Mississippi Mud!

I hadn't had Mississippi Mud Pie since like...4th of July 1989. It's just as good as I remember it. While eating a cupcake last weekend...outside...in 107 degree heat...it just wasn't hitting the spot. Nothin' but love for the cupcake, but sometimes it's just not the sweet treat you want on a hot day. Sometimes you want a cool treat...a cool, creamy, chocolaty, crumbly treat.

Mississippi Mud Pie, ladies and gentlemen. ***This is i no way "lite", "skinny", lo-anything".

Recipe by my Momma

What you need:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup flour

1 cup chopped pecans

8 oz. softened cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

3 cup Cool Whip

2 each 3 & 5/8 oz. Jello© instant chocolate pudding

3 cups cold milk

Directions:

First layer: Mix butter, flour and pecans. Press to bottom of 9x9 dish. Bake at 375º for 20 minutes, then let cool. (Oops no photo of this step. Sorry!!)

Second layer: Cream together powdered sugar, 1 cup Cool Whip and cream cheese. Spread on top of crust. Chill until set.

Third Layer: Mix together pudding mix and milk (pudding will be thick). Pour on top of second layer and chill until set.

Fourth Layer: Spread remaining 2 cups of Cool Whip onto pudding. You can decorate the top with shaved chocolate if you like.  Chill entire dish for several hours. Cut through all layers and serve in squares.

   Ta-Da!



Walnut Banana Bread Adventure!

Starbucks' recipe! They just....gave it away...on a recipe card. What's wrong with these people?



Mashin' bananaz.

Addin' walnutz!

...more walnuts on top!

Fresh outta the oven!

With butter... juuuust before going in my belly with a glass o' milk.

This was super easy and so good for breakfast!

Spring Roll Adventure!

This was my first attempt so I went all veggie just to be safe. Use whatever you fancy! I saw a recipe for BLT spring rolls the other day...but bacon? Just seems weird...but it could also be fabulous.

I bought:

shredded carrots ($1.50)

a cucumber (~.50)

fresh mint ($1.70)

fresh cilantro ($1.70)

a jalepeno (~.25)

daikon sprouts (~$2)

House of Tsang Bangkok Peanut Sauce (~$4)

rice vermicelli noodles (less than $2)

rice paper/ spring roll wrappers (less than $2)

Chopped up my veggies/herbs, boiled the noodles for 3 minutes then rinsed them in cold water.

Filled a large skilled with warm water (didn't have a big enough bowl) and dunked the rice paper for 2 seconds. Don't keep submerged for longer, 2 seconds is all it takes. It may seem like it's still a little too crunchy, but I promise they soften up fast.

 Placed the rice paper on a plate, put a little pile of veggies and noodles in the center and wrapped it up like a burrito!

That's it! The peanut sauce already has a bit of a kick to it, but we threw some sriracha in there for good measure. We made 7 and gobbled them all up. So much flavor! We'll definitely be making these often- next time with shrimp!

Enjoy your Gỏi cuốn!

New hobby idea?

Talkin' bout picklin', y'all! Nothing better in a spicy bloody mary than an okra pickle..or pickled green beans. They're just soooo good! I used to eat my Gammaw's pickled okra by the pound and.... srsly? They want like.. almost $4 for a small jar at Kroger. That's stupid. It can't be super difficult, right? Plus I like mason jars! What if I got like.. super good at it...and came up with some amazing blend of spices no one has thought of before and I pickle everything under the sun and sell thousands of jars at farmer's markets across the country??!!

PICKLIN'.

We could have a slogan!!

You'll Relish Our Pickles?

Never a Dill Moment?

hmmmm

In other news, we roasted some sweet potatoes last night and made sriracha ketchup. It was fantastico!

If you've never had sweet potato fries (or in this case, not fried!) I highly recommend.

1.Scrub em up real good.

