Southwest Lasagna.

After my food woes rant, I guess I am on a food kick. Bear with me.

This week I made Southwest Lasagna. My great cook of a mother-in-law makes this often and it's definitely a favorite. In my head, it's a tried and true Kasowski recipe but I think she got it from the Petersons, who are not of Spanish decent from what I can tell (they have a couple cute red heads). But this recipe is my favorite southwesty dish. Southwesty - that's a word, right?

I'm going to type out the recipe verbatim from my K family cookbook:

Directions
Boil 9 lasagna noodles according to package directions.

Brown and drain 1½ pounds ground beef. Add 1 16oz can refried beans, 1 package taco seasoning and 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper.

Coat a 9 x 13 glass baking dish with non-stick spray. Line pan with 3 noodles and spoon half meat/bean mixture over noodles. Top with 3 more noodles and remaining meat/bean mixture. Top with the last 3 noodles.

Pour 1 16oz can Pace salsa over all. Cover tightly and bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes. Remove from oven.

Spread 1½ cup sour cream, ½ cup sliced green onions, 1 cup sliced black olives and 1½ cup shredded monterrey jack cheese over all. Place under heated broiler until cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Cool 10 minutes and serve. 

And enjoy!

I didn't think to take a photo until after we started eating this deliciousness so it may not look that tasty. I assure you it still is, bad photo aside. I would like it noted that I am wearing my southwesty t-shirt I bought at Target for $2 this week. I didn't even plan that. Awesome. Maybe I should always dress and cook in themes.

I added some corn to this batch and you could probably tweak it to add other things (Rotel, black beans, other healthy additives?!). It also freezes well if you just skip that last step.

One of the best parts about this recipe is that the leftovers are still very, very good. Your family will fight over these leftovers. Lactose intolerant people will take a dairy pill so they can finish it. I've seen it happen.

Here's an ingredient list for those of you that need to see it this way, too:

Ingredients
9 lasagna noodles
1½ pounds ground beef
1 16oz can refried beans
1 package taco seasoning
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 16oz can Pace salsa  (I use a black bean/white corn salsa, still tastes great)
1½ cup sour cream
½ cup sliced green onions
1 cup sliced black olives (I never add these... ewww)
1½ cup shredded monterrey jack cheese (I use a Mexican blend)

Now go, make someone happy and cook Southwest Lasagna this week. 

-Heather

Food Woes.

Overwhelmed is a good descriptor for me. I'm overwhelmed. God knows that, I tell him often. He's working on that with me. I can name a handful of things in life that overwhelm me.

One of those things today is eating healthy. And by healthy, I mean using less processed foods and more whole foods and changing the way I know how to cook and eat.

I always thought we ate decently but do a little blog or profile stalking and BAM! I'm seriously questioning ever using cream of mushroom soup again.

Kidding, gosh, I am still a Midwesterner at heart and I'll always make tator tot hotdish. Come on.

But seriously. The way Americans eat, the way our habits are... it's not good. I really thought tator tot hotdish was pretty healthy. I mean it's a good home cooked meal, right? But then I start thinking... it's not really that good for you. Processed tator tots, "cream of" soups, ground beef that's not organic... canned beans aren't even that awesome. Of course, everything in moderation. But if most of our meals fall along these lines, then that's not really stellar, is it?

Sigh.

I don't have the energy or the money or the time to completely revamp the way we eat. I can take little steps, I know. I am. But I have a long way to go. I mean last week I bought an eggplant at our Farmer's Market and I thought I was a freaking genius for making something tasty with it. 

Seriously. Mainstay vegetables I get. Hello Mr. Broccoli! But anything eggplant-on just confounds me. And I know we need to eat more veggies and I need to get more creative with it... like pureeing cauliflower and adding it to pasta. I could do that.

Do you want to come for a week and teach me how to be awesome healthy Heather?

Because I'm just going to start a list here of things that I do not understand, that freak me out, the things that when I see them in the list of ingredients, I gaze past that recipe and move on to something more at my level.

Kale, flaxseed, weird vegetables like brussel sprouts, omega-3s, whey, quinoa, steel-cut oats, odd cheeses from odd animals, coconut oil, homemade yogurt, agave, weird cuts of meat, gluten-free whatever, and basically any fish (besides walleye which I love but don't know how to cook and can't get it here anyway).

