"No, you know what's sexy? Turkey chili," - Leslie Knope [parks and recreation]

nothing drives a woman to get creative with food like sub-zero temperatures and a hungry fiance.  having perfected a pretty effortless homemade chili recipe for nights i can't be bother to do more than brown meat and open cans, i figured it was time to mix things up in an equally unchallenging way.

result:  some very tasty, very easy turkey chili-mac

according to steve, both times he heated this up for leftovers at work he was complimented for making the lunch room smell fantastic.  i promise it's tasty.  lets forge ahead, shall we?

you will need:

~1 lb ground turkey

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tbsp minced garlic (about 3 cloves)

3 tbsp cumin (or more to taste)

1 tbsp chili powder (or more to taste)

1 tsp cayanne powder (more or less to taste)

1 bay leaf

1 can great northern white beans (drained)

2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes with onions

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 6 oz can tomato paste

1/3 lb uncooked farfalle (or similar small pasta)

mexican blend shredded cheese

boil water and cook the pasta, drain and set aside.

brown the turkey and drain the fat then add everything except shredded cheese and cooked pasta.  allow mixture to simmer on medium low for approximately 20 minutes give or take.  

finally:  add pasta before serving and smother with shredded cheese on top.

it may not look pretty, but it tastes pretty.

chicken lo mein recipe

confession:  i'm obsessed with chinese food.

obstacle:  ann arbor has ROUGH chinese delivery selection.

solution:  this recipe.

steve and i are in money-retention mode (omg greece yay).  this means we've been doing a lot of home cooking lately, and i'd hate for any of you to miss out on the latest and greatest dinnertime deliciousness.  i'd long been intimidated by attempts to cook lo mein, but devil may care we went for it and my oh my was it good (and far easier than expected).  note: quantities are approximations as i was mostly just throwing things into a skillet.  try playing around with  the ingredients to taste.

you will need:

1-2 chicken breasts (sliced into strips)

1 lb spaghetti

3/4 cup matchstick sliced carrots

1/4 cup chopped scallions

1/4 cup diced onion

1 cup diced baby bella mushrooms

1 tsp pre-minced garlic (about 3 cloves)

olive oil

sesame oil

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce

2/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup honey

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tbsp brown sugar

cook the spaghetti al dente, drain and set aside.  do not rinse.  while noodles are cooking, dice up the necessary vegetables.

saute the chicken with the garlic and diced onion (not the scallions) in sesame oil.  when chicken is nearly cooked, add the carrots and mushrooms.

once the chicken is cooked and the mushrooms have started to brown (but before they are fully reduced) add the cooked noodles and scallions and reduce heat to medium-low.  pour the soy sauce over the noodles, and if they are stuck together, add a little olive oil to loosen them up from their sticky pasta mass.  add the teriyaki sauce, honey, rice vinegar, ginger, and brown sugar and toss the noodles with the vegetables and chicken until the sauce is mixed.

that's it!  all that's left is stuffing your belly!

recipe: insanely easy, over the top incredible, ultra- creamy crockpot cheese fondue

i am a woman who is passionate about dip.

call me crazy, but sometimes life just tastes a little better when you're dunking food into other food.  when i was growing up my family always held a fondue night on new years eve, which was essentially an excuse to feast excessively for many hours on end.  every year someone attempts to whip up the tres gourmet cheese fondue recipe that is full of expensive cheese without letting it burn or curdle.  while i can honestly say it's always phenomenal-tasting, i wondered if i could invent a yummy, easier-to-make, budget friendly version for steve and i to stuff into our bellies.

not trying to brag or nuthin' but the results were pretty darn amazing tasting!!  it is sharp, it is creamy, and it is guaranteed to be a whole lot easier than constantly stirring a double boiler.  it's definitely going to be a go-to party dish of mine, and i can promise, despite the excess of velveeta, you won't be able to stop eating it until you're out of dipping supplies.

note: the following recipe yields a very large quantity of delicious fondue, some measurements are approximations

you will need:

crusty bread for dipping (or crackers, salami, veggies, whatever)

1 (32 oz) brick of velveeta

1 (8 oz) brick of cream cheese

3 slices kraft swiss singles

1 1/2 cups semi-dry white wine (riesling is your best bet)

2 tbsp cumin

2 tbsp onion powder

2 tbsp garlic powder

salt and pepper

optional: water, beef broth, or chicken broth

 cut up the bread, velveeta, and cream cheese into cubes.  resist temptation to carbo-load on bread whilst making fondue.

put cubed velveeta and cream cheese into the crockpot with 3 slices of kraft swiss singles.  set crockpot on high for 1-2 hours to melt the processed cheese products.  once the cheese has melted enough, stir the combination into a blended consistency (a few remaining unmelted lumps are fine).

when cheese is blended add the white wine and stir into a smooth consistency.  stir in cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste.  switch crockpot to low and let it sit for about another hour.  if the fondue is too thick once ingredients are all blended and melted add broth (i used beef broth, but i imagine chicken works fine as well) or water to thin.

dip your bread (or whatever form of cheese to mouth transportation you've selected) and enjoy!