Reflection

          Garrett and I really enjoyed going on the cullinary adventures together this past semester. We learned several things along the way, and overall it was been a beneficial experience. Here's another look at the adventures we completed this semester from our favorite to our least favorite.

Adventure #12: Chocolate Souffle

            Unfortunately, Garrett was not able to help out with the last adventure, and he was definitely sorry when I sent him a picture of the end result. I wanted to end with something that was known to be challenging but would be manageable for me. Based on the past adventures, I decided that I would do my best if a made a dessert, so for adventure #12, I made chocolate soufflé!

            As with every other adventure, I began by completing step 1, shopping. The recipe called for ten ingredients and of those ten, I was missing three. I set off for the grocery store in search of unsalted butter, bittersweet chocolate, and cornstarch. All of the ingredients were simple enough to find and they cost me less than 10 dollars, so the first step of the final adventure was easily a success.

The full this of ingredients is as follows

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for ramekins
3 large egg whites, room temperature, plus 3 large egg yolks
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
5 ½ ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
2/3 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons crème fraiche or sour cream
Garnish: confectioners’ sugar

            When I was finished with step 1, I went home and began step 2, baking. I began by preparing 4 ramekins. I brushed each with the butter and then sprinkled them with sugar. I then set them aside and moved on with preparing the batter.

            First I separated the egg whites and yolks. I then whisked the egg whites until they were frothy, added the cream of tartar, continued whisking, added the granulated sugar, and whisked for a final time until medium peaks formed. I set the egg white mixture aside and continued with the recipe.

            I melted the chocolate and set it aside. I then put the milk, cornstarch, and salt into a saucepan and brought it to a simmer. Once the mixture was of a thick consistency, I removed it from the stove and whisked it into the chocolate. I then added the egg yolks and sour cream and continued whisking. Finally, I folded in the egg whites, and the batter was complete.

            To complete the dessert, I poured the batter into the 4 ramekins and baked them in the oven for 14 minutes at 400 degrees. When they were done, I served them to my parents and my brother. We all tasted them and had varying opinions. We had never had a soufflé before, so we weren’t sure what it was supposed to taste like. To me, it was like a chocolate cake with a chocolate mousse center. A little bit definitely goes a long way, so I would suggest sharing a soufflé rather than eating a whole one by yourself. Nevertheless, the final adventure was a success!   

 

 

 

 

The complete recipe for chocolate soufflé can be found here http://www.marthastewart.com/356052/individual-chocolate-souffles

Adventure #11: Rolo Stuffed Snickerdoodles

            Last weekend I had to complete yet another adventure by myself! Garrett was sick and although I was sick as well, I could not miss an adventure. I decided that since I am much better at baking than cooking I would make a dessert. At this time of the year I love to eat warm homemade cookies fresh out of the oven, so I decided to make a classic with a twist, Rolo stuffed snickerdoodles.

            After spending less than $20 for the last adventure, I was willing to splurge a bit more for this one. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that that wasn’t necessary for this particular recipe. I just so happened to have all of the ingredients except for the Rolo’s. Since the recipe claimed to yield 32 cookies, I set off for the store to purchase one bag of Rolo’s in order to complete step 1, shopping.

            Obviously this step was simple and took very little time. It was also the cheapest purchase I’ve made all semester. Therefore, I returned home happy as could be and in a timely manner eager to begin step 2, cooking.

The complete list of ingredients for Rolo stuffed snickerdoodles is as follows

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 bag Rolo’s  

            Step 2 of this adventure was fairly simple as well. I began by combining the butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a medium bowl and then I mixed the flour, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl. I combined the two in order to make the dough. Making the dough was simple enough, but adding the Rolo’s was when it got tricky.

            With traditional snookerdoodle cookies I would typically roll the dough into balls, dip them in cinnamon and sugar, and then lightly flatten them on a cookie sheet. However, since I was making Rolo stuffed snickerdoodles, I had to place an individual Rolo in each piece of dough and then roll it into a ball, dipping it in cinnamon and sugar, but not flattening it. This seems simple enough; however, the dough continuously stuck to my hands, making it nearly impossible to roll into balls and dip in the cinnamon and sugar. Needless to say, the first batch of snickerdoodles was less than picture perfect.