2. Slice em (like in circles) Then slice the circles in half.

3. Throw em in a big Ziploc with one tablespoon of olive oil.

4. Shake em up!

5. Throw on a cookie sheet and bake @ 445 (i know, it's hot!) for like.. 15 mins.

6. Flip em and bake em for 10-15 mins more.

7. Remove from oven and salt/pepper as desired!

Keep Calm and Eat an Entire Onion

I've been a little fussy lately so I was sorta looking forward to my second ever yoga class. I needed to stretch, breathe, focus, etc. Calm it down, basically. It's the Hatha, which is supposed to be the pretty easy going one (so I've heard...if I'm this sore after the "easy going" yoga, I don't want to know what intense yoga is like).  So I was all like this:

(just kidding y'all, no way in hell I could do that)

 and as with any exercise (I hate exercise) during the class I was like.. "You know what? Forget this...I quit" But a little voice inside of me was like "Don't quit! This is a good thing!" and then I was all "Yeah? Well what do I get if I stay?" and the voice said "Fried onion strings".

So after Yoga, Ryan and I proceeded to fry an entire onion. (a la Pioneer Woman!)  And then eat it.

And it was good....for the first 10 minutes. I don't feel so awesome now.

Side note: I'm so happy my yoga studio doesn't make us pair up and put our butts on each other. Maybe this is couples yoga or something...

[photos google images and pioneer woman]

Tutorial Thursday: Sea salt and vinegar kale chips

So Danielle over at Sometimes Sweet posted her kale chip experiment (she got the recipe here) and I admit I was skeptical. I don't think I'm veggie-clueless (maybe a 'lil bit?) but I had never tried kale. Maybe I was a little intimidated by how intense it looked, mega-leafy/super-thick, etc. I guess for greens my default is lettuce and spinach...but I was intrigued. I like salty and crispy..so, good-for-you just seemed like a bonus!

I picked up a bunch (1.89 @ Kroger) and went home to experiment. Here we go!

1: Make yo'self a drink (you did just have a long day at work...you probably deserve it) Rocks martini w/ lemon and olive pictured.

2: Rinse off your kale and dry it thoroughly with a paper towel.

3: Break kale leaves into bite size bits (I made approx 22 pieces).

4: Throw kale into a large Ziploc bag. Throw 1 tablespoon of EVOO and 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar (or any vinegar you fancy) into the Ziploc, seal and shake it like shake n' bake.

5: Toss kale onto a cookie sheet, space them so the pieces don't touch.

6: Sprinkle with a little sea salt and cracked black pepper. I also sprinkled with cayenne...because...well we put cayenne on everything.

7: Place cookie sheet in 350 degree heated oven for 10 minutes. After 10 mins, give em a poke. They should be hard to the touch. If not, you could flip them &  give 'em another minute.

Using a spatula, put your crispy kale chips on a plate and nom! They're salty, crunchy and they're good for you! I just learned: Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein and reasonably rich in calcium. Take THAT potato chips!

My cousin Rebecca says they resemble smushed frogs...I can see where she's coming from, but I'm not discouraged! I could see this kale chip thing becoming a weekly snack in our house.

* Note: Was informed that they do not keep well so if you make 'em, eat em up!

Paper Hearts and Treasure Hunts!

20 paper hearts cut from this super cute scrapbook paper found @ Hobby Lobby for like.. 30 cents for Ryan's Valentine's day TREASURE HUNT!!! He'll be all over the apartment building...in the lobby, in the parking garage, etc.  I wrote 20 little riddles he's got to figure out in order to find his next clue. There will be little treats hidden here and there and a surprise at the end! YAYYYY!! I probably had more fun planning it than I think he'll have actually doing the treasure hunt

.

In other treasure hunting news, we found a new happy hour place yesterday-  The Community Bar in Midtown.

OHHHHH WOW the food... this was no "bar food".. it was absolutely amazing food. We split 2 appetizers, Bangkok ravioli (dumplings) made of chicken and mushrooms in a green curry cilantro sauce and the goat cheese and pork egg rolls. I mean... I love goat cheese... you could put it on a dog biscuit and I'd call it a delicacy...but they were out of this world. Check out a review and photos here. Apparently Chef Bob does alot off the menu too. You can ask him to whip up a snack for you...whatever he's feeling..and he'll make you something unique and fantastic. The couple next to us were eating ribs which I didn't see on the menu. I was being nosy... telling them they smelled amazing... and the guy actually put a rib with BBQ sauce on a plate and gave it to us. HE GAVE US A RIB. LIKE ADAM GAVE TO EVE. How nice is that??  FOOD SHARING.

