I Will Never Have My Own Cooking Show

I used to want to have my own cooking show.  Imagine me an eight or nine year old little girl in my kitchen talking to the imaginary camera, while I was cooking. It was really cute and I wish it was really videotaped because I am sure it was hilarious.  It was long before Food Network and most cooking shows. Those were mostly shown on Sunday mornings on channels like PBS.  I knew a woman who had her own cooking show on a local station in North Carolina. I wanted to have my own show someday.  When Food Network started I was in love and dreamed someday I would be on there too.  Eventually, I realized it wasn’t going to happen. It wasn’t because I was not going to be discovered.  It is not I am not an awesome cook, because anyone who has tasted my cooking knows otherwise.  The real reason is because I am not an exotic chef. I don’t want to make half the food those chefs make. I would never touch lamb anything. I don’t like baby arugula or curry or anything like that. I would be a very simple chef that makes food that real people like.  There isn’t really a market for that.

I would love to be on a cupcake show or a challenge show but, really I wouldn’t use any of those weird fancy ingredients that make me gag at the thought of not only putting them in a cupcake let alone in my mouth period.  I wouldn’t win because they judge on eccentric ingredients. I can hear Kerry Vincent saying in her British accent, your cupcakes are a bit plain and unordinary, I expected a bit more of you. My philosophy is that food doesn’t have to be full of weird and expensive ingredients to taste good.   Have you ever tried to make some of those recipes? Most of the ones I would eat have really expensive ingredients.  Especially spices, who wants to spend sixteen dollars to buy a jar of organic Bolivian green sweet pepper flakes for one teaspoon? I don’t really. 

One thing I fell in love with when I was visiting my aunt and uncle was that the grocery store they shop at sells spices in bulk so, in that instance you could get just as much as you need, but not many places do that.  That is how I ended up flying home with 2 pounds of Cumin.  I made sure I labeled it a bunch because my uncle told me that it looked like gun powder.  This is the same uncle who told me they were going to think I was the Unabomber because I had his old Montana license plates in my suitcase from another trip out there.  He likes to pick on me as I am the baby of the family. Anyways, I would have things like fried potatoes, meatloaf, taco bake things that are easy to make and not something you have to spend a week in Morocco to eat. It would be all classic things that wouldn’t make you poor by  making them. When I watch cooking shows I think well you didn’t have to actually pay for your ingredients and you got them from a giant warehouse where you can have access to the finest everything.  I just once want to see one of the products not be perfect, like a bruised fruit or something a little moldy.  Not that they would have to cook with it, they could get a new one, but make it like real life.  I am sure we have all had a bruised fruit or something that went a little bad at least once.

I have also noticed those thirty minute meals never take thirty minutes.  Most people are not really fast choppers or have little distractions otherwise known as our children who constantly need something or throw paper airplanes in the kitchen doing something to distract us.  Normal people do not have Rachael Ray’s super power of being able to carry twelve things at once.  She must practice because she never drops anything. I think she is part octopus, really I do. If they really took thirty minutes, you spend at least twice as long cleaning up and doing the dishes.  I don’t really get the idea of a garbage bowl, its just one more thing that has to be washed. Pull up the trashcan next to you. Everyone owns a trash can right? It’s cheaper and it eliminates the two extra steps.  So, don’t expect to see my bright and shiny face on a cooking show anytime soon.  I don’t have a broad enough palate for it.

Cooking with Noah and Cracking Eggs

I have been teaching Noah how to cook, and he is fascinated with cracking eggs.  I made Angel Food cake the other day and I had to use 12 egg whites.  I am a pro at separating the egg whites, but I have to concentrate, and with a very helpful five year old saying I want to help and sneaking over and grabbing the eggs out of the carton it is a little nerve racking. Thankfully I only had to crack 14 eggs because I managed to lose two of them.  Noah is pretty good about listening and didn’t help me crack any eggs. I remember the first time; I had him crack an egg. I had him sit at the table and he smashed the egg and it ended up all over his face, clothes, the table and the floor. It was a mess for me to clean up after I put him in the tub and scrubbed him clean.  My mom always teases me about how when I cook something always goes wrong. It is never anything major and the food is always delicious, I guess I get distracted a lot. I too have gone to crack an egg only to not pay attention and drop the egg on the floor.  It is a complete mess.  I am then required to mop the floor, which is probably one of my most not favorite house cleaning jobs.  

I often wonder how clean my floor really is getting. I know that the dirt or substance is removed but what about all the germs? Am I getting them up too? Raw eggs contain risk of salmonella, I can be a messy cook, and sometimes I drop things like raw meat on the floor. I pick it up and mop but am I really getting all the bacteria?  I think I need to find a new steam cleaning mop just to make sure that I am not making my family at risk to get sick. I would love to get a Ladybug Steam Cleaner, for my floors so I feel better about my kitchen messes and not spending all that extra time scrubbing the floor and worrying about germs.

New Signature Brands Icings Review and Giveaway

 

I love desserts, they are probably my favorite thing to eat. I love when things have a lot of frosting like on cakes, brownies and cupcakes.  I had the opportunity to try out some new icings from Signature Brands. They have Oreo icing. Let me tell you about how much I used to love Oreo Brownies.  In the 90’s there were Oreo Brownies. I loved them so much. They came in a box of 6 and they were so delicious. They stopped making them. I was really upset about it, they were better than Oreo cookies because they were so moist and the icing was amazing.  A few years ago I was in the Reno airport and I saw an Oreo brownie, I was so excited. I thought it was back. I found them at the store and immediately purchased 4 of them. I was sorely disappointed when I tried them. They were not the same Oreo brownies I fell in love with, they were really not even good at all. I ended up throwing away the rest of them.  After a year or so I bought one more, just in case the one I had wasn’t very good for some reason. I had the same result.  I had come to realize that those were a thing of the past. I was kind of used to it because when my mom or I really like something it ends up being not made anymore. 

