Russell Stover Raspberry Whip Egg

Russell Stover Raspberry Whip Egg, originally uploaded by predictablyhungry.

Having a Walgreens right next to your BART stop is not good. I keep buying candies to try that look good. I don't even really like candy! But for some reason I've been developing quite the sweet tooth.

I found the Russell Stover Raspberry Whip Egg and bought it to enjoy the day before Lent (I'll be giving up sugar).

Granted, Russell Stover does not make the best candies in the world, and I find their chocolate usually not that great. Yet, I'll gladly buy their dark chocolate products. And I'll most definitely buy any product that has raspberry AND dark chocolate.

The egg was pretty good. The dark chocolate wasn't bad (but what do you expect from a $0.49 candy?). The raspberry whip inside was delicious. It was soft and melted once it hit your tongue, however there were some little hard bits of something inside. I'm not sure what they were. They weren't so hard they hurt the teeth, it was just something odd that you didn't expect when eating a "whip."

I've taken a gander at the Russell Stover site, and see that they're making "Giant Smores Bars" now. They're basically a big chocolate covered marshmallow (creme?) sandwiched in graham cracker. Anyone try these yet?

Chocolate Mousse Bear-Shaped Peeps

choclate bear peeps, originally uploaded by I'm Kind of a Big Deal.

I've been a fan of Peeps ever since I was a little kid. It was the one thing that was guaranteed to be in my Easter basket. I was always saddened by the fact that they came out but once a year.

Well, in recent years they began making them in other holiday shapes for the numerous holidays throughout the year. This year I spied some little brown marshmallow bears. Despite the fact that they're chocolate mousse flavored, I gave in.

Don't I always give in?

Opening the package was like opening a box of Cocoa Puffs or bringing a chocolate milkshake toward your mouth... yes, the smell of chocolate was surprisingly strong.

The texture's the same as all the previous peeps, the main difference is that the marshmallow itself is chocolate flavored. Eating just one taste like you've been drinking a chocolate milkshake.

In the end, I'd rather stick with the original Peeps but keep in mind I'm not the world's biggest fan of chocolate. If you're a chocolate lover than I'm pretty sure you'll be loving these as well.

(Thanks to I'm Kind of a Big Deal for the picture since my phone picture was too terrible to post).

Valentine's Day Dinner

Lasagna, originally uploaded by predictablyhungry.

(Excuse the poor quality of the cell phone pictures. I've decided I'll start using a real digital camera from now on)

The quick and easy Valentine's Day dinner this year consisted of lasagna, garlic bread, red wine, and fruit tarts for dessert.

In case you weren't aware they now sell lasagna pasta noodles that need no prior boiling before layering a baking. Thus, making life easier and dinner is more quickly made.

Lasagna:

What you'll need:

- 1 box of Barilla no bake lasagne noodles

- 1 lb of lean ground sirloin

- 1 spicy italian sausage

- 15 oz. Ricotta cheese

- 4 cups shredded Mozarella

- 1/2 cup grated parmesan

- 2 eggs

- 2 jars of marinara sauce or italian baking sauce or preferred pasta sauce

To do:

- Preheat oven to 375

- Open casing of italian sausage, squeeze out meat and brown with ground sirloin. Drain.

- In large mixing bowl beat 2 eggs, mix in ricotta, 2 cups of mozzarella, and parmesan.

- In 9 x 13 x 3 inch baking dish spread 1 cup of pasta sauce along the bottom.

- Layer 4 pastas, overlapping across bottom layer of sauce.

- Spread 1/3 of ricotta cheese mixture, 1/2 of the meat, and 1/2 cup of pasta sauce across the pasta layer.

- Layer another 4 pastas across the mixture.

- Spread another 1/3 of ricotta cheese mixture and 1 cup of pasta sauce.

- Layer an additional 3 pastas across the mixture.

- Spread remaining ricotta cheese mixture, remaining meat, and 1/2 cup of pasta sauce on top of noodles

- Layer the last 4 pastas

- Spread remaining sauce, and remaining 2 cups of mozzarella.

Note: If using a 9 x 13 x 2 dish, adjust layers so that there are 3 layers instead of 4 to avoid boiling over.

- Bake at 375 degrees covered with foil for 50 - 60 minutes, until cheese is melted.

- Uncover, lower temperature to 350 degrees and bake an addition 5 - 10 minutes, until cheese is thoroughly melted with browned edges.

Garlic Bread:

What you'll need:
- 1 sourdough baguette, halved lengthwise

- 5 large cloves garlic, halved

- 5 tablespoons olive oil

- 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

To Do:

- Preheat the oven to 350

- Cut the baguette halves into thirds for 6 large pieces of bread.

- Rub each piece with garlic and brush with olive oil.

- Sprinkle with cheese.

- Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned.

For dessert, bite sized fruit tarts were purchased at Andronico's super markets, but such treats may be purchased at local bakeries and grocery stores. We had also purchased a mini lemon cheesecake, but were too full to dig in!

Red wine served was Teusner Shiraz Riebke '06.

Side note: For my lasagna I used an italian sausage pasta sauce mixed with a roasted garlic pasta sauce.

Burger Shots?

Burger Shots?, originally uploaded by predictablyhungry.

I found this ad in a BART station the other day. I love fast food, but it's one of those things that I limit myself on nowadays. As a kid I knew nothing about nutrition and all that jazz.

