Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes and Other Good Eats

November 30, 2011 8 Comments

I promised good eats yesterday and I am delivering. Don’t you just love What I Ate Wednesdays, because I know I do. Without further ado, here’s what I made and ate.

1. Started the day off with an egg scramble with yellow peppers and tomatoes. Topped, of course, with ketchup and a side of lightly buttered toast. Breakfast of champions my friends.

2. Coffee. My fuel. Self-explanatory.

3. I baked some delicious cupcakes [see below] and managed to only eat half of one. So proud of myself. :)

4. Din-din was Chicken Pad See Ew, one of my favorite Thai dishes which I’ve gotten pretty darn good at making myself.

5. Honest Tea and Green Tea Mints while waiting for my conference with my writing professor.

6. Tommy’s leftover sandwich from lunch. Ham and cheese on a yummy roll with Boar’s Head Horseradish Sauce.

7. A Dirty Ho and some chips with Con Queso Dip during the Rangers game.

I also drank a ton of water during the day, but who wants to see 10 pictures of water, am I right?

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The cupcakes deserve a little more explaining. Thanks to the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, Duncan Hines, and Comstock, Tommy’s coworkers are enjoying some Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes.

As much as I enjoy baking from scratch, Duncan Hines’ Decadent cake mixes take the box mix to a different level. The mix comes not only with the regular cake mix, but with a pouch of fudge with chocolate chunks in it.  Once you make the actual cake batter, you swirl the fudge into it and the results are pretty amazing.

Once the cupcakes baked and cooled, I scooped out the centers and filled them with Comstock Country Cherry filling and frosted them with chocolate frosting.

I also topped them with a sprinkle of colored sugar for a bit of prettiness.

I know you wish you could reach through the screen right about now. ;) I know I should’ve saved myself another one!

Have a great Tuesday!

What’s the best thing you ate today? Do you like baking from scratch or do you use cake mixes?

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Studying Starts… Now!

November 29, 2011 6 Comments

Even though I am a total night owl, I love being productive first thing in the morning because it makes the day so much longer and you get a ton of stuff done in the time you otherwise would’ve spent in bed. This morning was one of those productive mornings, seeing how it’s only noon and I’ve been to the supermarket, pharmacy, have cupcakes baking in the oven and chicken marinating for dinner.

I think part of my efficiency has to do with the fact that finals start next week and I need to get my butt in gear and do some extreme studying.  Law school really isn’t bad, but the last weeks of it are so stressful because your whole grade for a class basically rides on one exam. Oh, and you’re basically competeing against your whole class for the best grade because the exam is curved. So yea, no pressure.

I’m going to run because my cupcakes are done, but I’ll be back manana with some good eats.

Have a great Tuesday!

Are you a early bird or a night owl?

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A Jam Packed Thanksgiving Weekend

November 28, 2011 4 Comments

Is it just me, or do long weekends fly by faster than regular ones? I can’t believe Thanksgiving has come and gone, but I am excited because I can finally go Christmas crazy without looking like a total nut.

On Wednesday, we hit up the supermarket early to avoid the crowds and so I could get started on my baking. When we got home, Munchkin napped and I managed to get both my Pumpkin Cheesecake and Carrot Cake done while he slept. I also ripped up the bread for my stuffing. I have to share the recipe with you guys, because it is so good and was the only thing that did not leave leftovers. After Tommy got home, we went to Toys R Us to buy birthday gifts for Arianna, Tommy’s goddaughter, who turned one on Turkey Day!

We woke up on Thursday ready to cook.  I brined my turkey on Wednesday morning in a mixture of water and apple cider with spices, fresh garlic and bay leaves.

Before the bird went into the oven, I spread a mixture of butter and spices under the skin to make sure it didn’t dry out during baking. I also basted the crap out of the bird and I have to say, that I think it paid off becuase the meat was juicy and delicious. We also had mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy, green beans with pumpkin seeds, pearl onions with peas and carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash with spinach, craisins and mandarins, mushroom stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce with ginger and a pinapple glazed ham.  Basically all the foods that will lead you to laying down on the couch with a food coma shortly after. For dessert we had my Pumpkin Cheesecake and Carrot Cake along with some cakes that my cousin brought from the bakery she works at.

My favorite thing on Thanksgiving it the stuffing, so I’m going to share my recipe that I’ve used for the past few years.