I had the opportunity to try out the Oreo icings from Signature Brands, and they enclosed a recipe for Oreo Brownie bites.  I thought that it sounded really good. I had seen the Oreo icing and the S’mores icing at Wal-mart and I was really curious as what they tasted like.  When I received my packages from Signature Brands with everything I needed to try out the recipes I decided to try the Oreo Brownie Bites. I had my trusty assistant Noah in the kitchen with me and it was really easy to make. I was really surprised how quickly we made them. I ended up making normal sized cupcakes instead of the minis. I also forgot to put the icing in the middle, so I will be sure to do that next time.  I can’t tell you how delicious they were even without the icing in the middle. I had found that Oreo Brownie taste once again,  just as I remembered it. I really had to control myself from running in the closet and sucking down the whole package of icing.  I have thought about going to Wal-mart to buy a package just for that purpose.  I really think that Oreo Brownie Bites are my new favorite dessert; they are a brownie and a cupcake in one.  Noah loves them too, I had to hide them from him because he would eat them all if he had the opportunity. I can’t wait to make them again soon. 

There are four flavors of the icings from Signature Brands, Original Oreo, Chocolate Oreo, Original Hershey’s S’mores  and Chocolate Cinnamon S’mores. You can easily put icing tips on the frostings so whatever you make will look like a professional made it. I love that because I am left handed and I am horrible at icing cupcakes and cakes. 

Be sure to check out the website for more recipes. You can find the delicious icings at your local Wal-mart.

Thank you to Signature Brands for providing me with samples of the icings to try out and for the kit to make the recipes and providing the giveaway prize.

I have a giveaway for you.

One (1) lucky reader will receive their own chance to make the recipes and receive their own baking kit.

Mandatory  Entry:  Go to The Signature Brands website, take a look around and tell me which icing flavor you would like to try and which recipe other than the Oreo Brownie Bites would you like to make.

Extra Entries:

Subscribe to my blog via email

Follow me on GFC 

Follow @Sheilacakes7 on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway including the link. This can be done once a day.

This giveaway will end on June  24, 2011 at 11:59 pm ET

This giveaway is open to US Residents ONLY

I Really Need to Get a Kitchen Cart for my Appliances.

Since I love to cook, I naturally have a lot of kitchen appliances. I have so many that I don’t have enough cabinet space. I have a lot of cabinets, just not any room. I try not to have a bunch of appliances on the counter except for my pride and joy, my stand mixer. Right now half of my appliances are on a metal bookcase in the laundry room, I really need to get one of those kitchen carts on wheels so I don’t have to make five trips when I need a lot of appliances. I could just wheel it in the kitchen when I need something. However I could see Noah wheeling it all over the house pretending it was a rocket or a train. Actually he is pretty good at not touching what he isn’t supposed to.

My laundry room isn’t too big. The spot that I would put the cart would be the same. Since it would be a tight fit, I would have to look at narrow kitchen carts. It would also have to have plenty of room so I can put everything on it. I would prefer a taller skinnier one then one that is bulky and hard to move and that sticks out really far. My laundry room is set up perfectly and everything has its place. It houses my washer and dryer and furnace and some other items. I have a habit of walking in the laundry room in the dark, so if it was a huge cart I would knock it over or end up hurting myself. Neither of those are a good thing.

I also considered installing some shelves in the laundry room or in the kitchen but I am not a handy person at all. It takes me forever to put Noah’s toys together, I fought with his play tent for about 30 minutes the other day. Like I said before I want something with wheels so I can move it around. I may decide to get a free standing cart to put in my breakfast nook, but then I would have to move Noah’s Easel. I can’t wait to start shopping for a new cart with wheels that I will keep in the laundry room. It’s better than the garage and out of the way at the same time.

Check Out My Meal Solutions Widget #Weeknightmeals

I am always wondering what is for dinner? I love to eat and cook so it is something that is always on my mind. Maybe it was something I inherited from my great grandma, she had 12 children and she had to start dinner as soon as the breakfast dishes were cleared. Since she had to make everything from scratch and had to figure out what the meal was going to be. Maybe that is where I get the curiosity from. I also like to anticipate what I am going to be eating. I think that food is a great thing and should be savored and I like to think about how it will taste, smell and look.

I enjoy trying new recipes and there are many places to find them but I get lost in the recipes on some websites because there is not really an easy way to navigate. You have to have a specific ingredient in mind. I am not saying that is a bad thing but sometimes I don’t have the time to spend looking for a recipe when I don’t have something specific in mind. Sometimes I just think about the type of food I want and then I am overwhelmed with thousands of choices. I want something simple, easy to find and of course delicious.

I have a new widget on my sidebar from Kroger and ConAgra that is really cool. It is called Meal Solutions. You can find it on my left side bar. It will tell you a recipe or recipes by answering three simple questions. You just click your selections and you are introduced to a delicious meal. There is also a Surprise Me button where you can get a totally random recipe.

The Three Questions are:

1.What are you craving? The choices are: American, Tex-Mex, Asian and Italian

2. How much time do you have? Less than 15 minutes, less than 30 minutes and more than 30 minutes.

3.Who is coming to dinner? Serve 1, Serve 2, and Serve 4.

I really like the ease of this website and widget. I can just click it and know that I will have a great meal to create for my family. I also love that I can print a shopping list of the ingredients that I need. If you are not sure your spouse will like the recipe or have a friend who loves Italian food, there is also a Tell a friend button that will share the recipe with them. I hope you will check it out and let me know if you try anything. I know that the Hero Joes are delicious! I am going to try another one of the recipes very soon and share with you guy about it.

Disclosure: This widget has been sponsored as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wilton Cake Pops on a Stick Transportation Pops!

