Not my Mom's Turkey Meatloaf

Can you believe I have never tried meatloaf before? My parents' never cooked it either. I was rarely raised on America's comfort foods like fried chicken, chicken fried steak, gravy and dumplings etc. I remember once I wanted chicken and dumplings, which I made several times a few years ago, but that was the last time I ever made that too. It was good though! So I remember I had printed out a recipe from Food Network's Ellie Krieger a long time ago called Mom's Turkey Meatloaf. You want to know how long ago? The date printed on the bottom is 4/18/2007 and I'm just NOW making it. I guess I was really scared to try it, lol.

Since I'm going out of town in less than 2 weeks it is time to clean out the freezer. We had some extra lean ground turkey and I really didn't want to make turkey burgers again. They always come out dry no matter what I try to do to them to make them moist. So I digged up the turkey meatloaf recipe and figured this be a perfect opportunity. Along with the meatloaf I also made a cauliflower mash. Then my mom decided she'd make a quick salad to go with it all, but I opted not to have a salad with dinner. I'm tired of lettuce!

Let's start with the meatloaf. The recipe calls for 2 pounds of turkey and my package was only 1.25 pounds. So I scaled down the recipe by pretty much eyeballing everything. It's cooking, not baking! What I found so interesting about this recipe is that it calls for quick cook oats to be soaked up in milk! I'm pretty adventurous when it comes to eating, and I was curious how the oats and milk would play in the meatloaf. You can get the full recipe version HERE, and below is my version scaled down.  

Turkey Meatloaf (From Food Network's Ellie Krieger)  

Ingredients
Little less then 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

1/4 cup milk
1/2 medium onion, peeled
1.25 pounds extra lean ground turkey breast (this is what we always buy, use what you prefer)
1 roasted piquillo pepper (I bought these jarred from Trader Joe's)
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (eyeballed this)
1/8 cup ketchup (eyeballed this)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce ( I poured half on top)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.In a small bowl, stir together the oats and milk. I eyeballed the milk till the oats were absorbed. Thinly slice 1/4 of the onion and set aside. Finely chop the remaining onion. In a large bowl combine the turkey, oat mixture, chopped onion, roasted piquillo pepper, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt and a few grinds of pepper. Mix just until well combined.

Transfer the mixture to a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and shape into a loaf about 5 inches wide and 2 1/2 inches high. Pour the tomato sauce over the meatloaf and sprinkle with the sliced onions. Bake for about 45 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees.F. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to15 minutes before slicing.

Cauliflower Mash  

Ingredients
1 huge head of cauliflower
1 tbsp salted butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil water and steam cauliflower in a steamer for about 13 minutes on the stove top covered. Once the cauliflower is tender but not mushy, shut the flame and let sit covered for 5 minutes. Afterwards, drain the water inside the pot and add the cauliflower to it. Add a tablespoon of salted butter and season with salt and pepper. Then start mashing the mixture, till it is all incorporated. Taste to make sure everything is season well and adjust accordingly. Stay covered on the stove top till meatloaf is ready.

Do I like meatloaf? Well I liked this meatloaf! I'll be honest and say I'm not a fan of ground turkey, let along extra lean ground turkey. Hello dryness and no flavor! My mother doesn't like regular ground turkey because it looks "dark" and the extra lean is whiter meat. I really don't know how she gets that philosophy, but I cook what everyone will eat. So extra lean it is and if I have to eat it again I will just make meatloaf with this recipe! I really believe the oats and milk mixture help keep the turkey extra moist. Just don't tell anyone about it till they eat it and say how delicious it is. The onions and tomato sauce gave it great flavor. I actually could smell it around the house while it was cooking. Next time I would add more roasted piquillo peppers (I didn't use red bell pepper because the acidity is too much for my tummy) and chopped up garlic and fresh basil would pair nicely in the meatloaf.

My cauliflower mash was awesome. I decided to top it with some Parmesan cheese. My father use to make this and add in heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, cottage cheese, then bake it with pasta. Sounds weird, but it is delicious! The cauliflower mash reminded me of that, but a lot less calories and fat. This was Sunday dinner. I also had a light beer while I was waiting for the turkey to cook up! I figured since I cut the recipe in half it be around 30 minutes, yeah right! The food network instructions I find are NEVER accurate. I even have a new oven and always thought it was because my oven is old, but that doesn't even matter. They must have super ovens on food network. Does anyone else ever have this problem with their instructions? I ALWAYS do.

