Homemade

Homemade Dino Nuggets

March 31, 2016

If there was one food item I was completely OBSESSED with as a kid, besides frosted circus animal cookies (which I have a bag of in my pantry right this very moment because my sister gave them to me for Easter), it would most definitely be dino nuggets. Chicken nuggets shaped like dinosaurs. What kid doesn’t like that? Kids who aren’t fully living life, that’s who. Dino nuggets are what dreams are made of. Dino nuggets are the answer to all of your problems. These dino nuggets from my kid days weren’t anything special by any means, let me tell you. I’d eat them all the time whenever my mom would take me to Sizzler as a treat. P.S. I loved Sizzler. They always had dino nuggets back then, so that definitely made them the coolest restaurant in my book. That’s the place I’d pick whenever a special occasion came up. Birthday dinner? Sizzler. Graduation dinner? Sizzler. Last Monday? Sizzler. I’m kidding! But maybe I’m not, you’ll never know. Whenever we weren’t eating at Sizzler, I’d beg my mamma to buy a box from the freezer section and I’d eat them all week long with ketchup. I can’t even handle it right now. Dino nuggets and ketchup were the bomb dot com. I’ll forever hold a special place in my heart for dino nuggets. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of them. With that being said, I just had to make them at home…from scratch…so here we are.

I think it’s important to mention that, if you’re not feeling the whole dinosaur shaped nugget vibe, then you can definitely just make regular ol’ round chicken nuggets instead. I won’t get angry or tell you that you’re doing it all wrong. You can never go wrong with chicken nuggets. Any chicken nugget is a good chicken nugget. These are a great snack to have on hand for throughout the week or they make for a great quick and simple lunch or dinner. Fry them up and keep them in the fridge for whenever you’re feeling hungry. They’re great cold, but I’m partially biased to cold fried chicken so maybe I’m not the best judge of character on this matter. Either way, make them this week so you can feel like a kid. They really are the best tasting chicken nuggets you’ll ever eat.

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Cinnamon Toast Milk Ice Cream

August 19, 2015

My favorite cereal growing up was always (and will continue to be) cinnamon toast crunch. I’m a big fan of cinnamon, the spice, in general. Cinnamon doughnuts, cinnamon coffee cake, cinnamon french toast, and now cinnamon ice cream. Did I mention cinnamon doughnuts? These are some of my favorite things. Like in The Sound of Music, but so much better because I get to eat all of these things. Give them all to me now. These days, I only eat plain and boring cheerios every morning because it’s “healthier” and “good for you.” Welcome to adulthood, everyone. It isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Definitely no fun and games like I was promised. Is it too late to return it?

Whenever I go out to get frozen yogurt late at night because that’s when I want it the most, I only eat cinnamon flavored frozen yogurt topped cinnamon toast crunch. On occasion I’ll have pistachio froyo because sometimes I feel like living on the edge (watch out I’m unstoppable), but I’ll still only top it with cinnamon toast crunch because I’m not that wild. Let’s not get crazy. I never would’ve thought to make cinnamon toast crunch ice cream, if it wasn’t for all those late night trips to our local frozen yogurt shop. So in a way, it’s a good thing I listened to those late night cravings because if I hadn’t, then this whole genius situation would never have happened. You wouldn’t be able to enjoy it. Moral of the story is that if it’s late at night, like way too late to eat anything, but you still have a craving that won’t go away, you should definitely listen to those cravings. That’s the way to go. You’re living life right.

This summer I’ve been slacking in the ice cream making department. What is wrong with me?! I’m sorry. This is only the second time I’ve dusted off that trusty ice cream machine, the first being this too-good-to-believe ice cream peanut butter cookie sandwich situation. Although I’ve dropped the ball this time around, I do plan on righting my wrong as soon as possible. I’m no stranger to ice cream though, and just in case you’re on the lookout for even more awesome ice cream goodness, check out this Breakfast Ice Cream and this No-Churn Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream. They’re both the bee’s knees. If bees had knees. Late night summer ice cream party anyone? I think it’s a must.

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Homemade Pumpkin Purée

October 19, 2012

Now that Autumn has arrived you’ll find pumpkin in almost anything. No matter where you turn or what crevice you crawl into, this squash seems to creep its way into every recipe during this time of year. It could be because pumpkin is so delicious a flavor that we have to eat it everyday. It could also be because pumpkins are grown during this season and are all over the super markets. No matter what the reason might be, one fact is clear; October and November infect us with pumpkin fever. We find ourselves thinking outside the box and coming up with some delicious, out of the ordinary, recipes that fulfill our craving for this autumnal fruit. From simple baked goods ranging from breads to pies to cinnamon rolls and even cookies, there does not seem to be an end to our pumpkin madness. It is even finding its way into our dinners with such dishes as pumpkin ravioli and pumpkin soup.

