Scotty's, It Just Gets Better and Better!

So for the end of semester my COM 114 class went out to eat dinner at Scotty's. WoW!

A few of us have posted and talked about Scotty's before. I again will highly recommend this local establishment; and from the service at the local place, any other location of Scotty's Brewhouse.

The food is amazing, the waffle fries great (get 'em loaded!) and the service very friendly. The only thing to add to my recommendation now is to turn 21 and comment on their brew selection.

I tried the dill chips, a new appetizer for me, this time. They are fresh sliced dill pickles dipped in batter and deep fried, and they are really good. They come with horseradish or ranch sauce, my advice, go with the horseradish, it really brings out the dill flavor of the pickle with a nice little bite from the horseradish itself.

So without a doubt, Scotty's is a great eating establishment. Enjoy good food (and I'm guessing good beverages) and great service and go to Scotty's.

El Rodeo

¡Yum, alimento bueno!

My RA scheduled a floor dinner last night to go out and eat at El Rodeo.

El Rodeo is a local Mexican restaurant that is part of a small chain. It is very traditionally decorated and has a very unique and homily atmosphere. It even had traditional music playing in the back ground.

The food and service were excellent. The chips were warm and fresh, the salsa hot and delicious. The menu extensive and not to expensive (the highest price I saw was approximately $12 for a steak or shrimp specialty dish). I would highly recommend it for a nice break from dorm food and high class expensive restaurants. I personally am a big fan of Mexican food, and this local, small chain place delivered high quality service and delicious food.


I had one of their burritos and it was amazing. It was the Pablos Burrito which had chicken, steak and some chorizo as well as grilled onions and some beans and some other veggies in it. It also came with a green tomatillo sauce (which was nicely hot) and spicy white cheese sauce over it with pico de gallo and sour cream and guacamole on the side on top of fresh shredded lettuce. The burrito itself was pretty big and filled me up well (as did all the chips and salsa).

El Rodeo was a great choice by my RA and I will definitely dine there again. I highly recommend it.

Praline Sticks...YUMO!

Ok, so since its getting close to Christmas time I was really craving something delicious and homemade. I was on a message board that I am a member on and I came across a website that has a whole bunch of holiday recipes. The website is http://www.northpole.com/ and it has some amazing recipes on there.

You really have to try the Praline Sticks, they are to die for!!! They are sweet, a little gooey, and a little bit of a crunch. I bet they would be even better with a little bit of melted chocolate on top. Here is the recipe:

Praline Sticks:

24 graham crackers (I used the honey kind)

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

pecans or nuts (I left these out simply because I didnt have any)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Lay your graham crackers on a 9x13 pan with 1 inch sides. Melt butter and brown sugar together and cook on low for 2 minutes until mixture just comes together. Pour over the top of the graham crackers and bake for 5 minutes in the oven. Let cool a bit and then slice your pieces while it is still a little warm.

This recipe is so fast and easy and super, super tasty!! This would be great for a holiday party or a get together with your friends. Or, just for a snack to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Next Year

So a couple of my friends and I are moving into an apartment for the next school year. Boy are we excited. Not only will we have our own place, but we'll be able to cook our own food! I know for some that may seem daunting, but actually 3 of the 4 roommates are pumped and excited. We enjoy cooking and are looking to have a nice stock of food to create exciting dishes with. Our 4th friend said he would do the dishes, so looks like were set!

It is hard to believe that this weak being dead week, the week before finals, is here and that the first semester of this year is pretty much over. I guess its even weirder because we planned our living quarters for NEXT year. And I must say it is a sweet deal. Great location, nice rooms and size, new kitchen area, yup yup yup, a sweet deal.

So as I am excited for the end of the semester and winter break (and christmas and holiday feasting), I am also excited for the thrill of next year and the cooking on my own I will be able to delve into. I guess I'm excited to really be living in my own place for the first time too.

So here's to all you home owners out there! Enjoy your place and your dining delinquency....I am super excited for mine.

Winter Wonderland Desserts!

Hey, tonight at 5pm at your local dining hall is Winter Wonderland Dessert Buffet Night, or WWDBN for short. I didn't realize that Christmas came twice in December, but here we are at a day of miracles. I honestly plan on drinking coffee/milk and eating dessert/more dessert. I cannot wait.

So, that brings me to general Christmas desserts, if you know what I mean. My mom just called me saying that she was making Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls, Pecan Pie, Pinwheel cookies, and then asked me what I wanted made for when I came home. Uh, I thought, just about everything you have in that big recipe book of yours. Man, I seriously cannot wait to go home and eat those cookies my mom makes.

And I know you're wondering what Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls are... Imagine a jar of peanut butter mixed with powdered sugar and butter covered in semi-sweet chocolate and then frozen to a hard candy...

Oh wait, don't just imagine that, because that is what it actually is... good I know. In fact it may be one of my favorite foods ever. I know my friends come over just to get a few. My Aunt's mother, whom I've never met, makes a recorded 115 types of Christmas cookies every season.

So I pose the question: what are your family's traditional desserts for Christmas?

So I had a pig out day... want to fight about it?

So here I am, making my way through a full week of Thanksgiving detox and I find myself staring down at my stomach wondering why it felt like crap and was almost monotonously repeating "Gimmie pizza, dammit." directly into my subconscious. Yes. My stomach talked to me today. And it was asking for pizza.

See, I've been having one of those weeks where you make yourself eat well. Then I had a pig out day. Just one. And it was epic. I call it my week anniversary of Thanksgiving celebration, and back onto the path of righteousness I go.

It was around 11:00 this morning that my gastronomy spoke and I wasn't scheduled to eat lunch until 1:30. Great Zeus, was I pissed. Then I remembered that I heard that my last lab before lunch only took half the time. Finally, a break. So I got to lab already irritated from low blood sugar or fat withdrawal or something and I was ready to work it out. And work I did. I owned that shiznit and got out of there around 12:00 walking from ENAD to Ford, beating my friend on his bike who was right behind me. Yeah, I beat a kid on a bike walking to ford I was that motivated to get there.

So there I was. Finally inside. "SCREW SALAD!" I cried, grabbing my plate and loading on two slices of supreme and two slices of sausage. "SCREW VEGETABLES!" I exclaimed, loading up the same plate with ranch potato wedges and chicken fingers (which are sent from God as part of the holy trinity of Ranch Potato Wedges, Chicken Fingers, and Dirt Pudding). "SCREW FRUIT!" I yelled as I grabbed a slice of peanut butter Oreos'n'cream pie. "SWEET JESUS I FEEL GOOD!" I yelled having given up on civilized eating and stacked three slices of my pizza to make a pizza-ey thing that I didn't even know I was capable of consuming that fast.

It. Was. Epic.

Yeah. I finished it all, and I really didn't feel like crap. I guess it was all that clean living I'd been doing this past week. Seriously, I ate really well. So here I am, with no regret, having eaten well for lunch AND dinner. Circumstance would have it that I would fall into a plot of my friends to go to a Japanese restaurant, not order anything and end up eating all of my friend's leftovers (a lot!). So tomorrow, it's back on the straight and narrow. Good to go.

How about you?

Holy Shnikes already! Another national food day...?

