Once again this blog got lost in the shuffle. Sorry again.
I guess it's a sign i havent been cooking anything new at all.
I do have some to post from earlier in the summer and am getting to those today
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Delicious Dessert Spotlight - Pocky
If there is one thing I love in life it's Desserts. It my downfall and probably will be my demise one day. However as I sit here typing my head if filled with images of yummy cupcakes, chocolatety snacks and sweet treats. I'm not lying....Im a certified dessertoholic.
So here is my favorite snack right now. POCKY
So what the heck is POCKY?
It's actually a Japanese treat from the company Glico. I discovered these tasty treats in Epcot in Disney World on a trip a few years back. I was hooked. And the motto among Pocky fans is "you can't just have one". They are just that good.
The Glico description of Pocky:
"Our efforts to create handy and convenient snacks resulted in Pocky's current design: pretzel sticks coated completely with chocolate except for a small portion at one end to make it easy to handle."
Glico makes several different variations of this snack including a strawberry one that I've tried.
After years of hunting around and searching for this treat in NY, I succeeded recently. Much to my suprise they sell them in the international food section of my big supermarket.
If you ever come across this box and are a fan of chocolate....give it a try.
- Sarah
So here is my favorite snack right now. POCKY
So what the heck is POCKY?
It's actually a Japanese treat from the company Glico. I discovered these tasty treats in Epcot in Disney World on a trip a few years back. I was hooked. And the motto among Pocky fans is "you can't just have one". They are just that good.
The Glico description of Pocky:
"Our efforts to create handy and convenient snacks resulted in Pocky's current design: pretzel sticks coated completely with chocolate except for a small portion at one end to make it easy to handle."
Glico makes several different variations of this snack including a strawberry one that I've tried.
After years of hunting around and searching for this treat in NY, I succeeded recently. Much to my suprise they sell them in the international food section of my big supermarket.
If you ever come across this box and are a fan of chocolate....give it a try.
- Sarah
An apology
It seems we let life get the best of us. Well I didn't take the start of summer vacation lightly. I went headfirst into relaxation mode.
But im back and hoping to share a few new things Ive been up to with you...which includes my home made hostess cupcakes!!! and banana nut chocolate chip muffins! yup i've been baking like crazy.
So Im sorry and hoping we didnt loose those of you who kindly have decided to follow us.
- Sarah
But im back and hoping to share a few new things Ive been up to with you...which includes my home made hostess cupcakes!!! and banana nut chocolate chip muffins! yup i've been baking like crazy.
So Im sorry and hoping we didnt loose those of you who kindly have decided to follow us.
- Sarah
Thursday, June 10, 2010
quiche or souffle?
As clueless and I am in the kitchen, Im just as clueless at what things are called. So this is my most recent concoction, a souffle or quiche or whatever it really is called. I had a few failed attempts at this I might add. ;)
Basically these are egg whites or eggs mixed with your favorite veggie and cheese or anything else and baked in a muffin pan. They make fast snacks or a light lunch and are easy to reheat and make.
For this batch I used the following:
1. Egg whites in a container and some egg beaters
2. Bacon bits cause I'm lazy
3. Feta Cheese
4. Asparagus
I chopped the asparagus up into small pieces and cooked for a little bit in microwave before using.
1. Add one container of egg whites or egg beaters into bowl.
2. Add in your desired ingredients and mix well.
3. Used Muffin wrappers and sprayed both inside and out
4. Pour in mixture evenly only half way
Basically these are egg whites or eggs mixed with your favorite veggie and cheese or anything else and baked in a muffin pan. They make fast snacks or a light lunch and are easy to reheat and make.
For this batch I used the following:
1. Egg whites in a container and some egg beaters
2. Bacon bits cause I'm lazy
3. Feta Cheese
4. Asparagus
I chopped the asparagus up into small pieces and cooked for a little bit in microwave before using.
1. Add one container of egg whites or egg beaters into bowl.
2. Add in your desired ingredients and mix well.
3. Used Muffin wrappers and sprayed both inside and out
4. Pour in mixture evenly only half way
5. Bake for 375 for about 15 minutes. You need to really watch these because I burnt a batch or two..
Overall these were good. But some batches were not as lucky.
My failed attempts
1. Used goat cheese in one batch and nearly gagged. lol just not a fan I guess once its baked
2. Overflowed a few of them and they started to burn.
3. These are always stuck to muffin wrappers.
Any thoughts on why they always stick? I used pam on inside to reduce it and it did from previous batches. A friend of mine does these and never has the problem, so i know its me.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Favorite Fast Find - Rice Sides by Knorr
Favorite Fast Finds are my favorite things that save me time and stress. I am not good with finding side dishes for meals and Knorr makes it really easy!
Rice Sides are the perfect fast side dish and my favorite is this chicken flavor rice. I also love the terriyaki rice.
Super easy to make.
Very inexpensive - $1.57 at my stop and shop on sale
Super fast - 7 minutes!
