Sunday, August 28, 2011

Eat Me! ....I'm creamy and sweet

I made a layered dessert for Friday Treats at work.  Guess what?  I'm not giving you that one yet!  Oh, I know!  Stop whining!  It was a chocolate thing, and it is rich, and frankly, I just ate so much pasta for dinner, I don't want to think about rich and chocolaty! But, I'm going to give you a portion of the recipe, because when I made that dessert on Friday morning, I realized that one of the layers is amazingly tasty - and I used it for another purpose.  While this could still be pretty unhealthy (okay, it is a sugary mess) it is still better than the full on layered chocolate thing. (I ate it for breakfast on Friday - it is REALLLLLLY unhealthy as far as breakfasts go... but not the worst possible thing you could eat as far as desserts go!)


Best part of this - four ingredients, five minutes or less.  That's right, I just stuck it to two shows with one recipe!

What you'll need
  • 8oz cream cheese, softened
  •  1 cup of  confectioner's sugar
  • 4oz Cool Whip (please do not attempt to use real whipped cream.  It doesn't hold up to the weight of the cream cheese)
  • Strawberries (if you want to use another type of fruit, go ahead.  I just find that strawberries and cream cheese are delicious together)
  • A knife
  • A bowl for serving
  • A bowl for mixing (If you have one with a lid, use it.  Then you won't need a storage container)
  • A storage container
  • A sink, running water, soap, towels
  • A mixer (I use a hand mixer)
  • A scraping spatula
  • A spoon for eating with
Okay, I'm pretty positive that you should be able to get your hands on those items.... and I think that should be all you need!

Let's do this!
  1. Wash your hands, use the soap on them.... while you've got the water running, rinse your fruit. Roughly chop the fruit into the serving bowl.  (Please don't chop off a finger!)  Wash your hands again, and dry them this time.
  2. Dump the cream cheese and sugar into the mixing bowl.  Mix well.  Use the scraping spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl down.  Mix in any of the stuff that you scraped in.
  3. Fold in Cool Whip.  (By that, I mean use the lowest setting possible - I don't expect you to put muscle into this!)
  4. Remove beater(s), scrape off cream cheese mixture into the bowl.  Lick any remaining deliciousness off of the beater(s) before you worry about putting them in the sink.
  5. Slap a dollop (or in the case of the photo I provided, a huge scoop!) of this creamy concoction on top of the fruit.  Grab your spoon, and ingest. 
  6. If you didn't use a mixing bowl with a lid, be sure to move it into container and store it in the fridge.  If you did.... then just pop the lid on and toss it in the fridge for breakfast in the morning! 
So, if this takes you more than five minutes to make... you didn't read the whole post before you started.  That isn't my fault!  Read, get your stuff together, then begin.  It is important that you cream cheese be softened before you start mixing.... so, when you're planning to make this... put your cheese out a few hours early.  No, I don't think that counts in how long it takes to make.  Opening the fridge, grabbing one item, and tossing it on the counter where it will be ignored for three hours.... nope.  You're a lazy jerk off if you think that counts!  Have fun with this - let me know what other kind of delicious stuff you put this on!  I thought it would be tasty if you put it on some chessmen cookies or something... whatever! OH - graham crackers are healthy.. spread it on that! HAHAHAHA!  You can find this one in phoodos with all of the past recipes.  Look for more to come next week!  (or sooner if I get wild and crazy!)  Enjoy!


Friday, August 26, 2011

Eat Me! ...I'm easy!

Okay, I know this is late.. might as well consider it early!  I did give you an entire menu last week!  Here's a quick, easy, and rather healthy dish.  Serve it as a side, or make it the star of lunch!  Honestly, this would be delish as a sandwich.  Get some good crusty bread, take a stance on including the basil or not.... I can GUARANTEE it will be delicious, because I ate it every day when I went to Italy!




Sooooo, hit the farmer's market, or your garden, or any other place you can get some tomatoes.... and get ready for this!

What you'll need

  • Tomatoes
  • Mozzarella (not the tiny balls, and not the super hard block)
  • Olive Oil (the good stuff)
  • Salt (I use sea salt in a grinder - FANCY)
  • Pepper (freshly cracked is better on this one)
  • Fresh Basil
  • A knife (pretty sharp one)
  • A cutting board
  • A decent size plate/platter
  • Tongs
  • Sink, running water, soap, kitchen towels (yes, the s is there for a reason)
I'm fairly sure that is all you'll need to get this one together.  I'll stop dragging my feet, and get a move on!

