Pollo & Patate (Chicken & Potatoes, Italian Style)

Andy and me at the Roadhouse, Rodeo 2013

On Saturday, January 26th, Andy, me, our friends, Paige & Kyle, and their friend Kenny adventured out to the rodeo grounds for the day.  We rode a few rides, checked out the chickens and goats, and walked around the exhibit halls.  The exhibit halls are, afterall, my favorite part of the rodeo.  After rodeo-ing all day, Andy and I met our friends Jason & Holly for dinner at Fireside Pies. 

Andy and me at Bulls Night Out 2013

Over the course of dinner, my voice started getting more and more hoarse, and I just figured it was from walking around in the cold all day, surrounded by dust and hay.  I woke up on Sunday morning, voice still hoarse, but with the most intense sinus headache I've ever had.  Keep in mind, I've had sinus surgery, so I know sinus pain, but this was like nothing else.  It felt like someone had cracked open my face, poured concrete in it, and was then jack-hammering the concrete out.  My body was aching and sore, and I was coughing and congested.


Brittney and me at the Backstage Club, Rodeo 2013

I googled my symptoms, and my symptoms kept coming up as symptoms of the flu.  No way... I got the flu shot. In October. We are required to get it at work.  But, nonetheless, I felt terrible.  I called in sick to work on Monday, and I hadn't called in sick in over a year and a half.  I went to the doctor who stuck a cotton swab up my nose and confirmed my Flu Type A. Ugh. 

Andy and me at the midway, Rodeo 2013

Prescription cough syrup and Tamiflu were called in to CVS, and I was sent to bed.  My doctor told me Type A Flu was "highly contagious" so I quickly texted Andy, and I suggested that he call his doctor for a Tamiflu prescription, too.  His doctor called him in the preventative little pack of pills, and he never did get sick.  I had been wanting to get into watching Downton Abbey, so Netflix and the humidifier were both turn on and into bed I went.  When I picked up my prescriptions, I grabbed a bottle of Pedialyte (which is my best friend when I am sick & dehydrated), and whipped out my neti pot. 

Katie & me at the Backstage Club, Rodeo 2013

Andy insisted on cooking dinner that night so my germy hands wouldn't get all over his food, but the next night I made this recipe.  I already have a recipe called Italian Chicken & Potatoes, so I wanted to come up with a clever twist to differentiate.  According to google, "chicken & potatoes" translates to "pollo & patate" in Italian, so that's where the name comes from.  I tried to use ingredients that I already had, and I found this recipe on Crock a Doodle Do, a cute blog with a lot of crockpot recipes.  Hopefully when you make it, you'll be flu-free, but it is a great dish if you're craving comfort food.

Me, Candice, Brittney, Jenny, and Kirsten at the Roadhouse for Josh Weathers and Brittney's birthday

Pollo & Patate
By Crock a Doodle Do
Servings: 4; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 11

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 16 oz bottle non-fat Italian salad dressing
• 1/2 c reduced fat parmesan cheese
• Italian seasoning, to taste
• 4-6 potatoes scrubbed, sliced thin
• 1/2 lb mini carrots

1. Squirt a small amount of Italian dressing at bottom of crock-pot.
2. Place two chicken breasts in crock.
3. Pour some of the Italian dressing on the chicken.
4. Sprinkle half of cheese onto the chicken.
5. Sprinkle Italian seasoning onto the chicken.
6. Place next two chicken breasts into crock-pot, if possible not directly on top of the first breasts.
7. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of chicken.
8. Pour carrots on top
9. Pour more of the Italian dressing on top of chicken and carrots.
10. Sprinkle Italian seasoning onto the chicken and carrots.
11. Place potatoes on top.
12. Pour the remaining Italian dressing on the potatoes.Sprinkle Italian seasoning on the potatoes.Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

Cowgirl Breakfast Casserole

Westbrook Family Night at the rodeo!
Carly, Slate, me, Greyson, and Andy

Last year, I wrote an entry about my lifetime love for the Fort Worth Stockshow and Rodeo when I shared my recipe for Green Chili Fudge.  Each year, as a member of the Junior League of Fort Worth, I commit 50 hours to a volunteer placement.  The JLFW places our volunteers at numerous locations, including the American Diabetes Association's Camp Aurora, the Amon Carter Museum, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Fort Worth, Cook Children's Medical Center, and many more- click here to read more about our community involvement. 

