Day210 - Hot Damn Pt II

Monday, July 28, 2008: My Kitchen: Buffalo Chicken on a baguette.


I found this totally rad Buffalo chicken at the deli. It's a lunch meat, but tastes just like hot wings. Totally skrews with your brain just a little.

We put it on a baguette with some of the totally rad apple/celery slaw and there was lunch.





We took a walk to the park to feed some ducks and the mallard momma had a crush on Troy. Here is here stalking him a bit.

Day209 - Hot damn chicken.

Day 209
Sunday, July 27, 2008: My Kitchen: Avocado Chicken Skewers with Broccoflower.

So! More cooking today. Surprise, surprise. This summer will probably be remembered for the insane amount of food I ate/cooked.

These are Avocado Chicken Skewers. The recipe was from Healthy Living. This chicken was marinated in soy sauce, garlic and chilies packed in adobo sauce. Then onto skewers.



Here is a head of Broccoflower - a hybrid of broccoli and cauliflower. It had the texture of broccoli, but the flavor of cauliflower. Weird but good.



I steamed it and then tossed it with garlic and olive oil. Really really good. The avocado bit of this was some avocado mashed with some spices. Really good as well. Troy almost ate it with a spoon.

Day208 - Really, it could go for more garlic, probably.

Saturday, July 26, 2008: My Kitchen: Roasted Tomato Mayo.

I'm not one to put a shitload of time and effort into on part of dinner. I don't have the patience to spend 4 hours to work on one ingredient of a 30 ingredient meal. That's why I buy my roasted red peppers in a jar.

So, it was a surprise that I spent an hour to make this mayonnaise. I doubt I would have unless it was for a quantity that could be used for weeks to come - like in this case.

First, you roast a whole head of garlic.




While that chugs away in the oven, you add all of this into a bowl. We've got salt, pepper, red pepper, celery, more garlic and applesauce.

**Quick note - I've been dicing onion and freezing it in a container in the freezer. It's making my life hella easier and it stays for a good long time. **




In a pan, roast tomatoes, rosemary, basil and salt and pepper until it literally falls apart.





Then, burn your precious fingers peeling the skin from the tomatoes before you dump it in a bowl with the garlic you burnt your fingers on and mayo.




Mix it up and keep it chilled in the fridge for a couple of months. If it will last that long. Troy has it about half gone already. So it was worth it if he likes it so much.




I also made some other crazy shit. Yana and Allen were coming over for lunch, and I love cooking for more that just us two.

This is a buffalo turkey burger. It kind of tasted like hot wings.




Instead of ranch or blue cheese, this slaw went along with it. I hate slaw, but I liked this very, very much. Two Tb of ranch, walnuts and 1/4 c apple and celery. Really, really awesome.




And oven fries. These are the only fries that I've ever made that came out good in my life. Trust me, I screw up frozen fries all of the time. The had a teaspoon of paprika, olive oil and some salt. In the oven for 30 minutes at 450.




So, yeah, I cooked a lot today. It took an hour just for the mayonaise and everything else was from scratch as well. All the recipes were from Healthy Living. It's pretty much my go-to-guide for cooking right now, and it hasn't let me down yet.

Day197 - I like to juggle hot pans.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008: My kitchen, Greek Pork Chops and Chocolate Souffle.

Both of these are from Healthy Living. Both were really, really good. I don't know that they are ideal for cooking in mid-July, but I'm probably just bitchy because we have no air conditioning in our kitchen and it can quickly get to be a million degrees in there.

The Pork Chops were killer and super easy. Just a marinate of sugar, worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano and lemon juice. Even though it was easy, they were still the best that I've ever made.




We had them with a greek salad. Haha. Funny.




I also made Chocolate Souffle. I think they were around 180 calories for a 10 oz casserole. I made them in these little casseroles that you would usually use for creme brulee. It all worked fine.

I mixed in mint chocolate chips because we were out of chocolate. I am the master of substitution.




I have no idea why I was making this face. Probably because making a souffle is hard, and it is only harder when your boyfriend is taking multiple shots of you making it.




