Taco Cups

After 30 years as a police officer and detective, my wonderful dad retired from the Blue Springs Police Department a few weeks ago! His career was so spectacular that September 17th is now "Troy Pharr Day" in the city of Blue Springs! He had a huge retirement bash at city hall, which was covered by a couple local papers...
Kansas City Star Article
Blue Springs Examiner Article
My mom asked my cousin and me to cater the party... yikes! So we made a few appetizers (stuffed strawberries, bruschetta, chocolate covered pretzel sticks, etc.) but the most popular appetizer were these Taco Cups! The boys enjoyed them so much that we had to make them again, they are so yummy!

Ingredients
Tostitos Scoops Chips
Seasoned Taco Meat
Shredded cheddar cheese
Salsa
Sour cream (put the sour cream in a pastry bag with an icing tip)
Sliced black olives, drained

Directions
Get a Tostitos Scoop, spoon on some taco meat (I used a melon baller spring scoop), spoon on some salsa, sprinkle on some cheese, use an icing tip and bag to pipe on the sour cream, and top with an olive slice!

These are so easy to make and the boys have a blast assembling them!

This is Andrew making our Taco Cups (for my email readers, I think this animated picture will only work on my website).

Croque Monsieur

When watching movies I am always distracted by the food they eat in the movie! In the movie "It’s Complicated" Meryl Streep’s character makes these incredible looking cheesy, toasty bits of goodness. I actually pulled out my laptop to find out what they were eating. Turns out, it was Croque Monsieur... I had never heard of these French sandwiches before, but I couldn’t get them out of my mind!

It's ironic that we watched the movie "It's Complicated" because my life is so much more simple now that I have my cast off! Woohoo!! Exactly 1 month ago I blogged about my broken arm, but I am happy to report that my 6 weeks are up and I am cast free!
I can cook again!
I can style my hair!
I can fold laundry!
I can latch my bra!
... maybe that's a little too much information!

So, back to the Croque Monsieur! Traditionally they are "sandwiches" with two pieces of bread but I didn't think my boys could bite through two pieces of french bread and besides... in the movie Meryl Streep only used one piece of bread! Basically, it's crusty french bread, Dijon mustard, black forest ham, a cheese sauce (it's called a Béchamel sauce), and shredded cheese to top it off. They were good, and a nice change from the flavors we are used to!

Ingredients
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups milk
Salt and Pepper
1 1/2 cups Swiss cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated and packed
Crusty French bread loaf, cut into 1 inch thick slices (sandwich size, not skinny baguettes)
8 ounces Black forest ham, thinly sliced
Dijon mustard

Directions
Using a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat until melted. Slowly add flour while whisking constantly. Continue cooking and whisking until mixture turns a light blonde color, a couple minutes. Keep color light, do not let brown. Slowly pour in warmed milk, while whisking. Keep a light simmer and continue to whisk until sauce starts to thicken. Add Parmesan and 1/4 cup Swiss cheese a little at a time while stirring. Do not add all at once, or sauce will clump. Once you’ve combined cheese into sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat to low under sauce.

Lightly toast your bread slices on a baking sheet in a 400 degree oven, turn once. Do not let brown.

Spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard over each toasted slice. Add about 2 slices of ham to each piece. Sprinkle each slice with the Swiss cheese reserving about 1/4 cup. Spoon Béchamel cheese sauce over each slice, then top with remaining Swiss cheese.

Bake for 5 minutes in the 400 degree oven. Rotate pan front to back, then turn broiler on High for 3 minutes. Cheese will be bubbling and lightly browned when ready. Be sure to keep a close watch while broiler is on, they can burn quickly.

Remove from pan, plate up and enjoy! Have an outstanding weekend, indulge a little, and be thankful for your two healthy arms!

