Pinteresting Recipes: Making a Box Cake Bakery Fresh!

Well, it's that time again.. I saw an idea on Pinterest, things happened, blah blah blah Long story short I heard "how to make a boxed cake taste like it came from a bakery" and I thought, "Yes Please!"

"Did anyone ever try this trick on how to make boxed cake taste like it came from a bakery? Step 1: Look at the directions on the cake mix Step 2: Add one more egg (or add 2 if you want it to be very rich) Step 3: Use melted butter instead of oil and double the amount Step 4: Instead of water, use milk. Step 5: Mix well and bake for the time recommended on the box."

 So my Final Cake Recipe included:

4 eggs (I decided to start out adding 1 extra extra egg, you know, to aviod being too unhealthy (you know because the 11 TBSP of butter wasn't unhealthy at all)
1 cup 1% milk
11 tbs butter (Don't judge me!)
1 Pillsbury Moist Supreme Dark Chocolate cake mix

After a Brief consultation with my husband on the baking isle we decided on a dark chocolate cherry cake. So into the basket went the mix, some Duncan Hines Chocolate Whipped Frosting, and Duncan Hines Comstock Cherry filling (More Fruit). The Cake would be a multilayer chocolate cake with cherries between the layers and iced with chocolate. So I prayed, and then mixed up the batter. Despite the extra liquids, the batter was thick. I think I could have easily got that last egg in there (I was concerned about it being too thin but it was not).

While baking, this cake smelled AMAZING. I admit, I forgot to reduce the cook time on the cakes since they were more thin. That being said, the edges were a bit crispier than I would have liked. The center seemed good. Also, I know the picture is on an angle. The bottom pan is not significantly bigger than the top, the picture just makes it look like a snowman.

 At this point I would like to give a shout-out to my best friend when baking: Pam Baking Spray. Best Invention Ever. Both cakes came right out of the pans with zero trouble.

Once the layers were done and cooled, assembly began. I spread a rim of chocolate, filled the layer with cherries, and added another layer. Finally the entire thing was iced and it was serving time. The good thing is, the cake was beautiful... the bad news is that the nice ingredients did not add much to the cake.. in fact I think it was a step backwards. The flavor wasn't improved and it was nothing like what I would consider a "bakery style" cake. That being said, save yourself the milk, egg, and 11 tbsp of butter and just follow the box. Now here are some pictures of the process:

 

So, Will replacing the water and oil with milk butter and an extra egg make your cake an amazing bakery confection?

Verdict: No

Good Eats: Orlando Florida - Pioneers Western Kitchen

Pioneers Western Kitchen Website

Tonight we decided to try a new place and settled on "Pioneers Western Kitchen." We had seen it going to school and the store and decided it was finally time. So we looked up the reviews and discovered they were all good. The menu looked good. Frankly, everything we saw said the same thing "It's good!"

 Pioneers Western Kitchen Website

 The outside looks pretty corporate (very official) so you might be surprised to find out that this is their only Location. They are 11 months old and off to a great start. The Menu has changed  3 times since opening to find just the right mix of food, and they feel the current menu is the best so far (I didn't see the first two, but the food was awesome!).

There was a younger woman at the register who greeted us cheerfully and was more than happy to answer our questions. We ordered and then chatted for a few minutes as no other customers were in line for the moment. We then seated ourselves and enjoyed the bright colors and western decor.

They have an on-going promotion called the "Most Wanted Burger" which names a specific burger and keeps an ongoing tally of how many have been sold. After 500 have been sold, 100 will be given away free! Sounds like a deal to me!

The "Most Wanted" Burger promotion.

Well enough talk, let's get down to the food talk. The menu has options for vegetarians though it was my impression they did not have specific vegan options (reviews gave some of their vegetarian options in high praise).

I got the Smokey Pork sandwich which consisted of smokey pulled pork, prickly pear BBQ sauce and normally comes with house-made slaw but I skipped the slaw. I chose a side of fried apples instead of fries and I must say my meal was not only filling but amazingly delicious. I mean really, what better than pork and apples? The pulled pork has a nice balance of sweet and tang with just a tiny bit of heat (I am a heat wimp, it was not hot, just warmed with spices). The pork was soft with just a tiny bit of tooth and the bread was soft. The fried apples were cooked just enough that they were soft but not mush and had a tiny bit of tang to go with the sweet.

