Twelve: Don’t Want to Taco ‘Bout It

Two weeks ago I officially turned 30! Like I had mentioned before, I wasn’t having a hard time with turning 30 but for some unknown reason a half hour before midnight, I started crying and I couldn’t stop. Though it could have been from the kitchen disaster that this blog post is dedicated to, I’m more sure it was a straight feelings explosion of gratitude for the last 29 years and the incredible people and experiences that have gotten me to this point. I eventually pulled it together and got some sleep in preparation for what turned out to be the best birthday weekend I’ve had in a long time. Shout out to everyone who made the tears and the laughs happen - you da real MVPs.

The week leading up to my birthday I started my same job in a new location. That plus the stress of the mid week ice storm left me with saving most party prep things for the last minute, aside for the multiple Amazon Prime orders I placed throughout the week. On my way home from work Thursday, my last day of work for ten days, I made my stops at Total Wine (my new favorite place) and Stop & Shop where I grocery shopped off of a photo taken of the grocery list that I left at home. This was probably my first real hiccup of the day. I was buying too many things, didn’t cross anything out, and turns out, I forgot to write some things down in the first place. My contributions to the birthday get together I was hosting were mini buffalo chicken tacos, Texas caviar dip, my new go-to Greek inspired 7-layer dip, and a fun bar set up in the dining room. I’d seen a video online for these buffalo chicken tacos that I’d been eyeing for awhile and I thought it was the perfect occasion for them. Boy was I right - they were delightful, but also very, very wrong - they were a disaster.

In order to pull off the tacos, there were lots of steps to follow. I cut corners by using pre made buffalo sauce and rotisserie chicken, anything to work smarter, not harder. I bought larger tortillas that I planned on buying a circle cookie cutter to use to make the tiny shells. Hiccup #2 - couldn’t find said cookie cutter so I was going to have to freehand the mini shells. So while catching up on The Bachelor, I traced a lid that I thought was small enough with a knife until I created 40 small shells. It’s important to know I started with 40 because I certainly didn’t end this way.

I then was turning the soft shells into spicy, crispy shells. You do this by smothering the shells in buffalo sauce, then, according to that video; strategically placing the saucy shells folded on the bottom of a cupcake pan, open side up, and bake in the oven at 350 for 12 minutes until crispy. This is where hiccup #3-43 go down. Not only did I cut the shells too large so that I could only fit 6 shells at a time on the cupcake tin instead of double that, the size also made the shells fall open, more like a flower than a taco. In hindsight, could have made taco bowls or something out of them but was thinking I had so many extra shells to work with I could scrap them and move on (WRONG). So on my second batch, to try and get them to fold into recognizable taco shaped shells, I opted to place a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet and drape the shells over the rack. I go to spray everything down with cooking spray and run out mid coverage so I try to wipe everything down with a paper towel dipped in oil, send that round into the oven and hope for the best. In the meantime, I attempt the cupcake tray again, making another six shells while the 10 or so draped over the cooling rack become perfect little shells in the oven... until I pull them out and realized I didn't oil the cookie sheet down enough. The shells are ripping in half, bottom half stuck like glue to the cookie sheet. Can I chisel them slowly and gently off the cookie sheet with a butter knife? Nope. Do I have to throw out another round? Yup.

At this point, I'm shockingly not panicking about my messed up shells and since I've been enjoying a glass of two of wine or maybe more while cooking and it's 10pm, I know I'll have to wait in the morning to go back to the grocery store anyways and grab some cooking spray. At this point, I already have to go back for an ingredient I missed in the Texas Caviar Dip that I made throughout this shell debacle, and will find out in the morning I left ingredients for the Greek layer dip out on the counter overnight that needed to be refrigerated so those will get added to the grocery list too. A lot of time goes by as I'm picking up my bedroom and I realize that the second round of cupcake tray shells is STILL in the oven. Thankfully didn't set the house on fire but out comes a batch of black, completely inedible shells. Couldn't even call these bad boys "Cajun" or "blackened" because they are so far the point of no return. Into the trash they go too.

So if you're wondering why I'm even sharing this recipe with you if it's such a headache, know that I worked out all the kinks for you! Make sure the shells are small enough to fit on the cupcake sheet, 17 small shells should fit on the tray, not just six. Or if you're making bigger ones, use the cooling rack/cookie sheet method and spray the hell out of it. Cut corners when you can to make your life easier. Use the premade buffalo sauce and rotisserie chicken if you can.

