Wit & Vinegar

Instagram Quickie: Homemade Tortilla Chips

2012-02-04T21:41:00.000-08:00

I realize some people probably thought I died. or ran away.

Neither of those happened. And I doubt anyone was thinking anything of my absence, but I'm back.

Hopefully regularly, but there's a process of moving, and evil school that might want to get in the way.

A couple of months ago I acquired an iPhone. I was doubting the fact that I needed one. I felt like an old person the first few days not being able to figure anything out. I'm still learning random things.

One of those things is Instagram. I've known it exists, but it wasn't until my great friend Jen started posting from her newly acquired iPhone that I jumped on the bandwagon. I have to say, it's pretty fantastic. I want to start posting some quick bits of info, once a week about whatever I feel inclined to sharing, mainly about food or clothing or a painting that involves an old lady with a case of the babyhand, and hopefully include a quick recipe for something easy. This week, it's homemade tortilla chips. From flour tortillas. That are baked. And easy as cutting up tortillas and baking them. Duh.

It's Superbowl weekend, and I could care less about who's playing. When we we had a question in my journalism class pertaining to this subject I asked myself why she couldn't ask us about Beyonce. But I would still consider throwing a party to watch the commercials. If you see this before the big game/commercial extravaganza, you can have something to impress your guests with. Or if you don't want to go too Martha Stewart, you can make them this hummus, or this hummus, or make them some guacamole to put on their less superior chips or HOT DOGS. Aaaaand, just in case all that's not enough, I've gathered up a few more game day treats for you:

Pretzel Dogs Anyone? I'm thinking every day of the week. (via Joy the Baker)
Buffalo Chicken Dip - cheese, hot sauce, and chicken. Everywhere. (via Ezra Pound Cake)
Potato Chip Madness - basically potato chips, topped with cheese and spices, and baked in the oven. (via The Bitten Word)

or you can grill up some turkey burger sliders, make a load of pizza, or buy a couple loaves of french bread, carefully slice it open and fill with meat, top with cheese, and broil for a minute or two then top with all kinds of veggies. or you can make these homemade tortilla chips:

Homemade Tortilla Chips
Makes how ever many your little heart desires.

Take some taco size flour tortillas (8") and cut into 8 wedges.
Grab your biggest baking sheet and arrange in a single layer. NO OVERLAPPING ALLOWED.
Give a quick spray of vegetable oil, just enough for the spices to stick, and top with said spices.
A quick personal preference - kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Taco Seasoning would also be delicious. Bake in batches for 8 min at 350 degrees. SHAZAMM! Tortilla chips.
They might not seem 100% crispy at first. Give em a couple of min to cool and they'll crisp right up.

Beyond all that, if you want to follow me on Instagram, my username is witandvinegar, and if you don't have an iPhone, or think you're too cool for Instagram, you can check out all my pictures here.

Also you should check me out on Facebook. and Pinterest.

Also last side note, I've been listening to the Lady Gaga Station on Pandora for about 30 min. It's awful, don't do that to yourself. Try the Company of Thieves Station, or GROUPLOVE's. You've been warned.

2012-01-01T20:00:00.000-08:00

2011 was a whirlwind of a year. It's almost as if Jesus was TiVo-ing through my life to get the newest episode of Real Housewives of whatever city might have dramatic middle-aged women.

I would probably do the same thing.

So much happened this year. Soo So much. Let's have a quick review:

After much talk, there were dinner parties to be had amongst a great group of friends that involved food and cocktails for days. Awesome late night BBQ's, fanciness that included tipsy Scatergories, summer river picnics, and small gatherings involving a lot of venting about school and life and plans for the real world. It looked something like this:

Along with all that excitement, I also got to spend an entire year, start to finish, with this hot mess:

There was a zoo, some hiking, Florence + the Machine, front row at Two Door Cinema Club & GROUPLOVE, Mexican flea markets, road trips, and of course the introduction to cotija cheese. He makes me a happy man, even when he decides to show off his tamale making skills to the facebook world.

Mine is the prettier one on the right.

On top of all that there was the re-birthing of this blog, that continues in the inconsistent posting, I started a new job, and much more that I know I'm forgetting.

And for 2012 I know for sure:

-I'm moving into a new house in a couple of months.
-Friends be gettin' married!
-Fingers crossed Mexico trip this summer so my fragile skin can explode.
-My sister's graduating High School.
-Aaaaaand I'll finally be starting up my final year of college, ohmygosh you don't even know.

So far 2012's been pretty good. I had turkey burger sliders last night with Sriracha Lime Mayo (recipe to come) for my first dinner and I made you all some hot fudge sauce, because it's easy and versatile and if you go out and make eclairs or a cake, you can use it as a ganache. We'll call it ninja sauce.

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012.
You're lookin' pretty good.

and just in case you can't read that recipe, there's a less dapper version after the jump.

Ninja Sauce

6 oz good chocolate, roughly one cup chopped
good quality chocolate chips are perfect if you’re in a pinch

1/4 c heavy cream

1 T butter

Splash of vanilla, about 1/4 tsp.

Optional add-ins: splash of peppermint extract,
1/2 tsp espresso powder or 1/2 tsp orange zest

Combine everything in a heavy glass measuring cup.
Zap in the microwave for 30 sec. Stir, then for 15 more.
Let sit for about a min. And let the residual heat finish
Melting the chocolate. Pour over ice cream,
or use to top eclairs or cakes.

Life & Pesto & True Stories

2011-12-09T23:25:00.000-08:00

Bad News & Good News again. This is real life people.

The Bad News:
Finals are happening, and I work retail that requires me to greatly increase my availability.

Out of thin air.

The Good News:
I do suppose this means more money to buy my sneaky bitch of an amazing boyfriend, that's already started playing Santa Claus, presents for Christmas.

But still, it makes for some long days.

But still, I know he'll appreciate anything I give him. + this means a little extra money to buy myself a pair of shoes or something.

More good news:
I made everyone something awesome.
Like, awesome enough to make me proud that it came from the depths of this brain of mine.
God bless the person that's up in there trying to organize it all.

True Story: I've attempted basil pesto before.
Several times.
They've mostly been expensive crash and burns.
Then I read about herb/pine nut alternatives and I was like, whoaa.

Then I was thinking:
What do I have a current obsession with? Cilantro.
What can use as an alternative to pine nuts? I've heard walnuts.
What about the Parmesan? Cotija. Duh.
I was crumbling it down one day and realized it would be the perfect alternative to Parmesan in a pesto.

Let me tell you about this salty goodness. It's a Mexican cheese that's almost like a mix between Parmesan and Feta, and it's amazing. (You can find it with the chorizo and other refrigerated Mexican food items. Most stores have it, and I recommend the brand El Mexicano.) I think Steve regrets telling me about this because I try to put in everything and it makes him cringe. When I told him there was pasta in the fridge, and extra Cotija to put on top, he told me he didn't know about that. I told him to shut up and eat it.

And that's how Cilantro Cotija Pesto was born.

Literally, like I carried around an idea in my head of a womb for a couple of weeks then birthed it into awesomeness.

I'm going to save you all the fierceness of photoshop, as shown in this post.

You're welcome.

Cilantro Cotija Pesto
makes enough to cover a pound of pasta

1 1/2 c cilantro, you can include some stem if you want
1/4 c walnuts
2/3 c crumbled Cotija
i clove of garlic, minced or grated
juice of half a lime, totally optional, but it adds a nice zing.
a few grinds of pepper
noo salt

1/4 c olive oil

throw everything except the oil into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until nicely combined, this will take several pulses.

Now, with the processor running, veeerrrry slowly drizzle in the olive oil, so that it all comes together in a bit of creaminess.

Now you have pesto.

If you want to do what I did, boil up a pound of penne, grill a pound of chicken, and crumble some extra Cotija. Save about a third of a cup of the pasta water before you drain and add it back when you go to toss the pasta with the pesto. Place in some bowls and top with that extra Cotija. Dinner is served.

Thanksgiving 2011 + Pumpkin "Cheesecake"

2011-11-27T00:02:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving 2011 has come and gone.

Let me just say: Holy Food, Batman/Things didn't totally go as planned, Batman.

I'm sorry Christian Bale Batman, please don't yell at me like you did at that one guy.

Good news, most of the food was good:

Turkey, amazing mashed potatoes, addicting pumpkin cheesecake, Steve had a secretive apple pie and mac and cheese, there was beer, my roommate said my sweet potatoes were amazing, great gravy, and green bean casserole, from cans-don't ever try it another way howdareyou.

Bad news, some food was not so good:

Gooey stuffing that had a little love affair with turkey stock, Rolls: Did not happen. Funny story - I assumed that when the frozen dinner rolls you buy say "keep frozen until ready to use" they can go straight from freezer to oven. Wrong. Ready to use means ready to wait 3-5 hours to thaw and rise. Got that? I just saved your Christmas/Winter Holiday dinner.

Also I managed to break only one bowl and have a bottle of cranberry juice fall out of the fridge and explode on the floor.

Here's where I curtsy.

And tell you notes for a successful thanksgiving:

Thoroughly read directions on frozen dinner roll packages. Or no dinner rolls for you.
Take it easy with the turkey stock in the stuffing.
Drink at least one beer while preparing the meal.
Listen to good music.
Don't freak out - something I need to work on.
Clean the house not on the same day.
Wear cool aprons. I need to show you all mine.
Shoot for an hour before you tell everyone to get there. You'll need it.
Start cooking earlier than 12:30.
Make cheesecake and apple pie the day before, maybe even the mashed potatoes, and the stuffing.
Throw up some cool lights or a nice tablecloth to make not eating at a table because it's too small a cool thing.
Learn that Thanksgiving isn't filled with puppies and rainbows and sunshine and Norman Rockwell paintings. Just embrace it for what it is: a day for you to cook endlessly and break bowls and throw your face into thousands of calories in one sitting, and I love that.

There you have it. Instant Success. Just add water, maybe some beer.

Also, I have some pumpkin cheesecake for you.

It's almost like pumpkin pie and a cheesecake had a baby.

It's like tangy cream cheese and sweet pumpkin were meant to get married and live happily ever after and have more babies than the Duggars. It's insanely easy to make and the extra special crust adds some flavor and crunch with walnuts and oats. You'll sneak bites out of the fridge when nobody's looking, or maybe it's so good you won't care if anyone can see you.

Pumpkin Cheesecake
Makes 1 9x13" dish of deliciousness

Crust
1 sleeve, 9 graham crackers
1/2 chopped walnuts
1/2 c oats
1/3 c brown sugar
1 stick butter, melted

Filling
12 oz cream cheese, 1 1/2 bricks*
3 eggs*
1 1/3 c brown sugar
1 T pumpkin pie spice
1 c milk, I used 1%
1 t vanilla
1 15 oz can pumpkin
*leave out on the counter for about an hour so the cream cheese can soften and eggs come to room temp, it makes the mixing a lot easier.

Preheat your oven to 425

In the bowl of a food processor, break up the graham crackers, then throw in the walnuts, oats, and sugar. Pulse a few times, without turning the crackers into powder. Pour in the butter and pulse a couple more times to combine.

Grease a 9x13" pan and press the crust evenly into the bottom. Bake in the oven for 5 min.

While this is baking, grab a blender and throw all the filling ingredients in there. Start with a low speed for a sec, then bust it up to high until everything is combined (no giants chunks of cream cheese).

Carefully pour the mixture into the crust.

Bake at 425 for 15 min, then turn down to 350 for 25-30 min.

The center will still seem a little undercooked, but the top should be lightly browned. It'll set fully while it cools, and it can totally be made the day ahead.

Make a Fierce Turkey for Thanksgiving

2011-11-20T10:22:00.001-08:00

Ohmygosh. Ohmygosh. Ohmygosh. Thanksgiving is just a few days away. Hold on to something.

Now, I know any of you that stumpled upon this through foodgawker or another food site are probably freaking out as to what to do with your turkey this year. Maybe it's your first turkey? Maybe you've been cooking it for 20 years and wanna spice things up a bit. Let me just tell you one thing: SPATCHCOCK

Spatchcoking your turkey is simply removing the backbone so it can lay flat and cook in less than half the time.

