November 8, 2009

We're already gearing up for our Third Annual Bake Sale, which will be held on December 14th.  This is the second year that 100% of the proceeds will go to SPCA Texas, and we're beyond excited to get crackin' and bakin'!  We have a lot of work ahead of us: shopping, baking, wrapping, labeling, transporting, and promoting, but we all agree that we have more fun doing this than pretty much anything else all year!

The little-baking-team-that-could this year is me, SisMama, my coworkers K and SAA, and K's sister L.  Our goal for the one-day sale is $3000 again!  Last year, our final total was $3055, so we're hopeful we can exceed the goal again. We're not totally crazy though, so the goal isn't increasing!

To help us reach our goal again for the SPCA, we could really really use your help!  We know what recipes worked for us last year – and which ones didn't move – but we'd love to know what your favorites are.

Pretend that you went to a fund-raising bake sale at Christmas to buy cute packaged homemade gifts to give to your babysitter, hairdresser, postman, Bunco friends, kids' teachers, kids' friends, Secret Santas, etc.  What would you like to find?  Traditional items like gingerbread, pound cake, biscotti and sugar cookies?  Or indulgent items you might not make yourself like almond toffee, fudge, pecan pie bars, and fancy brownies?  Would you be interested in something savory like a spicy snack mix or nut blend?  Or something else altogether?

Maybe you've had some great success yourself with certain items at bake sales.  What works best for you?  Or maybe you have specialties that you think would be an awesome hit at a Christmas bake sale?

If you have ideas, please pass them on to us!  Thanks in advance from us – and all of the animals at the SPCA – for your suggestions!

~BigSis

November 6, 2009

How am I ever going to get through this Holiday Season without gaining a pound or two, or ten? Seriously!

I don't even have a sweet tooth, but lately I find myself drooling, (literally) over the lavish amount of desserts featured on some of my favorite food blogs!

I'm one of those people who never thinks about making a dessert when I host a party or have friends over for dinner. (I know, I know, that's rude.) I guess since I don't eat dessert, I forget that for some people, dinner just isn't complete without dessert. Now, when I have a get together, my friends and family will usually call and offer to bring the dessert. (Because they know if they don't, then we won't have one.) I'm going to try to work on that.

If I made a dessert every night, I'd probably be as big as a house, but I do need to treat my guys, who both have a sweet tooth, to an occasional treat. I'm also going to try some of these recipes for the holidays and maybe even surprise my friends with a dessert at our next dinner party. (They would be shocked!)

In no particular order, here are several “to die for” desserts that I can't wait to try. If these don't make you drool, nothing will!

• Argo Classic Cheesecake from Cookie Madness

• Upside Down Apple Pie by Noble Pig

• Oatmeal Maple Bars from Lisa is Cooking

• Coconut-Crusted Sour Cream Pound Cake from A Southern Grace

• Coffee-toffee Pecan Pie by Evil Chef Mom

• Deluxe Pumpkin Cheescake from Culinary Covers

• Vanilla Yogurt Cake with Orange Glaze from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

• Apple Walnut Gorgonzola Rustic Tart from Simply Recipes

• All in One Holiday Bundt Cake from Baking and Boys

• Brown Sugar Pear and Cranberry Bars from Peanut Butter and Julie

• Pumpkin Swirl Brownies from The Kitchen Sink Recipes

• Blueberry Pound Cake from My Wooden Spoon

• Tunnel of Love Apple Spice Cake from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice

And last, but not least,

• Texas Sheet-Not Cake by BigSis

(Yeah, I know BigSisLilSis isn't technically a food blog, but she is my sister and this is my post so I'm including her cake recipe. )

It would appear that maybe I do have a sweet tooth, after all! 🙂

Could someone please tell me how you can make such amazing, tempting desserts on a regular basis and keep from eating half of it yourself? Do you share it with neighbors, take it to work or invite a bunch of teenagers over to devour it? Or is it just plain and simple will power? I'd love to know your secret!

