Friday, October 30, 2015

Halloween Costume 2015

So for those of you who are interested, here is my "Evil Little Mermaid"/Siren Costume
Here is the skirt before adding the tulle fin:



Here it is after the tulle fin was added!



Here are the ears in production:


Here they are painted and bejeweled:


Here is my make up close:

I paired it with my black corset and the awesome pearls I got from my best friend ALICIA. 




And here is the spectacular picture from the party photo booth:









Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Oven Roasted Autumnal Medley

For my California peeps, you might not know this, but it is Fall for most of the country right now. Beautiful colors in the trees, a nip in the air, and, the best part, autumn produce. So what way to enjoy the season than will a perfect compilation of said produce.

Oven Roasted Autumn Medley
Ingredients
1 medium red onion
1½ lbs (2 small or one large) sweet potato
2 medium apples
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried rosemary
½ tsp salt
freshly cracked pepper (10-15 cranks of a mill)
2 links (2/3 lb.) turkey sausage
handful fresh parsley (optional/garnish)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the apples and onion into one-inch chunks. Peel the sweet potato and cut it into one-inch chunks as well.
Place the chopped apples, onions, and sweet potatoes in a large 9x13 inch casserole dish. Add the olive oil, basil, sage, rosemary, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper. Toss until everything is well coated in oil and herbs.
Nestle the sausage down into the casserole dish. Transfer the casserole dish to the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes. Stir once and flip the sausage at the 25 minute mark.
After removing the dish from the oven, slice the sausage into thin medallions and add it back to the dish. Sprinkle with chopped, fresh parsley if desired.


 




This is lovely and is even better as leftovers. A rather simple one pot meal with all the Autumn love you can fit into it.

Until next time, cook it up.








Monday, October 26, 2015

BFMH: Not quite to the recipe: Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

This is one of those Pinterest Recipes that I have been wanting to try for ages, but kept putting off for some reason. It was incredibly easy and has proven to be a rather solid substitution for the full recipe. 

Ingredients
1 box Betty Crocker™ cake mix
1/3 cup oil
3 eggs
1 ½ cups mashed bananas (3-4 bananas)
I added 4 oz of chocolate chips that I had leftover
Directions
1 Heat oven to 350°F. Generously spray 2 (8x4-inch) loaf pans with cooking spray; lightly flour pans.
2 Select your favorite banana bread recipe variation from those below.
3 In large bowl, beat all ingredients above plus ingredients from selected variation below until well mixed. Divide batter evenly between pans.
4 Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of loaves comes out clean and inside of cracks do not look wet. Cool 15 minutes in pans on cooling racks. Remove loaves from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 2 hours, to prevent crumbling when slicing. For easier slicing, store loaves tightly covered 24 hours. Cut with serrated knife, using a light sawing motion.




Look at that loaf, loafing about...
So I failed this loaf slightly. For some reason, last night, the formatting on my phone screen didn't show that I needed to add 3 eggs. I swear that I checked 2 different times because I was thinking, "GEE, this really should have some eggs in it...".  Whelp, I didn't triple check and so I didn't add any eggs. The good news is that it still taste really good! It has turned out to be a very delicate bread and very soft on the inside, but the flavor and texture are good. So we frozen the 2 loafs. Hopefully the cutting process of the frozen bread won't prove to be too difficult.







Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Creamy Tomato & Spinach Pasta

I hit up a really lovely Pasta thanks to Budget Bytes....again. She loves her Carbs and knows how to use them well.


This is called Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta and, boy, is it divine.


