52 Recipes | Grilled Whangdoodles aka Spiraled Hot Dogs

Back in March, Teddy started asking for a Willy Wonka Tea Party Unbirthday Party for his birthday. We took that as some mash up between Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland. Thankfully, both of those stories/movies leave a lot of room of creativity and weirdness. My mind started to spin with all of the possibilities. In the middle of planning and after inviting some people, we decided we would be going to Disneyland (more on this on Friday) right before the party! Gears switched and I decided to focus on the food.

I have been wanting to try spiraled hot dogs since they first were popular a few summers back. I felt like making them and calling them Grilled Whangdoodles was a great tie in for the party. If you are unfamiliar with the reference, Whangdoodles were one of the types of horrible creatures that Willy Wonka rescued the Oompa Loompas from. It happened to be a pretty big hit. They were so good, we forgot to take pictures right away.

Recipe
Again, no true recipe but the idea is pretty simple. Grab your hot dogs, some skewers, buns and a knife, and then light up your grill. Slide the skewer through the entire length of your hot dog. Place hot dog on cutting board then cut into the hot dog at a slight angle. Turn hot dog and continue cutting until you reach the other end. Carefully remove skewer from hot dog. Repeat with remaining dogs. Grill them up and then top to your liking!

Results and Thoughts
This is such a fun and easy way to jazz up such a simple meal like grilled hot dogs. It took a few extra minutes of prep but it was worth it. We will probably be doing it again. Also, I really love the extra crispy edges.

52 Recipes | No. 5 Hominy Burrito Bowls

​One of my favorite recipes growing up was my mom's red enchiladas made with ground beef, red sauce and hominy. A few months ago, I had made some of her enchiladas and had some of the meat mixture leftover. What I had wasn't enough to make a whole other tray of enchiladas so I set it aside in the freezer. After our most recent Disneyland trip, we had not gone grocery shopping yet and I was looking for something to make. I decided to pull out this frozen meat mixture and see what I could do with it.

Recipe:
There isn't a true recipe here. I mixed together roughly a half pound of browned, lean ground beef, a 15ish oz can of hominy, 2 cups cooked pinto beans and 2 cups of red enchilada sauce. I added cumin and chili powder to taste. I served the mixture over jasmine rice, with shredded cheese, lettuce, tomato and sour cream. This is one of those throw together dinners where you could add anything you want.

Results and Thoughts:
For using what we had on hand, this was really good! I was honestly surprised. It probably won't be something we eat regularly but the next time I make my mom's enchiladas, Ill be sure to prepare a little extra meat so we can have this variation of burrito bowls later in the same week.

52 Recipes | No. 3 Meatball Sliders

Moving on to recipe three of my 52 recipes project for 2018. Today it is meatball sliders. This is a recipe I hodgepodged together from a bunch of different things that I've seen on the Internet. We've all seen those Tasty and BuzzFeed Food videos that are popular on social media right now. And those recipes using sweet Hawaiian rolls. All of those were what got me thinking about making sliders to begin with. Then I went searching for a recipe that I thought we might like but nothing really called me so here is what I did.

Pistachio Project Grain Free Meatballs with diced onion and grated carrot

Recipe:
12 2oz. meatballs
Slider buns or Sweet Hawaiian style rolls
Provolone cheese
Pasta sauce
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan

Open the buns and lightly toast both sides under the broiler. While the buns are toasting, warm the meatballs and pasta sauce in a saucepan. Remove the buns, and a loos to cool for 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 350*F. Place bottom buns in a casserole dish, and layer provolone slices on top. Then spoon a meatball and some sauce onto each bun. Cover with the top buns. Mix olive oil, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese together and drizzle over the top of the buns. Cover with foil and cook for 10 minutes. Then remove the foil and cook for another 5-10 minutes making sure the top buns don't burn. Serve while warm!

Adjustments and Thoughts:
This is another recipe where I use the Pistachio Project meatballs. I love Britney's recipe and we use it for all different kinds of meals around here so they are always on hand.  Sometimes, I hide veggies in them like bell peppers or carrot. If I know I am going to be making sliders later in the week, I will prepare larger meatballs by adding in a little bit more meat and veggies and roll out 12 meatballs instead of 16. They end up being closer to 2oz instead of the 1oz ones from the recipe. Than I cook them for 25 minutes. You can use whatever meatballs you like though.

Most recipes for sliders I saw called for shredded mozzarella over meatballs and sauce on top of an untested bun/roll. Instead of ending up with a soggy mess, I decided to toast my buns then layer on sliced provolone then add the meatball with sauce. I feel like this allows for a more solid slider. The cheese acts as a little bit of a moisture barrier and things are a lot less soggy.

Like I mentioned above, because I use the meatball recipe that we like, I tend to have the meatballs already made and so it's an easy meal to throw together on a busy night. Also, this is something that my husband and the toddler both love. Most nights, we serve them alongside a nice big salad and it's a complete dinner.

Egg Chorizo Breakfast Skillet

In a time where everyone is all about Paleo this, Whole Foods that, and any number of other diets, we are still all about home cooking like our grandmas'. Simply put we will probably never be on those diets. Berkeley enjoys sugar, meat, gluten, fats, and diary just too much to have anything other than those things. This breakfast/brunch is a definite indicator of that! 