~LilSis

November 5, 2009

Before we went off to BlogWorld, I was on a mission to find a vegan, or at least a vegetarian, alternative to bacon since so many of us seem to be enamored with it.  I've actually heard of people who are vegetarian except for bacon!  I haven't eaten bacon or any other meat product in over 15 years, but I have confessed that I do love the smoky aroma and I long for the crunchy yumminess that you get from bacon.  I just don't want a pig to have to die for me to get my crispy-urge satisfied!

So the search continues.  One of my favorite guilty-pleasure meat analog products for years has been MorningStar Farms' Bacon Strips.  I say “guilty-pleasure” because these guys are full of all kinds of ingredients that are hard to pronounce and identify.  If you like to fill your body with as many unprocessed foods as possible, these strips won't be on your menu very often.

Right off the bat, they fail the vegan challenge because they contain egg whites, carrageenan and non-fat dry milk.  On the upside, they contain 60 calories per serving (2 strips, which is a pretty dinky serving), 44% less fat than pork bacon, and zero cholesterol.  So on the whole, they're a far superior choice to pork bacon.

But, how do they taste?  The package declares that these strips have “the delicious hearty flavor of smoked veggie bacon with a crispy bite”.  I think that's a fair claim to make; they taste pretty darn good!  I like to nuke mine on a paper towel til they're really crispy; almost burned in spots.  I let them cool a second, then peel off the paper towel and make a faux BLT.  To be honest, I usually cook 5 or 6 slices at a time for a decent sandwich. The flavor is appropriately smoky and I get the crunch I crave.  With some good tomato, lettuce, mayo and maybe some avocado, you've got an excellent sandwich.

The verdict: tasty and crispy!  These strips aren't the healthiest option in the world because of all the processing, but as an occasional treat, they aren't a bad choice and they do satisfy a little of the bacon craving in me.  Would your meat-eating friends gobble these up and say yummy?  Probably not.  But if you're like me and don't want to eat pork, or just want to consume less fat, cholesterol and calories, then give these a try!  The bonus is they smell awesome while they're nuking!

~BigSis

November 3, 2009

Apple flickr photo from Ahmed

The other day I found a stack of little bitty note-size flyers at the checkout of my hippie health food store (actually it's Natural Grocers/Vitamin Cottage).  It was a summary of  the Dirty Dozen, which are fruits and veggies that you should always buy organic, and the Clean 15, which test lowest for pesticide residues. I was a bit surprised at some of these items.  See what you think:

Dirty Dozen
(worst first)

Peaches
Apples
Bell Peppers
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Kale
Lettuce
Grapes (imported)
Carrots
Pears

Clean 15
(best first)

Onion
Avocado
Sweet Corn
Pineapple
Mango
Asparagus
Sweet Peas
Kiwi
Cabbage
Eggplant
Papaya
Watermelon
Broccoli
Tomato
Sweet Potatoes

What surprised me? That broccoli, peas, cabbage, tomatoes, corn and asparagus were relatively clean. I always thought that the safest things to buy conventional had thick skins, like bananas, pineapple or avocados.  I'm a bit surprised too that apples are so contaminated.  It's good to know, so thanks to the hippie health food store for the itty bitty flyers!

These lists were put together by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, and are part of their Shoppers Guide to Pesticides.  You can download the entire guide in PDF and print it out, or you can download the i-phone app to refer to when you're out shopping.  I think the app would be super-handy since I'd never have the guide with me at the store.  I don't even remember my coupons most of the time.  If they could only come up with an app for coupons!

~BigSis

November 2, 2009

Oroweat Turkey Club (photo credit: Oroweat)

For anyone who's trying to watch their calorie and carb intake, we finally have a great alternative for sandwiches! I'm so hooked on these Oroweat Sandwich Thins!

They come in three varieties, Multi-Grain, 100% Whole Wheat and Honey Wheat. The Multi-Grain variety is my favorite!

These are much thinner than an English Muffin yet aren't dry at all, even when toasted. Myself, I prefer a thinner bread. I don't want the bread to dominate my sandwich. I've been toasting the sandwich thins and they end up a little crunchy on the outside but still a little pillowy on the inside. For being as tasty as these are, the entire roll is only 100 calories, 5 grams of fiber and only one gram of fat!

