Another Successful Pinterest Recipe.

Last night we went to our friend Sarah & Mike's house to have a playdate with their daughter Anna & Charlie. They made a yummy dinner and I offered to bring dessert. There are a ton of recipes on Pinterest I'd like to try so I try to take advantage when there is an opportunity. Everyone liked them which made me happy. :)

Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Recipe: http://www.ldsliving.com/story/64185-food-dish-cookie-recipe-contest-winner-recipe

Source: LDSLiving Magazine

New Recipes to Try.

I've been trying to cook more and thought I'd post some recipes I've made that I found on pinterest. There were a couple duds so I won't waste my or your time writing about those.

Orzo with Chicken & Lemon
This one was really good - my sister told me about it then she pinned it and the rest was history.
Recipe: http://www.cookinghealthyforme.com/2012/01/orzo-with-chicken-and-lemon.html

Source: Cooking Healthy For Me

Chicken Crescent Roll Casserole

Total comfort food and total delishness.

Recipe: http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/1881796-Chicken-Crescent-Roll-Casserole

Source: Tastebook

 

Happy cooking!

Skinny Eggplant Parmesan.

This dish was doomed from the start. I was getting ready to make dinner and realized it said I needed 1 large egglant (2 lbs). My eggplant didn't seem to large. I weighed it. 14 oz. Damn. So I headed off to Wal-Mart because I know Target doesn't carry eggplant and I was too lazy to drive 5 miles to Safeway. So I went to Wal-Mart and luckily they had eggplant. I went to to the register and the cashier asked me "what are you going to do with the eggplant?" I told her we are making eggplant parmesan. (blank stare) "Eggplant parmesan is kind of like a casserole and just has veggies and cheese in it." "Oh".

Alas we were home. I did the first step of slicing the eggplant so I can put it in the oven on the baking sheet and realized some of my slices were a little small. They proceeded to burn in the oven and I only had a small picking of good slices - this would come in handy later. So I salvaged what I could and decided to move on.

I was looking for a dish and realized the dish I had that was required was dirty. I tried cleaning it for 20 seconds and realized it was too much work so I got a smaller dish. The rest of the dinner making was a bit half ass (I know - it was a bit half ass from the beginning but thats ok). I didn't really measure from there on out and I'm big on measuring because I am a baker, not a cook. I decided to pile on extra cheese on top because usually that makes things better. Usually.

I would say this dish was pretty good. I would make again since I think its pretty low in fat thanks to the nonfat ricotta cheese.

Recipe: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/03/lighter-eggplant-parmesan-5-pts.html

New Challenge: Start Cooking More.

Foil balls, its whats for dinner! Learned today you can make baked potatoes in your crock pot. Sure it takes awhile (8 hours on low) but you aren't heating up that kitchen on these warm summer days. I'm wondering what takes more electricity - baking an hour in the oven or 8 hours in a crock pot? Am I the only one who thinks of these things?

I learned of this little trick today from this blog: http://realmomkitchen.com/7995/crock-pot-baked-potatoes/

I wanted to also share a new recipe from one of my favorite blogs. I had bookmarked it and my sister made it and it was GOOD. So I made it last night and Charlie liked it (but he loves him some Mexican food) and we had no leftovers. Its a pretty cheap recipe but it didn't make that much food.

You can check out the recipe here: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/03/cheesy-zucchini-enchiladas.html

I used canned enchilada sauce.

What are your favorite/easy/cheap/healthy recipes? I need inspiration!

It's So Easy It's Stupid Peanut Butter Cookies.

I received this recipe a few years ago from my old manager. His wife, Betty, used to maked baked yummies for our department. I'm sort of in love with peanut butter and these babies were right up my alley. And the kicker? Four ingredients.

 Oooh, PB...how I love thee...

 Let me count the ways....

Oh sorry...I got a wee bit distracted there! Don't get between me and my PB, k?

You want the recipe, eh? Alright..here you go:

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp baking soda

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients, roll in a ball, criss cross with a fork. Bake for 8 minutes. Eat.

Bonus point: put some on a fun plate for your husband. You know you did well when he gives you the thumbs up sign.



