If it’s Monday, it’s gotta be cheap date night. Even if you don’t have a date, you can certainly enjoy this little repast in your day, it’ll definitely make the rest of your week sparkle like newly-Windexed windows.

First up, comes the food of course. =)

A friend of mine once sent me some chile lime cashews. They were spectacular awesome. (thanks Jen!) After I’d eaten the entire bag, I wanted MORE. So, being the resourceful woman I am – I went hunting for a recipe to make my own. WARNING – this takes a bit longer to make than my usual “Under 5 minutes” recipe – so plan your time accordingly so you still have time to watch the movie! WARNING TWO – beware the squirrels in the tree outside the window. They can attack at a moments notice.

Chile Lime Nuts
(adapted from http://simplyrecipes.com)

* 4 cups cashews – or you can use mixed nuts – or mix your own nuts!
* 3 teaspoons salt
* Grated zest of 2 limes
* 3 Tbsp brown sugar
* 2 teaspoons chili powder – if you’re creative, use other spices as well like chipolte powder.
* 2 egg whites
* 2 Tbsp lime juice

Okey dokey. Take the salt and the lime zest and muddle them together really well. Add in sugar and chili powder. Stir in the egg whites and mix well, then toss in the nuts. Put on a cookie sheet lined with foil and bake 15-20 min at 350 degrees. Take out, sprinkle with the remaining lime juice and bake 2 more minutes. While those are cooling, lets put together this awesome drink -

The Mexican Bulldog

Have you ever seen the Bucket of Margaritas? You can buy one almost anywhere, Wal Mart, Costco, Trader Joes. Grab one and prepare according to directions.
Pour the slushy mix into a salted and fairly big, heavy glass.
Open a bottle of Corona and quickly turn it upside down in the glass, leaving the bottle IN the margarita.
Now as you sip the margarita, you’ll get a bonus of Corona with every sip. The level in the bottle goes down, but the margarita level stays up.
WARNING – this can knock you for a loop. =)

And if that didn’t knock you for a loop, this absolutely ADORABLE video will – put the margarita down for 3 minutes, you won’t want to squirt it out your nose!

Carrie Spencer Author - Smart Ass Romance

Seriously? Is it time for me to cook again? I was just there two weeks ago!

Okay, if you insist, we’re going to do something super fast and superer easy. Yes, I just made that word up.

Today, we’re making a salad. I know, I know HOW hard can it be to make a salad? Well, it’s not hard, but it’s pretty darn delicious.

Tropical Chicken Salad

Rotisserie or leftover chicken breast
Lettuce of your choice
Pineapple and/or mandarin orange bits
Mixed Nuts
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Croutons or Chow Mein Noodles

Wash and chop your lettuce, and put in a big bowl. Heat about 1/2 cup (per serving) of the rotisserie chicken, then chop and place in the bowl. Drain the fruit and add in, along with a handful of nuts. Top with cheddar cheese and croutons, then toss and serve. You can also add in radishes, green peppers, cucumbers – pretty much whatever you’ve got in the fridge – but be careful! This salad gets BIG fast!

Now we need a nice glass of heart-healthy wine to go with our heart-healthy salad right?

Well, mostly.

Try this Red Red Wine recipe on for size!

Arbor Mist Pomegranate Berry Pinot Noir (their blackberry merlot works too!)
Passionfruit Juice
Gingerale

In a tall glass filled with ice, fill half full of Pinot. Fill about 1″ from the top with juice and then add in a splash of Gingerale to top it all off.

Can it get any easier than that?

Nope.

Ok, grab a fork and your wine and lets watch a movie – Red Wine and Hula Hoops – this is a hoot! =)

Carrie Spencer Author - Smart Ass Romance

I am a chocolate fiend. I admit it free and clear. No day is complete without a mini candy bar of something. Or a big candy bar. Or brownies…umm….brownies.

In my chocolate lust, I read a variety of cookbooks, try to find desserts that I can actually make without turning the scary oven on and badger people to make some for me. (Thanks Arielle!)

Today, however, I’m sharing one that is EASY (even if I do have to turn the oven on and find a pan) and is so full of chocolatey goodness even I get my full chocolate quota for the day!

Chocolate Overload

Open one tube of chocolate chip cook dough and spread in a pan. Bake according to directions.

Sprinkle M&M’s (the tiny ones are awesome for this), a little fudge sauce (and by little I mean a lot), a little caramel sauce and bake two minutes more. (You can use Reese’s pieces too if you like a peanut butter flavor)

Top with mini marshmallows bake 2 min more

Let cool slightly and eat. Preferably with homemade ice cream. Nom Nom Nom. =)

Now for a fun drink to go with this, we’re trying an Oreo Martini.

In a cocktail shaker …what, you don’t have a cocktail shaker? I’ll loan you one, I have hundreds. =) In a cocktail shaker add a few ice cubes, 1 shot of cake vodka (yes, you read that right!) 1 shot of Baileys Irish Cream and 1 shot of dark creme de cacao. Shake, shake, shake (think of Tom Cruise in Cocktail) and then strain into your martini glass.

Sip. Ahhhhhh…..

And of course, since we’re now buried hip-deep in chocolate goodness, what better thing to watch than Lucy and Ethel in the chocolate factory. =) Enjoy!

Carrie Spencer Author - Smart Ass Romance

‘Tis the season for hot soup and cold fingers! Luckily, if we get the soup going, it’ll take care of the fingers, or feel free to slide them up under your SO’s sweatshirt. =)

This is the fastest chicken noodle soup recipe – besides just opening a can of Campbell’s! – you’ll ever find.

1 can chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 package frozen vegetables
1 cup leftover rotisserie chicken
handful of Reame’s frozen egg noodles
pepper

Literally toss it all except the noodles in a dutch oven, adding in another can full of water. Bring to a boil, add noodles, cook another 15-20 min. Done!

We’re going to follow this with another warmer-upper in the drinks department – Whipped Chocolate.

Hot chocolate mix
Hot water – but a little less than they recommend.
1/2 shot Smirnoff Marshmallow vodka
Whip cream

Prepare your hot chocolate, slip in the vodka and squirt whip cream over the top.

Can this get any easier?

=)

And here’s a little something in memory of my Grandma, who passed away on Friday.

Carrie Spencer Author - Smart Ass Romance

Oh it’s that time again! Time for cheap date night. Fast food, fast drinks and a quickie movie. What more can a girl ask for?

Not much, I’ll give you that! =)

These caramel apple parfaits SHOULD be made in a parfait glass. But seriously, eating them out of a nice bowl will work just as well. And the clean-up is even easier.

Fat free caramel apple dip (did I mention this is lo-cal?)
One apple, diced
Greek yogurt
Crushed peanuts (optional)

In the bottom of your cup or bowl, add in 1/3 the caramel, then 1/3 the apple, 1/3 the nuts and 1/2 the yogurt. Repeat. Top with the final third of caramel, apple and nuts. Serve chilled.

Easy Peasy.

And how about a Butterfinger to go with? This is absolutely one of my favorite drinks.

1 shot Butterscotch schnapps
1 shot Baileys
Ice.

It is sooooooo delicious, and the easiest drink ever to make.

Okay, got your parfait and your happy drink in hand? Be prepared, because this video shows you how to fold a t-shirt in 1 second.

Spoon in one hand, drink in the other, prepare to be amazed!

Do you fold your t-shirts? Hang them? Roll them into a tube and shove them in a drawer? I admit I use this method on every single one of my t-shirts – approximately 1574 of them. =)

Enjoy!

carrie

Carrie Spencer Author - Smart Ass Romance