It is a fairy simple meal and can be made for one or for many depending on the size of your skillet. Just cook your meat, add your hash browns, and then add and cook the eggs. The result is a fluffy gooey egg surrounded by crispy potatoes and spicy chorizo.  The soft yolk mixes with a oils from the chorizo to make a great sauce to bring it all together. You could even go a step further and smother the skillet in cheese before serving!

Egg Chorizo Breakfast Skillet

makes 3-4 servings
ingredients

• 1/2 lb beef chorizo, casting removed
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cups of shredded hash browns
• salt and pepper
• butter/oil (optional)
• shredded cheese (optional)

directions

1. In a medium to large skillet, cook chorizo over medium heat until firmed up and browned. 
2. Stir hash browns and diced onion into the chorizo and drippings. Oil or butter may be needed if your chorizo is lean. Cook the hash brown mixture uncovered for approximately 10 minutes until the bottom is golden brown and crispy. Turn potato mixture. 
3. Make 3 or 4 evenly spaced wells and break an egg in each. Sprinkle each egg with salt and pepper. 
4. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes or until the egg is set. Optionally, sprinkle with cheese and let sit until cheese is melted. 

Spiked! Crockpot Beer Braised Sirloin Roast

 We have been having fun celebrating the beginning of fall with some delicious recipes featuring balanced autumn flavors. For this month's Spiked! Recipe Challenge, Julie and Carrie challenged us to feature Fall Beers in a dish. Berkeley got to pick the brew this time and he came home with Anchor Brewing Company's brand new seasonal Bigleaf Maple Autumn Red.

All summer I have been playing with different ways of doing a Crockpot Roast. I think I have finally found a winner. After seasoning and searing my roast, I seasoned it again and poured a whole bottle of the Autumn Red over the roast. I let it cook away all afternoon. This particular beer has the unique qualities of a red ale but also has the soothing warmth of maple syrup. The slow cook infuses the roast with all the subtle flavors of the beer and results in a tender and juicy roast bursting with amazing  flavors.

For this specific meal, I paired the meat with a roasted root vegetable medley with a glaze (recipe below). Instead of the roasted vegetables, carrots and potatoes could be easily added to the pot with the roast.

Beer Braised Sirloin Roast
ingredients

• 2-3 lb sirloin roast
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 12oz Bigleaf Red Ale
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• salt, pepper, & other seasonings (I use 21 Seasonings Salute)
• 1/8 c. water
• 1/2 c. worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbsp Maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp dark brown sugar

directions

1. Trim excess fat from the roast and season generously with salt and pepper and any other seasonings. 
2. Heat oil over high heat in a large skillet. Sear the roast for 2 minutes on each side. 
3. After searing, place roast in the crockpot. Add water to the skillet to deglaze and loosen all the good bits. Pour water, juices, and "bits" over the roast. Add garlic and pour in the beer.
4. Cover and cook on low for at least 6-7 hours. 
5. 30 minutes before the roast is ready to serve, add 1 to 1-1/2 cups of beer au jus from the crockpot to a small saucepan. Whisk in worcestershire, maple syrup, and brown sugar. Bring mixture to boil and slowly reduce down until the sauce just coats the back of a spoon. 
6. Remove sauce from heat and drizzle over meat, or vegetables. Serve!

Diablo Burger Flagstaff

What do you get when you mix a thick juicy burger patty with fresh local ingredients between a toasted english muffin, and serve them up on top of a basket of hand cut seasoned fries? The answer is simple: Diablo Burger! Named by USA Today as one of the best burgers in the country, Diablo Burger serves up unique burgers that are not only delicious but also healthy by using 100% grass fed, hormone and antibiotic free beef from just 40 miles southwest of Flagstaff. Even more so, all of the toppings offered are products of local and family owned businesses.

Strike another one off the Flagstaff Bucket List for this girl. This is the second time this summer I have enjoyed these delicious burgers. Back in July, the great people of Diablo Burger dropped off a box of the Monk burgers for us before the Benefit Concert. It was simply a bun, patty, and cheese. I am a toppings girl and never have I ever eaten a burger without lettuce, tomato, or condiments. I was blown away that a simply burger could hit the spot.

This time we made it to their adorably quirky location in Downtown Flagstaff and I opted in for the Big Daddy Kane. This beast was their signature patty topped with bacon, sharp cheddar, sliced pickles and the db special sauce. Boy was this burger big, even without lettuce and tomato that come on the side. To try to do these burgers justice by words would not be enough, so I just going to let this pictures do the talking. Just look at them and try not to drool.

When I first posted the photo of the Monk at the benefit, I got some questions about the pinkness of the meat. The standard is to serve up their meat at Medium Rare. I cringed the first time I heard it. I like my meat well done. When they were given to us at the benefit, I forgot and just dove in. Most of the time, I can taste a difference when meat isn't well done. All I tasted was an awesome burger. Now, if Medium Rare is just too much for you, they will cook your burger to whatever doneness you would prefer. And if gluten isn't your thing, they got you covered as well!

