or store bought cookies might count, but it looks like you picked them up on the way to the party. (Sometimes that is definitely okay!) You want to put forth a little effort... very little... but take something people will like, and bring home an empty dish at the end of the night.

For our last carry in, I concocted a Reuben dip that elicited raves, and requests for the recipe. This was just one of those crazy ideas I had that worked. And the best part was, The Bob assembled it all, and if he can do it, you certainly can!

Dump into a crock pot or slow cooker:
1 lb. deli corned beef, shredded, then chopped
1 lb. shredded Swiss cheese
1 lb. shredded Mozarella
1 brick of cream cheese
1 regular sized can of sauerkraut (most of the liquid left in)
1 regular sized bottle thousand island dressing

Melt all together on low, stirring occasionally.

Serve this with little rye bread slices, toasted if possible.

If you like Reubens, this has all that flavor, but in a creamy dip consistency. Easy to serve at a pot luck or carry in.

Don't let the elephant watch these peanuts. Super-easy microwaved spiced nuts.

The Bob loves his dry roasted peanuts. There is almost always a jar in the pantry for a quick snack whenever he is craving a little something salty. It wasn't until he opened my most recent purchase and ate a big handful that we realized I had picked up the unsalted variety by mistake. Now we are well aware that unsalted nuts are healthier, but the man likes the salted kind, what can I tell you. These were going to completely go to waste.

Until one evening I saw the jar on the shelf and had a little brainstorm. Why not spice them up? Well, this is a take on a recipe I found on All Recipes. They called them spiced nuts, but really they are more of a sweet snack as prepared by the recipe. And, the original called for pecans, but I thought any kind of nut would work. So I modified it to come up with a sweet and salty combo that Bob and I really loved.

Here's what you need.
1 16 ounce jar unsalted dry roasted peanuts
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 t ground nutmeg (I used whole nutmeg and grated it on a microplane)
1 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t cayenne pepper (optional, and add more as you like...)
2 T water
Kosher salt

Here's how you do it.
In a microwaveable 4 qt. casserole, melt the butter. Stir in everything but the nuts and the salt. Microwave on high for 1 minute, remove, and stir. Add the nuts and microwave 4-5 more minutes, stirring after every minute. I went the full 5. Turn out onto waxed paper, and spread out with a spatula. Sprinkle kosher salt over all, to taste. Let them cool as long as you can stand it, and try them! I stored them in plastic containers and they kept well. But, they didn't last long! Bob took them to work to share with his coworkers and they all agreed that I should make these again. They were so easy, why not!? I think they'll be great around the holidays, and I will try this with all kinds of nuts.

I hate to see food go to waste, so this satisfied my need to use up the nuts, and satisfied Bob's love of salty (and sweet) snacks!

How to move a mountain of mulch and live to tell about it.

Having moved to a pretty large piece of property with very little landscaping, The Bob and I decided to take on a couple of projects designed to improve the curb appeal of our 1970s ranch.

The previous owners were just about having a lawn. So the front yard was devoid of anything other than the 5-6 huge, towering oak trees. Beautiful, but a pain to mow around. We like "laaaandscaping" - well thought out areas with shrubs, hardscape, and perennials.

We consulted with a landscape designer who was recommended by a friend. The deal was, for a minimal fee, the designer would come out, look over the property, and give us some ideas, a layout, and a plant list. We would do the work ourselves. The Bob was dubious about this, but after it's all said and done he truly saw the benefit of getting just a little advice from a pro. We personalized it somewhat, but followed the basic plan and it worked.

The two projects we decided to do this year were a large, more formal shrub and perennial bed to frame our front porch, and a HUGE, kidney shaped "mulch bed" that encircles three of the big trees in the front yard. Better for mowing, he said.

A mountain - two pickup loads - of mulch was needed to cover these two areas, which we had delivered. The first day moved the mulch in a wheelbarrow with shovels. It was hard, backbreaking work, but I didn't think there was any alternative. My magic wand was on the fritz. The next day when I mentioned to my friend how badly my back hurt, he asked why didn't I borrow his mulch fork. MULCH FORK? Well, my friend is as particular as I am about most things, and seems to be a semi-pro at do-it-yourself. I decided to take his advice.

