smashedpotatoe

In the works..

2010-12-20T16:21:00.001-08:00

Playing with the idea of a new blog

Food Buzz Fest: Saturday Edition

2010-12-08T10:17:00.001-08:00

Saturday, after going to a few sessions, Marissa and I decided to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and skip class to explore.
We meandered over to the ferry building and poked around.

Then it was time to head over the the tasting pavilion where we ate and drank til our hearts and stomachs were content.

When we were completely food-ed out, we went our separate ways to prepare for the night's festivities!

What an amazing end to an amazing weekend.

Foodbuzz Blogger Festival- Friday Night Festivities

2010-11-11T15:57:00.000-08:00

This past weekend (November 5-7th) Foodbuzz held its second annual bloggers conference. I was lucky enough to experience the food coma that are the festivities. Friday's festivities included check-in (aka grabbing swag bag) and then boarding a bus headed to Fort Mason for the sole purpose of gorging on some of SF's finest foods.

This is where I met my partner in crime for the weekend, Marissa of Jar Full of Dreams.

We got seated at separate tables where bloggers did a gift exchange and munched on small treats (and speakeasy ale)(or wine... I chose the former).

After the gift exchange and a welcome speech, we set out on a mission: eat everything. The food coma that ensued will tell you we accomplished our mission.

We started withStrauss ice cream and Speakeasy ale. Then tried Mission Minis tri-colored, tri-flavored mini cupcakes. One of each flavor: vanilla, pumpkin, and cinnamon.Then we moved onto tacos. Delicious, delicious tacos (and more beer).

Tacos were grabbed, now all we had to do was acquire a table. The table we spotted only had one guy standing at it so we figured there would be plenty of room for everyone. Little did we know, we grabbed the worst table ever. The lone guy at the table was a Cody Ross look-alike we dubbed the Food Truck Pimp. When our plates had been licked clean, the FTP (Food Truck Pimp) proceeded to run us all around the pavillion, claiming everything was "the best *insert food here* of San Francisco". The only Best Of I will give him are these little porky babies served on the side of a pork sandwich. 4505 Meats Chicharrones, I love you.

During our time in the pavillion we tried desperately to find more food and ditch the FTP. In our search, we found paella, Roli Roti sandwiches, and more of the chicharrones i love so dearly. SCORE!

When all had been tasted, we rolled ourselves back to the bus. I rolled myself onto BART, found my way home, and let my food coma lull me to sleep.

Wordless Wednesday: puppy edition- meet Sierra

2010-11-03T13:04:00.001-07:00

My Adventure In Soft Foods

2010-10-15T08:05:00.000-07:00

As you know, I recently had a tooth pulled and was banished from the world of food.
No hard foods, nothing that can break into pieces and find its way into the cavity of the non-existent tooth, nothing spicy, etc...
To remedy this, I made something I knew I could eat: Muffins! Muffins that are like doughnuts!

Doughnut Muffins by How To: Simplify

Ingredients: For the muffins:

1 3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup milk

For the coating:

1/4 -1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a muffin tin.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
Combine oil, sugar, egg and milk in a large bowl. Add dry ingredients and stir only to combine.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. While muffins are baking, melt butter in a small bowl. In another small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.
Shake muffins out of the muffin tin while the muffins are still hot.
Dip muffins in the melted butter and then into the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Place on a wire rack and allow to cool.

These muffins are delicious! They're a perfect soft food and they're great for a grab and go fall breakfast or snack.

They even got the BF seal of approval/make again now please!

:)

Numb

2010-10-11T17:49:00.001-07:00

Heads up: wont be eating/making anything spectacular. ...

Got my tooth pulled.

Only soft foods for me.

:)

My adventure in cooking

2010-09-28T11:37:00.001-07:00

This has been a big hit with BF. It's so easy and can be stuffed with whatever you have in the fridge. Its a little time consuming but I like to prep before I go to work and BF puts it in the oven when he gets off work.

I found Stuffed Italian Chicken in a Slightly Indulgent Tuesday email and I had some chicken that needed to be cooked. It is so perfectly simple and also can make a special weeknight dinner.

I butterflied and pounded down a boneless, skinless chicken breast. Then I stuffed it with cottage cheese, olives, and gorgonzola cheese. I rolled it all up, covered it in spaghetti sauce, and baked until done.

It even got the BF seal of approval/make it again now please!

:)

:)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-08T13:20:00.001-07:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-25T09:44:00.001-07:00

Another Great Smoothie

2010-08-17T12:05:00.001-07:00

It is insanely hot here.

Too hot to turn on the oven, slave over the stove, or even eat sometimes.

Last Saturday was one such day where dinner just wasn't going to happen.

After a trip to the grocery store to load up on delicious food and fresh fruits and veggies , I was too hot and lazy to make dinner so I made a smoothie.

Ingredients

7 strawberries

1 banana

1 tablespoon lime juice

Handful of ice

Directions

Throw everything into a blender and whip it up!

:)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-10T18:05:00.001-07:00

Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.1

Failure Friday

2010-08-06T16:18:00.001-07:00

These just came out of the oven.
I failed at snickerdoodle blondies.
If you want to see how bad I failed, check out Brown Eyed Baker's post
That is how they are supposed to look.
I even followed the recipe perfectly.

This is all after something I was promised didn't turn out the way it was presented. To take my worries away I decided to bake something for a mini trip I am taking this weekend.
I bought flour, sugar, baking soda. Turns out I needed brown sugar so I had to go back to the store. Then I used all the butter so now we're out. Also I ran out of vanilla extract.
I also go egg shell in my batter. And burned my hand on the stove top. And burned the entire bottom of my blondies.
I am officially over today.
And i don't even have anything sweet to snack on.
Failure Friday, you win.

:(

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-28T09:25:00.000-07:00

I Have To Come Clean!

2010-07-16T15:43:00.001-07:00

A while back the wonderful people over at POM Wonderful sent me some of their amazing POM juice and I haven't gotten around to breaking the news. And just know that the people at POM sent me this stuff on their own free will because they are wonderful people.
All I have to say is it tastes great.

Its sort of sweet, sort of tart. It's really amazing actually. I'd really like to have another go with it.
And I say this not on a bad note...
With all due respect..
Um..

It tastes really lovely with gin. Because frankly by the time I got it open I needed a drink.
I could not use this wonderful product unless there was a big strong burly man in the house to open it.

But thank you POM Wonderful people. When I did get the bottle open it tasted fantastic!

:)

Wordless Wednesday (special edition with words)

2010-06-16T22:10:00.000-07:00

Happy 24th birthday, Adam, my love.

Happy 'your favorite show coincides with your birthday so I put it on your favorite cake (dorie greenspan's cheesecake)' year.

You bought your first house days before you turned 24.

I love you so much. I'm so glad I got to be apart of such a special time in your life.

Happy birthday, my love.

<3>

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-15T15:26:00.000-07:00

Gluten-Free Cookie Review

2010-06-15T15:25:00.000-07:00

Remember those glorious Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip cookies I made?
Well.. These are somewhat similar.

After going on a hunt for gluten-free pizza crusts at Whole Foods today I came across some gluten-free chocolate chip cookie mix ON SALE! So naturally I snatched it up. When I got it in the car I thought "hey let's compare and contrast with Betty Crocker's gluten-free chocolate chip mix".
And that is what I am going to do.

At just about $3.50 (on sale at Whole Foods) this mix is decent for its price. It's all natural all organic free range cage free dairy nuts allergen free, whatever etc.
It only calls for an egg and 2 TBS of butter (or oil) which is ridiculously easy (even for someone who is out of butter).

Aside from the grittiness, not enough chips, and the way they didn't come out so pretty, they weren't awful. If they were still on sale and I happened to be at Whole Foods sure I'd grab them.
I'd give them a second chance.

