The Food Hussy!

WTF is Shrimp Toast?

2012-02-10T13:37:00.002-05:00

So hubby and I were trolling Colerain and he wanted Chinese food - alas we found China Chef!

It's kinda dirty and sketchy - but hell sometimes those places have the best food. So we went on in.

Not much recollection of what we ordered - but it wasn't very good. Larry got sweet & sour chicken - that's what he always gets. I got some sort of spicy shrimp dish with peanuts and vegetables. It had too many vegetables that weren't broccoli and mushrooms so I didn't like it much. I'm so hit or miss with Chinese food...either I love it or hate it.

We also ordered an appetizer - and I let Larry pick - well he picked wrong. He ordered Shrimp Toast. We've both seen this on menus before and didn't really know what it was. He asked if it had eggs - the girl said no - but once we saw it - we knew it did.

But I have to say - I was only able to eat one of the little triangles. This is the one of the ODDEST foods I have EVER eaten!

The first bite is crunchy and has this weird texture and does taste like shrimp. And you're thinking - hmmm - interesting. Then it just goes downhill from there. It's got an odd smell and it's sort of like french toast that hasn't been cooked long enough and instead of egg & milk mixture - it's like egg & fish juice mixture. It's just odd and fairly gross. The texture is the funkiest thing - soggy bread that smells like fish and is deep fried.

Don't eat it. Ever.

Why Should You Go? Don't. The rest of the food wasn't awful - but it wasn't good either.

Frozen Lunch Review: Lean Cuisine Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce

2012-02-09T14:09:00.002-05:00

Yup - back again with my packed lunch. Up today is the Lean Cuisine Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce from their Culinary Collection line. I've been eating a lot of Lean Cuisine's because of their new Delicious Rewards program. There's a code on the inside of the box and if you enter 25 codes by March 31 - you get a free lunch bag! I'm up to 7 - only 18 more to go!

My tummy was drawn to this one - not by the springs of basil (really?) but mainly by the chicken, pasta, creamy sauce and vegetables.

And I have to say - the box photo is a pretty good representation of the actual food! Nice job!

Here are my notes:

Flavor - once I added salt, it's really tasty. I think this has a little much black pepper - I'm not a fan. The vegetables are crunchy and the pasta is cooked well. I don't taste much basil and the sauce is fairly bland.
Meat - Chicken is good but a little "processed" tasting - like the texture of chicken nugget meat
Time - directions say 5 minutes - I cooked it for 4 and it's good (it was one of those 3 min - then stir and go 2 more - I was too hungry to stir and wait)
Cooking - Excellent - no issues!
Cost - $2.75 no coupons this week :-( for LC
Nutrition - 230 calories, 6 grams fat (w00t!)
Allergens - milk, wheat, egg
Fullness Factor - my side item today is a Jello Temptation - Double Chocolate Pie - mm mm good!

So again - I'll give this a thumbs up! I think I would definitely buy this one again.

Frozen Lunch Review! Zatarain's Big Easy Rice Bowl

2012-02-07T13:00:00.003-05:00

I'm really trying to save money and one of the biggest money-wasters for me is eating out at lunch. When I started my new job - it just became a habit and I was out probably 4 days a week! That was just too expensive so I'm transitioning to eating lunch at work.

While I like to cook and bring leftovers - life right now is a little insane - so I've been in frozen meal land - which isn't so bad. I'm also a couponer - so I try and get deals whenever possible.

With all of this - I've decided to review the lunches - and hopefully find out from you what your favorites are so I can try those! We all know - some are awful and some are pretty damn tasty!

First up - Zatarain's Big Easy Rice Bowl.

I think the package shot is key because how much like the package does it really look? And seriously - who ever takes their frozen stuff out of the package and puts it in a real bowl????

This is red beans & rice with chicken and cheddar cheese. I chose this because it's different than the typical pasta and I had a coupon.

Here's the outcome - not quite like the package - but nothing ever is.

Here are my notes:

Flavor - as usual with frozen meals - it was screaming for salt! Other than that - it tasted fairly close to what their regular packaged red beans & rice tastes like.
Meat - The chicken tastes like chicken - sometimes frozen meals have a funkity funk texture - this one was really good on that front.
Time - directions say 3 minutes but needs 3:30-4, some parts were cold
Cooking - The cheese sticks to the sides a bit but doesn't get hard and inedible at all.
Cost - $3.69 and I had coupon for 50 cents off/2 that doubled to $1 off - so $3.19 each
Nutrition - 430 calories, 12 grams fat
Allergens - milk, wheat
Fullness Factor - as usual I need a side item to really feel full. I usually bring fruit or a snack. But it didn't leave me starving - so that's pretty good!

Overall:

Also - if you're with me in the world of packing lunch and saving money - check out Lunch It Punch It - when you hit 10 packed lunches - you can go out to eat! Great idea and Cincinnati-owned!

I hope some of you will share your favorite frozen dinners or quick lunch ideas with me!

Giveaway: Smart Talk Women - Arianna Huffington

2012-02-07T09:58:00.002-05:00

Yes - it's time for another giveaway. This one has little food involved (thought there are a few noshes before the show) but is a really great time!

SmartTalk Women is back with another speaker in just 2 weeks! This time it's Arianna Huffington and she'll be talking about becoming fearless in love, work and life - I think I need to see this! I could definitely use help in all of those areas!

I'm giving away a pair of tickets to see Arianna at the Aronoff on Feb 22 at 730pm! So if you want to go see Arianna - leave a comment with your contact info on this blog entry!!

Now - if you're not familiar with SmartTalk - their mission is to connect, educate and inspire women of all ages and background by providing an entertaining and unique experience that will fuel her mind and touch her heart!

Recently my friend Beth and I went to the first speaker in the series: TIM GUNN!!!!

Before the show there was a meet & greet where we had a few nibbles and got to meet and chat with Tim! He was just as nice and friendly as you could imagine. So warm - there's nothing like a Tim Gunn hug - I can say that!

He was the SmartTalk series first MALE speaker - and he was fantastic. We got LOTS of great fun scoop and behind-the-scenes info about Project Runway and some nice fashion lessons along the way as well.

And here I am with the man himself! Beth was a little starstruck but I chatted him up. I said he could feel free to tell me how bad I looked since my mom gave me the jacket, my husband gave me the necklace and my sister gave me the headband! (No Tim's not making bunny ears on me - that's my South Korean headband from Sis!)

Tim said he thought I looked fine and that my jacket was...wait for it...FASCINATING!!!! Yeah Mom, Tim Gunn thought the jacket you bought me was FASCINATING! Pretty cool!

So the SmartTalk series definitely kicked off with a FASCINATING bang thanks to Tim Gunn - I really can't wait to hear the rest of the speakers.

And for the giveaway - please only enter if you can go to the show - again it's Wed Feb 22 at 730pm. I'll be there with my friend Jen this time...Beth is kinda jealous!

Also - Jen is the author of a great book called Cincinnati Day Trips - check it out!

Please be sure to leave a way to contact you if it's not obvious in your Google profile - twitter, facebook, email, blog - anything!

Kikkoman Kara-Age Soy Ginger Seasoned Coating Mix

2012-01-31T09:46:00.000-05:00

I've been a member of FoodBuzz for a couple of years now and one of the benefits - besides the $17/month in ad revenue (click the banner ads - click click click!) - they send me products to try from time to time.

Recently they sent me a free box of Kikkoman Kara-Age Soy Ginger Seasoned Coating Mix - that's a mouthful!

I had some chicken thighs and breasts in the freezer so I decided to try my hand at making some "chicken nuggets".

It was pretty easy - you just cut the chicken up, throw the pieces in a ziploc bag with the pouch of seasoning and then fry them. I used a big stock pot and put 1/4-1/2" oil in the bottom of the pot - mainly so I would have a lid and dropped them in once the oil was bubbling.

I really have never fried things like this before and it's a bit messy - every time you lift the lid - splatter splatter! But it wasn't difficult at all and thankfully I bought some cheap metal tongs at the flea market the weekend before!

You don't want to put all the chicken in the pan at once - otherwise it won't really fry up - so I did it in three small "batches". The first two batches turned out better than the last - by the last the oil was a bit "used" and they came out a little darker.

I was surprised at the amount of flavor that the coating mix did have - I'm not a huge fan of ginger but it wasn't overwhelming. Overall - I'm not sure I would purchase this product - but I will definitely use the second pouch from the box.

I think I just don't fry things enough to really buy the product - but since it wasn't difficult - I would recommend it if you like homemade chicken nuggets. It's also recommended with fish - I'll likely use the second pouch for that to try it out.

The Kikkoman website also has recipes for the product as well.

And I made some acorn squash to go with the nuggets - I forget how much I love squash! My Dad made me eat every vegetable under the sun as a kid - so I love brussel sprouts and all that kinda stuff. My vege box from Green Bean Delivery a while back had a couple squash and what a refreshing change from corn & broccoli!

Thanks to FoodBuzz and Kikkoman for letting me try your new product!

Jimmy G's GIVEAWAY!!!

2012-01-30T08:30:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I am AMAZED by architects and designers...seriously - SHOCKED by what they can do. What does this have to do with food? One word: Wah-Mee.

I'm not sure how many folks ever went to Wah-Mee Chinese downtown (near the Elm St Hustler) - but it was classic stinky Chinese. You would NEVER go there for the ambiance! I didn't care much for the food either...

But last fall the location re-opened as Jimmy G's and WOW the transformation is amazing! You still walk in at street level and head downstairs. It's all dark and red and very chic. The folks at Jimmy G's provided me a $50 gift card to visit their recently opened location.

These were the beads next to our table. The tables are all in a big open room but you still feel cozy. More about the decor later, let's get to the food!

We started with fresh bread served with soft butter and olive oil. The bread was delicious of course - crusty outside and soft inside.

From the salad menu, we started with the hand pulled mozzarella salad with winter fruits and summer dried tomatoes ($9). This was so light and refreshing. The best part was one bite was a sun-dried tomato and then the next was fresh tomatoes! The other thing I enjoyed was that it's meant to be a portion for one - but when we said we were sharing it - they brought it out in 2 bowls - nice touch.

I was torn between a few items and asked our extremely knowledgeable server for his recommendation and he said to go for the Braised Moroccan Lamb Shank ($25). The "sticks" on top were made from red chili peppers (I think - it was some type of chili pepper). The liquid was a tomato-base and had a very unique flavor. The lamb was cooked beautifully of course. It's a very rich sauce and while I enjoyed it - I'm not sure I would order it again. The sauce has a lot of spices and I enjoyed it - but it's a very unique flavor.

As with a few other restaurants in town - you have to order your sides separately. We went for the Charcoal Grilled Asparagus ($8). Larry is a big fan of asparagus and when he likes a vegetable - we go for it! It was served in a brown butter with hazelnuts. We both enjoyed it and the portion size was plenty for the two of us to share.

Upon the server's recommendation we went with the Potatoes Aligot ($8) - it was described to us as the ultimate cheesy potatoes. It was made with Yukon Gold, Cantal Cheese and Creme Fraiche. While I liked this - I didn't love it. Larry thought it was too cheesy - I just thought it was a little thick and not a lot of flavor. Now granted - I ate them up and then took the leftovers home - but I would like to try their Mac & Cheese next time.

Larry went for the Filet of Ribeye ($19). We know Jimmy is well-known for steaks after working with Jeff Ruby for years - so one of us had to try the steak! It LOOKED like a small portion - but it was about 3 inches thick and so delicious! Cooked to a medium-rare perfection. I was lucky enough to get a couple of bites and was very thankful to my husband for sharing!

Jimmy came out and chatted with us as well - and he's awesome! It was so fun to have him just come out and chat us up about the restaurant, the decor and just life in general. He also mentioned that next time we come in we can just ask for him to make us something - and give him the leeway to just come up with something great - I already told Larry - that's what I want for my birthday!

Jimmy also gave us a dessert of our choice for free and there was even something that was egg-free! It was a Fig Newton Chocolate Slice - that's not the name he had for it - but it's the best my memory can do. It was extremely rich and had little cookie chunks as well as fig nibbles in the chocolate. The nice thing was though - as rich as it was - it wasn't TOO much. We really enjoyed it - thanks Jimmy!

And finally back to the decor - here's the funky bar! How cool is that?!

Why Should You Go? Well if you're looking for a special night on the town - this is definitely a contender! Jimmy made the point of saying he doesn't want to be thought of as "just a steakhouse" and it's not - there are apps, salads, seafood, steaks and much more. While everything wasn't perfection - everything was great and the points that weren't perfection - were more just my taste buds vs. someone else's. I completely enjoyed our night and can't wait to go back!

And now - it's Giveaway Time!!! That's right Jimmy G's has given me a $50 gift card for one of you! Just leave a comment below about what you'd like to try from Jimmy's menu and you'll be entered to win!

Thanks again to Jimmy G's for the gift certificate for me and you!

Food Hussy Recipe: Baked Seasoned Salmon

2012-01-26T08:30:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I get food cravings - no - I'm not pregnant - I just want certain foods. Last week - it was salmon - I've been dying for salmon!

I got a bit over a pound at Meijer and was a bit shocked that the guy at the seafood counter had NEVER HAD SALMON! He asked me if it was good (no - I'm just spending $10 on something crappy) and I said YES YES YES - go home tonight and make some!

I decided to take my own advice and made mine. I was looking for a recipe that I could bake and that was EASY.

And after some googling - I found one of Food.com. This was great because I had all the ingredients and didn't have to do much! Woohoo!

I did use balsamic vinegar instead of cider vinegar because that's what was in the cupboard and I think I liked it better!!!!

I LOVED this recipe - it was tart (from the vinegar), lemony (from the lemon - duh) and buttery (from - you guessed it - the butter!).

This recipe is definitely going to be saved and made again and again in our house!