Rice Sides are the perfect fast side dish and my favorite is this chicken flavor rice. I also love the terriyaki rice.
Super easy to make.
Very inexpensive - $1.57 at my stop and shop on sale
Super fast - 7 minutes!
So what are you favorite fast side dishes?
Friday, May 7, 2010
Easy and Tasty Burgers
Given my ineptitude in the kitchen I am always looking for fool proof recipes and when my hubby suggested making these simple burgers I thought, "Why not?" and tried them! I have now made them several times and they could not be any easier.
I am sure most of you are familiar with this recipe from Campbell's Soup. Basically you take 4 burger patties and brown them in a pan. You add one can of Campbell's Condensed French Onion Soup to the party, bring to a boil then knock down the heat to simmer for 6-7 minutes. That's IT!!!!! I melted down some swiss cheese over my burgers and ate mine with some BBQ sauce an tomato slices and my friends there you have the easiest, quickest and tastiest burger!
Recipe:
I am sure most of you are familiar with this recipe from Campbell's Soup. Basically you take 4 burger patties and brown them in a pan. You add one can of Campbell's Condensed French Onion Soup to the party, bring to a boil then knock down the heat to simmer for 6-7 minutes. That's IT!!!!! I melted down some swiss cheese over my burgers and ate mine with some BBQ sauce an tomato slices and my friends there you have the easiest, quickest and tastiest burger!
Recipe:
1 pound ground beef
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed French Onion Soup
4 slices cheese (I used Swiss but you can use whatever you like)
- Shape the beef into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) burgers. (I bought pre made patties from the butcher, they come out better and are uniform in size)
- Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook until well browned on both sides. Remove the burgers from the skillet. Pour off any fat.
- Stir the soup in the skillet and heat to a boil. Return the burgers to the skillet. (I didn't even take the burgers out) Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until desired doneness. Top the burgers with the cheese and cook until the cheese is melted. Serve the burgers on the buns with the soup mixture for dipping.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken and Sauteed Spinach
Hello everyone! Sorry I have been such a slacker. I haven't really been cooking because I have been being a bit of a baby lately and cooking stresses me out but today I went grocery shopping and cooked some dinner so I thought I'd share with you what I did.
I made goat cheese stuffed chicken with sauteed spinach on the side. Boring, I know... I should have made another side but I am lazy!
The chicken was easy. Not extraordinarily flavorful but not bad at all. All I did was take boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cut a slit in the middle for the stuffing. I stuffed each with garlic and herb goat cheese, dipped each piece in eggbeaters, flour, eggbeaters, flour and stuck them in a pan to brown. After they were brown on each side I transferred them to the oven (on 350 F) for about 10 minutes until they were cooked through.
The spinach was a piece of cake, I should make this more often because it is tasty and easy. I heated a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and about a tablespoon of minced garlic in skillet and added my washed spinach to it, some red pepper flakes and a splash of lemon juice. I put a top on it, cooked it on medium heat for 6 minutes or so and it was done.
Spinach cooks down a lot so it looks like a ton when you first put it in but you wind up with a smaller portion. One thing I found is that it gave off a lot of water so I had to drain it before serving. I don't think there's much you can do about that.
So I could have used another side, I know... but it was tasty and pretty decently healthy. Goat cheese is my favorite thing ever. It's so decadent. YUM!
Until next time.....
Friday, April 30, 2010
What's with all these damn knives??
So one of my top 4 fears in the kitchen are knives. I have a nice set we got for our wedding but most of them just sit there unused. We use the basic steak knives almost daily but other than that I am 100% clueless as to what knife to use to cut what food.
Half the time I use the steak knife and I know that's not the best way.
So I am determined to find out what the use for these suckers are!
In my determination to find out what I should be using. I found this awesome website and video!
Start Cooking.com is by Kathy Maister's and you should check it out if you want to learn more. I have it bookmarked already!!
In this video she says I only need 3 good knives to cook.
I think i just found my new favorite site! I think video blogs are great since they show you how to do it.
I admit I kind of got lost watching her how to series and will showcase others on here in the future
I also found this picture guide to knives that might be helpful. Although unless this is laminated on my kitchen counter I dont know if I will use it.
Knives Kitchen Guide
Half the time I use the steak knife and I know that's not the best way.
So I am determined to find out what the use for these suckers are!
In my determination to find out what I should be using. I found this awesome website and video!
Start Cooking.com is by Kathy Maister's and you should check it out if you want to learn more. I have it bookmarked already!!
In this video she says I only need 3 good knives to cook.
I think i just found my new favorite site! I think video blogs are great since they show you how to do it.
I admit I kind of got lost watching her how to series and will showcase others on here in the future
I also found this picture guide to knives that might be helpful. Although unless this is laminated on my kitchen counter I dont know if I will use it.
Knives Kitchen Guide
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Overcooked Meat Anyone?
