lasagna and enchiladas {low carb}

i ran across this recipe for lasagna, a few years ago, and the thought of it just didn't work for me...
until some friends made it and shared it recently, and now i've made it twice since then.
you sub pre-packaged oven roasted chicken breast lunch meat for the pasta.
it works. it's amazing. we love it.

our friends brought it when we had a bbq cookout over labor day. 

then i made it.

here is the link.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/recipes/easy-protein-noodle-low-carb-lasagna

and here is a copy of it, with a few of my notes.

i've learned the hard way to print out and/or write down recipes.
i have saved a few links that have disappeared over the years. that is a bummer.

if you're feeling really crazy, use chicken lunch meat in place of tortillas for enchiladas.
so good.

enjoy.

love,
nicolle 

green beans

kevin's aunt dianne makes these magical green beans.
they are like something you'd get at an amazing soul food restaurant.
i've made them at least 4 times in the last few months.
my store stopped carrying the 101 oz green bean cans which is what she uses and i used once,
so i buy a 50 oz plus a 28 oz can, and this makes plenty with some good leftovers as well.

i slightly drain some liquid, then throw the beans and the rest of the liquid into a large crockpot,
with 1/2 package of uncooked bacon chopped up, salt and pepper.
cover and cook on low for 8 hours, stirring occasionally.
you have to go at least 8 hours though, that's the magic number.
i've served these with ham steaks and with chicken, but really they'd go with anything.

enjoy.

love,
nicolle

pimiento cheese

i grew up loving pimiento cheese.
my mom made it often, and in my memory i can still taste hers.
i found this recipe recently.
it's a copycat for HEB Central Market's pimiento cheese.
it's a little different and it's really good.

2 cups freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups freshly grated mozzarella cheese
one 4 oz jar diced pimientos, undrained
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 T dried dill weed
1/4 to 1/3 c mayo, although i used more
salt and pepper to taste

the garlic and the dill are not traditionally found in pimiento cheese,
but this version is nice, a little fancy, and perfect in my opinion.

we like to dip into it with plantain chips, and of course eat it as a sandwich.
if you want something really amazing, make a grilled pimiento cheese sandwich.

enjoy.

love,
nicolle

pumpkin soup

we have cool weather and rain moving in, and i was thinking about soup this morning.

i don't know how i've never made a pumpkin soup before today.

i looked up a few recipes, and found this one, here. 

if you want a fallish/creamy/squash soup, you should try this.

it's delicious. 

i had a few bites, then a few more and a few more. 

i was really just taste testing it for dinner, but it got out of hand.

 i love this soup. 

 {below is my version, just a few minor changes from the original recipe}

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

about 1/4 cup finely grated white onion

2 tablespoons flour

4 cups chicken broth

1  15 oz can pure pumpkin

1/2 cup sweetened applesauce

3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 cup heavy cream

black pepper to taste

 melt the butter in a large saucepan, or a dutch oven, over medium heat.

add the onion and stir for a few minutes.

add the flour and stir for another minute.

stir in the broth, pumpkin, applesauce, and spice and bring to a boil.

cover and turn down to low for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

stir in the heavy cream and black pepper and cook until everything is hot and bubbling.

i love onion, but it was still a little chunky for me for this soup, so i used my immersion blender at the end.

i toasted some rye bread to use as croutons.

this is not a really thick soup, so you might add a little less broth if you want it to be thicker.

enjoy!

and, what good is a post lately, without a football picture.

 love,

nicolle

cauliflower fried rice with beef

i haven't really been cooking lately, 

but have wanted to make this for some time now.
cauliflower fried rice.

i've made cauliflower rice before, but never a fried version.
{and at this point, you all know how much i love cauliflower mash and cauliflower pizza crust}.

let me tell you, this is delicious and as satisfying as any fried rice i've ever had.

i used this easy to follow and incredible recipe, here,
and made a few changes.

 i started with a package of boneless beef for carne picada.
it's almost like a shaved steak,
or similar to ground beef, but not as ground up, and perfect for this dish.
i buy this at kroger.

i cooked it in my wok with olive oil, a bit of sesame oil, jar minced garlic, dried ground ginger, 

and low-sodium soy sauce.

cook through, then turn on low and let flavors marry. 

i like to season a few times with the garlic, ginger and soy sauce. 

i think it adds layers of flavor that way.

