This afternoon Alex went to the park with a friend, so I sat down on the couch to write a blog post and promptly fell asleep. FELL ASLEEP. WHILE SITTING ON THE COUCH. I woke up about 40 minutes later after some vivid, technicolor dreams and had no idea where I was or how I got there. But I took advantage of my last few minutes of free time by watching an episode of “Murder, She Wrote” while drinking my prune juice and popping some wheelies in my HoverRound.

Anyway, I cooked supper and cleaned up the kitchen and watched a little election coverage on CNN (remember: I have FoxNews issues. I know many of you think that’s unpatriotic, but in my opinion they need to SIMMER DOWN WITH THE GRAPHICS, and yes, I appreciate the irony of my wanting a news organization to tone it down when I am in fact a person who likes to CAPITALIZE A LOT OF WORDS).

So now I’m back on the computer again so that I can finish what I started before I was overcome with a touch of the narcolepsy this afternoon.

You’re welcome for all that completely unnecessary backstory, by the way.

About six months ago David decided that he didn’t really like chicken anymore. He didn’t make a big proclamation or anything, but I noticed that whenever I’d make anything with chicken in it, he’d sort of load up on side dishes and push the chicken-related main course around his plate. Not to mention that the leftovers would sit in our refrigerator until they grew old and lonely and finally hobbled off the shelf in search of a home where they’d be appreciated and lo, even loved. By diggity.

Well. One day I was making a grocery list, and I decided to find out once and for all what was going on with him and poultry. I asked him what he’d like to eat that week, and he rattled off a list that did not include a single item containing chicken – except for Melanie’s chicken cakes. So I said, “What’s going on with you and chicken? Are y’all on the outs?” And he confessed that he and chicken, they were done. Over. Tarred and – say it with me – FEATHERED.

Now obviously D’s anti-chicken stance had an immediate impact on the menu-planning and cooking around our house. But since I don’t really love chicken unless it’s battered, deep fried and in a box that says POPEYE’S on the side, I realized that I was okay with a chicken hiatus and just needed to figure out more ways to cook beef and pork. On a budget. Without buying steak very much at all ever.

Easy breezy!

At some point I ran across a recipe for flank steak in Cooking Light, and we really liked it, but then our grill quit working and flank steak can be pricey and oh my word am I really devoting this much energy to writing about meat? SWEET MERCY I’M ANCIENT.

Is the HoverRound charged yet? Mamaw here needs to run some errands.

Anyway, here is my current favorite recipe for meat-that’s-not-chicken. It’s London broil. Alex actually calls it “that good meat you cook, Mama,” and whenever I make it he practically claps his hands.

All righty. Cast of characters.

Except that you don’t need the little teacup of Kosher salt. I forgot to move it. But since you have soy sauce for your marinade, you’re well-covered in the salt department. Just FYI.

(See? I haven’t even gotten past the first picture, and I’ve already failed terribly. I don’t know why you people bother with me.)

(By the way: that photograph is STUNNING, isn’t it? Notice how you can’t really read any of the words on the ingredients. Completely intentional on my part. Along with failing to get all the ingredients within the frame of the picture. Artistic license, you understand.)

(And if you think I managed to capture some sort of step-by-step tutorial on how to make this delicious meal, then clearly you are way overestimating my efficiency and follow-through.)

So. Mix together this stuff.

1/3 cup lite soy sauce
1/4 cup sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey (or brown sugar works great, too)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (we like LOTS of pepper, but by all means stay in your pepper comfort zone)
1 teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced – I was fresh out of fresh garlic – BADABING!)

Mix well. Reserve a couple of tablespoons that you’ll use later to cook broccoli. Pour over the London broil in a Ziploc bag, then seal and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Or overnight. Totally your call.

Now go read some blogs or paint your nails or catch up on the DVR while the marinade does its magic.

After meat has marinated, pull it out of the refrigerator and let it rest on the countertop while you make the yogurt sauce:

1 small container plain yogurt
1/4 cup Feta cheese
2 teaspoons dried dill (1 tablespoon of chopped fresh dill would work great)
fresh lemon juice to taste
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped (if it’s in season – cucumbers didn’t look great at the store yesterday)

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl (double the recipe if you’re cooking for more than 4), and you’ll end up with this:

Be still my heart.