Since this is a post about tacos, I'm also going to share with you some bacon shrimp tacos I learned how to make when I took a cooking class with my mom while I was in Arizona last week! SOOOO good! First buffalo, then bacon.

Recipe Twenty: Buffalo Chicken Tacos

Ingredients

8 flour tortillas cut into mini circles (mine we probably 5 inches in diameter and big)

1+ cup of Buffalo Sauce depending on how saucy you like it

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

1 scallion, finely chopped

6 oz cream cheese

Grated mozzarella

Pinch of salt

Ranch dressing (optional)

In medium size bowl, toss the small tortillas in 1/2 cup of buffalo sauce and arrange on the back of a cupcake tray or over the top of a cooling rack. Bake for about 10 minutes at 350 until crispy.

Meanwhile, combine chicken, cream cheese, 1/2 of your chopped scallions, and a pinch of salt in a bowl.

Once cooled, spoon a teaspoon of this mixture into each taco shell. Top with a pinch of mozzarella and arrange on a tray where they all fit and won't knock over and toppings spill out. Bake for 5 minutes at 350 or until cheese is melted. Top with the remainder of your scallions and enjoy!

For the record, got RAVE reviews from friends about these tacos. And yes, that picture shows all that was left for me to make day of the party (minus the test run one that I devoured prior to people showing up).

Recipe Twenty-One: Chipotle Shrimp and Bacon Tacos

Ingredients

12 oz bacon cut into small pieces (makes it easier to cut in small pieces if you throw it in the freezer for a 15 minutes prior to chopping)

1/2 red onion diced

2 lbs large raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut in half, tails removed

3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced

12 corn tortillas

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 lime, juiced

Salt to taste

In large, deep skillet, fry the bacon over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain the bacon fat. Add the onions to the pan with the bacon and cook 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent.

Stir in the shrimp and chipotle chiles. Sauté for about 5-6 minutes or until heated through.

Heat tortillas on an ungreased skillet over medium-high heat for 10-15 seconds. Turn and heat for another 5-10 seconds. You could also toss them in the microwave for a few seconds if you prefer.

Fill the heated tortillas with shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with cilantro, lime juice and salt.

So delicious and so easy, guys. Love hearing what you try out and what you think!

Enjoy!

- Kela

Eleven: Souper Bowl Sunday

Let's be real. This Sunday's Super Bowl match up isn't the most ideal game to watch for a New York Giants fan however that will not stop me from hanging out with some of my favorite people and eating some of the best game day snacks until I should have stopped eight chicken wings ago. In all honesty, way more excited about the Justin Timberlake halftime show and Pink singing the National Anthem than watching one of the teams I like the least win the biggest game of the year. Whatever - I'm not here to bash either team and may the best one win on Sunday. Add the fact that THE This is Us episode of the century is airing right after to the list of things I'm looking forward to more than the actual game. I'm probably not emotionally prepared for that so won't watch it that night and will save it for a time that I am ready to drown in a puddle of my own tears later on during the week. No spoilers please!

If you're looking for some fabulous game day dips to bring to the parties, scroll on back to Seven: When I Dip, You Dip, We Dip. But for now, I'm sharing with you the easiest, most delicious soup I've made in while - Stuffed Pepper Soup.

Recipe Nineteen: Stuffed Pepper Soup

Stuffed peppers will always remind me of my Grandma. When I was little, when she would make stuffed peppers or stuffed cabbage (galumpkis!), I would only ever eat the stuffing. To this day when she makes a batch of either, she'll give me a call because she put one aside for me - what a gem! Thankfully my palate has grown and I'm no longer anti-vegetables so that wasn't a concern with tonight's dinner. I bought a nice loaf of Italian bread to dunk in the broth and I would highly recommend doing the same. 

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef

6 cups water

2 bell peppers, chopped (I went for one green and one red)

2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules

1 can (28 oz.) tomato sauce

1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

2 cups cooked rice (I used long grain and made it easy by buying the Uncle Ben's microwave in a bag in 90 seconds package which equals 2 cups... work smarter, not harder, friends)

In a large pot over medium heat, cook and stir beef until no longer pink. I added salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to the meat while browning. Did I measure? No. Sorry to not be helpful. A couple shakes of each will do. Drain well after cooking or your soup will end up with an oily covering.

Add the peppers, water, beef bouillon, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes and bring to a rolling boil. 

Reduce heat and simmer on low uncovered until peppers are cooked through, approximately 25-30 minutes.