remove the meat from wok and set it aside, but don't clean out the wok.
 

cook cauliflower rice according to the recipe.
 

note: i used 2 one pound bags of frozen cauliflower. i use it often.

it's easier to deal with and less expensive than fresh, and i think it works just as well. 

i let it sit out for a bit, then chop away with my butcher knife until desired consistency.
this will take a few minutes, but i love doing it for some reason.

i also opted for just a pea and carrot mixture, original recipe uses several mixed veggies.
and i stuck with low-sodium soy sauce.

 after your rice mixture is made, add the beef back in to warm.

 we like to serve ours with a few more dashes of soy sauce,
and cashews or peanuts for a little crunch.

 very, very good.

enjoy.

love,

nicolle

my mama's mexican salad

my mom has probably been making this salad for over 40 years.

kind of like her enchiladas that i wrote about a while back,

this is also another taste of my childhood that brings back memories.

i can see and smell and feel my childhood home when i eat this.

you can call it frito salad or mexican salad.

i love it so much, i've made it twice this week.

it's definitely one you'll love, i promise.

2 heads of baby romaine (or one head of iceberg), chopped up

a small red onion, diced

a handful of grape tomatoes, cut in half

2 cans of ranch style beans, drained and rinsed clean

shredded cheddar cheese

about half a bag of fritos

roughly half a bottle of catalina salad dressing

 (obviously my measurements are all estimates...that's why i love to cook, and not bake).

mix everything together in a large bowl, 

coating everything well with the dressing.
something magic happens in that bowl.

serve right away or within a few minutes. 

i actually like to wait a few minutes to eat it. 

this will serve 3-4 people, good sized portions.

a few tips:
don't skimp on the dressing, you want a nice orange coating on everything.
don't mess around with the fat free junk, use the real deal.
if taking this to a get together, you can mix the first 5 things at home,
then add the fritos and dressing right before serving. 

i asked my mom where the recipe came from,
and she couldn't remember.
i am guessing she got it from someone at church.
all i know is that i got it from my mama.

enjoy.

love,

nicolle

pickled red onions

i had a salad today that had pickled red onions on it, and i fell in love instantly.

i was googling recipes as i sat there.
i'm sure that i've had them before, but i've never noticed their intense flavor.

i found a recipe that looked pretty good, so i came home and made them,

and i do believe that they taste just like what i had at lunch.

i wish i could explain just how flavorful they are.

the recipe i used is here.

the recipe calls for a large onion, and the one i bought was right at one pound.

i didn't think it would be big enough at first, but it filled up this 32 oz pickle jar.

the onions will eventually turn all pink as they sit in this liquid.

i think they would also be good with burgers and hot dogs and sandwiches,
on street tacos,

and as a small side/topping to steak and pork and bbq,

or whatever else you can come up with.

i have a lot more {really good stuff} to write about,

but summer is in high gear, and it's not slowing down.

be back soon.

enjoy.

love,

nicolle

my mama's enchiladas

this is a taste that i grew up on.

it's funny how a recipe can stir up so many good memories.

my mom has been making these enchiladas for years.

and if you've ever had enchiladas with chili sauce at a restaurant, i'm certain that this is the recipe.

you won't believe how easy this is, and so delicious, i can't get them out of my head.

 you will need:

a 40 oz can of Wolf brand chili, no beans

18 white corn tortillas

 a large yellow onion, diced very small
(the more onion in this dish, the better, in my opinion)

a large bag of shredded mixed mexican cheeses

pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

in a large rectangular glass baking dish, spread a thin layer of chili.

you do not need to grease this dish first.

add a layer of 6 tortillas, they will overlap a bit.

spread a layer of chili, throw on some onions, and then cheese.

you will be able to make 3 layers total.

bake uncovered for about 30 minutes.

remove from oven and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

serve with hot sauce, sour cream, and a side of shredded lettuce or cabbage.

this is delicious as leftovers, as it sets up well, and the tortillas really absorb everything.

enjoy.

love,

nicolle

2 recipes: parmesan crisps and seafood salad

these two recipes don't go together, 

but i wanted to get them written down.

 when you want crackers, but you don't need crackers, these parmesan crisps are perfect.

the recipe i found called for fresh herbs, which i wasn't in the mood to mess with,

and didn't give an exact baking time, so i made a few changes.

i was extra happy to see these for sale for almost seven dollars at the store, 

and i made twice as many, for a little over 2 dollars.

you'll need a 5 oz tub of grated parmesan

(not the dry powdery stuff you put on pizza)

 1/2 tsp minced garlic from a jar

fresh ground black pepper

preheat oven to 350.

mix 3 ingredients well in a small bowl, 

drop by hand into very flat/even piles onto a piece of parchment paper, on a baking sheet.