Nicole, me, Jenna, Amanda, Kelly, Meredeth, and Anna
in the Rodeo Program Sales Committee Office

From my sponsor to my Co-Chair- and what a great one she's been as both!
Melissa and me

As a provisional, or your first year in the league, your placement is automatically the Junior League's upscale resale shop, the Double Exposure.  Beginning with your second year in the league, your first year as an active, you get to chose what placement you want.  After having so much fun yelling and selling at the rodeo last year, I immediately knew I wanted to be on the Rodeo Program Sales Committee for my placement.

Shanelle and me

As a member of this committee, we organize the girls who "yell and sell" programs at each of the performances, put the day sheets (the papers that tell which cowboy is riding which bull/horse/etc) into the programs, supervise the sellers, and yell and sell when we can.  We are supposed to attend as many performances as possible, including the Saturdays of the rodeo time that have three performances each.  That means that on Saturdays during rodeo time, we are at the grounds from about 8:00am until 9:30pm- and that makes for one long day!

Hook 'em ITB!
Pam and me

Since we are up at the colliseum so much during these three weeks, we have a meal sign up sheet for girls to bring breakfasts, lunches, and dinners to the committee.  I signed up for numerous meals since I like to cook so much, and my first meal was a Saturday breakfast.  I had made a yummy and easy breakfast casserole for my family on Christmas morning, so I thought I'd let the Rodeo Committee girls try it, too.  I wasn't sure how to adjust my recipe for 25 girls, but the final measurements turned out just right- with a little extra, too!  I bought tortillas to put it in and make breakfast tacos, but the recipe didn't originally call for that.  It can be served in bowls, as a regular casserole would, or in tortillas with hot sauce and shredded cheese on top- however you cowgirls like it!

The firemen hosted a shrimp boil for us one day- thank you!

Cowgirl Breakfast Casserole (Crockpot)
Servings: 30; Weight Watchers Points Plus Value: 6

• 1 doz eggs
• 1/2 doz egg whites
• 1 1/2 (32 oz/e) bags frozen hashbrowns
• 1/2 lb bacon, cooked
• 1 lb sausage, browned
• 1/2 c green onions, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 3/4 lb cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard
• 1/2 c skim milk

Cowgirl Breakfast Casserole ready to cook overnight in the crockpot

1. Layer potatoes, bacon, sausage, onions, green pepper, and cheese in the crockpot in two or three layers
2. Add cheese on top
3. Beat the eggs, milk, and mustard together
4. Pour egg mixture over the whole crockpot full of ingredients
5. Cook in crock pot on low for 10-12 hours or until eggs are set.

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

Southwest Crab Dip

Brian Sims and me at Brian's 26th Birthday Crawfish Boil at Katie Fenn's house

If you went to dinner with me tonight, you would have no idea that four years ago I did not eat seafood.  Before 2008, my seafood preference list was limited to crawfish at crawfish boils, shrimp, fried calamari, and tuna salad.  Nowadays, I'm willing to try any kind of seafood- fish, lobster, crab, alligator- baked, raw, grilled, or fried.  When I was assigned Dip Duty for a Super Bowl party back in February, I thought I'd look for something that fit my new found pallet for seafood.  Dips, however, are often a healthy eater's worst nightmare.

The Super Bowl XLV invaded North Texas!
Andy and me at the Super Bowl Headquarters in Sundance Square

I have a crazy love for queso, but it is the prime example of how unhealthy dips can be- chock full of fat and carbs- it is delicious but ridiculously bad for me.  Most dips have a cream base, such as creamed cheese or sour cream, so unless it's fat free creamed cheese or sour cream, your diet is down the drain.  Dips are also addicting.  Let's get real- who has one chip dipped in queso and then walks away?  Impossible.  By the end of it, you've stuffed yourself and you have that "food baby" feeling, sometimes before your main meal has even begun.