Make sure you preheat your oven to 450, then turn on your stove fan and get ready to sizzle.

The London broil I used yesterday was only about a pound and a half, so obviously cooking times will vary a little if yours is bigger or smaller. But using my cast-iron grill skillet, I followed the same basic procedure as Ree’s steak how-to: turn up the heat on the stove to medium high, let the skillet get hot, rub some butter on the skillet, then let that meat get good and seared on both sides.

I probably cooked the London broil two minutes on each side (1 minute, rotate 90 degrees, another minute, flip, 1 minute, rotate, another minute, then sling it in the oven).

Once you put the meat in the oven, let it cook on 450 for about 10 minutes or until it’s done just like you like it (if it’s an extra-thick cut, be careful and check it with a meat thermometer – it will take longer to cook all the way through). Yesterday I wrapped mine in foil after I took it out of the oven so that it would cook a little more without getting dry. Whether you wrap it in foil or not, be sure to let the meat rest about 10 minutes before you slice it.

When you’re ready to eat, slice the meat very thinly across the grain (if you slice with the grain, the meat will be chewy). Ours was a perfect medium – our favorite.

Then I grilled some onions and sauteed some broccoli in those two tablespoons of reserved marinade. We made stuffed pita sandwiches with the meat, broccoli, grilled onions and yogurt sauce, and MY MY MY – so delicious. I also love to do grilled squash for the pitas, but the squash in the store yesterday looked very pale and fragile. So I let them be.

Tonight we used the leftover London broil for fajitas. I grilled more onions, warmed up some tortillas, put some cheese, salsa and sour cream on the table, and we were good to go.

So there you have it. That good meat I cook. It’s versatile, tasty and pretty economical considering that we always get several meals out of it.

Okay. I’m all done now. I think you’ve endured enough at this point.

I’ll be sleeping while sitting straight up in my HoverRound if you need to find me.

So, it snowed here today. Sort of. I mean, there were some flakes that fell from the sky, and occasionally they came down fast enough that we looked at them and said, “Oh, that’s pretty,” but in terms of anything that would enable us to make snowballs or snowmen or snow angels or snow creatures of any variety at all – well, um, NO.

But we had such a great day. Alex, our sweet neighbor B. (she’s not just four – she’s four AND A HALF) and I went for a huuuuuge walk, and the two young’uns ran up and rolled down every single hill. We had a blast. It was just one of those times when the gray weather was our friend, and it was hands-down my favorite day of 2010.

(Yes, I know that 2010 is only seven days old, but still. Big fun. I would share pictures except that I didn’t take any because our camera battery was dead. You’ll just have to trust me.)

Now earlier this week I was all set to make a bunch of tailgating food for tonight’s game, but when I started reading through your comments on yesterday’s post, I got a great idea from Gina. She mentioned that she was making sliders, and that immediately struck me as something David would love. So I shifted strategies, went to the grocery store yesterday afternoon, cooked everything late this afternoon, and may I just say? The sliders? HUGE BIG GIGANTOR HIT.

I had about a half a bag of frozen rolls leftover from Christmas (I prefer Rhodes, but this was some other kind), and this afternoon I put the rolls on cookie sheets so they could thaw and rise. I seasoned about a pound and a half of ground chuck, and after I mixed it up I made 12 small patties, then covered them and put them back in the refrigerator.

And since I recognize that reading a step-by-step, pictureless rundown of how I made sliders is only slightly more exciting than if I were to read you an instruction manual about food processor assembly, I’ll just cut to the chase and make a list of everything I put out on the counter for slider assemblage.

- sliced rolls
- hamburger patties (adorably small-ish)
- ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard
- Provolone (oh wait – I forgot to put out the Provolone, but I’ll still leave it on the list because it would have been delicious)
- Ranch dressing (made from the little Hidden Valley packet)
- grilled onions (I used 1/2 sweet onion)
- bacon (I cut six slices in half, then fried them)
- sandwich stacker pickles (cut in half)
- salsa (this brand is our current favorite, and MY WORD it’s tasty)
- avocado (I don’t really have anything else to say about the avocado, but I seem to be on a roll with the parenthetical additions, so I thought I’d write something extra in the interest of consistency)

So there was all of that stuff, and then I made homemade French fries (the kind where I put about two inches of oil in a Dutch oven on the stove and then COOK UP SOME SLICED TATERS), and I think it was one of my fellas’ favorite meals ever. D loved being able to fix different kinds of burgers, and I loved that I found a new way to use frozen rolls. Alex loved that we had hamburger patties AND bacon. He’s sort of a fan of meat.