Enchirito

It's been a while since I've posted, I haven't been able to type because of this... *sings* Dun Dun Dun
I broke my arm! I wish I could say that I was doing something cool like water skiing but in reality I was putting sunscreen on my legs, fell backwards, tried to catch myself with my right hand, and snap! I broke my RIGHT arm... I'm right handed! So it's been darn near impossible to cook, do my hair, fold laundry, etc. It's been terrible :-(
On a positive note, I found the cutest purple purse and wallet at Target last week, I really think it compliments my cast... and for only $30 ($20 for the purse and $10 wallet), I feel just a little bit better about the purple clunky cast on my arm, lol. We've broken our July challenge and eaten out a few times but we're trying to eat homemade as much as possible. Our wonderful son Andrew has stepped in and made a few easy dinners for the family.... mostly all Mexican food because that's what he likes, lol. These Enchiritos were fairly easy for Andrew to make and they hit the spot!

Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 can Enchilada Sauce
1 can (28 Ounce) Refried Beans
1/4 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
12 Burrito-sized Flour Tortillas
Extra Grated Cheese, For Sprinkling
Extra Enchilada Sauce, For Drizzling

Spicy Beef Directions
Brown the ground beef and diced onions in a large skillet. Drain off excess fat and add the taco seasoning. Stir in 3/4 of the can of enchilada sauce (around a cup of sauce) and set the pan aside.
Cheesy Beans Directions
Stir the shredded cheese and beans together and warm the in the microwave... Andrew is a pro microwave nuke'er ,-)
Enchirito Directions
Nuke some burrito-size flour tortillas for about a minute or so. You want them to be soft and pliable. Spread on some warm cheesy beans And some of the spicy meat Roll it over Fold over the ends And roll it over again
Put a couple of the burritos on a plate Drizzle on the leftover enchilada sauce
Sprinkle on some shredded cheese And nuke it for about a minute (or until the cheese is melted)! Did I mention that Andrew is an excellent nuke'er? Thanks for dinner Andrew, I love you buddy!

Pot Roast

We ate a lot of pot roast growing up and I remember it being dry and chewy... I would sip water with it just so I could swallow it down! It was one of my least favorite dinners so I usually gorged myself on the braised celery and carrots... I LOVE braised celery and carrots!
Well, this isn't a dry chewy pot roast! This pot roast is AMAZING! The meat was falling apart it was so tender and juicy! The boys got seconds and couldn't quit talking about it... I chose seconds of meat instead of getting more celery and carrots... and even Justin (the non-beef eater) loved it! We are all stuffed but we're super excited to eat the leftovers tomorrow!!!

Pot Roast Ingredients
3 1/2 pound pot roast (I get arm chuck pot roast)
1/2 cup flour
Sprinkling of Pepper
1/4 cup butter
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup white cooking wine (it's next to the vinegar at the grocery store)
Carrots and Celery- Optional

Gravy Ingredients
Pot Roast Drippings
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk

Directions
In a large bowl or plate, combine the flour and black pepper to taste. Dredge the rump roast in the flour and cover evenly. Shake off excess. Heat a large pot/dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the butter and then set the floured roast into the hot pan and sear it on one side, about 3 minutes. When that side is nice and brown (the browner the better), flip it over to the other side. When you’ve browned it all over the place, remove the roast to a plate. Oh, and see that brown stuff in the pan? That’s good. That’s real, real good.
Now, with the burner on medium-high, we’re going to deglaze the pan...we’re gonna scrape the heck out of the pan and git all that gooooood stuuuuuuff off the bottom. Pour 1/2 cup of white cooking wine in the pan.
Use your whisk to stir and scrape the bottom of the pan. Now add the onion soup mix and mushroom soup. Stir together Now add the browned meat to the pan and spoon some of the sauce on top of the roast. Cover and bake in the oven at 300 degrees for 3 hours. After 2 hours I add the chopped celery and carrots (so the veggies slow cook themselves in the sauce... it's heaven)! If your roast is bigger than 3 pounds you'll probably need to cook it for another hour. When it's done you move the meat to a cutting board and test it with a fork. See how easily it splits apart? You can literally see the melted connective tissue between the meat. When it easily “falls apart,” it’s definitely ready.
But don’t stop there! Because you’d never want to miss out on all that flavor, we need to take make some gravy from the drippings in the pan! Set the roasting pan over medium-low heat, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour in the pan. Whisk the flour into the drippings until the flour is incorporated. Now, whisk in 1 cup of milk while whisking and scraping off the encrusted bits on the bottom of the pan. Now’s a good time to have Abbott's favorite creamy mashed potatoes handy. Which reminds me, I never addressed The Potato Issue at the beginning of this post. I do NOT like to put potatoes into the pot with the meat. While it’s a handy, convenient way to cook the spuds, I think the potatoes turn out kind of dry and grainy. Instead, I think mashed potatoes really make a pot roast special. Spoon some vegetables onto the plate, with the pot roast, mashed potatoes and gravy... Mmm! You won't want to stop eating!