Creamy Tomato & Spinach Pasta

Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil $0.16 ($.10)
1 small onion $0.25 ($.29)
2 cloves garlic $0.16 ($.05)
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes $0.59 ($.79)
½ tsp dried oregano $0.03
½ tsp dried basil $0.03
pinch red pepper flakes (optional) $0.02
freshly cracked pepper to taste $0.05
½ tsp salt $0.03
2 Tbsp tomato paste $0.11 ($.10)
2 oz. cream cheese $0.48 (Free from work left overs)
¼ cup grated Parmesan $0.42
½ lb. penne pasta $0.89 ($1.00)
1 pound fresh spinach $1.50 ($1.75)
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender (7-10) minutes. Drain the pasta in a colander.
While waiting for the pasta to cook, dice the onion and mince the garlic. Cook both in a large skillet with the olive oil over medium-low heat until softened and transparent (about 5 minutes).
Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper to the skillet with the onions and garlic. Stir to combine. Add the tomato paste and a ½ cup of water to the skillet and stir until the tomato paste is dissolved into the sauce.
Turn the heat down to low. Cut the cream cheese into a few pieces and then add them to the skillet with the tomato sauce. Use a whisk to stir the sauce until the cream cheese has fully melted in and the sauce is creamy. Add half of the Parmesan to the skillet and whisk until it is melted in. Add the remainder of the parmesan and whisk until melted in again.
Add the fresh spinach and gently stir it into the sauce until it has wilted (3-5 minutes). Add the pasta and stir until it is well coated in the creamy tomato sauce. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm.


Total for my version of the dish: $4.66 and by my math there are 10 “Ram size” servings in the dish so that makes a serving $.47.
Pigeon had 2 servings and I had 1 so we ate a very yummy meal for only $1.41 and we have enough for 3-6 upcoming meals (depends on who eats it)!


Gotta love the Parm!

Until next time....Cook It Up!

Monday, October 19, 2015

BFMH: Another Breakfast Club Recipe: Crocpot Mexican Breakfast Casserole

So another week for me to do Breakfast Club. I looked in my fridge and my pantry and I figured out that I could pretty easily make some sort of Egg Casserole with a Mexican flare. Thus I came up with this concoction.

Slow Cooker Mexican Egg Casserole

Ingredients
2-3 (cooked) Potato and hashed
½ Red Onion
1 Bell Pepper
1 cup Salsa
2 cups Jack Cheese
½ pound cooked Bacon
3 eggs and 1 ½ cup milk
2 tablespoons (garnish) Cilantro
Method
Night Before: Layer potato, onion, pepper, salsa, cheese, and Bacon
Wake up 2 hours before you have to leave for work
Pour Egg and milk mixture over the veggie and bacon.
Turn on slow cooker to high for 2-3 hours.




I totally failed to take a picture of this, but it was a HUGE hit with the office. Almost all of it was gone and many people came by to tell me it was super yummy. Mission Accomplished.


Friday, October 16, 2015

Crockpot Chicken and Chicken Stock!

SO I did that thing where I made something SUPER delish and then completely forget to take a photo of it because I was excited about it... This time it was a Whole Chicken in a Crockpot!


I can't believe how easy this one was. I highly suggest trying this recipe out as it definitely makes for a nice presentation for having guests over for dinner. The excellent part is that the chicken is so moist and tender that it literally falls off the bone.


Which was good as I then promptly took said meat off of said bones and made me some Chicken Stock in a Crockpot from the remains of my Whole Chicken in a Crockpot.






Bones in cheese cloth makes pulling the bones out later really easy!
I try my darndest to not buy salty, oily chicken stock from the store and this little ditty has officially made my life easier. Give it a try some time!



Thursday, October 15, 2015

Polish Potatoes, Slaw, and Smoked Sausage

We had 8 people at table the other evening in honor of one great lady we know as. She past away 3 years ago on Oct 21, 2012 at the age of 96. In honor of her, I decided that since I was hosting family dinner this week, that it should a bit of a Polish flare. I decided, also, that it needed to primarily be a make ahead meal, so that I could play hostess to the best of my ability.






For the cost of $17.20, I fed 8 adults and still have about 2 helpings left. So that would be $1.72/serving.






Sausage = $7.50 for 3 packages


Head of Cabbage = $2.42
Onion = $.58
Apple = $1.60 for 2
Apple Cider Vinegar = $.05
Chicken Stock = Homemade $1.00
Potatoes = $.88
Garlic Cloves = $.20 for 5
Bacon = Quarter pound $1
Half and Half = $.30
Monterey Jack = $1.67







I put the thinly sliced the Cabbage, 1 Onion, and 2 Apples and put them with 3 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar and 1 cup of Chicken Stock into the Crockpot for 8 hours on low. It was an excellent side dish.

