Pin a Day: Weight Watchers Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwiches

Last Friday, I took the opportunity to treat Mike to an old Kentucky favorite.  I found a healthy recipe for Kentucky Hotbrown Sandwiches.   I have tried Hotbrown sandwiches on several visits to Kentucky, but have never had the chance to make them.  This recipe seemed healthy and easy so I thought I'd give it a chance.  I started by making the sauce.  I mixed the flour and milk, heating and stirring until it came to a boil.  I turned it down and cooked it for another 3 minutes.  After cooking it, I added mustard, hot sauce, cheddar and Parmesan cheese.  Next, I started prepping the sandwiches.  I turned the broiler on and lined the pan with foil.  I started with some yummy whole wheat toast, topped it with tomato slices, turkey, and finally the sauce mixture.  I added a little more Parmesan cheese and popped it in the oven for about 8 minutes.

Once the sauce was melted, I pulled out the sandwiches and topped them with bacon.   Dinner was ready!  The sandwiches were great!  They were warm, gooey, and filling.  The recipe even allowed us to have leftovers for the next day.  This recipe was a great choice and will definitely be joint our favorites file.

I've Got 21 Problems, but the Bar Ain't One

Last week, a bunch of people from work went out for our friend, Javon's, 21st birthday celebration.  We opted to try a new spot in the Rock Rose portion of the Domain called Lavaca Street Bar.  The original Lavaca Street Bar is in downtown Austin, but the Domain is a lot closer for us Round Rock folks.  The bar had a sporty vibe with lots of TVs playing the Lakers game.  There were pool tables and seating both inside and outdoors.  We arrived in small groups with most of us arriving before the guest of honor.  We were eventually able to snag a big table and enjoy our celebration.  We brought cupcakes and confetti for the celebration and got to enjoy some beverages and yummy foods.  I enjoyed a few Porter Cultures from Hops and Grains along with splitting an order of the amazing steak nachos from Turf N' Surf.  The nachos were fabulous and definitely lived up to the hype.  The staff at the bar was really accommodating, too, even allowing an underage friend to join our celebration.  Overall, a great time was had by all and I will definitely be back for those steak nachos. 

Pin a Day: Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

On Wednesday, I got to attend a 21st birthday party for my dear friend, Javon.  Now, I'm never one to show up empty-handed, so I knew I needed to make a special birthday treat.  Javon had told me his favorite desserts were snickerdoodles and anything strawberry.  I searched and finally found this yummy recipe for Snickerdoodle Cupcakes.  This recipe was pretty extensive and took several hours to complete.  First, I made my cupcakes.  I started by combining my dry ingredients and setting them aside.  Next, I creamed together my butter and sugar.  I added in my eggs and vanilla, scraping the bowl after each addition.  Finally, I added my dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with milk.  I portioned the batter into 24 muffin liners, filling each 3/4 full.  I baked them for about 20 minutes at 350.  After they were finished baking, I let them sit about 5 minutes before letting them completely cool on wire racks.  Much later, I mixed my icing.  Not only were the cupcakes a delicious cinnamon blend, but so was the icing.  I started by combining cream cheese and butter.  Next, I added in sugars, cinnamon and vanilla.  After it was completely mixed, I frosted the cupcakes and put them in the fridge to prevent the icing from melting.  I safely transported the cupcakes to the party site and they were a hit.  Cupcakes were enjoyed by the birthday boy, party guests, and even a lucky bar tender. Best of all there were plenty to share at work and with Mike at home.  This was a yummy recipe and the perfect birthday treat for any snickerdoodle fan.