Next you mix in eye whites. I was so frantic that my egg whites were whipped enough. Really. This was STRESSFUL. I just tried to remember everything I ever watched with Elton Brown.




In the little dish.




All baked. You have to eat these warm or the eggs will deflate and you will have nothing but a chocolate omelette on your hands.




Troy like the souffle, even though he hates, HATES custards of all kinds. I like it too, but I think it would be better suited for December or January when you need the heat. As you can tell, I hate the heat.

Day191 - Get your hands off my damn shells.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008: My Kitchen: Makeover Cheese Stuffed Shells

Here is the first recipe I made from the Healthy Living Mag-o-zine: Stuffed Shells.

This was from makeover section, where they take foods that are really bad for you and re-engineer them to be more heart and body friendly. They say that they knocked off 948 calories to bring it down to 318 for two shells. I ate four - but still, not bad for a dinner.




There is still plenty of cheese. In fact, they sub'd cottage cheese for some of the ricotta. My mom did this with her lazagna when we were kids - and I love this recipe more because of that.

Another weird curveball to the recipe: cinnamon added to the ground beef. That was crazy and wonderful. It was still plenty cheesy even for some light.

Half of the mixture is in the freezer waiting for a cold fall day - making these in the summer kind of sucks. One more thing to look forward to in the fall.

Day 184 - Well, that is just nutty.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008: Meyer's Dairy: Grapenut Ice Cream

I don't know that I've ever even had a grapenut in my life, but I was so interested in the weirdness of the combo I had to go for it. Knowing that the grapenut is essentially a stale piece of toast, I was expecting something a little unsavory, but I was delighted when it turned out to be pretty fantastic. The ice cream had a taste of a coffee ice cream, or a really dark chocolate - just that underlying nuttiness taste.




Troy ordered Rocky Road. He was pretty bummed to find only one piece of road in there. It was a definite Fail.




We kind of just spent the night wishing that we had the truck although it is out of commission for a bit right now. It will be rocking and rolling again soon, she just needs a little bit of TLC to get there.

Day183 - There must be a god because this cheese is too good.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008: State College: Ale House

Today Yana, Troy and I had a meeting at the Ale House. While we were there we had a little dinner that turned into a big dinner. But good, so good.

Yana had this martini that I think had mango in it. Very, very good.




Then we had this while we were waiting for our client to arrive. This may be the best cheese plate that I have ever, ever had. And you know me, I am a connoisseur of cheese.




See this cheese with the green specs? Havarati with dill. I could live in that cheese wheel.




After the meeting we ordered dinner although I think that we were all probably full from the best appetizer ever. In my quest for the best pulled pork ever, I order this one:




Very good. Great even if I must gush. It had this coleslaw on it. I usually hate cole slaw, but I believe that this has opened a new door for me. I know that it at least has apples in it and probably mayo. I think I'll spend my life trying to figure out the rest.




Great night. Great company and an awesome outcome to our meeting. Sometimes it's really easy to love life.

Day 152 - Why can't life always taste this good?

Saturday, May 31, 2008: Strawberry Cream cheese cupcakes: O My God

Today was Steph's b-day and because Troy's mom owes us a little favor we brought Steph these amazing, crazy, fantastic cupcakes. They are French vanilla with strawberry jam and cream cheese icing.





Please, start crying now because these may be the BEST thing that I've eaten all year. I may have gone blind with happiness. So light, so fluffy and cream cheesy. Jesus Mary Jane they were AWESOME FANTASTIC.




I want to start crying because they are gone. The www.CakesbyVickie.com website should be up and running shortly (around the end of june). If you need a cake, for weddings or for fun, please contact her. You will in no way be disappointed. I haven't yet… why do you think I stick around? For Troy. No! For cake.

See! Everyone is happy.




We went to the Brewery later. Some things happened including much drinking and bullshitting. This is me and Yana screwing around on the way. I took the cupcakes with me. They were THAT good.





Love that shirt. New shirt btw.

I tried to get a picture of it in the bathroom. It didn't work out so hot.




Here is Yana and Allen. I didn't get one good picture of the birthday girl sadly.




And me and Troy. He is a pig.




At the end of the show, everyone got on stage. Everyone but me and Troy cuz we are anti-social like that. And who would take this picture?