:)

College Kid At Heart

2010-06-15T15:21:00.000-07:00

Last long weekend my parents took a mini vacation leaving me the house to myself and a completely empty refrigerator.
On one hand I had the house to myself on the other I had no food.
When I have no food I try to think of the most economical way to feed myself. It usually comes down to one describing word and three ingredients: Pizza. Pepperoni, olives, mushrooms.
Since this was a special weekend (I had a Saturday off and the house to myself) I decided to peruse the aisles of the (not so) local Whole Foods for a special treat: gluten-free pizza crust.
Luckily it was relatively cheap ($4 and change for two frozen crusts) or I wouldn't have been eating that weekend.

My thoughts on this Thursday?

LOVED IT!

It didn't taste any different than a normal glutenous pizza crust. It came out perfectly crispy and delicious.
It is definitely a buy again.

:)

Weekly Daily Special!

2010-06-04T12:47:00.000-07:00

Week two in the Weekly Daily Special extravaganza!!

This week's item is....

The Beaterblade!!

This is actually a product I've thought about a bit.
It beats. It scrapes. It is like having a rubber scraper scrape the bowl down for you while it's still beating.
While it's a great concept, it isn't the most budget friendly item. Especially for a recent grad who still is looking for a job in the real world and not in a mall.
I think half the fun is scraping out the bowl anyway because whatever I can't scrape I can shove in my face.

:)

Weekly Daily Special!

2010-05-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

As you've probably noticed I have very recently become a Foodbuzz Featured Publisher.

Yup. Me. Newly 24 year old me.

That's right. Moustachioed me.
But this post isn't about me.
Its about the weekly special posts I'm going to attempt to write because let's face it sometimes I post and sometimes I don't and everyone needs some normalcy.

And each week there are certain products that are featured in a challenge. The challenge for me, really, is writing once a week about a product I probably can't afford, thus, won't ever use. Here I go.

My pick of the week is.....

This thing!!!
Silicone Ball Whisk, 11-inch

I'm pretty sure this is the whisk of the future. It comes in green (my faaaaavorite color) and, at its sale price, its practically a steal. And if it didn't look like it would poke an eye out, I'd be more likely to buy it. I'm also pretty sure that if I did own this contraption I'd wave it around in the air like a wand. And maybe use it to whack people with if they stepped into my kitchen. It is kind of cool though. Look at it! No scratched pans. No more wire whisk messes where all the wires get smooshed and tangled. And those balloon whisks... Yeah right. So actually I think I've changed my mind... These silicone whisks are cool.

:)

http://www.foodbuzz.com/daily_special

I Think It's Time To Break Up

2010-05-26T12:13:00.000-07:00

Quinoa, I want to like you but you keep letting me down. I keep giving you my all and time and time again you give me nothing.

I have a gigantic bag of of you that I would feel bad throwing away. Nothing good comes from any ways I have cooked you. Heck, quinoa you're even hard to pronounce (KEEN-Wuh).

When I saw a post for you in a pudding I thought maybe you could redeem yourself. Boy was I wrong.

Quinoa Pudding with Apricots and Pistachios
By Dinners and Dreams

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cinnamon sticks (I used ground cinnamon)
1 cup water
3 cups almond milk (I used fat-free lactaid)
1 tablespoon honey (I used agave nectar)
1 teaspoon orange blossom water (I don't know what this is.. it sounds scary)
2 gum mastic grains, ground (optional) (yeah.. no thanks)

½ cup chopped dried apricots (didn't use this)
¼ cup chopped pistachios (or this)

Directions

Place the quinoa and cinnamon stick with the water and almond milk in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to low, cover with a lid and cook for about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Stir in the honey, orange blossom water and gum mastic. Serve topped with the apricots and pistachios.

4 servings

As much as I wanted this to taste good, it really didn't. So instead of throwing it away I mixed it with yogurt, strawberries, and raisins.

It's not you, it's me.
I love you, but I'm not in love with you.
We could still be friends.

:)

Bread!!!

2010-05-26T11:54:00.000-07:00

I miss bread.
I miss peanut butter and jelly.
i miss grilled cheese.
i miss toast.

When I found this recipe I got super excited for the possibility of a PB&J sandwich. I had most (not all) of the ingredients for this bread so I decided to go for it anyway.

Gluten Free Sandwich Bread
By Elana's Pantry

Ingredients

1 ½ cups blanched almond flour
¾ cup arrowroot powder (I used cornstarch)
¼ cup flax seed meal ( I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Biscuit Mix)
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
1 teaspoon agave nectar
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, arrowroot, flax meal, salt and baking soda
In a larger bowl, blend eggs 3-5 minutes until frothy
Stir agave and vinegar into eggs
Mix dry ingredients into wet
Pour batter into a well greased 7.5" x 3.5" loaf pan
Bake at 350º for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean ( My loaf only took about 20 minutes)
Cool and serve

Makes 1 medium sized loaf of gluten-free bread

This loaf was the most beautiful thing ever. It wasn't the most moist bread I've ever had so next time I will try to put some oil in it. It sure is tasty though.

:)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

Humphry Slocombe Secret Breakfast
<3

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-19T16:08:00.001-07:00

Hi friends!

:)

Nice To See You... DidYouBringTheSauce????

2010-05-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Secret Sauce.
Special Sauce.
Spread.
Russian Dressing.

Whatever you call it is fine. I call it The Only Condiment That Ever Needs To Exist.

Especially when Aunt Kelly makes it. Now I love BBQs and I love when we invite Aunt Kelly and Aunt Becky over but I love it even more because they bring The Ultimate Sauce (made from scratch, of course!).

So... Check out Aunt Kelly's blog. She shares the good recipes as well as her dinners (which always look uber delicious... especially my fave mac n cheese n peas).
With that being said here it is... THE SAUCE!! (Mostly gone..)

It goes fast! So keep it for yourself!

Kecky's Klassic Burger Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 Tbsp ketchup
2 tsp sweet pickle relish
1-2 tsp sugar (start gradually. I use Agave Nectar)
2 tsp Kecky's Red Swine Vinegar(or sherry vinegar)
1 tsp ground black pepper

Directions

Whisk it all together.
Admire it in all of its glory. (<-- I may have added that step)

How beautiful it is...

:)

And There's Only One Thing To Wash

2010-05-10T15:07:00.000-07:00

For some reason every smoothie I make turns out the same. When I really want some fruit but I'm not craving a fruit salad or just plain fruit I whip up a smoothie. I love how smoothies are yummy quick snacks. And this is my yummiest one yet.

My Best Berry Banana Smoothie

Ingredients

1/4 Frozen Mixed Berries
3/4 of a Banana
1 Vanilla Yogurt Cup
A splash of Milk
A quick swirl of Agave Nectar

Directions

Put all ingredients in blender.
BLEND BLEND BLEND
Admire the pretty color
Drink up!

Enjoy.

:)

What A Great Idea

2010-05-07T12:02:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I love chocolate.
Sometimes I don't.

When I saw this post I loved chocolate. Since I had all the ingredients and it seemed so easy I didn't see why I couldn't whip up some chocolate syrup.
I put it in milk and swirled it on the bowl before scooping ice cream into it. It tastes and smells wonderful. Just try to refrain from tasting it in the pot. It burns.

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

1 cup good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or half as much table salt)
1 cup cold water
1 tablespoon vanilla

In a medium saucepan, whisk together cocoa powder, sugar, and salt till there are no lumps. Add water and stir well.

Place saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, till syrup has thickened. Remove from heat and cool slightly before stirring in vanilla extract. Store in refrigerator.

Enjoy.

On everything.

Thoughts on a Thursday

2010-04-29T10:15:00.000-07:00

aww someone ate my half slice of Gluten-Free pizza i was going to eat for breakfast...
ill eat gluten-free waffles instead...
ooo cookies and cream ice cream...
do i like the grey cookiesncream part or the white cream part with big hunks of cookies...
i dont know maybe i should try it and see..
i like the cookiesncream part..
i also like eating ice cream with a fork..
i have 3 gluten-free waffles left and i have 5 gluten-free pancakes left..
ill have one waffle and one pancake to even it up.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-28T12:41:00.000-07:00

You Can Do No Wrong

2010-04-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

Betty Crocker... You are amazing.