 

 

 

I was a little disappointed with the first batch and not very hopeful for the second. However, I was surprised to find that while the first batch baked in the oven for 14 minutes at 320 degrees, the remaining dough had time to form into a much more workable consistency. The dough was easier to work with, so I was able to form perfectly shaped cookies, making the remaining batches picture perfect!

When the final batch was done, a sat down with a glass of milk and happily ate two Rolo stuffed snickerdoodles. The cookies were delicious! In fact, I’m not sure if I’ll ever make a batch of snickerdoodles without Rolo’s again. Overall, adventure #11 was a success.

 

Next week Garrett and I will be going on our final adventure of the semester. We’ll attempt to make the perfect soufflé!

 

 

The complete recipe for Rolo stuffed snickerdoodles can be found here http://rachelschultz.com/2012/11/13/perfect-snickerdoodles/ or here  http://rachelschultz.com/2012/07/20/rolo-stuffed-snickerdoodles/.

Adventure #10: Homemade Chicken and Dumplings

            Last weekend I completed adventure #10 by myself. Thanksgiving was approaching and I was in the mood for something warm and traditional, so I decided to make homemade chicken and dumplings. I was a little bit nervous for this adventure, but this is what happened.

As usual, I began this adventure with step one, shopping. For this particular recipe I was lacking just two ingredients. This made me extremely happy since some of the adventures have been a tad pricy for a college student such as myself. Nevertheless, I set off for the store in search of chicken broth and a rotisserie chicken. Both of these items were easy finds, so step one took me less than thirty minutes.

The complete list of ingredients is as follows

2 cups flour

½ teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk
2 quarts chicken broth
3 cups cooked chicken
 

            After completing step one, I moved onto step two, cooking. The first part of this step was to make the dumplings. This is the part that had me feeling a little nervous. When I think of dumplings, I always picture a little old grandma making them from scratch and of course having them turn out delicious. For this reason, I wanted to make the perfect dumplings that tasted just like a grandma had made them.

            I began this step by combining the flour, baking powder, salt, butter, and milk in a medium bowl. These ingredients formed the dough which I then placed on a heavily floured surface. Using a rolling pin, I rolled the dough into a thin square. I then used a pizza cutter to make 2”x2” squares. These, of course, were the dumplings.

            At first I was worried that I had possibly made the dumplings too thin, but I decided to just go with it and see how they turned out in the end. I used a floured spatula to pick up the dumplings and place them on a floured plate. I then set them aside and continued cooking.

 

 

 

            I brought the 2 quarts of chicken broth to a boil and added the dumplings one at a time. I allowed them to cook for 20 minutes and then added the chicken while turning off the heat. I let this set for a few minutes so that the broth could thicken. The recipe didn’t call for this, but I added a little salt and pepper to the chicken and dumplings and then decided that the dish was ready to serve.

            Although I was nervous for this adventure, it was actually pretty simple and turned out well. My family gladly ate the chicken and dumplings, and my dad even went back for seconds. I’m not sure if they tasted as if a grandma had made them, but the fact that my dad had seconds was all the proof I needed to claim that adventure #10 was a success!

 

 

The complete recipe for homemade chicken and dumplings can be found here http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2011/11/homemade-chicken-and-dumplings/

Adventure #9: Cherry & Dark Chocolate Chunk Scones

            Over the weekend Garrett and I went on our ninth culinary adventure! We decided that since we had made mostly dinners and desserts we would try something new and make breakfast. Although the Oreo pancakes from adventure #3 could be considered a breakfast food, we didn’t count them since they were less than edible. Instead, we decided to redeem ourselves in the breakfast category and attempt to make cherry & dark chocolate chunk scones.

            As with every adventure, we began with step one, shopping. We lucked out once again and already had the majority of the ingredients. Our grocery list consisted of fresh cherries, buttermilk, and dark chocolate.