Also this method makes an extremely fierce turkey:

no fussy brining: I have done this in the past and it makes a delicious turkey, but there's usually some battle as to figure out a container big enough to brine. Who has one of these? True story: Last year I couldn't find a container so I just bought one of those turkey cooking bags and it bust open, leaking brine grossness all over the fridge. So, don't do that.

no questionable 4 hour cooking time: 80 min for a 14 lb bird. Done. This girl goes in and comes out in less than an hour and a half. And she looks good. plus, don't you have a pie to bake?

no dry turkey: Dry turkey is the worst. Almost like someone took a piece of chalk and wrapped it in golden skin. and it's somehow gritty? I wanna punch someone in the face or throw a kitten out the window just thinking about it.

Now, I know what you're thinking:

Billy, I wanted a whole turkey that I could impress a crowd with!

Calm down Norman Rockwell. Whole turkey's are overrated, and they aren't fierce. Plus unless you take several necessary steps, it will probably come out dryish. And I will flip a table faster than Theresa if someone serves me a dry turkey.

also, you might be thinking:

But I wanted a whole turkey to put some stuffing in!

Well, that's gross. and there's a possibility you could give me food poisoning. I won't be able to flip a table as fast that way, but I'll make it happen. do everyone a favor and make a giant batch of stuffing an serve it in a pretty bowl, and not the tiny cavity that used to be the inside of an animal.

I discovered this awesome technique through an awesome blog, The Bitten Word, who grabbed it from Martha Stewart. You are more than welcome to go there to see some plating options or even a how to video! I've used this technique for the past few thanksgivings with awesome results.

Also a good source for a turkey, if you have one around, is Safeway or Vons. Fresh, never frozen all natural turkeys, for .99 a lb. It's not organic or free range or anything of that nature, but it's affordable and probably the next best thing.

Want Spatchcocking directions?

To Spatchcock, it's quite simple. Slightly daunting, but simple:

Set your oven to 450

Rinse the bird, pat it dry with some paper towels. Remove all the extra goodies, flip the bird breast side down, and cut along either side of the backbone with a good pair of kitchen shears. Take this backbone and save it for some stock with the other goodies.

Flip the bird back over and with all your might, push down to break the breastplate. Splay it like it is above, and tuck the wings in so they won't burn. Lay it out on a sheet pan and make sure nothing's hanging over, lest you want burnt turkey bits on the bottom of your oven.

Drizzle with canola oil, or another oil with a high smoke point, and douse in salt and pepper. I had a 13 lb bird and it probably could have been in the oven for just 70 min, but it still wasn't dry. Last year I had a 14 lb bird and it was only 80 min. Still less than the 3 1/2 hours they recommend on the package.

Grocery List III

2011-11-04T13:06:00.000-07:00

I have Saturday and Sunday off.
From work. Not school.
Photographs abound this weekend.

Also, Newsflash:
Pumpkin Madness everyone. Pumpkin Madness.

I also plan on gutting and roasting my own pumpkin instead of the canned stuff.
Why would I do this?
Here's one reason.
+ my friend Jennifer told me that it's far superior to the canned stuff. Dammit.

So I need to go find a sugar pumpkin. and do some work.
I made pumpkin butter. And I still owe the blog the recipe. Or my first born/possibly adopted child.
I'll try my best to go the recipe route.
I like to put it on everything.
Maybe even a dessert pizza this weekend.

I'm not kidding.

Even if it's bad, I'll let you know how it turns out. Because it's the thought that counts.

Right?

Anyways, busy busy in the kitchen:

Carbs in my face - Meat, cream, cheese, and pasta. It's called weeknight bolognese but I like to assume it can be made on the weekend. (via Ezra Pound Cake)

Pumpkin + the best thing ever - I know I already posted this link, but I will devour an entire batch of rice krispie treats before anyone even knows they were made. True Story. (via The Kitchn)

More Carbs -I have yet to make an actual yeast bread. I think this ciabatta bread will be the first attempt. (via The Kitchn)

Christmas Presents, In November - Look out Costco, I'm coming for your booze, and hopefully your less expensive vanilla beans. (via Joy the Baker)

Since Grocery List I & II both ended with music choices of sorts, I shall leave you with some more kitchen music. They're called GROUPLOVE. They were one of the opening gigs for the TDCC concert a while back, and it turns out they're kind of amazing live/doing anything. And they were an incredibly large amount of fun. Even if Steve wasn't a fan.

PS. I hate sweet potatoes with a fiery passion. I've tried. It's not happening. Just thought my cold heart should let you all know that.

Pumpkin Pie Spice All Up In Your Face.

2011-10-30T23:34:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin is all up in my face right now.

October flew off the shelves, and now November is just about upon us. This means pumpkin everything:

Bread
Cookies
PANCAKES
Milkshakes - with alchohol
RICE CRISPIE TREATS GAAHH!!
Pumpkin Butter - recipe coming very soon
Sweet goodness abound, etc.

And of course you need some sassy spice to throw in that pumpkin goodness. So you go down to the store. And you scream out loud, in the grocery store:

"What?! $4.00 for a tiny little container!? There better be gold in there.

But you don't think there's another option so you buy it and you take it home and use it. And it tastes like cinnamon with a little sass. But you were looking for a lot of sass. Like Sassy Gay Friend Sass. It's not there. So you try and add some spices you have in your kitchen. That just made it sad.

So then the thrifty grandma/grandpa in you google searches pumpkin pie spice, and finds out it's quite easy, and extremely affordable if you shop in the bulk spice section or better yet, use your own arsenal of spices if it's built well enough. I went down the bulk spices path.

I tried a few different recipes, and there were some disappointments. and eventually ran across Joy the Baker's recipe. I'm kind of secretly obsessed with this blog. and this girl. but in a non creepy way.

awkward pause

So of course I tried her recipe. or what I had of it: everything minus the cloves and cardamom. Then I threw it in something pumpkin, and couldn't be happier with the results. I use it all the time during the fall, including my coffee, maybe some glazes. If you have all the spices, try her recipe. If not, try the four above and you'll be very pleased with the results. I mean, $.75 for more than the $4 size container that tastes gross?

Go get some.

And make some pumpkin bread.

Butterscotch Pumpkin Bread + a Halloween Candy Scale

2011-10-21T22:35:00.000-07:00

I'm kind of in love with this pumpkin bread. That up there is the second loaf I made. And the second loaf I nearly devoured all on my own. I'm sort of convinced that I'd be really good at one of those eating contests, but I don't want to try it because I would probably win them all and end up on MTV True Life. And that stuff never turns out good. Entertaining, but not good. i.e. the turrets episode.

It's moist and delicious, and only has 4 T of butter in it. It's lightly spiced with sweet morsels of butterscotch. Whoa Momma. It's not that bland/spicy stuff you buy at Starbucks. Eat it on it's own, or with butter, or even better - almond butter.

This recipe is an adaptation of several banana bread recipes + a cookie recipe. It's my little Frankenstein baby.

Speaking of Frankenstein, Halloween is almost here. Which means a lot of kids knocking on my door wanting candy. It'll technically be my 5th Halloween where I have my own place. All the places I've lived up here have had varying amount of kids. The first place I lived, I got one pair that knocked on the door. Then I thought I had another trick-or-treater but it was the same kids trying to pull one over on me, then they told me their mom thought I was hot, which caused a loud "dammit" to come from the darkness. The past couple have had a good amount of kids. And most of them can't wait to get their grubby little hands on candy I bought.

Halloween can be expensive and crazy, unless you use my methods of hosting trick-or-treaters survival guide:

First off, don't go out and buy all the good candy to hand out. You save your money and buy it half off Nov 1 then eat it all yourself. What you want to do is buy one bag of good candy to make you seem cool, then buy a lot of cheap candy from the bulk bins, like those off brand smarties. Awful off brand peanut butter cups? Now you're talkin'. Save the Snicker's and Butterfingers for yourself.
Then to make the candy go further, use my scale of Halloween Candy Giveaway:

One Piece

Teenage girls that dress like slutty goth fairies, cats, grocery bags, etc. (give this group old tootsie rolls)

Parents using their babies dressed as a monkey to get candy

Really really fat kids - you're doing them a favor - I used to be in those pants.

Those really bratty kids that don't say thank you. Don't be afraid to reach in their bag and take back a piece if you accidentally gave them two pieces. Or tell them Santa doesn't exist.

Also, whenever in doubt, grab a handful of candy and just pretend to put a piece in their knapsack.

Two Pieces

By default, those kids who get scared because your friendly dog dressed as a sheriff busts through the door and kind of scares them. But this definitely doesn't include that tootsie roll clan.

Any polite kids that say thank you.

Three Pieces

Awesome homemade costumes. Always win.

Over the top cute kids.

Funny costumes. If you can make me laugh I will literally throw candy at you.

Obviously this is all a loose guideline, but keep it in mind and you'll save quite a bit of money. You might not be the most popular house on the block, but if that's what you want maybe you should take some of this advice:

My way seems a little better. Plus you can be all angry and dress up in a suit and pretend you're Andy Rooney. Maybe with a tiny hat? It'll make sense with your dog dressed as a sheriff.

Butterscotch Pumpkin Bread
Makes one 9x5" Loaf

2 c flour
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon

4 T melted butter
3/4 c brown sugar
1 1/3 c canned pumpkin
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 t vanilla extract

2/3 c butterscotch chips
2/3 c chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9x5" Loaf Pan. I'd assume a muffin tin with a smaller cooking time would work, so maybe you can try that.

Sift all the dry ingredients together in one bowl. In another mix together all the wet.
Add the wet to the dry, along with the butterscotch chips and walnuts.

Fold everything together, just until combined, do not overmix. Pour into that pan and bake for 45 - 55 min or until a skewer/toothpick/fork/knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 5 min, then relocate to a cooling rack to cool completely. Then devour.

One of those Friends Thanksgivings

2011-10-11T19:41:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving is almost here.

And by almost I mean 44 days.
I had to google "thanksgiving 2011" to get that date.

I'm pretty freakin' excited. I love thanksgiving for the sake of the food, and because of the food alone, It might be my favorite holiday of all holidays.

Today when I got home the new issue of Food and Wine was in my mailbox. It's the thanksgiving issue. Which means they've been thinking about thanksgiving even longer. And probably Martha Stewart before that.

Thanksgiving is almost here. Which means a spatchcocked turkey, lots of sides and sweet pumpkin goodness. And the first thanksgiving I get to spend with my man.

Win Win Win

Win

I need to get my hands on some canned pumpkin.

And figure out how I can have one of those Friends thanksgivings, where my close friends can attend.
It's gonna look something like this:

From LtoR:

The one and only, hilarious, fuun (with 2 u's!), Ross Matthews
Martha effin Stewart, or MBomb as I call her, who would help me make the dinner. plus I think a turkey ice sculpture would be perfect and she's the only friend that has that ability.
Of course, Kristen Wiig. No question/doubt. Duh.
A little Hugh Jackman never hurt nobody.and that Australian accent...
Kelly Clarkson and I are best friends and she does everything with me.

Oh yeah, I'm the one taking the picture and Steve is in the bathroom. But we're there.

It's gonna be fantastic.

Out of the Box: Cheeseburger Macaroni Explosion

2011-10-07T18:53:00.000-07:00

Sometimes food can't be photographed well.
Sometimes it looks like major vomit.
Even with nice diffused lighting.

So I'm taking my super artistic route, by showing you I can't draw too well.

Case in point:

Why is his body bending that way? How is it possible that he is both lying down and jumping at the same time? Is he trying to eat his own leg?

I really can't draw animals.
or people.
I've never been able to pull off a horse.
It usually looks like a bulimic elephant.

I can sort of draw objects, if you like the way a child draws objects.
I've even taken a drawing class. Total crash and burn.
But this Cheeseburger Macaroni Explosion? No Crash. No Burn. The explosion is one of flavor.
I actually managed to pull this one off.

Steve said he wanted Hamburger Helper. I said no thank you. But I was up to the challenge of making something that tasted like the box mix only better that didn't have all those mystery ingredients. And powdered cheese.

wtf is powdered cheese?

I've had hamburger helper plenty of times, so what? I had a single working mom that cooked us dinner in the 90s. That sometimes whipped up delicious meals that were or weren't from a box. I love my mom's cooking. A lot.

I have never had though the cheeseburger macaroni flavor though.
Essentially we're talkin' mac and cheese with ground turkey.
It's a simple, straight forward, ridiculous, amazing, weird concoction of a dinner.
Make it. Tonight. or Tomorrow if you've already had dinner tonight.
Maybe swap out the ground turkey for some rotisserie chicken? with some veggies?

It's kind of a quick dinner. I like that. and Steve said it tastes just like the box. Except the box is a little cheesier.

Friggin' powdered cheese.