Super Bowl XLV (2011) was held at Arlington's Dallas Cowboys Stadium
My mom, me, and my dad on the Dallas Cowboys field for the VIP Tour of the Cowboys' Stadium

So back to my Dip Duty and the Super Bowl party.  We were going to our friends Clay & Michelle's house- Michelle is the one with the DIY blog that I've mentioned a few times, Chic Little Things.  I made Bourbon Meatballs because no football watching party is complete without them.  I knew Michelle was making queso and her famous Alfredo Meatballs (the recipe for which I will try to finagle from her), so I wanted to contribute something that was non-cheesey and a little lighter.  I found a mix for crab dip for the party, and it turned out really well.  The best part of it was that it was delicious AND healthy!  For once, it was okay to crowd around the dip and not (pretend to) care about the addictive factor.  Don't get me wrong, I still have my fondness for queso, but through exploration and new ventures, I have found that it is possible to make healthy dips for crackers or chips, too.

Michael Berthold, me, and Andy in front of the ESPN stage in Sundance Square, set up for Super Bowl XLV

The spice mix that I used in the recipe below is from a company that I love called Company's Comin'.  I wait until the Fort Worth Stockshow and Rodeo or the Fort Worth Junior League's Christmas in Cowntown to buy it, but you can find it online here.  If you really wanted to, I'm sure you could make your own spice mix, so here are the ingredients that are in the Company's Comin' one that I used.  I don't know the proportions, though, so I just spend the $3.00 on the pre-mixed stuff.

Ingredients:Onion, parsley, taco seasoning (chili pepper, wheat flour, salt, spices, dextrose, corn syrup solids, dehydrated onion, dehydrated garlic, natural flavor, disodium insonate, extractives of paprika, spice extractive, silicon dioxide), garlic, celery, dill, tasty blend (salt, onion, paprika, sugar, garlic, yeast extract, sodium silica aluminate, celery), and selected spices.

Southwest Crab Dip
Company's Coming, made healthier by Kate Strickland
Servings: 2 c of dip total; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 9 (yes, for the whole bowl!)



Southwest Crab Dip

• 1 package Company's Comin' Southwest Crab Dip spice mix (available for sale online here)
• 8 oz fat free sour cream
• 1/4 c fat free mayonnaise
• 1 can (appr. 8 oz) crab meat

1. Drain crab meat
2. Mix spice mix, sour cream, mayonnaise, and crab meat in bowl
3. Serve with crackers

Enjoy!

Candied Almond Salad

My whole life, we have had a sailboat named Cracker Jack that we keep at the Fort Worth Boat Club.  In May of 2005, I was leaving dinner at the Boat Club with my parents when they suggested that we drive down to the waterfront where the cabanas are.  We had always admired the cabanas from afar- right on the water, on club grounds, and only a thirty minute hiatus from town.  We pulled up to the blue and white a-frame that we had talked about before, and my parents stopped the car.  Thinking we were just going to walk around, I hopped out of the car and heard the jingle of keys in my dad's hand.  "Surprise!" they both said together.  They had bought the a-frame lakehouse from Jim Sundberg, former catcher for the Texas Rangers.  I. was. stoked.

The lakehouse/cabana has changed in so many ways over the past 6 years.  We put up white wooden blinds, built a tough shed, replaced the couches (twice), moved the twin beds to make room for futons, replaced said twin beds with white bunk beds, put in all new master bedroom furniture, pulled up the carpet and installed hardwood floors, replaced the remaining carpet with new carpet, white washed the front wall, replaced the dock, built a kayak rack, replaced both the downstairs and upstairs air conditioners, put in new cabinets, pulled out the stove, put on a new side door and screen door, installed an alarm system (unfortunately due to a break-in), replaced the fridge (twice), AND installed new counter tops.  Phew! That was a mouth full.  Needless to say, our little gem has come a LONG way.

