stuffing my face...and ears?

First off, a couple more recipes to add to this month's Big Seven (#45):

1. Veggie Mexican Casserole
Preheat oven to 350. Saute onions, garlic, sliced mushrooms, cubed eggplant, diced bell pepper and jalapeno until soft. Add a small can of mild green chilies, a small can of sweet corn, and a half packet of taco seasoning and let that simmer for a few minutes. Line the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish with 1/4 inch slices of firmed polenta (#50), top with the veggie mixture, then top that with a can of black and garbanzo beans, and finally top that with a Mexican cheese blend. Bake for 20 minutes and once out of the oven, top with sliced black olives, green onions, and sour cream. ENJOY!!! It's even better the next day, and like three times as good the day after that! It lasted me all week and I had like three servings at each meal...WHOOPS!

2. Spinach Artichoke Dip Pizza
Bake a Boboli crust (I recommend the whole wheat kind!!) per the instructions. Combine a good sized package of spinach dip from the deli (or make your own...two cups perhaps?) along with a can of chopped artichoke hearts as well as a half cup or so of freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or prepackaged shredded Italian blend). Heat up four slices of bacon and some shredded chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken from the deli, but you can shred a couple poached chicken breasts as well). When the crust is done, let cool a bit, and then top with the spinach artichoke dip, the shredded chicken and crumbled bacon, and some green onions. Voila! Quite a spectacular appetizer for a party, especially when coupled with my recipe for BLT pizza!

#51 - Fried Food
Two things. I went to a sushi restaurant on Friday and could NOT partake in the deliciousness that is tempura and thus simply drooled over my sister's Spider Roll while I [thoroughly enjoyed] my Philly Roll. Additionally, yesterday I went to this sports bar to watch the Bears game and while they typically have a bunch of menu options, sammiches and the like, on "Game Day" they have a bit of a stunted menu that features 95% fried food! So I had a choice between some sliders or pizza. I chose the sliders and they arrived atop a mountain of greasy golden French fries that I had to stare at longingly while I consumed my mini burgers. It was torture, but I made it through ;)

#68 - Speaking of eating a lot, jeez I've been eating a lot! I blame this early cold snap. My body is completely freaking out that I need to build up a thick layer of fat for the oncoming winter...especially if it's a winter like last year! So I've been stuffing myself with sweet bakery and one too many helpings of the dinners I make. I think I've gotta slow down a bit!!

#87 - On a completely different note, on Friday I received one of many emails about upcoming concerts and such and there was this article about a band called Elbow. They compared the music to Coldplay and Radiohead, but I don't really think this is the case. I purchased their latest album on iTunes for $7.99 (sweet freaking deal!) and I'm loving them!! I'm not exactly sure who to compare them to, but they're definitely British and moody. Sometimes they sound like Morrissey/The Smiths...sometimes Peter Gabriel...sometimes Blur...sometimes even My Morning Jacket. Try them today!! ;)