tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68880700117376510282024-03-05T03:08:34.206-06:00Hotdish in a HallwayHey! I've got a kitchen that's a bit more like a hallway. Also, I've got some hotdish ideas.Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04443543680497163677noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6888070011737651028.post-49068820990883290772010-04-24T13:40:00.002-05:002014-05-04T14:08:21.923-05:00Competition.Oh my.<br />
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Thanks to a tip from my good buddy Elizabeth Saloka, I've entered into the world of competitive hotdish, joining the throngs of old ladies across the country who duke it out for top honors at things like State Fairs and, well, State Fairs.<br />
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BUT, I am not alone in my quest for victory, I am joined by yet another good buddy—and an excellent Lady of her own kitchen, Beth Kaufman. Thankfully the competition does seem pretty low-key, and it's being held at Grain Belt Studios so really, there's no way this could be less than super fun.<br />
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To prepare, I have done some affirmations that the outcome of this competition doesn't impact my self worth. It's gonna be interesting to see if I can pull that off considering my competitive style tends to fall on the side of "hey, I'm super chill about this whole thing and I really don't care if I win, but now that you're all judging my skills in comparison to others I REALLY WANT TO WIN SO GIVE ME THAT RIBBON." <br />
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It should be a tasty evening since post judging we get to mow down on the hotdish spread. Oh, and there's Jell-O. Oh, and it can't be any more disheartening than on the last day of my internship at the Iowa State Fair when my friend and fellow intern Larissa and I were awarded the ribbon, pictured here. Neat, no?<br />
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Ok, so if you're around tomorrow come out to the event - details below, and if you're not around, stay posted for the results!<br />
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<b style="color: #990000;"><a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-7143-Minneapolis-Family-Activities-Examiner~y2010m4d16-Participate-in-the-Hotdish-Revolution-on-April-25-in-NE-Minneapolis">THE CONTEST!</a></b>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04443543680497163677noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6888070011737651028.post-34869683199933902582010-03-20T00:25:00.000-05:002014-05-04T10:30:30.645-05:00facelift?This year Spring fever has struck me with the strength of angry trumpeter swan's wing. If you had Mrs. Sanderson for 5th grade or just know anything about swans, you willl know that's crazy strong—like, aluminum bat swung by an insane estranged ex-lover strong.<br />
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The results of this recent blow have included me creating a 'writing nook' in my room and playing around with my blog. Hence, the slightly wonky background. I'm not sold on it, but I'm also too tired to mess with it anymore tonight. So, just be aware if the blog continues to change its image over the next few weeks it's just me tootin' around.<br />
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Goodnight and sweet hotdish dreams to all.Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04443543680497163677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6888070011737651028.post-49545895542357996862010-03-16T23:32:00.003-05:002014-05-04T10:39:04.544-05:00More Mexican! (and probably far too much unrelated rambling)Hola y Bienvenidos!<br />
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Long time no habla.<br />
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I supposed it could be seen as some sort of pattern if you have to start nearly every blog by apologizing for how long it has been since your last post, but you know what, I'm not going to analyze it and I would suggest/beg that you don't either. Besides, I have a good excuse for my lack of blog! I've been out of town doing extremely glamorous things in Las Vegas. Like unloading pallets of these:<br />
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It was <a href="http://www.catersource.com/">Catersource 2010</a> - the conference & tradeshow Mintáhoe's sister company, Catersource, hosts each year. This year it was big, busy and successful—and most importantly capped with fun events at night featuring amazing food and signature cocktails. After a loooong week the reward came when my friends Kathryn and Jane and I rented a car and headed westward out to Death Valley's own Tecopa, CA and its famous hot springs.<br />
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Lest you fear that after a week of amazing eats things would go downhill once we hit the desert, allow me to assure you they did not. In fact, they got better. On a visit to the '<a href="http://www.chinaranch.com/">China Ranch Date Farm</a>'* we brought an exquisite picnic lunch featuring triple creme brie, Irish cheddar, artisan breads, artichoke spread, Peruvian cucumbers, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and of course - dates. When we busted that spread out we were instantly the envy of every senior citizen that had debarked from their tour bus and were now sucking down date shakes. We smugly enjoyed our fancy fare as they boarded their buses and hopefully prepared for the gastrointestinal adventures those date shakes would be leading them on in but a few hours.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZpEw4FjIj_yikaW39SxpR-bOueVO05mzqFk2ZtaPN5vaqkpZeAFPzIeenSAFqoNO1S5a-fLRI1jDSj7KkLIzkoxKCDp3U-JWE89gtvdnUZ6KSiN2txzUT97vrqctRquD2rErexB3A7LlL/s1600-h/Bistro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZpEw4FjIj_yikaW39SxpR-bOueVO05mzqFk2ZtaPN5vaqkpZeAFPzIeenSAFqoNO1S5a-fLRI1jDSj7KkLIzkoxKCDp3U-JWE89gtvdnUZ6KSiN2txzUT97vrqctRquD2rErexB3A7LlL/s320/Bistro.jpg" /></a>We also had the delightful opportunity to eat at Bistro in Tecopa. Bistro is actually its name, so don't think that I've just started referring to places of business as their actual description. That would be ridiculous and if I started doing that it would likely be the result of a few too many at local Bar. Bistro is run by a burnt-out Las Vegas chef who traded the lights of Sin City for the starry skies of Tecopa. I for one am thrilled about his Vegas exodus since it meant three spectacular meals for the three of us. <br />
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But I digress from the main point of this whole blog entry, which is of course a hotdish. A special one at that! This hotdish was made with not only my TLC, but that of my dear friends Larissa and George Weber. Don't worry, it was mostly Larissa's TLC - I'm not sure George's is safe for consumption...<br />
Regardless, I drove down to their beautiful Frank Lloyd Wright craftsman-style home (I like to provide visual descriptors, plus their place is PIMP - although ironically the one non-craftsman room in their home is the one in the photo...) for a Saturday night visit and convinced them that rather than eating at one of Osage's fine dining establishments we should make something. Specifically, a hotdish for my blog. I'm selfish.<br />