Baked Seasoned Salmon

Ingredients

1 lb salmon fillets
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon paprika (optional)
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Arrange filets in a shallow baking dish.
Mix together the remaining ingredients, & pour half of this mixture over the fish.
Bake 20 minutes, basting with the remaining sauce.
When done, sprinkle with paprika & chopped parsley, if desired.

Mac & Cheese Grilled Cheese - wowza!

2012-01-25T08:30:00.000-05:00

I've heard lots of peeps rave about Tom + Chee - I had only been once when it was on Fountain Square and wasn't too excited. So - I decided to give it another shot - and see their new physical location on Court Street.

The menu is up on boards around you when you walk in and is pretty overwhelming. I know this is popular - but when your menu is this big - it's hard to make a decision when you're standing in line with impatient customers.

I was with a couple of friends and it was a week ago - so sadly I don't remember what this is. But Ryan was pretty happy with his lunch and I have to say - their Grilled Cheese side salad ($5 on it's own) looked awesome! So many veggies and chunks of grilled cheese groutons! You can't go wrong there!

Beth, my gluten-free friend was rebelling and going for the gluten with her sandwich (again - don't remember) and the tomato soup of the day. She also was happy. We were noting that the sandwiches are a bit greasy...

I decided to be a little crazy and go for the grilled macaroni & cheese grilled cheese - along with a cup of broccoli cheese soup. The macaroni & cheese grilled cheese is as decadent and rich as it sounds - it was good but heavy and a bit greasy (shocker). I'm not expecting health food - OBVIOUSLY - but all three of us felt the sandwiches were a little too greasy.

The soup was a huge standout! I'm not usually a fan of soups that don't have chunks in them - this was fairly pureed with little specs of broccoli throughout but it was DELICIOUS! I would go back for this soup for sure! And I might get that salad that looked so awesome!

Yes - looking at that again, I think my arteries are hardening as we speak.

Why Should You Go? Well - again - after a second try - I'm not a huge fan. It was fine - but probably not a place I would choose given the chance. The soup was really great and the salad was big! This location is also VERY busy during the lunch hour - so expect some awkward time giving people the stink eye so you can get a table.

Finally! Camp Washington Chili

2012-01-24T08:30:00.000-05:00

I cannot tell you how many times I have driven by this place and never gotten to go inside! Either we didn't have time or it was Sunday and they were closed - but FINALLY - I got to go to Camp Washington Chili!

It's got a very retro feel - which is definitely fun - and the owner was out clearing tables off the whole time we were there. It's nice to see an owner get involved and get his hands dirty!

We got an array of items between the three of us but definitely had to try some chili - first up were the chili cheese fries ($4). The fries were crispy, the chili was very dark and saucy and lots o' cheese!!!! I have to say - this first taste of the chili definitely makes it stand apart from Skyline & Gold Star. It's similar in texture but a different flavor. Beyond that, I'll leave it to the expert of Cincinnati!

Nicole got a tuna melt (which I can't seem to find on the online menu) - I thought it was pretty adventurous of her to try something like that! Must have been good because she finished it!

Larry got a BLT ($3.60) - he was in the mood for one - he enjoyed his as well. Nothing too much to go wrong here and he said it was a little dry but he had to get it sans mayo (allergies) - so he knew it would be.

Besides his BLT - he got a cheese coney ($1.30) - he just can't resist. It's practically another food group for him. I was allowed a bite and liked it!

For some reason, I wasn't in the mood for coneys - I needed some comfort food and got a grilled ham & cheese ($3.75). It was really good - quite salty - but I like salt. Nice and cheesy gooey!

Why Should You Go? If you haven't been - it's a really cool location - old diner feel. It's big, bright and open. I wouldn't say it's my favorite Chili Diner - but we liked everything and will definitely be back.

Pinterest Recipe: Bird's Nest Breakfast Cups

2012-01-23T08:30:00.000-05:00

So like a lot of other folks on the planet right now - I'm addicted to Pinterest! I'm finding quite a few good recipes as well as some new Food Hussy readers!

One of the recipes that has taken Pinterest by storm is the Bird's Nest Breakfast Cups - there are a few recipes out there - but I found one from The Little Birdie Blog.

First you mix together hash browns, salt, pepper, oil and shredded cheese...

Then pop them in a muffin tin about half full - this might work better if you had the "jumbo" muffin tins. Bake these for about 15 minutes to get them to start crisping.

While that was baking, I chopped up some leftover bacon & sausage from the weekend's breakfast.

After you take them out of the oven, crack an egg in each cup and top with meat, cheese, veges and anything else you want to throw in.

Then back in the oven for another 15 minutes and they're done! I had a couple while they were warm and then let the rest cool. After cooling I popped them out and put them in a ziploc bag in the fridge.

Here are a couple shots of them - they're sort of lumpy and floppy - but they taste delicious!

Bird's Nest Breakfast Cups

1 24 oz. bag of shredded hash browns
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbs oil (I use olive oil)
1/3 cup shredded cheddar
Bacon bits or 8=10 pieces of cooked bacon, crumbled
Eggs
Extra shredded cheddar
Muffin tin

Take your bag of hash browns and mix in the salt, pepper, oil and 1/3 cup shredded cheese.
Divide amongst the cups in your muffin tin, making sure to grease tin beforehand.
Bake hash browns at 425 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until toasty.
Once they're finished, take them out and lower the temp of the oven to 350 degrees.
Crack an egg into each of the cups
Top with bacon and a sprinkle of extra cheese
Bake at 350 degrees for 13-16 minutes (or until the eggs are as firm as you like them).
Slide a knife along the edges to remove from pan when cooled.

Birdie Notes:

I like to break the yolks in my eggs a bit once I put them into the hash brown cups
When I cheat on these, I use the Oscar Meyer Bacon pieces found in the "salad dressing" section of the grocery store. They're the closest thing to fresh bacon I can find, and all-natural. :)
You can also experiment with ham, sausage, and veggies to make them your own!

Food Hussy Notes:

I will scramble the eggs next time - I broke them like she recommended and they came out sort of like hardboiled eggs - which isn't a bad thing - but I want to see if I can get them a little fluffier.
I added salsa before baking and it was a really fantastic addition - it added a little juiciness and lots of flavor!
Have fun - add what you like and/or what you have in the fridge!

Final Cut Class @ The EQ and a Giveaway for You!

2012-01-18T08:30:00.000-05:00

Recently, the folks at Hollywood Casino contacted me and provided me two free seats to a cooking class at The Party Source and a giveaway for all of you!

The Party Source has a ton of great classes that range from $15-$75. They have demonstrative and hands-on classes as well as tasting events. This one was "Hollywood Casino: A Taste of the Final Cut Steakhouse with Chef Clendon Springer" and cost $35/person:

Originally from the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, Chef Springer refined his craft at the Four Star, Four Diamond Cafe L'Europe and the Four Star Four Diamond Grill at the Ritz Carlton Palm Beach. At the Final Cut, Clendon strives to create dishes using seasonal products from the Midwest along with fabulous ingredients from worldwide purveyors, to create dishes that are alive with flavors and entice the palate.

The menu for the night was Oysters Rockafeller (recipe only - they didn't make), Lobster Risotto, Braised Beef Short Ribs and Sauteed Fruit with Rum & Vanilla.

We started the night with fresh crusty bread, soft butter and a nice glass of white wine. I always like that the EQ provides the recipes printed out along with a pen so you can take notes throughout the class. The chefs always provide so many helpful tips!

The chef got started quickly and shared with us his Caribbean background and explained the menu for the night. I really enjoy classes at EQ because of the setup - we each had a great view of Chef Clendon as well as the screens above which gave a top-view of his cooking.

First up was the Lobster Risotto. Risotto is such a tricky dish and is often made incorrectly. One of the misconceptions is that its full of cream - Chef Clendon explained that isn't the case at all. The starchy/creaminess actually comes right from the arborio rice. As it cooks, it releases the starch that makes it creamy!

The biggest tip he passed on was that you cannot rush risotto! It was clear - that you need to plan some time for this dish. He did say if you're trying to save time when preparing for a dinner party, you can precook the rice (3/4 of the way) and then spread it out on a cooking sheet and refrigerate it until the next day. Then heat it back up with a little extra liquid and go from there.

We also got into an olive oil discussion and he suggested keeping your olive oil in the refrigerator so it doesn't go bad. Chef also gave us the differences between Virgin and Extra Virgin - he added that if you're cooking with the olive oil - you might as well use virgin because heating extra virgin lowers the quality. Save the extra virgin for salads, etc... (So many tips!!!)

Larry & I also got introduced to truffle oil! We had just seen the news item on 60 Minutes the night before about truffles (very interesting) - we wanted to jump up and ask if the truffles were from China (bad). Chef passed around a bottle of truffle oil and it is POTENT - he said you would only use 5-6 drops in something (I guess so at $50/bottle).

One last risotto tip - if you have leftover risotto - fry it up like a potato cake!

(If you'd like this or any of the other recipes mentioned, post a comment with your email or dm me @foodhussy and I'll send them.)

Chef Clendon was very expressive - such a great teacher. And there's the shot of the Dutch oven I'm dying for! (Why can't I get a Le Creuset giveaway?)

As with any great Chef - he has a great team behind him. Folks from EQ and Final Cut were there as support staff as well. They are SO attentive to your needs - clearing plates and filling water better than 99% of restaurants in town!

Chef Clendon called this Braised Beef Short Ribs - I prefer "Heaven on a Plate". OMG - seriously - I'm dying for braised short ribs again - I could eat them every day!!! (Again - I'll give the recipes to anybody who wants them. It's just a lot of typing and makes this post 10 miles longer!)

One of the best lessons we learned was that you don't NEED recipes! He reiterated that once you learn the technique - you can make the dish your own. The technique for braising for example is to brown the meat - take it out; brown the veges - take them out, then cook the meat and veges in a liquid for a long long time on a low heat. That's it!

Here's an herb tip for you - you know when you buy the container of fresh sage (or whatever) at the store and there's enough for an army of people - just freeze the extra! It still holds the flavor and is far better than the dried stuff in a jar!

Braising meat also has a similarity to risotto - you can't rush it. Don't turn your meat/veges all the time while they're browning - just let them rest and let the heat do it's thang! He also said that you can braise in a short cooker (for those of us that are Dutch ovenless) - nice!

The last tip for this one was that it's almost better if you make it the day before - the flavors all get together and make magic. If this was any indication of that magic - yahoo!!!

Last up for the night was Sauteed Fruit with Rum & Vanilla. Larry was REALLY looking forward to this - he is always talking about how his grandma sauteed apples and such. This one was really delicious - he used nectarines, peaches and blueberries. The blueberries broke down and made the sugar sauce all blueberry-y - it was divine!

For fruit tips - he mentioned using any firm fruit (pineapple, peaches, nectarines, apples, etc...) and said that you can use blackberries and raspberries but add them in after you take it off the heat or they'll break down too much.

The gist of this was melt butter, add fruit and saute until it softens. Then add blueberries, sugar, cinnamon stick and vanilla bean (the stuff inside the bean). Stir, add rum - cook a bit more. Take the pan off the heat and voila - magic! So delicious!!!

Everybody left with full bellies and full brains! Chef Clendon taught us so much and I can't wait to visit Final Cut and taste more of his excellent cooking.

And guess what? One of you will get to have dinner for two at Final Cut - up to $165!!! - for commenting on this blog!

That's right - leave your comment about which dish you'd like to try the most along with your contact info and you're entered to win Dinner for Two!

I have been to the Marquee Cafe and had their Mega Burger and that was quite a treat - so I can bet that this will also be a great experience for one of you. And hey - if you win - you can always take me as your date!!!!

Yeah!!!! The Cursed Spot is Uncursed!!

2012-01-12T09:56:00.001-05:00

Sometimes there's a business location that always fails and you can never figure out why. It seems like a great spot - the food isn't bad - but yet - FAILURE. Well there's a spot in East Hyde Park that has been just that. It's got a HUGE patio, great location and nothing works there.

Hopefully - the curse is now broken!!!! Keystone recently opened on Erie and is doing gangbusters from what I can tell! I first had Keystone in Covington and loved it - so was really giddy when they were moving up to my neighborhood. Their brunch is FANTASTIC!

Well - now that it was open - I had to tell some folks about it! My good friend Danielle lives just up the road so a group of us decided to go there for dinner one night.

I was also told before I went to bring something home for the husband. I got him buffalo wings ($7.99) but had to try one and they were REALLY good. Not too spicy and very meaty. I would definitely get these again!

I went for the Black Sabbath ($8.99) with steak and mushrooms as my mac & cheese of choice for dinner. I always think it doesn't seem like much food when they bring it - and then halfway through I realize - wow - that's a lot of mac & cheese.

It's not your Kraft Mac & Cheese but it's also not the homemade kind my mom used to make (gak). It's creamy and very very very very cheesy - but also has flavor and bite to the noodles. I'm a fan.

I really have no recollection of what my friend got - but she liked the chips. The tables all have their house-made bbq sauce for them as well.

My other friend Karen got the Buffalo Chicken Salad ($9.99) and practically licked the plate clean. So I think she liked it. :-)

Why Should You Go? I'm a big fan of Keystone - great food, great specials (1/2 price Mac & Cheese on Mondays, 1/2 price Quesadillas on Tuesdays) and a great patio (oh when is Spring here again?). The brunch is also fantastic (potato crisp thingy - TO DIE FOR!). And if you're not familiar with their Mac & Cheese/Quesadilla menus (linked above) - check them out - there are SO many selections - good stuff! Yeah for Keystone in Hyde Park!!!!!

My New Neighborhood Diner

2012-01-11T08:30:00.000-05:00

With our new-found neighborhood, there's a new diner up in the center of town that we have been wanting to try for sometime. We headed to Brotherton's one Sunday for a brunch of sorts. They don't really serve brunch - but I got breakfast and Larry got lunch - so BRUNCH!