The all-natural, local-only approach is awesome but isn’t going to mean any thing if a restaurant can’t present a top notch dining experience. Hands down, Diablo Burger’s food is amazing, their staff is awesome, and they have all the details down pat. They are proof that craving a big juicy burger doesn't mean you have to settle for an unhealthy, greasy mound of over (or under) cooked, subpar hamburger on a soggy bun. So if you find yourself in Northern Arizona, or even down by Tucson, make a plan to stop by, devour a burger and fries, and tip the cow!

Tangy BBQ CrockPot Beef Roast

Summer is here and the temperatures are rising. Being in the third story apartment, we get a lot of extra heat. The onset of summer also means Berkeley's schedule is more unpredictable. My cure for both the heat and not knowing what time Berkeley will be home is making CrockPot dinners. It keeps the house cooler and the meal can keep warm and simmer while Berke makes his way home. As a result, I am always looking for new and easy options.

For this recipe I took an old favorite and changed it up. Instead of a traditional mushroom onion gravy or roux, I used BBQ sauce, Worcestershire, and mustard. It gives it a different kick and makes an old favorite a little more interesting.

Tangy BBQ CrockPot Beef Roast
ingredients

• 2 lbs Beef Roast
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 1/3 c. BBQ sauce
• 1/3 c. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 c. water
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 Tbsp. coarse ground mustard
• optional: carrot, celery, and potato

directions

1. Place sliced onion in bottom of the CrockPot. Make small slits in the top of the roast about an inch apart. Fill with garlic slices. Place any remaining garlic over the onion slices. 
2. Place the roast over the onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. If you are adding optional vegetables, do so now. 
3. Whisk together the water, mustard, and BBQ and Worcestershire sauces. Pour over the roast and optional veggies. Cook on low for 6-8 hours until the meat is tender. 

Dolmas? Dolmades? Dolmathakia? Stuffed Grape Leaves!

When you are from a large family, you learn to compromise. You learn early on that you probably will not get your way most of the time. Unless what you want is what the majority wants, when it comes to large family gatherings with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, the chances of you getting your way are even slimmer.

Thankfully, one of the few things my entire extended family can agree on is food! Every time you visit, you eat. Holiday celebrations are usually planned to include at least one meal, if not numerous. Unlike many families, Christmas is not our busiest time of year, Easter is! 

One of our many celebrations and meals was with my mom's mother. This meal was never the standard American Easter dinner of ham, potatoes, roasted veggies and a green salad. My grandma always made us lamb, stuffed grape leaves, and moussaka! 

While, I have yet to master either the lamb or moussaka, I have come up with a great recipe for stuffed grape leaves. 

Meat and Rice Stuffed Grape Leaves

makes about 45-50 grape leaves

ingredients

• 1 15- to 16-ounce jar grape leaves, drained
• 1 lbs ground meat (all ground beef or all lamb, or a mixture)
• 1 cup uncooked rice couscous or quinoa
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 2 Tbsp fresh dill, minced
• 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh mint or 2 teaspoons dried
• 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 4 Tbsp lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving

directions

1. Put a large saucepan of water on to boil. Remove grape leaves from the jar and unroll. Separate into two piles. One of whole leaves and one with any torn leaves or pieces of leaves. The whole leaves will be used for rolling. Set aside the broken leaves for now.
2. Cook the whole grape leaves in the boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander.
3. In a large skillet, brown the ground lamb (or beef) until no longer pink in color. Add the onions and saute until translucent, approximately 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the dill, parsley, and rice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in 2 Tbsp lemon juice and mint.
5. Line the bottom of a heavy saucepan, stock pot or Dutch oven with a layer of broken or torn grape leaves. 
6. To stuff the leaves, start with your largest whole leaves. Take a leaf and carefully spread it on a flat plate or other clean flat surface with the veins facing upward to you; the leaf shiny side down. Place 1 to 2 tablespoons (depending on the size of the leaf) of the meat and rice filling near the stem end of the leaf. Press the filling into a small sausage-like shape. Fold the stem end of the leaf over the filling, then fold both sides toward the middle, and then roll up into a cigar shape. The rolls should be cylindrical and snug but not too tight. Repeat with the remaining grape leaves and filling. For step by step video click here. 
7. Arrange the stuffed grape leaf rolls on top of the leaves, seam-side down, packing them close together in a circular pattern. Make a new layer as you fill the baking pan.
8. Cover the stuffed grape leaves with any remaining broken leaves. Add olive oil, the remaining lemon juice and enough water to cover the rolls by about an inch. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes to an hour or until the leaves are tender and the rice is cooked through.

Tinderbox Kitchen

Before this past Thirsday night, the closest I had been to a Valentine's Day date, was me and one of my very best friends going to chinese buffet together instead of with boys as College Freshmen. We got semi-dressed up, we put on makeup and we headed out for a great dinner. The night ended with us splitting a small bottle of Smirnoff and watching girly show. As I mentioned yesterday, Valentine's Day, isn't a big deal for us. It has nothing to do with the commercialism or any of the other anti-V-day sentiments that are out there. We just don't make a big deal about. In the 4.5 years we have been together, we had never gone out on a Valentine's Day.