Okay – I need to give the game my full attention. Bama’s up 24-21 with three minutes left, and they just recovered a fumble on UT’s three yard line. So clearly it’s time to do some yelling because remember, I THINK THE PLAYERS INSIDE THE TV CAN HEAR ME.

Have a great weekend, everybody.

And for at least the next three minutes: Roll Tide.

Edited to add: today is the last day to enter the $500 L’Bel Paris giveaway – don’t forget to enter!

As much as I love to cook, I have never really been one for baking. It’s way too exact for me. I’d much rather make something where I can throw in a dollop of this and a dash of that and a heap of something else and then stick it in the oven until it smells like it’s done.

Plus, baking sometimes requires special equipment like candy thermometers and double boilers. And also baking doesn’t involve nearly enough cheese.

But.

There’s something about Christmastime.

And for the last couple of weeks, I have been baking up a storm. At least by my standards. Compared to your standards, I’ve probably just been baking up a light shower. Nonetheless, I thought I’d share a few bake-y recipes that I love.

Note: you will not see any homemade candy on this list. I draw the line at having to use a candy thermometer. It’s bad enough that baking requires me to do all sorts of math.

- Mama’s Pound Cake – It’s a classic.

- Hummingbird Cake – This is one of the first layer cakes that I ever made, and it’s still one of my favorites. The pineapple in the layers makes me so happy.

- The Bar – I made this recipe for the first time tonight, and OH. MY. WORD. I don’t know when I’ve ever tasted something and thought, Well, this is just butter in all its glory. I’m taking these to a Christmas party tomorrow night, and then I’m going to make another batch next week because my mama WILL. LOVE. THEM. Three sticks of butter makes everything better, you know.

- Coconut Cake – I’m not usually a fan of coconut. But these cake layers are so delicious that they totally won me over.

- Peanut Butter Blossoms – Peanut butter. Chocolate. Sugar. Butter. What’s not to love?

- Lucy’s Chocolate Pie – My grandmother’s chocolate pudding recipe is the best. THE BEST. And in a baked pie shell? With some homemade meringue on top? Perfection.

(Just FYI: for my meringue, I whip four egg whites with 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar. When the egg whites make stiff peaks, I spread the meringue on top of a cooled chocolate pie, then put the whole thing in the oven until the peaks start to get some color on them.)

- Apple Dumplings – These are so good that I talked about them for two days after I made them. Could not get over how something so simple could be so delicious. I’m planning to make them this Christmas Eve, in fact.

- Chocolate Citrus Cake with Candied Oranges – I made this cake last week. I skipped the candied oranges step because it was after 10 at night when I iced the cake and MAMA NEEDED SOME SLEEP. My cake didn’t turn out nearly as pretty as the picture next to the recipe, but let me tell you what: the layers of this cake – and the chocolate ganache in between – are ABSOLUTELY DIVINE. I think when I make this cake again I’ll probably just do the cake with some whipped cream and candied oranges on top. No icing. The layers are THAT good.

So those are my favorites – what are some of yours?

Well, I think we can all agree that it’s a glorious time of year. In addition to the fact that fall is just around the corner and September is blessedly, unseasonably cool so far, college football is now underway. In fact, as I’m writing this post Boise State and Oregon are playing on ESPN, and even thought I am always a wee bit puzzled by Boise State’s blue football field, I am TICKLED TO PIECES to see them on my TV screen tonight.

Because where college football leads, dips will most always follow.

Hallelujah. Give the Lord a handclap of praise.

I don’t think I’ve ever – EVER – met a dip that I didn’t like, and as far as I’m concerned there’s no more perfect gameday menu than about four or five dips and an assortment of chips. And I think it goes without saying that at least one of those bag-o-chips needs to be Fritos.

I adore a Frito.

