The Frito-Pie Hot Pocket

i will not even try to make an excuse for why i haven’t posted sooner than today. ugh… same old, same old…. just busy with EVERYTHING (which i’ll post about later).

so without further ado, i will go ahead an post a quick, fun, easy recipe that is great for parties, or gorging yourself like a beast.

THE FRITO-PIE HOT POCKET

Step 1: get yer chili ready!

omg… so cheesy and delicious!

you can pretty much have free reign with this step. canned chili, homemade, whatever. as you can see i also added a LOT of cheese to it, because you can never have too much cheese! you don’t have to worry about getting it super hot, just hot enough that all the cheese melts. i also added onions and peppers to the chili.

NEXT!

Step 2: roll out the dough!

doughy goodness!

here, i used a roll of store-bought pizza dough. whichever you prefer should work. if i were to go back and do this again, i probably would’ve made this smaller, and more SINGLE-SERVING SIZED.

Step 3: load ’em up!

such a feast for the senses!

pretty simple. build your frito-pie on the dough. instead of a bowl, just load it up here! as you can see, i also added another layer of shredded cheese between the fritos and the chili. this is to help keep the fritos crispy, since you’re about to bake this bad boy.

Step 4: egg wash and oven

mmmm… eggy!

now, for those of you who bake regularly, you know that the egg wash helps give the crust a nice golden-brown look. there’s also a little dough left over on the side that i filled with chili and ate later. when baking, just follow the instructions that come with whatever dough you’re using and your Frito-Pie Hot Pocket *should* come out looking like this:

golden perfection

due to the nature of this creation, i had to use a pizza cutter to get through it, but it was certainly worth it! the finalized product came out looking like this:

like a baked chunk of summer!

ENJOY!

Bacon Cinnamon Rolls

yes, you read that correctly. and why not? everyone knows i love bacon, so now i have an excuse to bake cinnamon rolls! instructions are relatively simple:

step 1: COOK BACON

it’s like edible porn…

the key to this step (and probably most important) is to NOT FULLY COOK THE BACON!! you’re going be putting it in the rolls, so it’s going to be COOKED MORE. simple?  okay. just make sure it’s cooked just enough to eat, but still plenty “wobbly”.

step 2: CUT ROLLS

cinnamony goodness

now, it really doesn’t matter what kind of rolls, but as you can see here, i have the normal sized ones (which are more like discs). these don’t come rolled, so i had to use a knife to cut them into rolls. the grands you can buy at the store normally come so you can more easily unroll them. but it’s your choice. if you use grands, i suggest doubling up the bacon.

step 3: ADD BACON!!

the merger

quite simple. unroll roll, re-roll with bacon.

voila! it’s magic

step 4: BAKE!!

in go goodies, out come AWESOME

for this step, follow normal baking instructions that come with the rolls. i did the minimum listed on the label (11 min at 400, and then turned down to 375 for the last couple of minutes), and they came out PERFECT!

which brings us to our final step:

step 5: FROST AND EAT!!!

drenched in lovely…

i’m too busy stuffing my face right now to add more commentary, this is delicious and you need to make some NOW.

BREAKFAST OF THE GODS!

Super Stuffed Jalapenos

Jalapenos are a great snack, and i’m sure most of you have had jalapeno poppers at any restaurant or tailgating event. they’re great for toppings, dips, and anything in between. so i decided one day to kick these little bad boys up a notch.

SUPER STUFFED JALAPENOS.

Step 1: ingredients, ASSEMBLE!

that’s right. you see hotdogs…

i know what you’re thinking: “hot dogs? what the fluff is wrong with this guy?”

not only that, but we’re putting shredded cheese and JALAPENO cream cheese in it as well! holy god!!

the most important thing to consider is making sure your jalapenos are big enough. you gotta get those huge ones, not the dinky little pinky-sized punks. then you take a small knife and cut out that seeds and spiny thing in the middle.

next simple step?

Step 2: STUFF!

mmmmm…. cheese

i love cheese, you love cheese. ’nuff said. but we need MORE!

MOAR CHEESE!

after this step, you should be able to stuff a hotdog cut in half into it. of course, you’ll probably need to use toothpicks to keep the ‘dog in, but that’s fine because if you’re like me you’re going to finish things up with this next gorgeous step.

