Tortilla Soup

I like this recipe from Cooking Light. It is one of my favorites for a quick, easy meal.


Tortilla Soup

2 cups tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups water
1 cup bottled salsa
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon instant minced garlic
1 (15.75-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
fat-free baked tortilla chips

Combine first 9 ingredients in large saucepan.
Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 12 minutes.
Serve with cheese and tortilla chips.

Meme

Amanda tagged me with a 6 strange things about you meme.

As if I don't write about how strange I am every day, you need six more?
OK well here you go:

When I was young I would eat spaghetti and applesauce. Hear me out, as a child my father's parents didn't have a lot of money and they had 7 kids. Applesauce was a side dish for them and so my dad was used to having it on the side of his plate, and then mine. He never would eat it with spaghetti or anything Italian for that matter but I loved my applesauce so why not? I remember going to a restaurant and wondering where the applesauce was for my pasta. It was a sweet/savory thing I guess.
Thank goodness I have grown out of that habit! Gross.

I hate the band Rush. The singer's voice will send me into convulsions. It was my sisters favorite band in high school and she would play it all the time. Probably just to piss me off.
That is not that weird but it is a point of interest.

The hair on my legs never really grow. I can go easily a month in the winter before I have to shave them. Because I waxed them so much now the hair on the back of my calves never grows and neither does the hair on my thighs. I never have to shave above my knee.

I have a half sister and a half brother who are going to be nine and seven in about a month. My parents divorced when I was a teenager and my father remarried when I was 19. I love my sister and brother so much and I wish I saw them more often.

My foot grew one half a shoe size when I was pregnant and never returned to my 8.5 status. Now I am a huge 9 in most shoes. I was hoping my shoes weren't fitting because of swelling but no such luck.
My nipples got bigger also, but that is for another post.

You can get me to do anything if you kiss the back of my neck. It literally gets me weak in the knees.


Now let me comment on Amanda's 6 strange things. Her answers are in bold:

1- I am celebrity obsessed. I am not obsessed but I do read US magazine and people every week. And Perez. I read him every day.


.2- I like really HOT water. I hate hot water. I take cold showers in the summer and as warm as I can stand it, no foggy steam showers in the winter. I hate how drying hot water is and plus there is nothing worse then getting out of a hot shower into a freezing bathroom in the winter.

. 3-I sometimes do sexual favors to get things that I want.
Amanda you little minx. I have friends who do this too.

4-I am addicted to text messaging. I have text messaged maybe 10 times in my life.

5- Craigslist is so freaking funny that I love to read the personals and wonder who responds to those ads.
Its me Amanda, I respond to those sex ads. No just kidding but I read them too, plus you get to see penises. Penisis? Peni?

6-I am obsessed with nightgowns. I haven't worn a nightgown since I was 10. I am going to start! I will buy myself one today! How fun!


I tag anyone who wants something to write about today! : )

Mac & Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese

2 cups (8 ounces) elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1/2 onion, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon paprika
3 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese,
black pepper
Salt
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
Bring 6 cups water and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt to rolling boil in a large pot.
Add macaroni and cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and put in large bowl.
Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk.
Mix in onion, bay leaf and paprika.
Simmer gently, stirring often, 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and remove bay leaf.
Stir in 2 cups of cheese.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in macaroni.
Pour half of mixture into greased baking dish and sprinkle with half of remaining cheese.
Top with remaining macaroni and then remaining cheese.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in small skillet over medium heat. Add bread crumbs and toss to coat. Sprinkle buttered crumbs over top of macaroni.

Bake at 350 degrees until bread crumbs are lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Let stand before serving.

Skillet Cookie

1 stick of butter, softened
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 C sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 C flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 C Oats
1 C chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
beat butter and sugars until creamy
add egg and vanilla nd mix
add combined baking soda, flour, salt and mix
stir in oats and chocolate chips

Press dough into nonstick oven safe skillet
bake 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Cool for 10 minutes and serve with vanilla ice cream!