Since I work from home, I eat lunch at home almost every day.  I'm a creature of habit, too, so I usually end up having the same thing for lunch every day and it's usually a turkey sandwich of some kind.

The sandwich pictured here is the Turkey Club recipe from Oroweat. It's a great sandwich choice at only 343 calories and 8 grams of fat.

Turkey Club

1 Oroweat Multi-Grains Sandwich Thins Roll
3 ozs. thinly sliced smoked turkey
1 slice cooked turkey bacon
1 slice reduced fat cheddar
1 slice reduced fat swiss
1 t. honey mustard
red onion, tomato, and leaf lettuce

In an effort to cut back on the calories just a little bit more, I eliminate the bacon and I substitute one wedge of Laughing Cow Light Swiss for the two slices of reduced fat cheese. I just spread half of the Laughing Cow wedge on each sandwich slice on top of the mustard. By making just a few changes, you can have a healthy, filling sandwich for less than 300 calories!

For those of you that are lucky enough to have a Trader Joe's nearby, you'll have to try a Trader Joe's roasted chicken patty on a toasted Multi-Grain Sandwich Thin. I just recently discovered these chicken patties and they are only 140 calories and 4 grams of fat.  For a quick and easy lunch, I just spread a little mustard on each toasted sandwich thin, add the chicken patty, some lettuce and tomato and you end up with another fantastic sandwich for less than 300 calories.

And for a breakfast sandwich, I scramble up some Egg Beaters, spray a couple of squirts of “I Can't Believe It's Not Butter” on the toasted Sandwich Thins, add a slice of canadian bacon  and you've got a great breakfast sandwich for under 300 calories.

I sure hope these sell well because I would hate to see these disappear from the grocery store shelves as quickly as they appeared! If you give these a try, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

~LilSis

October 30, 2009

Just in case you didn't get enough chocolate overload from the Texas Sheet Cake, this recipe should definitely send you into fudgey orbit!

Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Outrageous Brownies are my go-to brownies.  I love them with walnuts and chocolate chips (cause there isn't enough chocolate in them already!), but on holidays I love to make them with Oreos instead.  It's an idea that came from Joe at Culinary in the Country.  For the SPCA Bake Sale last December, I made them with Christmas Oreos and they looked adorably festive.

So here we are at Halloween.  I don't celebrate Halloween, other than taking photos of the furkids in hats; when they let me. This year, they didn't let me.  I found the cutest little pirate hat with black ringlets for them, but would they wear it?  Heck, no.

Oh, yeah, and I like to bake.  Just give me an excuse…holiday, Monday, rain, sun, whatever.  Any reason.

This recipe makes a huge amount of fun, crunchy, rich, and cutely Halloweenie brownies.  Go make some friends.

~BigSis

October 29, 2009

Wow! I can't believe Halloween is only two days away! Where has this month gone? It's been so warm here in Southern California this month that it doesn't even feel like it should be Halloween. How can it be Halloween when HayHay has a surf meet on Saturday? It's just weird!

Luckily, it has cooled off a little bit at night this past week, because for Halloween, I love to make a huge pot of chili to share with friends and neighbors. I'm not sure when I started this tradition, but I know it's been at least ten or twelve years because I did it when we lived in Texas when HayHay was only 3 years old. I've got some great memories of all us parents taking turns either walking the kiddos around the neighborhood trick or treating or staying back at the house passing out candy.

It's not quite the same now since we don't have little ones to walk around the neighborhood, but we still love to get our friends together for a bowl of chili on Halloween!

I originally posted my chili recipe back in January for a Super Bowl party, but I'm going to put it up again today because this is such a great recipe to make for a Halloween get-together.

LilSis’ Chili Con Carne

3 pounds lean ground beef
One sweet onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 dark beer
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (28 oz) can tomato sauce
1 can dark kidney beans (drained)
1 sm. can corn (I use Green Giant Sweet vacuum packed)
4 – 5 tsp. Penzeys Chili Con Carne spice*
2 chopped roasted poblano peppers (optional)
1/4 t. cayenne
1/2 t. onion powder
salt to taste
1 T. olive oil

Toppings:
chopped onion
chopped jalapeno
fritos
oyster crackers
sour cream
grated cheddar cheese

*The Penzeys Chili Con Carne spice, formerly known as my secret ingredient, is so different from just a regular chili powder. It’s the reason why you don’t see cumin or a bunch of other spices listed in the recipe. Here are the ingredients in this one amazing spice: ancho chili pepper, tomato powder, ground cumin, Mexican oregano, garlic, coriander, onions, red and green bell peppers, Tellichery black pepper, allspice, cilantro, and cloves. If you don’t have a Penzeys store nearby, you can order online from the Penzeys Spices website.