Talk to you soon,
Fallon

Snickerdoodles 2 ways! Part 2

Hello!! It is Sunday my absolutely favorite day of the week. I must make this post quick because I'm going to go hang out by the pool for a little bit before the sun becomes way too hot. Yesterday I posted the KA snickerdoodle recipe from the KA Cookie Companion cookbook. Which if you haven't checked out, I recommend you do so! It is a great cookbook to own. If you remember from my story my boyfriend is currently in Iraq and with the extremely hot weather they are going through now sending chocolate chip cookies would be such a mess. So I've been refraining myself from sending such cookies that can melt into disaster and been sending more simpler cookies that are sturdy enough to travel and won't be messy upon arrival.

Which brings me to the chocolate snickerdoodle cookie. I found this off of Anna's blog called Cookie Madness when I was searching for cookies I could ship. I figured this be wonderful because it is a chocolate cookie but without the melty mess of chocolate chips. The original recipe comes from Yankee Magazine which you can find by clicking here. When making the cookie I went off of the version Anna posted on her site. In the process of making these cookies I remember them being very dry. I'm thinking I might of packed my flour in a little too much and same for the cocoa powder. I was able to scoop them and roll them into balls, but they were crumbly in the process of doing so. The cookies were delicious straight from the oven. They were warm, chewy softness, great chocolate flavor that wasn't overpowering, and the sugar/cinnamon coating on the outside was just the right touch. Also now that I'm reading the recipe over again, I think I forgot to add the cream of tarter, but I really can't remember since I made these last month! CLICK HERE for the recipe I used from Cookie Madness. 

See they even look dry in the picture, but they did taste very good. If you decide to make these cookies please let me know how they turn out for you!

So when my boyfriend got them he went for them first and he said they were hard as a rock. I was so sad and disappointed. Yeah they were a great cookie to ship because they were hard as rocks!!! I said they would make a good weapon out there and he laughed. I tried. This was the first batch of cookies that were too hard for him to eat. Next time I'm definitely going to put a piece of bread in the bag and see if that works.

So at the recent baby shower I went too I had to take pictures of the cake because it was so cute and huge!! It was made by a good friend of hers sister. She works at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino as a pastry chef, and guess how she started.. WASHING DISHES! I was so amazed and intrigued because I regret not going to culinary school or just taking culinary classes in general. She never did the culinary school, and now she is making cakes for a really nice hotel and casino. So I think I may start washing dishes ;) Check out this cake.


Look at the size of it!! She had so many leftovers that we joked she should freeze it and when the baby comes we will have cake again. Kind of like when couples freeze the top of their wedding cake and a year later try it on their 1 year anniversary! The cake was covered in butter cream frosting. I couldn't believe how much frosting there was, many people just threw it out because it was so rich and buttery! It wasn't overly sweet either. The filling inside the cake though... delicious. She used a yellow cake that wasn't very buttery, it was light and flaky. The filling consisted of fresh whip cream, raspberries, strawberries, and a raspberry jam. It was truly delicious. My best friend and I shared a piece because they were cutting big pieces. She told me she wasn't a fan of fruit in her cake. Well she went to town on the cake! I took a picture after the cake slowly disappeared. hehe
 

I think more filling would of been nice, 
to suit the amount of cake there was.

Then there was one more cake. We didn't eat it because we didn't think it would taste very good, but it was very cute, so why ruin it??

It was a diaper cake!!! How creative is that?

Well guys it is Sunday and I'm ready for the pool. Enjoy this wonderful day and till next time... Probably be a blog about my upcoming birthday. I decided I'm baking my OWN cake this year!

Always,
Fallon

Snickerdoodles 2 ways! Part 1

Let me just start off by saying I love having the new comments on my blogs. I'm glad my blog is starting to get around. In my last blog post about my In N Out Burger, I had a comment from lfmelcher. She asked if I could post the recipe of the cookies in my header. Of course!!

