Hello bestie

What does it say about me that I am only looking forward to waking up tomorrow and being able to eat even more spinach artichoke dip? It says that I make some darn good dip is what it says! Here is the recipe:

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

2 (10-ounce) packages fresh Spinach, well rinsed and stems trimmed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (or use salted butter and don't use salt later in the recipe)
1 cup chopped yellow onions (frozen ones work great!)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup 1/2-inch cubes rindless Brie (hard for me to find but you can buy some with the rind and wrestle with it for a few to get it off!)
1 cup grated Monterey Jack
1 (6 1/2-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (I used about 9 ounces)
4 strips bacon, fried crisp, drained and chopped (I did not use the bacon because the party was for a vegetarian, add more bacon you like it a lot)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Assorted chips for dipping (pita chips, tortilla chips, bagel chips)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-inch round chafing dish and set aside.

2. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the spinach in batches and cook until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and refresh under cold running water. Squeeze to remove all excess water and chop. Set aside. (JUST CHOP THE DARN spinach BEFORE COOKING. MUCH EASIER, or even better buy it cooked and frozen, thaw it than drain it.)

3. In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

4. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, to make a light roux, about 2 minutes. Add the milk and cream in a steady stream, and cook, stirring constantly, until thick and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Add the cooked spinach and lemon juice, and stir to incorporate. Add the cubed and grated cheeses, artichoke hearts, and bacon, and stir well (You can add the bacon at the very end if you really enjoy the crunchiness of fried pork fat).

6. Remove from the heat and pour into the prepared dish. Top with the Parmesan and bake until bubbly, about 10 minutes. (I baked it for about 20 or 25 but 10 will do the trick if you really want to eat it!) Remove from the oven and serve hot with chips. (Awesome the next day!)

Happy Easter!

The amount of giggling during the science reproductive system lesson was priceless. I remeber when I was their age and we were laughing the same exact way. Even though it was almost twenty years ago things are surprisingly exactly the same. Amazing. If only I knew than what i know now (I would probably be the most popular girl in school *smile*). I would also pay good money to go back in time and just re-live those days because they really were some of the best times in my life. I lecture a certain someone all the time that you can not always look back at one's "hey day" and wish you were still there. That you have to look at the present and make that phenomenal too. Maybe it is time I took my own advice.

Looking forward to eating breakfast at the Copper Kitchen tomorrow morning and nothing else.

Lunch Break Today

I am siting at work on my extremely short lunch break enjoying my flat bread grilled cheese, pringles and large sweetened iced tea. I am inspired by the deliciousness of it all so I was forced to write even a short something about it. Thank you Dukin Donuts and the gas station next door to it for supplying such a delicious meal for my midafternoon (and only) break.

Where, O'where Did My Best Friend Go?

Where, o'where did my best friend go?

She used to call me every single night,
But now, when I call, the hour is never right.

She tells me about her money woes,
But ten seconds later, I feel like one of her foes.

She promises to call me right back,
But before I know it, the world has gone black!

I miss her laugh and how I could trust her with my heart.
I wish she knew that we both need a new start.

We are both struggling out in this world,
But no matter what, she'll always be my girl!