Since the rest of the country is looking for a great time on February 14th, many restaurants offer deals and specials for the night. One of our favorite local haunts was offering a special and Berkeley decided this year we were going to go out on Valentine's Day! After an unfortunate experience with our original place, we changed our plans for the evening and ended up at Tinderbox Kitchen.

Located in the Southside area on San Francisco Street here in Flagstaff, Tinderbox Kitchen advertises "American Comfort Food... Redefined" and they deliver. We started with "The Board". It is the housemade charcuterie plate served with artisan cheeses, chutney, and "other goodies". Our board featured a duck ham, venison keilbasa, duck liver pate, country terrine, a soft milk cheese, housemade cracker, chutney, olives and sweet pickles, and a stone ground mustard. It was a great spread of delicious meats, cheeses and goodies that set the pace for the rest of the dinner.

Berkeley went the Sirloin Tip Filet medium rare with original mashers, mushroom ragout, watercress and house steak sauce. Berkeley was beyond impressed! He devoured that steak. It had a nice sear on the outside and was cooked perfectly on the inside. Also served with the steak were house made salt and vinegar chips. They had a great saltiness and the familiar tart of vinegar. The chips finished with a slight sweetness since malt vinegar was used. The mashers were a perfect side.

I went with the Seared Sea Scallops. They were beautiful large scallops cooked perfectly and served over a cauliflower fondue with fried butternut squash. I was blown away. The fondue sauce was mild and provided a great complementary flavor to the scallops. The side of fried cauliflower and butternut squash was delicious and filling without being too much.

We were so very happy with our dinner and drinks. We are excited to go back and try more entrees from their menu as well as heading over to their "cocktail lounge" The Annex for more bar style food. We highly recommend Tinderbox Kitchen. The food was amazing and the staff and service was exceptional. Even for a typically busy night in the service industry they were great about making sure our needs were met without being overbearing.

El Guero Canelo - Muy Mucho Burro

On Monday I posted about the moment I had waited to have for nearly four years. My experience with El Guero Canelo's Sonoran Dog. Today, I am here to share another great option from the "Cinnamon Blonde"! (for explanation see this segment from Man v. Food) 

Please turn your attention to the Muy Mucho Carne Asada Burro!

That was a standard size plate on a normal sized food tray next to my 6-8 inch long Sonoran Dog. That burro is HUGE hence why there is no -ito at the end! Not only did we share this, we ended up with half of it leftover. 

This Muy Mucho was stuffed to the brim with cabbage, Mexican cheese, and, of course, carne asada! The meat was tender and juicy without being sopping wet with the greasy drippings. The cabbage was crisp. The cheese was in that in phase where the consistency between melty and solid. So good! As if this burro needed more flavor, El Guero Canelo offers an Avocado Crema that adds just a touch of avocado flavor and tang in a light cream sauce. 

As with most of my reviews, I like to address complaints that frequently come up on popular review sites. This time the complaint was that the burros "only" come with meat, cabbage, and cheese. First of all, what more do you need in a carne asada burro? If you really need extras, there is a large, and well stocked, salsa bar. Complete with pickled peppers, radishes and cucumbers, cremas, and salsas, this bar has everything someone would need to spice up this already flavorful burro!

Please, if you are in Tucson check out El Guero Canelo! Don't let the reviews on Yelp scare you away. I don't know any restaurants that can go from a tiny taco stand to multiple locations (like this place did) if the food isn't good and the service is bad. The location was spotless with several people bussing tables and wiping down the salsa bar. Despite being fairly busy we got our food swiftly and for a great price. As I mentioned Monday, Berkeley started going there not long after moving to Tucson in 1995. I highly recommend El Guero Canelo!

El Guero Canelo - Sonoran Dog

As a food lover, I enjoy watching food tv shows. Not all of them, but a lot of them. One of my favorites is Man v. Food! If you don't know about this show, Adam Richman (host) travels to different American cities to explore big or unique foods before taking part in a legendary eating challenge at a local restaurant. 

One of the first episodes I ever saw was Tucson. In that episode, Adam travels to the Southwest to take part in Lindy's Diner OMG Burger Challenge. Before he got to the challenge he stopped at two Tucson staples: Mi Nidito and EL Guero Canelo. This episode that add fuel to spark a fire that turned into a nearly four year obsession of sorts. It even led me to marry a man from Tucson ( I am TOTALLY kidding!!). 

When Berkeley and I first met (2007) he always told me about these bacon wrapped hot dogs with pinto beans, tomatoes, onions, jalapeño sauce, mustard, and mayo stuffed into homemade steamed buns. Hello Sonoran Dog! As time went on I somewhat forgot until I saw the Tucson episode of Man v. Food. When I got to see this little gem of deliciousness I really decided I needed to try one. After more than a dozen trips to Tucson, and roughly four years, Berkeley surprised me the weekend after Thanksgiving and I FINALLY got to try one of these bad boys. 

Ladies and Gents, may I present you El Guero Canelo's Sonoran Dog!