I had the opportunity to take part in a contest with Wilton. Wilton is the premier brand of cake decorating and baking products. The contest was to create your own original cake pops. I bet you are wondering what a cake pop is? It is cake on a stick dipped in delicious candy melts. I really want to show you all how to make cake pops. I decided that I would use my adorable little boy as my inspiration for deciding what to make. Noah loves everything having to do with transportation, that’s what I would do. I would make a few of his favorites in to a delicious treat. Since he truly loves them all, picking which ones to do was somewhat difficult. So, I went to the source and asked Noah, he wanted rocket ships, submarines and cranes. He also mentioned blimps but, unfortunately the blimps were too warm and it was like the Hindenburg disaster.



I received a Cake Pops kit from Wilton to help me get started in my first cake pop adventure. Since I am left handed and tried to decorate Noah’s cakes before I was very nervous as they didn’t turn out very pretty. I had confidence in myself and along with my trusty and adorable assistant we were ready to hit the kitchen and start creating. First thing we did was use The Cake Pops on A Stick book to make the special recipe for the cake part. Noah really helped a lot; he poured everything in for me and even helped to stir it all up complete with construction vehicle noises. Once it was baked and cooled, we crumbled the cake.



I can honestly say that was Noah’s favorite part. He told me before we started baking that he was going to make me in to a cake pop and tickled me and said crumble crumble crumble. It was very cute. It was fun to crumble the cake up. My Grandma Rose always said that your best tools are your hands, and I agree completely.

After we crumbled it we added some icing and mixed it up with our hands. I had bought my favorite cake mix and frosting on clearance for 42 cents since it was green holiday icing, we looked like swamp things after we were done. I had to remind Noah, many times not to try and eat it all off his hands.





I decided to let it chill for a bit to firm up some, which was a great idea because it was pretty messy before. Once it was firm enough to shape without making a mess. I started making the shapes for the rocket ships, blimps, cranes, and submarines. I put them back in the refrigerator for a couple hours before I dipped the 6 inch sticks in melted Candy Melts to help them stick. Since my cake pops were bigger than the average cake pop I was worried that it would fall off if it didn’t have enough time to chill. I left them in the refrigerator for 24 hours, just to make sure.




I was ready to dip them with my new Chocolate Pro Electric Chocolate Melter. I melted some more red Candy Melts being careful that I wouldn’t waste them, when I was ready for the next color after washing some of the candy melts down the sink, I figured out if I poured the leftovers on parchment paper and let it dry I could reuse it. It peeled off really easily and I also figured out that you have to melt quite a bit to get easy coverage on your Cake Pop. I was able to make it work easily with a spatula on the bottom of the pops so they were completely incased in Candy Melt. It doesn’t take the Candy Melt very long to harden which was a good thing. I dipped the Red Rocket Ships and the Yellow Submarines first. I let Noah pick the colors all of them, since I bought every color of Wilton Candy Melts they had at the craft store.

I have always wanted to try out fondant and I thought no time like the present since I wanted to add specific details. I purchased several packages of colored ready to use fondants. I ended up using yellow fondant on all of the Cake Pops. I had also used some little cutters in different shapes. It was really easy to roll out even for me. My crowning achievement was when I put the yellow candy melts in a disposable icing bag and wrote USA on the rocket ships. It is legible even. I am not sure if Julia Child was guiding my hands like in the movie Ghost or what but it was perfect. I was so afraid that the rocket ships were going to be drizzled in yellow candy melt. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case. I was so proud of myself at that moment.

I decided to make the wings of the rocket ship out of fondant. I used yellow fondant as the periscope of the submarine as well. I had some trouble thinking of what to use for the windows on the submarine. I was going to first use the candy eyes that were included in my pops kit turned backwards, that didn’t work too well so, I thought marshmallows would work. I decided to rip them and shape them for the windows. After attaching them I decided, it looked weird so, I melted some white candy melts and put those in a disposable icing bag and drew the windows on. I thought they really needed the porthole covers around them too. I used some melted chocolate chips in another disposable icing bag. Melted chocolate chips are a different consistency than the Candy Melts so it was harder to manage. Noah reminded me that submarines have propellers so I used some pull and peel licorice that I had purchased for the cranes to make it. By that time I had poured out the yellow Candy Melt to harden so I just kind of dipped the back of the pop in the yellow melts and attached the licorice. Two down two to go I thought to myself. I was doing this and it was working for me.

 

When it was time for the blimps I went to dip them and since they had been sitting out for a hour or more they were no longer cold. I almost started to cry after I watched the Cake Pop fall apart. I was thinking, it’s ok I have two more blimps. I didn’t realize until after that was the reason they fell apart, I dipped the second making sure it was carefully placed on the stick. I went to dip it and it fell apart too once it hit the Candy melts. At this point I yell Darn it. Noah said, “Mommy, that is a bad word.” Thinking after two were ruined I couldn’t have just one blimp I dipped it and covered it in sprinkles and watched it fall off the stick as I put it in a bowl for Noah to enjoy. I put the pre-dipped cranes back in the refrigerator for a few hours so, they would survive. I think next time I will keep them in the refrigerator until the last second before dipping. I highly suggest you do so too. It makes it a lot easier and saves you from the heart break of your beautiful creations plummeting from the stick.



After waiting a while I decided the cranes needed to be dipped. I had purchased some thin pretzel sticks to be the arm of the crane. I knew how fast the Candy Melts dried so I figured that I had to dip the cranes and then stick the pretzel in quickly or my cranes wouldn’t have an arm. I thought about dipping them with the pretzel stuck in it already but decided that would probably end badly. I took a spoon and covered the pretzel with Candy Melt. I cut out some yellow little squares and circles for the wheels and windows I attached with water on a little paintbrush. I put them back in the refrigerator to make sure the arms of the cranes were dried. Everyone knows that cranes have strings on them so I thought the pull and peel licorice would be perfect for that. It’s fun to eat too. I just tied it on and it looks really cool.