Step 3: MAKE MORE AWESOMER

zOMG, BACON!!

that’s right, wrap those meaty bad boys in some bacon, and top with cheese! i mean really? it’s fantastic, and there’s literally no reason you shouldn’t make this the next time you are watching your favorite team put the hurt on some whiny little punks. so just make sure your oven is set around 300 degrees, and cook for about 15min (or until bacon is cooked to your liking).

final step:

ENJOY!

have you seen a more delicious-looking snack anywhere? i need to cut this blog short, because i’m inches away from licking my screen. have fun out there!

The Unnecessary Burger

if you are working hard on a diet, vegan, or otherwise against foods that are bad for you, i implore you to STOP READING right now.

 

for those of you who don’t care, or find these things interesting, please continue.

okay, so around the office (and before i started trying to eat healthier) i’m known as our primary bacon-lover. all things bacon, i either find out about first, or try first.

(yes, i’ve even tried Jack-In-The-Box’s Bacon Shake (and it was pretty good))

anyway, in my quest to create and experiment with new foods, my gf and i decided to create The Unnecessary Burger.

why title this burger as such? well i has at least 3 unnecessary steps in it to achieve artery-clogging goodness.

Step 1: COOK BACON

BACON!!!

now honestly, this is possibly the most necessary step to achieve the Unnecessary Burger. i mean, bacon’s sweet savory deliciousness is beyond compare. i have literally had days where i’ve just cooked a whole pound of bacon and based the day’s entire meal plan around that. it’s meaty and fantastic! but most importantly, save the grease for the next few steps!

Step 2: cook meat patties in bacon grease.

like swimming in a vat of awesome

first unnecessary step here. the only reason man shouldn’t use a grill for making hamburgers is if they don’t have a grill, in which case they’re probably a woman in disguise (j/k). seriously, unless there is at least 4 feet of snow outside and you have a grill, GRILL YOUR DAMN HAMBURGERS!! in this case however, this step is completely unnecessary. except it’s awesome. ever had deep fried meats? of course you have! ever had that meat fried in bacon grease? i think not. two words: FLAVOR INFUSION.

now, on to the next unnecessary step:

Step 3: add more meat!

because a burger isn’t meaty enough on it’s own

holy god in heaven. does a hamburger NEED more meat? simple answer: no. but this is totally unnecessary, so that means it’s go time. i had pepperoni, and needed a reason to eat it with dinner (without the hassle of making a pizza). then i came to the next problem: how do you keep pepperoni from sliding off that sweet piece of heaven?

CHEESE.

CHEESE!!

most people want cheese on their burgers, and this burger is clearly no exception, also it’s important for proper food adhesion.

Step 4: ADDING THE BACON!

seriously, could this burger get any better?

time to put that delicious bacon to use. throw it on that cheesy goodness, and they will stay put! thankfully, we’re almost done here, so you don’t have to be putting yourself through the hell that is not being able to eat this yet… but then, once the burgers are done, what do you do with all that leftover grease? DO SOMETHING UNNECESSARY. get those buns, and soak up some of that grease while it’s still hot! who likes toasted buns? EVERYONE. who likes bacon? awesome people. so everyone awesome should enjoy a good toasted bacon grease-soaked bun!

its the only thing angels eat in heaven…

so there you have it. The Unnecessary Burger, now if you’re anything like me, you probably gained a pound (of cholesterol) just from reading this. but rest assured, this was a fantastically delicious creation, but i could honestly not eat one of these more than once a month without needing a stint put in.

enjoy.

30 Before 30

so i was doing some general surfing around the other day, and stumbled upon someone who had begun commenting and following my blog. amongst her bloggings, i found an interesting list entitled “30 Before 30”. this reminded me in a way of The Bucket List, except possibly more awesome.

now, i’ve already done some pretty interesting things in my life:

1. been in the US Army for roughly 6 1/2 years (still have about 2 1/2 years left on my contract) and during that time went to both Iraq and Afghanistan

2. i’ve been to both the east and the west coasts of the US

3. multiple times i have done surprisingly good deeds for total strangers (found a purse in a parking lot, found someone’s social security cards, helped stop a woman from being beaten by a dude)

4. been on national tv for a karaoke contest

5. held a few fundraisers for various causes

6. found the love of my life

but there are so many completely awesome things i have yet to do, and reading parts of her list made me start to think, that i too should have a list. i’ll be 28 this year, so in a way, i’m running out of time, but i won’t let that deter me!

so as this will be a work in progress, i will do my best to create my own personal list of awesome. MY “30 Before 30”. also, with this list, i will break it down video game-style with a list of primary objectives and secondary objectives.

so without further ado (or adon’t), here we go:

30 BEFORE 30

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES

1. visit the grand canyon

2. get a pool

3. get down to under 150lbs (and keep it off for at least a year!) (i was at 167 earlier this year, and have lost almost 10lbs already!!)