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Larissa obliged and welcomed me into her kitchen which as you can see, unlike MY kitchen, has square footing and counter space. Also unlike my kitchen, a toddler.<br />
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There are a loads reasons why I adore Larissa and enjoy being her friend. One of the many is her undying love for Mexican food. One of the greatest milestones in our friendship occurred the summer we met as fellow Communications department interns at the Iowa State Fair. As "valued members of the team" we were invited to attend the State Fair Superintendent's pre-fair dinner party at his house, located ON the fairgrounds. (I know, weird) When the day came we were called into our bosses office mid-afternoon and told our presence there would be strange as we were merely "Interns" and thus, we were promptly uninvited. At this point we'd developed shockingly thick (yet still dewy and youthful) skins and chose to simply make plans to visit the fairgrounds Margarita Shack after work, located conveniently down the street from the Superintendent's house. We sat outside in the glorious sunshine sucking down margaritas and waving at the party-bound Fair employees as they drove on by. Suckers.<br />
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Since I was late to arrive thanks to judging the final round of a high school speech tournament (yes you read that correctly) Larissa went to the effort of not only finding a hotdish recipe but also buying the ingredients for it and beginning the prep work. Not only am I selfish, I am also a slacker. Here's the beautiful Mexican melange I arrived to...<br />
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All I had to do was stir, pour into a dish and top with cheese. Friends, if that was all that it required of me to make a hotdish I would have a hell of a lot more blog entries. Plus, when you don't have to all the pre-hotdish labor, you can even make the stirring look fun!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_e1-FrQqx28PALvA2GKVjKEg5I8Elu_4TFpJI520_7FUOAkJ9YEeiYiKw9NwSkMHe1vMuQp9O3qd9A9nK4rc7nuCcpkw7rVYjhyphenhyphenLtLfHQIBuxiXbHTwQH4QTcNr7um-8dwjpUyMYvdi6/s1600-h/GeorgeChives.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_e1-FrQqx28PALvA2GKVjKEg5I8Elu_4TFpJI520_7FUOAkJ9YEeiYiKw9NwSkMHe1vMuQp9O3qd9A9nK4rc7nuCcpkw7rVYjhyphenhyphenLtLfHQIBuxiXbHTwQH4QTcNr7um-8dwjpUyMYvdi6/s320/GeorgeChives.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a> George of course did his part. He bought chives. He also texted my Mom continuing their relationship of texting slightly inappropriate/unintelligible things and then my Mom, because she doesn't have George's name saved in her phone, wonders who the heck is texting her wanting to know what she's wearing or if she likes hamburgers. Then she finds out it's George and laughs for half an hour. I can't say for sure, but I think after this last bout she may have saved his name. Side note, things got a bit heated during this last round of texts when it was revealed that while receiving texts, the Ma & Pa Klaassen were on weekend #2 of their 'Wisconsin Breweries Tour 2010.' And they didn't even invite us. WHAT GIVES. Interesting that the people who taught me to be inclusive of everyone wouldn't invite three of the people they know that love beer the most... VERY interesting. That being said, these are the same folks who raised me and I've already had to openly admit that I'm selfish and sometimes lazy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8Fv7lzcHiLdySpqUpGMkFj8U3q-M722_S1I2WJ2hgMtEbGKg9SsFYtlhqavpZ5tNlylhJAX2VgM3W_pF54z0a_jZjNutGRqEFVksPNUPAz3dPNMl_eB9FBEHktsI0baOoErHGx7C4Eb2/s1600-h/BoredIsaac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8Fv7lzcHiLdySpqUpGMkFj8U3q-M722_S1I2WJ2hgMtEbGKg9SsFYtlhqavpZ5tNlylhJAX2VgM3W_pF54z0a_jZjNutGRqEFVksPNUPAz3dPNMl_eB9FBEHktsI0baOoErHGx7C4Eb2/s320/BoredIsaac.jpg" /></a>I DIGRESS. I realize that this blog has been light on the hotdish coverage and heavy on the blather. So I'll cut to the chase and say that Larissa found a darn good hotdish. It was a Mexican Vegetarian bake that was the perfect complement to her amazing carnitas that she had been slow-cooking all day. Another noteworthy item that Larissa slow-cooked is her son Isaac, who at 18 months is the cutest closest-thing-to-a-nephew I've ever met. He didn't seem as interested in the hotdish as we were (it's kinda obvious on film, Isaac.) It seemed his main interest was robot dancing to Lady Gaga, which I can understand, I mean, she's great.<br />
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If you want to make the hotdish, follow the recipe found <a href="http://www.recipezaar.com/Mexican-Vegetarian-Casserole-38067">HERE</a>. If you want to watch Isaac get down with his bad self, go visit the Webers. They're marvelous hosts. You'll have a splendid time.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*Interestingly enough, actor Matthew Modine is the descendant of the ancestors of China Ranch Date Farm. I guess you really do learn new things when you travel.</span></i><br />
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Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04443543680497163677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6888070011737651028.post-586886328506522972010-02-22T21:33:00.002-06:002010-02-23T08:37:45.438-06:00Hotdish in a Hallway hits the Highway!Oooh - Ooh! I forgot to mention this in my last post, but Hotdish in a Hallway has hit the road! (And subsequently found itself in a much larger, ACTUAL kitchen.)<br />
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This past weekend I visited the lovely home of my friends— George, Larissa and Pants* Weber down in Osage, Iowa. It was a superb time and in addition to watching Pants dance like a robot, checking out the latest episode of Teen Mom and enjoying copious amounts of wine, we made a hotdish!<br />
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Expect a post soon, but in the meantime enjoy this photo of Pants, who clearly, finds us ridiculous.<br />
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* to alleviate any confusion, Pants' real name is Isaac. However, since the day he sprung forth from Larissa's loins he's simply been 'Pants.' And adorable. (Also, what exactly are loins? Can Larissa have them? Can something or someone actually spring forth from them? I'm very confused. Growing up is hard.)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04443543680497163677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6888070011737651028.post-73836449873697922652010-02-22T21:23:00.000-06:002014-05-04T14:11:00.808-05:00Here's something cheesy and bacon-y for you to make!Months ago, when the idea for my blog came to me after my third Surly Furious, the potential hotdishes came at me faster than a recalled Toyota cruising down 494. Reuben hotdish! Chicken Noodle Brie Hotdish! Potato Paprika Hot Dog hotdish! I was crafting carbohydrate filled symphonies in my mind for days.<br />
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Once I discovered that writing a hotdish blog involves finding/creating recipes, purchasing ingredients to create said recipes, actually making recipes and then telling you all about it takes quite frankly, a lot a of work, the ideas tapered off. One hotdish idea however, persisted.<br />
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This flagship recipe began just like a baby–as a mere twinkle in its parent's eye. It is the culmination of two of my favorite foods and if you can forgive my crass language, is just g-dang tasty. I call it:<br />
