Thats a big burger...

The guiness book of world records leaves a Michegan sports bar with the all time biggest cheeseburger you can buy. Of course you need to give notice ahead of time if you plan on indulging this enormous record breaker. If you ever have a spare 400 bucks and about 10 people around then swing by and grab this heafty chunk of beef!


http://www.delish.com/food/food-articles/largest-burger-world-record

Why do women crave chocolate?

I've been on a chocolate binge all day long and my curiosity peaked. Why do women crave chocolate so much more than men? This article gives great insight on why, and it makes so much more sense now. Guilt aside, I'm going to indulge myself a little more ;).


http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/why-do-women-crave-chocolate.html

How about NO food?

Food is very important for human life. It is our fuel. With that said, there are a lot of health benefits of fasting. Here is an article on the benefits: http://voices.yahoo.com/10-incredible-health-benefits-fasting-
11621130.html?cat=5
But if you don't want to read, here are the benefits:
1. Detoxification
2. Gives digestive system a rest
3. Resolves inflammatory response
4. Reduces blood sugar
5. Increases fat breakdown
6. Corrects high blood pressure
7. Promotes healthy diet
8. Boosts immunity

Another benefit is that HGH(human growth hormone) rises at a fasted state.

Whats so special about bananas?

When people think of potassium, they think of bananas. It is true that bananas have potassium in them. However, not really all that much. there are plenty of foods with more potassium then bananas. Here are 10:
Potatoes, Winter Squash, Spinach, Baked beans, raisins, avocados, orange juice, yogurt, and tuna. But the list goes on. So if your doctor ever tells you that you need more potassium in your diet, you have a wide variety of options.

Don't go wasting those egg yolks!

Ok, so it's very common for people to throw out their egg yolks because they're afraid of a little cholesterol. I want to rip out my hair every time i see a yolk hit the garbage. The yolk of an egg is EXTREMELY nutrient-dense. Why would you throw out vitamins?
 The most common reason people throw out the yolks is because of the cholesterol. And I agree that egg yolks are very high in cholesterol. However, there are 2 different kinds of cholesterol:
LDL-Low-density lipoproteins(Bad cholesterol)
HDL-High-density lipoproteins(Good cholesterol)

There have been multiple studies where some people ate eggs every morning, and some people ate some kind of generic breakfast like cereal, or bagels, etc.
In all of the studies, the people who ate eggs hardly experienced a rise in there LDL, but there HDL experienced a significant rise. So again, PLEASE DONT THROW OUT THE EGG YOLKS!!!!!!

if you dont believe me read these articles:
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/7301/description/Reevaluating_Eggs_Cholesterol_Risks
http://news.menshealth.com/the-best-breakfast-for-men/2012/04/26/

Garlic and Peanut Butter...mmm

One time I went into my kitchen late at night and my drunk uncle was making a sandwich. He proceeded to hold the sandwich up to my nose and asked "have you ever had a garlic and peanut butter sandwich?" I said "no" and he looked at me like I was completely insane.
YOU NEED:
2 slices of your favorite bread
2 tbsp of peanut butter
1 clove of garlic

Put the peanut butter on the bread, cut the garlic up really fine, and throw that on there. It's really an acquired taste, I haven't had it since that night...

Cream puffs w/ dark chocolate

 

I don't remember the last time I had a good cream puff, but this looks just amazing. Ice cream in the middle and dark chocolate drizzled on top makes this the perfect dessert.

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefinder/cream-puffs-dark-chocolate-sauce-ghk0108

Vodka Alfredo Parmesian Chicken Concoction

Last week one of my friends told me he wanted me to make him comfort food.  He wanted to "get fat".  Unsure of what to make I came up with this.  I can't quite recall everything I put into it but it consisted of peppers, onions, parmesian crusted chicken, alfredo sauce, vodka sauce, bacon, and basil.  One component that I can recall is the baked chicken recipe that I followed which I will post here (taken from the Hellmann's website http://www.hellmanns.com/recipes):

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/4 lbs.)
• 4 tsp. Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Combine Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise with cheese in medium bowl. Arrange chicken on baking sheet. Evenly top with Mayonnaise mixture, then sprinkle with bread crumbs.
3. Bake 20 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

• Also terrific with Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Light Mayonnaise or Hellmann’s® or Best Foods® Canola Cholesterol Free Mayonnaise. Cost per recipe*: $7.16 Cost per serving*: $1.79 *Based on average retail prices at national supermarkets.
• Timesaving Tip: Try making this dish with thin-cut boneless skinless chicken breasts! Prepare as above, decreasing bake time to 10 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. TIP: Omit Parmesan cheese and have "Magically Moist Chicken" on the table in less than 30 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

 
My absolute favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe is the one on the back of Nestle Toll House chocolate chip packages.  For Valentine's Day I shaped the mixture into hearts.  Below is the recipe:
 

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 (12 ounce) packageNESTLE® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
• 1 cup chopped nuts

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
3. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Buns

Cinnamon buns are probably my favorite pastry.  One day I craved them so much I had to try and make them!  To my surprise they are time consuming.  Luckily I found the simplest, yummiest recipe online by The Pioneer Woman.  Her blog post can be found here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/cinammon_rolls_/

Above was my first ever attempt.  If you love gooey, cinnamon sugar deliciousness I suggest you try it for yourself!