Just thought I should put that out there although I think they already know.

What they don't know is I'm a 20-something broke, unemployed, college grad who has been playing with a gluten-free diet. Being broke I cannot afford the luxury of buy all sorts of fancy gluten-free flours and gums that are required for gluten-free baking. So, while wandering the mean baking aisles of the grocery store, I saw this.

I could not/would not pass the opportunity to snatch this super cheap all-in-one box up so I snatched and danced around the aisle and ran to BF all giddy-like (he is no longer alarmed or embarrassed by my excitement over baked goods). After self check out (I LOVE self check out) I took my purchase home where it sat on my shelf for a week or two. BUT! when I finally whipped these bad boys up... ooooohhh man. BEAUTIFUL! DELICIOUS! PERFECT!

Thank you Betty Crocker for making my gluten-free baking life that much easier.

:)

Chocolaty Goodness

2010-04-22T19:06:00.000-07:00

I'm going to come right out with it... I have misplaced the recipe for these.

So instead I'm going to tell you how awesome these brownies are. And how they are gluten-free.

These brownies are fudge-y. Oh so fudge-y. So fudge-y in fact that I kept shoving them in my face.

Once I find the recipe and give it to you I advise against shoving them in your face. You should not shove them in your face as yummy as they are only because the main ingredient in them is a can of black beans. A WHOLE CAN of fiber-y deliciousness. And if you've ever eaten beans you know how your body reacts to them. So either eat your container of Activia or eat a few of these.

Edit: Found it!! Thanks Madeline

Black Bean Brownies
from Intentionally Katie

1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 eggs 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon instant coffee (optional) (I didn't add any but they tasted like I did)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional) (I totally did)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8x8 square baking dish.

Combine the all ingredients (except chocolate chips) in a blender; blend until smooth; pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the mixture.

Bake in the preheated oven until the top is dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes. Yields 16 brownies.

Now that I've more than likely completely turned you off from trying gluten-free black bean brownies all I ask is give them a try. A few family members ate them and had no idea they were flourless and full of beans.

They are just that good.

:)

This Is All I've Been Eating Today

2010-04-20T14:10:00.000-07:00

They are super yummy. Super chewy. Oh so peanut butter-y. Easy to memorize recipe.

These cookies do not need to be talked up or over hyped and I do not need to say anything more than please make these now because you will love them.

JavaCupcake's Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.
In an electric mixer, combine sugar, egg, vanilla and baking powder. Mix 2-3 minutes on medium-high. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add peanut butter and mix until combined. Again, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Mix in by hand the chocolate chips.
Scoop 1 ½ inch balls of dough onto the cookie sheet using an ice cream scooper.
Press down on dough a crisscross pattern with a fork.
Bake 8-10 minutes. Do not over bake.
Let cool on cookie sheet for 3-4 minutes until transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Hello deliciousness

:)

I Miss Fish

2010-04-09T11:16:00.000-07:00

It's hard to come by in this house.
I don't think the parents like fish.
I love fish.
I miss fish.
So when I went on a grocery shopping trip with Dad I jumped at the chance to buy some fish. Some fish that would be fit for FRYING.

Deep frying has recently come into mine and BF's lives. We'd never made fish and chips from scratch so, since he was over and we don't celebrate Easter, we deep fried some fish. And some potatoes. It was wonderful.

We used Alton Brown's fish and chip recipe as a guideline and went from there. We didn't have Old Bay seasoning and we had a six pack of Torpedo. I'd say it worked out just as well. Dad kept saying it was awesome.

Although it was an all afternoon affair, it was totally worth it.
I need more deep fried foods in my life.
And more real beer. Gluten-Free just isn't the same.

:)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-31T14:35:00.001-07:00

Sick of Staring at Dead Bananas

2010-03-12T15:31:00.000-08:00

I don't remember if I mentioned that for my New Year's Resolution, I resolved to stop giving my GI tract problems and chose to go Gluten-Free. This hasn't been an easy feat. I miss pasta, grilled cheese sandwiches, cookies, cake, pie... I could go on forever. I do not have much support which makes it difficult at times. Also I am short on money so I can't go out and buy fancy flours and G-F products.
One day I splurged and bought Bob's Red Mill G-F Biscuit Mix. And this is what I made.

Truly Quick Banana Bread
Contributed by Dana Freeman

Ingredients

3 - 4 Bananas, very ripe
1/3 cup melted Butter
3/4 cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 cup GF Biscuit Mix
1/2 cup Walnuts-Baker's Pieces

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Whip ripened bananas in a mixer or by hand. Mix butter, sugar, egg and vanilla into the whipped bananas. Add in the baking mix and beat for 1 minute. Add the walnuts and mix just to incorporate. Pour mixture into a buttered loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Let cool and remove from pan. Makes 16 slices.

I'm totally going to buy this baking mix again.
It is totally worth this banana-y deliciousness.

:)

Thoughts on a Thursday...

2010-03-11T16:03:00.000-08:00

wonder if this sun is going to last
how do i always manage to hurt myself when i need to be somewhere
why does truffle butter taste so good but smell so gag-worthy
deggings
why has my life been reeeeeaaaally difficult these past few months

I'VE BEEN ADOPTED!!

2010-02-25T22:49:00.000-08:00

Well...
Not really.
Sorta.
I have parents but now I have a blogging mentor too!

Ginny from Just Get Floury has been chosen to mentor me in my blogging endeavors. So if anything starts looking way more awesome than usual she is to thank.

And go check out her blog! Especially this post .

:)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-24T23:11:00.000-08:00

Not That Super..

2010-02-12T20:10:00.001-08:00

So the Super Bowl is never that super to me.
My team never comes close to making it so I never have anyone to root for.
BUT!
I do enjoy cooking/baking/drinking/enjoying the day with friends and/or family.

For this year's bowl I made a few things I had never made before.
My first attempt at hot wings, chocolate cupcakes, white cupcakes, chocolate frosting, and vanilla buttercream.

Firstly, the hot wings....

Buffalo Wings
found at simplyrecipes.com

Ingredients

Wings
2 lbs chicken wings (about 12 wings)
3 Tbsp butter, melted
4 Tbsp bottled hot pepper sauce (like Crystal or Frank's Original)
1 Tbsp paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Celery sticks (optional)

Blue cheese dip
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar or white vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced

Directions

Wings
1 Cut off wing tips (discard or reserve for other use such as making stock). Cut wings at the joint. Put chicken wing pieces in a plastic bag. Set aside. Food safety note: when cutting raw chicken it is best to use a cutting board reserved just for cutting raw chicken. Wash thoroughly when finished. Do not let raw chicken juices come in contact with other food.

2 Create a marinade by stirring together the melted butter, hot pepper sauce, paprika, salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Pour all but 2 tablespoons of the marinade over the chicken pieces in the plastic bag. (Reserve marinade for coating after the pieces come out of the oven.) Seal bag and let marinate at room temperature for half an hour. When marinating is finished, drain marinade and discard bag.

3 Place wing pieces on the rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for about 10 minutes on each side, until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Remove from oven and baste with reserved marinade.

Serve with Blue Cheese Dip and celery sticks. Makes approximately 24 pieces (about 12 appetizer servings).

Blue cheese dip

Combine dip ingredients - sour cream, mayonnaise, blue cheese, vinegar, and garlic - in a blender or food processor. Blend or pulse until smooth. Cover and chill up to a week.

Um... YUM!

I had to hurry to snap a picture so I could tear into them.

Glad I did because they went fast!

And now.. For the cupcakes!!

