Red Velvet Cake

So red it makes my eyes hurt. YESSSSssss!!!

Once again, Bakerella comes through with another fantastic recipe! Mollie, aka my "work wife" turned 28 this November and her birthday cake request was for red velvet cake. Not entirely happy with my last attempt at red velvet, I turned to Bakerella and voila, sheer awesomeness was produced from my oven. Not only that, but I created everything with my hand mixer due to being too lazy to get out the behemoth known as Eloise-the-stand-mixer. Eloise is jealous of the no-name hand mixer.

This was my very first round cake and/or layer cake EVER. For the first time, it's really not just my shitty iphone camera taking an equally shitty picture. The cake was a hot mess but it tasted like heaven when we knocked it out at 8am the next morning at work. The best part of the hot mess was the fact that I ran out of the food gel that I was attempting to write "Happy Birthday Mollie" with. Instead, all I squeaked out of it was "Happy Birthday M." Fortunately, no one cares but me how it looked and it was gone quick enough where people couldn't really read what I wrote anyway.

Crappy looking but delicious cake is on the left, awesome and gorgeous friend Mollie is on the right.

Red Velvet Cake
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 oz. red food coloring

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans.
• Lightly stir eggs in a medium bowl with a wire whisk. Add remaining liquid ingredients and stir together with whisk until blended. Set aside.
• Place all the dry ingredients in your mixing bowl and stir together really good with another wire whisk.
• Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on medium-high for about a minute or until completely combined.
• Pour into cake pans and then drop the pans on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
• Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• After about ten minutes, remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack. I also cover in plastic wrap while the cakes cool.
• Then make the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 cups confectioners’ sugar

• Sift sugar and set aside.
• Beat cream cheese and butter on high until creamy. Add vanilla.
• Then, add the sugar in batches. Scrape down the sides in between each addition.
• And frost away.

Recipe from Bakerella

Chocolate Chip Cake

Chocolate chip cake. The powdered sugar is sprinkled on right before serving so it won't melt away.

 

I'm one of the few ladies of the world that doesn't love and go gaga for chocolate and/or chocolate cake. I'm a fruity candy kind of gal and my favorite cake is strawberry so there you have it.

I will say this though, I *LOVE* this chocolate chip cake. It is super duper easy to make and it always comes out moist and delicious.

My friend Sarah recently had a birthday and when I asked her what kind of cake she wanted, she requested chocolate. This cake is so decadent and rich, you sprinkle powdered sugar on top of it instead of frosting. It was gone in 15 minutes, tops. :)

Chocolate Chip Cake

• 1 (12oz) package of semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 (4oz) instant chocolate pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 package Duncan Hines yellow cake mix

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Mix cake mix and pudding together. Add eggs, water, and oil. Stir by hand. Add chocolate chips. Stir until evenly mixed. Grease and flour Bundt pan. Pour batter into pan and bake for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool and turn over. Sprinkle with powdered sugar right before serving.

Recipe from the St. John Vianney Church Cookbook

Mom's Birthday Part II

Menu: Blueberry pancakes, fresh fruit, thick cut bacon, smoked salmon/goat cheese/dill frittata, carrot cake cupcakes, brunch champagne cocktail

My Mom's favorite thing to do with family (besides get all of the gossip haha), is to go to brunch on Sundays after church. We don't often make brunch due to busy schedules, but when we do, Mom always comments on how much she loves brunch and what a wonderful time she always has. For her birthday, creating this brunch for her and our family was my gift to her.

I tried to combine all of Mom's favorites into one meal: blueberry pancakes, fresh fruit, and smoked salmon. The sweet breakfast cocktail in a pretty shade of pink is now a new favorite! (Besides, what's not to love about booze with breakfast?!) I also made bacon so that there would be a little something for everyone (extra thick is totally the way to go...mmmmm pork fat....). With six people eating, I worked like a maniac trying to get everything hot and ready for when they all got back from church.

The blueberry pancakes I've done several times and are posted on this blog here. I baked the bacon in the oven while cutting up the fruit. The smoked salmon, goat cheese, and fresh dill frittata is an Ina Garten recipe. It's super easy and gorgeous and a must serve if you ever have guests to impress. It made for delicious leftovers served with a small salad the rest of the week.