Broccoli Salad

This broccoli salad is great for potlucks! I wanted to make it yesterday for the 4th of July but decided that watermelon and cantaloupe was good enough... I love my cooking logic when I get too tired to cook anymore ,-)
Justin hasn't ever had this salad and blew me away by eating a couple helpings! He usually hates broccoli! He said that he didn't hate this salad, but he didn't like it either... the sweet, salty, and earthy vegetable tastes confused his taste buds. So he ate bite after bite staring it down like he was trying to figure it out. It was funny!

During the summer there's not too much on TV so we've been watching Oprah's debt diet... mostly because it's entertaining to gawk at the people in debt, but it also got us thinking about our spending habits. We do pretty good, we hate shopping so we don't have the debt that Oprah talks about. We spend too much money on eating out though. So, for July we're challenging ourselves, we made 3 rules...
1. No eating out- no fast food, no desserts, nothing!
2. We must have a fruit or vegetable with every meal!
3. Corn and potatoes don't count as vegetables!
We're on day 5 of our July challenge and we're doing great! We haven't wanted to eat out once... I get tired cooking every meal though, it would be nice to have a break :-(

Ingredients
1 head fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
2 tablespoons bacon, crumbled
1/2 cup red grapes, cut into fourths
3 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 cup mayonnaise

Directions
In a medium bowl, combine the broccoli and grapes. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar and mayonnaise. Little by little, pour the dressing over broccoli mixture... you won't need all of the dressing, it depends on the size of your broccoli head and how much dressing you like on salads. So just pour a little, toss, and then pour some more if you like. Refrigerate for at least two hours. Before serving, toss salad with crumbled bacon.

Parmesan Potatoes

These potatoes were tasty and easy to make (a GREAT substitution to use instead of the frozen tator-tots I have been guilty of buying lately)! My boys also love helping me shake foods up in a Ziploc, so that’s an extra bonus for this recipe :-)

So, I’m a teacher but I also manage the school’s student information systems… so I don’t get my summers completely off. I work from home almost every day and am on call as issues arise throughout the summer. That’s the back-story you need to know for the following conversation…

We’re in the car, we had just finished up a doctor’s appointment and were on our way to another appointment and I said “Hey boys, I’m going to run by home real fast to check something and send an email. I’ll just be five minutes.”

Andrew says “you are addicted to working mom, we don’t need to go home so you can send an email”.

I say “Well, my boss says that I do… you see I get paid to help answer questions during the summer so if someone asks a question I have to quickly answer it”.

Andrew and Abbott break out into uncontrollable laughter.

I say “What! You don’t believe me? I actually have the answers when no one else does.”

Abbott’s still uncontrollably laughing and between Andrew’s giggles he laughs out a mocking “O.K. mom…. “

I say, “It’s true, your mom is actually smart when it comes to this stuff”

Andrew says “Mom you don’t even know directions like north, east, south, west”… then both boys bust out into another round of laughter.

I sigh and don’t say anything else… I’ve lost them… to them I’ll always be their idiot mom who can’t figure out if I’m going north or south, who can’t fry on the stove because she starts grease fires, who can’t carry in the water jugs because she isn’t strong enough, and who can’t figure out their complicated math homework.

Ingredients
6 medium potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (grated or shredded)

Directions
Clean the potatoes- a trick I learned working at the hospital cafeteria was to run the potatoes through the dishwasher without any soap, the heat and water spray gets them very clean!
Cut potatoes into 1 inch cubes, leaving skins on. In a large ziploc baggie, mix together oil, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, and cheese. Add the potatoes to the bag, seal, and shake the potatoes to coat them with the seasoning. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and cook at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until potatoes are fork tender.

