Canadian nationalism isn't as insidious as American nationalism, though.

As we all know, I enjoy a good "wait, what is in that?" dessert reaction. I like my chocolate covered bacon and balsamic strawberries with ice cream sort of sweets. So this dessert was happily made (though time taking) by me.

Maple Bacon Cookie Dough Truffles

Ingredients - half order amounts

1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature -  1/4 cup
3/4 cup packed brown sugar -  1/3 cup
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk - 7 ounces
1 tablespoon maple syrup - 1/2 Tbs
2 cups flour - 1 cup
1/2 teaspoon salt  - 1/4 tsp
1/2 cup candied bacon, chopped  - 1/4 cup
1 lb dark dipping chocolate - kept the same as I will still be dunking quite a few things.
Directions:
Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment or wax paper.
Using a large standing mixer, cream the butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy.
Add the condensed milk and maple syrup and beat until well-mixed, then add the flour and salt and beat on low until combined. Stir in bacon.
Using a small scoop or a teaspoon, scoop up small round balls of the dough and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for one hour. Remove from fridge and roll into balls. Place back in fridge for another hour.
Melt chocolate in double boiler, in the microwave or, as I prefer, in a Crock Pot on low. When you start melting the chocolate, put the balls into the freezer to ensure they will keep their shape while coating.
Dip balls one at a time and coat evenly.
Remove them with a fork and tap against the side of the pot to remove any excess chocolate. Place back on baking sheet and top with a piece of candied bacon, if desired.
Put truffles back in fridge until firm. Store in fridge.

Here are some process photos:

This turned out very well.
While not the smoothest of truffles, these will be well liked at the Super Bowl Party!
Husband likes them. I just gotta keep them hid from him until Sunday.

Until the next meal...


**Today's title is from Feist. "Canadian nationalism isn't as insidious as American nationalism, though. It's good natured. It's all about maple syrup, not war."**

...the opposite of overwhelming.

I really haven't been cooking this week.

I have been kicking back, taking it easy, and attempting to learn the Ukulele.

I love it. Ukulele has a great sound and versatility. It works with my child like carni hands and I am finally feeling confident enough to play an instrument (besides singing, of course) in front of my twin. It is a big deal.

I am fortunate enough that I have a friend who has a cheapie Uke that I am strumming on for now. I have it on loan for a month essentially (she doesn't play it much) for me to figure out if I really should get one or not. I should know by the end of February and then as my birthday is in April, I have a month to decide on what to get!

My life is great...


**Today's title comes from Zooey Deschanel: There's something about guitars, they're just so big, you know what I mean? You're just like, 'Ugh!' It just seems so overwhelming. An the ukulele is, like the opposite of overwhelming.**

I find television very educating.

Ok, I admit it. I haven't been cooking much at all this week and there aren't really any plans to either with what is on the schedule.

For example: Today we had baked potatoes with chili on top. Exceptionally yummy, but nothing note worthy as I didn't even make the chili. It was *gasp* canned! Unfortunately, Husband has not remembered anytime we get chili that I am from Texas and therefore, prefer it with no beans. I mean if I were to just have a bowl of chili, I could deal with beans, but put it on top of anything, and I just think the beans are in the way.

What am I doing with all my free time since I am not cooking you ask?

Learning a new instrument, practicing my French via Duolingo and Rosetta Stone, and rotting my brain on television.

Currently, I am enjoying:
How I Met Your Mother (Season 9)
Sherlock (Season 4)
Arrow (Season 2)
Agents of Shield (Season 1..Yes, I know I am behind)
Downton Abbey (Season 4)


What are YOU watching?


**Today's title is from the hilarious mind of Groucho Marx: I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.**

...then we do everything else.

It was our turn for friend dinner before softball this Tuesday. Last time we hosted, I pulled out good old mac and cheese. This week, thanks to what we had in our pantry, I went for 

Crockpot Enchilada Stack Casserole

Ingredients
2 lbs Ground Beef
1 Onion, diced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Green Pepper. diced
2 Cans of Black Beans,drained
2 Can of  Diced Tomatoes, undrained
1 Can of Corn, drained
1 tablespoon Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1 cups Sharp cheddar cheese
1 cups Monterrey Jack Cheese
1 cup of Sour Cream
16 Tortillas
Method
In a large skillet, cook beef with onion, garlic, and green pepper.
Add beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder, and salt & pepper and bring to a boil.
Lower heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.
In a separate bowl, combine cheese and sour cream reserve a 1/4 cup of cheese for top of casserole.
Layer beef concoction then cheese combination then tortilla in the Crockpot.
Top with reserved cheese.
Cook on low for 5 hours or high for 2.5 hours.

