An Addiction to Chips

One thing my friend Michelle and I have in common is a deep love of chips. Since I've known her, Michelle has lived abroad twice - once in China and now in London - both times for about a year. We like to spoil each other by sending care packages. The things I've received from Michelle include various Starbucks paraphenalia to furnish my obsessive hobby, PJs, chocolates, chapsticks, and other fun little knick-knacks.

All of the care packages I have sent to her are varied but are mainly food-based. She likes Trader Joe's, See's Scotmallow, and chips. Michelle's favorite types of chips are the Maui Sweet Onion chips and Flamin' hot Cheetos, and these two are constant staples in my care packages to her. In the most recent care package I sent her, I added Salt & Vinegar chips and Salt & Pepper kettle chips. The international cost of shipping, at $34, makes these the most expensive chips in the world.

Baseball

Tom's been wanting to see a baseball game since the weather got nice. Don't get me wrong - Tom is not a baseball fan, but rather he wanted to take pics with his new camera. I merrily go along with this plan for a different reason altogether: the food. People think I'm crazy because I go to ballgames to eat hotdogs, garlic fries, lemonade, cotton candy, and beer, but there's really no better time (or place) to enjoy all that junk.  

Last night we went for the first time to Portland's PGE Park and watched AAA teams, the Beaver versus Las Vegas 51s. For me, baseball games are more about the food and the people watching rather than the game itself. I often find that Tom will talk to me about something that just happened, or I will hear the crowd cheer loudly, and I have no idea what just happened because I was in the midst of watching someone. People are immensely fascinating to me, much more than a little ball that flies from here to there. I am just worried that one of these days, the ball will come flying at me in the face and I won't even know it. 

Love

Love is never getting tired of spending every minute with your spouse and when you are parted for only a mere 3 hours, you miss that person.

Happiness

Happiness is taking turns reading a fantasy book, by your favorite author, out loud with your spouse before bed.

Life is Good

Life is good when you can wake up, have 2 cups of coffee with rice milk, and study Constitutional Law in your bathrobe until noon.

Chicken Florentine

If this blog is turning into a list of recipes, so be it! Second to the crockpot, casseroles are my next best friend because they are simple, easy, and will usually take care of at least 2 of your food groups. Here is another easy and foolproof recipe that is simply delicious!

Ingredients:

1 can of chicken

1 box of chopped spinach, thawed

2 cans of cream of mushroom

shredded cheese, any kind

Optional:

saltine crackers

sauteed mushrooms

Steps:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly Pan a casserole dish - size does not matter.

2.  Mince chicken using a fork.

3.  Drain spinach by balling it up and squeezing all the water out.

4.  Mix spinach, chicken, cheese, cream of mushroom soup, crackers, and mushrooms.

5.  Bake casserole covered in foil for 20 minutes.

6.  Uncover, add more cheese (be generous), and bake for another 10 minutes.

7.  Serve over rice.  Pictured is the result.

Breakfast Burritos

Imho I make the best breakfast burritos that always hit the spot.

Ingredients for each burrito:

6 tater tots 

2 eggs

2 slices of bacon

2 spoonfuls of pinto beans

1 tortilla

cheese - any kind

optional: salsa

Steps:

1.  Pop the taters in the toaster oven.

2.  Fry slices of bacon.

3.  Heat up pinto beans.

4.  Scramble eggs, add salsa & cheese if desired.

5.  Heat up tortilla.

6.  Assemble.

7.  Add hot sauce if desired.

8.  Enjoy!