Pending...

Sorry for disappearing. My dear computer has decided to no longer connect to the internet. I can usually connect about 4 out of 10 tries. So I have a few posts that I owe you all, but it may be a bit before I can make that happen!

Buffalo Chicken Dip (AKA Crack)

For T and I, being at home for lunch is rare. So when we are, lunch time is really afternoon snack time. Usually because it is a day off spent cleaning, running errands, babysitting, doing homework, and a whole bunch of other things we manage to cram into that 24 hour period. With that being said, we like to make something that we can eat a little bit of and it will hold us over until dinner. 

Days like today, we both had off and so it has been filled with us both doing our laundry, T has built some shelves in the garage, cleaned out his spare attic room and organized boxes in there, I have done mass amounts of homework been cleaning his house from top to bottom to avoid doing homework. And here it is almost 2 and we have yet to even think about eating lunch. While he is outside doing some work in the garage, I decided to throw in some Buffalo Chicken Dip (or in our case Chicken Dip) in the crock pot while we finish up some last minute projects.  This dip is like crack. Literally. We could sit and eat this all day.  It is SO easy to make, doesn’t take much prep and tastes amazing. It is the perfect dip for football season, hanging out with family and friends, or (like us) it’s a quick and easy snack between meals. This is a recipe I see on Pinterest daily. I chose to make it in the crock pot because that way we are able to keep it warm longer, but just like Suburban Coupon Mom [http://suburbancouponmom.com/2012/05/buffalo-chicken-dip-recipe.html](who I got this recipe from) you are able to bake it as well.         

  

Here is what you will need to get started:               

*1- 8oz package of cream cheese (softened)

*1 Cup of Ranch Dressing (I usually end up using a tad more than that)

*1 Large (or 2 small) can of chicken

* ½ Cup of shredded cheddar (SCM’s recipe does not call for shredded cheddar, but we love our cheese—so we always add in a bit)

*1 Cup Franks Hot Sauce (you can adjust this to your liking by adding more or less—or like me none at all!)

Directions: (I am going by making it in my crock pot, but if you prefer to bake it, SCM has directions on her blog for baking)

1)      Drain canned chicken—this may also need a bit of getting your fingers messy to break up some larger chunks

 2)      Add in Ranch Dressing, Franks, cream cheese and shredded cheddar

(please excuse the extension cord. T has ONE! outlet in his kitchen. And of course it is on the opposite side of the room)

  

3)      Mix together and set crock pot on high. 

 

4)      Cook for about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with tortilla chips.

For larger groups you can easily double this recipe. Just make sure you choose a larger crock pot. The last time I doubled it in “Big Red” we realized that “Big Red” wasn’t so big after all. 

Side Notes:

*I had every intention of taking a nice picture when it was finished. But T got into it before I had the chance.

*I have also tried this with crackers, pretzels, celery, and pita chips. AMAZING. You can't go wrong with this dip.

Spaghetti Bake

T and I have both been battling this nasty flu that is going around Grand Rapids and since he is down for the count on the couch, I decided to make use of the empty kitchen. With school back in full swing, and work keeping me busy, I wanted to find a recipe that would be inexpensive to make, but would make enough that there would be leftovers. Here's a little secret, T is not the greatest in the kitchen. So making something that he can reheat when I have to work late was key. Otherwise I get texts saying, 'Yeah, I just ordered a pizza/ran through McDonalds/made some Mac and Cheese'. That's not dinner.

I found this recipe on a blog at Kids in the Sink.com (http://kidsinthesink.com/2012/03/19/baked-spaghetti/#comment-805)

Here is what you will need (altered a little from the recipe I found because I chose to make a bit bigger of a batch):

Ingredients:
*1½ cups of the sauce of your choosing (Heather and Melissa include a recipe to make your own sauce. I was not that ambitious and decided to go with a jar)
*2½ cups of cheese (I chose to do 1½ cups Mozzarella and 1 cup of a cheddar/monterrey jack mix)
*1 Package of spaghetti (I chose a 16oz package to ensure plenty of leftovers)



Directions:
1) Pre-Heat your oven to 350˚
2) Cook noodles as directed on the package
3) Drain and mix with sauce and mozzarella
4) Spread into a 9x13 Pan and top with remaining cheese

5) Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly
 [You can also choose to top with additional cheese before serving if you are a cheese lover like T and I are.]

 This was probably one of the easiest dinners I have ever made. T devoured it like he hasn't eaten in days and I can't say that I was too shy about it either. Next time I probably will add a bit more sauce. We both like ours a little more saucy that it turned out. But all in all I will say hands down that was one of the BEST meals I have made off of Pinterest.

Prep Time, I would say, was only about 10-15 minutes. The longest part was waiting for the water to boil. Cook Time is about 20-25 minutes depending on how done you want it and how your oven works. I definitely say this dish was a big success!

Let the Cooking Begin!

Over the last few months I have had to make numerous different dishes for holiday parties and always found myself searching Pinterest for something new and delicious. Now that the holidays are done however, I find myself sitting in the office for hours on end just looking at  drooling over food. I figured why not combine my loves (Pinterest and Cooking) and start blogging about it! I am not a professional by any means. I cook in my boyfriend's kitchen, I take pictures with my less than $100 camera from K-Mart and I probably screw up at least 4 out of 5 times I try to make something. But I love it none the less and hopefully you will too. I will be posting attempting to post every Wednesday. So if you have any suggestions for me to try, please leave me a comment and let me know!