Tis the Season

Colder weather, falling leaves, Christmas lights and Starbucks holiday specialty drink – oh what a great time of year this is. Every year right before Thanksgiving, Starbucks brings back their beloved holiday specialty drinks. Consumers flock to their local location, wait in long lines and carry around the signature red festive cup. Toating your cup on walks, to football games, to class, or wherever the Christmas season takes you seems to be an annual part of winter. From concoctions such as Pumpkin Spice latte, Gingerbread latte, Peppermint hot chocolate and more – Starbucks is a place that has a constant line during the winter season.

There is just one thing wrong – price. Maybe it is just me but I sure feel like the prices of Starbucks increase every year. I love Starbucks and the feeling of going into their coffee shop but this year I decided to try to learn how to make my own coffee holiday goodness with in the confines of my own home. Even though most Starbucks have a drive-thru, not having to get cold from the distance of my back door to the car is one advantage of staying at home for some brew.

Whether you enjoy hot coco or coffee more here are a few tips of how to change up your drink:

–      Add Coffee Mate’s Peppermint Creamer

–      Add Torani Hazelnut flavoring

–      Add Torani Vanilla flavoring

If these flavor additions are still not “Starbucks” enough for you then try out their new product the Starbucks Verisimo. Most comparable to a Kureig coffee machine, the Verisimo allows you to buy the specific flavors and produce them right in your own kitchen. Just because you can make your own holiday creations at home doesn’t mean you still can’t make the occasional treat to that local Starbucks location. But beware! Prices do coincide with the Starbucks label! Aside from that…

Bon Appetite!

Asia-Indi-Sea Food

Who needs a genre when it comes to food? Why not mix it up and make your own? Well that is exactly what I decided to do with my latest concoction with shrimp. 

I really was craving Asian and with my strict college budget, I didn't have time or money resources to go out and grab some local Asian cuisine. So my next step was taking a look at what I had in the pantry. Ah ha! I have plenty of soy sauce. As far as protein goes the only thing I had was shrimp. Well you can easily have shrimp in an Asian dish, but what else could go with this meal? Next I found some couscous. Couscous is technically an Indian form of rice but this package was the toasted pine nut flavor. 

So with a little Asian, seafood and Indian, I ended up creating a quite delicious meal. 

Interested in creating this for yourself? It's easy! 

If you purchase the Near East Couscous, it cooks in 5 minutes with 3 easy steps. First, add water and the contents of the spice pack in a pot. Next, bring to a boil then add in the rice. Finally, remove from heat and cover the pot. After a few minutes fork the rice so it doesn't stick to the edges of the pot. That is it for the couscous, now for the shrimp.

I tend to prefer to cook the shrimp with tails on but that is personal preference when it comes to cooking. First it is important to de-thaw the shrimp in warm water so you don't get a freezer burn taste with the shrimp. Add just a splash of olive oil so the shrimp don't stick to the pot then top off with enough soy sauce for the shrimp to sauté in. Dash a little salt and pepper on top and your done. 

So Asian, Indian and seafood really does go quite nice!

Bon Appetite!

Spice Anything Up

There is nothing that a little bit of Jalapeno Ranch dressing won't spice up! Coming from a slight addiction to the infamous Chuy's Mexican Restaurant, I decided I should learn how to make my own. It may not be as good or addicting but this recipe is about as close as I have found to the restaurant style dip.

Even though it sounds extensive, the recipe is actually quite simple and easily adaptable to specific taste buds. It is important to remember the spice levels of the audience or group of people you will be cooking and serving for. I tend to like mild to medium in terms of spice. 

Now as far as the recipe, it really only takes three ingredients: basic store brand ranch dressing (don't want a strong flavored ranch), dry ranch mix packet and one to two Jalapenos. Dice up the jalapeno into relatively decent sizes and put in a blender. Add both dry and regular ranch dressings to the blender and mix all together. 

Make sure you taste the blend together to taste the level of spice. If you want it spicier then you should dice the second jalapeno and add then blend. 