The drinks were great, too! We had a Moscow mule which is vodka and ginger beer (something Ryan and I drink often at home with Goya ginger beer, the spiciest we're found aside from Beaver's homemade) and a Moteato, tea vodka with mint, lemonade and soda water.

We'll definitely be back! If you're in the area, it's highly recommended.

Yamz, y'all.

Not even joking. We ate yams for dinner.... 3 to be exact. But they were gooooooood! Ryan scrubbed and sliced into wedges...I brushed them with a little olive oil and black pepper and baked at 435 degrees for about 25 minutes (flipping the wedges 1/2 way).  We devoured. I was never a huge fan of yams, but the past few months I can't get enough. They're high in vitamin B6 and potassium and a great source of fiber so you feel full!

Next time I'm gonna add rosemary!

Tonight's experiment? Spaghetti squash

[photo]

I was a teenage mutant ninja turtle in another life.

I won't try to hide it. I love pizza. Pizza is my kryptonite, but because it's not amazing for you, I love looking for healthier options, where you can obliterate 2 big slices and not want to curl up in the fetal position afterwards, swearing you'll never eat again. One of my favorite meals to cook is homemade pizza because it's not just dinner, but it's a fun activity! Pour a glass of wine and get to choppin.  I like to peruse the produce aisles looking for anything that can be diced and sprinkled over a thin crust. Fresh Roma tomatoes, onion, green bell peppers, artichoke hearts, black olives, big plump mushrooms... oooo even though its 7:44 am... I'm craving. We always end up with this massive, 4.5" high concoction, piled with fresh veggies. It really is a sight to behold. More mushrooms? Yeah throw em on there...Oh, we missed a spot...needs more tomato. Done. Sometimes we'll even bypass the sodium packed tomato sauce and brush olive oil over the crust...maybe a little pesto.

So last night we tried something new! Instead of a mountain of veggies, we chose 3 little ingredients to layer on top of some fresh naan bread and made naan pizza caprese! It was divine. We spread olive oil and freshly grated garlic on slices of tandoori naan and topped with organic basil leaves, diced Roma tomatoes and low fat mozzarella. (probably threw a few goat cheese crumbles on there because I have an addiction). Boy did it smell good in the oven! It even tasted better, the naan was so crispy! Will definitely make again. So much flavor!

Do you ever make pizza at home? What kind of crust do you use and what are your favorite toppings?

[ images google, weheartit, and my own ]

Cranberry Walnut EXPLOSION!

The awesome Miss Erin @ Reading My Tea Leaves posted this fantastic Epicurious recipe on her blog last week and I had to try it. It's what I was craving, only I didn't realize it yet.

It's still so so warm here in Houston. Too warm to get into the spirit of the fall season. My orange lights are hanging outside, the pumpkins are tucked in little nooks around the house, he horror movies are all over the airwaves...and it's 90 degrees. People are still having pool parties, walking around town in tanks, shorts and flip flops and the Frizz-ease is still flying off the shelves.

What's a Texan to do? Put the A/C on 60 and start baking. Sometimes you just gotta fake it, so I did and booooyyyy did the house smell good. I've baked 2 loaves in the past 2 days and there are mere crumbs left. Friends and family may all be getting muffins for Christmas.

Below are a few step by step photos of my baking process and the recipe is found here!

I threw almost 2 cups of cranberries in the mix instead of just 1, almost 3/4 cup of walnuts instead of 1/3 and stirred ground cinnamon in. FOR THE WIN.

0 calorie ravioli!

SOFTIE FOOD!

Holycrapthisissocute!

I came across this tutorial today- I looooooove felted food (even though I don't quite know what to do with it...)

Great tutorial over here!

Meringue madness.

It's a delicate, pure, crispy dollop of sweetness... and an hours worth of hand whisking (and a little frustration... and saying "I give up, this is ridiculous" a few (7) times, and asking Ryan to whisk...and 2 glasses of wine).

I do not own a hand mixer, but after last night's little kitchen experiment, I'll be investing the $20 in a Black & Decker. I feel like I got frogged in the arm a few times...but I'm gonna say it's worth it.

Total time spent making 12 cookies? 3.5 hours. About 1 whisking, 2 in the oven and 30 minutes for cooling/drying out.

It's the little victories, you know?

I used this recipe (minus the electric mixer of course...)