Super Easy Party Mac n Cheese

Before you continue, let me start off by saying that this recipe calls for Velveeta.  I recently discovered that a bunch of people are fundamentally against Velveeta because "it is not real cheese."  While that may or may not be true, it does contain milk, and it is sinfully delicious.  Plus, it's not like you are eating it every day.  Next time I make homemade mac n cheese with "real" cheese, I will be sure to post it for the Velveeta haters.

Moving on.

This recipe makes a large amount and is great to bring to your next holiday party or family gathering.  It is also highly unlikely you will bring any of it back with you.  I actually almost did not get a picture of it once it was served.  It disappeared pretty quickly.  If you don't need this much, you can easily halve everything.

Yeah. Almost gone.

A. Paprika and crackers missed the photo shoot.
B. That is a 24oz bag of mac. Only use 16 oz.

What you'll need:

• 1lb (16oz) macaroni
• 1 block of Original Velveeta, cubed
• 1 8oz can evaporated milk
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 roll of Town House Original Light and Buttery crackers
• 1 tsp paprika
• salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

The paprika and crackers make an appearance.

In a large skillet over medium low heat, combine evaporated milk, Velveeta, salt, and pepper.  Continue to heat until all of the cheese is melted, stirring frequently.  The milk can and will burn if not tended to.

At the same time, boil macaroni in a large stock pot until done.  Drain.  In a 9x13 pan, stir butter into macaroni until it is all melted and evenly distributed.  Set broiler on high.

Add cheese to pan and thoroughly combine.

In a large Ziploc bag, crush up your crackers and paprika into crumbs and shake up to blend.  A rolling pin works really well for this step.  If you don't have one, you can roll a jar or a canned good over the bag.

Distribute the crumbs over the top of the macaroni and broil in the oven for 3-5 minutes, until the top is nice and toasty.

Serve it up, and enjoy.  Done.  Super easy.

Prep time: 2 minutes

Total cook time: 15-20 minutes

Serves: Everyone

Best Shepherd's Pie EVER

I've often wondered if anyone ever actually reads the long stories before recipes on blog posts.  I think I have read maybe one.  Ever.

That being said, I don't need a reason to make shepherd's pie.  I just wanted it (and for once in my life had some ground beef thawed out).

Enough chit chat! Get to the recipe!

What you'll need:

Meat mixture

• 1 lb lean ground beef (I used 96%, but it's up to you)
• 1 cup finely diced mushrooms
• 2 cups mixed frozen veggies (peas, carrots, corn, green beans)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped (I actually completely forgot about the onion!! But it still turned out awesome)
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1 T minced garlic
• 2 T Worcestershire sauce
• 2 T parsley
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp rosemary
• 1-2 T avocado oil (or olive; whatever)
• salt and pepper to taste

Mashed potatoes

• 4-5 large red potatoes (peeled if you like, but I didn't)
• 1 1/2 sticks of butter
• 1/2 cup half and half (or milk)
• salt to taste
• paprika

What to do:

Dice potatoes into one inch cubes, and boil in salted water until tender (about 15 minutes).  Drain.  Mash in the pot with butter and half and half until desired consistency.  You can use a food processor for this step, but I personally don't like my potatoes super creamy.  Also, I don't own a food processor.  Ahem.  Taste and see if they need more butter, milk, or salt.  Don't worry about calories.  You're beautiful.

At the same time you start the potatoes, heat your oil on medium heat in the bottom of a large skillet. Saute onions about 4 minutes, then add ground beef.  Cook your ground beef, seasoned with salt and pepper, chopping it up into bitty bits with a wooden spoon until browned all the way through.  Drain.  Set aside.

Drop mushrooms into the skillet and cook until brown and fragrant, about 4 minutes.  Return meat to pan and add garlic.  Cook an additional 30 seconds, until fragrant.  Add flour and combine well into mixture.  Preheat oven to 400°F.

Add broth, veggies, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, basil, thyme, and rosemary.  Mix them all together and let simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes.

Spray casserole dish with cooking spray.  Spread meat mixture on the bottom.  Spoon mashed potatoes on to the top of the meat and completely cover.  I ended up with some extra potatoes, but those can be reheated on leftover night.  Sprinkle the top with paprika and pop in the oven, uncovered.  

Bake for about 10 minutes, then broil until the top of the potatoes are a nice golden color.  Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy.

Honesty factor:  The only things I actually measured were the frozen vegetables and the broth.  Everything else I pretty much eyeballed and guesstimated, which is what I love about cooking.  It's art, not science.

Prep time: about 10 minutes

Cook time: about an hour

Servings: about 6

Ground Beef and Lentil Soup

Oh, how I love fall.  For all of the normal reasons of course, but also because it is the best time to start bringing out those soup recipes, and of course for discovering more.