The complete list of ingredients is as follows

 Scones:

3 ¼ cups flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cups cold butter, cut into pieces
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups fresh cherries, pitted and chopped
6 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
Melted butter for brushing

Glaze:

1 cup fresh cherries, pitted and chopped
2 teaspoons water
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
 

            Overall, Garrett and I completed step one successfully. There was, however, one ingredient that caused us some trouble. The recipe called for fresh cherries, but we were unable to find them. We didn’t have many options before us, so we decided to buy cherry pie filling as a substitute.

            Once we purchased the groceries, we headed home to begin step two, baking. This proved to be a fun yet messy step. However, Garrett and I had a lot of fun with it. As usual, we divided the work and began to prepare the scones.

            Garrett began by chopping the chocolate and then the cherries. Meanwhile, I began to make the dough, combining the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. I then added the butter, buttermilk, and vanilla.

            When Garrett was finished chopping the chocolate and cherries, I folded them into the dough with my hands. Once he saw what a mess this was, he had to be a part of it. Together we finished making the dough and then Garrett kneaded it and cut it into wedges for baking.

 

 

 

            Once placed on the pan, the scones brushed with butter and placed in the oven to bake for 14 minutes at 425 degrees. I prepared the glaze while the scones baked, combining the water, vanilla, powdered sugar, and remaining cherries together until smooth.

            When the timer sounded, Garrett and I removed the scones from the oven. This was a process we ended up doing about three times as our scones refused to bake. Eventually, the scones were ready and we were able to try them.

 

 

 

We may have used a little bit too much flour, but with enough of the cherry glaze, the flour taste could be masked. We learned to use less flour last time, but we also agreed that overall the scones were a success.

 

Next week we will embark on our TENTH adventure! What should we make??

 

The complete recipe for cherry & dark chocolate chunk scones can be found here http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/07/fresh-cherry-dark-chocolate-chunk-scones/

Adventure #8: Oven-Baked Frito Pie

            Last weekend Garrett and I teamed up to tackle adventure #8. We wanted to make something fairly simple at a reasonable price and after searching for about an hour, we finally found something that we agreed sounded pretty tasty. We decided to make an old classic with a twist, oven-baked Frito pie.   

            Luckily for us, we already had almost every ingredient. Nevertheless, we still had to complete step one, shopping. We set off for the store in search of 1 can of chili beans, 1 package of taco seasoning, and 1 bag of shredded cheddar cheese.

The complete list of ingredients is as follows:

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 can (16 oz.) chili beans
1 can (8oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 package taco seasoning
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
3 ½ cups corn chips (Frito’s)
1 ¼ cup sour cream  

            Step one of adventure #8 was not much of a challenge. For the first (possibly the second) time, we entered the store and found everything we needed without any problems. The adventure was off to a good start, so we purchased the items and headed home to embark on step two, baking.

            When we arrived home, we gathered all of the ingredients and began putting the dish together. Garrett, who is now a master at browning hamburger, started with the meat. While the meat was browning, I opened the chili beans, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and taco seasoning which were eventually added to the hamburger to make the chili.

            A layer of chips was added to a baking dish and topped with the chili. This was baked for 20 minutes at 320 degrees. Sour cream, additional chips, and cheese were then added to the dish which went back into the oven for 5 more minutes.

            The timer soon sounded and Garrett and I removed the dish from the oven, allowing it to cool for several minutes before fixing our plates. When we finally tried the dish, we agreed that it was very good and a recipe that we wanted to keep.

 

 

 

The only drawback to oven-baked Frito pie is that it does not keep well. After refrigerating the dish, the Frito’s become soggy, so the dish doesn’t make for very good leftovers. This, of course, was my opinion. Garrett, however, said that he would still eat it, but to be fair, he would eat almost anything.

            Nevertheless, adventure #8 was a success! Since we have made mostly dinners and a few desserts, we decided that the next adventure would be something in the breakfast category. Check out the blog next week to hear about adventure #9, fresh cherry & dark chocolate chunk scones!

The full recipe for oven-baked Frito pie can be found here http://www.sweettreatsmore.com/2011/10/oven-baked-frito-pie.html

Adventure #7: Buffalo Chicken Casserole & Cheddar Bay Biscuits

            This past weekend Garrett and I successfully completed adventure #7. Garrett is a fan of spicy foods while I like anything covered in cheese, so for this adventure we made buffalo chicken casserole and cheddar bay biscuits. This adventure was not much of a challenge for us. For once, we were finished cooking before 10 o’clock!