Easter Eve 2011

My Granny Poirot, from who I inherited many of my cooking abilities, absolutely loved the lakehouse.  Specifically, she loved the sunsets at the lakehouse.  No matter what we were in the middle of doing, when the sun started to set, Granny called everyone out onto the porch or down by the water.  For 15-20 minutes, we stopped.  We stopped cooking, renovating, replacing, worrying, and stressing.  We stopped planning, organizing, cleaning, texting, talking, and we watched.  "Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?" Granny asked me once.  "God is good, Katherine, He knows we're making memories."

Easter Sunday 2011

When Granny's heart started to give out for the final time in November of 2008, I curled up in her hospital bed with her, squeezing her hand as tight as I could.  Even in as much pain as she was, Granny turned and looked out the window of the Cardiac ICU.  "Wow, Katherine, look at that sunset," she said, "God is good sweet girl.  I love you."  My eyes welled up with tears as I told her that I loved her more than anything in the world.  My Aunt Rhonda's text to let loved ones know read, "Gertie left with the sunset this evening."  Her obituary read "Gertie Poirot went home to be with her heavenly Father at sunset."  What a perfect ending to her wonderful story, and not a sun sets without our family thinking of our amazing, funny, loving, optimistic, selfless, faithful Granny.

Granny watching the sunset

This past Easter weekend, my parents, their friends, Mike and Sondra Cochran, and Andy and I all had dinner out at the lakehouse.  It was fun being together, but no holiday at the lakehouse is the same without Granny.  We had her/my mom's Candied Almond Salad, ham, and chili rice casserole.  Although Granny wasn't there to remind us on Easter night, we all still gathered on the porch, like we do every night when we are at the lakehouse, and stopped.  For 15 minutes, we stopped doing, and we made another memory and watched the sunset, just like Granny would have wanted.

Granny and me watching the sunset, July 4, 2008

Candied Almond Salad
Granny Poirot & Carolyn Poirot

• 1 c sliced almonds
• 1 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 4 little green onions, thinly sliced (yes, they're really called "little green onions")
• Honey mustard dressing (available in light)
• 15 oz mandarin oranges, drained
• 6 c lettuce, washed

1. Melt butter in a pan on the stove
2. Mix in sugar and almonds
3. Stir frequently until browned (careful not to burn them)
4. Combine lettuce, onions, oranges, and candied almonds in a large salad bowl
5. Add dressing as desired, or leave dressing off for each person to put on his/her own- this can always help avoid soggy salad

Green Chili Fudge

The rodeo can be summed up in the words of Mr. Brooks:
Well it's bulls and blood, It's dust and mud, It's the roar of a Sunday crowd
It's the white in his knuckles, The gold in the buckle he'll win the next go 'round
It's boots and chaps, It's cowboy hats, It's spurs and latigo
It's the ropes and the reins, And the joy and the pain
And they call the thing rodeo.

Every January/February off Lancaster and University in Fort Worth, you will find my favorite event of the year.  The Fort Worth Stockshow and Rodeo.  And yes, this thing really is legendary.

I have gone to the rodeo every single year that I can remember.  The rodeo kicks off every year with the annual rodeo parade.  When I was reallllly little (before kindergarten), my dad's law office was across from the Chisolm Trail Mural downtown.  We would sit in the windows and watch the annual rodeo parade in our flannel shirts and take in the sweet smell of horse manure, and we knew that the rodeo was finally back in town.

My dad and I watching the rodeo parade 1990

Brief History:
I usually go to the rodeo with my friends or family.  For a couple of years, my friend, JK, and her mom, Mama Sheila, took me and some of our other friends to sit in their box.  We would get a day sheet (found in a $3 program!) and each placed bets on who we thought would rope the fastest or get the highest score on the wildest bull.  Usually, I just picked the guys with the cool names like "Denver" or the bulls with the meanest names like "Hot Damn" or "Loco."