As always, I have to try the biscuits and gravy - this is a half-order. It was okay - not as good as Bluebird. I'm convinced some of these other folks don't use cream/milk in their gravy. It just tasted a little watery and too much pepper.

I also got eggs, sausage and toast. Again - the sausage - not as good as Bluebird. It was fine but nothing to get too excited about.

Larry went for his traditional "first time in a diner" meal and got a steak hoagie. He also thought it was fine but nothing special.

Why Should You Go? It's pretty standard diner fare - and the staff is very friendly. It's ALWAYS busy - so I think the neighborhood loves it. There's another diner down the street that is always empty - so I think if you're in Mt. Healthy - you go to Brotherton's. It very much has that small-town feel - which we liked. I'm sure there is something there that will be my favorite - I just have to find it.

Cream Cheese Spaghetti Bake

2012-01-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

I've realized I don't even need cookbooks anymore and I rarely use them - why? Cuz there are so many bloggers out there that have AWESOME recipes! I'm sure they use the cookbooks and then just share with me!

As I'm browsing Pinterest - I typically will find a recipe and then email it to myself. I have a folder in my email called "Recipes" and I save them all there. Then when I'm gonna cook something - I just go to the magic folder and presto! Recently I found this Cream Cheese Spaghetti Bake recipe and decided to try it out!

I started by browning some ground beef...

Gathered my other ingredients - which I got on a couponing frenzy at Meijer...sauce, pasta and cream cheese.

Stir the cream cheese, a little garlic & Italian seasoning into cooked spaghetti...

Lay that in the bottom of a greased baking dish...then stir the sauce into the ground beef...

Layer the sauce/ground beef mixture on top of the spaghetti and top with shredded mozzarella! Then in the oven for 30 minutes.

I did make this recipe a little smaller than the original - it was listed for 9x13 and I made 8x8. When there's only 2 of us we just don't need that much.

I also picked up some of these dinner rolls on sale for like 50 cents after sale/coupons! Larry loves rolls and these are SO simple!

The best thing about this recipe is that you probably already have these ingredients on hand - so it's nice to take something like "spaghetti" and jazz it up just a bit for a quick and easy dinner!

Thanks to Plain Chicken for the recipe:

Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti Casserole
adapted from Food.com and salad-in-a-jar.com
(Printable Recipe)

12 oz spaghetti
1 (28 ounce) jars prepared spaghetti sauce
1 lb lean ground beef
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

In a skillet, brown the ground beef until cooked through; drain fat and stir in spaghetti sauce. Set aside.

Cook spaghetti according to directions on packet. Drain and place cooked spaghetti in bowl. Add cream cheese, Italian Seasoning and minced garlic. Stir until cream cheese is melted and the spaghetti is thoroughly coated.

Lightly grease a 9x13" pan. Spread a small amount of meat sauce in the bottom of the dish. Put spaghetti on top of sauce and top with remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.

Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly.

Project Runway Anyone? (GIVEAWAY!!!!)

2012-01-06T09:40:00.001-05:00

So I'm not sure how many of you are Project Runway fans - but I am a big one!!! It's one of those shows that the first few seasons slipped past me but once I jumped on the train - I couldn't let go!

Well the Smart Talk series has brought wonderful speakers to the Cincinnati area for years - and most of the time these speakers are women. But this year - we get a dude! And that dude:

Hell yeah - it's Tim Gunn!

The mission of Smart Talk is to connect, educate and inspire women of all ages and backgrounds by providing an entertaining and unique experience that will fuel her mind and touch her heart. Well - we all know that our beloved Tim can do all that and more! I think it's great that they're embracing men this year and bringing him into the fold.

Other speakers this year will be Arianna Huffington, Kara DioGuardi (she who ruined American Idol), Vy Higginsen and Andie MacDowell.

I'll be attending each show as well as giving away a pair of tickets to each show. So let's get this Giveaway going!

Please only enter if you can attend the show - it's next Saturday night (Jan 14) at 730pm. In your entry be sure to include your email or twitter so I can get in touch with you quickly.

Let me know one reason you love Tim Gunn or one thing you'd like to ask him!

Or if you would like to purchase your own Smart Talk tickets - you still can! They have 1-show, 3-show and season tickets available. Single show tickets for Tim Gunn start at only $25!

I'll draw the winner next Wednesday (Jan 11) so I have time to contact them and make sure they can attend.

FatFiveSmashburger

2012-01-04T13:00:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago, our account team decided to bust me away from my desk for lunch and we headed down to Smashburger in NKY.

I'd heard about them for quite a while and once I walked in, it reminded me of the now-defunct Fatburger from Oakley. The setup is very similar - and it all reminds me of the "fast-casual" style restaurant that America's Next Great Restaurant was trying to go for (and now the winner is all shut down).

One coworker swears by the sweet potato fries and they were tasty!

Another is a fan of their Smashfries which have rosemary, olive oil and garlic - very good there too!

She also went for the Small Smash - which as you can tell is about half the size of a regular Smash.

I bucked the trend alltogether and went for fried pickles! I chose the Classic with Cheese and added bacon.

While it was a couple of weeks ago that I went - I do remember I really liked everything. They were telling me that the regular Smash is a BIG burger and they were right. This was a big and tasty burger. The fried pickles were pretty good but a little under-done.

Why Should You Go? If you liked FatBurger - you'd probably like Smashburger. It's also similar to Five Guys...I did like the "unique" factor they throw at you with some of their toppings (avocado, multi-grain bun, buffalo sauce).

50% off Fresh Produce with Green Bean & Food Hussy!

2012-01-03T08:30:00.000-05:00

Green Bean Delivery is a business based out of Indiana that delivers fresh produce to your door. They started with just Indianapolis & Cincinnati and now have six cities around the Tri-State that they're delivering to.

They provided me a free bin of produce to try out the service and tell all of you about it! Think about the New Years Resolutions you made to eat healthier - here's a great way to get started!!! I've got a 50% off code for you on your first bin with Green Bean! Here's the code to enter: FHbrAB when you're on the signup page.

They have multiple bin sizes and let me try the small $35 bin - which you can have delivered every week or every other week. Here's what I got in my $35 bin:

They try and source produce locally as much as possible - but admit that it's more difficult in the winter months. The thing I like is it gave me a chance to try some new things like crimini mushrooms and pink lady apples and revisit yummy things I haven't had for years like acorn squash!

I haven't priced this out and compared it to Kroger but I definitely think it's comparable - especially when you consider it's dropped at your doorstep! If you're an adventurous cook it's fun too because you always get a surprise!

Here is the kale and lettuce as well as one of the apples and a couple of the mushrooms.

Then here's a quick shot of the rest of the bin - the bag has broccoli in it.

With all of these fresh items - I decided to make pork chops and roasted vegetables for dinner!

I diced potatoes, carrots (which I had), onions, mushrooms, broccoli and squash (peeled first - that's a PITA) and roasted them at 400 for 30-40 minutes or so with garlic, seasoning and olive oil. Then I added the pork chops.

This was a really great dinner - I cooked the pork chops a little too long - but the vegetables were so delicious. My favorite might have been the squash - I forgot how much I love acorn squash. My Dad used to make it all the time - I think I might have to start making it myself!

Thanks so much to Green Bean for the free bin and I hope some of you that have been thinking about trying this out will give it a whirl with my 50% off code: FHbrAB. You enter it from the signup page.

(FYI - the code is only good for 7 days and is valid for new members or reactivations.)

Enjoy!

Quick Crock Pot Chili with Red Gold Tomatoes!

2011-12-29T15:10:00.000-05:00

As a blogger, I do enjoy getting and trying new products and sometimes brands that I might just not be familiar with! The folks at Red Gold Tomatoes contacted me about sending me some of their products - so I thought I'd make some chili and try them out!

After looking in the cupboard, it was pretty clear that chili was the easiest route to go for this recipe! I also had some ground turkey breast and onion in the fridge. Sounds like a plan!

I browned the turkey and onion then popped them in the crock pot. I added 2 cans of tomatoes, 1 can of black beans, 1 tablespoon of the Buffalo Wild Wings Desert Heat spice, 1 tablespoon of cumin and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir. Stir. Stir. Then I cooked on high for about 90 minutes.

Since this dish is SO healthy - I decided that a little shredded cheese would be okay to top it off. I have to say - this was DELICIOUS! I am a firm believer that if you're using it the meat in something like this - using ground turkey is not only healthier but tastier! I found the ground turkey breast on sale - so even better!

The Red Gold tomatoes also tasted great! They were juicy and sweet and still firm after time in the crock pot!

Thanks so much to Red Gold for the tomatoes!

New Greek Food for Me!

2011-12-21T08:30:00.000-05:00

So as I've mentioned a couple of times - we've recently moved to a new neighborhood and for a food hussy like me - it's so fun to try all the new places in my 'hood! We were tired of fast food and decided to try out the Blublu Greek Restaurant on Hamilton Ave.

We called in an order for a couple of gyros to go but once we went in to pick them up - we noticed all the other great stuff they have! These are traditional Greek dishes and we are excited to try them! Things like Pastitsio, Stuffed Peppers and a dish that ALWAYS reminds me of one of my favorite movies - My Big Fat Greek Wedding - Mousaka!! (Moose Caca?)

Rather than boring old fries we decided to go for the lemon-roasted potatoes and rice for side dishes. Larry has been having a hankering for rice. The potatoes had a lot of flavor but it would have been nice if they'd been a little crispier.

We both got gyros with everything. They were pretty good - fresh and lots of toppings - lettuce was unique but we liked it. It added a nice cool crispness to them. They were a little more light on the meat compared to other gyros I've had but the total gyro was definitely filling.

Why Should You Go? It's a nice diversion from the chains in the area and it's ethnic - which (other than Chinese) is rare up here! We have already been back a couple of times. Also to note - they do have a few tables inside so you can eat-in as well but I think a great deal of their business is to-go. For nicer weather, there is a patio as well.

Giveaway Day! Eversave & J Gumbos!

2011-12-20T09:10:00.004-05:00

So there's a new Daily Deal site in town and it's called Eversave! It's much like Groupon and the others - Daily Deals at half price - I've got all of these bookmarked and check them each day so I never miss a great deal!

To get you guys started on Eversave - they are giving me one of their J Gumbo's Daily Deals to giveaway to one lucky Food Hussy reader!!! If you haven't been to J Gumbos - check out my review from a while back!

All you have to do is either like Eversave on Facebook or follow them on Twitter - then leave a comment WITH YOUR CONTACT INFO below and you're entered!!!

I'll draw a winner this week!!! And make sure to check out their deals - there are 2 days left on J Gumbos and there are some fun holiday deals if you're still searching for a last minute gift!

Now who wants Gumbo?????

Recipe: Sopapilla Cheesecake

2011-12-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Pinterest - my recipe box is FULL! A couple weeks ago I found this Sopapilla Cheesecake and decided it was going in the box to try.

It's not too often that I spontaneously have all the ingredients for something on hand - but yeah! Crescent rolls, cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla - how many of you have all of those ingredients in your cupboards right now?

First you mix up softened cream cheese, sugar and vanilla - I also threw some cinnamon in this portion as well. My cream cheese wasn't softened and I put it on "defrost" in the microwave and it softened perfectly without melting.

You put half the crescent rolls on the bottom - spread the cream cheese mix on top - then the other layer of crescent rolls. I was winging it a bit since I was in a hurry and making half the recipe. I made this in a square dish but the original recipe is meant for 9x13.

Top with melted butter, cinnamon & sugar - then pop it in the oven!

Here's a shot out of the oven...it puffed up nicely.

And here's a slice of the yumminess! We both liked it a lot and it's a quick and easy breakfast/dessert to make that has pretty simple ingredients.

In my "winging" it - I didn't use enough sugar. I should have taken the extra time to make sure I used the right amounts. It is sort of a recipe you can't screw up though - or if you like things a little less sweet - use less sugar. It was still really good - just would have been better with more sugar in the cream cheese. I also would mix the cinnamon and sugar for the top and go heavier with the sugar there as well.

Hope you like it!

Sopapilla Cheesecake
Ingredients:
-3 cans pillsbury butter crescent rolls
-2 (8oz) packages cream cheese (softened)
-1 cup sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-1/4 cup butter (melted)
-Cinnamon & sugar

Instructions:
Unrolled and spread 1 & 1/2 can crescent rolls on bottom of un-greased pan. Combine softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Spread mixture over crescent rolls. Unroll and spread remaining crescent rolls over mixture. Spread melted butter over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

FINALLY! Taqueria Mercado

2011-12-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Well it's only taken like 3 years since I first heard about Taqueria Mercado for me to get there and try it! I've heard it's one of the more authentic and tasty Mexican restaurants in town.

It took my family coming down from Minnesota and staying nearby for me to try it - but it definitely won't be my last trip!

I branched out - they had Tortas ($5.50!!) on the menu - which I'd heard of but never tried. I got a Torta with Carnitas - it also came with avocado, beans, lettuce, sour cream and jalapenos. The bread comes fresh from their bakery next door.

Let me just say - BEST. SANDWICH. EVER. Like I seriously will never get anything else (except maybe some cheese dip) - this was sooooo amazing and fresh and just plain freakin delicious!!!

Larry got the Camarones ala Plancha (small - $9.49) and while he's not a big fan of Mexican - he did like this. (Who doesn't like Mexican????)

Aunt Marty went for the Shrimp Fajitas ($10.99) and approved as well.

Mmmmm avocado! Marty didn't want hers so I stacked it on my torta! I can't get enough avocado!

The margaritas were pretty stiff as expected - I went for one small. That was the only negative to comment on - I asked for extra salt and actually got less. Huh? We'll forgive them that one!