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SHELLS 'n CHEESE 'n BACON HOTDISH.</div>
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I know. It's pretty.<br />
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I'm comfortable enough with you, my readers, to share that my feelings toward Velveeta Shells & Cheese are probably more intense than they should be for someone of my age. I have what I consider a non-childhood attachment to it because sadly, growing up in the Klaassen household, we were Kraft people. Nothing against Chuck and Liz - I have them to thank for all kinds of things like shelter, morals and a pretty intense addiction to pistachio nuts. Once I hit my early teens and began my rotations on the Buffalo, MN babysitting circuit I began to learn that there were people out there buying Velveeta Shells & Cheese, not that crazy Kraft business that requires butter AND a 1/4 cup of milk. I saw the light. I drank the Velveeta kool-aid and I love it right down to the weird foil bags the proccessed cheese comes in.<br />
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Ingredient two is bacon. I don't think I need to elaborate on this...if you're a loyal blog reader, and I know five of you are, you know my thoughts on bacon—thick and applewood smoked, please.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinCpgUuS0GqEgIKODpUL7Nfg9bbfGXilzjeZKCfOE1vjdm5f-xTOFPPXj_ycEQDGB8P7jymz4F15rsg0fJdbaJZfCxhzrVvUPgqak8R_se6tYJVojXzZMU8KpE-fQiLNxX8TrXOyEWMWtX/s1600-h/MixingHotdish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinCpgUuS0GqEgIKODpUL7Nfg9bbfGXilzjeZKCfOE1vjdm5f-xTOFPPXj_ycEQDGB8P7jymz4F15rsg0fJdbaJZfCxhzrVvUPgqak8R_se6tYJVojXzZMU8KpE-fQiLNxX8TrXOyEWMWtX/s320/MixingHotdish.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
Essentially, the hotdish just involves frying bacon, adding to shells & cheese and then baking it in a Pyrex pan. BUT - there are tricky and critical factors to consider while making this dish:<br />
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1. Potential drying out of the hotdish while baking. Normally I'd advocate adding a can of undiluted cream of something soup. But I didn't have any in the house. I improvised a solution and added half a bag of shredded cheese. I'm not sure this prevented drying out, but it was nice.<br />
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2. The notoriously poor temperament of leftover shells & cheese. I eat a lot of shells & cheese so if you're looking for an expert to talk to you about how crap they are as leftovers, please, feel free to respond to this blog or call me. Sometimes it's easier to talk it out. I tend to put a lot of value on a hotdish's ability to serve as my next 5-7 meals so I was nervous. However...and this is exciting...there seems to be something in the bacon/shredded cheese combo that preserves this dish well. I enjoyed it for my next three lunches, and hope you do the same.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3k9QZnR812oUa6dbj3K0pQs-AWRQ9Nr4E1W1pwdkAEOPMDD3srMAYyrDK0Bw_XXPCeLE9Et61q_OySbP7GXlWvEZhDhtCD_yMKfUJinrusc82SZVzBVrlskRw1Ae7BliUn9kQ6IQ1LjU/s1600-h/Bacon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3k9QZnR812oUa6dbj3K0pQs-AWRQ9Nr4E1W1pwdkAEOPMDD3srMAYyrDK0Bw_XXPCeLE9Et61q_OySbP7GXlWvEZhDhtCD_yMKfUJinrusc82SZVzBVrlskRw1Ae7BliUn9kQ6IQ1LjU/s320/Bacon.jpg" height="320" width="285" /></a></div>
So yeah, no real recipe here. Just make some pasta and put some bacon in it. Now. Really, stop reading this and start frying bacon. Also, if you're going to fry some bacon, be sure to keep an empty can handy to pour the bacon grease in and then keep it in your freezer. I don't know what this accomplishes, but it's what my Mom did growing up so it seems like something one should do. Even if this is the woman that always bought Kraft.Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04443543680497163677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6888070011737651028.post-20540571755532877772010-01-14T21:19:00.002-06:002010-01-14T21:21:56.574-06:00Hotdish: A Dish Served Best with other Hotdishes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0EVBD87wFPIM4eQYU_4GlqlC3PPMwOKmYtEOP1Gix4MrqgwnN0FVIE8Zz_mzsDOygoTSJd7mq69dyvCzFy1EYjRQ8yYT8UvQ2gYGG8fPoPfKvgKgB1vlSutWVdZfGUu1gjpEiMiUsBmRn/s1600-h/ak_gray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0EVBD87wFPIM4eQYU_4GlqlC3PPMwOKmYtEOP1Gix4MrqgwnN0FVIE8Zz_mzsDOygoTSJd7mq69dyvCzFy1EYjRQ8yYT8UvQ2gYGG8fPoPfKvgKgB1vlSutWVdZfGUu1gjpEiMiUsBmRn/s320/ak_gray.jpg" /></a>Are we sitting in the trust tree my friends? Have we all gathered here in a judgment-free zone? Should I feel safe being open and honest??? SHOULD I?!?! (oh lord - I've gone and done it again. Sorry - I swore 2010 was going to be a 'Year Sans Melt-Downs' and now I've gone and blown that resolution to heck. That's just great Andrea, just great.)<br />
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I ask you these questions before beginning this blog because I must fess up... I have fallen behind on my blogging.<br />
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When I began this blog I was pretty confident in my plan to make one hotdish a week. Cute, right? As it turns out, I seem to possess a little bit of that lethal combo of Overpromiser/Underdeliverer. If I may attempt to argue on my own behalf though, I would say that this particular blog entry has taken so terribly long because quite frankly, I have found it daunting. This is no ordinary entry. This is an entry chockablock full of photos, hotdishes and friends. That's a lot to cram into an entry, and this could get lengthy. Lengthy, bis of course the word I choose to use in lieu of 'rambly.' <br />
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About a year ago I joined forces with four of the funniest ladies I know—Danielle Olson, Stephanie Watson, Elizabeth Saloka and Beth Kauffman to become our own little improv/comedy quintet. While we had—and still have may I add, all the best intentions of doing great funny things, it seems that all of our shared interests in eating, drinking, chatting and laughing at each other is our Achille's heel. We make a heck of a Ladies' Social Club. We're still working on the 'organized comedic activity part.'<br />
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I invite you to get to know each of us more deeply by checking out this wacky little videos we made last summer. They were a bit thrown together and also the by-product of a few bottles of wine. Enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=thisisladybusiness&search_type=&aq=f<br />
<div style="color: #660000;"><i>(Oh, and don't feel like you have to watch these videos now, you can wait and watch them at the end of the entry, so as not to disturb the flow of the blog, kind of like I just did right now.) </i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Ylo6TC1ij8-Nq_f0Taur_O0FKZsgRazBTlfvZ7Uetxl8MvKkMXVNpIJcNF2JAl-W4wmzTatbCaQ5Iw5cmrz4AS4jae0-gYzaURMFsHIfnwYOZFBZfHcPzfDHvX_mX3q5ZxIrXbgI6Rk1/s1600-h/DSCN2606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Ylo6TC1ij8-Nq_f0Taur_O0FKZsgRazBTlfvZ7Uetxl8MvKkMXVNpIJcNF2JAl-W4wmzTatbCaQ5Iw5cmrz4AS4jae0-gYzaURMFsHIfnwYOZFBZfHcPzfDHvX_mX3q5ZxIrXbgI6Rk1/s400/DSCN2606.JPG" /></a><br />