Yup. So I set off BOTH smoke decetors in the house.... a few times... And since hubby works 3rd shift he was sleeping and NOT excited to hear the deafening beeping. At least I know they'll work if the condo ever IS on fire, right?
So I tried to make london broil. Issue: We don't have a grill. We LOVE grilled food... especially any steaks. Steak, IMO is only really good at a restaurant or grilled. We live in a condo and though we have no where to keep a grill and each summer we get depressed knowing we have to go elsewhere to enjoy some good BBQ. My husband loves red meat and red meat comes out disgusting when it's cooked inside, IMO but alas I tried it and here's what happened.
I broiled it. I did 5-8 minutes on each side as recommended. Well 4 mins into the first side the freekin' smoke alarm starts going off. Panicking I ripped it from the ceiling downstairs (let's hope hubby can fix that when he gets up). Since he was sleeping I didn't want it to go off so I removed the battery... well it works without it. Good in case of fire... bad when there's no fire and honestly no real smoke... there was some smoke but not fire like smoke. THEN the upstairs alarm, outside the bedroom door went off. Yup, he woke up... not too excited but he went back to sleep. It went off a few more times after that and I was near tears thinking "why didn't I just get takeout?"
So anyway I made the following.
London Broil marinated in this Jack Daniels Mesquite marinade.
Mashed red potatoes with cream cheese and dill.
Mushrooms with garlic and butter.
Asparagus with lemon, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil. (This is how I usually make it. I usually cook it in the oven but since I was broiling I just sauteed it on the stove and it came out fine).
So ya. Nothing can ever go smoothly. My entire house smells like meat now and to top it off it was incredibly overcooked and dry. Yes, I let the meat stand before slicing, it still sucked.
I must apologize for being MIA. Honestly I am so stressed looking for employment that I didn't want to deal with cooking and for the last 2-3 weeks we have just been ordering out everyday. I should have ordered out today too.
So I tried to make london broil. Issue: We don't have a grill. We LOVE grilled food... especially any steaks. Steak, IMO is only really good at a restaurant or grilled. We live in a condo and though we have no where to keep a grill and each summer we get depressed knowing we have to go elsewhere to enjoy some good BBQ. My husband loves red meat and red meat comes out disgusting when it's cooked inside, IMO but alas I tried it and here's what happened.
I broiled it. I did 5-8 minutes on each side as recommended. Well 4 mins into the first side the freekin' smoke alarm starts going off. Panicking I ripped it from the ceiling downstairs (let's hope hubby can fix that when he gets up). Since he was sleeping I didn't want it to go off so I removed the battery... well it works without it. Good in case of fire... bad when there's no fire and honestly no real smoke... there was some smoke but not fire like smoke. THEN the upstairs alarm, outside the bedroom door went off. Yup, he woke up... not too excited but he went back to sleep. It went off a few more times after that and I was near tears thinking "why didn't I just get takeout?"
So anyway I made the following.
London Broil marinated in this Jack Daniels Mesquite marinade.
Mashed red potatoes with cream cheese and dill.
Mushrooms with garlic and butter.
Asparagus with lemon, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil. (This is how I usually make it. I usually cook it in the oven but since I was broiling I just sauteed it on the stove and it came out fine).
So ya. Nothing can ever go smoothly. My entire house smells like meat now and to top it off it was incredibly overcooked and dry. Yes, I let the meat stand before slicing, it still sucked.
I must apologize for being MIA. Honestly I am so stressed looking for employment that I didn't want to deal with cooking and for the last 2-3 weeks we have just been ordering out everyday. I should have ordered out today too.
Monday, April 12, 2010
I love asparagus!!!!!
One thing I have learned in attempting to cook is to borrow recipes from family. My mother was a great cook and always tried new things, and had variety on the table. Something I am lacking.
Creamed asparagus is an easy recipe my mother passed on to me that I can actually handle.
Ingredients Needed: Asparagus, milk, flour, salt and pepper
1. Snapped off ends of asparagus, Cut up remainder into small pieces
Creamed asparagus is an easy recipe my mother passed on to me that I can actually handle.
Ingredients Needed: Asparagus, milk, flour, salt and pepper
1. Snapped off ends of asparagus, Cut up remainder into small pieces
2. Boil chopped asparagus until tender.
3. Drain a little! you need to leave some water in their for flavor.
*** I learned this the hard way the first time I tried this and it had no flavor at all. I drained it completely.**
4. Melt butter, about 3 tablespoons, and some milk in a saucepan.
5. Add to asparagus and mix in about 1.5 tablespoons of flour. (if you want it thicker add more)
6. Flavor with salt and pepper taste
I really love this as a winter or fall side dish but I guess Asparagus is a very versatile item as you can do a lot with it.
WHAT WAYS DO YOU COOK ASPARAGUS? give us some inspiration.
WHAT WAYS DO YOU COOK ASPARAGUS? give us some inspiration.
Thank You!