            As usual, this adventure began with step one, shopping. Garrett had to work, so I completed this step solo. Thankfully, I already had many of the ingredients at home and the rest were not too hard to find. The full list for both the buffalo chicken casserole and cheddar bay biscuits is as follows

 

Buffalo Chicken Casserole

1 ¼ lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch strips

1/3 cup Franks hot sauce
5 cups red potatoes, grated
1 cup light ranch/blue cheese dressing
½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 (10 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup
½ cup panko

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

2 cups Bisquick mix
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic salt

 

            My shopping list consisted of the chicken breast, hot sauce, cream of chicken soup, Bisquick mix, and red potatoes. All of the ingredients were easy to find, but I guess I could say there were two that gave me some “trouble.”

Once I made it to the aisle with the hot sauce, I had two options in front of me: Franks original hot sauce or Franks buffalo style hot sauce. This is when I wished Garrett were with me since he is usually the decision maker in these situations. Nevertheless, I decided to get the buffalo style sauce since were supposed to be making buffalo chicken casserole. Seems fitting, right?

            The final dilemma involved the Bisquick mix. When I made it to the appropriate aisle, I found the original Bisquick pancake mix as well as some packages of Bisquick mix specifically for cheddar biscuits. However, the packages were those “just add water” mixes, so that didn’t seem right. This left me with the decision of making the biscuits the hard way or taking the easy way out. I decided to do it the hard way despite the fact that I was skeptical of biscuits made out of pancake mix. Nevertheless, I paid for the groceries, drove home, and waiting for Garrett to arrive so that together we could embark on step 2, cooking.

            Once Garrett arrived, we began to prepare the casserole. There were only five steps involved with this dish, but I will admit that Garrett did most of the work. Garrett cut the chicken breast into strips and also grated the potatoes while I prepared the rest of the ingredients. I combined the chicken strips and hot sauce in a small bowl and then placed them in the baking dish. The potatoes, dressing, cheese, and soup were then combined and poured on top of the chicken. Finally, the dish was covered with foil and placed in the oven to bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

            While the casserole was baking, we prepared the cheddar biscuits. This was a very simple process. Basically, all of the ingredients except for the butter, parsley, and garlic salt were combined in a large bowl, creating the dough. Lumps of dough were placed on a cookie sheet which then went into the oven for 10 minutes. It was also during this time that we removed the foil from the casserole and returned it to the oven to bake for an additional 20 minutes.

            While the casserole and biscuits baked, I combined the melted butter, parsley, and garlic salt in a small bowl. After 10 minutes, the biscuits were removed from the oven and covered with the garlic spread. They were then placed back into the oven for an additional 5 minutes.

            When the timer sounded, both the casserole and the biscuits were removed from the oven. We allowed them to cool for several minutes and then began eating around 7 o’clock! Sadly, this was a huge accomplishment for us.

            Garrett, who will eat anything, liked the casserole while I thought that it was lacking in flavor. However, we both agreed that the biscuits turned out really well, so we decided to keep that recipe. Overall, adventure #7 was a success!


The complete recipe for buffalo chicken casserole can be found here http://holycannolirecipes.blogspot.com/2011/05/buffalo-chicken-potato-casserole.html

The complete recipe for cheddar bay biscuits can be found here http://penniesonaplatter.com/2010/10/27/cheddar-bay-biscuits/
 

Adventure #6: Baked Penne with Chicken, Broccoli, and Mozzarella

            This past weekend Garrett and I went on our toughest adventure yet! Not only was it the hardest challenge that we’ve faced, it was also the most expensive and the most time consuming. However, above all that, adventure #6 was the most rewarding. This is what happened when we made baked penne with chicken, broccoli, and mozzarella.

            Garrett and I set off on this adventure in good spirits. We planned to purchase the ingredients and be home and cooking within an hour. However, that all fell apart with step one, shopping.