Yes, I have gone and done it again... it is officially November 28th, National French Toast Day. I really was hoping to get past my national food day obsession, but they're just so convenient... and good foods are usually mentioned. So suck it up already.

For years I have gone eating one of the most wonderful of breakfast foods: hot, creamy, crunchy, sweet, filling french toast. Oh my god. I want some right... now. Even though its not breakfast, it is one of the greatest hot foods I've ever eaten ever. And that love extends to all its incarnations, from my mom making a super-duper simple french toast for me in about ten minutes to eating Cheesecake Factory's loaded french toast that has all sorts of whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and nuts on top. I am most intrigued by seeing how Alton Brown made it on an episode of Good Eats one day, leaving the bread to stale and then baking it after frying it. Weird? Actually, no.

See, french toast was originally created by the French in order to make something useful and filling out of the stale loaves of French bread that every person, from the King down to his official ass-wiper's ass-wiper, had lying around their homes. The bread was no good to eat on its own or for sandwiches, so the peasants found a way to recook the break and create a new, better, tasty and sweet, sweet because it covered the stale taste, meal that was easy to make for breakfast. So really, french toast is traditionally made with stale French bread. Get it?

My mom makes it a little more American-style, doing it the way her mother taught her which is quick, dirty, and tasty none the less. I do not act like my mom's way is better, but unless you're willing to devote an entire day to making this stuff, this is the way to go.
My mom starts out by beating and egg and mixing it with milk. Soak a slice of white bread in it, cook it on a greased frying pan and sprinkle with cinnamon, powdered sugar, and add syrup or any other topping you want. This was a staple of my childhood and is so damn good.

Cheesecake Factory, on the other hand, makes most of their dishes completely over the top. They take two HUGE slices of thick bread and fry them up all crispy like using basically the same ingredients as my mom, just richer and with more... precision and care. Then they cut those slices diagonally and top it with whipped cream, powdered sugar, chocolate sauce, nuts, and whatever else you'd find on top of an ice cream sundae.

Oh man, how the hell can I get my hands on some french toast? I do not want waffles, though good they are...

Here is a recipe that is highly rated on allrecipes.com that is not unlike my mother's recipe. Seriously, its really close. See how the total time is 9 minutes? Yeah, not that many hearty foods can make that claim...

Go and get some. Now.

Red Robin

So, this weekend I went to a Red Robin with some friends, it was my first experience, but not theirs. They convinced me to go with these two words, "Bottomless Fries." I was sold...

The experience was great, the wait staff excellent and the food cooked exactly as asked.

I had a chili-chili burger. it was a basic burger with chili over it and chipotle mayo, and cheese. Delicious! I had to eat it with a knife and fork though (it is listed under the Knife & Forkers section on the menu.) And the bottomless steak fries where definitely worth it. A nice big burger, good fresh fries, what more could a guy ask for?


Oh yeah, T.V. to watch the games. They had T.V.s everywhere, even in the floor near the waiting area!!! We kindly asked our waitress to put on the Kansas vs. Mizzou game and she obliged.

Even their beverages where good, I had a bottomless Freckled Lemonade (a blend of sweet strawberries and tangy Minute Maid lemonade), it was very, very good.

Red Robin is definitely a place I would visit again. It was a restaurant that enabled me and some friends to just relax and get good food, and not worry about the hassle of a classy restaurant atmosphere.

So if you like relaxing and you enjoy a good burger (with bottomless fries!) then check out Red Robin, it's on my good list.

A great place to try!

I believe I have mentioned before how I just adore sushi. My favorite sushi place is in Chicago, called Sushi Wabi. However, since I don't live near there anymore, it gets harder and harder to make it up there. I have found a great sushi place right here in West Lafayette. Its called Heisei and I have been going there for a couple of years now. I used to go there so much that one of the sushi chefs, Jose, knew my friend and I and would send over some special rolls for us.

This place has great atmosphere!! It has the traditional seating where you take your shoes off and sit on the floor. Underneath the tables it is cut out so your legs can go underneath. There is also regular tables for those that do not want to take your shoes off and sit on the floor. The menu is great and has many traditional Japanese items. The sushi menu sits on your table and you mark off which rolls you want and the quantity. My favorites are the spicy spider roll (awesome and I highly recommend it!!), the french roll, the Philadelphia roll, and the spicy tuna. They also have great nigiri which is a slice of the fresh fish on top of rice with a dab or wasabi. Very yummy!

I have also had other dishes besides just the sushi. The mixed tempura is great, the Goma'ae, the combination dinners, and on the lunch menu they have a Japanese curry with tempura shrimp that is delicious. They also have edamame for an appetizer.

If you want to check out their menu and the hours feel free to check out their website here. They are open for lunch and dinner, but close between the two meals.

This is just a great restaurant that has a great staff! I have never had a bad experience here. So go check it out!

Oh sweet Lord, It's Pickle Day!

Peter Piper picked a patch of pickles... is not at all how the actual rhyme goes, but it makes for an interesting hook, yes?

So it just so happens that November 14th, National Pickle Day. (...I cannot believe that we have classes today. I have to celebrate, don't they know that...?) Yes, an entire day has been often devoted to different foods, and today's is pickles, or pickled cucumbers.

"Cucumbers were probably first pickled 4400 years ago in Mesopotamia. In India, pickles were well known by the Vedic period. Cucumber pickling might have spread through the Jewish diaspora.

The pickling process was also known to the Ancient Greeks. Aristotle is reported to have praised pickled cucumbers for their healing effects. Julius Caesar's soldiers ate pickled cucumbers as health aids; many other brine-soaked foods were part of daily life in Ancient Rome. Cucumber pickling remained widespread across the Levant and Maghreb regions, where it is still very popular today. A pickle slice is commonly referred to as a 'chip'.

Pickled cucumbers became popular in the United States due to the influence of the cuisine of Eastern European immigrants." (wikipedia.org)

It is well known that pickles are a staple in any Jewish deli, but especially welcome and unique are the half-picked pickles. These are lighter green and are softer than fully picked pickles. I prefer these, I don't know about you, because I can't stand any taste of salt being too strong on my palette, and these halfers are a great balance between cucumbers, which I do not like, and full-on pickles, which I do like, just not as much as half-pickled ones.

And I have to add that pickle juice, because of its sodium content, is great for curing sports cramps during those long training practices. It's also a great thing to chug if you want to throw up and never be able to smell pickles again without getting queasy. Seriously, I know a guy who chugged pickle juice... it wasn't pretty.

Yes, pickles are one of the oldest foods on this earth, seeing as brining has been a good way to preserve food that would otherwise go bad, a technique older than God. Of course, not everything pickles well to be preserved. You've heard of pickled herring, pickled pickles, and pickled pigs feet as well as pickled eggs and countless other disgusting foods to take well with brining. It is without doubt that many of these foods no one has ever tried. I know I've never tried pickled pigs feet. I cannot honestly see the appeal. I'll try anything once but, keeping it real, its pickled pigs feet. The feet of pigs having been soaked in a salty bath for weeks. WTF, Rome? WTF?

Anyway, go out and celebrate by getting some slices of pickles at your local deli counter at your local dining hall. Do it. It's good.

Cheers! (Oh, and if you didn't read, tomorrow November 15 marks the night that Purdue dining halls has its Thanksgiving feast. Do it. It'll be like every other meal, plus apple and pumpkin pies, aaaaand cranberry sauce. Mmmm...)