The cookies in my header are actually snickerdoodles. I've tried many snickerdoodle recipes and each one is always a bit different. I have a short story to share which brings me to the cookies. My boyfriend is currently in Iraq finishing up what has been started several years ago. He will be there for a full year, next April. I couldn't wait to get his address so I could start sending him baked goods and anything else he needed. Since the weather in Iraq is 120 degree PLUS as of now sending him things with chocolate in them will be a complete mess. So I spent sometime researching on what to send and gathering many recipes that did not include chocolate that could melt. I searched online on what care packages should contain, and I also searched for some cookie cookbooks! I wanted to make sure I would have enough variety when sending him packages.

That is when I found The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion: The Essential Cookie Cookbook. I read the reviews off of Amazon.com, and I saw the great price. Without hesitation I bought the cookbook and haven't regret it since! I recommend you buy this cookbook as well if you haven't already. It is a very informative book when it comes to baking! When I got my book I couldn't believe the size of it, like one of my business textbooks I had in college, but this one was way better! I immeditately started marking all the cookies I could make my boyfriend. I know some of his favorites I won't be able to send till the weather is much cooler in Iraq but I know he really likes snickerdoodles!

The King Arthur snickerdoodles were light on cinnamon flavor and had a slight crunch on the outside and chew in the middle. I would add more cinnamon to the coating next time because I expected it to be a bit stronger since it a snickerdoodle. I also used ounces for some of the ingredients to get a more exact measurement and make sure my cookies came out perfect. This recipe does call for shortening, which I'm not a huge fan of but I think it helps make the cookie light and melt in your mouth with chewiness and the slight crunch on the outside. Just make sure it is trans fat free! Plus it makes a longer shelf life for the cookie since I'm shipping it thousands of miles away. I'm going to post the recipe, but I recommend you also purchase the KA Flour Cookie Companion!  

Snickerdoodles from KA Cookie Companion  
Ingredients  

Dough:
1/2 cup (3 1/4 ounces) vegetable shortening
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups (11 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour  

Coating:
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Yield: 7 dozen cookies

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.
• To make the dough: In a medium- sized bowl, cream together the shortening, butter, sugar, vanilla, and baking powder, beating until smooth. Add the eggs, again beating until smooth, stopping to scrape the bowl once. Add the salt and flour, mixing slowly until combined.
• To make the coating: Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a shallow bowl (or in a large plastic bag).
• Using a cookie scoop or your fingers, dip out 1 level tablespoon of dough (a teaspoon cookie scoop, generously filled, works well here) and roll it into a ball. Place the ball in the bowl or bag of cinnamon sugar. When you've got five or six dough balls in the sugar, gently shake them until they're completely coated. Place them on the prepared baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Using the bottom of a glass, flatten each cookie to about 1/2 inch thick. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Bake the cookies for 8 minutes, or until they're golden brown around the edges. Remove them from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool.

I loved making these cookies because they are so simple! I packed them up in plastic wrap and in ziplock bags making sure they would stay fresh for my boyfriend. I hear putting in a piece of bread keeps them fresher, so I'm going to try this for the next package. This recipe makes a lot of cookies. You can also freeze the dough balls and bake them as you want fresh cookies!

The cinnamon adhered very lightly.
 

This is part 1 of my snickerdoodles 2 ways post. Please let me know how you like the cookie when you make it, and if you made any adjustments from the original recipe! As you can see, I also made a batch of chocolate snickerdoodles that are in the picture. I found this recipe on Cookie Madness. I will post part 2 later on. I'm house sitting this week so I must go feed the dog, go to the gym, and then I have another baby shower this afternoon. At least this time I'm not the one hosting it, I'm a guest. YAY!!!

Yay for the weekend,
Fallon

In N Out Burger.. my way!

Have you ever heard of In N Out Burger? You probably only heard of it if you live on the west coast or visited the west coast. It is a great fast food joint that has a very small and simple menu. I definitely recommend it if you ever come towards the west coast! I'm not a big fast food eater, but In N Out Burger is definitely worth it. They use all fresh ingredients, never frozen. They have their own style with something they called a spread. It basically a thousand island dressing, but it taste amazing on the burger. My boyfriend loves In N Out Burger. They have something called a double double, but he orders a 3 x 3 instead. Yes 3 hamburger patties!