I received a Cake Pops stand in my Cake Pops kit which is really nice; I plan on saving it for a special occasion. I thought since these Cake Pops capture the essence of my little boy, I wanted the stand to be something that was Noah’s. I decided to build a couple rows with his favorite blocks that have holes in them, which are perfect for holding Cake Pops. Noah’s little eyes lit up with amazement when he saw them all done and placed on our display blocks.



I received the Wilton Cake Pops Kit for my contest entry where I could win a $500 VISA Gift card or 9 other prizes. I did purchase additional products for my Cake Pops and all thoughts and opinions and ideas are in fact my own.

Swanson's Broth Great Stuffing Debate and $50 VISA Gift Card Giveaway!

I love chicken broth, especially Swanson’s Chicken broth. When I had my son, I had to have a c-section. The morning after my c-section they wanted me to eat something, I had to choose something off the liquid menu as I just had major surgery. I found that they had chicken broth listed. It was the only thing that sounded good, so I called “room service” and ordered some chicken broth. It made me feel so good inside. It made my incision feel better inside. The rest of my meals I ate when I was in the hospital were accompanied by chicken broth. For two or three weeks after my c-section, I drank a lot of Swanson’s chicken broth. I prefer the kind that is in a carton because you can close it. I had used chicken broth in cooking but I had no idea how good it was just in a cup warmed up.



I love to cook and I had the opportunity to participate in Swanson’s Great Stuffing Debate. The basic idea is that if you make stuffing with Swanson’s Broth than it will be more flavorful than stuffing made with just water. Everyone has their own favorite brand of stuffing so you can take part in the Great Stuffing Debate and share your favorite stuffing with people across the US.

My favorite stuffing is definitely Stove Top. I love how delicious it is. I am not a huge stuffing fan really but I will eat it occasionally. It is a nice holiday compliment to a meal. If I am going to eat stuffing I prefer it to be Stove Top and it has to be made the right way. Stuffing is something that my family enjoys to eat. I usually only have a couple spoonfuls because there is so much other food to enjoy and I like to sample almost everything we have on our table. The few things I won’t eat are anything Pumpkin or Cranberry relish or yams. Otherwise I gorge on Thanksgiving foods.

Thanks to Swanson Broth for providing me with a $50 gift card and providing the giveaway prize. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have a giveaway for you.

One (1) person will win a FIFTY dollar VISA gift card from Swanson to participate in The Great Stuffing Debate.

Mandatory Entry: Tell me your favorite brand of stuffing

Extra Entries:

Subscribe to my blog via email. You must verify

Follow my blog on GFC

Follow @Sheilacakes7 on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway including a link to this post. This can be done once a day.

This giveaway is open to US Residents ONLY

This giveaway will end on December 3, 2010 at 11:59 PM ET

George Foreman Evolve Review

Everyone knows who George Foreman is. I knew about him from his grill before I knew he was a boxer. I have had a few George Foreman Grills in my life and they all ended up getting lost or I think even once stolen. I am not sure what happened to them all. After having to replace them a few times I never got around to getting a new one. So, when I had the opportunity to try out the George Foreman Evolve, I was really excited. I had only had the small ones before. Those were great , but I remember it would take some time to cook enough food for everyone on it.

The George Foreman Evolve is so much cooler than a normal George Foreman Grill because it has 12 different plates that do everything from make muffins and casseroles to waffles, besides of course grilling. I received 2 grill plates with hatch marks, a slider tray and a casserole dish with mine. You can buy the other plates separately. I could not wait to try it out. I decided I would make steak with a soy sauce marinated. It is fun to cook steak outside on the grill but it can be time consuming especially with a 4 year old little boy who is very curious. I also like to grill but I can’t in the winter, too much snow, I am glad to have the George Foreman Evolve Grill to be able to grill inside and make healthy options for my family. Not to mention it is a real time saver, now that the grilling area is so much bigger than a smaller George Foreman Grill.

After marinating the steaks in soy sauce for a couple hours, I put them on the George Foreman Evolve. Almost immediately, I could smell the steak cooking. I couldn’t wait for dinner to be done. I love how it cooks evenly and fast. When the steaks were done, I dug right in. My family really enjoyed how delicious the steaks were and I enjoyed how easy it was to make and use. If you know me very well, you know I hate doing dishes. I love to cook but I hate doing dishes. So, I love that the plates come completely out and you can just throw them in some hot soapy water and be done with it.

The George Foreman Evolve costs $129.99. For more information please visit the George Foreman website.

Thank you to George Foreman for sending me a complimentary George Foreman Evolve Grill to try out, and thank you to the Family Review Network for the opportunity.

Foods I Won't Eat

Recently, I have been thinking about foods I refuse to eat, mainly meats I won’t eat. Yes, I eat meat but there are some I refuse to have in my mouth for various reasons.

1.Lamb – I don’t care how good you think it tastes. I will not eat lamb in any way shape or form. All I can think of is Poor little Lamb Chop and who would eat Lamb chop?

2. Duck- No Duck for me. No thank you. No Turkducken or roasted duck that is just plain yuck. Ducks weren’t meant to be eaten in my opinion.

3. Goat- Sorry Annie. No goats for me.

I don’t have a problem with those that choose to eat these items but, please if I am coming to dinner, don’t serve them to me and tell me they are something else, I will know. People always say to me: “You’ll eat alligator but you won’t eat, lamb or duck?” I always respond with yep, crazy huh?”