Thanksgiving, turkey, birthday cake? No, Poptarts.

So, I see that everyone else's excited about Thanksgiving and Christmas that are coming up and posting recipes and all that. But hey, someone has to post something random right?

Well, I'm a pledge at this one fraternity and this week is our Initiation Week (aka, Hell Week). All the pledges are forced to stay in the cafeteria of the house and we are only allowed to leave when we have classes or to get food. However we only get 15 mins to get food and that isn't even enough time to get McDonalds or Taco Bell. And there's no way for us to cheat the system because the brothers have our daily schedules and know when we should be back in the cafeteria. We are, however, allowed to order food from fast food restaurants but after ordering couple of my meals I ran out of cash and I didn't want to use my credit card.

Yeah, so the only option for me is to bum off food from my pledge brothers or run over to the On-The-Go at the closest dining court and grab a bunch of poptarts. For the most of the time my pledge brothers are too busy stuffing their own mouths that they can't afford to share their food. So, I've stocked up on tons of poptarts, all same flavor, cherry.

I've been eating cherry flavored poptarts and cold, leftover pizza for the last 2 and a half days. I'm sick of poptarts, and cold pizza. I want something warm like, roasted turkey, soup, and even double cheese burger from McDonalds. I just want some real food! I can't wait till this week's over. Even dorm food sounds really good right now. Man, I don't think I'll ever complain about dorm food anymore.

Well, wish me luck.

-Pizza

Thanksgiving breakfast

Okay so when we think of Thanksgiving, we think of dinner right? I was searching recipes and I found one for a Thanksgiving breakfast. This pumpkin pancake recipe is perfect for this time of year. Just make sure you like pumpkin flavored stuff. This recipe got very good ratings and only takes about 10 minutes to make!

Pumpkin Pancakes

100% would make this again

Serves about 4

1 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
2 eggs, separated
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons melted butter
maple syrup, heated In a small mixing bowl, stir together flours, baking powder and salt. In a large mixing bowl, beat together pumpkin, egg yolks, milk and butter. Stir in flour mixture. Beat egg whites until they hold firm peaks and fold them into the batter. Ladle about 1/4 cup of batter at a time onto a preheated, lightly greased griddle.
Bake until bubbles appear on the surface, then turn and bake the other side until lightly browned. Serve with warm maple syrup

One hundred percent of people who reviewed this recipe said that they would make it again. A comment even said that it was great and the family loved it. Its just like making normal pancakes but with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and pumpkin. This tastes good with a big glass of milk. Just don't get too full on the pumpkin pancakes or else you won't have room for Thanksgiving dinner. Pumpkins can be used for many recipes but most people don't expect them to be in pancakes. Surprising someone, who of course likes pumpkin, with these pancakes would be a pleasant surprise.

Some delicious chicken!

I knew that I was going to make chicken for dinner tonight, but I was really in the mood for something different. We always seem to get into a rut of making the same chicken dishes over and over again. Boring! I wanted some new flavors with my chicken. So, I started searching the internet. I have found this great recipe website called recipezaar.com. I have talked about it before in some of my other posts, but its a really great recipe site. It allows the users to rate and add comments on people's recipes that they post.

Anyways, so I am perusing the website trying to find something that looked delicious and that I also had the ingredients for. I finally found one, its called Deviled Chicken Thighs. It uses Dijon mustard coated chicken with bread crumbs. You then bake the chicken in the oven until crispy. It was heavenly to say the least. Here is the recipe:

1/4	cup creamy mustard (Dijon or Dijonaisse)
1	tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2	cup breadcrumbs
1/4	cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2	teaspoon salt
1/4	teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper
8	chicken thighs, skin removed (about 2 1/2 lbs.)

• Oven Roasting Lunch/Snacks
  
  
• Chicken Thighs/Legs Lunch/Snacks
  
  
• Potluck Lunch/Snacks
  
  
• High Protein Lunch/Snacks
  
  

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
2. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
3. In a large bowl, mix mustard and Worcestershire sauce until blended.
4. In a pie plate or shallow container, combine bread crumbs, parsley, salt and pepper.
5. Toss chicken thighs in mustard mixture and then coat with crumb mixture.
6. Place on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes; turn thighs over and bake an additional 15 minutes, or until juices run clear.

I made mine with spicy brown mustard and used my own homemade bread crumbs. Some people have said that when they used the homemade breadcrumbs that it came out soggy. I didn't have this problem with mine. They came crispy and yummy. I also did not turn my chicken over. I did notice that it took mine a little bit longer than 30 minutes to cook, but then again my chicken thighs had the bone in them and might have been a bit bigger than the ones used in the recipe.

Overall though, this was a great recipe. Its kind of like fried chicken only baked and the mustard with the Worcestershire sauce gave it a nice kick. I highly suggest that you try this!! I served mine with Caribbean jerk rice and peas. My family loved it and I bet yours will too!

Already Thinking About Christmas

Most people in their teens and up would exclaim that they want that new handbag from Coach or a Gibson guitar. Whatever it is, it's more normal than what I would want for Christmas. I know it seems odd that I'm talking about Christmas now, but a recent conversation that I had with my sister got me pondering about all holiday and Christmas related things. It's only approximately a month away, so I say what the heck, lets talk about Christmas.

So the question that got me thinking about all of this was "What do you want for Christmas?" Unabashed and almost automatically, I went into a rant about how I wanted cookware. My sister replied with a half exaspperated and humored tone " You're so weird", and I could just picture her rolling her eyes and silently grinning. I know, it seems silly, but this is what food blogs can do to you.

I've always been a foodie and a cook at heart but there are cooking/baking stores out there that will make a regular foodie like me feel like I'm in a candy shop. I've had several encounters with the William Sonoma store in Chicago, and let me tell you, I wanted to chain myself to the furniture and never leave. Once you walk into the store, there is display upon display of the newest and coolest cooking/baking gadgets of the season. The walls have shelves of pots and pans all lined up sleek and shiny, odd utensils and assorted cutlery that you never even thought existed are put on display like mouthwatering chocolates, and the china section in the way back proudly displays eggshell-toned creme brulee ramekins like sugar sculptures. Don't even get me started on the baking section. Let me just say, my sister had to pry my hands away from the pink kitchen-aid mixers and drag me out of the store. It's that cool. Trust me.

Here are some of the sleekest gadgets that would make any foodie the happiest person in the world:

The Imperia Pasta Machine (red). If you've never made you're own pasta, you should. It seems daunting, but really it's the easiest thing in the world to make. This gadget will definitely help get that task done faster.


Oil Mister. If you do alot of cooking with olive oil ( or any oil for that matter) you know that it is sometimes hard to control how much oil to use. This gives you precise control on how much you want to use. Its also nonaerosol, so you can refill it whenever you want.


Electric Egg Cooker. The space-age look of the this dome creates the simplest of foods. It hard-boils, soft cooks, and poaches up to 7 eggs. Just place the eggs inside and a buzzer alerts you when they're done. It would be great to have in the dorm.


Primo Milk Frother. For those of you who are latte and cappuccino aficionados, the milk frother will make hot milk into a rich and creamy concoction. It would be great for hot chocolates too. And now it's cordless, so you can carry it anywhere you would like for an emergency latte frother... not that anybody would have an emergency of such things, but still, it's a nice gadget to have around.