Chicken with Green Onion Sauce

I had the day off yesterday since I don't work Wednesdays and decided to cook the fam a little din din, weight watcher style. On Tuesdays, my mom makes dinner for us then takes some home for my dad. On Thursdays, Rob cooks and my dad comes down for dinner. The rest of the week's dinner is usually leftovers or whatever we have around (cereal, quesadillas, etc.). I want to start cooking again on Wednesdays - we'll see how long that lasts!

Last night I made Chicken with Green Onion Sauce and served it over quinoa (I pronounce it "quin-oh-uh" but Rob tells me is "kin-wa". Whatever it is, its yummy!

Chicken with Green Onion Sauce

1 14-oz can fat free less sodium chicken broth
2 T flour
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ t dried thyme
Cooking spray
4 4-oz skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves
1/3 c finely chopped green onions, divided
1/8 t salt
1/8 t pepper

1. Combine ¼ cup chicken broth and flour in small bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add remaining broth, garlic, and thyme; set aside.
2. Place a large nonstick skillet coasted with cooking spray over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken, and cook 4 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn chicken; add 2 tablesppons green onions. Pour broth mixture over chicken; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken is done, basting often.
3. Remove chjicken from pan; keep warm. Bring sauce to a boil over medium-hihg heat. Scrape bottom and sides of pan, using a rubber spatula. Cook 2 minutes or until sauce is reduced to ¾ cup. Pour sauce evenly over chicken, and top with remaining green onions.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size 1 chicken breast half)
Points: 3
Calories: 155
Fat: 2.1 g
Fiber: 0.2 g

Source: WW Annual Recipes for Success 2003

Tai Pei Stirfry Creations

In my quest for dairy free-ness, I stumbled upon these at Wal-Mart. I used to stick my nose up at people who shopped at Wal-mart, I know, it sounds snobby but we never had a Wal-Mart nearby that wasn't a mess inside. My town recently got a Wal-Mart and its really nice and the groceries are a great deal. Anyway, back to Tai Pei....I really like the Tai Pei Stirfry Creations - Vegetable Potstickers.

I haven't tried the other ones and won't. I have issues with meat that is not fresh. I always feel like it tastes rubbery. The only complaint I have about the stirfry is its a bit high in calories for what you get. Half the package (1 serving) is 440 calories. It would be better if they had more vegetables but I think the reason they don't is because then they would need more sauce which would increase the calorie count. The serving includes 6 potstickers which is quite a bit I think. Another benefit: its super easy and fast to make.

I went on their website and you can find it at:

Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Lucky, Raley's, Save Mart, Food Maxx, Bel Air, Nob Hill, Food Source, Leonard's, Centro Mart, PW Supermarket, Mollie Stone's, G&G Supermarket, Gelson's, WinCo Foods, Super Target, 7-11, Grocery Outlet, Wal-Mart

Go out and try it!

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

Tonight I made a new weight watcher recipe and it was really good - especially on this on again off again rainy day.

It was easy to make and doesn't take too long unless your cauliflower has mold on it and you ran out of onion so you have to run to the store - and you come back home from the store and realize the recipe calls for 3 cups chicken broth, but the can you have only has 2 cups thus results in you running out to the store again. Then when you are at the store for the second time, everyone in the town you live in decides to go grocery shopping resulting in long lines. And when the guy in front of you is about to leave, you realize your soup is gone off the conveyer belt because the cashier charged it and bagged it for the guy in front of you. Anywho, if you have everything on hand at home, and its mold free, it shouldn't take you too long to make it.

Cream of Cauliflower Soup
Weight Watchers Annual Recipe for Success 2002

1 T. light butter
1.5 cups chopped onion
2 lbs (about 4 cups) of trimmed nad coursely chopped cauliflower
3 cups fat free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
2 thyme sprigs
2 cup fat free half and half
2 T flour
6 T reduced fat shredded sharp chedder cheese

1.) Melt butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat; add onion, and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until tender. Add cauliflower and next 4 ingredients. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until cauliflower is very tender.