Now what can you use this dip for? Oh the options. My favorite use of the dip is on top of pulled pork, buffalo or beef. Slap some meet on a tortilla, shred a little lettuce then top with this dip and you have quite a tasty snack. 

Another way to use the dip is just that... as a dip. It goes great with any party chips just sitting on its own. 

There are so many other ways to utilize this recipe but those two are my favorite combinations. Try out this recipe if you are interested in adding a little spice to your normal dinner or dinner party. 

Bon Appetite! 

Wine A Little

Let's talk wine. It's Halloween so as adults we enjoy a different kind of treat.

Wine is a great accent to any types of food. As I've made very obvious already, Italian really goes well with wine but what is the cool thing about wine is you don't have to drink it to enjoy it when it comes to food and meals!

Have you ever considered just using wine as a decorative piece for your meals? Well here are a few ways to use wine as decorative pieces this Halloween. All you will need is orange, green and white acrylic paint, a sharpie and if you want to go detail crazy maybe a few basic colored paint pins.

           

                            Source: endlesslycreatingmyself.com via Heather on Pinterest    Source: womansday.com via Danielle on Pinterest

The color of wine bottles varies depending on what type of wine you are selecting. No worries. There is an idea for each colored bottle. If you have a green colored bottle, go for a pumpkin, witch, zombie, spider web, goblin, anything can really go on a green bottle. 

What is really depends on the bottle color is doing a ghost. I personally think that the ghosts and pumpkins are some of the cutest wine decorations because you can do so many different faces with each bottle. 

If you want to be even more detailed specific, then try one of these type of wine bottle decorations. 

                                                                              Source: amazon.com via Leonel on Pinterest

For those of you out there who enjoy a good graphic creativity, slap a new label on each wine bottle. Again the type of wine should influence your creative names on this type of decoration. Maybe in your mind a bottle of Pino Grigo as rat's blood makes sense but I tend to stay a little closer to the belt. 

If it helps your creativity, why not enjoy a little glass while creating these fun decorations. 

Bon Appetite!

                                                          

The Classic Mix Up

The Classic. Everyone’s childhood favorite meal, or at least for those of us who are normal, was the grilled cheese. Whether you got this child delicacy at home or at your favorite lunch spot, grilled cheese is something that brings everyone back to the good ole’ days.

Slap a buttered piece of bread on a skillet, add plenty of cheese and finish by topping the sandwich off the other piece of buttered bread and let the goodness melt and warm as it all comes together and the buttery warm smells and feelings fill the kitchen air.

Here is the problem: as we grow older and into adults our taste buds change. The good thing is that they hardly change from our love of butter and cheese. Here is the kicker… and adult grilled cheese! There are so many different combinations that we as adults can add to boost those new taste buds into overdrive with The Classic.

I’ve come up with three unique and yet tasteful additions to the epic grilled cheese sandwich. I’ve got one for spice, one for flavor and one for meat lovers.

Spice it up. Secret ingredient in this mix up is green chilies. If you really want to branch out and spice up the entire sandwich change the cheese. If you stray away from the classic yellow American cheese, to a more sophisticated type cheese such as Monterey Jack, the spice level with the green chilies really wakes up your senses.

One for flavor? Adding fresh avocado slices are the key. If you really want to be bold add some bacon and tomatoes to make a grilled BLT. You can also change the cheese on this sandwich to make it swiss or provolone.

Source: aturtleslifeforme.com via Elizabeth on Pinterest

For the people who are meat lovers you can pretty much add any type of meats you prefer to make this a protein filled grilled cheese. I’ve been known to make one grilled cheese with turkey, pastrami and bacon.

                                                                           Source: google.ca via Kelly on Pinterest

There are a lot of different combinations you can make with grilled cheese sandwiches. You just have to be creative and bold enough to try out new flavors!

Bon Appetite!

For the Love of Pasta

I feel like it has become pretty obvious that I like Italian food, especially because it involves pasta in almost every dish. I have always grown up eating pasta, so naturally I crave it. Not only do I crave Italian food, but experimenting with all of the different cooking possibilities is a chef's paradise. There are so many spices, types of noodles and sauce combinations that you can create. 