Lastly, Crème Brûlée Torch Set. Sadly, your's truly is not in the possession of ramekins, but I am determined to get these. It comes in a set of 4 with a mini blowtorch. With this, you can make the authentic creamy custards and crackly caramelized sugar crusts. But don't think that crème brûlée is the only thing you can make, the blow torch can be used for melting cheese, roasting bell peppers, and making tasty meringues.

Alas, if I were to buy these gadgets, I could only use them during the breaks. But it is so worth it. I hope you're reading this Stephanie (my sister). :]

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is approaching fast, and everyone is out shopping for food and believe it or not, Christmas! I went grocery shopping with my mom on Saturday for Thanksgiving stuff and the lines were long, and the store was crowded. We bought stuff to make mashed potatoes, corn , sweet potatoes, pumpkin and apple pie, and of course turkey!

Thanksgiving for us is all about tradition. We always go over to my aunts house and she cooks most of the dinner and we buy all the stuff for her to cook. She lives in a fancy house and it feels much more like a holiday when we go to her house. She makes many varieties for us to eat, and me and my brother are always allowed to bring a friend, boyfriend, or girlfriend. Dinner is usually almost ready when we get there so we sit at the table and talk until its done. As soon is dinner is ready, all the women get up to bring it all to the large table in the living room. Every one eats until they can't eat anymore, but there is always room for dessert.

After dessert and stuff, we usually sit around and talk about what has been happening in our lives. We also pick out the secret Santa out of a hat. Secret Santa is my favorite part, because you write your name on a paper with a few things that you want that is a reasonable price. The person who picks you is supposed to get you one of those things. Then after secret Santa we talk about who is going to have the Christmas party, which has usually been my house, except for the year my dad was sick. After we decide who is having the party, we decide who is going to bring the food and which man is going to dress up as Santa this year for the little kids.

I love Thanksgiving because it means that there is a lot of shopping ahead of me and Christmas is coming. Thanksgiving is also a time to eat all my favorite foods and see all my family. This year a lot of my family is going to be in Florida for Thanksgiving so we will be picking their secret Santa for them and deciding between who is home for all the rest of the stuff. Thanksgiving this year won't be the same as normal, but it will be just as fun. Also this is the first year that my boyfriend and I don't have family activities at the same time, so we can spend the holiday together with each others families.

Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for what you have, and to appreciate all the food that is there in front of you. Another thing we usually do at Thanksgiving is give a gift certificate to a grocery store to our church and they give them out to the poor families in the area. That way even the people who don't have much to be thankful for, they still have a large meal on their table to celebrate the family and that things that they do have. Also, we usually pick out an angel from the angel tree at church. Usually there is a kid on the tree who doesn't have much and put what they want for Christmas on a card. Its really sad because sometimes all the kids want is a pair of gloves to keep them warm. Every year we try to pick an angel off the tree so they can get the things they need and be happy for what they have.

Thanksgiving is defiantly one of my favorite holidays because of all these things.

Birthday Cake

So it is my birthday today....and I thought I would describe my favorite type of cake and you could describe your favorite kind as well.

I love Ice Cream Cake. A good ice cream cake with the crunchies on the bottom, maybe some cake layered in between as well. DELICIOUS! But actually I love all kinds of birthday cake. Chocolatey Chocolate cake with raspberries, or Strawberry Shortcake...ohhh man. It is all deliciously delectable.

So what is your favorite birthday cake?

Indulge your inhibitions it's my birthday after all!

Turkey Day

I've been counting down to the day I leave for Thanksgiving break. Currently, it is 8 days left for me and I'm so excited to go home! I've even made a to-do list for the things I want to do and the foods I want to make. Since discovering food blogs, I've been feverishly writing down recipes that I've been itching to try out and I've also made a mental note that I must visit Nookies again. One thing that bugs me though is the span of time Purdue has given us for a Thanksgiving break. I contacted all my highschool friends and all their breaks start on the 16th of November! That's a whole weekend plus the addition of 2 more days for break! I blame October Break. I guess it wasn't such a good thing to rub it in the faces of all my faraway college friends that I had 2 days of no school. Now that I think about it, it's a bit useless to have 2 days of break just for the sake of the month of October, don't you agree? I would have much rather had a long relaxing weekend leading up to Turkey Day.

It then dawned on me that I wouldn't be able to make all the things that I wanted to make, and so the list has dwindled down to but a few recipes that are a must make for the holidays. These corn muffins are great for the actual Thanksgiving dinner or you can make them a few days before, like me, and munch on them to the days leading up to it. It's a sort of pre-Thanksgiving dinner thing I do :] .

The Corniest Corn Muffins
adapted from Dorie Greenspan
makes 12 muffins

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of nutmeg (optional)
1 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted then cooled)
3 tablespoons corn or olive oil
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan or fit the molds with paper muffin cups. Alternatively, use a silicone muffin pan, which needs neither greasing nor paper cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg, if you’re using it. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, melted butter, oil, egg and yolk together until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don’t worry about being thorough - the batter will be lumpy, and that’s just the way it should be. Stir in the corn kernels. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.



Enjoy!

I just ate at that one pizza place in the Union. Read about it.

So I was walking back from a Chemistry review, where my friends and I didn't actually get any help, and my friend started talking about how he ate 5 Chipotle burritos at one time. And how he ate three pounds of a five pound burger at a burger place. So I said, why don't we go get on the wall of fame at Pappy's and eat that big-a burger they have? All agreed, and we were on our way. However, seeing how it was only 20 oz and cost 12 dollars, it was dismissed and we were on our way back to that pizza place to order a pizza to share.

We got a Sicilian (extra-thick crust) with sausage, coming out between three of us to about 5 dollars a person. That's a good deal for how big this pizza was. It was thick, good, freshly made, and tasty. Opening the box was incredible, as it exposed the massive pizza to our devouring eyes. Then we actually devoured it.

What isn't obvious from the start is how thick the crust actually is. It's about an inch thick on average. The cheese wasn't too thick, though, and the sauce was well-proportioned. Adding garlic powder and oregano and parmesan made it that much better, of course. The crust is also very good quality, with its texture taking on that of yeast bread. Very good if you ask me.

I highly recommend the food at that one pizza place, as my friend told me he had had another dish there and really enjoyed it. I had only seen how big the slices were and decided to one day eat there. And I did. Today. Go there. Now.

Cheers!

Fitness, Ford Dining Court and The Dreaded Freshman Fifteen

I just finished running at the Co-Rec. I feel great. My body is relaxed and warm.
I am doing my part to keep off the extra pounds many gain from college life, are you?

I have to admit as I type this I am considering my options for the weekend, and my dining situation for tonight and the weekend as well. College life gives you many opportunities to eat more than your fill and to bring along some snacks for the road. Many people think that walking to classes will keep you safe, but when I consider myself an avid to-class-walker, and I count the number of times I take the bus as well, I realize that walking probably won't do the trick.