</div>Recently, I had the pleasure of hosting the ladies over at the hallway for some hotdish. It's been a goal of mine to get some guests up in the halldizzle for some hotdish and right away I thought of these gals. They can cook. Like, really, really well. This evening, proved no exception.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxnTSXeaQ4-rRpYbH04rTxbg2fynst66q8a6TLr33b1KK65gs__QqI7szSHmRxLKMZ4OAphko7XfUT3IkL4YSHNDj36dj72RYxFkusbnj8kR5h0nHGIV4aQNiM1RkpppeSHlfTYB-g_hRM/s1600-h/Watson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxnTSXeaQ4-rRpYbH04rTxbg2fynst66q8a6TLr33b1KK65gs__QqI7szSHmRxLKMZ4OAphko7XfUT3IkL4YSHNDj36dj72RYxFkusbnj8kR5h0nHGIV4aQNiM1RkpppeSHlfTYB-g_hRM/s200/Watson.jpg" /></a>Everyone was charged with bringing a hotdish. Except for Stephanie who was at her company holiday party beforehand—and let's face it, nothing says "I'm not really here to get tipsy and make bad choices" like showing up to a holiday party with a foil-covered Le Creuset pan. In lieu of a hotdish, Stephanie wowed us all with homemade chocolate pistachio bark. Turns out that gifting chocolate pistachio bark turns Stephanie into a bit of a photo vixen. Little did we know. This melt-in-your-mouth treat was divine and came in a cute little tin, which was handy later in the holiday season when I had to bring my own homemade candy to the Klaassen family Christmas. Score! and thank you Stephanie.<br />
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Without any prior coordination we wound up with an excellent array of hotdishes covering all gamuts from vegetarian to down-home deliciousness. I told you invited these ladies over for a reason. The collection of cuisine and cooks included:<br />
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Beth Kauffman with a savory wild rice, prosciutto, brussel sprout bake:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY00rbmyxCM-tgBeITWA1k22dPa5OWOQgL0XlV3SN_WvVTJB-SjuShwvSAjp2bgbzVnQrr4eNLgtwONo0vu4V2pj4TMvBHguR5bzrnyiC2qLPlBgEMUwYXf0Wv69PYO93KuKqAuTDEWYXK/s1600-h/Kauffman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY00rbmyxCM-tgBeITWA1k22dPa5OWOQgL0XlV3SN_WvVTJB-SjuShwvSAjp2bgbzVnQrr4eNLgtwONo0vu4V2pj4TMvBHguR5bzrnyiC2qLPlBgEMUwYXf0Wv69PYO93KuKqAuTDEWYXK/s320/Kauffman.jpg" /></a><br />
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Elizabeth Saloka showed off some comfort-food cookin' skills with a chicken, cheesy, almond, tangy, veggie macaroni hotdish: (p.s. This hotdish is awesome as a leftover. I would know, I ate it for the next seven consecutive meals after our gathering.)<br />
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Danielle Olson added her gourmand touch to hotdish with a Swiss chard, gruyere (? I hope I wrote that down right - correct me if I'm wrong Olson) Yukon gold and cranberry offering:<br />
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</div>My contribution to this foodfest was a hotdish that as of now, is my favorite of the ones I've made, to date. I'm calling it 'Ricey Lasagna Hotdish.' Its technical name is 'Pizza Hotdish' - a name with which I take issue. With the exception of marinara sauce, there is nothing pizza-esque about this dish. What I do not take issue with, is the cookbook from which I got (well, and then edited) the recipe; <b style="color: #783f04;"><a href="http://www.worldcommunitycookbook.org/more/index.html" style="color: #783f04;">More With Less.</a> </b><br />
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This is an exceptional cookbook. Along with its sister publication, <b><a href="http://www.worldcommunitycookbook.org/season/about.html" style="color: #38761d;">Simply In Season</a></b>, these two books could be my entire cookbook collection and I would be happy. 'More With Less' was way ahead of its time, featuring recipes that champion good, healthy, delicious food produced in a manner where we aren't be gluttonous bad world citizens. Sounds intense, I know, but it is teeming with wonderful recipes. I don't often get on my soap box about things of this nature, but this is just an A+ cookbook that everyone should own. BOTH cookbooks actually. Plus, I've noticed that they've now both become staples of any eco-friendly store or co-op so you can buy them and look trendy at the same time. <br />
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Now that I've wrapped up that tangent, I'll tell you more about <b>'Ricey Lasagna.'</b> I won't bother giving you the original recipe since my revised version is better. Here's the recipe:<br />
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2 cups cooked rice <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(I used white, but I'm sure brown is good as well) </i></span><br />
3/4 lb. Italian Sausagae<br />
1 onion, chopped<br />
2 cups marinara sauce<br />
1/4 tsp. garlic salt<br />
1 tsp. sugar<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1 tsp. Italian seasonings<br />
2 cups Ricotta cheese<br />
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Combine ricotta and rice, set aside. Brown the Italian sausage and sauté the onion. Add sauce and seasonings to meat & onion mixture. Put 1/2 the rice/ricotta mixture in a greased 2 Quart dish. (just layer it in there - this is your base layer) Top with a layer of meat sauce & repeat ricotta/rice, then meat sauce. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes, or until bubbly. Feel free to get fancy and melt some mozzarella on the top. <i>(I would think this dish would only be made all the better with the addition of any of the following: olives, mushrooms or peppers - so maybe throw those in there if you like...)</i><br />
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I do apologize that I don't have the recipes for the other ladies' hotdishes, but you'll just have to deal with that. I had no desire to spend the evening writing down recipes as I was far too busy eating and wearing the cute apron Nicole made me for my birthday. If however you wake up tomorrow and still feel cheated about the whole thing, then I suggest you contact them yourself and bribe/purchase the recipes from them accordingly. From what I know of these ladies, you could probably snag the recipes pretty easily with the offer of a glass of wine. (unless you're Beth Kaufman, then you're a sucker for cow tongue.)<br />
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Once the first course had wrapped up it was time to PAR-TAY. And when we party we party HARD. With made-from-scratch rosemary lemon cupcakes with personalized flags in them!!! These tasty little confections came from the kitchen of Danielle Olson, and also from her skilled culinary hands. And seriously, personalized flags?!?! She's good. Also, here's your opportunity for audience participation - we struggled to come up with a cool word that our initials could spell. If you've got anything better, feel free to let me know and I'll give you a shout-out or something in my next blog. It's like Word Twist in a blog! Ooh!!! <br />
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There may be a lot of things you're wondering. I'll keep it simple and skip the questions about life, love and eternity and get to the query at hand - "Why did you have cupcakes at this occasion?" Clearly, the answer is that cupcakes mean celebration, and though I haven't mentioned it yet, this evening also doubled as a bit of a celebration. The day before our gathering I had turned the big 2-7, a few days later Danielle would turn Twenty-Great and in less exciting news, we were sharing a 'last supper' if you will with Elizabeth who is now, as I blog this, a Brooklyn resident. Sigh.<br />