The day before the dinner event, potatoes I lightly boiled, till just tender, and then chopped roughly. I put in a casserole dish and added 5 minced garlic cloves and crumbled bacon on top of the taters. I pours about 1/2-2/3 of a cup of half and half over that and then topped with cheese. The moment I got home, I put them in the oven at 350 until the cheese was lightly golden.

The turkey sausage was fully cooked already, I just sliced and grilled on the George Foreman we got from Cousin Marion as a wedding gift. Easy peasy.










Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Second Birthday of My Blog: Chicken and Dumplings time!

Wow... That was really fast! I am really impressed with how quickly this blog turned 2 years old.
It has gone through a lot of changes over the years, just like me. I want to thank all of you who read occasionally, regularly, and the ones who email and text me to ask why I have posted lately....


This year I decided that the second anniversary I should try to make a classic I have never made before: Chicken and Dumplings! To add to this historic event, I will let you know in advance, that this was a success and a failure both. Read on for the grim details.


Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
Total Cost: $5.87 ($4.93 is what my meal came out to be, price per serving is $.49)
Ingredients
Soup ($3.57)
2 cloves garlic $0.16 ($.10)
1 medium yellow onion $0.57 ($.29)
3 ribs celery $0.80 ($.40)
½ lb (3-4) carrots $0.55 ($.50)
1 large (3/4 lb.) chicken breast $1.49* ($2) *I also threw in a cheese cloth with a bunch of chicken bones as I had made a whole chicken to get the chicken breast for the soup*
1 whole bay leaf $0.15 ($.08)
1 tsp dried basil $0.10 ($.05)
1 tsp dried thyme $0.10 ($.05)
freshly cracked pepper $0.05
4 cups water $0.00
1 tsp salt (plus more to taste) $0.05
Dumplings ($1.36)
1½ cups all-purpose flour $0.21 ($.15) <I use Whole Wheat Flour, DON'T DO THAT>
1½ tsp baking powder $0.15 ($.08)
½ tsp salt $0.02
½ Tbsp dried parsley $0.15 ($.10)
6 Tbsp cold butter $0.90 ($.50)
¾ tsp sugar $0.01
⅔ cup milk $0.41  ($.50)
Instructions
Mince the garlic, dice the onion, and slice the carrots and celery into small pieces. Add the garlic, onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, basil, thyme, chicken breast (my chicken was already cooked so I didn't add the chicken, just the bones in the cheese cloth), water, and some freshly cracked pepper to a slow cooker. Stir to combine and then cook on high for four hours or low for eight hours.
After cooking for four hours on high or eight hours on low, remove the chicken from the broth and place it on a cutting board (if you cooked on low heat, turn it to high now). Use two forks to shred the chicken. Return the chicken to the pot and stir in 1 tsp of salt to the soup. Keep the slow cooker covered as much as possible during this process to retain heat and maintain the temperature.
Allow the soup to continue to cook on high while you mix the dumpling batter. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, parsley, and sugar. Mix well. Add butter in small chunks and cut it in or work it in with your hands until the mixture resembles damp sand. Add the milk and stir until a very soft paste-like mixture forms.
Remove the lid from the slow cooker and drop the dumpling batter into the soup by the heaping spoonful. Return the lid to the slow cooker and allow the dumplings to steam for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes they should have fluffed and expanded from the heat. Although they may look moist on the outside, they will be light and fluffy on the inside. Serve hot.



Besides the dumpling, it was very nice!


Looks like a strange meatball...not a dumpling. That should have been my first clue!


There something in the water....


The dumplings turned into a strange gloop that was a major fail. The soup on the other hand, was spectacular! Pigeon and I decided that the soup wasn't hot enough to cook the dumplings properly (it had been on low all day verse high for a shorter amount of time). Add a less than bubbling soup and the incorrect flour (here I was thinking I was making the right and healthy choice...), the dumplings were the strangest consistency and while not inedible, not attractive to look at.