Let's do this!
  1. Wash your dirty hands! (I don't want to know where those paws have been, I imagine it isn't good...wallet, grocery store aisle, garden dirt, seeeeeee!) Yes: water, soap, ABCs, water, towel.
  2. After your hands are clean, give your tomatoes and basil a shower.  When you're comfortable with the level of cleanliness your produce has achieved, let it rest on a kitchen towel to drip dry a bit.
  3. Gather your remaining items in a central location, bring the produce over to the party, and let's get chopping!
  4. (Cutting board + knife + careful use......) Slice your tomatoes, grind some S&P over them, then let them rest on the platter while you slice the mozzarella.  (Yep.  Cross-contaminate to your heart's desire.  Honestly, I don't think you're cross-contaminating jack in the situation!  The stuff is all going together in a raw presentation, no big freakin' deal!  Obviously, if something is wrong with your board or tomatoes, you'll already be getting sick when you eat the tomatoes!  Don't be ridiculous!  Use a clean board when you start, and I already told you to wash off your produce.)
  5. Once you have your tomatoes and cheese sliced, arrange in the fashion you prefer.  I do lines, alternating tomato and cheese.... 
  6. Once arranged, drizzle some good olive oil over the top, add a bit more S&P if needed, and give it a rest while you quickly chop the basil.
  7. Once chopped, sprinkle the basil over the top, garnish with a few leaves if desired.
Done and done!  Simple, quick, and delicious!  Notice, I didn't give you any idea of how much tomato or cheese to use.  I feed about six, side-dish style... with two big tomatoes and an equivalent amount of cheese.  You know I don't actually measure stuff when it isn't necessary!  Leftovers are great on a sandwich: hot or cold... yep!  make it a panini!  If you don't make enough, it should be easy enough to make another round!  Do enjoy!  Share your stuff with us via sausage links, and despite the simple instructions that I expect you'll have memorized... this will be indexed in phoodos for your convenience!  Happy cheffery! 


Monday, August 15, 2011

Eat Me! ....I'm sweet, buttery, and delicious!

The final installment in this week's challenge.  I've been blogging up a storm - all I want right now is a blizzard and a nap!  The corn cakes have been waiting for me to post them for quite some time now!  I did a pick-and-choose, add-and-subtract kind of mash-up to come up with this recipe.  I didn't like anything anyone had to offer - mostly because I wanted my recipe to be more... convenient for what I had in the fridge the first time I made it.

The consistency of the cakes are what I imagine the British refer to as pudding.  Not really cakes at all.  Just a warning before I give you this photo and you tell me I'm stupid.


This has to bake for an hour - so time yourself accordingly.  Ready, set, get prepped!

What you'll need
  • Sink, water, soap, towels....
  • Butter (1/2 cup, softened a bit) - real butter, I tried substituting margarine once (I fed it to Tara, it wasn't the best they have ever been - so Tara, give them a retry)
  • 1/3 cup Masa Harina - that's finely ground corn flour.  (I have a big bag of it if you want to borrow some.  Then sell it at Kroger, probably Save-a-lot, and International groceries)
  • Cream-style corn... yes, from a can... a regular size can, it's not quite 15oz.
  • 1/4 cup cornmeal
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • Heavy cream (yes, this is one of my favorite ingredients and I often have it on hand)
  • Salt
  • Baking powder
  • A roasting pan - like the one you use for your turkey during the holidays
  • An oven
  • An oven-safe dish for baking that has a lid - something like a 9x9.
  • A mixer (I used a hand mixer)
  • Two bowls
  • A scraping spatula
  • Hot pads/oven mitts/protection
  • Can opener
  • Measuring cup & spoons
  • Ice cream scoop
  • Whisk
I'm hoping that's all you'll need for this one.  Getting right to it - no time to waste with corny jokes - okay okay!