Mushroom Stuffing (adapted from Rachael Ray)

  • One and a half 1-pound loaves white bread, cut into cubes
  • 1  bunch of celery with leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 2 8 oz. packages white mushrooms, sliced.
  • 3 tablespoons poultry seasoning
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 large eggs, beaten with 2 tablespoons water.
  • grated Parmesan cheese.

Preheat the oven to 250°. Scatter the bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake, tossing occasionally, until dried but not browned, about 40 minutes. Let cool. Increase the oven temperature to 350°.  In a large, deep skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes. Mix in the celery and mushrooms and cook over high heat, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper and poultry seasoning until thoroughly combined. In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with the beaten egg mixture. Add the vegetable mixture and toss until well combined. Spoon the stuffing into 2 buttered 3-quart casserole dishes, top with Parmesan cheese and bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes.

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Friday was Black Friday, so of course we had to do some shopping. We didn’t stay up all night or get up at the crack of dawn, but we did manage to get some awesome deals anyway. We started off at Kohl’s and hit up Toys R Us, Sears and Burlington before calling it a day. I got a Rachael Ray Casserround, some towels, gifts for the kids from next door and Alex’s babysitter, and a pair of new flats for myself. I also left with $60 in Kohl’s cash, so I’m planning on going back to get a new coffee maker.

After shopping, we got home and rested a bit because we had a big party to go to on Friday night, Arianna’s first birthday! They had the party at an Italian Restaurant and the food was amazing. Munchkin also discovered a love for calamari. I put some on my plate and went to get him a mozzarella stick, only to find him chowing down on the calamari on my plate. His food choices never cease to amaze me. He couldn’t wait for the cake to come out and almost died when he had to wait for them to take pictures and cut the cake.

Saturday and Sunday were relaxing days. Since the weather was gorgeous, we went to the Long Island City peirs on Saturday night so Munchkin could run around and play at the playground. We also found a great Mexican place, which I think may just become our go to Mexican restaurant.  Vamos al Tequila is a traditional, family run, little hole in the wall place in Greenpoint.

The portions are huge too, so we had enough to take home and have for lunch on Sunday.

We finished off our Sunday watching Pretty Woman and eating edamame and Coldstone Ice Cream, but not together. It was a great break from real life, but now I have to get into lockdown mode and start studying. Finals are less than two weeks away and I need to kick some butt.

Have a great Monday!

How was your Thanksgiving? Did you get any good Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals?

 

 

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What to do in NYC

November 23, 2011 7 Comments

In my family, I am the tour guide.  Anytime someone comes to visit from out of town, or in this case, out of continent, I’m the one who gets to show them the city. Luckily, I’m a nerd and love being a tourist in New York.

We got super lucky because the weather on Sunday was gorgeous and perfect for walking around in the city. We started out at 34th Street and walked our way up to Central Park. First stop on our list was Macy’s Herald Square. Macy’s already has their windows decorated for Christmas, and the displays this year are gorgeous.  They even have 3D TVs set up so one of the windows looks like the characters are flying out at you.

After admiring Macy’s inside and out, we headed up to Times Square. We went into Toys R Us, where I had been with Tommy and Munchkin on Friday.  They didn’t want to ride the Ferris Wheel, but they did like the Lego displays and the life size T Rex. We also hit up the M&Ms store, which is basically heaven on Earth. They have M&Ms in every color of the rainbow, and they have all the different seasonal flavors available year round.

After getting our chocolate fill, we wandered up to Rockafeller Center.  The tree in Rochefeller Center is already up, but was hidden behind scaffolding becuase the lights are being put on it.

We also went up to the top of the Rock.  I’ve been to every public observation deck in NYC, and I have to say the Top of the Rock is my favorite.  It’s the newest one and has three floors, both indoors and outdoors where you can take in the sights.  And believe me, there are sights to take in.

After that, we strolled up 5th Ave to Central Park. Most of the very fancy stores like Louis Vuitton, Fendi and Bergdorf Goodman already have their holiday displays up, so it was fun to look at. When we got to Central Park, it was already dark so we decided to head home instead of wandering aroudn the park in the dark.  While walking to the subway station, we noticed a huge crowd of people assembled outside the Beacon Theater and a limo with a police escort making it’s way down 58th Street. We joined the huge crowd and caught some glimpses of Beyonce entering the theater.  It was a pretty cool way to end our day, especially since we had been joking that you have to run into someone famous when you come to NYC.