Cheeseburger Macaroni Explosion
Serves 4 or an embarrassing 2

Lightly adapted from this recipe
via Kevin & Amanda

1 lb ground turkey,
s&p
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
2 c chicken stock
1 1/2 c elbow macaroni, or some egg noodles (Steve's request)

2 T butter
2 T flour
1 c milk
1 1/2 c shredded sharp cheddar*
1/2 salt
1/2 pepper
shake of hot sauce

Brown turkey in a large pan, add seasonings, chicken stock, and noodles. Bring to a boil, cover, and set a timer for 12 min.

In a small saucepan, melt butter and add flour. Stir for a min to cook off some of the floury flavor.
Add milk and whisk until thickened. Throw in everything else. Be sure to occasionally stir the pan of noodle mixture.

Once the timer goes off, check the noodles for doneness. If not done, cook for few more minutes. Mine took 15.

Once cooked, stir in that cheese sauce and any other fixings you might want. Broccoli and chicken instead of the turkey might be kind of nice.

*If I ever start up another blog, I will call it shredded cheddar. I'm just throwing that out there. Also the sharper the cheddar the better. Or kill the cheddar and use parmesan or pepper jack? Think about it.

Grocery List II

2011-09-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

Once again, I have failed the blog. No new food posts. What the hell?

I'll tell you what happened:
- Gross school.
- 2 jobs.
- & a circus of a time selling my old car for something not as old.

I would like to think that these aren't all necessities, But it turns out I need #3 for #2 and #1 to divide #2 in half someday. Buut all 3 allows me to have my trip to SF this weekend be necessity.

Suck it logic.

Steve and I get to see one of my all time favorites: Two Door Cinema Club. And we couldn't be happier about it.

We also get to celebrate our 1 year of driving each other up a freakin' wall.

Win Win.

So this weekend, I get to drive down to the bay area, shove my face full of food goodness + enjoy a few days with my man + see an amazing concert + shopping H&M, Forever 21, and Pac Suns to go use mah discounts in + pretend I don't have school on Monday.

If I weren't going out of town though, and I didn't work or have to mow the lawn or clean the house, this is what would be happening:

Something new with spaghetti - These are all "kid friendly". I don't have any kids. But I have a dog, and he loves carbs. Maybe he'd like a spaghetti taco? (via Real Simple)

Banana Walnut Waffles - This would be breakfast for Saturday and Sunday. Don't judge. (via Joy the Baker)

I would can something - Because it's the cool thing to do now. Plus I'm out of Strawberry Jam. (via Real Simple)

Carne Asada Something - I have been craving carne asada like nobody's business. (via Tyler Florence)

That's probably enough for now. I don't want to get too crazy. But I'll leave you with what I get to soak in tonight. and it's not that creepy freeze frame You Tube decided to pick.

Grocery List

2011-09-16T12:59:00.000-07:00

A while back I collected grocery lists.

I know, it sounds creepy, but it's not like I stole them out of people's carts. We can pretend they're dolls, or place mats if that makes you feel better.

Something happened to my small collection that was supposed to be framed. I'm not sure what. But they're gone. One of my firsts/favorites was a ratty piece of note paper that read:

milk
cheese
nuts?

I couldn't stop laughing when I found that. I have a warped sense of humor. This should already be established. I've decided that since the whole posting of my own recipes/pictures isn't happening as often, I'll start posting things I would like to cook.

Let's just pretend I had unlimited time in my kitchen this weekend. This is what would be going down.

Cinnamon Honey Butter - A condiment to put on anything, but the butter would be homemade because of all the extra time I have. Duh. (via the Kitchn)

Homemade Donuts - I shouldn't have to explain myself. (via Joy the Baker)

Beef Stroganoff - I got in trouble from Steve because I said I was going to make this yesterday and it never happened. (via the Kitchn)

Homemade Burger Buns - I don't usually do well with bread, but this seems simple enough and I might want hamburgers this weekend + this blog is beautifully layed out with humorous writing. jackpot. (via one cake two cake)

Homemade English Muffins - Another yeast recipe, I'm so ambitious. I would eat english muffins every day of my life if they were just handed to me, unless it was a creepy person that handed it to me. (via allrecipes)

Also, if you like to dance around your kitchen like I do, then do yourself a favor and blast this bit of goodness, off the upcoming Florence + the Machine album.

Crazy Fast: Pea Pesto Pasta Salad

2011-09-05T22:30:00.000-07:00

Fact: School has started.
Fact: I'm over it already.

Bears, Beets, Battlestar Galactica.

Fact: I use google to spell check.

I spell check things like: Galactica.

Last Fact: I appreciate 3 day weekends. With no work, "impromptu" river runs, and delicious brunch extravaganzas with friends and alcohol.

Those quotes around impromptu are insurance against Steve who has an iphone that allows him access to dictionary.com just to prove me wrong. Take that, Steven.

I think the reality of school starting didn't hit me until the second week of school. It's now the third, and I feel, that even with the mini trips to SF I have planned, all hell will break loose several times during the semester.

For some reason, this blog actually helps with that. I get to share my food experiences and the varying quality of my picture taking with everyone. I get to write, which is something I enjoy doing, even when my 40 lb Kelpie decides it's a good time to be a lap dog.

Because of all this nonsense, I have realized I need to be finding snappier dinners that can be made quickly, that are healthy, and affordable. That's where the idea of crazy fast comes in. Meals in 30 min or less?

High-Fives for Everyone.

Side note fact: I find high-fives appropriate for all congratulatory announcements. Like when a co-worker tells you they're engaged, even if that one might have been a little awkward.

This meal involves boiling pasta.
And running a food processor.
While the pasta's boiling.

25 Min Tops.

Step aside Rachael Ray.

I imagine you can throw in fresh corn while it's available, if you boil it with the pasta the last couple of minutes, or use bacon instead of tuna, or throw in some fresh basil. Whatever floats your boat and melts your butter.

Oh, also I forgot to mention: This dish is freaking awesome

Pea Pesto Pasta Salad
Pea Pesto adapted from this recipe

1 "convenient 13.25oz" box whole wheat pasta.
2 c frozen or fresh peas, if using frozen, like I do, defrost under cold running water
1/2 c parmesan cheese
juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic minced or grated
1 t salt
1/4 t fresh black pepper
shake of tapatio
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
2 5oz cans solid white albacore tuna in water

Bring large pot of water to a boil. Throw in the pasta with some salt, set the timer to the time on the box minus a minute.

This is to help with remembering the fact you have pasta boiling on your stove, and I do it all the time.

While pasta's boiling throw everything except the oil, tomatoes, and tuna in a food processor. Flip it on until smooth, then drizzle in the olive oil. Done.

Cut the tomatoes in half. Open the tuna cans and drain.

Drain the pasta, reserving about a third of a cup of the pasta water. Toss the pasta water in with the pesto, tomatoes, and tuna. Serve with More parmesan and a hunk of french bread if you have it.

Ba Ba Ba Burger

2011-09-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

See what I did there?
I tricked you into thinking I was going to blog about lamb burgers.
That my friends, is a turkey burger.

I apologize.
I should have titled the post gobble gobble burger. or maybe ga ga burger?

But then it sounds like I made a burger inspired by Lady Gaga. Which would totally be something I would do.

These turkey burgers were one of the best burgers that have happened in my kitchen.
And Steve wants everyone to know he made them.
I had an idea to throw a bunch of cilantro in the burger. Which Steve said his mom did all the time.
Always trying to one up me.

The other thing that made these burgers is pickled onion. Spicy red onions get mellowed out and tangy with apple cider vinegar and salt. No pickles needed.

Two birds with one stone.

They're topped with pepper jack cheese, tomato, pickled red onions, sprouts, and avocado. on a whole wheat bun.

There are still a couple hot weekends to have a bbq. hint hint labor day.
Make these and impress your friends. Pair it with Lemonade, Potato or Macaroni Salad, orrr Some Mango Margaritas.

Take it all outside and blast your favorite Summer album.
Just because.
Music makes everything better.
May I make a suggestion?

Ba Ba Ba (Turkey) Burgers
makes 4 burgers

1 lb ground turkey, I prefer 93/7 which means 93% meat 7% fat
about 2 t grill/steak seasoning
about 1/4 c chopped cilantro

Mix it up, throw it on a grill. or in a pan. cook completely.
Top it with your favorite fixins.
If you're topping with cheese, top with cheese and cover loosely with a lid or foil, best way to get the melted cheesy goodness.

Pickled Onions
sort of from Joy the Baker

1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1/2 t salt

toss together and let sit for about 30 min- an hour. Refrigerate and use up within a couple days.

Lunch Lady Land: Sloppy Joes

2011-08-21T12:10:00.000-07:00

First off, watch this video.

Is this new to you? It's time to move out of your cave.

Whenever I make sloppy joes all I can do is sing this song.

So It's probably a good thing I don't make them too often.

Also a good thing:

no Manwich here.

Is it really better than meatloaf and mac and cheese? Because I'm not buying it.

Also is it bad that I usually eat my sloppy joes open faced? with a fork?

Because sometimes I do that.
And sometimes I eat them with applesauce on the side. Like I do my pork chops.

These sloppy joes only use a few ingredients you probably already have on hand. Most of the recipes I found used a lot of ketchup, and a ground meat and ketchup combo do nothing to rev my engine. So I used tomato sauce + Worcestershire + some spices to bring it all together. The only chopping involved is a red bell pepper which means a fast meal, and while the meats cooking you can chop up some broccoli and roast it in the oven.

That's right. I roast my broccoli.

Slightly crunchy, nutty roasted broccoli.

Best damn broccoli I've tasted.
Except the batshit crazy part of me was seasoning them this last time and threw a large amount of salt into one section of the pan. Not a good idea.

That's the part of me I like to blame when fingers are cut or food is burnt. That part of me shouldn't be allowed to have sharp objects. or be out in public.

I would imagine this would be good if you threw in some more veggies, or maybe even some cannelini beans? or a fresh ear of corn. I need to try that.

And since today is my last day of summer, I give you my summer songs. The first, my summer anthem of 2010:

Dog Days are Over, by the one and only Florence + the Machine, who I can say, puts on one hell of a concert. And can go from insane powerhouse voice to light polite British girl in the blink of an eye.

And the song I've been playing on repeat whilst cooking all summer long:

Go Outside by The Cults. Who I have not seen in concert. But I'm sure they're delightful.

Sloppy Joes

Serves 4 or 2 if you can put sloppy joes away like I do.

1 lb ground turkey
1 red bell pepper, diced
2, 8oz cans tomato sauce
1 t ground mustard
1 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1 T Worcestershire sauce

In a lightly oiled pan, break up the meat and begin to cook, after a couple minutes throw in the bell pepper and cook until the meats browned and the pepper is softened.

Add the rest of the ingredients. and cook for a couple of min longer to combine the flavors.

Serve on toasted wheat or sesame hamburger buns.

Roasted Broccoli

A few heads of broccoli, chopped into florets
a couple T of olive oil
and a sprinkle of s&p

Toss this all on a baking sheet and roast at 425 for 10-12 min. It's gonna turn brown, maybe even black, but that means even more flavor. So embrace it.

Cilantro Lime Hummus

2011-08-15T21:37:00.000-07:00

I have yet another confession.
I have a thing for Hummus.
It's fast, easy, healthy, and ridiculously customizable, like a sex doll.

It's not serious though.

This batch has cilantro and lime. I used to hate cilantro with a fiery passion. Like I still hate ginger. or bacon when I go to a restaurant and it's undercooked and cold.There's some food everyone hates. I don't judge. Unless it's ice cream. or hamburgers. or pepper jack cheese.

Then I will judge you like Michelle Bachman.

See what I did there?

Any homemade hummus is lightyears better than the extremely overpriced stuff you pay for in the store. I think there's this checklist that the pre-made crap in a tub companies use and it probably reads as follows:

Consistency: smooth and creamy but somehow leave an after feel of wet chalk.

Look: straight out of a hose.

Taste: have some cool sounding flavor but make sure the taste of every one is what you would imagine horse piss would taste like.

Any classic flavored hummus is good. But this hummus is a sock off blower. Look at this:

Normal Hummus

Guest at party: What is this in this bowl?
You (mumbling): oh it's just hummus with some baby carrots.
Guest at party: oh ok, maybe later (walk away)

Cilantro Lime Hummus

Guest at party (probably sporting a monocle): "What is this fantastic looking dip in this bowl?"
You: "Why that my friend is Cilantro Lime Hummus. Here, have some." (dip a pita or tortilla chip in and feed them yourself)
Guest at party: "Where have my socks gone?"