I purchased mine from Lowes and let me tell you, it's the best $35-ish dollars I've spent on a tool in a long time. I could not for the life of me figure out how this was going to work, though. To me it looked like eating soup with a fork. But, it worked, easily moving a large quantity of mulch and making it a cinch to spread... just shake it a little and the mulch falls where you want it.

In case you think this tool is a one-hit wonder, guess again. We have used it to move piles of leaves and weeds, and it will be useful for stirring compost piles. I am sure that's just the short list of uses we'll find for it around the King Ranch.

If you are doing any landscaping in the near future, run, don't walk, to your nearest garden center and pick up a mulch fork. Find out for yourself what it feels like to move mountains!

A recipe that elicted a WOW - easy grilled chorizo-stuffed chicken breasts.

I stopped at the store on my way home one night with no ideas in mind for dinner. Probably chicken, but after that I was stumped. I wandered the meat section and ran across some Mexican chorizo, that spicy sausage you see often scrambled up with some eggs. I picked that up, along with a few other things, thinking maybe some sort of Tex-Mex kind of dish might do for the night. What I came up with elicited a WOW from The Bob. He even said "we can have this again," (a sure sign I'm onto something) and even more comments for days afterward. So, if you like chorizo, and are thinking of another spin on grilled chicken, you might want to give this one a try.

For the stuffing:
About 1/4 lb. of chorizo, crumbled and browned, then cooled completely
About a cup of shredded taco cheese, I used the three-cheese blend
1 diced green chile (about a tablespoon) - you buy them in those little cans and these are mild, not spicy
A few diced pickled jalapenos to taste (I used about a tablespoon) this gives a kick, but not too much

Mix all together in a small bowl and set aside.

For the chicken:
2 pretty large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Chili powder to season

To make them:
1. Cut a pocket into each chicken breast - take your knife and make an "incision" into the thicker side of the breast, then runthe knife in and around, until you have a decent-sized pocket
2. Stuff each one with as much filling as will fit, then just pull the pocket closed (you can use toothpicks if you want to, I didn't this time).
3. Season both sides with chili powder to taste (gives them a pretty color).
4. Grill over medium high heat until they're done. Ours took about 10-12 minutes a side.

While it was cooking I made a sauce to pour over. Take about a cup of regular store-bought ranch dressing. Stir together with a handful of cilantro chopped very fine, another chopped green chili, and some chopped pickled jalapenos to taste. This was a delish, fresh-tasting salad dressing for me, but Bob put it over his chicken and he said WOW again.

This could also be baked instead of grilled. I would just put in a baking dish sprayed with some non-stick spray, in a 350 degree oven for about 40-45 minutes or until done.

I plan to make this again, and often. It isn't every day that a weeknight meal gets WOWs. But it turned out well enough that I might bust it out on company some weekend, too.

Let me know if you try it, and what your results are!

Another reason I love L.L.Bean - the guarantee is really real.

I have said many times how much I love L.L. Bean. I love love love their Boat and Tote Bags, and now have one in just about every size. I have praised their Double L Polos, for both men and women. I have been enthralled with many of their home accessories. All the stuff is downright charming. None of it is what I would consider "high fashion," and that's kinda the point.

Anyway, a while back I ordered a pair of Kathadin Khakis out of the clearance section of the site. Must have been a discontinued color, but the price was right and they looked like something The Bob would wear to run around in. He was only a little dubious at first, because they were sort of a cross between a jean, a work pant, and his old khaki standbys. The heavy duty fabric was tough, but not rough. The fit was relaxed. But, believe it or not, with the right shirt or sweater they were decent enough to wear to a casual dinner out. Superb. Home run. They became his favorite pants, seeing more action than even his comfy jeans.

But, a few months later the riveted button thingy broke. Just broke right off. I have never ever had a problem with a Bean product, so I was surprised. But there was no fixing it. I told the near-inconsolable man that I would see what I could do.

I have an account on Bean's web site, so I went online and found the record of the order, and sent a short email to the company explaining what happened, referencing the order, and asking how to go about getting a replacement pair. A few days later I received an email that "my order" had shipped.

They sent me another pair in the same size and color, no questions asked. Bob was happy. I was happy. Bean has a devoted customer for life.

Not many companies stand by their products like that. That's yet another reason I love L.L. Bean.