Let's do this!
  1. Preheat your oven to 350.  Skip over to the sink with your roasting pan.  Wash then dry your hands, fold up an extra kitchen towel and put it in the bottom of your roasting pan.  Fill the pan about halfway with hot water, and get it out of the way.  Be careful not to dump water everywhere.
  2. In one bowl, whisk sugar (1/3 cup), cream (2 Tbsp.), salt (1/4 tsp. - aka, dash), and baking powder (1/2 tsp.), together until well combined.  Set aside.
  3. In your other bowl (if you're using a stand mixer, use the appropriate bowl) - dump out your semi-soft butter, and beat it until it is nice and creamy.  Add about a 1/4 cup of water, and 1/3 cup masa harina. Beat it (just beat it!) until well combined.
  4. Grab your can of corn and can opener.  Beat the corn can and act like a Neanderthal to be funny, then open it properly. Add the corn to the butter mixture, stir, then dump the contents of the other bowl (you know, the sugar, cream, salt, and baking powder) into the buttery, corn mess.
  5. Mix well, scrape the mixture out of the bowl and into your 9x9 (or whatever similar sized) dish.  If you need to grease the pan - use butter so you don't contaminate the batter.
  6. Cover your dish, put it in the roasting pan - the towel will help reduce sliding.  It works like those sticky things that old people and hotels put in the shower.  I hate those things!  Tub treads.  Sheesh!
  7. Bake your corn cakes at 350 - in the water bath - for about an hour.  Be super careful removing these from the oven.  I suggest the roasting pan - because many of them have good handles so you can avoid the hot water.  If you don't have one, the cheapies get the job done.  
  8. Serve the cakes with your ice cream scoop - like mashed potatoes from elementary school!

Now, you can get hopping on this 4 part challenge.  For those of you not making the full menu, ignore that!  This one will be in phoodos, and if you're doing this as part of the challenge - post your results and link up on the sausage links page!  Now, I need to find a blizzard replacement since DQ is closed......... hmmmmmm

Eat Me! ....I'm the health-nut hot friend!

This is the healthiest recipe I have ever posted.  Next in line?  A boozy drink.  I'm not really as ashamed as I should be.  Healthy is DEFINITELY not always delicious - and delicious is often not that healthy.  I can't help it!  Anywho - this little hottie is bilingual, delicious, and easy!  Check her out!


Yep!  Healthy!  Vegetables!  Everyone excited?  I know you are!!!!!

What you'll need
  • Spice Mix
  • Chevre - that's goat cheese.  If you're not a fan, try feta, queso blanco, or any other cheese you want. You can skip the cheese too, but I the only way we can remain friends if you skip the cheese... is if it is for medical reasons.  If you simply do not like cheese, we cannot be friends. (That's right!  I just said I like cheese better than people who don't like cheese!)
  • Olive oil
  • A bowl
  • A bar pan
  • Parchment paper
  • A knife, a cutting board, and a garlic press (again, if you have one.... if you don't have one by now, I hope you're realizing why I have one.  Yes, it is because I'm lazy and I don't like to chop garlic when I can press it.)
  • Running water, sink, soap, towel.... 
  • Something to stir with - something that isn't a spoon that you use to eat cereal.  It needs some muscles.
  • Garlic
  • Zucchini
  • Yellow Squash
  • Bell pepper - the color is up to you.  Choose based on flavor or price or a combination
  • Tomatoes
  • Limes - okay, probably one.  
  • An oven and some hot pads/oven mits (I don't know what other people call them, but protection is important!  Safety first!)
Hope that I have you prepared - no promises.... at least not in this post!

Let's do this!
  1. Wash your hands, then wash your produce.  Dry your hands, and set the produce aside to dry.
  2. Get your chopping station ready to go.  Find some space on the counter or table, or wherever it is that you normally do your cooking... and set up with your cutting board, knife, garlic press, bowl, stirring utensil, spice mix, and oil.
  3. Bring your veggies over to the prep station, give the zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, and squash a rough chop. (REALLLLLLY rough!  Big chunks/slices - try to keep the pieces similar in size for even cooking)
  4. Toss the veggie pieces in the bowl, drizzle with a small amount of oil, squeeze the juice of the lime(s) in, press the garlic in, and dump some spice mix on top of all of it.
  5. Stir the veggies, make sure they are all coated with spice mix.  Set the bowl aside, get the cutting board, knife and garlic press out of your way.
  6. Preheat the oven to about 450.  Get your pan ready..... you know, slap the parchment paper on it and get it out of the way until you're ready for the oven.
  7. Dump the veggies out onto the pan, spread the veggies into a single layer, pop the pan in the oven, reduce the heat to 425, and bake for about 25 minutes.  (Because the spice mix has cornstarch, the liquid that comes out of the veggies will thicken up nicely.  You don't have to stir or flip them.... but if your oven isn't exactly perfect, you might need to turn the pan around.)
  8. When your veg is nice and roasty, take the pan out (use the protection!!!!) - turn the oven off, and crumble the Chevre (or the other cheese you decided on) over the veggies.  Pop the pan back in.  The cheese will roast up just fine as the oven begins to cool and it will keep your dish hot.
Here's the disclaimer..... If you don't have two ovens, then you will want to cook your veggies on the grill with your meat.  The corn cakes need the oven at 350 - realllllly not simpatico with the veggies.  BUT - if you can keep your corn cakes hot for 25 minutes, I suppose you can make them first.  I have three ovens.  Yes, three.  I know, and yes, it is necessary.  I think you can probably keep the corn cakes warm for 25 minutes - they are really freaking hot when they get done anyway.... and because you will cook them in a dish with a lid.... you can probably just wrap the dish up in some kitchen towels to reduce heat loss (like blankets for your side-dish) - or maybe you have some other fancy stuff... I don't know!

