a new nothing with a speckled handle

we are big time lovers of the tamale on this blog!  i can say with surety that both amanda and i have scoured the web, interviewed friends, and read through countless magazines and cookbooks to find the perfect tamale recipe.  it's a hard thing to find.  a good friend from our childhood even sent me a message on facebook explaining exactly how she makes her tamales!  and each christmas eve i hear about families gathering around their kitchens to make and eat delicious traditional tamales.  so since the holidays were just here, my mouth has been watering and i've been craving that perfect tamale fix.  and i finally put together a recipe that's a winner.  it's a combination of a friend's and other sources all mixed into one.  i love it when that sort of thing works out!  since tamales can be very time consuming, remember to do a few steps ahead of time.  cook a large roast for dinner one night and shred the leftovers to use in these tamale...

the photo doesn't do this burger justice.  (remember how i lack photography skills)  it's so good.  and that's a lot coming from a girl who doesn't eat a whole lot of meat.  especially red meat.  no reason for the aversion to meat, it just doesn't tickle my fancy.  ya know? (there are a few exceptions and this is one of them)  but this burger...it's so great.  there are some very important tips to making the perfect burger and i'll share them with you. first - and this is the most important part - get the right meat.  always buy the best ground beef you can find.  preferably ground chuck.  and this is not the time for lean.  buy at least the 85/15 ground beef.  the fat is what makes a burger juicy.  you don't eat these every day, folks, so go big or go home.  second  - crispy iceberg lettuce makes all the difference.  cut the head of lettuce in half and use the iceberg heart, those crispy inne...

i've been thinking lately...if you haven't tried this recipe for pot roast, you really need to.  you'll love it!  promise, cross my heart.   so, i made it a couple of weeks ago.  we ate it.  we loved it as always.  but i made so much, that we had oodles of leftovers.  who said leftovers can't be good?  i don't give my family the option to NOT eat them.  so, i threw the leftover beef on a bun, added a few things and voila!  a new dinner creation...the pot roast sandwich.  finger lickin' good!  (or was that chicken?) leftover pot roast, warmed buns cheddar cheese mayonnaise horseradish mustard warm the leftover pot roast just enough to get the juices running again.  slice buns in half and spread with a little butter.  toast just the bottom half first under a broiler until golden brown.  remove from oven.  this is where your creativity begins.  add whatever condiments you li...

i first got the idea for this dish from everyday food and i have been using my version for a long time. although, i'll be completely honest (come on, would i ever lie to you?), my version changes a lot. each time i make them i dump in a little of this or a little of that. that's what i love about this recipe...it's so versatile. and it's a great way to use leftover vegetables or the ones getting smushy in your fridge. i always use ground turkey because, well, i am just not a ground beef kinda gal (do you hate the word gal? cuz i kinda do, but i used it anyway). i never use ground beef except for the occasional hamburger and i usually try to fool the mr. by using ground turkey instead and until recently he had no idea. if you like ground beef then you could easily use it instead of ground turkey! cut up all your veggies about the same size and they blend right into the meat and your kids will never even see them! i think i got pretty lucky, though, because my ...

i'm getting my corned beef ready right now, are you? if you didn't get one, it's not too late. i just got mine yesterday because for some odd reason, even though i knew it was the 15th, i didn't think the 17th was until next week. doesn't make sense to you? me neither. a so i ran to the store (thanks to my sweet and fun mother) and bought a delicious looking corned beef and here's how i'm cooking it. 1 corned beef (any size) packet of pickling spices included in package (seriously, that's all i use) place corned beef in large cooking pot. add enough water to cover beef by about 1 inch. bring to a simmer and allow to cook for about 1 hour. remove from heat and discard cooking liquid. change beef over to a crockpot and add enough water to cover beef by about 1 inch. sprinkle pickling spices on top. If desired, add carrots or any other root vegetables to the top of the beef. cook on low heat for about 8-9 hours. (or if you are in a hur...

my inspiration for this dish comes from a small restaurant in new orleans called mat and naddie's.  after living in new orleans for 6 years, my husband and i had our favorite places to go for dinner.  as you can imagine, the cuisine in that city is top notch, so the decision was always a tough one.  if i got to choose, though, i would pick mat and naddie's hands down as one of THE best restaurants in new orleans.  when my mom came to stay with us, my husband was nice enough to watch the kiddos while we went to lunch at mat and naddie's.  my mom chose the short ribs, while i chose...oddly enough i can't remember because her short ribs were the life of the lunch.  (it was probably the ahi tuna steak.  i often got that there.  i do remember my crawfish cheesecake that i got.  to.die.for)  my mom and i have talked about those for years, well, ok, it's only been a year.  but, i swear those short ribs come up in A LOT of o...