2.) Combine half and half nad flour, stirring wiht a whisk; add to cauliflower mixture. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, simmer 2 minutes, stirring often. Remove and discard thyme. Cool 15 minutes.

3.) Place half of cauliflower mixture in a food processer or blender; process until smooth. Pour pureed mixture into large bowl; repeat procedure with remaining cauliflower mixture. Ladle into bowls; sprinkle each with cheese.

Yield: 6 servings
Calories: 108
Fat: 2.7 grams
Fiber: 3.6 grams
Points: 2

Boo! Eye See You!

I made these for cousins night last weekend. They might get their second debut this weekend at supper club.

Happy Halloween!

Frozen Watermelon Virgin Margaritas

We celebrating Labor Day today poolside with the Beiers. The only labor intensive thing I did today was make Frozen Watermelon Virgin Margaritas and I'll let you in on a little secret: they were pretty easy to make.

I recommend this to anyone who is pregnant or someone who wants to pretend he/she is drinking a margarita but wants to spare the calories. I found this on the weight watchers recipe board years ago and never tried it. Recipe makes four servings if you pour in little glasses, or two servings if pouring in a full sized glass. I topped it off with whipped cream but I'm sure it's still tasty without it. I didn't do the garnish because that would have been too much labor for me to endure.

Frozen Watermelon Virgin Margaritas - 1 point

4 cups watermelon chunks, seeds removed
6 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp sugar
4 cups ice
1/8 tsp table salt
1/2 lime(s), cut into wedges for garnish

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients, except lime wedges, in a blender; puree until smooth. Divide among 4 glasses. Garnish with lime wedges.

Desserts du Jour

Yesterday Rob and I went to the Beiers Welcome Summer Potluck BBQ and I decided to bring a couple desserts.

My favorite were the Margarita Cupcakes with Lime Buttercream Frosting. I have a thing for lime in the summer - it's so refreshing! I did not include the alcohol (tequila and grand marnier) but they still were tasty. I also made Rocky Ledge Bars which I wasn't that excited about. People liked the cupcakes but I think the bars were a bigger hit, go figure!





Margarita Cupcakes with Lime Buttercream Frosting

Cupcakes:
1 box white cake mix
8 oz margarita mix (liquid)
2 oz tequila
1 oz Grand Marnier
3 egg whites
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp grated lime zest

Lime Buttercream Icing:
8 Tbsp butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp lime juice (approx 2 fresh limes)
1 Tbsp margarita mix
1 tsp lime zest
5 cups powdered (confectioners’) sugar
cane sugar & fresh limes (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350º and prepare muffin pans.

2. Combine margarita mix, tequila, and Grand Marnier in a large glass and stir well.

3. In large bowl, combine cake mix, egg whites, lime zest, vegetable oil, and margarita mixture from step one. Stir ingredients together, then beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for approximately 2-3 minutes.

4. Spoon the batter into prepared muffin pans. Fill each cup/liner about 2/3 full.

5. Bake at recommended temperature on cake mix box (usually 325º - 350º) for 20 - 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Icing:
6. In a large bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, lime juice, margarita mix, and lime zest. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

7. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and continue beating until smooth. If icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar, a couple tablespoons at a time.

8. Spread icing generously on each cooled cupcake* or use a pastry bag to frost. Sprinkle cane sugar around the edges of the cupcake for a “salt rimmed” look and garnish with lime wheels & wedges.

*Make sure to remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely before frosting.

Tip: Leftover frosting makes a great dip for fruit!

Source: http://www.hostessblog.com

If you don't have a cupcake carrier, I highly recommmend this Crate and Barrel one.



Rocky Ledge Bars
*Picture borrowed from Martha



1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 1/2 cups packed dark-brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup white chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup butterscotch chips
18 soft caramel-candy cubes, coarsely chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Line with parchment paper, allowing a 2-inch overhang on the longer sides. Brush parchment with butter (not overhang).

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; mix until well combined. Mix in flour mixture until combined. Fold in half of each of the marshmallows, chocolates, butterscotch chips, and caramels.

