Thursday, December 24, 2009
gingerbread
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
winter wonderland
Thursday, December 17, 2009
10
Big Mac – United States
I know, I know…how can I even call myself an American?! But its true, I’ve never had a Big Mac. 540 calories of “two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun” – what’s not to love?
Macaron – France
Not to be confused with coconut macaroons (which I have had and LOVED) - these are French pastries. They are made from two thin cookies with a cream/ganache center. And best of all…they are come in bright colors!
Princess Cake – Sweden
One of my biggest goals as an aspiring baker is to make a Swedish Princess Cake. Not only are they beautiful, but they sound SO delicious. The cake is made from alternating layers of cake, pastry cream, and jam, and topped with marzipan. Here’s a little history about the Princess Cake.
Potato Pancakes (Latkes) – Germany
I’m not really sure how I haven’t had these before, because I feel like most people have, but for whatever reason I haven’t and I want to. They seem simple enough – grated potato & egg fried in a pan.
Pineapple Bun (Buo Luo Bao) – China
Yes, a huge part of the reason I want to try this bread is because it is in the shape of a cute little turtle! From what I understand it’s a Chinese pastry that is similar to a sugar cookie in bread form. And little known fact…the traditional version does not even use pineapple. Not sure where the pineapple part came from…
Fried Plantain – Jamaica
Pretty self explanatory…a plantain, fried. I’ve never even had a regular plantain before, but I like bananas and they are similar, right?
Tea & crumpets – England
Crumpets are similar to English muffins in looks & texture, but they are actually made from flour and yeast and are supposedly pretty bland on their own (which is why they are usually served with butter, jam, clotted cream, etc.) I think drinking tea and eating crumpets would make me feel sophisticated.
Fairy Bread – Australia
A quick way to induce a sugar coma would be to consume fairy bread. Basically, it is white bread, spread with butter, and covered in sprinkles (which the Australians call “hundreds of thousands”) Traditionally it is cut into triangles and served at kid’s birthday parties, but sometimes you can find them in fun shapes too.
Lychee – Madagascar
A lychee is described as a “fragranced fruit with a sweet taste.” The only place I’ve ever seen them in real life is at the toppings bar for Pinkberry which makes me believe they must be good if they are offered as topping for frozen yogurt.
Peanut Satay – Thailand
I’ve never had Thai food, but the combination of grilled chicken and spicy peanut sauce really intrigues me.
Yes, I realize that most of my “must-try” food options are either a) fried or b) sweets. You only live once you know.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
blueberry muffin
What's the difference between a blueberry muffin pop tart and a frosted blueberry pop tart? I was asking myself the very same question, so I tried the new blueberry muffin pop tart for myself. I gotta say, in a weird way, it really does taste similar to a bluberry muffin. I think the main difference lies on the inside, which is creamy and not quite as tart as the regular blueberry muffin.
Toasted: Before I even took a bite, I already hated the blueberry muffin pop tart toasted. Why? Because I burnt my fingers on the frosted top trying to take the stupid thing out of the toaster. No wonder they put those warning labels on the boxes…the inside was gooey, messy, and spilled all over the place.
Frozen: It was good, not a standout by any means, but yummy nonetheless.
As Is: Like I said, I don’t know how they did it but the taste really imitated a blueberry muffin.
Pop Tart fact: Post originally came up with the idea for the poptart and called them “Country Squares” – original.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
c is for cookies
Last night we had a big cookie swap with the girls. It was fun and super delicious! I made “Irresistible Graham Cracker Cookies.” Jess found the recipe for me a la a Kroger graham cracker box and let me just tell you I treated this recipe like gold. I thought for sure this was some sort of overlooked secret. Ehhhh…I was wrong. It’s not that they were bad, they just weren’t spectacular. But just listen to these ingredients – graham cracker, coconut, walnuts, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips…doesn’t that just sound like a recipe for success? Truth is, I found them to be pretty “resistible” esp. compared with the lime meltaway, chewy ginger, and peppermint pinwheel cookies I found myself surrounded with last night. Yum!
Oh – I almost forgot – Loisann came to visit me this weekend! It was so much fun to just spend the weekend shopping, eating, watching movies, pampering ourselves, and doing all sorts of other fun girl things that best friends do. We even decorated these gingerbread men…what do you think? Which one is your favorite?