Superbowl Sunday

My parents were in town for the Superbowl this year.  We had planned on stopping by a friend's house but decided that we wanted to just hang out.  I didn't change out of my pajamas all day and it was glorious.

Since we decided to stay home, I got to cook.  I was inspired by the Pioneer Woman and decided to make my first ever brisket.  I also made a hashbrown casserole and two different dips.  All the of the recipes besides the brisket were on Pinterest and I think that all the found turned out perfectly.

Here are the recipes that go along with our Superbowl menu.  Oh, and even though I am on Weight Watchers, there is nothing skinny about any of these recipes.  Consider yourself warned.

Artichoke Bread

I pinned this recipe a long time ago and I have been dying to try it.  It is essentially artichoke dip served in a hollowed-out loaf of bread.  It was really good but I think next time I may make it the traditional way.  It was a little bit messy.

Ingredients

• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
• 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
• 1 loaf Italian bread, sliced in half lengthwise

Directions

Mix the artichoke hearts, green onions, garlic, cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, mozzarella and parmigiano reggiano reserving some of the cheese.

Hollow 1/2 an inch out of the center of both halves of the bread.

Spread the mixture into the hole in the bread slices and top with the reserved cheese.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven covered in foil for 20 minutes.

Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Recipe from Closet Cooking

Charleston Cheese Dip

This recipe is from Trisha Yearwood's cookbook and was also on her show a few weeks ago.  I didn't have high expectations for it but that was a mistake.  It was good.  Real good.  So good that we ate half of it before I remembered to take a picture.

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Monterey jack cheese
2 green onions, finely chopped
Dash of cayenne pepper
8 Ritz crackers, crushed
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, mix the mayonnaise, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese, green onions and cayenne pepper.

Transfer the mixture to a shallow baking dish.Top mixture with cracker crumbs and bake for 15 minutes, or until heated through.

Remove the pan from the oven and top with the bacon. Serve immediately with corn chips, bagel chips or crackers.

Recipe from Mommy's Kitchen

Tangy Tomato Brisket

This is the recipe that got my wheels turing and inspired the whole menu.  I had never made a brisket before but let me tell you, it was so easy.  All I had to do was dump a few ingredients in a pan and six hours later dinner was done.  Plus it makes a ton of food.

Ingredients

5 to 8 pound brisket, trimmed of all fat

1 (24 oz) bottle of ketchup

1 package of dry onion soup mix

A few dashes of hot sauce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.

Place the brisket in an oven-safe pan. Combine the ketchup and soup mix in a bowl, and then stir it around to mix. Pour in 1 cup water and stir to combine. (You can add more water if needed!)

Pour the sauce all over the brisket, and then flip the brisket over to coat the other side. Now just cover the pan with foil and roast in the oven for 6 to 7 hours.

Remove the pan from the oven and test the brisket to make sure it's fork-tender. The brisket should fall apart if you look at it! Slice the brisket into thin strips, then return the beef to the sauce and keep it warm until you're ready to serve.

Recipe from The Food Network

Hashbrown Casserole (or Crack Potatoes)

I had made these potatoes before but when I was trying to think of what side dish would go well with brisket they were the first thing that came to mind.  They are definitely not healthy.  My mom and I started calculating the Weight Watchers points and got to 102 points before we decided it was best not to know.  Aren't some of the best things in life the worst for you?

Ingredients

2 (16oz) containers sour cream

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

2 (3oz) bags real bacon bits

2 packages Ranch Dip mix

1 large (28 - 30oz) bag frozen hash brown potatoes, shredded 

Directions

Combine the first four ingredients and then mix in the hash browns.

Spread into a 9x13 pan and cook at 400 degrees F for 45 to 60 minutes.

Recipe from Plain Chicken

That was our Superbowl.  Like I said, it was nice to just hang out.  Beyonce was amazing and my crazy hormones had me nearly in tears when the rest of Destiny's Child came out.

And now time for a token picture of Beckett.

Recipe round up: sweets edition

Before I was pregnant, I was not much of a sweets eater.  I am a carb lover.  I've always said I would rather eat a plate of mashed potatoes than a piece of cake.  Well, all that changed during my pregnancy. I couldn't get enough sweets.  They were all I thought about and I had to have at least one serving of ice cream a day.

This new found love of sweets caused me to spend a lot of time exploring the sweets board on my Pinterest.  I tried many new recipes and I thought I would share my thoughts with you.  This way you can skip the bad and head straight for the good.

Sweet and Salty Candy Bar Blondies

Shockingly, I have been cooking since Beckett has arrived and last weekend, I even baked.  What could have motivated me to get so wild?  This recipe.  I give it an A+ (so does Daniel and my mom).  It was pretty easy and contains three different types of candy.  Apparently I am still hooked on sweets.

Sopapilla Cheesecake

This is a very popular recipe in our part of the world.  I had never made it until this summer and let me tell you, it is easy.  There are only a handful of ingredients and it takes about 5 minutes to put together.  I give it an A.  It's not my personal favorite, but if you need a quick dessert for a group, this is a solid bet.