They also have a "special" menu. Which includes a grilled cheese (bun, veggie and spread with melted cheese), veggie sandwich (no burger, no cheese), protein style (no bun, wrapped in lettuce), and animal style (fried onions and melted cheese). A while ago I was craving something I use to eat from In N Out. It was french fries animal style. The fried onions and melted cheese on top of onions, dipped into their spread. Delicious! So I decided to make my own spread up because that what made the fries animal style so delicious. I'm not a mayonnaise fan, so I substitute Greek yogurt for anything that calls for mayonnaise. That's when I came up with my own spread. Which now I use for a lot of things, including my own hamburgers!  

Fallon's Spread (dip)  
Ingredients:
Greek yogurt
Ketchup
Sweet relish
Salt and pepper to taste

I don't use exact measurements, I usually start with a good amount of Greek yogurt since it the base, then add a tablespoon of relish and ketchup. Then I season with a little salt and pepper. Mix it up and taste it. If it not quite like thousand island, then I add more relish and ketchup. I keep adding stuff till I like the way it tastes and the end result should taste just like thousand island dressing!

I think I need a new relish ;)
 

I used a super lean ground beef which is 96% lean beef. It was also organic and grass fed. You can grill the patties, but I love the flavor I get from them when I cook them up in extra virgin coconut oil. This stuff is amazing. It is a great moisturizer for your hands and face. So while cooking you can moisturize too. LOL. Click here to read some coconut oil health benefits. Click here for other recipes using coconut oil.

 

I had 1 pound of ground beef, but I was able to get 5 patties out of it, making each patty less then 170 calories each.

I seasoned them on the outside with salt and pepper.
  I loved the sizzle they made as they hit the hot pan.
 

 

When I flipped them they had a beautiful crust. That is why I love cooking my hamburgers in coconut oil!

As the burgers were cooking I was getting my ingredients ready. I used organic sprouted whole grain bread. I like the brand Ezekiel made by Food for Life. I gathered romaine lettuce, a roma tomato, onion, and avocado. I found some extra shredded cheese that was barely left, so I added it to my burger.

My favorite bread!
 

I piled everything on starting with the spread first. Since this stuff makes the burger taste more amazing make sure you add plenty! Then in this order I added the lettuce, onion, tomato, and avocado. Topped the burger last and I was ready to eat!

You will notice I only used 1 piece of bread. I'm not a huge bread eater and I usually eat my burgers like this when I go out, or even no bread. Since the burger was also really high and it be hard to eat, I used a fork and knife. Hey I told you this is my version of an In N Out Burger. My parents also had these for lunch today and they loved them as well!! No one will ever notice you used Greek yogurt or coconut oil. You can be healthy and eat your burger too!

See the spread? Make sure you put plenty on!!!
 

Have a great weekend! I can't wait to relax by my friend's pool this weekend.

Always,
Fallon

Greek yogurt with nectarine, blueberries and raw walnuts

I'm sorry for the lack of posts this week around. I've been so busy. I believe the last post I said I wasn't doing much cooking. Which is true. My food to me has been good but it not something to take photos of and post about! I've been on a boiled chicken breast thing lately. Eating it cold, shredded in salads, or fresh chicken salad. Then I usually pair it with my favorite new salad, Orange- Champagne Tomato Cucumber Salad. See nothing interesting!

But this morning was worth taking a picture of and posting about it. It been my new breakfast lately. It is delicious, filling, and wheat/gluten free. It is a good change from eggs and toast, toast and nut butter, or oatmeal with peanut butter and almond milk. I used plain Greek yogurt that is loaded with protein and has a tangy taste that pairs nicely with nectarines. I decided to add blueberries to the mix to make it more colorful. Plus they taste fantastic! I have never seen such big blueberries before. I topped it off with several raw walnuts to give a crunch and buttery flavor to the mix. Then for some added sweetness a drizzle of clover honey. It is truly a delicious breakfast and really easy to put together in the morning.  

Ingredients: 
1 medium sized nectarine
1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
56g or 1/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt (I used nonfat, although I prefer 2%)
15g of raw walnuts (4-6 walnuts)
Drizzle of clover honey (the bear honey)

Make sure to wash your nectarine and blueberries first. Dry them well. I cut up my nectarine into chunks and place in a bowl. Next I spoon in my Greek yogurt. I add the walnuts and blueberries. Then I drizzle the honey on top. Take a spoon and enjoy! See it is so simple. Not even 5 minutes! This also makes a nice summer-time dessert or a snack.