As avid fans go crazy and whip up unique pumpkin concoctions, by the day, they often turn to easy-to-find canned pumpkin. Sure it’s there for your convenience because you think that it’s super complicated to make your own pumpkin purée. Well, I’m here to tell you that you are wrong. This is not true. Pumpkin purée is probably the easiest thing ever. Canned pumpkin is a convenience in that you just open the can and use it. But what goes inside that purée? Think about that for a second. Okay, that’s enough. We’re not there when they are making it. We do not know what sorts of preservatives they add to it. Why not make your own pumpkin purée?Knowing that all you are going to be adding is nothing but 100% pure pumpkin.

I, myself, am not immune to the pumpkin hysteria that is Autumn. I too find any excuse to cook and bake with this orange squash in any way I can. As a matter of fact I am dedicating the entire month of November to the Great Pumpkin. Every recipe featured in November will center around this homemade pumpkin purée. Why? Because it is autumn and in autumn we cook with pumpkins. It’s a new law. Also because Thanksgiving is in November and when I think of Thanksgiving, all I think of is pumpkin for some reason. So to christen Pumpkin month I have decided to create a quick mini how-to post on homemade pumpkin purée. Sure it’s still October and I still have October recipes to post, but I’m preparing you in advance to get you ready. Keep this in the back of your mind. Hold it on the back burner as reference for when we get to November. It will come in handy. Soon. It will be your savior.

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“The Snack That Smiles Back”

September 27, 2011

Occasionally, I like to challenge myself into making store bought packaged foods, at home. Why? You might ask. Because not only is it fun to recreate classic products at home, but it is a whole-of-a-lot healthier making it yourself, than buying it from the store. You see, the ones at the market are filled with tons of salt, preservatives, additives, artificial flavorings, tons of words you can’t even pronounce like, maltodextrinalkinadeformuladesodiumglutamine……..Who wants to ingest that? I know I don’t. Take my word for it, you don’t want to either.

Anyhow, this time I actually wanted to repay a dear friend for helping me out at school with all my constant photo-lab questions. She managed to survive all my freak outs, inquiries, and indecisiveness that came along with my first project this semester. Without her I would’ve been lost. So to show my immense gratitude I decided to, much like I often do, make her something tasty. That is one thing you’ll quickly learn about me; I love repaying/giving people homemade baked goodies or even food. You’ll be surprised just how people react to such a gesture. Try it. At least once in your life. I always say that it isn’t about the gift itself. You don’t have to spend a fortune on a present, just make them something from the heart. Whether it’s a card, craft, or yummy treat, the recipient will enjoy it so much more. Well, said friend, has a fascination, I would call it a strange addiction, to all things fish. In fact, I actually met her in one of my classes where she made a fish project, with dangling fish. It was really cool. So since her favorite snacks are Cheddar Goldfish, you know, the ones we all enjoyed as children…I still do, I decided that I would make her some. Better ones. Tastier ones. Healthier ones. Gourmet ones. Okay, you guys get the point. I made her some.

I scoured and scoured the internet for a great recipe, and didn’t have to look far because I found the best one at Tasty Kitchen. Need I say more? I always find amazing recipes there, and this one was no different. And best of all it is ridiculously simple. Only five ingredients. I should call it a 5 Ingredient Fix recipe, because Claire Robinson would be proud about this one.

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It’s All In The Buns

September 10, 2011

The other day I realized that I reached the epitome of either craziness or pure genius. I wanted to make hamburgers and since I still can’t chew anything, I told myself that I needed to make homemade buns. Why might you ask? I don’t exactly know, I just needed to. It’s not like I could chew. No doubt about it, the only way these burgers were ever going to taste good, was if and only if I made the buns. Mind you, since I haven’t been able to eat, everything sounds really good these days. So I’ve been making all kinds of delicious new recipes…needless to say the peeps at home are enjoying it very much.

These simple hamburger buns are a cinch to make, and they’re worth every bit of time you invest, well so I’ve heard. Believe me, I don’t have to taste them to know how soft, moist and delicious they are. Make these just once, and you won’t ever buy grocery buns again. You’ll start looking for other ways to use them, sloppy joes, pulled pork sammies, roast beef, by themselves with butter…the possibilities are endless.

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