Add cooked rice and continue simmering uncovered for 10 minutes longer. Serve soup into bowls and allow a few minutes to cool so you don't burn your entire mouth from eating piping hot soup.

So easy! So delicious! So pumped to have lunch leftovers for the next few days!

Hope y'all enjoy! 

- Kela

Ten: Oodles of Newdles

Happy New Year, everyone! First blog post of 2018 (one of many, right Kela? Sure). I'm not a big resolutions person because frankly I'm terrible at actually following through with them, but as I typed that I thought that maybe I should make writing more blog posts the goal for 2018. Help keep me accountable? You know what works - asking me for the recipe of things I post on social media. It's how we got here today, well that and the foot of snow going down outside. Oh and the avoidance of taking down the Christmas tree, laundry, etc. that could be getting done today and instead are being put on the backburner so I can spend some time writing. Whatever. Check in tonight to see what I've actually gotten done.

Something BIG is happening in 2018 guys. In a little over a month, this girl turns 30. So far in my last few weeks of my twenties, I've watched the ball drop solo (went to a friend's house and decided to leave at 11pm because I'm actually 29 going on 70), joined a new dating app because I'm sick of the old ones that haven't worked out, won a month of free bagels from Panera, and tried to get into the new season of the Bachelor. I'd say there are a lot of wins in there so maybe 2018 will be my year. As for turning 30, I'm really not that stressed out about it. I know that 30 feels like what should be a major milestone in my life but the reality is that I'm not going to get married or have a kid in the next 6 weeks so there's no point in my wallowing over the fact that I'm not where I thought I would be, even when it seems like everyone else around me is checking off those boxes. Instead I'll be proud of the things I've accomplished in the last 29.9 years and look forward to seeing what's up next for me. I've got a good feeling about you 2018!

Another notable 2018 moment: last night's ramen upgrade. I knew I was in the mood for a noodle bowl of some sort but when browsing through the internet's many, many options, I opted to mix and match a few to get exactly what I wanted. I screen shot a few directions and ingredient lists and headed out to my local grocery store on the day before a blizzard. While everyone else was buying out the store, (why? It's not like we'll never be able to go to the grocery store again. And why is it always bread and milk that go first? I thought we're supposed to hate carbs and drink water) I headed down the international aisle to see what I could find. The recipe called for a few tablespoons each of rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and sriracha and though I was able to find them, it felt a little aggressive to buy three slightly expensive bottles of things to use for one recipe and then let them sit in the fridge until I tossed them. So instead I opted to buy a bottle of Kung Pao stir fry sauce, assuming that the flavor profiles would be pretty close and have the heat kick I was looking for. From there, I picked up some packages of Ramen, broth, and a few veggies, knowing I probably had soy sauce at home (I didn't have a bottle like I thought but instead used packets of soy sauce that you get from Chinese or sushi take-out), that I had baby carrots leftover from a NYE veggie platter, and that there was some leftover chicken that needed a little love or was destined for the trash soon. In total, I spent $6.96 and that includes the extra quart of chicken broth that I bought and the six pack of Ramen even though I only needed 2 - this sets me up to make it again soon with another small price tag. The recipe probably makes abut 4 servings aka $1.74 per serving! Amazing! I highly recommend giving this a shot - you'll love it! Most of my inspirations came from here.

Recipe Eighteen: Easy Ramen

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil (or sesame oil if you have it)
2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger
2 cloves of minced garlic
1/3 cup soy sauce
4 tablespoons stir fry sauce (or 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar and 2 tablespoons of Sriracha)
1 cup shredded carrots (I don't have a box shredder so I just finely chopped into strips)
4 cups broth (vegetable or chicken)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
2 3oz. packages of Ramen noodles (discard flavor packets)
1/2 cup sliced scallions
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or cut into small strips

Instructions
Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and simmer until fragrant.

Add soy sauce and cook for one minute, stirring to blend thoroughly and avoid burning.

Add broth and stir fry sauce. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. Add carrots and mushrooms and simmer lightly for at least 10-15 minutes. The longer it simmers, the better the depth of flavor so I covered it and went and watched an episode of Easy on Netflix (30ish minutes).

3 minutes prior to serving, add the Ramen noodles to the pot and cook for those same 3 minutes until cooked and tender.

To repurpose the chicken, I heated it in a skillet with a little stir fry sauce so all pieces were lightly coated. Doesn't take more than a few minutes.

Add some chicken to bowl and ladle the soup and noodles over the top. Garnish with scallions.