Look at how beautiful these babies are!
 

So sweet. I'll be sad when these aren't in season anymore!
  The Greek yogurt I used.
  Gotta love the honey bear!
  YUM! Those are some large walnuts too. 
Raw walnuts are delicious!  
 

I have a second post coming up in a little bit. I made my version of an In n Out burger. Looks nothing like it but tastes delicious and healthier. I've noticed with my photos using the natural light the photos become grainy. Maybe it because it a digital camera? Is there a way I can edit it in photo impact or adobe? I took tips from Pioneer Women which you can find by clicking here. If anyone else has any input leave me a comment!!

Good night,
Fallon

The baby shower is done!

I survived hosting my first baby shower. I'm glad it is over with though. At the end everything went together well. You won't believe what happen to me yesterday morning with the food situation though. We decided to have BJ's Restaurant cater in our food. We were having around 23 people at the shower and decided it be less "stressful" to just order in pizza, salad and pasta. The deal was good with the amount of food we were getting. I went into the restaurant 3 weeks ago to place my order and the "manager" took everything down and quoted me some prices and everything went well. He took my phone number down and told me it be ready for me at 3pm on the 18th. So Friday night (17th) I never got any phone call, shouldn't he call to remind me? It was too late to call Friday, so Saturday morning the day of the shower I called. I get the general manager on the phone. He went to check my order. Guess what? IT WASN'T THERE!! I started flipping out, I said I have a party at 3:30pm today and I have no food. He told me he would put in my order and it will be ready for me. He will take care of it. He was truely sorry about the matter and will talk to the other manager. There more but I won't go into detail. Long story short, we had food for the baby shower. Imagine if I never called and just assumed it would of been ready? I'm so glad I decided to call. In the end I don't think the BJ's quality is as good as it use to be. Their pizzas have become extremely greasy and their flavors are just blah. I really enjoyed the fettuccini alfredo with grilled chicken and their house salad. The pizza though not like it should be, and they are known for their thick crust pizza! I'm thinking it just my restaurant because in California their food is great! No pictures of the food, I just wasn't happy with the quality, but I'm glad it worked out for the party. So that was my rant. What a way to start my day! I took some pictures from the shower to share! I didn't take much because as a host I had other duties. Her aunt and mother took enough pictures though! I haven't been cooking, today was leftovers and probably for the next few days. I'm house sitting and working this week, plus keeping up with the gym. I like to stay busy!! But if I make something I will be sure to share!! Now on with the pictures!

Me, Mommy to be, and the other host! I should of wore my glasses. Our table set up. See the cupcake bites? Plus tons of butter mints! Those are the best. Nothing Bundt Cakes!

The mom requested cinnamon swirl bundt cake. Look at all that cream cheese frosting, mmm!

Here was my slice. Excuse me where is the swirl? This wasn't my favorite flavor, there wasn't enough cinnamon swirl! But the frosting was good!

Look at all those presents!!!

..and more presents! She really lucked out. She got some great gifts!

Well I'm finishing up my last load of laundry and I'm about to go veg out. I'm even lazy where I don't even want to make dinner. How bad is that? LOL I just want to say good luck to the new mommy and I can't wait to spoil Mason!! Always, Fallon

100 Cupcake Bites Later

WOW! I'm so exhausted. I'm hosting my best friend's baby shower tomorrow and all the last minute stuff just piles on up. Today we made mini cupcake bites for people to take home. I found these over at Bakerella. When I first saw them I knew I had to make these for my best friend's baby shower. They are so cute! They are really easy to make, but so time consuming. That why I made my pregnant friend help me out with them. LOL. In return I made her lunch, chicken caesar salad! We both enjoyed making those cake balls! It was also great bonding time. I don't get to see her very often because we are both busy with our own lives. She is married and now has her first son on the way, so who knows when we will ever get this one on one bonding time again!

