I know, I know...

So, I have been an awful blogger.
BUT: my life has been a whole sack of crazy.
I started a new job, we're trying to figure out where we shall be next year, and oh yeah, I made a last minute trip to Houston because I had three family members in the hospital.
Awesome.

BUT: I have like 34 new posts on the way. For serious.

In the meantime, check this out. Or this.

Super Bowl Sunday

Yes, I know, I am behind a bit. Deal.

So: For the Super Bowl, we went over to April and Jonathan's to hang out and watch the game. Well, I didn't watch the game. I watched the halftime show and the commercials. I care enough about football to like one team and hate one team (Saints and Cowboys, respectively), and the rest I don't care about. I did like the Darth Vader commercial though. We had lots of fun hanging out :)

We had a variety of tasty treats to eat, including pigs-in-a-blanket and pizza dip (very tasty).
I made this:

Creamy Jalapeno Dip

What you need:
2-3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 tbsp garlic powder
16 oz sour cream
1 package ranch dressing powder/mix

What you do:
Combine all ingredients using a submersion blender (definitely one of my favorite kitchen appliances, but a regular blender would probably still work). Blend until smooth. Chill before serving (usually takes about an hour to thicken up nicely). Serve with corn chips. Also makes a very tasty topping for burritos and fajitas!

I've been told it tastes like some dip/sauce stuff at Chuy's, but seeing as how I don't think I've ever eaten there (maybe once), I don't know. It is tasty though.

Pasta Night, Anyone?

Italian food is my favorite of all the foods. Thus, we have pasta night a lot. I'm also not domestic enough to make my own marinara sauce (well, most of the time). Solution?

How to turn bottled spaghetti sauce into Homemade Marinara Sauce:

What you need:
Bottled spaghetti sauce (whatever kind you like)
Parmesan Cheese
Red Wine (dry)
Fresh Garlic
Italian Seasoning
Olive Oil
Pasta

What to do:
Cook pasta per instructions.
While that's cooking: In a small sauce pan, pour a little olive oil over medium-ish heat. Use a garlic press or small grater to add 1 clove of garlic. When your whole kitchen starts to smell awesome, add the wine (about a cup). Add 1 tbsp of Italian seasoning. Simmer and reduce for up to 5 minutes. Add 1/2 the bottle of tomato sauce and cheese (however much you like). Important: If you do not use real cheese (AKA the Kraft stuff), it will not melt. If you don't care, use whatever kind you have. Pour over pasta when cooked. Top with cheese.
Viola!
It doesn't sound like it makes a huge difference; IT DOES.

It turns this:

Into this:

You'll never go back to plain old bottled sauce again. And you can totally say you made it yourself.