Obviously the cilantro lime hummus party was better. But you can test that out for yourself. There's limes, cilantro, hot sauce, garlic, and the kicker? Almond butter. The slight flavor works wonders with the cilantro and lime, and it once again tells the tahini to shove off.

Try this for a dip with veggies or chips, or wrap it up in a whole wheat tortilla with some sprouts, turkey, avocado or tomato. Take that to the park and devour it in the sunshine.

The recipe I have here is for canned garbanzo beans. But the directions, if you have the time and want to go the cheaper route, for dried beans can be found at the other hummus post here.

Cilantro Lime Hummus

1 can chickpeas, drained.
approx. 1/2 c cilantro
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 1 lime
shake of tapatio
1 1/2 T natural unsweetened almond butter.
s&p
2-3 T olive oil

Pulse the chickpeas and cilantro in a food processor until lightly chopped.
Add everything else and process until you have your desired consistency.

Devour.

Weekend Breakfast: Greek Yogurt Pancakes

2011-08-13T12:06:00.000-07:00

I sort of have this thing I've started.
Nice breakfast on Saturday and/or Saturday.
More than just cereal or toast or the usual breakfast:

Coffee.

I have a go to recipe for pancakes, that I've posted about before.
These are not those pancakes.
These have Greek yogurt in them.

I'm kind of obsessed with Greek yogurt right now.

I can't eat it by itself. I think it tastes like throw up.
But I can eat it in pancakes.
and ranch dressing.

These pancakes are easy.
Super easy.
And not too bad on the healthy train.

There's no butter.
no canola oil.
no lard.

Just non-fat Greek yogurt, eggs, milk, and the dry ingredients.

They're tangy and moist and similar in consistency to a pancake house pancake.
But not. Steve said, "like vanilla yogurt."

That makes sense.

Above I have them with warm Strawberry Jam that I have yet to blog about making.
It'll happen.
I had them this morning with Pure Maple Syrup.
Fact: A good source for affordable pure maple syrup: Target.
Represent.

Also I have tater tots for breakfast. With my pancakes.
Because I love tater tots.

I might be planning on breakfast burritos.
With tater tots.

I need to get on that.

Greek Yogurt Pancakes
from Macheesmo
Makes a lot of pancakes, to serve at least 4.

1 c flour
3 T sugar
2 t baking soda
1 t salt

2 c Greek yogurt

4 eggs
1 t vanilla
1/4 c milk

In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients.

In a smaller bowl mix together the wet, minus the yogurt.

Add the yogurt to the dry ingredients, then the wet to that.

Make some pancakes.
in a pan
with some butter

Serve with warm strawberry jam and whipped cream or maple syrup.

Impromptu River Visit

2011-08-11T08:40:00.000-07:00

Around here in Humboldt County, warm sunny days are a rarity.
Usually we hit around 60 degrees.
Fahrenheit.
Yesterday was one of those nice warm sunny days.
So we took to the river. Where I guess it's always sunny. But whatever.

I had the afternoon off, and when I got home I helped Steve finish up ceviche, and he made some alcoholic concoction and we took off.
Like Thelma and Louise,
If Thelma and Louise were two gay men that had a dog and weren't running from the cops and just wanted to go to the river to lay out in the sun and eat ceviche.

Ceviche is usually some sort of seafood that is "cooked" with the power of citrus juice. Usually limes.
And it's perfect for picnic food.

This just so happens to be shrimp ceviche.
That doesn't really have a recipe.
Make some and go to the river.
or the beach. with margaritas.
Easy Mango Margaritas?
Thelma and Louise did all that, right?

Also, special note: Bright sunlight leads to crappy picture conditions.

Recipe after the jump

Shrimp Ceviche
About a pound of shrimp, mixed with about 2 cups of lime juice and some seasoning salt.
Let that sit for 10-30 min.
While that's sitting, dice up a couple pounds of tomatoes and a cucumber.
Chop up an avocado. and some cilantro.
and Slice up some red onion. mix it all together and throw in the shrimp and about half the cooking liquid.
Serve on tostadas or just eat with a fork, or break up the tostadas like chips because if you're like me you can't eat tostadas properly.

I'm a Filthy Whorish Liar

2011-08-10T08:31:00.000-07:00

So I didn't move completely.
I came back.
I still plan on putting collaborations up on here.
Tumblr was just not helpful in the customization dept.
Plus here I easily made my own domain.
And plus this is where it started.
Also I realize that there's a post below that says Best. Oatmeal. Ever.

That's a lie too.
I'll post the good stuff soon.

Bacon & Hot Dogs & Guacamole & Margaritas

2011-08-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

I realize the above is not the prettiest for picture time, but I will inhale anything with guacamole on it. I’ve been known to just eat a couple spoonfuls at random, or have the following guacamole to chip ratio:

approx. 8:1

My version of guacamole is straightforward:
mashed avocado with a spoonful of salsa, a squeeze of lime, & a sprinkle of garlic powder, s & p, and cumin.

If you have not had guacamole on your hot dog, then you need to get on that.
Tonight.

or Tomorrow.

The bacon isn’t necessary but you should at least try the guacamole.

And this easy mango margarita involves no peeling or cutting of a mango.

Just mango nectar, tequila, and lime juice.

To be exact:
4 oz. mango nectar
1.5 oz good tequila, I highly recommend this brand. It’s inexpensive, smooth, and the first thing I noticed was the bottle and label design.
and the juice of 1/2-1 whole lime

This is all to taste. Add more or less lime if you want. or maybe you’re one of those people that likes to be super drunk really fast. Go ahead and add more tequila.

I will judge you though if you start to yell unreasonable things and tell me you hate my choice of planting orange flowers.

Also, a little birdie told me peach margaritas are delicious, and I wouldn’t turn down a strawberry one. And there just so happens to be nectar of those fruits. At most grocery stores.

You should probably make some with that hot dog and guacamole.
Tonight.

or Tomorrow.

Not Taco Seasoning

2011-08-10T08:11:00.000-07:00

This is not a taco.

It’s a burrito.

There is rice. and that would just be a ridiculous taco. But on occasion I make tacos that size. With a fried flour tortilla.

They’re called monster tacos. Get with it.

This is not one of those occasions.

But the seasoning I used is “taco seasoning”, or at least my version of it. When I was a kid those brightly colored packets of seasoning meant taco night. Or else it was just tortillas with meat in them. I like taco seasoning. I won’t deny that. But it’s got a load of sodium in it. Sometimes you can actually taste that sodium over all the spices.

No Bueno.

This version is better, and easy, and cheap to make. The spices show up the salt.

Es Bueno.

Go make some. Run your pretty little legs, or pretty big man legs, or pretty little man legs over to the bulk spice section in your grocery store and pick up the following:
Chili Powder, Cumin, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, & Ground Coriander.
And put it in everything.

Just do it.

Did somebody say Ranch Dressing?
I’m workin’ up a tasty recipe. that you could throw this into. or not. but you probably should. Taco Salad is seriously one of the most amazing things ever thought up. And I’m gonna make some, and share it with everyone.

Taco Salad for everyone!

But that burrito up there, is a flour tortilla, topped with “spanish rice” then cheese, then ground turkey seasoned with the seasoning, cooked up with an ear of corn, then refried beans, then guacamole, then a little bit of Salsa.

Then I attempted to roll it all up but got it all over my hands because that is way too much for that tortilla. True Story.

Fun Fact: Coriander is the seed of the cilantro plant. But it tastes nothing like it. It’s almost lemony. Tell that to the cashier and show off a little.

Not Taco Seasoning
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
1 t onion powder
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t ground coriander
1/2 t kosher salt
Mix it up. Then put it in everything.
To make “taco meat” brown 1 lb of ground whatever, turkey, beef, chicken, add the mix, with 1/4 c water and cook for a couple of min until the water evaporates. Make it extra good and throw in the kernels from a freshly shaven ear of corn while the meats browning. Some may prefer more flavor in their meat. If that’s the case then make a large batch of this and add as much more as you want.
Here’s what a large batch looks like:
1/4 c chili powder
1/4 c cumin
4 t or 1 T + 1 t onion powder
4 t or 1 T + 1 t garlic powder
2 t ground coriander
2 t kosher salt
“Spanish Rice”
Grab a 1 c measuring cup. Fill it with long grain rice and put that rice into a small pot with a couple teaspoons of oil a pinch of cumin and a pinch of coriander. Let that rice get coated with oil and slightly toasted. Grab that same measuring cup and fill it with chicken stock. Pour that in the pot. Then grab that same measuring cup and fill it halfway with a good salsa. Fill it the rest of the way with chicken stock and let them join the party. Reduce the heat to a simmer, pop a lid on and turn the timer on for 20 min. When that goes off, stir, and enjoy, and put more than necessary in a burrito.

I moved!!

2011-07-28T23:04:00.000-07:00

After over a year of no posts I'm back, In a new home. Come check me out, and follow me over there. We should see how long this one lasts. I plan on opening it up past food, and include some design tips, and have some collaborative projects with some very talented friends of mine. Come Get Some!!

I Say Garbanzo - Hummus and Roasted Garbanzo Beans

2010-07-12T13:29:00.000-07:00

You say Chickpea, I say Garbanzo.

Because it's more fun than chickpeas. And because Garbanzo sounds more manly. Look at this: Chick and pea vs. GARBANZO, the newest addition to the Autobots, that only speaks Spanish.

Step aside, Dora/Handy Manny.

Plus that's what the cans call 'em. Garbanzo Beans.

Garbanzo Beans are one of those things that cannot be matched in flavor. They have their own taste that makes things like hummus even more special.They also have the ability to become all kinds of crunchy when roasted and will rival any chip or pretzel or salty bit of goodness.

And they are extremely easy and inexpensive to cook on your own.

Lets look at the price. On sale 1 14oz can of chickpeas comes in at .68, yielding about a cup and a half. Everyday price of Garbanzo's in the bulk section - .79, yielding about 5 1/2 c when cooked.

And dry bean gets the square.

Ease of preparation, for almost any bean:

Rinse under cold water, sort through for bad beans and small pebbles.
Soak beans in twice as much water overnight, no longer than 12 hours, in a cool place, or the beans could sour.
Add a little bit of oil to help battle the foam, and begin to heat, uncovered over medium/high heat until boiling. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 min.
Add 2 t of salt, for every pound of beans, at this point in time and cook for another 30 min.
Check for doneness and drain if done, using in whatever recipe you'd like. Beans also freeze well, and I'd imagine you could use the liquid to be extra BA and can your own beans.

Remember with chickpeas, they aren't supposed to be as soft as other beans, they almost need to be cooked al dente.

Now I know what you're thinking: "Billy?! What if I don't want to freeze or can beans? What am I supposed to do with 5 1/2 c of garbanzos?"

Pull yourself together, I've got hummus

and a crunchy snack.

First up, the hummus. This is one of those recipes that I barely messed with. I've never made hummus before, and I've tasted it a few times, so I wouldn't be able to say yay or nay to any of the ingredients. When I want to make a dish for the first time I usually head to Alton Brown or Ina Garten, and I read quite a bit of the reviews. This is especially helpful when I'm trying to make something that has a thousand variations, like hummus. I landed on an episode of Good Eats on YouTube that revolved around legumes, and had a hummus recipe. I went for it.

The only ingredient that is supposed to be crucial in Hummus is Tahini. It's a paste made of toasted sesame seeds, much like peanut or almond butter is. It's also extremely expensive, like 7 bucks for a jar that would spoil before I'd be able to use it up. Alton Brown used smooth peanut butter, and I will never question Alton on anything related to food, so I got extra excited to see it was ok not to use Tahini and go for the extremely inexpensive cousin.

The only reason these ingredients are supposed to be in the hummus is to give it a light, nutty flavor. A couple of the reviews said all I could taste was the peanut butter, but I think they may have added the full amount. I went with half and it was just enough.

Here's a little tip that I would think would be common sense, but what do I know:
If a recipe calls for a varied amount on an ingredient, go with the smallest amount and add, according to taste - I'm just sayin'.

When it comes to roasted chickpeas, it's even easier than the Hummus. Just grab some chickpeas and throw them on a baking sheet with a tablespoon or so of olive oil, some salt, pepper, and whatever seasonings you want to add. My personal favorite is a healthy dose of cumin, to make it almost like falafel bites, then you roast away for 40 min at 400 degrees, shaking the pan every 15 min to make sure everybody's sharing properly. Seriously, try these. You wont be disappointed. They taste great by themselves or thrown into a salad for a crunch factor. I went with some lettuce, tomato, tuna, and a pepperoncini dressing - recipe after the jump.