Spread batter in prepared pan. Scatter remaining marshmallows, chocolates, butterscotch chips, and caramels on top. Bake until top is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Lift out of pan, and transfer to a baking sheet. Refrigerate until set, at least 30 minutes.

Remove parchment, and cut into about 16 triangles. Bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up.

Source: www.marthastewart.com

Eggplant Lasagna

I made a new recipe on Sunday called Eggplant Lasagna. I couldn’t figure out why they called it Eggplant Lasagna, it didn’t even have noodles in it. Rob had to explain to me that the eggplant replaces the noodles. Oh. Clever.

The recipe was pretty good – Rob really liked it. I’ll keep this one in my recipe binder for sure.

I found this recipe on the weight watchers community recipe swap board.

Serves: 4
Points: 7

2 large eggplants, sliced lengthwise; 3/4-inch thick;
salt and pepper;
1 tsp olive oil;
1 cup onions, chopped;
2 garlic cloves, minced;
8 ounces 93% lean ground turkey;
1 cup mushrooms, sliced;
1 tsp dried thyme;
1 (15-ounce) container fat-free cottage cheese;
¼ tsp nutmeg;
¾ cup Eggbeaters (or 3 eggs – increase pts by 1 pt per serving);
1 cup part-skim Mozzarella;
1 tbsp oregano;
2 cups Marinara Sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange sliced eggplant in a single layer on 2 sheet pans. Spray eggplant with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Roast the eggplant until it is soft and golden. Turn slices halfway through, about 25 minutes. I cut some too thin and learned the thicker the better. When they are too thin, they stick to the pan and are too flimsy to pick up with a spatula.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet add 1 tsp olive oil and onions. Sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Add ground turkey and sauté until browned. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and chopped thyme. Cook for another 2 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl add the cottage cheese, Eggbeaters, ¾ cup Mozzarella, oregano, ¼ tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper. Mix well. Spray an 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Lightly cover bottom of prepared baking dish with sauce mixture. Lay slices of eggplant on top followed by the cottage cheese mixture. Spread another layer of sauce mixture on top. Layer slices of eggplant, cottage cheese mixture, and finish with marinara sauce. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup Mozzarella. Bake until golden brown, at 350 degrees, for 30 minutes. **I think the person who posted this forgot to say to add in the layers of the meat mixture. I layered with sauce, cottage cheese, eggplant, meat, repeat.**

Italian Beef and Polenta Bake

I'm really excited about this recipe. It's a new one I found in the Weight Watcher's Shortcut Cookbook. Why do I love it? 1.) It's good and 2.) It's easy. Bonus: It clears up your sinuses. I will definately be bookmarking this one.

I've been on a polenta kick lately (sloppy joes over polenta, chili over polenta, eggs, yes eggs and polenta, etc.) and the last time I went to the store I saw sundried tomato polenta. Interesting. I didn't buy it. Fast forward a week, I was sitting down at the kitchen table planning out dinners for the month (I know - I'm so on top of it) when I was thumbing through a cookbook and saw Italian Beef and Polenta Bake - totally up my alley. Well wouldn't you know it, it called for sundried tomato polenta! Perfect. I knew just where to get some.

In my Hurricane Alyssa post, I realized if you clicked on the picture of the recipe, you can actually read the whole recipe. So going forward, I'll include a picture with the recipe on it because I'm lazy like that.

P.s. I calculated the points and it was 6 (recipe says 7). If you are a calorie counter like Rob, mine came to 307.

Hurricane Alyssa, Beefy Noodle Casserole and a Validation

Awww, don't you love Sundays? I like to try new recipes on Sundays and veg all day long. Rob and I watched Pineapple Express earlier and I just threw dinner in the oven. I declared this Sunday Stay Inside and Watch Movies because it's Raining Cats and Dogs Outside Day.

I found a recipe in the Weight Watcher community swap message board I've been wanting to try. They aren't receipes WW created, but recipes WW members have found or created (they tell you how many servings each recipe has and how many points).