Smokey Pork Sandwich with Fried Apples

 My husband had the Roast Beef sandwich and fries. The Roast Beef consisted of a large helping of thin sliced roast beef with a few slices of soft cooked onion on a soft bun and served with au jus. On the side of the plate was an edible decoration of roasted garlic, jalapenos and rosemary. The fries were cut thin and had a tiny bit of spice on them (not hot) which gave them great flavor and let me tell you, they were addicting... I decided to "just have one" and my husband lost a handful of fries. I stole a bit of his sandwich and it was also amazing. The Roast Beef was tender (not at all tough) and the au just was just the perfect compliment to the sandwich, but I must warn you, get napkins and some of the wet wipes they have at the silverware station, you'll need it!

 All in all Pioneers Western Kitchen was a great meal and did I happen to mention that both meals, each with a drink, came to a grand total of $22.11? We were very happy with the meal and the price. Service was quick and friendly, the food was made fresh and honestly, there were happy hour specials, I can't think of a single thing that we weren't satisfied with.  Well... maybe one thing....

 Not enough guests! 

So please, spread the word and let's pack the booths, table and bar of Pioneers Western Kitchen.

Tied the yarn napkin decoration around my finger to remember
to tell my friends and come back soon!

 The hours posted on the window of Pioneer's Western Kitchen state that they are open 

Monday through Saturday, 11 AM to 11 PM, 

and Sunday 11 AM to 10 PM (as of 7/28/13). 

The hours on the site are slightly different. When in doubt, call ahead to check the hours that day.

Location: 11845 E Colonial Dr, FL 32826

(Behind SunTrust and in the same shopping center as Publix)

View Larger Map

Getting Creative with Drain Cleaning.

So, in our home we have 2 problem causers, the dog and I. I have foot long hair, and she sheds profusely.  I bathe the dog at home and this becomes a problem for our drains, which are constantly draining slowly. SO I decided to get some drain cleaning materials. SO! As I walked the isles of Walmart I realized a crucial flaw in my plan...(or a few crucial flaws):

• Chemical Drain cleaner has mixed results, and ranges between 3 and 6 dollars a bottle.
• I've used products like the Turbo Snake before which runs about $4 and they work well, but $4 for 2 uses was a bit steep for me.
• I am working on a rather fixed budget at the end of the month.

So as I walked through the store I did find something which would work.
A plastic, disposable drain snake like product, and for about 3 bucks you could buy 1. The product made sense to me, little hooks, little wires, all of which grab hair, but I needed a cheap option. On the left is a similar product to the one I found:





As I stood, trying to make the choice between expensive chemicals, or expensive plastic, it finally hit me... "It's just plastic." So I walked to the hardware section and picked up a 5 pack of 24" cable ties (heavy duty) for about $2.50. The plan? Make that expensive drain cleaning plastic thingy. So I gathered up a few materials:

• 1 - 24" (60.9cm) Cable Tie
• Fairly sharp pair of Scissors
  (no flat kiddie scissors here, need to be sharp) 
• A Pair of Slip Join Pliers
• Old Key Ring (optional)

So with materials in hand we begin:

1. Loop the Cable tie as if you are securing something. Pull the loop almost to the top, leaving room for a few fingers (or a hand) to fit in the loop
2. Make small cuts in the plastic (angled away from the loop). The loop will be the handle, the opposite end goes in the drain. The image, right, shows some of my cuts. The loop would be at the top of the image, near the scissors. Do NOT cut over halfway through the tie or the tie might break. Stagger the cuts so two cuts aren't side by side. 
3. Once you've made cuts up the majority of the tie, it is ready to use. Time to get the slip joint pliers. Use these to remove the plug from the bath tub (check your drain, it may be different than mine) by gripping the nob (with nob locked so the tub would hold water) and turn left to loosen. 
4. Once removed gently feed the zip tie down the drain. Feel free to jiggle it a bit to grip the most hair.
5. When pulling it out, go slow and gentle to avoid spatter or the loop locking on your hand 
6. You can use it for 1-2 drains depending on the severity of the clog (more clog = less uses), but these ARE meant to be disposable... I wouldn't really suggest trying to reuse it.