All legumes are extremely healthy for you and are a great source of protein for vegetarians and meat eaters alike. I have plans to cook one pot of beans a week and use them throughout for meals. You should do the same.

Hummus
Slightly adapted from Alton Brown's Turbo Hummus.

1 1/2 c cooked garbanzo beans, or 1 can if you have a really good excuse.
small handful of parsley
3 cloves garlic, chopped finely, or microplaned
1/3 c reserved cooking, or canning, liquid
the zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 T smooth peanut butter
splash of hot sauce
pinch of salt and pepper
1/4-1/3 olive oil, I used 1/4 c

Throw the garbanzo's, parsley and garlic into a food processor, zip around until nicely combined.

Add everything else except the olive oil. Pulse until combined.

Flip the processor on and slowly add the olive oil until the desired consistency is reached.

Pepperoncini dressing

1/2 c sour cream
2-3 T mayo
1/2 t each garlic powder, onion powder, and kosher salt
1/4 c pepperoncini juice, from the jar you should have in your fridge
1/2 c buttermilk
pinch of pepper

mix all the ingredients together and store in the fridge for up to 1 week. It's a little spicy so taste before you add the pepper.

Best. Oatmeal. Ever.

2010-07-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of people that strongly dislike oatmeal, and I completely understand. I've had my fair share of crappy oatmeal, when the oats haven't cooked enough and it's a hot bland watery tasteless mess.
Well, now you can forget all that nonsense and have a really good bowl of oatmeal.

It's rich and creamy and the perfect thing to start out the day. It reminds me a little bit of the instant flavored oatmeal packets that we all secretly love but have to eat 2 of just to get full. This stuff is almost as easy and it's just sweet enough to make you want it to eat it straight out of the fridge, cold, for dessert, with bananas.

Not that I did that.

It keeps well in the fridge too, so you can make a batch and have breakfast warm and ready from the microwave in just a few seconds throughout the week. And with a few extra ingredients, you could make a great flavored oatmeal, like peaches or strawberries. Maybe make the best move and throw some peanut butter and cinnamon in at the end instead of the butter. Whoa Baby.

Oats are extremely healthy, helping lower cholesterol and getting a good amount of our daily fiber needs. They are also extremely inexpensive, if you buy them in the bulk section of the grocery store - 58 cents a pound - go ahead and stock up.

This recipe makes enough to serve 2 and is easy to double with the measurements included below. I originally got the recipe off of allrecipes for butterscotch oatmeal. There was way more sugar than necessary. I suggest 3-4 T, I kind of sway towards the 4 T amount but people may like less sweet oatmeal.

One tip that I have, to cut down on dishes is to measure out the liquids in the measuring cup, one at a time, and then use the same measuring cup to beat the egg in.

Make this tomorrow for breakfast, it beats the pants off of any instant packet with the addition of fruit and/or spices.

Best. Oatmeal. Ever.
Serves 2

1 c milk, I used 1%
1/4 c water
1 egg, lightly beaten
3-4 T brown sugar
1 c oatmeal
pinch of salt

1 T butter
1 t vanilla

In a 2 qt pot, mix all ingredients, minus the butter and vanilla, together over medium heat until the oatmeal becomes thick and creamy. Remove from the heat and add the butter and vanilla. Let cool a little bit, it will thicken as it does this, and serve with whatever you feel necessary.

Optional flavors

Some chopped fresh peaches or strawberries when you add the vanilla and butter to make peaches or strawberries and cream

2 T peanut butter and some cinnamon instead of the butter to make a peanut butter cookie flavor. Decrease brown sugar to 3 T if you do this, or it will be a little too sweet.

Want to make a double batch?
Serves 4

2 c milk
1/2 c water
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3-1/2 c brown sugar
2 c oatmeal
pinch of salt
2 T butter
2 t vanilla

Fresh Lemonade. For Real.

2010-06-30T17:32:00.000-07:00

I've been craving lemonade for a while now, and I'm a little bummed I never got around to it when I had hot dogs and macaroni salad the other night. These things scream summer and when the weather warms up, which it's finally starting to do in Humboldt, you need to jump on the summer food bandwagon and enjoy them.

Now.

Lemonade is available in all kinds of forms. I won't judge if you use the powder. I myself have a little Country Time hiding in my pantry for when I want a single glass. It also comes in frozen concentrate form, and then it's available mixed with all kinds of flavors, and it's available ready made. All kinds of lemonade out there. Problem is they sort of taste, artificial. There's probably only one or two products that don't use high fructose corn syrup and use real lemon juice, but they're crazy expensive, so the obvious solution is to make your own. from scratch. with freshly squeezed lemons.

Right Now.

You can taste the difference when fresh lemons are used, along with plain old white sugar. Fresh lemonade is easy to make and easy to customize using different fresh fruits or juices or herbs like basil or mint. Fresh ginger seems to be a popular addition as well, but until my taste buds recognize it as ginger and not a bar a soap, that option is off the table. Today's lemonade is actually a lemon-limeade using half lemons and half limes, and it's awesome.

When making lemonade, it's ok for your finished product to look more like water and less like the chemically colored lemonade you find in the stores. This is what real lemonade looks like.

If you're going to be making a lot of lemonade, invest in some sort of inexpensive juicer, you're hands will thank you. If you don't want to buy a juicer and go he-man on the citrus, then try rolling the fruit on the cutting board before you juice it, and grab a fork to twist around and help release the juices. Just don't go he-man with the fork hand because you will stab the hand that juices.

You could also go Hot Dog on a Stick on your lemonade and muddle everything together in a giant container, possibly with mint?, without the ridiculous hat, leaving everything in there when adding the simple syrup and water.

Man, I really want a corn dog now.

If you're not 100% on board with lemonade, shame on you, try using some to make an Arnold Palmer, which is half iced tea, half lemonade, it has a little bit of sweetness and somehow makes the iced tea flavor a little stronger.

You can also replace the water with some sparkling water for a fizzy drink that's a nice alternative to soda.

And the last tip, double this recipe to make a gallon and take it to a BBQ with some friends, and that macaroni and/or potato salad so you can make even better friends.

Basic Lemonade
Makes 2 Quarts

1 c lemon juice or for lemon-limeade 1/2 c of each
3/4 - 1 c sugar, depending on how sweet you like lemonade

Make a simple syrup by bringing 1/2 c water and the sugar to a boil while stirring so the sugar dissolves. Set aside and let it cool. Mix the citrus juice and the simple syrup in large container, adding enough cold water to make 2 quarts.

Drink it all, and repeat. for the rest of the summer. and probably part of the fall too.

Macaroni Salad from a Bucket isn't Attractive

2010-06-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

The idea of Macaroni Salad in general isn't attractive.
I know this.

It's made up of mayo and pasta. In my mind I know I should say no thank you, but when made correctly, macaroni salad is the perfect partner for a hot dog. I am aware of the no factor of a hot dog as well, but nothing beats them when they're burnt and slightly crispy. I'm really racking up healthy points in this post.

Back to the attractiveness of macaroni salad.

You know when you go to a BBQ and the person responsible for the salad irresponsibly pulls out a bucket or one of those milk cartons full of a sugary mayonnaise based potato or macaroni salad? Not attractive. No matter how good looking the person is they just lost hot points for bringing the bucket of mayo soup, with bits of dehydrated red pepper and macaroni. Homemade macaroni or potato salad though, that's pretty attractive, and insanely easy to make.

For me there are some must haves when it comes to macaroni salad:

black olives
celery and
hard boiled eggs

These things are necessary. Trust me. I'm a specialist.

just kidding

But seriously, this is some good macaroni salad.

What's that? you don't like macaroni salad, and you'd prefer potato? Well then, head over here.

This macaroni salad is easy and a little on the lighter side with a mostly sour cream base. I used light sour cream, and olive oil mayo, and it tastes fresh and zesty, thanks to a secret ingredient.

And this all comes at the perfect time for 4th of July. This weekend everybody. You're Welcome. I'm not a huge fan of the fourth. or fireworks. I need to see some fierce in your face fireworks. As I've mentioned several times, I live in Humboldt county so most likely the fireworks will just end up being color changing fog with sound effects. For some reason the city sees it necessary to spend the $15,000 on it every year. It's all donations, but still that 15 grand could go towards so much more than a 15 min display of glowing fog.

I haven't always lived in Humboldt. I used to live in the "foothills of Yosemite", down by Fresno and every year we'd go see a Grizzlies game and watch fireworks afterward. What's more American than that? Overpriced hot dogs, Baseball, and a pretty schnazzy fireworks display that used the same soundtrack every year. I actually kind of miss it. Minus the heat.

Back to the fourth and these salads. Make one of them, or both... to take to your freedom shindig, and you'll be pretty popular. They both make a ton of salad, and should be made the day before to get the best flavor. If they seem a little dry when you go to serve them, then add a little more mayo or make a little extra dressing.

When it comes to both of the salads hard boiled eggs are in order. To cook em perfectly cover the eggs in a small saucepan with cold water by an inch and bring to full rolling, intense boil. Remove from the heat, cover and let them sit for 20 min.

When it comes to cooking the pasta cool it completely with cold running water, this is one of the only times you should run water over pasta, and then let it drain for 5 or 10 min in the colander to make sure you dont have a watery salad. If the pasta's warm when it goes in it'll absorb all the dressing and you'll just have to add more, and then you're left with mayo logged pasta. no bueno.

Also, besides the absolute necessities for the macaroni salad, any of the other veggies can be improvised. I used an ear of sweet corn and it was amazing, so much better than relish. you could also add some raw zucchini or broccoli or spicy radishes might also be a nice addition.

Go out right now and buy the ingredients for this salad along with some hot pants or shorts, depending how you roll in the summer, and be extra attractive at the BBQ.

And I would like everyone to know the color scheme for the 2 dishes was not planned, believe me, I'm not that cheesy.

just in case you missed the link earlier, POTATO SALAD!

Want macaroni salad?

Macaroni Salad
Makes a Megatron sized bowl

1 lb elbow macaroni
4 eggs, hard-boiled
1 ear sweet corn, kernels removed*
1 red bell pepper chopped finely, not necessarily diced.
3 stalks celery, chopped finely
1/2 of a 14 oz can black olives, chopped finely
2 green onions, sliced thinly

1/2 c sour cream
1/3 c mayo
3 T pepperoncini juice or pickle juice, but you really should get some pepperoncinis
around 1 t of yellow mustard
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
optional - a few dashes of hot sauce

Cook the pasta, according to the time on the box. I always use the smaller time on the box and set a timer when I throw the pasta in to the water. When you put the water on to boil, start cooking the eggs by placing them in a small saucepan and covering them by an inch with cold water. Bring the water to a full rolling boil, then remove from the heat, cover and let sit for 20 min.

While the eggs and pasta are doing their thing, prepare the veggies. Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl.

When the pasta is cooked drain it in a colander and run cold water over it to stop the cooking and cool it down so it doesn't get mayo logged.

When the eggs are done run them under cold water or put them in an ice bath. This not only cools them down but helps with the peeling process by making the shell easier to separate from the egg itself.

Chop the eggs roughly and combine all the ingredients in a bowl, taste to season further, cover and store in the fridge. If the salad is too dry, make some more dressing and add it right before you serve it.

This whole thing is way better if made at least 1 day ahead.

*when removing corn from the cob, husk the corn and break off remaining part of the stem, place this flat part where the stem was in the bowl and cut the kernels off the cob with a decent sized knife, this will insure that you wont have kernels flying everywhere.

CAKE! - carrot streusel

2010-06-26T10:10:00.000-07:00

See this cake?

It's a carrot streusel cake.

It's pretty much an awesome cake.

When I tried to find a carrot cake recipe a while back I found a lot of oil, raisins, and cream cheese frosting. Hell yes to the frosting - thanks but no thanks to the oil and the ridiculous invention of raisins.

I looked through some old recipes and found a carrot cake that used 1/4 oil and a substitute of 1/2 c applesauce. I remembered it wasn't the best carrot cake but it was decent. In a few of the recipes, there was a nice addition of crushed pineapple and I decided to use that instead of the applesauce, and replaced the oil with some melted butter. I tweaked (a creepy/equally funny word) some other ingredients and impressed myself.

