Sweet Tarts and Paula Dean

So today at work MAYJA' "Karli has hormonal blow out". So I have had a box of MOVIE THEATER SIZE sweet tarts on my desk for about 3 days. Whenever I get light headed or just want something tart (my FAVORITE flavor), I grab a handful. So today was a somewhat stressful day, so I reach for my box on my desk next to where I keep my picture of Nick and I and what do I feel? AIR!! The box is completely empty - some a hole cleaned me out! I was robbed! I had at least a quarter of a box left when I left yesterday afternoon. Someone had the balls (I knew it was a guy), to clean me out and then to leave the empty box on my desk-- and not mention a thing about it?!?! I was PISSED. Like where I wanted to cry, pissed. So I ask a guy I work with if he knows who took them and to my luck, he DID! Long story short, I marched straight to the guy and let him have it. It was a pretty quiet day at the office with the boss being gone, so the whole office tuned into my 3pm rant to the Sweet Tart thief. I threw every question at him: Who does he think he is going on MY desk and helping himself to MY sweet tarts?! How would he like it if I took shit off HIS desk and didn't tell him?! He played it off like it was a joke, but this raging hormonal sweet tart craving girl was NOT letting up. When I get really mad and into confrontation, I can feel myself getting red for steam. I also tend to wanna cry (when I'm REALLY mad). So after telling him how I felt, I took a walk outside and IM'd Nick about it. I had to practice those Lamaze breathing techniques to clear that friggin lump in my throat. No one wants Kermit the Frog answering their phones. I went to the gym, let out some steam and relived it to Nick, and now it is done - off my chest - tomorrow is another day - but men be warned - do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT touch anything especially food on a (pregnant) woman's desk.

Now, dinner, aka my happy place. I have dinner in the oven, but I have taken a little preview bite of what is to come and I can already recommend this recipe 110%. Enter Paula Dean. This little southern gem was calling my name, telling me to just cook one of her cheesy hot meals and fuh-get about the sweet tart thief.

Here is a recipe I'm sharing with ya'll (just cause it's a Paula Dean night, you get a 'ya'll'). Just FYI - on the sour cream and cream cheese, I used Fat Free :)


Mashed Baked

Ingredients
4 cups frozen hash browns
1 (7.6-ounce) package butter and herb mashed potato mix
1 stick butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups boiling water
2 cups prepared French-fried onion rings
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bring a pot of water to the boil and add the hash browns. Cook for 5 minutes and drain. In a large bowl, mix together the cooked hash browns, mashed potato mix, butter, cream cheese, jack cheese, sour cream, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Stir in the boiling water. Place in a greased 2-quart casserole dish. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Sprinkle the onion rings over the casserole and bake for about 5 to 8 minutes longer until onions are golden brown.