Wait. In our defense, I do make decent meals and I do buy whatever fruits and vegetables that are on sale at Publix each week and we don't eat out too often. I felt like I needed that to be said so you'd stop judging. And we have the luxury of no food allergies or concerns at this point.

Maybe I'll learn to use a few of these foods that scare me. I want to. I would love to eat more whole foods,  buy more fresh ingredients each week. If I had loads of money, the decision to buy all organic and eat healthier would be super easy. I'd do it. Hands down. I'd hire a cook or a nutritionist, too. And let me just say here how much of a bummer it is that it's (not always, but usually) way more expensive to eat healthier. I know I could make sacrifices in other areas to eat all organic but I'm not there yet. And gardening was not our strong suit, it's too blasted hot. Lord knows how the people back in the day did this. 

This doesn't even cover the arguments about what's really in our food, genetically modified foods, eating organic, eating local and on and on...

Add this to the desire to only feed Eli the best, to teach him early about good nutrition and what an amazing gift food is, to have him crave green leafy vegetables yet still have the rare enjoyment of an oreo...

So now you see why I am overwhelmed?

-Heather

Blizzard.

If you are from North Dakota, then you know that there is a Blizzard season. It starts around the end of May and lasts through September. That's right. Dairy Queen is closed more months than it is open. And if you want a tasty dipped cone or dilly bar or DQ sandwich in the middle of January? Too bad.

Enter in homemade blizzards. I think Greg's sister Amy was the one that got us on these delicious copycat treats. They are ridiculously simple but they taste great. Definitely not like an actual Blizzard (I actually saw a recipe that imitates the DQ version but it was long and complicated and completely not worth it) but this version is still lick-the-cup yummy.

Three ingredients: milk, ice cream, Oreos. Directions: Put together in a cup and smash-stir until blizzardy. I took some photos of this awhile back but really a five year old could do this.

You can use "less fat" ice cream without compromising the taste.

Regular Oreos are good but MINT Oreos make this amazing! I heart mint chocolate!

Helps if you have a sweet guy to mash up the blizzard for you.

Not going to win any "best looking dessert" awards.

But who cares! This is delish!

Now down here DQ is open year-round. Crazy! But there's only two: one in a mall and one in a gas station and they only serve a limited menu. If our homemade blizzards don't hit the spot, however, it's good to know I can get a real one if needed!

Seriously though, try the mint. Your mouth will thank you.

-Heather

Roast.

You are going to thank me for this post.

Do you roast your broccoli? Or any of your veggies? If not, you should. It makes them melt in your mouth. I have been craving vegetables because of this. So, so good. I've roasted potatoes in the oven many a time, but never others. Now, now I know how great it can be.

I found this post on pinterest and followed it. Basically you line a cookie sheet with foil, drizzle it with olive oil, add your fresh cut veggies, salt and pepper, a few garlic cloves and stick it in your 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, stirring all that goodness around once in awhile. With broccoli, I squeeze some lemon on it and add parmesan like her recipe. 

Oh it's so good.

Since I was already roasting broccoli for our Valentine's meal, I decided to follow this post and make some heart shaped potatoes to roast as well. They were delicious and pretty darn cute.

Of course the steak was amazing but the sides were also tasty. So much so that I believe Greg said "I just want to keep eating" long after we should have been done.

Looks good, eh? Admittedly the dinner was not as romantic with sick Eli in his high chair next to us. To give you perspective, here he is eying my steak:

Oh and don't let that sippy cup fool you, Eli still doesn't take a cup or bottle for liquid. He does enjoy chewing on it however. You can tell Eli's not feeling well here, poor little man.

At one point Greg had to sit Eli on his lap and in typical Eli fashion, he preceded to grab the tablecloth. As much as he would have loved to pull a Houdini move, he failed and all the dishes/food started to go with it. Thankfully his dad has lightening reflexes and all dishes stayed on the table. It would have been really sad for any of this meal to make it to the floor. Also, this is why we use tablecloths sparingly.

Go, roast any and everything that looks like a vegetable!

-Heather

Crock Pot Chicken.

I don't like e-mail forwards. Most of the time they make me groan. Sometimes the premise is good... like when you get one saying type out one of your go-to recipes and send it to the people on this list. But I still don't like that feeling, that pressure. I don't want to feel annoyed at my inbox.

