December 18, 2009 at 9:44am
Notes
Have we already talked about how obsessed I am with vegtables? I know we’ve talked about both my new found love for asparagus, and grape tomatoes, but it doesn’t stop there. Oh no! If it’s a vegtable, I love it.
Now I know this is not earth shattering or anything new for that matter. But I think we should all take a time out in our days and recognize how delicious and healthy and just lovely vegtables are. There really is nothing more to say.
Except that try sauteeing you’re veggies by themself and eating them for a light lunch one day. You can thank me later.
Veggies you should include:
Peppers (green, yellow, red)
Green beans (definitely not frozen or canned)
Grape tomatoes (duh)
Asparagus (mmmmhm)
Mushrooms (try it!)
And really anything else….
Oreo Truffles
(Recipe Below)
It’s the holiday season, it’s okay to indugle yourself a little more often. Or atleast that is what I’m trying to convice myself. That, and with finals overtaking my life, I deserve a snack every now and then (more now, than then).
Baking also helps destress me, therefore giving me the best excuse ever to whip up some orea truffles the other night. And not just one batch, two whole batches. After passing some off with friends, I’m still “stuck” with a whole tray full. Well the tray isn’t so full anymore.
These oreo truffles are easy to make, and simply delicious. I recieved tons of compliments on them, that I will make them again soon, just for the attention!
OREO TRUFFLES
What you need:
1 package Oreo cookies, finely crushed
1 8 oz package cream cheese (no reduced fat stuff, please…we’re talking truffles here)
2 packages (8 squares each) semi-sweet chocolate, melted
What you do:
1. Mix 3 cups of the cookie crumbs with the cream cheese until well-blended.
2. Shape cookie/cream cheese mixture into 42 1” balls.
3. Dip balls in melted chocolate (use two forks and sort of roll them around until evenly coated; allow excess to drip off) and place on wax paper.
4. Sprinkle over remaining cookie crumbs and refrigerate at least one hour before serving. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator.
Other decorating ideas: Adorn your truffles with sprinkles, colored sugar, or even edible glitter.
Chocolate Mayonaise Cake
(Recipe Below)
I hate chocolate cake. I like chocolate, but in small doses. A whole cake of it? Consider me uninterested.
So one day last spring when my friend Laura told me about a chocolate cake her mom made for all family birthdays, I shrugged it off assuming that it couldn’t possibly be that good. And when she disclosed that the secret ingredient was none other than mayonnaise, I will admit I was a little disgusted!
Now I can’t remember what happened next. How she got me to try it, is besides me. But thank goodness she did! Because ladies and gents, this cake did nothing short of change my life.
Soon after I someone finagled a copy of the recipe into my own hands and couldn’t wait to make it. I went home for a visit over the summer and insisted that I bake this cake for my family. Once I made it, I looked around with much anticipation, waiting for my family to agree that the cake lived up to its much talked about hype. Unfortunately, my family just did not seem to enjoy the cake as much as I do. Such a let down!
Come to find out later, that another secret to this cake is to not eat it that day you made it, and in fact wait at least two days and that cake will taste better! I still have not made another, but am thinking about doing so while I’m home for the holidays, and convincing my family of giving it another shot. I’m positive they’ll love it this time.
I’m including the recipe, in hopes that I can get the world hooked on chocolate mayonnaise cake. I’m convinced our lives would all be so much happier and much more enriched if we all ate a little more cake.
Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
Combine & Sift Together:
2 C sifted cake flour
1 C sugar
2 t baking soda
½ C cocoa
¼ t salt
Add:
1 C mayo
1 C water
1 t vanilla
Mix well.
Pour into 2 greased round cake pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 28-30 minutes.
Cool completely before removing from pans.
Frosting
½ pound unsalted butter, softened
1 pound powder sugar, sifted
1 t vanilla
few grains of salt
2 egg whites
Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.
Add vanilla and salt, then add egg whites and beat until creamy.
ALERT ALERT ALERT ALERT
I have BIG news!
I have located another precious item to add to the list of mango flavored things that I adore.
Simply Orange juice with Mango
I am convinced that this is the nectar of the gods. Since finding this a little over a week ago, I may have consumed over two bottles full of the stuff. Delicious! Run, don’t walk to your nearest neighborhood grocery store and pick this up immediately.
One thing I always miss about home is the food. And not just mom’s cooking either, the restaurants as well. One of my favorites, Sonic just opened up a location not far from downtown Chicago. I have already been there two or three times to get my slushie fix. However, one restaurant that is noticeably missing from the fast food scene up here is Chik-fil-a.
Chik-fil-a is not like any other fast food restaurant. They have standards and values that southern people love. To top it off, their food is delicious and keeps people coming back for more.
Their breakfast is my guilty pleasure and is sure to get me out of bed early at the prospect alone. The only thing that would make this restaurant better would be chicken in a biscuit all day long. If I haven’t managed to make it there on time, their chicken nuggets are fine by me. With a side of waffle fries and freshly squeezed lemonade, you will not hear a complaint from me!
I’m always impressed when people make homemade soup. Is it just me, or does that seem particularly hard to master? Except for my one semi-failed attempt at baked potato soup, I have yet to really give it a go.
My mom made me a delicious Italian soup while I was home. She had found the recipe on the internet and gave it a try in order to find something new for dinner one night. What a good find it was! Soup really is delicious especially in these cold winter months.
Packed full with sausage, bacon and potatoes, this soup is not only hearty but certainly delicious. I am now inspired to try and tackle soup on my own. A good homemade chicken noodle soup does sound quite good right now!
Find the recipe here!
December 17, 2009 at 10:12pm
Notes
My top adult beverages:
- BEER Any kind, any where. I love beer. It’s not a secret. I would prefer beer over almost any other alcoholic beverage. It’s cheap [for the most part] and tasty. Can’t go wrong with that.
- Cider My friend introduced me to cider, and I have a lot to thank her for. This sweet drink is a version of ale and beer that gets my taste buds all excited. Doesn’t quite have the alcohol content some desire, but other than that I have nothing bad to say about this stuff. Oh, except that it’s a little harder on my wallet than I would like.
- Arnold Palmer (w. Vodka) Sweet tea vodka changed my life. Prior to my introduction to this delicious liquor, I was not [much of ] a hard liquor drink. Occasionally I could be talked into a vodka and cranberry or something of the likes, but I usually didn’t enjoy it. But sweet tea vodka mixed with lemonade has seriously changed my outlook on vodka. This delicious concoction will now be my go to when I am looking for an extra special night that I’m sure to never remember.
- Champagne Yum yum yum yum. The fizzies, the tingly feeling, the light-ness. I love it all. I always feel so classy when I drink champage to boot. Mix it with some orange juice and you’ve got the perfect way to start your day. You can never go wrong with a bottle of champagne.
(please drink responsibly)
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