 

If you look really closely and squint, you’ll see Beyonce in the distance. ;)

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Now I’m off to the supermarket to do my Holiday shopping. I’m in charge of desserts so I’m making Pumpkin Cheesecake and Carrot Cake. I’m also in charge of stuffing and some of the veggie sides, so stay tuned for some recipes.

Have a great Wednesday and enjoy your Turkey Day!

Do you like being a tourist in your own town/city? Have you ever met/ seen a celebrity in real life?

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Anniversary Celebrations

November 21, 2011 10 Comments

I apologize for my absence, but I’ve been a busy bee this weekend.  Let’s go straight to the good stuff.

On Friday, Tommy and I celebrated our one year anniversary.  Tommy surprised me by taking the day off from work so that we could spend the whole day together.  Since he was being creative planning our day, I decided to get crafty and make him a gift.  I love scrapbooking and making little books to capture memories, so I made him a photo book titles 10 reasons I love you.  We’re not really the mushy, romantic types, so the book was made with some humor, meaning I chose funny pictures with silly captions.

Tommy also wanted a throw blanket for his couch, so I found an incredibly soft and cozy blanket at Target.  I thought just giving him the blanket was a little plain, so I sewed a patch onto it from felt with our anniversary date on it.

When Tommy came over on Friday morning, he brought me gorgeous roses and we exchanged cards.  We definitely run on the same brain waves, because we ended up getting each other the same card. The cards had the same writing, but had different pictures because we bought them from different stores.

We started off with some lunch in the city. We headed downtown to the famous Katz’s Deli, which you may know from When Harry Met Sally. We both got Pastrami Sanwiches on rye with mustard. This was the best pastrami I’ve ever tried, hands down.  They also make their own roast beef and turkey, which looked amazing also.

After we filled our bellies, we headed up to Times Square to let Munchkin have some fun.  First we ran into Elmo, Cookie Monster and other cartoon characters.  He was so excited to meet Elmo, but when we wanted to take a picture of him with the characters, he got scared that we were leaving him and doesn’t look to excited.

After that, we headed over to Toys R Us Times Square to ride the Ferris Wheel and window shop.  Alex loved and hated the Ferris wheel at the same time, once it started moving he liked it, but the starts and stops scared him a bit.  We were very excited because we got to sit in the cart that we wanted – Mega Bloks!


We also walked around and took in the sights of the Toy Store.  They have an amazing lego section where they have famous NYC buildings made out of hundreds of thousands of Legos. They also have a huuuge life like T Rex that roars and moves around. They also have a huge candy section, which I enjoyed very much.

After getting our toy fix, we headed over to Crumbs Cupcakes to get some sweets. I got the red velvet and Tommy got the candy bar cupcake. We both shared with Munchkin who was one happy camper.  We walked over to Bryant Park to enjoy our cupcakes and let Munchkin run around for a bit.

We visited a few more stores before heading home to nap before dinner. Let me tell you, that blankie is soo comfy and I did hog it the whole evening. Dinner was sushi, a shocker, I know. We love our sushi.  We went to Sushi Village in Bayside and had some really yummy sushi.  The place was packed all night, so you know the sushi has to be good.

We were going to go to the Empire State Building at night to take in the views of the city, but we were too tired. Tommy asked me to be his girlfriend last year on the top of Rockefeller Center while we were taking in views of the city, and we kind of wanted to relive it this year. Instead we grabbed a movie from Redbox, snuggled in bed and enjoyed the evening.  I fell asleep 20 minute into the movie as usual.

Since this post is already super long, I’ll save the rest of the weekend for tomorrow.

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This morning I woke up and made myself a yummy egg scramble.  I got the chance to try some Eggstraordinary Eggs thanks to Land O Lakes and the Foodbuzz Taste Maker Program.

Even though the eggs are a little pricier than their supermarket brethren, they come from hens who are fed an all natural, all vegetable diet of whole grains, corn and soy. The eggs are also brown, which I love.  When my parents first came to the U.S., they were confused by white eggs, because all the chickens on their farms in Poland only laid brown eggs. You can really taste the difference in the eggs.

