Boring Life, Trying Not to Be So Boring Anymore

Experimental Cooking is my new hobby. Whenever Greg sees me now it's either with a baby, playing old SNES games or with a recipe book out. I've been trying really hard to find recipes that use ingredients we have, so that we don't spend too much on groceries.

My first meal I wanted to make I wanted to use the large storage of kidney beans. So I made

TACO SOUP:

Brown ground beef with chopped onion. Then add 2 cans of red kidney beans (dark, light, or both) 1 can of black beans, can of corn, jar of salsa, can of tomatoes (stewed, chopped, crushed, cubbed, etc), and some hot sauce for an extra kick. Heat and stir until warm then served it up with a batch of my

HOMEMADE TORTILLAS:

Knead together 2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 cup shortening, 1 cup cold water. Roll out golf ball sized dough and fry in skillet with little oil until brown spots appear.

I've been having a serious sweet tooth lately... Here are my snacks and deserts.

HAYSTACKS

A tasty butterscotch crunchy treat

Melt 1/4 cup shortening, 1/2 cup peanut butter, and 1 bag of butterscotch chips in saucepan on low heat. Stir until melted and remove. Add it to a large bowl of 6 cups cornflakes and 2/3 cup chocolate chips. Stir until coated and drop onto wax paper until cooled.

(I got these recipes from my Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book.)

FRUIT FILLED OATMEAL BARS

A low-guilt treat, almost healthy...

Combine 1 cup flour, 1 cup rolled quick oats, 2/3 cup brown sugar, 1/4 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 cup butter until crumbly. Press all but 1/2 cup of mixture into a foil lined baking pan. Spread on a can of fruit pie filling and top with remaining crumbles. Bake at 350* for 30 min and cut into bars.

CHOCOLATE POT DE CREME

Oooo this will definitely satisfy your chocolate cravings. It's like chocolate flavored butter.

In a sauce pan combine 2 cups whipping cream, 6 oz of chocolate chips, 1/3 cup sugar. Stir over medium heat until bubbly and thick. remove from heat and add it to 4 beaten egg yolks, and stir in 1 tsp vanilla. Divide into small custard cups, cover, and chill for 4 hours.

I've also enjoyed making homemade chicken noodle soup, and I hope to get into breads and experimenting more with brown rice. That's what I've been doing to keep myself busy and fed. It's hard to believe I've lost 13 lbs since living here...