Can't really remember what Uncle Bruce got - but he was again - very pleased!

As I mentioned, they also have a bakery. This was in the cooler and I don't know what the hell it is - but who wouldn't want some of that?!!!!

I did run to the bakery and grab a couple of churros as well for breakfast the next day. Delicious! They were HUGE and sooooo good! I heated them up a lil bit and amazingness!

Why Should You Go? The torta is reason enough for a visit - especially at only $5.50! And don't forget stopping by the bakery.

Awesome Ribs and a New Restaurant

2011-12-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

I've been chatting for quite a while with Matt from Just Q'in on Twitter but never actually met him or tasted his food. Up until very recently he's just had a food truck & catering business - but now - he's got a restaurant too!

Matt has opened up a carryout restaurant in Newtown and in preparation for that - he dropped off a rack of ribs for me to try!

There was also a side of sauce with them as well. I have to say - the aroma filled the house the second he brought them in. Larry and I were practically drooling right then and there!

I have mainly had ribs with lots of sauce - but these came with the dry rub seasoning on them and I decided to just try them first like that - "naked" if you will.

Let me just say - I didn't even try the sauce! These ribs were soooooo amazing! Fall-off-the-bone delicious is probably the best way to describe these ribs. We had those ribs gone in less than 10 minutes - no sides, no plates, no silverware - just devouring at the kitchen counter!

Why Should You Go? These ribs were so delicious! So - if you're looking for amazing ribs, catering or are in the vicinity of Newtown - get over to Just Q'in!!!

Giveaway Day!!!! Hickory Farms (another gift!)

2011-12-08T08:30:00.000-05:00

This Christmas season at Food Hussy - we're making sure not only you get good stuff (like those Omaha Steaks) - but we're also making sure some of your friends & family gets some good stuff too!

Last week it was Graeters and this week it's Hickory Farms!

The folks at Hickory Farms sent me a Party Planner Gift Box which has a great assortment of meats, cheeses, sauces and crackers. Lots of tasty stuff and it was a big hit at a party I went to recently! With every sale of this box, Hickory Farms donates $5 to Share Our Strength and their No Kid Hungry campaign. They also have free shipping of this to Military addresses.

And now - a gift for you! Or someone you know!

One of you will be getting a Warm & Hearty Welcome box from Hickory Farms. This box also ships free to military addresses.

Winning is easy - leave a comment below saying who you'd send this to - or if you'd just keep it for yourself! Christmas is coming quick - so we'll draw a winner Monday!

MAKE SURE TO LEAVE A WAY TO CONTACT YOU! TWITTER, EMAIL, FACEBOOK, CARRIER PIGEON - SOMETHING!

3 words: PULLED. PORK. FACEOFF!

2011-12-06T08:23:00.000-05:00

We're now moved in and pretty much settled and have been discovering the take-out of our new 'hood. Why? I haven't figured out how to grocery shop apparently. Ugh - too much stuff to do and not enough time!

I drive by Pit to Plate every day on my way to and from work - I have long heard about Pit and got my first taste of them at the Taste of the NFL a few weeks back. So on the way home from work one day - I decided to grab some to-go for Larry and I.

Pulled chicken, (sauce on the side - can't see it), corn muffin, green beans, taters & gravy for Larry!

For me, pulled pork, cole slaw, baked beans and corn muffins.

So how did Pit to Plate fare? Really well - first of all $7.95 each - for all that!!! Yeah - great value for the $$. The cole slaw was creamy and had a little zing to it. The beans - sweet, saucy and a little spicy. The pork was juicy and the sauce is really great. The corn muffins - BEST EVER!!

Seriously - I just want a dozen of those corn muffins!!

Also - they get HIGH marks for customer service - those girls are the friendliest, happiest bunch ever!

Next up is Big Arts - it's only a couple minutes away - so it's just as close as PTP. I mentioned to someone I liked PTP and they told me I HAD to try Big Arts...so off I went.

I got the same thing - pulled pork dinner to go. It came with two sides and a roll for $9.99. The pork was fine but it was much dryer and the sauce was more bitter. The green beans were also bitter and bleh. But the worst were the roll and the potato - DRY DRY DRY. There was no butter, no sour cream, no nothing. MMMMM - who doesn't want a dry ass roll AND a dry ass baked potato!!

To me - if I'm getting it to-go, they should at least ASK if I need anything. They weren't very friendly either - on the phone or when I went to pick up my order.

Thus - in the Pulled Pork Faceoff - the clear winner is PIT TO PLATE!!!

Why Should You Go? Cheaper, tastier and friendlier!!!!

Cheap Buffet...and bad Taco Pizza

2011-12-02T10:19:00.000-05:00

In our land of new restaurants - we actually had a "daily deal" for a place we hadn't tried - Carmela's Pizza & Buffet on Kemper in Springdale. I don't remember what site we got it from - but it was for a pizza, two apps or salads and two drinks (I think).

We didn't realize - it's more of a buffet than a order & wait pizza place. The buffet is really large and surprisingly they have SO much more than just pizza! They had lasagna, chicken, ribs, mac & cheese, etc... plus a big salad bar. That was what most folks were coming in for. And it's really affordable as well - it's only $7.49 with a beverage! (lunch & dinner).

But since we had our coupon - we found a couple of appetizers to try. Larry wanted the garlic knots. They were okay - a little cold, very salty and lots and lots and lots of garlic. Nothing compared to the ones at Brunos. They are really cheap though - only $1.99 for a large order.

We also got the mozzarella sticks ($7.99) and they were pretty good - battered and the marinara was tasty. We liked these a lot.

Larry let me choose the pizza - and he shouldn't have. We got a taco pizza. It wasn't very good. We only ate a couple of pieces and took the rest home but never touched it. The meat was kinda gross and the onions & peppers were a bit too raw. Like they made a cheese pizza and threw the rest on top. It just wasn't good. The crust was nothing to write home about either...

Why Should You Go? Well - don't go for the taco pizza - but at $7.49 for the buffet - if you're in the area - it might be worth a try.

Try the salad - it's a Killer!

2011-11-30T08:30:00.000-05:00

Sorry it's been a while since my last review - with being out of work for a month (now gainfully employed again!) and moving (oye) - it's been a bit cra-cra in the Johnson household!

But with a new job - downtown - comes new places for the Food Hussy to visit! We are in - as I like to refer to it - the "crotch" of downtown. No idea why I say that - but we're near where all the interstates collide and it is just crotch-like.

In this area - there are not a lot of restaurants in walking distance - like maybe 3. But that's okay - one is right across the street and is really yummy! It's Deli seven20! Now while their website doesn't seem like much - I do also like their Facebook page because they always have the daily specials there.

The first day I tried a combo for $8 with a cup of soup and a half-salad. I also got a bag of their homemade chips.

The salad I tried was "The Killer" and it is my favorite! It normally comes with either grilled chicken or tofu - but I asked for portabella mushrooms instead and they were happy to oblige. It comes with 2 dressings - a spicy ranch and salsa. My favorite thing by far about this salad is the roasted corn - it's soooo sweet and just bursts flavor in your mouth. I always get this!

I've tried a couple of the soups - the Fiesta Veggie Bean was just okay. Lacked salt and was too much just a vegetable soup. Meh. The Chicken Chili on the other hand was great! I figured it would be a white chili - but it was a red. Loved it.

The chips are pretty good - they're really well done - so pretty hard and crunchy - thick. Just an fyi - I didn't love them but I did appreciate them - if that makes any sense.

I also tried a sandwich special - it was fine...The "ring dang doo" is pretty popular from what I hear (roast pork loin, smoked gouda, roasted red peppers & sweet chili mayo on focacci). I like that everything is really fresh - but I'm not much of a cold-sandwich person...so I think I'll stick with either a large Killer or a combo with soup & salad.

Why Should You Go: The price is $8-10 depending on if you get chips/soda/cookie/etc...so it's not cheap - but it's good and feels fairly healthy. Most of all - you can tell it's fresh - which I really like! I don't know that it's worth a trip downtown - but if you're in the P&G/Sawyer Point vicinity - it's a good option.

I also hear rumblings of a deli/salad bar in the "book building" across the street - I think I'll have to venture over there. The construction workers swear by it and say it's half the price. The girls here say it's not as good. Sounds like a job for the Food Hussy! :-)

And go enter to win a 6 pack of Graeters - if you win - will you send it to my Mom? I can't enter!

Giveaway Day!!!! GRAETERS!!!!

2011-11-29T09:41:00.000-05:00

While the weather outside is getting frightful (enough rain already - seriously!) - there's one thing that is ALWAYS delightful!

Seriously - who doesn't love some of this decadent goodness? And for those of us in Cincinnati - we can have this deliciousness anytime! But what about our friends and relatives not lucky enough to live here? What are they supposed to do?

Well - today you can win a SIX PACK OF GRAETERS TO SEND TO THEM!

That's right - need a unique gift? You can avoid the mall and order the sweetest gift for family & friends at Graeters.com. They have 6 or 12 pint variety packs or you can customize your own! There are 24 flavors including signature chip and limited edition holiday favorites - Cinnamon, Pumpkin Pie and Peppermint Stick!



And for those non-Cincinnati folks - you can enter too! If you haven't heard of Graeter's - here's a little info! The fourth-generation family-owned company stands apart from the rest having pioneered the French Pot process of making only 2 gallons at a time with all-natural ingredients. End result... a dense, creamy texture and massive dark chocolate chips (more HUNKS than chips!).

My favorite flavor is the Coconut Chip - but the rest are all amazing and delicious as well! So be sure to enter the giveaway today! You'll get your own 6 pack to send to a friend, relative - or yourself!!! Check one gift off the list with Graeters and the Food Hussy!

Be sure to leave your comment about which flavor is YOUR favorite and who you want to send this to! As always - be sure to leave your contact information (twitter, email or facebook) and if you tweet the message AND let me know with another comment - you get an extra entry!

I just entered to win a free 6 pack of @graeters from @foodhussy! I wonder who I will send it to! http://www.thefoodhussy.com

Giveaway Day: Parkers Blue Ash Tavern

2011-11-21T08:30:00.000-05:00

No review today - just something free for you guys! I have a $50 Brunch for Two gift certificate for Parkers Blue Ash Tavern for some lucky Food Hussy Fan!

Photo Courtesy of Parkers Blue Ash Tavern

The brunch really looks amazing! I mean - you get a free drink (Bloody Mary, Mimosa, Screwdriver or Champagne) to start - which is never a bad thing! Then - the food! Made to order omelets, Belgian waffles, salads, smoked salmon, Tavern Mac & Cheese, bread pudding and so much more! Seriously - you will NOT leave hungry!

Photo Courtesy of Parkers Blue Ash Tavern

Parkers also has four private rooms that can seat 20-60 people - so it's great for holiday parties and special gatherings. The restaurant really is a pretty place - if you haven't been it's worth a visit.

So it's Giveaway Time!!! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment letting me know what brunch item sounds the best to you at Parkers and leave your contact info!!!! If you tweet the following - AND leave a separate comment letting me know you did - you'll get an extra entry!

I entered to win Brunch for 2 @ParkersBlueAsh1 from @foodhussy and you can too! www.thefoodhussy.com

Be sure to leave a way to contact you - twitter, email, facebook, something! Otherwise your entry doesn't count.

Thanks and happy brunching!

Congrats also to Jessica for winning the Omaha Steaks $50 Gift Card. More goodies to come!!!

GIVEAWAY DAY!!!! MooooooooCow!

2011-11-15T08:30:00.000-05:00

I'm all about trying new things and getting fun giveaways for my readers - this holiday season I have some GOOD stuff coming up for me and you!

First up in the Giveaways this holiday season is OMAHA STEAKS! I have long-wondered about this mail-order steak company. They do have physical stores as well - in our area they are in Crestview Hills & Beavercreek. (Giveaway at the end)

Omaha Steaks sent me a sample Ideal Gift Assortment which contained:

2 (5 oz.) Filet Mignons
2 (5 oz.) Top Sirloin Steaks
4 (4 oz.) Boneless Pork Chops
4 (4 oz.) Omaha Steaks Burgers
4 (5.75 oz.) Stuffed Baked Potatoes
6 inch Chocolate Lovers Cake

Here's a beauty shot of all the awesome things I get to try! Top sirloin, filet mignon, pork chops, burgers, baked potatoes and cake!!! Seriously - we are gonna eat well this holiday season!!!

After opening my cooler of goodness, this is everything I unpacked! I have to say - for gift giving - these guys have it down to a science! Everything comes so well packed and was all still safely frozen when I got home from work. (More than I can say for the time my mother sent me meat for my birthday - yes - seriously!) Everything is boxed individually and vacuum sealed. It's great because you can pop the boxes in your freezer (if you have room) or unpack and repackage to save space. The cake also arrived safe and sound!

They also have an Unconditional Guarantee that you'll love every bite - makes it nice to feel confident in your gift sending to family & friends!

Here's a closeup of the filet mignons...frozen and vacuum sealed!

I decided to cook up the two top sirloin and two burgers tonight. I always make extra since Larry and I both pack our lunches for school/work. I cooked them on a grill pan as the rain didn't really give me much opportunity for outside grilling. I also decided on very little seasoning - I wanted to taste the quality of the cow and tell you all what I really thought!

I am also always cooking things on the rare side. I hate when steak is overcooked and dry - yucko! I have to say - I did good tonight. This steak was cooked perfectly for my taste!

Speaking of TASTE - how was it? Excellent! 99% of the time I use Worcestershire on steak - but tonight I just had a tiny bit of steak seasoning. It was really great! A lot of times, meat that has been frozen gets a different texture but this didn't! It had that great steak texture but also FLAVOR. I was very happy with the steak!

How would the burgers fare? I cut one in half just to show the juiciness. I put them on the grill pan the same time as the steaks and the steaks were done first. The burgers aren't huge - but they're enough obviously when you add toppings.