I have decided I need to try this dish again, but stove top next time.




Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Week 1 of my Budget Challege

Week 1

So this whole "breaking down cost of a serving, cost of a bit of this or that, is all very new to me. A few things I was able to do that with, and a few things I was not able to. The Italicized in Green things are things that I am guestimating on. Also, I didn't stick to my meal plan for the week, which I had number for because it ended up being a crazy week of meals with family members and then camping. So here is my Rough Draft of what the following few weeks will look like.



Day 1, Monday:

Ram $2.25
Breakfast: Coffee = $.30
with Milk = $.10
Bagel with Cream Cheese *Breakfast Club*
Lunch: Tuna Noodle Casserole 4 oz = $.70
Fried Chicken - 2 oz = $.80
Snack: Cheddar Cheese - 2 oz = $.35
Dinner: Rich and Charlie's Lasagna *Auntie*

Pigeon $1.97 +$9
Breakfast: Coffee = $.30
Egg = $.18
Potato Casserole= $.60
Juice 8 oz = $.89
Lunch: *Brought* Which Wich About $9
Dinner: Rich and Charlie's Cannelloni *Auntie*
Day total: $4.22 thanks to the kindness of Auntie



Day 2, Tuesday:

Ram: $1.90
Breakfast: Breakfast: Coffee = $.30
with Milk = $.10
Lunch: Tuna Noodle Casserole 4 oz = $.70
Fried Chicken - 2 oz = $.80
Dinner: Roast Beef with Tater and Green Beans *Mom and Dad's*

Pigeon $3.07
Breakfast: Yogurt 3 oz = $.48
Honey with comb = $.15
Juice 8 oz = $.89
Coffee = $.30
Lunch: Chicken Curry Casserole = $1.25
Dinner: Roast Beef with Tater and Green Beans *Mom and Dad's*
Day total: $4.97 thanks to the kindness of Mom and Dad



Day 3, Wednesday:

Ram $2.73
Breakfast: 1/2 a Waffle = $.13
Coffee = $.30
with Milk = $.10
Lunch: Tuna Noodle Casserole 4 oz = $.70
Fried Chicken - 2 oz = $.80
Dinner: Lasagna Roll up (1 serving) = $.70

Pigeon $4.16
Breakfast: Juice 8 oz = $.89
Coffee = $.30
Oatmeal = $.17
Honey with comb = $.15
Lunch: Chicken Curry Casserole = $1.25
Dinner: Lasagna Roll up (2 servings) = $1.40
Day total: $6.89


Here is how I figured out the Lasagna Roll Up Serving Cost:



Yeah, I know I misspelled stuff....I was in a rush. Layoff.



Day 4, Thursday:

Ram $3.70
Breakfast: Half a breakfast Sandwich *CoWorker*
Coffee with Half and Half *Work*
Lunch: Rich and Charlie's Lasagna *Auntie*
Fried Chicken - 4 oz = $1.60
Dinner: Sautéed Chicken = $1.50
Autumn Veggies = $.60

Pigeon $4.79
Breakfast: Granola = *Mom*
Yogurt 4 oz = $.64
Honey with comb = $.15
Peanut Butter = $.10
1/2 Apple = $.40
Coffee = $.30
Lunch: Rich and Charlie's Lasagna *Auntie*
Dinner: Sautéed Chicken = $2.00
Autumn Veggies = $1.20
Day total: $8.49 thanks to the kindness of Mom, Auntie, and my CoWorker


Day 5, Friday:

Ram $3.93
Breakfast: Yogurt 3 oz = $.48
Honey with comb = $.15
Coffee = $.30
with Milk = $.10
Lunch: Fried Chicken - 4 oz = $1.60
Autumn Veggies = $.60
Dinner: Lasagna Roll Up = $.70

Pigeon $2.49 + $15
Breakfast: Yogurt 4 oz = $.64
Honey with comb = $.15
Coffee = $.30
Lunch: *Maggie O'Brien's* about $15
Dinner: Lasagna Roll up (2 servings) = $1.40
Day total: $6.42



Day 6, Saturday: Camping

Ram $15



Pigeon $15


Day total: $15



Day 7, Sunday: Camping

Ram $15
Pigeon $15
Day total: $15



Week Total (but not perfect math): $30.99

With Ram = $14.51 and at Pigeon = $16.48.