(make each pile about 3 inches in diameter).

space out each pile just a little, for cheese to have room to spread.

bake for 8 1/2 - 9 minutes at 350 on middle shelf.

let cool and they will crisp up even more.

yields approximately 25 crisps.

you can keep these in a covered container, on the counter, for a few days.

.............

seafood salad.

kevin loves this stuff, and and i'm always looking for it at the store.

it never dawned on me to make it myself, until i ran across this recipe.

he tells me he loves it. 

i trust him, because i don't eat it. 

14 oz imitation crab

1/2 cup mayonaisse

1 - 2 stalks of celery, finely chopped

1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning

1/2 tsp dill

salt to taste

separate crab (if compressed) and chop into 1/2 inch pieces.

add rest of ingredients and fold together gently.

serve immediately, or refrigerate.

enjoy.

love,

nicolle

cucumber salsa

i had this cucumber salsa at a wedding a few years ago, and loved it. 

i do have a hard time calling it salsa, my texas roots don't want to call it that, 

but i don't know what else it would be.

of course i was going to come home right after that wedding and make it, and i never did.

it came to mind today, so i finally put it together. 

it was just as delicious as i remember.

such a light and healthy snack, with a ton of flavor.

since i'm not good at measurements for most recipes, this is a rough guess.

to fill this medium sized bowl i peeled and diced 3/4 of a large cucumber, 

diced up about 10 grape tomatoes,

diced half of a small purple onion, 

and chopped up about 20 or so cilantro leaves.

add in just a few dashes of lite zesty italian salad dressing for taste.

stir well.

this would also be a nice side if you're having chicken or fish.

enjoy.

love,

nicolle

pizza pie, and a sunset

i ran across a new recipe recently, for a carb-free pizza crust.

this one is nothing like the cauliflower crust that i've made a hundred times.

you have to eat this with a fork, and it's so interesting, but so good.

8 oz cream cheese at room temperature, 2 eggs, black pepper and garlic powder, 1/4 c dried parmesan.

mix in a bowl with hand-held electric mixer. pour into lightly sprayed baking dish. 

i actually doubled the recipe for this large rectangular dish,
which makes a pretty thick base, so you can try it either way. 

bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until browned.

let cool a few minutes, put toppings on, and put back in oven for about 10 minutes.

i always make my own pizza sauce. 

here i just used canned tomato puree. i love that stuff.

then i sprinkled it with dried italian seasoning.

i added diced green bell pepper, mozzarella cheese, and cut up pepperoni.

so yummy.

in fact i've made it twice this week.

it's good leftover, and if you eat it cold, you can eat it with your hands because it will firm up.
{for more ideas, google cream cheese pizza crust}.

and, how about this texas sunset.

it was perfect.

kevin and boyd even ran out to see it with me, which made it even better.

love,

nicolle

shepherd's pie

 i know. 

shepherd's pie isn't very exciting.

but, this version is so delicious.

especially if you make it with cauliflower mash.

a neighbor recently gave me her recipe for shepherd's pie.

i'm not sure that i've ever made it before. 

now i've made it twice in the last month.

the first time i topped it with mashed potatoes,

tonight i made cauliflower mash, and you'd really never know it was cauliflower.

brown 2 pounds of ground beef, with salt and pepper, onion and garlic powder, worchestershire sauce.

drain any fat.

add in a large can of cream of mushroom soup,

2 cans of low sodium veg-all, drained,

about 1 cup of frozen peas.

stir well and simmer for about 30 minutes.

transfer to a large rectangular baking dish, lightly sprayed.

top with mashed potatoes or cauliflower mash.

bake at 300 degrees for approximately 30 minutes,

then broil at the very end to lightly brown on top.

if using mashed potatoes, i just used 2 packets of instant buttery potatoes.

for the cauliflower mash...

steam two 16 oz bags of frozen cauliflower,

drain all liquid.

