Chili's Queso recipe

Generally, I only post recipes over at the Melting Pot,

but with the BIG GAME coming tomorrow,

I thought this one was fitting!

Chili's Skillet Queso

This really IS a delicious copycat of Chili's famous queso.

My only problem was that it was a teensy bit spicy for me and

my littles... so the next time I make it, I will cut the cayenne and

chili powder in half (I marked these with asterisks as a reminder) -

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INGREDIENTS:

-

16-ounce box Velveeta Cheese

-

1 C. milk

-

2 teaspoons paprika

-

½ tsp. ground cayenne pepper **

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15-ounce can Hormel Chili (No Beans)

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4 tsp. chili powder **

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1 tablespoon lime juice

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1/2 tsp. ground cumin

=====

DIRECTIONS:

-

Cut Velveeta into cubes.

-

Over medium-low heat, warm all ingredients in saucepan til cheese is melted.

-

That's it!! It's DELISH!

some VERY important things.

Okay, not really that important.

But cool!

First- a Peli-ism.

One night, Peli was sitting on my mom's lap watching TV.

She was working- concentrating very hard- on a Sudoku puzzle,

which looks like this:

If you've not played Sudoku, the goal is to try to figure out which

numbers go into which slot to make all the lines hold all the numbers...

 [cue headache].

So, mom's focused on her puzzle and after a minute,

Peli goes, "One Two Eight Eight Two One!!"

It took her a sec to realize that Pel- her dear, sweet, 4-yr-old g-son,

was teasing her!  He continued on, yelling a variety of different

number combinations that kept her from being able to concentrate.

It was quite hysterical.

She finally gave up, but to this day, when it's time for bed Peli gives

hugs and kisses and says, "Grandma!  Remember- One Two Eight Eight Two One!"

-

Topic Number Two is something so cool that I just had to post about it.

One of the only 'girlie' things I'd admit to doing regularly is painting my toenails.

Every couple of weeks, I give myself a lil 'pedi' and paint my toes some

 strange, dark shade that my dad's sure to make fun of.

Well, a few weeks ago I got a professional catalog that said the nail

polish giant OPI was introducing a black topcoat called "Black Shatter"-

 that cracks apart as it dries, revealing the base color underneath!

Tell me that's not freakin' awesome.

A pro's pic looks like this (with silver underneath): 

-

My cellphone pic of my toes looks like this (with yellow underneath):

I cannot say enough about this stuff- I LOVE it!

I've had it for a few weeks and have already tried it

over several different shades.

If you are a lover of nail polish, you gotta give this a try!

-

Topic Three is a website I 'stumbled upon' via a facebook friend-

it's StumbleUpon.com.   You choose from different interests-

you can choose one or several- and then click the button "Stumble"

and it pulls up a random website related to the topic(s) you'd chosen. 

You can browse around, or you may click it as a "favorite" so you

 can come back to it later... and then click "Stumble" again and it

pulls up another site!  I have found some really cool stuff that has been

 entertaining, funny or interesting... 

If you like to surf around the web- or you have a few 'bored' minutes,

you gotta check it out. 

BUT- a fair warning- it is slightly addicting.  And by slightly, I mean this:

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Topic Four isn't really a topic-

 but we were at the mall on Saturday and of course we had to get some

booth pix!  So here are a few samples...

- 

- 

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{I love all Peli's faces- what's up with that?!!} 

- 

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{This is me talking.  or puckering?} 

-

{Glad Suka's paying attention...} 

-

Happy Wednesday!

jitterbug

If you don't know...

I am truly and genuinely a lover of dance.

I love to watch it, do it, feel it...

and I must admit, I was absolutely enthralled by this performance

of L'Americano by Dax & Sarah on Live to Dance...

-

It was only after we'd watched the first couple episodes that we learned

that one of the Top 18 acts- "The Vibe," from Lindon,

is run by a great friend of ours-

here's one of their performances-

is it christmas yet?

Betcha Didn't Know

This is one of my all-time favorite Christmas stories.

-

The story of How the Angel Got on the Tree.
-

One particular Christmas season a long time

ago, Santa was getting ready for his annual trip

but there were problems everywhere.

-

Four of his elves got sick, and the trainee

elves did not produce the toys as fast as

 the regular ones so Santa was beginning

 to feel the pressure of being behind schedule.

-

 Then Mrs. Claus told Santa that her Mom

 was coming to visit; this stressed

Santa even more.

-

When he went to harness the reindeer,

he found that three of them were about

 to give birth and two had jumped the fence

 and were out at heaven knows where.

More stress.

-

Then when he began to load the sleigh,

 one of the boards cracked and the toy bag

 fell to the ground and scattered the toys.

-

So, frustrated, Santa went into the house

for a cup of coffee and a shot of whiskey.

When he went to the cupboard,

he discovered that the elves had hidden

the liquor and there was nothing to drink.

-

In his frustration, he accidentally dropped

the coffeepot and it broke into hundreds

 of little pieces all over the kitchen floor.

He went to get the broom and found that

 mice had eaten the straw it was made of.