This was a rough week to start and try this as I wasn't in control of all the food buying this week. Let's see how next week goes.

Monday, October 12, 2015

BFMH: Bacon Cheddar Scones

So I am behind on my BFMH. I know this. But times are busy and Husband is working more and more weekends and I just can't seem to get motivated. I finally decided to give this bad boy a whirl and I am so happy I did.


Bacon Cheddar Cheese Scones
Ingredients
4 slices bacon, chopped
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions (I didn’t have any. They are still yummy, but they could have been amazing with this)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup heavy cream, plus 2 tablespoons
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a medium skillet, cook the bacon, stirring, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well on paper towels. Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter, cheese, green onions, and pepper with a pastry blender or fork, and work just until it starts to form lumps and come together. Add the bacon. Add 1 cup of the cream and work just until it becomes a sticky dough, being careful not to overwork.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and pat until it comes together. Form into 2 large circles, about 7 inches in diameter and 3/4 inch thick and cut each into 8 wedges with a sharp knife. Transfer to baking sheet with a spatula, leaving 1/2-inch space between each wedge. Paint the tops of the wedges lightly with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream and bake until golden brown, 22 to 23 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the baking sheet. Serve warm.


These are pretty good, though a little dry, but there were so many for just the 2 of us. I gave 8 to my in loves and 4 to our close friends, Scotty and Mel. I should halve the recipe next time.





Friday, October 9, 2015

Pastalaya - an almost Creole tradition


So this is a little late as I made this dish for the whole in law family who came over for dinner last week. With all the other interesting stuff going on, I didn't get a chance to share it with y'all until now.



Now just think, Jambalaya is a wonderful dish, so why not make it even more wonderful by making it inexpensively and with pasta? A one pot of wonderful, no doubt. Here is the recipe:



Pastalaya



Ingredients
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
½ lb. smoked sausage (preferably Andouille)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 15oz. can diced tomatoes (I used fresh cuz I had them.
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp thyme
½ tsp curry powder
½ tsp parsley flakes
¼ tsp Red Pepper Flakes
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
20 turns of freshly cracked pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 lb. penne pasta
2 Tbsp half & half or cream


Instructions
Slice the smoked sausage into thin rounds, then cut any larger pieces in half. Add the sausage and vegetable oil to a large pot and cook over medium heat until the sausage is well browned (about 5 minutes).
Mince two cloves of garlic and add them to the pot. Sauté for one to two minutes, or until the garlic is soft and fragrant. Add the Celery and Bell Pepper and sauté until heated through (3-5 minutes). Finally, add the can of diced tomatoes (with juices), oregano, smoked paprika, thyme, curry powder, parsley flakes, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire Sauce, freshly cracked pepper (about 20 cranks of a pepper mill), chicken broth, 1 cup of water, and pasta to the pot. Stir until everything is evenly combined.
Place a lid on the pot and turn the heat up to medium-high. Let the pot come to a boil. As soon as it reaches a boil, remove the lid briefly to stir, then replace the lid, turn the heat down to low, and let the pot simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until the pasta is tender. Stir the pot once every few minutes as it simmers to prevent the pasta from sticking. Replace the lid as quickly as possible after stirring to avoid heat loss.
Once the pasta is tender, most of the liquid in the pot should be absorbed. If it's still a bit soupy, let the pot simmer for one to two minutes without the lid to allow some moisture to evaporate.
Turn off the heat and stir in the half & half or cream. Serve hot with a pinch of fresh parsley and green onions on top of each bowl.




I didn't add any onion cuz Little Brother.






I made it in my lovely Le Creuset Dutch Oven (THANKS JANET) and that was the only cooking dish that was dirtied. How great is that?!









