sNOw Pictures

I have enjoyed reading my friend's comments on Facebook about how much they have eaten and how much weight they expect they have gained since being snowed in with varying amounts of snow and ice. We were "snowed in" too (pictures eventually. Get it? sNOw pictures?!) and I shudder to think what has happened to my fading-tanned stomach. (Yes, my friends, I bared it to all of Costa Rica. I'm sorry, Costa Rica. I really am.)

Since coming home last Tuesday, we have not eaten a single meal out. The only money we have spent on food has been at the grocery store (not counting Nigel's lunch at High Cotton one day). I'm quite proud of that, seeing as how I love to go out to eat. I also love to cook, though, and after researching some recipes, I found quite a few tasty things to make.

One night I made Sherried Tomato Soup. Thank you, Pioneer Woman. I love you. No, really. I do. Not only do I love you, I'm totally obsessed with you. Can me and some of my girlfriends come to your ranch this spring for a long weekend? Please? OK, sorry. I got off track. The tomato soup was delicious. It was perfect for the cold night and even better the next day for lunch after playing in the snow. I decided that next time I make it (and there WILL be a next time), I will put the soup in the food processer for a quick pulse right before adding the basil and parsley. Nigel liked the chunks of tomato but I think the thicker consistency the pulsed tomatoes will provide will be even better. (And yes, I do realize that there really is no such thing as "pulsed tomatoes" but I could think of no better descriptive word. So "pulsed" it is.) I think I will also make some cheesy croutons to serve with it, too. Make this soup. Do it.

And since we were only having soup for dinner, I thought a delicious dessert was in order. So I made Peach Crunch Cake. As the title of the post suggests, it was ridiculously easy. I don't have a 13 x 9 baking dish (I know, right? I need to get one. For occasions such as this.) so I used a smaller one. That might have made a small difference in the consistency and flavor of the cake mix. I have officially decided that I don't really like desserts made from a cake mix. That is, of course, with the exception of the intended use of the mix: cakes, cupcakes, etc. I don't really like the flavor of the mix itself. Bummer, too, because I was really looking forward a special dessert. Also, I used peaches in 100% juice instead of in syrup. You know, just to make it healthy. Right. All in all, I was a little disappointed in the cake. I actually ended up throwing most of it away so that I wouldn't eat it just because it was there. That, and I needed the pan for Sunday night's dish! Don't worry, though. I finished off the ice cream I got to go on top of the cake. I would never let ice cream go to waist waste!

The next night Nigel requested beef. I had bought a london broil that was on sale so I looked up a recipe that was sort of pot-roasty but without carrots and potatoes and found one. It was supposed to be sort of Mediterranean with raisins, chutney, curry and ginger in the ingredients. I overcooked it and it was really dry. Not my favorite recipe so I won't even try to go back and find a link to it. Don't bother. Just know that I cooked it.

Now back to the Pioneer Woman. I love her. Did I mention that? Sunday night dinner was White Chicken Enchiladas and Restaurant Style Salsa. Yum! Make both of these. They are delicious. The enchiladas are a nice change from the normal red sauce kind, which Nigel and I don't really care for. Kingston loved them and ate so much of mine that I had to (HAD to) get a second helping. The salsa is delicious and a new favorite. It does make a huge vat of it, so if you don't want to eat salsa for a week straight, you might want to hold off on that one. We are still eating salsa. But it was that good, so we don't really mind. Make it for the Super Bowl. . . whenever that is.

Last night was Chicken Cacciatora. It was marginal. I got the recipe out of a little magazine Food Lion was handing out in the store last week. I threw the magazine away after making the chicken dish. Not one I will make again.

So now you will know why, next time you see me, I look a lot bigger around the middle. Cooking is great. If only I didn't eat too much of the things I cook! I've got my eye on some Valentine's Day cookies and a few other PW* recipes, as well. Maybe I should do like the Julie and Julia girl and cook my way through her cookbook that I got for Christmas. Talk about an expanding waistline!

*Pioneer Woman