Enjoy the veggies!  The recipe will be on the phoodos page.  Be sure to share your sausage links - and look out of the corn cakes! Adios des amis!  (Oh!  The fusiony insanity!)


Eat Me! .... I taste delicious on taco-like stuff!

Welcome back!  This quick post doesn't come with a photo. Who really wants a photo of a spice mix?  That seems silly to me.  Why?  Mostly because I don't house this one in a fancy glass grinder, or even one of my spiffy magnetic containers.  That's right.  I keep it in a plastic container, hidden in the lazy-susan.  It has frequently been questioned, but has never fallen victim to the trash can.  It looks like a weird mess that my nieces tossed together - but it is a tasty base for tacos, fajitas, or in this case - the veggie side dish follow-up post.  This should take you about three minutes - but I'll gift you ten.  You do have to get a lot of different spices out.  So, in case you aren't organized like me (HAH! The spices are strewn about here - but they are in the same area) you should have plenty of time to gather everything. Again, if you can't grab it all at once, grow longer arms and quit whining!

What you'll need

  • Chili Powder
  • Salt
  • Paprika
  • Cornstarch
  • Sugar
  • Chicken Base (Bullion not in cubes.  I can buy this at Kroger in Anna - so I'm sure most people reading this can get some of it.  If not - you'll want bullion cubes or granules.  You can read the back and it typically tells you a conversion for measuring.... if not, put it in a ziplock bag and beat the hell out of it with something.  That's always fun - so maybe you should just do that anyway!)
  • Onion Powder
  • Ground Cayenne
  • Ground Cumin
  • Garlic Powder
  • Measuring Spoons
  • Whisk - appropriately sized for the bowl you use.
  • Small bowl with lid (tupperware, gladware.... you get the point)
Okay, I'm positive that's all you need.  Probably never going to happen again!

Let's do this!
  1. Gather all of your spices and hardware on the counter.  If the lid is on your bowl, take it off and get it out of the way for now.
  2. Get your measuring spoons ready - pop the lids on all of your ingredients, and prepare yourself for measuring madness!  (Since you know I don't measure - please don't think I expect you to be precise.)
  3. Dump the following ingredients into your bowl:
    1. ~ 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
    2. ~ 2 Teaspoons chili powder
    3. ~ 1 Teaspoon salt
    4. ~ 1 Teaspoon paprika
    5. ~ 1 Teaspoon sugar
    6. ~ 3/4 Teaspoon chicken base
    7. ~ 1/2 Teaspoon onion powder
    8. ~ 1/4 Teaspoon garlic powder
    9. ~ 1/4 Teaspoon cayenne
    10. ~ 1/4 Teaspoon cumin
  4. If you are confused.... "~" is "about equal, or similar" in math.  Also - please note, that will make enough for about 1 recipe of whatever you are putting it on - if you're feeding 4-6.  So, if you're planning to keep it on hand for fajitas, tacos, whatever else.... double it.
  5. Whisk it together, make sure there aren't lumps.... pop the lid on, and DONE!
Enjoy the spice mix!  This will NOT be in phoodos, I'll like back to the post from the upcoming veggie side-dish.  While I don't expect you to keep us posted on people eating this straight.... (that would be hilarious, though... so maybe I do expect you to tell me that!) I hope you'll share uses you find for it!





Sunday, August 14, 2011

Eat Me! .... I'm spicy, drunk AND I have hot friends!

Bienvenidos, people!  Yes, I am aware that my Spanish greeting conflicts with my French blog title.  I don't care!   This week's challenge is either going to be more difficult - or easier.  Let me explain - I'm gifting you a menu this week.  That's right!  Four for the price of one!  (If the square root of soon is never....what's free divided by 4?)  Suck on that, extreme couponers!

