Happy birthday Mom! with a Blueberry Cupcake recipe!

 

 

hi everyone,

I’m always so grateful when October rolls around not because it’s my mom’s birthday, or Halloween. It’s due to her triumphant battle over Cancer.

You see there were times we thought we were going to lose her after several surgeries, chemotherapy,and  radiation. She is here with us celebrating another birthday with us.

Happy Birthday to all the Cancer survivor and please don’t forget to donate to the Cancer Society.

 

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups cake flour, sifted

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup soymilk unsweetened

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces

3 large whole eggs , at room temperature

1 cup splenda

 

Directions:

 

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin pan with paper liners. 

• Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

Whisk together eggs, butter,vanilla, and sugar until fluffy.

Gently  fold flour mixture into the egg mixture a little at a time.

Fold batter onto the muffin tin, add blueberries on top of the batter.

bake for 20 minutes.

Drizzle  a little of melted butter over  the top of the cupcake.

 

 

My mom’s favorite Blueberry cupcake!

 

Have a fabulous week,
Maggie

Follow me on PINTEREST :)

Happy birthday Mom! with a Blueberry Cupcake recipe!

Spicy fish Taco with cilantro and avocado dressing

Hi Everyone,
Lately I’ve been having an affair with Tacos, specifically fish tacos to be precise. Several eateries have opened up in the Asian section of Orlando Tako Cheena




Spicy Fish Taco
For this dish you can use a variety of
Fish from Tilapia, Basa, Grouper,
Red Snapper, Yellowtail Snapper.
If you are the adventurous type Bacaloa will be perfect.

Ingredients

2 cups water
1 tablespoon butter
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
4 grouper fillets 1 1/2 lb.; thawed
Juice of 2 limes, divided
1/2 teaspoon adobo seasoning (Spanish seasoned salt)
1 cup red and green peppers dice
1 1/3 cups roma tomatoes dice
4 (10-inch) low carb tortillas
1/4 cup Mayonnaise

1/4 cup red onions dice

1/4 cup mild salsa
1/4 cup olives dice

1/4 cup seeded jalapeno

1/2 teaspoon cumin, and pepper

1/4 teaspoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Dice avocado

Prep

• Preheat a pan with olive oil, add the butter
• Clean fish, wash with water, sprinkle  1/2 of the lemon juice onto the fish, season with salt and pepper, set aside
• Chop all the vegetables including the cilantro into a bowl add the remaining lemon juice, cumin, pepper, mix well so all the vegetables are coated with the spices
• In a blender, liquefy mayonnaise, 1/2 of the jalapeno, olive oil, cumin, pepper to create the dressing, set aside

Directions

• Sautee the fish in the preheated pan for 2 minutes on each side, remove from heat to a plate to let cool
• Once cool dice the fish set aside
• Clean pan, return to medium heat stack the tortilla to warm
• Remove the tortilla spoon the vegetables onto the tortilla, add fish
• Sprinkle the jalapeno mayonnaise on top, add dice avocado, garnish with cilantro

You can also add dice queso blanco if desired for more textures.

This is a perfect meal for small gathering for games served with a light beer or cider beer.

Have a great,

Maggie

PS don’t forget to follow my pinterest boards

Spicy fish Taco with cilantro and avocado dressing

Pinterest recipe tweak: Fruit medley

 

 

Peach Cobbler

 

 

Hi Everyone,

I’ve been collecting recipes to try and I’ve found some of the recipes  doesn’t come out as stated. However some are so good it bears repeating over and over again.

Such is the case for this recipe Cobbler using soda. The recipe was a bit too dry for me when I first made it, I went to work on redoing it now ‘I have it perfect to my taste :)

Here’s how  I tweak it

 

 

Ingredients:

2 cans of peaches drained

1tbsp cinnamon and butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 box of cake mix

2 1/2 cups sprite zero or regular

rectangle pan

Directions:

Mix 1/2 tsp. of Cinnamon with 1/2 tsp. of vanilla with the drained peaches in a bowl.

Spread fruit  mixture to the pan, add butter to the peaches.

Add the cake mix to the top of the fruit, sprinkle the remainder of the cinnamon on top of the cake mix.

Tip

the recipe calls for1 can of soda I found it to be too dry. Instead I used 2 1/2 cups of soda it was the perfect amount I needed for a moist cobbler.