Layer 1

Layer 2

Layer 3

Top Layer

This was a hit with the gang of people that attended this evening. Plus, I really liked it. It is easy, delicious, and a crowd favorite. The major thing I would change in this recipe (this is a Cat original, so I can do these things) would be to leave out the sour cream and to just use the cheese along between layers. It doesn't do much in the world of flavor that is this dish and it is better just applied on top with a bit of Hot Sauce and/or Salsa.


Until the next meal...

**Today's title comes from M.F.K. Fisher with the full quote reading: First we eat then we do everything else.**

As long as you are uncomfortable...

I did something crazy.

Something I have never done before. 

I spent money to run in a race. Not only have I never done a race where you need to spend money to register, but I have never even run any sort of race. I have walked the odd 5k's in my time and I am solid at walking long distances. But this is different...

I am competing (with myself more than anyone else) in the Disney 10k in August 2014. 

I need to get my mile (6 of them) to 13-16 minutes. That won't be horrific, but I want to get into solid shape while doing this bad boy as well. So I'm shooting for finishing it in an hour and half or better. I know that isn't amazing, but it is a HECK of a lot better then where I am at this time.

Here we go....

**Today's title is from Ashton Kutcher: I'm continually trying to make choices that put me against my own comfort zone. As long as you're uncomfortable, it means you are growing.**

BFMH: Bacon Quiche

We hit up Disneyland last night (Friday), hard, with our friends who then stayed the night. So Mimosas and a presentable breakfast was in order. Thus the Bacon Quiche was chosen.

Bacon Quiche
Ingredients
6 oz of bacon, cooked and the drippings (3 tablespoons)
1/3 cup Swiss
1/3 cup Parmesan
Broccoli, diced, sauteed
Mushrooms, diced, sauteed
1/2 of an onion, diced, sauteed
1 clove of garlic, crushed, sauteed
2 whole eggs
2 yolks
1 cup cream
salt and pepper
Method
Preheat oven to 400

Cook leeks in 3 tablespoons of drippings.

Spread leeks, shredded cheese and bacon in prebaked 9 inch tart crust. Whisk eggs, yolks, cup cream, and salt and pepper; pour over cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees 15 minutes.

This turned out really nice. the only problem is that the recipe says to prebake the crust, but the pie crust box said not too. I have since discovered to listen to the recipe in this case. it was still very yummy and totally worth the calories.

Though it was not made for Husband I made a GREAT breakfast the earlier this week:
A PB,B,&B Sandwich
Toast some bread, slather with Peanut Butter, apply several half slices of cooked bacon, sliced on some Banana, drizzle with honey and enjoy!

I Love Pizza Rolls!

I love pizza rolls.
These guys are sort of like Large Pizza Rolls.
So I make them and make my taste buds happy. They are not healthy and they are not good for you, but they are delicious...so I make them. Serve with a Salad if your conscious is your guide.

Easy Peasey Stromboli/Calzone Sorta Thingie
What you need:
Pizza Dough
Pepperoni/Salami/cured meat (Sub Veg for vegetarian version)
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Pizza/pasta sauce
Olive oil
Method
Stretch/flatten the dough to your liking. (instead of flour as it is pictured, use cornmeal to
Pile on some cheese, then meat, a dab of sauce, and a little more cheese for good measure.
Fold up the packet of yummy and apply a little olive oil to seal up the edges.
Bake as dough directs.
Serve with warm marinara.

I looked up what the differences are between Calzones and Strombolis as I didn't know prior to writing this post.

Main Differences:
Calzones: Pizza Dough, Folded in a half circle shape, Mozzarella AND Ricotta
Stromboli: Bread Dough, Rolled into a loaf shape, Mozzarella

Until the next meal...

** Today's quote is not educational at all. It is just the catch phrase from Totino's Pizza Roll Commercials

Only the pure in heart...

Today, I used my favorite piece of cooking equipment. My red Crockpot given to my by Mrs Dana Moldenhaur of Wisconsin. I someday will have a beautiful white and black kitchen with all the appliances being primary colors (on the color wheel, not the lighting scale, Husband) and silver. hence the reason I mentioned the lovely red color of the Crockpot.

