Recipe Makeover - Tamale Pie

Remember the tamale pie from many moons ago? You don't?! Shocking! You can find the original recipe here 
http://omgnotanotherfoodblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/thats-right-you-asked.html 

Well, the tamale pie was topped with a tasty polenta. Now that Fall is fast approaching, I give you a new recipe for the polenta topping to make it much tastier. 

Ingredients:
1 cup corn meal or polenta
1 T granulated garlic
1 T chili powder
1 1/2 T dried oregano
2 tsp salt
3 cups water

Mix the dry ingredients together well. Bring the water to the boil. When boiling, add the polenta in a steady stream and stir immediately with a whisk. Pull the whole thing off the heat and continue to mix for another 2 minutes (it will be very thick). Pour over the filling of tamale pie and continue on with the recipe.

A pound of this, a pound of that...

Really fun to do with kids that like to measure. 

Lemon Zest Pound Cake
makes 2 loaf pan cakes

Ingredients:
1 lb butter 
1 lb sugar (2 cups)
1 lb large eggs (about 9)
1tsp vanilla
zest from 1 lemon 
1 lb well sifted flour (about 4 cups)


Cream the butter and slowly add the sugar. Gradually add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add vanilla and lemon zest. Slowly add the flour at the lowest speed just until well incorporated. Pour into two greased loaf pans lined with parchment. 
Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 15 minutes. After 1 hour, check with a toothpick. If not done, keep checking in 10 minute increments. 
Remove from oven, let sit for 10 minutes and remove from loaf pan to a cooling rack. 

Unroll an orange

I saw this on a friend's Pinterest board but could follow the link, so I made my own! This is a great way to pack a clementine or little orange in a lunch box. It's fun and my kids don't have to try to peel anything.

Start by peeling a round spot off the top of the orange.

Now do the bottom.

Make a cut along one of the segments and gently separate.

Carefully, open the orange separating the segments from each other, but not the rind.

                                                                   Once unrolled, it can be rolled back up and placed in the lunch box.