The list of ingredients was rather lengthy, which is why this adventure was so expensive. Although we had many of the items already, we still needed to purchase several more. The complete list of ingredients is as follows

 Topping:

¾ cup bread crumbs (store-bought or homemade)
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

1 bunch broccoli (about 1 ½ pounds), stalks cut off, florets trimmed into 1-inch pieces
12 ounces penne pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
6 medium garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
3 ounces smoked mozzarella, shredded
8 ounce jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped into pieces
 

            Step one posed several problems, but I’ll just mention a few. First of all, we could not find smoked mozzarella, so we had to go back and forth between the cheese section and the deli. This alone caused a slight delay in our one hour timeframe. Next, neither one of us had any idea what a garlic clove was or where to find it. I’ll admit that we had to call my mother on this one, causing yet another delay. Finally, we had the challenge of finding the sun-dried tomatoes. We scanned the aisle containing every other type of tomato for several minutes before giving up and deciding that we would have to ask someone for assistance. It was by luck alone that Garrett spotted the jar of tomatoes on our way up to the deli, saving a little time but not enough for us to make our deadline.

            By the time we checked out and drove home, we had been gone for an hour and a half. Nevertheless, we were still in good spirits. We laid the groceries out on the counter and gathered the rest of the ingredients in order to begin step two, cooking.

            Garrett and I split the work, so I began by cooking the broccoli and spaghetti while Garrett cut up the chicken and chopped the onion. Once completed, we set those ingredients aside so that we could tackle the garlic cloves. We were both pretty surprised to find that there were numerous cloves in one piece of garlic. Naturally, my dainty hands were better suited for peeling the cloves, so I did that while Garrett minced them.

            The next step was to basically combine all of the ingredients except for the topping into a large pot. We did this together, waited for the chicken to cook, poured the combination into a greased pan, topped it with the breadcrumbs, and placed it in the oven to bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

 

 

 

 

            By this point, the house already smelled heavenly, but when the golden brown dish came out of the oven, the smell was even stronger. To top it all off, the dish tasted wonderful! In fact, Garrett thought it tasted like a gourmet meal. Needless to say, we were beyond proud of ourselves. Adventure #6 was a huge success and boosted our confidence for the next challenge.

 

What should we make next?

 

Find the complete recipe for baked penne with chicken, broccoli, and mozzarella here http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/01/baked-penne-with-chicken-broccoli-and-smoked-mozzarella.html.

Adventure #5: Chocolate Chip Lava Cookies

            Over the weekend Garrett and I reunited in the kitchen and completed adventure #5. Garrett thought that I was entirely too successful without him in the previous adventure, so when he suggested that we bake another dessert, I agreed. My hope was that this dessert would prove to be as fun and simple as the last and would therefore boost Garrett’s confidence. Together, we baked chocolate chip lava cookies, and they turned out great!

            In order to complete our adventure, we had to first accomplish step one, shopping. This shopping experience was the easiest by far. We already had almost all of the ingredients needed to make the cookies. In fact, we were only lacking two, so we set off for the store in search of chocolate chips and vanilla ice cream.

We arrived at the grocery store, quickly found the items we needed, and checked out. I should note, however, that there was one minor dilemma with this task. As poor college students, spending almost six dollars on ice cream simply could not be justified, so we had to weigh our options and settle for the cheapest brand, Always Save. It was after the decision was made that we checked out and headed home where we embarked on step two, baking.

First, we preheated the oven to 350 degrees. We then gathered all of the ingredients needed which include the following:

 ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened

½ cup light brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
½ tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 bag milk chocolate chips

I began combining several of the ingredients in order to make the dough while Garrett worked on melting the chocolate chips. I was very skeptical of the method used to melt the chocolate chips, which included placing them in a Ziploc bag and microwaving them. I thought that the bag would melt in the microwave along with the chocolate, but Garrett assured me that only the chocolate would melt, not the bag.

            When the dough and chocolate were ready, we flattened individual pieces and placed them in a muffin tin. We added the melted chocolate to each cookie and then topped them with another cookie. We then placed the cookies in the oven and baked them for 20 minutes.