Until next time...cook it up! 

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Beef and Butternut Squash Stew thanks to Giada De Laurentiis (who did NOT create Toasted Ravs)


So the first day of Fall has come and gone. I was busy moving into my new home so I failed to get this post up until now. I LOVE Autumn! I love the weather, the colors, but, most of all, the FOOD. Seasonal produce like numerous types of Squashes, Apples, Cranberries, Persimmons, and Pumpkin mixed with late summer crops just make me so happy and my taste buds are a light! Hearty foods like Stews, Soups, Casseroles, and Pies make for a less than awesome waistline for me, but a super happy tummy.

Thus, for the first day of Fall, I made a Stew that I knew Pigeon (Husband) would love and that I would enjoy making and smelling all through the house.

Beef and Butternut Squash Stew

Ingredients
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (didn't have, didn't add)
2 pounds stew beef, cut into 2-inch cubes (the store was out of stew beef so I used Bottom Round)
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup Marsala wine (I used port)
1 pound butternut squash, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
3 to 4 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley (didn't have, didn't add)
Crusty bread, for serving

In a large soup pot heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, rosemary, and thyme and saute until the onions are tender, about 2 minutes. Toss the beef cubes in salt and pepper and flour. Turn up the heat to med-high and add the beef to the pot. Cook until the beef is browned and golden around the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the Marsala wine. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir up all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the butternut squash and sun-dried tomatoes and stir to combine. Add enough beef broth to just cover the beef and squash. Bring the stew to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Season the stew with additional salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Serve with crusty bread alongside.



hmmm...beef and butternut squash...


Instagramed a bit of yum.

Seriously, this was amazeballs. I am thinking that this is the new favorite dish for the first day of Fall. I am all for that. The sundried tomatoes added a spectacular sweetness that complimented the butternut squash marvelously, without taking over. I think 3 cloves of garlic instead of 2, but I love me some garlic. I will probably try this bad boy again in the future, but in the Crockpot. I will let you know how that goes.




Until next time...Cook it up!

Monday, October 5, 2015

BFMH: Breakfast Club: Hashbrown Casserole

So I finally had a chance to get to bring in food for the Breakfast Club at work and I decided on this one:






Crockpot Hashbrown Casserole


Ingredients
1 - 26-32 ounce bag frozen hash browns
1 - 8 oz container sour cream
1 - 10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup
¼ - cup onion, chopped fine
1½ - cups shredded cheddar cheese
½ - cup butter, melted
salt and pepper, to taste (about ¼ teaspoon each)
Instructions
In a large bowl add the hash browns thawed or frozen, sour cream, soup, onion, shredded cheese and melted butter.
Mix to combine.
Spoon hash brown mixture in a 4 quart slow cooker that has been sprayed with non stick spray (I had put in a liner and sprayed the liner too).
Sprinkle salt and pepper on top cover, and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until done.
The casserole should be crispy on the sides and bubbly throughout.
Serve and enjoy!




and here is how it turned out:




Not low calorie, but it was a crowd pleaser. Any don't worry, Husband got some and he liked it as well.


Until next time....Cook it up



Friday, October 2, 2015

Evil Little Mermaid Costume

Okay so I don't know if y'all know the REAL story of The Little Mermaid, but you should look at it to understand how epic my costume will really be.


Here is a brief summary of the story:



The Little Mermaid dwells in an underwater kingdom with her father (the sea king or mer-king), her dowager grandmother, and her five older sisters, each of whom had been born one year apart. When a mermaid turns 15, she is permitted to swim to the surface for the first time to glimpse the world above, and when the sisters become old enough, each of them visits the upper world one at a time every year. As each returns, the Little Mermaid listens longingly to their various descriptions of the world inhabited by human beings.

When the Little Mermaid's turn comes, she rises up to the surface, watches a birthday celebration being held on a ship in honor of a handsome prince, and falls in love with him from a safe distance. A violent storm hits, and the Little Mermaid saves the prince from drowning. She delivers him unconscious to the shore near a temple. Here, she waits until a young girl from the temple and her companions find him. To her dismay, the prince never sees the Little Mermaid or even realizes that it was she who had originally saved his life.