But I do think knowing people's "go to" recipes would be helpful. Getting a meal on the table is important. And life is busy. And who has time to actually attempt all those recipes you've pinned on Pinterest? Okay, I actually do have some time and I have tried new recipes there, thankyouverymuch.

This recipe is similar to ones all over Pinterest, maybe even on there, who knows. I got it from my trusty Kasowski Family cookbook that my MIL put together a few years ago. Have I mentioned before that I LOVE family recipes and cookbooks? Just love them. Well-loved, well-tested recipes that are bound by family ties. I think this one comes from cousin Sarah.

It's easy. It uses Campbell's Soup... because 99% of my recipes do it seems... such a good midwesterner I am.

Crock Pot Chicken
Ingredients

4-6 Chicken Breasts (or around one pkg)
1 packet Italian Dressing Mix
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 8oz block of Cream Cheese
1 cup Chicken Broth (or white wine)

Stick your chicken in the crock pot, it can even be frozen. Sprinkle the packet of Italian Dressing Mix on top of it. In a separate bowl, mix together the two cans of soup and the cream cheese... it's sort of gumpy mushy mixture. Pour (or really, drop) mixture on top of the chicken. Then pour the cup of chicken broth over that. Cook on low for 4-6 hours (or more, it's pretty forgiving). Then shred the chicken with two forks (this takes awhile). Stir it all up so it absorbs all the yummy sauce.

Make some angel hair pasta and serve the chicken mixture on top with a little Parmesan cheese. Serve with a salad. And some garlic bread. And if you are feeling crazy, you could add some veggies into the chicken mixture (like broccoli or something like that).

Here's a couple photos to show you how easy it is... and to show you the Italian Dressing Mix comes in a box with four packets and can be found by the ranch packets in the salad dressing isle. This is a pretty key ingredient so don't mess that up.

NOT cream of celery like I have shown here, it's cream of chicken, folks!!

Gumpy. That's a word, right?

Granted, it does not look very yummy pre-crocked.

But over some pasta, it's sure tasty! Shown here is the whole wheat ubber healthy pasta... but you can go old school to make it really yum.

Now you can go enjoy an easy crock-pot meal.

You're welcome.

-Heather

Ida Hotdish.

My Aunt Ida was a good woman. She was really my great aunt, sister to my grandmother, but we still called her just "Aunt Ida." She was unique, too. Of course I was quite young when she died so I don't remember a lot about her. But she has a legacy in my life nonetheless.

Now there is a story about a generous cook who would give out her personal recipes but would always leave out an ingredient or two. The recipe recipient, then, could never make the goodness quite as tasty as the recipe giver. I believe that story was told about Aunt Ida a time or two.

In order to do this justice, I feel like you need to see a photo of Aunt Ida. I picked the first two in my photo box. And yes, she's sporting the same purple polyester number in each photo, but with different accessories. Classy! 

Aunt Ida, with myself, Grandma Olga, my sister and our cousin DeAnn (and my Aunt Sandy doing dishes). We are quite stylish, I might add.

I wish I could remember this, sweet Aunt Ida playing dolls with me, the fro my mom created my hair into. And yes, that is a My Little Pony and Pound Puppy cat. What can I say, I'm a child of the 80's.

She was a good Norwegian cook, my Aunt Idea, and this hotdish recipe is hers.

It's one of my favorites because you don't have to cook the meat beforehand. It has four, yes four, cans of Campbell's soup in it. And meat and potatoes. Remember, I am a true midwesterner. Don't judge.

If you ever make this deliciousness, you must promise me that you will always call it Ida Hotdish. Or Aunt Ida Hotdish. Or Heather's Aunt Ida Hotdish. Agreed?

Good. Then I will share it with you.

Here's what it looks like after you make it, eat some, then put the leftovers in Pyrex. It makes a lot. No step-by-step photos here because I didn't even think about blogging about this until after we ate, after Rebekah told me she wanted the recipe. This photo may not make your mouth salivate, but that's because you haven't tried Ida Hotdish yet. 

Aunt Ida Hotdish

4 or 5 potatoes, peeled and cut in about 1 inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups of carrots, sliced or the little ones cut in half
2 pounds ground beef (make sure it's very lean)
2 cans vegetarian vegetable alphabet soup (don't get the wrong kind!)
2 cans tomato soup
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a larger covered casserole/roaster (a big pot that can go in the oven). Layer the following items; potatoes, onion, carrots. Crumble the burger, uncooked on top. Spread the soups on top and then poke holes through it all (I use the handle of a wooden spoon). Add enough water until you can just see it on the edges. Cover. Bake for one hour and then stir it up and continue baking for another hour. Stir again and eat!

