Today is baking day

Hey e'rybody!

Being Sunday, our electricity has been restored since the storm, and I do not enjoy football in large doses, I decided to spend the day baking.

Now before I step into my Betty Crocker mode, I must confess. I started today out with the best of intentions. Yesterday I cleaned the kitchen and did laundry which took all day. The kind of clean where you pull the nobs off the stove, pull the stove out and get the sides, the whole shibang. Laundry washed, ironed, folded, put away. Who needs a day off anyway? Spare time is overrated!! I made chicken paprikas with spaetzel for dinner (mmmm want the recipe? that would be another blog) and then spent the rest of the evening playing yet another mindless clicking game courtesy of Reflexive called Miriel the Magical Merchant. I did however stumble upon a rather entertaining show on HBO call TruBlood. Its about vampires, and if you have been keeping up, you know I am totally into the Twilight series which is about...

Da da da da.....

Vampires.

Sexy.

Scary.

Wicked Awesome.

So today I decided to make baked goods. Cookies, cake, and some kind of sweet treat... caramel popcorn perhaps? Yeah, I didn't have enough chocolate chips, I am almost out of butter ( I do not bake with margarine.. blasphemy), and the popcorn I have is extra butter, not plain. Damn my sweet tooth.

My day of baking turned into a one shot toffee bar recipe that is cooling in the fridge as we speak. Its one of those layered jobbies with a baked sugar, butter, and flour crust. Next layer is sweetened condensed milk and butter...topped with chocolate chips and heath toffee bits. As soon as the chocolate hardens up its on. I already cut a small piece to taste it.

Quality control.

It is a necessary evil that I will .... reluctantly endure.

Total yum-ness.

I would love to hear about any great recipes you have either tried, love to make and/or want to try. Anything with chicken, chocolate or cheese (while not necessary in the same recipe) and my crew will try it.

I do have a fabulous recipe for something called Taco Dip which is hands down my daughters favorite. You can add ground meat (be it beef, chicken or turkey and make it more "dinner") to up the protein factor or leave the meat out and it is more like a party dip.

Taco Dip

1 container sour cream (fat free if you want)

1 brick cream cheese (low fat if you want) at room temp

1 packet taco seasoning (low sodium if you want)

1 lb cooked and seasoned taco flavored meat (if desired) warm .. not cold, not steaming

shredded lettuce

chopped tomatoes

shredded cheddar cheese

chopped olives (if you like them)

chips to scoop--we like Tostitos Gold or Torengos if you can find them

Mix sour cream and cream cheese until smooth (no lumps). Spread into the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish. Top with meat if desired. Next top with cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. Scoop and eat.

This can be doubled. If so, put in a 13x9x2.

Excellent the next day.

If it lasts that long.

Tell me how you like it.