Anyway, I made Chicken Tortilla Soup from my Pinterest Pin of this recipe: http://www.bakedbyrachel.com/2012/09/slow-cooker-chicken-tortilla-soup/

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breast, trimmed
15 oz can sweet whole corn kernels, drained
15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
5 C chicken stock
3/4 C onion, chopped
3/4 C green pepper, chopped
1 Serrano pepper, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
1 tsp ground pepper, divided
Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded, for garnish
Tortilla Strips, for garnish

Directions:

To your slow cooker add first 9 ingredients plus 1 tsp salt and 3/4 tsp ground pepper. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
 Prior to serving, remove chicken breasts. Transfer chicken to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for easy shredding. Alternately you may shred chicken by hand. Season chicken with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Return shredded seasoned chicken to slow cooker bowl. Stir gently.
If serving immediately, divide among bowls. Top off with a generous helping of shredded cheese and seasoned tortilla strips. Soup may be stored in the fridge for up to several days. If freezing, label containers well with soup name and date.

  

I, as normal, made just a few alterations to the soup for it to be less expensive and more accessible to my pantry.

I used chicken tenderloins verses chicken breast, simple because it was a good $8 cheaper at Costco.

I used Turkey Stock (homemade from Thanksgiving time) instead of Chicken stock as I had it in the freezer.

I used Colby Jack cheese, simple because I prefer it to Monterrey Jack to be kept in the home.

Finally, I used 1 jalapeno pepper instead of a Serrano because I had it in the fridge.

All in all, it has been well liked and I think a Serrano and Jalapeno would make this a perfect amount and combination of spicy.

Until the next meal...

**My father is probably extra proud of my choice in people to quote today. Ludwig van Beethoven: Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.**

Let's face it, a nice creamy chocolate cake....

To go with my moist yellow cake, a rich dark chocolate frosting is, of course, necessary.

The recipe found on my Pinterest Pin "http://www.serenabakessimplyfromscratch.com/2014/01/moist-yellow-cake-with-mocha.html" is a Mocha Butter cream. 

So I figured I would alter it slightly to fit my needs and taste buds.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

Ingredients

10 Tablespoons Butter, Softened

1 cup Cocoa Powder

1 pinch Sea Salt

4 Tablespoons Half & Half or Milk

2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

4 cups Powdered Sugar

Method

Cream together butter, cocoa powder and salt until smooth.

Add half & half or milk, vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Mix on medium low speed until well combined and smooth. Scrape sides of bowl as needed.

Frost cake and enjoy.

The combination of Yellow cake with Dark Chocolate/Ganache Like Frosting reminds me like a slap in the face (but a good kind of slap) of my mother and brothers. My twin and I would ask for this combination most years for our birthday cakes and I am more than a little bit sure that the ganache frosting came into being because of my older brother. 

I had a bit of a sweet tooth over load with these so you may not be seeing many more sweets on this bad boy for awhile. Which is fine. because I have noticed, that even with all my walking and exercise classes, I am not dropping many pounds so it is time to get a bit extreme on the diet. 

Until the next dessert...

**Today's title is from the one and only Audrey Hepburn and I agree whole heartedly: Let's face it, a nice creamy chocolate cake does a lot for a lot of people; it does for me.**

A great empire, like a great cake....

I made my favorite cake last weekend. 

From scratch. 

I never realized how much my generation truly depends on boxed cake for birthday/celebrations. I haven't made many cakes in my life from scratch as the magic and ease of a boxed cake mix has always been at hand. But in an effort to eat clean and make things I haven't made before, I decided that Yellow cake was a great choice. I took this cake recipe from Pinterest Pin: http://www.serenabakessimplyfromscratch.com/2014/01/moist-yellow-cake-with-mocha.html     

                                                                                                                   

Perfect Moist Yellow Cake 

Ingredients

3/4 cup Cold Butter, Plus More For Pans

1 2/3 cup Granulated Sugar

1 whole Egg Yolks

3 whole Eggs

1 tablespoon Vanilla

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

2 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour

2/3 cup Vanilla or Plain Yogurt 

1/2 cup Milk

Method 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease 2 (8") Cake Pans with butter and line bottoms with parchment paper, butter parchment paper.

Cream cold butter and add sugar. Beat until light and fluffy on medium speed.

Scrape sides of bowl and add egg yolk and eggs one at a time beating well between each addition. Scrape sides of bowl as needed.

Add vanilla, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until well combined. Scrape sides of bowl.