Saute the chopped onion in the oil in a large saucepan until onion is soft. Add the ground beef, salt and minced garlic to the pan and brown until beef is cooked throughout. Drain the beef and return to the pan. Add the beer to the beef and simmer for 15-20 minutes on medium heat. Add the diced tomatoes and simmer for another 15-20 minutes. Simmer for longer if you want the tomatoes to cook down more. Add the tomato sauce, roasted peppers, and Penzeys Chili Con Carne spice. Simmer for another 30 minutes or so. Add the cayenne pepper, onion powder and additional salt if necessary. (This is the stage where you can adjust the seasonings to your own taste. This isn’t like baking, so add whatever you want here.)

Once you have your chili seasoned just right, add the can of beans and the corn and just heat throughout. This can be served right away or put in a crockpot to stay warm for hours. And, it's even better heated and served the next day.

I usually set up a buffet style bar and put out all the toppings so everyone can add whatever they like! Enjoy and have a Happy Halloween!

~LilSis

October 28, 2009

This is not cake.  I know that Cook's Country calls it cake, but it's not cake.  It's a slab of rich, dense, ooey-gooey chocolate decadence.

Cook's Country Texas Sheet Cake

I baked this for my boss's birthday, and I think it went over well! The usual Texas Sheet Cake or Sheath Cake is delicious. In fact, it's SisMama's signature cake and the one we all request for birthdays. It's a lighter cake than this though. Both recipes contain cocoa powder in the batter and icing, but this Cook's Country version also includes a half pound of semisweet chocolate in the batter! That's where the fudginess comes in!  I'd call this more of a brownie, but whatever you call it, I call it yummy!

Texas Sheet Cake
(Cook's Country)

Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs plus 2 yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

Chocolate Icing
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped

1. For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 18- by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Whisk eggs and yolks, vanilla, and sour cream in another bowl until smooth.

2. Heat chocolate, butter, oil, water, and cocoa in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk chocolate mixture into flour mixture until incorporated. Whisk egg mixture into batter, then pour into prepared baking pan. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to wire rack.

3. For the icing: About 5 minutes before cake is done, heat butter, cream, cocoa, and corn syrup in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Off heat, whisk in confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Spread warm icing evenly over hot cake and sprinkle with pecans. Let cake cool to room temperature on wire rack, about 1 hour, then refrigerate until icing is set, about 1 hour longer. (Cake can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.) Cut into 3-inch squares. Serve.

BigSis Notes: I added 1/2 tsp of cinnamon to the batter and used Penzeys Mexican Vanilla, so I used about 1/3 less than the recipe called for.  I used evaporated milk instead of heavy cream in the icing, salted butter rather than unsalted, and toasted walnuts on top in place of pecans.  I baked my cake in a 13 x 9 glass pan, and it took 35 minutes. Cut these pieces small; this stuff is rich! This cake is best at room temperature OR nuked for just a few seconds!  Wowee!!  😀

~BigSis

October 23, 2009

As LilSis and I were rushing out of Caesar's Palace toward the Las Vegas airport the other day, we stopped at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill for a quick but really delicious lunch at the bar.

The bar at Mesa Grill in Las Vegas

We wanted to try Mesa Grill the last time we were in town, but never got there, so we were determined to work it into our schedule this time around all of the BlogWorld stuff.  We were super-happy that we were able to squeeze in a speedy lunch at Mesa Grill as we were scrambling out of town.

Initially, we had an awesome impression of Mesa Grill.  The decor was absolutely beautiful with copper, wood and glass elements working perfectly together in the dining room.  Secondly, we were greeted by a very friendly, professional and helpful bartender.  So far, so good!  We're happy.