I admit I neglected my blog....well perhaps what I'm really admitting is I haven't cooked! lol
Sorry to all those following and a HUGE THANK YOU from Gina and I for the new followers! i jumped on today and saw 18!!! wow thank you so much and I promise new posts this week
Sorry to all those following and a HUGE THANK YOU from Gina and I for the new followers! i jumped on today and saw 18!!! wow thank you so much and I promise new posts this week
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Cakes with Character!!
OK this is not something I tried but something I admire so much. I recently came across 2 great blogs about cakes and cupcakes. And judging from my recent review you know I love cupcakes!
This first one is from For Cakes Sake Blog They are a custom cakes bakery in Texas. I so wish I lived near them because this cake I want to show you in incredible. Its based on my favorite Mickey Mouse!
The next one is cupcake heaven. Again if I were having party I would so want these creations from Animated Cupcakes
The rest of the creations on here are amazing as well.
This first one is from For Cakes Sake Blog They are a custom cakes bakery in Texas. I so wish I lived near them because this cake I want to show you in incredible. Its based on my favorite Mickey Mouse!
The next one is cupcake heaven. Again if I were having party I would so want these creations from Animated Cupcakes
The rest of the creations on here are amazing as well.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Home-made mac and cheese
ok first I must say I'm proud of myself for trying something like this - free of fear. I love macaroni and cheese from the box! lol but never thought of making it on my own...as easy as it appears to be.
It just happened that I ahd some cheeses in the fridge that needed to be used and there was a super sale on boxes of pasta.
This is a new brand from Ronzoni - cooks faster. Anything that limits my kitchen time is great in my book! lol
Ok so I googled a recipe online and printed 2 and actually combined them. Since mac n cheese is fairly simple in my book I took chances changing some ingredient amounts.
I didnt want to buy new cheese...so I used: Gruyere and Asiago and Parmesan. I know random but thats what I had and wasnt wasting more money.
So I cut up the cheese, cooked the pasta, made the cheese sauce with milk, flour and butter and added to the pasta.
I baked it for only like 10 minutes and everything was good
So overall I was pleased with this. I ate it and enjoyed it but I'm not sure if others would!! lol
That's a big issue with me - how do you know others will like it?!!!
How do you all handle that??
The cheeses are fairly strong but i like them.lol
Another problem I had was it was very cheesy! Not a bad thing for me but how do I correct that and make it more loke your kraft stuff??? add more milk??
So overall It was a success!!!
It just happened that I ahd some cheeses in the fridge that needed to be used and there was a super sale on boxes of pasta.
This is a new brand from Ronzoni - cooks faster. Anything that limits my kitchen time is great in my book! lol
Ok so I googled a recipe online and printed 2 and actually combined them. Since mac n cheese is fairly simple in my book I took chances changing some ingredient amounts.
I didnt want to buy new cheese...so I used: Gruyere and Asiago and Parmesan. I know random but thats what I had and wasnt wasting more money.
So I cut up the cheese, cooked the pasta, made the cheese sauce with milk, flour and butter and added to the pasta.
I baked it for only like 10 minutes and everything was good
So overall I was pleased with this. I ate it and enjoyed it but I'm not sure if others would!! lol
That's a big issue with me - how do you know others will like it?!!!
How do you all handle that??
The cheeses are fairly strong but i like them.lol
Another problem I had was it was very cheesy! Not a bad thing for me but how do I correct that and make it more loke your kraft stuff??? add more milk??
So overall It was a success!!!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Cupcake Review Featured!!!
I wrote a review for my favorite blog of the moment Disney Food Blog!!!
Head over there now to read up on the White Chocolate Elephant Cupcake....its an incredible treat from Disney.
Thanks AJ for letting me write a review!
and The Disney Food Blog was featured on another awesome blog - Cupcakes take the Cake
Head over there now to read up on the White Chocolate Elephant Cupcake....its an incredible treat from Disney.
Thanks AJ for letting me write a review!
and The Disney Food Blog was featured on another awesome blog - Cupcakes take the Cake
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Behind the Blog: Interview with Gina
Tell us about yourself.
I'm Gina. I am a 25 year old [unemployed] attorney, and a blogger. Like Sarah I am obsessed with Disney and I was also married in Disney World in 2009. When I am not in Disney World I wish I was and unfortunately I don't get there nearly as much as I wish I could but I have to admit I do go there more often than most people I know. I have two adorable kitties, Shooter Kitty and Deuce who I spoil and a wonderful husband named Steve who spoils me.
What are your hobbies?
ha! I don't do much. Hobbies were pretty much non-existent during law school (I had no time!) and now that I am out of law school I find myself with ample time and nothing to do! I spend most of my time looking for a job (yes, I passed the Bar exam but all those comments about how bad the economy is right now are true folks.) I love blogging and I love to read. I like all types of books. Lately my favorite author is Jodi Picoult but she can be depressing at times so I am on to lighter things in between her titles.
What scares you most about the kitchen?
EVERYTHING. OMG. I hate grocery shopping, as you've heard. I hate meal planning and I stink at it. I cannot even tell you how many BURNS I have from attempting to cook. The kitchen is the Devil!