Add flour, yogurt and milk. Mix on medium low speed just until combined being careful not to over mix.

Divide batter evenly between cake pans and bake for 26-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean.

Remove cake from oven and cool for 10 minutes in pans. Then invert onto a cooling rack and finish cooling to room temperature.

I ended up making 12 cupcakes and a small 5X7 cake since cupcakes are much more easily taken and eaten at events in my opinion. I also got a little extra creative, as per usual. I sunk a dark chocolate caramel candy into the center of the cupcake. It turned out to be an excellent choice. 

Until the next dessert...

**From the great mind of Benjamin Franklin comes today's title: A great empire, like a great cake, is most easily diminished at the edges.**

Measure the corn of others...

Every couple of weeks, some of the people connected with our church will get together and have dinner and then pray for and with each other. It is rally a nice centering event. I asked what I should bring and the coordinator extraordinaire (seriously, this lady is amazing) said something to go with a bready chickeny dish. Mind you that isn't a direct quote, but that is what I took from the conversation.

So I decided to make an inexpensive, but well loved side dish:

Corn Fritter Patties
Ingredients

1 cup pancake mix

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons 2% milk

1 can (7 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained

2 cups canola oil

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the pancake mix, egg and milk just until

moistened. Stir in the corn.

In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat 1/4 in. of oil to

375°. Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls into oil; press lightly to

flatten. Cook for 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Yield: 7 patties

While by no means a healthy side dish, they are yummy, filling, and inexpensive. I make my own pancake mix so this recipe is not as "what's in my food" as some other dishes of this nature. This was very well received by the whole group as were the dessert I made (those will be in another post) so mission accomplished.


Until the next meal...

**Today's title is a Yiddish Proverb reading: Measure the corn of others with your own bushel.**

BFMH: Quinoa with Eggs

The breakfast this morning was a good and filling breakfast. Husband and I knew that we were going to take a longish walk down to Porto's so I figured a protein heavy breakfast would let us survive until we got some potato balls into our tummies.

I had left over quinoa made from a prior meal so I threw in an ice cube of frozen spinach, half of a bell pepper, and a quarter of an onion and fried it up in a pan while Husband poached up some eggs. The liquid from the frozen spinach kept the quinoa moist and the meal in all from burning.

Not much to say on this breakfast except that is was a good choice for the sort of day we had. I could also imagine having it at brunch or lunch proper.

Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds...

I am keeping with this bacon theme that I seem to have started. I am making one of my favorite things ever:

Chocolate Dipped Bacon
Ingredients
1/2 strips of cooked bacon
a bag of semisweet chocolate chips, melted in microwave
Method
Take cooked bacon which has been stored in the fridge and dip half of the strips into melted dark chocolate. Place on parchment paper and return the fridge until firm. Store in fridge.

This is SUPER simple, but remember, a little goes a long way. I cut my bacon in half when I bake it and I would say that 2 pieces of 1/2 strips dipped per person makes a lovely dessert. I dipped about 8 pieces 1/2 strips and melted about a 1/4 of a bag of chocolate chips.

Make this and love this and be the talk of your friends. I also enjoy wowing my friends with chocolate covered potato chips. Trust me. It isn't as hard as you'd think.


Until the next meal...


**Today's quote comes from the mysterious Doug Larson, a cartoonist, but no one seems to know his real identity. "Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon."**

All I want...

A few of my friends and I who live in the Valley/come to the Valley on Tuesdays for Softball, have started making dinner with each other once a week. Last week was the first weekly dinner with some delish Turkey Chili and Corn Bread made by Janet. This week was my time to host. As I get off work at 5 and the Softball game is at 6:30, I figured having something ready prior to me returning home from work would be the least stressy way to host. As I am on a Bacon Kick with weekend, I decided to make a comfort food  and then amp it up a little. Here is what I came up with:

Crockpot Cheesy Swine Pasta Florentine (if you say it like I do in my head, it totally rhymes)

Ingredients

3 cups uncooked pasta (about 12 oz) I went with Fusilli as I had it in the pantry

¼ cup butter or margarine, cut into pieces

1 can condensed Cheddar cheese soup

1 ½ cups half-and-half (or whole milk)

½ cup sour cream

3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

8 oz Velveeta, cut into cubes

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

½ cup chopped packaged precooked bacon (about 8 slices from 2.1-oz package) (unfortunatelty we ran out so instead we threw in some cut up hot dogs!)