Pin a Day: BBQ Chicken Salad

I like big salads for dinner and I'm always trying to look for new ideas to spice them up a bit.  I got the answer to my quest in this BBQ Chicken Salad.   It was also a great meal to make before I went to work.  I started by grilling some chicken on my cast iron grill pan for about 15-20 minutes. While it was grilling, I rinsed and cut up some romaine lettuce and a Roma tomatoes.  I rinsed and drained cans of black beans and corn.  Mike helped by cutting up a red onion for me.  Once the chicken was fully cooked, Mike sliced it into thin pieces.  Finally, we were ready to assemble our salads.  We used the chicken and veggies, along with shredded white American cheese, crispy tortilla strips, ranch dressing and BBQ sauce.  I loved this salad.  I also like that it is easy to customize based on personal preferences.  This is definitely a recipe I will repeat for work meals and hot summer days.

Be Jelly of Our New Deli

Last Sunday, we decided to try a new place.  We hadn't visited any new places in March, so we decided to make up for it in April.  Our first new place was a hot spot we heard about on Yelp, called Brad's Italian Deli.  It was a cute little place located in a strip center not too far from our house.  The guy who took our order was very knowledgeable and gave us great recommendations on what to order.  The menu wasn't quite what I'd expected.  When I heard deli, I was thinking lots of meats and cold sandwiches.  The menu consisted of mainly pizzas and hot dishes. 

Eventually, I decided to get the chicken Parmesan sandwich and Mike ordered the meatball sandwich.  Both sandwiches were served on yummy Italian bread with provolone cheese and pasta sauce and served with fries.  The cook had done his studies in Italy and it showed.  Our sandwiches were amazing!  Everything was well cooked and delicious.  There were so many tasty sounding items on the menu, so we will definitely be going back.  This was a great way to kick off our April restaurant touring!

Pin a Day: Sugar Doodles

Last Sunday began a week long adventure of new foods.  I cooked several new recipes and ate at a few new places.  I started off by baking these Sugar Doodles for my work friends.  I got up early to bake them before lunch and work, but unfortunately, I didn't read the whole recipe and had to chill the dough for 3 hours.  I doubled the recipe because I had a feeling Mike would want a few of these cookies, too.  I started by beating the butter and then added the sugar.  Next, I added in eggs, vanilla, and skim milk(which I substitute for cream).   Finally, I mixed in my dry ingredients.  Again, I made a substation with all purpose flour instead of bread flour. Once the dough was mixed, I put it in the fridge for 3 hours and came back to it after lunch.  

I preheated my oven to 350 and used a scoop to portion the cookies.  I baked the cookies for about 9 minutes or until they had just set, as I like soft cookies.  I let them cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes and then let them cool on cooling racks until I had to leave for work.  The cookies were still warm when I got to work and they were a big hit.  This recipe made a soft, chewy cookie that wasn't overly sweet.  It could be used as the base for several of your favorite cookies.  Suggestions for additions include white chocolate chips or cinnamon.  

Pin a Day: Mongolian Beef

The past few weeks, I've been trying to get back into the swing of cooking from my Pinterest files.  This week, I tried Mongolian Beef, which was a copycat of PF Chang's recipe.  I made a few modifications to the recipe, in order to make a few more leftovers.  First, I cut the flank steak into bite sized pieces and coated it in cornstarch.  I let it sit about 10 minutes.  During that time, I started my water for some basmati rice and started working on the sauce.  I cooked the meat until it was browned.  Next, I added the sauce and meat back to the pan and cooked it for a few minutes.  Then, I added in the green onions, some shredded carrots, and frozen broccoli.  I continued to cook until the broccoli was cooked through and tender.  Once everything had cooked, we were ready to eat.  It was really good and Mike commented that it tasted a lot like the Mongolian Beef at PF Chang's.  This is definitely a great Asian dish, that we will be making again.

Pin a Day: Easy Crockpot Salsa Verde Chicken

I am so happy to be back to cooking and back to blogging!  For my first new meal, I decided to try this Easy Crockpot Salsa Verde Chicken.   This recipe was, in fact, easy to make, quite tasty, and made plenty of leftovers.  I've been searching for a crockpot meal to make on vacation this year, and this recipe is a definite contender.  It had great flavor, without being too spicy, which some family members can appreciate.