I played sports and ran track in high school, so running is not a problem for me. The issue has been making it fit into my schedule, and I'm sure thats the case for many college kids too. With the blessed freedom we receive comes responsibility. We have a responsibility to go to class, to live our social life, AND we have a responsibility to our body. It isn't fair for the college student to not treat their body correctly. I'm not saying don't go out and have a good time, believe me I enjoy, no LOVE having a good time, but I also realize the value of good nutrition and fitness for my body.

That's why recently I have started running again using the Co-Rec. The Co-Rec offers numerous ways to work out, from the Colby Fitness center to racket ball courts to the Aquatic Center. I plan on using them all. Since I'm very health conscience (as much as I can be), I've been moderating my intake and trying to eat smart; as well as Running/Swimming/Lifting. I am still working on finding the perfect balance, but it hasn't been that hard to sit down and plan out time in my schedule to do it.

As a college kid that enjoys having a good time and going out on the weekends, and the dining courts (I can't resist the all-you-can-eat part when they have cheese cake and hot fudge!), I can honestly tell you that adding fitness into your schedule will balance everything out for you. You can feel good about yourself and your health, you can look good, and you can have a good time. Equality is good, so is good health and preventing health issues in the future by maintaining good health.

So drink and be merry, and then run hard, lift big and swim long!

Now to figure out my dinner and weekend plans . . .

Oh my God. It's the 100th post!

I honestly remember looking at the counter and thinking, that'd be great to be able to do the 100th post for Food for Thought. Then for some reason I decided to do a blog post while sitting in a library. For no reason. And the little counter says 99 posts, and I am creating, as I type, the 100th post. Awesome. I just figured out a good way to celebrate, seeing as I am making this celebration up as I go along.

I want to take a look at some of the foods that were created just one hundred short years ago, and help you reflect and be thankful for how far we've come:

In 1901, the first peanut butter and jelly sandwich was invented defining the childhood of all who followed.

In 1902, Nabisco first released Animal Crackers. Seriously? They're that old? I bet they had more lax standards on animal rights back then, too. I bet those original cookies came with parts animal species that are now endangered.

In 1903, club sandwiches were invented, oh oh oh yes, and canned tuna was first put on the market, forever giving those creepy kids you ate lunch next to, but never talked to, another way to smell horrible.

In 1904, the first ice cream cones were invented as well as banana splits and Ovaltine. Rich, chocolatey Ovaltine! Try it hot! I loved Ovaltine. I love banana splits. I love ice cream cones.

In 1905, submarine sandwiches and New York style pizza were invented, and all I can say is thank the lord for 1905. Without that year, we'd have no Jared I used to be thiiiis FAT!-commercials.

In 1906, Kellogg's released cornflakes for the first time. The market was, and still remains, incredibly unimpressed.

And finally, in 1912, Oreos were created! Finally, the catalyst in the formation of DIRT PUDDING was invented. All hail dirt pudding, long live the Oreo!

Huh, 100 years ago was a long time, but we still eat these same foods today. Just like how they made all the Spam the world would ever need 100 years ago, but continue to sell it today

I love innovation.

Cheers!

Broccoli Cheese Noodle Soup

Alright, I kind of promised a post about cheese in my last post but I got something even better. Well, It has something to do with cheese actually. It's Broccoli Cheese Noodle Soup.

Today for some reason, I was starving at four in the afternoon. I have lunch at one everyday and I'm usually good till at least six or seven at night. Well, anyway, I was hungry and decided to walk down to Windsor Dining Court early and wait there for it opened. The dining court's supposed to open at five but they actually opened couple minutes early. I glanced at the food display as I was walking in but I wasn't feeling anything they had. So I just grabbed some spaghetti and walked around to see if anything else looked good. I got to the soup section and I saw that they had Broccoli Cheese Noodle Soup. One of my favorite soups served at the dining courts! This pretty much made my day. I ended up taking only couple bites of my spaghetti and getting three more bowls of the soup (Turned out to be a bad idea because I was hungry again soon as I got back to my dorm).

I first had this soup during BGR (Boiler Gold Rush, for those of you who don't go to Purdue). When I first saw it I had second thoughts about it because I despise broccoli. But my team leader pretty much begged me to try it as she was eating hers. And to this day I'm glad that I did because it became one of my favorites.

Broccoli Cheese Noodle Soup is exactly what it sounds like. It has broccoli and noodles in it. And it's cheesy. Everyone should definitely try this soup when they get a chance. It's the next best thing after all the other food that I like. So check out the Windsor Dining Court Menu every week and try it out! You won't regret it.

-Pizza

Sandwiches

Remember that old story, how the Duke of Sandwich was playing cards and a servant brought out sliced meat for snack? With the meat being so greasy, the Duke could not play cards so he ran into the kitchen and sliced bread to make the first sandwich.

Needless to say by the incredibly interesting picture depicting one usage for a CD spindle rack: sandwiches are good, sandwiches are great. Mhmm, sandwiches. Kick ass. They are also incredibly portable, delicious, fresh, and can be made out of bagels. Which is a good thing. Except when you put lettuce or tomatoes directly on bread without a barrier of lipids, the fat from mayo or lunchmeat, and it gets all soggy.

I made a sandwich for dinner today. I used Earhart's vegetable bread, some ranch dressing, tomato slices, ham and turkey. Then I toasted it hardcore. It was amazazing. AMAZAZING I SAY! I'm super serial! It sounds so simple, but simplicity is what sandwiches were born out of. Just take the stuff you love to eat, slice it, and throw it on bread that you've sliced in the previous steps. You can use sliced loaves, rolls cut in half, pita bread, or biscuits. Sourdough, wheat, grain, rye, pumpernickel, or white. You can add anything on a sandwich. Ranch dressing, 1000 Island dressing, mayonaise, garlic mayo, anything. Seriously, anything. Go at it. Add alfalfa sprouts, green peppers, onions, carmelized onions, lettuce, tomatoes, anything. Anything at all.

"Hey, if you want a lot of good stuff, eat just a bunch of good stuff all at once." - Mr. Ramen

Cheers!

Today I went to the mall with some friends and we were starving. We passed pretzel stores, Cinnabon, and other food places and the fudge place was even giving out samples. I was meaning to go back to the dinning hall to get something to eat. Time flew by and it was already 7:45. The dinning hall closes at 8 so I knew I wasn't going to make it. We decided to go to Applebees. I ordered the chicken fingers with fries and a baked potato. It took a while for the meal to come but the service was great in general and the food was amazing.

The chicken fingers were tender and the fries were cooked perfectly. The baked potato had a little too much sour cream on it but it was still good. Everyone was happy with their meal and it was a good atmosphere to have a good time. We were going to order dessert but we were way too full. The people were laid back and it was fun just to go out and have a good time. I just wish that there were rolls or bread that they brought out before the meal. Overall I would say that Applebees is a good place to eat without being overly expensive. I paid 15 dollars for everything plus tip. I think that is reasonable, still a little expensive for me considering I don't have a job.

I would recommend this restaurant if you are with friends, family, boyfriend, or even with little kids its a great place to eat and something for everyone on the menu.

Havarti!

So, here's the thing. I love cheese. I love every kind of cheese except for the ones that taste horrible! I love feta, cheddar, swiss, american, you just name it. Ever since I can remember I've always enjoyed eating cheese. For my snacks I would always want cheddar cheese and biscuits or apples, sandwich with lot of swiss or American cheese in it, or anything else that has cheese in it. Yes, I was addicted to cheese as a little boy.