We polished off the cupcakes for dessert and sang Happy Birthday again. Mom was absolutely thrilled and once I recovered from my food coma, I was able to enjoy her celebration even more because she was so happy. :)

Fresh flowers :)

Smoked salmon, goat cheese, fresh dill frittata (still puffy from the oven)

Smoked Salmon Frittata

* 1 medium onion, diced

• * 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• * 12 extra-large eggs
• * 1 cup heavy cream
• * 4 ounces fresh goat cheese, such as Montrachet, crumbled
• * 1/2 pound smoked salmon, chopped
• * 3 scallions, chopped, white and light green parts
• * 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• * 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• * 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Saute the onion and butter in a 10-inch oven-proof omelet pan over medium-low heat until translucent, about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the heavy cream, goat cheese, smoked salmon, scallions, dill, salt, and pepper and combine. Pour the mixture over the onions and place the omelet pan in the center of the oven. Bake the frittata for about 50 minutes, until it puffs and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve hot directly from the pan.

Recipe from Ina Garten


Breakfast Cocktail
* 1-2 bottles chilled dry champagne
* Pink Lemonade frozen concentrate
* 1 lemon, sliced thin for decoration


Right before serving, mix champagne and pink lemonade concentrate in a glass pitcher. Add sliced lemons for decoration. Serve right away.

Mom's Birthday Part I

My Mom celebrated a milestone birthday this October and it was absolutely spectacular! She *thought* that I was whipping up a casual Sunday brunch for just her, myself, and my dad but the reality was that we had her family drive (and fly!) in to surprise her, took her to Truluck's for dinner Saturday night, and then had brunch on Sunday. Mom's favorite kind of cake is carrot cake so I borrowed a simple but delicious recipe from a nice woman I work with to make for her. It's moist and delicious and ALWAYS a hit at the office when she brings it in. :)

Every little surprise was so special and fun for my Mom. When our family walked in through the door, she laughed and cried and then ran around like a crazy person trying to get ready for dinner! We had a champagne toast before Dad "suggested" taking pictures outside. Little did she know that he had gotten a stretch Hummer limo to take us all to dinner and back! 

Truluck's is known for their crab claws so we feasted on the remaining claws that they had (seriously, we cleaned out the house!) and then each ordered fish for dinner. I started out with a yummy hothouse tomato salad. My main dish was the miso-glazed seabass and it just melted in my mouth. We topped off dinner by sharing key-lime pie and chocolate cake and then had the limo take us back home where sang Happy Birthday, opened gifts, and went off to digest/sleep off dinner. Absolutely fantastic. :)

Tomato, shaved parmesan, warm bacon, fresh herbs, house ranch dressing

MSC certified South Georgian Chilean seabass, crab fried rice, chilled cucumber slaw

Key-lime pie

Chocolate layer cake, vanilla ice cream cup, strawberries

Ann's Famous Carrot Cake

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup oil
• 4 eggs
• 4 cups grated carrots (1 lb.)

Mix together flour, sugar, and oil.  Add eggs beating after each addition.  Add cinnamon, salt, and soda.  Add grated carrots and mix.  Pour into 3 8-inch pans that have been greased and floured.  Bake 350 degrees for 35 minutes.  Cool thoroughly before icing.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 8oz bar cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 stick butter (1/2 cup) butter, room temperature
• 1 box 10X confectioner's sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla

Beat together cream cheese and butter.  Add powdered sugar and mix.  Add vanilla and mix.  Spread on cooled cake.  Refrigerate.

Chicken Enchiladas

  

Ok so I know that I said that I would be M.I.A. *but* I was flipping through my pictures on my camera and I found one that I liked of the chicken enchiladas that I made for my grandparents on my last visit. On a side note, I made them my AWESOME SAUCE blueberry pancakes (ever so handily featured on this blog as well), and they loved them!

My friend Brittany first made these for me and they completely blew me away. Not only are they easy, but you can claim that they are legit since the guy who gave her the recipe is her dad's friend and is from Mexico. That makes them legit in my book at least.

I've made these loads of times for my family since they are stupid easy to make and have quickly become a favorite in our house. I've slightly modified the original recipe by baking the chicken breasts instead of boiling them. This makes them more flavorful (I think), and you can also bake them ahead of time if you're going to be in a rush or just plain tired when you get home from work.

These are a must-make. Go ahead and add them to your dinner planning list for the week and save yourself the time and trouble of thinking about it. They are YUMMY!

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 bar cream cheese, ~8oz.
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 package shredded Monterrey jack cheese (or one brick, shredded)
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 10oz. can Old El Paso mild green chile enchilada sauce
• 1 package yellow corn tortillas

Sprinkle salt and pepper over and then bake chicken breasts at 350 degrees F for 30min or until done but still moist (no pink centers!).