1 onion, chopped and caramelized (precooked from the Danger Dog)

1 cup spinach, chopped

Method

Spray 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.

Cook and drain pasta as directed on package, using minimum cook time as the pasta will be cooking more in the slow cooker.

Place pasta in slow cooker; immediately add butter and stir until melted.

Add soup, half-and-half, sour cream, 2 1/2 cups of the Cheddar cheese, the cubed cheese, mustard, salt and pepper; stir to blend well.

Cover; cook on Low heat setting 2 to 3 hours, stirring once halfway through cooking time.

During last 15 minutes of cooking, stir in bacon, onion, and spinach. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese.

This was amazing.

I have created some decent dishes in my time, but this recipe is winning right now. Granted, add caramelized onion and bacon to most anything and it will taste amazing. There was none left (besides the spoonful I saved for myself for after Yoga class) after the dinner feeding 6. Make this. Love this. Or make your own favorite Mac and Cheese Recipe, then add caramelized onions, bacon, and spinach.

Your mind = Blown.


** Today's title is from Kurt Cobain, "All I want...is mac and cheese." Truer words have naught yet been uttered.**

Come on down to the street and dance with me!

While on our trip to Brazil, I noticed that a popular treat there was Bacon Popcorn. It was sold on many of the street corners in Curitiba along with Caramel Popcorn. I never had a good chance to try it out, but I decided that I would make it when I returned home. Here is what I found on All Recipes.

Brazilan Bacon Popcorn

Ingredients

½ cup bacon grease

½ cup unpopped popcorn kernels

½ teaspoon seasoned salt (to taste)

2 tablespoons bacon bits (optional)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)

Method

Measure the bacon grease into a 6 quart pot and place over high heat.

Add one or two popcorn kernels as testers. 

When the test kernels pop, add the rest of the popcorn and cover with a lid. 

As the popcorn starts to pop, shake the pan back and forth constantly to keep the unpopped kernels on the bottom where they can pop. 

When the popping slows down, remove the pan from the heat and let it finish popping.

Pour the popcorn into a large bowl or paper sack.
Season with half of the seasoned salt and stir.
Taste before adding more salt if desired.
Toss with bacon bits and shredded Cheddar cheese for an extra special treat.
Store leftovers in lunch sacks or sandwich bags...if there is any.

So I made "third" order of this simply because if there is popcorn, I will eat it. ...And I didn't get enough bacon drippings.

It was decent. I think there was enough flavour just from the drippings, it didn't need all the cheese and bacon pieces.

While doing the research necessary for this recipe, I began thinking about street food in the States I have yet to try. The LA tradition I keep seeing but never eating is what is affectionately called an LA Danger Dog. They are often sold on small carts near bars and concert venues until the wee hours of the morning...and they smell amazing.
This is how it breaks down:
LA Danger Dog
It is a hot dog, wrapped with a slice of Bacon. fried up to juicy, crisp deliciousness...
Grill up some onion, tomato, bell pepper, and jalapeno.
Toast the bun and then dress with Ketchup, Mustard, and Mayo.
(Husband is not a Mayo fan, so that didn't make it on)
Apply hot dog bacon yum yum.
Top with onion/pepper mixutre.
Pray to the Heartburn Gods you survive this.

As you can see above, I did it all on the George Foreman. 

This was the healthiest Danger Dog I will ever eat. It was delicious and I have every  intention to think back on this meal with affection. Husband liked it too.

Until the next meal...

**Today's title is from Weezer's hit song El Scorcho with the lyrics reading: Why you wanna go and do me like that? Come on down to the street and dance with me!**

...if you bring home the bacon.

This past weekend, I made Idaho Sunrises for Husband. You might have noticed that I used Bacon, the most magical of meats. Most meat eaters I know believe in the statement that bacon makes everything better. While I really enjoy the salt sweetness of it, I think it only makes most things better, not everything.

Also, I have a deep, dark secret about bacon.

A secret I am so deeply embarrassed and frustrated that I have.

For some incredible, no good reason, I seem to have no luck in being able to make it. I have no clue why that is, but everything I try to fry it up, it is either a soggy mess, a bacon bits crispy, or burnt to a crisp. I have tried tons of different ways to fry it: cast iron, covered with water, a little water in the pan everything.

I just can't do it.

I have gotten to the point where I have given up on cooking a few slices at a time stove top. I have resulted to the more clean up, but better results tactic. A 350 degree oven, a rack on the baking sheet, and 12-15 minutes.

Ta-dah!

