Skippyjon Jones Nachos

Skippyjon Jones is a Siamese kitten who lives with his mother, Mama Junebug Jones, and three sisters.  There he was, jumping on his bed one day, minding his own business, singing a little song, when he suddenly noticed himself in the mirror, and was very surprised at what he saw.  "Holy Guacamole!" he said.  And then, in his best Spanish accent: "My ears are too beeg for my head.  My head ees too beeg for my body.  I am not a Siamese cat... I am a chihuahua!" 

So, of course he had to put on a Zorro-inspired costume and go off on an adventure, into the closet-turned-Mexican-village.  Of course, his mastery of the language is limited to a few simple words, and the fact that putting "-ito" at the end of words makes them Spanish, but that doesn't stop our hero (now called El Skippito) from volunteering to save the day.  You see, a mysterioso band of chihuahuas named Los Chimichangos were being tortured by a giant Bumblebeeto Bandito!  He kept stealing all of their beans (from black beans to jelly beans), and wouldn't give them back.  Oh no!!!  Can El Skippito save the day?!

Skippyjon Jones is the first (award-winning!) book in a series of five, starring Skippyjon, the kitty-brainchild of author and illustrator Judith Byron Schachner. The other books have Skippyjon in ancient Egypt (via the litter box), digging dinosaur bones, and on Mars - of course, all with the Los Chimichangos gang for company. 

These books are awesome read-alouds, especially since there are lots of songs and rhymes thrown in.  And if you don't feel like reading a book 15 times to your little one - GOOD NEWS!!  They each come with a CD audio book!

I also love the illustrations in these books, particularly the two pages that say: "First they had a fiesta.  Then they took a siesta."  I love that each individual member of Los Chimichangos has his own distinct size, personality, and fur-coloring (since they're all actually bean bag toys, there are several pink, orange, and polka-dotted dogs.  My favorite is the green chihuaha with a pink flower pattern), and that Mama Junebug Jones generally wears an apron and is a patient, loving, and generally awesome cat.  All in all - awesome characters, great stories, and generally a lot of fun.  Highly recommended.

And so!  For Skippyjon Jones, who is not exactly Mexican but likes to think he is, I have made nachos, which are not exactly Mexican, but pretend they are.  (Yes, I know the origin of nachos.  They were created in Mexico by Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya.  But my nachos aren't exactly traditional, as I tend to be pretty white-bread.)

Skippyjon Jones Nachos
1 bag of corn tortilla chips
Shredded cheese or queso sauce
Salsa
Optional additional toppings, such as:
Seasoned taco-style beef, steak, or chicken
Sour cream
Jalapenos
Guacamole
Refried beans
Pico de gallo

1. Spread tortilla chips into a single layer on a microwave-safe plate or a cookie sheet.  Sprinkle (or pour) an even layer of cheese onto each chip.  If using jalapenos, this would be the time to add them, one slice per chip.
2. Heat the chips in the microwave (if on a plate) or the oven (if on a cookie sheet) until cheese is melted.
3. If on a cookie sheet, evacuate melty chips to a plate.  Now is the time to add your additional toppings, starting with the heaviest (such as meat or beans) and ending with sauces.
4. Dig in and enjoy!

On a totally different but still blog-related note, I wanted to let you know that we have FIVE Halloween recipes ready to go!  Keep checking back - I'm trying to work on a Monday-Thursday update schedule.

PS - if you look closely in the first photo, you can see my own kitty-face hanging out on the floor.  Bonus!