transfer to a blender that has a tall blade, or a food processor.

add salt and pepper, 1/2 stick unsalted butter, 1 heaping T minced garlic from jar.

blend until very smooth.

we can't get enough of this dish.

be back soon.

love,

nicolle

zuchinni pizza boats

these were amazing.

 zuchinni pizza boats.

 brown one pound of ground beef, drain any fat, add onion and garlic powders, 

black pepper, italian seasoning, and one 15 oz can of tomato sauce.

let simmer about 30 minutes.

wash and cut ends off of 4 zuchinni, cut in half lengthwise, 

scoop out quite a bit of the centers by running the tip of a spoon down the inside,
but not all the way to the ends.
you'll want the indentation to hold your filling.
bake the zuchinni by itself, about 15 minutes at 350 in a lightly sprayed/greased baking dish.

add the meat mixture, top with mozzarella and fresh parmesan, and dried oregano.

bake another 20 minutes or so.

enjoy.

love,

nicolle

mint chocolate chip cookies

boyd woke up in the middle of the night, with a high fever.

i don't like fevers.

kevin gave him some medicine, and some ice water, and tucked him back into bed.

i rubbed some lavender oil on him, and prayed for him.

isn't it great that god hears our prayers at 2:30 in the morning.

today he is home with me,

resting on the couch, 

eating crackers, popsicles, and drinking diet 7-up.
he has finally perked up after some tylenol, thank goodness.

i just made these cookies.

i've made them before, and they are so delicious.

i snuck a couple, put a couple back for boyd and kevin,

and i'll send the rest with kevin to work.

1 pouch betty crocker sugar cookie mix

1/2 c butter, softened

1/2 tsp mint extract

8 drops green food coloring

1 egg

mix all above in bowl until soft ball forms, 

add in 1 cup of creme de menthe baking chips

and

1 cup of semisweet chocolate chunks 

bake 8-10 minutes, on ungreased cookie sheet, at 350 degrees 

i'd really love to have a small cookie scoop.
maybe santa can put one in my stocking!

i wish that i could keep the edges from browning.

do any of my baker friends have any tricks?

i love making these cookies.

they are fun, and a little different.

love,

nicolle

hi grandma

my grandma emailed me this morning and said that she misses my blog, 

so i'm writing this one for you, g.

i really want to remember this time in boyd's life right now,

where he is obsessed with football. 

we recorded a cowboys game about a week ago because boyd fell asleep at the end,

and he's watched that thing 3 times now. 

here he is with some neighbor friends, getting ready to play flag football.
we had to improvise and use shop towels, in place of flags.

this picture just makes me smile.

we tried a bbq place in the stockyards last weekend.

it was good, but i'm still so partial to kevin's bbq.
these boys sure are cute, aren't they.

i have been looking forward to thanksgiving break and the extra time with boyd, 

and lots of fun activities,

but our plans changed a little bit, including a broken down car, and a funeral.

monday morning, boyd and i drove up to a neat little donut and coffee shop,

in denton.  

then, we saw some of our best friends and spent a few hours at their house.

when we left, we stopped to get a drink, and my car wouldn't start back up,

and we spent the next 4 hours at the gas station, waiting for a tow truck, 

our friends came back up to help, a neighbor came, 

my phone died, it was a mess, but it was all ok.
the sweetest stranger saw boyd and i standing and waiting for the tow truck,
and he kept looking at us, and finally walked up and asked if we were ok.
i don't know what it was about his gesture, but it was so kind.
 

on tuesday, my mom and i went to a funeral of a long time family friend.
when i got the message last saturday that she had passed away,
i was just on my way out to run errands.
i got to the store, and i sat in my car for an hour, and cried.

deda was one of the sweetest ladies we will ever know.

they sang the old hymn mansion over the hilltop,

and we know for sure that deda is already happy in that beautiful mansion.

she was so loved, and already so missed.

nerf

nerf 

nerf

nerf

nerf.

what can i say.

besides football, he is loving all things nerf right now.

thanksgiving.
we had a great day.
i took rolls, stuffed jalapenos, pumpkin pie, and a dip to my mom's.
and some wine.
everyone loved the dip, and it will become a regular for us, for holidays.
i'm wondering where this dip has been all my life.
it's that good.

 pickle and ham dip

2 blocks of cream cheese, softened
16 oz sour cream
1 cup dill relish
16 oz honey ham from the deli, shaved, then bring home and dice it up

mix well and serve with crackers.

