Hello There, Stranger!

It's been a while since I've been on here.  Can you believe I'm 4 months shy of it being 2 years since my last post?  I've been so busy with changes in my life.  Honestly, I even forgot I had this blog site.  But even with so many changes in my life, I can reassure you that my passion for cooking hasn't changed one bit.  Although I don't cook as often as I used to, I still enjoy it when I can.  And with all of my kitchecn experiences, I'm still NOT a pro!

You know how when you have so much time to think, your thoughts tend to jump around from one thing to another?  Or it goes from one thought which leads to another and another and so on.  Well, it lead me here today.  And my thoughts right now doesn't match my website, but oh well.  It's mine, right?  hehehe

I was hanging out in my kitchen today multitasking the many chores (I routinely do every Saturday) while texting a special friend.  We were talking about cooking and being on the phone at the same time.  I asked Samantha what's so bad about being on the phone while cooking?  Her reply was that you could drop your phone into your food or burn your food.  Now I haven't done either one of those before (knock on wood), and I hope it'll never happen to me.  But what if it really did happen?  It doesn't affect me that much because I have a lifeproof case on my phone-dust proof and water proof!  :)  But what if it happened to you?  Would you get really mad?  Would you wash it off and put it in rice overnight?  (Yes, I've tried that with my ipad before.  It didn't work.)  Would you start cursing and screaming?  Would you fish it out, set it aside, and continue cooking?  I believe most people would turn off their stove and use every energy in their body to "save" that darn phone!

That lead me to think about how technology sometimes consume our lives.  I once saw this video of this girl demonstrating how everyone around her was always on the phone...scenes from lying in bed with her bf (while on the phone) to her having lunch with her friends (all on the phone) popped into my head.  I am guilty of always having my phone on me too.  Sometimes we don't think about the things we do everyday and how it affects us.  We get so involved with our phones that the world around us disappears.  Social media doesn't help either.  We are curious creatures, and we want to know what's going on around us.  I know sometimes I'm on my phone because I'm bored or I am avoiding work.  Sometimes I just want to see how people on FB are doing.  haha  But I can tell you that it doesn't take time away from my kids (or cooking bc I can do both! haha).  If you're one of those people who are always on your phone and social media, then be careful not to lose precious time with loved ones because those times may be all you have.  That thought lead me to the thought of my uncle and aunt (2 different families) who passed away a year ago.  But I'm not going to talk about them here.  Those thoughts remain inside of me.

I don't even know where I'm going with this post..I guess I'm just rambling on about nothing.  I could be really good at that sometimes!  :)  On another note, there is something cooking on my stove right now.  I have some pork broth simmering away for my udon noodle soup for dinner.  If you've never had udon noodles, then you've got to try them.  Both of my kids love it, and they could eat it every day!  I've made them from scratch a couple of times, but it's a lot of work.  I discovered 1/2 year ago that frozen udon noodles do exist!  Why was I so surprised when I knew anything could be frozen?  I have no idea!  lol

Anyway, I'm going to end this blabber mouth right here to go refill my wine (and to check on my soup).  Hey, don't judge!  It's 5 o'clock somewhere!  lol  Until next time....

Food Truck Park(ing Lot) @ Valley View Shopping Center

This post has been long overdued...mainly because I was working on the photo strips, and I didn't want to publish this post until that was done with.  It's been so long ago that I don't even know where I left off.  I don't even know if these are the strips that I liked.  Oh well...at least I'm getting it up before the end of the year, right?! :)

Well, back in March, Haley (my co-worker) mentioned something about a food
truck park stationed in Fort Worth.  She talked about it and raved about some of
the awesome food she had there.  She told me I had to go visit it one day.  And
that's how it all got started.  Instead of doing things on my to-do list, I was researching food trucks in Dallas, Texas!  Thanks Haley!  hehehe

I didn't know much about food trucks or where to find them. I didn't even think
they existed in Texas.  That's how much I knew.  I've only seen them on Food
Network or the Mexican food trucks you see at the construction sites.  I could still remember one of the food truck at a car lot when we were looking for Tina's car...I ordered grilled cheese, and it was one of the best grilled cheese I have ever eaten (or maybe because I was hungry).  But that's the only time I could remember having food from a food truck...

...until I found out about a small Food Truck gathering at the Valley View Shopping Center.  There weren't many trucks there, but I didn't care.  I just wanted to go for the experience.  I immediately texted  Alice to come with us.  I had to have an eating buddy!  She was kinda iffy about it due to her schedule at work plus having to see if the hubby (Soto) had other plans.  I tried my best to be convincing yet not forceful!  (Sometimes you have to be forceful to get what you want...lol)  But they agreed to meet up with us!  Boy was I excited!!!

Alice and I have this thing when we cook food, we tend to cook for an army.  Well, things didn't change at the Food Trucks (even though we weren't cooking)...we ended up ordering a whole bunch of food and stuffing our faces.  It didn't help that the hubbies like to over-order also!  Thanks for making us fatter, hubbies, so you guys could look skinnier!  LOL



The food was good, and we had fun walking around the "dead" mall afterwards!  Alyssa and Austin sure did enjoy the outdoors.  They would stay outside all day long if they had the chance.  Here are some pictures I took of the food we had.  I don't remember the name nor the food truck...that's what I get for procrastinating on this post.  Whoops!