Once chicken breasts have cooled, take two forks and shred into pieces. Dump shredded chicken in a large pan. On a low heat setting, put chunks of the entire bar of cream cheese into the pan with the chicken. You want to keep it on a low heat setting so that it will mix with the chicken, but not cook the chicken more or melt the cream cheese into a sauce. Mix the shredded chicken and cream cheese until everything is thoroughly coated (it'll be chunky).

Wrap several corn tortillas (about 5-6 at a time) in a wet paper towel. Warm up the corn tortillas in a microwave, ~20 seconds. Spoon shredded chicken and cream cheese mixture into tortillas, roll up, and place in a glass 9x13 dish.

With the amount of shredded chicken, you can usually get between 12-13 enchiladas.

Pour cream of chicken soup over enchiladas. Make sure that it's evenly spread over them. Pour green enchilada sauce over next. Sprinkle shredded cheese last. I use the entire bag.

Cover with foil and cook at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Uncover and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is slightly browned and bubbly.

Serve with a salad. Enjoy!

I'm Alive!!! Ahhhhh!!!

I've fallen off the face of the blogosphere but I *am* alive. I've done a lot of cooking but nothing new to post on the blog and the recipes that were new that I've made were very unappealing and unappetizing to look at.

However, all that aside, my mom is having a birthday party soon and as a special treat, I'm putting together a really nice brunch. I'm trying out a couple of new recipes and I know that they'll make killer blog posts so I'LL BE BACK SOON IN CAPS.....just nothing until then probably.

Brunch is on October 16th, see y'all then or soon after!

Happy eating!

<3

P.S. Part of the reason why I've been M.I.A. is below. His name is Henry and he's tiny and adorable and awesome!

 

 

Brussel Sprouts

I left my camera at home -- better pic coming later!

I feel like I've been posting about comfort food a lot lately but there are just so many yummy things that remind me of my mom or dad and give me the warm and fuzzies. This recipe is one that my mom found a couple of years ago because my dad LOVES brussel sprouts and she wanted to make something nice for him.

Just to divert for a second....

I brought a large tupperware container full of my brussel sprout leftovers to share at work (and later drop off at my parents' house) because the recipe makes a ton and it's all too much for just one person. That being said, a lot of people at lunch were reluctant to try them just because they were brussel sprouts! The conversations each went the same:

Me: "Oh my gosh you have to help me eat these there are so many! I'm not one to eat my greenies and I really love these so I think you'll like them."

Person: "Oh I don't like brussel sprouts."

Me: "Have you ever actually HAD brussel sprouts....?"

Person: "Umm...no..."

I guess I'm just lucky that my first real experience with brussel sprouts was when I was older, more open to actually TRYING them, and they are really really good.

Speaking of good, what makes these so tasty I think is the slight sweetness that comes from the golden raisins. It balances out the salty goodness of the pancetta and everything comes together so well in your mouth. These remind me of my dad, but they also make me think of my mom and her thoughtfulness that one holiday. I request these over and over again. :)

Brussel Sprouts Lardons

• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 6 oz. Italian pancetta or bacon, cut in 1/4-inch dice
• 1 1/2 Lbs. Brussel Sprouts (2 containers), trimmed and cut in half
• 3/4 Tsp. kosher salt
• 3/4 Tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 Cup golden raisins
• 1 3/4 Cup chicken stock

Heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) saute pan and add the pancetta. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the fat is rendered and the pancetta is golden brown and crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the pancetta to a plate lined with a paper towel.

Add the Brussels sprouts, salt, and pepper to the fat in the pan and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the raisins and chicken stock. Lower the heat and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sprouts are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. If the skillet becomes too dry, add a little chicken stock or water. Return the pancetta to the pan, heat through, season to taste, and serve.

* Recipe adapted from Ina Garten

Happy eating! :)

Deconstructed Lasagna

I need to buy a lottery ticket or something because lately, I've been pretty darn lucky. Last week, I got to see my bestie Erin three times within a four day period....this is UNHEARD OF with our busy schedules. Not to mention that neither she nor I are phone talkers so we do most of our communicating through email and her sweet husby Ryan (whom I work with and also happen to adore and have a killer friendship with).

