What happened?

I used to cook all the time. Now every night is a struggle and it usually ends with this: "Do you want me to just pick something up at Surdyks?"

Spending $15 on sandwiches a few nights a week is taking it's toll on the budget. Not to mention we're getting really tired of Surdyks Deli. Which is a shame because I haven't had a better slice of Red Velvet cake and their Minneapple Melt is out of this world.

So I'm going to buckle down and make dinner. Every night. For a week.

It's a start.

Texas Poppers

This is my first official post, so bear with me. I've been trying new things lately, as far as cooking goes. On Sunday, I grilled for the first time! Not just meat, but potatoes and nectarines as well. To be honest, I think I cooked the meat a little too long but nobody complained.

Last night, I tried out a recipe that I got from my dad. He calls them Texas poppers. It's supposed to be as follows:

Jalapenos
Pineapple cream cheese
Shrimp
Bacon
Toothpicks
Dad's secret BBQ sauce for dipping (it really is a secret, sorry!)

You cut the top off the pepper, then take out the middle and slice it in half the long way. Put a wad of cream cheese inside. Put a shrimp on top, wrap with bacon and secure with a toothpick.

I couldn't find pineapple flavored cream cheese* at the store, so I got plain. No big deal. I also made them without the shrimp, but that was on purpose. I kinda like them that way. My mistake was when I put them in the oven to BAKE. I should have put them on BROIL. I've had these twice before and the pepper was a little crunchy, while the bacon was fully cooked and somewhat crispy.

How long do you cook them? I don't know! I haven't done it right yet.

*Erin adds crushed pineapple to plain cream cheese and likes that better than the kind you can buy already combined.