I think cheese is one of the best things that were found. Cheese was first founded by some random dude who was crossing a desert. He had a leather pouch filled with goat milk. When he tried to take a sip of his milk, he noticed that the milk was gone. All there left was some white crumbs in the bottom of the pouch. And this is how cheese was first "invented".

That's enough with the history. Now to talk about why I'm writing this right now. Today I had a kind of cheese that I've never had before and I instantly fell in love with it. The cheese is called Havarti. It's a descendant of another German cheese and it has become the largest selling Danish cheese in the United States. There are different kinds of Havarti from what I've been told. I had the Havarti with little bit of meat and vegies in it. It had a very unique taste and I just fell in love with it! Now I'm just in the mood for talking about cheese and how much I love it.

Hmm, what kind of cheese should I talk about next...

-Pizza

Warm and In My Tummy

I love that feeling of being perfectly full.

Not stuffed to over the limit, not wishing for more. Just perfectly full.

I love that feeling especially now because it is cold outside. Today it's REALLY COLD outside. But what is even better than feeling perfectly full on a cold day, is feeling warm and full. That rosyness that blooms into your cheeks, the satisfaction of the warm food surging through out your veins.The hot steam rising off of the soup and filling your face and the air with its deliciousness.

It reminds me of snow days or weekends in the winter back home in Boston. After being out romping in the snow coming inside to a nice warm bowl of soup or CHOWDER (I could kill for some Legal Sea Foods clam chowder right now). Or maybe some hot chocolate, enjoying warming up and drying off (with marshmallows of course).

So go warm up and enjoy yourself a nice warm perfectly full feeling in your tummy!
I'm about to do it myself.

Soup to go

It is very convenient to have soup on the go stacked up in the dorm. For lunch, on Tuesdays and Thursdays I don't have time to go to the dining hall. Instead, I have a Soup to go. My favorite is Campbell's Chunky classic Chicken Noodle Soup. It has 15 oz. and it is just enough for a lunch portion. They are easy to make, just put it in the microwave and eat it. The serving size is about two and theres only about 100 calories. Its the perfect way to fulfill your hunger while having something healthy. I have about 10 soups ready to eat and they are a good snack before bed.

Soup is especially good in the winter when you are too lazy to go get something to eat from the dining hall because its cold. It is warm and delicious when it is cold and snowy outside. Those days are coming when we aren't even going to want to go out on the weekends because there is snow on the ground. These soups on the go are even easy to carry to class and eat on the way. I would suggest stocking up on these this winter before break.

Soup is also good around this time a year because it's when everyone is getting sick. Soup in the morning is a good way to get rid of that sore throat that you wake up with. It just makes you feel better and gives you energy for the day. It is going to be hard waking up early to walk to class in the cold when your sick, but this soup will only make it easier!

Overall I would recommend stocking up on the soup for the winter. It's a great idea and I'm glad that I have something that I could eat on the go. Maybe after these on the goes are a hit they will start making more food that is made for college students.

Boiler Treat Pack

This Halloween, is my first holiday at Purdue. At the beginning of the year, parents can sign up to send their kids treat bags on all the holidays. On Wednesday, I checked my mail and I saw a slip saying that I have a package. I went to the front desk and I saw that there was a Boiler Treat Pack waiting for me. It was good to get something from home and to get candy seeing how I couldn't go out on Halloween due to homework.

In my Boiler Treat Pack I got regular potato chips, Doritos chips, Peanut Butter Bites, Animal Crackers, Gold Fish, a brownie, candy, and four cans of pop. There was even a mini Frisbee in there. All of this came in a pumpkin basket and it all looked very good. It isn't exactly good for you, but it's definitely a pick me up after a few long weeks ahead of us. It made me feel good and closer to home. I can't wait to get my next Boiler Treat Pack. I heard that for Christmas we even get a Boiler whistle. I wish that there wasn't just four cans of pop I wish that they would have put water or juice in there.

They need to have treat packs more often. Being away from home is hard and the treat packs put people in a good mood. The finals week one is going to be the best because the school realizes we need a lot of energy to be studying for finals. It will be interesting to see everything we get.

National Donut Day!

Hey, so I know the new look of the site is really bad. At least it looks incredibly disproportioned on my computer, I'll get to work on that really soon.

And let me just get this out of the way...

Remember, Remember the Fifth of November
Remember, remember, the fifth of November
The gunpowder treason and plot,
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.

That's right, today is November 5th and I know it seems like I do a lot of these national food day entries, but what is more important and relevant than taking time out of your day in order to properly reflect on any given food and it's national, NATIONAL I SAY, day of celebration. And today is especially important. It's donut day. It's the day of donuts. Yes! And let there be, on this holiest of days, no differences or ill intent held between those who spell it donut or doughnut. Please, I want to blood shed on national donut day.

"A doughnut, or donut, is a sweet, deep-fried piece of dough or batter. The two most common types are the torus-shaped ring doughnut and the filled doughnut, a flattened sphere injected with jam/jelly, cream, custard, or another sweet filling. A small spherical piece of dough, originally made from the middle of a ring doughnut, may be cooked as a doughnut hole." (Wikipedia, again)

I can't imagine how a description of heaven would differ from the words above. I seriously cannot. I mean there'd have to be some mention of... well, let's just move on.

There are two kinds of ring donuts made in this world: cake and yeast. Yeast-donuts are, as you guessed, left to raise like yeast bread. They take longer to cook and have a higher oil content after frying, but have less fat in the starting dough. They also, because of the yeast, bigger when they come out of the fryer. Cake donuts take shorter to cook and are made of a thick, special kind of cake batter. Krispy Kreme donuts are fried yeast-based donuts that are baked for a very short time before frying, a process called proofing. There are also entirely baked donuts, but you can't seriously try and compare frying versus baking. No way.

Then there are different shapes of donuts, such as the rectangular long johns, solid-centered filled donuts, pinwheels, and cruellers. God, how I love cruellers.

The donut was supposedly introduced to the States by the Dutch, who are also responsible for cookies, cream pies, and cobblers. Thank you, Denmark. However, there is archaeological evidence that donuts were prepared by Native Americans in the Southwest. Go figure. Then there are the contemporary cultural differences in preparations of fried cakes. In Hawaii, they have balls of fried dough that are filled often with cremes or other flavored custards called malasadas. I stayed at school near the small bakery that had what was voted Hawaii's best malasadas. We'd walk to this bakery, I can't remember the name, and order half a dozen chocolate or custard filled malasadas, all coated with sugar, still warm from the fryer and quickly turning the box transparent. This was the most amazing experience I'd had since I grew up going to Dunkin Donuts growing up. See, we don't have Dunkins out in Cali, so I have been without its goodness for quite some time.

Favorite donut eating technique? Experience? I have a few. I love getting a cake donut and dipping it into coffee and cream. My favorite experience was walking to the Hawaiian bakery and getting fresh malasadas at 7 in the morning. You simply cannot beat it.

Cheers!

Giada's big news!

I don't know if anyone watched the Today Show this morning, but Giada De Laurentiis from the Foodnetwork was on it today. She announced that she is pregnant and having a baby girl. They did a little segment on her and pregnancy.

