So There Was This ONE Time I Was Weird...

So, I'm sitting here eating some good ol' cheez-its and thinking of how wonderful of a salty snack they really are. I mean really. Think about it. What is better than cheez-its? Not a whole lot!

Cheez-its have probably been my favorite snack cracker my entire life. I loved them as a kid, as I did just about anything cheese related.

One night, my brother Jared and I were enjoying a box of tasty treats when the horrid realization that we were down to crumbs had come to our attention. Knowing it wasn't likely to happen, we asked the adults in our home to take us to the store to get some more. My Mom was tired from working all day, and our Grandparent's looked at us like we were pretty much insane. I asked if I could make a grilled cheese sandwich then. They granted permission and off to the kitchen I went...

Well, somewhere in the hall way the brilliant idea occurred to me that I could MAKE cheez-its. I mean, how hard could it be, right?

I got out the velveeta, cut it into tiny squares, and placed them on the griddle. Then I loaded on the salt. I was CERTAIN this was going to be fantastic. I had visions of my recipe being listed in the church potluck cook book. I mean, this was going to be the perfect snack, even better than the name brand, right?

Well, Jared was a little skeptical. He felt the need to feed a few pieces to our gold fish Jaws. (Jaws never ate fish food. He ate our left overs. I'm not lying. That fish lived over a year merely on our left overs! He was a carnival prize and lived on green beans, cheese, bread, etc.)

Jaws ate them up. We tried a few, were enjoying our delicacies, and in heaven. I'll never forget what happened next. Jared went to drop another piece in Jaws cereal canister (Like I said, carnival prize. He was one of 100's. My Grandma refused to invest money in a fish that could pass any day...) and it splashed. SPLASHED! Fish water ALL OVER the griddle and plate. I cried.

Naturally the grown ups thought I burned myself cooking, came running, and were horrified. I wasn't allowed to cook again for awhile. Apparently fried cheese is a greasy mess, and is FAR from a healthy cracker snack.

Just felt the need to share that story. Poor Jaws. Probably died of a heart attack due to clogged arteries after all the junk we fed him.

RIP Jaws, RIP.

Alright, I Cave...

Quite a few people have asked me for the recipe for Broccoli and Cheese casserole over the years. There's nothing "special" about it. I guess I just worry that if I give it out I won't have anything to make for potlucks and such. Selfish am I, I know... I was going to make it a special treat on The Carnahan Family website (which I plan to launch this week or next) but realized that some who have asked aren't even close friends or family of my Grandparent's and such, and they would be left out. So, here it is for all of you.

Grandma's Broccoli & Cheese Casserole
(She got the recipe from her sister Darlene...)

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg frozen broccoli; chopped, cooked, & drained.
• 1 cup minute rice (uncooked)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom (I use chicken. I believe Grandma did also.)
• 1/2 cup cheez whiz or velveeta (I use velveeta, so did Grandma.)
• Onions to taste (If Bobby is around, this usually means A LOT of onion. Do what you like.)

Mix all ingredients together. Place in casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

I usually double this recipe, which requires closer to 40-45 minutes.

ENJOY!