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So, to wrap it up, have a hotdish party. It's fun and you will be amazed at how your friends rise to the occasion. Also, Elizabeth - move back, we miss you. Ok, thanks great.Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04443543680497163677noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6888070011737651028.post-18344183592438072742009-12-30T20:40:00.000-06:002009-12-30T20:40:43.065-06:00Not a Hotdish, but ADORABLE.I turned the big 2-7 a few weeks ago and on that oh-so special day I came home from work to be greeted by this:<br />
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</div><br />
<br />
My favorite dessert, key lime pie, in miniature form. MINIATURE FORM! Sorry - <span style="font-size: xx-small;">miniature form</span>. From scratch, at that!<br />
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This is reason #237 why my roommate Ana is one excellent lady. For inquiring minds, reason #236 is because she is a pharmacist and brings us home things like free pens and tape dispensers with drug names on them, and #238 is because she once made cupcakes that looked like penguins. (<i>Incidentally, I've spent the last 30+ minutes trying to locate a photo of said penguin cupcakes. I know one is out there, and when I find it, it will be posted...)</i><br />
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</div>Anyways, short story short, two takeaways:<br />
1. Food gifts are awesome, in particular in miniature form, and on a birthday<br />
2. My roomie is one good Banana.Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04443543680497163677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6888070011737651028.post-4400689918082049642009-12-15T23:26:00.000-06:002009-12-15T23:26:22.790-06:00Gal-on-the-Go! HotdishBetween my career, doing improv, maintaining my facebook profile and taking baths, I am often left with little time in the day to devote to meal preparation. Frequently, this results in me eating things like graham crackers, sharp cheddar or wine for dinner. But sometimes my readers, it just means I need to find a faster way of fixin' good old favorites that warm the tummy and the heart. Such was half of the inspiration behind my original recipe for 'Gal-On-the-Go!' hotdish.<br />
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</div>The other half of the inspiration comes from <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/sandra-lee/index.html">Sandra Lee</a>, as in the leggy now overly-made-up host of 'Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee' on televisions <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/">FoodNetwork</a>. Sandy played an oddly sizeable role in my life a few years back. I was 23 and had just returned from living in China for six months. Upon my return I moved into my parent's basement and began a steady daily routine of sleeping in, drinking half a pot of coffee, talking to my then boyfriend on the phone, going to the Buffalo Public library to borrow wifi and 'apply for jobs', coming home, watching Paula Deen & Sandra Lee, trying to make whatever I had watched on Paula Deen & Sandra Leen, then collapsing on the couch watching (oh God - I can't believe I am admitting this...) Gilmore Girls until my Mom got home and I once again had social interaction. At the time, my lifestyle seemed close to perfection. Now that I actually type it out, I can see where it might come across as mildly unfortunate. Nonetheless, watching and making recipes from Sandra Lee (or Paula) was really the highlight of each day, and for that, I will be forever grateful to both of those cookin' gals.<br />
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In tribute to Sandra, this hotdish is particularly 'semi-homemade.' That's a nice way of saying that this hotdish is for the lazy not-so-talented Chef in all of us. This hotdish is also a great item for those of us currently living in the Klondike. It's hearty, and piping hot when done.<br />
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<b>Gal-On-the-Go Chicken Wild Rice Hotdish</b><br />
1 bag of Uncle Ben's 'Ready Rice' - Wild & Brown Rice Medley <i>(this would be the rice that you nuke for 90 seconds - fyi)</i><br />
1 bag of frozen 'Steam-In-The-Bag' broccoli<br />
1 can cream of mushroom soup<br />
1 can of chicken<br />
<br />
There you go. Mix that business together, add some pepper to taste, pop it in the oven at whatever you want (I went about 20 minutes at 350 degrees) and eat. Done and done. This tasty little concoction took hardly any time and left me with a meal that I felt good and productive about, and let's face it, any hotdish that comes with a side of self-esteem boost is a winner.<br />
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It is also worth noting that I am aware that in a recent post I promised you all more photos, and this entry was nearly devoid of them. Please remember, this hotdish is for busy people. People who do not have time to search their apartments for their cameras that they are certain they left on their bookshelves but now it's nowhere to be seen...but I digress. Sorry for the lack of photos. I'll do better next time. You can take that to the bank. They won't care or give you anything, but you can take it there. Just saying.<br />
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Gotta go!Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04443543680497163677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6888070011737651028.post-50528183528270357662009-11-29T23:01:00.000-06:002009-11-29T23:01:26.753-06:00Had a bit of a fail...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_0WX8qWsdbZMBBkkwBZP1JxzVzLcFJ7GvooufQDQvFVevZ7ZNqkR8ReYAXvshwQMZEOxzl4F0CkhJTdtCiO9d8PAh48WFIlDn2n_K7kucXIvupG9pL5ebPvY43iv6fvg3LwSSktETfxur/s1600/Salsa_SubwayFare_42006_v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_0WX8qWsdbZMBBkkwBZP1JxzVzLcFJ7GvooufQDQvFVevZ7ZNqkR8ReYAXvshwQMZEOxzl4F0CkhJTdtCiO9d8PAh48WFIlDn2n_K7kucXIvupG9pL5ebPvY43iv6fvg3LwSSktETfxur/s320/Salsa_SubwayFare_42006_v2.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>I forgot a rather important ingredient in my last post. Salsa. SALSA.<br />
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Lord. Have. Mercy. I don't know where my head was, but please, if you try to make my version of Mexican hotdish, add some salsa. About half a cup, or really however much you like.<br />
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I will try to never fail you all again. Apologies, apologies, apologies...Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04443543680497163677noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6888070011737651028.post-16636111159992907392009-11-29T18:10:00.000-06:002014-05-04T15:40:10.960-05:00Mexican Hotdish Hybrid. Olé!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Gather round my little Mexican jumping beans, in this installment of Hotdish in a Hallway we are heading southward!<br />
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Specifically, Kansas.<br />
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Now before you bust out your sombreros and prepare to let bartenders mix margaritas in your mouth, I need to address some pressing blog related issues.<br />
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<br />
I have received a few bits of constructive criticism/grievances regarding my online hotdish journal.<br />
