Yummy Mexican Stuff

Here is a really yummy Mexican casserole I dreamed up recently.  It all started when I found these rolls of taco-seasoned ground turkey in the freezer case at Wal-Mart for $1 apiece.  I had planned to use them in tacos or burritos, but that never happened.  What did happen was this delicious combination of meat, salsa, corn, cottage cheese, sour cream, and cheddar cheese topped with a cornbread crust.  And believe it or not, this tastes even better as left overs the next day. 

My family says this is good.

Correction:

My family says this is great!

No.

My family says "This is the MONEY!"

For real.  This is amazing.  You gotta try it.

Start by browning the two pounds of ground turkey and drain well. Obviously, you could use ground beef and just add some taco seasoning.  But we really like the flavor and soft texture of this ground turkey.  And it's cheap!   I don't know about where you are, but around here, ground beef runs almost three times more per pound.  So I'm sticking with this turkey for as long as I can find it.

Next add corn, salsa, sour cream, and cottage cheese.  Believe me when I tell you that the amounts are strictly up to you.  I use about a half a cup of everything but the sour cream.  For that, I use 1/4 cup.

Now, sprinkle this with about a cup of shredded cheddar cheese.  More or less.  More is good. 

Finally, mix up my cornbread recipe and spread if over the top to the edges of the casserole.  Do yourself a favor and try my cornbread recipe.  You won't be sorry.  I've tried boxes before and mine is way better.  Just saying.

OK, for those of you who want exact amounts, here you go.  And the cornbread recipe follows as well.  Obviously, you could halve this.  But then you'll need to halve the cornbread recipe or it will be WAY too much.  And it gets to be difficult halving an egg, you know?  Seriously, if you have a little family of dainty eaters, by all means, halve the recipe.  And you could just bake the other half of the cornbread in a separate pan or iron skillet, freeze it, and eat it later.  Whatever blows your skirt up.

Laura Lee's Yummy Mexican Stuff

2 lbs taco-seasoned ground turkey, browned and drained
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup corn (frozen or canned,drained)
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Layer all the above ingredients in a lightly greased (sprayed with Pam) 9X13" casserole dish.  (It doesn't really layer, so just smoosh it all around.)

Spread cornbread batter over top.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until cornbread is golden brown.


Cornbread Crust

1 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 1/4 cups flour

Place dry ingredients in a bowl.  Place liquid ingredients in another bowl and mix well; pour into dry ingredients and mix well.  Spread on top of casserole.

I was so hungry, I didn't take the time to get a great picture of the final product.  But you get the general idea. 

OK, I'm hungry now.

Love,

Like Cold Molasses in January

I feel like I've been moving in slow motion since the New Year.  The Christmas decorations are down, but not all put away.  The house looks a little less heavy--like it's undertaken a New Year's weight loss plan.  The lighter, less-cluttered space would normally prompt me to start some fresh projects.  It's just been so C~O~L~D here the past three weeks, all I want to do is just curl up on the couch, by the fire, under a warm quilt, with a cup of hot tea and a good read.  I feel about as sluggish as a bottle of cold molasses in January.

Not that there is anything wrong with relaxing a little after a busy holiday season.  We had lots of company, so there wasn't much time to be lazy.  I'm just making up for it now.

January is a good month for hand-quilting.  I started this quilt a few weeks ago, before the company started arriving.  It was super simple to cut out the five inch, mostly flowery squares from my stash and piece them together in rows.  When I started, I had no idea if I would machine or hand quilt it.  I wanted it to be the perfect cuddle quilt, and machine quilting is stiffer.  So I opted to hand quilt it, one quarter inch from all the seams.  Easy peasy.  Just time-consuming.  But, that's ok.  'Cause I have all winter!

So did you make New Year's Resolutions?  I never do, really.  However, the girls and I have "resolved" to take an afternoon walk each day that the weather is above 40 degrees and it's not raining.  And I've started B90X, reading the Bible through in 90 days.  It sounds like some heroic feat, but really, it's very doable.  So far, I've been able to do the daily readings in just under an hour.  I'm really looking forward to moving along at a fast clip, because I've never read the Bible through in one grand sweep.

What else...

I've made lots of soup so far this winter.  I'll post one of those recipes soon.  Oh!  And I baked the BEST bread the other day.  My sister-in-law, Beth, shared this recipe for Orange Oat Cranberry Bread.  Oh my goodness!  Baking this made the kitchen whole downstairs smell heavenly.  (There were more cranberries than this picture shows. )  This one is going straight to the inside of the cupboard door, where I tape my favorite recipes so I can see them at a glance.

Give this one a try!

Orange Oat Cranberry Bread

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 egg

Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine the milk, orange juice, oil, and egg.  Add to the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.  Bake in on 9X5 inch loaf pan, or two smaller loaf pans for 50-60 minutes.  Cool in pan.  Remove from pan to rack to continue cooling.  (Bake for shorter time is using two smaller pans.)

