Where you are always allowed to play with your food!
Happy Columbus Day!
Yesterday I went to the store and spied a pretty flank steak and immediately had a hankering for fajitas! I had the butcher cut it in to strips. I added about a tablespoon of cumin, salt, pepper, and a couple of teaspoons of chili powder. I rubbed it all over the meat with a little olive oil, then cooked them up in a skillet. Everyone added their meat to a hot tortilla and added their favorite fixings!
This weekend my dishwasher broke. I had mixed feelings. It was an old piece of junk. I wanted a new one, so I got one. Until it can be delivered, I have to do dishes by hand. Sunday and Monday I made dinner and cleaned way too many dishes. https://funfoodiefamily.com/2015/08/24/chicken-tetrazzini-2/
https://funfoodiefamily.com/2015/04/16/throwback-thursday-steak-and-potatoes/
Last night we ended up going out. I went to Zumba and then the girls didn’t get out of practice until 7:30. I was planning on making tacos, but my husband convinced me we should go out. I was ok with that. Tonight I went to a kickboxing class, then made those tacos, but we used paper plates. Fast and easy dinner with less dishes!
Tomorrow is another crazy day! Friday is date night! See you on the flip side of getting a new dishwasher!
Evening fellow food bloggers and lurkers! Today was my first day back at school. I drug my heels all the way, but I guess I am ready to get back in to this thing called a crazy school year! It is our preplanning week, so today was rich and heavy in information. The rest of the week will be filled with meetings and getting prepared for my precious babies that will be arriving next week!!! I saw some of their sweet little 10 year old faces and I think I might have shed a tear or two; they are too cute!
Speaking of cute, have you ever witnessed a large room full of cheerleaders? Like a huge high school cafeteria full of K-12 cheerleaders all together in one place? Probably one of the happiest places on Earth. I have these two cuties starting practice this week. Last week was camp and they were just so precious I almost couldn’t stand it. 
So I got off work, picked up the girls, and got Becca ready, (she has practice 3 times a week and Katie has it twice), and I dropped her off at cheer practice. While she was there, I relaxed a bit, then cooked dinner. The hubby picked her up while I finished up cooking dinner. Here is what I made.
Chili Mac
Ingredients
1 pound macaroni noodles
1 pound ground beef (chicken, turkey, or even black beans or soy crumbles if you want to go veggie)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon of onion powder, garlic powder, and chili powder
red chili flakes to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups of water
3/4 cup of heavy cream
Directions
Brown your meat. Add in spices.
Add in tomato paste. Cook down for about 3 minutes. Add in canned tomatoes. Mix well.
Add in pasta and water. Cook about 8 minutes. Stir pasta at the 4 minute mark. If it looks thick, add in a bit more water. Stir well. After 4 more minutes, check pasta. It should still have a bite to it. Add in your cream and cook until done.
Popsicles for dessert!
Evening guys! I hope everyone had a great day. It was a scorcher here, so instead of the pool, we opted to go to an indoor jump place for the girls. My parents came with us and then we all had lunch at Mellow Mushroom. My dad and I both had a calzone; mine was tomato, basil, and black olives and his was steak and cheese. I have enough leftovers for a few days…those things are bigger than my head!
Tonight I made this new recipe. I had a container of ground beef, but I wanted to come up with a something unique that we have never had before. I also had some mushrooms, an onion, and a random can of cream of mushroom soup. So I thought I might make a take on Philly cheese steak, but more playing up the mushrooms. I also used 2 different cheeses. Cheddar on half and provolone on the other half. Turns out they both taste good! This would be great for a quick dinner on a busy night or even a great appetizer for game night! I am already thinking of new sandwich ideas to use in the future!
Cheesy Beef and Mushroom Sandwiches
4 mini french loaves or one large loaf cut in 4 sections
1 pound ground chuck
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced in a garlic press
1 container mushrooms, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
salt and pepper to taste
CHEESE! I used half cheddar (about 1 cup shredded) and half provolone (6 slices in total)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350
Brown the onion and beef. Season with salt and pepper. Halfway through the beef being browned, add the mushrooms and garlic. Mix well.
Add in the mushroom soup and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Cool.
Slice your bread and scoop out a little of the insides to make room for your beef and mushroom mixture. This is a great snack for the kids or dog =)
Add the beef and mushroom mixture on the bread. Top with your cheese and bake in the oven for about 12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.
Cravings…
Steak…Porterhouse…Medium Rare…Perfection
The cooking time all depends on the size and thickness of your steak and how well done you like it. Mine was on the smaller size and not too thick. Season your steak with salt and pepper on both sides. I like mine medium rare, so I cooked it on the first side about 6 minutes in a super hot cast iron skillet in with a tablespoon of butter. Then I flipped it and cooked the other side about 4 minutes. Then I let it rest for 10 minutes to keep in all the juices.
I have also made it half on the stove and half in the oven with a broiler using Bobby Flay’s recipe I read in Bon Appetit. http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/perfect-porterhouse-steak
Ingredients
Fun Foodie Family 