<b>1. General lack of photos</b><br />
Alright, I will meet you halfway or even a bit further on this one. The blog needs some more hotdish photos. In my defense however, the 'ol iBook G4 has grown testy in its old age and doesn't much care for me doing things like having 'two tabs open while online' or 'uploading photos,' the latter of which takes a looooong stinkin' time. For you though, I will be patient and try to step it up with the piccies.<br />
<b>2. My lax definition of a hotdish</b><br />
This particular item was brought to my attention thanks to my most recent posting that apparently was 'a bit of a stretch.' I have to apologize. Apparently in my introductory blog post I didn't mention that Hotdish in a Hallway is not a democracy. This is a one-woman village of which I am both subject and ruler. Consider this your own online Cuba and I'm Fidel Castro before his brother took over the country. So if I say it's hotdish, it is a hotdish. If I decide to slap a little frosting on a nilla wafer, put it in a pyrex pan and call it a hotdish, so be it. I am not here to be judged. I am here to bake and eat hotdish. The End.<br />
(Wow, I apologize for that. I didn't mean to be so stern my dear friends, I just felt like I needed to show a little tough love. I don't want you all to grow up and become menaces society because I didn't instill a little discipline early on in your development. That is all. I love you and I'm sorry.)<br />
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Ok, back on track. Last week I had the pleasure of joining Mom & Dad Klaassen for a good old fashioned family road trip to visit the extended family down in Kansas. To make it feel authentic and true to our car trips of my early teen years, I spent 90% of the time with headphones on in the backseat handing my parents Twizzlers or their Crossword puzzle books whenever they needed them. Unlike my early teen years, I was pleasant.<br />
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The time in Kansas was just lovely. Lots of quality time with Grandparents (note cute pic, and no - I'm not sitting on my Grandma), Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, 2nd Cousins and a really nice old lady who worked at a clothing shop in downtown Newton. The trip also served as a great reminder that I come from good cooking stock and as such, I decided to break out the original family cook book <i>It All Started with Susie</i>, title inspired by my Great-Grandma Suzanne Regier. This cook book is so old it is written in 'typewriter' and with zero intention of irony.<br />
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I was craving some Mexican hotdish. Not of the authentic variety (if such a thing exists), but of the classic midwest meets Chi-Chi's variety. Lo and behold, the book had not one but TWO recipes that fit the bill—one from my Aunt Linda and another from my Dad's Cousin Barb. Both looked good and each had elements to which I was drawn. Barb's involved a Pillsbury crescent roll crust and Ellen's a nice variety of tasty fillings. I took it upon myself to steal parts of both and make my own using a wing-it strategy. Here's what I came up with:<br />
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<br />
<b>Mexican Hotdish Hybrid</b><br />
1 lb. hamburger<br />
1 medium chopped onion<br />
1 can mushroom soup<br />
1/2 can milk<br />
1 small can chopped green chilies<br />
1 small jar taco sauce<br />
1 can of crescent rolls<br />
1 can of black beans* <br />
LOTS of shredded cheese<br />
<br />
*the actual recipe called for one can of ranch style beans. I have no idea what these are. I scoured the grocery store shelves for them to no avail. As I'm typing this now it's dawning on me that I could have either called my Aunt or just googled ranch style beans. At the time though, I opted to go with black beans, and you know what? I'm satisfied with this game-time decision.<br />
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SO, sauté your beef and onions together until browned (the meat that is). I actually used ground turkey, and I have to say, I should have gone beef. "Ground turkey tastes the same as ground beef" is a real doozy of a myth. Ground turkey is generally flavorless and beef is tasty. Live and learn.<br />
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Roll the crescent rolls out into a greased 9x13 pan. Mix all the other ingredients together including half the cheese (sorry for the lack of measurement, just eyeball it.) and pour it on top of the crescent roll crust. Bake at 325 degrees for approx. 45 minutes. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top and broil for a few minutes until it reaches the pretty stage.<br />
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In retrospect, in addition to using actual beef, I'd skip the milk. The hotdish was a bit runny, which ended up working well since we basically ate it like a dip, but if you want a true thick hotdish, I'd leave it out. (Ooof. True thick hotdish is a terrible, gross-sounding descriptor. But I'm leaving it AS IS.)<br />
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Really, the only tricky part about this dish, was then transporting it over to my friends Kathryn & Amanda's house. Luckily I had Ana, the trusty roommate to hold it on the way over. Once we made it over and the hotdish was safe, we busted open a bottle of wine that was shaped like a woman. (As a general note, if you are looking for a good red to accompany this dish, you may want to choose one with a standard bottle shape.) As it was, the wine was just fine and the company, superb! OOH—and we added lettuce and guacamole on top which really amped up the dish.<br />
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Now go toss on your your woven poncho and bake up some Mexican mayhem!<br />
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Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04443543680497163677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6888070011737651028.post-36628283418577538402009-11-10T20:26:00.000-06:002009-11-10T21:06:30.201-06:00Egg Hotdish? Oh gosh yes, you bet.With the first hotdish under my belt, I've been feeling pretty confident. My cooking skills are sharpened, plus I seemed to have mastered the typing skills necessary to continue this 'blog', so really the next hurdle is gathering hotdish recipes. I went to what I knew would likely be an excellent source, my trusty 'Fix-It and Forget It: Five Ingredients or Less' cookbook. The foodie in me is ashamed that I use this cookbook as much as I do, but the Lazy in me thinks it's just great. Lo and behold, the book didn't disappoint. Hotdish Abundanza!<br />
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I stumbled upon 'Baked Eggs', an egg bake recipe that called for a can of cream of chicken soup. Since I'm applying no real structure to what I qualify as a hotdish, I figured this would be good enough, starch be damned.<br />
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In another exciting turn of events, I happened to have the perfect event for whipping up such a dish—the impending arrival of my three of my favorite woman friends: <i>(And yes, I'm calling them this because it sounds ridiculous and makes me laugh, and also because it reminds of Kathryn's mom.) </i><b>Larissa</b>, hailing from the darling village of Osage, IA: Home of Kent's Flaming clothing store<br />