The Pioneer Woman takes you step by step through the process with many pictures.  Although the recipe is posted in the link I provided I will copy and paste it below:

Ingredients

• 1 quart Whole Milk
• 1 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 packages Active Dry Yeast, 0.25 Ounce Packets
• 8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
• 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
• Plenty Of Melted Butter
• 2 cups Sugar
• Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon
• _____
• MAPLE FROSTING:
• 1 bag Powdered Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1/4 cup Melted Butter
• 1/4 cup Brewed Coffee
• 1/8 teaspoon Salt

Preparation Instructions

For the dough, heat the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat to just below a boil. Set aside and cool to warm. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on the milk for 1 minute.

Add 8 cups of the flour. Stir until just combined, then cover with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside in a relatively warm place for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove the towel and add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the remaining 1 cup flour. Stir thoroughly to combine. Use the dough right away, or place in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for up to 3 days, punching down the dough if it rises to the top of the bowl. (Note: dough is easier to work with if it’s been chilled for at least an hour or so beforehand.)
Preheat the oven to 375°F.

To assemble the rolls, remove half the dough from the pan/bowl. On a floured baking surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 30 x 10 inches. The dough should be rolled very thin.
To make the filling, pour 3/4 cup to 1 cup of the melted butter over the surface of the dough. Use your fingers to spread the butter evenly. Generously sprinkle half of the ground cinnamon and 1 cup of the sugar over the butter. Don’t be afraid to drizzle on more butter or more sugar! Gooey is the goal.

Now, beginning at the end farthest from you, roll the rectangle tightly towards you. Use both hands and work slowly, being careful to keep the roll tight. Don’t worry if the filling oozes as you work; that just means the rolls are going to be divine. When you reach the end, pinch the seam together and flip the roll so that the seam is face down. When you’re finished, you’ll wind up with one long buttery, cinnamony, sugary, gooey log.

Slip a cutting board underneath the roll and with a sharp knife, make 1/2-inch slices. One “log “will produce 20 to 25 rolls. Pour a couple of teaspoons of melted butter into disposable foil cake pans and swirl to coat. Place the sliced rolls in the pans, being careful not to overcrowd. (Each pan will hold 7 to 9 rolls.)

Repeat the rolling/sugar/butter process with the other half of the dough and more pans. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cover all the pans with a kitchen towel and set aside to rise on the countertop for at least 20 minutes before baking. Remove the towel and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown. Don’t allow the rolls to become overly brown.

While the rolls are baking, make the maple icing: In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, butter, coffee, and salt. Splash in the maple flavoring. Whisk until very smooth. Taste and add in more maple, sugar, butter, or other ingredients as needed until the icing reaches the desired consistency. The icing should be somewhat thick but still very pourable.

Remove pans from the oven. Immediately drizzle icing over the top. Be sure to get it all around the edges and over the top. As they sit, the rolls will absorb some of the icing’s moisture and flavor. They only get better with time… not that they last for more than a few seconds. Make them for a friend today! It’ll seal the relationship for life. I promise.

Chicken Cacciatore

Recently I picked up a book from the grocery store called: Cook This, Not That.  Inside of it they have a variety of great recipes that are healthier alternatives than going out to eat at chain restaurants such as: The Cheesecake Factory or Applebee's.

Here I made one of the recipes from the book.  It is their suggestion over Olive Garden's chicken scampi.  It's 560 calories lighter and just as delicious, if not- better!  I'm only a beginner with cooking but I followed the recipe step by step and unveiled amazing restults.

Taken straight from the book:

You'll Need:

•  2 Tbsp olive oil
• 8 boneless chicken thighs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 10-12 green or black olives, pitted and roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 lb Italian tomatoes, coursely chopped
• 2 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

1.  Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet or saute pan over high heat.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the skillet, skin side down.  Cook 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned and crisp on all sides.  Transfer to a plate.
2. Lower the heat and add the onion, bell pepper, olives, garlic, and pepper flakes.  Cook until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes.  Pour in the wine and simmer, stirring occasionally, until it's nearly evaporated, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the broth and tomatoes to the skillet.  Return the chicken to the pan, tucking it into the vegetables skin side up, and bring to a simmer.  Cook over medium heat for another 20 minutes, until the chicken is extremely tender and the sauce is reduced by half.  Sprinkle with the parsley.  Serve on soft polenta, quinoa, or a small bed of mashed potatoes.  (I just used fettucine pasta.)