For this recipe, I put my chicken breasts in the crockpot and seasoned them with salt and pepper.  Next, I poured in a can of diced tomatoes, a jar of salsa verde, cumin, and chili powder.  I turned the crockpot on low and let it cook for about 6 hours.  I used my beast claws to shred the chicken and let it cook 30 minutes to soak up a bit of the juices.  We served ours on tortillas with a little shredded cheese and sour cream.  To kick up the spice in the future, I might try my Chili 3000 spice instead of chili powder.  I may also try Rotel tomatoes and a spicier salsa verde.  Speaking of salsa, that was the hardest part of my recipe.  I couldn't get the lid off the jar and my muscles was at the office.  Thank goodness for the Internet!  I googled how to get the lid off and tried a new tip.  I tapped the edge of the jar with a butter knife on all sides to help break the seal and then I was able to get the lid off much easier!  We really enjoyed this recipe and I have a feeling it will become one of our crockpot favorites. 

Pin a Day: Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting

After having a nasty cold for a few weeks, I was eager to get back into the kitchen.  Easter weekend, I decided to make the Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting for my coworkers.   I loved that the recipe was healthy, but that did bring some mixed reviews.  I had several people who loved them, especially the frosting.  I had a few who commented that they tasted healthy. So, I think this is a decent recipe, but it's obviously a healthy recipe.  It was pretty easy, but using my muffin tops, it only made about 10 muffins.  If I needed to share with more people, I'd definitely need to double the recipe.  

I started by mixing together my dry ingredients.  I used all purpose flour instead of whole wheat flour because that's what I had on hand.  Otherwise, I didn't do many changes to the recipe.  Next, I whisked my oil and egg together and added in applesauce, brown sugar, and vanilla.  Finally, I added in the dry ingredients and then the carrots.  I used preshredded carrots, which may have been a bit large.  In the future, I'd probably grate carrots, so they were a little bit finer.  I baked them in my muffin top pants for about 20-22 minutes.  I let them cool about an hour or two before frosting them.  To make the frosting, I combined low fat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla.  I popped them in the fridge overnight to really set the frosting.  Overall, this was a good healthy recipe, but maybe not the best I've tested.

Let's Go Fly a Kite!

Last Sunday, Mike and I got to check another item off our Austin bucket list.  Our friends, Cassie, Jerry, and Eli, invited us to go with them to the Zilker Kite Festival.  We were really excited to go to this event, which has been cancelled the last few years due to rain.  The weather looked gloomy off and on each day, but we stayed dry all day.  Since parking is often an issue at events, we carpooled and walked to Zilker Park.  For my non Austin friends, Zilker Park is further south of where we live and we actually had a cool view of downtown Austin as we watched the kites.  Zilker Park is also host to many events throughout the year.   

Once we got inside the park, we found a spot to claim and laid out our blankets.  There were people everywhere from all walks of life, enjoying the beautiful weather, flying kites, and visiting various food booths.  While we were there we made sure to sample tacos, fresh lemonade, craft root beer, and a funnel cake.  This was an event for competitive kite flyers and amateurs, with few categories being judged throughout the day.   

After Jerry's family arrived, the kiddos were anxious to get the kites out and participate.  There was some wind so kites were able to fly, but you really had to know what you were doing to get your kite to fly.  Jerry did manage to get our minion kite and Eli's other kite to fly for a bit, so we considered the day a success.  The majority our time was spent people watching, chatting, and enjoying the gorgeous weather.  We had a great time and were so excited to spend time with great friends and enjoy a new experience.

