BH&G Cooking With Cheese: Chili Cheese Log

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by yinzerella

Cooking With CheeseSo on Friday night I was invited to another cocktail party hosted by my friends Rick and Ronny of Retrofurn.

I love their parties not just because of the company, the conversation, or their awesome dog Elvis, I also love their parties because it gives me an excuse to bust out a little mid-century tidbit to add to the snicky-snack buffet.

The last two times I brought Party Cheese Ball and Hearty Clam Delight. For Friday’s soiree I brought a Chili Cheese Log from Better Homes & Gardens Cooking with Cheese. It seems like there is a recurring theme when I bring a dish over to the House that Retrofurn Built–that theme is cream cheese.

Chili Cheese Log recipeWhy this dish? Well, aside from the mere fact that I am a fan of cheese and chili, I had all of the ingredients (sort of) in my fridge and pantry, so this was easy to whip up when I came home from work.

There were a few recipe modifications (OF COURSE) but those were minimal. It goes without saying that I bumped up the herbs and spices (there was definitely more than a dash of red pepper in my log). But in addition, in lieu of 2 cups of shredded American, I used a bag of Mexican Blend–so 4 different cheeses. Cheddar, Monterey Jack–and? I don’t know the other two.

And since I didn’t have pecans on hand, I substituted almonds. Granted, had this recipe been from the 1970s, those pecans would’ve been almonds from the get-go. Damn, they did love almonds in the 70s.

chili cheese log? But I digress, the chili cheese log was made to BH&G specifications. And although getting a blob of cheese into something that vaguely resembles a log is difficult, I succeeded. And although it was a precarious situation– rubbing chili powder into formed cream cheese with my bare hands–it all went down without incident.

Here is the finished log:

Chili Cheese Log
It’s log, it’s log. It’s better than bad–it’s good!

Epic fail in that I didn’t take a picture of it when I got to the party, but you get the gist of it. The snowflakes aren’t really appropriate for April, but the shape of the plate was appropriate for the log.

I served it with pita chips instead of plain ol’ crackers. I dunno, since it was the Mexican blend cheese and there was all that chili powder, and it was so thick, it was begging for a more substantial  crispy accompaniment.

The end result was pretty good! Even with all of the chili powder coating, this had just enough of a kick to make it interesting. Because, really, if it hadn’t it would have just been mild cheeses with some almond bits. Everyone seemed to like it.

The party was lovely and as a bonus I got look-see at all of the work that the boys have been doing. They are restoring some new pieces that will be in Retrofurn showroom on The Avenue very soon. And if I didn’t have one already, I’d totally stake claim on the fab entertainment center that is out on their back porch. It’s a beauty.

OK, before I sign off on this grey and dreary day, I want to solicit some advice. You see, I am having some issues with Brian. He cries. Constantly. The only time he doesn’t is when he is sleeping–thank God that he does a lot of sleeping. The reason he is wailing? Food. He knows when his feeding times are, but that doesn’t stop him from freaking the fuck out an hour or more beforehand.

His food times were 7am, 4:30pm, 10:30pm. But in the morning he cries earlier and earlier so he is getting a dish around 5:30am and then I go back to sleep. BUT! He will cry even after that. And then wants food when I wake up.

So now he is getting food: 5:30am, 7:45am, 4:30pm, and 10:30pm. But of course he starts bitching at about 9:30pm. He was crying all through Mad Men but I refused to get up. Joan is on TV, Brian!

I know that I am supposed to ignore him, but he doesn’t quite get it. Brian is very pretty. But he is not smart.

Is this what having a colicky baby is like? (note to self: yet another reason to never have children)

Aside from getting his vocal chords cut (which is apparently a thing–a very disturbing thing), what can I do? Has anyone tried timed feeders? Or should I just give him an insane amount of food in the morning and hope that he eventually learns how to ration it out over the course of the day?