Last year, my friend, Kate, took a group of us girls who have been friends for 19 years to sit in her dad's box.  A few weeks later, Kate sent out a mass text to see if anyone wanted to use the box because it was going to be empty for finals.  Um, yes, duh.  So I asked my cousin, Chris, and his wife, Tiffany, and their daughter, Kameron, to come.  Chris, Tiff, and I were all pretty close in age, but we never really hung out together outside of family stuff.  I'm really glad they said they could come, and I had no idea it would be the first and last time for us all three to hang out.  We lost Chris last March in a motorcycle accident, and it was a blessing that Kate offered up her seats this night. 

Back to 2011:
This year I am completing my provisional year in the Junior League of Fort Worth.  Your provisional year is kind of like a pledge year in a sorority.  You have to go to your own provisional class meetings each month and also the general membership meetings, complete a few shifts at each Junior League event (Mayfest, rodeo, etc), and work 50 hours at the Junior League resale shop, Double Exposure.  I was pretttty excited about the rodeo shifts because, obviously, I love the rodeo.  It is the duty of the Junior League ladies to "yell and sell."  It goes about like this, "Rodeo programs, $3! Get your programs. Ice cold programs.  Special today, only $3 (they're always $3)!  How bout them cowboys? Read all about 'em in your rodeo program!  Help out your local charities! Put your money towards a good cause! The cheapest souvenir you can buy! Half the price of a beer, and it'll last you allllll night!"  I worked 6 shifts- I had it down.

One day, Groupon, a group coupon website which is amazing and everyone should subscribe to, offered half priced tickets to go to the rodeo.  Since I'd been yelling and selling, I hadn't seen much of the actual show, so I thought it'd be fun to go.  I bought four tickets and was super stoked... then I realized I'd purchased 4 10:00am on a SATURDAY tickets.  Oops.  Looks like we were just gonna have to make a day of it!

Next door to and outside of the rodeo is the midway.  No, not the carnival, the midway.  The midway is home to dozens of scary rides, big beers, corn dogs, and FUNNEL CAKES.  I have a weird, crazy love for funnel cakes.  Actually, for almost all fair food (except corn dogs... I hate corn dogs).

In addition to the midway and the rodeo, there is an entire exhibit hall set up with row after row of clothes, agricultural products, and... food.  Score.  I am such a sucker, let it be said.  I sampled everything and definitely fell for the shtick.  The "shtick" went about like this, "Hey pretty lady, salsa- buy 2, get one free. Buy FOUR, get two free... soup mixes? Buy two get one free."  After a while, I became a bobble-head, nodding to every offer and passing over my plastic.  I think we left the rodeo with 4 salsas, 3 dip mixes, and 4 soups from three different companies.  Oh, well, they'll be used eventually.

One salsa I bought, a super spicy green tomatillo salsa, had a recipe for Green Chili Fudge, so I made it this past weekend for the Super Bowl party.  It isn't fudge as in chocolate fudge, but it is called that because of its consistency.  It was just as amazing when I made it as it was when I was suckered into buying it!  I used the green salsa from the rodeo, but you really can use any jar of green salsa- the spicier the better.  Green chili fudge is a great chip topper, and can be semi-healthy if you use fat free cheese.

Green Chili Fudge

• 4 c. grated cheese (I used a mixture of 1 c Four Cheese Mexican Blend & 3 c Fat Free Cheddar)
• 1 jar green tomatillo salsa
• 3 eggs
• 1 pan (smaller pans work best, 9 x 9)

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Beat eggs together
3. Spread 2 c grated cheese in pan
4. Combine eggs and 1/2 - 3/4 (you can approximate this) jar of salsa on cheese in pan
5. Spread the second 1/2 of cheese (another 2 c) on top
6. Bake at 350 for 30 mins
7. Slice into squares, serve on tortilla chips

Green Chili Fudge

And now, a look back at some past rodeos...

Brittney and Me 2008

Shannon, JK, Jen, Emily, me 2008

19 Year Friends: Lillian, Frances, Sam; Kate, Whitney, Chaney, me 2010

Tiff, Chris, Kameron, and me 2010

Kami and Me 2010

Andy, me, MaryEllen, Brittany, Michael 2011

Andy, me, Michael, Brittany, MaryEllen, Louis 2011

Brittany and me with funnel cake 2011

One of the super scary rides Andy and I went on 2011