I read a recipe and I just freak out. I look at it on the paper and say "nope, too much". Or WTF is it about recipes sometimes. Like I have a chicken salad recipe that starts with "8 oz. of cooked chicken", well tell me, how was I supposed to cook it. Grill? Fry? Bake? Why doesn't it TELL me!?
What can you cook?
Ha!! Microwavable entrees & pre-mixed cookies? Honestly, not much. I can make a decent burger and I have one interesting chicken sandwich, but as a far as homemade items go, that's about it.
What was your biggest "kitchen catastrophe"?
I actually severely burned myself in high school while baking cookies. I was on the phone with my husband (he wasn't my husband or even boyfriend then LOL) and I went to pull the cookies out of the oven. I felt the cookie sheet slipping and just out of instinct attempted to catch it. I have a MASSIVE horizontal line shaped scar on my left arm as an eternal reminder of that.
More recently I tried to make chicken cattatorie in the crock pot. Did I get a recipe? Nope. I winged it. It was so disgusting it tasted like plastic. IDK what I did wrong. I threw that into the garbage and got a Tendercrisp.
What are your favorite foods?
Chicken Parm, Filet Mignon, Lobster (YUMMM), I love spicy hot Thai food, I love all Mexican Food, cheesecake, red velvet cake (with creamcheese frosting), buffalo anything if it's super hot, anything cheesy anything fried anything hot.
What is your biggest kitchen confessions?
<---- Sarah's answer and mine as well. I couldn't have said it better myself.
I'm Gina. I am a 25 year old [unemployed] attorney, and a blogger. Like Sarah I am obsessed with Disney and I was also married in Disney World in 2009. When I am not in Disney World I wish I was and unfortunately I don't get there nearly as much as I wish I could but I have to admit I do go there more often than most people I know. I have two adorable kitties, Shooter Kitty and Deuce who I spoil and a wonderful husband named Steve who spoils me.
What are your hobbies?
ha! I don't do much. Hobbies were pretty much non-existent during law school (I had no time!) and now that I am out of law school I find myself with ample time and nothing to do! I spend most of my time looking for a job (yes, I passed the Bar exam but all those comments about how bad the economy is right now are true folks.) I love blogging and I love to read. I like all types of books. Lately my favorite author is Jodi Picoult but she can be depressing at times so I am on to lighter things in between her titles.
What scares you most about the kitchen?
EVERYTHING. OMG. I hate grocery shopping, as you've heard. I hate meal planning and I stink at it. I cannot even tell you how many BURNS I have from attempting to cook. The kitchen is the Devil!
I read a recipe and I just freak out. I look at it on the paper and say "nope, too much". Or WTF is it about recipes sometimes. Like I have a chicken salad recipe that starts with "8 oz. of cooked chicken", well tell me, how was I supposed to cook it. Grill? Fry? Bake? Why doesn't it TELL me!?
What can you cook?
Ha!! Microwavable entrees & pre-mixed cookies? Honestly, not much. I can make a decent burger and I have one interesting chicken sandwich, but as a far as homemade items go, that's about it.
What was your biggest "kitchen catastrophe"?
I actually severely burned myself in high school while baking cookies. I was on the phone with my husband (he wasn't my husband or even boyfriend then LOL) and I went to pull the cookies out of the oven. I felt the cookie sheet slipping and just out of instinct attempted to catch it. I have a MASSIVE horizontal line shaped scar on my left arm as an eternal reminder of that.
More recently I tried to make chicken cattatorie in the crock pot. Did I get a recipe? Nope. I winged it. It was so disgusting it tasted like plastic. IDK what I did wrong. I threw that into the garbage and got a Tendercrisp.
What are your favorite foods?
Chicken Parm, Filet Mignon, Lobster (YUMMM), I love spicy hot Thai food, I love all Mexican Food, cheesecake, red velvet cake (with creamcheese frosting), buffalo anything if it's super hot, anything cheesy anything fried anything hot.
What is your biggest kitchen confessions?
I buy lots of food, especially veggies and fruits and let them sit in my fridge and go bad. I have great intentions of using them but never do. I waste far too much food on a weekly basis.
<---- Sarah's answer and mine as well. I couldn't have said it better myself.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Behind the Blog: Interview with Sarah
Tell us about yourself.
Im Sarah a 28 year old, blogger, designer, owner of Daydream Ink, photographer, artist, Disney obsessed, internet junkie. That's a mouth full but pretty much describes me. I got married in Disney World in 2006. We have two furbabies, two adorable yorkies names Lilo and Stitch. We spend way too much time traveling to Disney World, and most of our family and friends think we are nuts.
What are your hobbies?
Other than blogging (which is a fairly new hobby), I enjoy planning disney trips, using photoshop, painting, photographing, and playing with my dogs.
What scares you most about the kitchen?
What doesn't scare me about it? No really there are 4 main things that really scare me about cooking.