I tried these plain - just to really taste the pure beef of the brand. I have to say - these were also great! And I'm not the kind of person to shill cuz I got it for free - if I don't like it - I'll tell you. But these burgers were great! They had the smell of a good burger (like the ones I got from the farms this summer) and the flavor! Again - the flavor of a good burger is so right on! I was really impressed with this burger!

So from the two things I've tried so far I can highly recommend Omaha Steaks for yourself or as a gift for your friends & family! Their site has so many options from Gifts to Overstock to Complete Meals and even more! They have gifts under $50 and free shipping on select packages as well - so there's something for everybody.

And now - to get you started on your holiday gift giving (or receiving) - your chance for a $50 gift card to Omaha Steaks! There are two ways to enter:

1. Comment below with what item you'd like to try from Omaha Steaks or who you'd like to send a gift package to this holiday season.

2. Tweet this message and come back here to let me know you did!

@foodhussy is giving away $50 to @omahasteaks at www.thefoodhussy.com!

BE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR EMAIL OR TWITTER HANDLE IN THE COMMENT SO I CAN NOTIFY YOU!!!! If I can't figure out how to get in touch with you, I toss out your entry.

I'll be drawing the winner next Monday (and then hosting another giveaway!).

Recipe: Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken

2011-11-14T08:30:00.000-05:00

So how many of you are addicted to Pinterest like I am? I'm OBSESSED! If you're not familiar - it's a site where you have a bunch of images that you like. Any site you're on, you can "pin" an image to one of your boards. Then other people see and repin to their boards and blah blah - sharing! It's a timesuck that I love.

While sucking my life away - I've also found a lot of great recipes that I want to try! Most of them are on my Food board. One in particular that jumped out at me was one for Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken. The number of crock pot recipes is astounding and I love it!

This recipe is soooo simple! The thing I love best is that you can use the chicken right from the freezer! I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs because that's what I had (the recipe calls for breasts).

Here's the recipe:

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

3 lb. bag of frozen chicken breasts
1 bottle Frank's Wings Buffalo Sauce
1 packet Ranch Dip Mix
2 TBSP butter

Put frozen chicken, wing sauce, and ranch dip mix into crock pot.
Cook on low at least 6 to 7 hours
Using two forks, shred chicken & return to crock pot.
Add butter.
Cook on low for an additional hour.
Enjoy!

Here's a shot in the crock pot. So easy! I just filled my crock pot (it's pretty small) with chicken thighs, poured the whole bottle of buffalo sauce on top and then sprinkled the ranch mix on top. Pop the lid on and you're done!

I used the buffalo chicken on sandwiches quite a bit for Larry and I's packed lunches. But - the best find was trying this buffalo chicken on baked potatoes!

QUICK TIP: I've taken to buying baking potatoes and then when I'm sitting around in the evening - I just throw a couple in the oven for an hour. I saw from the folks at America's Test Kitchen to rub the potato in olive oil and salt and then put it right in the oven (no foil) so the skin gets crispy. It's a great time saver and you can put so much stuff on a baked potato! It helps so much when I'm getting our lunches ready in the morning!

So I had baked potatoes ready and decided to pop some of the buffalo chicken on top. Then I packed sour cream in a separate container for topping. I have to say - this was AMAZING! The recipe provides a lot of sauce in the pot along with the chicken - and the sauce with the baked potato - was so delicious.

It was also good on sandwiches of course - but for me - the potatoes were the best!

I hope you try this one and enjoy - and hey - feel free to share your favorite crock pot recipe in the comments! There will be TWO giveaways on tap this week as well!

Enjoy!

WTF is Up with Dishwasher Tabs????

2011-11-09T13:14:00.000-05:00

Okay - what the hell is going on with dishwasher tabs? I used to love these things - no mess, no fuss, drop it in and blam-o! CLEAN DISHES!

I've read that they have stopped putting phosphates in dishwasher detergent because of pollution - well I want them back - pollution or not! My dishes aren't getting clean and the stupid tabs don't even dissolve!!!!

I now hand wash my dishes and use the dishwasher as a drying rack. This sucks.

Here's the evidence of the crapitude:

That is what was left AFTER the load ran through!!!!! I've tried 3 different brands and it's all the same. With the all liquid ones - I just cut them open and squeeze the stuff into the cup - but it still isn't cleaning for shit. There are lots of folks complaining about the same things online.

I'm going to switch to the traditional liquid and or powder and see if those make a difference - I just have been getting good deals on the tabs. Of course - not a good deal if it doesn't work.

Anybody else having issues?

Here are a couple of articles about the phosphate free detergent and other folks having same problems:

http://www.lynnskitchenadventures.com/2011/03/ask-the-readers-what-happened-to-dishwasher-detergent.html

http://www.npr.org/2010/12/15/132072122/it-s-not-your-fault-your-dishes-are-still-dirty

Product Review: Bertolli Mediterranean Style

2011-11-09T08:30:00.000-05:00

As I've mentioned a few times, I've become quite the couponer. So much so, I'll never pay for toothpaste, dental floss or body wash again!

On one of my coupon trips, I decided to try the new Bertolli Frozen Meals. Most of them contain eggs, but I found one that didn't - the Steak Rigatoni & Portobello Mushrooms.

It's a very simple & quick dinner! I did spray the pan since this one is stainless steel - I hate when stuff sticks. Then dump the bag in and cook for about 10 minutes.

And here you go! It's really creamy and the vegetables taste pretty good for coming from a frozen bag. There was maybe a little too much spinach for my liking - and the steak was just okay. I mean - it's a lot better than some frozen beef in a meal that I've had.

Portion size with these type of meals is usually pretty skimpy - but pair this with a salad or some bread and it fills out the meal pretty well. Larry even liked it! I wasn't too sure he would with all the vegetables but he did! Heather tested, husband approved.

Why Should You Buy? Well, if you're like me and you need some quick go-to meals in the freezer for nights when laundry, litter and dishes take up too much time - then here you go! They're a little pricey for my taste - but combine a decent sale with a coupon and it's worth it. Much better than a frozen entree in a cardboard box.

Quick Samich on the Square!

2011-11-08T09:07:00.000-05:00

So I've started the new job - and love it! Yeah MKTG! Yes - back to the world of Cincinnati ad agencies and I get to work with a good friend - what could be better?

Some of the girls from the new place invited me to lunch - which was SO nice! We headed down to the Square and didn't have much time so we decided on Potbelly.

I've been once and wasn't too excited but when you're the new girl - you just go along with whatever. I like subs that are warmed/toasted so I was okay with it.

The one thing I don't like about Potbelly is that I always feel rushed when I order. I'm just not familiar enough with the menu. The line was HUGE but it moves very quickly and they have someone that comes around and takes your order while in line. We were probably 25 people back when they took our order - pretty amazing that it all works out!

I decided on the original vegetarian (they have a new one but it had yucky feta!). The veg came with mushrooms, swiss, provolone and cheddar cheese - can't really go wrong there!

Why Should You Go? Well if you need a quick lunch and you're near the square - go! I was shocked - we started with the line wound around to the door and still got our food and had time to sit down and eat our lunch and get back to the office! Besides that - my sub was good. That is the "big" - I've long since decided I'd rather have a large sandwich and no chips.

Crazy Cooking Challenge: Mashed Potatoes (& Pesto Salmon)

2011-11-07T12:00:00.000-05:00

I'm back with the November Crazy Cooking Challenge which was Mashed Potatoes! The other option was stuffing - which I kind of wish had won because I have a great recipe - but I'm going to share that soon enough! Now it's time for taters!

I came across the TasteFood blog and found a recipe that combined sweet and red potatoes! My husband loves sweet potatoes and I love regular - so I thought it might be a good mash up #punintended.

First you had to start with red potatoes, sweet potatoes and celery root. I had no idea wtf celery root was but luckily they had it at Meijer so I was good to go! When you cut it - it COMPLETELY smells like celery - it was very unique. The celery root is a lot harder than the potatoes so I made sure to chop it into smaller pieces than the potatoes.

After boiling the potatoes (with garlic) until soft, you drain and cool them a bit. I cooled them a bit too long because by the time they were mashed - they were a bit cool. Then I added sour cream, butter and salt. Mash mash mash - my arm was sore.

I then added the freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a little more salt - lots of tasting to make it perfect.

It might not be pretty - but it was tasty!! It also makes a LOT of potatoes!

I also came across a recipe for Pesto Baked Salmon - and it couldn't be easier! Foil + salmon + pesto = done!

So here was dinner - Pesto Baked Salmon and Sweet & Red Potato Mash! I really enjoyed both of them - although I cook the potatoes a little longer and possibly use a mixer to really whip those taters to get a little fluffier.

Recipes:

Sweet & Red Potato Mash

Whole milk Greek style yogurt adds body and creaminess without excess fat to the potatoes. If you prefer extra richness, substitute sour cream for the yogurt. Serves 4-6.

2 pounds red potatoes with skin, cut in 1 inch pieces
1 pound sweet potato, peeled, cut in 1 inch pieces
1/2 pound celery root (celeriac), peeled, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, divided
Salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt or sour cream
1/3 cup finely grated Parmigiano cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
Sage leaves for garnish

Combine potatoes and celery root in a large pot. Peel and smash 3 garlic cloves. Add to the pot. Cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are very soft. Drain. Return to pot and cool slightly. Mince the remaining garlic and add to the potatoes. Add butter and yogurt. Mash with a potato masher to desired consistency. Stir in cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm, garnished with chopped sage leaves.

Pesto Baked Salmon

1 pound salmon fillets

1/4 cup pesto - homemade or store bought

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Place the salmon skin side down on the foil. Season with salt and pepper and spread the pesto over the top of the fish.

Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 7-10 minutes, depending on thickness. Be sure not to overcook to prevent dry salmon.

Remove from oven and using a spatula, lift off the salmon from the foil, leaving the skin on the baking sheet. Serve immediately.

Outback & their Free Steak!

2011-11-02T13:58:00.002-04:00

Recently Outback Steakhouse gave away free steaks to a million people! Woohoo! So I got my coupon for a free 6 oz coupon with one side a couple of weeks ago. Before I knew it - the coupon was expiring - so I grabbed a friend and off we went.

I have had a bit of a string of bad luck with steaks and surely wasn't expecting much from Outback - but I went for it. They now offer a choice between:

Classic Seasoned & Seared: Our classic bold style, seasoned & seared on a red hot grill. Wood-Fire Grilled: Our new style, lightly seasoned & flame grilled over oak wood.

I went for the wood-fire grilled since that sounded like a much better choice. I opted for a side of broccoli with the steak. As always I chose medium rare for my steak...

The blob on the upper left is a chicken breast I added on for $4 - it was very small and looked dry as all get out - but it was for my husband - so what did I care. (haha)

The steak was cooked PERFECTLY. I cut off the end to show the perfect medium rare - I was impressed. It even had a great flavor. I'm normally the girl that douses steak in Worcestershire sauce (easier to spell than pronounce oddly enough) - but this didn't need it at all!

The 6 oz size with the giveaway was small but when paired with the broccoli and some fries - it was definitely a full meal.

They also have a pretty extensive online ordering system and curbside pickup - which is pretty nice.

Why Should You Go? I was really impressed with the quality of the steak - and I'd recommend the wood-fire grill since it was so perfect! My friend ordered a half-rack of ribs and they also looked great. Surprisingly enough to myself - I will definitely be back to Outback!

Chicken Spaghetti Casserole for a Crowd!

2011-11-01T08:10:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned Monday, I've been all about blogs as of late and after making my Chicken in a Crock Pot - I found a great yummy recipe on Pinterest (don't you LOVE that site!) that called for 2 cups cooked chicken! The Chicken Spaghetti Casserole was too tempting to not make - yeah Recipe Girl!

I will say - RecipeGirl's pictures are much better - knowing they were so great - I just took a few. Look at the loads of veges in this recipe! It's also nice because you could change it up based on what your tastes are - this called for celery, mushrooms, onions and peppers but I could easily see using broccoli instead!

First you just saute the veges for a few minutes until they're tender....

I chopped the leftover chicken from my Chicken in a Crock Pot from the day before...so handy to have!

Beyond the veges & chicken - there's not much left! The recipe did call for 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup - of course I didn't read it close enough and when I went to the store - I only bought 1 can! (Argh!) I decided to substitute the Philadelphia Cooking Creme (Santa Fe flavor) that I got on a recent couponing trip. I figured it was meant to be added in this type of scenario and might add some great flavor! Then there's shredded sharp cheddar in the casserole and shredded jack on top!

You mix together soup, cooking creme and milk - then add it into the sauteed vegetables. Then I added the cheddar cheese to the pan. After that I poured it into this bowl and added the chicken and cooked angel hair pasta.

After that I poured it into a casserole dish and topped it with some shredded jack cheese. Then into the oven for 35 minutes.

It came out cheesy and bubbly!!! I could wait to dig in - then I remembered I forgot to take a picture!

I also cooked up some crescent rolls (don't judge - they're good dammit). It was a delicious dinner. and lunch, and lunch and lunch and dinner and lunch and lunch and lunch.

What am I getting at? This makes a HUGE casserole!!!! If and when I make this again - I will cut the recipe in half. If you have a crowd to feed - make the whole thing. If it's just you and your leftover-picky husband...cut it in half or you'll be eating it for a week!

It's delicious though and I think I might like it better with the mix of cooking creme and cream of mushroom soup! Thanks RecipeGirl! (and as she mentions, you could easily substitute cooked turkey with Thanksgiving leftovers!)

chicken spaghetti casserole

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 25 min

Cook Time: 35 min

Ingredients:

7 ounces thin spaghetti
1 tablespoon salted butter
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers
Two 10.75-ounce cans 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
1 cup nonfat milk
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with nonstick spray.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions, but only cook it until it's al dente (you still want a little bite to it). Drain the pasta and set it aside.