This reminds me of a trip to North Carolina I took. I went to go see my friends Logan and Loretta; they kept talking about liver mush. I had no clue what livermush was. There were signs for livermush everywhere. Even on the marquee at Walgreens. I thought it just had a weird name. I never did make the connection that it was liver! Call me naïve. I thought liver mush would be like grits. I have never had grits but I thought it would be mush, after all it is called livermush. I took the name literally, but the wrong part. Somehow they managed to convince me to try it. It looked like sausage. I think they told me it was sausage or something. I can’t remember how they got me to try it. I do remember trying it. It did not taste like sausage. It was gross. Never again will I eat livermush. Never again!

My friend Logan aka the Jerky King passed away in November 2008 suddenly. I miss him a lot. We had many good times together and laughed a lot. Loretta’s mom thought Logan and I were having an affair but we weren’t. That whole trip to visit them was truly an adventure, you wouldn’t believe it if I told you. It was so messed up from the get go. I will blog about it sometime. I am so glad that I had the chance to know Logan. He was a great friend.

There are many other foods I won’t eat. Listing them all would take a coon’s age. What are some foods that you will eat?

Self Confessed Kitchen Gadget Junkie

I am obsessed with kitchen items, because I love to cook and bake. I have a ton of things in my kitchen that are great helpers in the kitchen. I think it would be cool to have my own cream dispenser. Sure you can buy the store bought aerosol cans of whipped cream but as my grandma would say, Fresh whipped cream is the best. I am not a huge whipped cream fan but many of my family members are. I host a family get together almost every year in my home and we always have dessert and I think that would be the perfect accent to a delicious dessert. The times that my Uncle Gene and Aunt Peggy can come to a get together my aunt Peggy makes the most delicious Lime Mint Dessert. I love it and it is such a treat when she brings it along for me and everyone else. I know she makes it with me in mind. It is also hard to whip cream for one person because it doesn’t stay fresh very long.

I would also like to have a soda siphon. I think it would be fun to make my own fountain type drinks like chocolate soda. I am sure it would bring back memories of youth for some older people. I think it would be a great way to bond with your children and talk about “The Good Old Days”. I can hear the stories now. When I was your age, I had to walk up hill both ways in 10 feet of snow and it was a real treat to go to the local drug store and get a soda from the soda jerk. We also had the treat of picking out a couple pieces of penny candy back when it really was a penny. Of course I am just kidding around about the stories.

What are some cool kitchen items or gadgets you would like? I am always looking for new ideas and suggestions.

Sheila's Beer Battered Onion Rings Recipe

I love onions; they are one of my favorite foods. So, naturally onion rings are on the top list of foods I really enjoy. Now onion rings can come in a couple different ways. There is breaded onion rings that have a thick coating where the onion always seems to fall out. I am not a huge fan of them honestly. I have to be in the mood for that kind, which isn’t often. Beer battered onion rings are the way to go for me. I love to make them at home. I actually bought a deep fryer just to make onion rings. It is the only thing I have ever made in my deep fryer. This is the recipe my mom used when I was younger. I have many memories of her making them and us eating them. I thought I would share with you guys the recipe. It is really easy but it is kind of time consuming but extremely worth it in my opinion.

Here is a list of what you will need:

Deep fryer

Can of shortening

Few big onions

12 ounce bottle of the beer of your choice, I buy whatever is on sale usually Coors Light

1 1/2 cups of flour

Salt

Step 1: in a large bowl combine beer and flour. Let it sit for 3 or 4 hours. Resist the urge to stir it after you have mixed it all together. The batter will turn frothy.

Step 2: Put your shortening in your deep fryer and let it heat to the proper temperature. Please consult your deep fryer manual.

Step 3: Cut onions in rings. I usually do thicker rings because when the onion cooks it gets thinner. Separate the rings.

Step 4: Coat rings in the beer batter thoroughly.

Step 5: carefully place the onions in the deep fryer. I usually use a fork. Watch out for splatter and steam.

Step 6: When the onion rings are starting to cook flip them over with a fork or tongs. I always wear an oven mitt to protect my hands. When they are golden brown they are done.

Step 7: Take out onion rings and place on a cookie sheet covered with newspaper and paper towel. Immediately salt both sides.

Repeat steps 4 through 7 until you have the desired amount of onion rings

You can reheat them in the oven for a few minutes at 350 degrees on a cookie sheet
with paper towel.

If you want to make more batter remember it is equal parts beer and flour.

Enjoy!

I hope you try out this onion ring recipe and let me know what you think.

Bisquick Pancake Breakfast Review and LIVE Giveaway.

Nothing says breakfast like a hot stack of pancakes. Our favorite brand of pancake mix is Bisquick. That was the brand my mom used when I was growing up and the brand my grandma used, so naturally now as an adult I use Bisquick to make my son pancakes. We like them plain, but we have also have been known to throw in some chocolate chips or berries in the batter. Pancakes are little clouds of goodness. Noah loves all kinds of breakfast foods. He lovingly calls pancakes, cancakes.

Bisquick Pancake Nation is a national effort to inspire pancake lovers to unite through pancake breakfasts. Join the Bisquick Pancake Nation to find everything you need to know about planning and hosting a pancake breakfast fundraiser. From now through May 31st, you can apply for a $250.00 grant* for your qualified non-profit organization so that you can host your own pancake breakfast fundraiser in your local community.

When you visit the Bisquick Nation website you can find :

The Pancake Finder—locate a nearby pancake fundraiser

Pancake Mix—customize a future Bisquick Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser with some fun tips on what to serve with pancakes

Calculator—plan shopping for just the right amount of ingredients for expected guests

Placemats—download and print so guests can share trivia and play games while they eat

We really enjoyed our pancake breakfast and using our new cast iron griddle pan, Cast Iron skillets make me think of my grandma because she always cooked with one. It has now been passed on to my aunt Peggy. When we go and visit them in California my aunt Peggy will sometimes use her cast iron skillet along with her dishes and we will remember my grandma Rose. The great thing about cast iron is it lasts for forever.