<b>Megan</b>, joining us from the always convenient Story City, IA: Home of that one outlet mall with all the stores I never want to buy things from<br />
<b>Heather</b>, trekking down from mighty Upper Peninsula of Michigan: Home of...wilderness(?)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnxSVX3OE2f0Oa7HriGSM7rxE7RClX4yY2Xn_-jkpp_VSYW9l6gT97Uxx8Y_SE_kD1HarYODiZXNul_2w0M0HtMDJ0KoreMMB9TXxAF4nSF1fpXMx5LSwd4layVH3nQ4Pvy4UOBd10u5VC/s1600-h/n506299112_1177700_8130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnxSVX3OE2f0Oa7HriGSM7rxE7RClX4yY2Xn_-jkpp_VSYW9l6gT97Uxx8Y_SE_kD1HarYODiZXNul_2w0M0HtMDJ0KoreMMB9TXxAF4nSF1fpXMx5LSwd4layVH3nQ4Pvy4UOBd10u5VC/s320/n506299112_1177700_8130.jpg" /></a>Now, the last time the four of us gathered for a weekend 'o fun, I found myself in a bit of a scuffle with the historic Meredith Wilson Footbridge in Mason City, Iowa. I won't bore you all with the details of the debacle, but I will enthrall with you this photo of me post-scuffle. Needless to say, the four of us typically have an excellent time together.<br />
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I must confess that when it comes to 'Baked Eggs' and this particular blog entry, I've had a bit of a 'fail.' I didn't take any photos. I'm blaming this on the same laziness that prompted me to make a hotdish from a five-ingredients-or-less cookbook in the first place. Please forgive the lack of visual stimulation in this blog, although come on, that photo of my mug is nothing if not stimulating.<br />
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'Baked Eggs' is a pretty easy hotdish to make. Surprising, right? It has four ingredients. HOWEVER...and note the all caps for emphasis, it allows me to touch on two of the dozen or so principles I strictly abide by when cooking.<br />
<b>1. When using cheddar, always go with sharp. </b>Not like that weird Cracker Barrel brick of sharp cheddar that will suck all the moisture out of your mouth, just a nice amped up version of your standard mild breed of cheddar. <br />
<b>2. When using bacon, always go for the applewood smoked variety. </b>This is just something you should do. Just trust me on this one and don't question.<br />
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These two tips are almost guaranteed to ensure your end product receives a ranking of 'tasty' and if they don't and you feel I have steered you wrong, you may openly comment about it on this blog and feel vindicated that my Mom and the three other readers of this blog now know how you feel. <br />
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Unlike my last hotdish snafu, I didn't have any glitches in actually making this dish. I did however, have a hallway kitchen that smelled like bacon for three days. If you are willing to let your home smell like a small-town Perkin's to reap the rewards of this belly-warming fare, then I suggest you take note of this recipe.<br />
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<b>Baked Eggs, or 'Andrea's Easy Eggy Hotdish Supreme Made With Love'</b><br />
1/2 lb. bacon <i>(applewood smoked)<br />
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12 eggs <i>(that would one dozen for you grade-school flunkies...)</i><br />
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese<i> (sharp, SHARP!)</i><br />
1 can of cream of chicken soup<br />
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Saute the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Meanwhile, break eggs into a large bowl and beat until mixed. Remove cooked bacon and drain on paper towels, but reserve two tablespoons in skillet. Pour eggs into the skillet and scramble until just cooked. While eggs are cooking, mix shredded cheese and soup until well blended. Once the eggs are slightly cooled, add to cheese/soup mixture. Gently fold bacon. Put eggs into a greased 7x11 (or whatever size you fancy and/or own) and back at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Andrea tip: save some of the bacon and cheese to sprinkle on top. Adds to the curb appeal factor.<br />
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This dish seemed to get a solid 'tasty' ranking from all the ladies. Or once again, I've learned that I have even more friends who are so nice they'll lie about my cooking. Either way I'm pleased. And according to this photo, we all were. Especially Heather...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52sElIERCX71kEYYVmrq4Xm_9vT-epMFZEWSfTrTpuvFI5X6OcT3Cy3CiwktGQG7W6AmZytf-3BCJG5QQTfMjoxnEbRzC9XwA02lyNioUZCbfIOu2h6537VsDWweva42MuvcANn53BS_Q/s1600-h/-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52sElIERCX71kEYYVmrq4Xm_9vT-epMFZEWSfTrTpuvFI5X6OcT3Cy3CiwktGQG7W6AmZytf-3BCJG5QQTfMjoxnEbRzC9XwA02lyNioUZCbfIOu2h6537VsDWweva42MuvcANn53BS_Q/s400/-1.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04443543680497163677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6888070011737651028.post-54012815983529168222009-11-02T18:07:00.000-06:002009-11-02T18:07:40.198-06:00The Inaugural Hotdish is Made. And Promptly Devoured.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-QUrEfnvpl-EtYNW3yfj8r4MrQ_oJrLTMN49grDsxw6gyLzjllZC2EnSVe2wYa2i2J0-P7gLNBwx8J-gXaFpznNbwU-JaP224H7ilSZgtBxu5NR4bRAb8BuKtyjpp885pGJ9SCpaWaps/s1600-h/donehotdish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-QUrEfnvpl-EtYNW3yfj8r4MrQ_oJrLTMN49grDsxw6gyLzjllZC2EnSVe2wYa2i2J0-P7gLNBwx8J-gXaFpznNbwU-JaP224H7ilSZgtBxu5NR4bRAb8BuKtyjpp885pGJ9SCpaWaps/s400/donehotdish.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>The first step to any hotdish blog worth its weight in Pyrex, is to actually make a hotdish. So I made one. For my inaugural adventure, I decided upon the most popular hotdish of my childhood, a fancy dish known around the Klaassen household as 'Chicken Hotdish.' (We aren't much for fancy hotdish names.) This is a creation that I believe started with my Grandma Donna, although in the Klaassen Family Cookbook it is attributed to my Aunt Linda, so I could be totally wrong on that one. If so, thank you Linda for giving the world this hotdish, or at least for the recipe so I may share.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd5OYv97a9Vc3Gzh2Rh-HkhPR8wnUSFsLYE9rYa-ebHbrvqmOseX1YFd_0_ui7LUKowK0Hmv_5ciY86Xk1-vTEI6OqnCtdzrHzRDN5ZVGkb4XU3uh39boIWF5aN2mjwuqyMuVqmANbDvRH/s1600-h/cookbook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd5OYv97a9Vc3Gzh2Rh-HkhPR8wnUSFsLYE9rYa-ebHbrvqmOseX1YFd_0_ui7LUKowK0Hmv_5ciY86Xk1-vTEI6OqnCtdzrHzRDN5ZVGkb4XU3uh39boIWF5aN2mjwuqyMuVqmANbDvRH/s320/cookbook.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>This hotdish looks easy on paper. Actually, it looks disgusting on paper. The ingredients of this dish should not go together and it is a culinary mystery and marvel that they do. I asked my Mom for this recipe a few years ago and I believe the conversation went something like this:<br />
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<b>Andrea:</b> Hey - you know that chicken hotdish that I looooved when I was little and made you make for all of my birthdays? I need the recipe.<br />
<b>Mom:</b> Oh sure, you know - it is so simple. It's just chicken, celery, cream of mushroom soup, saltine crackers and Velveeta.<br />
<b>Andrea:</b>...................(stunned silence).............ew. <br />
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So, I decided to whip up this classic and serve it to my roomie Ana, and my co-dependent life partner/friend, Kathryn.<br />
