A Double Dose of Triple D

Have I mentioned that I love food?? And the Food Network?

When I visited my family in San Antonio back in October, one of the things I really wanted to do was go to a restaurant that had been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. I find this niftly little app/website called TV Food Maps that lets you search by foodie show, location, etc.

I found a barbecue place called Bun'n'Barrel and luckily my brother was able to figure out how to get there; driving aimlessly around a city I had just been robbed in didn't sound like fun to me*. We stopped for lunch on our way back from a visit to the San Antonio Zoo. I had a melt-in-your-mouth brisket sandwich and some deliciously crispy onion rings. We also tried their "Thai Spicy BBQ Sauce" which had a great flavor and packed quite a bit of heat. I was able to bring home one of their take-out menus as a souvenir, which made me happier than necessary. Although we didn't do this, you could park your car and have the waitress bring your food out to you like the old-fashioned car hops used to do. I'm happy to say that I'm too young to remember such things and that Happy Days is my only point of reference to this. Of course, that does make me old enough to actually remember Happy Days...

(*That's right... less than an hour after landing in San Antonio, our cars were broken into. I had almost $500 worth of stuff stolen. Welcome to Texas.)

Just last week, I got a nice surprise when some friends decided to go out to dinner after work. Now, Western New York is a fairly large area and I admittedly am only familiar with my little neck of the woods. So when the suggestion was made to go to a burger place in the opposite direction of where I live, I can honestly say that it wouldn't have been my first choice. I'm not generally a burger person and I couldn't pass for someone who enjoys driving if my life depended on it. The fact that I misunerstood the ridiculously easy directions didn't help.

Grovers Bar and Grill does not have it's own website, but it's received some pretty good reviews on yelp and it was named "Best Burger" in the Best of Buffalo Poll done by Artvoice. According to my internet research, the restaurant sits on Grover Cleveland's old hunting camp.

So, we're sitting in our little booth looking at the menu and the first thing I noticed was the words "cheeseburger soup". My friends had been here before, and one of them told me it was good so I immediately knew I'd be ordering that. It was SO good and reminded me of my sister's sausage dip recipe, which I will be sharing below. I decided to forego an actual burger and ordered a grilled ham and cheese on rye. Common, but delicious. And HUGE. I wound up taking half of it home with me.

It wasn't until we had already been served that one of my friends mentioned that it had been on DDD. And that's when I noticed that we were sitting directly under the "Guy Ate Here" sign! So, I guess the lesson is that driving half an hour out of the way can produce some delicious results.

And since we're on the subject, Food Network Star (Guy Fieri's launching pad!) starts tonight. And just this morning, less than ten hours before the new season starts, I found out that one of the contestants is a former Buffalonian! Her name is Nikki Dinki and you can check out her blog right here!

Super-Easy Sausage Dip

16 ounces Velveeta

Bulk pork sausage

jar of salsa

Cube the Velveeta and throw it in the crockpot on low to start melting. Brown the pork sausage. Drain. Add the sausage and salsa to the crockpot. Heat on low until melted. Serve with tortilla chips.

Having Fun @ Work

A couple months ago, I met a friend for lunch and she presented me with two baggies of cookies. They were essentially the same cookie, but she made them with two different recipes and was trying to figure out which one she liked best. So she let me judge. (They were both delicious!)

Well, that got my little mind working and I decided that it would fun to have a cookie contest at work! Now, I work with some pretty awesome people and we have a lot of fun. I wasn't sure if anyone would really want to play along, but it turns out that we had a blast.

We had eight people who baked, and I let everyone taste and pick their favorite. I was the only one who knew which person baked which cookie, so I didn't judge and I'm kind of glad because they were all delicious!

This is the ballot I made:

(That cute little chocolate chip cookie is courtesy of the Sugar Coma dingbat font.)

I wanted to make something slightly unique that I hadn't made for my coworkers before. So I found this awesome recipe for Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies on Pinterest:

Source: seaweedandsassafras.com via Sue on Pinterest

They were really good with a little bit of heat! This was such a fun way to break up the week a little bit.

Are You Ready for Some Football??

I woke up cranky this morning. Mainly, because I woke up at 6:30 and tried desperately to go back to sleep. Because I was tired. I'm pretty sure I should have just crawled out of bed at 6:30 and I would have been happier. And a lot less achy.

And then I went outside.

Oh, happy day!! It was sooo nice and cool out. And it wasn't raining. I've been waiting MONTHS for a day like this! I just want to drag my TV outside and cheer on my boys in the nice weather.

Of course, that isn't going to happen. I'm going to stay inside and watch the game. By myself. Blah. While I make these to take to work:

Source: crazyforcrust.com via Sue on Pinterest

I saw another verion of this that doesn't used boxed brownies, but I figured this would be an easy thing to whip together between commercials. I love Oreo truffles, but think they're a PITA to make so I usually rely on someone else making them. These look brilliant.