We enjoyed the hot delicious pancakes too. Who doesn’t love pancakes? It is in my opinion the traditional American breakfast. They are so easy to make with Bisquick. Not sure when they are ready to be flipped? Just look for the bubbles and when they pop you are good to flip them. I really like the mixing bowl with the spout too. I am notorious for spilling things in the kitchen. Every time I am spooning something out I always get some on the counter. I didn’t with the mixing bowl.

For more information: Please visit HERE


I have a LIVE giveaway for you:

You will win:
A box of pancake mix
A mixing bowl with a spout
A spatula
A Cast Iron griddle skillet

You must do the mandatory entry, after that you can comment as much as you want.

Mandatory entry: Tell me a story about a time you ate pancakes
Be Sure you leave a way to contact you.

Comment number 204 will win
This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

Since I am a member of MyBlogSpark I had the opportunity to share this with you. The product, prize pack, and giveaway have been provided by Bisquick through MyBlogSpark. These opinions are my own.

How to Roast Garlic

I love Garlic. I have been proclaimed the Garlic Queen. We went to Garlic Fest in 2008, in Delray Beach. Noah is a graduate of Garlic University. He has a diploma and all. I love Garlic in every way shape and form. Noah loves garlic too. I definitely prefer fresh garlic and not the kind that comes in a jar. I love roasted garlic. I know some people like it on crackers; I prefer it on Cheddar Pringles. When you go to a restaurant you can pay like 5 or 6 dollars for a head of roasted garlic and some bread or crackers. It is really easy to make. I thought I would do a post on How to Roast Garlic.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Step 2: Cut the tops off the head of garlic making sure all of the cloves are exposed. You might have to do a little grooming for the ones that don’t get exposed during the initial cut.

Step 3: Get a piece of aluminum foil (big enough to wrap the head of garlic) and place the garlic on it. Drizzle the exposed cloves with Olive Oil and wrap tightly. I think the pull up and twist method works the best.

Step 4: place in a little pan or loaf pan incase of leakage and put in the oven for 45 minutes.

Step 5: Let cool a little and remove the cloves and enjoy.

Now for some hints:

Tight heads work the best.

Don’t break or remove the skin of the garlic before roasting.

To help the garlic cool faster unwrap the aluminum foil.

One head of Garlic can feed two people maybe more depending on how much you love garlic. I usually eat one by myself.

See how easy it is? Now you can have roasted garlic anytime you want.

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Duncan Hines

It is almost St. Patrick’s Day, growing up we celebrated it with wearing green so I wouldn’t get pinched at school. We also received a small little treat because I am extremely Irish. I remember looking for rainbows on St. Patrick’s Day and looking for pots of gold when I was little. I am Irish from both sides of my family. My mom’s parents are both of Irish decent. My Grandma Rose’s family came over from Ireland on a ship called the Spotted Cow.

On my dad’s side is where I get most of my Irish heritage. My Grandpa Bill was born in Ireland and all his family is from Ireland. My dad was also born in Ireland. So, I am more Irish than I am anything else. I am first generation American. I am the second person in my dad’s entire family to be born in America with my sister being the first. So, to me St. Patrick’s Day is not just an excuse to get drunk but it reminds me of my heritage and family.

I thought it would be fun to share some recipes for some delicious St. Patrick’s Day treats from Duncan Hines with you guys. You all know how much Noah and I like to cook. I have two recipes to share with you that Duncan Hines has developed in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. The recipes are Leprechaun Key Lime Cake and Clover Patch Brownies.

Leprechaun Key Lime Cake


Try your luck with our cool, creamy, refreshing Leprechaun Key Lime Cake. There's a splash of lemon-lime in every bite thanks to Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme Cake Mix, lemon pudding, lime slices and Key lime juice.

Ingredients:

Cake:
• 1 pkg Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe® Lemon Supreme Cake Mix
• 1 (3.4 oz) pkg lemon instant pudding and pie filling
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup Key lime juice

Glaze:
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/3 cup Key lime juice
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp butter or margarine, melted

Garnish:
• additional confectioners' sugar, lime slices and fresh strawberry slices

Baking Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 10-inch Bundt or tube pan.
2. For cake, combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil, 3/4 cup water and 1/4 cup Key lime juice in large bowl. Beat at low speed with electric mixer until moistened. Beat at medium speed 2 minutes.
3. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 25 minutes. Remove cake from pan onto cooling rack. Return cake to pan. Poke holes in top of warm cake with toothpick or long-tined fork.
4. For glaze, combine 2 cups confectioner's sugar, 1/3 cup Key lime juice, 2 tablespoons water and melted butter in medium bowl. Pour slowly over top of warm cake. Cool completely. Invert onto serving plate. Dust with additional confectioner's sugar. Garnish with lime slices and strawberry slices, if desired

Clover Patch Brownies
Bring a bit-o-luck to the kitchen by creating these shamrock-covered Clover Patch Brownies using our Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownie Mix.


Ingredients:
• 1 pkg Duncan Hines Family Style Chewy Fudge Brownie Mix
• 1 pkg pre-made marzipan or fondant
• green food coloring
• green toothpicks

Baking Instructions:
1. Bake brownies according to instructions on box. Remove from oven and let cool. Cut brownies into squares.
2. Meanwhile, knead green food coloring into marzipan or fondant until desired shade of green is achieved.
3. Form small (1-inch) 3-leaf and 4-leaf clover shapes out of fondant or marzipan. Be realistic and make a lot more 3-leaf clovers than 4-leaf clovers.
4. Stick clover shapes on top of green toothpicks.
5. Insert little bunches of clovers onto each brownie.

Duncan Hines is available in your local store's baking aisle.