Lettuce be thankful for the little things.

I was standing at Target recently, and wandered down the kitchen gadget aisle. And this happens from time to time - I became mesmerized by all the shiny, pretty, colorful stuff. Mostly I am traditional when it comes to gadgetry. I like my mini chopper, but most of the time I just reach for a knife. Every utensil in my drawers closely resembles the utensils used by my mom, and her mom. Nothing fancy.

But a little piece of plastic stopped me in my tracks. A LETTUCE KNIFE?

It had a clear blade and a lettuce green handle. And the card to which it was attached suggested that metal knives cause lettuce to turn brown, while plastic will produce nice, chopped greens that stay fresh looking longer. HUH? I had never heard this before, but I did think back to all the lettuce I threw away because it turned brown and ugly. I know, I know. Most chefs recommend tearing the lettuce into bite sized pieces. But I'm always in a hurry to get the stuff ready, so I chop it.

Anyway, I snagged the knife for about the same price as this one on Amazon and gave it a try.

First, I wondered if it would mash the lettuce because it's not a sharp metal blade, but it sliced through the head of iceberg like it was meant for this job (and it was!). Then I wondered if the claims of fresher-longer were true, and they are. My first try with this gave me fresh looking lettuce for about a week, and then it only had a few brownish areas. This was nothing like the 3-5 day lifespan of lettuce chopped with a metal knife. I have a head of lettuce in the fridge right now that I chopped about 5 days ago that looks like I just bought it.

Sometimes it's the little (cheap) things that make me happy, and this time it came in the form of a plastic lettuce knife. Happy chopping!

A cordless stick vac that swept me off my feet.

At our house, the laundry room, pantry, half bath, and entrance from the garage are high-traffic areas that need a floor touch-up on a daily basis. The cat litter box necessitates dragging out the broom and dustpan every day, to keep from feeling like we're walking on the beach. Another problem is that I deal with two different floor coverings - some vinyl and some carpet - so a broom alone won't cut it.

Enter the Dirt Devil Quick Power cordless stick vac. This lightweight little devil has a rotating brush so it works on carpet, or you can turn the brush off for hard surface floors. On vinyl, it easily picks up scattered litter, and on carpet it does a good job of picking up pet hair. Its bagless design allows me to empty the collection thingy after every sweep. I just wipe it out with a damp paper towel after dumping and put it right back on, so it's ready the next day (or in the next few minutes, depending). I keep it plugged in so it's always ready, and have never run out of a charge. The low cost was another selling point for me. At just around $30, I felt like the risk was relatively low, and I have been very happy with its performance for that price. Before, it would take me several minutes to run the broom around the vinyl floor and sweep sweep sweep. The carpeted area would only get attention every few days at the most. Now, in a matter of minutes (literally) I've got both vinyl and carpet looking neat and clean.

I don't expect this stick vac to do the job of my big vacuum. But it is perfect for what I use it for - speedy touchups every day.

Three reasons Netflix works for me.

Renting movies from a video store has always had its frustrations. I nearly always felt I needed to rent more than one movie - since I was there, why not, right? But, most of the time we only watched one, and the others went unwatched because they were all due at the same time. Even though there was no "late fee" per se, I still had to make a special trip to the store, usually after a couple of automated voice mail messages warning me that I was about to become the proud owner of the movies in question. I dealt with these frustrations for years, just resigned to the fact that "that's the way it is."

Until a friend of mine recommended Netflix. After a little investigation, I tried it, and I will never look back. Here's why it works for me.

1. It's cheap. The Bob and I are on the "One at a Time - Two a Month" plan, for $4.99 a month. Membership plans start there and go up to "Eight at a Time, Unlimited" for $47.99. Two a month is just right for us, and at $2.50 a movie, that's cheaper than the store we used to go to. And, because we get them one at a time, I'm not renting three for 12 bucks and just watching one.

2. It's easy. Making your queue of films is a cinch, and if you take a little time to rate movies you like, Netflix automatically makes recommendations based on your preferences. Changing order in your queue is simple, too, so you can bump a movie up or down in your list. You can even save movies to your queue that haven't been released on DVD yet, so they're automatically added to your queue when they are available. When you log in, you can see how many movies you have left to use for the month, and report any problems you have. (I have never received a bad disk, by the way.) You can go online to manage your account - if you want to cancel it's effective immediately (no refund for partial months), or if you need to put your membership on hold (such as if you're going on vacation), you can do that.