1. Shopping and meal planning.....I panic when I enter a store and get lost in the aisles for hours.
2. Side dishes - i admit it....i dont make sides only the main meal
3. My knife set -I have no clue what all those knives are for!
4. Cookbooks - i have a stash of cookbooks that I never open because they overwhelm me.
What can you cook?
Ok I guess its not fair to say I can't cook. I think I would say that I don't enjoy to cook and am not graceful in the kitchen. I can cook some things really well...only after many practices.
I can cook: meatloaf, home made pasta sauce, eggplant parm (only recently), fried rice, cheedar cheese soup, and a turkey.
There are a few other items that are my go-to meals and I plan on sharing those with you as we go along
What was your biggest "kitchen catastrophe"?
Geeze this is a tough one. Recently I have ruined:
a cornish hen (i cooked it for hours and it tasted terrible)
a pasta dish with veggies..followed a recipe and all and it was a mess. I threw it right into trash
Penne ala vodka -followed rachael ray's recipe and that was one epic fail for sure
What are your favorite foods?
Pizza, chicken parm, french toast and ALL desserts. I mean all.
Does coffee count as a food? lol
What is your biggest kitchen confessions?
I buy lots of food, especially veggies and fruits and let them sit in my fridge and go bad. I have great intentions of using them but never do. I waste far too much food on a weekly basis.
I love to microwave everything!
Im Sarah a 28 year old, blogger, designer, owner of Daydream Ink, photographer, artist, Disney obsessed, internet junkie. That's a mouth full but pretty much describes me. I got married in Disney World in 2006. We have two furbabies, two adorable yorkies names Lilo and Stitch. We spend way too much time traveling to Disney World, and most of our family and friends think we are nuts.
What are your hobbies?
Other than blogging (which is a fairly new hobby), I enjoy planning disney trips, using photoshop, painting, photographing, and playing with my dogs.
What scares you most about the kitchen?
What doesn't scare me about it? No really there are 4 main things that really scare me about cooking.
1. Shopping and meal planning.....I panic when I enter a store and get lost in the aisles for hours.
2. Side dishes - i admit it....i dont make sides only the main meal
3. My knife set -I have no clue what all those knives are for!
4. Cookbooks - i have a stash of cookbooks that I never open because they overwhelm me.
What can you cook?
Ok I guess its not fair to say I can't cook. I think I would say that I don't enjoy to cook and am not graceful in the kitchen. I can cook some things really well...only after many practices.
I can cook: meatloaf, home made pasta sauce, eggplant parm (only recently), fried rice, cheedar cheese soup, and a turkey.
There are a few other items that are my go-to meals and I plan on sharing those with you as we go along
What was your biggest "kitchen catastrophe"?
Geeze this is a tough one. Recently I have ruined:
a cornish hen (i cooked it for hours and it tasted terrible)
a pasta dish with veggies..followed a recipe and all and it was a mess. I threw it right into trash
Penne ala vodka -followed rachael ray's recipe and that was one epic fail for sure
What are your favorite foods?
Pizza, chicken parm, french toast and ALL desserts. I mean all.
Does coffee count as a food? lol
What is your biggest kitchen confessions?
I buy lots of food, especially veggies and fruits and let them sit in my fridge and go bad. I have great intentions of using them but never do. I waste far too much food on a weekly basis.
I love to microwave everything!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
I Might Hate Grocery Shopping More than Cooking
It's true. Grocery shopping and I do not get along. I honestly have insane anxiety just thinking about grocery shopping. I cannot find a grocery store nearby that isn't disgusting. My nearest Whole Foods is 30 minutes away, and Big Y (a local chain) is 20 minutes away and those are the only two I can tolerate. However, sometimes I just do not feel like going that far out of my way, especially if the weather is not very nice.
There is a Stop and Shop and Aldi literally one minute from my house. Now let's be honest, Aldi is a train wreck. That store is so horrible I went in twice and never went back. Stop and Shop fares no better in my book. The one near me is so poorly managed it's not even funny. The produce department is disgusting, rotten, yes rotten fruits and veggies are really all there is to choose from. I might be better off shopping for produce in the dumpster behind the Italian restaurant down the hill than I am at my local Stop and Shop. Not only that but they NEVER have the shelves stocked. No matter when I go the store is destroyed, ravaged and empty. And it doesn't end there, oh no!
The staff is horrible. Honestly when I am checking out I do not want to hear some loser 19 year old cashier talk about all of the b*tches he b@nged last night". No exaggeration, that is the conversation I have overheard one particular employee having with the bagger on numerous occasions. I have also had the pleasure to hear cashiers talk about the drunken fight they were involved in over the weekend and heard them discuss how they cannot believe they made it home that night given their level of intoxication behind the wheel. Yes, classy group of employees at the Stop and Shop.
Not only that but the idea of planning meals for the week makes me crazy. I don't know what I want to eat on Friday when it's only Monday. It's happened so many times that I have planned meals and then never made what I planned because I wasn't in the mood to eat it.