Happy Birthday Steph. Thanks for inviting us. It was a great great time.

Day128: Hot Cherry Heat

Wednesday, May 7, 2008: My Kitchen: Cherry Chili Lime Pie

It's kind of a kick to have Troy working in the same office. He hasn't been her much though. Rightly, he is seeing this as an amazing opportunity to race the truck to the finish line. I agree with him. The last couple months have been tough on him and I know that he will be an amazing success in his next act.

While at the grocery store (Weis) trying to find something to eat, I walked upon this beauty: Cherry Chili Lime Pie.




I have a pretty high tolerance for heat right now so I immediately picked it up. Troy was a little bit anti but he tried it anyway.

I loved it. Just the perfect amount of heat - it doesn't really burn just a small tingle in the back of your throat. Troy really liked it as well. I recommend it highly and think you should rush off to pick up one of your own.

Day99 - Buried in a coffin of it.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008: My Kitchen: Spicy peanut chicken with jasmine rice.

Like I have said before, I am addicted to jasmine rice. After I am gone, please bury me in a coffin of jasmine rice from Kelly's. I will be forever grateful on the other side.

I made this spicy peanut chicken. It was super easy - I just shook a pack of stuff from Wegmans international market on it. The rice smells so good. My goal for the end of the month is to cooks something new and wonderful with it. Maybe rice pudding or whatever the Indian equivalent is.



It was really very good. Just spicy enough to make your nose run a little. We will be making this again.

Day19 - You are flat out fantastic.

Saturday, Jan. 19, 2008: My kitchen: Flat bread Pizza

I am a major fan of pizza mostly because of the cheese. I don't think anyone has invented a meal that is so versatile, great for: parties both laid back and formal, late night post-bar, early morning post-hangover, lunch, dinner, mid-day snack. Really, it requires no silverware or plates. 

And cheese! Jesus, there is almost nothing better in this world than cheese. Sharp or mild, soft or hard - it doesn't get any better.

But, one slice of cheese pizza has approx. 400 calories! depending upon the restaurant. That is just plain!!! I can eat a whole pie on my own on a good day, especially Facia Luna's fresh tomato/italian sausage pie. Jeez, that is a little slice of heaven right there and I can't imagine what it is racking up. And who isn't in love with the all out gluttony that is Cece's Pizza. There you are encouraged - dared even - to try and defeat their business model. Imagine. It is so easy to be fat in this country.

Sorry to totally rant on dietary concerns and scold a bit there, I'm really sensitive right now to calories and the like. Eat whatever you like, life is short and you should enjoy the shit right out of it.

Anyway, back to the task at hand. We came across this great recipe for a low-cal pizza, it's about 330 calories for a whole pie which is the size of a large burrito wrap. 

Cook 1 medium onion and 2 gloves of garlic in some olive oil. After 7 minutes when the onions become translucent and 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar (my fav) and 1 cup of mushrooms. Cook until all liquid is gone. 

In the oven place an oval flatbread wrap or a whole wheat tortilla and bake for 5-7 minutes at 350. Next spread onion/mushroom/balsamic mixture on top. Add 1 roma/plum tomato and 1 oz. of goat cheese (we used feta) to each pizza and toss back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Pull out and toss 1/4 cup basil across the two.

This was FANfuckingTASTIC. I was delightfully full after eating it, all though I suppose if you are not you can start off with a salad before hand. Or add some grilled chicken to the top.

I would easily give this a 5/5. I actually kind of prefer it to regular pizza because the feta cheese certainly gave it a punch of flavor that is not present in the lovely but bland mozzarella. We used a red onion and that added a layer of sweetness that a plain yellow onion wouldn't ordinarily. What I'm getting at it that it was a flavor explosion. Literally. The wheat bread was sweet and crunchy. The vinegar pungent. The tomatoes soft and yummy. You see what I'm getting at. This was G. R. E. A. T.

Well enough of that. My mouth is watering and it's just getting to be too much.

Without basil. I think basil tastes like summer.




With basil - extreme close-up.

Don't you just want to reach out and grab that mushroom. I know - the screen just isn't giving it up.