adventures from the road – more words than pics ahead!

Ahhhh… vacation, how I love you.  Four days away from reality… no everyday stresses, no work, no household responsibilities…  just me, the hubby and the open road.

We were on a limited budget (both financial and time) this year, so we opted for an adventure close to home… a drive north into Iowa, for no other reason than neither of us had been there before… and perhaps the fact that, on our trip home, we could stop in St. Louis for a visit to our nearest Trader Joe’s. (Dear Trader Joe’s… I love you… I miss you terribly… 5+ hours is too far away… please come to Northwest Arkansas.)

The standard reaction from our friends and family when they heard we were headed to Iowa went something like this: “Iowa?? What the heck’s in Iowa other than cows and cornfields??” The good thing about us is this… we like cows… and cornfields… and seeing parts of the country that we haven’t seen before (hello! bridges of Madison County?!?!). So, although a vacation to Iowa isn’t quite as exciting as the long weekend we spent in San Francisco at the beginning of the year, it was still filled with beautiful countryside, nice people, adventures and, of course, great food.

(left to right: burnt ends, bacon-wrapped tots, loose meat sandwich)

Ahhh… the food. There was much to be had… including a couple of firsts for us. Apologies for the less than great pictures above, but it hadn’t occurred to me to blog about the trip until it was too late.

First, let’s talk Kansas City Barbecue. We stayed overnight in Kansas City, MO and deliberated for quite some time about the best choice for dinner. After evaluating our options, we settled on Oklahoma Joe’s… because how can you possibly go wrong with a BBQ joint that’s located inside a gas station? Trust me… you can’t. The line of customers wrapped through the restaurant and out the front door… the burnt ends were amazing and, true to their word, the sauce was pretty phenomenal.

When we made it to Des Moines, we bee-lined for the downtown area and the High Life Lounge (thank you Adam Richman and Man v. Food!). How can you not love a restaurant dedicated to the 70′s… shag carpet, wood paneling and all? The bacon-wrapped tots (stuffed with a jalapeno slice) were what drew us there… but the pork tenderloin and Spam and egg sandwiches didn’t disappoint, either!

Once we made it to the Quad Cities, we decided to finally give in to our curiosity and investigate one of the many Maid-Rite’s we’d seen along the way. I’d always heard of loose meat sandwiches, but had never actually had one. Winner! And the beer-battered fries and root beer were good, too.

Finally, though there’s no photographic evidence of our stop there, we dropped in on the Granite City Food and Brewery for our anniversary dinner. Great service, exceptional London Broil and a wonderful selection of microbrews (yay for the sampler!).

Vacations are what you make of them and I’m happy to say that this one did not disappoint. Happy anniversary to my wonderful hubby… here’s to many more years of random adventures!

another installment of POM Wonderful!

I’ve been a bad blogger. Oh, wait… you already knew that. Well, in addition to what you already knew… here’s what you didn’t know. The nice folks at POM Wonderful were kind enough to send me some more pomegranate juice to play around with… right about the time that I dropped off the face of the earth.

So, I’ve had all of these lovely little bottles hanging out in my fridge, just begging to be used in something yummy. And, though I have a few more things on tap for you, I wanted to get this one out there as well, because it’s easy and crazy good. In fact, this is our beverage of choice on eggs and hashbrown night… which tends to pop up at least once a week at our house.

No recipe, really… it’s just a 1:1 ratio of yummy, good for you, POM Wonderful pomegranate juice and your favorite lemon-lime soda. Refreshing… and pretty nice to look at, too, don’t you think?

Keep an eye out for some more fun POM-centric recipes coming soon… and in the meantime, go check out the health benefits of pomegranate juice and POM’s great recipe page!

hiatus

Unintentional hiatus…. miss this, miss you, miss cooking and baking… be back soon. xo

Cake Batter Ice Cream

Now that we’ve officially kicked off the summer season, I think it’s time we talk about one of my most favorite things… ice cream. I’m happy to eat ice cream pretty much any time of year, but there’s just something really gratifying about a scoop (or two) of ice cream while you’re watching the mercury rising outside.