i took very few pictures on thanksgiving.
it was one of those days that was so good,
i just wanted to be there.
andmaybeihadtoomuchwine.

what are you thankful for this year?
i'm thankful for simple things, for friends and family.
i'm thankful for the gift of today.
i'm trying to live in the moment, and not worry or wonder or overthink the future.
doing that only ruins the goodness of this day.
i read in my jesus calling devotional that god gives us what we need for this day.
he knows that the future would be too overwhelming if we could see into it,
and so he only wants us to concentrate on today.
and so, i'm thankful for today.

happy thanksgiving.

love,
nicolle

football, and chop suey

this little boy is obsessed with nerf guns lately.

he wrote on his santa list, all nerf guns.

as in, all the nerf guns ever made.

he has high hopes.

he is also crazy about football right now.

he checked out a library book at school on the history of football,

he owns at least 5 footballs,

there is almost always an after school game of football in the street,

and he likes to fall asleep watching re-runs of old football games on tv.

in fact, the other night he was tucked in bed, all lights out and tv off,

and i got up to use the restroom about 3 am, and saw a light down the hall.

i opened his door and his very bright bedroom light was on, football was on tv, and he was sound asleep.

he is a stinker.

 i finally finished planting this pot that i bought 6 months ago.

and now we have a freeze tonight, 

which means i've got to haul it inside.

but i sure do love it. 

today i went to drop off some food at our small, local food bank, and i only intended to ask how to sign up to volunteer for a future date, and i wound up staying and working for over 2 hours.
and i loved it so much. 

i loved how friendly all of the volunteers were, and how patient they were with me as i was learning, 

and i loved the food that was available for those who are hungry, 

and i just love seeing jesus written all over a place like that. 

and if i've said it once, i'll say it again, and i'll probably say it next month and next year,

but when you are tired or just feeling blah or just need something to lift you up, 

this is the thing to do, and the place to do it. 

it helps you count your blessings, but it also humbles you that you never know when you may be in need.
and honestly, aren't we all in need, in some way or another.

 i'm so thankful for food banks, and everything that they stand for, and everyone that they serve.
everyone that i saw today was so beautiful.

i'm not doing anything special, i'm just answering the call that the lord has put upon my heart.

thank you jesus.

but if anyone has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? little children let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

1 john 3:17-18

tonight i made american chop suey for dinner. 

boyd thought that saying chop suey was the funniest thing ever.

i used a recipe that i've used before, from an old church cookbook that kevin's grandma gave to us several years back.

i cherish this cookbook, thank you grandma patrick.

i did make a few changes this time, so i'll write it all out below.

it's delicious, and it's comfort food for a cold day.

american chop suey

1 lb. hamburger

1 c. chopped celery

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

3/4 c. uncooked brown rice

2 c. water

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of celery soup

3 T soy sauce

salt and pepper

crunchy chow mein noodles

brown the meat, celery and onions in a deep skillet. 

add all other ingredients, except for the noodles. 

stir well.

lightly spray a large baking dish, and place mixture in baking dish. 

bake at 325 degrees, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours, stirring once or twice.  

after you dish out your portion, top with the noodles, more soy sauce, 

and i like some spice so i use sriracha or chili garlic sauce.

enjoy.

love,

nicolle

white queso dip

we love a good cheese dip.

this is a nice change from rotel dip, that many of us have grown up on.

i recently found a recipe, and have made it several times, and changed it up a bit,

and have settled on this version.
it is delicious.

you will need:
 3 T unsalted butter
1/2 of a medium/large sweet yellow onion, diced
a 2 lb box of white velveeta cheese
two 4oz cans of diced green chiles
whole milk

saute the onion and butter in a small skillet, until onion is translucent and just starts to brown.
transfer onion and any liquid to a small crockpot, with cheese and green chiles, and a few splashes of milk.
stir occasionally until melted. you may need a little more milk. i prefer this more thin than thick.

this is the final result.
so good.

note:
i prefer the hatch brand green chiles. i use one hot and one mild for this recipe.
occasionally there are stems in the cans, so just check as you are pouring the chiles into your dip.

enjoy.

love,

nicolle

mexican spaghetti squash pie

i've made the spaghetti squash pizza pie many times, here. and, here.

