Tex-Mex Corn Casserole

The first time I ever ate this casserole it was prepared for me by my cousin at a dinner

party. It was the highlight of my meal. This is not merely cornbread with corn in it, NO! This is a creamy, moist side dish that is pure yumminess. Each sweet bite has a pop from the corn kernels; there is richness from the cream cheese and a salty twang from the cheddar cheese. I really like the slow warm kick afterwards from the Jack cheese and jalapenos. This is by far better than just plain corn bread!

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes of Jiffy Corn Bread Mix (or Martha White…however, I like Jiffy because it is sweeter.) 
• 2 eggs – discard the shells 
• ½ cup milk 
• 1 bag of frozen corn (do not cook) – approximately 2 cups to 3 cups. 
• 1 (8oz) Cream Cheese – room temperature 
• 1 (8 oz.) container sour cream 
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese – grated 
• ½ cup Monterrey Jack cheese – grated 
• 1 stick of butter – melted
• ¼ cup of chopped red bell peppers 
• 4 Tablespoons sliced jalapenos – I chop them finely 
• 2 Tablespoons of fresh cilantro – chopped finely

Directions:

1. Generously spray a large glass casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
3. Melt the butter in a covered dish in the microwave (approximately 1 minute on medium power)[1]
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream and butter. Mix on medium speed until creamy.
5. Next, add in the cornbread mix, eggs and milk and mix on medium speed until combined.
6. Stir in the frozen corn, cheeses, jalapenos and cilantro.
7. Pour the thick batter into the prepared casserole dish. Be sure to scrape the sides of the mixing bowl to get out all the delicious batter.
8. Bake in 350°F oven just until the sides are bubbly and the top is a light golden brown; About 25-35 minutes. The center will still be slightly gooey but firm.

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[1] All microwaves have different wattage. It is better to heat in 30 second increments than to overheat. Always use microwave safe dishes in the microwave. Cover the food as it is cooking to prevent splatter.

Lemon Bar (Brownies)

I am a great fan of brownies. Why? Because they are chocolaty, warm, gooey, and chewy; basically, comfort food. I stumbled across this recipe for lemon brownies when I looking through my old recipe files. My great aunt used to make these during Easter time. Us kids would eat as many as we could before getting caught.

These lemon bars are basically the same texture as a traditional brownie, but with an extra "Wow-wee"! 

Now, these brownies do not have cocoa or chocolate in them, so I have chosen to call them “lemon bars”, but they are the same gooey consistency of brownies with the sweet and sour tartness of lemons! I doubled this recipe because they did not last long in our family of five. These are lemon-y-licious!

Ingredients for the Lemon Bars:

• 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour 
• ½ cup granulated sugar 
• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk 
• ½ cup of lemon juice – about 3 medium/large lemons 
• Zest from the three lemons 
• 1 large egg (discard the shell) 
• ½ teaspoon salt 
• ½ teaspoon baking soda 

Lemon Glaze Ingredients:

• 11/2 cups powdered sugar 
• The juice of 2 lemons (add about a tablespoon or two of water if the glaze is too thick) 
• The zest from the two lemons
  I also like to add a couple of drops of lemon food coloring to make the yellow, POP!

Directions for Lemon Bars:

1. Preheat oven 375°F. 
2. Generously spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray (9” x 13” x 2”) – set aside. 
3. Wash and dry the lemons. Using a rasp or small grater, zest[i] the outside of the skin of the lemons into a bowl. 
4. Next, cut the lemons in half or quarters and squeeze the juice from the lemons into a separate bowl. Remove any seeds. 
5. In a large mixing bowl, empty the can of sweetened condensed milk, be sure to scrape out the entire contents well. 
6. Add in the zest, lemon juice, sugar, and egg. Mix well with a hand mixer (or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment). (The liquid gets stiff as it sets and this is normal as the lemon juice is reacting to the cream in the sweetened condensed milk.) 
7. Add in the flour, salt, and baking soda, and then slightly stir with a wooden spoon to prevent a flour cloud. Then use the mixer to finish combining all ingredients well. 
8. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Place on the center rack in the oven and bake for 35 minutes. The bars will be gooey in the center and not look done. DO NOT OVER BAKE! 
9. Remove the bars and place the dish on a cooling rack and allow them to cool for 20 minutes before cutting. 
10. Serve warm. 
11. Store leftovers in a sealed container and refrigerate. They can be stored for 1 week in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer. 

Directions for Lemon Glaze: I make this glaze after the lemon bars have cooked and are out of the oven. I use a toothpick and punch a lot of holes in the top so that this will ooze down inside the hot bars! Pour and spread the glaze over the hot bars. 

1. Zest and juice the two lemons 
2. Add them to the powdered sugar. 
3. Mix until the lumps are gone. Spread over the warm lemon bars.