4. crash a wedding

5. go hunting

6. get one of my songs played on the radio (and not as a bumper track (yes, i’ve had a song played on a bumper track for Mike FM in Fort Wayne, IN))

7. finish writing one of my books

8. read at least 8 more books

9. get a hot tub

10. grow and eat veggies from my own garden

11. go on a hot-air balloon ride

12. visit at least half of the 50 US States (and get a shot glass from each one!)

13. visit (and blog about) at least 25 famous (or semi-famous) US historical landmarks

14. visit (and blog about) at least 10 museums

15. have a major impact on someone’s life (although my gf says i’ve already done this)

16. visit (and blog about) at least 10 ghost towns

17. visit (and blog about) at least 5 haunted houses

18. ride a bull (or 5 mechanical bulls!)

19. open a restaurant/bar

20. go to a NFL game (preferrably if the Indianapolis Colts or Greenbay Packers are playing)

21. try out (and hopefully get drafted) for the Amarillo Venom (hey, minor league dreams!)

22. perform a stand-up comedy routine at an open-mic night

23. interview someone famous

24. create a work of art, and have it displayed somewhere

25. get a bachelor’s degree (or two associate degrees)

26. do at least 50 hrs of community service (not because of a law violation!)

27. blazin’ challenge (my buddy john says i’m a punk, and need to do the wings & things challenge)

28. be in a theatre production of *something*

29. run a marathon

30. visit the top of a mountain (at least 3,000 ft elevation)

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES

1. help an old lady across the street

2. visit the Palo Duro Canyon (the second largest canyon in the US)

3. go skiing

4. go white-water rafting

5. vist the plasma center at least 10 more times (hey, everybody wins!)

My Journey (aka Day 40)

so this is now Day 40 of my Weight Loss Journey, and i’ve decided to once again rename this series of posts. why? because it’s not just about weight loss, this blog has transformed into a personal journal in general. it’s about life. my life. and the crazy stuff i’m doing.

it’s been probably years since i’ve done a meaningful blog, and that was back during the days of myspace (omg… myspace reference??? that tells you how long ago it was).

and now there’s just so much more you can do with a blog. you can link all of your networks together so incredibly that eventually everything you want people to hear *will* get heard. every one needs to know that they aren’t alone in the world. everyone needs to know that they’ve got someone out there who they can share a story with, someone they can help, or someone who just doesn’t know how to get out what they want to say.

i’ve been one of those people. before the days of blogging, i (like most people) had a diary. except my diaries were notebooks filled with poems and lyrics. being a musician turned into a form of therapy for me. and that therapy continues today.

one of my buddies in the office (john) is stretching his legs so to speak in this same way. he’s really good friends with another musician in town who’s making a really good name for himself and is certainly on the right path to stardom. anyway, he’s started writing songs with this guy, and finally got one of the songs he wrote played at this guy’s gig. he told me how awesome it made him feel, and i was proud of him, because i know how it feels. it feels damn good.

sometimes you just need to let things out in order to let go. you have to let go to move on. sometimes it’s much harder than you think, but once you make that initial step, the rest of the journey is easier.

and i’m not just talking about emotions (because that is a long post in itself), but everything. whether it be losing someone close to you (like a good friend of mine had happen last year when she lost her father to cancer), or an addiction, or even weight loss. there are so many simple things that eventually pile up to make that obstacle seem so enormous, that a person is just afraid to even start trying.

so i’m using this as my own personal stepping stone. not just for weight loss anymore, but for my personal and emotional journey. the ups, downs, ins, outs, and all the craziness in between.

hold on tight, it’s gonna be a crazy ride!

The Breakfast Enchilada

so if my last post is any indication, i have a few fans of my interesting food ideas (hot dog-stuffed, bacon-wrapped jalapenos).

today’s post is no exception, ladies and gentlemen, i present to you THE BREAKFAST ENCHILADA.

i came up with this one drunken night, and my gf thought it was fantastic. basically it’s like a breakfast burrito, except much more amazing (and probably bad for you, but who cares?). there are a few optional steps of course, depending on your own likes and dislikes as far as breakfast foods are concerned, but here’s the basic steps:

STEP 1 (which is also optional, for those of you who don’t like potatoes)

HASHBROWNS

cook to desired crispiness...

now, the thing with hash browns is that some people like them super crispy, some people like them barely cooked. this is totally your option, so choose wisely.