The utmost in ease for me? To return the movie all you do is throw it in the mailbox. It can not get any simpler than that. (Of course another bonus for me is never having to set foot in a video store again! More time at home!)

3. It's fun. Now that we have joined Netflix, we look forward to movie night. Twice a month now we set aside a night to watch the latest movie... and since there's no rush when we get the disk, we can plan ahead and make it more special. We can even invite friends over to watch, and make an occasion out of it. Netflix also allows you to build your own little community, so you can see what your friends are watching, and leave them notes and reviews about films you recommend.

My experience with Netflix has been a great one. I know it's probably not for everyone, but for us, it works. Now, I have to go watch "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" again before I pop it in the mailbox tomorrow!

Three cool tips for organizing your refrigerator to save time and money.

There aren't many jobs I hate quite as much as cleaning out the refrigerator. The furry remains of some dinner a month ago hiding behind the mayo. Lettuce "soup." Five bottles of barbecue sauce with about 1 teaspoon left in each. Six containers of mustard, all open, but full.

It happens, as much as we don't want to admit it. Recently I went to our fridge and realized that I needed to take drastic measures. Not just cleaning and purging, but really organizing it so we would save money by not buying duplicates of things we already had, and so we would stop wasting money on food going to waste.

I decided to look at the fridge as no different than any other organizing project I take on. Just like my closet tips, I found there were the same three steps.

1. Purge. My first step was to remove everything from the fridge to the counter, and look at every item for an expiration date. Anything over the line was gone. Anything close to the line was evaluated - would we really use it. If not, it was gone too. I was ruthless. Leftovers more than a few days old were gone.

2. Plan. Leaving everything out on the counter, I took out all the removable shelves and door bins and wiped them down. Then I took a hard look at the position of every shelf. Moving some shelves up or down would give me a better view of the contents of that shelf. If it helped, I moved it.

Just like a closet or a dresser, it is a helpful time saver to put like things together. Salad dressings. Jams and jelly. Pickles and olives. Dairy products. Snacks. Meat. Leftovers. If they're together, they're easier to find. Designate some items for drawers, and some for bins in the door.

This is where my favorite little tip comes into play. Just like my pantry, I bought a few handy little Sterilite containers (about $1.50 - $2.50 each) and filled them with like food items. Not only does this make it infinitely easier to see what you have on hand (and know what you're out of), but it makes the refrigerator look amazingly neat and organized. I purchased two different sizes of these containers. The smaller size fit two side by side on a shelf. The larger fits one to a shelf with room on one side for odd shaped or sized items. Not everything needs to go in a container. The object is to make it easier to see what you have. If you don't want to invest in the containers, consider using something like an old cake pan or dish pan, whatever you have on hand that might fit neatly in the fridge, slide easily in and out, and allow you to see what's inside.

3. Commit. You will have such a sense of relief when you get the refrigerator looking this spotless. The trick is to keep up with it. Just like you put your undies back in the undie drawer, put the dijon back in the condiment bin. Even The Bob is finding it easier to reach in and grab what he needs - and has promised that he will put the milk back in the "milk section." If he can see where things go, chances are he will stick with the program.

It's not complicated. It took me about an hour to get the fridge looking great. I think that is a minor investment, considering how this will save me time and money in the long run.

Best supporting dish on movie night - twice baked potatoes only not really.

The Bob loves twice baked potatoes, and I love making them for him. Just not when I'm pressed for time. There's the baking, then the scooping, then the mashing, the assembly... and then the baking again. The end result tastes great and makes a great presentation.

But, on our recent dinner and movie night with our friends I did not have the time. Twice bakers would have been great with the super easy baked chicken I was making... What to do?

A while back I experimented with a mashed potato recipe that simulated the yummy insides of a twice baked potato without all the fuss, and was pretty successful. I have fiddled with the recipe until I like it, and call it "twice baked potatoes only not really." You don't get the little potato boat, but for a lot of people that's just the dish the mashed potatoes come in anyway, so it just gets throw out. This is easier, and no waste!

