I am Bee O'Brien and These are my Lenses

I Think a Lot about Food 

In Praise of White Chocolate

What used to be the poor stepsister to chocolate has become a delicacy in its own right. You can find it everywhere from the most expensive chocolatier to the grocery store checkout lane. This stuff is so popular that people rub it all over their bod...

How to Make Super Soup - Tips to Make It Tastier

I love soup! The possibilities are endless, from simple clear soups to thick, creamy potato soups. It can make a light repast or a complete, hearty meal. Simple or exotic. Savory or sweet. Such potential! What do you do when the soup just doesn't do...

Possibly the Best Lasagna Recipe in the Entire World

When we think of lasagna, most of us imagine that rich concoction full of cheeses and usually meat, tomatoes, and large, flat pasta noodles. You might not immediately think of Mexico or Greece. You might not associate lasagna with shrimp or tofu or l...

INCREDIBLY GOOD RECIPES

I read cookbooks like most people read novels. The recipes here have all been tested and have earned the important "husband and kids" Seal of Approval. Most of them have also been tested at Girls' Night and passed with flying colors. I hope you enjoy...

Maybe Too Much 

The Best Chicken Enchiladas Suizas Recipe in the World

Treat yourself to a rich Mexican culinary experience today. Chicken Enchiladas Suizas are a great make-ahead food for company or just for a weeknight when you want something a little special. I've included a few suggestions for side dishes, too. I ho...

Easy Rumaki Recipe

Have you heard of rumaki? Eaten it? The basic idea is to take a bit of chicken and a slice of water chestnut, wrap them in bacon, marinate it in soy sauce and brown sugar and cook it somehow. There are of course variations on this basic idea. But goo...

Fast and Easy Creamy Chicken Casserole

Put this crunchy chicken dish together in a few short minutes, put it in the oven, and in 30 minutes, dinner's ready. Creamy Crunchy Chicken is a super easy recipe that almost ANY member of the family can prepare. Maybe the kids will make this one of...

Easy, Delicious Chile Verde Recipes

This traditional Mexican dish is so versatile. Chile Verde is delicious made with either pork or chicken. Eat it as a stew, wrap some in a tortilla or serve it over rice and beans. Chile Verde freezes beautifully, so you can make a large batch and ha...

Baked Potato Soup Recipes

A steaming bowl of creamy potato soup can go a long way in improving your day. As the weather begins to cool, we think more about comfort foods and potato soup is at the top of the list. A bowl of hearty potato soup paired with a green salad and mayb...

Lately It's All About Pizza 

Make a Perfect Pizza Crust - Part 2 - Let It Be!

Welcome to The Perfect Pizza Crust - Part 2. I'm exploring ways to make a pizza crust worthy of a "WOW!" In Part 2, we'll look at a hint that most experienced pizza and bread makers know about and use. However, it is very seldom included in recipes f...

How to Make Pizza Dough Step by Step

Learn how easy it can be to make your own pizza right at home. I've included step-by-step instructions to help you make a tasty pizza crust. Making your own pizza is not only satisfying; it saves you a lot of money, too. Ingredients for pizza are muc...

Make a Perfect Pizza Crust - Part 3 - Chill Out

Welcome to The Perfect Pizza Crust - Secret #3! I'm exploring ways to improve the texture and taste of pizza crust, so that it rivals the very best pizzerias. Secret #3 has had the most dramatic impact of any I've tried so far.

Make a Perfect Pizza Crust - Part 1 - Something in the Water

Learn how to make a pizza crust that will rival ANYTHING you've ever tasted in a pizzeria. Making a great crust isn't difficult; you just have to know what to do. You are about to join an elite group of "upper crust" pizza makers. No more soggy or ca...

Halloween is One of My Favorite Holidays 

Halloween Party Recipes - Zombie Eyeballs

You wear a costume, you dress up your house, you even may dress up your dog for Halloween. Why not dress your food for Halloween too. I'm collecting spooky and silly Halloween recipes for you to use at your Halloween party. This lens shows you how t...

How to Persuade Your Dog to Wear a Halloween Costume

Some dogs like to dress up, others absolutely refuse. Who can blame them? Somehow, I don't think dogs GET Halloween. With patience, you can get your hesitant hound to enjoy wearing a Halloween costume. Below I have outlined steps you can use to conv...