That's it! Unless of course, I left out an ingredient...

-Heather

PS - I won't get into "hotdish" versus "casserole" right now, but certain recipes are one or the other (with my personal preference/experience with "hotdish" winning over "casserole").

Mom's Wild Rice Soup.

Fall weather is here and that means soup! This is my go-to soup recipe because it's unique, easy, and it's from my mom so you know it's good. It's also forgiving and easily manipulated. When I made it yesterday I used way more rice and veggies than the recipe called for and tweaked it to how I'm feeling (read: I had two cans of cheddar cheese soup that had passed their "best by" date).

Wild rice is very hard to come by down south so I have it "imported" from family members coming to visit! If you are somewhere that doesn't have it, try a natural/organic food store that has bulk beans. Beware - it's spendy.

Here's the official recipe:

1 cup wild rice
3 cups boiling water
1 medium onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 stick butter or margarine
2 cans chicken broth
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 4oz can sliced mushrooms
1 teasp salt
1/4 teasp pepper
1/4 teasp rosemary (VII: very important ingredient)
1 cup whipping cream

1. Add rice to boiling water, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 20-30 minutes (until the rice is close to done).
2. Saute onion, celery, carrots and green pepper in butter/margarine. Add to wild rice.
3. Add other ingredients except for the cream. Simmer 20 minutes.
4. Stir in cream, heat thoroughly and serve. Or put in the crock pot if you are serving at a party.

Random Thoughts / Variations 
I usually end up doubling this recipe, adding more rice and veggies. Therefore I use the 32 oz carton of chicken broth and maybe three cans of soup instead of  two (this time I used two cheddar cheese and one cream of celery). And I also used one pint whipping cream plus some half & half... I make this often enough that I know how creamy I want it to be. If you solely use half & half it won't taste as good. I use big pieces of mushrooms so I can pick them out easily. And I like pure wild rice but you could use a wild/brown mix if that's all you have. And if you need there to be meat, you could add chicken. If you are going to add a lot, make sure you use a big pot!

For all you visual folks, here's my somewhat step-by-step photo instructions. The lighting in our kitchen is bleh and I was watching Eli while cooking, so apologies for the lack of inspiration in my photos. They do the job.

Boil the wild rice:

Meanwhile, chop up your carrots, onion, celery and green pepper... into very, very small pieces. You will need a chopper so it looks like this:

Saute it all in butter or margarine:

When the rice is done, drain it mostly (leave a little water). Then add the sauteed mixture (like photo below) plus all the canned items and spices (forgot to take a photo of that pre-stirred):

Stir it all up and let it simmer for awhile, at least 20 minutes:

Then add the cream! 

Stir it up and you are done!

It's creamy, wild goodness and best served with a delicious fresh baguette! Now who wants to come over and enjoy it as leftovers with me today?

-Heather

Autumn Spices.

Happy Autumn, friends. What an awesome season. My favorite colors are all the rage. Jeans and sweatshirts are a possibility. The leaves are beginning to turn. We actually want to be outside because the weather in Columbia has transformed into downright gorgeous. And you can add pumpkin to everything.

I found some pumpkin spice bread BOGO at Publix this week. It's yum. Of course I could be awesome and make my own, but I am not that awesome yet. I had a slice today while enjoying some fitting seasonal apple cider this afternoon in my Maelee mug (the cherry pattern reminds me of her, of an outfit I had for her). Again, I could make my own apple cider spice mix but since high school I have loved Aspen Mulling Spices. It is fall season in a cup.

Go get some. Try a nifty gifty shop in your area, often they have it. Add it to apple juice, warm it up. You will love it. You will want to curl up with it.

Now all I need is to break out the molasses and get baking some ginger snap cookies...

-Heather

I Want This Right Now:

I don't know about you, but I could sure go for this right about now. If you never have had a cheeseburger and fries (or tots) dipped, nay soaked, in ranch from Gramma Sharons, you have not fully lived. It's a reason to visit Williston, ND. My mouth is salivating.

I did ask the cashier how they make their ranch. Unfortunately Gramma does not share her recipes. I suppose it will just live on in my dreams.

-Heather