Wednesday, March 12, 2014

I Think I'll Be an Expert

As I look around the Internet, I see a  lot of sites about a lot of topics, all written by experts in their fields. Now, I don't know how these experts got to be experts, or who declared them experts, but I'm sure they are because they sound so experty. They speak with authority and confidence.

I've decided that I can be an expert too. In fact, I'm not satisfied with being an expert in only one area. I can be an expert in multiple fields; I just need to write with that tone of expertiness.

Let me share some of my expert advice:

Parenting

Don't kill them if you want to have grandchildren someday. I assure you, as an expert grandparent myself, that grandchildren are worth all the trouble of keeping your kids alive.
Walking the floor with a fussy slobbery granddaughter, and loving it!

Blog Design

You're going to want to include lots of things on your website, and that's good. You should include things like a header, some social networking icons, a link for readers to subscribe, links to popular posts, a way for readers to contact you, a link to your other pages, and hopefully some advertising. Just don't forget to leave some room for your actual blog posts. That's pretty important for a blog.

Job Seeking

Job is right between Esther and Psalms.

Cooking

Okay, I'm going to tell you how to make my mom's Enchilada Casserole. Sorry there's no picture, but I haven't had a need to cook this much food in a while. You all know this is not a cooking blog, but I am an expert cook. So let's get started. Here's how you get ready:
  1. Chop up an onion and a bell pepper
  2. Grate some cheddar cheese, oh about a pound. More or less.
  3. Brown a pound of ground beef and season it with some chili powder, salt, pepper, and garlic powder (or use fresh garlic). Drain.
Now add a half a bottle of taco sauce and 2-3 small cans of tomato sauce to the ground beef. Stir in the chopped bell pepper. Heat that all up until it's warm.

Now go find your 9x13" casserole dish. Also find some corn tortillas. They probably shouldn't be in the same place, but I don't know you very well, so whatever. I won't judge.

In the dish make layers like this:
  • Tortillas
  • Sauce
  • Onion
  • Cheese
Keep making layers until you're out of ingredients. I don't mean all the ingredients in your kitchen; that would just be silly. The ingredients in this recipe will do just fine.

Now you take your dish full of ingredients, cover it with foil, and put it into a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take it out and serve it with some stuff like a salad, some corn, and a nice loaf of sourdough bread.

Let the kids do the dishes. It won't kill them. Now how's that for a full circle of expertiness?



Thursday, March 6, 2014

No Bake Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies

I can't believe I missed it! March 1 was National Peanut Butter Day, and I didn't know it until now! I hate missing such an important date. It's like missing my own birthday (which is coming up on March 19 if you wanted to send small monetary gifts). 


By Alex Buell (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons

According to Wikipedia, the history of peanut butter goes back to the Aztecs. Chalk another one up to the Aztecs who also brought us chocolate. Just think, if not for the Aztecs, we wouldn't have Reese's Peanut Butter Cups! I think we need a National Thank an Aztec Day!

Anyway, in light having missed National Peanut Butter Day, I want to share my favorite peanut butter recipe. I don't know where it came from or where my mom got it, but it's been in the family since my early teens. It's so easy that I was able to make it way back then. It's so yummy that nobody can eat just one. You may have made them yourself, in which case you know I'm telling the truth!


I'm talking about the peanut buttery goodness of No Bake Surprise Cookies! You heard me! NO BAKE! You don't need a cookie sheet; you just need a sauce pan. So with no further ado, let me share that recipe.

Bear in mind, this is not a cooking blog, as I have mentioned before. So you'll have to bear with me because I have to do this my own way.

Let's start by getting out that sauce pan. While you're at it, get out:
3 cups of oatmeal (I guess the one-minute kind is what we've always used.)
3/4 cup of peanut butter (We prefer creamy, but I don't suppose chunky would hurt anything if you really insist.)
1 cube butter (That's 1/2 cup just in case your cubes are different where you're from. Also, use real butter, not that runny margarine. Real Butter!)
1/2 cup milk (Whatever kind you have in the house is fine. We use 2%, but whatever.)
2 cups sugar (I said delicious, not low-cal.)
1 tsp vanilla (I have no comment on vanilla. It's just so...vanilla!)
1/2 cup cocoa (optional) (I've made it with and without, and it's really yummy either way. Go with your heart on this one.)

Now here are your directions:
1. Bring butter, milk, and sugar to a rolling boil in your sauce pan. (Where else?)
2. Boil 1 minute and remove from heat.
3. Stir in remaining ingredients (oatmeal, peanut butter, vanilla, and cocoa).
4. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper, and allow to cool. 

Delicious peanut buttery yumminess with chocolatey goodness!

  Dig in, but don't overindulge because...well, okay. Overindulge. Save some for the kids though. Because that's just the nice thing to do.


Have you ever eaten these before? Aren't they the yummiest? What's your favorite peanut butter recipe?

Oh, and happy belated National Peanut Butter Day.