food blog

I've been trying very hard this quarter to tighten the belt around here, mostly because I have to shell out $2,100 for my licensure exam next week.  I have found that the best way to accomplish this is to drastically cut down eating out and cook at home.  And it's a good thing my mother taught me to cook, otherwise I would be having a hard time with my budgeting.  I get bored very easily and can't eat the same thing over and over.  But I have been cooking up a storm and trying all sorts of new recipes.  I swear that if I hadn't already dedicated this blog to sharing my dental school experiences, I would write a food blog.  (Although maybe not, because I am to lazy to photograph all the food I cook.  And you can't have a good food blog without pictures.  We do eat with our eyes first.)  Anyway, here are a few good recipes I have made lately.  I highly recommend them to you.

July 3: blueberry crumb bars
I know I've written about these on this blog before.  They are from one of my favorite food blogs.  I made a pan of these when I went up with some friends to Lake Pleasant to watch the fireworks.  They were a perfect summer time picnic dessert.  The view of the lake was beautiful.

July 4: 7 layer taco dip
I used this recipe as a framework for the appetizer I brought to Mindi's annual 4th of July party.  I made it in a big pan since I do NOT have time to make individual servings.  Also, I mixed the taco seasoning into a sour cream/cream cheese layer rather than in the beans.  It seemed easier.  And I put different toppings on.  Wow, so I guess this recipe was pretty much only used as a guideline for what order to put the layers.

Last week: sweet barbacoa pork with cilantro lime rice
I've been drooling over this recipe for weeks, but never attempted it because it seemed like too much work for a crock-pot recipe.  I could not have been more wrong.  And it was DELICIOUS.  I made a side of black beans, cooking them in a little bit of the discarded pork cooking liquid and adding a few spices.  I also made cilantro lime rice, as recommended in the pork recipe.  (If you make the rice, decrease or omit the salt.  It seemed WAY to salty for me.)

Last night: mushroom barley soup
The monsoons brought a break in the heat last night, and it was only 82 glorious degrees.  This seemed like a perfect opportunity to make soup.  (Totally sane people make soup in the middle of the Arizona summer, just so you know.)  This recipe came together very quickly and surprisingly had more flavor than I expected.  It was really good.

Tomorrow: cold rice noodles with peanut lime chicken
This one may be a bit of an adventure.  I will be serving it hot, because cold chicken weirds me out.  It is currently marinading in the fridge.  The peanut marinade was a little more sour than I was anticipating, so hopefully it comes out differently once it is cooked.

I really wanted to make this recipe for sticky buns.  But considering I now live alone, having an entire pan of sticky buns at my disposal would be disastrous for my waistline.  I just need to find a brunch to bring these to.

I'm always open to new suggestions or recipes to try, so feel free to send them my way.  Also, follow my boards on Pinterest for a links to many more of my favorites or next-up on the list.