recipe | BulgingButtons

It’s not what you think.

It’s not what it ought to be.

It ought to be a delicious, hearty skillet full of things like vegetables and potatoes and sausage. Maybe it has an egg on top, or some cheese melted over it. You can picture it, right? So can I, but it’s not what was in my skillet dinner the other night.

My skillet dinner was actually dessert.

Yes, I skipped the whole dinner thing altogether and just made, and ate, dessert.

I blame the internet for this.

You see, one of those delicious Buzzfeed recipes came across my Facebook page and I just had to check it out. It claimed to be a three course meal, but all I saw was dessert. A giant, gooey skillet cookie.

I didn’t have a skillet.

I bought one.

It was on the list, anyway, so don’t judge me.

It was so easy. It was so delicious. It was so full of calories.

At least there were fewer calories consumed than if I had eaten it AFTER a meal, rather than INSTEAD of it, right? And there were leftovers, plenty of them. It was too rich to eat much of.

Would I make it again? Yes.

Would I have it for dinner again? Also yes.

I have no shame.

Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

as made by BulgingButtons

30 oz. package chocolate chip cookie dough

(original recipe said 24 oz. but I couldn’t find it)

8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

(original recipe said 8 oz chocolate, didn’t say what kind)

Preheat oven to 325° F

Press 2/3 of cookie dough into a 10 in iron skillet

Place chocolate on top

Roll out remaining dough, then place on top of chocolate and seal edges

Bake for 35-40 minutes

Eat for dinner

You know those little angel and devil guys from the cartoons? The ones that sit on your shoulders? Well I think I have a pair of them hanging around me lately. Not only do I think I have them, I think they’re sparring like crazy. Recently it seems like when I do something positive, there’s something negative right on its heels. Maybe life is usually like that, but I’m just noticing it more, or maybe something is afoot in the cosmos.

Let me give you an example. The other day I did a favor for someone that involved a fair amount of time and effort. It wasn’t difficult, and I didn’t really mind doing it, but it did take a chunk of time that I would have rather spent doing something else. Regardless, I did it and was kind of patting myself on the back about what a nice person I was when I discovered, hours later, that I left my phone behind. Damn. It was nobody’s fault but my own. It took another hour to remedy the situation. Again, it wasn’t difficult, but it took time and effort. It made me think of the phrase, “no good deed goes unpunished.” Which I don’t even believe!

It got me to thinking. Is the universe attempting to achieve some sort of balance, or is it just me being an idiot?

The same has been true for my approach to diet and exercise lately. I’ve been doing my workouts with enthusiasm and gradually increasing their intensity. This is a good thing. I’ve also upped my intake of fresh fruits, and gotten in the habit of taking all my meds when they’re due. I used to forget doses, but I’ve changed the way I accomplish this task, and the new method has proven successful. I know what you’re thinking. So, what’s the problem? Well, it’s just that I can’t quite work out my portion control or say no to the delicious dinners my sweetheart has prepared. Recently we’ve enjoyed meatloaf, a shrimp boil, spaghetti, and fried chicken. It’s all delicious, and I’m truly grateful that he cooks. The thing is, though, that it’s so good that I have trouble limiting my intake of these wonderful foods.

And then there was the Frito Pie.

Have you heard of this? I hadn’t. And no, it’s not made of Frito’s and pie, just so you know. The recipe is simple:

1. Frito’s

2. Canned Chili

3. Cheese

Heat the chili, pour over the Frito’s, and top with as much cheese as you can grate. O. M. G. Yeah, it was that good.

Seriously, this girl does NOT need Frito Pie in her life. At all. Ever. (So says the angel on the shoulder) But, DANG, it was so yummy (the devil is enthusiastically nodding and grinning).

Maybe this whole plus minus thing is all the universe’s way of reaching for balance. I can respect that, but right now I need to shake off that devil and challenge the status quo.