Free Will Astrology and Cowboy Casserole

As I was sitting waiting for our pizza order tonight I slipped up onto a bar stool and opened a copy of the Boise Weekly. I find their Free Will Astrology amusing and tonight was no exception.

Aries (March 21-April 19

To convey my vision of how best to proceed in the coming week, I'll offer the following metaphorical scenario: Imagine that you are not a professional chef, but you do have a modicum of cooking skills. Your task is to create a hearty, tasty soup from scratch without the benefit of a recipe. You will need a variety of ingredients, but on the other hand you don't want to just throw in a welter of mismatched ingredients without regard for how they will all work together. To some degree you will have to use a trial-and-error approach, sampling the concoction as it brews. You will also want to keep an open mind about the possibility of adding new ingredients in the latter stages of the process. One more thing: The final product must not just appeal to you. You should keep in mind what others would like, too.

And how does this apply to my life? Well, I may not have whipped up this recipe but it is something I would not eat (I am the only Vegan in the family). So maybe my horoscope was on the mark for the week after all. This recipe was a huge hit with the meat eating men of the family (I made a double batch) and they are already asking when I am going to make it again. I did cook the biscuits in the oven vs. in the Dutch Oven but this will be a great recipe for camping.

Cowboy Casserole

1/2 pound bacon
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
2 (15 ounce) cans baked beans with pork
1/3 cup barbecue sauce
1 (7.5 ounce) package refrigerated biscuit dough

1.Cook bacon in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat until evenly browned. Drain, and cut into bite size pieces. Set aside. Add hamburger and onion to the skillet, and cook until no longer pink, and the onion is tender. Drain.

2.Stir bacon, baked beans and barbecue sauce into the ground beef, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, and place biscuits in a single layer over the top of the mixture. Cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the biscuits are done. Place two biscuits on each plate, and spoon beans over.