I decided to keep it simple and just use boxed cake and packaged frosting. It was enough labor just putting the cupcake bites together. The mommy to be requested her favorite, yellow cake. YUM! I loved the buttery smell. Then we used cream cheese frosting to mold it altogether because well cream cheese is the best! We spent about 4 hours in the kitchen making the cake balls to assembling them into goodie bags for the guest to take home.We ended up with about 100 cupcake bites altogether, give or take a few we sampled. We have to make sure they are safe for others to eat. That is always my excuse. ;) Tomorrow is the baby shower and I'll be taking ton of pictures. So I'm sure I will share them with everyone soon. I'm really excited that this is my first baby shower I get to host, along with our friend Shannon. I didn't realize how much work it takes to plan everything, organize everything, and make sure we have everything we need. But it was worth it in the end!!

It is an army of cupcake bites! I love all the different 
variations we came up with. It looks so cute!
 

The goodie bags we made. Aren't they cute? 
We also added a butter mint to the bag. Those are addicting. :)

I can't really explain how well they tasted because they were fabulous. The yellow cake really is delicious. I think it is the buttery flavor and the sweetness from the chocolate that make them really a great bite of cake to eat. Of course it is impossible to only eat one! Please check out Bakerella's blog. She deserves it! Thank you for sharing your cupcake bites.

Have a great weekend,
Fallon

**EDIT: I forgot to share, M= Mason!**

FINALLY it is here!!!

What is here? Well one of the best creations ever. I first discovered PB2 on The Daily Plate forums. It is made by a company called Bell Plantation, Inc. It is a powdered peanut butter and has 85% less fat than your typical peanut butter. For more nutritional information click here. Click the pictures from the link and they will give you more information about their products. Now, will this ever replace real peanut butter for me? Of course not. I still used natural peanut butter for sandwiches, celery and just a spoon dipped in the jar. I love the fattiness of nut butters to not completely give it up, only if I had too! The powdered peanut butter is great for other things like in my protein shakes after I work out, as a lower fat frosting for brownies, and a dip for my frozen bananas. You can even make a Thai peanut sauce out of it as well. This stuff is amazing, and has many possibilities. I've been using it for over a year now and I just got my new shipment today. This time I ordered their new chocolate PB2. Haven't tried it yet, but chocolate anything makes me very happy! They are a great company. I haven't had any problems with them or with the products itself. I'd recommend it to anyone who loves peanut butter. All you do is take 2 tablespoons or 12g of the PB2 and mix it with water. Depending on what consistency you want either thick to thin, I like about 3 teaspoons of water. It is slightly thick but not super thin, just right. It my favorite snack with frozen bananas! Check out their website by clicking here. Order it. You will love it!!! Come back Friday night, I'm making those famous mini cupcake bites from Bakerella for my best friend's baby shower!! See you soon, Fallon

Italian Sprinkle Cookies

Before starting this blog, I began to start taking pictures of my own food when I became more interested in working in the kitchen. My father use to do this as well hoping one day to make his own cookbook, but times have changed and that dream for him is no longer there. I'm not sure if my dream is to make my own cookbook, but I definitely like taking photos of the food I make, and sharing it with everyone here through blogs! I especially like giving my food away to people who appreciate it. My best friend's birthday was back in March 17th, St. Patrick's Day to be exact! I decided I'd bake her one of her favorite cookies.

We have a deli in Las Vegas named Siena Deli that imports many of their products from New York and Italy. They have all those delicious Italian cookies like florentine, pignoli, knot cookies, sesame cookies, biscotti, pizzelles, fig cookies and I can just go on. The food is a whole other story. I'm glad we can have a decent Italian deli here in Las Vegas. I'm jealous of those who have access to some of the best deli's in Chicago and New York. Well my best friend loves their "sprinkle" cookies. They are a buttery cookie that are dispensed from a cookie press and then topped with rainbow sprinkles. I found this recipe from Taste of Home. It was simple and made a lot of cookies. It also used pure almond and lemon extract that the Siena Deli cookies do not have. I thought this would make a great twist on the cookie. It was also easier and had no fuss with the cookie dispenser. You can get the recipe by clicking HERE.

When dipping the cookies into the sugar mixture I had to be quick because it is very hot from the warm cookies. I burned my fingers doing this, but I had to get through it. LOL. I even tried using a spoon and then a fork, but the fingers work best. Another thing is the glaze calls for almost 4 cups of confectioner sugar and 1/2 cup of milk. I kept adding milk because the glaze didn't have the right consistency. Although the final results were fantastic. The entire cookie complimented itself with the pure lemon and almond extracts, it was slightly chewy/crunchy, and the glaze on the outside had the right amount of sweetness, making these cookies a favorite.