-

 Just then the doorbell rang and Santa cussed

 on his way to the door. He opened the door

and there was a little angel with a great big

 Christmas tree.

-

The angel said, very cheerfully,

"Merry Christmas Santa. Isn't it just

 a lovely day? I have a beautiful tree

 for you. Isn't it just a lovely tree?

Where would you like me to stick it?"

And thus began the tradition of

the little angel on top of the tree.

Buckle Your Seatbelts!

Oh. No.

differences.

Have you ever noticed [or thought about] how each family has

little differences about them?  There are 'little' things that make our

own families so different from others'.  The way you talk, the way you

tease or relate to each other, the way you work, the way you... eat?

Perfect example:

This morning my dad didn't have to go in to work early,

so we were cooking a big, homemade breakfast-

For us, this included some homemade

hash browns (dad's specialty), and bacon...

-

While we were cooking, Peli's friend who lives next door comes

over and tells us that he had cereal for breakfast.  I asked him what

his favorite cereal was (you know, expecting "Fruit Loops" or
"Cookie Crisp")...  He said, "Our cereal is always granola."

I said, "Oh, was it yummy?" and he excitedly replied,

"Oh yeah, and today I got extra dates in mine."

-

I'm 33.  I don't think I've ever eaten a date in my life.

Or had granola for breakfast.

And Speaking Of...

Have you tried these?

I had tried them many moons ago...

and they were really yummy...

a pretzel with just a touch of a sweet taste-

BUT THEN when Raini first started teething and I was

desperately walking grocery store aisles looking

for anything that she could- and would- chew on without

needing the Heimlich Maneuver,

I saw them again.

And OMG(osh), I must've forgotten how DE-frickin-LISH

they were!!  SCORE.  Plus, the kiddies don't choke on 'em.

DOUBLE SCORE.

They are now one of our fam's fave's.

-

I was thinking just now- try saying "fam's fave's" five times.

-

Speaking of Fam's Faves:

Another of our fam's (kids) fave's are these:

because  1) they are yum,

2) they are non-Heimlich,

3) they are easy to eat and easy to pack in my purse ;)

---

And Speaking of Packing,

it's been almost a month since we moved and there are still boxes sitting

in the hallway.  Boxes of things I know I really really need...

but apparently haven't 'needed' yet.  Anyone else do that?

I'll just chalk it up to the fact that besides church, I haven't really

gotten dressed up or put jewelry on or used all my makeup since

we moved in.  (Some of that was a joke.  allegedly.)

---

And Speaking of Dressing Up,

I found the cutest little witch hat headband at The WalMart.

That shall be fun for me on Halloween.

Peli will be Iron Man.  or Rhodey.  or Wolverine...

I'll keep ya posted on that one, cuz we're a little undecided-

Raini was almost gonna be a pastel elephant (so cute!) but

instead will be a cow.  Typing that doesn't sound cute.

It is cute.

---

And Speaking of Cute, Raini's first pigtails were 'installed' on Saturday.

I had some 'pain-free' and 'damage-free' bands, so I cowboy-ed up,

got a brush, a comb, some detangling spray... and went at it.

She has a giant Poof of 'Fro, but it is pretty soft, and [so far] she's

got a tough little head, so it wasn't too bad.

Keep in mind I am a professional hairdresser (and have been for

15 years or somethin')- but that did NOT give me any kind of advantage

when it came to the one-year-old's afro-puff.  just sayin.

-

The first piggies were set low behind her ears... then from the

front it looked like she was 5 months old again with no hair ;)

-

-

I changed them up to high up on her head, which were so cute,

with little curly-Q's falling out the bottom.  I kind of got the Mommy

feeling of "Oh she's just getting so big" while I was watching her sit there

with her pigtails.. I was sentimental for about three seconds 'til I had

visions of piercings and driving permits dancing in my head.

Whatever.

Suka can handle all that.  Right?

Sentimental Moment Gone.

---

And Speaking of Moments- Bronx The Dog was apparently having one too.

He was giving me 'the look' from his post at the front door.

He was watching me do the pigtails and just stared at me like I was

lame and boring him to death.  He was like, "Really? 

Pigtails?  Are you kidding?  Dumb humans- why wouldn't they just come

lie here on the porch with me, Duh."

---

And Speaking of Duh, I posted a few pix of Sharae last week,

but forgot to mention it was her FIRST frikkin' BIRTHDAY!!

We were sad that we didn't get to spend it with her,

but we are so happy she is part of our family... and that

she's keeping Dallas' feet planted firmly on the ground-

palm-prints on his TV and all...

---

And Speaking of TV-

Who is watching some of the new shows?!?!

There are a few I'm still 'testing' out...

but there are a few that I am LOVING so far!

Chase

 (US Marshalls in Texas huntin' down bad guys. 

Whilst wearing cool riding boots..)

-

Detroit 187

(Tough Detroit homicide detectives solve crimes.

Whilst having bad attitudes.)

-

Blue Bloods

(A family of cops- and a DA- dealing with crime, punishment and

politics in the Big Apple.  Whilst holding firm to their family ties.)