3. Melt butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion, celery and bell peppers. Cook until the vegetables have softened, 4 to 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, mix milk and soup until smooth. Add this mixture to the vegetables in the pan. Stir in cheddar cheese. Continue to heat the mixture until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth. Add in chicken, pasta and tabasco, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle Jack cheese on top.

4. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the casserole is hot and bubbly and golden brown.

Tips:

*If you're trying to figure out a serving size for this casserole, simply use a knife to divide the pan into 6 equal servings. There's your serving size (it's pretty substantial)!

*Leftovers of this casserole are great for a couple of days after making it.

*Turn this casserole into a day-after-Thanksgiving meal by adding leftover turkey instead of chicken.

2-2-2-Recipes in 1 (Chicken in a Crock Pot & Mac'n'Cheese for 2)

2011-10-31T08:00:00.000-04:00

I've been all about reading lots of other blogs as of late...I'm always looking for recipes that are easy - especially slow-cooker ones. Last week for dinner I made a whole chicken in a crock pot from Colie's Kitchen as well as the Macaroni & Cheese for Two that I found on SteakNPotatoesKindaGurl right here in Cincinnati.

I have to say the chicken recipe was awesome and easy!!! You throw some chopped onion in the bottom of the crock pot, rub spices on the chicken, plop it on top of the onions and voila - you're done! I let it cook all day on low.

I also built a fortress of objects around the crock pot. The little rodents of my home knocked the crock pot off the counter last time I used it (note the large chip on the top). Little bastards ate my roast and I didn't even get a bite!!! Not this time - the fortress of solitude will protect my chicken!

While the chicken was winding down I started up the mac & cheese. It was just as easy - combine sour cream & milk - then add shredded cheese and chopped onion. Then stir in cooked macaroni. Bam - done - put it in the oven.

I took the bird out of the crock pot and just as Colie mentioned - it fell apart - which is fine. I was planning on taking all the meat off the bone anyway - it's what I do when I buy the rotisserie chicken at the store too.

It also provided me with a nice bowl of chicken broth to use later in another recipe!

While the chicken was cooling - I stirred the cooked macaroni into the mixture of sour cream, milk, onion and cheese.

A bowl full of shredded chicken! I peeled the skin off as I was taking it off the bone. Larry likes making sandwiches or just heating it up and eating. I also had a recipe I spied (blog to come) for a casserole that called for 2 cups of cooked chicken!

I popped the mac & cheese into a casserole dish and baked it - it was extremely creamy and doesn't make too much. I get so tired of having so much that I have to eat it every day for 2 weeks (as is the case with the casserole recipe I'm making from the chicken).

So here was my dinner - a little mac & cheese and a little chicken. How were they?

Whole Chicken in A Crock Pot - Fantastic! I have a feeling I'll be making this a couple of times a month. It was so simple and affordable! The nice thing also is the spices can really change depending on what you like or what's in your cupboard!

Mac & Cheese for Two - This one didn't fare so well. It was creamy and cheesy but I just didn't like the sour cream taste. It was very pungent (and I love sour cream). I won't be making this one again - it was very easy though. If you love sour cream - you might try it.

And thanks so much to Colie & Desi for blogging about these recipes. Next time you want to make dinner - go to Google and search just the blogs - I'm sure you'll find something really great! Here's a start for you to check out - I looked up crock pot!

Here are the recipes:

Chicken in a Crock Pot

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 large roasting chicken
1 cup chopped onion

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the spices.
Remove any giblets from chicken and clean chicken.
Rub spice mixture onto the chicken.
Place chopped onion in bottom of crock pot.
Add chicken. No liquid is needed, the chicken will make it's own juices.
Cook on low 4-8 hours.

Macaroni 'n' Cheese for Two

slightly adapted from Taste of Home's Down Home Cooking for One or Two

* Yields: 2 servings

1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup milk
1 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
2 tablespoons chopped onion
dash of paprika

In a bowl, combine sour cream and milk. Stir in the cheese, macaroni, and onion. Transfer to a greased baking dish; sprinkle with paprika. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes.

Legendary Nightlife - at 12:30 in the Afternoon

2011-10-26T09:49:00.000-04:00

I recently had a business lunch at the Cricket Lounge in the Cincinnatian downtown. I've previously eaten at the Palace but not in the lounge area.

It was noon - so not really the time for "legendary nightlife".

I went for the soup & sandwich ($11 cream of san marzano tomato soup with grilled cheddar cheese sandwich + $3 for ham on sandwich).

The soup was a very creamy tomato soup and I enjoyed it. I don't typically like just plain tomato soup but it seemed to be a specialty there so I tried it. It was very warm and comforting - especially when the lounge was about 50 degrees!

The grilled cheese (with ham) was great - I really enjoyed the sandwich. The ham added a lot to it for sure.

One of my dining companions ordered the Pan Roasted Irish Salmon ($17 - new potatoes, sauteed spaghetti squash, white balsamic-brown butter vinaigrette). Both of my dining companions were all about "healthy" (blech). He said the salmon and potatoes were very good - but he didn't eat the squash (too oily).

Why Should You Go? It was a nice business lunch - other than the lounge temperature. The food was enjoyable and the service was great. Would I eat there on my own dime? Meh - probably not. I would like to try the Palace again - the chef has changed 2-3 times since I was there.

Need programs for something? Don't miss this girl!

2011-10-25T08:38:00.000-04:00

Here's a fun one - it's about my wedding - yeah - my wedding that was one year ago! I have had this in my drafts for a year now - and finally got this out - oye vay!

But it's about great people and a great product! Christi from InkandBloom at Etsy did my wedding programs and I have to say - they were one of the most talked about pieces of the day!

I want to say that I had promised to blog about it but her shop wasn't up on Etsy for quite a while - so it's been in my "drafts" for a year. I finally went back and checked and hey - it's up!

But now - let's brag about Christi for a bit!

1. They were beautiful! She printed them on this thick shimmer stock and delivered them all folded and perfect right to my door. I was literally shocked when I opened the package and saw how beautiful they were! The shimmer stock is a definitely must-have!

2. Christi was wonderful to work with! We chatted and I mentioned that I love flowers - especially daisies. She then provided me a few design options to choose from. After I picked a couple - she then inserted my colors - (hot pink and bright ass blue) and voila - I had 3 final options to choose from and we were done with design. The best part was that this was ALL via email and ALL within a few days!

3. I had fun with them. The design is all Christi - but the writing is all Heather! I started with a stodgy boring ordinary program and then HUSSIFIED them and made them all our own. From the thank yous to the dedication to the "titles" for all the participants. Take a look - maybe it will inspire you too!

The inside of the program.

The back of the program.

There you have it - the last wedding post. Check out Christi and if you're wedding planning - my advice - look for LOCAL people to make your day special! I had local folks do the photos, cupcakes, programs, decorating, hair and more. It makes it even more special. And - be sure to make it YOUR wedding.

Interject your spirit into every single piece of the day!

ABC's of Dining: Pera Mediterranean

2011-10-24T08:29:00.000-04:00

For the ABC's of Dining - the public voted and chose Pera Mediterranean which is in Mt Lookout square in the former location of Betta's.

Since we're on a budget, we decided to try out their $5 lunch menu. Parking is always a challenge on the square but we headed up Delta a bit and found plenty of free open spots just a block away!

I got the Fettucini and added shrimp. The dish - according to their online menu says it came with tomatoes, mushrooms and a cheese sauce. Well - I see the cheese sauce. (Crickets) Yeah - I added shrimp but didn't think that meant I would be subtracting tomatoes & mushrooms. The fettucini on it's own is $5, adding shrimp was $2.95.

The taste on the alfredo was fine and the shrimp was good. The portion is small - which seems like a bit of a gip when we're talking about pasta and some sauce - it's like 50 cents worth of pasta & sauce for $5 - give me a portion size that's worth it!

Larry got the chicken sandwich which was served in tortilla bread and came with chicken, lettuce, tomato, onion and tzatziki sauce ($5). It was pretty good - not that big (again) and no side items.

Somehow our $5 lunch came out to nearly $20 without the tip! I think the $2.50/soda was a RIP OFF! I mean - $5 for fountain pop!?!

Why Should You Go? Well - our food tasted fine but the disappointment over my lack of vegetables and the cost of the soda left us with a "not so much" feeling on the thought of a return visit. I did feel bad for not really trying anything "mediterranean" but I just wasn't in the mood. Meh - doubt we'll go back - especially since Cafe Mediterranean is back open again. (Their website does not list their new address in Blue Ash but Urbanspoon does.)

Saturday Fun at the Old West Festival

2011-10-20T08:54:00.000-04:00

Thanks to In A Galaxy - I won four tickets to the Old West Festival in Williamsburg, OH! Hubby and I took his daughter to the festival for a fun afternoon. And we paid it forward by giving our extra free ticket to a family that was in line to buy tickets.

When you arrive - it truly looks like an Old West town - or at least what you think one looks like from the movies. There are store fronts set up, wood chips all over the ground and even folks cooking on campfires.

The shops had some pretty neat things for sale - I always love old windows - and this was something that definitely caught my eye. While we were perusing the shops - we heard quite a commotion...what was it?

A gunfight!

The lady in town won this fight - she was a ballsy one!

There was also a variety of food booths and some folks were cooking over a camp fire - I was wanting to pull up a chair with them!

And who can pass up one of these? We love making Larry look like a princess!

They even had some baseball games going on with the Cincinnati Red Legs and other original teams from the area.

Everywhere you walked there was music as well. It was a fun day - there are a lot of activities that are more focused on younger kids - fyi. This festival is really popular and happens every year. So while it's over for 2011 - you can add it to your to-do for 2012!

Butterwhat? Butterbees!

2011-10-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

I bought a couple of gift certificates from CincySavers to Butterbees - $20 for $40 is a pretty good deal - especially for a new place.

Of course - as happens every once in a while - food bloggers hit a wall. Not only did my phone die on the way - the batteries in my camera were dead as well! So in lieu of photos - you get Microsoft Paint illustrations of our dinner! (Oh yeah - I'm fancy like that) I might be onto something...

I sorta wish I had a contest for this - to make you guess the food item. This is the bread they bring you before your meal. It was fresh and warm and the butter was soft - all good here.

Next up - Mozzarella Sticks ($7) (you could tell that right?). These were fine - actually not really. They tasted sort of grainy - like the batter wasn't fully cooked. You could taste the flour between the crispy batter and the cheese. And the marinara was God awful! Barely more than ketchup.

This is obviously pulled pork, texas toast, saratoga chips and a side of broccoli ($14). Duh! The pulled pork was pretty good - juicy and with a nice flavor. The sauce was a fairly dark sauce - not sweet at all - and fairly strong. The saratoga chips were pretty great. The side of broccoli was good but the chunks were HUGE - it's a little hard to cut the pieces in a little tiny bowl. The texas toast wasn't very good - very bland and dry.

I almost feel like not even saying what it is - just to make you guess! But alas - then I couldn't tell you about the best part of the meal. Larry got the ribeye with a baked potato and broccoli ($25). This steak was FANTASTIC! We've been wanting steak lately and haven't had good experiences (Maury's, Polo). Butterbee's was fantastic! It was cooked perfectly and just tasted great. It had a great texture - which has been the problem lately - they've all tasted like bad hamburger - I'm guessing it's from being frozen. This steak was just like a great steak should be. There was also a good seasoning on it. Great job Butterbees!

Why Should You Go? It's very busy - I've never seen it not swamped - so I think it's fairly popular. Everything wasn't perfect but all in all - it was a good meal. The service was excellent as well.

FroYo Baby!

2011-10-18T08:15:00.000-04:00

My husband is working for one of the best pizza places in the city now - it's just part-time - but it's perfect for his busy schedule since he's also in school. On his delivery route - he spotted a frozen yogurt shop and decided to treat me - yeah for me!

Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt is a chain that's in about half of the US. Here in the Cincinnati area there are currently 3 locations (Kenwood, West Chester & Colerain) with 3 more coming (Anderson, Harpers Point & Hyde Park).

The unique thing about Orange Leaf is that it's self-serve! The inside is so bright and happy - I loved it! You just walk over - grab a cup - and go! The fun thing is you can get a little bit of a variety of flavors and try it all! Just watch yourself - remember - you pay for the weight! They also have a TON of flavors - here's their overall menu.

They also have a lot of fun toppings - Larry went for the fruit - I went for the junk. I had wedding cake & chocolate and let me say - the wedding cake flavor was fantastic! Larry went for orange and strawberry - he loved both as well. He's actually been bugging me to go back ever since.

Why Should You Go? It's delicious - just watch the toppings since you pay by weight.

A Peaceful Drive on US 52 to Higginsport and The Olde Dinner Bell

2011-10-13T08:30:00.000-04:00

As usual on a weekend, Larry and I were driving aimlessly on US-52 East and we were starving (shocker) and came across The Olde Dinner Bell. Now I'd seen it many times but we'd just never been hungry when driving by - but today was the day!

It's really a cute place inside - lots of Americana decorations and a very friendly staff. We came at 330pm on a Saturday - so not surprisingly - it was empty.

Here's all you get to see of the menu :-)

We each got sandwiches and I snuck in a side of cole slaw. I'm really picky when it comes to slaw and most of the time - I don't like it and end up taking one bite and then leaving the rest. That was NOT the case here - it was delicious! I ate every bite!

I was in the mood for a burger - so I went for the bacon cheeseburger and again - delicious. It was a homemade burger (hand shaped patty) - which I always appreciate. It seems like a fairly normal boring thing to order - but when it's good - it's appreciated. This was fantastic! And I always love a toasted bun.