Dress Up Your Food for Halloween - Lots of Eyeball Recipes

No, not recipes that use eyeballs as an ingredient. If that's what you're looking for, go back to Google and keep searching. I'm talking about dressing up tasty foods for Halloween to make them spooky and disgusting. If you want gross Halloween reci...

Some of My Favorites 

Not Your Usual Zucchini Recipes

You've made every zucchini recipe in your cookbook, but you STILL have bushels of zucchini left. You've given zucchini away to everyone you know, you've left bags of it in the break room at work, but the garden just keeps producing more. Try some of...

Velveeta...Unwrapped

An in-depth look at one of the most villified foods in the United States. It's right up there with Spam. Get the history, find recipes you won't believe, learn how to make your own, find out what you do when someone gives you 30 pounds of Velveeta as...

What Mom Really Wants (the perfect gift - you'll be surprised)

Pay attention, everyone who has or knows a mother or grandmother. I'm going to save you a great deal of frustration by helping you find the perfect gift for Mother's Day, her birthday or any other gift-giving occasion. The best part of it is that thi...

Mock Apple Pie

Wait. You want me to make an apple pie with no apples in it? Mock apple pie has a rich history from the settlers heading west across a young United States to the 20th-century suburban housewife. Read on to learn all about this culinary oddity.

Fresh Homemade Mexican Salsa: Traditional and Unusual Recipes and Ingredients

The term "salsa" covers a wide variety of tasty meal additions. It literally translates as "sauce," and you can put it on meats and veggies or use it as a dip for your chips. Whatever you do with your salsa, it's sure to spice up your meal. Read on t...

I Made These Lenses During My Quest for Giant Squid-dom 

I'm not there yet, but don't count me out.

The Original Red Velvet Cake

When I was growing up, we knew it was a really special occasion if Mom made Red Velvet Cake. It appeared at Christmas, Thanksgiving, and certainly on Valentine's Day. The rich red brightened any holiday table, and that wonderful chocolate flavor mixe...

Marbled Chocolate Cream Cheese Brownies

I've found a great dessert recipe that's simple, and it looks beautiful. Chocolate cream cheese brownies are fancy enough for dinner guests, yet simple enough for the kids to make. Keep reading to get this fabulous recipe and other wonderful brownie...

Ramen Noodle Salad and Slaw Recipes

Ramen noodles can be used for all kinds of great meals. They are economical, easy to use, and they cook up in just a couple of minutes. Ramen noodles are extremely popular in salads and slaws. One popular broccoli slaw dish is likely to show up at ne...

KFC Coleslaw Recipe

What is it about KFC Coleslaw that provokes such adoration from its fans? "It tastes just like they make at the fast food restaurant," is not usually a positive comment. But people want the KFC Coleslaw recipe, and some people swear it's the best col...

Squidinner Main Dishes

What happens when a few lensmasters who love food start chatting? What do you suppose they chat about? You guessed it! And we're doing more than just chatting; we're offering you some great recipe ideas in our blog What's for Squidinner?. Drop by for...

Assorted Lenses 

Cool Gadgets for Baby Boomers

Baby Boomers, those of us between the ages of about 45 and 63, know what we want. We want comfort. We want convenience. And if we are entertained at the same time, so much the better. In this lens, I have gathered some of my favorite boomer websites,...

Warm Glass - Hot Stuff: Fused Glass Art

There is something magical about fused and kiln-formed glass. I can take a few ordinary sheets of glass and do extraordinary things with them using heat and a few simple tools. I am still thrilled at the magic of it every time I take a newly finished...

The Kemah Boardwalk Bullet Wooden Rollercoaster

I just got home from a week in Houston. We visited lots of fun places, but the most memorable activity of the week was our experience on the Boardwalk Bullet at the Kemah Boardwalk.

A US Gas Tax Holiday is a BAD Idea!

Should the US Have a Gas Tax Holiday? Both John McCain and Hillary Clinton are in favor of the suspension of the federal gasoline tax (18.4 cents/gallon) for the summer traveling season. This is possibly the stupidest idea I have heard from either on...

Artisan Jewelry from the Andes

Find great gift ideas while browsing this beautiful and unusual silver jewelry from the Andes of South America. Silver jewelry is hot right now. It would be a great holiday gift for someone special. Here I bring you some of my favorite jewelry artis...

My Squidoo-Related Lenses 

I build these just because I need a reference to build lenses. These always start as my personal notes.

Add Borders to Your Lens Photos on Squidoo

Would you like to jazz up the photos on your lenses? You can use borders on your images to give them much more impact and to help them "pop." You just need to use a little bit of simple HTML magic. I have included easy instructions for a variety of...