 

Add 2 1/2 cups of sprite on top, you will see foams on top don’t worry. Bake 350 degrees for35 mtes. It should look like this.

 

 

When sliced it is very delicious with the added cinnamon, vanilla and butter.

 

 

What recipes from pinterest have you tried that has been a success?

Have a good week!

Maggie

Pinterest recipe tweak: Fruit medley

Twice bake potato recipe!

Hi Everyone,

I hope you had a great fourth of July. I've been sick with the flu, I've had no energy, let alone to be cooking. However there's nothing better than a twice bake potato to fill you up. You can get very creative with the toppings on a potato from adding salsa, bacon, cheddar cheese, and even shrimps.

What's your favorite toppings for potatoes?


Here’s the simple recipe

Ingredients:

4 large bake potatoes

Smoke Salt

Rosemary

2 cloves of Garlic dice

2 slices of bacon dice

Black pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp kosher salt

Cookie sheet

Aluminum foil

Let's begin!

• Boil the potatoes add kosher salt for 20 mtes. Remove from heat.
• Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
• In a bowl mix the garlic, oil, black pepper,smoke salt,rosemary.
• Arrange all 4 potatoes on the cookie sheet smash a bit, add the oil mixture to the top of the potato, add the dice bacon.

like this

• Bake for 5 mtes at 350 degrees.

Voila your bake potato should like this. yum I can assure you it's very tasty and filling!

Have a great week everyone,

Maggie

Twice bake potato recipe!

Best chicken pasta salad ever!

hi Everyone,


It’s almost 4th of July tomorrow, what are your meals plans?
When it’s hot outside the last thing I want to do is spend hours cooking, my best go to dish is a simple pasta salad with chicken. The best simple dish ever!
 Here’s the simple recipe.

Ingredients:

• Pasta
• Sun dry tomatoes
• Pesto
• Parmesan
• Grill chicken
• Basil dice
• Garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, olive oil

Let’s start!

• Boil water according to package direction. Drain mix in the pesto to the cook pasta.

My tip is to add the Italian spice to the water , oil and salt.

• In another pan sauté the garlic with olive oil,
• Add the chicken, add the basil to the pan sautéed for 4mtes add the sun dry tomatoes
• Add the pesto pasta to the mix

Plate and add Parmesan cheese to serve.
Voila very easy summer dish!





Have a great week everyone,
Maggie

Best chicken pasta salad ever!

Let’s explore The new Ruby Tuesday’s

 

 

Ruby Tuesday of UCF11401 UNIVERSITY BLVD. Orlando FL 32817

As you know I’m really not a fan of chain restaurant, specially a restaurant known as a mall resto is not the type of spot I will be gushing about.

However when I heard about the new designs,go green initiatives and new menus, I was intrigue by the new directions and the way they are reinventing this chain. We visited this spot on a Friday during lunch hour we only had to wait 2 minutes for a table to be cleaned

They have designed the free standing restaurant to be environmentally friendly and has green building ratings.

Upon entering the restaurant you are greeted by a host/ess instead of a podium it’s a sideboard table, where there are menus.

The décor is definitely more refined than your malls establishments with an expense of polish faux woods veneer, the bar sports beautiful bistro chairs, the bar itself is highlighted by soft spotting lights and the TV's are on but not loud intrusive.

There are booths with wide birth to fit anyone of any size, even if you are over 300lbs it will be comfortable.

 

 

The menus are printed on recycle materials, plastic bags for Togo is made from recycled materials.

Now onto the actual menu and the  new changes. They offer a Chef’s special that changes periodically.

The menu is more of a bistro meal for lunch, and dinner more American cuisine. You can peruse the menu here

Here are 2  entrees that sound awesome I will sure return to try.

ASIAGO PEPPERCORN SIRLOIN

Top sirloin perfectly seasoned and flavored with
cracked peppercorns, Parmesan cream sauce,
and shaved Asiago cheese.

SHELLFISH TRIO

jumbo lump crab cake, tender broiled lobster tail, and
grilled jumbo shrimp brushed with garlic scampi butter.

 

What we ordered was  the Grilled Chicken

Memphis Dry Rub Baby-Back Ribs.

 

Complimentary Cheddar biscuits

My ribs were perfectly falling off the bone and the rub was flavorful. I was very please that it wasn’t smothered in vinegary or very sugary bbq sauce.  My green beans was cooked perfectly most resto undercook green beans or cook it to death and lose all the flavors.