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Now, because I'm still figuring out the logistics of this blog, I haven't decided where to post the recipes within the blog entry, so I'll just put it here right now:<br />
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<b>Chicken Hotdish </b> <br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">3/4 lb. chicken (cooked, cut into small pieces, or shredded)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1 1/2 c. diced celery (cook ahead - a step, I 'chose' to ignore)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2 small diced onion</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1 1/2 c. cubed Velveeta (hold your breath while doing this step)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2 tsp. pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2 tsp. salt</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1 can cream of mushroom soup</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">2 beaten eggs</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">4 c. crushed saltine crackers, with 1 stick of melted butter poured over them</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">6 c. chicken broth ( I had to check with Mama Klaassen - 6 cups is NOT a typo. Also, I prefer to cook chicken for a dish like this by poaching it in broth, which can be re-used for this part of the recipe)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mix all ingredients except 1 c. cracker crumbs. Pour into a 9x13 greased baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. </span><br />
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Believe it or not, despite the ease of the recipe, I had a few glitches. Also, my hallway kitchen became a war zone. Anyhoo...<br />
• First, I bought chicken thigh meat instead of chicken breasts. (WARNING: chicken thigh meat, when cooked, looks just awful. Just, oh, awful.)<br />
• Second, I forgot to cook the celery before mixing it with all the ingredients. This would later be less of a glitch, and more of a blessing, as it served as the only item in this hotdish with any texture or crunch.<br />
• Third, I used cream of mushroom soup with garlic flavoring. Normally, I would really advocate for garlic, but not in this hotdish. It gave the hotdish an odor that I didn't enjoy at all.<br />
• Lastly, I ignored the instruction about putting half the cracker crumbs IN the casserole and instead put them all on top. Crackers in the dish are really critical for proper texture and as a result of my out-of-order hijinx, the hotdish was a bit soupy.<br />
• also, not a 'glitch' per se, but I halved the recipe and there was hotdish a-plenty for three.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9QYitU_jKLBZY4a_PxyEFbq8x6lBOpkCPVUwPBpFpPkSB12-uHvBwBdKaTeEMh8utS1DdXTDp8KmmP4JigrhrsMSgCY6liU8uCCP0Z4jbFlLvzfnBNI7LH_tsTop1BrThLBdE8SaeY65X/s1600-h/chaoskitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9QYitU_jKLBZY4a_PxyEFbq8x6lBOpkCPVUwPBpFpPkSB12-uHvBwBdKaTeEMh8utS1DdXTDp8KmmP4JigrhrsMSgCY6liU8uCCP0Z4jbFlLvzfnBNI7LH_tsTop1BrThLBdE8SaeY65X/s320/chaoskitchen.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>In the end, the hotdish was actually a hit. One bite of it and I was transported back to my days of carefree youth - days when my biggest worries were things like "Will today's Saved By the Bell on WGN after school be the stupid junior high years or the awesome high school years?" "What if I never get to move in to my older sister's awesome basement room?" or "Will tomorrow's Italian Dunkers sauce be made with real meat?" <br />
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I discovered that I have friends with adventurous palates. I also have friends that might be so nice they lie about how much they love the hotdish I just made them. Kathryn, in particular, impressed me by eating roughly half the hotdish. Well done, Franksonator!<br />
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I encourage you to boldly consider also making this hotdish. If for no other reason than to have some friends together on a cold winter evening and feed them piping hot grub. And then if they leave and/or upchuck when you tell them the list of ingredients, you can simply move them from the 'friend' category into 'let's maybe get together sometime, but who knows' category. Allow chicken hotdish to be your friendship litmus test.<br />
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Happy Hotdishing from my Hallway to Yours!Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04443543680497163677noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6888070011737651028.post-89349949919904978192009-10-28T20:07:00.000-05:002009-10-28T20:07:30.674-05:00The Start of Something Hotdishy.<span style="font-size: small;">Friends.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">or may I call you Readers? (Since at this point you've read two incomplete sentences, I feel comfortable defining this relationship. Are you comfortable with that? I don't want to rush you into a commitment you just might not be willing to make - please don't think that one thing is going to lead to another and next thing you know we're living in Woodbury and the kids won't stop yapping...)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">So, Readers. Thank you for clicking on the link to get to this blog. By doing so you've made a pretty important step in furthering your education in both hotdish, and the life of yours truly. Perhaps you're wondering, "Why the blog?" "Why the hotdish theme?" "Why that haircut choice?" These are all good questions. Allow me to answer...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">A few months ago I was sitting at Common Roots Cafe enjoying some wifi and Surly Furious. I looked around me at all my fellow laptop users and in my head crafted my own theories about what they were doing. There of course was the law student writing a paper while facebook chatting, there was the girl uploading photos of her hand-knitted suspenders to sell on etsy.com and then there was me, doing not much of anything besides reading huffpost. There was something wrong with this picture. I am 26 and have a Journalism degree. I should have a blog. <br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">As exciting as my day to day life is, I wanted it to be more than just a daily lamentation of my comings and goings. I wanted a theme and went to www.blogher.com, which has a directory of more blogs and random topics than you could wave a freshly made Common Roots bagel at. Lots of blogs people. Lots. One caught my attention - 'Five Star Meals in a Five-Foot Kitchen,' which made me think "Lucky broads. Must be nice to have a five-foot kitchen. All I have is a hallway." lightbulb! In addition to having a hallway kitchen I have an impressive number of cookbooks with hotdish recipes. Thank you Midwestern upbringing. SO, Hotdish in a Hallway was born. I'm going to make some hotdishes, possibly with some fun folks of choice, possibly with some 'themes' (ooh - exciting!) and very likely, with a great deal of rambling about funny stories and thoughts related to said hotdish. Should be interesting...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Oh, and the haircut is because my hair is difficult and curly and I haven't found my 'look' yet. I'm a firm believer I will hit my prime mid-fifties and will have it sorted out by then. Meanwhile, lay off me.<br />
</span>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04443543680497163677noreply@blogger.com2