My empanaditas came out soooo fawkin' good! Here's the recipe for my vegetarian friends who want something savory and spicy. Perfect for a potluck or party.

Rhon's Vegetarian Chorizo and Potato Empanadas

INGREDIENTS
Two packages of Pillsbury pie dough
1/2 package of soy chorizo
1 medium potato, boiled until almost tender and cubed kinda small
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3 cloves of minced garlic
2 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. oregano
1 T. chili powder (optional: 3 alarm heat!)
Olive oil for saute
Salt and pepper to taste
1 beaten eaten egg white

PREPARATION
Cut each pie dough into 7 small circles. Saute the vegetables and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add spices and soyriso and saute for about 5 minutes, taking care not to mash the potatoes. Spread a tablespoon or so into each dough circle, brushing the edge of the dough with eggwash, and then folding over to seal into half-moons. Place empanadas on a greased cookie sheet and brush liberally with eggwash. Bake at 350 until brown, about 20 minutes. Makes 28 little empanadas.

I served mine with a yummy poblano cream sauce, but these little "meat" pies are so spicy, I think next time I would contrast with a cool cilantro cream sauce. A manchego or asiago cheese sauce would work, or simply sour cream with a little chili powder would be an easy compliment too. If you wanted to incorporate more veggies, add shredded carrot and a chopped tomato. Traditionally, some people also add raisins and nuts.

Let me know if you try it!

We got our rare white Christmas, and it was beautiful. The bushy-haired little vampire got up at 4:30 AM, of course, dreaming of pie and presents. I let her open a few and then fell asleep on the couch with a book, all cozy with the Christmas tree lights. When babygirl got up, we took turns exchanging gifts. I *LOVE* being Santa, love finding treasures to wow, and love making packages way too pretty to open. I am used to getting nothing much for Christmas, though. (Having no real empathy, my-ex was just painfully horrible at gifts.) To my surprise and delight, baby did really good! Her joy is the exuberant kind, and I love my girl best when she is clapping and dancing around the kitchen.

We drove several towns away for a huge, magical ice sculpture installation. Scary! Wrecked and stranded cars were abandoned all up and down the grass off the side of freeways. We slid home on slurry and spent the rest of the day looking out at the winter wonderland from our steamy hot tub, playing with the waterproof cards I got baby for Christmas, acting silly as hell, eating soggy cookies and telling ghost stories once the moon came out. Both girls said it was the best Christmas they'd ever had.

Me too. :)

I felt loved and happy. A very sweet day with my lil' family.

I do not, as a rule, do reaction posts to episodes of shows I watch. But I have a few questions about Doctor Who "End of Time part 1" so I'll put them behind the cut and you can read as you wish and react as you are moved.

( The Slitheen make almost as much sense )

Yeh. My mom got *everyone* in my family a sexayyy Snuggie for Christmas. Basically, it's like a way too long robe with no ass coverage. Definitely an outfit to honor abstinence. I think we should all wear our Snuggies to the movies and just stare blankly at the clueless who obviously don't know whassup with this modern technological miracle.

We got a blanket of snow in Dallas! Meesha isn't as amazed as me and beegee. Meesha is making her really good mashed potatoes, and a chocolate peanut butter pie, and her most excellent iced tea. babygirl made green bean casserole and a pecan pie. I am whipping up ambrosia fruit salad with pecans, sweet potatoes with marshmallows and pecans, a cranberry-orange-pecan chutney... lol. Yeah, we have alot of pecans! Defrosting some of mom's dressing from Thanksgiving, and got a lil bit of turkey and ham and giblet gravy. All the presents are wrapped and our tree is so pretty. All clear glass and golds and whites. The girls are doing their nails cuz we are off to midnight mass later. Hope everyone I love is with someone they care about. Miss you all!