General Warnings:

• Remember the slip look CAN tighten, and if it tightens around your fingers this could be problematic.
  If concerned, loop an old key chain in the tie during Step 1 and use the metal ring to pull.
• If the tie gets stuck, try wiggling, pushing it back downward, or changing your angle.
  Use sheer force at your own discretion and remember to avoid the loop locking on your hand.
• I can't emphasize enough to be careful of the loop, it is helpful but it is still a Cable Tie aka Zip Tie and is meant to tighten and LOCK so it doesn't come open easily.
• Be aware, the stuff you are about to pull out of your drain is gross, and stinks. It is essentially rotting hair and all the crap you washed down the drain. Might wanna light a candle.

So, for about $2.50 you have 5 disposable drain cleaning snakes. For me, they worked like a charm. Drain is moving again. Hope this helps anyone with slow drains.

More than 26 Acts

This winter Ann Curry sent out a challenge. 26 Acts of Kindness. Do 1 nice thing, no matter how big or small, 26 times over and watch the change. This article explains the idea of 20/26 acts. It basically comes down to this: “Well, if you do act of kindness, I bet you’ll like even more about yourself.” - Ann Curry - Basically, Do good, feel good, and of course it helps others feel good too.

Originally I wasn't going to do the whole #26acts thing. It was just another trend, another New Years Resolution that most people would forget about or give up on when the memories of the Sandy Hook Shooting become a little less raw, more callused. After all, think back to the Columbine shooting... do we remember the shooters' names? Can you (without going to Google) name one victim? It is a sad thing, but in time, we wont really remember those kinds of details about Sandy Hook either. The skeptic in me was shouting "Why bother? In 6 months no one will care."

I couldn't let that voice win... When I typed "26 Acts" into the Google search bar the first thing to come up was a Bible verse Acts 26:9, spoken by Paul (formerly Saul) "I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth." In the Cross Reference bar there was another verse John 15:21 "They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me." The verse from Acts is Paul explaining his former life as Saul, to King Agrippa, and trying to explain why he had persecuted saints and thrown them in prison. While reading these verses I remembered who God has called us to be, what he has called us to be. We're supposed to be different, to try to be better than that, that callus or the "why should I care"  mentality.

Going beyond just the 26 would not only make me feel better about me, to feel happier, but it also shines God's light through me. Who knows who might have a better day or smile just a little bit more if we just held a door 10 seconds longer, or pay the next person's toll. I've already heard a woman at our church talking about the fact that the person in front of her in the drive-through at chick-fil-a paid for her breakfast. It made her day.

So as I sat at lunch on a Sunday afternoon, enjoying the last bite of my overly-filling Mexican lunch I heard music. Outside, in front of the restaurant, a man in a brown coat, jeans, old shoes, and a beanie stood playing a guitar with a crack running down the side. On a bench sat a tie dye bandana with a pretty jelly jar sitting on it for tips. His hair was greyed and his beard was long but he played, sang, and walked up and down the sidewalk.

Normally I might scoff or wonder if he was really homeless or poor. I mean, I feel terrible for the truly poor and homeless but too often, in our city, people dress up and act poor to get money and then go home to a nice warm house with hundreds of dollars that truly poor people could have used. I've helped other individuals but the skeptic voice was starting to clear her throat for another lecture.

I sighed and looked at our table, two bowls of chips sat untouched, soon to be thrown away after we left. Cups of salsa, brand new, would be dumped down a drain, and outside a man with a cracked guitar sang joyfully in the cold. The waitress came back to the table with the checks. "Can we get a box?" My mom smiled, she was thinking the same thing. We'd both noticed him and talked about him a little. He might be hungry, surely it couldn't hurt to offer.

As our families stepped outside he was pacing the sidewalk. I walked up with the box, stuffed to the point of almost not closing with tortilla chips. I explained that I didn't have any cash, but we had chips and salsa if he'd like them. In a soft and kind voice, with a smile he replied that  he'd love them. I passed him the box and wished him a Merry Christmas.

So it begins, I found this image online to encourage 26 acts of kindness and beyond.

1.  In Honor of Charlotte Bacon, age 6 - Gave a (possibly) homeless man chips and Salsa.
2.

The Above will be updated as more acts happen, and the stories will be added bellow.