Here's what you need:
1 24-oz package microwaveable mashed potatoes (like Bob Evans)
4 oz. sour cream
1 T (more or less as you like) horseradish sauce (I used Dietz & Watson Hot & Chunky Horseradish Sauce)
1 cup (or so) shredded mild cheddar cheese, plus more for top
1 cup herb flavored stuffing mix
1/2 stick butter, melted

Here's all you do:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl combine everything but the stuffing and butter. Mix well until thoroughly combined.
2. Spread the potato mixture into a 2 quart casserole, sprayed with non-stick spray. Top with a big handful of shredded cheese. Crush and sprinkle the stuffing mix on top, and drizzle with the butter.
3. Bake for about 40 minutes, until bubbling and slightly browned.

Obviously you can use your own favorite twice baked potato ingredients, like bacon or green onions... whatever floats your boat. I added the stuffing mix on top to add a little crunch and texture, and to replace the crispy potato skin. But if you don't like that idea, leave them off. The idea is to create a potato casserole that simulates the flavor of the original dish.

Our movie-watching friends wanted the recipe, so I consider that a compliment, and a success. And a time saver! Give it a try on some weeknight with meatloaf and see what your family thinks!

Starring role for a movie night dinner: super easy baked chicken.

Friday night movie night with friends seemed like a good idea at the time. Tuesday night we decided to invite another couple over for dinner and a movie (3:10 to Yuma (Widescreen Edition)), and I thought I would make dinner. Simple enough, right? As the week wore on, I started thinking it was a mistake. Friday I would still have to work a full day, then I'd have to go home, tidy up the house, and make a good dinner for the four of us, keeping in mind that we'd need to eat relatively early so that we weren't starting the movie too late. Panic set in. How was I going to pull this off without getting stressed or making a ho hum meal.

I did a little research on some recipe sites (All Recipes and Food Network), and got some ideas for a menu. My strategy was to keep it simple, adding flavor and variety without adding to the labor. I settled on what The Bob called "chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans." But I called "Baked Chicken with Cheese and Creamy Sauce, The Most Delicious Green Beans Ever, and Twice Baked Potatoes Only Not Really."

Here's the recipe for the chicken... (Look for the other two recipes in future posts.)

Here's what you need:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Poultry seasoning
1/4 lb. Gruyere cheese, shredded (on the large holes of a box grater)
1 can cream of celery soup
1/4 c. water
About 2 c. herb seasoned stuffing mix
1/2 stick butter, melted

Here's all you do:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a rectangular casserole with non-stick spray. Place chicken side by side in dish (in mine they just fit the pan, touching) and sprinkle with poultry seasoning (eyeball it). Cover the chicken with the shredded cheese, evenly covering all the breasts.
2. Combine the soup and the water and pour over the chicken and cheese. Take a couple big handfuls of the stuffing mix, crush in your hands and sprinkle over all. Drizzle with the butter.
3. Bake for anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half. Mine took an hour and a half, because they were really large chicken breasts. Let them sit for about 7-10 minutes. Serve them up and take the compliments!

This chicken literally took me 5 minutes to throw together and put in the oven. That gave me time to get the "Twice Baked Potatoes Only Not Really" ready for the oven (I put them in the oven 30 minutes into the chicken cooking time). The Most Delicious Green Beans Ever came together on the stove top and cooked away while I freshened up.

By the time the doorbell rang, I had everything under control so we could visit with our friends and have a little appetizer (bar cheese and pita chips... store bought lovelies) while dinner finished up. It was a hit.

Notes on this recipe. You could substitute slices of Swiss cheese for the Gruyere. I intend to use this as a base recipe and mix up the ingredients, but keep the method the same. Cream of chicken, or even cream of mushroom soup would work. I'll use whatever kind of cheese I have on hand - smoked cheddar or swiss would be good. I'm thinking of a Tex-Mex take on this with Monterey Jack cheese and nacho cheese soup mixed with a little salsa. Or an Italian version with mozzarella cheese and a pasta sauce instead of the soup. In my mind the non-negotiables are the bread crumb or stuffing topping and the butter. (No, this isn't exactly diet food, folks!)

No more sweating a Friday movie night dinner with friends when I have something this easy and quick, not to mention delicious, in my arsenal! Try it and let me know if it works for you!