Top Chef University To-Go App Review

 

As you all know I love to cook and bake. It’s one of my favorite things to do. I find it extremely therapeutic and fun. Even though I have been cooking and baking for as long as I can remember, baking bread from scratch since I was nine years old, I don’t know how to do everything. I am still learning techniques and how to do different things in the kitchen. I believe that anyone can cook with the right guidance. I just downloaded a new app called Top Chef University To- Go. I have watched Top Chef before and I really like the show.  I think this app is brilliant because it is like they are in the kitchen with you.  I like to learn visually and since there are video cooking lessons it helps especially if you don’t know how to do a certain technique and without spending hours on Google trying to figure out what different words mean you can just watch and cook along. 

I have always wanted to go to Culinary School. I wanted to be a chef when I was younger. I used to pretend I had my own cooking show. Now with this app I can go to cooking school from home in my own kitchen. I don’t have to worry about going to class or even do it on a schedule. I could learn at 3 am if I wanted to.  Top Chef University To-Go has great videos. They are fun to watch.  I learned what I need to have in my kitchen, I have always wondered if I have all the tools I need. I am missing a few of the items. One of them being an oven thermometer, I always just trusted the oven.  I need to get one ASAP.   There is also a lesson in introduction to Knife Skills. I was scared of knives for a very long time. I am not sure why, I never cut myself but once I figured out how to use one properly, I am able to do so. I am not sure the proper way to peel an apple. I end up wasting some of the apple.  I think it might have to do with the fact that I am left handed. This Halloween, Noah and I carved a pumpkin, well both of the pumpkin knives broke. I wasn’t done carving so I was forced to use a sharp knife. I managed to carve it without losing any body parts or cutting myself. I know watching the Top Chef University To-Go videos it will help me become more confident in using knives in the kitchen.   

I multitask all the time so I have to make sure I am really paying attention as I do in the kitchen.  It is really important to be safe in the kitchen and have the safety precautions in place so no one gets hurt. 

Here is more about Top Chef University To-Go from the developer:

-Cook and learn from the top 11 chef’testants at Top Chef University To-Go

-Access over 200 lessons organized into 20 courses

-Watch lesson videos in high definition

 For more information please visit Top Chef University To-Go

Be sure to Like Top Chef University To-Go on Facebook

Follow Top Chef University To-Go on Twitter

  

Top Chef University To-Go is available on iTunes for iPhone. It doesn’t matter if you are just learning to cook, if you have been cooking for years or if you consider yourself a professional, you can definitely learn something from this app. It is a must have app if you are in the kitchen regardless of your skill set.

I love Paula Deen

As an amateur chef, I like to watch cooking shows. I admire  some of the famous chefs. I really look up to Paula Deen. I love that she is so down to earth and seems really sweet. I totally love her story and how she went though a lot. She started by making sack lunches and selling them. It may be that she is a single mom like I am. She started out with nothing but determination and turned in to one of most recognizable faces and voices in America.  She is truly an inspirational woman.

I am a sucker for southern cooking too. Growing up one of my best friends lived in North Carolina so I embraced everything southern especially the food. I used to try and talk with a southern accent horribly. I remember that  we used to visit our friends and had delicious southern feasts.  Usually their neighbors would also cook too and it would be a pitch in meal that we enjoyed after sitting in chairs on the lawn or on the deck.

When I started watching Paula Deen, I really loved her style and thought she had great tools to work with. I was extremely excited when I learned she has her own line of kitchen accessories. I immediately fell in love with her line and just had to have everything. I love that it really shows off her southern charm. I love how classic everything is. Everything is amazing quality too. It would last a long time. Every cook needs a few things that have a history and that are aged and well loved.

I believe you can never have too many measuring cups or measuring spoons. I have an extensive collection of kitchen tools that I use often. I love to bake and cook different dishes at the same time and it is easier for me to just grab another item than take the time to wash and dry it, just to use it again.  I know in theory that makes more dishes to clean up later, but I just put everything in the dishwasher.  Another reason to have extra sets on hand because you can lose them. I have many measuring cups but only a couple fourth of a cups or a bunch of teaspoons.  Noah has been known to walk off with something and it never is found again. It gets lost somewhere in a toy box or thrown in the trash. It is essential to have a full set of kitchen tools. I have also lost them in moving over the years. I lost a spatula once that was never found even after we packed everything.

I would love to go to The Lady and Sons restaurant in Savannah someday. My sister and brother in law have been there a few times and really like it.  I think the next time we visit my sister and  brother in law i will see if we can go to Savannah.  It sounds like such a cool place to visit with lots of shops and history. Maybe we can even find out where Paula Deen lives and knock on her front door.  A girl can dream can't she? I would love to meet Paula Deen. Maybe someday I will. 

What are your most used kitchen tools? Do you have multiples of the same items too?

This post is inspired by BlogDash. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

I love Snickerdoodles

I love to make Snickerdoodles. I remember the first time I made them. It was in Mrs. Shrewsbury’s Home Economics class at Clay Jr. High.  She gave everyone a packet of recipes of things we were going to make.  I had eaten snickerdoodles before of course but, I hadn’t made them. It was a really good recipe and I lost my packet of recipes. I thought about going and asking for a new packet even after I was out of jr. high.  I was pretty sad that I couldn’t find the packet anymore.  As you might know I keep cookbooks for forever. I still have my 4-H cook book and my cookbook from when I was 8. I had to find a new Snickerdoodle recipe.  I found my new one on Crisco’s website. I think it was originally on the package of Crisco sticks, which are really convenient when you don’t want to mess with measuring shortening.   We have made these many times. We even made them in the shapes of fish and other sea life.