---

There are a few I'm still deciding on-

like Undercovers, Law & Order LA, etc.

---

and of course there are the Staples:

NCIS

NCIS LA

The Mentalist

(what?  you think i'm watching too much tv?  i am.)

---

But Speaking of Time-Wasting- I just got my

extra, not-yet-put-away boxes of stuff  PUT.  AWAY.

yay.

lasagna...

-

My fave lasagna recipe (a no-boil version!)

is posted over HERE.

Oh. My. Yum.

Several weeks ago, I saw the recipe post for this simple corn salad.

It sounded yum... it looked yum...

but I didn't make it...

til yesterday.

A friend brought over a bag full of fresh tomatoes from the garden,

and the lightbulb literally went on above my head.

To save time (and a trip to the store for corn on the cob),

I did end up using canned corn (which has salt, so don't add

extra salt til you taste it first).

-

OH. MY. GOSH.

sooooo yum.  I ate one spoon and yelled Oh My Gosh so loud that

the food almost came tumbling out... not attractive.

I shoved some in my mom's face and she did the same thing.

It is delish.

The whole recipe is here. 

Here's what I did:

-

about 3 c. corn kernels

about 5 small tomatoes, diced

1 c. bleu cheese crumbles

a small palmful of chopped chives

-

That's it!

You can play with the ingredients and the amounts,

you can use feta instead of bleu, and exchange herbs...

Holy Yum.

a gazillion kudos to Tiffany

eat THIS!

Some of you remember this lovely Work of Art that my Sis-in-Law

whipped up for Raini's birthday Luau...

-

Well, she and her partner Morgan have decided to go PRO!

They've started "LAYERS," to design and create cakes and

cupcakes for any kind of occasion.  And by 'any,' I mean... ANY.

Don't believe me?

What about a Poker Night Cake?

-

And check this out:

(yes, it's really cake)

-

Brianna has been professionally trained and also has

experience in the wedding cake and specialties industry.

-

Next time you're in dire need of a cake, you know where to go!

For more info or ordering, go to cakeandlayers.blogspot.com or call Brianna at 801-358-5091.
Email: cakesandlayers@gmail.com

Children of Summer

Children of Summer

With your sticky popsicle smile

Racing out the slamming screen door

Splashing, soaring through the sprinkler

How could I adore you even more

With your bare feet tickling in the grass

Cheeks warmed in the sun, bright pink,

Twirling, whirling, dancing in the heat,

How could you change each time I blink?

With your drowsy head upon my shoulder,

Warm smell of your summer dusted hair,

Wet soggy swimsuit dampening my lap,

How could I need you more than air?

what do you do during "me" time?

TEN FAVORITE THINGS TO DO DURING "ME" TIME

(assuming one gets "me" time.)

1.

Take a long, hot bath

2.

Read beauty/gossip/celeb magazines

3.

Paint my toenails

4.

Watch a movie

5.

Go out to dinner

6.

Fix my hair (cut/color)

7.

Read a book

8.

Play online

9.

Lately I've been getting into genealogy and trying to figure

out who these people are from whom I came

10.

Sleeping

**One of my fave things is to sit outside and hear/feel/smell

the rain when it's raining- it's not in the top ten

cuz it doesn't really rain that often here

Peli-isms and some fave things

A few days ago, Peli was uncharacteristically hyper.

After being jumped on, climbed on and otherwise

run over by him for a looong time,

I finally said, "Peli can you calm down ?!"

to which he replied,

"No, Mom, You Calm Up !!"

point taken.

We have found an awesome new "favorite thing."

It's called the Safe Baby Feeder-

 It's got a big ring that your baby/toddler can hold onto,

but on the other side, it's a mesh bag that you can

fill with fruit, veggies, or even ice.

It was created by a dad whose son almost choked

to death while teething.

The mesh bag allows the baby to suck on or chew

the food, but won't allow any piece large enough

to cause choking to get through!

The best price I found was on Amazon.

Raini LOVES it!  She's been eating bananas and apples.

They also suggest cold carrots for teethers.

 

Great idea!  Love it.

Next new fave thing is this:

 I don't know if you've tried it,

but I didn't even know this was out there!

It reminds me of yummy Cream Soda, with a

touch of Pepsi.  Yum.

And finally, Raini has discovered the most delicious thing in her life...

Sweet Potatoes.

I had forgotten that Peli lovedLovedLOVED sweet potatoes

when he was tiny.  I tried them out on Raini and she ate almost

the whole container!  She's quite the little munchy munchkin.

Girl can eat !!  (not quite sure where she gets that.)

In a final note, I'm not certain this is completely

appropriate,but it really made me laugh.

We got a foot of snow over the weekend and it

has been cooold outside. 

While I was cooking and had the oven

and two stove burners on, it got quite hot

in our kitchen/living area, so I cracked open our

sliding door.  After a few minutes, Peli

looked at Suka and said,

"Dad.  Close the door."

When Suka asked why, Peli replied,

"Because my nakey-nakey is cold."

well, we certainly don't want that.