Lori's Kickin' Queso and Kicking Habits

I made some queso for the party. I haven't had cheese dip in so long. I wanted one that utilized some cheddar that I had in the fridge. I am trying to decrease my grocery bill and utilize whatever I have on hand.

This was my splurge this week. Yes, I have been dieting or rather I have changed my lifestyle. I am eating 1500- 1600 calories a day. I didnt want to say anything on my blog because i said last year and managed to gain all of it back. Classic I know.

You know I am a fan of the Biggest Loser and have been watching it faithfully every season for a couple years now. It inspires me. I do go to the gym often. Really I have all my life. I am just fat anyway. It's funny, there are some things about Biggest Loser that irritate the pee out of me. One, is that fat people are portrayed as garbage/junk food eaters. While I understand that a lot of people in this country eat junk, both big and small, this is not the case for everybody. You see, I was raised in a family that went to the market and bought fresh fruit and vegetables regularly. I picked them and canned them as a child with my family as well.

Even though I was active as a child, I was plump. My Mother never bought junk food when I was growing up. No sugared cereals, no candy, no chips. I ate healthy and despite my activity level I was still chunky. (No, I don't have a thyroid problem, I have been checked ad nauseum and also for diabetes). I will admitedly say that I eat too much of the good stuff and I know that is my problem. You see, what I have found, through much dieting in my life (and exercising) is that the ONLY way I lose weight is to eat 1200 calories a day. And I get real hungry. And after some amount of time I can't stand it anymore and I overeat- because I hate being hungry. There, I said it. Look down on me if you want to. As my friends brother told me years ago, you lack will power and maybe I do, but it is real hard to be hungry. I did quit smoking 12 years ago. That's willpower isn't it?

One of these days... I wish there was a study that looked at what people really consume- calorie wise. Because those charts that tell me what amount of calories I should consume are WAY over. They say I should eat 1800 to lose slowly but steadily. 1800 is maintenance for me. 1600 is slow, as in weeks without loss. Maybe like a pound or two a month. How many calories do you consume on a given day? I am just curious.

Lori's Kickin' Queso
This is party size, so if you are making for a smaller group be sure to scale the recipe accordingly.

4 cups sharp cheddar, grated (if you grate your own, you will avoid nasty chemicals that help to keep the cheese from sticking together.)
1 teaspoon Tabasco or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup chopped pickled jalapenos
1/2 cup roasted red pepper, minced finely
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 small onion, minced fine
2 cups milk
1/2 cup beer
1 teaspoon Lawry's salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons Brewer's yeast* (optional)

In a large bowl place grated cheese, pickled jalapenos and red pepper. Saute onions, until soft, cool and add to mixture in bowl.

In a saucepan melt butter, add flour, whisking frequnetly. Let the butter and flour brown to make you cheese dip more tastey. Golden not dark brown. Add the milk, whisking constantly to break up lumps. Stir in salt and garlic powder. Bring to a boil to thicken. Pour directly into cheese mixture in bowl. Stirring constantly to melt the cheese. Stir in beer.

If you find that it will not completely melt the cheese, cover and place int he microwave for a minute or two.

* Bench Notes- I recognize that most people will not have Brewers yeast in their pantry or may not even know what it is. I had the good fortune of finding out about it years ago. You can find it at Natural Food stores. It is in flake form or powder. It tastes a little sharp and nutty. I love to sprinkle it on my popcorn. (Thanks to my cousin Rosan for showing me that little trick). It is great in soups as well. If you are wondering why it is called Brewer's Yeast, it's because its used to make beer. "It also can be grown specifically to make nutritional supplements. Brewer's yeast is a rich source of minerals -- particularly chromium, an essential trace mineral that helps the body maintain normal blood sugar levels; selenium; protein; and the B-complex vitamins... Brewer's yeast has been used for years as a nutritional supplement." (University of Maryland Medical Center).