The recipes for the cupcakes and frosting came from the Martha Stewart Baking Handbook (which I highly recommend). It was very easy to follow and came out wonderfully.
I'd say they were good things.

:)

New Feature!! Giving Wordless Wednesday a Shot

2010-02-03T15:18:00.000-08:00

First Potato Recipe/Guest Post

2010-02-01T16:41:00.000-08:00

I am ever so sorry about the lack of posts..
I have begun my gigantic job hunt!
So! While I delve into the depths of resume writing, please enjoy this wonderful guest post written by Jill over at Simple Daily Recipes

Potato Fluff

Potato Fluff is what you do to leftover mashed potatoes to give them a lighter texture. It takes very little time to bring this recipe together. A few ingredients, a crack of a egg, a swirl of heavy creamy, a dash of spice, popped into the oven for 20 minutes and Voila! Potato Fluff is ready to be served with the rest of your veggie plate, or leftover roast chicken. Whatever you happen to have on hand.

HERE'S ALL IT REALLY TAKES

Heat oven to 375ºF.

To 3 cups leftover mashed potatoes add 2 well-beaten egg yolks. If the potatoes are stiff, add 2 tablespoons of heavy cream at a time until smooth but not too loose.

Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Add any of the following (optional):

a dash or two garlic powder

fresh chopped chives

1/8 teaspoon hot paprika

Place in a greased baking dish and bake about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Recipe and photo by Jill McKeever of SimpleDailyRecipes.com

:)

OH! I Almost Forgot!

2010-01-04T21:22:00.001-08:00

HAAAAAAAPPY STACHETASTIC STACHE-QUERADE NEW YEAR!!

From Me

From Me and BF

And From Our Dessert

:)

I Just Can’t Get Enough

2010-01-04T21:00:00.001-08:00

Let me start by saying this:

I know I haven’t posted in a while. I’ve had a tough semester. As it neared to an end it only got worse. I was unbelievably stressed and it showed in my blog posting, taking pictures, and sleeping. Between finals, the stress of my final semester as a college student, and moving part of my life crumbled. Please understand that with this new part of my life/year/decade I vow to be a better blogger.

And learn how to cook.

And it all started with this chicken.

BF wanted to make a nice dinner so I looked up something easy, fairly cheap, and something we would both enjoy.

You can never go wrong with anything The Pioneer Woman makes, so we tried to be almost as awesome as she is.

I think we succeeded with this chicken.

The Pioneer Woman’s Spicy Roasted Chicken Legs

Ingredients

24 whole Chicken Legs
2 sticks Butter
1 Tablespoon Hot Salt (or You Favorite Seasonings)
½ cups Lemon Juice (or To Taste)

Preparation Instructions

Melt 2 sticks of butter in a saucepan. Pour ½ cup of lemon juice (fresh or bottled). Now add your seasonings. In this case, 1 tablespoon of Morton’s Hot Salt. You can use whatever seasonings makes your skirt fly up, be it minced garlic, salt and Cayenne pepper … let your imagination run wild. Stir it together until combined.

Rinse and pat your chicken legs dry. With metal tongs, transfer them one by one into the butter mixture and place on a baking sheet. Once all of the chicken legs are coated and on the baking rack, take a pastry brush and give them one last coating of the butter mixture. Sprinkle them with some more of your seasonings.

Place them into a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes. If they need a bit more color, turn on the broiler for a couple minutes and watch them closely. Remove them when they are nice and golden brown.

Let me just say that the first time we made this chicken was in November. We haven’t stopped making it since.

Try it. You’ll LOVE it.

I Wait All Year For Pumpkin Flavored Everything

2009-11-21T01:31:00.001-08:00

Pumpkin and tacos have been my absolute favorite things lately.

No way will i ever put them on the same plate but separately they are my two new obsessions.

I recently bought two cans of pumpkin. And I would’ve bought more if Target had more. For some reason two just didn’t seem like enough (at the time).

Judging by how many pumpkin everythings I’ve been making lately, two is too many.

It all started with it being Fall. I love Fall. I love the colors, I love the leaves in piles getting in everyone’s way, I love pumpkin, I love Halloween, I however do not love riding my bike on a blustery day and I do not love soup.

I also love pumpkin chocolate chip cookies from a local bakery. Being on such a tight budget does not allow me to go out and buy them though.

BUT!

I have found the next best thing.

(And because I’m a poor college kid I only had pumpkin pie spice on hand so that is what I used instead of all the fancy schmance spices)

Streaming Gourmet’s Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
Makes about 36 cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 brown sugar
3/4 granulated sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
pinch freshly ground nutmeg
pinch mace
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add pumpkin and beat well. Then add eggs and beat well. Finally add vanilla and beat well.

3. Mix together dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture, about 1/3 at a time and mix well after each addition. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spoon or spatula.

4. Spoon batter onto cookie sheets that have been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray or lightly buttered. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Let sit for one minute after removing from oven. Then cool on wire racks.

The only thing I advise is to smoosh them down. They are incredibly light, fluffy, and cakey so they don’t spread. Smooshing just helps them to look like they’re spreading.

This amazing recipe made just about 40 cookies and they all managed to get gobbled up. Mostly by me. But I shared! I swear!

The Prettiest Taco That Anyone Can Have

2009-11-09T14:09:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you just want tacos. For some reason this happens to me a lot. I've been on a huge taco kick. So BF and I rented a scary movie and set out to have a taco night. I had the meat, the seasonings, the lettuce, the black beans, tomatoes, and the cheese. These are all my favorite taco toppings.
Lucky for me, BF likes refried beans, sour cream, and green chilies on his tacos so we had to go to the grocery store.
When we got back we both tackled cooking the meat and setting up the toppings on my counter.
I made the prettiest taco.
EVER.
So pretty in fact that I was compelled to whip out the camera and take some quick shots of my taco in all its glory.

After a few minutes of taking pictures, we sat down, popped in the movie, and bit into our tacos. Then we realized we were missing one key element for a great taco night: margaritas.
Off the store we went. Again.
Finally we returned and after a fast whirring in the brand new blender, we had margaritas (which were not the prettiest margaritas that anyone can have but they tasted fantastic). With tacos, margaritas, and a scary movie we settled down, realizing we were on our way to having a great Friday night.

:)

I’m Still Alive. Really.

2009-10-27T22:17:00.001-07:00

I am a starving student. The things I eat aren’t pretty. My food budget is nonexistent.

My food blog is slightly lacking in content because of my inability to buy food to make fun things (although I just snagged the last two cans of pumpkin from Target so expect a dessert featuring pumpkin really soon).

My latest post was going to be about the most beautiful taco there ever was.

Then midterms week happened. This is my last semester (hopefully. as long as i pass all my classes) and I’m taking 7 classes. I’m probably going to lose my mind.

Then my ex roommate who couldn’t get someone to take over his lease before he moved out a month ago went nuts and wanted a creep to move in then thought he could take me and another roommate to court because he didn’t want to pay his rent. And that is how you lose a couple friends in less than an hours time.

My life for the past couple weeks has been nothing short of terribly horribly aggravatingly frustrating and involved a few break downs. (if you follow me, @smashedpotatoe, on twitter and shoved support in my direction thank you and i’m sorry you had to witness that but i very greatly appreciate it)

So that is my story and I’m totally going to get on posting regularly and more randomness will ensue!

I Wanted, I Needed, I Had to Have It…

2009-09-29T22:49:00.001-07:00

For the past oh… several months or so all I’ve wanted was a s’more.

I have yearned and craved and pined.

So I fiiiiiiinally broke down and bought grahams, and marshmallows (because for some reason I had a bar of chocolate in my freezer already).

I carefully assembled my s’more on a plate before I gently placed it in the toaster oven.

Halfway to perfection.

I waited. And waited. I waited about 30 seconds and then…This is what I got.

I had to take it out of the toaster before the top completely charred.