So easy guys! You can totally do this! I can't wait to hear how yours came out. I do have the means to make another batch or two so I may just be able to share with a few of you. I'm off to indulge in some leftovers. Thanks to those of you who reached out and asked for the recipe! Happy to share.

I genuinely hope that 2018 is your year!

- Kela

Nine: You Can Find Me on the Sidesline

Friends, we've made it to Thanksgiving week. I'm not sure how we got here, but we're here. Somewhere along the line we went from summer straight to winter (and now kind of back to fall for today only). Since last week, I've celebrated Friendsgiving and started a new family tradition of trial-running Thanksgiving sides with the siblings I won't be eating dinner with; instead we will be celebrating together in the morning with our traditional Thanksgiving street hockey game before going our separate ways for turkey time. Long before I was clued in on the tradition, my brother-in-law's family started playing street hockey in their cul-de-sac after dinner. Eventually the game moved to the morning, they passed out invites to neighbors and friends, started singing the National Anthem over a bullhorn and churning out fried dough for the fans. This year is the 10th Annual big group game and the fifth time I've gone out to show my support and participate. It's easily become one of my favorite Turkey Day traditions

Realistically, I don't offer much to the game other than sitting on the sidelines, adding my commentary and catching up with high school friends over a cocktail. While there are a handful of people at my ability level (read: competitive but not a anywhere near a NHL star), there are many, many high school and collegiate athletes who play for reals. Seeing as dance was my jam my entire life, I'm more likely tap dancing with my hockey stick like it's a cane than actually doing anything at all hockey related. People get pretty serious. Blood has been spilled in past years. I mostly stay away from the ball and the action unless it's necessary. I'm pretty sure I announce to the crowd any time I do touch the ball - just looking for a little positive reinforcement from the stands. Could this be the year I score a goal? No. But will I play more and spend less time on the sidelines with a mimosa? Also no. Who's the real winner here? Only time will tell for the game, but when it comes to dinner, I've got a few favorite sides to add to the equation.

Recipe Fifteen: Mashed Potatoes courtesy of Tyler Florence

Looking for a new way to make mashed potatoes? I found a new favorite recipe from a Food Network all-star. Serves 6-8 people and takes about 35 minutes. Tyler's recipe says unpeeled potatoes. To be honest, I wasn't paying enough attention to the actual recipe and started peeling before I noticed I'd made a mistake. I'd be interested to see how the recipe tasted unpeeled though I probably won't try that out for the first time on Thanksgiving.

8 medium sized Yukon gold potatoes, quartered and peeled (or unpeeled)

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups whole milk

4 cloves garlic, peeled and gently smashed

4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

Extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon, whole grain mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Add potatoes, cream, milk, garlic, thyme and bay leaf into a large saucepan and gently oil for 15 minutes until potatoes are tender.

Strain the potatoes over a bowl to reserve the cream mixture but throw out the bay leaf and thyme stems.

Mash the potatoes and fold in the cream mixture until the potatoes are smooth and creamy or the consistency of your choice. 

Fold in butter, a tablespoon of olive oil and the grainy mustard. Season with salt and pepper and serve. Didn't even need any gravy, unless it's a must-have for ya.

Recipe Sixteen: Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta courtesy of Ina Garten

This is my favorite side dish right now and has been for a long time since a friend's housewarming party back in the summer of 2014. It never gets old. Brussels sprouts don't get enough credit. If you aren't down with pancetta, grab some bacon. If you're struggle-bussing trying to cut raw meat, throw it in the freezer for 15ish minutes and the chop job will be much easier. Serves 6.

1.5 lbs of Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half through the core

4 oz. of pancetta, 1/4 in. diced

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon syrupy balsamic vinegar (they sell balsamic glaze at the grocery store - go for it)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the Brussels sprouts on a cookie sheet, including some of the loose leaves, which get crispy when they are roasted.

Add the pancetta, olive, oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss and spread out in a single layer.

Roast the Brussels sprouts for 20 to 30 minutes, until they're tender and nicely browned and the pancetta is cooked. Toss once during roasting.

Remove from the oven and drizzle immediately with the balsamic vinegar, and toss again. Season again with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Recipe Seventeen: Green Bean Casserole 

This is such a cheap and easy side, plus a Thanksgiving classic. 

1 can (10.5 oz.) Cream of Mushroom soup

1/2 cup milk

Black Pepper

4 cups cooked green beans (you can do fresh green beans - my choice, canned, or frozen)

1 1/3 cups French's French Fried Onions

1 teaspoon soy sauce (we've got a soy allergy over here so I used Worcestershire sauce instead and will continue to do so)

Preheat oven to 350.