We've been pretty disappointed with the service recently at most hotels and restaurants in the city.  We don't know if it's because we're women or that we're straight or that we're forty-something, but 95% of the service has been horrible, so Mesa Grill was a breath of fresh air.  Not hating…just being honest.

Now, on to the food.  We like to try several things at a new place, so we split three appetizers.  Here's what we got:

• Grilled Asparagus Salad with Wild Mushrooms ($14) Mixed greens, grilled asparagus, pecans, Maytag blue cheese, wild mushrooms, and Red Chile Mustard Vinaigrette.

• Sophie's Chopped Salad ($10) Chopped romaine, tomatoes, chickpeas, kidney beans, kalamata olives, cubed cheddar cheese, and crispy little squares of  blue corn tortillas with balsamic vinaigrette.

• Wild Mushroom Quesadilla with White Bean Hummus and White Truffle Oil ($14) Housemade tortillas filled with sauteed mushrooms and really good cheese (whatever it was), with a big dollop of garlicky white bean hummus on top, and drizzled with a spicy chile sauce and truffle oil.

We absolutely loved all 3 of these dishes, as well as the jalapeno cheese bread, and agreed that it was one of the best meals we'd had in Vegas.  We ate every crumb and almost licked the plate!

Was it fancy?  Not really.  But was it well-executed, flavorful, creative, and even delicious?  Was it served in a gorgeous comfortable setting by friendly, well-trained people?  Was the service quick and efficient?  Were the prices reasonable?  Oh, heck, yeah!

Mesa Grill Dining Room

We loved Mesa Grill and will absolutely go back the next chance we get.  It was totally our kind of place.  Way to go, Bobby Flay.  You've done a great job with your decor, your menu and your staff.  We're impressed!

~BigSis

October 22, 2009

Have you ever heard of Fatburger? Or maybe a better question would be “have you ever eaten a Fatburger?” I had never even heard of Fatburger until we saw The Fatmobile that was stationed inside the Exhibit Hall at BlogWorld in Vegas.

I was surprised when I put my zip code into the search box on Fatburger and found out that there are two locations within 30 minutes from my house. You can also go to a Store List where you'll find their locations listed by state.

Fatburger Fatmobile

Just take a look at this burger! I'd be lying if I said that I wouldn't love to sink my teeth into this 24 oz. Triple King cheeseburger!  (Maybe just one nice BIG bite!)

I rarely eat hamburgers, but don't get me wrong, it's not because I don't love them! I'm just really having to watch my calories and fat intake these days. If you're thinking you might want to give one of these a try, take a peek at the Fatburger Nutritional Facts first. And notice that there is no info on the Triple King!

Could you eat this Fatburger Triple King?

On the last day of BlogWorld, as we were browsing through the vendor booths, BigSis and I happened to walk by the Fatmobile as they were having a Fatburger eating contest. As you can tell by the photo, by the time we showed up on the scene, most of the contestants were slowing down a bit.  I wish we could have gotten a photo of the winner but there was quite a crowd of curious spectators surrounding this Fatburger eating contest.

1 chewing, 1 contemplating, 1 looking to Heaven for help

I was lucky enough to try a tiny sample of a Fatburger. (Okay, I'll be honest, I had two.) As most of you probably know, BigSis doesn't eat critters, so she couldn't enjoy one of the tasty little treats. First, and most importantly, the beef was very lean and grilled perfectly. I also love that they toast their buns. Not everyone likes a toasted bun on a burger, but I do.

Call me weird, but I like mayo on my burger so I wasn't totally in love with their sauce. It reminded me of the Jack in the Box secret sauce that seems to be something like ketchup, miracle whip and sweet pickle relish all mixed together, but I could be wrong. I also prefer dill pickles instead of sweet ones, so I did scrape most of that off of my tiny bite.

I might have a different opinion if I had been able to taste a bite of a Triple King. If I'm going to eat a burger, I'd rather have it smaller in size but still a double because I prefer to have more meat than bun.

Bottom line, Fatburger still gets a thumbs up from me. I can't say that I'll be eating them often, but I may take HayHay for a Triple King one day for a treat.

~LilSis