SUPER BOWL, DIP AND RICE CRISPY TREATS!

Of course, Sunday is a big day! Looking so forward to the game.......GO Broncos! Manning will have his hands full with Newton.......should be a great game!
I follow all trends in cooking. I subscribe to the cooking magazines, watch the cooking shows and read cook books like novels. One of the big trends this year for a Super Bowl dip......is Buffalo Chicken Dip. I've checked out several recipes and found this one pretty easy.
Beat 8 oz cream cheese, a cup of Ranch dressing and 1/2 cup of hot sauce together. Just fold in a bunch of shredded

chicken from a rotisserie chicken from the store.  Put in a buttered pie tin and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 min........Top with a bunch of shredded cheddar cheese and put back in oven for about 10 more min. That's it! Serve with corn chip scoopers.

BUT my favorite is Nachos.........lots of ways to make nachos so I'll just tell you how I like mine.
First.......make your own Pico de Gallo. Chop a couple tomatoes, add a chopped purple onion, add a chopped Serrano, add a bunch of chopped cilantro, then the juice of one lime, two if small and a good sprinkle of salt. Thanks it.
So, In a skillet brown a good amount of hamburger with some chopped onion, and add a tsp or more of New Mexico chili powder, tsp cumin, salt and pepper and sprinkle the whole works with a bit of cornstarch for a thickener and mix well. Now add about1/2 cup of beef broth and simmer til just a little thick. Stir in a drained can of pinto or black beans.  Okay, now put all of your corn chips on a large cookie tray. I make my own chips....just cut corn tortillas with a pair of scissors into 4 pieces, fry til crispy......cool on paper towel. SO much better. Then spoon the hamburger, bean mixture over chips, top with a lot of shredded cheddar cheese and place in oven, for about 20 min......til cheese is melted.
 HAVE all of the following toppings ready to top the nachos before serving.
Top with Pico de Gallo SALSA, and JALAPENO SLICES from jar, then chopped LETTUCE, I like BLACK OLIVES and thin sliced RADISHES  and final GUACAMOLE topped with chopped GREEN ONIONS.
Guacamole: 2 avocados chopped in a bowl, add chopped purple onion, chopped tomato, chopped cilantro, a chopped hot pepper and sprinkle with juice of a couple limes.
Now, this is a whole meal......might be a little bit  time consuming but well worth it.
Are you too "grown up" for Rice Crispy Treats? Not me.........one of my favorites. AND you will be glad to know.........If you make a pan of 24 (9 x 13 pan) that one piece has only 47 calories.......this is if you make it yourself.
Stir over low heat 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick) and 40 large marshmallows or 10 0z of miniatures.........til all melted. Stir into 6 cups of Rice Crispys......pour into a 9 x 13 buttered pan...smash down...that's it. Oh, I like mine a little more gooey.......I only add about 5 1/2 cups of Rice Crispys and they just taste better if you add a tiny red food coloring!
ENJOY the game and your dips!

PICTURES, MUFFINS AND HIMALAYAN SALT LAMP

Okay, you will never know how hard this has been for me to add this picture!!! I will not promise that I can do it again. About 80% of my readers come from googling  "Cooking For Bob".......the Googlers don't have a clue what I look like so this is for all of you, here I am.

Now, for those of you that know me, you know that I really don't cook "healthy" I love butter, cream, sugar, meat and especially meat with a lot of fat and I love deep fat fried foods.  But now and then, I run across a recipe that is deemed "healthy" and decide to give it a try. 

 

 

These muffins are made with lots of grated vegetables........they are so good, I will definitely make them again. 

In a big bowl add: 1/2 cup grated apple, 1/2 cup grated carrots, 1/2 cup grated zucchini or beets, and 1/3 cup of brown sugar, 1 shot of honey (1 Tblsp) 1/2 cup olive oil and 2 eggs. Gently mix this all together and then add 1 cup flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon and a tiny salt. Fold all together. Last, fold in 1/3 cup of raisins and 1/3 cup flaky coconut. Bake is greased muffin tins at 350 degrees for about 20 min. I made mine in a mini muffin tin, as it makes me think I can eat 12 of them and I won't be eating as much! I also left out the raisins and then my dogs can have one as a treat. Bake in the mini tin for about 15 min.

Do you feel guilty if you don't clean your plate even if you are full?

Breathing Rosemary can help to increase your memory.........I am filling my house with rosemary!

Do you know how to tell if a pineapple is ripe? This came from my son, the Chef, Dustin, pull on the leaves in the center at the top, if they come loose, its ripe. All these years I've been smelling it. LOL!

My daughter, Misty, bought me a Himalayan salt lamp. I am so excited.....it is suppose to remove all the impurities in the air. It also tastes good!

I will be working on posting pictures of my food dishes...............please be patient......