Also, the thought of how much money I waste weekly on groceries makes me want to puke. I throw out so much stuff it is honestly terrible and makes me feel so guilty.
So here's what happened today. I went on Stop and Shop's website and I browsed the weekly circular and made a list of things I wanted to purchase. I grabbed my "green" bags and headed down the hill. I fought the massive crowds (and it was 3:30 pm) and finally found a parking space...
I entered Stop and Shop and went to grab a cart. First try was a fail, the cart would no budge! It was stuck to the one in front of it. Alright, breathe, go to the next row of carts. I grab one, SAME THING. Recently Stop and Shop switched from metal carts to plastic and these things are CRAP. The part that rises up to make room to store another cart consistently gets caught in making it near impossible to get a cart. Finally I found a cart that was solo so I grabbed it and went over to the produce section. BIG MISTAKE.
I surveyed the area and looked for items on my list. I zeroed in on tomatoes and tried to find adequate ones to purchase. Lo and behold the tomatoes were, of course, rotten. Disgusting, soft and inedible. I freaked out. I took my green bags from my empty carriage and hauled ass out of the store. I did not purchase a single thing.
On the way home I got a Tender Crisp Meal from Burger King, which only makes me feel worse about what happened. Not only can I not cook, I can't buy fresh groceries and I eat like a pig.
Overall not a good day here. This is not something that hasn't happened before. I have done this so many times my husband thinks I need psychological help. I have driven 20 minutes to a grocery store got almost through with grocery shopping, looked into the cart and realized all I had was snacks and random ingredients that didn't go together, had a panic attack and left the full cart in the middle of the store and drove home with nothing.
So you see this is a huge problem for me. Something that I can write in a humorous way but something serious and frustrating and something that needs to change.
So here's what happened today. I went on Stop and Shop's website and I browsed the weekly circular and made a list of things I wanted to purchase. I grabbed my "green" bags and headed down the hill. I fought the massive crowds (and it was 3:30 pm) and finally found a parking space...
I entered Stop and Shop and went to grab a cart. First try was a fail, the cart would no budge! It was stuck to the one in front of it. Alright, breathe, go to the next row of carts. I grab one, SAME THING. Recently Stop and Shop switched from metal carts to plastic and these things are CRAP. The part that rises up to make room to store another cart consistently gets caught in making it near impossible to get a cart. Finally I found a cart that was solo so I grabbed it and went over to the produce section. BIG MISTAKE.
I surveyed the area and looked for items on my list. I zeroed in on tomatoes and tried to find adequate ones to purchase. Lo and behold the tomatoes were, of course, rotten. Disgusting, soft and inedible. I freaked out. I took my green bags from my empty carriage and hauled ass out of the store. I did not purchase a single thing.
On the way home I got a Tender Crisp Meal from Burger King, which only makes me feel worse about what happened. Not only can I not cook, I can't buy fresh groceries and I eat like a pig.
Overall not a good day here. This is not something that hasn't happened before. I have done this so many times my husband thinks I need psychological help. I have driven 20 minutes to a grocery store got almost through with grocery shopping, looked into the cart and realized all I had was snacks and random ingredients that didn't go together, had a panic attack and left the full cart in the middle of the store and drove home with nothing.
So you see this is a huge problem for me. Something that I can write in a humorous way but something serious and frustrating and something that needs to change.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Confession: I can't cook. No, really.
Hello everyone! My name is Gina and I have a confession: I can't cook. I really can't cook. I love to eat but cooking is just something I cannot do. Sarah and I are going to change this though. We're on a mission. We want to learn how to, well, feed ourselves. I am sick of letting grocery shopping, cooking and deciding what to eat stress me out. I enjoy blogging (proof) and so does Sarah so we thought that maybe if we combine cooking with blogging that cooking will become something we also enjoy.
Now honestly cooking is a problem for me. I get so stressed out just thinking about what to eat for the week. Grocery shopping makes me MAD. Like actually mad. When I think about having to go to the grocery store I just get in the worst mood ever. And each week it's the same. I buy a bunch of things with no rhyme or reason then at the end of the week I throw out all the things that went bad (mostly everything I bought) and do it all over again. Week after week I will buy veggies for salad and at weeks end there they lie, untouched and spoiled. What a waste!! I don't want to be wasteful like that and things need to change.
I hope you'll join Sarah and I on our little adventure. While we won't be making fancy 5 star meals or embarking on a Julie & Julia type feat we will be trying to be better cooks, healthier (maybe?) eaters and savvy shoppers. We want to be able to go shopping with a plan, to waste nothing (or next to nothing) at week's end and to find peace in preparing meals. It can be done and we're excited to do it.
Stay tuned for more!!