I had two cooling racks of the cookies like this waiting to dry. 
One is missing in the upper right corner. Hmm ;)

This was a birthday present so I had to make it fancy and put the cookies in a big, clear chinese takeout box. I got it at Michaels, but I'm sure any arts and craft store will carry them. I used wax paper to divide the layers and then topped it with a green bow. It also be neat to use a color tissue paper, but this time I decided I'd let the cookies shine because of the rainbow sprinkles!

 

All done!! She loved them and so did everyone 
else that kept stealing them from her!
 

This was the first time I gave something baked as a birthday present, but it definitely will not be my last time. People actually love it. I think it is more meaningful because you actually take the time to make something rather then buying a gift card. I think you should try it. Share the love!!!

Have a good evening,
Fallon

Orange- Champagne Tomato Cucumber Salad

Las Vegas is getting HOT!! I'm glad I'm working all week because I'm indoors. When I have to run errands and getting in and out of the car, it just gets so nauseating. Like today after work I came home, and then my mom and I went to Costco. This is a work out on its own! We picked up tons of fresh fruit like tuscan melons, watermelon, nectarines, and a pineapple. Then we found the cherub tomatoes, and knew when we arrived  home I'd make one of our newest and favorite salad. Growing up we always made tomato- cucumber salads with red onion, with fresh mozzarella, or feta cheese. We'd dress it with EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) and either red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar. Seasoned with salt, pepper, fresh basil, and/or dried marjoram. Well last week my mom came home with something new from Trader Joe's. Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar, along with artichoke hearts in a jar. Her friend told her about this salad and that we must try it.

I took a picture in case you want to pick it up for youself!
 

This salad is so light for the summer. It is easy to make and so far everyone who has had it, loves it! The flavor from the vinegar gives a slight tang from the orange but really just enhances the entire salad. The artichoke hearts are very tender and compliments the dressing. I made it earlier so the flavors can marinate just in time for dinner. Not sure what I plan to eat my salad with tonight but I usually have it with grilled chicken, wasa crackers (rye cracker) smeared with avocado, or sprouted flourless whole grain bread with melted cheese on top. I try to keep it simple and light!

Orange- Champagne Tomato Cucumber Salad By Fallon 
Ingredients:
3-4 persian cucumbers (they look like pickles)
Couple handfuls of grape tomatoes
3-4 stalks of green onion (You can use red or sweet onion)
4 Artichokes with stems
1-2 teaspoons of EVOO
1- 1 1/2 tablespoons of Orange Muscat Champagne vinegar
Salt, pepper, and dried oregano

I recommend starting with cucumbers first and trying to get as much water out of them as possible. To do this, chop them up and sprinkle some salt on them. Let them sit for at least 30 minutes (you can then chop everything else up so you are ready to mix it altogether waiting on the cucumbers). Then drain the excess water and pat dry with a paper towel in the bowel. I chop everything together in a big bowl. Then I add my EVOO and the vinegar. Season with the salt, pepper, and dried oregano. Then toss together. Taste and add if you think it needs more seasoning or vinegar or oil. I try not to add as much liquid because the cucumbers and tomatoes produce plenty. The oil is not necessary but I think it brings everything together. Some people may think it is not enough oil, and if you feel that is the case, add some more! This is a great salad to bring to those summer BBQs and plus it is on the light side if you are trying to watch your weight! I've had this salad several times this week. I already have to buy another bottle of the vinegar! The bottle also tells you how else you can use this vinegar, like adding 2 tablespoons to a fruit salad, mixing 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to 2 tablespoons of vinegar to make a sesame dressing, and even marinating your chicken or meat with it!

Enjoy!
Fallon

UFC 100!

I'm a girl who loves the UFC. I grew up watching "fake" wrestling like WCW or WWF. Now it called WWE? Yeah UFC is way better and way better then boxing, in my opinion! When it is just a cage and a ring, it's a real fight and when there is blood that is even better. Tonight my favorite fighter Georges St. Pierre is competing against Thiago Alves. We have to cheer on GSP to win!!! (I started writing this blog entry Saturday morning, I'm proud to say GSP WON! GSP WON! as of last night!)
 