Pin a Day: Fiesta Dip

We had an exciting weekend this weekend thanks to our friends, Cassie, Jerry, and Eli.  Our first day of fun was Saturday night for games night.  Mike and I loved doing games nights in St. Louis and here in Austin, but it's been a while.  We also wanted a chance to hang out with our friends, so it seemed like the perfect occasion.  Since I love hosting, I had to come up with some delicious treats for the evening.  I made chocolate chip cookies, pigs in a blanket, and a new Fiesta Dip.   I liked that it was easy and seemed fairly healthy as well.  I started by cooking a package of frozen corn.  Next, I mixed some corn and salsa in a glass pie pan and microwaved it for 2-3 minutes.  I sprinkled it with some 2% cheddar cheese and let the cheese melt.  It was just ok in my book.  It might be improved by adding beans or using a spicier salsa.  There are so many dip options, that I will probably pass on this in the future, but I'm glad I tried it.  The rest of the evening was a hit!  We tried out a new game, Eli got to play with Mike's toys, and we made some super plans for Sunday.

Pin a Day: Chicken Burrito Skillet

Last week, I had several days off work, so I took that as an opportunity to try out a new recipe.  I opted to try this Chicken Burrito Skillet.   I liked that it would make plenty of leftovers and that it was fairly healthy as well.  It was also pretty quick, which is helpful on a work night.  First, I cooked the chicken in the oil for about 3 minutes.  Next, I added in the onion and taco seasoning (I used Penzey's Bold Taco.) and cooked for 2 more minutes.  Then,  I added in the black beans, Rotel tomatoes, and water and brought it to a boil.  Once the mixture was boiling, I added in the rice and simmered it for about 10 minutes.  Finally, I stirred in some cheese and topped it off with more cheese.  This recipe made a ton and was quite tasty.  It had a little bit of a kick to it, which Mike and I love.  It was also versatile as a leftover.  Mike turned it into a burrito with tortillas and I made a bowl with a bit of sour cream and salsa.  It would probably be great on chips for nachos as well.  This recipe was a hit at our house and could be modified to be perfect for anyone.

Pin Fail: Lemon Bars

I consider myself to be a decent chef, but not all of my attempts end in success.  This Sunday, I created my Oscar feast of appetizers and I always include a dessert.  I decided to try this recipe for Lemon Bars.   I liked the look of this recipe because it didn't have a ton of ingredients and it was Weight Watchers approved.  I was hoping for a tasty and healthy option for dessert.  This was not it.  As it was a new recipe, I worked hard to follow the directions exactly.  The crust was pretty easy to make and turned out fine.  It was the filling that was the issue.  To make the crust, I pulsed brown sugar, flour and butter together in the food processor.  I pressed it into the pan and baked it for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.  Meanwhile, I mixed the filling.  The fact that the filling only contained eggs, powdered sugar, and lemon juice was a bit odd in my book.  I am not an egg person and I was a little concerned that the recipe was mainly egg based.  I carried on, by beating the eggs, adding vanilla and powdered sugar.  Next, I added in the lemon juice and more powdered sugar, mixing until smooth.  Finally, I mixed in the lemon zest.  Another step that seemed odd, was adding the egg mixture to the hot crust.  I was worried that adding the eggs to the hot crust would immediately overheat them and cause them to scramble.  I baked the bars for 30 minutes at 300 degrees.  When I pulled it out of the oven, I noticed they did not look like the picture in the recipe.  My bars were flat and cracked looking, instead of fluffy and smooth.  I cut them into bars after cooling and tried a little bit of the filling.  It was gross.  It tasted like egg with a lemon hint.  I let Mike try them and he ate a bar or two before he agreed that this recipe was a bust.  Do not try this one, unless you really like eggs!  Meanwhile, I'm searching out a new lemon bar recipe.  

Pin a Day: Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie Bars

This weekend before heading to work, I decided I wanted to get my bake on.  I like to try out new recipes for my work friends, so I tested out this recipe for Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie Bars.   This recipe proved to be a low-medium on the frustration scale and tasty.  I got all my ingredients ready and preheated my oven to 350.  First, I combined my butter and sugars until creamy.  Next, I added in my vanilla and eggs.  Finally, I mixed in all my dry ingredients.  I spread half of the oatmeal mixture into the pan.  I sprinkled more chocolate chips on top of the oatmeal mixture and then topped the chocolate chips with the remaining oatmeal mixture.  I popped it into the oven for about 26 minutes and it was ready to go.  I really liked it- it tasty like a chewy oatmeal cookie. My work friends seemed to like it too, as most of it was gone after the weekend.  