Pinteresting Recipes: Mini Pasta, Sausage & Cheese Frittatas

  Mini Pasta, Sausage & Cheese Frittatas

Because we cooked way too much pasta. Yep, that;s why i tried this one, cause I screwed up a meal about a week ago. So, why the heck not right? Yet again, this recipe is from Our Blissfully Delicious Life; I know I am totally obsessed but that lady has some killer ideas. I didn't technically have the exact ingredients she called for so I picked out some "close enough" ingredients (original recipe in Verdict section).  So here's the recipe I came up with:


Ingredients:

6 Eggs
1 1/2- 2 cups Cooked Pasta (or left over) (I had plain cooked penne, chopped them and it worked fine)
1/2 cup Milk
1/2 cup Shredded Cheese (I used  chedder)
1/2 a small white Onion, chopped (when I say small i mean size of a pool ball)
1 Cup summer sausage chopped into small cubes (it was precooked, if yours is not, cook it.)
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a standard muffin tin with nonstick spray.
In a medium bowl, break the eggs.  Add the milk & whisk.
I used leftover plain cooked pasta but you could use sauced pasta instead.  If you use a long pasta like this fettuccine, you need to cut it up.  If you are using a smaller pasta like elbow noodles you can leave them whole.
Add the chopped onion, pasta, shredded cheese, & meat to the egg mixture.  Season with salt & pepper; stir to combine.
Spoon evenly into muffin tins filling about 2/3s of the way.
Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until set.
Allow the frittatas to cool a few minutes in the tins before removing.  Enjoy!
 This recipe makes 12 mini frittatas.

Warning:

I didn't run into any "oops that could have been dangerous" moments with this recipe. I guess on principle, watch your knife work.

Speed bumps:

 I failed to measure my pasta and had to add and extra 2 eggs and about a tbsp of milk so I didn't have solids piled out the top. Measure your ingredients.

I sprayed the pan with Pam cooking spray, I still had a little trouble getting them out of the pan, next time I am trying baking spray (with flour) to see if it is easier. If they get stuck use a dull knife or a very flat spoon to go around the edge of the frittatas and gently wedge them out.

Verdict: Yum

These make a great on the go breakfast, a filling snack, or a nice dish for Breakfast-for-supper. After I got them out of the pan I threw them in some plastic Tupperware and put them in the fridge. I found that heating 2 of them in the microwave for about 1 minute is plenty of time to get a nice warm breakfast. 

I will be making them again, they made life far too easy to not make them again. As stated, the most difficult part was getting them out of the pan and cleaning the pan after they were done (it wasn't that hard, just needed a plastic scrubber and it was fine).

This recipe is versatile and really if you have any type of meat you can substitute it in (cooked steak, sausage, chorizo, bacon, cubed ham, slized ham or lunch meat,  a chopped up slim-jim, you pick!). The Original Recipe called for bacon and green onions but I didn't have that so I substituted white onion and summer sausage cubes (it was the first meat I found in the fridge, classy right?)

 All in all I had a good time with this one. If you are a fan of Frittatas (or quiche) give this recipe a try!

The batch made with Pam Baking spray.

Update! - Second Batch

• I made the second batch with exact measurements and edited the recipe to match.
• In the second batch the past used was thin spaghetti, worked a bit better than the penne. 
• Most importantly, I used Pam Baking Spay with Flour. Man what a difference. I still had to run a knife around the edge of each Frittata but they came up much easier. I highly suggest using it when making these. Check out the image on the right. Clean edges, nice and slightly golden, and the pan has very little on it.

Pinteresting Recipes: Panko and Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Panko and Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Ever have one of those moments where you can't decide what to have for dinner until you find a recipe that you just happen to have all the ingredients for? That was me tonight and this was the recipe. How we just happened to have panko lying around I yet to figure out but I wasn't about to question it. Bring on the recipe!

The finished product!
(Also pictured, Smashed Red Potatoes)

Ingredients:
     2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
     1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
     3/4 cup Plain Panko Bread Crumbs
     1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
     1/2 tsp dried Italian Seasoning
     1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
     1/4 tsp Paprika
     Salt & Pepper
     1 Egg
     2 tbsp Olive Oil
     2 tbsp Butter



Directions:

Assembly line (right to left)