Macadamia Nut White Chip Pumpkin Cookies

There was a lot of excitement when I made this recipe.  It was the Olympics opening ceremony and Jack's stitches started to bleed while I was waiting for the cookies to bake.  Maybe all the excitement tainted my experience with the cookies.  I give them a B-.  They were soft, too soft.  I like cookies with a little more firmness.  I was definitely disappointed because I love pumpkin and I love macadamia nut cookies.

Perrini Ranch Bread Pudding

I love this recipe.  Let me repeat, love.  We had this at a dinner at our local country club and I was hooked.  I lived near the Perrini Ranch restaurant and this recipe made me sad that I have never eaten there.  I give it an A++.  My one tip is to make sure you have a good loaf of sourdough bread.  We did not and had to use pre-sliced packaged bread and it wasn't quite the same.  It was almost too thin.

No-Bake Cake Batter Truffles

I like cake balls and this was my first attempt at making them.  They were a lot of work, but I think they were worth it.  Dipping them and not making a mess is a challenge and a half but one day I will figure it out.  I give this recipe an A and think it would be great for a party where you don't want to make a whole cake.

Strawberry Shortcake Cake

And speaking of cakes, meet the first real cake recipe I have ever attempted.  I've made box cakes before, but I had never made a cake from scratch until this beauty.  It was a lot of work and time consuming, but the results were so worth it.  I knew it was good when Daniel said he wanted to have it for his birthday cake next year.  Obviously this recipe is another A+.

And here are a few of the recipes that I plan on trying next.

Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark

Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread

Caramel Pretzel Magic Bars

I'll let you know how they turn out!

Let the good times roll

I love lobster rolls.  My sister, mom, and I took a girls trip to Boston two years ago and I fell in love with these delicious little creations.  The best one we had on the trip was at Neptune's Oyster.  It is a super tiny restaurant in the North End with a bar and a couple tables.  The lobster roll was served with  french fries and dripping with butter.  How can that not be good?

I pretty much always want a lobster roll but this has been amplified since being pregnant.  I recently discovered that one of the sale websites that I get emails from offers food, including lobster rolls.  I debated whether or not I thought they would be worth the money, but I decided to give it a shot.

My rolls arrived fresh from Maine about a week after I ordered them.  The meat was almost all claw meat, which is amazing.  I made Daniel go with me to McDonalds to get french fries because I didn't have the patience to make any myself.  I even got an extra order of large fries for free.  Best day ever?  I think so.

The lobster rolls were worth every penny.  Seriously delish.  I told some friends that it was the best thing I have eaten in a very long time.  All I added was seasoned salt and I was in business.  My craving was definitely satisfied but I am sure it won't be long before I have to order more.

Heaven on a plate

barcelona: day one (part two)

After exploring the market and buying all the ingredients we needed for class, we headed back to make everything.  The classes at Hubbell and Hudson have definitely spoiled us.  They do all the prep work and all the cleaning.  That was not the way things were at this class.  We got to chop everything and plate it.  All the dishes we cooked were in season and typical of Barcelona and Cataluyna.

La Rambla

The cooking school

The set up

We started by getting everything ready for the crema catalana, which is a lot like a creme brûlée, but uses milk and heavy cream.  It needed time to set so we prepared that dish first.

Starting the crema catalana

Next we started working on the grilled onions, romesco sauce, red pepper soup and cod skins.  I got to help do all of that so I didn't get to take any pictures of the prep work.  We took the skin of the salt cod and put it in the oven to crisp.  The onions and peppers were both cooked until the skins were burned and then we removed the burnt flesh.  The onions weren't bad and I hate onions.

The romesco sauce was my favorite.  It is a red sauce that the Spanish usually eat with meat or vegetables and it is good.  I like to say it was the ranch of Catalunya.  It has peppers, almonds, hazelnuts, olive oil, and few other ingredients in it.  It's not spicy at all and was super easy to make.

I learned a lot about paella in the class.  Paella should really be brown, not yellow.  Saffron is what makes paella yellow and it is super expensive so restaurants often add yellow food coloring and not saffron to the dish.  I also learned that you should never mix multiple meats in a paella.  If you want chicken, just add chicken.  It's better not to add chicken, seafood and so on to the same dish.    

Cooking the shrimp for the paella

Next came the vegetables

And rice

Finally the stock.

Red pepper soup with salted cod skins 

Onions with romesco sauce

The finished paella

Ready to serve

Finishing up the crema catalana

And done

Overall, I enjoyed the class.  We learned about new food and tried things we wouldn't have otherwise.  The paella was definitely my favorite and I am looking for a paella pan so I can try it at home.  I will say that Hubbell and Hudson cooking class are still my favorite.

The Gothic quarter the school was in

The cathedral from our hotel roof

Cooking class for two

We all know that I love a cooking class and I try to attend one every time I come home. This time I planned a trip around around a cooking class. I needed a break from the Panhandle and since I am not technically working, I have nothing but time on my hands.  As much as I love cooking classes, I might love fried chicken even more. It is my favorite food and the only meal I ask my mother-in-law to cook for me on my birthday so a class featuring this intimidating dish was like a match made in heaven.