The Little Mermaid becomes melancholy and asks her grandmother if humans can live forever and if they can breathe under water. The grandmother explains that humans have a much shorter lifespan than merfolks' 300 years, but that when mermaids die, they turn to sea foam and cease to exist, while humans have an eternal soul that lives on in heaven. The Little Mermaid, longing for the prince and an eternal soul, eventually visits the Sea Witch in a dangerous section of the ocean. The witch willingly helps her by selling her a potion that gives her legs in exchange for her tongue (as the Little Mermaid has the most enchanting and beautiful voice in the world). The Sea Witch warns that once she becomes a human, she will never be able to return to the sea. Consuming the potion will make her feel as if a sword is being passed through her body, yet when she recovers, she will have two human legs and will be able to dance like no human has ever danced before. However, she will constantly feel as if she is walking on sharp knives and as though her toes are bleeding. In addition, she will obtain a soul only if she wins the love of the prince and marries him, for then a part of his soul will flow into her. Otherwise, at dawn on the first day after he marries another woman, the Little Mermaid will die brokenhearted and disintegrate into sea foam upon the waves.

The Little Mermaid agrees to this arrangement, and the Sea Witch cuts off her tongue. The Little Mermaid swims to the surface near the palace of the prince and drinks the potion. She is found by the prince, who is mesmerized by her beauty and grace, even though she is considered by everyone in the kingdom as dumb and mute. Most of all, he likes to see her dance, and she dances for him despite suffering excruciating pain with every step. Soon, the Little Mermaid becomes the prince's favorite companion and accompanies him on many of his outings. When the prince's parents order their son to marry the neighboring princess in an arranged marriage, the prince tells the Little Mermaid he will not because he does not love the princess. He goes on to say he can only love the young woman from the temple, who he believes rescued him. It turns out that the princess from the neighboring kingdom is the temple girl, sent there only temporarily to be educated. The prince loves her, and the royal wedding is announced at once.

The prince and princess celebrate on a wedding ship, and the Little Mermaid's heart breaks. She thinks of all that she has sacrificed and of all the pain she has endured. She despairs, thinking of the death that awaits her, but before dawn, her sisters rise out of the water and bring her a dagger that the Sea Witch has given them in exchange for their long, beautiful hair. If the Little Mermaid slays the prince with the dagger and lets his blood drip on her feet, she will become a mermaid once more, all her suffering will end, and she will live out her full life in the ocean with her family.

However, the Little Mermaid cannot bring herself to kill the sleeping prince lying with his new bride, and she throws the dagger and herself off the ship into the water just as dawn breaks. Her body dissolves into foam, but instead of ceasing to exist, she feels the warm sun and discovers that she has turned into a luminous and ethereal earthbound spirit, a daughter of the air. As the Little Mermaid ascends into the atmosphere, she is greeted by other daughters who tell her she has become like them because she strove with all her heart to obtain an immortal soul. Because of her selflessness, she will be given the chance to earn her own soul by doing good deeds to mankind for 300 years and will one day rise up into the Kingdom of God.


So my version of the Little Mermaid is the Little Mermaid did in fact use the knife and kill the Prince. She is more warrior mermaid verse flippy dippy singing all the songs with long red hair mermaid.





The makeup is intimidating to me already...

As you can see, I will have a mermaid tail skirt. I didn't get the typical mermaid scale fabric, instead I got something I bit more reptilian which I feel gives it a nice edge. Then I will use my old black satin corset and use the fish netting at one might use a leather strap or belt. The pauldron will be crafted from craft form and then shells will be added to it to act as my armor. I will be constructing some mermaid fin ear cuffs to add to my other worldliness as well as making gauntlets that have a webbing effect between my fingers. Lastly, I will hopefully have enough time to create a red coral knife.

After this is started, I will need to get to work on Pigeon's costume, the stabbed and drowned prince.

Until next time, craft it up!