Stir the soup, milk, soy or Worcestershire sauce, dash of black pepper, beans, and 2/3 cups onions in a casserole dish.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir the bean mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining onions.

Bake for 5 more minutes until the onions are golden brown. Enjoy!

And that's it! Crack open a can of jellied cranberry sauce and have a helluva Thanksgiving! I am thankful for all of y'all for reading this and I hope you have a great day with your family and friends. And if you're out and about in Evergreen on Black Friday - I'll take a medium iced pumpkin coffee with one cream.

Peace and love,

Kela

Eight: Should've Said B-R-BBQ

It has been 14 months since my last blog post. 14 months since I've sat down at my computer, figuratively put pen to paper and shared my thoughts and a recipe with those of you who were avid followers of all seven posts that came before this. I can't really explain the hiatus; the best I've got is that I got caught up in work and in life and the idea of sitting back down to write overwhelmed me, especially as more time went by. Eventually I got to a place of "it's been too long and why start up again now" and the blog became a thing of time's past... until today. Why start up now?  I think I'm craving a bit more control in my life, honestly in all aspects of my life - I'm turning 30 four months from tomorrow and I'm starting to freak out a little about not being where I thought I'd be at 30. I'm sure my life is one step away from turning into a romantic comedy, but until then, this is me giving myself something to take ownership of and pride in; perhaps that will ease the transition into the impending decade. Until then, let's all cross our fingers for Julia Roberts.

Earlier in September I went 10 days without a stove. I'd come home from work and was probably mid binge watching Grace and Frankie (highly recommend!) when I decided I should make brownies. Did I need brownies? No. Did I want brownies? Yes. Did the want win out? Yes. I totally broke out the boxed brownie mix, a hand mixer, and some walnuts and got them in the oven, set the microwave timer and went back to my show. (Quick side note - don't love chocolate on it's own but add in another flavor profile and I'm all in - if you want to argue about it, I'm ready). The buzzer goes off, I hit pause, get up and test the center to make sure they are the perfect fudgy to cakey ratio before taking them out and letting them rest on the counter. I shut off the oven and I go back to my girls Grace and Frankie. It isn't more than a minute or two when I hear the oven beeping which is weird because I have an actual memory of turning the stove off and using the microwave timer (this hasn't always been the case - I'm the queen of panicking about whether or not I've turned off the stove, straightener, curling iron; I turn around in my car on the regular). The stove is beeping and the tiny little screen where the time usually glows is flashing "F1". I find this odd, obviously have no idea what that means, so I hit the off button and again return to my besties. 60 seconds later, it happens again. I press the off button again and this time notice that I can see that the coils are still orange inside the stove. I open the stove door and am immediately hit with a wall of heat that's so strong that my eyes start burning and has set off the smoke detector in the hallway. I am now running back and forth between the stove's off button to rapidly fanning the smoke detector with a towel all while trying to figure out how I'm going to keep my house from burning to the ground. This continues for a few minutes and after calling a few people who live close by to troubleshoot this escalating fire hazard, I realize that I can unplug the oven and stop participating in the gym class beep test being conducted in my own home.

Miraculously, the home's previous owners had saved the stove's manual where I find out that it's a control panel issue and that my two options are to either try shutting it off and turning it back on (why is this the universal way to fix any technology issue?) or to get a technician to come fix it. Hard pass on both of those options so we get a new one and I wait ten days to cook. You know me. You know I love to cook and that cooking is a giant stress reliever for me so this is a bit brutal but I survive on a solid amount of take out. It's been just over a week with the new stove and I've made sure to test all its features and have been back in the kitchen in my happy place. And now I'm sharing that happy with you!

Recipe Fourteen: BBQ Chicken Sandwich with Pickled Carrots and Red Cabbage and Cucumber Slaw

Back when I lived in California post college graduation, one of my roommate's fathers taught us how to make pulled pork in a crock pot - actually just put a pork tenderloin and a bottle of BBQ sauce in a crock pot on high for 3-4 hours or low for 7-8 hours, pull it apart with a fork and there you have it. That lesson, plus a recipe from Blue Apron (which I've tried out periodically and will review for you at a later date) is what inspired today's dinner.

BBQ Chicken in a Crock Pot

2 lbs. chicken breasts

1 bottle of BBQ sauce of your choice

I put the chicken and the sauce in the crock pot on low for 4 hours and went about my day. Came home, shredded the chicken with a fork, stirred it all up, and continued cooking on high for an hour. That's it. That's all it takes. Don't hurt yourself trying to make it harder.