A lot of the cooking classes at Hubbell and Hudson sell out quickly and the class we took, which was southern recipes inspired by the movie "The Help", was no exception.  My mom and I patiently waited for a new class to be listed and then we jumped on it and I planned my escape.

Fried chicken is a dish that has always been super intimidating.  There is the fact that you can easily ruin the dish by overheating or underheating the oil.  Then the actual act of frying is full of danger.  Finally, you have to make sure the chicken is actually cooked through.  That's a lot, so I was happy to have a chef walk me through the process.


The line-up

The final verdict is that fried chicken doesn't have to be impossible to make at home.  I decided that a thermometer for the oil is essential.  This easily tells you if you are getting too hot or too cold.  A gas range doesn't hurt either.  I also learned that if you place the chicken in the oil moving away from your body, you are less likely to get popped.



The finished product



Minny's chocolate pie minus any crazy ingredients

My next goal is to recreate this meal at home (minus the macaroni and cheese because our family recipe is way better).  Everything was delicious and seemed easy enough, but that may be because all the ingredients were pre-prepared.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Recipe round-up: healthy edition

I have been trying to slim down for summer and improve my eating habits in general. I love fried food in an unhealthy way. I would fry just about anything. I am not a big sweets eater but I am a dedicated carb lover. This is not good for my waistline. So I have been searching Pinterest for recipes that will help me meet my summer goals. Here are my reviews on what to try and what to skip.



Broccoli and Italian Sausage Egg Muffins

This recipe is super easy to whip up during the week. I give it a solid A and will definitely make it again. A shortcut I would try next time is to use a steam bag of broccoli instead of trying to sauté the broccoli. This would save time and the broccoli would be even more tender. I refrigerated the leftovers and we had breakfast for the rest of the week. Next time, I think I'll try spinach.



Pesto Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I am not going to lie and say that I love Brussels sprouts because they are definitely not my favorite. This recipe actually made me like them a little more. I give it an A-. It has vegetables, starches, and protein all in one dish. It was very easy to make and is the perfect dish for a weeknight meal.



Shrimp Quesadillas with Tomato Avocado

I love shrimp and I love avocados so I thought this recipe was a match made in heaven. I have made a few recipes from Skinnytaste and really enjoyed them. This recipe ended that streak. I would give it a D. It was super bland and I just don't think that any recipe can make low carb tortillas taste good. If someone knows of amazing low carb tortillas, please share. They tasted like cardboard and made me sad I wasted my shrimp and avocados.



Buffalo Chicken Bites

This recipe was another fail and I had really high hopes for it. It sounded like such a great idea. Who doesn't want to eat a healthier version of buffalo chicken wings? I think it was the corn flakes that ruined it for me. They tasted out of place and didn't make sense. I give it a C and think I'll be sticking to my fatty wings.



Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin

I am not sure how healthy this recipe actually is, but it is a vegetable so I am letting it count. I give this a B because it was good but I'm not sure that is that great for you. It definitely did not replace twice baked mashed potato casserole in my heart, but it is a nice alternative.

What's cooking, good looking?

In addition to Facebook shopping and auctions, I am officially obsessed with cooking classes. You learn some tricks and get to eat a fabulous meal. This my friends is what we call a win-win. I am constantly on Hubbell and Hudson's website looking for new classes to take. Currently I am praying for a New England clam bake/lobster roll themed class. How amazing would that be?

The latest class we took was a "Seafood Date Night" theme. The chefs told us about it in September and it took almost six months to be able to get into the class. They are becoming very popular in the 281/713.

We made a relish tower with a jumbo lump crab salad, lobster risotto, lobster tails, broccolini and citrus-glazed scallops. Everything was so good and I love that you learn some tricks during the class. Did you know that you should sear scallops on each side for 2-3 minutes and then stick them in the oven for another 2-3 minutes? This helps cook the scallops all the way through because raw scallops are nasty. Life changing.

We also learned the correct way to make risotto, which is something I have always wanted to learn how to make. It is a little intimidating, but it really only requires patience. I have been lifting weights, no big deal, so I knew my guns were ready to do some stirring.

My one piece of advice is to maybe take the class with a group of four people. There are usually four people to a station and just like there are jerks at rock climbing facilities, there are jerks in cooking class. We had a couple of know-it-alls and I was very thankful that I wasn't in their group. The chefs keep the wine flowing which is very helpful when you have people like that in your class.

Our book of recipes

Chef Wallace

Crab and avocado salad with a relish tower

3 cups of clarified butter (shout out Paula Deen!) and the lobster tails

Risotto after 30 minutes of stirring
Scallops and a citrus glaze

The finished product

Blood orange and honey sorbet

Pistachio gelato because one dessert is never enough


My mom and I are taking a class full of recipes inspired by The Help in June. I love fried chicken so I am excited to learn how to make it for myself. I am a little worried that this knowledge might lead me down the wrong path to Jessica Simpson-ville. I'll just have to practice some self-control. If you live in the Houston area you should look up the classes at Hubbell and Hudson. They are a little expensive, but they are definitely worth it.