So - I wouldn't call this Mexican food, and I wouldn't call it Tex-Mex.  I'd call it.... I made some stuff up that is Mexican food inspired.  Fusion? Eh.  Whatever.  Corn cakes might be semi-authentic.  I don't know.  I don't really care that much, either.  They are delicious, and that's all I care about.  If you are being really health conscious - skip the corn cakes, save up the calories the day you make them, or consider it dessert for the week.  Also, you should know that the corn cakes don't reheat well - so you're going to have to eat all of it.  So, invite your friends or family over - you'll probably want/need four people to finish off the corn cakes.

I'm going to shut up with the explanations and give you dish one - the main event.... the spicy, drunk chick(en) who has hot friends!



This chicken fell in to a pitcher of margaritas, rolled around in some garlic and chiles, then got torched on the grill.  I lovingly call it tequila-lime chicken.  Most of the time, it comes in wing form, but feel free to use any cut of chicken you like.  I'm not going to tell you how to grill it - I'm fairly sure you all know how to tell if chicken is cooked or not.  I'm going to lay my marinade/sauce recipe on you.  I think you (or your personal grill master) can manage the grilling portion - especially since I don't know what kind of chicken you're using.... anywho....

What you'll need

  • A cutting board
  • A sharp knife
  • A garlic press (if you have one)
  • A big bowl and a glass 9x13
  • Whisk
  • Tequila (about two shots - I use Jose Gold Especial)
  • Garlic - a few cloves
  • Some limes - I think I used 3
  • Agave nectar (something like... a cup)
  • Sugar
  • Chili Powder with Salt & Lemon (This is a specialty product obtained from international grocery stores.  I have a huge bottle of it at my house - I use it in a number of things.... put it on popcorn, eggs, fajitas, tacos, whatever.  Happy to share the pinch you'll need!)
  • Salt
  • A couple of chile peppers - I specifically use garden salsa peppers... I grow them, I have some I can share right now if anyone wants to pick up this ingredient for free this week.  You can use whatever kind of medium heat chile you'd like.  If you aren't familiar with chiles, research them online, I'm not going to be responsible for any of you biting into a damn ghost chile.
  • OH, what else.... A saucepan
  • Some tongs for turning the chicken while it marinates
  • Plastic wrap (if your bowl doesn't have a lid)
  • Sink, soap, running water..... towel
  • Scraping spatula
Okie Dokie - here's a quick photo of what my peppers look like - try the farmer's market, they can tell you what they have.


Okay - moving along... We're going to mix this stuff up.  You'll use the same batch for marinating and saucing.  That is - after you soak your meat in it, you'll bring it to a boil and reduce it into a syrupy sauce.  Don't get freaked out - you'll boil the bacteria to death!

Let's do this!
  1. Wash your hands, rinse your peppers, rinse your limes.  I suggest rinsing limes in warm water to get the waxy crap off of them.  Your going to zest them.  Oh yeah, guess you should grab a microplane or a zester, or whatever you use... or consider extra limes if you don't use zest.
  2. Use your sharp knife to slice up the peppers.  I make thin rings of peppers - do whatever makes you happy.  Please leave the seeds in for spiciness!  Toss the peppers into your marinating bowl.
  3. Press your garlic into the bowl - or, chop it as fine as possible and toss it in with the peppers.
  4. Dump the tequila into the bowl, take a shot if you want (I do!!), zest the limes over the bowl, then cut them in half and add the juice.... squeeze in some agave nectar, dump in little salt, and a pinch of the special chili powder.  Whisk it all together - it will look like the photo on the left at the end of the directions.
  5. Slap your choice of chicken in that stuff.  Wash your hands - then put a lid on it, or plastic wrap it.  I let mine marinate for at least two hours - turning a few times with the tongs.  Please keep it refrigerated while marinating.  I don't want anyone getting ill... Thank you!  Whenever you decide to put this stuff on the grill - remove it from the marinade, put it in that glass 9x13 and let it sit for 15 minutes or so.  Also, beware that this stuff will burn - it has a lot of sugar in it!  So, lower heat is better than flames still shooting out.... and don't forget to take the grill spray out and grease up your meat before you bring on the heat.
  6. While the meat is on the grill, you've got to make saucy magic happen!  Pour the marinade into the saucepan, use your scraping spatula to get all of the garlic and pepper bits into the pan.  Add a little bit of sugar - honestly, a little... no more than a quarter of a cup....reduce the sauce over medium heat stirring occasionally.  It should end up looking like this delicious, sticky, candy-like mess on the right.