I really was not expecting this since we were going from the house Berkeley grew up in, down to the historic house his parents just purchased. I was planning on being in the car most of the day so my hair was a mess and I didn't have a touch of makeup on. Despite that, in the interest of full disclosure, I give you my "real authentic bite for a Mexican hot dog" (hint see 3:42 of the video linked above). 

This 7 inch hot dog was a mere $2.49 and packed a punch of flavor. It was everything I expected and more! Some people have said that I just like the style. To be honest, I have had Sonoran style hot dogs at other places, like The Lumberyard here in Flagstaff, So I wasn't going in completely blind. I really just loved this version. It was perfect to me.

The dog itself was better and more flavorful than your standard hot dog frank. Add the bacon and its a real wiener (har har har). The beans weren't too overpowering and did not create a sloppy mushy mess as in other versions and the cold tomatoes, mayo and mustard added a lightness and freshness to the warm proteins. The only disappointment: I wanted at least three more!

As a little side note a lot of reviews on yelp and urbanspoon have users complaining about flies. First, these reviewers seemed to have been visiting in the desert in the middle of summer. Secondly, they went to the South Tucson location. There are at least four different El Guero Canelo locations. The original location in South Tucson was a taco stand that they have since built some covering around but is open air on two sides. Berkeley took me to the North Tucson location which is completely enclosed. That being said Berkeley says he had never had a problem with flies any time he was ever at ANY El Guero Canelo location. 

Another one of the complaints on popular review sites was that El Guero Canelo was a fad that was only popular because the Sonoran Dog was featured on the Travel Channel. Along with my Sonoran Dog, Berkeley ordered one of his favorite things. Check back on Wednesday for more about that giant burrito in the photo above!

Our Food Adventures at Disneyland

We had an amazing time at Disneyland! It was great to take it all in at our own pace. We had both never been just to go without a group of people. All decisions were based on what the two of us wanted. That included our foods. It was great!

First stop when we got there on Friday was dinner at Award Wieners in California Adventure! This is a counter service style eatery in HollywoodLand. We got there just in time to watch the Pixar Fun Parade. Berkeley ordered the BBQ Hot Link which was a classic hot link, grilled onions and barbecue sauce. Mine was the Portobello Philly with Grilled Portobello, onions & bell peppers sauteed in hefeweizen, topped with pepper jack cheese.

Berkeley loved the hot link. Even though my wiener was technically vegetarian, it was really filling. Since we had driven all day and were only planning to spend a few hours in the park, this was perfectly filling to get us through. For less than $15 we had great "Wieners".

Saturday morning we got a pretty early start on Disneyland. We went some of the classic rides like Big Thunder Railroad, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Haunted Mansion. As we headed toward The Matterhorn we stopped at a stand with various grab and go food/fast snacks. We made a little "picnic" out of it. Another shared meal that was enough to keep us energized without being stuffed. 

Saturday night for dinner we headed back to California Adventure. This time we stopped at Pacific Wharf. If you haven't been to California Adventure, it is based on stereotypical areas of the state of California. Pacific Wharf is similar to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. They even make their own Boudin Sourdough bread. Their bread bowls are huge  and filled with creamy, rich chowder that's chock full of clams, diced potatoes, celery, onion and peppers . It was more than enough for the two of us! Another meal for two for under $20.

Sunday was a weird day for us. We had a late start on the day in the parks. We slept in and I didn't get out of bed until noon-ish. Breakfast was half of a bagel and lunch was the other half of the bagel with cream cheese and hormel turkey pepperoni. Dinner was at Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney. Berkeley ordered St Louis style ribs and I had a Tilapia and Coconut Shrimp plate. It was nothing special, just your typical chain style dinner. 

Monday was our last day in the park. There was one thing I had been planning on all weekend. Since we were late to the park on Sunday, our lunch at Big Thunder Ranch BBQ was on Monday. Also the same day we wore our white shirts! Great Idea LOL.

I will admit that this was pretty pricey, but it is amazing and is a great meal. First of all it is a full service all you can eat family style country barbecue. Once we were seated our "ranch hand" brought out the heavy pot of ribs and chicken and large bowls of coleslaw and beans, and a basket of corn bread. To be completely honest, the first pot of chicken and ribs was gone in about 10 minutes. We asked for another pot but only of ribs. They were so tender, moist, and delicious! To add to your meal there is always some kind of stage performance going on.

Our last meal at Disney was actually in California Adventure, again. This time we got Pizza and Pasta on the edge of Paradise Pier. We got Five-Cheese Ravioli with pesto sauce and toasted pine nuts and a pepperoni pizza on flatbread. Ww sat in a quiet courtyard with twinkle light covered trees, and while we were eating we listened to World of Color. It was a simple meal that we probably could have just shared one of the two entrees.

Also, during our days there we did give in to some of the treats that Disney offers. Every time we passed a cart I really wanted a churro. Then I remembered that they want $3.50 for a damn stick of fried dough rolled in cinnamon sugar. However, we did get a Minute Maid frozen Lemonade while I rested (you know because of that gouge in my foot, not because I wanted to watch the Princess parade). The best treats we had came from California Adventure. Where Pacific Wharf meets the edge of the new CarsLand is the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop! It's the winner!