 

 

            The timer soon sounded, and we removed the cookies from the oven. We let them cool for several minutes and then we each had our own chocolate chip lava cookie topped with vanilla ice cream. The batch consisted of ten cookies of which Garrett, my mother, and I each got one while my brother got seven! Needless to say, they were delicious!

            Adventure #5 was completed successfully, proving that Garrett and I are exceptional bakers. We still have a lot of room for improvement when it comes to cooking though, so we won’t be baking another dessert anytime soon. What should our next adventure be?

 

The full recipe for chocolate chip lava cookies can be found here http://www.kevinandamanda.com/whatsnew/new-recipes/chocolate-chip-lava-cookies.html 

 

Adventure #4: Pumpkin Coffee Cake

            For this week’s adventure, I had to fly solo because Garrett was out of town for the weekend. I was a little nervous about cooking by myself until I looked over the recipes we had already attempted and noticed that we had not made a dessert yet. I am a fairly decent baker, so I decided to play it safe and attempt to make pumpkin coffee cake, a perfect dessert for the fall season.

            I started adventure #4 by completing step 1, grocery shopping. For once, I was able to find everything on my list without a problem; I didn’t even have to ask an employee for help! My grocery list was fairly short and consisted of 1 can of pureed pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, 1 box of yellow cake mix, walnuts, and heavy whipping cream.  The full list of ingredients for pumpkin coffee cake is as follows

⅓ cups water

1 can pureed pumpkin (15 oz)
2 whole eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 box yellow cake mix
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup brown sugar, divided
½ cups flour
⅓ cups walnuts, chopped (I used pecans)
4 tablespoons butter, melted
¼ cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cups heavy whipping cream
 

The fact that I already had many of the ingredients for pumpkin coffee cake may have given me an advantage, but I was proud that I successfully completed the first step in my solo mission. I left the grocery store feeling a great sense of achievement and was ready to conquer step 2, baking.

The recipe for pumpkin coffee cake was actually fun to follow! I began by mixing the first seven ingredients together in a large bowl and combining the next four ingredients in a smaller bowl. I poured the mixture from the large bowl into a pan and sprinkled the mixture from the smaller bowl on top. At this point, the cake was ready to bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes at 350.

Making the cake batter and baking the cake were easy tasks, but they were not the final step in the recipe. With the remaining ingredients, I had to make a glaze to go over the cake once it was done baking. I was nervous for this step because I had never made a glaze before. I read the instructions several times and finally decided to attempt to make the glaze. Much to my surprise, I completed it successfully!  (Yay, me!)

Around this time, the oven timer sounded, signaling that the cake was done. I removed it from the oven, poked holes in it with a fork, and covered it with the glaze. A warm, pumpkin and brown sugar aroma filled the house. I was extremely proud because the cake looked nearly picture perfect. However, my real sense of achievement set in when Garrett returned and tasted the cake, giving it not only his approval, but eating two pieces!  

 

 

 

Overall, adventure #4 was a success! However, cooking without my culinary partner in crime was not the same. I’ll be happy to have him back for adventure #5! What should we make?!

 

 

The full recipe for pumpkin coffee cake can be found here http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2011/10/pumpkin-coffee-cake/

Adventure #3: Oreo Pancakes

          
           This week, Garrett and I did what we do best; we waited until the last possible minute to start cooking. The recipe for this week was found on Pinterest yet again, and I’m starting to think that either we’re just really bad cooks or the people of Pinterest are out to get us. Nevertheless, this is what happened when we tried to make Oreo pancakes.

To put it lightly, adventure #3 was somewhat of a challenge. It started out the same as usual. We found a recipe on Pinterest and made a grocery list. We would have started cooking at a fairly decent time had our desire to see the new Clint Eastwood movie, Trouble with the Curve, not gotten in our way. (Worth it!)