So I decided to make Beef Noodle Casserole tonight. It's basically a meatloaf with noodles in it. Kind of strange but I was game. Rob eats my WW meals but he is on his own diet plan. He doesn't count points but calories so I had to tell him how many calories were in tonight's dinner. I knew how many points it had (7) because that's what it said online. So I added up all of the calories and decided to add up the fat and fiber too to make sure the poster wasn't deceiving me - I wanted to make sure it was truly 7 points. To my horror, it came to 11 points. 11!!! For those who have never done WW, you might be thinking "big whoop - its 4 points." Um - 4 points is like eating 2 bean brownies or 4 latte ice cream bars, 2 servings of polenta, 2 BAGS of unflavored popcorn. It's a big deal, alright? So I kind of freaked out. I didn't even want to eat it. I went up stairs to tell Rob the bad news - it was also bad news because it was over HIS calorie amount too. Being the neurotic point nazi that I am, I decided to re-count everything. To my delight, I realized I multiplied wrong on the beef's calorie content: it's 140 calories for 4 ozs, not 440! That made a big difference. And guess what, it IS 7 points! So in the end, I felt bad for calling the anonymous recipe submitter the horrible names I thought of in my head which I will not repeat. She's probably some sweet old grandma in the midwest who struggled with weight all her life, and her mission now is to help young ladies like me get our butt into gear whilst eating a delicious, low cal dinner. This is another example of validating I made the right decision to not be an accountant. Yes, for a brief moment, I wanted to be an accountant. I also wanted to be an engineer one time, because, I liked the internet. Not kidding at all.

Speaking of going off on a tangent, please tell me I'm not the only one whose kitchen looks like a bomb went off when they cook. As the dinner was in the oven I looked around and saw....

the door open to the lazy susan where I took out a pot to boil water for the pasta...



splattered recipe paper with cheese bag and worcestershire bottle...



doors open from when I grabbed a mixing bowl...



random used teaspoons and ketchup...



chopping board, knife, teaspoon, half onion, some noodles and our telephone...



cupboard open from getting strainer from the top shelf...



drawer open from...I don't remember...



cabinet open from getting the salt...




empty tomato juice can, brown sugar from breakfast and mixing bowl...




I can honestly say I DID clean up along the way, but I guess I didn't get everything.

Then, a little fairy comes in and makes it all better.



In the end, the recipe wasn't awesome. It was ok. I think it kind of smelled like wet cat food. I won't include a picture because it also looked a little like wet cat food.

Hazelnut Blondies

I often clip out recipes in magazines and stuff them in my recipe binder to make in the future. We had cousins night* last Saturday and went into my recipe clipping arsenol and found Martha Stewart's Hazelnut Blondies.

They were so good, I'm making them again right now. They are dangerously good, so I'm not making them for the sake of making them. I'm making them for a party my department is hosting tomorrow at work. The plan is to get them out of my house as soon as possible. I can honestly say in the two batches I've made, I've only had dough equal to the amount of half a tablespoon. I learned my lesson last weekend after indulging in brownies and pizza and waking up with a 1.5 pound weight gain.

I was originally reluctant to share the recipe because they are easy to make and oh so delicious - but that wouldn't be fair to you.

Luckily for me, Martha posted the recipe on her website so I don't have re-type it. Go here for the recipe: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/hazelnut-blondies?autonomy_kw=nutella

I found this website helpful on how to toast the hazelnuts: http://www.cookiemadness.net/?p=939

Toasting the nuts is easy, de-shelling them is when things start to get interesting.

*cousins night = pizza + movie + cousins

Let's Talk Scallops

It's no secret, I'm not a fan of seafood. There are a few things I like: tuna (as in tuna fish sandwiches), calamari (as in fried calamari), fish and chips (as in fried fish with french fries), you get the point.

I had scallops awhile ago at PF Changs and I thought the sauce was really good and the scallops didn't have a fishy taste. Dorothy told me "scallops are the bubble gum of the sea" because they are chewy. I agreed.

Then, we went to Hawaii last year and I had the most wonderful scallops I've ever had. Granted they were the second ones I've had but they were really good. I said "I like these, they aren't chewy." My mother in law said "they aren't supposed to be chewy if you cook them right." Aww, ok, I get it now.