We stopped by on both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday night it was a Sea Salt Caramel Hot Chocolate. It was warm and delicious and put a little pep in our step since we dropped that chocolate square in. Sunday afternoon we allowed ourself another treat. Berkeley wanted ice cream and while I would have settled from a dipped Mickey Ears, Berkeley wanted Ghirardelly again!. The Gold Rush on our order. Vanilla ice cream with freshly homemade hot fudge and melted peanut butter throughout, perfectly topped with whipped cream, chopped almonds, a cherry and a Ghirardelli Squares milk chocolate. 

It was all amazing! We made great choices and even stayed within the loose budget I had created for ourselves. I know these choices are not ideal for everyone, especially those with kids, but when we found a hotel room for less than $100/night short notice within walking distance to the park and it didn't have a fridge, we had to scrap our plan for packing lunches. 

For us it turned out well. We are already planning another pre-babies trip to Disneyland Resort and making a list of places we want to eat while we are there. 

meatloaf 2.0

Two years ago I posted a recipe for a "spicy meatloaf" that we normally use when we make meatloaf.  Berkeley requested meatloaf for dinner after he got back from Montana. This is a BIG deal since Berkeley used to HATE meatloaf. I decided I would play around with it to make it more of a special meatloaf not the usual beef log meatloaf can be.

This recipe uses both sausage and panko breadcrumbs. These two ingredients break up the density that I find in most meatloaf recipes. 

Meatloaf

My kitchen is not photo friendly!

ingredients

• 1 cup of finely chopped onion
• 1 celery rib, chopped fine
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup of finely chopped scallions (can substitute more onion)
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoon salt (use less if the sausage is salty)
• 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2/3 cup ketchup
• 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
• 3/4 pound of spicy ground pork sausage or Italian sausage (a mix of sweet and hot if you are using links)
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 large eggs, beaten slightly
• 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.
2. In a large skillet cook the onion, celery, garlic, and scallions in butter, over medium heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Cover the skillet and stir occasionally until the veggies are tender, about 5 more minutes. Stir in salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/3 a cup of ketchup. Cook for 1 more minute.
3. In a large bowl, combine the meats, eggs, vegetables, bread crumbs, and parsley. Form into a loaf and put into a rectangular baking pan with 2-inch high sides. Cover the loaf with remaining ketchup.
4. Bake the meatloaf in the oven for 1 hour.

Serves 4 to 6, with plenty for leftovers for meatloaf sandwiches!

Also note that I sprinkle extra panko over the top of the meatloaf after spreading with ketchup. It gives a nice flavorful crunch to the outside while keeping the center moist and light. 

Keeping Up With Tradition

So as I have mentioned before, I am on a quest to make each one of the 50 ingredients in the Lopez Family Traditions book I got back in California. Originally, I had planned on making at least 4 dishes last week. that didn't quite happen, but I did try my hand at Chalupas con crema.

In English, this translates as a "Small canoe" or "stuffed tortilla" with cream. Traditional chalupas are nothing like what Taco Bell likes to advertise. The real thing consists of a lightly fried tortilla filled with cheese, meat of your choosing, and onions. The tortilla is folded in the same way as an enchilada and is topped with a thick, flavorful sauce. Definitely a huge contrast from the heavy and thick shell stuffed with bland ground beef and topped with flavorless iceberg lettuce and faux cheese.

So last night, I decided to make use of our ground beef. I cooked it up and decided that last night was the night for Chalupas. The only problem was that I only made 1/2lb of beef and had small flour tortillas not large. The sauce came out wonderfully though and I will probably add more chilies next time to kick up the heat. To put it bluntly, my chalupas ended up looking like little soggy pompoms of beef and cheese that were leaking white sauce. Because I only cooked a few the sauce went a long way and filled the bottom of the pan. If I had used larger tortillas and more of them I think the outcome would have been much better.

Overall, the final product was filled with flavor and some of the tortillas even still had the appropriate amount of crunch left over! The appearance was terrible though. I think all in all, I give myself a C+ for the effort. This will be a recipe to try again and again.

Noshing on Nachos Ep 1

Last night was the opening night of the regular NFL season. BK and I are both BIG American Football fans and we were both excited for this game. For the game we headed over to Granny's Closet for a few different reasons.

First, they have a lot of Tv's in their bar area. Enough to have a view of the big game every way you look. Secondly, on Thursday nights, their bar menu is $7 and they have Happy Hour every night 4-7pm with $2 beer and $4 appetizers. It was a great opportunity to start my Nacho experiment!

Their menu listing for their nachos is as follows:

"A pile of corn chips topped with beans, jalapenos, onions, tomatoes, olives and cheese. Served with guacamole, salsa and sour cream. Chicken or Beef an additional $2"

Let's just be honest here, I was disappointed. The nachos which are usually $9 without meat and $11 with. Because it was Thursday we got nachos with ground beef for only $9. I am gonna break this down piece by piece of the menu listing.