One of my favorite combinations I have ever created is spinach fettucini alfredo with Monterey grilled chicken. This is an easy, affordable and still delicious recipe anyone could whip up in your kitchen. 

The key to making this recipe is in the alfredo sauce and in the seasoning for the chicken.

While the water is boiling for the spinach noodles, it is time to prepare the chicken. When you buy boneless and skinless breasts at the grocery store, it is still important to clean up the chicken. In order to do this simply cut off any excess fat. Next you want to butterfly the breast. By doing this it is going to thin out the meat that helps it not only cook faster but more evenly. When cutting up chicken for a pasta butterflying is a good idea because it makes each slice thiner and allows for more slices all together. 

Here comes the seasoning. Cover the chicken in olive oil. Next salt and pepper both sides of the breast thoroughly. Finally cover both sides of the breast with Monterey Grilled Seasoning (my suggestions is McCormick's seasonings). Put the breasts on the grill on medium heat. 

After the pasta has been cooked completely, strain noodles to remove water. While the noodles start to cool off, we can start the best part, the sauce. Pour all of the sauce in a medium sized pan. Add a dash of salt and pepper. The part that makes this sauce so amazing is when you add red pepper flakes. Now in my personal opinion, I love spice so I added a significant amount of flakes to the sauce. Stir until warm.

Mix all of this together and your ready to go. 

Bon Appetite! 

Fried Fair

One of my favorite things about October is how the Texas State Fair is finally open for the year.  From the fried food, fun games and ridiculous rides, the fair is an annual must. Being from Dallas, Texas, the State Fair is just simply a must during the Fall season. Since I have lived in Norman, I always make sure I get to go to the fair at some point. 

One more thing that makes October so great is the annual Red River Rivalry between Oklahoma and Texas football teams. What makes this rivalry even better is the fact it takes place in Dallas's very own Cotton Bowl located smack dab in the middle of the Texas State Fair grounds! So this crazy weekend in Dallas combines my love for football with all of the fun classics of the fair. 

This past Saturday I finally got to experience this wonderful combination. Even though there were many highlights from this weekend, something this fair is known for across the nation is and always will be the bazar, fried foods it creates year after year.  

The most important treat and one that I always make sure I get before leaving is the classic Fletcher's corny dog. The line at this stand is a constant flow of people, both children and adults flock to this stand just so they can taste the epic corn dog. I'm not sure if they put something in the batter that makes the meal so addictive but you often find people who go back for seconds throughout their time at the fair.  

Aside from the classic corny dog, the fair also tends to stretch the imagination of those willing to taste the bazar. This year a new addition to the fried family was fried bacon. Unfortunately I missed the stand that was selling these or else I would have taken one for the "Add A Little Spice" team and tried this strange and unhealthy concoction. 

If ever in Dallas during the state fair, I really suggest that everyone stop by and get the full experience of the fair by tasting all of the wonderful Texas sized and Texas style foods.

Bon Appetite!

Bagel in the Morning, Bagel in the Evening

Three letters: OSB. These three letters mean a lot to cheap college students looking to score a delicious breakfast, lunch, or snack. Old School Bagel Cafe is the place to go for your bagel cravings, and boy do they have the variety that will make anyone addicted. 

Maybe you are new to the whole bagel scene and if that is the case, then there is a perfectly simple order to go to as well. Pick any flavor of bagel and ask for cream cheese, simple yet delightful.

For those who are interested in getting breakfast, why not try my personal favorite the Breakfast Bagel on asiago bagel with sausage, egg and cheese. With the warm combination of egg and cheese and the crunch of the toasted asiago cheese bagel, your mouth will be sure to start drooling instantaneously. 

Now for those who want to try OSB later in the day, I recommend my second favorite bagel the Pepperoni Pizza Bagel. As far as the type of bagel to choose for the pizza, I always just go simple with the original bagel. Cutting the bagel horizontally, this allows you to have two small single sized pizzas. If this is just a mid day snack, it is perfect to split but many people have a big appetite during lunch and would prefer to scarf this down solo. I have a habit of scarfing down both.