i wanted something similar, but with some spice.

so i thought about it for a while, and threw some ingredients together.

i'm in love with this tomato sauce, and hatch chiles are the way to go.

heat oven to 400.
puncture a medium/large sized (mine was 4.14 lbs) spaghetti squash several times, bake whole for one hour.
remove from oven, cut lengthwise, let cool, remove seeds and toss, scrape out squash strands for use.
place strands in large mixing bowl.

cook one pound (or a tad more) of ground beef, a small diced yellow onion, salt and pepper.
drain any liquid, add mexican tomato sauce, green chiles, and a can of drained diced tomatoes.
add this mixture to squash in mixing bowl.

add in a handful of mixed mexican cheese, and 3 whisked eggs, to mixing bowl.
 stir everything very well, add to greased 9x13 glass baking dish.
top with a little more cheese.
bake at 350 for an hour, uncovered, until firm and crust starts to form.

it's delicious, and probably even better left over.
i kind of like this more than the italian version, although they are both amazing.
we will eat on this for 2 or 3 days, breakfast, lunch and dinner.

enjoy.

{original recipe credit goes to paleomg, here}.

love,
nicolle

portobello crust pizza

i posted about these pizzas before, ages ago, but wanted to update. 

seems like each time i make something i make a few changes. 

i had two of them for dinner tonight, and they were heavenly.

portobello mushrooms can go bad quickly, and if you've ever smelled a bad one, you know what i mean. you can't always tell by looking, so as much as i hate to admit this, i sniff the package at the store, and sometimes i puncture the cellophane just a tiny bit to make extra sure that they are good. 

the good ones will have almost no smell, to a faint earthy smell. 

the bad ones, well, you will just know.

you can usually find a 2 pack of these large mushroom caps.

scrape out the gills carefully, with a spoon, and remove the stem.
try to preserve/maintain the lip of the mushrooms, as this is what holds your ingredients in place.

lightly wash and pat the mushrooms dry.

place them open side down, on parchment paper and a baking sheet, 

and bake for 5 minutes on 375. 

remove from oven, flip them over, 

then fill with sauce {i just use plain tomato sauce and italian seasoning},

cheese and meat. 

add a little more italian seasoning on top.

bake on middle rack for about 20 more minutes.

let sit about 5 minutes before eating. 

they will definitely fulfill a pizza craving. 

enjoy.

love,

nicolle

1st grade, more banh mi

boyd started school on monday.

1st grade.

the first day was good, and uneventful.

yesterday, the second day, he cried in the morning, he cried at school, he cried after school.

he said he missed us, and he misses staying up late.

i understand baby boy. i really do.
i know it's hard to go from an unstructured summer, into a 7 hour school day.
it makes me sad if i dwell on it, so i don't. i just pray.

we tried to tell him all of the really great things about school, and i told him that after school today we will walk around the corner and see if one of his classmates can play.
this morning was better and he seemed happy to go.
one of my neighbors is student teaching at his school, in his grade, and so yesterday she texted me a couple of times to say that he looked happy, he was playing tether ball at recess, and he told her that he was getting ice cream after school if he had a good day. i was glad to hear from her.
obviously i know he will be fine, but dang it, i want to snatch him up sometimes and take away the tears.
and i know it's only 1st grade, but it's a crazy world out there.
some days i think, i'm ready to throw in the towel right now. and somehow i don't.
i pray that he always does well in school, that he is safe and happy, that he is KIND,
that he loves his friends and that they love him back. 

today i was on the hunt for another banh mi sandwich, like i had in dallas recently.
i found a place nearby that has them, so i drove over.
the sandwich was large and so cheap i couldn't believe it, but the meat was horrible to me.
there were several types of thin sliced meats, that i could not identify. i was bummed.
so i drove myself straight to the grocery store, and made my own.

thin breakfast pork that is already cooked, pan fry it with a little soy sauce and cut in strips

mayo and sriracha mixed together to make a spicy mayo

fresh sliced jalapenos

shredded carrots 

{they are supposed to be pickled and sweetened, i will do that next time}

cilantro

cucumber

bread, cut down the middle but not all the way through, remove some of the inside bread and discard

pack it full, and it's delicious.

suzette, i still want your neighbor's recipe.
and cindy, if dave makes these i want his recipe too.

that's all from here.

hope you are well.

love,

nicolle