I am excited to see how this news effects her shows on the Foodnetwork. Will they tape programs with her pregnant or will they try to hide it? Will they just show reruns of her programs?

Giada hosts a few different shows on the Foodnetwork. They include Everyday Italian, Behind the Bash, Giada's Weekend Getaway, and Giada In Paradise. You can find her recipes on the Foodnetwork website. She also has published some cookbooks that you can find in bookstores around the country.

I am really excited to see how this news pans out!

Halloween Candy Hierarchy: Whats Your Favorite?

It's finally Halloween and even though I've dubbed that I'm too old to go trick or treating, I still eat my fair share of candy on this day. In the past I've been the pink power ranger, a tomagotchi (that was when they first came out and I went through a phase where I was obsessed), a fairy, and a clown (my mom made me the outfit). But for someone who has a serious sweet tooth, Halloween has never been much about the costumes, it was always about the candy. Knowing from experience, there are certain types of candies and chocolates that I desperatley wanted. But there were also those houses that handed out very UN-Halloween-like treats like raisins and apples, you know what I'm talking about. Halloween is but only 1 day per year, let the kids eat what they want to eat for goodness sakes!

But back to the topic, here are my Top 10 picks for Halloween Hierarchy Confections:

1. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups- These are my all time favorite Halloween treats. I always became ridiculously happy whenever a neighbor gave the full-size peanut butter cups. The mini peanut butter cups are never satisfying. Which genius thought of making those?


2. Almond Joys- There's just something about the combination of sticky sweet coconut mounds, almonds, and chocolate that that could satisfy any sweet tooth. Mounds bars would've made the list too, but missing the almonds are a big no-no

3. Twix Bars- I never really started liking Twix until my later days of trick or treating, but they are now one of my favorites. They're so addicting. The twix bars have a cripsy shortbread topped with thick caramel, encased in a thin layer of milk chocolate. Just saying it makes me want one.

4. 100 Grand Bars! - Chewy caramel covered with crispy milk chocolate. I loved these bars, but sadly I only received a few of these a year during Halloween. Apparently Snickers is always "the chocolate" to give on Halloween

5. Hershey Kisses (or Hugs)- These are some of the best treats to give. What the Kisses (or Hugs) don't make up for size definitely make up for in taste. Such a little deviant trick to get you want more because you have to admit, once you've had one, you want to eat another.


6. KitKat Bars- These crispy wafers that are covered and layered in chocolate is always the way to go when passing out candy. But again with the minis, they're never satisfying. Obviously, the person who came up with the "mini halloween candies" are dentists.


7. Snickers- In general I like Snickers bars. But I think I've builded an aversion to it because every other house on the block on Halloween passes out Snickers. It's a crowd pleaser if you don't want to be known as the neighborhood witch who gives out the worst treats and it's also the safest way to go, but to be honest, it's overkill!


8. Nerds/Sweet Tarts/Dum Dums- Sweet Tarts, Nerds, and Dum Dums were always the candies that were left in my trick or treating bag months and months after the actual holiday ended. These were the candies I used to trade with other kids for the better treats. Also, the Nerds were hard to eat because they spilled everywhere and they turned my fingers pink or purple.

9. Nestle's Crunch/Mr. Goodbars- Another overkill in Halloween treats. I would always go through my bag and find 23987 of these. I know some people that love these bars but I am curiously unattracted to them. They lack an actual chocolate taste in my opinion.


10. Apples and Raisins- Not even going to explain. Enough said.

There are so many more Halloween candies that I haven't explained so give me your hierarchy (best to worst) and tell me what you think!

desserts again

For everyone who can't bake, theres still hope that you can make new desserts. The no-bake butterscotch haystacks are a great way to make something for that special someone without having to bake! They are easy and quick to make.

No-Bake Butterscotch Haystacks Ingredients:

1 cup HERSHEY'S Butterscotch Chips
1/2 cup REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips
1 tablespoon shortening(do not use butter, margarine, spread or oil)
1-1/2 cups (3-oz. can) chow mein noodles, coarsely broken

Directions:1. Line tray with wax paper. Place butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips and shortening in medium microwave-safe bowl. 2. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 1 minute; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chips are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred. 3. Immediately add chow mein noodles; stir to coat. Drop mixture by heaping teaspoons onto prepared tray or into paper candy cups; let stand until firm. If necessary, cover and refrigerate until firm. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator. Yields about 2 dozen candies. VARIATION: CHOCOLATE HAYSTACKS: Substitute 1 cup HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips, HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips or HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Chips for butterscotch chips. Proceed as directed above with peanut butter chips, shortening and chow mein noodles.


Now for those of you who can bake, here is some quick and easy Fudgy Brownies. They are sort of like normal brownies, but they are extra chocolaty for that sweet tooth.

Quick & Easy Fudgey Brownies Ingredients:

4 bars (1 oz. each) HERSHEY'S Unsweetened Baking Chocolate, broken into pieces
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped nuts(optional)
CREAMY QUICK CHOCOLATE FROSTING(recipe inside box), optional

Directions:1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan. 2. Place chocolate and butter in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth when stirred. Add sugar; stir with spoon until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add flour and nuts, if desired; stir until well blended. Spread in prepared pan. 3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Frost brownies, if desired. Cut into squares. About 24 brownies. BROWNIE VARIATIONS:CHIPPY CHEWY BROWNIES: Prepare brownies as directed, stirring in 1 cup REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips with flour. Bake as directed.CAKELIKE BROWNIES: Stir in 1/2 cup milk with eggs and vanilla. Increase flour to 1-1/2 cups. Bake as directed.CREAM CHEESE BROWNIES: Prepare brownies as directed, using 4 eggs. Spread in prepared pan. Beat 8-oz. pkg. softened cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 egg and 2 tablespoons flour. Soon mixture over brownie batter; swirl with knife to marble. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. ROCKY ROAD BROWNIES: Prepare brownies as directed; bake 30 minutes. Immediately sprinkle with 2 cups miniature marshmallows, 1 cup HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips or HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips and 1 cup chopped nuts over brownies. Bake another 3 minutes or until topping melts together.

They are delicious and a great dessert. With Halloween and Thanksgiving coming up, you will be everyone's favorite when it comes time for dessert.

Bravo!

I finally formally dined at the HTM Cafe today. For those of you unawares, Purdue's nutrition and food's program runs a student staffed cafe called "HTM" in Stone Hall. I have picked up a quick cinnamon roll (delicious and fresh) or a drink every now and then, but never had a whole meal. Since I had a free hour this morning I decided to try their breakfast fair.

I love omelets and went for their omelet special (served till 9:15 am). It was a two egg omelet with toast and a 10oz drink for only $2.50. I ended up getting a bottled Minutemaid Apple Juice and it only added 55c for a total of $3.05. You can't beat that.

Besides the great price the omelet was great. Talk about fresh ingredients the eggs were cracked in front of my very eyes and the vegetables were extremely fresh as well. The chef was very friendly and extremely easy going in taking and creating my order through out the whole ideal.

Without a doubt if you want a good meal for a great price and don't mind helping out some fellow Boilermakers than stop by the HTM Cafe in Stone Hall. You definitely won't be disappointed, as I haven't been.