If the pizza bagel sounds too heavy for your lunch schedule, then why not try a classic OSB sandwich. The Classic is again your choice of bagel but with the benefits of turkey, ham or pastrami, lettuce and tomato.

If you are on the run and can’t stay to enjoy the modern relaxed atmosphere then Old School Bagel Café allows you to grab and go with their carry out option.

Want to stock up for the week? Order all of your favorites, box them up and head home to share with the rest of our household.

OSB offers college students, young professionals, and everyone else an affordable delicious option to sandwiches. As a chain throughout Oklahoma, it has easily become quite a craving among the young college students and one that I will miss when I move away.

Bon Appetite! 

Game Time

Football season is in full swing now. Whether it is a Sunday or Monday night game for your favorite team, nothing seems to better accommodates a great football game than beer and pizza.

Being an avid Dallas Cowboys fan my self, I made sure I didn't miss out on this Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. As far as the actual game, it wasn't our best showing, but a W is a win no matter how we get it.

Living with three other girls, getting the living room TV and prime couch spot to watch games is quite difficult. Luckily, I recently recruited another Cowboys fan, Kelsy. How? I'm not exactly sure what triggered her sudden interest but I'm thinking it had something to do with her boyfriend... ya that happens.

Back to the food. Beer and pizza always make any event worth while, but during the Fall sports seasons it seems to be on everyone's minds!

After a long weekend, Kelsy and I were craving pizza to go along with our lazy football day. After hearing a quite raunchy rumor about Digiorno pizza and being cheap college students, we decided against delivery and ran to the local grocer to grab a Tombstone pizza.
               

With a little side of ranch this pizza hit the spot. Yelling at the TV with both the good and the bad plays, we highly enjoyed our lazy Football Sunday. Even though tensions were high in my mind, fantasy football really gets me into each game, the pizza and a cold Corona was just the perfect way to end the crazy weekend. Before we knew it our plates were clean and we were already wanting more, cue ice cream. The perfect halftime break included a good old fashion scoop of ice cream from Braum's.

I sure am not mad about such a fun Sunday with Kelsy. Football, Corona, pizza, and Braum's all add up to a great meal. Healthy was not a big part of our meal on Sunday but when it is the end of a weekend or start of a week, everyone deserves a little treat. Go Cowboys!

Shrimpin'

In college you often find your self cooking the easy meals such as chicken and Mac n' Cheese. To change things up and still be able to have money in your pocket for the bar, you should try out cooking shrimp. This week I mixed things up and decided to tryout my own shrimp pasta concoction.

Before getting to the actual recipe, it is important to remember to get to “all of your food” groups, so I also incorporated a green salad with avocado. The best way to make a simple salad a little zestier is to throw on avocado, pepper and parmesan. Another good thing to add to the salad if your budget allows it is to toss in some of the Texas Toast Creaser Salad Croutons. With the health benefits of avocado for good skin, the crunch of the croutons, and the overall greatness of a salad, this is one affordable side entre to this shrimpy delight.

This meal is simple and easy for any student to whip up one evening. First thing’s first is prepare the pasta. For those who don’t know how to prepare pasta, you boil the water, and then you add the spaghetti (or linguini) to the boiling water. After about 8-10 minutes, you can check to see if the pasta is al-dente. If you think the pasta is ready then you strain the water out of the pot and the pasta can sit in the pot while you prepare the shrimp.

The shrimp is still very easy to prepare. Granted this part is preference, but I always take the tails off the shrimp before I cook them. After you detail the shrimp you toss them into a sauté pan with butter, garlic, salt and pepper. 

Let this sauté for a good 5 minutes, tossing and mixing the buttery mix all together every so often. After it has sautéed for 5 minutes, you add in the Alfredo sauce and warm the sauce until you pour all the contents over the pasta. Mixing it all together, you are now ready to prepare your plate!

Bon Appétit!

Breakfast Tab

After a long week of school and a night out with your friends, why not go back to the same bar for brunch the next morning. 