So, when your chicken comes off of the grill, pour your sauce over it, make sure it is all coated nicely, and enjoy this sticky, spicylicious treat!  Also - don't forget to share with everyone via sausage links - and this recipe will be archived in the phoodos section - as always!

(You get to meet the hot friends tomorrow.  Side dishes: Corn Cakes & Fajita Veggies with Chevre - yep, goat cheese!  I'm insane!!!!  Oh look!  A link between the Spanish and the French exists after all!  I'm getting crazy!!!)


Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Eat Me! ....Bacon, and Egg Yolks, and Carbs, OH MY!

Today, I started back down my path to healthy.  Granted, that did include more than one coke, but I only slept for a few hours and I had to have something to make it through class.  Knowing that I was going to make an effort to do the healthy thing again.... last night was the final fat-filled feast. Oh yes, Bacon, Egg Yolks, and Carbs!  CARBSSSSSSSS!  If you can't make this dish this week, I understand, save this week's challenge for a special occasion - but do complete it sometime as a treat.  I call it.... the epitome of health.  Other people call it pasta carbonara.


Oh tasty, bacony, pasta, I could eat you all day!  But I don't want to be 600 pounds and unable to get off of the couch, so I will share you with the world - and we can share the wealth of obesity, and none of us will have a problem getting off of the couch.... hopefully.  **Disclaimer, don't even consider saying something dumb like "Casey made me fat".  I told you to share the wealth of obesity.  Don't be a glutton, you a-hole!**


What you'll need

  • A good size skillet
  • A stove/range/hot plate - something to heat up that skillet with!
  • A pair of tongs
  • A big pot
  • Pasta of your choice - I used fettuccine
  • Water for boiling
  • Salt
  • A colander - or a spaghetti spoon, your choice
  • BACON! or pancetta if you want to be fancy and authentic.  Believe me, I want to be, but my supermarket doesn't carry pancetta and I wasn't going to wait around looking for it when bacon works!
  • Fresh Parmesan
  • A grater
  • A scraping spatula
  • Some garlic
  • 2, count 'em, TWO eggs
  • A sink, soap, and a towel
  • Pepper - in a grinder if you've got it.  This is a time when freshly ground black pepper is actually necessary.
  • A ladle
  • A whisk
  • A bowl to serve in
  • Paper towels (if you're going with bacon)
  • A knife and a cutting board and a garlic press, if you have one
I think that's it.  Some people put parsley in it, but its a waste of my time! Kinda like measuring.  

Let's do this!
  1. Wash your hands, and prep your meat!  You need about 1/2 a pound of bacon or pancetta.  Dice the meat and wash your hands again.
  2. Fill your pot with water, and get it on the heat.  This is really quick, so get the water heating fast - turn up the heat!  Depending on the pasta you choose, you may want to get the pasta in before moving on.
  3. Get your skillet on the heat, medium should be sufficient. If you're using pancetta, drizzle in some olive oil.
  4. Toss the meat on the heat, then press in a few cloves of garlic. (Do a fine chop if you don't have a press)
  5. Grab the bowl, whisk, two eggs, the Parmesan, the grater, ladle, and your pepper grinder.  If this is a challenge, I suggest growing longer arms, or getting out a bigger bowl. put it on the counter where it is all going to be convenient.  Maybe grab a couple of hot pads too.
  6. Grate the Parm into the bowl, honestly, I grated until I couldn't grate anymore.  use the amount of cheese that you want.  Whisk in the yolks only of the eggs, and ladle in a bit of pasta water, continuing with the whisk so your yolks don't scramble (yeah, man, tempering!)
  7. Drain the noodles, or fish them out with your spaghetti spoon, throw them in the bowl, dump the garlicy meat on top (minus some of the drippings if you have a lot of bacon drippings).
  8. Mix your pasta up well, crack some pepper on top, and give it some more cheese if you want.
  9. Eat and cry, cry and eat.
So, welcome to the challenge!  Eat Me!  If you want to double team the challenge, have a dinner party, cook, eat, enjoy, and post phoodos and sausage links!  Good luck!  I'll try to be healthy-ish next time!  Yeah, SUNDAY!  

Monday, August 8, 2011

I think I figured it out!

I was watching Shrek last night, and I think I know what I'm going to do so I will get back in the blogging habit.  Other than this week, I'm going to post a weekly challenge on Sunday evenings entitled "Eat Me".  My portion is to cook, photograph the food, and complete a post, your portion, to cook it and eat it, of course!  And maybe report back on the results if you want to be really fun!  (By maybe, I mean you better do it!) Good luck!