Larry got his usual - a steak hoagie - and it was really great as well! I have to say - I don't really understand the steak hoagie - it's not steak. It's sort of a "meat patty" but this was loaded with toppings and still had that steak hoagie taste to it.

Plus - the one thing we don't have a picture of is the dinner buffet. Right after we ordered - they started putting out the fried chicken buffet. I was so bummed - it was making me drool just from the smell. Imagine hearing a noise, turning around and being faced with a giant vat of fried chicken.I nearly pushed her down just to steal the pan and run out the door! We ended up taking an order to go just because it smelled so good. The buffet is only $10! The fried chicken was delicious!!! We can't wait to go back just for that some time very very soon!

Why Should You Go? If you're up for a pretty drive - nothing beats US 52. Higginsport is right between Chilo and Ripley - so plan you day around it! Go early - take the ferry over to Augusta, KY and have an early lunch. Shop all afternoon, drive some more and then head to the Dinner Bell for the buffet dinner! You'll be glad you did!

ABCs of Dining: The Letter O - Otto's

2011-10-12T09:12:00.000-04:00

The ABCs are still going on and I'm plugging away - the letter O was a landslide for Otto's in Covington. It's in Mainstrasse across from Lime Taqueria.

Otto's is pretty small and cozy and I highly recommend reservations - we tried to go a few weeks before and they were full.

We started with the Greek Flatbread ($9) and I have to say - it was my favorite item all night. It was topped with spinach, red onion, banana peppers, cherry tomatoes, bacon, olives and feta cheese. It was crispy and light and so fresh tasting. It really didn't have any sauce but it didn't need it either - this was one of the best apps I've had at any restaurant.

The other nice thing was that most all their apps were egg-free - that's pretty rare!

I love the special touches - these milk bottles from France with fresh roses were very nice. And each table had its own unique salt & pepper shakers. Service was also excellent throughout the evening.

I got a special for the evening ($16 I think) - it was a Lasagna Bolognese. It was okay - I prefer it with more cheese and more sauce. It was good but the pasta was a little overcooked and all in all it was a bit dry. The portion was giant though.

Larry got the salmon special over sweet potato fries ($23-25ish). I thought the sauce on his salmon was excellent - he liked it but still preferred other salmon dishes over this. Everything was cooked perfectly.

Why Should You Go? Well - I don't know. It was good - but it was a bit expensive. I've heard such great reviews from others - but at that price I just don't know if I'd go back when I know other places that we enjoy more.

Taste of the NFL - and Cincinnati!

2011-10-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

The folks at the Freestore Foodbank were nice enough to send me (and 2 of my readers) free tickets to the Taste of the NFL. It's a yearly event with NFL teams across the country and they all benefit food banks in the NFL communities.

The event was held at Paul Brown Stadium and at $150/ticket - I was very thankful for the free tickets! But just because we got to go for free - there were plenty of other ways to help out Freestore at the event. They had a silent auction, raffles and information on their Power Pack program.

But - I was also there for the TASTE part of the event! 40 restaurants/chefs were participating and had so much amazing food - my friend Kelly and I were definitely in wonderland!

Jag's - Shrimp Cocktail

First up was Jag's - they were pretty impressive - especially for our first bites! The shrimp were gigantic and the sauce had a nice kick to it!

Jag's

This was their other option - Kelly and I shared dishes all night. I don't know what this was - except to say - amazing! I think it was Kelly's favorite of the night. The beef literally fell apart and was so delicious. The mushrooms were great as well and served with a little gravy over some grits. There was also a sour cream-ish type of sauce on top. All in all - a fantastic little plate of food. This was hard to beat for the night!

Senate - Savory Maine Lobster Roll with Crispy Onions

Senate was the Honorary Restaurant for the event. Normally they're known for their hot dogs - but tonight we got to try their Lobster Roll. This event was great for me because I got to try some places I've never been - like Senate!

The lobster roll was pretty good - not too mayonnaisy and lots of big chunks of lobster. I have never had one before - and from this experience - I would definitely try it again.

Besides the food - there were local celebs there! Like the Bengals mascot!! I think I'll have a website devoted to all my pictures with mascots.

Dojo - Churro

Next up was Dojo! I have known the owner of Dojo for a few years and am so proud and happy with the incredible success that Michael has had. I've never had a bad flavor and this day was no different! I tried the churro and it was fantastic! It was creamy and soothing with a bite of cinnamon and sugar. I could just imagine dipping a churro into it!

Cincinnati Cooks! Calypso Citrus Shrimp Ceviche with homemade chips

I had the pleasure of enjoying lunch at the Freestore Foodbank and learning more about their Cincinnati Cooks program last fall. It was great to be able to get another taste of their goodies. I even got Kelly to try Ceviche! It was a little difficult to eat while holding a purse, camera, drink, etc... The ceviche was probably my favorite that I've had (I think maybe 3rd time). It was very limey - which I love.

La Petite Pierre - Mediterranean Leg of Lamb, Tzatziki & Harissa & Greek Olive Chutney

I have been wanting to try La Petite Pierre for years so I was really excited to see their booth! Unfortunately I didn't love the lamb - it was a little dry and didn't have much flavor. My Greek blog winner agreed and wasn't too excited either. I'm guessing it was just an off night - I've always heard great things.

Knotty Pine on the Bayou - Sauteed Shrimp

The book lists this as "Sauteed Shrimp" - this was so much more than just sauteed shrimp. It was cajun, spicy, bubbling goodness! It was amazing!!! Definitely in the top 3 for the night - it was also pretty spicy! That stayed with us for a few booths...but I loved it!!!

Here was our big photo opp for the night - I saw Marvin walking by and grabbed him. He was so friendly and cordial - it was a really fun moment!

eat well Celebrations & Feasts - Tiger's Breath Popcorn

Next up was a bit of fun - Tiger's Breath Popcorn! There was a boiling cauldron that looked like it was out of a Disney movie! The popcorn went in and then right onto a plate. I think it "froze" the popcorn and then when you ate it - smoke came out your nose! It was fun! The popcorn didn't really have much flavor - but the fun factor made it a busy spot.

smoQ - Dry Rub St. Louis Ribs

Another place I was eager to try was smoQ! These ribs had a dry rub rather than a sauce - which I'd never actually had before. It was a fantastically cooked rib. Fall off the bone and juicy - definitely added to my "wishlist"!

Pit to Plate - BBQ Platter (Chicken, Pork & Beef)

BBQ fans in Cincinnati have been telling me for months to go to Pit to Plate and finally - I got to try it! I told them when I came up that they had big shoes to fill from what everybody had told me! They said they were ready for the challenge and that I would NOT be disappointed.

They were right! This food was amazing!!!! I was partial to the chicken and the pork over the beef - but Kelly liked the beef the best. We both were flabbergasted at how delicious it all was! If we hadn't been eating for two hours - we would have gone back for more. I definitely can't wait to get to the restaurant and have even more!

We also found Andrew Whitworth - well it's not like it was hard - he's enormous! I have to say - I think he'd had enough of all the people - he didn't actually speak. At least he took the picture.

This is the one thing I had to say - I was at an event for the Minnesota Vikings about 8 years ago on Draft Day at the Mall of America. Every single player was not just cordial but chatty and extremely friendly. I was hoping for that at this event - but not so much. I don't know if the times have changed or it was just a fluke and the Vikings are awesome (hehe - they are MY team).

Sugar Cupcakery - Chocolate with Sea Salt Caramel Frosting

Sugar was there - of course - and had three varieties of cupcakes to try. I went for the chocolate and of course - loved it!

Bella Luna Cafe - Cannoli

By the time we got around to Bella Luna - we were in full-on dessert mode! The cannoli was so amazing! Crispy, chocolatey, creamy - zomg! How am I supposed to decide between their Bread Pudding and this amazing cannoli???

Jimmy G's - Japanese Surf & Wagyu Turf Terrine Sweet Pea Wasabi Puree - Dashi Gastrique

Jimmy G's isn't open yet - and to be honest - I sure hope the rest of the menu is better than this. Four of us looked at this - one bowed out before even trying it. Kelly and I were adventurous enough to try a bite. After the look on our face, the fourth backed out. It was pretty gross. Raw fish (and I like sushi) and the terrine and gak - it was just gross. Slices of this stuff that tasted like the jelly around a can of spam.

We also caught Bobbie Williams giving a Cincinnati youth a great mentoring session. He was most definitely the rock star of the night - he had a smile for EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON. Thanks Bobbie!

JP Chocolatier - Bottom Two: White Chocolate w/ Coconut, PB Jelly Filled Chocolate

We were hanging out with our friend John and his friend and both decided to take off separately and do one last round on the food. We told them to bring us back something special - their choice. Oddly enough - they both brought back the same thing: CHOCOLATE!

Kelly tried the top two - I tried the bottom two. The dark chocolate was filled with peanut butter and jelly and it was really great. I've had JP's before and it's always phenomenal. But...the white chocolate...I have to say - it doubled me over in pain. It was so good - it hurt! It was soft like frosting and rich and so amazing. The best part was that John's friend came back a couple of minutes later - with more of the same! This white chocolate bit was so amazing! It was the perfect way to end the night!

If any of this food looks good - then hey - you should donate to the Freestore Foodbank! (How does that correlate directly? Not sure - but seriously - it's an awesome cause - go for it! Donate food, money, time - whatever you can!)

Some Amazing Chicken in a Fantastic Burrito!

2011-10-10T08:11:00.000-04:00

Sometimes you just stumble upon something awesome - this was one of those days.

You have no plan - you're just driving and you're starving. The nagging wife grumbles, "We are NOT going to McDonalds again!" to her husband who, like a 9 year old, could eat McDonalds 7 days a week. He sighs and knows this is not the day to fight this battle and they drive on. Suddenly there it is - someplace that has food - and people bring it TO YOU at a table! But wait there's more - big square boxes hang from the walls and what do they do? They show football games!!! HOORAY HOORAY IT IS A GOOD DAY!

So that was our Saturday a couple of weeks ago. We stumbled upon the Silver Spring House and while I had heard of it - I really didn't know anything about it. It looked nice though and we were REALLY hungry - so we headed in. It's on East Kemper in the Loveland/Maineville area.

I quickly realized my favorite thing about SSH is the garage-door-style windows. The whole wall of booths backs up to these and on a nice day (which this was) many of the windows were open bringing the outside in and it was fantastic!

And yes - there are lots of tvs - pretty much one every 6 inches...Larry was a happy guy!

We decided to get an appetizer and one entree and just share - we were in a loving mood that day. For the app we tries the Mozzarella Sticks ($8.79) and I have to say - they were fantastic!!! They nearly rivaled those of the Tic Toc back home!

They were battered - not breaded - which is really the key. I'm just not a fan of the cheap breaded ones that you know came out of a frozen bag! These were the real deal and sooo delicious!

Silver Spring House is known for their chicken - unfortunately their online menu isn't cooperating with me - but trust me - they are. But they have a huge menu with lots of great choices. We ended up going for a burrito that had their famous chicken inside. Let me tell you - NOT A MISTAKE!!!

This burrito was really great - it was full of cheese that delicious chicken. We both made a point to try a piece of the chicken on it's own - and it was really great. Marinated in yumminess - it was full of flavor and very juicy. It definitely made us want to come back for the chicken dinner. The burrito was also covered with a black bean/corn/tomato salsa, sour cream and more. It was a delicious burrito and we devoured every bite. We both liked that it was very different from the standard El Rancho Grande or Chipotle varieties of burrito - it was it's own thing - and it was so good.

Why Should You Go? We'll definitely be back to Silver Spring House. I think we might have to get one order of chicken and one burrito - because we both loved this so much - it might be hard to order something else! The atmosphere is great too - especially on a nice day when those windows are open! Head on out to this Cincinnati treasure!

Crazy Cooking Challenge - OREO STUFFED Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-10-07T12:00:00.000-04:00

I'm participating in this month's Crazy Cooking Challenge organized by Mom's Crazy Cooking. It's pretty interesting - over 100 bloggers are signed up to publish a blog of a recipe - that came from another blog - on one food item all on the same day! The first month they did Macaroni & Cheese (here's the winner) but this month it's CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES. So you can find over 100 new chocolate chip cookie recipes today - RIGHT NOW!

Since I try to be a little unique and crazy - I couldn't just go with any old ordinary chocolate chip cookie recipe! I had to go for something unique and with a bit of the WTF-factor. And thanks to the girls at The Sisters Cafe - I found it!!!!

Honestly - when I saw this recipe I couldn't decide if I was in love or completely grossed out. But here goes:

OREO STUFFED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!

You heard me right. Oreo. Stuffed. Chocolate. Chip. Cookies. WTF?!

I'm going to say right off the bat - I'm not a baker. That's one gene I did not get from my mom. My sister got it - not me. I have a jacked up $10 mixer and one of the thingies where you plug in the beater is broken - so I can only beat with one beater. There's no fancy KitchenAid in Casa de Food Hussy! I'm also a disaster - I use probably 3X as many bowls, spoons, spatulas and measuring cups as are actually needed. I should have taken an "after" photo of the kitchen!

But these cookies needed to be made as I had a church picnic coming up (I sound so June Cleaver!).

First - I creamed butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. The butter really does have to be softened I found out. Creaming hard butter = mess! I ended up having to take the butter (which was covered in sugar) out and defrost it in the microwave for 30 seconds first!

See - look how pretty it is! Okay - the pictures suck - I know. My sister scolded me for using the flash all the time so now I try to use this auto-setting but that sucks in my dimly lit galley kitchen. Bear with me. The money shot at the end is drool-worthy!

It's impossible to photograph yourself beating in flour with a jacked up $10 one beater mixer. Look at that lonely beater.

After that I stirred in chocolate & peanut butter chips - decided to be a bit wacky! Then I had to take an oreo and wrap the dough around it.