Have a great Monday everyone!

What did you do this weekend? How do you like your eggs?

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A Few Tricks Up My Sleeve

November 17, 2011 6 Comments

I’ve been a bad blogger this week, but I’ve got a good excuse, I promise. This Saturday is my and Tommy’s one year anniversary.  Tommy took the day off on Friday and has planned a whole day for us to spend together, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve too, which is why I’ve been a little MIA from the blog.  I don’t want to give away anything that I am doing because Tommy reads my blog, but I will post it on Friday if any of you are interested.

All I will say that I spent way too much time in Michael’s yesterday and I’m pretty sure I smell like the potpourri the store always smells like. I also hit up Target where I got suckered into making my first holiday purchases
.  In my own defense, the gingerbread house kit was on sale.

Like last Wednesday. I came home to a yummy dinner waiting for me made by my lovely boyfriend.  He made whole wheat penne with grilled chicken in vodka sauce with a side of zucchini.  The boy has major cooking skills, the chicken was perfectly moist and yummy. The secret is in the marinade. First he marinated it overnight in Italian dressing and instead of spilling out the marinade and cooking the chicken, he had the chicken stew in the marinade until almost fully cooked, before transferring it to a skillet to give it some color.

Tommy also made up Dirty Hos to go with dinner.  Get your mind out of the gutter, Dirty Hos are Hoegaarden beer and Framboise Lambic, a French raspberry beer, mixed together.  The drink tastes like a fruity, raspberry beer which I love.  Next time you’re at a bar, order a Dirty Ho, not only will you get a great drink, you’ll get some funny looks from the people around you guaranteed.

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The Thankful November list continues!

L is for Love.  Everyone wants to love and be loved and I can say that I am a very lucky girl because I have the love of not only my family, but great friends and an amazing boyfriend.  I also have the love of a little man which is like no other.

M is for Music.  Music is something that can transform your mood and bring you back to a different place in time.  I have tons of songs on my iPod and when I put it on shuffle and a song I haven’t listened to in a while comes on, it can bring back so many memories. There are few things in life that can bring you back to a point in time like music.

I’m back to my workshop becuase I’ve got less than 24 hours to finish my surprises. Have a great Thursday!

When do you start the holidays in your house? What’s your favorite drink?

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Some Weekend Stuff

November 15, 2011 5 Comments

This weekend was pretty low key and spent with family. My cousin and aunt come to visit from Poland, so on Saturday we went to the airport to pick them up.

On Sunday my mom and I made dinner for everyone, but I failed to get any pictures of the good stuff we made.  For dinner we made really yummy ribs and eggplant parm with fried rice, roasted potatoes and a bunch of salads on the side.  For dessert I made molten cakes a la mode. I bought the lava cakes frozen from Trader Joe’s and all I had to do was heat em up in the microwave for 55 seconds.  I will definitely be repurchasing these because they were soo good!

On Monday, Munchkin and I had to wake up bright and early because he had an appointment to get his flu shot at his doctor’s office in Manhattan.  He wasn’t crazy about the shot, but he got a Spongebob sticker that made the tears stop as soon as he saw it.

Over the weekend, I got my first Klout Perk, and it’s not only so yummy, it supports a really great cause.

Two Degrees Bars are made of fruit, nuts and grains and come in three flavors – Apple Pecan, Cherry Almond and Chocolate Peanut.

If the taste alone wasn’t enough to make me want to go out and buy a box or two, for every bar you buy, Two Degrees donates a nutrition pack to a hungry child.

So far, I’ve only tried the fruit flavored bars and they taste like a big peice of fruit leather mixed with nuts and grains for a crunch. I was really surprised by how good they are because sometimes things that are good for you are not all that tasty, but this was not the case.

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Since I missed two posts in my Thankful November list, I’m just going to do I, J and K today.

I is for ice cream.  I think this one is self explanatory, but I will say that Ben and Jerry’s is my favorite brand. I hope to visit the Ben and Jerry’s factory in Vermont one day.

J is for jokes. I am probably one of the least serious people in the world and every other word coming out of my mouth is some kind of joke. I’m also thankful for people who get my jokes because sometimes I’m just left with blank stares.