The presentation was very deceiving. The bring it out on a flat pizza style pan and looked to be a 6 inch tall pile of chips and goodness with all the salsa, mediocre at that, and guacamole on the side. We weren't given any sour cream and by the time the waitress came around we were a good way through the pile. Upon further inspection, that 6 inch pile was mainly attributed to the bowl of unseasoned pinto beans under a few layers of chips and cheese. Some of that height was also due to the fact that the dried out ground beef looked like it was just ladled over the top of the whole pile.

The topping to chip ratio was off. We got a better of the way through it and there were no chips left, and plenty of poorly seasoned ground beef and random toppings. The whole thing felt like it sat under a heat lamp for at least 10 minutes. The tomatoes were soggy and mushy. The jalapeno slices were think but limp and shriveled. Black olives were the most dominant force on the plate. They were shriveled and unappealing as well.

The bring a little bit of positive into this, as a whole they were okay nachos. The best single factor of the whole thing. It was a good melting cheese. It was gooey but not rubbery when it started to cool off. It was flavorful and held everything together. The cheese blend definitely amped up the other things on the nachos. I just wish there was a way to cover the horrible ground beef.

Overall, for $9 the serving size was good but I would not order the same thing for $11. Quality of the food and service almost makes it not worth it. From now on, if we ever go back, we will only get the nachos on Thursday night with chicken. These were definitely not the worst nachos I have ever had, but not the best in Flagstaff by any means.

The hunt for "The Best Nachos in Flagstaff" continues!

Spicy Meatloaf

There is nothing better than down home comfort food! The epitome of comfort food for me is a well made meatloaf smothered in ketchup. This meatloaf is not quite the brick of ground beef your mama made, but a quick cooking and filling entree for any meal! This meatloaf has kick and zip. There are a lot seasonings listed here, and feel free to use what you have. For this recipe, I use prepared mustard as opposed to dry mustard. Honestly, what college student has a supply of dry mustard on hand at any given time? I certainly don't.

This is a recipe that makes 4 servings.

Spicy Meatloaf

ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lg egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 lg white onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3 tbsp dried bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp parsley
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp hot sauce
• 1/4 tsp mustard
• 1/8 tsp tumeric
• ketchup

procedure:

1. Preheat oven 400°
2. Finely shop onion and mince garlic and add to a large mixing bowl. Add dry ingredients and gently toss.
3. Add hot sauce and mustard, ground beef and egg. Add 1/4 c ketchup.
4. Roll up your sleeves and hand mix all ingredients thoroughly.
5. Shape mixture free form into a loaf roughly 9X4. Place on a greased baking pan.
6. Bake for 20 min at 400°. At the end of the 20 min spread 2 tbsp ketchup over the top of the loaf. Bake for 7 more min or until done.

New Eats, Old Seats

I have been slacking on the Lumberyard postings. I have been several times since posting about this amazing place back in June. I have gotten several different things off the menu and this is fastly becoming my new favorite place to eat. I am not even sure I discussed what I got the first time we went with BK's parents. So I guess, let's start there!

So back in early June, before going for the World Cup game, we went with BK's parents. We split the sliders with bacon, aptly titled The Porker, and a side salad. The sliders came with a cheddar cheese skirt and wrapped in bacon. They were great. The salad was huge. More than enough for two people. The salad itself was mixed greens, green and red peppers, carrots, red onion, black olives, tomatoes, and colby jack cheese. We got chipotle ranch with it. Mmm delicious.

We went again with BK's parents in July. This time I ventured out for something I was apprehensive about ordering from there. I got the Catfish Po Boy. My inner Southern Girl was calling. The fish was great. It was crispy on the outside, and moist and flaky on the inside. The house remoulade had a nice zest to it which kicked up the great flavor of the Po Boy itself. It was so long ago, I don't even remember what it was that BK ate. I do remember it was good though!

Someone else that went out with us that night got boneless wings. The wings at the Lumberyard are served with a dry rub and accompanied with dipping sauces. The chicken was super tender. The rub had a small amount of kick with the spices. She got a honey mustard style dipping sauce. It is called 24 karat gold sauce. It was different. It wasn't a typical honey mustard, but it did have the same zing without a lot of heat.

The first weekend in August I personally went to The Lumberyard three and a half times in five days. A lot, I know. But this place is that good! I went on a Friday with some old friends, and I got the Catfish Po Boy again. Two days later, on Sunday, we went with BK's parents. That time I got the Blackened Mahi-Mahi. Just like the Catfish, the Mahi-Mahi was flavorful and tender. The spice blend is really unique and stands out. Sometimes when fish is blackened, all you can taste is the char on the fish and not the spices or the natural flavor of the fish. The Lumberyard does a great job at balancing it all! On the side, I got the red pepper coleslaw, and the dish is served with a low fat cilantro lime mayo.

On that Tuesday, we went again for BK's parents' birthdays. This time I ordered the polish sausage. At The Lumberyard, you get the choice of sweet, hot or Reuben. I chose sweet so the 1/3 lb pork polish sausage came with red and green grilled peppers (my fave). For an additional charge, I added a slice of horseradish Havarti to it. As you can tell, I love horseradish and Havarti. It came out and it just smelled so good, I just had to start eating it. As you can tel by the picture. The horseradish Havarti and the sweet peppers combined together really nicely with the spicy mustard used to dress the roll the sausage comes on. Once again I got the red pepper cole slaw. Overall, it was a great meal for lunch. It wasn't too heavy or greasy.