Mind you - Larry walked in during this part of the process and gasped at how huge the cookies were. But just think - I had to wrap a whole Oreo inside! You can't be dainty when you're eating a cookie stuffed with a cookie!!

I baked them for about 9-11 minutes - I had two pans of them so it took a little longer and they were ginormous.

And there you go - an Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie! I can't say they're the best cookies I've ever had but they were gone in an instant at the church picnic. Kids (and adults) eyes lit up when they were told what was inside these puppies!

They are REALLY rich - half a cookie was really enough for me. I think if I were to make these again - I would use the mini-Oreos. That way you still get the cookie crunch and novelty of it without spending a days worth of caloric intake on one cookie.

So - I hope you'll explore all the interesting cookie recipes and hey - vote for mine if you feel like it!

Next month - MASHED POTATOES!

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe Source: My Sisters Cafe via Picky Palate

2 sticks softened butter (1 cup)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
10 oz bag of chocolate chips
1 package of Double Stuff Oreo Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars until well combined. Add eggs and vanilla until well combined.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking soda. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients along with the chocolate chips until just combined. Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, place a scoop of dough on top of the Oreo Cookie. Now take another scoop of dough and place on the bottom of the Oreo Cookie. Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until Oreo Cookie is enclosed in dough. Place onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and bake cookies 9-13 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Serve with a tall glass of milk and enjoy!

Makes 2-3 dozen large cookies.

Recipe! Dairy Free Berry Muffins

2011-10-06T14:49:00.000-04:00

After our trip to Nana's House Bed & Breakfast, Larry raved about the egg-free muffins that Joann made for breakfast. So much so, that I emailed Joann to see if she would share the recipe and she did!

Thanks so much to Joann...I made these for Larry and then took some extra to our church picnic. (How 1950's does THAT sound?!)

The full instructions are below - but first I had to cook a sliced apple in water. I didn't really read the directions before starting - surprises were in store for me! After the apple was cooked, I had to put it in a food processor. I only have a little mini-processor - but it worked just fine.

Next I had to sift the dry ingredients together...first off - I don't have a sifter. Well - not the kind I think of that look like a tin can with a handle. And the ingredients list has wheat germ - I couldn't find any at Meijer and was in a hurry so I omitted that. I think they came out okay without it - but next time I'll make sure to find it to see the difference.

Now I didn't think I had a sifter - but after opening my drawer - I found this little handy dandy tool! It's a mini-sifter (I think). I used it and it worked just fine. But it did take a little longer since it was so small!

Next up I mixed the fruit, syrup, oil, apple puree and apple juice together in a separate bowl. It came out the texture of applesauce.

Then you stir the wet ingredients into the dry and it comes out like a big lumpy pink oatmeal. Then you just pour them into the muffin tin and bake!

And voila! Dairy Free Berry Muffins! Larry said they were missing the crispy sugar topping from Nana's House (can you ever please a man?!) but that they were pretty darned good!

I hope you enjoy them too! And don't forget to sprinkle a little sugar on top!

Dairy Free Berry Muffins

- From Joann Burkhart, Nana's House Bed & Breakfast

Makes 12

1 large baking apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

3 Tbsp water

1 tsp allspice

2 Tbsp sunflower seed or peanut oil (plus extra for oiling if using)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose white or whole wheat flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/8 cup wheat germ

1/8 cup fresh raspberries

3/8 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped (you can use all strawberries)

6 Tbsp maple syrup

3/4 cup apple juice

* Hint: To make a richer muffin, you can replace the apple juice with the same quantity of soy milk. You can also vary the spices: try using cinnamon or nutmeg instead of allspice.

1. Place the sliced baking apple and water in a pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and stir in half of the allspice, then cover the pan and let simmer, stirring occasionally for 15-20 minutes until the water has been absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool. Transfer the apple mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth.

2. Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly oil a 12 cup muffin pan with a little oil or line with paper liners.

3. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and remaining allspice into a mixing bowl. Then stir in the wheat germ.

4. In a separate bowl, mix the raspberries, strawberries, maple syrup, remaining oil, pureed apple and the apple juice together. Add the fruit mixture to the flour mixture then gently stir together until just combined. Do not overstir the batter - it is fine for it to be a little lumpy.

5. Divide the muffin batter evenly between the 12 cups in the muffin pan or paper liners (about 2/3 full). Transfer to the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until risen and golden. Remove the muffins from the oven and serve warm, or place them on a cooling rack and let cool.

Taste of the NFL Giveaway!!!! It's a one-day contest!

2011-10-04T10:29:00.001-04:00

Here's a one-day giveaway for all you food and football lovers in Cincinnati. I'm giving away TWO PAIR of tickets to the Taste of the NFL. It's THIS THURSDAY at Paul Brown Stadium. Here's a little more info on the Taste:

The ninth annual Cincinnati Bengals Taste of the NFL, benefiting the Freestore Foodbank, has moved to October for one year only! Join us from 5:30-9:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 6 at Paul Brown Stadium to mingle with your favorite Bengals players and try an array of signature dishes from Cincinnati’s top restaurants. Senate is this year’s featured restaurant.

Bengals players will be on hand to sign autographs and help serve food to guests.

Guest speakers will include Coach Marvin Lewis, Cornerback Leon Hall and Local 12’s Bob Herzog.

The event also features a live and silent auction.

As FoodHussy readers know, the Freestore Foodbank is probably my favorite charity in the city. They do so much good and I've heard that the folks from their Cincinnati Cooks program make the best items during the Taste! I can't wait to check them out!!!

These tickets go for $150 each!!! So this is a real treat to be able to give away TWO PAIR of tickets!!!

Please only enter if you can make it Thursday night and be sure to put an immediate form of contact. I'll put the name of you and your guest on the will-call list.

I'll likely draw these winners tomorrow night - so it's a quick 24-hour contest!

To enter - let me know who your favorite NFL team is in the comments along with your contact info (twitter, facebook, email, whatever's quickest to get in touch with you!).

Thanks again to Freestore!

Pearl Street Pub - Oldenburg, IN

2011-10-04T09:52:00.000-04:00

On our trip to Greensburg, IN we were in a driving mood and visited surrounding towns as well. One of which was Oldenburg. We sort of stumbled upon it - just turning on back roads whenever we felt like it.

They're really known for their Freudenfest in July - and seriously you should go to the website just to hear a German/English version of "In Heaven There Is No Beer" - good stuff.

We found the Pearl Street Pub right across from a gigantic Catholic church. The streets are brick and the town is beautiful. Saturday Mass was going on at the time so we beat the rush (seriously - it was starting to get packed once we left!)

They have a pretty fun mural on one wall of the town sights.

Larry and I decided to share since we weren't incredibly hungry and got a buffalo chicken sandwich. It was really good - the chicken was plentiful and juicy - the buffalo was spicy but not burn your eyes out and the ranch was delicious!

We also ordered a couple pieces of garlic cheese bread and they were really good. But why did they serve that pre-made plastic container of sauce with it? It didn't even look like marinara - and truthfully the bread didn't need it. It was really good on it's own. That sauce went untouched!

Why Should You Go? It's a small little pub and the staff was very friendly. The food was pretty good - a little better than I expected and I hear the Rueben is killer.

Buffalo Chicken Nachos = Heaven!!!!

2011-10-03T09:50:00.001-04:00

During our Anniversary weekend in Greensburg, IN, we decided we wanted to watch a little football on Sunday before the rest of our stops. We were both hungry and ready for some football!!!!!!

In search of a "sports bar" we found a Buffalo Wings & Rings on the other side of town (five whole minutes away). Shockingly enough I've never been to Wings & Rings. Heard of it many times but just never been hungry and near one at the same time.

Buffalo Chicken Nachos

Fresh made tortilla chips topped with crisp lettuce, a healthy portion of chicken tenders, tomatoes, onions, pepperoncini, jalapeños, a blend of cheeses, topped off with bleu cheese.

We ordered the Buffalo Chicken Nachos ($8ish) and subbed sour cream for the bleu cheese. Holy crapamole! This was AWESOME!!!! Seriously one of the best plates of bar nachos I've ever had! Larry acted like he wasn't really hungry but he SO polished off half of these. They were SPICY but not too spicy and just fantastic. Thinking about them right now - I want some today. I might have to find a Wings & Rings tonight...

Why Should You Go? It's your standard bar food but the staff was extremely friendly and we found lots of Colts & Bengals fans to chat with. Plus - these nachos are the bomb diggity!

The ABC's of Dining!

2011-10-02T00:44:00.001-04:00

I know I've been lax on the ABC's of Dining - the last month or so has been a bit cra-cra with work and life- but I'm back!

If you're new to the Food Hussy or just don't know what the hell I'm referring to - I pledged at the beginning of the year to do two things:

1. Not eat cheese

2. Visit a new restaurant with every letter of the alphabet voted by YOU!

Well - how have I done?

1. I lasted two months. And hell - that's saying a lot for me. Damn Kraft Macaroni & Cheese got me - I'm not even sure there's actual cheese in it!!

2. Well - I'm through the letter O. Yes - I just went to Otto's (review to come). So vote for the letter P! The poll is on the upper left corner. I'm going to try and do one/week for the rest of the year and finish the alphabet this year!

So vote vote vote - every time you see a new one and you can tell me where to go! (I know a lot of people that would like that opportunity!)

Happy Dining!

Happy Anniversary with a Peaceful B&B!

2011-09-30T08:20:00.000-04:00

Larry and I enjoyed our trip to Greensburg and one of the best parts was obviously the bed & breakfast. I love peaceful, country life. Nana's B&B sets on a 10 acre farm just outside of Greensburg.

It's such a beautiful farm with a porch swing, side deck, vegetable garden and just lots of tranquility.

Inside the fresh flowers we added onto the room awaited along with lots of little angel-themed items to read.

The next morning - the view was awesome! After chatting with Ed we found out he used to ride his bike by this farm as a child. It used to be one large farm and now it's cut up into probably 10 different lots/families. We could just picture Ed as a little guy pedaling away on a gravel road.

While Joanne is the chef, Ed is the gardener. There's a vegetable and flower garden outside the house as well.

What a picture perfect farm view - I mean seriously! It's like a painting!

This used to be a historic barn...it was torn down (much to the chagrin of Joanne & Ed) - one of the many stories Ed told us about. They even had a barn book that had a picture of this barn when it was still up.

I mentioned this earlier in the week - I'm framing this picture.

And after the bed portion - we were ready for the breakfast!!!! Joanne started me off with zucchini bread and it was moist and delicious. (There was SO MUCH FOOD!)

For Larry and his egg allergy, Joanne made Dairy Free Berry Muffins (recipe to come in another blog). He said they were really good - then - after we left he said "I wish I'd been able to take some home - those were awesome! They were exactly what I always thought a muffin would taste like!" I felt bad - I'm sure Joanne would have packed the extras up for us. Thanks again to Joanne for sending me the recipe after our visit!

After our first course (man - 3 courses - all for breakfast!), Joanne brought out a giant parfait. Fresh fruit, yogurt, granola - yum! Now I hate bananas (HATE) but I ate pretty much everything else. Larry likes all of it and admitted later - he was full after this. We still had our entrees to come!

For Larry she made biscuits & gravy. For me, I got a small order of biscuits & gravy, a slice of quiche and some fresh tomato & orange. It was all delicious! I could barely finish my plate - because I was already stuffed! But somehow I found room - I couldn't leave any of this!

And, it's a farm, so of course - THERE WERE KITTIES! These guys were all a little too skiddish to pet but we had a lot of fun watching the little ones play with their mom.

I would highly recommend Nana's to anyone. They have three rooms - all very affordable with private bathrooms. It's great for a special occasion like ours or if you've got some girlfriends and you just want a little getaway - it would be fun and affordable! All three rooms range from $85-$105/night!

And when you go - be sure to tell Ed and Joanne we said hi!

The best tenderloin since I moved from Iowa!

2011-09-28T14:40:00.000-04:00

So now - it's time to explore Greensburg, Indiana a little more in-depth - at least with the food. First up - was our first stop - Stories Restaurant. It's in the heart of downtown Greensburg and right across the street from the famous tower tree.

As I mentioned earlier this week, we were just arriving in town when we came across a great couple and they asked us where "the tenderloin place" was - thinking we were natives. We had no clue but we followed them very quickly - luckily they were on the scent!

It's Stories Restaurant - a very cute diner right on the town square. You could tell with one step in their doors - this was a gathering place in the community.

One of my favorite things to find in a restaurant are ads. I have no idea why but ads on the menus or, as in this case, on the tables - I love em! Gordon Ramsey would have sh!t fit - but they bring me joy. I just feel like I'm in a small town when I see them - something I love.

And yes - on the menu too! Along with a story of the restaurant and the tower tree.

Right behind my head was a wall full of fresh homemade pie. This went home with me - I love love love coconut cream pie. And I'll say now - it was delicious!

But we were here for the tenderloins! At least I was. Being from Iowa - I'm sorely disappointed by the "pig city" of Cincinnati not having a decent breaded tenderloin. They just aren't right. They're fine and mediocre but I'm used to GIANT thick tenderloins with homemade breading - the kind that make the bun look like an ant in a world of giants!

Stories did NOT disappoint! Look at that thing! It was huge and delicious! The fries were fine - I wasn't really caring about them - they're crinkle cut fries. The cole slaw was good too - I'm picky when it comes to slaw and really only like the old version KFC used to have - this was creamy and similar to that.

But that tenderloin - it was something to write home about. (That's what this is in a way - hey Iowa - you have competition!)

Larry went for a double cheeseburger and it was delicious. Homemade patties and fresh tomatoes (you can just tell by the taste) - good good stuff!

Why Should You Go? Well - it's a little over an hour away - but this tenderloin was worth the drive. Pair that with Stapps Circle S Ranch and you have a nice afternoon trip!