Mexican Lasagne

from a coworker of Gordie's, adapted from a recipe from Monica's Aca y Alla in Dallas, TX

12 corn tortillas
16 oz. tomatillo or green salsa
16 oz. red salsa
8 oz. corn
14 oz. black beans
14 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, grated
salt and pepper
1 lb. chicken, cubed and cooked

Preheat oven to 350.

Spread green salsa in bottom of 9 x 11 casserole dish. Spread evenly 4 tortillas, ripped up, 1/3 each of the corn, beans, cheese, all of chicken, and salt and pepper. Repeat with 2 more layers of tortillas, corn, beans, and cheese. Top with red salsa and sprinkle with a bit more cheese. Bake for 45 minutes.

Basic Chocolate Ice Cream

Again, easy but so good.

1 C whole milk
1/2 C sugar
8 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (I've used semisweet Baker's chocolate)
2 C heavy cream
1 t vanilla extract

Heat milk until just bubbling around the edges. In a blender, pulse to process the sugar with chocolate until chocolate is very finely chopped. Add hot milk, and process until smooth. Transfer to large Pyrex measuring cup and let cool completely. Add cream and vanilla. Mix in ice-cream maker.

Basic Vanilla Ice Cream

from Cuisinart Recipe Booklet

Basic, but delicious, and even better with fresh, good milk and cream.

1 C whole milk
3/4 C sugar
2 C heavy cream
2 t vanilla extract

In 2-quart Pyrex measuring cup, whisk milk and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Stir in heavy cream and vanilla. Mix in ice-cream maker.

Rum Punch

Use a mix of dark, light, and spiced rum for different flavors and depending on what you have.

Put in a glass over ice and stir:
1 oz. dark rum
1/2 oz. light rum
1/2 oz. spiced rum
orange juice to almost fill the glass
splash of lime juice
grenadine-- enough to make it nicely pink

Sprinkle with ground nutmeg and enjoy.

Cosmopolitan

1 1/2 oz. vodka
1 oz. triple sec
2/3 shot glass cranberry juice
1/3 shot glass lime juice

Shake with ice and pour into martini glass.