Yummy, yummy, yummy

Good morning!  Today I am posting a recipe that you will love.  Well, you will love it as long as you like hot stuff.  I love hot stuff. And I love this recipe. If you don't love hot stuff your family or guests might. It is meant to be an appetizer, but heck, I have to confess that sometimes I make these little gems and eat them as dinner.  Beats the not-so-occasional-bowl-of-popcorn-for-dinner, but is almost as easy to make.  And a heck of a lot easier and less trouble than regular deep fried poppers.    The recipe came from allrecipes.com .   As will all the recipes posted here, it is quick, easy, and delicious. 

JALAPENO POPPER CUPS

12 mini phyllo tart shells

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped  (use gloves and wash your hands afterwards)*

1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste

Bacon bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place phyllo cups onto a baking sheet.

Stir together cream cheese, cheddar cheese, jalapenos, and hot sauce.  Spoon mixture into phyllo cups and sprinkle with bacon bits. 

Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

ENJOY!!  Oh these are SO good.

* Whatever you do, do not rub your eyes after chopping the peppers. 

Let's boil eggs

With Easter just around the corner I thought this was the perfect opportunity to share a little something about boiling eggs. Believe it or not, there is a wrong way to hard-boil eggs. Doing it the wrong way gives you rubbery whites and yolks with that grey ring on the outside. Here's the steps to perfect hard-boiled eggs:

1. Place eggs in saucepan in a single layer.
2. Fill pan with cold water, covering eggs by 1 inch.
3. Place over medium-high heat, cover and bring to a boil. When the water just starts getting tiny bubbles around the edge of the pan, add a spoonful of salt and place lid back on.

4. As soon as the eggs come to a roiling boil, turn off heat and let stand, COVERED for 12 minutes. DON'T PEEK or you will lose all the heat in the pan.
5. Transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water. Let stand for about 5 minutes, then remove. Wall-ah. Perfectly hard boiled eggs.
6. Color those eggs and play Easter Bunny.

If you’re having trouble getting the shells off nicely, know that the freshness of your eggs will affect how they peel. The fresher the egg, the harder it is for the shell to come off.

Off the subject but I wanted to comment on the daffodils in my yard.  They are blooming in all their glorious beauty and despite freezing temperatures in the mornings, they recover every day and keep on giving that "ah, spring!"  feeling.  

Looking pretty sad!

Looking gorgeous!!!

Foo-Foo drink anyone?

Mornin' All! Enjoying the extra sunlight at the end of the day?

Today's Two Dog's post involves saving money and who of us does not want to do that? I love lattes and cappuccinos. A lot. But let's face it, in today's economy it is hard to treat oneself (and they ARE a treat. Some of us might consider them a necessity, but.......) on too regular a basis. And I love saving money. A lot. So several years ago, even before the big downturn in available funds, I ran across this little machine in the nearest Walmart and for the price of 9 foo-foo coffee drinks I got my very own espresso maker. Now I know it's not the "real" thing (those cost HUNDREDS) and the drinks are not "exactly" the same, but it does a fair job and I save a lot of money that can go elsewhere ----- think scrapbooking and card stuff :-)

The long dohickey on the right side is the milk steamer and I don't use it. It works well enough, but is a real pain to clean and I am an instant gratification/let's not make it harder kinda gal so I choose to warm my milk in the microwave while the little wonder is making the espresso and then use one of those little handheld blender thingymabobs to whip some air into the warmed milk. They are battery operated and work really well. (I have actually whipped small, very small, batches of heavy cream with it.....). So what I have in about 3 minutes is my version of a foo-foo drink. Flavored with vanilla and a little cinnamon sprinkled on top if I am feeling especially 'stravgant. Just a thought. Remember Two Dog's philosophy: Save where you can so you can spend where you want. Thanks for stopping by. Hugs, Shawna

Recipe

Good Monday to you; hope you had a good weekend.  I had a little post ready to go concerning more uses of the wonderful handheld steamer I told you about in an earlier post, but I got sidetracked and had to share this fabulous pasta recipe with you.  It came from a dear friend of mine just in time to serve over the holidays.  It is super quick, extremely easy, and everyone from my two sons to all the grandchildren loved it.  With my picky crew, that is saying something.  There is usually one in the group that doesn't like something, but not this time.  ENJOY!

Tomato Brie Pasta



1 lb. linguine   (you can use any kind of pasta.  I used rotini)

1/2 cup olive oil

1 brie cheese (8 oz), cut into small cubes (rind and all)

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 large tomatoes, chopped

1 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper (I always use more pepper)

1/3 cup parmesan

Cook your pasta according to package directions.  While it is cooking combine the oil, brie, tomatoes, basil, and the spices.  Mix well.  Do not cook the sauce.

When the pasta is cooked drain and pour the sauce over the hot pasta and toss to coat.  Sprinkle with parmesan. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as me and my family did.  We thought it was YUMMY!

Thanks for stopping by!