September update

I love September and I really enjoy fall: getting out all the decorations, changing up the wardrobe, red wine, college football, memories of tailgating, its all so lovely. The only part I dont like is what's coming later but I'm in denial and ignoring that for now.  So its been a little quiet on the ol' blog lately, I owe you an explanation. I have been knocked down by the plague/black lung/bronchitis/insert awful illness here. Technically I guess its been called bronchitis but its been a long, slow recovery. Im feeling a little more spunky tonight after a weekend full of couchin' it. Maybe Im on the upswing. All that said, I have not really been interested in preparing foods for my loved ones the past couple of weeks. Coughing germs into a meal sounds less than appealing. So instead I have done some surfing on the internet - have you heard of or visited Pintrest? Don't do it unless you have an hour to spare. This site is wonderful! I really enjoy and I am collecting a lot of great ideas.

The one thing I did prepare was a Jalapeno Popper Dip Mishap. It was quite good I am told but I don't care to look at a jalapeno for a very long time. A friend at work has a garden and brought in some goodies so I took 3 jalapenos and then it took me a week to figure out what to do with them. I settled on making a version of a dip I read about on allrecipes. Here's what I did:

3 fresh jalapenos, diced (next time I will use a 4 oz can)
1 can diced green chiles (4 oz)
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayo
Parmesan Cheese
Combine all ingredients except the Parmesan in a bowl and stir. Pour into an oven safe dish, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake at 350* for 20 minutes (or so). Serve with crackers or pita bread.

So why do I call this a mishap? Well, I was being very careful chopping the peppers but because I had this unpredictable illness my nose began to run. I picked up a paper towel from the counter to wipe my nose and continue. Turns out the paper towel had jalapeno seeds on it. Ouch. Awful awful pain in my nose. And on my hands. This lasted about one hour. I had to stop my preparations and have Josh Google ways to remove jalapeno oil while I held ice to my face. Turns out the home remedies include rubbing alcohol, olive oil, or lemon juice. Not at the same time. Im generally much more graceful than this. I will blame the illness for my inability to think clearly. Ive had a few other moments I'm not proud of in the last week or so, that is why I stayed close to home this weekend. I was unable to capture a photo because getting out the camera was the last thing on my mind.

Give the dip a try, be more careful than I was!

Another thing to love about September?  ArtPrize!

Ramen Noodle Coleslaw Salad

Happy Labor Day! I hope everybody had a wonderful weekend. We spent ours up north at Columbus Beach in Indian River with the Shaull family. You probably know how much I love Northern Michigan by now and this weekend did not disappoint despite the rain and 60* weather. Saturday we planned to play golf but it was raining so we postponed that until Sunday and instead got into a heated game of Monopoly. Aunt Terri cleaned up. I didn't lose. That's all I have to say about that. Then we went to lunch and by the time we came back the sun was shining so we headed out for a pontoon boat ride. We came home and made a delicious dinner - burgers on the grill, sweet corn, coleslaw salad, and all the fixins. I've made this coleslaw salad a few times this summer. It generally goes over pretty well and its really easy to make.

You'll need:
1-2 packages of coleslaw
1/2 package of cabbage (purple) - this is my secret, it adds color and makes it look prettier. Use full package if you use 2 packages of coleslaw
2-3 bunches of green onion (3 bunches if you use 2 packages of coleslaw)
1 cup Oil - I do 1/2 canola, 1/2 olive
1/2 cup Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Sunflower Seeds
3 packages Ramen Noodles Chicken Flavor

Combine the seasoning packets from the Ramen Noodles (I use 1-2 packets), sugar, oil, and cider vinegar in a bowl. Whip until fluffy. Mix the Sunflower seeds, coleslaw, onion and cabbage in a large bowl. Combine the wet & dry ingredients. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Just before serving crush up the Ramen Noodles (I do 1.5 packets but you could do up to 3 if you used all of the coleslaw and cabbage). What I have found as Ive made this a time or two is that if you use too much oil it can create a pool underneath the colelsaw, and if you use too many ramen noodles it becomes more about the noodles and less about the salad. You can make this to fit your taste. There are many variations to this recipe. I like this version best of course.

On Sunday morning we went golfing and had lunch at the course. Then we packed up and headed home. Monday we spent doing chores and yard work. We are ready for fall! I can't believe I just said that.

Sorry I do not have a photo of this one... I'll snap one the next time I make it. Enjoy!