You Know You're Spending Too Much Time on Squidoo if...

You know who you are. You family members roll their eyes whenever you mention Squidoo. Their eyes glaze over at the dinner table as you begin to tell them what you learned today during research for your latest lens. At a certain point, all Squiddicts...

HTML for Photos: A Tutorial for the Semi-Clueless

How often do you look at a really great Squidoo lens and wonder how they changed colors or backgrounds or add photos somewhere other than the upper right-hand corner of the module? They use HTML. I'm not a genius at this sort of thing, so every time...

Beeobrien's Squidoo Diary

Inspired by other lensmasters, I am experimenting with this Squidoo diary to see how it improves focus and productivity. Since beginning in early March of 2008, I have built 11 lenses. That comes out to a little more than one per week.

What Should You Do After You Publish Your Lens?

Let's assume that you've created a lens with quality content; a lens that deserves traffic and will offer something useful to its readers. If your lens doesn't meet this requirement, stop reading this right now and go make it better. I'll still be he...

More Squidoo Lenses 

You'll Find Other Squidoo Lenses Scattered Around in the Food Section.

Squidinner Casseroles - It's a Contest!

That's right! My exclamation point key is stuck and I'm forced to use it at the end of every sentence! Oh, never mind, I fixed it. The lensmaster bloggers over at What's for Squidinner? are looking for some tasty recipe lenses. Submit your recipe len...

I'm Hoping to Be a Giant Squid 

I Wanna Be a Giant Squid!

I know a lot of other people want to be Giant Squids too. But why? What drives people to spend this kind of time and effort? And after they get to Giant Squiddiness, what do they like about it? I want to know. Please, Giants and Giants-to-be, let me...

Did I Mention I Like Food and Cooking? 

Easy and Delicious Chicken Piccata Recipe

Chicken Piccata is easy and fast to make, but is elegant enough for a fancy dinner. This chicken piccata recipe can be made in just a few minutes. You'll love this seasoned chicken breast covered with a smooth buttery lemon sauce and topped with a fe...

Lots of Great Chicken Recipes on Squidoo

Apparently, Squidoo lensmasters are fond of chicken. I've gathered all the chicken recipe lenses that I could find, and I'm just amazed at the abundance and variety of chicken recipes. I bring you the best chicken recipes from Squidoo lensmasters.

Easy Tasty Hummus Recipes

Whether they're called garbanzos or chickpeas, they still make a tasty dip. Hummus has exploded in popularity in the United States in the last twenty years. And for good reason. It's full of fiber and minerals, and it tastes wonderful. I can almost t...

Absolute Best Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe

In its simplest form, Chicken Cordon Bleu is a tasty combination of chicken, ham and swiss cheese, rolled together and usually fried. This recipe also includes a creamy wine sauce to accompany the chicken. Chicken Cordon Bleu is a beautifully elegan...

How Do You Cook With Capers?

Do you know what capers are? A lot of people don't. Read on to get answers to all those caper-related questions that keep you up at night. Are they plants or animals? Do they bite? Is it okay to go ahead and eat a caper if I see it trying to scooch o...

Sometimes I Just Feel Silly 

Velveeta...Unwrapped

An in-depth look at one of the most villified foods in the United States. It's right up there with Spam. Get the history, find recipes you won't believe, learn how to make your own, find out what you do when someone gives you 30 pounds of Velveeta as...

How to Persuade Your Dog to Wear a Halloween Costume

Some dogs like to dress up, others absolutely refuse. Who can blame them? Somehow, I don't think dogs GET Halloween. With patience, you can get your hesitant hound to enjoy wearing a Halloween costume. Below I have outlined steps you can use to conv...

Silly Names

Do you know what nominative determinism means? How about aptonym? They are both terms, made popular by New Scientist Magazine, that refer to the phenomenon of people having jobs and careers that fit their names. A rather surprising amount of serious...

I Used to be a Biochemist 

It's been a long time, but I still love science.

COOL KITCHEN SCIENCE

Here is where you can find explanations to all those kitchen science mysteries, like: How does a cake go from liquid to solid when it bakes? Does baking soda really make your fridge smell better? What IS chewing gum, anyway?

Edible Science Experiments

I love food, and I love science. Isn't it SO cool when you find a way to combine two of your passions!? Using everyday items in your kitchen, you can learn a lot about basic science and about the inner workings of the food you eat. This isn't a list...