Now honestly cooking is a problem for me. I get so stressed out just thinking about what to eat for the week. Grocery shopping makes me MAD. Like actually mad. When I think about having to go to the grocery store I just get in the worst mood ever. And each week it's the same. I buy a bunch of things with no rhyme or reason then at the end of the week I throw out all the things that went bad (mostly everything I bought) and do it all over again. Week after week I will buy veggies for salad and at weeks end there they lie, untouched and spoiled. What a waste!! I don't want to be wasteful like that and things need to change.
I hope you'll join Sarah and I on our little adventure. While we won't be making fancy 5 star meals or embarking on a Julie & Julia type feat we will be trying to be better cooks, healthier (maybe?) eaters and savvy shoppers. We want to be able to go shopping with a plan, to waste nothing (or next to nothing) at week's end and to find peace in preparing meals. It can be done and we're excited to do it.
Stay tuned for more!!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
All Ears.net
Gina and I are both big Disney fans and one thing true Disney fans know is their Disney food. For many of us, Disney World is not simply about the rides and attractions but the incredible food. Form snacks to full 5 course meals, they have some of the tastiest food around.
Often, when I return from Disney I find myself wanting to make the same dishes I have in my favorite restaurants....a little bit of magic at home. :)
AllEars.Net is the go to place for those wanting to recreate their favorite Disney dishes or those just wanting something new on their menu. I highly recommend checking out their website when you get a chance.
I have personally tried 2 of the recipes on here and my friends have raved over them. The recipes seem absolutely accurate.
I have made:
1. Le Cellier Cheddar Cheese Soup from Disney's Canada
I noticed an updated version was added as well and will have to see the difference
Some tell me mine is even better than the real deal - so try it out yourself
*I will be making this soon and will be sure to document the process
By far my favorite of their recipes was a dessert
2. OHana's Bread Pudding from Disney's Polynesian - the perfect blend of bananas, caramel and ice cream
This recipe was super easy to follow and I have a confession........................
I didn't flambe the sauce because I am afraid of the kitchen in that respect. BUT good news is it came out perfect and there was no need to.
While I did not try this recipe my friend has made is many times since our trips and it is exactly as it is in the restaurant.
Ohana's Honey Lime Dressing
the perfect dressing with a tang to it and a sweetness. Great for summer meals I think.
Often, when I return from Disney I find myself wanting to make the same dishes I have in my favorite restaurants....a little bit of magic at home. :)
AllEars.Net is the go to place for those wanting to recreate their favorite Disney dishes or those just wanting something new on their menu. I highly recommend checking out their website when you get a chance.
I have personally tried 2 of the recipes on here and my friends have raved over them. The recipes seem absolutely accurate.
I have made:
1. Le Cellier Cheddar Cheese Soup from Disney's Canada
I noticed an updated version was added as well and will have to see the difference
Some tell me mine is even better than the real deal - so try it out yourself
*I will be making this soon and will be sure to document the process
By far my favorite of their recipes was a dessert
2. OHana's Bread Pudding from Disney's Polynesian - the perfect blend of bananas, caramel and ice cream
This recipe was super easy to follow and I have a confession........................
I didn't flambe the sauce because I am afraid of the kitchen in that respect. BUT good news is it came out perfect and there was no need to.
While I did not try this recipe my friend has made is many times since our trips and it is exactly as it is in the restaurant.
Ohana's Honey Lime Dressing
the perfect dressing with a tang to it and a sweetness. Great for summer meals I think.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Welcome to Kitchen Catastrophes
Welcome and thanks for visiting our Blog. This is our first post on a blog that neither us really knows is going to take us, but we are both up for the challenge.
So what is Kitchen Catastrophes?
Well the name really says it all. We are two friends, who both share one common disadvantage:
We can't cook.
I suppose in our defense it's more that we are afraid to cook and really don't enjoy it. We struggle with day to day meals, planning our shopping lists, remembering all the ingredients, and really just starting the entire cooking process. We do love food and really do want to be good cooks, so we have set out on this mission together.
Kitchen Catastrophes started as a joke between friends really and how it would be funny to document how we learn and try to cook. Well today the joke turned into a real life blog, and one that we hope will grow and develop over time.
We are excited to share both our failured and those rare successes in the kitchen, document new recipes, share the recipes and foods we love, ask for advice from our friends and followers and most importantly learn a little something about the kitchen.
Stay Tuned.
So what is Kitchen Catastrophes?
Well the name really says it all. We are two friends, who both share one common disadvantage:
We can't cook.
I suppose in our defense it's more that we are afraid to cook and really don't enjoy it. We struggle with day to day meals, planning our shopping lists, remembering all the ingredients, and really just starting the entire cooking process. We do love food and really do want to be good cooks, so we have set out on this mission together.
Kitchen Catastrophes started as a joke between friends really and how it would be funny to document how we learn and try to cook. Well today the joke turned into a real life blog, and one that we hope will grow and develop over time.
We are excited to share both our failured and those rare successes in the kitchen, document new recipes, share the recipes and foods we love, ask for advice from our friends and followers and most importantly learn a little something about the kitchen.
Stay Tuned.
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