Honestly you could google a BBQ sauce recipe and make it yourself but I felt like cutting corners today. Embrace the cheats when you can. 

During that last hour, I created the fixings.

Pickled Carrots (Blue Apron)

2-3 carrots

1 tbsp. sugar

2 tbsp. white wine vinegar

1/3 cup water

Pinch of salt

Peel the carrots and grate on large side of box grater. If you don't have a box grater, use the peeler to keep peeling off layers of carrots (not quite the same but it will work). 

In a small pot, combine all ingredients, and heat until boiling on high.

Once boiling, cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute or until sugar has dissolved. Turn off the heat. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally, for at least 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Red Cabbage and Cucumber Slaw

1/2 lb. red cabbage

2 small cucumbers

2 tbsp. white wine vinegar

1 tbsp. sugar

2 tbsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Cut out and discard of cabbage core. Largely dice the leaves. (You can also buy precut cabbage so again, save yourself the trouble if you want).

Cut cucumber into halves the long way then thinly slice into half rounds.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside to marinate, at least 10 minutes. Salt and peper to taste prior to serving. I put the slaw in the fridge to chill/marinate until the chicken was ready.

Once everything was cooked, marinated, and chilled, I put it all on top of a potato bun and devoured it. This will be breakfast, lunch and dinner for the next few days (not actually breakfast) and I can't wait! 

Well, that's all I've got for this first time back. I don't know how frequently I will blog (I'm not putting a time restraint on myself this time around but I know you'll hear from me again). Let me know what you think of the recipe! 

Kela

Seven: When I Dip, You Dip, We Dip

Yesterday, I enjoyed a day off at the beach. The beach is easily one of my favorite places to be - sit me up in a beach chair with a book and an occasional dip in the water and I am pleased as punch; that is, until the people around me forget how to beach. I'm not saying that there are strict rules to be followed at the beach, however, I'm sure many of us can agree that there are some unspoken rules to go along with that would just improve everyone's overall beach experience. Let's go through some, shall we?

1) Don't sit on top of me. If you don't know me, give me some space. Even if the beach is crowded, there are ways to find space without forcing me to participate in your conversations and not parent your children as they run over my towel over and over again. If you are going to sit that close, you better be offering me whatever it is you're pouring in your cooler. I see your pink drink and your solo cup and I probably want one, too.

2) Watch your kids. When they have a water fight that results in my friend getting doused in water, even if it's 100 degrees out, you should probably have told them not to play so close to other people AND you definitely should apologize. It's common courtesy. Also, if your kid is having a full blown meltdown and refuses to take his socks off at the beach, I'm going to have a few questions and will be watching to see how the drama unfolds. Again, if you weren't sitting on my lap, I'd be less likely to be able to eavesdrop. (It isn't eavesdropping if I have no choice).

3) Firmly stake your umbrella in the ground. Now, I'm not claiming to have mastered the putting the umbrella in the sand situation, but this is where I have a little self and spatial awareness to not even bring one at all. Don't walk away from your open umbrella and then be surprised to see it flipped inside out and on the ground when you got back because the people around you had to chase it down the beach for you in your absence. You might put it up again because your friends think it's funny to take a snapvideo of you as you struggle to flip it right-side-out but I can tell you what the rest of us are thinking. Just don't. Know when to call it quits. If by chance your umbrella sneaks off while you are sitting there and manages to smack me in the face and then scratch my friend across the stomach as it skedaddles down the beach, do apologize upon retrieval. Maybe one of those pink drinks would make things a little better or at least match the noticeable scratches on my friend. Also, if you are sitting near an escaped umbrella, feel free to shout "heads up!" as you see it enter neighbor territory. Really, it's for the best.

4) If you don't finish your food and decide to take a swim, make sure your trash is hidden away from the pigeons of the ocean, the monsters we call seagulls. When your blanket gets swarmed by seagulls, I will start to panic and have flashbacks to when I was bit by one when I was 10 in California (I was holding a sandwich and it bit my hand). It is not the responsibility of people around you to shoo them away and throw away your trash (shout out to the woman who did this for the duo who forgot this rule yesterday - you da real MVP).

5) This one seems to be the most obvious to me, but some people don't get it, but please, oh please, do not feed the seagulls. You are reinforcing their bad behavior, only egging them on to practically incite a riot. Have some respect for the people around you who I am confident want NOTHING to do with these devil birds. Really, I'm sure of it.