I know I said hell yes to the frosting, but I wanted something different, and I decided to go with a streusel topping. Usually there's a bunch of butter and sugar. Now there's still quite a bit of sugar but instead of butter, there's cream cheese, old fashioned oats, and flour added. It's a nice change of pace and it makes it ok to eat a slice of cake for breakfast, although frosting wouldn't stop me.

The great things about this cake?

6 T melted butter
1 1/2 c sugar, including the sugar for the streusel
3 heaping cups of carrots go into this, and I'm guessing zucchini would also work. And come fall time, there will be an attempt with apples and possibly some more spices, so, watch out for that.

Some helpful tips

When making a cake that has add-ins like carrots, zucchini, or chocolate chips, toss it with the dry ingredients before the wet are added. This acts as insurance, helping the add-ins stay mixed in the cake and not sinking to the bottom.

When mixing the wet ingredients don't stand over the bowl. The combination of buttermilk, pineapple, and melted butter will most likely make you drool, and that would be gross if it ended up in the cake.

This cake is moist and dense, as you can see in the picture, very much like a muffin, so it is important you don't get super excited and take it out of the oven before it cooks completely. It takes at least 40 min, probably closer to 50 and the knife test works well.

Speaking of muffin, somebody should make these into muffins and let me know how it all went down.

When making the streusel in a food processor use the pulse button, it is your best friend. If you're awesome like me and just blast the on button and then space out, you'll get more of a clump that you have to break up instead of a lighter streusel that can cover a little easier.

If you do want some frosting and you want the fastest frosting imaginable mix one container marshmallow fluff and 8oz cream cheese until light and fluffy. No measuring, but there are a few no no ingredients.

and lastly - make sure you have people to share it with. If not you will devour the entire thing almost all by yourself in a little over 24 hours. tastes bueno, it's just the giant cake boulder in your stomach that's no bueno.

No more procrastinating, let's make some cake.

Carrot Streusel Cake
makes a 9x13 cake

2 c all-purpose unbleached flour
1/3 c cornstarch*
1 T baking powder
3/4 t salt
1 1/2 T cinnamon
1/2 c white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
3 c shredded carrots, about 3 regular size or 2 megatron
1/2 c chopped walnuts

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 c buttermilk
2 t vanilla
6 T melted, and slightly cooled, butter
1/2 c crushed pineapple

Streusel topping:
3 oz cream cheese, straight from the fridge or, better yet, the freezer
1/4 c white sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c old fashioned oats
2 T all-purpose unbleached flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl whisk together all of the dry ingredients. Add in the carrots and walnuts.

In another bowl mix together all of the wet ingredients.

Before you combine the wet and dry in all their glory, use a food processor - pulsing - to combine all of the streusel ingredients until the cream cheese is about the size of peas - think pie crust.

Combine the wet and dry and mix just until combined, pour into a greased 9x13 inch pan and evenly distribute the streusel on the top.

Bake for 40-50 min or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

* the cornstarch flour mixture is sort of a quazi cake flour. It's a good substitute when there's enough spice or flavor in the cake, but if the cake is just a plain yellow, sometimes there's a slight corn flavor that comes through.

Note to Self/Everyone: Make Pancakes

2010-06-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

Every weekend, I make pancakes. Or my roommate makes them. Either way, there's pancakes to be had. For me, they are one of the all time comfort foods. For every place Sam would not eat green eggs and ham, I would eat pancakes at 5 other places. I've had them for breakfast - no brainer. I've had them for dinner, with coffee, because when it's been raining all day hot pancakes and coffee can kick some serious Humboldt weather ass. I've even had them for lunch, using them as bread replacement for an amazing PB&J. Try it sometime, cold, with some Peanut Butter and Jelly, you can thank me later.

I also eat them when the pancakes themselves are plain, with peanut butter and maple syrup. It's perfectly normal, regardless of what people say. Pancakes are incredible, and can be made so many ways. Today I opted with the same variation I made last week: chocolate chip cookie pancakes.

Before we go any further, go ahead and wipe that drool off your chin.

What makes these chocolate chip cookie pancakes? Chocolate chips - I kid you not, walnuts, and a little bit of cinnamon. They don't taste like the actual thing, but they're pretty darn close, plus they make that PB&J even more amazing.

I start off with the basic pancake recipe, and add 1/2 c chopped walnuts and a little bit of cinnamon, then right after I add the 1/4 c of batter for each pancake into the pan, add some mini semisweet chocolate chips to the top. Once flipped the other side cooks up and the chocolate chips sort of hide away, but make some sweet nooks for that maple syrup.

On another note, since I haven't written about him at all, this is the hot mess that puts up with me and my antics. His name is Mose, he's not a girl, he's almost 2, and he loves carbs. He hardly ever gets people food, and when he does it's usually in the form of a carb, like bread. He knows the sound the different bread bags make and comes bolting in whenever they're opened. He always gets at least one pancakes and like a vacuum, swallows them whole without chewing. Today however he chewed a little bit, dropped it on the kitchen floor and then ate them up. He got a special no chocolate chip pancake and then I realized after I gave him one that maybe he couldn't have walnuts. Sure enough, they're poisonous. But so are grapes and one time I fed him an entire bag of those because he played with them before he at them and it was fairly entertaining. And then I found out they were poisonous and the cute dial was turned down a bit. So now he lays on the floor, with the usual amount of gas, dreaming and having somewhat of an epileptic fit, but I know this isn't the walnuts, as he does this randomly right when he falls asleep and sometimes decides to punch me in the face.

Back to the pancakes. Make them, even if you don't jazz 'em up, make them for dinner and/or breakfast tomorrow, and enjoy them with a nice hot cup of coffee, and if you don't jazz 'em up eat them with peanut butter and maple syrup. They don't come from a box mix, which means zero, zilch, nada additives.

Pancakes

Makes 18 medium size pancakes, or enough to feed a small army

2 c unbleached all purpose flour
4 t baking powder*

1/4 c sugar
1/4 t salt

1 1/2 c milk, I use 1%, I would maybe use 2 c if you used buttermilk or whole milk
2 eggs
1/4 c canola oil
1 t vanilla

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl, and the wet ingredients in a large bowl or measuring cup if you have one that can fit it all.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry, mix just until combined. Do not overmix

Do you hear that? It's the sound of ease and homemade pancakes throwing out the box of additives you have in the cupboard.

Heat up a skillet and add a small pat of butter. Use a 1/4 dry measurement to add even amounts of batter for the pancakes. Look for slight bubbles and divots in the uncooked side and then flip. You might need to peek to make sure that the first side is cooked. It's all a matter of the pan you're using and the stove top you cook on.

Flip away until all the cakes are done then devour them with butter, or peanut butter, and warm maple syrup.

*fresh baking powder makes all the difference. Believe me, if it's been sitting too long, then toss it out and buy another, then look for the recommended shelf life on the container and write the date it expires somewhere on the can, because you won't remember when you bought it in a few months.

For chocolate chip cookie pancakes add 1/4 c chopped walnuts to the batter, along with a little cinnamon and then sprinkle chocolate chips on the pancakes when they first go into the pan.

Get Dressed

2010-06-17T23:41:00.000-07:00

I want to start this post with the best salad dressing quote, from quite possibly the best. show. ever. Arrested Developement.

Michael: What do you think of when you hear the word, "Sudden Valley"?
George Michael Bluth: Salad dressing, I think. But for some reason I don't want to eat it.
Michael: Right. But, "Paradise Gardens"?
George Michael Bluth: Yeah... Okay, I can... I can see marinating a chicken in that.

If you haven't seen this show then you need to get on that. Right after you make this dressing. Like, right now. I'm serious, it kind of bullies other ranch dressings into corners and beats them up, and then takes their lunch money, because they're gross, and filled with chemicals. That's a good reason to beat up a food item and steal their lunch money, right? They deserve it after charging an arm and a leg for a small bottle of dressing. All the dressings are extremely unhealthy and most of the ones that aren't taste like crap. I actually don't mind the Hidden Valley brand of light ranch made with sour cream. It actually tastes pretty good for a light dressing, it's just that the other day I went to go grab one and it was $3.60 for a small bottle. I told my roommate, let me try and make some first. We'll see what happens. Well, mission accomplished, with a couple snags.

I eat salads for dinner, quite a bit actually. They're good, and when made correctly can be very filling. I use a bowl the size of my head, but it's mostly veggies and a light dressing so I have no fear. Most people dismiss salads as an accompaniment to a meal or when it is an entree itself it's usually smothered in a chicken breast and an incredible amount of dressing. There's no need for that, you hear me? If there is a large amount of chicken then it is chicken salad, and there is no lettuce. Different subject, for another post.

So when I make my salads I cram 'em full of veggies and add meat on occasion, and I always try to have homemade croutons or some sort of crunchy carb, like tortilla chips or the guilty pleasure of Doritos. In a salad. With steak. Ya I went there. Not my proudest moment. But a moment nonetheless.

Back to the dressing. Originally I had tried a recipe from a site that I love but in the end it just ended up tasting like no bueno mayonnaise. I was sad, but not for long. I told myself, I have the things to make another batch, my way, whipping up something fierce. I icksnayed (is that a word?) almost all the mayo and boosted up the sour cream. I took out some herbs and replace the fresh garlic with the powder, which is garlic, using an alias. I added a couple things and it was fantastic, tangy and rich with good ranch flavor. I'm almost convinced that the fresh herbs added to the dressing are added to make little green flecks, but I don't know, I'm still investigating. Anyways - this salad dressing is awesome. It's a ranch with an awesome flavor, and is crazy easy to make. It's nice and tangy from the sour cream and buttermilk and it's got a KICK IT! from the Tapatio. And it's not half bad for you, so you can take shots of it, because it's that good.

When it comes to the crunchy carb part of the salad, which is extremely important, you need to make some homemade croutons, for real. I use a 5 seed bread and it makes the most amazing croutons. I take a few slices of bread, cut them up into crouton sizes, toss them in a couple Tablespoons of olive oil, and bake them at 350 for 10 min. Done. Another word for BAM should be inserted here. Maybe KICK IT!?

For tonight's salad I chose a head of Romaine, fresh corn, raw zucchini, black olives, mushrooms, and cannelini beans. In retrospect, red pepper and red onion would have been a very very nice addition.

The main base for the dressing is sour cream and buttermilk, but I found out earlier today from Jen over at the Renaissance Kitchen you can use non fat greek yogurt for sour cream in certain recipes or as the garnish and it tastes the same, so, knock yourselves out.

Ranch Dressing

1/2 c sour cream, I used light

2-3 T mayo, I used olive oil mayo

1/2 t onion powder

1/2 t garlic powder

1 t kosher salt

1 T fresh chopped parsley

a decent amount of fresh black pepper

same with the Tapatio, depending on how zesty you like your dressing
3/4 c buttermilk - more or less depending on desired consistency

Another option? leave out the tapatio and throw in a blender with a seeded jalapeno or mince the jalapeno and add it in the next time you make taco salad.

Congratulations

2010-06-15T08:58:00.000-07:00

This past week I left the comforts of my 60 degree high and headed for the hell known as the central valley. My brother graduated from High School. Congrats John! The trip is a long one. about 7 hours from Fort Bragg, which for me is a 3 hour drive that I decided to take at 10pm after work. The next morning we picked up the rental car, made a gallon of iced tea, packed up our things and headed out. We were supposed to get an SUV to help with the transport of things my mom had stored back in Oakhurst. Of course the SUV was not returned, so we got a brand new town and country. This meant we had to leave later, and with my mom's navigational skills got lost and ended up turning the 7 hour trip into a 12 hour one. Of course, we stopped at the vortex known as IKEA. Overall the trip was really great. My mom and I had a blast driving down there, even though we got lost a couple of times, she's an incredible form of entertainment. I got to see my 2 year old nephew that I haven't seen since he was a couple months old, along with my sisters and a good friend that I've known forever. I had some good food and some not so good food, and had a somewhat relaxing time even though it was nonstop driving and sleeping in 4 different beds over a span of 6 days. Now I've been back in Humboldt for a few days, and I feel a little wiser. I learned a thing or two on this trip:

My pizza dough can be frozen

and carried 12 hours to another location to make enough pizza for 10 people, but the dough balls will inevitably explode and make a mess.

When the dough sits for a couple days it gets a sweeter flavor and a definite yeasty aroma.

Even though I've been to IKEA 3 times, I still get sucked into the vortex and get a little overwhelmed.

IKEA has a nice As-Is section, with a lot of fabric remnants, duvet covers, and curtains for a fraction of the cost, like a quarter of the cost, just because it has a small hole in it.