STEP 2: BACON!

non-negotiable.

everyone loves bacon, and i’m certainly no exception. however, just like with hash browns, everyone likes them cooked differently. i like mine a little chewy, so that’s how i cooked them.

STEP 3:

EGGS!!!

mmmmm... so much protein! 😀

no breakfast entree is complete without eggs at some point, so BAM! here’s some eggs. i also tore the bacon into little bits and added some cheese. scrambling them up to perfection.

STEP 4:

cheese and veggies!!!

omg... it's amazing!

i know it’s hard to tell with all that cheese on top, but there is probably close to a cup and a half, or maybe two cups of veggies here. it’s a pretty even mix of onions, bell peppers, and jalapenos. the mexican veggie trifecta!

STEP 5:

GRAVY!!!

riding down the rails on a gravy train!!!

anyone who has ever had an enchilada, will tell you that it HAS to have gravy on it. so here we go! this is your basic out-of-the-packet, instant “homestyle” gravy. simple, and delicious.

STEP 6:

ASSEMBLY!

tastiness, ASSEMBLE!!

here, we’re using the small-size basic flour tortilla. fill to desired size, however, i would recommend not over-filling so you can easily fit everything in without tearing the tortilla.

packed like sardines, except not horrible tasting!

we put everything together in an aluminum baking dish, but you can use whatever you have handy. at this point, we also topped with a layer of cheese….

is your mouth watering yet?

then topped with a healthy level of gravy.

STEP 7:

BAKE!!

holy fluff, it's a masterpiece!!

i would say this step is optional, but it really isn’t. we baked the whole thing in the oven for about 10min at 300 degrees. this helps melt the cheese and thicken the gravy at the same time. basically it combines them into one super-delicious flavor shield of scrumptiousness.

STEP 8:

ENJOY!!!

nom nom nom nom nom!!!

this finaly step, is hands-down the most enjoyable. i find this creation to be GREAT for curing a hangover, however, they are very filling, so if you happen to make this recipe, make it for a group (like if you have a party, and everyone crashes at your place). if you make this the next morning, it’s like the party keeps going!!

in closing, i’d like to use this as proof that i came up with this idea. although i’m only just now posting the recipe, i actually made this for the first time about 4 months ago.

 

ENJOY!!

My Weight Loss Journey (Day 37 + weekend update!)

hello again, everyone! i’m trying to stay up to date with EVERYTHING, so here’s a few things that have been going on.

well, friday i had to wake up early and head down to Lubbock for monthly company training, which went well. in addition to the training, we had company pt, and i’m very pleased to say that despite not actually *running* on a track in at least a month, i was able to stay in the small group we had and run 5 miles at an average pace of 9min/mile

pretty intense, and i wasn’t really that tired afterward (although, now my legs are sore as hell!)

my weight has very very slowly been dropping again. last time i weighed myself, i was just barely over 153lbs… but then i also partied a bit friday night (two coworkers had birthdays during the week, so we kinda had to catch up :P)

needless to say, i was pretty damn hungover saturday, so not much was done at all, aside from some vacuuming and unloaded and loaded the dishwasher.

today has been much more productive!

i finally got around the filling in the garden and planting my best sprouts

for those of you wondering what should grow, i’ve got 4 spinach plants, and about a dozen bell pepper and hot pepper plants. so basically, i can make spicy salads 😛

 

in addition to that, i also got some more work done on my music. for those of you who don’t know, i am a musician, and although i do a lot of solo stuff, i’m technically still working on stuff for my band Prototype Theory. if for some reason you haven’t heard of us, you should check this out (because it’s pretty badass).

also, getting ready to get some gigs lined up in the area, so that should keep me busy too for a while, but i promise to stay active with the blog posts! (seriously!).

let’s see… what else? oh yeah, made some horrible snack food the other day. well, i say horrible, but it was DELICIOUS!!!

hot dog-stuffed jalapenos wrapped in bacon. MORE WIN THAN YOU CAN SHAKE A STICK AT.

here are a few pics

omg…. so freaking delicious.

 

anyway! that’s it for my update! catch you all on the flip side!