Once we get those few out of the way, I'm sure we'll have a grand ol' time. I'm happy to overhear your conversations that weren't meant for me, but sound travels so easily on the beach. I'm also happy to see you confidently rock that bathing suit, because if you have a bikini and a body, you have yourself a bikini body. Here's hoping for a few more beach days this summer! Despite the often broken rules, the sand, the sun and a dip in the ocean are always calling my name.

The next part of this post is dedicated to my favorite kitchen appliance - the food processor. If you don't have one, you probably should get one. Saves so much time and allows me to whip things up, like dips to share with family,friends and coworkers in a jiffy! I'm going to share a few of my most requested dip recipes (and one I just tried this week and received rave reviews). Quick FYI - I stopped following an actual recipe or measuring these dips a long time ago but I did a little google searching to find correct amounts. You're welcome.

Recipe Ten: Spinach and Artichoke Dip

1 block of cream cheese
1 cup greek yogurt
1 box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 14 oz. can of artichoke hearts, quartered and drained
2 cups parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced garlic

Honestly, I just throw all of these in the food processor and pulse until well mixed. Sometimes you may need to stir it up a little in the middle of pulsing (not while pulsing but while blades are off). If you don't have a food processor, you'll chop the artichokes into small pieces and mix all ingredients by hand until well mixed.

Move into greased casserole dish and bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until bubbly around the edges. Serve with chips, crackers, bread, you name it!

Recipe Eleven: Jalapeno Popper Dip

2 blocks of cream cheese

1 cup of greek yogurt

2 4.5 oz cans of chopped green chiles

Jalapeno wheels, drained (I used about a cup of pickled jalapenos and it's got a good kick, but use your discretion based on your heat level of choice)

Bread crumbs

Again, I toss all ingredients but the bread crumbs in the food processor and pulse until well mixed. If you don't have one, chop the jalapenos into small pieces, then mix all ingredients by hand.

Move into greased casserole dish, top with bread crumbs, and bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly around the edges. Serve with tortilla chips.

Recipe Twelve: Bacon Cheeseburger Dip

* You've been warned - this one is a labor of love*

1 lb lean ground beef

8 oz. bacon

1/4 cup ketchup

1 block of cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup of sour cream

1/4 cup mustard

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 onion diced

1 cup shredded cheese of your choice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Cook ground beef in a pan over medium heat until brown. Remove from heat and drain grease.

Cook bacon in pan according to directions on package. You will want the bacon to be crispy. Remove from heat and drain all but a little grease. Add onions and saute until tender. Add garlic and saute for one minute. Cut bacon into 1 inch pieces.

Mix the rest of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. (This is where I would toss the cream cheese, sour cream, mustard, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce in the food processor and pulse until well mixed before adding it to the beef, cheese and bacon but I've done it by hand before also - you do you!)

Once well mixed, pour into greased casserole dish and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, until top is slightly browned and edges are bubbly.

Serve with a sliced bagette or chips or whatever your heart desires. Top with chopped pickles, tomatoes, or shredded lettuce if you wish! (I highly recommend the pickles!) 

Recipe Thirteen: Texas Caviar Dip

*Shout out to a great friend for this delicious dish!*

1 can corn, drained

1 can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 jar jalapenos, drained (add chopped up as desired)

1 jar red pimentos, drained (add chopped up as desired)

1/2 red onion chopped in small pieces (if you're not a giant fan of raw onions like me, to kill some of the fragrance, soak in iced water for 10 minutes prior to cutting)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup sugar

Bring olive oil, vinegar, and sugar to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.

Combine the rest of the ingredients. Pour olive oil mixture over bean and let soak in the fridge overnight.

Drain all the vinegar and oil out prior to serving.

Serve with tortilla chips.

I hope that you'll enjoy some of these dips with friends very soon! I've got a few more up my sleeve, but we'll save them for another post. Any favorite dips you want to share with me? You can never go wrong with chips and dip. I once hosted a BYODW night (bring your own dip and wine) night where each guest brought a different dip and bottle of wine. I'll have to host another one soon! Keep an eye out for your invite!

Happy Cooking!

