Wow! It's been awhile!

I could not believe I had not blogged anything since July!!! Where have I been? Oh yeah that's right moving across country and "brewin' a human" (phrase courtesy of some random guy at Walmart) Ok well here's what I've been up to this week.

Date Night:
Me and my husband try to have a date night once a week, but we are also trying to stick to a fairly minimal budget so Friday night was movie night at home.

The Food:
From Left to Right.
Cheddar Bacon Potato Skins, Beef Taquitos, Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza Bits

Cheddar Bacon Potato Skins
Several Small Potatos
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Canola Oil
Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Bacon (cooked and crumbled)
Butter
Sour Cream
Chives (dried or fresh)

1. Wash Potato skins really well.
2. Rub potato skins with canola oil then roll in kosher salt and black pepper.
3. Bake in oven at 350 for an hour
4. Allow potatoes to cool until you can handle them easily
5. Slice potatoes in half and scoop out the inside using a spoon. Leave about a 1/4 in. of potato remaining on the skin.
6. Brush potatoes with butter and bake at 400 for 10 min.
7. Fill potatoes with cheese and bacon
8. Bake at 400 for 10 more min. or until the cheese is melted
9. Mix chives into sour cream and top potatoes with mixture.
10. Enjoy :)

Beef Taquitos
Taken from http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/06/baked-chipotle-beef-taquitos.html

Baked Chipotle Beef Taquitos
Recipe by OurBestBites.com

3 C cooked, shredded beef roast*
4oz green chilies, undrained
1/4-1/2 t minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (I use 1/4 t for mild heat. See note below)
3 t adobo sauce from the canned chipotle peppers
1 t garlic powder
1 t coriander
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
zest from one lime
1 T fresh lime juice
1 package Queso Fresco (about 12 oz)
white corn tortillas ---- inch...
olive oil or cooking spray
kosher salt

Note: If you don't want to work with the chipotle peppers, or can't find them, try adding some Chipotle Chili Powder. You can find it by the other spices in the grocery store. It will still give you a smoky spice, so start with a little and increase to taste.

*I created this recipe to use up left over roast from things like pot roast and french dip sandwiches. If you're cooking a roast strictly for use in these taquitos, then just mildly season it with things like salt, pepper, onion, and garlic before cooking.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Slice any larger pieces of roast across the grain so the beef is shredded into 1/2-1 inch pieces.
Combine chilies, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, garlic, coriander, cumin, chili powder and lime zest and juice in a bowl. After stirring to combine, gently toss together with shredded beef.

Wrap a pile of about 10 tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for 1 minute to soften. (after those are used, do the next 10)

Working with one tortilla at a time, crumble about 1T queso fresco in a line across the center of the tortilla. Top with 1-2 T shredded beef mixture. Tightly roll and place seam-side down on a lightly sprayed baking sheet. Continue to roll until all of the tortillas are filled.

Use cooking spray, olive oil spray, or lightly brush olive oil on the top of each taquito. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.

Serve warm with sour cream and guacamole. Makes about 20 taquitos.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza Bits
Taken from http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/06/chicken-bacon-stuffed-pizza-rolls.html

1 roll refrigerated pizza dough* (or make your own)
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 T olive oil or melted butter
sharp cheddar cheese (I used 75% sharp cheddar and 25% mozzarella)
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
about 1 C shredded, cooked chicken.
3/4 C mayo
3/4 C milk

First take 1 teaspoon of your ranch dressing mix and combine it with 1 1/2 T parmesan cheese. Set aside. Combine the remaining ranch mix with 3/4 C mayo and 3/4 C milk and place in the fridge to chill.

Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package. Usually it's 400-425 degrees.

Unroll your pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it's about 12" by 8". You're going to want to cut it into 24 squares, so just eyeball it if you need to. Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 24 squares.

Place cheese and desired toppings on each square.

When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings.

I grab the four corners first and then squeeze the seams shut. Then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish). Brush with melted butter or olive oil and sprinkle with the parmesan-ranch mixture.

Place your rolls in the oven. I've noticed baking time really depends on the type of dough I'm using. Whether it's different brands from the store, or homemade dough, they all take different amounts of time. Set your timer for 10 minutes and check on them after that. They may take up to 15 or 20 to be done. Take them out when they're lightly golden on top.

Serve them warm with a side of freshly made ranch dressing for dipping.