   

   

Now I'm craving some Kimchee Fries!!!

I'm still working on some more photos from this day, so check back soon.  :)

Pina Colada Cake

Our Pina Colada Cake!

I stumbled upon this delicious Pina Colada Cake on Pinterest from A Bountiful Kitchen.  I knew immediately that I had to make it.  One reason was because it was the 2011 Utah State Fair Winner.  And the other reason was because my brother, Patrick, loves coconut...especially Pina Colada recipes...so I was set to make this for him while he was visiting home for the summer.  I ended up letting him do the majority of the baking.  :)  I guess he enjoyed it.  It looks like he's smiling below, right?  But I could tell you that he really enjoyed eating it.

Patrick layering the cake.

Well, about a week later, our younger brother, Phillip, wanted some more cake.  It was gone in days.  I told him I was lazy, so he offered to make it...the same guy who put too much salt in his omlettes.  hehehe  He really wanted it.  I already had the King Arthur's flour I bought previously for this recipe.  So I sent him to buy the ingredients that I was lacking...and made him bake.  He claimed to have made a better cake than Patrick, yet he was too "scared" to layer the cake.  hehehe  I have to make fun of him.  He's the baby of the house! LOL

Phillip frosting the cake.

And cake battling off we go!  They both claimed that their cake was better.  But it's not like it was their own recipe, right? hehehe  I would say they both were excellent!  Two thumbs up for the 2 non-bakers in the house.  I reduced the amount of sugar in the first cake, but it was too sweet.  So I reduced the amount of sugar some more in the second cake.  It was great!  Here is my version below.  The only difference between my recipe and the original recipe is that I reduced the amount of sugar.  I followed everything else exactly from A Bountiful Kitchen.  Enjoy!

Such a delicious slice!

Pina Colada Cake

By:  Lisa Blodgett (Take from A Bountiful Kitchen)

Ingredients:

Cake:

·         2 c. King Arthur all-purpose flour, sifted

·         1 Tbsp. baking powder

·         1 tsp. salt

·         ½ c. unsalted butter, room temperature

·         1 ½ c. sugar

·         1 1/4 c. coconut milk

·         1 1/2 tsp. coconut extract

·         5 egg whites

Pineapple Filling:

·         1-20 oz. can crushed pineapple

·         1/3 c. sugar

·         2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Frosting:

·         1-8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

·         2 Tbsp. coconut milk

·         1 c. powdered sugar

·         1 tsp. coconut extract

·         1-16 oz. container whipped topping (or 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped)

·         Topping:  1-2 c. coconut shavings (optional)

Directions:

1.      Preheat oven to 350.  Mix flour, baking powder & salt together in a bowl and set aside.

2.      Place the butter in a mixing bowl and beat on medium speed with a mixer for 1 minute.  Add sugar and beat for another minute.  Add coconut milk and coconut extract to butter mixture.

3.      Gradually add flour mixture into the butter mixture and beat for 2 minutes.

4.      In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Fold the egg whites into the batter and mix until all ingredients are incorporated.  

5.      Grease or line two 8-inch cake pans and divide batter evenly between them.  Bake for 23-28 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

6.      Remove the pans from the oven and place on a cooling rack for 5-10 minutes to cool before removing cake from the pans

7.      In a saucepan combine all filling ingredients over medium heat.  Cook, stirring frequently until mixture gets a glossy look.  Set aside to cool.

8.      Beat cream cheese in a bowl until smooth.  Add coconut milk, powdered sugar and coconut extract.  Mix well, then fold the whipped topping or cream into the mixture.

9.      To assemble, cut both cakes open, making four 8-inch rounds.  On top of one, place half the pineapple filling and top with a cake layer.  Next add a layer of frosting, then a cake layer.  Place remaining pineapple mixture on the cake and top with the last cake layer.  Frost the sides and top of the cake. Sprinkle with coconut.
This is best when refrigerated for at least four hours.

No Bake Raspberry-Lemon Cheesecake

I want to share you guys this easy, fluffy, and yummy dessert.  I first saw it on pinterest.  I had a box of cream cheese that was about to expire, so I had to find something quick to make with it.  I love cheesecake, but sometimes I get tired of it's heaviness.  This is perfect because it's light and not straight-up cream cheese.  Plus, there's no baking involved!  Thanks My Baking Addiction for this No Bake Raspberry-Lemon Cheesecake recipe!

No Bake Raspberry-Lemon Cheesecake (Photo from My Baking Addiction)

Kimchi Fries at CHI'LANTRO (Korean BBQ) food truck

This past weekend, my husband, kids, and I took a short trip to Austin, TX for Caleb's 1st birthday party.  We stayed with our cousin, Phanny (and Lene, but she wasn't there).  Phanny, kept raving about this Korean food truck named CHI'LANTRO.  It's a Korean-Mexican Fusion.  I told her I tried kimchi fries in Dallas, and it was ok.  She said, "NO, You've gotta try this one!  IT IS SOOO GOOD..escpecially drunk. lol."  So I said ok.  We picked up my younger brother, Patrick (who is attending UT), to go with us. 