Erin and Ryan had me over to their house for one last dinner and hurrah before they move into their first home this upcoming weekend (it's the cutest house EVER and has personality and pizzaz just like them!!!). Since I've known Erin (going on 8 years now WOW!), she's really branched out and explored in her cooking but like me, we both gravitate towards clean, simple flavors. This was a Martha Stewart recipe she found (I can't remember where!) and it really is sensational. Traditional lasagna is typically heavy, calorically damaging, and takes hours to prepare. This was light, full of flavor, and as you can see by the picture above, looks just as good as it tastes. 

Erin did most of the prep work before I arrived and I had the pleasure of sitting at her table (when I wasn't getting in her way to take pictures) and drank wine while she bustled around and finished things up. The globs of creamy deliciousness in the picture are ricotta cheese, the shaved bits are fresh pecorino. I LOVE pecorino cheese -- it has such a nice bite to it when it's hardened and it is equally amazing fresh with a little drizzle of honey...mmmmmm.......

If you're a garlic lover, this is a great recipe for you because this uses seven cloves. Torn fresh basil and sweet tomatoes round out the other flavors with a slight drizzle of buttery high quality olive oil on top. 

I scraped the bowl. Really.

Red and yellow cherub tomatoes, 7 cloves of pressed garlic

Queen of the kitchen!

Finished product!

Deconstructed Lasagna With Ricotta And Tomatoes

• 1 Tbs. + 1 Tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 7 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (Erin pressed hers; I'll probably use minced when I make this.)
• 3 Cups mixed red and yellow cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (2 pints)
• 1/2 Tsp. coarse salt 
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2/3 Cup chicken stock
• 8 Lasagna noodles
• 2/3 Cup small basil leaves (Erin tore hers)
• 1/2 Cup reduced fat ricotta cheese
• 1 oz. Pecorino Romano cheese, shaved

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in a high sided skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic until pale golden, about 3 minutes. Add 2  cups tomatoes and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook until soft, about 7 minutes. Add chicken stock. Simmer until sauce-like, about 1 minute. Add remaining cup of tomatoes. Cook until warm, about 1-2 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain.

Toss pasta in skillet to coat. Stir in basil, reserving some for garnish.

Divide pasta among 4 plates, top with any remaining sauce. Dot with ricotta cheese and drizzle any remaining olive oil. Top with shaved pecorino cheese and remaining basil. Sprinkle with pepper.

Nutrition Information:

357 calories, 3g saturated fat, 7g unsaturated fat, 15mg cholesterol, 52g carbohydrates, 304mg sodium, 16g protein, 4g fiber

* Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Cakeball Donation!

Pillsbury Funfetti mix, white icing, vanilla coating

As busy as I was last week, I did manage to squeeze in time to make some cakeballs for my friend Sarah. It was 2am and I was up crafting...what else would I be doing?! Sleeping?! HA!

She was having some people over early afternoon Sunday for a CABI party. Similar to Mary Kay/Tupperware/Jewelry parties, there are usually adult beverages (tee hee!) and food served with lots of chit chatting going on while people shop. Since I couldn't make it, I told her I'd make a little treat for her and bring it over in the morning. As you can see by the picture, it's been a LONG WHILE since I've made cakeballs and my dipping skills are atrocious. These were the best of the lot which isn't saying much.

I went over to my bestie's house last night to give them their wedding gift. IT'S FINALLY FINISHED!!!!! Now that the cat is out of the bag, I'm proud to say that their WEDDING SCRAPBOOK that documents everything from the very beginning (the proposal), to the very end (a bright, happy honeymoon picture) is now in their hands.

Speaking of hands, I'm lending mine to help make dinner tonight at their house. Erin has a great recipe from Martha Stewart for deconstructed lasagna. It's not as heavy and calorically scary as traditional lasagna so I'm very excited to try it out and then blog about it here.

Until then foodies, happy eating! :)

Flora & Muse

My best friend Erin had her birthday last month (July 13th woo hoo!) but due to our busy schedules (ok HER busy schedule), we weren't able to get together to celebrate it until this past Saturday. We went to this fabulous little bisto slash coffee shop slash flower shop called Flora & Muse. They serve brunch until 2pm so I was able to get breakfast after sleeping in and she ordered lunch....something for everyone!

I ordered the European breakfast which included two fresh eggs, lamb sausage, roasted potatoes, a mini fresh baked croissant, juice, and french-press coffee. The lamb sausage was to die for; not too greasy and with a spicy kick at the end, I loved it. 

Erin ordered one of their stone-oven flatbreads with pear and Gorgonzola cheese. Topped with arugula, and pine nuts, it was both of our favorites. 

