Hey, hey!
Strangely, after blizzard strength winds, a little snow and some awfully chilly temps – it ended up being a gorgeous day today! There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky as I drove home from work, and if you didn’t look at the snow covering the streets (49th consecutive day with over 5 inches on the ground – FYI) you would have thought it was a beautiful Spring day! 
Alas, it is not – but it sure got me even MORE excited for those perky April afternoons…CANNOT WAIT!
OMG I must tell you – my thighs are still jello from my workout this morning! I think it was those wall sits that really did me in. I did the first one with a 12lb weight in my hands, aaaand yeah…didn’t do the other two with the weight if that tells you how it went…! I generally get anxious to do thigh/leg workouts because I don’t want to be too sore to run. However, I think incorporating exercises – like the ones I did this morning – in moderation, can definitely be beneficial!
In other news, I’m continuing my week of crock pot dinners tonight with Tex-Mex Turkey Casserole!
Ok, not technically a crock pot dinner, but it was in my Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Slow Cooker Recipes cook book!
Ah yes, Sandra Lee. Part domestic goddess, part pure evil – it least according to Anthony Bourdain. 
ps this is one of the most hilarious articles I’ve ever read…
To be honest, Sandra drives me a little nuts on her show – maybe even a little more than Rachel Ray, which is saying something – but the recipes in her cook book are pretty decent!
Since the recipe for Tex-Mex Turkey Casserole is published, and I didn’t really make any modifications, I can’t copy it down on the website. Basically it incorporated your standard tex-mex seasonings with beans, ground turkey and enchilada sauce.
Topped with some nacho-esque toppings…
And baked to cheesey, melty perfection!
Scooped,
and served topped with fresh roma tomatoes. 
This was good…but also kind of just meat. Ben and I both agreed this dish would be fantastic if it was turned into Taco Salad or regular Enchiladas.
Maybe we’re just not casserole people?! At any rate the flavors were spot on, but applied differently, the whole dish would have been spot on.
This made a TON of food, so my main man Ben will be eating leftovers for days. TGFH. Thank goodness for husbands! 
Tonight I’m watching The Biggest Loser and might be switching over to Lost at 8:00. They’re replaying last season’s finale tonight to prep everyone for their premiere next Tuesday…at the same time as Biggest Loser…which one will I choose next week?! I’ll be fretting for days.
Good night!
~~~~~
Who’s your favorite Food Network star?
I LOOOOVE Giada and have a “thing” for Bobby Flay…which irritates Ben to no end.
HAhahaha, I can’t STAND Sandra Lee. Seriously, how did she get a shown on the Foodnetwork? Please, anyone can open a cake mix, add some cinnamon and call it semi-homemade. Maybe she enticing the producers with her extensive collection girly cocktails?
At any rate, there are so many worthy chefs on that channel. Love Giada, I am totally diggin Aida from Ask Aida and I have the biggest crush on Dave Leiberman.
Glad you had a great workout. The soreness is always a good sign, just as long as it doesn’t last for more than a day!
Have a fab night sweetheart!
I love watching Good Eats with Alton Brown!
I’m not a fan of Sandra Lee either…
I LOVE Barefoot Contessa and Giada
Love Giada!! I think I am forgoing Biggest Loser tonight and maybe (gasp!) indefinitely! I have so many other shows I watch and I hate that it’s 2 hrs! Takes up so much time! I will miss all the Jillian craziness though!
I have an addiction to Alton’s Good Eats – such an odd but funny approach to food education. I also love the Barefoot Contessa (especially her cookbooks!). Not a fan of Sandra OR Rachel Ray – it’s her raspy voice, which kind of translates into how her food might taste – no thank you! hah
You should start doing a bit of slow yoga after your workouts as a warm down; it really helps stretch out those muscles so you’re not as sore. Plus it is relaxing!
I can’t handle watching her on TV….too crazy!
Paula all the way!
That definitely looks like filling to some thing. But sound good. I think I have that cookbook too.
I love Bobby Flay and Ina Garten. Both make food I love.
We are obsessed with Lost in this household. So I cannot wait for next Tuesday.
I would have to say my favorite is Giada too. And I do love Paula, mostly just because she is always happy. Although I never really make any of her recipes, she can just be fun to watch at times. But there can definitely be ‘too much Paula’.
How have the tomatoes been that you’re using? I’ve noticed them in your recent dishes, and we get scared off by them in the store. The last few have had no flavor and been really dry, even though the color looks promising. Can’t wait for tomato growing season to come back to Iowa!
Giada is my girl! LOVE her!
I’d have to say I have a distaste for Paula Dean. Totally rubs me the wrong way.
xo- Molly
http://www.givinganythingbutup.wordpress.com
ina garten is my favorite for her show in general(i’d looove to be her overnight guest just once in my life, that house!)and duff goldman ’cause he’s sexy in a weird, immature way.
I would love to spend a day, an hour or–best of all–a meal with Ina Garten. She has such a comfortable and soothing way about her, while still producing great food!
Hilarious–I totally have a crush on Bobby Flay, too!!! Glad I’m not the only one!
I’m a Giada girl, too . . . great minds . . .
That tex mex casserole looks amazing!! I hear you on the snow on the ground business. So sick of it.
My fave Food Network Star is Alton Brown hands down. I’m OBSESSED!
I would have to say we ARE casserole people. Love a dish that completes a whole meal. My faves on the FN are of course Paula Deen and I really like Guy Fieri.
I have a little thing for Bobby too. But my favorite is Ina! I want her to be in my family.
I cannot stand watching Sandra Lee – although that dinner looks great – sorry it didn’t taste as good as it looks.
I love Alton Brown and Ina Garten – Alton for his science and Ina for her recipes…
I think the casserole looks fantastic! Maybe corn chips at the bottom would add some crunch and some fun.