Anyway, Burger King has been luring me in as of late with those Angry Whopper commercials of the farmer whipping the onions. I love spicy, and Angry Whopper promises to deliver some major heat... but my major doubt of it actually doing so has kept me from going in and devouring that like 900 calorie goodness.

Has anyone had this? Is it good? Is it really as spicy as they promise?

And now, they're luring me in with "Burger Shots" which I'm assuming are "sliders"/White Castle sized burgers. That ad sure makes them look good, at least better than White Castle's burgers.

Note: I'm sorry East Coast, but I like a little more flavor in my burgers.

I'm thinking I'm going to have to give in soon and take a trip down there to try all their new gimmicky products.

Now, has anyone had these too? How are they?

Easy to Peel Hard Boiled Eggs

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs, originally uploaded by sunnyd1225.

People have asked me how I've made hard-boiled eggs that are so easy to peel that they slip right out with one crack. They've been curious how the egg yolks are a wonderfully brilliant yellow color, so much so that it's a shame to mush it into egg salad sandwiches.

First off, the fresher the eggs the more bold the yellow of the yolk will be after boiling, and the easier they will be to peel. Don't get me wrong though, I still use fairly old eggs for egg salad goodness.

Most people will tell you to make sure the eggs are room temperature before boiling. From my understanding this is to avoid cracks in the egg after they're submerged into boiling water. I never do that.

I'll let a pot of water start simmering and place the eggs in straight out of the refrigerator. Then I let them boil, a high, rolling boil for about 10 - 15 minutes. I generally wait the 15 minutes to ensure they're boiled thoroughly.

Now, what I have found is the most important part in an easy peel egg can be done two different ways:

1. Once the boiling has ended, remove the pot from the stove and run under cold water. Immediately place the eggs in an ice cold water bath (bowl) and place in the refrigerator if you'll be saving them for later. Yes, keep them stored in a bowl full of cold water for however many days you have left over eggs.

2. If you're in a rush and want them now for some reason then remove them from the boiling water and place in the freezer for a few minutes. Then take eggs out one at a time as you crack them and slip them out of the shell. Becareful though, because the eggs will still be fairly warm, if not hot to the touch. So don't hold on to them for too long or too tightly.

If you happen to be interested in what I put in my egg salad here goes (all mashed and mixed in with a fork):
- Just enough mayo to moisten and let the egg stick together

- A drizzle of yellow mustard

- Salt and Pepper to taste

- Diced pickles

- Red pepper flakes.

Credit for photo: Sunnyd1225

Homemade Buffalo Burger

Homemade Buffalo Burger, originally uploaded by predictablyhungry.

(Sorry for the extremely blurry picture, as I've been having to use my cell phone camera until I find my actual camera).

I've been craving buffalo burgers for about a month now. I asked around on Yelp! about the best place to grab a buffalo burger, and received numerous responses.

Problem is, I need to cut back on spending $$$.

So, I headed to Whole Foods and grabbed 4 buffalo patties for about $7 and some brioche rolls for about $3.

The patties were lightly seasoned and pan cooked. My final burger contained mustard with a touch of mayonnaise, spinach, a slice of tomato (from tomato on the vine), and pickles.

'Twas quite tasty, and ultimately way less expensive than had I gone to a restaurant.

... Now, for that glass of wine.

Chicken and Green Chile Chilaquiles

Chicken and Green Chile Chilaquiles, originally uploaded by predictablyhungry.

I used to not like this dish when I was a picky kid. On chilaquiles night my mom always made me my own plate of nachos.

However, when I moved away from home I found myself craving this dish that I hadn't had in about 13 years. I promptly called my mom for the recipe, and made it the following weekend. It's now one of my boyfriend's favorite dishes. The left overs last a few days so if you're looking for a meal to stretch a bit, you've got one here.

What you'll need:

1. Authentic tortilla chips meaning NOT grocery store bought ones like mission or tostitos. Try visiting a carniceria or a Mexican restaurant that makes their chips there.

Yelp! forums or the craigslist food forum might be a useful tool in locating them if you're having trouble. They helped me find some in my area.

2. 1 can of green enchilada sauce

3. About 2 cups of shredded cheese. I usually use cheddar and monterey jack.

4. 2 chicken breasts

5. Jalapenos (optional)

6. Cilantro (optional)

Of course you can tailor this recipe to your likings such as more or less chicken, variation of meat, other chiles, etc.

What you'll do:

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Cut chicken into strips and boil in water seasoned with onion powder and garlic for about 8 minutes or until slightly cooked (you'll be putting it in the oven later).

3. Drain chicken and shred.

4. In a medium sauce pan warm enchilada sauce on low heat.

5. In a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish lay tortilla chips on the bottom to form first layer, then follow with half the shredded chicken, cheese, cilantro, jalapenos, drizzle some enchilada sauce, and any other ingredients you've chosen to add.

6. Add a second layer of chips and repeat the previous process. You might want to put a little more sauce on top than you did the first layer since there's more ingredients to absorb it.

7. Cover with foil and place in the oven for about 20 minutes

8. After about 20 minutes, lower the temp to 350 uncover the dish (becareful of the steam!), and cook for an additional 20 - 30 minutes. Basically until cheese is melted and chips on edges are showing signs of slight burn.

9. I try and cut it with a sharp knife using a spatula to lift the food out. The first serving's like a pie serving always a bit of a mess!

10. You might want to add some more enchilada sauce (if you have any left over).