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[i] Zest: the thin outer rind of the peel of a citrus fruit that is cut, scraped, or grated to yield a sharp fruity flavoring for foods and drinks. Encarta Dictionary – N. America

Face-Lift an Ugly Box with Material

I have a small apartment and we have a large television. To a man, if it isn't broke, don't fix it. However, a woman wants all the "Guy stuff" to look appealing to the the eyes if it has to be in the main room of the home.
The electronics console table is supported with large casters and there are three black canvass boxes, below for storage. However, ,most of this entire unit is ugly. I could, at least, decorate these hideous boxes that don't really fit with our decor in the room.
I headed off to the local hobby store and bought some colorful material, modge podge, upholstery tacks and recovered the fronts of these boxes. It took me about 2 hours, but they turned out really nice.
Also, I plan on covering the backs of these boxes with a Christmas material to flip around for the Christmas season. Dual duty. Nice!

Supplies:
Freezer Paper
Scissors
Mod Podge
Small sponge brush
hot glue gun & hot glue sticks
Hefty wire cutters
pliers

The Process:

1. I measured and cut some freezer paper to make a template of the size. Next, I measured and cut the material, about a half inch larger on all sides to fold over and make a nice, non-raveling edge.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Next, I used a sponge brush and brushed a thick layer of Mod Podge over the canvass box front.
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. I took the material and placed it over the the glued box. I folded under the edges to make them look crisp, and to prevent the material from unraveling.
   
4. Then, I too the upholstery tacks, which were too long for my box, and used some hefty wire cutters to cut the tips down to very short. I wanted the tacks to stick through the material and slightly into the box.
   
     
   
5. I used hot glue to tack down the edges of the material to the box.This allowed me to continue the process without waiting hours for the Mod Podge to dry.
   
6. I placed a small dot of hot glue where I was going to place a tack. I pressed the tack onto the hot glue, then I used the pliers to squeeze the tack into the material and box.
   
   
   
7. I repeated the process with all three boxes. I did not take the picture of all three boxes, but I will post one, maybe later. :D

Total time to complete all three boxes and clean up: 2 hours.

1 Hour Spaghetti Sauce

Everyone has their favorite recipe for spaghetti sauce. I enjoy a deliciously quick, homemade sauce. I'm not Italian but I can whip up a batch that is very good! 

I use the things I already had in my kitchen pantry. This spaghetti sauce turned out better than I had planned. The flavors and aroma are most delightful, as traditional sauce goes. 

I do not use wine, as a true Italian mom would use. However, even without the wine this spaghetti sauce is always a huge success. If you cook this recipe the day before and refrigerate it overnight, the flavors are really enhanced. But, if you have a hankerin' for a quick spaghetti dinner this recipe can be prepared, cooked, and served in about an hour. This is super molto delizioso!

Cooking Supplies:
chopping board
sharp chopping knife
can opener
(Optional) immersion blender (or blender)
6 quart, non-stick, sauce pan with lid
wooden spoon for stirring

Ingredients:

• One, 14.5 ounce can of Fire Roasted Tomatoes 
• One, 14.5 ounce can of chicken broth 
• One, 6 ounce can of tomato paste 
• 1 small yellow onion – peeled and sliced thinly 
• 3 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and chopped 
• ¼ cup carrots– peeled and sliced 
• ¼ cup of mixed red, orange and yellow bell peppers, seeded and chopped (you may purchase these in the produce area, already chopped). 
• ½ teaspoon salt 
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (or 1/2 teaspoon each of: rosemary, thyme, oregano) 
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder 
• ½ teaspoon onion powder 
• 1 tablespoon honey 
• 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

Directions:

1. Over medium-high heat, in a 6 quart sauce pan add in the olive oil and sauté the chopped onion, bell peppers, and carrots until tender but not mushy. 
2.  Next, add in and lightly sauté the chopped fresh garlic, but do not let it scorch; about 1 minute. 
3. Add in the cans of chicken broth, fire roasted tomatoes, and tomato paste; stir well. 
4. Add in the seasonings: honey, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and Italian seasons. Stir well. 
5. Cover with a lid, reduce heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Occasionally, take off the lid and stir the sauce well. Do not let the sauce stick on the bottom. 
6. Before serving, use an immersion blender and blend the sauce to smooth if you do not like chunky sauce. CAUTION, the sauce is very hot and will splash when using the immersion blender or blender, You may blend the veggies in the liquid before cooking. 
7. Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for 1 week or freeze for 3 months. 

NOTES:
I freeze any leftover sauce in ice cube trays. After they have frozen I remove them and place them in a sealed bag in the freezer. When I want a quick meal I microwave the sauce cubes in a microwave on High power for 1-2 minutes (covered). 

• 1 portion: 3 cubes. 
• 2 portions, 6 cubes.

Serve over cooked rice, spaghetti or ravioli. Great for a fast dinner!