For this one, I had some ground beef thawed out for meatloaf, but then I remembered that I had lentils and really wanted to make a soup.  So, naturally, I went scrolling through Pinterest and found one that caught my fancy.  And then I made it my own.  If you're interested in the original recipe, you can find it here, but I did not agree with some of it, so I improved upon it.

I was actually unsure of how it would turn out at first, but it was a hit at my table.  Both kids and the husband ate every bite and loved it.  (Success!)

What you'll need:

• 1lb lean ground beef (I used 96/4)
• 1/2 an onion finely chopped
• 1 Tb minced garlic
• 1 Tb olive oil
• 1 Tb parsley
• 1 Tb thyme
• 1/2 tsp dill weed
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• approx. 50.7oz chicken stock (I used 3 16.9oz boxes)
• 1 crushed beef bullion cube
• 2/3 cup lentils
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup uncooked rice (I used white rice)
• 2 Tb soy sauce

What to do:

Heat olive oil in the bottom of a large stock pot on medium heat.  Add onions and saute until translucent (about 4 minutes).  Add garlic and saute an additional 30 seconds or until fragrant.

Add ground beef and cook until it is all brown.  Add parsley, thyme, dill weed, cumin, and turmeric and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.

Add lentils and carrots and mix into the ground beef.

Add chicken stock and beef bullion and stir it all together.  Bring soup to a boil (use high heat for this step).  Reduce to low heat and simmer for 25 minutes, covered, until carrots and lentils are soft.

Stir in the rice and bring to a boil (I used high heat again).  Reduce heat back to low and simmer for another 20 minutes, or until rice is thoroughly cooked.  Add soy sauce.  Salt and pepper to taste (be sure to taste before you add salt because of the soy sauce).

Serve it up hot with some crackers, and you've got yourself a hearty cold weather dish.

Yields about 6 hearty servings.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour(ish)

Enjoy!

Thai Spiced Spaghetti Squash

Here's yet another great recipe I stumbled upon during my week of vegan.  I found the recipe here, but changed it up a little to better fit my taste.

What you'll need:

• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 spaghetti squash, cooked and shredded
• 2 cups fresh pineapple, diced
• 3-4 green onions, chopped
• 2 tbs dried basil
• 1 inch knob of ginger, peeled and grated
• Juice from 1 lime
• 2-3 tbs soy sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add red bell pepper and saute for about 2 minutes.  Add garlic and saute another 4-5 minutes.  Add ginger, green onions, and basil, and saute about 2 minutes.  Add squash and pineapple and toss until both are heated through.  Add soy sauce and toss until fully coated.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from heat.  Squeeze lime over mixture and toss.  Serve immediately.

Serves about 4.

Prep time: 1 hr

Cook time: 12 minutes

Total time: About 1 hr 12 minutes

Black Bean and Sweet Potato (Vegan) Chili

I recently went through a weird period in my food life where all I could seem to put in my body was crap foods.  For about two straight weeks I was eating all the wrong things, feeling sluggish, and my weight was fluctuating more than usual.  My solution was to make it through an entire week of eating only vegan meals.  I figured it would be a good cleanse as well as a project that would get me back on track with my normal eating routine.

During this week I discovered some tasty foods that I plan on making again and again as well as some foods I will never ever ever make again.  It was a learning experience, and I managed to actually lose about 3lbs. One of my favorite meals I made was vegan chili.  The recipe I used as a guideline can be found here, but of course I could never follow a recipe exactly, so I'm posting the way I made mine.  It was so freaking delicious I will never make ground beef chili again.

I believe I have a homemade chili recipe on here somewhere.  As you might be able to tell from that, I like to make sweet chili.  I always make sweet cornbread and crumble it into my chili.  This vegan chili is already sweet, and it has way less calories than regular chili.  Not only do you not get the calories and fat from the ground beef, you also don't have to add any cornbread.  The sweet potatoes, corn, and carrots give it the exact same flavor as regular chili with sweet cornbread crumbled in.  And it's just as filling! You absolutely cannot go wrong with this recipe.

What you'll need:

• 1 small onion, chopped (or half of a medium to large onion)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (I actually got really lucky and found a head of garlic with GIANT cloves, so I only needed one)
• 1 green bell pepper, diced and deseeded
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1 tbs chili powder
• (1) 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 large carrot or 10-12 baby carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 3/4 - 2 cups frozen corn (or one can drained)
• (3) 15.25oz cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
• 1/2 small jar of salsa (I used Tostito's Restaurant Style)
• (1) 14oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

Heat oil in the bottom of a large pot over medium heat.  Add onions and cook about 3 minutes.  Add bell pepper and continue to saute for another 4 minutes, or until pepper is soft.  Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds until fragrant.  Add cumin and chili pepper and saute for another 2 minutes.

Add crushed tomatoes and mix together.  Add the rest of the ingredients and stir them all together in the pot.  Bring the chili to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer covered on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, and then uncovered for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes and carrots are cooked all the way through.