Sweet Corn on the Cob

I know what you're thinking... Corn on the Cob... seriously Carrie, corn on the cob isn't a recipe. But this recipe will give you that "sweet taste" every time you make it, just by adding a few ingredients to the water! Corn on the cob seems to be hit or miss for me, this makes every cob taste like a winner... I'll never make corn in plain ol' water again!

So, summer is officially here, the boys are having a blast and getting their days and nights confused! I haven't felt like my summer has started though. I'm not sure why, I just feel like I'm in a funk! Maybe it's the week we spent in the hospital with Andrew... or not being able to go to the pool (Andrew can't swim with his incision)... or not going on a summer vacation (we can't afford it this summer)... or the fact that even when I'm home for the summer I work 24/7 on getting everything ready for the next school year. I just haven't felt like doing my usual summer stuff. I usually love summer and relish the extra day-time to prepare meals, but I've found myself making hot dogs twice a week lately. I've tried reading a couple books but I'm not interested in anything but re-runs of The King of Queens! I need some help getting out of this funk, I need to enjoy my summer before it's over! Any ideas?

Ingredients
4 ears of corn
water (enough to cover the corn)
3/4 cup Heavy cream (I substitute with milk)
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter

Directions
Fill a large stock pot with enough water to cover the corn. Add milk, sugar and butter. Stir to mix. Bring to a boil, then add corn cobs. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 8 minutes, or until just tender. Do not over cook or the corn will become tough. Also, never salt the water, as it also toughens the corn.

Hashbrown Egg Breakfast Casserole

I made this breakfast casserole for Father's Day breakfast and it was a hit! Abbott LOVED it... he had seconds at breakfast and then asked for more casserole again at dinner! Justin and Andrew drizzled Cholula hot sauce on theirs (surprise surprise)! I have to admit it's the best breakfast casserole I've ever had, and I like it better than my Hashbrown Quiche!

We had a great Father's Day! We got Justin some clothes (we always go for practical gifts), and Abbott gave Justin a paperweight (a classic Father's Day present... way to go Abbott)! My dad got the best present of all though... retirement! My dad has finally decided to retire (I've been telling him to retire for years), he deserves some much needed rest and relaxation! My dad's decision to retire was even covered by the local newspaper, something very out of the ordinary! He's a special guy though, I don't know how the police department will function without him! I'm sure there are criminals rejoicing everywhere, lol!

Ingredients
1 package (26 ounce) frozen shredded hashbrowns, thawed
1 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cups (16 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt and pepper
8 eggs
2 cups milk

Directions
In a large bowl, combine the hash browns, bacon, 1 and 1/2 cups of cheese, salt, and pepper. Spoon into a greased 13x9 baking dish. In the same large bowl, whisk eggs and milk until smooth; pour over hash brown mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45-50 minutes until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.

Pizza Hut Pan Style Crust

June was an eventful month at our house! We all had minor medical problems but Andrew took the prize when he had to have an emergency appendectomy (his appendix removed)! He had a classic case of appendicitis... nausea and vomiting the first day and woke up with a fever and right side pain the second day! We got him to the hospital immediately but the poor guy had to wait all day for his surgery :-(
Andrew's had a painful recovery and it just makes my heart ache, it's really hard to see my little guy in pain! I got some good quality time in with him though. I stayed at the hospital with him all week... getting up multiple times in the night to help him use the restroom (bringing back memories of getting up in the night with babies- further reinforcing that we are done having kids)! But, Andrew's home recovering now and doing great... although he's bummed he can't go to science camp!

Andrew worked up an appetite this week at the hospital! He wanted Chinese, ribs, Taco Bell, and pizza... in that order! So we've worked our way down his list and had pizza last night for dinner! I am usually the first to pass over any recipe involving yeast, but this recipe sounded so good! Pizza Hut Pan Crust is our favorite, and this recipe didn't disappoint!! It makes three 9-inch (cake pan ) pizzas so we had cheese, pepperoni, and Canadian bacon and pineapple pizzas!

