I got nominated. Wow.
I know I don't hold a candle to some of the other nominees, but I'm flattered to be nominated!

http://asouthernfairytale.blogspot.com/2008/01/chocolate-cheetos-and-cheesy-pleas.html

Okay, this is Chex Mix with Texas flavor. It's another one that can be added to adjusted and what not according to your particular palate.
Here goes.

3 (16 oz) boxes Chex Cereal, 1 in each flavor, wheat, toasted, rice
2 (16 oz) bags oyster crackers
2 (16 oz) bags pretzel sticks
1 box goldfish or 2 boxes cheez its
1 (16 oz) box honey nut cheerios
2 jars (big) of peanuts or mixed nuts
2 bottles worcestershire sauce
2 boxes of stick butter
Season Salt
garlic powder
cayenne
tabasco, cholula, lousisiana gold... (hot sauce)
The magic ingredient is Dill Weed!! (giggle)
Add to taste right before baking. THis stuff rocks!

BIG BOWLS or paper grocery sacks.

I use 4 HUGE mixing bowls and put equal amounts of each dry ingredient into it.

Then in my large glass mixing bowl I melt 5 sticks of butter and add 1 1/2 bottle worcestershire sauce. Then about 1/4 C season salt, 1/2 C garlic powder, about 15 dashes cayenne and about 60 shakes of hot sauce. No, I don't measure, I just keep dumping. I taste it occasionally by dipping a piece of cereal in.
Take about 2 handfuls and drizzle with the "sauce" Cook in a preheated oven at 275 for about 45 minutes, or until it starts to crisp and brown. Taste. If it's seasoned the way you want. Continue on with the rest of the batch.
If not, add more.

For my FIL, I add more worcestershire, peanuts and fruit loops.
For my friend Shan, I add m&m's and mini chocolate chips (after it's cooked)
For my husband, more hot sauce and captain crunch

Enjoy some trash y'all.

Steam or boil until just tender, cool quickly, and pat dry:
about a pound of green beans, broken into bite-size pieces
about a pound of asparagus, whole
(Yes people, fresh, not canned.)
After the asparagus are cooked, break them into bite sized pieces.
Refrigerate these.

Wash and roughly chop about 1Tbsp of Italian parsley, and refrigerate that, too.

Cut about a cup of cooked whole or sliced beets (not marinated ones) into "fat-matchsticks" (so they are about the same shape as the beans and asparagus). Half a 14 oz can is enough.] Add a little of the dressing (recipe below) to the beets and refrigerate those too...

Shallot Vinagrette: Shake together in a jar:
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp finely chopped shallot
salt and pepper to taste

When you're ready to eat, toss the vegetables and parsley together with the dressing and then sprinkle on top:
a generous handful (1/4 cup?) of toasted pumpkin seeds

Alternatively, you could leave the green beans and asparagus whole, cut the beets in some other shape, and compose individual salads, pour some dressing on, and sprinkle the nuts on top... You could also add a baby carrot or two for additional color...

And for our undomestic gods and goddesses:
Italian Parsley: Italian Parsley has flat leaves as opposed to the curly-leaf parsley we also use. It's a member of the carrot family and is native to the Mediterranean.
Shallots:
Shallots belong to the lily family. There are more than 500 different types. Shallots are not onions, although they are in the same genus. Generally, shallots produce a reddish brown bulb that adds flavour to many dishes. Sautéed or cooked shallots have a sweeter taste than onions.
Does that help?

Jalapeno Cornbread Pudding
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 C diced yellow onions
1 1/2 C fresh kernels of corn (about 3 to 4 ears)
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 C heavy whipping cream
4 C cornbread, crumbled
8 oz Jalapeno Jack cheese, shredded and divided (1 C and 1 C) You can add more if you're like me and love melty cheesey goodness.
dash of salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 fresh jalapenos, seeded and thinly sliced*
2 to 3 roasted red peppers, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Grease and 8 inch square pan.
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions and corn, saute until onions are translucent. Remove from heat. Stir in eggs, cream, cornbread and 1 C cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour pudding into pan. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and top with jalapeno and red pepper slices.
Place pan in a water bath and bake 1 hour or until firm.

*If you have never seeded and sliced fresh jalapenos before, I suggest gloves and WASH those hands VERY VERY well and very carefully before going to the bathroom touching your eyes. Trust me. Should you not do this... buttermilk works well to soothe the burning sensation.

These are hands down my favorite cookies in the world.
They are insanely addictive.
This is one of those fun recipes that you can play with, the ingredient amounts don't have to be exact. If you really like cinnamon add more cinnamon, hell.. use cinnamon flavored applesauce and see how that works.
It's just fun.

2 Cups Brown Sugar
2 Cups White Sugar
1 3/4 C quick cook oatmeal
2 Cups applesauce
4 eggs
4 Cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (please use real, not imitation)
4 Cups cornflakes cereal
1 1/2 Cups chopped walnuts
1 1/4 Cups flaked coconut
3 to 4 dashes of Cinnamon
(I occasionally add craisins, dried apricots, raisins.. you get the drift) Add more coconut at will.

Oven at 350

1. Cream together Brown sugar, white sugar, applesauce and eggs.


2. Add flour, baking soda, salt and oatmeal; Mix WELL.


3. Stir in cornflakes, nuts and coconuts. (this would be where you add your other goodies, too)

Drop by Tablespoonfuls (ish) onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until they develop a lovely golden color.
Cool on cookie sheets.
You can turn them a dark, almost cocoa shade and they won't burn... but they will become really crisp. So if you like a crunchy cookie, cook them longer.
I like the softer, chewy kind myself.. but DH... crispy... thus, the difference in the cookies you see in the pictures.