Mexican Beef Tips. Slow down & eat.

My printer (in my usual techNo-Nological stupor) is offline, perhaps permanently. Not knowing where else to keep this recipe, I am putting it here.

It is a good one to keep, practical and easy. It was in the Deseret News' ridiculous food section in November. Look! It doesn't call for breakfast cereal, Pillsbury products OR re-formed frozen cheesecake! (No joke, Valerie Phillips often calls for those ingredients.) Credit needs to be given to Alicia Ross and Beverly MILLS (real name?) of the Desperation Dinners syndicated column.

MEXICAN BEEF TIPS

FLEXIBLE: Serve shredded over/in/with lettuce, cheese, rice or chips for nacho, burritto or quessidilla filling/topping.

Makes about 10 cups beef and liquid.

Note: The beef will hold on low in the slow cooker for up to two hours before serving. Or prepare beef completely up to 48 hours ahead and refrigerate. Then rewarm on the stove top over medium-low heat for 15 minutes or until heated through, or place in the slow cooker on low for 45 minutes to an hour or until heated through. You may cool the beef completely and freeze it (with cooking liquid) in an airtight container for two to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and reheat according to the directions above.

• 41/2 lb. extra-lean beef tips for stew

• 1 tbsp. chili powder

• 1 tsp. ground cumin

• 1 tsp. onion powder

• 1 tsp. garlic powder

• 2 (14.5 oz. each) cans Mexican-style stewed tomatoes (or regular stewed tomatoes plus 1/2 tsp. additional cumin and garlic powder)

Directions: Place the beef tips in the bottom of a 5-quart or larger slow cooker. Sprinkle chili powder, cumin, onion powder and garlic powder over the beef. Add both cans of tomatoes, with their juices, pouring them directly over the tips. Cover the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

Stir well, and serve immediately, or store according to the directions in the Note above.

Variation: Stove-top method

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a 41/2-quart or larger Dutch oven or soup pot. Brown the beef tips for about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the spices and both cans of tomatoes, and cover the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer the beef for 31/2 hours or until the beef cubes are so tender that they fall apart. Stir and check the liquid level periodically, and add water to keep moist but not soupy.

Nutrition information per 1/4-cup serving: Calories 76 Fat 3 g Sodium 86 mg, Carbohydrates 2 g Saturated fat 1 g Protein 10 g, Cholesterol 31 mg, Dietary fiber 0 g

Ranch Dressing.

N doesn't eat anything unless it has a cartoon character on the plasticcrap that it is sold in. This drives me nuts. The junkier the better. He is pretty thin since I don't buy a lot of that stuff. He is banished from the dinner table to eat alone at the counter (OFTEN) because I can't stand his little sneers about the HOMEMADE, FROM SCRATCH, GOOD & GOOD LOOKING food I make.

He doesn't eat fruit or vegetables... ever. He told me he'd eat carrots in his lunch if I sent Ranch Dressing with them. I really pretty much hate Ranch dressing; like salsa it is Everywhere. I mean it is at restaurants, at home, at every meal, on every plate, left on every counter, smeared on every corner of the sink. Most importantly it makes everything look and taste the same. Unlike the ubquitous salsa it doesn't look like vomit left in the sink! (Ugh.) -- It looks like bird deposits.

Bottled salad dressing is just silly. It is full of chemicals and sugar and salt and goo that is completely unnecessary. On occasion I buy it and am usually disappointed. Salad dressing is the EASIEST thing in the world to make. My folks used to buy Trader Vic's vinaigrette but that isn't on the market these days, and probably never has been in Utah.

I made the following Ranch Dressing and everyone loved it. LOVED it. Everyone, Except for N.
I used buttermilk, lite mayonnaise and lite sour cream. I found it at http://allrecipies.com/
It was submitted by Dawnia. (Thanks!)

INGREDIENTS
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon dried chives
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, chives, parsley, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

URBAN CHICKENS

http://urbanchickens.org/

G is for Get some Gold in your Grooming.

Mmmm. We took this shot in Murray, UT. Just jocking... Oakland, Cal.

This tooth treatment would render corn-on-the-cob a thing of the past... not even a thing of the present or a long time into the future.

Triffles.

This is an ugly sight... the family at the triffle trough. A friend catered a wedding and was left with 7 extra triffles (raspberries, cake, pudding, huge). She left one with us and it didn't go to waist... not mine at least. (No chocolate please)

T is for a Triffle.

Wanna go?!





A lovely Sunday for triffle.