Monthly Archives: September 2017

Not much sounds better than a creamy, spicy, cheesy dip on top of a salty chip, and I can tell you not much tastes better either. I can’t even get this dip off of the stove before people start dipping chips into the bubbling cheesy dip right in the pan.  In fact, I like to serve this right in a cast iron skillet, reheating if it lasts that long, and getting it right back out to the party.   I use three different peppers (kinda) in this dip.  I say kinda because I use a jalepeno for that up front spice, then I use a pepper from a can of chipotle in adobo which is also a jalepeno but its been smoked and then packed in a tangy spicy sauce.  I also use a poblano pepper, and while it isn’t a very spicy pepper I just love the flavor of it.  Add to those peppers a little chorizo for another type of spice and smokiness and it’s a killer dip! I can get this dip put together in under a half hour and it can be made ahead and reheated.  I love anything I can make ahead for a party and this dip fits the bill.   Continue reading →

Two things I focus on as a stay at home mom are saving money and not wasting.  I am always looking for new ways to stretch a buck in the kitchen.   One way I do that is by trying to get as much out of whatever I buy as possible.  I like to freeze scraps and create meals out of leftovers and make stocks out of left over bones.  I am going to start by hopefully clearing up a few questions you might have about stock and broth.  Broth is a liquid made out of simmering meat in water for a few hours.  Stock is a liquid made out of simmering bones and maybe some meat for many hours.  Then we have bone broth, which for all I can tell is just another name for stock.  As with everything in the world many people have many opinions on how to make stock and what goes into it, and I will tell you what works for me.   I feel like homemade stock might be the best way to impart great flavor into your cooking and save money at the same time.  Plus the nutrients and health benefits of homemade stock far outweigh what you will buy in a can at the market.   Continue reading →

My kids love this bread.  They love it just with butter after school or at dinner, or even more they love it as french toast.  This bread makes awesome French toast! I also love that this is a super simple bread to make, and it makes two loaves so we can have some at dinner and have french toast the next morning. Continue reading →

I realize that this title sounds a little conceited, but I really do love this cupcake.  This recipe is the product of so much trial and error working to find the perfect texture and flavor.   I wanted a cupcake that was light but wouldn’t immediately crumble in the hands of a three year old (ok, they still get squished but its not immediate).  I wanted a cupcake that the vanilla flavor was subtle and the sweetness wasn’t so much that it was overkill with the addition of frosting.  I really think this cupcake hits all of my wants.  I am super excited to get this recipe into the blog and I can finally throw away the envelope that I have had it written on with all of the notes and corrections.  All of my best ideas seem to be written on the back of junk mail, I don’t want to know what this says about me as a person. Continue reading →

About once a week this lucky girl gets the night off from cooking and Mr. Insanity pulls out the smoker or takes to the grill. This week he smoked us up some awesome pulled pork. As we all slept he got up, and got to work on the coals and getting the pork ready to be smoked.  I am going to fill you in on some of the steps he took to get the pork ready before I even had my coffee.  If you don’t have access to a smoker then you can totally pop a pork butt into your crock pot to make pulled pork.  Anywho, he started off by drying off the pork, coating it with a bit of olive oil, and then liberally applying the rub.  Continue reading →