A breakfast place can make crappy pancakes, that upset you because for the amount you payed could have made 4 times as much that would have blown your socks off.

Handy Manny is the new Dora the Explorer.

My nephew is officially the cutest 2 year old ever.

Automatic doors on a vehicle are cool only for a little bit but get annoying after a while.

I will never pay for Sirius Radio.

New minivans drive like mid size cars.

1 gallon of iced tea will last my mom and I four hours. I kid you not.

Waitresses question your motive at Red Robin if you order a gardenburger and don't renew your basket of bottomless steak fries.

I should have questioned her motives for serving me such a crappy burger.

Panera Bread has some tasty cinnamon rolls and coffee.

The Chevy's in Fresno took out their El Machino and do it all by hand now, but they never bothered to paint over the sign on the wall.

Chevy's still has some of the best freakin' salsa. not so good chips.

If there were a Dairy Queen anywhere in Humboldt I'd be there every day and be 20 pounds heavier. Seriously, their new strawberry and golden oreo blizard kicks some ass.

That's all I can think of right now, and for food for thought, I leave you with BATA's to eat some of those crazy delicious tomatoes, with bacon, avocado, and alfalfa sprouts. And to accompany, some fruit salad consisting of fresh Pineapple and Strawberries. The ratio of 1 pineapple to 1 pound of strawberries is incredibly amazing. I'm not joking. Go out right now and buy a pineapple, Costco usually has them for a good deal, and a pound of juicy strawberries.

When preparing bacon, try cooking it in the oven. Line a baking sheet with foil, pop on a cooling rack and lay out the bacon. I like crispy bacon so I go for 20-25 min at 400 degrees. Cleanup is easy and you need to make sure you use good quality, thick cut (pepper) bacon from the deli.

When it comes to pineapple, I usually cut off the top and bottom, and then peel sort of like a grapefruit or orange, with a knife then I cut into 4 and then remove the core like an apple, then into small cubes or giant chunks if you think that will slow you down when attempting to eat the entire thing by yourself.

Also, steak on a salad is fantastic, hot fudge sundaes with mint chocolate chip ice cream make any day better, and iced coffee can cool you off like nobody's business.

Pizza Tuesday

2010-05-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

Every Tuesday my roommate and I have pizza. I'm not going to mention the exact accompaniment of guilty pleasure entertainment because of slight embarrassment, but it happens every Tuesday. We started this a while back and have made sure that it's been carried through. Every week we try some new toppings. We used to buy our dough at the store pre-made in the deli section, just because of a few failed attempts at dough, and our schedules. Then the dough started having a weird chemical taste, like the cheap Pillsbury biscuits do. I said thanks but no thanks, and searched for a pizza dough recipe. I stumbled upon this one from the awesome Pioneer Woman. I made it - and was really excited. I only used 1/4 cup of olive oil the first time, then the full third cup, then found the exact recipe on The Kitchn minus the olive oil, so last night I only used a couple of Tablespoons. I like number 3 the best. The dough is super easy and it really only needs about an hour to rise, but I've given it two every time I've made it. The recipe gives enough to make 2 large pizzas, on 10x15 baking sheets of course, because it's cool to eat squareish pizza

I think the best part of Pizza Tuesday is getting to experiment with different toppings every week and not having to pay 2 bucks a piece. Making your own pizza is so easy and much cheaper than even most frozen options, it's natural and it tastes great. We each make our own to share, and have enough for dinner that night and lunch the next day and then some. So, it's enough to make it through Wednesday.

Last night, we agreed that it was some of the best pizza we had made to date. I've been on the hunt for pepperoni alternatives because pepperoni is gross and greasy and it gives me heartburn, so there. I have found so far that nothing really tops bacon, which is an amazing topping and lasted a couple of weeks on our list of pizza toppings, but I have branched out. Last night I opted for some red sauce - store bought, another thing I'm working on - along with some black forest ham, spinach*, black olives, mushrooms, and the cheese mixture of parmesan and mozzarella. Pizza number 2 consisted of alfredo sauce, black olives, mushrooms, and artichoke hearts with mozzarella. Both were amazing and the ham, which was chopped up, was better than canadian bacon, and cheaper too. Does anyone have other ideas for pepperoni alternatives or pizza toppings?

Also - best way to reheat a slice of pizza - on the stove. I believe I saw Tyler Florence doing this and I tried it to reheat the slices in the photo and then devour them. Just take a small saute or frying pan, probably even a cast iron and put on medium heat with the pizza alone in the pan, covered to help melt the cheese. It's nice and crispy and not soggy like pizza reheated in a microwave.

*the spinach is 5 oz chopped frozen spinach that I thawed and squeezed dry

Basic Pizza Crust
love child adaptation of The Pioneer Woman's and The Kitchn's
makes enough for 2 10x15 pizzas

1 1/2 c warm water, hottest from my tap works for me
1 t active, not instant, yeast

4 c unbleached all purpouse flour
1 t salt
2-3 T olive oil

Dissolve the yeast in the water and let stand for 5-10 min.
While this is happening, mix the flour salt and olive oil in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, and put about a teaspoon of oil in a medium size bowl for the dough.
Once the yeast mixture has "stood", mix in with the flour mixture and mix for 1-2 min. Take out with hands, dough will be slightly sticky, form into a ball and roll around in the olive oil you placed in that bowl.
Cover with some plastic wrap and let sit for 1-2 hours or longer if you like.
Divide into 2 and carefully stretch onto baking foil lined, greased baking sheet
Add toppings and bake at 500 degrees for 10-12 min.

Enjoy.

Ain't Got Nothin' On Me

2010-05-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

Move over Jif, Skippy and that expensive all natural stuff that you have to stir, papa's got a brand new peanut butter. I've had issues with homemade peanut butter in the past. It would just clump up, and never turn to a good consistency. I always added extra oil because that's what recipes said to do. Not anymore. The only ingredient needed? PEANUTS. Really? In PEANUT Butter? No, it can't be true. Oh but it is. When you make your own, you will have the same argument with yourself. If you have a bulk section in your grocery store then it will not only be super easy to make, but super affordable as well. There is one catch, you need a food processor and 2-3 minutes to spare.

I know there are other possibilities in the realm of nut butters. Cashew perhaps? or maybe walnut? Possibly homemade nutella? I know there will also be the experimentation of flavor additions, enter this beautiful mess. A store that sells only peanut butter sandwiches. Watch out. They also have a bunch of flavored peanut butters like white chocolate, dark chocolate and cinnamon raisin swirl. Whoa.

Obviously when you make your own peanut butter it doesn't taste the same as the commercial brands, it tastes better. So much more rich and ammaaazing. Using dry roasted peanuts ensures a nice nutty flavor, without any added fat or oils, and it's so easy to make that you can have super fresh peanut butter all the time. It literally takes just 3 minutes for me to whir some together. So there's no recipe, just a couple minutes and couple of cups of roasted peanuts. There will however be an update soon that will include some flavors. The batch I have now is peanuts with a pinch of kosher salt and a little brown sugar because honey was absent, but I'm guessing honey and cinnamon peanut butter would make anyone slap their mom across the face. On top of all the flavor reasons and possibilities, there's also the deal with the gross additive that commercial brands use - hydrogenated oils.

PS, While searching foodgawker, I ran across this gem that I will be trying this weekend, with my homemade peanut butter of course.

Also I am not dead for the very few people that read this blog. School has been a little intense with finals and photo projects and moving. But alas, summer has finally begun, even though the mini Humboldt Hurricane would beg to differ.

View from my new Kitchen window into my backyard/jungle with the rain and wind.

What?!

2010-03-31T22:31:00.000-07:00

This What?! art post is a shameless plug for the HSU photo club. If you by any chance live in Eureka or are visiting the area this Sat. during Arts Alive, You should come by and check out the 2 shows we are having. One is going to be at Bon Boniere Ice Cream and the other is a portraiture show at Swanlund's Camera. Check 'em out. The portraiture show will be up until the end of May and the Bon Boniere show will be up until the end of April.

Spicy Tuna Remix!

2010-03-31T22:11:00.000-07:00

I like a good tuna sandwich. I don't want it dripping with mayonnaise and have the only ingredients be crappy non albacore tuna and mayo with a ton of salt. Usually my tuna sandwiches consist of solid white albacore, a little mayo, a bloop of dijon, some pepperoncinis, thawed frozen peas, and slivered almonds. It's amazing. Try it sometime.

Every once in a while I like to veer off the trail/road of my go to tuna, and slam right into something even more different. This might include basil and Parmesan or old bay and onions. This time I decided to remix my tuna sandwich into a spicy Asian tuna sandwich. It was fantastic, and it's actually healthy.

I had bought some chili garlic paste and sesame oil, both of which are kind of pricey and rarely called for, but they have no substitutes, and were needed for a stir fry dish. I arrived home from school and decided I would have tuna for dinner, because it's fast and easy, and since I had just used these "special" ingredients the day before, I would incorporate them into the tuna.

Also included in the sandwich; alfalfa sprouts. They're an incredible addition to sandwiches and salads, and they seem to never end. Does anyone else have other uses for these?

And lastly, I had Sun Chips to accompany my sandwich, only because they're probably one of the best kind of chips, ever. But I believe Sun Chips have some splainin' to do. They have new compostable bags. And don't get me wrong, I'm all for the earth and recycling as much as the next person in Humboldt, but these bags are awful. They have the worst sound. Seriously, next time you're in the store, roll by and just poke the bag. I have witnessed someone loading their groceries actually stop and poke the bag to make sure they heard correctly. Sun Chips knows this is a problem because they have a spot on the back that says these bags are loud because they are compostable. I kid you not. So, just throwing it out there. The chips are awesome but the bags are obnoxious. Catch 22.

Spicy Asian Tuna Sandwich

2 6oz cans Solid, or chunk, white albacore tuna

3 T mayo

1 T Soy Sauce

1/2 t chili garlic paste*

1/2 t sesame oil*

1 carrot grated

1 t toasted sesame seeds 

a little s&p

Combine all ingredients and serve on  toasted sesame buns or some good wheat bread with sprouts. And don't forget the great Sun Chips with the gross new bags.

*both of the ingredients pack a punch in either flavor or spice, so use sparingly

Rotisserie Chicken Meal: Curried Chicken Salad

2010-03-23T13:29:00.000-07:00

Rotisserie Chicken is amazing. It's fairly inexpensive, especially if you buy it at Costco or Sam's Club for $5, and you can do so much with it. I buy one every week and usually make it stretch between 2 meals, so I thought I'd start some postings here showing all the variations you can do with this help from the deli. It is just cooked chicken, but it tastes so frickin' good.

First item up? Curried Chicken Salad. I love chicken salad, especially in the summer when I can buy all kinds of fresh vegetables and herbs at the farmers market to use in the salad or on a sandwich. The base recipe is pretty simple, just 2 c chicken from the 4 c you get off of a rotisserie chicken, and a few Tbs. each sour cream and mayo. Add some Dijon and whatever add-ins you want. This time I decided to do something I've seen a few times and run with the curry. It's really good, especially in a wrap with some spring mix.
If you decide not to use rotisserie and cook your chicken, stay away from the poaching method. Roast it in the oven or gently grill it up.
I use the half sour cream, half mayo mixture to help cut back on the fat and calories, using low fat sour cream with some Dijon helps spice up the mixture and adds some flavor.

Chicken Salad

2 c cooked chicken, half a rotisserie chicken, shredded

3 T mayo

3 T low fat sour cream

1 t Dijon

Optional curried salad add-ins:

1 t curry powder

1/4ish c dried cranberries

1/4ish c toasted slivered almonds

1/4ish green onions

Spring Break with a side of Potato Salad

2010-03-21T10:54:00.000-07:00

Back from a "vacation". School starts back up again tomorrow and I am not a happy camper. I don't think anything on my list was completed. I went home to Fort Bragg, CA for the week and enjoyed the amazing weather that happened to show up the entire week. I celebrated St Patrick's with hot dogs and the option of homemade sauerkraut, avocado and tomato. No corned beef and cabbage. I don't know why, I guess hot dogs just happened. Doesn't matter though because the weather was great and few things are better on a warm day than hot dogs and potato salad. I was in charge of the potato salad and kind of hit a home run. I've made it before and never really remembered what I had done then next time I attempted it, so its only been really good a few times before, but now it's recorded, in all it's glory. Good old fashioned potato salad. Nothing too special, and the amount it makes is perfect for a potluck or BBQ.