Here is the recipe from Crisco’s website:

Snickerdoodles

• 2 cups sugar, divided
• 1 cup Crisco® Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening
• OR 1 stick Crisco® Baking Sticks Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

PREPARATION DIRECTIONS:

HEAT oven to 400°F.

COMBINE 1 1⁄2 cups sugar, shortening, eggs, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat with electric mixer at medium speed until well blended.

COMBINE flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Add gradually to shortening mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended.

COMBINE remaining 1⁄2 cup sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE 7 to 8 minutes. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheets. Place on cooling racks to cool completely.

What kinds of cookies do you like?

Noah and I Are So Alike.

It is so funny to watch Noah. He reminds me so much of me when I was little. If you were in my family you would know about the infamous Here’s Bozo video. I think I even talked about it on my blog before. I said something like Ladies and Gentleman Here’s Bozo and ran in the room over and over and eventually fell down. Recently, Noah was running around the house saying Ladies and Gentleman, Start your engines or something along those lines. Another thing he does is he talks like I did when I was little. On the same video I am sitting in our plastic swimming pool and I ask my mom to get our beach towels and I said We have towels. Noah says we have *insert whatever he is talking about* and he says it the same way I did when I was well his age.

Today, I had a mess to clean up. I am assuming it was payback for the baby powder from when I was little. I dumped a whole bottle of baby powder on myself, my old best friend and all over the room. It was that dreaded Talc kind and I am sure I inhaled a ton of it and I turned out ok. Well, I thought I would be smart and put the baby powder up where Mr. Noah couldn’t reach it. He found some Wilton powdered royal icing that I totally forgot I had bought, it was in a cupcake kit. I guess I should look on the bright side and he only opened one package and not everything. It was a total mess though. Powdered Royal icing all over the counter, the floor, the stove top, and my son who decided it would be fun to make foot prints with it. He also was rolling his trains and fire trucks in it. He also had a whole package of cupcake wrappers strategically placed on the floor. I thought maybe he was trying to make cupcakes or a treat for his mommy. Well needless to say I was not amused. It was kinda funny but it was a pain to clean up. It took forever to sweep it, mop it etc, while not making icing because that would have been a total pain in the butt.

I was reminded of my grandma Rose as I was cleaning it up. We used to make paste for crafts with flour and water all the time. I also remembered doing Paper Maché with my cousin Susie, I think it was Susie. It was a long time ago, if it wasn’t Susie, it was Rory. I can’t count how many crafts we did with my grandma and assorted cousins.

After I cleaned it all up, I sat him down for a talk. He was in trouble. I wanted to know what he was doing exactly. He told me he was making it snow inside. I explained that it doesn’t snow in our house and to not get in to things he knows not to get in to. He doesn’t like to talk about it, because he knew he was in big trouble. He also learned that even mommy got in trouble when she was little. I always follow up time outs and punishments with hugs and kisses and I love yous.

Noah is definitely a character, like I was. I wonder where he comes up with this stuff.
Do you see your children doing the same silly things you did when you were a child? I would love to hear your stories.

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.

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.

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.

The little Red Hen.

As long as I can remember I have loved to cook. I remember when I was a little girl I would help my mom and my grandma in the kitchen. I was always the little helper standing on the chair next to my grandma. I have been cooking as long as I can remember. When I was 7 or 8 I used to make bread by myself. Not from a mix...Not with a bread machine. Bread from scratch. I would do all the kneading and everything by myself. I would love to make bread. On snow days I would get up early and bake. Maybe I am a descendant of the Little Red Hen. Cooking and Baking have always been very therapeutic to me. I used to pretend that I had my own cooking show. I would talk to the "camera" while I was making things explaining how to do it. I would make chit chat with the audience as well. OK I know I am a dork. When I was little cooking shows weren't as prominent as they are now. There was no Food Network or anything. The only time cooking shows were on were like Sunday mornings on PBS. As I have mentioned before I was in 4-H. I got a blue ribbon in baking. I also won a blue ribbon in Girl scouts for baking. I love to be in the kitchen and make delicious things to eat. My mom's friends used to beg me to make them cookies all the time. Of course I always did.I still love to cook.

I am teaching my son about different foods and I have him in the kitchen with me some times when I cook. I plan on teaching him how to cook. He already shows interest in it. I think that when you cook with your children it creates a special bond and special memories. You can relive those memories whenever you make or eat that certain food. Every time I make or eat certain foods I am reminded of my Grandma. I remember being in her kitchen and creating the food with her. One cooking tradition my mom and I have is every year at Christmas time we make a bunch of cookies and candies. I will definitely carry on the tradition with Noah. Its not just the normal Christmas cookies. We have special recipes that we have been making for as long as I can remember. One thing I don't like about cooking is the clean up. I hate doing dishes. Even with a dishwasher you still have to wash somethings by hand. All in all cooking is one of my greatest passions. I encourage you to go and cook something with your children or grandchildren. The memories will live on forever even after the food is gone.