- Kela

Six: If You Like It then You Should've Put a Taco Ring on It

In honor of tonight's Bachelorette finale, I figured I'd do a bit of a throwback post to when I hosted last season's finale viewing party for the girls I watch the show with weekly. To preface, I love theme parties. Not necessarily dressing up for theme parties, but connecting the food and decorations with whatever the theme is and going wild. (Again, not wild with partying - I'm pretty much a grandma and don't like having fun past 11pm). As soon as I offered to host, I let my creativity flow. Each of the food and beverage options were a play on a food/love/Bachelor related pun. Hello "It Takes Two to Mango Sangria", "Heartbreak and Ice Cream Sandwiches", and "Put a Taco Ring On It". The girls also provided "Will You Accept This Pepperoni Rose?" and "Jalapeno Pop The Question", as well as foods that we would classify as "Perfect Pairs", like cheese and crackers and chips and salsa. I spent time making everyone personalized sangria glasses filled with Ring Pops, Hershey Kisses, and the most giant (plastic) engagement rings you've ever seen. I printed out pictures of Lauren B. and Jojo's faces and slapped them on popsicle sticks so we could proudly cheer for our favorites. And then, of course, there was a jar to collect money because we each filled out a bracket after watching the first episode of the season and the top three scoring brackets got to walk away with a little cash (I came in 5th - not my best showing). We all wore our hair in the ever popular half-up bun that the ladies on this past season of The Bachelorette rocked (mockingly at first but I've pulled it out a few times since then more seriously - stop judging me right now). Ultimately my girl Lauren B. pulled out the win and Jojo got picked to be the next Bachelorette (great choice up until this past episode where I'm slightly concerned she's going to end up heartbroken with her two finalists, but alas, it's her choice and not mine or the rest of America who obviously agree with me).

Tonight I am not hosting the finale viewing party, but I am breaking out a few dips (I haven't earned the title Dip Queen for nothing). On top of Spinach and Artichoke Dip, I'm also bringing a Texas Caviar salsa (shout out to one of my beautiful friends for passing along the recipe!) in honor of Jojo being a Dallas girl. I have my money riding on Jordan winning her heart and proposing - I have a witness who heard me call this the second he got out of the limo. That would make two seasons in a row of correctly predicting the winner AND I would come in second place this time around in the bracket and walk away with a little cash. Even if he doesn't win (which why would you ever choose Robby in the first place and Luke should have won the whole thing), I've thoroughly enjoyed every Tuesday night (so we can watch early and skip commercials) with these girls, hysterically laughing over our commentary, often too hard so we have to rewind because we've missed something that we think could be important or just to watch Alex say he could rap and then rhyme the words Jojo and liquor store (I'd say nice try but I'd be lying -your first grade teacher is so proud) or the constant sharing of The Bachelorette related articles about how Alex, Chase, Robby, and Jordan called their room The Garden because they always got roses (if my eyes could do a full 360 in my head right now, they would). Can't wait to find out who our next Bachelor is, even though we'll have to wait until January to start up our brackets. It should probably be Luke, right? Maybe I'd throw an application out there and hope for the best (I wouldn't).

Recipe Number Nine: Taco Ring

This is one of my favorite recipes to make - it's always tasty and a combination of tacos and bread so you can't ever be wrong. The original recipe is from Pillsbury and I follow it mostly to a T (except I hate when lettuce gets warm so I typically avoid it in everything but salads). Just realized I'm posting this on Monday night so get pumped for your next Taco Tuesday! Enjoy!

1 lb ground beef

1 package of taco seasoning mix

2 cans of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

1 cup shredded cheese

1 small can of diced green chiles

All the taco fixings of your choice

Heat oven to 375°F. In nonstick skillet, cook beef until no longer pink. Drain fat. Add green chiles, taco seasoning mix and 1/2 cup water. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes or until slightly thickened. In medium bowl, mix beef mixture and cheese.

Unroll both cans of dough; separate into 16 triangles. On ungreased large cookie sheet, arrange triangles in ring so short sides of triangles form a circle in center. Dough should overlap and look like a sun!

Spoon beef mixture on the half of each triangle closest to center of ring.

Bring each dough triangle up over filling, tucking dough under bottom layer of dough to secure it. Repeat around ring until entire filling is enclosed (some filling might show a little). Mine never looks as pretty as Pillsbury says it should but I promise it is still friggen delicious.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until dough is golden brown and thoroughly baked. Cool 5 to 10 minutes. Deck out with your favorite taco fixings!

I hope your next Taco Night is everything you hoped it would be and more, just the same way I hope that Jojo's love story has a happily ever after ending, even if I'm not either guys' biggest fan. Check in with me to see how my bracket finished up and let me know if you'd like to join in the fun next season!

Happy Cooking!

- Kela