Gourmet Grilled Cheese & 5 Can Chili (AMAZING)

Delicious. Tasty. Crispy. Melty. GOODNESS.

It is much easier than you think!

Key Words: Artisan bread, Cheesemonger, Butter

My oldest brother Shane is quite the imaginative chef. He and I will call each other and discuss recipes, the latest tips from Alton Brown and of course, 80's movies. We decided to get together and make a gourmet/hillbilly dinner.

That's right. Gourmet ingredients, with Hillbilly flare. 

Grilled Cheese: We selected a Roasted Garlic Artisan bread from Harmon's. 1 loaf, cut into 1 inch sections. 

Cheeses: We used a mild Fontina and a smoked Applewood Swiss imported from Denmark. Remove any wax and cut into thin slices. Then- its just old fashion grilled sandwich assembly after that. **NOTE** Artisan breads take longer to toast than regular bread. Cook on a low heat for 10-15 minutes and your cheese will melt perfectly, while your bread toasts evenly. These were AMAZING.

THE CHILI

Another special family member that gets MAD PROPS for this recipe is my sister-in-law Camillia (not married to Shane, but my other brother Bryce....she also likes to invent in the kitchen). She gave me this recipe years ago and it... by far... is the best homemade chili ever! AND it only takes 7 ingredients, 5 of which you just open and dump in a pot!

NEEDS:

1.5 Lbs ground beef. Browned, drained and seasoned with S&P.

1 can- Buch's chili beans in mild sauce

3 cans- Ranch style beans

1 4 oz. can- chopped green chili's

2 8 oz. can- tomato sauce

2 Cups salsa

1 packet of taco seasoning (not pictured, oops)

Brown meat, set aside. Open up all cans and dump contents into pot. Open taco seasoning. Add to pot. Add Meat. Stir. Let simmer for 20 minutes. EAT.

Does it get any easier than this!?!? NOPE!

To round out the evening I also made an incredible Chocolate Cake from

 "Just Cook Already."

We watched the '3 Amigos' and laughed until we cried.

I highly recommend following this post to its entirety.

**You can find a Cheesemonger at most Harmon's grocery stores in Utah. Google your zip code and cheesemonger and see if that helps! Its not necessary to use one, but they KNOW CHEESE! They can help you make tasty combinations, let you try the cheese before you buy it and can give you specific directions to keep your cheese tasting great**.

Reward Charts!

Last weekend at my brothers home, I noticed the coolest reward chart my sister-in-law made! After trying to replicate the same chart they had, I just decided to do my own...I am not as savvy with Microsoft Office as my awesome sis-in-law- you rock Krista! But from her idea, I was inspired to create charts for the boys. Son #1 obviously obsessed with Star Wars and son #2 just had to have a Cars themed chart. I think they turned out pretty well! They've each already earned 2 gold stars by wiping down the leather couch and cleaning their rooms. How is that for child labor?!

Send me an email if you are interested in a customized chart for your little person!

funambulistdamsel@yahoo.com

Luggage revamp!

So. Here I am, Saturday afternoon and I have to leave on my "trip" on Monday. Its raining and I don't want to go shopping for luggage. I had the most adorable matching set of pink luggage that we bought when we went to South Africa 3 years ago, but in the grand tradition of dirty cargo space in the bottom of our 3 planes- when I got home the luggage was BLACK! I was so sad! Since then, I have just used my husbands really nice, sturdy luggage he was given from a company he used to work for. I love the luggage, I HATE the branding on the front.

So this was my husbands suggestion to me today. "Just cover it up with some of your flower thingies."

Thank you Jason! Problem solved!

A tip from our Financial Funambulist!

I thought it would be fun to ask guest contributors to share insight and tips for things we all deal with in life. Because we face a world of economic uncertainty- we need to make sure we have taken the steps necessary to protect our families. This particular issue has been on my mind lately and I wanted to share with each of you some tips and "know how's" from Silverline Financial.
Guest contributor (and my wonderful, handsome and wicked smart husband) Jason Rasmussen, Owner of Silverline Financial, chimes in with a few
FREQUENT Q&A:
Q.What is the difference between term & permanent life insurance?
A. I believe there is a time and situtaion fitting for both types of insurance. I personally own both kinds of policies. Term Life Insurance is designed to provide protection for a specified period of time. Though the policy does not accumulate cash value, if you have a temporary need for life insurance or are on a limited budget, term insurance may be the best option for you. Term Insurance is very inexpensive and is a cost effective way to protect your family. You simply pay your monthly premium and the life insurance promises to give your family the amount in the death benefit if you should pass away. Term Insurance usually has a set premium time period, for either 10, 15, 20 or 30 years. I personally believe everyone should have some kind of term insurance, in the event of a death.
Permanent Life Insurance has many different 'names' and options. The basics behind a permanent policy is to pay enough in premiums so that the policy is fully funded and there is no need to pay premium amounts into the policy. The policy is purchased by paying the premium for a set period of time. These policies have become more flexible and easier to work with into what you want accomplished. Because permanent policies are complex and wide spread, you should contact your Financial Specialist for more information.
Q: What are the major reasons to own a life insurance policy?
A: Studies have shown that the average American does not "like" to worry about death, retirement or disability (shocking, I know) But the fact of the matter is- you never know when life could change and being prepared with life insurance is the safest bet you have in the event something does happen. Besides offering major tax benefits, life insurance is the only investment I have felt 100% confident in. Its never too late to start investing in your future. As my motto says, "Plan today, for a prepared tomorrow."

