Cheese fries with corn by Kay

Yesterday, I asked my mom, after school, what we were having for dinner. She said that we were having leftovers. I don't like leftovers unless there is something in the refrigerator that I like. I asked her if I could make something because she had a headache. I said that I wouldn't make anything complex like Pinto Gallo or pizza. I wanted to have something like mini Potato Enchiladas that you would cook in the microwave.

Then I thought of Cheese Fries. I love Cheese Fries. I went in our refrigerator and found some corn. I then knew that my dad and I would have Cheese Fries with Corn. Here's the recipe:

Cheese Fries With Corn

2 potatoes
1/2 can of corn
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk (original rice milk)
3/4 cup cheese (Queso and Cheddar)
salt and pepper to taste
salsa (optional)

First, peel the potatoes if you want. Then, cut into cubes. You can either roast or boil the potatoes. I boiled the potatoes because I wanted it to go quickly.

While the potatoes are cooking, melt the margarine in a saucepan over low heat. Add the flour and stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk 1/2 cup at a time. Whisk to combine. Then stir after it is combined. After all milk have been added continue cooking and stirring until it thickens.(about 5 minutes) Then stir in the cheese. Add salt and pepper if needed.

Cook the corn in a saucepan or the microwave.

Drain the potatoes.

To serve, put the potatoes on a plate. Then add the corn on top or as a side. Add as much cheese sauce as you want. If desired, top with salsa.

Kay: I really liked this and so did my dad so he says. You could also use the cheese sauce to dip with chips. You can put whatever flavorings you like. You could put in tomatoes, cumin, chili pepper, or any kind of seasoning.

Dana (Mom): I didn't have any of this because I had a headache and because it has cheese in it but I was quite impressed that she came up with this and then managed to make a successful bechamel sauce!

Creamy Hot Chocolate

I just noticed I haven't posted a non-sweet recipe since November! Oh well, why stop now!

Today it was -17.5 degrees F when we woke up. I've lived here all my life but this weather is insane! We got out from under our blankets long enough tonight to make this hot chocolate though. This is my and Kay's favorite. I know butternut squash seems like a weird ingredient for hot chocolate but it is absolutely essential for the creaminess. We promise, you don't taste it at all. This recipe makes exactly 2 mugs. Perfect! (Bill won't even try it - he is very stubborn like that!)

Creamy Hot Chocolate

1 1/4 cups milk (we prefer almond milk)

1/2 cup pureed butternut squash (sweet potato also works)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)

1/4 cup chocolate chips

Big spoonful of marshmallow fluff

Blend the milk, squash, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and espresso powder in a blender until smooth and well blended. Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan. Add the chocolate chips and heat over medium heat until it begins to bubble. Pour into mugs and top with marshmallow fluff.

Kay: It is AWESOME and you don't even taste the butternut squash. I could drink this for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Mom (Dana): Most of the sweetness comes from the fluff so if you decide not to use it, you'll need to add some other form of sweetener. Out of desperation, we've used caramel ice cream topping and that actually worked fine but it thickened it.

To make the puree, steam the butternut squash (or sweet potatoes) until very soft and then puree in a food processor or blender. Extra can be used in these honey puff pancakes!

Elephant Ears

Our weather is crazy this year. Yesterday we got tons and tons of snow. It took me over an hour to get to work when it usually only takes 20 minutes. I was only there a couple hours before I received a call from Kay saying they were getting dismissed early. Today we didn't get anymore snow but school was cancelled for the cold. It is -10 F without the wind! She didn't seem very upset about staying home today and I wasn't very sad either!

We've been wanting to post but everything we've fixed lately either wasn't very good or it was something that is already posted! This is kind of a recipe but not really.

After dinner tonight we were both craving something crispy. We had fajitas for dinner and the tortillas weren't very fresh so we fried them up and dipped them in a mixture of cinnamon sugar. They hit the spot!

Kay: These were really good. They didn't look like elephant ears but they tasted like them. I think these are healthier than the elephant ears at the fair.