I hope you try out one or both of these recipes with your little leprechauns. It will definitely add some Irish fun to your day and maybe bring you some good luck too. I wish everyone a Happy and Safe St. Patrick’s Day. Don’t forget to wear green or you might be pinched by a mischievous little leprechaun.

Thank you to Duncan Hines for providing me with a couple mixes to try out these recipes with my son.

Oscar themed recipe ideas!

The Oscars are Sunday. Besides the awards The Oscars are known for the fabulous parties. Hyundai has teamed up with Serious Eats and Bakerella to create a fun widget to bring you some very creative Oscar themed recipes. Some of the high lights are Up in the Eclair and Inglorious Custards. What clever and cute names. I used to love going to theme restaurants and reading the menus where they renamed items for movies and famous people. Be sure to check out the widget for some delicious recipes for your Oscar Party.


If you have a blog, go to Hyundai's Facebook page to get the widget to embed on your site to share the recipes with your readers.

Remember to compare

We went to Super Target today. I decided Noah and I were going to bake a treat together tomorrow. As some of you know I love Funfetti cake. They have a cookie recipe on the box. I have been wanting to try the cookies since they will be like those cake cookies you can get in the bakery. My mom told me a while ago about how there is a Funfetti Cookie Mix now too. While we were in the baking aisle, I saw the Funfetti cookie mix and picked it up and handed it to Noah.

I looked at the price because I am careful with saving money. The price said $1.99. Right next to the cookie mix was the cake mix for $0.88. I compared the amount of cookies and they both made 3 dozen. I of course opted for the cake mix since it was more economical. Although I am pretty sure I had a Funfetti Cake Mix in my pantry. I also bought an Angel Food Cake Mix. I have never made it from a box but since I have a stand mixer it should be perfect.

Moral of the story: Don’t forget to compare prices and products because there might be a cheaper option that is the exact same thing.

Flirty Aprons Coupon Code

A few weeks ago, I wrote a review about Flirty Aprons. I received an email from them today with a special coupon code to share with you all. So, since I could only pick one winner, I thought that many of you would appreciate a special savings for Flirty Aprons. As a special thank you from Flirty Aprons for your support you can use the coupon code 30Coupon to save 30% off your order. Just put it in the coupon code section when you check out.

This coupon will expire Sunday February 28th 2010 at midnight.

Blender Blender

My oldest kitchen appliance is my blender. I have mentioned this ghetto contraption to some of my blog friends. It is seriously over 20 years old. I am sure it is older than that. For as long as I can remember this blender has been in our family. It is an old Oster blender. It is pretty much useless unless you are blending pure liquids. If you are making a frozen drink or milk shake it is almost impossible to chop ice with it. You have to shake it really hard while it is blending.


Thankfully, I haven’t had any incidents were the glass part comes off and goes flying. The cord is so old that the safety features on it are long since gone. The features on it are so outdated. Did you know now you can attach a juicer or a popcorn popper to some blenders? OK I made up the popcorn popper attachment but you get where I am going.

I used to marvel at the ease of other peoples blenders. I remember once my old friend and I were having daiquiris together and I went to make them and I was getting ready to shake the blender and she looked at me like what are you doing? I realized her blender actually WORKED properly. It was fast and you didn’t have to do the old shake n pray, where the top didn’t go flying and splatter all over the counter.

I hardly ever use my blender, I would love to use it more but, it is such a pain it is hardly worth it plus who wants to drink something frozen with big ice chunks in it? Not me. I actually have to scoop the ice chunks out after it won’t chop anymore. It is a loved blender with many many wonderful memories of holiday baking and milk shakes and good times. However I think it is time to retire the poor thing and get a new one. Does anyone have any suggestions of good blenders?

I tried to look up my blender online and I couldn't find anything about it.

Davidsons Safest Choice Eggs Review

I really enjoy eating eggs. I also like to eat raw cookie dough. Growing up my grandmother used to make me a special breakfast when I would come and stay with her. She would call this special egg dish, chicky eggs. A chicky egg is a soft boiled egg with buttered bread that you use to dip in to the egg. You eat them right from the shell. Someday I will share with you all the proper way of eating a chicky egg. They are delicious. I always preferred my chicky eggs on the runny side. I know now that it wasn’t probably the safest idea. They were cooked but not as much as they should have been. I never got sick from eating chicky eggs. I still occasionally delight in that dish from my childhood. I knew that I wanted to share this dish with my son but I was really leery of doing so, because of the risk of salmonella.

My favorite thing about making cookies, well baking in general, is sampling the dough or batter. I have remembered a specific time when I made cookies with my childhood friend when she and her family were visiting from North Carolina. Jennifer and I had a great time baking together. While we were rolling the balls of cookie dough, we would eat some of the dough. Her dad came into the kitchen and started to yell and lecture us about THE DANGERS of consuming raw cookie dough. At the time I was wondering why Uncle Barry was making such a big deal about it. I honestly still eat raw cookie dough and I probably always will. I also like to lick the spoon when I make cupcakes or brownies.

Every year during December, my family and I make all kinds of cookies and sweets. There is a certain secret recipe that we make every year, which was created by a family friend of ours. It has a raw egg in it and every year we shrugged it off as oh well I hope we don’t get sick. It is too good to just not make. This year we were able to make that recipe without worrying about getting sick. My son had not had the pleasure of tasting raw cookie dough until recently when I had the opportunity to learn about Davidson’s Safest Choice Eggs. Davidson’s makes pasteurized eggs in the shell.


From the Davidson’s Safest Choice Pasteurized Eggs website:
Davidson's Safest Choice is the leader in pasteurized shell eggs! Using a revolutionary patented technology, National Pasteurized Eggs, Inc. produces Davidson's Safest Choice Pasteurized Shell Eggs and distributes them across the nation. This process kills Salmonella bacteria and viruses like Avian influenza. Yet our eggs look, cook and taste just like other shell eggs.