Seven 47 is a Norman favorite. With dinning and drinks, this place offers quite a selection of goodies for the local college students. By night this bar offers a great menu of food and selection of drinks. What more important is by morning comes the delicious brunch.

                 

 Breakfast is clearly the most important meal of the day no matter what time you are eating it. Between the pesto omelet and the Belgian waffle with fresh fruit, you can always fill your stomach at Seven 47. Some other items on the brunch menu include the following: French toast, eggs benedict, beignets and egg skillet. 

Quite often I find either myself or a roommate will leave our credit cards at the bar. How convenient to be able to grab your credit card and eat brunch in the same place.

This morning was no different. As I woke up and traced back through my steps of last night I realized I left my tab open at the bar. Fortunately I was able to rally up a few girl friends and we made our way back to Seven 47 to chow down on one of the best brunches in Norman. Because my tab was still open, I was able to simply add my breakfast and finally tab out.

With a full stomach and closed tab, I can highly recommend going to Seven 47 for any drink, dinning or brunch necessities. 

Chicken Pot Why?

Not sure what to eat on a Friday night? Trying to save some cash for the bars this weekend? It's time to crack out the Chicken Pot Pie.

Marie Callender's Creamy Parmesan Chicken Pot Pie sure hit the spot tonight while I pondered what to eat for dinner. Most people shy away from the frozen dinner section of the grocery, but it is often where I find myself window shopping down the isles.

This tasty delight may take close to an hour to bake but what better time than to pop it in the oven then return to either your homework or the weekly reality TV show every college student is guilty of recording.

Today I'm going to take you on a quick summary of how to indulge in this American style meal.

First thing is first, you have to preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Because the baking temperature is a little high you have plenty of time to finish preparing the pot pie while it preheats.

Pot Pie Frozen

The crust of the pot pie is a golden flakey crust that is made from scratch. In order to not burn the edges of the pot pie it is crucial that you wrap the edges in foil. No need to go in to extreme detail on wrapping the edge because a little crunch adds to the essence of the good stuff inside the pie.

Frozen w/ foil on edges

Here comes the easy part. After the oven is done preheating, you simply place the pie on a cookie sheet, pop it in the oven and wait for 65 minutes. What to do with those 65 minutes is completely up to you, but don't stray too far because the pie will be out before you know it.

After a good clean to my house, the timer on the oven went off. Make sure before digging into the pie you do two things. One, even though it may seem obvious, please take the foil off of the pie! And two, let the pie cool down for five minutes. This cool down will allow the inside to stop boiling and thicken.

Cooked & ready to eat

Easy enough for any college student to do & affordable too. Check out prices at your local grocer.

Bon Appetite!

Cooking for Dummies

Every Friday I find my self sitting in my 1:30 to 3:30 class with a roaring stomach and a wandering mind. What made my day better was coming home to find EveryDay with Rachael Ray in my mailbox. I have a grand total of two magazine subscriptions that come to my house; US Weekly & EveryDay. Even though EveryDay is a monthly magazine it is one that gets put to great use.

For those college students who are just starting out how to cook for themselves, this magazine offers great tips and recipes that will making cooking fun and simple.

College is an experience that varies from student to student but cooking is the one thing I have found that seems to soothe over the stress. Famous for her television show Thirty Minute Meals, Ray knows the ins and outs of saving time while cooking. Time is one thing that I think all college students would agree as the most valued and prized possession. Because of her experience in making quick, yet delicious, meals on TV, Ray manages to incorporate quick meals into her magazine as well.

With step by step, written out instructions, this magazine is basically a "Cooking for Dummies" hard back. It is not outside of the usual for college students to not know how to cook when they move away for school. Mainly this is due to the fact their mothers always did the cooking or their family ate out a lot. Cooking is a learned skill that takes practice, so what better of a time in your life than to learn in college.

Burning the bread, over cooking the meat, and not stirring the sauce enough are common mistakes that even the professional chefs make when they started out cooking. It is from those life cooking lessons that only makes the heart/stomach grow fonder.