I'm very excited for this season. (Not that I've ever been UN-excited!) The problem is that right now I'm so focused on baseball and The Retirement of Chipper Jones that I have a hard time concentrating on both. Last year, my Braves blew a huge lead in the standings and I'm hoping to see them still playing next month. A World Series ring would be the perfect ending to a brilliant career.

Wait.

I was supposed to be talking about football. See what happens??

I guess I'll just leave it at GO BILLS!!!! A friend posted an adorable picture of his baby girl wearing a full size Ryan Fitzpatrick jersey. Love it. Start 'em young, I say! Watching by myself will be so weird. So hopefully I'll have lots to cheer about!

Happy Labor Day!

In Western New York, Labor Day pretty much signals the end of summer even though we still have several weeks to go before that's official. Kids go back to school tomorrow, people put their boats away this weekend and many of them closed up their pools.

I wish the weather would cooperate! We're looking at a high of 88º today which is signicantly hotter than I would like it. I'm ready to walk outside and smell fall *Ü*

Today I'm headed to a friend's house for a cookout and I'm very excited to hang out with my peeps. Here is what I'm contributing to our culinary cause:

Bacon and Cheese Potatoes

Source: momswithcrockpots.com via Sue on Pinterest

I followed the ideas in the comments and instead of using the crockpot, I have these babies in the oven as we speak. I figued it would be easier to transport. They smell delicious.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Banana Bread

Source: recipeboy.com via Sue on Pinterest

I managed to find the container of the mushiest raspberries in the store. But the bread looks awesome, so I'm hoping it won't matter. I wasn't about to go back. Ha.

I'm also making some Ramen Noodle Salad, which is one of my favorite things in the world. Not gourmet quality by any stretch of the imagination but I never claimed to me. Sooo good. Have a great day everyone!! And happy eating :)

Raspberry Viniagrette

Several months ago (too long, really!) I had some friends over and one of the things I made was this homemade viniagrette. It's a recipe I found on allrecipes and it was stellar! I didn't use the whole salad recipe (although it sounds delicious). I just wanted a simple homemade dressing and this was perfect.

The rasperry vinegar was a little spendy, but the recipe doesn't use a whole lot and I'll get plenty of use of the remainder because I will definitely be making this dressing again.

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup raspberry vinegar

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Combine all the ingredients in a cruet (you know... that free bottle you get when you buy the powdered Italian dressing mix). Shake well and refrigerate until ready to use.

I used the dressing on a spinach salad and it was sooo good!

Salted Caramel Cupcakes

I was reading the latest copy of Food Network magazine and the editor's letter was talking about Sunny Anderson's dinner with the Biden's (yes, those Biden's) for disabled veterans. I've watched Sunny's show before, but never caught this, so maybe someone can clue me in. The editor made it sound like Sunny uses the expression "Oh My Garlic!" a lot. I've never heard her say that, but it totally made me smile.

After eating these cupcakes, I think I need to come up with my own expression like that because these are absolutely delicious. The only reason I even found this recipe was because it was linked on the Disboards.

The blog is called Joy's Hope and it's a cute little blog. Check it out.

AFTER you make the cupcakes!

Sorry I don't have a picture. I wasn't thinking.

She includes a link to a homemade cake and homemade caramel here. I just used a devil's food cake mix and a jar of caramel ice cream topping. I also left off the Skor bars.

Ingredients:

one box chocolate cake mix (and ingredients to make it)

3/4 tsp sea salt

4-5 Skor or Heath bars

12-oz jar of caramel ice cream topping

can of frosting, or use the following ingredients to make your own

stick of unsalted butter, room temperature

1-lb powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 Tbsp whole milk (I used 1% and it was fine)

pinch of salt

You will also need a squeeze bottle. I got mine at Michaels by the candy-making-cake-decorating stuff.

Mix up your cupcake batter and bake according to the package directions.

When they are done baking, pour the caramel topping into a glass measuring cup. Add the sea salt. Microwave for one minute and stir. Pour the caramel topping into your squeeze bottle.

Let the cupcakes and caramel cool (I waited about ten minutes). Insert the tip of the squeeze bottle into the cupcake and give it a good firm squeeze. I did this twice to get a good amount of caramel. Save a little bit of the caramel to use on top of the frosted cupcakes.

Now you need to decide if you want to use a can of frosting or make your own. I have no problem with canned frosting, but decided to try the recipe she provided. It was easy and quite yummy. (And I love the way she displayed her recipe as a pretty little image on her blog!)

To make the frosting:
Cream together the butter and sugar. Add remaining ingredients. Mix until thick and creamy.

That's it. Easy peasy.

Frost your cupcakes.

If you're using the candy bars, now is the time to let out your aggression!! Smash those babies up into little pieces and sprinkle on top of the cupcakes.

Finish with a little bit of remaining caramel drizzled on top.

So good.
I'm not telling you how many I ate!

Chicken Marsala Stew

Chicken Marsala is one of my favorite foods in the whole world. So good. I have to force myself to order something else when we go out to eat, because if I didn't I would never try anything new! We went out for my birthday a couple weeks ago and I was very tempted to order it... but I was a good girl. We went to Bravo and I had the Chicken Scaloppini. And really... how could I NOT order it with this mouth-watering description:

Sauteed chicken with roasted portobello mushrooms and Provolone with lemon caper butter sauce, Feta and diced tomatoes and served with herb linguine

It was delicious!

