So I made dirty risotto yesterday and had quite a bit leftover. Now we all know that leftover risotto is horrible. Gummy, mushy nastiness. Pondered a bit and came up with the idea of risotto cakes! Thought up a decent procedure and was excited to try it out the next day. First began by adding extra sausage to it cause, c’mon, who doesn’t like sausage? Then some flour, an egg, and chives. Mixed it together by hand and thought it was still a little too loose so added some more. Then it was too sticky so I was all oh crap. Added a little bit more flour then tried my best to form it into a patty shape. Made two this was then coated them with panko and fried them up! The leftovers I added some broken up crackers then did the same.

Oh my god. They were amazing. Still a little gummy but you might actually mistake that for cheesiness. Wolfed down three and gave the last to my roommate. Man it feels great to make something good without following a recipe even if it was fairly simple. Though the next time I make them I may do a different procedure. Possibly just a simple breading station since the risotto is already thick. Sadly though I was only able to get one picture. Didn’t even think about snapping one while making it and I ate them way too fast to get anything better. Once I get a better camera I’ll be more responsible about that. Right now I’m just feeling things out anyway.

Man I want more..

Possibly just made one of the best sandwiches ever. Was trying to figure out something different I could do with my extra chili yesterday and went through several iterations of possibilities. On noodles, with eggs, on toast. The last one stuck with me a bit so I pondered it over a little more. My thoughts led me to the wondrous grilled cheese and eureka! I’m a fairly good expert at making grilled cheeses so adding a little chili to the mix shouldn’t be too difficult. While I’m sure a grilled chili cheese sandwich isn’t a culinary breakthrough it was still fun thinking it up on my own.

So today I set upon making this chili cheese sandwich. Started off normally with two 3/4” slices of bread, melted a tbsp of butter in a nonstick pan, then stuck one side of one slice into the melt butter and set it aside. Put the other slice into the butter which will become the base of the sandwich. Spooned some already warmed up leftover chili onto the bread and topped that with some fresh cut onions. Then topped with two 1/4” slices of colby jack cheese and placed the other slice butter side up on top. Added a tsp. of water to the pan to help the cheese melt faster then covered with a lid. After the bottom side got nice and crispy but not burnt, I had to flip the sandwich over. Ended up using a spatula to lift the sandwich out of the pan, inverted the pan onto the sandwich, then in one motion flipped the sandwich and pan at the same time. Nothing spilled out so it worked pretty well. Added another dash of water then covered again. Once the cheese was melted and the bread properly toasted it was done! Wish I had some awesome pictures to show it off, but sadly I do not. It was definitely very, very tasty even taking into account that the chili wasn’t my best. Will make again for sure.
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Next up, top 10 Disney songs! We all have our favorites so this doesn’t need much of an introduction. Let’s get right into it.

Top 10 Disney Songs

10. “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” from Toy Story

Not really the first thing that pops into your head when you think of Disney songs, but for some reason this one just gets stuck in my head quite a bit. Just love the beat and the lyrics.

9. “Gaston” from Beauty and The Beast

Sure Gaston is a huge jerk but this is still a fun song. Definitely as fun to watch as it is to listen to. Also can’t beat the line: “And every last inch of me’s covered with hair!”

8. “Oo-De-Lally” from Robin Hood

Even though Robin Hood barely missed out of my top 5, this is definitely my favorite song from it. Sure it’s just a little diddy to start the movie but it’s mighty catchy.

7. “Beauty and the Beast” from Beauty and the Beast

Redundant title is redundant. I chose this song mainly because of how beautiful it is. A majority of Disney songs are fun and upbeat. But ones that slow things down are always amazing.

6. “Friend Like Me” from Aladdin

Definitely one of the funnest songs to sing. It just makes me want to get up and dance! Also Robin Williams as Genie was an excellent choice made quite evident by this song.

5. “Be Prepared” from The Lion King

My favorite villain song hands down. Jeremy Irons does an amazing job. He’s just got one of those voices that make you want to invite him over and drop your pants.

4. “Hakuna Matata” from The Lion King

Timon and Pumba. What more could you ask for? Seriously, that’s all I gotta say about this one.

3. “One Jump Ahead” from Aladdin

Of all the Disney characters I know, I think Aladdin has one of the best voices and this song showcases it well. Definitely another fun song to sing along to.

2. “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from The Lion King

My favorite love song to come out of Disney. Another one where I know most of the words. It’s awesomeness is also upped by Timon and Pumba’s comments at the beginning and end.

1. “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid

Sure The Little Mermaid isn’t my favorite classic but like I said before, I’ve got this song almost perfectly memorized. Whenever I hear it I have to hold myself back so I don’t sing out aloud. But when I do sing, it’s fun due to its great dynamics and will always put a smile on my face.

So yup there’s my list! Obviously there is a strong correlation between my favorite classics and this list. There were a few tough ones that I had to drop since I wanted to stick with 10. “A Whole New World” and “Prince Ali” to name two. Regardless I actually had to spend quite a bit of time trying to rank them appropriately and I’m mostly satisfied with what I ended up with.
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Trying something new here. Want to make more posts but really have no idea what to write about (at least till I get a better camera and start that food blog.) So came up with the idea of doing some totally generic Top 5/10 lists. Fairly simple and quick so hopefully I can do one a week.
Anyway these lists will encompass all things Disney, obviously. So let’s get into it!

Top 5 Classics

Let’s start with the big one. If you don’t know how big of a Disney nut I am, you have not known me long enough. Loved ‘em my whole life; from various VHS tapes as a kid to the 3D movies now. For this list, I’m concentrating on the classics. You know, the ones that everyone loves from the period before Disney started sucking (they’ve totally redeemed themselves now btw.)

5. Peter Pan

Sadly I haven’t seen Peter Pan as much as I’d like. From the still numerous times I have seen it, it’s always a treat. Love the dynamic between Captain Hook and Mr. Smee but then again who doesn’t? Really wish I purchased this on DVD when it came out.

4. Beauty and the Beast

Again another I wish I’ve seen more. It’s been over 10 years since my last viewing. Anyway this is hands down this is my mom’s favorite which is reason enough to rank it in my top 5. Also recently figured out that it’s set in France and they sing about food. Imagine that.

3. The Little Mermaid

Now we get into my deep, deep loves. This one evokes many childhood memories since I used to always watch it with my sister. We watched it so many times together that I still have “Part of Your World” memorized.

2. Aladdin

Robin Williams as Genie? What more could you ask for? Definitely one that appealed to me as a boy with hilarious comedy and intense action. It’s hard to find fault in this masterpiece.

1. The Lion King

Did you have any doubt? I have pretty much every line and song memorized to a T. Superb story, great villain, the best characters, and memorable songs. To me, this is the perfect movie. One I will definitely be playing for my kids and grandkids.

So there you have it! Hopefully I’ll be able to put up my second Disney themed list tomorrow. Also hopefully I’ll update my style sheet to make everything easier to read.
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