It wasn't very loud where we were sitting so we had a blast catching up and nomming away on yummy food. She's a foodie and it's always so nice to not only see my bestie, but know that I have a partner in crime in the same city who is willing to try new things like me. :)

Beautiful birthday girl!

<3!!!!!!!!!!

Oh and P.S. I liked this place so much, my mom and I went here for brunch on Sunday. We had the SAME waiter as Saturday...."Nice to see you again." *facepalm*

Quick Update

I'm still here I promise!

Instead of cooking this week, my evenings have been consumed by a very special craft project. I'm THIS CLOSE to finalizing the wedding gift to two of my dearest friends (this has been in the works for over a year). When it's done, I can breathe easy, sleep better, and cook more!

Be back soon foodies! :)

P.S. Here are some pictures of kitties to tide you over:

Vanilla Cupcakes

One of the my goals that I've set for myself in the kitchen is to be a confident baker. I've only made from-scratch cupcakes two times total now and I've learned a TON from each little baking session. I've also learned that I am a long way off from accomplishing this goal haha! 

I own Martha Stewart's cupcake book but these were actually pulled off of her website. I wanted a basic vanilla cupcake recipe and these caught my eye. My frosting technique is terrible and I reverted back to spooning the frosting on -- thankfully the flavor was better than the appearance! 

As good as the flavors were, my cupcakes were a little dry for my taste. I'm sure this is due to my inexperience and I would love feedback from any bakers who stumble upon this blog. I highly recommend trying your hand at making these -- sometimes something simple just hits the spot.  :)

Billy's Vanilla-Vanilla Cupcakes

• 1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising
• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 Tbs. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-in cubes
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour. 

In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.

Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat process with remaining batter. Once cupcakes have cooled, use a small offset spatula to frost tops of each cupcake. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Serve at room temperature.

Basic Vanilla Buttercream

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 6 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.

With mixer on low speed, add 6 cups sugar, milk, and vanilla; mix until light and fluffy. If necessary, gradually add remaining 2 cups sugar to reach desired consistency.

Happy eating! :)




* Recipes found from going to Martha Stewart's website here.

More Comfort Food

I have another post coming later about from-scratch vanilla cupcakes but I was a dummy and left my camera cords at home today soooooo.....here is a post about more comfort food! ;)

When I was little, my most favorite thing to eat in the ENTIRE WORLD was my Mom's egg salad. It's super basic -- honestly I don't think she adds any mustard to it or anything it's just hard boiled eggs, Hellman's Mayonnaise, and love.

When we'd go off on field trips or girl scout camping adventures, other kids would have happy meals from McDonald's or something similar but my Mom always packed me an egg salad sandwich. I still love it just as much but I rarely make it now.

Last night, I had plans to make grilled chicken fajitas and blog all about it but I had a hankering for egg salad so that's what I had for dinner instead. I made it with less yolks and light Hellman's -- I even ate it on a paper plate, sitting on my couch, and it was perfect.

Thanks Mom! I love you! <3

Comfort Food: Italian Stuffed Peppers

My mom is a reluctant but amazing cook. She doesn't love food like how my dad and I love food; for her, food is fuel for her body. This doesn't mean that she doesn't like trying new recipes on us or experimenting with different techniques, but she doesn't obsess over it like how we do. She has turned out some absolutely fabulous dishes and is always very modest when we compliment her cooking.

She has several recipes that always make me think of her and this one is my absolute favorite. If I am to ask her to make anything, this is it. Originating from my Nana, I think I was the first to actually put the pen to the paper and write it down. It is very easy to throw together during the week for a family dinner, and it makes great leftovers the next few days. Another plus is that it is relatively healthy. The flavor comes from the Italian seasoning, not fat. I love it. :)

Italian Stuffed Peppers - My Nana And Mom's Recipe

• 1 1/3 - 1 1/2 Lbs. ground beef, 93/7 works well
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 bell peppers, halved and cored
• 1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 can tomato soup
• Dried herbs such as oregano, basil, parsley to your taste
• Pepper

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine ground beef, onion, bread crumbs, cheese, and herbs in a mixing bowl (I use a more liberal hand with my seasonings as I like stronger flavors - modify this part to your tastes.) 

Form into meatballs and place into halved bell peppers (I had two meatballs left over). Place peppers and meatballs in a dutch oven and pour tomato soup over. 

Cook for roughly 45min to 1 hour - your peppers should be tender but not mushy. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and server over rice.

Happy eating y'all! :)

Colorado Part IV: Snooze

I think that everyone knows by now just how much I love breakfast....if not, I love it A LOT IN CAPS! Snooze takes my love of breakfast and multiplies it by a gazillion!!! THAT'S how good it is. Period.

