S'More Bars

WARM TOASTED MARSHMALLOW S'MORE BARS

1 pouch sugar cookie mix
1 C. graham cracker crumbs
1 C. butter, melted
3 C. chocolate chips  (18 ozs)
4 1/2 C. mini marshmallows

_____________________________

heat oven to 375'. stir together cookie mix and crumbs. stir in butter until soft dough forms. press into greased 9x13 pan.

bake 18-20 mins until set.  immediately sprinkle chips over the crust. when melted, spread evenly over crust.

set oven to broil.  sprinkle marshmallows over chocolate.  broil until toasted.

cut into bars.  serve warm

Italian Greens

So many people like Italian Greens,but don't know how to make them. We will remedy that today. It's really very easy.

First, chop about 6-7 cloves of garlic. The more garlic, the better, if you ask me. Saute the chopped garlic in a little bit of olive oil.

Now, this is the escarole. some people use spinach for Italian greens, but to be authentic, you must use escarole. I grew this in my garden. so clean it really really well in the sink, in lots of cold water. Drain. then take a bite of it. It can sometimes be bitter. so taste it. If it IS bitter, plunge it into some hard boiling water for a few minutes, till it's BRIGHT green. It doesn't take long! Then drain it and add it to the sauteed garlic and oil.

You can fit ALOT of it into the skillet, but it cooks down to nothing.

cooking away!

This is one of my very favorite ways to eat greens...on top of some hot pasta, with some fresh Parmesan cheese on top. simple but good.

$18

Ive decided Im going to the thrift store every Wednesday.  It's 50% on Wednesdays.  Last week, I cleaned. up. again.

I got :

1. a leopard zip up vest

2. 2 jean skirts

3. 4 printed skirts

4. a corduroy blazer

5.  a black short sleeved blouse

6.  a red blazer

7.  a hot pink blazer!!

all for $18. 65

I'm tellin ya...if you don't do thrift stores, you are nuts.

Yes, you have to be careful.  alot of the stuff...jeans especially, can be outdated.  I've seen enough pleated, peg legged, high waisted jeans to last a lifetime.  But I DID find a leopard pair of skinny jeans!  I just don't have the nerve to wear them...I'm getting there, I'm getting there...but I aint there yet.  besides, I'd have to lose 25 pounds to even get into them.  And that aint happnin any time soon.

But Im going tomorrow, so I'll take photos of everything I find...then we'll style it and see how we can fit it into the wardrobe I already have.

just a few things

 I really love this ring.  I got it at Charming Charlie for $3.  I wear it constantly.

ok, this is a sequined top I got at the thrift store.  I know, I know....But Im gonna rock this with something!  it is TIGHT, like a corset...so there will be no breathing when I wear it.  But we sometimes have to suffer for fashion, right?  I have a pair of silky cropped pants that will look really good with it.  and some sky high heels.  so along with no breathing, there will be no walking. 

Just sitting.

Thrifty

Who shops at thrift stores?

Cuz if ya don't, ya crazy!

I live in a small town, so the thrift stores leave alot to be desired.  But if you visit them a couple of times a week, you can sometimes find some good stuff.

For instance, the other day, I got the urge.  and you know when you get the urge, you have to satisfy that urge.  So, Im on the hunt for a leopard coat.  I want it from the 50's or 60's..kinda "swingy" and short.  And a red blazer.  You should always have a red blazer, don't you think?

so, Im looking through the racks of coat/jackets.  I see a grey wool blazer..pull it out.  I notice that it's single breasted, two buttons.  Clearly a man's blazer.  But I try it on anyway.  Ya, it's a little big.  Then I look inside, and it says OSCAR DE LA RENTA.  HELLO!  That baby is coming home with me, regardless of the size or sexual preference!  and since most thrift stores have some sort of deal, where the color ticket on the garment is 50% off that day, I looked at the color.  Today's colors for 50% off?  green and yellow.  color of the ticket.  GREEN! Price of the Oscar?  $2.  TWO BUCKS!!  SCORE!

I know alot of people are skeeved out by wearing used clothing.  I say as long as you wash the stuff carefully, you're good to go.  But that's just me.  hell, the jean jacket I bought I didn't even wash before wearing it!  is that gross?

Give your local thrift store a try.  Whenever I travel, that's the first thing I do in a new town...scope out the thrift stores. 

have a great day!

My "h"s" on the wall.  Excuse the crooked one...or two.  :)

It's still a work in progress.  I think I need another frame or two.

Some Super Bowl food

Super Bowl.

Kind of a BIG DEAL in our house.

For the food, not always the game.

 I had to make my famous guacamole.

 This was 3 avocados, one tomato, a bunch of colantro, one jalepeno, and the juice of 2 limes. And salt and pepper, of course.  mix it all together and eat with a spoon...errr....chips.  Eat it with chips.  Ya.

 Then I made potato skins.  Bake some potatoes.  When they're cool enough to handle, slice them into wedges and "skim" off the top of the potato...so you just have a thin "crust" of potato.  Fry up some bacon till really crispy.  Then I lay the slices on a sheet tray and dot with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  sprinkle the crispy bacon all over the wedges and then top with shredded cheese.  This was sharp cheddar, but I use whatever I have on hand.  Then I broil them in the oven till they're kinda crispy and the cheese has melted.  Much better than frying them, but then, you DO have all that butter and bacon on there.  Hey, it aint diet food.

I also made some buffalo chicken dip, but it looked like vomit, so Im not posting a picture.  Really.  Vomit.  But it tasted good.  You take a bottle of blue cheese salad dressing, one brick of cream cheese, a package of shredded monterey jack cheese, 3/4 cup of hot sauce, and a shredded cooked chicken breast.  Mix it all together and back in the oven at 375 till melted and heated through.  But it looked like vomit.

 So I had a chicken breast left over , so I threw together a pizza.  I always keep packages of pizza crust mix on hand.  $.48 at Walmart!  So I took 2 packages of the crust mix, mixed it all together, and then topped it with some ranch dressing, LOTS of bottled pesto.  and when I say lots, I mean LOTS, cuz I love me some pesto. then I used a baked potato I had left over from the potato skins, sliced it up, then topped it with the sliced chicken breast.  I also sprinkled some parmesan cheese on top, with an extra squeeze of ranch.  :)  Bake at 475 for about 18 minuites.  and there ya go!

So we ate and then passed out into a  food coma, all before the game even started.  Then we just picked on the left overs all night long.