Tuesday, October 26, 2010

6-Layer Mexican Dip

Well it's been a little while since we've posted any Cooking with the Crump's recipes so here's what's on the menu for tonight:

6-Layer Mexican Dip

  • 12 oz 96% lean ground beef
  • 16 oz fat-free refried beans
  • 2 cups shredded cheese
  • 8 oz low-fat sour cream
  • 1/2 cup guacamole
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 1/2 cup black olives
  • 1/4 cup tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup green onions
  • 1/4 cup romaine lettuce

Preparation

  1. In a large skillet, brown 12 ounces of 96% lean ground beef. Drain and set aside to cool.
  2. Spread 16 ounces of fat-free refried beans on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish.
  3. Top with 1/4 cup of shredded romaine lettuce.
  4. Sprinkle 2 cups of shredded cheddar-Monterey jack cheese blend over the beans.
  5. Next, place the drained beef over the cheese and spread flat.
  6. Add an 8 ounce layer of low-fat sour cream followed by 1/2 cup of guacamole and 1/2 cup of salsa.
  7. Top with 1/2 cup of black olives, 1/4 cup of diced tomatoes, and 1/4 cup of green onions.
  8. Sprinkle any leftover cheese on top.
  9. Serve immediately or place it in the fridge over night and serve cold.
  10. Use tortilla chips for dipping.
And for dessert:

Homemade peanut butter cups


Ingredients

  • 2 cups milk chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons shortening
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs

Directions

  1. In 1-quart saucepan combine chocolate chips and shortening. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth (3 to 5 minutes).
  2. Loosen top paper cup from stack, but leave in stack for greater stability while being coated. With small paint brush, coat inside top cup evenly with about 1 teaspoon melted chocolate to about 1/8-inch thickness, bringing coating almost to top of cup, but not over edge. Repeat until 30 cups are coated; refrigerate cups.
  3. In 2-quart saucepan combine butter or margarine and peanut butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until melted (4 to 6 minutes). Stir in confectioners' sugar and graham cracker crumbs. Press about 1/2 tablespoon filling into each chocolate cup.
  4. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon melted chocolate on top of filling; spread to cover. Freeze until firm (about 2 hours) carefully peel off paper cups. Store refrigerated.



Wednesday, October 13, 2010

September in Review

I always love the month of September... 


Family
We started out the month by taking a little get-a-way trip to San Antonio over Labor Day weekend.  Our good friends Rick and Emily Thompson, from Dallas, met up with us; we ate some good food, laughed until we couldn't laugh anymore and tubed down the ice-cold river - it was so much fun!




On the 10th, I celebrated my 29th birthday. My in-laws got me this awesome KitchenAid food processor - I don't know how I survived so long without one.


Micah got me the new iphone 4 after selling his old one for about the same price.



And I got a new pair of shoes with some birthday money from Kirk and Donna:)

Something new Micah and I have started in addition to eating healthier is walking.  On our phones we have an applications called Map My Fitness where we can use the built-in GPS to track our activities.  It tracks and records duration, distance, speed and pace.  We joined a challenge called "Walk a Marathon in 30 days".  Basically we had to walk less than a mile a day to complete the duration of 26.2 miles in a month.  We successfully completed it and now we're on to the next challenge: 60 miles in 30 days!


Did a little baby-proofing around the house including cabinet latches as Mack is now officially mobile and in to everything.  


We've continued with our "Cooking with the Crump's" but haven't had the time to post all the new things we tried.  I'll be working on that hopefully soon...


Mack's Moments
Of course I can't post a blog without a few pictures of Mack.  


Playing with my horse.

Watching Baby Praise.

Can't make me eat that...

What are these things on my feet?

Some Great Aunts came to visit.

I like my daddy, he's cool!

What's this?


Well let me wrap up with an update on my 2010 Goals:

  1. For our devotion time we have been reading through a book called "Choosing to Cheat" by Andy Stanley - Basically it's about what to do when family and work collide and balancing our work-life and home-life, career and family. Micah and I would both agree that since he's had a few things (Master's, Outreaches, and Internship) taken off his plate work has not been so all consuming and the quality of family time has gone to a whole new level. 
  2. The original goal was to start reading through the Bible in January and finish by the end of this year however through different challenges with reading with the youth, I got off that plan.  Micah and I have begun a new plan on an online Bible program called YouVersion.com.  We are still reading through the Bible in a year but we'll finish in July of 2011 instead.  
  3. Blogging is going well.  Wish I could post more often sometimes, but I work with what I can fit in.
  4. Pictures are constantly being taken of Mack and I'm looking forward to putting them all in a book using an online program called Blurb.com.  I've already started the process.  Check out photobucket for new pictures.  
  5. For someone who loves to read I'm sad to say I haven't worked through a complete book in the last couple of months.  I have started a few that I haven't been able to finish...what can I say not every goal may be 100% successful... a 10 1/2 month old keeps me busy but I love every minute of it.