Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili

Posted on January 11, 2013 by bakerlady

Am I the only one who always always always gains weight between November and January? It’s very irritating. You’d think with as many treats as I make all year-long, my body would be accustomed to constantly noshing on goodies. But no. Hello spare tire. Back again? Wonderful. Just in time for 1000 pictures with family during Christmas events. So here it is, the second week of January and my resolution to drop those pesky pounds is in full swing. Which means some healthier options for dinner. Thankfully, that does not mean (at least in my world) bland-tasteless-boring food. No. I cannot. Scratch that – absolutely will not – sacrifice flavor just because I’m trying to drop a few. Enter this easy peasy, monstrously delicious chili.

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Cheddar Chili Beer Bread

Posted on January 10, 2013 by bakerlady

37° and raining. That’s the forecast for the next week or so here in Seattle. Yuck. If it’s going to be that cold, it needs to be snowing. Huge pillowy flakes dumping from the sky. Fluffy mounds of white happiness. That’s what I’d like. Come on! The current weather conditions called for drastic measures in my kitchen. You know what I’m talking about…chili. Is there anything better on a winter day with a damp chill in the air? More on that tomorrow. First, the delicious beer bread I made to go with the chili. It’s full of sharp cheddar and totally non-hot green chili peppers. A perfect companion to a hearty bowl of warmth.

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Fabulously Freaky Halloween Fodder

Posted on October 29, 2012 by bakerlady

I love throwing Halloween parties. Mostly because I get to make delicious food and give it disgusting names. Here’s a round-up of all the deliciousness I made this year and the nastiness I called it. Most of these items are easy to make (and can be done ahead of time) so you won’t be slaving away in the kitchen while your guests are having a goulishly good time! My hot hubby and I dressed up as Johnny and June Cash this year. We had a blast!

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Cornmeal Biscuits

Posted on September 19, 2012 by bakerlady

I’ve made cornbread lots of times. And, have a great recipe for big giant fluffy biscuits. But when I made a white chicken chili a couple of weeks ago I just didn’t feel like either of those breads were going to be just right to serve up alongside the chili. I went searching for some combination of the two and found this recipe from America’s Test Kitchen. I just love those guys. I don’t know what it is about the super detailed scientific reasoning behind food but it totally works for me. These babies are a perfect blend of cornbread and biscuits.

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Alton Brown’s Stove Top Macaroni & Cheese

Posted on September 17, 2012 by bakerlady

First of all, I’d like to welcome all the new folks who found me over the weekend from Lizzie’s Tips For Everyday Living! So glad you’ve found all the deliciousness on Bakerlady. Thank you for your many kind comments and for sharing your memories of Banana Pudding with me. You made my weekend full of joy. I love new friends. You guys helped push my little blog over a million all time hits on Saturday. I’m amazed by all of your willingness to put up with my ramblings. I have the best readers ever! Ok, enough sappy love fest-ness. On to some deliciousness.

Not gonna lie. I’m a pushover for the Kraft mac n’ cheese. I’m a total foodie, so it’s a little embarrassing to admit, but it’s true. I get a hankerin’ for it now and then and nothing else will do. Devastating fact of the week: my kids won’t eat it. I know. They are the most bizarre children ever. Madison had a severe dairy allergy from the time she was 1 until she turned three and blessedly grew out of it, so macaroni and cheese was not something she ever ate. I tried making a dairy free, soy cheese version once. Yeah. Just once. A single gag inducing bite later and the whole pot was in the trash. When she suddenly was fine with dairy again, I celebrated by doing a happy dance, then melting butter into powdery orange cheese from the blue box. Alas, she wouldn’t eat it. I was heartbroken.

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Basil Butter Garlic Bread

Posted on September 13, 2012 by bakerlady

Bread. Glorious bread. I blame my mother and my English heritage for my adoration of bread. Soft, doughy perfection. And butter. I think I love butter even more. Creamy delicious butter. Mmmmm. This Basil Butter Garlic Bread is out of this world amazing. It cranks up the awesome from your standard garlic bread with the addition of basil and parsley. Then it’s topped off with melted cheese. Oh baby.

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Monterey Chicken

Posted on September 12, 2012 by bakerlady

Greatest company dinner ever. Amazing and gorgeous, not nearly as much work as it looks like and just incredible tasting. I’ve had this chicken on my Pinterest boards for a while now, just waiting for the right opportunity to make it. I served it up when my mother-in-law was visiting recently. Wow wow wow. I won’t be waiting long before making it again. It was glorious.

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White Bean and Chicken Chili

Posted on September 10, 2012 by bakerlady

Sometimes you learn lessons from your kids that are subtle and nuanced. The munchkins don’t even know how insightful they are. Then there’s my daughter, who draws you a picture to show you how keen her mind is. And that picture changes you. This happened to me as I was making dinner recently. I’ve debated sharing this drawing with you all because I vacillate between feeling proud of my daughter for her awareness of the things around her, and total guilt at being the worst mother on the planet. I figured I’d finally take the leap and share along with this chili recipe. It’s a warm meal that will keep you toasty as fall descends, turning the evenings cool and crisp. You’ll love it. After I share the picture, you’ll probably be glad you don’t live with Madison. She’s too smart for her own good.

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Veggie Lasagna

Posted on September 3, 2012 by bakerlady

I tried, but I can’t give up my noodles in lasagna. I just can’t do it. The idea for this recipe came from a zucchini lasagna I saw on Pinterest. When it came time to slice up the squash to replace the noodles, I chickened out. Tangent – why is it chickens get such a bad rap? Are they really cowardly? Anyone know? I saw some at the zoo the other day (yes, my kids love looking at the most boring of animals), they didn’t seem particularly afraid of us…I wonder when chickens became the scaredy cats of scapegoats? Anyway, I decided to use all veggies in place of meat instead.

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Hasselback Potatoes

Posted on August 30, 2012 by bakerlady

As a lifetime Seattle Seahawks fan, I was sad to see the starting career of Matt Hasselback come to a close last week as Jake Locker was named the quarterback for the Titans. I’m really happy for Jake, cause he hails from the University of Washington. Keeps it all in the state at least. I’ll always have a soft spot for number 8 since he took my Hawks to the Superbowl. He’s a stand up guy with a great attitude and I wish him all the best.See this article for more info on Matt and what a tremendous person he is.