1. (Optional) Preheat the oven to 200 degrees (used for keeping the chicken warm, if desired. I didn't do this). 
2. Place chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper & pound thin, about 1/4". They make large servings. You could easily cut the breast in half & make 2 servings out of one!
3.  Set up your assembly line.
   --- Place the flour on one plate, lightly beat the egg with 1 tsp of water on another plate.
   --- Combine the Panko, Parmesan & seasonings on the third plate. (You could substitute regular bread crumbs but I think the Panko gives it a much crispier & lighter texture.) 
4. Dredge the thinned chicken breasts (one at a time) through the flour, then the egg, then coat in the Panko & Parmesan mixture.
5. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil & 1 tbsp of butter in a skillet over medium/ low heat. I used a 10" skillet & cooked 1 at a time, but I was only making 2 chicken breasts. If you are making more, use a larger skillet & add more olive oil & butter accordingly. Fry the chicken breasts, until the 1st side is golden & the chicken is partially cooked.
6. Gently flip & cook the other side until the chicken is fully cooked. This is such a quick cook, it cooks in about 3-5 minutes on each side.
7. Remove & place chicken on a sheet pan (I like to line the sheet pan with parchment paper first).
   --- Keep warm in the oven, heated to 200 degrees, while you cook the other chicken breasts & get the rest of your meal together.
   --- OR line a plate with two paper towels, place the chicken on the plate and put an additional two paper towels over the chicken.
   Wipe out the bread crumbs & excess oil from the pan with a paper towel in between cooking so the bits don't burn. (I failed to do this, I burnt one of the chicken breasts. Luckily I made an extra.)
8. I sprinkled some extra Parmesan Cheese on top
   (Original Recipe)

Cooking: just after the flip.
(I clearly used more than one tbs of butter/oil)

Warning:

Flipping - For the love of God be careful when flipping the chicken. The oil can and will splash up and may burn you. I got as far from the stove as I could while still able to flip with a spatula at arms length.

Speed bumps:

Wet hand Dry hand - When going through the assembly line, use one hand only for the dry parts (flour and panko plate) and the other hand for the wet parts (egg plate) to avoid "hulk hands" where a thick doughy mess forms on your hands and you end up at the sink trying to get the gunk off.

Verdict: Good

 The chicken tasted awesome: spices were great, it was nice and crunchy, chicken was juicy. My husband and I agreed that some sort of sauce might help this one and that this chicken would be a great replacement for the traditional chicken  in chicken parm. We will be making this one again, but we will also be tweaking the recipe.

Pinteresting Recipes: Smashed Red Potatoes

Smashed Red Potatoes 

Fresh out of the oven,
just before adding cheese

Today I blog hopped via Pinterest and found Our Blissfully Delicious Life's blog which was packed with awesome sounding recipes. After going through every post (and I do mean every single last one) on the blog I decided this would be the one, Smashed Red Potatoes. Why? Because we have a 10 lb bag of them in our kitchen (I am in no way joking) and we need to eat them! I did modify the recipe a bit; the original will be linked bellow.



Ingredients:
    Red skin potatos
    Olive oil
    Salt
    Pepper
    Garlic powder
    Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
    Sour Cream

Directions:

1.  Clean (scrub and rinse) your desired number of potatoes (it helps if they are roughly the same size).
2. Boil the potatoes on the stove top until fork tender. Salting the water is optional (we did).
3. Preheat the oven to 450 while your potatoes are coming to a boil.
4. Once potatoes are fork tender, drain the water from the pot and move the potatoes to a greased sheet pan (use olive oil to grease the pan).
5. Using the smooth side of a meat tenderizing mallet (the chicken side, if labeled) smash the potatoes.
   It normally takes about 3-4 whacks. If the potato falls apart just push it back together into a potato like form.
6. Drizzle the smashed potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.
   I think I used about 1/2 a tsp of garlic per potato (or maybe a little bit less, but really it's up to you.)
7. Bake for 15 minutes
8. Flip the potatoes and bake another 15 minutes
9. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with cheese (as generously as you would like, we did a healthy pinch per potato)
10. Top with sour cream and serve/enjoy!

Warning:

When flipping the potatoes in the oven, beware of hot oil splattering. It does sting.
Additional caution when flipping, pieces may fly off the sheet pan, try to avoid this by flipping carefully.

Speed bumps: 

The finished product!
(Also pictured, Panko and Parmesan crusted chicken)

This is another "to taste" recipe, so it may take a little tweaking to get the spices just how you like them.
This recipe is a little time intensive: 30 minutes in the oven and at least 30 minutes in the pot.

Verdict: Yum!

We loved this spin on the Original Recipe (which was a bit more healthy than my version and did not include cheese and sour cream). We've made them both ways (with and without the last 3 ingredients) and they just rock. They are a little time intensive but if you have the time give them a try (both ways!).