However my fries tasted very frozen with no flavor. The biscuits were very flaky and a good amount of cheddar.

Service

Our wait staff kept on filling my water without having to ask, did comeback several times to check on us and asked if we wanted desert before bringing the check.

I was happy to have visited a Ruby Tuesday resto, and will return to this spot since we had good service, however I will not be visiting the older restos in the mall.

Let’s explore The new Ruby Tuesday’s

Cooking, eating, classes at William Sonoma!

 

Hi Everyone,

Today I want to share with you my adventure at William Sonoma cooking classes. first let’s learn more about Sonoma.

For more than fifty years, people who love cooking and good food have gathered at Williams-Sonoma stores.

Each month brings a new lineup of cooking classes to your local Williams-Sonoma store. Learn about cuisines from around the world – and close to home – from our talented chefs and culinary experts.

• Each 1½ - to 2-hour class includes a cooking demonstration, generous samples of featured dishes and printed recipes to take home.
• Class fees vary by store location.
• Participants receive a 10% discount on store purchases the day of the class.
• Available at select stores; class dates and times vary by store location.
• Space is limited and reservations are required. Call a participating store to register.

When my friend Deb and I received complimentary classes a value of $50.00 each class we were not sure what to expect being that is it is a demo.

Here’s our first impression as we got in, we were greeted by the store mgr.  explained the activities for the evening. It’s cooking for friends, but it’s more like cooking for me :)

The table was setup beautifully, my friend Deb :)

 

 

He explained the recipes are from this book below! I have to tell you the recipes are very very sumptuous.

 

We started with Fennel, Parmesan,dates and blood orange salad.

 

 

 

Entrée

Parpadelle, shiitake mushroom, roasted pork tenderloin.

 

 

 

Drink

Blueberry, raspberry, strawberry with lavender syrup spritzer!

 

 

 

 

Dessert!

Chocolate ganache  caramel salt tort!

 

 

 

 

 

Our experience was first class, the meal was sumptuous and rich. If you are on a diet or strict caloric intakes, you will need to substitute the creams and cheeses etc.

Was this meal and class worth $50.00, I would have happily paid $99.00 for all the tips and tricks we learned.

I hope you try a class in your area.

Have a fabulous day :)

Maggie

Cooking, eating, classes at William Sonoma!

Mother’s day luncheon

 

Happy Mother’s day to all the great women who selflessly give of themselves every day.

The Catholic Christian Women put together a fabulous sweet for mom including Champagne that was fabulous, talk about sugar overload :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a great day,

Maggie

Mother’s day luncheon

Food truck wars of 2012

 

 

Let’s go to food truck wars of 2012 in the city of Oviedo!

What is Food truck? According to Wikipedia it’s

A food truck, mobile kitchen, mobile canteen, or catering truck is a mobile venue that sells food. Some, including ice cream trucks, sell mostly frozen or prepackaged food; others are more like restaurants-on-wheels. Some may cater to specific meals, such as the breakfast truck, lunch truck or lunch wagon, and snack truck, break truck or taco truck.

Today’s food truck is nothing frozen or prepackaged.

Here’s what my invite said!

Food Truck Crazy is pleased to bring the first ever Food Truck Wars to Central Florida.

The event will take place in the City of Oviedo at Oviedo Mall from Noon to 6:00pm.

This family friendly event will consist of 4 major components: First and most important will be 30 to 40 gourmet food trucks battling it out for 5 Food Truck Wars awards and prizes. The categories will be the Peoples choice award, the Chef off (judged by nationally renowned chefs), the Largest food item, food truck appearance and top food sales during the event.

There will also be a beer garden, a silent auction to benefit local charities & live music.

Food Truck Crazy has invited ALL food trucks to be a part of this great event and hopes to extend it to other areas of the State. “Bring it on” is the mantra for this event.

The heat is on and the food truck craze is just beginning. “We are very excited to have the opportunity to bring this community a wonderful family friendly event and to have Central Florida be the first” said Ms. Otts, President of Food Truck Crazy, Inc., the shows producers “now we just pray for a beautiful day”.

It was a beautiful day then around 3 pm it started pouring for 20 mtes, then the sun came out again :)

O

As you can see the lines were long, the food was amazing. I’ll suggest bringing a chair to seat most food truck events only have high top tables no chairs…

Have a great day,

Maggie

Food truck wars of 2012