I don’t really watch the Food Network that much b/c it makes me SO hungry! Haha.
I’m a big Bobby Flay fan…I made my husband and I eat at his restaurant Mesa in Las Vegas early this month when we were out there. The food was to die for – spicy, smokey, and just some awesome flavor combinations. But I could seriously sit and watch almost all of the shows on the Food Network all day long…
Yummy casserole!
I love Rachael Ray…always have.
Love Rachel Ray and Nigella Bites(Style)! Don’t like Cooking with the Neely’s all that kissy face crap in the kitchen irks me! Barefoot Contessa grosses me out all I think about is her cooking with her feet! ick… LOL I might have a thing about feet huh???
I am a FoodNetwork addict. It would be easier for me to tell you who I don’t like then to tell you who I do. My favs are Giada, Paula and Ina. And I also think Bobby Flay is hot! I actually went to his restaurant “Bar Americain” in New York a couple of years ago. It was GREAT! Love reading your posts! Hope you are feeling better.
)
Giada is my favorite x 100,000 but I am NOT a fan of Flay. I like Ina once ‘n’ a while too =)
Despite the black olives, I’d be way willing to nosh. There’s too much crunch-cheesy goodness in that dish. I can’t decline.
I kind of agree about Sandra Lee…and yeah, don’t like Rachel Ray much either.
I would have to agree. Giada is one of my favorites and Bobby Flay is up there too. I got to go to his book signing and he is super nice!
haha i LOVE anthony bourdain. i just read that article and it was pure magic.
tyler florence + ina garten = love. i can’t stand sandra lee, dislike bobby flay (sorry! i think he comes off as such an ass! can i swear on blog comments? hmmmmm). and i want to eat everything paula deen makes, probably because its made with 3 eggs, a stick of butter and enough oil to fry myself in.
I like Anne Burrell on secrets of a resturant chef. I love Anthony bourdain!! No reservations is one of my favorites. He likes to rip on Giada, comparing large food to the size of her head.
Hey…I found your blog via Beth’s and I am from Iowa so had to pop over and read. Love your blog and what you write about, very cool. The dish look absolutely amazing – I am going to give it a try. I never watch food cooking channels so I can’t comment on that one. Thanks for your blog!
I haven’t heard of any of the ones you’re talking about, but I love Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay, they’re just too funny
and Delia Smith cos she lives near me :p
I LOOOVE Alton Brown and my boyfriend has a HUGE crush on Giada (he’s definitely Italian and she does it for him)
THat looks delish!! I think I might have to buy that cookbook!! Thanks!
I love the guy (& the show too!) that does “Diners, Drive Ins, & Dives”. He’a a bit husky with spiky blonde hair. It’s a fun show! Lot’s of BIG food! And of course Paula Deen is fun to watch & listen to! Sandra Lee is just ok, and Rachel Ray can be annoying but she has taught me to do a few things much more efficiently than how I was doing them before.
I actually love Sandra Lee. This dish does look good, but I know what you mean about the casseroles – sometimes they just don’t come together the way you want them to.
I’m with you – between the eyeliner, matchy-matchy sets, and endless tablescapes, Sandra bugs me even more than Rachael. That said, I have a couple of Sandra’s cookbooks – the recipes look good on paper but I haven’t been that impressed with what I’ve made so far.
I don’t pay for cable/satellite anymore, but back in the day Giada was my favorite FN chef. I love the cooking shows on PBS – Everyday Food, America’s Test Kitchen/Cook’s Country, Ciao Italia, and Simply Ming.
Sandra Lee is a hideous creature. I like Rachael, Giada, Ina Garten and Paula Deen. Paula is my homegirl. And as my best friend Brin points out every time I try to watch Throwdown, Bobby Flay has man boobs and ‘cheesy teeth.’
I confess, no TV so no Food Network. I only have access to the written word, and thus far, Alton Brown is the only Food Network icon I like. His recipes work!
I know what you mean about casseroles. I rarely go there
I actually love Rachel Ray. She’s spunky.
Still, I agree. Alot of food network stars are a tad on the cooky side. Whatever. I don’t need them to be sane! I need them to cook!
I love Giada too… So you should modify this to make Mexican Lasagna.. it sounds hokey and its totally a Rachel Ray thing, but its SO good- you just layer that meat mixture you have with tortillas as the lasagna noodles and then cheese or salsa or whatever you want and top the whole thing with cheese and bake– its DELISH… there are never leftovers when I make that!
don’t give up on casseroles yet! i love casseroles but there is a fine line between a great one and an “eh” one… maybe try another one: greek inspired? (i’m thinking lots of feta, spinach… etc)
I love the show The Next Food Network Star so I am obessed with Melissa and her $10 Dinner Show
that casserole looks delish!
That is going to be hard next week deciding between BL and Lost-maybe you can just flip back and forth
I don’t have a favorite Food Network chef (never had cable, so don’t really have a reason to follow any of them online). So, I’m amending your question for myself to: what is your favorite casserole? Answer: Noodle casserole (basically a form of lasagna in casserole form – delicious!) and Tuna noodle casserole. I’m a huge fan of both and if you’re at all interested in giving a much different casserole a try, I’d be more than happy to pass along the recipe.
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That casserole looks delish!
I have so many Food Network favs; Ina Garten, Giada, Alton Brown, Rachael Ray, Sandra Lee, Mario, Bobby Flay — I guess just about everyone LOL.
Jenn
I am a total food nerd so basically Alton Brown is MY GOD. I originally got into Food Network for Jamie Oliver, the ahem *naked* chef, I had a crush on him for years.
However, I love veganizing Ina’s and Giada’s recipes, it’s hard work but too much fun!
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