*You might notice where I checked that it wasn't poisoned*

I would rather reheat bacon that is well cooked than risk the edibleness of fresh bacon. Also, having the Bacon pre-cooked readies you for a week of quick breakfast sandwiches, BLTs, and salads that need a boost. I will probably be making things this week that have bacon in them and I know y'all will enjoy that.

Until the next meal...

**Today's title is from Weezer's hit song El Scorcho with the lyrics reading: I'll bring home the turkey if you bring home the bacon**

Short of screaming-hot Thai Food....

I don't know about y'all, but occasionally I get an itch for one dish or another and I can't shake it. That is how I have been feeling about eating some Pad Thai since I have returned home from Brazil. So I pulled out my trusted recipe I found and altered a while back.

I was once super intimidated about trying to cook things that I wasn't familiar with. Then I finally realized that as long as I am tasting it while I cook, I won't mess it up so badly that it will be uneatable. I hope y'all like it as much as I do.

Southern Pad Thai with Chicken

Ingredients:

9 oz pad Thai rice noodles (click on link to see what these look like)

3/4 lbs boneless chicken thigh or breast, cut into small pieces or strips

1.5 Tbsp soy sauce

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 fresh red or green chili, sliced

1 thumb-size piece fresh ginger, grated

4 green onions, sliced

1 egg

2-3 cups bean sprouts

1/3 cup dry-roasted unsalted peanuts or cashews, ground or roughly chopped with a knife

1 fresh lime, sliced into wedges

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Garnish with Thai Chili Sauce or Sirracha

Pad Thai Sauce:

1/3 cup good-tasting chicken stock

3 Tbsp. rice vinegar (or substitute white vinegar)

1 Tbsp. lime juice

3-4 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. fish sauce

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. paprika (if you like it spicy)

1/8 tsp. white pepper

Preparation:

Place prepared chicken in a bowl and toss with 1.5 Tbsp. soy sauce. 

Set aside.

Combine 'pad Thai sauce' ingredients together in a cup, stirring well to dissolve sugar. Set aside.

**Note that this sauce needs to taste sweet first, then sour and then salty to create good pad Thai.** 

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Dunk in rice noodles and switch off heat. 

Allow noodles to soak approximately 6 minutes, OR until soft enough to bend easily, but still firm and 'undercooked' by regular standards (They will finish cooking later in the wok). 

Drain and rinse noodles briefly with cold water to keep from sticking. Set aside.

Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. 

Coat with oil, then add the garlic, chili, ginger, and half of green onion (or just the white parts), reserving remaining for later. Stir-fry 1 minute to release the fragrance.

Add chicken and stir-fry 3-4 minutes, or until cooked. 

**If pan becomes dry, add 1-2 Tbsp. of the pad Thai sauce, just enough to keep ingredients frying nicely.**

Push ingredients aside and crack egg into center of pan. Stir quickly to scramble, then combine.

Add prepared noodles plus 3-4 Tbsp. of the pad Thai sauce. 

Using two utensils, lift and turn noodles to stir-fry and combine with other ingredients. 

Continue frying in this way, adding more of the sauce every minute or two, until all sauce has been added and the noodles are chewy-delicious and a little bit sticky (8-10 minutes). 

When sauce has been absorbed and noodles are cooked, fold in the bean sprouts (you want them to stay crispy).

Remove from heat and taste-test, adding more fish sauce until desired taste is achieved (I usually end up adding 1-2 Tbsp. fish sauce, but I like mine on the salty side). 

Portion out onto individual plates and add a lime wedge on the side. 

Before eating, top with remaining green onion and squeeze over the lime wedge, then finish with a generous sprinkling of chopped/ground nuts. 

For those whole like it extra spicy, serve with Thai chili sauce on the side, and enjoy!

I love this dish. No, it isn't the end all be all of Thai food. Actually, from everything I have read, most restaurants in Thailand don't serve Pad Thai because they can't complete with the street cart vendors who only make it and make it amazingly. Also, the full name of the dish is Kway Teow Pad Thai which suggests the dish has a Chinese origin, although the ingredients are definitely Thai. 

Husband doesn't care for shrimp or tofu, otherwise you would see them as ingredients as I like them in my Pad Thai. I like to sear each piece of chicken individually if I have the time as it keeps the inside juicy and the outside a little crisp. When I use Tofu, I will press out the juices of an extra firm block then marinade it with a bit of Pad Thai Sauce. If you want to attempt to make this a bit more of a well rounded meal, shredded carrot and chopped broccoli are great additions.