Makes 4 servings

Brownie Toffee Truffles

I don't know about you guys but everything I make, bake, or cook I have to take a picture of it and post it to Instagram.  This photo is of some brownie truffles I made over the summer.  They were super easy and a huge hit.  All you need is:

• Any generic brownie mix (i.e. Betty Crocker)
• 1 can of  vanilla or chocolate frosting (depending on your preference)
• 1 package of melting chocolate
• 1 package of crushed up toffee bits (I used heath bar)

1. First you follow the directions of the brownie mix and make the brownies as if you were going to make them for any other occasion.  Let cool.
2. Afterwards you take the entire contents of the can of frosting and mix with the brownies.  This will be messy but it's really fun and much quicker to use your hands.
3. Next, form the concoction into 1" balls and set aside.
4. In the meantime take a microsave safe bowl and pour half of the melting chips into it.  Heat on high for 1 minute and stir until everything is melted.
5. Then take the brownie balls and dip them into the chocolate to coat them.  (This is the tricky part.  I like to use two forks to hold the brownie balls and wiggle off the excess chocolate without accidentally dumping the brownie back into the bowl of chocolate.)  Set aside on some wax paper.
6. Last, not least, sprinkle the toffee bits on top for crunch and decor.

Et viola!  Enjoy!  :)

MY Stuffed Chicken Caprese

I followed through with my last post and made some stuffed chicken caprese for my family of six tonight. :) It's honestly not the cheapest meal to make, but I wanted to Impress everyone. And trust me, this meal does not disappoint. Everyone loved it. Oh, and it came at a price.. I burnt my hand pretty terribly. :(

Stuffed Chicken Caprese

If I had to pick the most delicious thing I've ever made, it would, hands down be my stuffed chicken caprese. Well, I guess I can't label it as mine. I found it off off of this blog a few years ago. I've yet to make it again but in lieu of this post, I might just have to make it tonight. It seriously could be the most delicious thing I've ever eaten.

Much needed

Okay, okay. I'm over these disgusting posts probably as much as you are, so here's a little something to sweeten this page up and to brighten this rainy day here and any future rainy days for you.

                   Smores hot chocolate <3

http://minimalistbaker.com/smores-hot-chocolate-charity-water-e-cookbook/

This site gives you the delicious recipe, plus there's a great downloadable cookbook featuring water as the main ingredient. Their goal is to remind you how lucky we are to be able to have so much clean water available to us, and we should cherish it! I personally think that's a great idea.

Peanut butter and rat sandwich anyone?

An interesting fact that I was very surprised to find out is that the FDA actually approves small amounts of rodent hair, and insect parts in peanut butter. That's not something I would look forward to finding in my next PB&J sandwich. There is an average of about 1 rodent hair and 30 insect parts in every 100 grams of peanut butter you buy. It is also said that on average we eat from 1 to 2 pounds of insects each year, without even knowing it.


http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/06/29/how_many_insect_parts_and_rodent_hairs_are_allowed_in_your_food.htm

That's a lot of Potatoes

I just read a ridiculous stat that I want to share.

"McDonald's buys more than 3.4 billion pounds of U.S. potatoes annually" 
Read this on nbc news, thought it was pretty dope. 

3,400,000,000 pounds= 95,200,000,000 grams= 65,788,617,886.2 calories

The average American consumes 2,000 calories a day. That mean McDonald's could feed 32,894,309 people with potatoes alone! That's a lot of french fries... Keep in mind how many other restaurants and businesses in this country that also consume potatoes. Potatoes are the rice of america... except not even close. Last I checked the average chinese person consumes a pound of rice a DAY, compared to the 7 pounds the average american consumes in a YEAR.



http://www.nbcnews.com/id/32983108/ns/business-us_business/t/mcdonalds-holy-grail-potato-farmers/#.USqw41pxte4

Stinky Tofu

I was watching the Travel Channel the other week, and Bizzare Foods (I think) was on. The episode was about food in China, and most of the food looked delicious. But one of the foods freaked me out. Stinky tofu is fermented tofu that is cooked. It looks like furry bread and apparently it doesn't smell too great either. One of my coworkers is from China and insists that its delicious. Regardless, I don't think I would ever try this. Would you?



http://eatingchina.com/articles/stinky-tofu.htm