Love,

Blue Ribbon Almond Roca Cookies

As soon as I ran across this recipe for Blue Ribbon Almond Roca Cookies, I knew it was a "must-try."  Seriously.  Butter, toffee bits, almonds, and chocolate?  Who could resist?  This recipe comes from an Emeril holiday cookie contest, and as the name implies, these took home the top prize.  It's no wonder either; they are absolutely incredible!  The cookie itself is wonderfully chewy, but the toffee bits add just the perfect amount of crunch.  If my family's initial reaction to these cookies is any indication,  they are going to be a Christmas tradition around our house.  These were flying off the cooling racks faster than I could manage to get the chocolate drizzled on the tops!

These cookies are super simple to make.  Just cream your butter and sugars with the eggs and vanilla flavoring.  Then add the dry ingredients and the toffee bits.  Shape them into little 1" balls and roll them in ground almonds.

  Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes.  Let cool and drizzle with melted milk chocolate.

Oh, and you may need an accountability partner in the kitchen with you, as it's almost impossible to stay out of the dough.  Don't say I didn't warn you!

So, are you ready for Christmas?  It's just one week from today!  Amidst the festivities, food, and family gatherings, we're trying to focus on the One whom the holiday celebrates, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Have a beautiful weekend!

Love,

Cinna-mint Chalets and Gumdrop Cottages

Making gingerbread houses is a tradition in our home.  Usually we just buy a kit because everything we  need is all in one box....the pre-cut gingerbread, the candies, and the icing.  Plus, we can get it completed, cleaned up, and displayed before everyone runs out of patience with the whole thing.

This year was different, however.  We were invited to a gingerbread house-making party and couldn't find a kit anywhere in town!  Not allowing this little inconvenience to dissuade us, we instead opted for the graham cracker knock-off version.  Frankly, the results were quite gratifying!  It was a bit more work on our part, which also forced us to be more creative.   And our patience got a work-out as well! 

Cinna-mint Chalet under construction.  The only tricky part was not munching candy canes while I worked.

See the teeny-tiny house Maggie designed?  It stands less than two inches high!  I was amazed by her perseverance on that one.

Gumdrop Cottage--I like the shingles on this one.

Another weensy little Maggie creation.  She was really into making houses from the graham cracker scraps.  Her snowy roof is liberally sprinkled with non-pariels, naturally.   I just adore her gumdrop and candy cane trees.

The whole village. 

(The short, squatty houses are actually orange juice cartons that we cut down and used as frames.)

Seriously, playing with cookies, candy, and icing is therapeutic for whatever ails you.  Highly, highly recommended if you're feeling a bit stressed!

Love,

Sewing Room Christmas Tree

Thinking my creative workspace needed a touch of Christmas cheer, I set out to find just the right tree for my sewing room. As soon as I spotted this shiny aqua blue tree I knew it was just the one.

The garland we made from batting scraps and beads. Holly and Maggie strung that together for me.

Most of the "ornaments" are tiny pieces of fabric pinned on with pastel safety pins.

I've been saving thread spools for months, planning to tie them on the tree with gingham ribbon.

A little paint and voila!...happy little spool ornaments!

Gussied up with a little scrappy tree skirt, now it's all finished!

Why yes, Bella, that's what you think it is! How could we forget you?

Love,

It's Up, By Golly!

Finally finished, "Oh, By Golly!" has its own little wall this Christmas.

Keeping it company are some friendly little bears and rocking horses.

And there in a basket are some of my books from when I was a 'widdle' girl.

Several of the motifs on this quilt were inspired by characters from the book,

The Christmas Snowman. 

I'm smiling as I remember happy, childhood memories of Christmas Past.

Love,

We Have a Winner, and a Winner, and a Winner!

I can't even tell you how glad I am that this little drawing is over!  I've been so excited all day to see who won "If Only In My Dreams."

After a hefty lunch, while most of the couches and beds were filled with happy nappers, I was finishing up the little ornaments I promised to give away.   Then I had to print out all the entries.  And finally, I had to make a list of all the name suggestions.  All these little loose ends needed to be finished before we could get to the fun part!

Ryan volunteered to be the official name drawer.  We tossed the names into a Christmas gift bag and he wasted no time pulling out a winner.

Gena Lewis!!!  

Come on down!  You won my little Christmas quilt!!

Gena lives here right here in A-town!  We attend the same church.  And her dog Luke is Bella's brother.  So gosh, that makes us practically family, right Gena??

Gena, I just realized I misspelled your name on your entry!  Sorry, girl!

Next it was Tom's turn.  Name suggestions in hand, he moved to the living room so he'd have fewer distractions.  Does my man take his job seriously, or what?

 It was a tough, but he loves a challenge. 

Meet Niño Blanco Frio!  Tom thought this was great:  Cold White Boy!  Ha Ha!  Monica Wells, you get to hang this little guy on your tree!

So far, so good.  Two A-Town girls.  No shipping yet....

Till....

...it came time to name this little cutie.

Meet Piccolo, who was named by Becky Chennault.  Piccolo will be winging her way across the ocean to... Nanjing, China!  Piccolo is VERY happy about that.  She may never stop singing now!

Seriously, this was loads of fun!  Thanks everyone for your great name suggestions, for playing along, and for making this drawing one I won't forget.  I love all of you!

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

Now it's MY turn for a nap!

Love,