Anyway, whenever my beloved Mississippi State Bulldogs play a televised game, you can rest assured that a couple of things will be happening in our house: 1) I will be vacuuming, because I get very, VERY nervous when the Bulldogs play and there’s something about vacuuming that soothes my nerves, not to mention that all my yelling isn’t nearly as obnoxious when the vacuum drowns it out and 2) I will be eating cheese dip. Well, and 3) I will be drinking diet Coke over ice.

And 4) I will be calling my sister at least 5 or 20 times.

We’re sort of enthusiastic about our Bulldogs around here.

So in the spirit of fall and football season and fun times with family and friends, here are a few dips that I love to make for college gamedays.

Caramelized Onion Dip
from Come On In

1 tablespoon REAL butter
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large red onion, quartered, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup REAL mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Saute’ onion in butter and oil until caramelized (takes about 15-20 minutes). Cool and combine with remaining ingredients. Mix well and chill for at least 1 hour. Serve with chips or crackers – or both if you’re feeling crazy. Serves 6.

**********

Asian Style Dip
from Epicurious

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespooon toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dried ginger
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Combine first 11 ingredients in a small bowl; whisk to blend.

Cover and refrigerate. Serve with assorted cut-up vegetables (carrots, red bell peppers, sugar snap peas, cucumber, broccoli – whatever you like). Serves 6.

************

And finally, I’ve posted this recipe before, but OH MY WORD it bears repeating, mainly because it will change your life forever.

White Rotel Dip
from my sister-in-law Janie

3 packages of pork sausage (mild or spicy is fine – but use at least 1 maple-flavored)
4 packages of cream cheese
2 cans of Rotel tomatoes

Brown sausage and drain. In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients and heat until cheese is melted, being careful to stir often.

Serve with tortilla chips. And as I said the first time I posted it, if you’re worried about eating cream cheese AND sausage in the same dish, don’t worry because the tomatoes are TOTALLY healthy, and therefore you’ll be just fine.

**********

I hope y’all have a great time looking through all the recipes today – I cannot WAIT to find some cheese-laden treasures. And remember: when you add your post to the Mr. Linky, please link to your specific post – not your general blog URL.

Happy DipTacular, y’all!

When Janie and I were trying to get our ducks in a row for this trip, my husband actually suggested that instead of fixing big meals at night, we could round up something for the boys and then have a little appetizer fest for the grown-ups. Janie and I thought this plan was sixty three kinds of brilliant because, well, YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED THAT WE ENJOY US SOME APPETIZERS.

So. I feel that it’s only right and fair for me to bring you up-to-speed on this trip’s Featured Appetizers.

(I just totally made up that whole “Featured Appetizers” business.)

(But sometimes I just like to pretend like I’m writing on the chalkboard at The Olive Garden.)

(After all, when you’re here, you’re family.)

Hot Bacon Swiss Dip

2 packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
5 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled

In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, Swiss cheese and green onion. Spread mixture in a round Pyrex pie plate. Top with crackers and bacon, then bake at 350 until bubbly. Serve with your favorite chip.

*****

Chili Bean Dip

2 packages cream cheese, softened (ARE YOU NOTICING A PATTERN?)
1 can Hormel turkey chili
2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese

Spread cream cheese on bottom of square baking dish. Top with chili, then cheese. Bake on 350 until cheese is melted and everything is nice and bubbly. Serve with Fritos.

*****

Paula’s Black Bean Salsa

PW’s Jalapeno Bacon Thingies

PW’s Chili Con Queso

PW’s Pico de Gallo & Guacamole

*****

So. That all ought to do nicely, don’t you think?

(Also: please know that we’re making these over the course of five nights. However, if you feel led to make these over the course of, say, one night, then please know that I completely support – and lo, even admire – your decision.)

And even though the boys haven’t partaken of our appetizers, they have enjoyed untold volumes of sliced turkey, Cheetos, chocolate chip cookies and Sprite. And cereal. OH SWEET MERCY at the cereal.

Finally, this:

There is not a doubt in my mind that he has made some of the happiest memories of his life in the last three days.

And this:

God pretty much showed out with the whole where-the-water-meets-the-sky thing, didn’t He?

Happy Tuesday, y’all.