I had to manually toast the marshmallow by sticking it on a fork and cranking up the heat.

Only half of my chocolate got melty.

I tried…

The Breakfast That Almost Wasn’t

2009-08-27T21:38:00.001-07:00

Breakfast is my favorite. Pancakes make breakfast. Without pancakes, breakfast wouldn’t exist without pancakes.

Although I do enjoy a good waffle or some french toast.

BUT!

When I wanted breakfast last week, I wanted pancakes. I wanted butter. Gosh darn it I wanted syrup!

I also was being quite lazy.

I whipped out the Bisquick and eggs and whatnot and I whisked myself up some pancakes. And then I saw it. I spied out of the corner of my little eye something that said orange extract. I grabbed my poppy seeds and I grabbed the orange extract and I poured both into my pancake batter. Three pours and flips later and I had myself a fine looking stack of pancakes. Syrup topped off my lovely concoction. “Wait a second! (I said to myself) What compliments orange? Chocolate!” So a sprinkle of cocoa was all it took.

I had an awesome breakfast.

The only thing is.. I forgot to take a picture of its awesomeness before I started eating.

Four Dead Bananas

2009-08-14T14:45:00.001-07:00

I love twitter. I have awesome tweeps. They actually pay attention to my 140 character ramblings. But when I throw out a question they are there to answer.

A few days ago I tweeted that I had dead bananas and didn’t have anything to do with them. I usually make banana bread but I craved something new. When one of my loooovely tweeps mentions Dorie Greenspan’s super awesome banana cake I immediately grabbed “Dorie” ( I call Baking From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan “Dorie”) and checked it out.

And thus began my big bananaventure.

Classic Banana Bundt Cake

3 c AP Flour

2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

2 Sticks Unsalted Butter, At Room Temp

2 c Sugar

2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

2 Large Eggs, At Room Temp

~4 Very Ripe Bananas, Mashed

1 c Sour Cream or Plain Yogurt (I used sour cream)

Preheat oven to 350F

1. Butter a 9 to 10 inch Bundt pan

2. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together.

3. Beat butter until creamy.

4. Beat in vanilla, then add eggs one at a time.

5. Mix in bananas

6. Mix in half of the dry ingredients, all the sour cream, then the rest of the flour mixture.

7. Scrape batter into Bundt pan.

Bake for 65-75 minutes or until knife inserted into cake comes out clean.

Lemony White Icing

3/4 c Confectioners Sugar

2+ tsp Lemon Juice

Mix lemon juice into sugar, adding more juice until icing is thin enough to drizzle down the Bundt cake.

Bananas and lemons, you say?!

Uhh… YEAH!! Tart and tangy and sweet and moist and I can go on and on about this delightful combo but…

Let me eat cake!

Cookie Fail?

2009-08-02T15:57:00.000-07:00

I have been on somewhat of a kind of vacation of sorts.

I’m at my parents house. I’m on a break from summer break. I can only take so much of my college town.

I haven’t been cooking or baking or doing much of anything this week. Just taking it eeeeeasy. I did make chocolate chip cookie dough. I usually do about once a month. I think having chocolate chip cookies or at least dough around is a requirement for life.

While visiting my parents I have been eating my weight in cherries. My stomach hates me for it too. And it lets me know periodically during the day.

But. I figured having cherries around could be interesting. I cant very well let them go to waste. Duh. So I soaked some chopped up cherries in a little vanilla. Then I added them to my cookie dough.

YUMS!

The only drawback to the cookie is theyre ugly. I know this. They know this. Neither of us are going to skirt the issue. They aren’t pretty cookies. Not in any way, shape, or form. They wouldn’t look pretty to even the most abstract of abstracty artists.

I feel sorry for my yummy ugly cookies. Yumgly.

My cookies are yumgly.

PPPR!!!

2009-08-02T09:38:00.000-07:00

Penny pinching pantry raid was a success!
I came in under budget. And prooooobably would’ve come in even more under budget had I not craved fruits. But I think it was imperative to my diet at that point and a purchase was to be made.
I still have a lot left over actually. I CAN ONLY EAT SO MUCH!!
I think I underestimated my sparse pantry. I guess my pantry isn’t so sparse at all. I just need to learn to cook. I have the imagination of a baker not a cook. Geez.
The game plan from now on is to learn to utilize every last little thing in my pantry before I make a trip to the grocery. Weekly menu planning would be ideal. Maybe ill give it a test run while im still on summer break so I can become acclimated with it by the time school starts again.
It was fun though. Really great idea.
It taught me to really evaluate my purchases. It taught me to eat pasta and frozen veggies for every meal.

:)

My Treat

2009-07-26T23:06:00.000-07:00

The past six weeks of my life were without a doubt the most fulfilling weeks I’ve ever experienced. I’m going to miss my high schoolers. They were such an awesome group of kids who went above and beyond everything I asked of them. I am sad and proud and overwhelmed with emotion and and and… Thursday was difficult. I could not look at my kids in the eye and tell them how unbelievably amazing they are without completely losing it. I am even getting teary just thinking about the journey we’ve had and the good-byes we exchanged.

Wednesday was the last full work day we spent together. And instead of working I took them downtown to play in the fountain and enjoy a cool treat. Before we got completely soaked (of course I joined in on the fun) I bought them a tiny package of goodness in the form of an ice cream cupcake. Naturally I took a picture first then took a bite then took a look at my shot. Then took another picture and looked over it. I then proceeded to scarf my ICC like it was a matter of life and death, stopping every other bite to wipe pink frosting off my nose. I looked up from my tasty treat to make sure my group was still in sight to find them each approaching their ICCs methodically. Each and every one of them had their ICC completely intact; whereas I had cracked open the chocolaty bottom of mine and it was dripping everywhere.

We all enjoyed our last day together. And thus our summer together came to a close with water fountain fights, ice cream cupcakes, and the company of forever friends.

UPDATE!!

Day 26, money spent thus far: $43.94 + $9.99

So I kinda came in under budget for the challenge... I don't count the $9.99 I spent on ICC because it was my gift to the kids and not something I was going to feast on.

AAAAAND....

I'm at the parents' house so I am throwing in the kitchen towel because no longer need to buy food for the rest of the month! I WIN!! Sort of.. I don't really get anything besides the satisfaction of knowing I didn't spend much on food on account of my eating really cheap crappy food.

This should come as no surprise

2009-07-22T23:10:00.000-07:00

As a college student, I can be quite lazy.

Ok. So. Maybe it’s not laziness so much as I put everything of until the veeeeery last minute. My procrastination/laziness sometimes comes from being nervous about classes, work, job interviews, or new recipes. Sometimes it comes from me being a Forgetful Franny. Mostly it’s the latter. But let me tell you.. In the case that I am about to elaborate on there’s no one to blame but myself. I am aware of this and I’m mostly OK with it, but there’s nothing I can really do to change. I think to really grasp what I’m talking about I need to tell you a few tidbits about myself.

I don’t own bread.

I never boil eggs.

I love egg salad sandwiches.

Therein lies a small problem that I’ve had for quite some time.Then I read an entry over at Noble Pig and whatever problems I had vanished, as she almost always does when I read her blog. That, my friends, was when I realized I can have my egg salad sandwiches and not boil eggs. This is what I found:

Scrambled Egg Salad
Adapted from It's All Gouda

7 large eggs, scrambled
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon mustard
1/4 cup chopped green onion
4 sweet pickles (or dill), diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Scramble seven, large eggs in a nonstick pan. Turn them out on a cutting board and give them a good chop.

Add the chopped eggs to a bowl along with 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 Tablespoon mustard, 1/4 cup chopped green onion, 4 diced sweet pickles and salt and pepper to taste. Mix until you have your desired consistency.

Refrigerate for one hour or longer before serving on your favorite bread or roll.

