where did I put my...

everything.

Somewhere under there is a couch.

I'm moving in a couple days and I've mostly cleaned out the fridge and cupboards. All I have left are a few plastic containers and the coffee pot. Add a spoon and a set of chopsticks, and you can eat almost anything. 

I'll be eating a lot of cereal for the next couple of days.

So, since I have no real food to cook, I figured I'd show you an ingenious little trick I figured out a few moves ago.

I'd always washed my dishes after I unpacked because packing material is, well, icky. Three week old newspapers and re-re-recycled packing materials are not exactly something I want to eat off of. And since I'm going to have to pack the extra sheets and blankets anyway...

Clean sheets means no dishes to wash!

Works with blankets too

And when you get to the new place, no dishes to wash! And even if the cleanliness of the inside of the box is questionable: one load of laundry and you're good to go.

The trick now is finding everything once I'm in the new place, because this kind of thing does not help...

Goat Cheese Dip

Last week, Hubby and I went to a nearby tavern for dinner.  They have a goat cheese dip appetizer he really wanted.  I’m not entirely sure he didn’t want to go there because the waitresses wear kilts that barely cover their… assets.  He assured me he isn’t a ‘leg man’, and I assured him that if any of those girls leaned over a table, it wouldn’t be the legs he’d be looking at.  As for the dip, he was definitely right about that.  It was fabulous!  It was simple enough that I figured I could create a similar recipe that would be just as delicious.  Even better, I wouldn’t have to pay 10 bucks for it, I’d be able to control the quality of the ingredients, and no scantily clad girls prancing about. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 8 oz. goat cheese
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup green onions
• 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• Marinara sauce
• Slivered almonds

Go ahead and preheat your oven to 350°.  This is super quick to put together.  Throw your goat cheese and sour cream into a mixing bowl. 

Break up the goat cheese, and smoosh them together.  A silicone spatula works perfectly for this job.  When you have a fairly smooth and consistent texture, throw in the green onions, parsley, salt, and pepper. 

Stir again until everything is evenly distributed. 

Scoop the goat cheese mixture into a shallow dish and smooth out the top. 

Onto a sheet pan and into the oven for 25 minutes. 

Pull it out, spoon on ⅓ cup or so of marinara sauce, and put it back in for another 10 minutes. 

This time when you take it out, move the dish off of the sheet pan and set it aside to rest, then sprinkle on a couple tablespoons of slivered almonds.  It’s always best to toast nuts before using them if you can.  It really brings deepens their flavor.  Put them in for maybe 10 minutes.  I say maybe because nuts are very easy to burn.  Pretty much, when you can smell them, they’re done.  They’ll just barely start to change color. 

Now just sprinkle them over the dip. 

Seriously, who needs to go to a restaurant for something that simple to make?  Serve with pita wedges.  You can heat them by just wrapping them in foil and throwing them into the oven with the almonds. 

What restaurant dish would you like to see recreated?