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So, it’s Friday and y’all know what that means, time for a list. Not that I always do lists on Fridays, but there’s always a good chance I will because honestly, how much can one person come up with in a week? And really, after writing about bowling yesterday, there is just no where to go but down. Plus, some of y’all asked me some questions which gives me the perfect opportunity to answer them and appear to be writing a post all at the same time.
1.? My new jeans. Yes, Gulley liked the new jeans, but how could she not? Especially considering that they are named “The Rocker”. I mean at this stage of life we’ll take our rockstar status where we can get it.
2.? Black tights. According to the Neiman Marcus website and their fall trends, black tights will be in for Fall. This brings me no small amount of joy because I do love the black tight.? It hasn’t really been acceptable for the last several years and I have missed it. Granted, the last time they were in I was still young enough to wear them with short skirts and that day may have since passed me by.
In fact, right after P and I got married, I received my first bonus check as a pharmaceutical rep. It was more money than I’d ever made at one time (which isn’t saying much) and I bought myself this suit at Ann Taylor. It was the most expensive outfit I’d ever purchased and I was giddy with the fashion buying power. It was a cranberry red wool suit with a belted pea coat jacket and a short matching skirt. I adored it and wore it for several years with black tights and cute black shoes. Then, it went out of style but I never could let it go, plus, the jacket still looked cute with jeans.
Last fall when I was cleaning out my closet, I saw the skirt hanging there and decided to try it on. Surely it must have shrunk from being in my closet all those years because I cannot even imagine I ever wore a skirt that short. The only explanation is that the black tights made it okay.
Welcome back, black tights. I have missed you and your miraculous leg-enhancing abilities.
And Neimans, if you’re wrong about the black tights then you are dead to me. If you’re going to be wrong about anything, please let it be the high waisted pants.
3. Several people asked for the recipe for the cookies I mentioned yesterday. The name of the cookies is the Three Chocolate Cookies, not the Triple Chocolate Cookies like I said. Either way, it’s a trio of chocolatey goodness and they will change your life and your waistline.
Three Chocolate Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (I’d like to make a joke about the use of butter and shortening but I can’t because I’m too distracted by the sound of my arteries closing up)
3/4 cup sugar
1 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 (12 ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels
1 cup milk chocolate morsels
3 (1-ounce) squares bittersweet chocolate, chopped (or you can just buy dark chocolate chips)
1 cup almond brickle chips (basically chopped up Heath bar, which you can buy in a bag)
Preheat oven to 375.? Lightly grease baking sheets.
With an electric mixer, beat butter and shortening at medium speed until creamy; gradually add sugars, beating until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating well.
In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended.? Stir in chocolate morsels and almond brickle chips. Drop cookies by 1/4 cupfuls about 3-inches apart onto prepared baking sheets (this is assuming you have any dough left after eating as much of it as you can fit in your mouth at one time).? Bake for 11-12 minutes, or until lightly browned.? Let cool.
Gulley makes the best chocolate chip cookies in the world. They are legendary, but these run a close second and that is saying something. Paula knows how to make a cookie, y’all. Not that there was ever any doubt.
4.? To counterbalance the Three Chocolate Cookies, I’m going to give y’all the recipe for what I cooked for dinner last night. It’s from the July issue of Cooking Light and it was DEE-LICIOUS. P even liked it, and AJ came over for dinner and she liked it too. It was a hit and it’s healthy, which means that you can eat as many cookies as you want for dessert.
Chicken Chilaquiles
2 cups shredded skinless, boneless chicken breasts (I used rotisserie because chicken on the bone or in it’s raw form grosses me out to no end.? I have issues.)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers
2 tbs grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup low fat milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (this is totally optional and I opted out because, in my opinion, cilantro is more disgusting than chicken on the bone)
1 (11 ounce) can tomatillos, drained
1 (4.5 ounce) can chopped green chilies ( I used extra spicy because I am a Rocker)
12 corn tortillas
Preheat oven to 375.? Combine chicken, green onions, Mont. Jack cheese, parmesan, chili powder, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Place milk and next 3 ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Pour 1/2 of tomatillo mixture into bottom of an 11 x 7 inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Arrange 1/2 of cut up tortillas on top of tomatillo mixture and top with chicken. Repeat layer with tomatillo sauce, then tortillas, then chicken. Sprinkle top with Monterey Jack cheese. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until bubbly.
Honestly, this was the best recipe I’ve tried in my new Cooking Light initiative. Of course, I served it with chips and guacamole which probably made it a little less healthy, but a lot more fun. The best part was it was so easy.
5. I realize I have now posted three recipes for the week. I don’t want y’all to start feeling like I’ve gone all “Ladies Home Journal” on you, but it just seems like I’ve done a lot of cooking this week. It’s because of the rain. And in the immortal words of Milli Vanilli, “blame it on the rain”.
Y’all have a great weekend!