This is how they do it from the website:
• The National Pasteurized Eggs process starts with the arrival of clean, farm-fresh eggs on sanitized plastic flats from our pre-approved, USDA certified and inspected farms.
• All eggs arrive from USDA inspected, family owned and operated farms and are delivered within 48 hours of being laid.
• Hens are fed diets that contain no hormones, no antibiotics and no animal by-products are used.
• The eggs enter our patented pasteurization system where the carriers transport the eggs to our clean, warm water bath pasteurizer.
• The eggs continue through the water bath where this mixture of exact time and temperature assures accurate pasteurization. The eggs are pasteurized to exceed a 5 log reduction of harmful bacteria or viruses without cooking the eggs. The 5 log reduction of Salmonella is the regulated standard set by the FDA required for a product to be labeled pasteurized. The NPE patented process ensures that eggs meet and exceed this 5 log FDA requirement without cooking the eggs.
• The eggs move on automated carriers where they receive an optical check that identifies and removes all damaged or cracked eggs.
• The eggs then are conveyed out of the pasteurization bath and through an automatic waxing unit which applies a food grade wax protection over the egg shell. This wax acts as an additional seal to protect the eggs from absorption of any cross-contaminants that otherwise could pass through the shell's thousands of open pores.
• Next, the eggs receive a red Circle P stamp identifying them as pasteurized.
• This finished product is then packed, moved to coolers and brought to below 45°F., and palletized for shipment.
• The pasteurization facility and production are managed under controlled HACCP procedures adhering to defined SOP’s and GMP’s and Circle U Kosher approval standards. The facility and process are inspected and certified by USDA and Silliker Labs and approved by the FDA.
• The total pasteurization process above results in destruction of bacteria and viruses inside and outside the shell, preserving freshness and taste as well as significantly extending the shelf life of the eggs.
• That's how we pasteurize our eggs!

The eggs are delicious. They taste exactly like normal eggs. I made chicky eggs a few times and I like them runny because they are delicious and easier to dip. I didn’t have to worry about them making me sick and I was able to have them runny once again like my grandma Diana once made them.

You can find some free recipes that incorporate raw eggs HERE

So, now you can enjoy raw cookie dough, cake batter, brownie batter, and ice cream without a worry of any risk of salmonella. That also means that Noah can also share in my favorite childhood breakfast. I am really excited for that. I think that Safe eggs changed eggs as we once knew them. Next time you are at the store look for Davidson’s Safest Choice Pasteurized Eggs and pick up a carton or two and now you can safely pig out on cookie dough without any risk of Salmonella. The eggs are safe to eat 4 to 6 weeks after the Best by date too. The best by date is when the eggs are their freshest.

To find Davidson’s Safest Choice Pasteurized Eggs near you please check out the Store Locator

If you can’t find them in your area please sign this petition to please bring Davidson’s Safest Choice Pasteurized Eggs in new areas for those of you that do not have the product in your area.

You can find a money saving coupon HERE

Thank you to Davidson’s Eggs for sending me a couple coupons for a couple dozen eggs for my reviewing purposes.

Flirty Aprons Review and Giveaway

My Grandma Rose loved to cook and I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with her baking cakes, cookies and preparing meals. She also made special treats that are family secrets. She would always wear an apron. She had a bunch of them. I would always wear one when I cooked with her. She even let me pick which one I wanted to wear first. My favorite was one that looked kind of like a towel. It was a skirt apron or a half apron. I used to twirl around in her kitchen in between helping her cook and occasionally helping with the dishes.

In my adult life, I never had an apron. When I was younger I had play aprons I am sure but nothing that I could pass off wearing now. I am pretty sure I would look ridiculous in my Daisy smock which I occasionally cooked in. So, when I had the opportunity to review an apron from Flirty Aprons, I was really excited. I no longer would look like I had a fight with a flour monster or a sugar cloud. Maybe I am exaggerating a little bit about the mess I make while cooking but, most of the time I am a little messy.

Flirty Aprons is a company that sells adorable aprons for everyone. They have woman’s aprons and even aprons for kids. Just think how cute your daughter would look with a matching apron while in the kitchen with you. They also have some men’s aprons, because men can be messy too. Those of course are not the same prints and colors as the woman’s. These aprons are fun and stylish. They have the cutest patterns. I had a really hard time choosing the one I wanted. I thought about it for a while and I decided since I love cupcakes, I would get the Original Cupcake Apron.

I couldn’t wait until I received it. When the apron came, I immediately tried it on. This apron is not my Grandma Rose’s apron. My new apron is very sassy and sweet. Flirty Aprons completely sheds the only old women wear aprons mentality. The name is very appropriate as well.No need to guess your size because Flirty Aprons are one size fits all. I am enjoying this beautiful well made apron and I look forward to using it in all my cooking adventures as well as while I teach Noah to cook.

For more information and to order an adorable apron for yourself please visit Flirty Aprons.

Thank you to Flirty Aprons for providing me with a complimentary apron for my reviewing purposes and also providing the giveaway prize.

I have a giveaway for you.

One lucky reader will win a Flirty Apron of their own. The winner can pick the apron of their choice.

You must do the mandatory entry for the extra entries to count.

Mandatory entry: Please visit Flirty Aprons and tell me the apron you would choose. Please also tell me which category it is in.

Extra entries:

Subscribe to my blog via email. You must verify it to count.

Follow my blog

Tell me who the apron will be for

Follow @sheilacakes7 on twitter and tweet about this giveaway including a link to this post. This can be done once a day!

Please remember to leave your email address in your comments or make it accessible on your blog. The winner will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or I will have to pick a new winner.

This giveaway will end February 3,2010 at 11:59 pm ET.
This giveaway is open to US Residents ONLY
Good Luck Everyone!