Mmmmmmmmm!

This is something that should not be found on my desk right now - it was a piece of cake. Now it is a mess of icing smeared on the plate because this little piggy went to town! Oh was it good!

Puggle Love

Ranch Style Chicken Chili

A big thank you to all our great Presidents who gave me the day off yesterday! And because I got pretend that I don't have a job for a day, I was able to sit around and watch talk shows (OK, I only watched two Rachael Ray and Martha) I got a fabulous new recipe. Yesterday, Rach (yeah, we're tight) made Ranch Style Chicken Chile and it left my mouth watering. Well that's what we're having tonight for dinner and if Brett doesn't get home soon, there won't be any left!!! You need to go to the store and buy these ingredients NOW!

Ingredients
4 poblano peppers
2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 pounds ground chicken (I used turkey because that's what I had and I didn't use quite 2 lbs.)
Salt and pepper
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon coriander (I did not put this in because the store only had seeds and I was confused by that so I just left it out)
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup dill, chopped (I used dried)
1/4 cup chives or scallions, finely chopped (I didn't put this in either because, well, I forgot)
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
Hot sauce, to taste
1 cup sour cream

Directions:
Char peppers under the broiler with oven door cracked for steam to escape. Place charred peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam (you can also just put them in a brown paper bag and roll the top down). Let cool then peel, seed and finely chop.
Heat 2 tablespoons EVOO in a medium size pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and brown and crumble the meat. Add onions and garlic to the pot and cook 5 minutes to soften. Season with cumin and coriander, and stir in chopped peppers. Add stock and herbs, and simmer 5 minutes. Season with hot sauce to taste.
Turn off heat and stir in sour cream to combine. Serve with tortilla chips alongside for dipping.

*I found the process of charring the peppers kind of fun. Here is before...

and this was after...

I followed the directions almost to a tee expect the few ingredients changes I mentioned above. When it was done, I put it in the crock pot to keep hot 'til Brett got home. I wish I could put a smell on here because this soup seriously smells so delicious! Even Lucy kept standing at the counter trying to get a whiff!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Brett and I are celebrating in our usual way...Chipotle!!! We did changed it up a bit (we skipped ice cream at Oberweiss) and are currently hanging out at Borders. Brett has his calendar and some travel books and I have my laptop and my Valentine. Life is good.

In case you didn't know - yesterday was the Super Bowl. The Saints won. I called it.

Now that I have updated you all on the football news, here's the fun stuff - our DiGiorno sponsored pizza party!!!! I signed up several weeks ago to "host" a DiGiorno Game Day Believers Party (spokesman is none other than Pittsburgh's own Jerome "The Bus" Bettis) and was picked. I received this fabulous "party pack" complete with 6 coupons for free Digiorno pizzas, $4 off coupons for my guests, a DiGiorno hot pad, a DiGiorno pizza cutter, DiGiorno stickers, and DiGiorno party beads. The catch? Serve the pizza and upload photos. Basically - eat and blog - that I can do. By the way . . . the thin crispy flatbread Chicken Tuscano is OUT OF THIS WORLD and the garlic bread crust pizzas are way Delicious as well!!!

Brett and I and ALL our pizzas!

Lucy wearing her DiGiorno beads

"Tucker, what did you do for those beads?"

I made a Brownie Banana Split Pizza to keep up with the theme for dessert

The Billings Family LOVE DiGiorno pizza!

And last, the boys and their food...

Recipes from a Sick Blogger

Today I am blogging from . . . bed! I seem to have come down with a yucky cold that has left me with absolutely ZERO energy. My dear, dear husband has been a cleaning machine all day as we are having a Super Bowl party tomorrow. Because he has become Mr.Domestic, I have been able to lay in bed, sip some tea and watch one of my favorite movies, P.S. I Love You!


This week, I cooked up some rather yummy dishes that I hope you enjoy!

• Blueberry Breakfast Cake: It calls for fresh blueberries but I used frozen. I also used the buttermilk substitute (1/2 T. vinegar in a 1/2 cup measuring cup and then fill with milk) This cake was fabulous breakfast last Sunday that was perfect wit a cup of coffee and served warm out of the oven.


• Italian Spinach Pie: While this may not have been Brett's idea of a "man's meal" he enjoyed it and I thought it was out of this world. A few changes: add some garlic, a whole cup of chopped red peppers, and maybe some onions, basil instead of oregano and a sprinkle of garlic salt on top. IT does need to cook for a little longer than the recipe says.


• Grilled BBQ Sandwiches with Spicy Avocado Sauce: These were super yummy! Since it is FREEZING outside, I grilled them on my grill pan on the stove top.


• Since I had chicken, buns and red pepper left over, we had chicken sandwiches another night, but this time it was my own creation. Sara Lee Wheat Buns (80 calories), chicken (pounded into thin cutlets, sprinkle with a little dry ranch and grill), spinach leaves, sliced red pepper, a touch of Light Ranch Dressing, and a wedge of Laughing Cow Light Swiss ( I spread half of the wedge on each of our sandwiches). Put all this stuff together and you have a magnificent and healthy grilled chicken sandwich!


• Thursday night was an easy night: Pizza! We had the Organics spinach and cheese and a side of Del Monte Cinnamon Peaches. I would highly recommend that you hightail it to the grocery store and pick these two things up. SOOO tasty!!!!

I am looking forward to blogging about our Super Bowl party. I was lucky enough to win a DiGiorno party pack...should be a lot of fun (even if all the girls do have the same cold)!!!!!