Pin a Day: Buffalo Chicken Taquitos

On Tuesday, I had some time so I decided to try out another new recipe.  We love buffalo chicken, so this recipe for Buffalo Chicken Taquitos  sounded perfect for us.  The step that took the longest was cooking the chicken breasts, but that could have been done ahead of time with careful planning.  After the chicken breasts were cooked, I shredded them with my handy Beast Claws.  Next, I mixed together buffalo sauce and cream cheese (I used the low fat variety) and added the shredded chicken.  I added a couple tablespoons of the mixture to tortillas and placed them on a baking sheet.  Before putting them in the oven, I sprayed them with cooking spray to help brown them.  I baked my taquitos for 15 minutes and they were ready to go.  You could probably bake them with a little bit of cheddar on top as well.  This was a great quick way to get our buffalo fix in for the week and with the lower fat cream cheese, it wasn't terribly unhealthy.  This recipe will definitely be added to the favorites category.

Pin a Day: Skinny Lasagna Rolls

I found a really great new recipe for meatless Fridays during Lent, but we ended up eating out instead.  I still had all the ingredients so I made Skinny Lasagna Rolls on Monday.  First, I boiled the lasagna noodles.  Meanwhile, I mixed together ricotta cheese, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, an egg, and parsley. I also preheated the oven during this time.  I got my pan ready by pouring a cup of sauce in the bottom of the pan.  Once the noodles were ready, I drained and rinsed them.  I laid them out on a cutting board and placed 3 tbsp ricotta mix and 2 tbsp sauce on each noodle before rolling them up.  I placed them in the pan and covered with sauce and mozzarella cheese.  I covered the pan with aluminum foil and baked for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, I took off the foil and baked for another 15 minutes to let the cheese brown.  

We served the lasagna rolls with salad and fresh cut strawberries.  It was really tasty and we didn't even miss the meat.  This is a great choice for Lent or anytime you want to go meat free. 

It's Grrrrrrrreat!

Valentine's weekend was quite delightful weather wise in Austin.  Mike always cooks for me on Valentine's Day, so we had a plan for that Sunday. This year we had an added bonus of our friend Jason visiting town for a conference and we knew we wanted to hang out.  So that Saturday, we trekked into Austin to meet up with Jason and his friend, Colby.  We visit lots of places in the suburbs of Austin, but we are less likely to make our way downtown.  But we will do a lot for our friends, so we headed to Easy Tiger, located on busy 6th St.   

We had heard about Easy Tiger on various tv shows and from Jason, so we knew it would be a great choice.  Easy Tiger is a bakery/bar/meatery, so it held a big appeal to our group.  Mike and I arrived a bit early, which was good because it was pretty crowded.  Upstairs was the bakery, downstairs was the bar and seating, and outside housed a large beer garden.  Since it was crowded and nice, we sat outside in the beer garden.  We sampled several beers, but I think the best was the Sin Mint Temptress from Lakewood Brewing Company, which tasted just like a thin mint cookie.

The menu was quite diverse with tons of beer, baked goods, and sandwiches.  All the bread and baked goods were made on site at the bakery.  Likewise, the meats were all smoked in house.  Jason opted for the giant pretzel with homemade beer cheese.  The pretzel was perfect size for sharing and the beer cheese was some of the best I've ever had.  I think the garlic made it super tasty.   

Mike selected one of the sausages, which was covered in a delicious spicy mustard. Colby had the corned beef sandwich, which also had the mustard.  I got the Italian beef which was served on ciabatta bread with melted cheese.  All of our food was cooked to perfection and very flavorful. 

It was a great night to sit, chat and enjoy our visit with friends.  The environment was interesting and we shared a table with a group of college kids, who were obviously living a very different life than the rest of us.  We also got to witness a proposal and see many of Austin's unique individuals.  Overall, it was a great night of food, friends, and fun! 