Lately I've been craving scallops and decided to give them a shot. I was nervous of overcooking thus resulting in bubblegum type fish. Plus, this is the first fish I have cooked, ever. I called my mom on the way home from work last night to ask her what I put on scallops. She recommended capers and garlic so off to Trader Joe's I went.

I decided to serve the scallops over pasta. All you need is



and follow the instructions on the scallops package. My package said to dip each scallop in salt, pepper and garlic powder before cooking. In the end, the scallops were so non-bubblegum-ish that I was able to cut them with the side of my fork. I have to say I was quite impressed with myself!

Valentines '09

I hope everyone had a great Valentines, however you define it. We had plans to go down to Aptos for the night but unfortunately Rob woke up not feeling well. We decided to stay home so he can rest up plus the weather was supposed to be nasty and wanted to stay off the roads as much as possible. Rob was worried he "ruined Valentines Day" but I assured him he did not. We ended up lounging around all day which was pretty darn fun if you ask me. We got our sweats and warmest socks on, and cuddled up on the couch to watch a movie. Since we were planning to be out of town, our Sunday was freed up as well - gotta love that!

Yucky weather outside:


I wanted to make dinner for Rob and after reading him the titles of about 7 recipes in my weight watchers cookbook, he only reacted to the "Beefy Chili". Beefly chili it was. Nothing says Valentines like kidney beans and beef. I served the chili over polenta.

Beefy Chili (weight watchers Easy Weeknight Favorites book)

1 pound ground round
1 1/4 c chopped onion (medium onion)
1 c chopped green bell pepper
1 garlic clove, minced (I used three because I'm crazy like that)
1 16-oz can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/4 c water
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Cook first 4 ingredients in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until beef is browned, stirring to crumble beef.



Add kidney beans and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 7 minutes.



Yield: 4 servings
Points: 4
Calories: 244
Fat: 4.6g
Fiber: 7.5g

If you want to add polenta,



I suggest the Trader Joe's polenta. I gave a quarter of it to Rob and a quarter for me. If you use the same amount, add 2 points.

Supper Club - Mexico Style

At the last Supper Club, Rob mentioned he wanted to make tortas at the next Supper Club. I "ran with it" and dubbed the next Supper Club, Mexico Night! I tried to get everyone in the mood by sending out the evite in Spanish. I think all it did was cause confusion - I mean why would Flan translate to Pudding? Shouldn't the translator know that Flan is a spanish word (it is, right?) and it shouldn't be translated? It makes sense for us to say "we will not be serving flan" (because it's nasty - sorry Mom, I know you like it), but instead our evite translated to "we will not be serving pudding."

Rob didn't end up making tortas, but he did make chicken enchiladas and sopes. They were delish. As Rob was making the sopes,



the boys were watching tv



and the girls were checking out flights to Cabo for our upcoming Friend-Cation. Buddy was giving his input on best places to stay in the area which were dog friendly.



Yes, it's Mexico night and we were planning our trip to Cabo. I couldn't have planned it better had I actually realized the coincidence.

Did I mention Buddy got a haircut on Saturday before Supper Club? This is Buddy saying "how you doin'?" a la Joey on Friends.



Once everything was ready,



we all congregated to the kitchen.



As promised, I did not serve flan or pudding. I did however have the proper ingredients for an old fashioned s'more. Today my trainer told me in Spanish its pronounced "s-more-ay". I started thinking how I didn't know s'mores were spanish/mexican, and then he starts busting up laughing. Yes, I'm that gullible.



Some people cheated and used the microwave (ahem, Brian) but others did it proper by using the stove top since our fire pit outside is currently not to code.



Another coincedence was that I made brownies that morning and guess what the ingredients were? Ok, I'll tell you:



Yes, the ingredients were brownie mix and black beans. Black beans = mexican decent, right? No oil. No butter. No water. Nothing. Just the two ingredients. And you know what? They were good! To get the recipe, go here: http://weight-watchers-points-recipes.blogspot.com/2008/06/black-bean-brownies-2-pts.html



Thanks everyone for a fun Supper Club! We missed you D'Amicos, see you next time!