Sooo, back to the Marsala. My mom knows that I love it and she cut this recipe out of the newspaper for me. It was so incredibly good and I can't wait to make it again. Next time I'll use more wine and more chicken broth, because there wasn't a whole lot of broth. But other than that... superb!

[Picture coming soon....!]

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided (I used a little less)

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks

1/2 tsp salt, divided

1/2 tsp ground black pepper, divided

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced

8 ounces baby carrots

1 cup frozen baby peas

1 large sweet onion, chopped

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup Marsala wine

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high. Add half of the chicken pieces and season with 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with another 1/2 tablespoon of the oil and the remaining chicken, salt and pepper. Set aside. [Next time I make this, I'll probably cook all of the chicken at the same time... my pot was more than big enough to accomodate all of the chicken.]

Add another 1/2 tablespoon of the oil to the pot. Add the mushrooms and saute until they begin to soften and give off liquid, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the carrots and peas, then saute for another 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of the oil to the pot. Add the onions and saute until they soften and start to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute.

Pour in the Marsala and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes longer. Add the chicken broth and reserved vegetables, then bring to a simmer.

Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Add the reserved chicken and vinegar and simmer until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.
[Here is the link to the original article. So good!!]

Coq au Vin

I saw Julie and Julia several months ago when it was still in the theater. What a great movie! And unlike the general consensus, I thought Amy Adams was adorable as Julie Powell and I found her character more relatable than Julia Child.

Anyway, apparently the movie had more influence on me than I realized. I'm having friends over tomorrow and my menu has a definite French theme! The main course is coq au vin and it smells soo good in my house right now. Maybe I'll try taking some pictures to post tomorrow. We'll see.

This is adapted from several different recipes.

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 cups Merlot

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup (approx 4) sliced carrots

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

1/4 cup chicken broth

2 strips precooked bacon, cut into 1-inch slices

2 tbs Zesty Herb Marinade mix by McCormick (in the little envelopes)

1 bay leaf

Mix all ingredients together in a crockpot. Stir to combine. Cook on low 6 hours. Serve over egg noodles. (Don't forget to remove the bay leaf first)!

Penne Gorgonzola with Chicken

This is what I see when I look out my window. I'm one of the six people in Buffalo who love this weather. Ha.

Here is the main dish I served at my Christmas gathering. It's a winning recipe from Taste of Home magazine's October/November 2009 issue. I didn't change a thing... it was perfect as is!!

16-oz pkg penne pasta

1 lb boneless skinless chicken, cut into 1/2-in pieces

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 large garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup white wine

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup chicken broth

8-oz crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

6 to 8 sage leaves, thinly sliced

salt and pepper to taste

grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

minced fresh parsley

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, brown chicken in olive oil on all sides. Add garlic; cook one minute longer. Add wine, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan.

Add cream and broth; cook until sauce is slightly thickened and chicken is no longer pink. Stir in Gorgonzola, sage, salt, and pepper. Cook just until cheese is melted.

Drain pasta. Toss with sauce. Sprinke with Parm-Reg and parsley.

Pineapple Cherry Dump Cake

This was so good and so ridiculously easy! I also found a resource with a bunch of variations. Can't wait to try them!

1 can cherry pie filling

1 can crushed pineapple (with juice)

1 box yellow cake mix

1 stick butter, melted

Combine pie filling and pineapple in a casserole dish. Sprinkle cake mix on top. Pour melted butter over cake mix. Bake at 350º for 1 hour.

I served this cold with Cool Whip during the Bills game. I think it would also be really good warm with vanilla ice cream!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are my absolute favorite cookies. Sooo good. Enjoy ♥

1 cup butter

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups rolled oats (not the quick cook ones)

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350º. In a large bowl, cream butter and both sugars. Add eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon. Mix thoroughly.

In a separate bowl, combine baking soda, salt, and flour. Stir into the sugar mixture.

Add oatmeal and chips. Stir until well blended.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake for ten minutes.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cheescake

This was adapted from a recipe I got in a twopeasinabucket recipe swap. This got rave reviews from my taste-testers (my coworkers)

1 purchases Oreo cookie crust

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

3 packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup sour cream

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup hot fudge topping, divided

6 peanut butter cups, cut into small wedges

Microwave peanut butter for 30 seconds. Spread over crust. Beat cream cheese, sugar, and sour cream until smooth. Add eggs. Beat until combined. Stir in vanilla. Pour one cup of the mixture into a bowl and set aside. Pour remaining mixture onto crust. Microwave 1/4 cup hot fudge topping for 30 seconds. Fold into batter that was set aside. Spoon into pan, swirl with knife. Bake 55 - 65 minutes at 350º. Cool 10 minutes. Spread remaining hot fudge on top. Sprinkle with peanut butter cups. Refrigerate overnight.

Really yummy!!!