Until the next dish...

** Today's title is from Guy Fieri who once said "Short of screaming-hot Thai food, everything can be suitable for kids too". This dish is totally kid friendly, just substitute veggies they will eat into it.**

BFMH: Idaho Sunrise

So I got a BIG bag of russets this week. For some reason, both Husband and I have been craving the wholesome comfort of a baked potato. I had pinned a link to baking an egg in a potato shell when I first got onto Pinterest years ago. I have yet to make it so I decided that today would be the day.

Idaho Sunrise Recipe:
Ingredients

2 baked potatoes, slightly cooled
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup of shredded cheese, cheddar (or other of your choice)
2 slice of bacon, cooked and crumbled (leave off for vegetarian)
2 tablespoons onion, finely chopped
kosher salt and black pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2 eggs
1/4 cup of sour cream
2 tablespoons of green onions, finely chopped
InstructionsSlice a layer off the top of each potato.
Use a spoon to gently scoop out insides, leaving a thin layer of potato against the skin and avoiding puncturing the bottom.  Reserve scooped potato for another use.
Brush inside of each potato with melted butter and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
Sprinkle a layer of shredded cheese, bacon, and onion into each potato.
Fill each potato about 3/4 full.
Crack one egg into each potato.
Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper.
 Top with additional cheese and toppings if desired.
Place potatoes on a baking sheet and cook for about 20 minutes.
Egg whites should be set and yolks soft.
Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and green onions.

**Cook's note: Feel free to get creative with what goes into these bad boys. I put in what I had on hand and knew that Husband liked. **

I baked the potatoes the day prior in the Crockpot to save sometime in the morning since Husband ended up having to work this Saturday. Which is total fine as we just got through the holidays and that is always a bit of a strain on the savings account.

These turned out pretty well. I felt the yolk being fully cooked through was unappetizing, but with a bit of sour cream  it worked out a o k.

Husband liked them. So figure we are good! 31 Breakfasts Down, 21 Breakfasts to Go!

I always appear smarter when I dress up...

As I have yet to write about food this week, I decided to continue with that trend until Saturday morning Breakfast.

Today's topic is going to pertain to one of my favorite things: Cosplay

**Please note that the photos below are not the best representations of some of my past costumes, but that is simply because I hadn't gotten serious about photographing them until very recently.**

What's with the all the boobs?

My dear Mr Patton once asked me: "what's with all the big chested women on your Facebook feed?"

I laughed, explained what all the boobs were about, and clarified that it was a legitimate hobby.

Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia to sum it up:

Cosplay short for "costume play", is a performance art in which participants wear costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture centered on role play. A broader use of the term cosplay applies to any costumed role play in venues apart from the stage, regardless of the cultural context.
Favorite sources include manga, anime, comic books, video games, and films. Any entity from the real or virtual world that lends itself to dramatic interpretation may be taken up as a subject. Inanimate objects are given anthropomorphic forms and it is not unusual to see genders switched, with women playing male roles and vice versa. There is also a subset of cosplay culture centered on sex appeal, with cosplayers specifically choosing characters that are known for their attractiveness and/or revealing costumes.
The Internet has enabled many cosplayers to create social networks and websites centered on cosplay activities, while forums allow cosplayers to share stories, photographs, news, and general information. The rapid growth in the number of people cosplaying as a hobby since 1990 has made the phenomenon a significant aspect of popular culture. This is particularly the case in Asia, where cosplay influences Japanese street fashion.

To elaborate from my own personal experience:

I have cosplayed at all the Science Fiction/Fantasy Conventions I have attended. I go with characters I like, connect with and, at least slightly, resemble. The costumes I have made are normally done with found pieces at thrift stores with the occasional specific piece or prop purchased from online.

My first convention was Arcon which is the St Louis, MO Fantasy/SciFi Convention back in 2007

I went as a pirate, the same costume I often wear to Ren Faires, with my best friend Scotty B.

After moving to California, I had the chance to attend several years of
San Diego Comic-Con International.

July 2010

Inara (From Firefly)

Kaylee (From Firefly)

Callie Henderson (From Battlestar Galatica)

Zoe Greystone (From Caprica)

July 2011

Callie Henderson (From Battlestar Galatica) again same as 2010

Kaylee (From Firefly) again same as 2010

July 2012

Black Canary (From Birds of Prey)

**This costume and the Roxy Richter Costume made me understand the need to a good quality wig**

Roxy Richter (From Scott Pilgrim Vs The World – Graphic Novel)

Kitty Pryde (From The Xmen)

Kaylee (From Firefly) didn't get a good photo from this year unfortunately. 