I am sorry for whining, but I am tired. I closed the door after his 5:30am feedling and I could still hear him through the door, earplugs, and a sound machine. EARPLUGS!

I feel bad for my upstairs neighbor. She must be able to hear him. Right?

If you got to the end of the post, here is a reward:

Brian loves cat grass

Which is basically Brian sticking his tongue out at me and saying neener neener neener–you are my bitch!

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yinzerella

14 thoughts on “BH&G Cooking With Cheese: Chili Cheese Log”

  2. My cats are on a prescription diet but before a scary incident with FLUTD, I really liked Wellness. For the dry food, my cats get a small handful twice a day (probably less than a quarter of a cup). I only give canned food as a treat but some vets like canned better because it ups the water consumption. I would try a better quality food. It will keep him satisfied longer because it contains more protein. I would buy the Wellness at PetCo because they often will send coupons to customers who have their PALS card.

  3. I’ve never commented before, but I also have a critter (Taco) who cries and cries for hours before feedin’ time. She is a 14 pounder (big boned, I swear!) and without what she considers near starvation, I’m sure she would balloon up into a bouncy ball of kitty fluff.

    Morning demands for food get the squirt gun (we need our sleep, dammit!) and for the evening performance, we try to distract her with toys or just make fun of her by repeating every cry back. And then it’s time for kitty foods and she takes two bites and walks away. We’ve decided it’s a power thing.

    I do recommend a grain free food in general. Kitty cat bodies were not meant to digest grains and a grain heavy diet can lead to a whole host of health issues. We’ re fans of Wellness Core for dry and the grain free flavors of Merrick for wet…

  4. How old is Brian? Have you had his thyroid function tested? Hyperthyroidism and kidney failure in older cats can lead to a lot of yowling. On the down side, if he is hyperthyroid, you get to give him a pill every day – always such fun with a cat!

    If he’s truly hungry, you might look into grain and soy free foods, since cats are very sensitive to carbohydrates. My current cats really like the Merrick Before Grain dry food and I think the Fancy Feast “Classics” are all grain-free. They have a bowl of the dry food available at all times and get canned food twice a day, morning and night.

    1. Thanks for the tips. I am going to take Brian to the vet this month, but all of his testing has been fine so far. Brian is seven. Maybe. We have no clue.

  6. I’ve never owned a cat, but I did birth a colicky baby. For the first four months of his life, he was a ticking timebomb of screaming. I never knew quite when he’d go off, nor when he’d finally settle. Nothing I could do really settled him.

    Log sounds pretty tasty actually 🙂 mmm cheese!

  7. Hi there…cheese and chilli….yummm!!! One of my favourite combos too. I’m definitely going to try this one. Also, our two dogs start agitating for food hours before their meal times which, in terms of breakfast, would mean feeding them at 4:30am! I’ve learned to sleep through…it is hard when you get a paw in the face though!

  8. Resist! He should only be eating twice a day and too damn bad if he’s still hungry! What kind of food are you feeding him? They have these feeders that are actually puzzle balls. You put the food in the puzzle and they have to use their brains to get the food out. It takes them a little while and keeps them busy. It will stretch the time between feedings and he’ll get some exercise which should wear him out. They’re just like humans; they eat when they’re bored. Could you try using a laser pointer to tucker him out during Mad Men? If you’re like me and you’re talking to the tv during the show, he may think you’re talking to him:) I know how persistent they can be but more food will only make more of Brian.

    1. I fear that Brian is too dim to understand the concept of a food ball. I will give it a try.
      He gets measured portions. About 1/2 cup dry food a day and 1/2 a big can of friskies/9 lives or 1 whole can of sheba/fancy feast.
      Am I not feeding him enough?
      I split it to 3 smaller meals because he would eat so quick he would vomit.

  9. We have timed feeders for our two cats. We did it because they were fat – okay, obese – and crying all the time for food (just like Cutie Brian). Now, instead of crying at us, they sit and stare at the feeders for the hour before it is due. Bonus: they lost weight.

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