Catch up...not to be confused with ketchup...

Grab a snack, I have a lot to say...

Last week was a blur, so I didn't get to any bloggin'. Or maybe it was because my house was so dirty that I couldn't find the computer? You'll never know...mainly because if you came to my front door last week, you didn't get invited in. So bad! But I took Friday off and got it back to a manageable state. This house is a beast.

But I did make some new things...there's at least one resolution I can stick to. And let's just say, TV Joe is so happy with my resolution. He's requested the BBQ Stir Fry and White Bean Chili again. We're having the stir fry tonight.

Last Sunday was the big playoff game that shall no longer be mentioned because it turned out horribly. Cowboys lost, but Amy won...with baked beans. And pound cake.

Yeah, I know that was pretty bad. Ha! I'm actually laughing out loud it was too corny!!

Saturday night I made The Pioneer Woman's pound cake. What? No restraining order has been placed...yet. I'm slightly obsessed with this website. She's just so darn funny and her recipes are easy and so good!

The good thing about pound cake is...you can take a little sliver and shove it in your mouth without anyone noticing. Try that with a pie. I know this because I saw my friends do this throughout the game. Although that might have been "self medication" for how bad the game was.

So here's the recipe. It was really, really good.

Perfect Pound Cake, courtesy of The Pioneer Woman (whom I adore)

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 1 Hour

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 3 sticks Butter
• 3 cups Sugar
• 5 whole Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Butter Flavoring
• 2 teaspoons Lemon Flavoring
• 3 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 cup Sprite, 7-UP, Or Sierra Mist

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cream butter. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each addition. Add butter and lemon extracts and mix well. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add soft drink, then mix together until combined. Scrape sides of bowl, then mix briefly.

Pour into a greased Bundt pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until the cake is no longer jiggly.

Remove cake from oven and invert pan until cake drops out. Slice and chow down!

********subject changer**************************

The hosts of our party, the fabulous Candace and DJ Jazzy Jeff provided BBQ brisket and a famous C-Netz salad. That lady makes the best salads.

So I got up real early on Sunday to make some baked beans. This was no simple feat, as we were out late late late on Friday night and Saturday night. We're crazy like that.

I've never made baked beans. I like the canned ones just fine. But in an effort to transform myself into the best cook evah, I made some beans.

Yeah. They were awesome.

See the recipe and purdy pictures here. And for the lazy - here's the recipe. Two guesses where it came from. One step closer to that restraining order.

Quick Southern-Style Baked Beans
recipe by Pam Anderson via The Pioneer Woman

Serves up to 18

8 slices bacon, halved

1 medium onion, cut into small dice

1/2 medium green pepper, cut into small dice

3 large cans (28 ounces each) pork and beans

3/4 cup barbecue sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup distilled or cider vinegar

2 teaspoons dry mustard or 2 tablespoons Dijon

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Fry bacon in large, deep sauté pan skillet until bacon has partially cooked and released about 1/4 cup drippings. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels. Add onions and peppers to drippings in pan and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans and remaining ingredients bring to a simmer. (If skillet is not large enough, add beans and heat to a simmer then transfer to a large bowl and stir in remaining ingredients). Pour flavored beans into a greased 13-by 9-inch (or similar size) ovenproof pan. Top with bacon, then bake until beans are bubbly and sauce is the consistency of pancake syrup, about 2 hours. Let stand to thicken slightly and serve.

********subject changer (told you I've been busy!!)********

This weekend was blissful. I'll post more about it later. It was awesome. It started with me taking Friday off to clean this beast.

Wait, I already said that - this post is so long I've forgotten what I've written!!

Waking up Saturday to a clean house, and witnessing a fantastic 8U basketball game at 9:30am really gave me some inspiration.

Lunch time came and I decided to make some Homemade Tomato soup. I don't like canned tomato soup. At all. Even to cook with. It tastes like....ketchup. HA! Now my title makes sense! I found this recipe on Tasty kitchen....which happens to belong to........ PW.

I made some changes based on what I had in the pantry. Let me say...this was so good! I'm so glad I made it. We made some grilled cheese with some really thick, chewy white bread. It was just heavenly. I insist you try this recipe. Seriously delish. And it took 5 minutes. There's no reason to heat up a can of condensed soup when something this good takes 5 minutes. You'll thank me.

5-Minute Homemade Creamy Tomato Soup, courtesy of Foodie with Family

Ingredients:

• 1 (48 ounce) can Tomato Puree (You can substitute crushed tomatoes if you prefer more robust texture in your soup.) I didn't have puree, so I used two 28oz cans of high quality whole tomatoes, and pureed in the food processor. Gave a great texture!
  
• 3-3/4 cups plus 1/4 cup fresh water, divided Since I used whole tomatoes, I only used about a half cup of water, plus 1/4 cup, divided - just add water based on your desired thickness
• 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 3/4 teaspoon Granulated Garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon Celery Salt
• a pinch of Italian Seasonings
• 1 cup Half and Half I'll likely reduce this next time - it was plenty creamy
  

Stir together the tomato puree, water, Kosher salt, granulated garlic, celery salt and Italian seasonings in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. When the soup is simmering, use a fork to combine the cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup of water in a small bowl or cup. Stir the cornstarch until no lumps remain. While stirring the soup vigorously, pour the cornstarch and water mixture into the pan. Return to a simmer and continue cooking until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes. When thickened, remove from the heat and stir in Half and Half. Serve immediately or refrigerate, tightly covered, for up to a week.

Get in my belly - it was so good.

And re-heated good. Don't try this without some good soppin' bread. You will LOVE it!

Later y'all...gotta go make sure the kiddies are still playing nice.