My love for frozen treats has been well-documented over the past 2.5 years… from mint-chocolate chip (and the subesquent ice cream-filled grasshopper crepe) to chocolate-hazelnut gelato to ice cream sandwiches to the beautiful ice cream cake… but I just can’t stop. There’s always another variation I’m dying to try.

One of the recipes that’s been hanging out on my “must try” list incorporates dry cake batter into the mix. Everyone swears it tastes a lot like the cake batter ice cream you find at places like Coldstone Creamery (Hi, Coldstone! I <3 you!) – but, of course, for a fraction of the price and – probably even better than that – without having to leave the house. You know I had to give it a try.

Oh, friends, this recipe is a treasure. It really does taste a lot like the cake batter ice creams of the chain variety. It’s smooth, creamy and rich just like a good ice cream should be — good luck staying out of it so that the flavors can meld for a few hours! I made mine with butter cake mix because it’s one of my favorites, but I can’t wait to try it with other flavors soon (devils food, funfetti… and I’m thinking brownie mix, too!). What a perfect way to cool off on these hot summer days!

Cake Batter Ice Cream
(recipe courtesy of Ekho)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup white sugar
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup cake mix, sifted (I used butter cake)

Whisk together milk, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, cream, and cake mix in a saucepan until well blended. Cook over medium-low heat until mixture reaches 160 degrees F, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and place in the refrigerator or freezer until liquid is cold.

Pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions until it reaches soft-serve consistency. Transfer ice cream to a lidded plastic container; cover surface with plastic wrap and seal. For best results, ice cream should ripen in the freezer for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Cupcake Cones

Getting ready for all of those Memorial Day get-togethers? How about a totally portable, totally adorable sweet treat? Come on over to FGG and check out these cupcake cones – cupcakes baked in ice cream cones!

Spinach Salad with Candied Pecans & Goat Cheese

Super easy, super yummy salad this week over at FGG! Come check it out!

Cinna-Sugar Sweet Potato Chips

After making my new-found love, microwave potato chips, a few (dozen) times, I began to wonder to myself…. “self, do you think it’s possible to make sweet potato chips using the same general method?” So we (me and the voice in my head) decided to give it a try. Wouldn’t you know it… it works!

Sweet potatoes seem to be a bit more finicky than regular potatoes, so you’ll want to watch them very closely while they cook on the second side. It takes pretty precise timing to take them right up to crispy without crossing the line directly to charred. And trust me when I tell you that the smell of charred sweet potato chips will linger in your house for WAY longer than you’re comfortable with.

I seasoned mine two ways — one with smoked sea salt (yum) and one with cinnamon-sugar (amazing). The cinnamon-sugar was my hands-down favorite, but I wouldn’t turn down a batch of the sea salt! I can’t wait to play around with some more seasonings!

Cinna-Sugar Sweet Potato Chips
1 large sweet potato, peeled, washed and patted dry
1 scant teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Using a sharp knife or a mandoline, thinly slice the potato to your desired thickness (1/8″ or thinner works best). Transfer to a medium bowl and toss with olive oil until completely coated.

Coat a microwave-proof plate with cooking spray and arrange potato slices in a single layer, ensuring edges do not touch. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle over potato slices.

Microwave potatoes on regular power for 2.5 minutes. Turn slices and cook for another 2-4 minutes until the chips brown and crisp, taking care to not let them burn. Remove from microwave and transfer to a clean plate to cool and finish crisping. Repeat as necessary with remaining potato slices.

Daring Bakers Pick Me Up!

Tiramisu… the dessert I love to order (second only to cremé brulee).  Tiramisu… which translates to “pick me up” because of the sugar and espresso in the recipe… is one of those things that I’d never given much thought to making on my own. And I certainly had never given a SINGLE thought to making every element of the recipe and then making it on my own. Until now. Because I can always count on my fellow Daring Bakers to encourage me to step out of my comfort zone!

The February 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen and Deeba of Passionate About Baking. They chose Tiramisu as the challenge for the month. Their challenge recipe is based on recipes from The Washington Post, Cordon Bleu at Home and Baking Obsession.