Amounts of ingredients will change depending on how many eggs you use. (I only used 3 eggs. And it was one too many for my appetite)

I cannot even begin to tell you how my life has changed. I even went out and bought bread just for the occasion. Bread that is now in my freezer and will probably go uneaten for a month or 2. Two out of three ain't bad.

UPDATE!!

Day 23, money spent thus far: $43.94

I had a craving for cold fruit and to surprise BF with homemade easy cheese danishes, so a trip to the grocery store was in order.

I Think I Like Mexican Food/Mexican Inspired Food More Than I Originally Thought....

2009-07-13T20:35:00.000-07:00

This whole Penny Pinching Pantry Raid thing has gotten me obsessing over how much I spend on food.... so I've been eating pasta and date night leftovers instead of going grocery shopping.

After reading a post over at Ezra Pound Cake, I got to thinking how much I love tamales and that I actually had polenta in my cupboard. Thanks to the family, I also had leftover ground beef and an onion.

Instant Tamale Pie
From Ezra Pound Cake & "Moosewood Restaurant New Classics"
Serves 4
1 can of pinto beans with liquid (I used black beans)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels (I didn't have corn)
1/2 cup salsa (I used a red onion and some cherry tomatoes I found in the fridge)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt 12 oz prepared polenta (preferably the cheddar-jalapeño variety)
3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1 cup grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
3/4 cup ground beef

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or 11-inch baking dish. Set aside.
2. Empty beans into a large bowl, and mash with a potato masher or fork. Add corn, salsa, cumin, oregano, and salt. Mix thoroughly, and set aside.
3. Slice the polenta roll into 1/4-inch-thick rounds (about the thickness of sausage patties). Arrange the rounds in the skillet, slightly overlapping. Spoon the bean mixture over the polenta, throw nickel-sized balls of ground beef on it, and sprinkle on the cilantro and cheese. 4. Cover and bake for 15 minutes, and then uncover and bake for 15 minutes more, until the beans are bubbling and hot. For a crisp topping, place under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes. let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

I'm going to go polish off the rest of my pie now...

UPDATE!!

Day 13, money spent thus far: $21.17
Had to buy butter, brown sugar, cheese, beans, and I paid for half of my date night dinner

:)

Just For You

2009-07-06T20:07:00.000-07:00

To anyone who has left comments on my blog,

I'm sorry I didn't comment back.
I love that you took the time to read and comment on my blog.
I guess I didn't set it up to be notified by email so I had no idea.
I feel like the biggest rude ever.
Please forgive me.

-Ashley

It Was Inevitable...

2009-07-06T19:39:00.000-07:00

My 4th of July post... you know you were wondering where it was/what I made/what I did.

I went home for the 4th. We had a lovely inebriated BBQ badminton bash in which we all wore matching t-shirts and patriotic temporary tattoos. But before I left town I made some festive red and blue M&M cookies.
I could have sworn M&M packaged red and blue M&Ms just for this sort of occasion and, after searching through the seasonal sections in big name discount stores and grocers, I gave in and bought them at a specialty candy store.
I used my favorite never fail chocolate chip cookie recipe and slightly altered it.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (or in this case, M&M cookies)
From Food Network Kitchens How To Boil Water, Meredith, 2006

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 (12 oz) bag semisweet chocolate chips, or chunks (I used red and blue M&Ms)
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp fine salt

Evenly position 2 packs in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone sheets (if you only have 1 baking sheet, let it cool completely between batches).

Put the butter in a microwave safe bowl, cover and microwave on medium power until melted (alternatively melt in a small saucepan). Cool slightly. Whisk the sugars, eggs, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in another bowl. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingedients with a wooden spoon; take care not to over mix. Do not do this->Stir in the chocolate chips or chunks.

Scoop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared pans. Wet hands slightly and roll the dough into balls. Space the cookies about 2-inches apart on the pans. Push as many M&Ms as you can fit into the balls of dough. Bake until golden, but still soft in the center, 12 to 16 minutes, depending on how chewy or crunchy you liked your cookies. Transfer hot cookies with a spatula to a rack to cool. Serve.

Give this recipe a try! They were a hit!

And now... for an update!

Day 6, money spent thus far: $10.25
Had to buy milk yesterday.
Living on 4th of July leftovers.

:)

Food Challenge!!

2009-07-05T16:40:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Susan at She's Becoming DoughMessTic I can take my starving student eating habits and turn them into a challenge!

I've allotted myself $50 for food for the whole month of July. That's nuts. I know. Especially considering my sparse pantry.

Luckily I went home for the 4th of July weekend and brought back all sorts of leftovers.
I bought red and blue M&Ms to make cookies which put a teeeeny tiny dent in my budget...

Day 5, money spent thus far: $6.26

I'm in over my head.

:)

Disaster of a Local Business

2009-06-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday BF and I headed out to play pool downtown with some friends.
Free pool and $2 beer... we couldn't say no.

A few pitchers in and a few hours later we decided to try the food. After checking out the menu provided on the tables adjacent to the pool tables we chose fried mushrooms and chili cheese fries.

I went up to the counter to order and was told they didn't have enough for a serving of mushrooms (this was quite annoying especially after they ran out of the beer we wanted) then the waitress said they didn't have chili cheese fries. The owner happened to be sitting just next to where I was ordering and asked me if I ordered off the menu. Of course I did, that's why I had ordered them.

It baffles me that we were there around dinner time and they didn't have any food to offer.
I just don't understand how businesses can be so ill prepared for opening. I'll give this place one more try, but they blew their first impression.

:)

Thoughts on a Thursday

2009-06-18T21:01:00.000-07:00

End of my first week at work. I'm in over my head.
I hate the heat. It makes me feel puffy.
Why is the Thursday Market so awesome?
Why was I so afraid of my high schoolers? They're great.
I'm very happy I get new roommates. My old ones were the meanest/stupidest people I'd ever met.
I might like tacos more than I originally thought.

The Market That Wasn't There

2009-06-10T22:46:00.000-07:00

Annie's Asian Grill...

What can I say? It's so so so close to BF's house and for some reason we rarely go.
On this particular day, we walked down to the Thursday market. Except the Thursday market wasn't there. Something about thunderstorm warnings on a clear, sunny day and they cancel the market. Since we were already out and about, we decided to grab some dinner. We sat on Annie's cute back patio under the twinkle lights and canopies.

I chose a tasty Teriyaki chicken plate that came with warm miso soup from right off the stove, perfectly sticky rice, and a wonderfully cool salad.

BF chose the biggest bento I've ever seen in my life. His bento was filled to its brim with panko breaded pork, Teriyaki chicken, California rolls, a salad, miso soup, and rice.

No other Asian cuisine in town could offer what Annie's does. Amazing food and a great atmosphere that's perfect for a warm summer evening.

:)

On Food and Dating... Mexican Style

2009-06-05T10:27:00.000-07:00

BF and I both love food. He cooks and I bake. Although, he loves to help decorate cookies and mix frosting colors.

Since it is summer break, we have a lot more time to hang out. Which means we've been eating our way around town. After craving nachos all day, we stumbled into Chronic Tacos. I think we only chose to go here because they have cheap beer. The pictures do not do the food justice. I just forgot to take them before I started digging in.

BF got a carnitas taco which is not here because it was gone by the time I snapped these. I got a grilled mahi mahi taco which is pictured as a half eaten mess. And we shared bean and cheese nachos. They may look basic but the flavor of the beans and the cheese was awesome.

I like that you order your taco and then you get to put whatever you want on it. I put something called Baja sauce on mine and it was perfectly creamy and spicy and complemented the fish and lime juice well. Then it was topped off with cabbage and just a dash of cheese.

Overall we were pleasantly surprised with this place. BF liked the laid-back surfer vibe and I'd have to agree; it was a great little hangout. I believe we will be frequenting Chronic Tacos in the very near future.

:)

When Roommates Let Their Bananas Die...

2009-05-31T20:01:00.000-07:00

... I make banana bread!