We left the movie theater around 9 o’clock and went straight to Wal Mart to begin step 1, grocery shopping. Now is probably a good time to mention that Garrett and I are not vegans and unbeknownst to us, we were following a vegan recipe. Here are the ingredients for Oreo pancakes:

Pancakes:
½ cup non-dairy milk
½ cup flour
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
Scant ¼ cup dark chocolate cocoa powder (or regular)
Pink of salt
1 tablespoon sugar (or other sweetener)
1 tablespoon oil (canola)
½ teaspoon vanilla

Frosting Filling:
1.5 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk)
2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar (optional)

Per usual, there was one item on the list that posed a real problem for us. In this case, it was the coconut milk. We searched numerous aisles trying to find either the milk or an employee who could be of some assistance. It was by pure luck that the one aisle in which an employee could be found was also the aisle that housed the coconut milk.

Having paid for the groceries, we left Wal Mart and went home to begin step 2, cooking. It was at this point in the night that Garrett and I came to the conclusion that from now on we should read the recipe in full prior to choosing it. In the case of the braided spaghetti from adventure #1, we didn’t know that we had to thaw anything, and that caused a huge delay in the cooking process. In this case, we didn’t know that we needed to use a food processor, a key component for making the filling and an appliance that we did not have.

We decided that we would try and do our best with what we had, so I attempted to make the filling while Garrett prepared the pancakes. It was not until later that I discovered Garrett had set me up for failure. He claimed that he didn’t want to use the mixer, but really he knew the filling would be a disaster. (Cool, Garrett.)

This brings me back to the coconut milk. I do not recommend ever using it. The label was in another language, there were questionable chunks in it, and the stench it emanated was enough to make us gag.

 

  

As for the pancakes, Garrett did a good job of combining the ingredients. However, the batter was really thick and resembled brownie batter rather than pancake batter. We ended up with really thick pancakes that were not entirely cooked in the middle and a filling that was more like coconut flakes marinated in coconut milk and vanilla extract. (Gross!)

 

I’m not sure if we will ever choose another recipe from Pinterest, so we’re open to suggestions!

 

 

Find the full recipe for Oreo pancakes here http://minimalistbaker.com/oreo-cookie-pancakes/.

Adventure #2: Real Taco Pie

            Garrett and I were kind of pressed for time with adventure #2 this week, and we were unsure of what to make. Luckily, we had a few extra Pinterest recipes saved, so we made real taco pie! Although we didn’t go grocery shopping until 8 PM, this last minute dinner idea went pretty smoothly.

            Step 1, grocery shopping, was interesting to say the least. The ingredients for real taco pie are as follows

¼ cup butter
⅔ cup milk
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix (1¼ oz.)
2½ cups mashed potato flakes
1 lb. ground beef
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup barbecue sauce
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 cup sharp cheddar, shredded (4oz.)
sour cream, optional

We already had half of the ingredients, so our grocery list consisted of the ground beef, onion, tomato, lettuce, and mashed potato flakes. We found the majority of the items without any problems. However, in my opinion, Garrett took far too long trying to determine which tomato was the best. I wish I could say that finding the perfect tomato was our biggest problem, but that definitely was not the case.

Mashed potato flakes…I don’t even know where to start. First of all, we didn’t know what they were, and it was by chance alone that we stumbled into the right aisle with one lonely box of mashed potato flakes before us. We were supposed to use the flakes to make the pie crust. However, upon seeing what appeared to be a box of instant potatoes, we were reluctant to buy it, so we decided to consult an employee who of course was of little assistance.

Needless to say, Garrett and I left with the box of flakes and went home to begin step 2, cooking. This step was not too much of a challenge for us. We set the oven to 350, put the meat in a skillet to brown, and continued on with the other directions. I started making the crust while Garrett began chopping the onion. This, I will admit, was quite a sight.

He had never chopped an onion before, and he didn’t want to cry. I suggested he put a match between his teeth, but he insisted that a mouthful of water was what prevented tears. Essentially, the water worked, but I think a case of laughter caused him to swallow it. The remainder of the onion was chopped without water, causing Garrett to shed some very manly tears. (Ha!) 

Meanwhile, I worked on the pie crust. The process of turning the mashed potato flakes into a crust was actually easier than I thought it would be. The only problem was that they didn’t seem to have enough liquid in them, so Garrett and I debated on whether or not to add more melted butter for a solid five minutes. We decided against it and continued with the rest of the steps.