July 2013

Black Canary (From Birds of Prey)

Kaylee (From Firefly)

Roxy Richter (From Scott Pilgrim Vs The World - Movie)

I also attended Wondercon in April 2013 as Black Canary.

Being the Whovian I am, I cosplayed to the Simulcast of The Day of the Doctor as a gender bend version of Captain Jack(ie) Harkness (from Doctor Who and Torchwood) in November of 2013

**Need to get a better Jacket for this Cosplay**

Halloween is also a favorite holiday of mine due to the love of costuming. Here are some gems from Halloweens past:

Lucy (From Peanuts)

Mary Poppins 

Peter Pan 

What's coming up next?

The next convention I am attending is PAX (the Penny Arcade Expo) in Boston Spring 2014. As this is specifically a gaming convention, so my Firefly and Comic costumes won't be as well received at this convention. So I have been brain storming some good video game choices that fit into the guidelines: characters I enjoy, connect with and, at least slightly, resemble. Also, as this convention is in Boston, I need to take something warm enough and easy to pack. 

Here were my initial thoughts:

Roxy Richter from Scott Pilgrim Vs the World  - An obvious choice as I already have the completed costume, it is comfortable, and it is the only cosplay I have that fits the all the guidelines I have made for this convention.

Vault Girl from Fall Out - If I can find a reasonably priced blue jump suit that fits me well, I would be all over this cosplay. I am keep an eye out for a utilitarian looking navy blue shirt, skirt, dress, pants etc to attempt this little beauty. I have played through most of these games so feel confident with the idea of cosplaying it.

Blocker Lemming from Lemmings - I have only played this game a few times, but I like the originality of this cosplay. I think that the people who would recognize it would go a bit bananas over it. If I try to replicate the costume, it would for sure be comfortably warm and, as there are no large props, it would be easy to pack.

Black Mage from Final Fantasy - For those of you who don't know me, I am incredibly short. I have always imagined this character as a short, squat little guy. One of the main appeals of this cosplay is that I could possible dual purpose the blue robe for both the Lemming costume and this one. The only Hitch is packing the hat and staff. I might do this for a local convention versus one I have to take an airplane to attend.

Princess Daisy from Mario Brothers - I think I would play with this character a bit. Maybe update the yellow dress to my yellow sundress and add an orange belt and the headband/crown. Essentially, take the character and dress myself in the current fashion as said character.

Elizabeth from Bioshock Infinite - This character is my favorite. I love her personality and outfits. The major reason I don't think I will do this for PAX is because she is such a popular cosplay already. I like to do things that are recognizable, but aren't so hot that there will be 2,500 other girls cosplaying the character. Another thought could be doing the Film Noir Themed Burial at Sea Elizabeth and dress Husband like and Film Noir Detective that resembles Booker in Bio Shock Infinite (you don't really get a good visage of Booker in the Burial at Sea Episode).

Zoey from Left 4 Dead - I have played this game a few times and really enjoy it. One reason this costume will probably happen is because I can borrow the costume from my friend who used it last year at Comic-Con and it fits the guidelines of this convention.

Tine Tina from Borderlands - As perfect as this costume and character is for me, it is way too much stuff to put together and then have to pack and travel to the east coast. So this is one that is on the back burner until I get my sewing machine up and working as well as my confidence in using it. 

My final thoughts for PAX are sitting with the following:
Roxy Richter - Because she is already done
Zoey - Because she is already done
Princess Daisy - Because I think she won't be too difficult to piece together and easy enough to reuse at the next convention.

(And Maybe) Vault Girl - Because I really, really, really like the character. I think I could pin up the character with a navy blue pencil skirt, a yellow belt, plus a pin up appropriate blue top with the numbers placed on the back could work. Though perhaps not proper as I will have to walk 1.5 miles to the convention center. 

Until the next cosplay...


**Today's title comes from the ever hilarious Jarod Kintz from his book It Occurred to Me. the full quote reads thus: I always appear smarter when I dress up in my giant nipple costume. I know this because I'll over hear people say things like, "At least he's not a complete boob".**

To view more ideas and inspirations for my cosplays, see my actually Pinterest Board.
http://www.pinterest.com/catharine_ceb/comicon-reference/