It's inevitable.

I hate watching bananas go to waste. Especially when they are at their full banana bread status potential. ESPECIALLY when I can make it in just one bowl!

Banana Bread
by Elise on Simply Recipes

Ingredients
3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar (easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 F.

With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla.Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Coll on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Mine turned out looking kinda like a muffin. This is because it is easier for me (lazy college student) to grab and eat. Slicing takes way too much effort, I dirty a knife, and end up making a mess of crumbs on the counter.

:)

My Weekend in Mostly Pictures

2009-05-27T13:06:00.001-07:00

Here I am the day after the accident. My birthday wasn't until Friday but BF can never wait to give me presents because he's adorable :)

Here is my birthday drink of choice. My favorite: the Gin and Tonic.

We did presents at my place when my parents got into town on Friday. My aunts got me pork and beef charts :)

My parents got BF beer pong gear for graduation.

I wanted cake on my birthday so we walked/I crutched down to Upper Crust for a mini carrot cake. It was awesome.

Saturday at 7am for the traditional pre-grad ceremony drink. Me, BF, Bloody Mary, and the ever present Gin and Tonic.

My parents are all sorts of awesome for joining me that early to drink.

Then it was off to Christian Michaels...

Ramos Fizz. Makes me feel like I've gone back in time. The first of the bartender's suggestions and an amazing drink.

My very first Gin Martini. He said it was served old fashioned with a little more vermouth than the original Martini. It was love at first sip.

My cap. US Bank was wonderful enough to give me a loan to fund my education. Without them I wouldn't have been able to finish school. And I wouldn't have made it to class without drinking Rockstar everyday :)

Then it was off to Johnnie's for drinks and dinner.

Muscovy Duck Skewer. Can you say AMAZING?!

The filet. Mostly gone :)

The bright red velvet cupcakes I made.

Sunday morning pre-grad bar. I had my first Bloody Mary. Solidified my dislike for vodka, but had a good peppery flavor.

To end the weekend of festivities we went to 5th Street Steakhouse. It's too bad they pair lobster with mashed potatoes. This restaurant bugs me.

PS: I might have drank my body weight in alcohol (on Saturday alone) which is why there's not more food. Sorry.

:)

Two Days Before My Birthday

2009-05-20T22:07:00.000-07:00

Two days...
Two stinkin days!

Two days before my birthday I would've had my last final and I would've sold my textbooks back for cold hard cash, and I would've been able to buy my BFD ticket.

Well today was the day that was two days before my birthday.
Today was the day I got hit by a car while riding my bike to campus.

Campus was just a block away and my final was just 10 minutes away from starting. I was carrying with me the five books I was going to sell back. Now my mind keeps replaying my books flying above my head and lying face down in the middle of the road.

I just remember breathing and blinking.

Breathing in the cement that I have walked on and ridden my bike on for nearly five years. Blinking in disbelief. I will never forget what I felt at that moment.

Luckily I hobbled out of the emergency room with a scraped up arm, sprained ankle, and bruises all over my body.

Two days before my birthday I won a raffle for taking a survey to help out a sociology class.

Two days before my birthday I got the job I interviewed for four days before my birthday.

Tomorrow I will for sure wake up feeling like I was hit by a car.

:)

Rollin Rollin Rollin

2009-05-17T22:32:00.000-07:00

BF and I made eggrolls and chow mein noodles for dinner today.

After having bought sriracha on a whim, BF was wondering what to put it on. He sauteed Kansas City Steaks ( YUM!), red onion, green onions, garlic and soy sauce and then we started stuffin and rollin!

... and then frying.
Because he loves fried everything.

And they were awesome!

I see more eggrolls and chow mein stir fry in our future.

:)

My Beer-venture

2009-05-15T17:16:00.000-07:00

Sierra Nevada Brewery.

There are so many things I can say about how awesome they are. They provide feed for the cows on my university's farm, they have tons of solar panels on top of the parking lot that power the brewery, and they are nearly completely sustainable. Super cool.

But ...

My favorite part is the beer and the food. I've never had a meal there that was anything less than amazing. Today's lunch and beer sampler was the best ever (like always). A spread of 3oz pours of their regulars, seasonals, and one extra special beer made just for bike to work week.

Oh, and an amazing chicken sandwich and pesto pasta salad.

And then I had to leave... and that meant finishing the beer.

Today was a good day... Good food, good beer, and a good bike ride.

:)

Thoughts On A Thursday

2009-05-14T20:20:00.000-07:00

It's almost my birthday. I can't think of one person that would show up to my birthday party. Because of this I don't think I'm going to have a birthday party. I'm going to make lots of cupcakes anyway because it will make me happy.
Still haven't gotten a job. If my bank accounts could be opened like doors to rooms you would hear crickets.
I wish I didn't have a late class on Thursdays so I wouldn't miss the farmer's market downtown. I miss fresh strawberries.
I've been working out like you wouldn't believe and cutting my calories waaay back and haven't lost a pound. My best friend starts having sex regularly and has lost 3 pounds in a week. I don't get it.
I went to a fishing/hunting sports store today to buy worms for a compost box. Animal heads on walls weird me out.
I've been under a lot of stress lately. I don't like that I'm extremely prone to stressing out over everything. I think this is why I need to be a baker. Baking mellows me out and makes me quite happy.

The Power Of Baking Soda

2009-05-13T21:10:00.001-07:00

While I sit here listening to Whimsy-Girl's blog music (which is an awesome mix of music by the way and I'm kinda jealous my taste in music is so all over the place and hers is so together) I am pondering the awesomenessity of baking soda.

Today BF and I encountered a funny smell and we bought Target out of Arm & Hammer products (to the extent that the poor cashier girl even made a comment). But let me tell you, as a college student who encounters many odd, stale, decomposing type smells, I am an expert on air freshener products of all sorts! Not such a cool thing to know but it could come in handy some day. Hey, like today!

AAAAnywho....

Just a sprinkle of the baking soda smelly powder stuff on the carpet and weird funky odor is gone! And I thought the only thing baking soda was good for was baking!

Along with the massive quantities of baking soda, we bought those Renuzit adjustable air freshener things in some citrus scent.

Who knew a bunch of college boys could have such a lovely smelling house.

:)

My Experience With Coffee

2009-05-12T20:15:00.000-07:00

For the past week or so I've really been craving coffee. Iced coffee to be exact. My class got out a little early tonight so instead of walking to my car and going home I wandered over to the student union. Luckily the coffee shop was still open (for some reason they close super early even though students like to study there at night). So I whipped out my student planner (there's a page where you get stamps for free drinks) and got a free coffee. Now I dont know how to make a proper cup of coffee. So i just poured it over ice (sadly, the ice melted and watered down my coffee), added some non fat milk and a packet of sugar, and had my first cup of coffee (in college).

About an hour later and I'm still drinking it trying to figure out if I like it.

Pros: It was FREE!
It's cold
Roughly no calories

Cons: Not as yummy as a no sugar rockstar
It will not be free if I have to go buy a coffee maker and coffee
Coffee breath
Coffee stains

Jury is still out...

:)

It's Crunch Time

2009-05-11T21:31:00.000-07:00

The week before finals week.

"Dead Week"

Yeah.. Anything but.

I, for some reason, can't ever think of anything to write on Mondays. And all I can think about are the cupcakes I'm making for my birthday next week. I should be studying but I've got cupcakes on the brain!

I should've gone to culinary school...

:)

I Stress, Therefore I Have Lots Of Baked Goods

2009-05-10T19:53:00.000-07:00

Baking makes me happy. Everything fades away when I bake. It is just me and my ingredients. There is something oddly therapeutic about baking. So when I found myself having a completely rotten night I climbed onto the counter top, pulled open the cabinet doors, and reached for my baking stuff. I toyed with the idea of orange poppy seed cookies (which me and BF love love love) but it was midnight and I didn't want to have to worry about batter sitting out overnight. Then I saw the peanut butter and knew exactly what I wanted.