Serves about 6-8.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hr 10 minutes
Total time: 1 hr 20 minutes

Outrage over Coca-Cola commercial.

For those of you who have not seen it, Coca-Cola's Super Bowl commercial showed shots of various Americans living their lives with "America the Beautiful" playing.  The song is sung beautifully by several girls singing in different languages.

This has caused an outrage among bigots, who claim that you can only sing "America the Beautiful" in English, because English is the language of America.  I'm sure Native Americans appreciate that.  You can see the remarks, along with the video here.

These people need to wake up and realize that English is not the only language that is spoken in America.  It never has been, and it never will be.  Just because it's the only language you understand, does not mean that everyone needs to speak it around you.  Grow the hell up.  Or move to England.  But even there, you will be disappointed.  Many people in England speak multiple languages because of the relationship that European countries have with one another.

Yes, learning English in America will definitely make an immigrant's life a lot easier, but how is their language choice affecting you negatively?  You can't understand what they say when you go into their store?  Instead of complaining about it, go to another store.  That's your right as an American.  You can shop where you want and give your money to whomever you want.

Just like it is everyone else's right as Americans to speak whatever language they choose; to sing in whatever language they choose; to worship or not worship as they please; to wear clothes that they pick out themselves.  That's what is so great about this country!  We can choose!  An American who does not look like you, sound like you, or act like you is not any less of an American.

The last line of the Pledge of Allegiance is "...with liberty and justice for all."
For all.  Not "for white people," "for English speakers," or "for Christians."  For. All. People need to get off of their "English speakers only" club and remember what country they live in and what it was founded for: freedom.

15 Ways to Burn Extra Calories without Changing your Daily Routine

You're already eating healthy, but you're having trouble finding time to work out between work, kids, and maintaining your househould (if you're doing this last one, then you're already doing better than me).  Well, believe it or not, there are small ways that you can burn extra calories without having to find time to do them.  Yes, you can burn calories without changing your daily routine.

1. Park farther away.
Whenever you get to work or the grocery store, park farther away than you normally would, even if it's only by a few parking spaces at first.  Those extra steps add up.  Try working your way up to to moving farther and farther away from the entrance.


2. Return the buggy.
Instead of leaving your grocery basket in the parking spot next to you, return it to a designated buggy corral.  Or, if you're feeling froggy, bring it back into the store.


3. Swing your arms.
The more parts of your body that are working, the more calories you are burning.  Adding a little swing in your step can subtract a few more calories.


4. March while you sit.
This is great if you have a desk job or are a student who spends a lot of time sitting.  Lifting your legs up and down in a marching motion can not only work out your leg muscles, but also help with circulation.


5. Do heel raises while you brush your teeth.
Start off doing 15 every time you brush your teeth.  Increase by one every day (or every other day) until you get to doing 50 standing
heel raises every time you brush your teeth.  This small workout tones all of the muscles in the back of your leg.

Img src: http://www.coastrehab.com/blog/wp-content/images/2011/08/heelraises1.gif

6. Work out your arms while you cook.

While you're waiting for the water to boil or the lasagna to bake, grab a couple of canned goods from your pantry and experiment with different ways of toning your arms.

7. Dance and clean.

Turn up the music, and shake it while you work.

Img src: http://mlblogsjaneheller.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/dancing-woman21.gif?w=327&h=537

8. Prepare your own meal.

Believe it or not, cooking and food preparation burns calories.  Just ask MyFitnessPal.  As an alternative to frozen dinners and fast food, chop up your own veggies.

9. Chew gum.

Yes, this actually burns a small amount of calories.  It also helps you resist the urge to snack.

10. Laugh.

Tell a joke.  Listen to a comedy station on your drive home.  Laughing not only burns calories, it works your ab muscles and helps you unwind after a long day.

11. Leg exercises while watching TV.

Or even when you're reading.  Do this as an alternative to just sitting still will help you burn more calories for the day and tone your legs.

12. Do jumping jacks before every shower.

What are you doing while you're waiting for the water to get hot?  Nothing.  Do some jumping jacks (or push-ups).  No matter how many you do, you're already burning more calories than you were before.

13. Tighten your core.

Every time you think about it, suck in your belly and tighten your abs.  Do it every time you stop at a red light, or every time you hear a commercial on the radio.  Just whenever you think about it, tighten it.

14. Fidget.

This burns more calories that you would think.  You know your friends who have a naturally high metabolism?  Not the ones who work out, but the ones who can eat like crap all the time and still manage to stay thin?  Watch them and see how often they actually sit still.
Tap or wiggle your feet when you sit, roll your chair back and forth, move around.

15. Wear heels.

Anyone who has ever walked a flight of stairs in heels can tell you that that is much more of a workout that climbing stairs in flats.  Wear the highest pair of heels you own (carefully, of course) to vacuum in, to do squats in, or clean the kitchen.

Burning calories does not have to be awful, and you don't have to take extra time out of your day to do any of these things.  No more excuses.