In the past month we were also able to try the two dessert items they offer, Banana Pudding and Brownie Sundae. I can't have too much banana because I am allergic, but I was able to get a few bites in. The pudding is served in a huge mason jar layered with vanilla wafers, banana slices and whipped cream. We ate the Brownie Sundae somewhat deconstructed because it was ordered to go. The brownie was a sea salt brownie covered with a stout caramel sauce. It was absolutely, 100% delicious! I never want to eat any other brownie again!

Until next time!

Indulge Burgers & More

This past weekend we were down in the Phoenix area. We stayed at the Embassy Suites Phoenix-Scottsdale. The room was really nice. The complimentary breakfast wasn't super awesome, but there were plenty of choices and old standby's that were great. The best part was the pool. Haha.

The pool wasn't the biggest but it was on a salt system instead of a chlorine or bromine system. It was really nice. I didn't have to worry about my hair turning green from the chemicals or the chlorine bleaching my clothes/bathing suit. The pool area was quite nice as well. The view was very nice. Being right in the middle of North Phoenix and Scottsdale, the pool over looked the golf resort and the Phoenix Mountains and North Mountain to the South and Southwest. There were several lounge chairs for sunning as well as umbrellas. I spent a good time with my upper body covered by the umbrella and my legs in the sun since they needed the tanning. This was the main activity for both Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday afternoon, we spent much more time in the water and goofing off. We built up an appetite. For lunch we went to Indulge Burgers & More located in Scottsdale. It wasn't quite what I was expecting. It was a smaller place with a great menu. Their signature menu option

was the ability to completely make your own burger! You fill out your paper menu with all the things you want on your burger! They have a plethora of options for the burger you want. Their beef certified humane from cattle that is hormone free and fed natural feed. They also offer a gluten free menu!

I had 1/3 lb medium well beef burger with horseradish cheddar on a brioche bun with the standard tomato and lettuce as well as grilled onions. On the side, there was the typical condiments, as an added zing, I picked Honey Citrus Pepper sauce. It was amazing! It was a little bit more well done than med-well, but still great. It definitely hit the spot. We also ordered half and half onion strings and sweet potato fries. Sooo good!

On the down side there are two definite things I would change. First, the sweet potato fries needed some sort of seasonings to them. I still think the best I have ever had are the sweet potato fries at Big Foot BBQ. They put some sort of sugar or cinnamon on them. The second thing I would say needs improvement is the wait staff. We were never given silverware until we asked. At least give us a napkin and a knife so that we can add the sauces and condiments onto our burgers. They also decided that we didn't need fries until five minutes after our burgers. Oh well. The burgers were still great and the prices weren't too bad!

To leave this on a positive note, if you are in the area you can put in a to go order online and pick up your burger when you are ready for it!

An Experimental Dinner

So we have been so busy that we haven't had the time to really go grocery shopping. Every time we go to Sam's Club we get a flat of chicken. We break it down and use it for awhile. Most of the time, some gets BBQ-ed right away and some gets broken into chunks for Indian Butter Chicken, and cooked and shredded for Chicken Enchilada Casserole. This time we didn't BBQ or make casserole. So I was left with a better portion of chicken. I didnt feel like using a crapload of freezer bags just to throw them away. So I puled out a gallon sized one. Bad idea. The chicken turned into a frozen rock that has taken 4 days to thaw.

So Monday night, I made a thrown together dinner. We only had 1 can of chili and that is barely enough to feed two of us. So I beefing up began. I started by making green chili cornbread. Then I boiled some frozen shrimp. The shrimp was boiled in a fluid mixture of green chili sauce, hot sauce, water, and herbs and spices.

Next I sauteed and onion, garlic and green bell pepper until the onion was translucent. I added the canned chili, 1/2 can of chickpeas, and 1/2 can of water and simmered on low heat. Lastly, I added the cooked and peeled shrimp and mixed it all evenly.

I served the chili mixture over a square of cornbread. For a meal that was slammed together, I was delightfully surprised with how it turned out. It was packed full of veggies and meat, and proteins, and most importantly, Flavor!

Quesadilla Crap

So this past weekend I went to a place I have never been before, Brews and Cues. If you couldn't tell by the name of it, this is a bar with quite a few pool tables. This place is owned by Beaver Street Brewery and serves food and drink from the restaurant. We went on a laundry day so dinner was the plan.

Originally, we were planning on NiMarco's but they were packed. So Brews and Cues it was. I was excited because I have heard great things about the brewery. I was let down, greatly. We got their quesadilla with flank steak. Very rarely do I get steak out in public, but I made an exception. In this case, the steak was great, but the quesadilla was not anything worth calling home about.

BK and I both grabbed a slice, and they both broke in half immediately. The outside tortilla was crispy, but the inside was slimy and wet. The cheese mixture was all wrong. It was a definite poor attempt at a quesadilla.