Best regards,
Jason

Homemade Crustos!

Derived from our favorite fast food taco place- Taco Time, I thought I would share the most simple Crustos recipe known to man. SIDE NOTE:  Contrary to what my brother-in-law Stevie thinks, Crustos are served at all Taco Time establishments and not just the one in Price, Utah. This one's for you Stevie! :D

NEEDS: 1/4 Vegetable oil (or canola oil)

Flour tortillas

Cinnamon & Sugar

Frying pan

Begin by cutting your tortillas in fourths (or strips if you desire) and set them aside. Heat the oil in a frying pan. (I used a small pan, so 1/4 cup of oil was all I needed- bigger pan...use more oil) TIP- heat your oil on high, you want them to brown fairly quickly to avoid the tortilla soaking up the oil. If you fry them fast, they will crisp instead of turn soggy. Place the tortilla in the hot oil. Have tongs in hand, so you can flip quickly and easily. Brown on both sides and place onto a plate covered in paper towel. Immediately sprinkle with a generous helping of cinnamon and sugar. Repeat the process until all the tortillas are done. Even our picky, picky 4 year old scarfed these fry puppies up!! Enjoy!!

Good boy/Good girl dollars.

This May we are taking our kids to "A Day Out With Thomas." As an incentive for them to be good boys I decided to give them incentives in the form of these fun little bills.

We made each of them a little bank (out of fruit snack boxes) covered in Thomas the Train wrapping paper and thier names on them. Every time they are caught doing something GOOD they get a Thomas Dollar. Whatever they earn in Thomas Dollars, we will match at the Toy Tent during the "DOWT" event. So far, I have seen my 4 year-old empty the dishwasher, make his bed and gave me a back rub all for the sake of earning some of these precious greenbacks. Maybe it will work for you?

Click on the image, right click and save.

Disney Dollars (great for Disneyland or the Disney store)
(STAR WARS Request for Annie, thanks for the email!)

If there is a specific dollar you are looking for- leave me a comment and I'd be happy to create one for you.

(pretend bills only here folks, I'm not a U.S. Mint)

I heart my Camera strap.

I love my Canon Rebel T1i.
I hate the strap on my Canon Rebel T1i.

NEEDS:
2 coordinating fabrics cut to the size of your strap
(my strap was cut to a 2.5 inch X 27 inch dimension)

Begin by sewing right sides together with 5/8" seam allowance. Sew down both sides until you have an inside out tube of fabric.

Turn the tube right sides out and slide on to the camera strap.

I just tacked down the ends, put a hand stich to close the ends.

Nothin' fancy here folks.

Much more neck and fashion friendly.

8 minute cake. amazing.

I gotta give credit to Marisa Nielsen and her family for sharing this incredible idea. And wherever she learned it from, kudos to you..and whoever you learned it from...etc. This is ABSOLUTELY one the best inventions in the history of cake making. Once you try it- you'll never look at a cake mix, tub of frosting, bowl and microwave the same! Here we go!

NEEDS:

Cake Mix (any flavor)

Tub of frosting (that compliments your cake)

Oil

Eggs

Water

Lg. microwave safe plastic bowl

Large cookie sheet (with a brim- think sheet cake pan.)

Little brother in picture, optional.

(he was used in the making of this cake, to prove that ANYONE can do this.)

Step 1: make the cake according to the directions on the back of the box. Mix in the plastic bowl.

Step 2: Empty the container of frosting directly into the middle of the cake batter, as shown:

                                                   

Step 3: Put it in the microwave for 8 minutes.

Step 4: Behold the glory of what comes out of the microwave....Mmmmm! Let it sit for about 2 mins.

Step 4: Place the cookie sheet on top of the bowl and invert.

 (that means flip over)

Step 5: Lift bowl. Careful- steam is HOT.

Step 6: Marvel at the awesomeness, smell the incredible aroma, shove other guests out of the way and move in with intent to eat and destroy- fork in hand.

I hope the 8 minute cake brings as much joy to your family as it has to ours. We pretty much make them every weekend. Yep. Get r done. Our favorite flavor combination is Devils food cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. Others have raved about the Lemon cake with Vanilla. It's your cake. Party on.

Tank top tip.

Picture courtesy of Quentin Bacon

No more worries of your tank tops and undershirts falling off the hanger. Put two rubber bands on either side and watch those tops stay on the hanger forever...or until you want to wear one.

I found this super helpful tip in Family Circle magazine. Who knew?

First aid kit, a go go.

Do you have room for this in your purse? If you do, we need to talk.

If not- then I have the perfect solution!

I grabbed the essentials out of our kit, inculding some pain killers and found an old change purse that I bought at Wal-Mart for a $1.00! I put all the items in the convenient dividers and WALLA! Instant mini first aid kid that fits nicely in my purse. I took the card our of the clear pocket in the back and wrote down our important contact numbers, blood types and allergies- just in case!