Ingredients
1 cup warm water (105F)
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon Salt
4 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 package dry yeast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (for dough)
9 ounces vegetable oil (3 ounces per pan) - (I just use enough to coat the pan)

Directions
Put yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add water and stir to mix well. Allow to sit for two minutes. Add oil, evaporated milk, and stir again. Add flour and stir until dough forms and flour is absorbed. Turn out on to a flat surface and knead for about 10 minutes.
Divide dough into three balls. In three 9" cake pans ( or can use 1 - 9 inch pie plate and 1 - 9 x 13 dish) , put 3 ounces of oil in each making sure it is spread evenly.
Using a rolling pin, roll out each dough ball to about a 9" circle. Place in cake pans. Cover with a plate or towel
Place in warm area and allow to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
After the dough has risen you can add your sauce and toppings. Cook at 475 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

(Jack) Shepherd's Pie

The LOST finale aired on Sunday and we celebrated by having a LOST party, complete with LOST themed foods! Jack Shepherd is the star of LOST so I had to serve Shepherd's Pie! Justin was really hesitant, he'd never had Shepherd's Pie and the idea of hamburger and potatoes disgusted him.... however, I am happy to report that Justin (and the boys) LOVED the Shepherd's Pie! I am so excited because this wasn't very difficult (only took around an hour) and it was so hearty. I am adding this to our go-to list of dinners... you know, the 5 dinners that you seem to cook endlessly until you realize you're in a rut and you finally go looking for a new recipe! ... maybe that's just me ,-)

Ingredients
4 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon butter
1-2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (I used 2 cups because we like cheesy potatoes)
Salt and pepper to taste

5 carrots, finely chopped
1/2 an onion, finely chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons ketchup
3/4 cup beef broth

Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash. Mix in butter and shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
In a large frying pan add the ground beef, onion, and carrots. You really want your onion and carrots to be finely chopped so they will cook all the way through, I used my slap chop to dice the carrots and onion. Cook meat and veggies over medium-high heat until meat has browned. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and beef broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Spread the ground beef in an even layer on the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then top with the mashed potato mixture and sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

So our LOST party was so much fun! This won't make sense to anyone but LOST fans but we served...

Walted Milk Balls (Jack) Shepherd’s Pie We Have To Go Mac (& Cheese) DHARMA-L Apples Daniel Frito-Lays (and salsa) The LOST finale didn't disappoint! I don't think there will ever again be a show like LOST! We would spend the whole week speculating, theorizing, and looking forward to the next LOST episode. We will miss it greatly!

Cookie Dough Frosting

It's been FOREVER since I've posted! We've been super busy with friends, baseball, illness (everyone's taken their turn being sick), tonsillectomies (sweet Andrew had to get his tonsils taken out) and Andrew had a birthday!! I had a shocking wake up call as to exactly how old Andrew is getting when he had his birthday sleepover; there's something about 8 crazy hormonal boys that makes me want to lock my son up and home school him for the rest of his life! Here are some quotes from the night...
Boy 1- I want to spit all the jalapeno taste out into my hand
Boy 2- Dude, did you spit in your hand before you touched my face?
Boy 1- No
Boy 2- Good, I’d have to rip my cheek off!

Boy 1- We should find Andrew a girlfriend for his birthday!
Boy 2- First rule to getting a girlfriend... find a girl whose name you know and make sure she knows your name!

Boy 1- if Angelina Jolie was a Greek God she would be Aphrodite
Boy 2- I have a bone and arrow for her!

Boy 1- Has your girlfriend texted back?
Boy 2- No, my phone is on vibrate. Once when it was on vibrate I put it next to my crotch while I was playing Medal of Honor and when my girlfriend texted it was like OHHH HEEEE!

Asian Boy 1- Let’s prank call someone, I can do a really good Chinese accent!

It was a crazy night! So anyways, it's been almost a month since I've made anything new... that's pretty sad! This frosting is the perfect recipe though, it's worth waiting a month for! It's basically cookie dough without the eggs. You can pipe it onto cake (it makes a great double layer cake filling) or spread it onto brownies! Or you can eat it plain like my boys ,-)

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions
Mix the butter, sugars, salt, and milk together. Mix in the flour until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spread on top of cooled brownies. Keep any left overs in the refrigerator.