Executive ability

My husband declared me CEO of the household this week. He did this via e-mail, so I have proof. Just ask.

I couldn't agree with his assessment more. I really am CEO of our household, which has me wondering why the top person is doing her own laundry and running errands. Don't we have assistants for that kind of stuff? I'll have to work on getting one. Maybe see if there are available funds in the budget. :)

I love my sister's dog, Cyrus.

Sweet cheeks.

I'm his God mother.


I'll just help myself.

Parmesan -- the answer to everything

Recommendation #1: Improvise with asparagus.

Ben is not easily impressed. But on Monday, I wooed him with a side dish I made up in my head while sitting at work.

We had one bunch of asparagus that was days away from going bad. I wanted to use it, but didn't have an recipes ready and didn't want to search online. Plus I've found lately that even the greatest-looking recipes can end up being disasters. So I improvised.

I threw in a little bacon and minced garlic with the asparagus, which I sautéed in olive oil. Then I sprinkled some garlic salt and black pepper. I also threw in a dash of red chili spice because Ben loves a kick with his meal. And after I scooped up the side dish, I added some Parmesan cheese. It's good on almost everything (see below).

A note on the bacon -- it wasn't for me; it was for Ben. This boy has to have meat with every meal.

His review: "You can make this anytime for me."

Recommendation #2: Parmesan cheese on Kraft Mac 'n Cheese is to die for. Try it.

It sounded gross to me at first. But then Ben made me try it. Now, I don't think I could ever eat the dish without a few spoonfuls of Parmesan. It's that good.

I can't stop looking at puppy photos

Source: Star Tribune classifieds

What can I say? I'm obsessed. Someday, when Ben warms up to the idea and we're ready for a little pup, I'd like a "bug" (Boston terrier/pug), a puggle (pug/beagle) or a Boston terrier.

DD gets her groove on in the kitchen

Sort of.

I had Friday off after working a late weekend shift, and I decided to return to the kitchen with the extra "me" time.

I made lasagna for the first time in my life. But this wasn't your traditional lasagna. It called for asparagus, onions, garlic for the filling and a combination of sun-dried tomatoes and basil for the top and bottom. I left out the pancetta because it was a Friday, and it's Lent.

The good news: the dish turned out.

The bad news: it looked good, but didn't taste that good. And I had a hell of a time combining the tomatoes and the basil in the blender. I think I need a fancy food processor because this wasn't the first time that my blender didn't deliver. It's too bad that the dish wasn't phenomenal, as I had hoped. The jars of sun-dried tomatoes were expensive -- so expensive that I won't repeat the cost here.

Today was a better day in the kitchen. I made banana bread. Ben and I traditionally make it together. But he's busting his butt studying for the GMAT, so I decided to stop whining for his help and do it myself. I'm pleased to report that I don't need a man when it comes to banana bread. I'm quite good at it. Plus, I clean up afterward:)

The recipe comes from a former colleague. It's ultra basic, which means it's easy -- even for challenged people like me. So I'm sharing it with you. If you have a banana bread recipe of your own, please post it in the comments section.

Banana bread
From Trish's kitchen
Makes one loaf

Ingredients:

Mix in large bowl
1 c sugar
1/2 c butter
2 large eggs


Mix in small bowl
2 c flour (I used one cup each of wheat and white flour)
3/4 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt

Combine two bowls into large bowl. Mix well. Add three large ripe bananas and mash thoroughly with a fork. Mix well.

Bake at 350 degrees for about one hour or until toothpick comes out clean from center. (I did not use a dark pan, so it took closer to one hour and 15 minutes.)

I wish.

Ben says that if I come home with the above, it's grounds for divorce. He is only kidding, I'm sure. But I won't press my luck anytime soon.

Still, I want one. I really want one.

And it's hard not thinking about owning one when they populate the running paths near my house and I see all kinds of them -- fluffy, scruffy, petite, athletic, toy and chubby ones -- every day.

Best idea of the week. Maybe month.

I can't take credit. My aunt, who gave me a bag of yellow corn tortillas yesterday, is the brain behind this: homemade tortilla chips.

I love, love, love restaurant-style tortilla chips. It's next to impossible to find quality chips at the grocery store. And it had never really occurred me to make them at home. That is, until my aunt suggested it.

So tonight I set out to make the warm, crispy, salty tortilla chips that I've only found in Mexican restaurants. Mission accomplished. Even someone who's as incompetent in the kitchen as me can pull it off.

Here's what you need to do:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut small corn tortillas into six triangles. (I used about a 1/3 of a bag for two people)
Set the tortillas on a cookie sheet.
Brush them with a 1:2 mix of olive oil and lime juice (1 tbsp. olive oil, 2 tbsp. lime juice)
Sprinkle with salt.
Sprinkle with chili powder (optional).

Bake for 7 to 8 minutes on each side at 350 degrees.

I plan to make more chips tomorrow night and can't wait to share them with family and friends. Yeah, they're that good.