If you ever have a chance to go to Fort Bragg for a weekend, or anywhere on the Mendocino coast for that matter, just go. There's not a whole lot to do, hence the time period of the weekend, but the beaches are gorgeous (insert corny sunset picture) when the weather is nice and there are some neat campgrounds. My grandparents have lived up there forever and my mom just moved back into the area last year, so this last semester I went down once a month and have been going as much as I can this semester. There is not a lot in the way of amazing food, but if you go, you have to go to Thanksgiving Coffee in Mendocino. They have the most amazing fresh blackberry or blueberry cream cheese pastries ever. I'm not crazy about their coffee, which is served all over Mendocino county, so I've planned to go picnic style next time and bring my own coffee, save some money, and park on the bluffs to eat and enjoy the view of the pacific. My mom always gets the onion bialy, a flat bagel "pizza" sort of dish with poppy seeds and crazy nice onions, along with some of their really nice boysenberry iced tea. So, if you ever go to the Mendocino coast, go there. Get a danish or a bialy and go enjoy the view. And a little fun fact, the slightly interesting movie, overboard, was filmed on the Mendocino coast and the restaurant they film in is Capt'n Flints down in the Noyo Harbor. Just throwing that out there for all of those Goldie Hawn/Kurt Russel fans.

Now, back to the potato salad. This is classic with one secret ingredient: pepperoncini juice, or the pickling liquid they sit in, it adds a perfect amount of zing and a slight spice that's not overwhelming by any means. If you don't have any, then you should go out and get some, pepperoncinis have to be in your fridge at all times, and if this in not an option then use a little less of a rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar, possibly even the juice of a lemon. For best results, make it a day ahead.

And whatever you do, in the name of all that is holy, Never Ever Ever buy potato salad that comes in a milk carton or a bucket. You're better than that.

Potato Salad

 Makes: almost a full ton

5 lbs russet potatoes

6 eggs

1 small red onion, diced

5 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 14 oz can black olives, chopped

1/2 - 3/4 c mayo

1 T yellow mustard 

3 T sweet relish

1/4 c pepperoncini juice, or 3 T or so vinegar/lemon juice.

1 t salt

1/2 t pepper

Peel and chop the potatoes into potato salad size, add to a large pot, and cover with water, season with salt. Heat up the water to boiling and check the potatoes after 10 min. While these are going, Hard-boil the eggs by placing them into a small pot just covered with water, bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover and let them sit for 20 min. When they're done rinse under cold water to help with the peeling.

Prepare the dressing by mixing the mayo, mustard, relish, juice, salt and pepper. Prepare the rest of the ingredients and set aside in a very large bowl. When the potatoes are done cooking, run them under cold water to stop the cooking and to cool them down. There are some that say warm potatoes are the best because they soak up the dressing. That to me is a problem because it turns out dry and sometimes the potatoes are oily and I'm not a fan of mayo logged potatoes. The flavor "problem" can be solved by making the salad a day in advance.

Peel the eggs and chop them up, add them, along with the potatoes, to the dressing and vegetables, mix and add more mayo if necessary. I'm not a mayo nut, so I like a little less than some others might. Some may even need more than 3/4 c, it's all preferential. Always taste for seasonings, and add more s&p if necessary. Chill and enjoy.

Lazy Wednesday

2010-03-11T11:46:00.000-08:00

I love dinners that allow me to be a lazy. Yesterday was my last day of class before spring break and I could feel it. I bolted as soon as my last class was over and when I got home I wanted to sit around and do nothing. I do that often, but there's no school for a week and a half, and I have work planned for the break. It's pretty serious, I've started a list:

Get some artwork up in my empty Etsy shop

Refinish a piece of furniture

Clean my room

Take lots of pictures, for a project, and for the shows the HSU Photo Club is having in April.

Try and post to the blog as much as I can

So because of all this I needed a lazy day, after the classes and before the "break", and comfort food is the best way to end it.

And since Giada is such a sly fox, she got my attention to make her dish, made up of cauliflower, a cheese sauce , and pancetta. I don't have a pancetta source, so I used bacon, and tweaked the recipe ever so slightly so I could cheat and use frozen cauliflower florets. It takes almost no time at all, and it's amazing, and the perfect meal with a salad, which I did not opt to eat, although I have a bag of spring mix that needs to be used.

Anyways, make this. It's fast and it tastes great and it's actually not that bad for you.

Cauliflower Gratin

2-1 lb bags frozen cauliflower florets, thawed

4 slices thick cut pepper bacon, usually available in the deli

3 T butter

3 T flour

2 c milk, I use 1%

1/2 t garlic powder

pinch red pepper flakes

1 c parmesan cheese

1/4-1/3 c regular breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 350

Blanch the florets for 3-4 min in boiling water, drain, and place into greased casserole dish. I used a 9x13ish pan.

Cut up bacon and cook in pan until nice and crispy, set aside on a paper towel lined plate, drain the grease in a grease cup.

Add butter to the pan and melt, add flour and cook for a minute, add milk in 1 c increments, along with the garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Once sauce has thickened, take off the heat, stir in the cheese and bacon. Pour over the cauliflower and top with breadcrumbs.

Bake for 25-30 min until top is bubbly and slightly browned.

What?!

2010-03-11T10:37:00.000-08:00

While reading apartment therapy this morning, I ran across an article that had some sculptures made from old kitchen utensils. The horses are crazy. The artist is Sayaka Kajita Ganz. She was born in Japan and now works in Indiana making all kinds of sculpture work. A plus is the reuse of the kitchen items.

While we're on the subject of animals that are not animals, check out this winner. Shauna Richardson makes crochetdermy. Crocheted Taxidermy and it is hot stuff.

I really want to start giving an equal amount of effort to artists as well as food, so amazing artists will be found and showcased in a What?! article, a slight homage to my dawg, Randy Jackson.

How to Properly Christen a Dutch Oven

2010-02-24T20:30:00.000-08:00

For a while now I've been pondering the idea of a dutch oven. What I've been trying to un-ponder is the high price tags associated with them. As a college student, I can't even begin to fathom spending the $150 base price most brands ask for, and I wont even begin to touch the idea of a Le Creuset. $300 is not going towards a pot. I splurged on a Kitchen-aid a few years ago, but that has a few more functions. Most of the lower budget dutch ovens also have ugly handle designs or blah colors, and if I were to spend the money I would want a nice green one. So of course I was crazy excited when I was perusing the depths of Amazon and found this little number. Say What!? A green 6 qt Dutch oven for $65? It was definitely in my price range and there's a plain simple black handle, and the Lodge brand has been around forever and they're know for their quality. I'm a cheap-wad when it comes to a lot of things, and for some reason I still couldn't part with $65. Well the next day I for some reason slowly made my way back to the product info page before school and there was some sort of Friday Sale going on so it was only $55 with free shipping. I think I may have had time to blink once and like that I had bought it. It came last week, but I've been so busy with school and I wanted to make a classic dutch oven meal so I settled with one of my all time favorites; pot roast. I took ideas from all over, mostly Tyler Florence, but I ended up with a killer pot roast. Tender meat with vegetables that have been cooking in the meats juices. So So good. I don't think there is any other way to christen a dutch oven.

By the way, I purchased the "Emerald" color dutch oven, but they have a few choices. The red says it's $95, but that is a lie, just do another search and according to the current prices you can get one for $35.

Pot Roast

3-4 lb chuck roast

s and p

olive oil

more s and p

1 onion, sliced in half, skin off, root still intact

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ lb mushrooms, quartered

14 oz can diced tomatoes

1 c water

1 bay leaf

2 t minced fresh rosemary

2 lbs potatoes, I used Yukon gold quartered

4 carrots cut to about the size of your thumb

Warm a few tablespoons of olive oil in a dutch oven.

Liberally season the meat with s and p, and get your sear on.

Once all the sides have a nice color add everything but the carrots and potatoes.

Bring up to a simmer and let it roll for an hour, turning the meat after 30 min.

Once the hour has passed, turn the meat once again; add the potatoes and carrots, and cook for 2 more hours, turning the meat every 30 min. (This is done so all the meat has a chance to cook in the juices, and it’s evenly tender).

After 2 hours and the few turns, you could easily make gravy with a little roux and the fantastic beef stock you’ve made and serve it with the juicy roast and vegetables. 

Awesome Rice Pudding

2010-02-23T13:26:00.000-08:00

About a year ago I went on the recipe trek for rice pudding. I refuse to buy anything pre-made, and almost all the recipes I saw called for cream or egg yolks or way too much sugar and the ones that didn't came out tasteless and dry. Then came Ellie Krieger. I have to admit, not all of her food looks crazy appetizing, but every once in a while, I'm intrigued by one of her healthy variations on a classic dish. Where most of the recipes called for heavy cream or whole milk, this one called for vanilla soy and a fraction of the sugar. The first time I tried it, I used less soy than called for fear of it being too runny, and it turned out gummy. So I stuck to the original amount the second time around, and added a little more sugar. The result? Awesome Rice Pudding. It's rich and creamy with a hint of cinnamon and vanilla. Serve it warm with fresh whipped cream and you've got yourself an inexpensive, guiltless, and comforting dessert.

Rice Pudding

Adapted from Ellie Krieger

1 c Arborio rice

3 c vanilla soymilk

1/3 c sugar

pinch of salt

4” stick of cinnamon

1/2 t vanilla

Bring 2 c water to a boil and add rice, reduce to simmer and cook for 20 min or until rice is tender.

While rice is cooking, preheat oven to 375 degrees

Grease a 2 qt baking dish and add soymilk sugar and cinnamon. Once rice is cooked, add it to the dish, cover, and bake in preheated oven for 45 min. For a little extra insurance, place foil lined baking sheet underneath in case the pudding decides to go wild and boil over. 

After 45 min, remove from oven and add vanilla, let sit and thicken on counter, about 20 min, and serve warm with fresh whipped cream.

mmm mmm great

2010-02-18T12:46:00.001-08:00

Today in Humboldt it's foggy and overcast. nice. As much as I enjoy the summer this cool weather is one of the ma in reasons I moved to the area. It's perfect for soup and I love soup. A lot. I saw Tyler Florence make his ultimate roasted tomato soup and thought to myself, I need to make that. So I did. I tweaked it a bit , added some carrots and crushed red pepper, really nice flavor and consistency. It hit the soup spot. I topped it with some parmesan and homemade croutons that I make all the time for salads. It's just a couple slices of some 5 seed bread a tablespoon or so of olive oil, and some salt and pepper, baked at 350 for about 10 min.

Best. Croutons. Ever.

Take some time and make this for lunch or dinner when it's cold outside.

Also, as a little side note: I just received a new dutch oven in the mail, so I plan to test it out and post about it. I need some ideas.

Roasted Tomato & Carrot Soup

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes

1 lb of another type of tomato, I used vine ripened, quartered and cored

1 small red onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic

3 carrots, chopped

2 ½ c chicken stock

1 bay leaf

pinch of crushed red pepper

2 T or so fresh basil

2 T cream

1 T butter

Preheat oven to 450°

Place all the vegetables on a foil-lined sheet and toss with salt and pepper and about 3 T of olive oil, roast for 20-25 min.

Add vegetables to a decent sized pot with chicken stock, bay leaf, and crushed red pepper, bring to a boil and reduce to simmer, cook for 10 min.

Put it in a blender, or leave it in the pot and use an immersion blender, and blend until it turns into a rich smooth consistency.

Return to pot for serving, add basil, cream, and butter, wait for the butter to melt and serve with croutons and parmesan cheese.

hey hey hey

2010-02-16T16:21:00.000-08:00

Billy here. I'm an art major at Humboldt State and decided a while ago I needed to start a blog to fill some time and share some food. I finally got around to it. tadaa. I decided to kick things off with one of my favorites; brownies. There is no need to use a box mix. These taste like bits of awesome and are just as easy and have none of the junk the boxes do. They also have a fraction of the fat most brownie recipes do, so, I guess they won't shoot to your thighs as quickly.

Brownies

1/4 c canola oil
1 1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla

2 c ap flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa
1/4 c coffee

optional add-ins: 1/3 c chocolate chips, 1/3 c walnuts, almonds, etc

Preheat the oven to 375

Combine all the dry ingredients together in one bowl

In another bowl mix together the oil and sugar until it resembles snow. Add in the egg and vanilla and mix until well combined.

Add in half the dry combo and stir just until combined, add the coffee, mix, then add the rest of the dry ingredients.

Pour into a greased foil lined 9x13 pan and bake for 25-30 min.