Oh Lordy!

This year for Super Bowl, we went an easier route than years past and spent our evening at our local brewery, Whitestone Brewery.  They had a party and are one of our favorite new places so we wanted to give them some support.  For each beer we bought, we got a raffle ticket to win prizes.  We placed our tickets in a fish bowl with our favorite team(Broncos) and they drew a ticket for each touchdown and after each quarter.  Mike wound up winning a free beer at some point during the evening.  Whitestone always has a food truck to serve delicious eats and Sunday was no exception.  The featured food truck was Lard Have Mercy and it served bacon inspired dishes.  We were both pretty hungry so we decided to give it a try.  Mike ordered the Pig Sty, a bacon wrapped hot dog served with bacon fries.  I opted for the Boom Chicka Wow Wow, chicken fried chicken strips withe bacon fries served buffalo style.  We were both happy with our main dishes, but the fries were lacking.  The fries had great flavor, but were soggy.  Mike thinks they were fried and then drizzled with bacon grease, which made them limp.  Despite the fries, we loved our meals and would love to try their pork nachos or monte cristo sandwich.  We enjoyed our low key Super Bowl and Lard Have Mercy was a fun treat.

Living the Pub Life

Last Monday, we were finishing up our visit with my parents and we decide to hit the Domain for some shopping and sunshine.  We had hit some stores and started to get hungry.  We didn't want to eat super late because we knew Mike had eaten early.  I couldn't decide which place at the Domain to take them to and I was getting a little tired of eating out.  I pulled out my phone and checked Yelp, which showed that Jack and Ginger's had just opened and was getting good reviews.  My phone told me it was a 9 minute walk to Jack and Ginger's, which is located in the new Rock Rose section of the Domain.  The Rock Rose is still under construction, so I had Yelp give me step by step directions to find the right spot. 

As we arrived, I knew it would be a fun place.  This Irish pub has plenty of indoor/outdoor seating and easy access bars located in/outside.  There were lots of TVs with various sports games playing and lots of beer taps at the bar. 

It was a little windy outside, so we opted for indoor eating.  I'm glad we want inside because we got to see the see through floor panels showing kegs and get to smell all the wonderful new construction smells.  

We browsed the menu and ordered.  My dad and I each ordered a beer.  Mom and I got the crispy chicken sandwich with waffle fries.  My dad ordered the fish and chips.  The food was all delicious and cooked to perfection.  Everything had tons of flavor.  After talking to one of the employees, we found out that we were there for the very first lunch shift.  They serve brunch on the weekend and the menu looked great.  I'm glad we got to try out a new place and I will definitely be heading back there soon. 

Pin a Day: Smoked Sausage and Hashbrown Casserole

A few weeks ago, I was prepping for a visit from my parents and doing a deep clean of the house.  I knew we'd be eating out a bunch and I needed a quick, easy meal that wouldn't make a mess of my clean kitchen.  So, I decided to try this recipe for Smoked Sausage and Hashbrown Casserole.   I gathered up my ingredients and prepped to go.  First, I defrosted the hash browns.  I left them in the fridge for a few hours and finished defrosting in the microwave.  I cut up my smoked sausage.  We always use the turkey version so it's a bit healthier.  I threw the hashbrowns, sausage, cheddar cheese (2% variety for us), and precut onions in the crockpot.  I added in my cream of chicken soup (mixed with enough water to equal 2 cups of liquid.  I turned my crockpot on high for 3 hours and went back to cleaning.

After 3 hours, my casserole and a side of green beans were ready to go.  I enjoyed the casserole and thought it was tasty and filling.  It also made plenty of leftovers, which my dad and Mike enjoyed throughout the week.  Mike also liked it with sriracha and wrapped in tortillas.  This was definitely a quick and simple meal to make.  I can definitely picture making it again for a busy weeknight.