you may be wondering about the title of this post.  i just couldn't think of what to call it.  it's not quite a fajita...not quite a burrito...so it's a furrito!  it's my own creation, so i can call it what i want, right?  i have been trying to incorporate more veggies into my diet.  the fact of the matter is, we just don't eat enough vegetables around here.  my kids are kind of on a vegetable funk and, to be honest, so am i.  they just never sound good to me.  don't get me wrong, i normally love my green roughage, but lately, not so much.  so, i've tried to put a new spin on the ol' veggies.  here's my second creation (my first was a vegetable lasagna that still needs a little work.  it was edible, but still not sharable.)  enjoy it.  those sweet potatoes MAKE the dish.  seriously.so.good. i actually used leftover frozen sweet potatoes that i had baked, diced up and frozen for baby finger food....

she sure knows how to please him with this oh-so-scrumptious sandwich. i'll tell you what, it made my guy happy and i'm sure it'll make yours, too. this is my take on it (at least last night's version)... 1 large sweet onion, cut into strips 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into strips 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into strips 3 left-over steaks (whatever kind you have), cut into strips 1/2 cup worcestershire sauce tabasco, as much as you like butter buns cheese (swiss, mozzarella, cheddar or pepper jack), sliced melt a few tablespoons of butter in a skillet over med-high heat. add onions and bell peppers when hot. let cook until caramelized, about 10 minutes. be sure not to burn them! turn the heat down to med-low. add steak, worcestershire and tabasco. put a lid on it and let warm for however long you need to fix the buns. for the buns: heat a few tablespoons of butter on a griddle. turn buns over on the griddle and cook until just golden brown. turn and ...

These really are good. A friend here in KS made them. I haven't made them myself, but am planning on it. I want to try making and then freezing them so that they can be a quick fix meal for us. And yes, mom, I will be sure to post a picture of them when I make them. Brown 1 lb Ground Beef, seasoned with Old El Paso Taco Seasoning (any seasoning works, but is the best) Mix 1 "big" can of Old El Paso refried beans and the beef together to make it easier to put in tortillas Spread beef/bean mixture on flour tortillas to desired thickness Sprinkle on Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese and Shredded Mozzerella Cheese Roll up burritos and secure with tooth picks Cook in oven at 350 degrees until desired crispness, about 15 minutes. Serve with Sour Cream and Old El Paso Taco Sauce.

This is the yummiest chili that we first tasted at D'Ann and Ron's house in Provo. It's been a long time recipe of the Rogers family. Here's a link to the original recipe. I'll post my version- 2lbs Jimmy Dean Maple sausage (2 rolls) 2lbs hamburger (I don't usually add the hamburger, but spence likes it) 2 -15oz cans pinto beans (drained) 2 -15oz cans chili beans (only drain if you want to lessen the chili flavor) 2 cups V8 juice (plus more depending on the consistency you like your chili) 1/2 cup water 4 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 cup brown sugar (can mix light and dark brown sugar for an extra sweetness) 2 - 3 Tbsp Worcesterchire sauce 1 Tbsp kosher salt 1-1 1/2 Tbsp dry mustard Brown sausage. Add all other ingredients and simmer for 30 - 45 minutes. Top with grated cheese, sour cream, avocado and any other toppings! I almost always cut this recipe in half just because it makes a ton. But, as Amanda found out, it's perfect to freeze! Amanda...

you CANNOT go wrong making a pot roast if you follow this recipe.  i promise!  and your husband will thank me.  2 ½ lb. chuck roast underblade 2 onions 10 + carrots beef broth Italian seasoning or rosemary, dried or sprigs Thyme Kosher salt Black pepper 1 can diced tomatoes Olive oil Start at 6:30am, meat in by 7:15am Turn crockpot on to low. 1. Cut onions in half from end to end. 2. Peel and wash carrots. Cut into 2” pieces on the diagonal. 3. Heat sauté pan with enough olive oil to coat pan. 4. Saute onions on both sides in pan until browned. Remove to a plate. 5. Saute carrots the same way until brown. 6. GENEROUSLY coat outside of meat on all sides with kosher salt. (A LOT) Repeat with Italian seasoning (or rosemary) and thyme. Sprinkle a little black pepper on too. 7. Place meat in hot pan and sear on all sides until BROWN (about 5 min per side at med-high heat). Remove to crock pot. 8. Starting with a little beef broth mix (3-4 tsps. bouillon in 2 cup...

12 ounces Ketchup 1 c brown sugar 1 c water 2 T Worcestershire sauce 1 t yellow mustard 1 medium onion Saute onions in olive oil. Add remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. Add meatballs and cook. I love this over Cal Rose rice. Cal Rose is a good sticky rice that is perfect for any asian or polynesian dish but it's kind of hard to find. In fact, that reminds me, I need to get to the store and find some. ta ta.