CHI'LANTRO's Kimchi Fries

We ordered 2 different kinds of kimchi fries (1 beef, 1 pork), some tacos, quesadillas, regular fries, and a burger (hubby's).  Let me tell ya...those kimchi fries were awesome!!! Yum!  They totally outdid the Dallas' Korean BBQ food truck.  We ended up ordering another order of kimchi fries...this time with chicken on it!  Not as good, but still good.  haha


I had leftover quesadillas which I took home.  I just finished it for lunch today.  :)  Next time I go to Austin, I'll surely visit CHI'LANTRO again. 

Uncle Patrick and Alyssa

Phanny and Austin

Crawfish! Crawfish! Crawfish!

A couple weeks ago, we went to our friends house to eat crawfish.  They asked to borrow a small cooler, so I said ok.  They acually asked my husband.  I thought it was for drinks...but I was wrong.  We used my favorite cooler to store cooked crawfish.  At the end of the night, there was one cooler full of crawfish left.  No one wanted to take it home...not even the home-owners where we had the crawfish feast!  So we got stuck with it.

My drunk husband said he would peel them himself...that same night.  I said ok.  After I took a shower, I felt bad that I wasn't helping him.  So we stayed up until 2am (I think) peeling crawfish tails.  We came home late anyway, so it wasn't like we stayed up for hours on end.  Well, after all the crawfish tails were peeled, I HAD to wash the cooler...3 times!  With soap, then bleach, then bleach.  Now it's all clean!!!

Anyhow, I had to do something with all of those crawfish tails.  Just the already-peeled tails alone filled up 1/2 of a gallon ziplock bag!  I ended up cooking Emeril Lagasse's Crawfish and Cream over Pasta and my very own gumbolaya recipe.  They both turned out very good!  It turned out to be a very large portion, though.  I even feed one of my co-worker too!  hehehe

Crawfish & Cream over Pasta and Crawfish Gumbolaya

Beef and Peppers with Noodles

I tried a recipe for Beef with Peppers from The Pioneer Woman's website.  I didn't make mine spicy because Alyssa was eating it too.  The flavor was good, except my beef didn't turn out nice and caramelized-brown like the picture on her website.  :(  I wonder if it was because I cooked all of the beef at once (instead of in thirds, like her direction says to)....I guess I should have been a little more patient.  But I had to rush because Austin was climbing on the wet dish washer, and Alyssa was banging away with a metal spoon on a metal bowl!  And you wonder why my kitchen is so crazy....hehe

My Beef and Peppers with Noodles (not very colorful)

Pioneer Woman's Beef with Peppers (you see how nice and brown hers looks??)

Beef and Peppers with Noodles

(Taken from The Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients:

• 1-½ lb. flank steak (thinly sliced against grain)
• ½ c. low sodium soy sauce
• 3 tbsp. Sherry
• 2 tbsp. packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tbsp. minced fresh ginger (or 1/2 tbsp. ginger powder)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 whole medium yellow onion, thickly sliced
• 1 whole bell pepper, cored and thickly sliced
• red pepper flakes, for sprinkling
• cilantro leaves
• rice noodles or linguine pasta noodles

Instructions:

1. Mix together soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger, garlic, and chili paste (or chili oil).  Place sliced beef in the mixture and toss to coat.  Set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high to high heat.  When it is very hot, throw in the onions and cook for less than a minute.  Remove to a separate plate.
3. Return skillet to flame, allow to reheat, and add bell peppers (and hot pepper/jalapeno if using).  Cook for a minute, tossing, until peppers have brown/black bits but are still firm.  Remove to a plate.
4. Return skillet to heat and allow to get hot.  Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet.  Add 1/3 of the meat mixture, evenly distributing over the surface of the skillet.  Allow to sit for 20 to 30 seconds, then turn with tongs.  Cook for another 30 seconds, then remove to a separate plate.  Repeat with remaining meat until all brown.
5. Reduce heat to low.  Add all meat, onions, and peppers to the skillet and toss to combine.  Pour in remaining sauce (the sauce the meat marinated in*) and stir.  Allow to simmer on low for a few minutes.  Sauce will slowly thicken.  Turn off heat. 
6. Rice Noodles-Boil water.  Then turn off boiling water and throw in noodles.  Stir, then allow noodles to sit in hot water for 8 minutes or so (check package directions to be sure).  Or use linguine and cook al dente. 
7. Drain, then add 1/2 the noodles to stir fry. Toss together & add more noodles to taste.  Add very hot water if needed to thin.  Top with cilantro leaves. Serve immediately.

*Update/Note: you can also whip up an extra batch of liquid if you do not want to use the same liquid you use for the meat.  I made an extra 1/2 batch to add later.