Things I Ate (and Drank) This Weekend

So this weekend was one of my favorite kinds of weekends. We did nothing. We did a lot actually, but really it all amounted to eating things and cleaning up and then making more things to eat. Monday through Friday JECIV and I are eating a pretty strict diet, so on the weekends we're allowed to be as carby, sugary, and dairy-filled as we want. We weren't kidding around. There was a Linguine in Poblano Cream Sauce with Shrimp, some amazing Tostadas, the special scrambled eggs I make for JECIV and these....

Egg and Cheese via A Cup of Jo

This is really a Deb idea not a Jo idea. Do you know Deb? You should. She makes my life better. She makes me work out more. She makes me make delicious things. You'd like her.

Anyway Deb guest posted about her Egg and Cheese technique on A Cup of Jo and I proceeded to order my mother to purchase the ingredients and make everyone try one. They're a hit, but the pocket of melted cheese does reach the temperature of the surface of the sun. Be warned.



Grapefruit & Jalapeno Margaritas via Fashionably Bombed




You guys, I was VERY nervous about these. I made JECIV try his first. We infused some tequila with jalapeno and were looking for a way to use it up. After stalking the internet I found these and I was so happy with them I can't stress it enough. They are phenomenal. Not too spicy at all and a perfect pairing with our Tostadas.



Fried Egg Sandwiches with Bacon and Blue Cheese via Smitten Kitchen

My love and admiration for Deb knows no bounds. JECIV had two of these babies for lunch. He's a tall man that sometimes needs two sandwiches. Don't judge, just go buy rolls and have an egg sandwich yourself, then you'll get on board.

Puffed Pancake via Rockstar Diaries

Rockstar Diaries is not usually where I go for recipes, but the image of the Puffed Pancake was in my head, so I made one yesterday for brunch. It could not have been simpler and was very well received by the tall man who makes messes in my apartment.

I'm glad we did nothing and ate everything. It was so worth it.

-A

images via smitten kitchen, a cup of jo, fashionably bombed, and myrecipes

Pioneer Woman Cooks via Some Pink Salt

This is what JECIV and I had for dinner. This and some unfortunate salmon that I'll hear about for a while. Anyway, this was the star. It take two seconds to make and is so delicious and comforting after a stressful day. That's the power of cured meat people. It saves lives.

Pioneer Woman Cooks is an excellent resource for meals like this and her Milky Way Cake is a HUUUUGE hit at barbecues. Huge. You should make it for one. People will like you more.

-A

image via pioneer woman

Picky Palate via Some Pink Salt

I can't believe I didn't post these Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies immediately. They were so ridiculous and insane. They were absurdly good. I am very grateful that my family is kind enough to indulge my need to bake things no one ever needs to eat. But that's not the case here because you need to eat these. They will make you smile, and they will make your family smile.

-A

image and recipe via picky palate

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake with Ganache and Cream Cheese Frosting

You guys, this is a terrible picture. But this cake... it is so not terrible. I can't handle this cake at all. I made it for my aforementioned almost-married coworker. For the amount of attendees at her party, we should have had leftover cake. That's all I need to say about it. So here's how it went down.

There is no better chocolate cake recipe than this one right here. In fact that whole recipe is amazing. The whole site is amazing. I learn a lot from Deb. But I had plans you see.

Ganache Recipe
2 cups Semisweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
2 tsp Light Corn Syrup*

Heat the cream until it is about to boil. Pour cream over chocolate chips and corn syrup. Let sit for a few minutes, then stir that mother.**

*Sometimes I feel like I shouldn't eat corn syrup and on those days I don't add it. But it does seem to help ganache smooth out and be shiny.
**Sometimes I need to add more cream, sometimes I need to whip out an electric beater. Ganache is a fickle mistress. Basically my point is don't start over unless you really feel like it is fully unacceptable.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 Stick Butter, unsalted and room temperature
8 oz. Cream Cheese
5 Cups of Confectioner's Sugar

Cream the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. Add confectioner's sugar one cup at a time. Mix for 2-5 minutes. If it's grainy, mix it longer, this isn't that hard.


Now it gets good. Take that cake you made earlier and fill it with ganache. Frost it with cream cheese frosting. Go share it with other people and be awesome.

-A

Shrimp Toast!

So this Saturday night I went to a lovely birthday dinner and a raging house party. The result of this fun time was that Sunday all I did was sleep and eat (and watch the Arthur remake, which was just ok.)

So anyway I get extremely specific cravings and being hungover magnifies this trait. All I wanted was shrimp toast, but not the dim sum kind, the southern cocktail party kind. Here is what I came up with for my immediate consumption. I love when you can have exactly what you want and it takes two minutes to put together.

Shrimp Toast
4 English Muffins, split
6 oz Cooked Shrimp, chopped
5.2 oz Boursin Garlic & Herb Cheese
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon Mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon Butter
Black Pepper
Parsley

Mix shrimp, boursin, spices, mayonnaise, and butter in a small bowl. Spread mixture over English muffins. Top with fresh parsley and black pepper. Broil for 10 minutes or until golden.

-A