K is for kitties.  I’m pretty sure if it wasn’t for Tommy and Munchkin, I’d be well on my way to being a crazy cat lady. I’m that person who smothers their friends’ cats and tries to make friends with the strays. A few summers ago, there were 4 or 5 stray kittens that would run around on my block and I was in kitty heaven.

Have a great Tuesday!

What did you do this weekend? What’s your favorite dessert?

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H is for Holidays

November 12, 2011 15 Comments

As much as I love the summer, there is no better season then the holiday season.  From Halloween to Christmas, I love everything about this time of year. That is why my H in my Thankful November list is dedicated to the holidays.

I love decorating the house for all the holidays. I love pumpkin picking and using them to decorate the house.

There’s nothing better than coming home to a beautifully decorated house and a gorgeous Christmas tree surrounded by presents waiting to be opened.

There is also nothing better than sitting around the table with your family and sharing a holiday meal.

I cannot wait until I have my own house where I can host the holidays.

As much as the holiday season is becoming more commercialized and starting earlier and earlier each year, I love it all the same.

What’s your favorite holiday?

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Stuffed Acorn Squash

November 11, 2011 6 Comments

Earlier this week I made stuffed Acorn Squash for dinner and I’ve been meaning to share the recipe, but I kept forgetting.  Better late than never, right?

Over the weekend, my mom bought a bunch of squash at the farm stand and I’m going to be trying out some recipes for acorn, spaghetti and butternut squash, so stay tuned for more yummy squash recipes!

Stuffed Acorn Squash

  • 2 Acorn Squash
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 1/4 cup chicken stock
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 oz package mushrooms, chopped
  • 8 oz package ground turkey
  • 2 tablespoons mustard
  • 1 tablespoon honey

Preheat over to 350 degrees.  Cut squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds, spray with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes. Meanwhile cook quinoa in chicken stock, according to package directions. In a skillet over medium heat, cook onions until translucent and season to taste. Add in garlic and mushrooms and cook until tender, then remove from skillet. In the same skillet, brown the ground turkey.  When turkey is fully cooked add the vegetables, quinoa, mustard and honey to the skillet and combine well.  Stuff the squash with the meat and veggie mixture, top with cheese and put into the oven for 15 more minutes to melt the cheese.

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Another day, another letter. Today is G for Grandparents.

My grandparents came to America shortly after I was born and when I was a kid, they lived with us and were basically my live in babysitters. My father worked nights, and my mom went to school when I was young so I spent my afternoons and evenings with my grandparents.  They may have spoiled me a bit more than my parents would have, who else but your grandparents would give you ice cream money through the window when you came knocking because the ice cream man was waiting on the corner.  I also helped my grandma cook sometimes, her pierogis and paczki were to die for! When I was in my teens, my grandparents moved back to Poland and my grandfather passed away last summer.  They are amazing people and I am very thankful that I get to call them my grandparents.

Have a great weekend!

What’s your favorite kind of squash? Any exciting plans for the weekend?

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I Could Get Used to This

November 10, 2011 19 Comments

I started the day off yesterday with a run. The weather was perfect and the leaves finally started changing colors on the trees. 
Instead of running around the park like I used to, I’ve started running through my neighborhood.  I find myself getting lost in the place where I’ve lived my whole life and it’s kind of fun deciding which way to go to get home. The change in scenery is great and makes me want to run more often.

I came home from school to a wonderful dinner made by my wonderful boyfriend.

Tommy cooked up delicious steak, which was one of the best steaks I’ve ever had in my life.  He served it with long grain wild rice and edamame on the side. We both agreed that it’s better the get a pricier steak and really enjoy it once in a while, than to get any old steak from the supermarket.

I told him I could get used to coming home to dinner every night, especially if it’s this yummy.

For dessert, we had some Dark Chocolate Pretzel Crisps.  These bad boys taste just like a Starbucks Peppermint Mocha, so if you’re a fan of the drink, you will love these. I know I do, maybe a little too much. They taste just like Christmas to me.  I think I might’ve jumped on the crazy early Christmas wagon. I didn’t mean too, but I love Christmas.

Continuing with my Thankful November list, F is for friends and family.

I have a great group of people who I get to call my friends and family, and I know I can always count on them.  I sure as heck wouldn’t be who am I today without them, and for that, I am forever grateful.

Have a great Thursday!

Do you prefer cooking, or having someone cook for you?

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