Garrett finished preparing the meat while I shaped the crust. We then combined the two and baked the pie for 35 minutes. Around 10 o’clock, the pie was finished and we topped it with the lettuce and tomato.  

All in all, the taco pie turned out picture perfect. It tasted pretty good too. Well, except for the crust. We were not a fan of the mashed potato flake pie crust, and we don’t recommend ever using it!

Adventure #3 starts next week. What should we make?!

The full recipe for real taco pie can be found here http://www.dealwisemommy.net/2012/04/dinner-idea-real-taco-pie-2/

Adventure #1: Braided Spaghetti

            Last night, Garrett and I embarked on our first cooking adventure together. Our mission was to successfully create braided spaghetti, a recipe that we happened to find through Pinterest. While the end result was not a complete catastrophe, we did have some mishaps along the way.  I wish I could say the wine played a role in this, however, that wasn’t the case.

            Let’s start with step 1, grocery shopping. The ingredients for braided spaghetti are as follows

1 Loaf Rhodes Bread Dough or 12 Rhodes Dinner Rolls, thawed to room temperature

½ pound Italian sausage, cooked
6 oz spaghetti, cooked
1 cup thick spaghetti sauce
8 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into ½ inch cubes
1 egg white
Parmesan cheese
Parsley Flakes

Shopping for the ingredients did not pose any major problems for us. We did have to ask a Wal Mart employee where to find the Italian sausage, but who hasn’t been there before? Overall, the hardest part of step 1 was choosing which wines we wanted. We stood in the aisle for a solid ten minutes mulling over all of the possible choices. This was mainly due to my indecisiveness, which always gets the best of Garrett. (Sorry!)

            On to step 2, cooking. This is where it got interesting. It was about 5 o’clock when Garrett and I arrived home with the groceries. Our plan was to start cooking immediately. However, something that we didn’t take into account was that you have to thaw the rolls. (Whoops!)

            After reading the package, we discovered that it could take up to FIVE HOURS to thaw them! Thankfully, there was a “speed method” which took an hour and a half. It probably took us 45 minutes to actually get the rolls and the boiling water into the oven and start thawing. I’m not sure we would have ever figured out the whole pan of boiling water under the pan of rolls thing, so I will shamefully admit that we had to consult my mother regarding this whole thawing process. (Thanks Mom!)

            Nevertheless, around 7:30 we were ready to start cooking! For the most part it was smooth sailing from here on out. I mean, who can’t boil spaghetti and brown Italian sausage? Oh wait, I should probably mention that after browning the sausage, we forgot to drain it prior to adding the sauce. Another whoops on our part, but it turned out okay.

            The most challenging part of this whole process all had to do with those darned rolls! After rolling them out into a 12x16 inch rectangle, making ½-inch cuts along the sides, and filling the middle with the spaghetti and Italian sausage, we had to braid it. Needless to say, we are not professional dough braiders. It wasn’t a complete failure, but not surprisingly, ours did not look as pretty as the picture.

            With the oven set at 350, we pressed on, baking the braided spaghetti for 35 minutes. Garrett enjoyed some of the extra spaghetti and Italian sausage while I continuously peered over at the oven, waiting and wishing that ours would turn out that perfect golden brown color. Yeah, that didn’t happen.

              It may not have turned out picture perfect, but it was pretty tasty! Overall, we agreed that our first culinary adventure was a success.

It's on to adventure #2 for us! What should we make next?


Find the full recipe for braided spaghetti here http://rhodesbread.com/blog/blog/braided-spaghetti-bread

 

 

Big Kids, Little Kitchen

My name is Lindsey and along with my best friend, Garrett, we want to take you with us on our hopefully not too painful journey to culinary enlightenment. We are two students in our junior year of college. We have low budgets for grocery shopping and almost zero experience in the kitchen. We have, however, mastered the art of cooking Ramen noodles. Over the next 13 weeks we hope to move on to bigger and tastier things. Maybe we’ll even create the perfect soufflé! Well, let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. We’ve all been helpless victims of our own bad cooking, so join us, two big kids in a little kitchen, in our attempt to get two culinary criminals off the streets.