This was our last meal before I headed home to Houston and I enjoyed every last bite as this was also the one place I was looking forward to going to the most. Kristen started with a latte, I ordered a mocha, and when our drinks arrived in Snooze's signature yellow mugs, I was happily surprised and tickled to see that they had written "Snooze" in chocolate across the top. Seriously, how cute is that?!

After consulting with our waiter, I ended up ordering their Caprese Benedict and it was everything I wanted AND more. Poached eggs (mmmmm...), check. Fresh tomatoes and mozzarella, check check. Cream cheese hollandaise...(I KNOW RIGHT?!), check! It was SOOOOooooo good!!!!! All served so prettily on toasted ciabatta bread with a nice mound of hash browns on the side.

Heirloom tomato slices, fresh mozzarella, poached eggs, basil pesto, balsamic drizzle, toasted ciabatta, cream cheese hollandaise

Kristen ordered the "Sandwich I am". As far as breakfast sandwiches go, you can't get anything better than this! She let me have a bite, it was fantastic. Normally it comes with hash browns, but not being a lover of hash browns, she swapped them out for the pancake of the day: a mint oreo pancake. Wow.

Udi's soft pretzel roll, scrambled eggs, chedder cheese, sausage patty, smoked chedder hollandaise on the side

Pancake of the day: mint oreo

It was definitely hard to go back to her house and pack after this breakfast. We even joked that all we were missing was a wheelbarrow to wheel us on home. :)

Snooze - 2260 Larimer Street, Denver, Colorado, 80205

Approximately: "I can't even remember I was in a food-coma", 2 people

1 - Latte

1 - Mocha

1 - Breakfast Sandwich

1 - Caprese Benedict

1 - Pancake of the day

Food: 8

Atmosphere:7

Presentation: 7

Colorado Part III: d Bar Desserts

d-Bar Desserts....where do I even begin?! 

As much as I loved Euclid Hall, I loved my meal at d-Bar just a little bit more. We got to sit at the bar where we got to watch Avery the pastry chef whip up all sorts of delicious goodies. d-Bar is very popular, but most people skip the delicious savory food in favor of the desserts. Never one to practice restraint when it comes to yummies, I got to experience the deliciousness of both!

Kristen and I started out by splitting their grilled caesar salad. Grilling the romaine lettuce gives it this very distinct un-lettuce-like flavor which I liked immediately. I am not sure if most people would like it right away, especially if they were not expecting it like I was. The presentation was beautiful, and the crunch of the breadsticks added a nice texture.

Grilled whole romaine, caesar dressing, balsamic reduction, shaved parm

For our main course, Kristen ordered the steak and frites and I ordered the Kobe sliders. OH. EM. GEE. CAPS. PERIOD. I've had excellent sliders at 'Lil Bigs in Houston but those paled in comparison to these. The Kobe beef patty was velvety in texture with amazing mouthfeel and flavor, the white chedder added a delicious bite, the garlic aioli added even more richness, and the soft buttery brioche bun soaked up all of the succulent juice. Everything came together beautifully -- absolute perfection on a bun.

Kobe beef, brioche, drunken onions, white chedder, garlic aoili, parm fries

The amazingness of my sliders were equal to the amazingness of Kristen's steak. At one point, she even showed me how she could cut her steak with her fork (I know she loves me greatly since she let me have not one but a couple of bites!). Her fries soaked up the delicious, delicious meat juice; again, absolutely fabulous.

USDA prime flat iron, shallot red wine butter, garlic parm fries

Our desserts were amazing. I went from not having any room to spare to gobbling up every last bite of my dish. I ordered this fabulous seasonal peach creme brulee stack, Kristen ordered the s'mores waffle. Best part was that we got to watch Avery make it right in front of us and then hand it to us over the bar counter. SO AMAZEBALLOONS!!!

Rock candy graham waffle, manjari cremeux, toasted marshmallow, malted ice cream

Fresh peaches sauteed in lavendar syrup, shortbread cookie, vanilla bean creme brulee, peach sorbet, sugar shard

 d Bar Desserts - 1475 E.17th Avenue, Denver, Colorado, 80218

Approximately $55, 2 people

1 - Grilled Caesar Salad

1 - Steak and Frites

1 - Kobe Sliders

1 - Peachy Amazingness Dessert

1 - S'mores Waffle

Food: 9.5

Atmosphere: 8

Presentation: 8.5