As I noted in my potato chip post this morning, we’ve been battling the plague for a few weeks and the LAST thing on my mind has been cooking…. much less making marscapone, savoairdi biscuits (aka ladyfingers), or standing over the stove whisking various pastry creams and zabagliones. But, as the posting date drew near, I knew I couldn’t just let this one slip by so I started working on components at night after getting home from work and, by the time Saturday morning rolled around, I needed only to make some savoairdi biscuits and assemble my tiramisu. So, I was up and at it early on a cold Saturday morning so that I could get the assembled cake into the fridge to chill while I was out for the day.

Fast forward nine hours. Arrive home from a busy day of birthday parties and shopping trips, cut tiramisu, and pray for success.

This is, in a word, AMAZING. I’m not even sure I have the words to describe just how goooood it is. Totally worth every second of preparation. And to know I made every single component that went into it? Also pretty amazing.

Thank you Aparna and Deeba for a FANTASTIC challenge. To see everyone else’s interpretation of this Italian “pick me up,” check out the DB blogroll. Full recipe after the jump!

Tuxedo Brownies

Just another fabulously easy yet oh-so-cute dessert option — perfect for Valentine’s Day, by the way! Join us over at FGG for Tuxedo Brownies!

it’s here… World Nutella Day!

I mentioned earlier in the week that I was very much looking forward to World Nutella Day (hosted by Ms. Adventures in Italy and Bleeding Espresso) – partly because I have an unadulterated and undying love for Nutella… and partly because this year I’m actually able to participate!

So, we started with the Hazelnut Rugelach. Amazing little pastries filled with Nutella and chopped hazelnuts. And then I whipped up a batch of Nutella Oatmeal Thins for my girls over at The Fat Girl’s Guide to Living. And today? Today I bring you the ultimate gift… the gift that keeps on giving!

I’ve always wanted to make my own Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread. You see, as much as I love Nutella (and oh, I do), I’m quite bothered by the inclusion of palm oil (high in saturated fat and detrimental to rain forests) in its list of ingredients. My love for Nutella often tends to overshadow these negatives; however, I’ve always wondered if making my own might be a way to get my fix with a little less guilt. And now… I know the answer to that question is a resounding YES!

There are many recipes to be found with just a quick internet search, but I’ve had a recipe from Holly over at Phemomenon bookmarked for a few months… and that’s the one I chose to use. I’m SO glad I did!

Though a tiny bit grainier than commercial Nutella, the flavor of this homemade version more than makes up for any shortcomings — the chocolate and toasted hazelnut flavors really shine through! With this recipe you also can control what kind and quality of chocolate you use, which allows you to play a bit with your final results. Customizable Nutella? Yeah!

So, if imitation is the highest form of flattery, then you can imagine how highly I regard Nutella. I’m sure I’ll always buy an occasional jar of “the real thing” — but I bet I’ll make my own just as often! It’s the best of both worlds!

Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread
(recipe from Gale Gand’s Brunch! via Phemomenon)
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and peeled
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
12 ounces good quality milk chocolate, chopped and melted

To toast and peel the hazelnuts, heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Toast the hazelnuts in one layer on a baking sheet for 12 to 15 minutes, until browned and the skins are slightly blistered. Wrap them in a clean tea towel and rub continuously for a few minutes to remove the loose skin. Not all the skin will loosen enough to come off, just do your best and that’s fine. Let the hazelnuts cool before grinding.

To melt the chocolate, chop it into small pieces. Place a heat proof bowl over barely simmering water (not deep enough to touch the bottom of the bowl) in a medium saucepan – about 1 inch should do it. Stir the chocolate a few times and let it melt slowly. Once it is mostly melted, remove it from the heat and let the residual heat finish melting the rest of the chocolate.

Grind the hazelnuts well in a food processor to make a paste. Add the oil, confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla and continue processing. Add the melted chocolate and blend well. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, to remove any large nut pieces. The mixture will be thin and a little warm. Pour it into a jar and let it cool and thicken slightly. The spread keeps for a month in an airtight container at room temperature.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups