Virgil’s BBQ: Smoky Goodness

Last night a group of us headed into the city to have dinner at Virgil’s BBQ in Times Square. Feeling super touristy, we got the ultimate hit of that when we bought our round-trip NJ Transit tickets. For both my fiancé and I to travel from our train stop in Edison to New York Penn Station, we each paid $24.50. Yes, you read that correctly. Almost 50% more than we paid before the price increase (it was only about $17.50 before!). Needless to say, our trips to the city will be a little less frequent, and probably by car for the foreseeable future.

Despite that little road bump, we definitely enjoyed our dinner. We started off with some hush puppies for the table which were AMAZING. I typically see hush puppies in a ball-like form, but these looked more like mozzarella sticks. They were served with a maple-syrup butter, and I had to use serious restraint not to eat the entire plate. Unfortunately, they were super filling, leaving me little room for my actual meal. As for drinks, they have a lot to offer in terms of beer, wine, margaritas, and mixed drinks. My fiance and I went for their beer flight of Magic Hat (Circus Boy, #9, and Virgil’s), while others got the “June Bug” mixed drink, lemonade, and root beer.

As always, I spent some time prior to our trip familiarizing myself with their menu. It’s weird, I know, but I like to think by previewing the menu beforehand, my decision making is made easier once at the actual restaurant. I decided on the Fish Fry, which was actually their special for the day; it had calamari, scallops, shrimp, monk fish and cod served with homemade waffle chips, cornbread, and two types of creamy tartar sauce. It was really good, but I barely made a dent in it! My fiance went with the two meat combo of Memphis spare ribs and Texas brisket and two sides of macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes. Some of our other table mates had the barbeque chicken, smoked ham, fried chicken po’boy, and the “pig out” which came with a little bit of everything – bbq chicken, Texas link, ribs, brisket, and two sides!

fishfry — Fish fry with homemade waffle chips

I don’t think there was much conversation during, or even after our meal – everyone loved everything, and they were STUFFED! We had little room or motivation for anything afterwards, so we wound up heading back home, feeling old and lame.

twomeat — Two meat combo of ribs & brisket w. mac&cheese and mashed potatoes

I have to be honest that I was a bit worried prior to the trip. Everyone aside from me had been there before, but I had an inkling that based on it’s location (46th St. right across from the giant Toys R Us in Times Square) that it was going to be gimmicky, and really over priced. Turns out that I was almost completely wrong. Yes, it was somewhat expensive, but we got A TON of food, and it definitely wasn’t gimmicky like I expected. So, I would absolutely go back. But this time, I’d get something that was in one of their 1400lb capacity smoker!

Yet Another Quickie: Hormel Chili

In our constant effort to save time and money, my fiancé and I have come up with a few weekly staples that we like to rotate. Aside from the tortellinis and the always delicious burrito [which we had Monday, shh], we also have some Hormel chili on hand. Now, I’m not talking just your regular can of beans and/or meat, I’m talking gourmet style (well, for a can that is).

Hormel’s “Chili Master” line of chili comes in four variations; chipotle chicken, roasted tomato, white chicken, or three bean. Often times they’re on sale at the store, 3 for $5 or something of that nature. So, when they are, we stock up. I’ve had three of the four (no white chicken yet), and they are all really good. Clearly good enough that we keep buying them!

There’s a lot of great things about chili. It can be eaten alone, or on top of a starch; a potato, rice, pasta, or in tonight’s case, whole wheat couscous. I know, I know, it sounds totally weird. But it works! Typically we have the chili with just some long grain rice. Tonight, however, after I got back from my run and was waiting for the man to return from playing soccer, I decided to make it with couscous. Now, this isn’t any type of couscous – it’s whole wheat and from one of my favorite stores, Trader Joe’s! It takes about 8 minutes to make, from boiling a cup of water with butter to then letting it sit for 5 minutes.

Pairing the lightly spiced chili with it’s chunky pieces of black beans, corn and tomato on top of seriously fluffy and buttery couscous was a really great combination. Considering I’m not a huge rice fan, this was a really nice change of pace. My fiancé even made note that it wasn’t anything like he’d ever had before, but in a good way. I never seem to make couscous to serve with “normal” things. I’m a big fan of mixing chunky salsa into it, too.

I like to think I eat decently (most of the time) and I think the chili covers a lot of my dietary needs (served with a salad, of course)! Plus a little bit goes a long way. So whether you’re having it alone or as a topper to a starch, you’ll definitely be full quickly, and it isn’t that type of full that wears off in an hour – it sticks around.

I can’t recommend this enough for a quick and easy meal. Whether you’re in a hurry or just don’t feel like actually making anything, Hormel Chili is a super quick and easy way to enjoy something that would typically take hours. This way, you can let Hormel do all the work for you! It’s nice to take a night (or in my case, week) off from slaving in the kitchen every once in awhile.

There’s a first time for everything – Giant cupcakes and Korean BBQ!

This particular post is two-fold. Both topics, however, surround the celebration of the birth of my wonderful fiancé who’s birthday was this past Thursday. 🙂

On Wednesday, I headed over to my parents house to make a GIANT cupcake as his birthday cake. I had seen commercials and magazine ads for the cupcake tin, but was afraid to ever get one. I finally caved and bought one, along with a real pastry bag and some food dye. Since it was a Wilton pan, I had high hopes. Baking the cake itself was easy – I used double chocolate fudge on the bottom, and French vanilla on the top. I don’t think I waited long enough for the bottom to cool, though, before slathering it with coconut-pecan frosting. From there, I added the top, and with the help of my wonderful sister, frosted it with vanilla frosting that we had dyed a light blue. We finished it off with some green/teal dots, and white sprinkles.

Luckily, I thought to take some pictures before packing up the cupcake to bring it home. Now, I only live about 20 minutes away from my parents. But in that time, despite the amazing packing job my mom did, the cake wound up like the leaning tower of Pisa. Of course my fiancé was extremely supportive and said he loved the cake as it was. I was able to save some face because it tasted delicious! I definitely think next time will be more successful, and I’ll make sure to bake it where I plan on keeping it!

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Then on Thursday, the fiancé’s family came up from South Jersey, and we went out to dinner. One of our co-workers has been raving about Korean BBQ for quite some time. So, we decided we’d give it a shot – we’re always up to try something new! Once his family arrived, though, his mom was less than excited to try it, so we figured we’d just get Hibachi instead. The first restaurant we went to cooked it in the back, so we decided against that. The second restaurant we went to said they had just seated a large party, so hibachi was out, but we could have sushi with a 45 minute wait. After wasting about an hour, we settled on our original pick, Korean BBQ.

At that point we were all ravenous and it was getting late. So we headed over to Woo-Jeon on Route 1 in Edison since it was literally 5 blocks away from our apartment. We walked in, and were immediately seated which was awesome. Each table had a little circle in the middle with a grate on top. Once we were seated, the grate was removed and replaced with a cook-top, and the flame was turned on.

From there, we were like little lost dogs. The menu was extensive, but didn’t give much description. We had all decided we’d get the BBQ, so we just needed to decide what type of meat we wanted. Despite having watched the Earthlings trailer earlier, I went with Bulgogi, which is marinated tender beef. We actually all wound up getting that. We felt silly ordering the same thing, but we figured we’d know for next time to get a little more experimental.

Once we ordered, they almost immediately started bringing out side dishes. Honestly, I knew about four of them. There was kimchi, lettuce, seafood cakes, bean sprouts, a delicious potato salad w. apples, and rice. That’s really where my knowledge ends. I’d love to know everything that I ate, because it was so incredibly delicious. There wasn’t one thing I tried that I didn’t like. They even brought out an egg soufflé on the house!

I really loved the whole cook yourself concept. That way, you’re able to control the pace, portion, etc. The only room for error is not cooking your food enough. But it would be no different from cooking in your very own kitchen. Plus, all of the side dishes can be eaten as they are, so you really just need to focus on whatever type of meat you choose (beef, chicken, pork, shrimp, cows tongue (!!), etc.)

When the meal ended, we were all stuffed, and collectively decided it was a great experience, and something we’d all want to do again soon. I’ll definitely be a bit more adventurous in my main course selection next time. It’d be great to go with someone that really knows their stuff, too. That way, we can try new and different things – everything everyone had around us looked equally fantastic.

Unfortunately I failed you all once again, and didn’t think to take any pictures. I had contemplated saving this post until after I visited a Korean BBQ again, but I just couldn’t wait to tell you all how great it was. So I suppose the only way for you to see the deliciousness is to experience it for yourselves!

I’d recommend taking a look at Yelp.com to find some local Korean BBQ’s and read the reviews. If it’s good, believe me there will be A TON.

A Failed Attempt at Cupcake Camp NYC Still Ended Sweetly

This past Friday was the second annual Cupcake Camp NYC. You may find yourself asking, “What is this camping cupcake nonsense?” Well, yes, there are cupcakes, but no, there isn’t any camping. It’s basically an ad-hoc gathering for cupcake lovers alike. From bakers to writers and bloggers, and everyone in between, it’s an event to get together and mingle with other cupcake nerds. And Cupcake Camp happens all over the WORLD!

Having heard about the event awhile ago, I was pumped and ready to go. When the tickets were finally made available in March, I made sure to get myself and my fiancé a pair. Since they were free, I was more than ecstatic at the mere thought getting to see (let alone eat) some awesome cupcakes, and potentially brush shoulders with some seriously important cupcake people. You know, like my favorite blog Cupcakes Take the Cake. Or the owner of Buttercup Bake Shop! So once the day rolled around, my fiancé and I made sure to leave work 45 minutes early to get into the city as soon as possible.

Cupcake Camp was held at Happy Ending on Broome Street on the lower east side. When we were approaching our destination, my heart sunk. The event started at 7pm, and it was only about 7:10. The line was not only out the door, but down the street, and around the corner. I mean, I knew it was going to be crowded – everyone loves cupcakes. I couldn’t help but think to myself; “I got my tickets a month early! I love cupcakes way more than these people! I’m even wearing my cupcake necklace! My fiancé and I have mushy gushy cupcake love! THIS ISN’T FAIR!”

After whining in my head till the end of the line, we got in line, and waited. We waited and waited, and we didn’t actually get in until just a bit after 8pm. On the way in, we heard a few people echoing “There aren’t any cupcakes left!” while they walked out with boxes of leftover goodies. I sincerely hoped they were lying, but my hopes were dashed once I finally got inside. Any cupcakes that were left were already spoken for by others. There were a few authors selling their cupcake books, and everyone was just mingling and enjoying one another’s company. The bar was so packed, it was nearly impossible to move. After making our rounds, my fiancé and I left, a little disappointed, and very hungry.

I am utterly shocked at how many people were there! It was truly impressive. I mean, I know cupcakes are the “it” trend right now, but man! I suppose the word “free” might have played it’s part as well. I’m definitely going to make an attempt at next year’s gathering. But I think some camping might be involved this time. Forget about leaving work 45 minutes early – I’m going to need to take the whole day!

After that fail, we decided to head over to Dos Toros Taqueria, a place I had read about on SeriousEats. They compared it a lot to Chipotle, so as a burrito fanatic, I was in. When we got there, though, we faced our second fail of the evening. It’s an extremely small place – only one window bench with about 4 seats. And, the line was out the door. Since it was a bit chilly and windy, we decided to save that deliciousness for a day we could really enjoy it. We settled on the Thai restaurant Spice. We passed one of their other locations en route to Dos Toros and had already perused the menu, so we figured that would suffice. I really think Friday was the night of the foodies. We walked past Momofuku‘s Milk Bar and that line was even more outrageous! [I still need to get in on that chicken dinner!]

When we got to Spice, we were told we’d have about a 20 minute wait, which isn’t so bad for 9pm on a Friday in the city. Thankfully, we only wound up waiting about 10 minutes, and we were brought upstairs to our table. We decided to get an order of the spicy calamari to share. It wasn’t spicy so much as it had a nice crisp black pepper taste. The dipping sauce was sweet, tangy, and peanuty with a little kick all at the same time. I really enjoyed it.

spicecalamari — Spicy Crispy Calamari with Sriracha honey chili sauce

For our entrees, I went with the Drunken Man Noodles, and my fiancé went for his go-to Pad Thai. The Drunken Man Noodles were broad rice noodles (my favorite!) with chicken, shrimp and squid along with chili, egg, and green beans.

Our food came quickly, and it was actually really good. Being the spicy lovers that we are, we asked for extra spice. Surprisingly, despite the restaurant’s name, the food wasn’t spicy. That would be my only gripe about the place. The service was friendly, but they didn’t check-up on us once. It worked out since everything was fine, but if it hadn’t been, I wonder if we would have had trouble flagging someone down. At any rate, for a $30 dinner in the city, I really can’t complain.

To end our night on an even higher note, we headed over to 16 Handles. My fiancé and I actually went here on our fourth date, after dining at the Telephone Bar which is sadly now closed. 16 Handles really is as great as it sounds. There are 16 different flavors of frozen yogurt that you get to choose from yourself, followed by a plethora of toppings. It’s all done buffet style, so you get to pick your cup size, yogurt and topping choices, and then pay by weight. They have everything from sweet to tart flavors, non-dairy and low fat options, and both fruity and candy-like toppings. Being the sweets junkie that I am, I went for red velvet, cookies & cream, New York cheesecake and peanut butter yogurt (just a dollop of each!). I then topped it off with some cookie dough bites, brownie bites, crushed graham crackers, crushed Oreo, and mashed Reese’s peanut butter cups. Oh. Yes. Take a look at the masterpiece!:

So all in all, despite not getting a cupcake, I think I had a successful foodie evening. And I made up for the lack of cupcakes by getting a Crumbs cappuccino and half baked cupcake Saturday. Plus, I’m on Sunday I was able to whip up some peanut butter cupcakes from my 500 Cupcakes recipe book! Maybe next year I’ll be adventurous and bake my OWN cupcakes for the event! We’ll see 🙂

Rita’s Tour – The 2010 Edition

This past Saturday was the first day of Spring. So, as they do every year, Rita’s gave out free 10oz servings of their famed ice all day. Being a bunch of gluttonous children, my fiancé (you can read his tour round-up here) and a group of friends and I decided upon the ultimate task – 10 Rita’s in one day, a new flavor at each location.

Last year, the group made it to about five locations in only a few hours (it was a Friday so needed to be done after work). Knowing that this year it fell on a Saturday with a gorgeous forecast, we got cocky. About a week prior to the event, a few different e-mails were exchanged with maps of potential stops. It included a trip to Stuff Yer Face in New Brunswick for ‘bolis, and a detour to look at a potential wedding venue. We also stumbled upon a Cupcake joint, Sugar Mommy’s Cupcakes, that I’ll detail in a separate blog entry.

After starting our trip at about 12:30pm and devouring our ices at about 1, we then spent the next 8 hours driving to various Rita’s Ice locations in New Jersey. We made stops in Bridgewater, Somerville, Flanders, Denville, Berkeley Heights, Westfield, Plainfield, and finally Edison. We searched for a Rita’s in Morristown that no longer exists, and ran out of time before heading to Milltown. But at any rate, I sampled eight different ice flavors, preparing me for the season ahead. They included Alex’s Lemonade, Green Apple, Florida Orange, Sugar Free Cherry, Wild Black Cherry, Coconut, Pistachio, and their newest edition – Peeps. Oh yes, you read correctly – Peeps flavored ice! As in the little bird shaped marshmallows that are covered in sugar, usually found in Easter baskets. It tasted nothing like Peeps, but more like birthday cake, which I was more than okay with. It’s neon yellow color was another selling point.

I really liked all of the flavors. But, I think Alex’s Lemonade and the Coconut were my favorites. I think the only ice I wouldn’t order again would have been the Wild Black Cherry. That was definitely sub-par, and had more of a grape flavor than anything else. The Peeps was also super-sweet, so that would have to be consumed sparingly.

By about stop 5, we were all looking for food. The mere thought of devouring ‘bolis at Stuff Yer Face is what I think kept us going. So, we decided to head there after our 7th stop. When we finally got to the restaurant, we made no qualms about our purpose. We didn’t get drink wristbands, and ordered water and an appetizer almost as soon as we sat. After surviving on water ice for almost 7 hours, we needed solid food, quickly. We all dug in to our hot wings and onion rings as soon as they were brought out, and anxiously awaited the arrival of our stromboli. The restaurant has a lot to offer; there are pre-suggested combinations, and also a “create your own.” My fiancé always orders the same create your own, and after trying it, follow suit. It has mozzarella cheese, chicken, buffalo sauce, onions, and broccoli. It is absolutely amazing.

After realizing the time, we knew we’d only have time for one more Rita’s, since they close at 9pm. We headed to the one nearest to where we live, and waited in one last line. By the time we got our ice it was 9:15, and the line showed no chance of stopping.

I woke up today feeling great. Sure, I might have been a little sugar hungover, but I managed to run 7.5 miles (longest single run logged yet!) and I could absolutely eat another Rita’s Ice right now, preferably a Gelati. I’m so excited that ice and ice cream season is finally here. I’m looking forward to more outdoors frozen treat devouring, and saying goodbye to eating it while hiding under a blanket indoors.

All in all, our group (4 people) went to 8 locations, and sampled 20 flavors. Pretty impressive, if I do say so myself! I hope Rita’s is ready for next year, because we’ll be back – bigger and badder than ever!

Christmas Gift Review 3: Mr. Beer

I had almost forgotten about my last Christmas gift review, because it took about a month for my fiancé and I to prepare it. Technically this was a gift for him from me, but I assisted him and am reaping the benefits by getting to drink the beer!

This particular gift was something I knew he’d love. As a guy, he of course enjoys a good beer. A bunch of our friends brew their own beer, and he mentioned a few times how he’d like to try it, but was afraid of how involved it might be.

So, I set out to find him a reasonably priced and first timer friendly kit. I wound up getting him the Mr. Beer Deluxe Kit, which included two batches, and everything you would need to brew them.

Cleaning the equipment and actually making the mixture to pour in the jug was pretty easy. We decided to go with their American Lager first. It took us only about an hour to prepare and put the soon to be beer in it’s jug. The hardest part came next; waiting.

In terms of waiting, the kit recommends 2 weeks. A few friends suggested a lot longer, more like 4. So despite being anxious, we took their advice.

Once those two weeks were up, we had to bottle the brew and add sugar, then wait another 2 weeks. We did, and then per the recommendation of the kit’s fine print, we refrigerated it for a week as well.

When we finally got to crack one open, it had more if a cider rather than beer taste. However, the great thing about brewing your own beer is that the flavor is ever changing. So the next time we had some, it definitely tasted more like beer, and was pretty good for our first attempt!

It was definitely a lot easier than we both thought. Granted, this kit was pretty straight forward; open, mix, pour, repeat. Mr. Beer does sell everything separately, so you can defintely be as involved as you’d like. There are also tons of other sites that offer kits, that seem pretty promising.

We have one more mix from this particular kit, and after we make that, I think we’re going to branch out and try some different brands. The Brooklyn Brew Shop has some interesting flavors available, so I think that might be our next adventure.

If you’ve ever even had a thought about brewing your own beer, go for it! You just need about an hour or two to prepare it, and then have enough patience to wait for it to ferment and be drinkable. The Mr. Beer site offers a few different kit options, depending on how involved and how many brews you want to make.

Disney World… Food, Fun and MORE!

I just got home yesterday from an amazing trip to Disney World.

Aside from the delicious food I was devouring every step of the way, some pretty awesome things happened! I suppose, however, I should start from the beginning.

When my boyfriend and I began planning our trip, we were a bit wary about the dining plan option Disney now offers to it’s guests staying on Disney property. We had the option to select either “Quick Service” which would include two quick service meals (places that serve your typical chicken fingers and fries) and two snacks a day, OR a regular dining plan that would account for two sit-down meals a day and two snacks. After much debate, we went with the quick service option.

Let me tell you, they do not skimp on food! We couldn’t even use all of our meals and snacks. You’d be surprised how far two snacks and two meals a day will get you! Snacks included novelties such as popcorn, ice creams, specialty drinks, etc. while the meals were anything from a smoked turkey leg to sushi in Japan (Epcot) and hamburgers. I didn’t feel limited in my choices at all. At some points I actually felt a bit overwhelmed at all of the options.

There were a few stand-outs from our quick service experience. They included the hand-twisted pretzels we got in Germany over at Epcot; they were buttery and somehow managed to be both sweet and salty, a delicious combination. We paired it with a Spaten beer in a souvenir mug – yum! Also, at breakfast we each had some mini Mickey Mouse shaped waffles. Not only did they look pretty darn close to Mickey himself, they were delicious! They had a nice hint of vanilla and were super soft on the inside with a nice crunch on the outside. I didn’t need any syrup to sweeten them.

While we were visiting Downtown Disney to meet up with some friends and get some souvenir shopping done, we stumbled upon Goofy’s Candy Shop that had cupcakes! My boyfriend and I immediately ran to the counter and ordered a bright pink and bright blue cupcake that we were able to use as a snack swipe. It was REALLY good! The amount of frosting, though, was way too much. I wound up tossing a good portion of mine, while my boyfriend finished his and had a blue mouth for the rest of the night. I would eat that cupcake again and again, though.

Also while we were in Downtown Disney, we picked up a few foodie gifts for ourselves. We got a wine stopper that is shaped like Mickey, a pack of Minnie’s cupcake mix, and a celebrations 2010 shot glass.

We also decided to do two sit-down dinners that we paid for separately; one was dinner in Mexico at Epcot. I knew this was a must-do, since I’ve eaten there every time I’ve been to Disney, and both my boyfriend and I are serious lovers of all Mexican food. It was absolutely delicious! My dish came with a sizable and perfectly seasoned steak, a bean and cheese stuffed chile relleno, and rice. My boyfriend went for the rib-eye tacos which were also delicious. We washed our meals down with margaritas; passion fruit and jalepeno! This is one of those instances where the food really speaks for itself. Even the tortilla chips and salsa were super fresh and were really good. I think having authentic waiters and staff (or should I say cast members) really adds to the whole experience. While we were there we also picked up some hot snake bite salsa. I’ll have to let you know how spicy that turns out to be!

We also had dinner in Cinderella’s Castle, at her Royal Table. Now, this wasn’t something we had planned on originally. A week or so before our trip, my boyfriend let me know he had made a phone call and had us squeezed in for an early dinner. Unbeknown to me, however, he had much grander plans. At dinner, we had our picture taken with Cinderella, and I received a wand with a star while he got a sword. For our meal, we were able to choose an appetizer, entree, and dessert. I went with a simple mesclun salad with walnuts, Gorgonzola cheese, and a raspberry vinaigrette, while my boyfriend had gnocci and chicken soup. They were both phenomenal. From there, my boyfriend ordered the chipotle glazed pork chops with mashed potatoes and asparagus while I opted for the honey glazed salmon and wild rice. Both of our dishes were delicious, however they were barely room temperature. I was a bit disappointed about that, but also completely satisfied. From there, it was dessert time. Typically, you are presented with three options (sorbet, chocolate cake, or creme brulee). I however, was brought a covered plate, which when opened, housed an engraved glass slipper on a bed of rose petals. When the cover came off, my boyfriend reached in his pocket, pulled out a cupcake shaped charm box, and inside pulled out a ring and asked me to marry him! Of course I said yes, and we then celebrated with champagne and custom made cupcakes!!

Needless to say it overall was the best trip of my life. The food was phenomenal, I had a ton of fun (despite all the rain and wind), and I’m engaged! I couldn’t have asked for a better trip!

I’m looking forward to making those Minnie cupcakes and trying the Mexican Salsa. I’m also planning to make some chipotle and chocolate cupcakes for Valentine’s Day, so stay tuned for those as well!

Christmas Gift Review 2: Hungry Girl’s 200 Under 200 Cookbook

As promised, I’ve picked my next foodie Christmas gift to review. This one is definitely a favorite, simply because it’s absolutely delicious!

I don’t remember how or when I came across Hungry Girl, but my meal options have increased tenfold since! There are so many great recipes and just general tips on the site, that when I found out there were cookbooks too, I just had to have them.

Before getting the book, I had tried out recipes such a “Buff Chick Dip,” “Chicken with a Kick Pack,” and “Wrappers Delight” to name a few. Each of them were not only delicious and healthy, but super easy to make!

Written by the Hungry Girl herself, Lisa Lillien, this particular cook book boasts 200 recipes, each under 200 calories! Now, I haven’t followed each recipe exactly just based on what I’ve had available, but no matter what they’ve come out delicious! There really is something for everyone in the book; pastas, wraps, burgers, dips, desserts… the list just goes on and on.

So far from this book, I’ve made the EZ Tomato-Basil Chicken, Smothered Pig in a Blanket, and BLT Quesadilla. I’m sure you’re thinking there is no way the recipes are under 200 calories… But they are!

The chicken recipe was super simple, but a poor choice in chicken left the dish only passable. It was quick and served with just some spaghetti was a great post-gym refuel. However, I’m more than willing to try the dish again, hopefully this time with better chicken.

A few days later I ventured back to the book, this time to try the BLT Quesadilla. Now, I’m a HUGE fan of all types of Spanish/Mexican food. I was a little unsure about mixing the staples of my favorite type of food with bacon. However, if I’ve learned anything from Wife Swap, it’s that “bacon is good for me.” Let me tell you; I was wrong about this combo. It’s delicious!! The great part about the recipe is you can easily use regular bacon, turkey bacon, or veggie bacon depending on your preferences. This is really one of those recipes that you pat yourself on the back for not changing a single thing about it. I’ll absolutely make this again and again!

I had saved the most unbelievable (in my eyes) 200 under 200 dinner dish for last. Now, I hadn’t had my first chili dog until only a few months ago. My boyfriend actually looked horrified when I first told him that blasphemy. I was always really afraid of just how bad they were for you. So, when I saw that there was a take on them in this book, I was ecstatic! Similar to the quesadillas, you really have the ability to customize the dish based on your preferences; veggie hot dogs, turkey dogs, beef dogs, vegetarian chili, regular chili, etc. I settled on some Oscar Meyer turkey dogs, because they were only 40 calories with zero fat, and pretty low sodium. I saw Hormel’s spicy bean chili, so I immediately grabbed that too. I then followed the rest of the recipe exactly. Even my boyfriend, a seasoned chili dog eater was really impressed. They were definitely knife and forkers, but worth the effort! We each had two and a salad, and were good to go for just a little over 400 calories!

I can’t stress enough the sheer deliciousness of this book. I really want to make everything in it. I think my next stop will be cupcakes in ice cream cones. If that doesn’t bring you back to your elementary school birthdays, I don’t know what will!

So check out the three recipes below, and also follow the links above to Hungry Girl’s site, and the other recipe’s I’ve made from there. I don’t care if you’re a girl or a boy; I know you’re hungry! Happy nomzing!

EZ Tomato Basil Chicken

Ingredients:
1 LB raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast
1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes with basil
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onions

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Spray pan with nonstick spray, and heat on high. Add onions & cook till they brown (approx. 3 minutes)
3. Pour 1/2 tomatoes into medium baking pan. Lay chicken in the pan and top with onions.
4. Pour the rest of the tomatoes over the onions and chicken
5. Bake in oven for 30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through
Serves: 4

Smothered Pigs in a Blanket

Ingredients:
1 fat free hot dog
1 serving of Pillsbury reduced fat crecent rolls (refrigerated dough)
1/2 slice of fat free cheddar cheese (cut on a diagonal)
1/4 cup of low-fat veggie chili

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Roll out triangle dough, stretching a little
3. Lay cheese on triangle at the base
4. Place hot dog at base of dough and roll up
5. Place blanketed pup in baking pan, sprayed lightly
6. Bake in oven for 12-14 minutes (till dough is slightly brown and crispy)
7. Meanwhile, heat chili in microwave.
8. Once piggie is cooked, plate and top with chili
Serves: 1

BLT Quesadilla

Ingredients:
1 large low carb tortilla
2 tbsp fat free shredded cheese
2 slices extra lean turkey bacon
1/2 plum tomato, diced
1/2 cup shredded lettuce

Directions:
1. Cook bacon according to package, set aside to cool
2. Spray pan and bring to medium heat. Lay torilla flat on the pan, and top evenly with cheese
3. Once cheese begins to melt, cover 1/2 the torilla with bacon and tomato
4. Using a spatula, carefully fold the cheese-only side to the other half, press down to seal, and cook 1 minute.
5. Flip, and continue to cook 1 minute until both sides are toasty
Serves: 1

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Typically, I leave the music and movie reviews to my boyfriend, over atI Hate Fun. However, since this particular movie is about food, I really couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

I remember falling in love with the book, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett in elementary school. I mean, how could I not? There were mountains of fluffy mashed potatoes, and it rained meatballs! That’s the kind of place I’d like to live.

Though I love the book, I haven’t read it in quite some time. I was a little nervous about the movie; would it be an on-screen replica of the book? Would it be completely different? I wasn’t sure which of the two I actually wanted. Luckily, Phil Lord went in the right direction and chose a little of column A, and a little of column B.

The movie had an all star voice cast with the likes of Anna Faris, Bill Hader, Andy Samberg, Mr. T, Neil Patrick Harris, and the list goes on! I always enjoy watching animated movies and recognizing voices; I think it adds something to the movie and makes it more entertaining.

I was laughing from the beginning, all the way to the end. I’m a comic junkie, so if you’re going to convince me you’re funny, you’ve got to start early. There really weren’t any lulls or low points in the movie; it moved the whole time, and like I said, kept me laughing.

Lord decided to go the route of an unsuccessful scientist, trying to get his big break. Through what turns out to be an accident, Flint Lockwood is able to save his town that is failing on it’s once prosperous sardine industry. It’s a real underdog tale, and as the perpetual underdog cheerleader, I really enjoyed this.

The colors were truly eye catching. The food looked delicious, even when Flint’s machine began to overload and everything became super-sized. I was mesmerized the entire time.

It’s a lot like Ratatouille, which is another one of my favorite animated (and food!) movies. It’s cute and all things an animated movie should be, but it’s also really funny; funny in a way that only an adult would get.

I would definitely recommend renting this if you haven’t seen it yet. It’s light hearted and a good laugh, and it might even transport you back to your childhood; at least for a bit.

A Foodie Christmas

This Christmas couldn’t have made it any more apparent how incredibly obsessed both my boyfriend and I are with food. This is a fact that I am more than okay with. I actually think there are some realms that our obsession is lacking, and I plan to make up for that in the coming year.

At any rate, the abundance of food related gifts were abundant this Christmas. I purchased a first-timer beer making kit for my boyfriend, from Mr. Beer. I’ve been told it’s an average beer making kit, and some of the more seasoned beer makers laughed at my purchase. Not knowing much (read: anything) about brewing beer, I thought it would be a good starter kit. For under $100 my boyfriend is going to get to brew two batches of beer!

As for me, my boyfriend got me two cookbooks. I’ve been pining over both, and apparently made comments about them every time I saw one. The first is a cupcake cookbook, 500 Cupcakes by Fergal Connolly. It boasts to be “the only cupcake compendium you’ll ever need.” I can’t disagree with that statement; not only does it have 500 recipes, it has a plethora of variations for each as well. I also received Hungry Girl’s 200 Under 200 book. This book details 200 recipes each under 200 calories! And let me tell you, there are some seriously impressive recipes in there; cupcakes, pizza, chips and dips, breakfast, desserts, shakes and smoothies… the list just goes on. I’m really looking forward to making them, since I’ve found a few of their recipes on the website and have been more than pleased with their outcome.

For both my boyfriend and I, we received quite a few appliances. One would think we were on a wedding registry! Together, we’ve stockpiled a giant George Foreman grill, a waffle maker, a four slice toaster, and a nice toaster/convection oven. We have so many appliances on our counter that we’re running out of space. While trying to make breakfast yesterday and running the toaster and microwave at the same time, I managed to short the circuit… whoops.

Not directly related to food making or consumption, but I also received a beautiful cupcake necklace on Christmas. When I unwrapped it, I thought it was a cupcake shaped keepsake box. Being inquisitive I opened it, to find a beautiful gold and diamond cupcake on an extremely thin gold chain. Nothing says “I love food” more than wearing a piece of food around your neck. Or, of course, simply writing it across your forehead.

Needless to say I’m starting to see great things in terms of food for 2010. This year really allowed me to delve into my foodie passion, and I hope to explore it more in 2010. Maybe I can even get a group together for more consistent foodie excursions!

I’ll be making Guinness with Bailey’s icing cupcakes for the New Year’s Eve bash I’ll be attending tomorrow, so look for a post in the near future about how they turned out!