Cinco de Mayo

I just found this blog that I thought I had posted. I guess it didn't post but was just saved as a draft. I figured since the food was so good, I would still post it. Even it is a few months late.


For a few weeks there I was on a roll make homemade guacamole. Avocados were on sale at the market across from USC, so I bought a few and made this delicious dip. Avocados, garlic, onion, salt and lime juice. mmmmmmm!!!!!
I found a recipe in my Healthy cooking magazine for Southwest Chicken. I made it in the crock pot and served it up in burritos with some white rice.

Here is Christopher and our good friend Shaheen right before enjoy dinner.

2 (15 oz) cans black beans (I use black and pinto both)
1 (14oz) can chicken broth
1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (4oz) can diced green chilies
1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast (I use frozen)
8oz salsa
1 cup frozen corn
1 Tbsp parsley flakes
1 tsp ground cummin

Add all ingredients together in the crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until chicken shreds easily.

It's good to be a Kid (or at least eat like one!)

Although Chris loves all my cooking and baking, sometimes he just wants something basic. One of his favorite weekend lunches he likes me to make is Pigs in a blanket and Cheese noodles (box Mac and cheese for those of you who aren't members of my family.) Lets hope when we have kids they are just as easy to please as Christopher.

All it took was a package of hot dogs, Pillsbury bread sticks and Kraft Mac and Cheese. Although, I would prefer to make my own bread stick dough for these, I was lazy and just used the store bought stuff.

Jamba Pops

I was under the weather a few weeks ago and Chris' parents sent me a get well card and included a $10 gift card to Jamba Juice. I just so happened to get the card the same week Jamba had posted online a buy one get one coupon. Since I could print more than one, Chris and I made that gift card stretch farther than normal.

With Christopher studying pretty much around the clock for his Part 1 boards we haven't been leaving the apartment much on the weekends. We decided that a Jamba run would be a great study break. When we got back to the apartment we were both full from our smoothies, but still had a lot left. I decided to use our Popsicle molds to make Jamba Pops.

I don't really like Popsicles that much because they are either full of high fructose corn syrup or have some sort of fake sugar. I bought the popsicle molds to make my own smoothies and turn into delcious treats, but I must say using Jamba smoothies was so easy too.

Goodbye Melissa.

My friend and coworker, Melissa, left us at the USC School of Dentistry to continue here education. Although I am going to miss her, I know it is for the best that she finish her Masters degree. Hopefully we'll still see her around since she'll be on main campus, but it won't be the same without our daily breaks together.

We had a going away lunch for her and I provided the dessert. Melissa doesn't eat cake (although all my other coworkers do) but she loves candy. I saw this cake on another site a few weeks ago and knew I had to make it for her.

Yum, Chocolate cake, fudge frosting, M&M's and kit-kats.

Melissa and I with her cake. She enjoyed the candy, while the rest of ate up the very chocolatey cake.

I tried a new cake recipe that I found here and a fudge frosting recipe that I found here. The cake tasted delicious and the frosting was good, but I kind of messed it (the frosting) up when making it. It still tasted good, but it was a little dry. The recipe warns not to over beat, but I walked away from the mixer and when I returned it was over done. I will for sure try it again and will post the results. If anyone else tries it let me know how you did it and how it turns out.