A new twist on Taffy Apples

When you walk into Walmart, Target, or any of those types of stores, the first thing you will find is candy and along with candy comes the Taffy Apples. I love the original Taffy Apples with caramel, nuts, and a green apple inside, but these kind are better. Chocolate and peanut butter dipped apples sound even more delicious than the other kind. This is a HERSHEY'S kitchen recipe that is found on their web page. These home made candy apples can be fun to make and easy to enjoy. I like the red apples better than the green ones anyway.

Ingredients:

• 10 to 12 medium apples, stems removed
• 10 to 12 wooden Popsicle sticks
• 1 cup HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips or HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips, divided
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening, divided (do not use butter, margarine, spread or oil)

Directions:
1. Line tray with wax paper. Wash apples; dry thoroughly. Insert wooden stick into stem end of each apple; place on prepared tray.

2. Place chocolate chips, 2/3 cup peanut butter chips and 1/4 cup shortening in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 1 minute; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chips are melted when stirred. Dip bottom three-fourths of each apple into mixture. Twirl and gently shake to remove excess; return to prepared tray.

3. Place remaining 1 cup peanut butter chips and remaining 2 tablespoons shortening in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM 30 seconds; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chips are melted when stirred. Spoon over top section of each apple, allowing to drip down sides. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 10 to 12 coated apples.

These don't take long to make and are a favorite at get togethers. Another way to make these chocolate and peanut better treats is also found on HERSHEY'S Kitchen recipe.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Coated Apples

Ingredients:

• 10 to 12 wooden popsicle sticks
• 10 to 12 medium apples, stems removed
• 1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• MOUNDS Sweetened Coconut Flakes or chopped REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips(optional)

Directions:
1. Insert wooden stick into each washed and dried apple. Cover tray with wax paper.

2. Stir together peanut butter chips and oil in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 1-1/2 minutes or until chips are softened. Stir until melted. If necessary, microwave at HIGH an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chips are melted when stirred.

3.Stir together powdered sugar and cocoa; gradually add to melted chip mixture, stirring until smooth. Microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until very warm.

4. Dip apples in mixture; twirl to remove excess coating. (If coating becomes too thick, return to microwave for a few seconds or add additional oil 1 teaspoon at a time.) Roll lower half of coated apple in coconut or chopped chips, if desired. Allow to cool on prepared tray. Refrigerate, if desired. 10 to 12 apples.

These look like normal Taffy Apples, but instead of nuts there are peanut butter chips. Both of these ideas are cheap and tasty.

Coconut Chocolate Macaroons-what food blogs can do to you

One of the most tangible side effects of having discovered food blogs is the expansion of horizons it brings, along with an expanded waistline. I thought I had known everything there was to know about food while I read my cookbooks, watched cooking shows and made a few recipes. I lived in a little bubble, and now that it has burst, I feel that I have been introduced to a new world. There is so much more I know, whereas before, I felt that I was well-aquainted with the food and recipes I was cooking with already.

Obviously, new things were introduced to me through magazines and books, but it was a slow and gradual process. The day I discovered food blogs, it all changed. I sat for hours on end, going through food blog after food blog, amazed by how many recipes were online and how many people were passionate about food as much as I was. It was like I was going down the rabbit hole and waking up to discover that I still hadn't reached the bottom yet, even though I felt like I already had.

I had an immediate, graphic representation of what the food was like all around the world and how it was being bought, cooked, and eaten. So many new and innovative things were being done and it was all interconnected through food blogs. If you haven't been introduced to some of the best food blogs, here is a list some that have inspired me throughout my foodblogging journey.

Orangette - An elegant food blog with great photography and writing that reads like fiction.

David Lebovitz - Written by David Lebovitz who was named one of the "Top Five Pastry Chefs in the Bay Area" by the San Francisco Chronicle. His blog is witty and always a fun read with the most elegant and gastronomically delicious recipes.

Amateur Gourmet - Written by Adam Roberts, who wrote The Amateur Gourmet: How to Shop, Hop, and Table Hop Like a Pro (Almost). His food blog will always make you laugh.

Lastly, how could I end a post without a little something sweet? I am a firm believer that one should end their day with dessert. We have so little time on our hands that we sometimes forget to treat ourselves. So here is a recipe adapted from David Lebovitz for Coconut and Chocolate Macaroons.

Coconut and Chocolate Macaroons
30 Cookies

4 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey
2 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut (can be purchased at Trader Joes)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon good vanilla extract (good quality extract is a bit on the expensive side, but trust me, it makes all the difference)
2 ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate

1. In a large skillet, mix together the egg whites, sugar, salt, honey, unsweetened coconut, and flour. Heat it over low to medium heat on the stovetop, constantly scraping the bottom as you stir.

2. When the mixture begins to scorch in the bottom, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Tranfer everything to a bowl and let it cool to room temperature. ( At this point the mixture can be chilled for up to one week or frozen for up to 2 months... but why wait that long to make them anyway, there delicious!)

3. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper form the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls (or you can use an ice cream scooper to be more exact) with fingers and evenly line the baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes until deep, golden brown. Cool to room temperature.

4. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a clean dry bowl over simmering water. Dip the bottoms of each macaroon and set on baking sheet again. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes or until the chocolate is set.

National Oatmeal Day!

Hey, hey, hey, it's National Oatmeal Day! Come out or stay in and play, just eat some Oatmeal today! I love oatmeal. It wows me. Actually, it's more like "whoa-tmeal". It's "oatmeal-icious" and wonderfully "kick-ass"!

In the United States and Canada, any kind of crushed, rolled, or cut oats are known as oatmeal. However, outside of our own little continent, oatmeal means ground or cut groats. Groats can be peasemeal, cornmeal, or oatmeal. Oatmeal has the highest count of B-vitamins and calories of all the kinds of meal, though, and is used in alcoholic drinks, cosmetics, soaps, external medical treatments, and is used to flavor pet foods. (Wikipedia, mhmm)

I love oatmeal. I do not eat it all the time because the dining halls do not have it and instant is terribly unhealthy for you. It has many shapes and forms to take, such as pie, baked, or just plain mush in a bowl. The consistency of oatmeal is also incredibly pleasing. It just feels good to eat, and the starches let it stay hot even as it hits your stomach. Eating oatmeal when you're cold is an entirely blissful, wonderful experience. The baked oatmeal is an awesome breakfast food. I used to go to a breakfast place called Heineman's and they had a baked oatmeal dish that was just freaking sweet. It used the wonderful grain of the oatmeal to give it a strange but entirely welcome dining experience.

And with all the toppings and the ability to control thickness, anyone can create a great oatmeal experience for themselves. My favorite is thick oatmeal that has maple syrup, raisins, and brown sugar. Incredibly rich, filling, hot, and good. I also enjoy Irish steel-cut oats, but those are entirely different because they are not quick-made. You can't just microwave these mothers, you have to cook them on a stove. But it's worth it for a change every once in awhile. Quick-cook Quaker oats is the most popular of all oatmeals, as everyone in America probably has a jar in their pantry. These don't just find their way into bakes and bowls, though, and are used in some of the best cookie recipes on the earth. One of my favorite cookies involves oatmeal and a bit of coffee. This makes the best dough as well.

So go out, find a recipe with oatmeal and celebrate! It's National Oatmeal Day!