Peanut Butter Cookies
by Simply Recipes

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Cream the butter for 2 minutes. Add the sugars, cream for 2 more minutes. Mix in the peanut butter and egg. Mix together the dry ingredients - flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir into the sugar butter mixture.

2. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate at least 3 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 375°F. Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Place about 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten in crisscross pattern with a fork. Bake until light brown, 9 to 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for a minute; transfer to rack to cool completely.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

For chewier cookies, bake at 300°F for 15 minutes.

I'd have to agree with BF and his friends; they are delicious.

The Better Part Of My Saturday

2009-05-09T19:20:00.001-07:00

I had to wake up before the sun for a particular event put on by my department. It took place on campus in a rather dreary looking study room. From roughly 9am until 4pm I was scheduled to perform various catering duties such as cooking, chopping, maybe a little decorating, etc. What I ended up doing was walking around the farmer's market, buying flowers, then wandering around said study room for 4+ hours.

After walking around the farmer's market for quite some time, I found myself $30 in flowers (6 bouquets of wild flowers) and headed back to campus. By the time I got back, all the posters and displays that corresponded to said posters were up and ready. My poster, which I'm rather proud of looked a lot like the following poster (background photo taken by moi at our university's farm)...

The food (when it became available) wasn't too bad. I don't think any amount of practice would've prepared a class of roughly 55 to cater such an event. Needless to say, several food items were missing ingredients (ie: parfaits missing yogurt), but overall it was somewhat of a hit. I would've loved to take pictures of the crowd, but my camera was focused on the food.

Food tasted good, and with proper marketing I think it will be the event it deserves to be (in a few years).

:)

It's Dinner Time

2009-05-08T20:05:00.000-07:00

MMmmMMM

Delicious.

I love mussels and fries. They remind me of Ile de Re. But sometimes you have one of those days where you need an extra push to do anything. Today was one of those days.

And that is why everything on my dinner plate was previously frozen. It's so much easier. And yummy!

:)

Thoughts On A Thursday

2009-05-07T16:53:00.000-07:00

Dishwashers really can spew foam and water all over the kitchen. This is not just a thing in the movies.
I drive past a fire station everyday. Everyday I see fire guys driving around in their fire trucks. Are they allowed to drive their cars around? Where do they keep their cars when they are driving the fire truck?
Do I want to make a cake, cupcakes, or cake pops for my birthday? What flavor?
One Rockstar just doesn't do it anymore. I need more caffeine in my life.
Watching Nanny 911 and Wife Swap/ Trading Spouses makes me feel like my family was relatively normal or at least normal in comparison.
Hey Cook Yourself Thin! You're a good concept for a TV show, but you used bananas to replace the fat in a muffin.... but then you added oil and butter cream! Why bother trying to take fat out just to add it in later?!?!

I Have Just Discovered A Sad Tidbit About Myself

2009-05-06T19:56:00.000-07:00

One Rockstar just doesn't do it anymore.

*Sigh*

Cinco de Mayo

2009-05-05T18:58:00.001-07:00

Oh Cinco de Mayo... you're not a national holiday (in this country any way) but you are a college holiday; a day where cheap tequila, margaritas in all their glorious flavors, and cerveza flow freely.

It's a day the BF doesn't need an excuse to consume his favorite type of ethnic food. It's a day where I actually consume one form or another of "Mexican" food. (Didn't Anthony Bourdain squash the nachos being Mexican thing on "No Reservations"?)

Observe the wonderful Today's Taco Leftover Nachos. Tortilla chips covered in cheese (yum) and ground beef with spicy taco seasonings. Just pop them in the oven and *insert Spanish word for voila* you have nachos! We used sour cream, refried beans, and salsa as nacho condiments.

And since I had some gin handy (never a bad idea having gin handy) (no I'm not a senior citizen, I just have a thing for gin and tonics) and BF had grapefruit juice handy, he whipped me up a wonderfully refreshing cocktail (bc he is AWESOME at whipping up cocktails). Alas, it was not his own creation, as we found out later.

What it turned out to be was a Reynold's Special. Try it. You'll love it.

:)

In Over My Head

2009-05-04T21:23:00.000-07:00

I finally made up my mind.
I signed up for NaBloPoMo.

I'm probably going to go crazy.

What a time to start a blog... end of the semester is not a good time to start a blog and participate/even think about participating in NaBloPoMo!

What did I get myself into...

:)

On A Rainy Saturday...

2009-05-03T19:36:00.000-07:00

Any guesses as to how I spent my rainy Saturday!?!?

Bowling!!!

I got 1 strike. We played 2 games. I never said I was good at bowling...
I had a good time, despite bowling a 67 (which is my all time high score) with a 7 pound ball and rolling it granny style down the lane.

BF did a whole lot better than me. We still had fun.

:)

what a fine way to spend a rainy friday

2009-05-01T16:21:00.000-07:00

After such a hard school week, I figured my spirits needed a pick me up and my stomach needed some cookies so I baked some! I made the bf some yummy oatmeal cookies and I made some delicious chocolate chip cookies. I don't have my own recipes but I do have some pretty failure-proof ones i use.

For a delicious chewy oatmeal cookie...

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
From Quaker Oats

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt (optional) (but I added it)
3 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup raisins

1. Heat oven to 350F.
2. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy.
3. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
4. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; mix well.
5. Stir in oats and raisins; mix well.
6. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack.

Makes about 4 dozen

And they all look gorgeous....

For a classic chocolate chip cookie...

Chocolate Chip Cookies
From Food Network Kitchens How To Boil Water, Meredith, 2006

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 (12 oz) bag semisweet chocolate chips, or chunks (why not both...)
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp fine salt

Evenly position 2 packs in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone sheets (if you only have 1 baking sheet, let it cool completely between batches).

Put the butter in a microwave safe bowl, cover and microwave on medium power until melted (alternatively melt in a small saucepan). Cool slightly. Whisk the sugars, eggs, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in another bowl. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingedients with a wooden spoon; take care not to over mix. Stir in the chocolate chips or chunks.

Scoop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared pans. Wet hands slightly and roll the dough into balls. Space the cookies about 2-inches apart on the pans. Bake until golden, but still soft in the center, 12 to 16 minutes, depending on how chewy or crunchy you liked your cookies. Transfer hot cookies with a spatula to a rack to cool. Serve.

Don't they look scrumptious...

Enjoy both on a rainy Friday curled up on the couch...

:)

Thoughts on a Thursday...

2009-04-30T14:18:00.001-07:00

Have to write a 5 page paper. I'm currently experiencing a severe case of writer's block.
What's with everyone being a jerk to me this week? I've been told I'm a likable person. I also like to think I'm a likable person.
I've been having a string of awesome workouts. I think it has everything to do with being incredibly frustrated with people.
I've been wanting to escape to Paris again. It's my favorite place in the world. It feels like home.

I prefer to have bangs. My hair is incredibly unruly and I have to put my bangs in their place everyday, but I still like like them and so does my forehead.
My glasses are falling of my nose. I think they have always done this.
I spend a lot of time reading/writing tweets. I blame this on the twitter app i have on my pod.
My blog has been neglected. So has my camera. This week has been hectic and I'll get back into the swing of things soon.

onepointfive

2009-04-26T20:44:00.000-07:00

loves <3

:)

Practice makes perfect!

2009-04-26T11:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday class had practice for our sustainability event. Our department wants to share with the community how they can prepare healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner for $10 a day (per person). We trekked to the farmer's market and purchased all of our ingredients.

It was a hectic day of cooking. Since I'm not too gifted in the cooking department, I got to bake dessert.
In the end, it went rather smoothly... we only had one tiny problem. We forgot to buy/make dinner.

:)

2009-04-24T21:39:00.000-07:00

umm...

i have a blog now?