 

 Just a little eye candy, but don't let my boyfriend know! =P

Well UFC is more then the fights, it's about the food lately! My best friend, Lyssa and I like to make food for the fights. We call them UFC parties. It is cheaper to order the PPV, get a big group together, and have good food! None of those $8 draft beers or nachos with fake cheese! Lately it seems every big UFC fight we make something. I guess the guys are starting to get spoiled. I say we start charging or put a tip cup out! ;) Well the menu for UFC 100 will be nice. I'm making Venetian Rolled Pizza and a caesar salad that is egg and anchovy free. My best friend is on the desserts this time. She is making original rice krispy treats, Peanut Butter Marshmallow Krispy Brownies from The Cooking Photographer, and then some pretzels with white chocolate and a M&M melted on top. The pizza recipe I had printed out a long time ago. It sounded delicious and so easy to make! I really wanted to get my pizza dough from The Great Bun's bakery, but I had no time. I ended up picking all my ingredients from Trader Joe's including the pizza dough. I use to make my own dough with my father, but we never had luck with the rise. Yeast is always a challenge, and for the event I figured it be easier to find pizza dough already made up. This recipe was very easy to make and I'd make it again. 2 things happened:

1. It allows for a 25 minute cook time. It looked done, so I let it rest for 10 minutes. I started to cut slices and the dough still didn't looked cook. So I put it back in the oven for another 5-8 minutes.
2. The recipe says it makes 18-20 servings. Well I was only able to cut 10.25 servings. We had 14 people at this party. It was first come first serve. Luckily some people didn't like spinach, kosher salt on top, or they just didn't want it. So more for the people who enjoyed it!!

I thought it was delicious. The saltiness from the prosciutto wasn't overpowering. The Trader Joe's dough wasn't bad at all! I would buy it again. Next time I make this, I'll make 2 of them so then there will be enough. I may even change it up, use fresh mozzarella, fresh basil and roma tomatoes. That be delicious!

It been forever since I used my pizza stone. 
Make sure to heat it in the oven before placing your pizza on it.

   
It looked beautiful when I sliced it. See the mozzarella, 
spinach and prosciutto perfectly rolled.
 

Click HERE for Venetian Rolled Pizza recipe.

As for the Caesar salad, real simple. I just chop up a bunch of romaine lettuce, and toss in the caesar dressing from Trader Joe's. It is in the refrigerator section of the store where the lettuces' are. This is my favorite caesar dressing because it is egg free and anchovy free. Then I finish it with fresh Parmesan cheese. My caesar salad had several compliments. It is probably the most simplest thing I make because the dressing is already made, plus romaine and parmigiana. Easy, delicious and simple. It went perfect with the pizza rolls.

 
Here is the bottle of dressing, in case you want to pick it up!
 

 
Fresh and Delicious.
 

NEXT!! Dessert. We had original rice krispy treats with either blue or pink sprinkles. My best friend is pregnant with a boy and her friend is pregnant with a girl! I forgot to take a picture of them, but you all know what rice krispy treats look like! My best friend kept talking about these round pretzels. She had to order them special online because she can't find them in stores. She filled them with either white or milk chocolate. She was suppose to top each one with an M&M, but she forgot to pick them up. Either way they were a great snack!

I liked the white ones best!

The best for last, The Peanut Butter Marshmallow Rice Krispy Brownies. These were DELICIOUS! They were creamy, gooey, crunchy, and melted in your mouth. I love the marshmallow layer. Actually, I loved it all that I had to eat two! I think the next time these are made, I would use nutella in place of peanut butter. I love nutella! Click HERE for Peanut Butter Marshmallow Rice Krispy Brownies recipe. 

 
The chocolate started melting when she tried to cut them, 
so the layers aren't as clean but still tastes delicious! Look at all the 
marshmallow on the corner! Yes, this was mine!
 

 
Look at that marshmallow!
 

Wow this was a long post, but well worth it. I wanted to make sure I touch on everything we made for the party! August 8th is the next one, but I'll be in California on vacation. :(

Have a great Sunday,
Fallon