This Really Burns My Toast

Posted on April 2, 2012 by kissmybroccoli

What do you think?

I keep things pretty upbeat…pretty positive here on the blog, right?

Well then, how about a little timeout…a chance for me to rant a little bit?
I think I’m entitled to a good rant every once in a while…

Especially when it’s 6 days until Lent is over and I find out it’s

National PB&J Day!

FML!

Oh and just for the record, my Googling “PB&J sandwich” is the pretty much the equivalent to Superman looking up pictures of Kryptonite!

And speaking of delicious food, tell me something…

How do you feel about chain restaurants being required to post the calorie count for their meals?

Because on Saturday, BB and I went shopping at the newly reopened Opry Mills Mall and by the time we got there, we were both famished. While not all sit-down type restaurants were open, Dave & Busters was. I figured, “Well I’ve been there before and the food’s pretty good…sure!”

I opened the menu and this was the first thing that caught my eye…

Mmm, chicken quesadillas!

Grilled chicken, poblano and jalapeño peppers with cilantro, and a blend of melted Mexican & cheddar cheeses grilled in a cheddar jalapeño flour tortilla. Served with sour cream and salsa.

Sound good?

783 CALORIES

How about now?

Ok, ok, it’s got a ton of cheese and grease…I understand.

So then I was like, “Ohhhh, a veggie burger…that sounds yummy!”

922 CALORIES

Fine, just fine! I’ll get a frickin’ salad!

Wait…I don’t want a frickin’ salad…I want MEAT!
(sorry veggie guys, it happens sometimes)

I guess I could have just ordered whatever I wanted, ate until I was satisfied and then took the rest home, but unfortunately, when dining out (especially with others where I’m easily distracted) I have absolutely NO CONCEPT of my stomach and always end up eating it all…I blame my parents and the “clean your plate” mentality (sorry mom).

So what did I end up ordering?

Three skewers of Louisiana spice-rubbed shrimp char-grilled and basted with mango citrus glaze served with spicy rice and steamed fresh vegetables.

All in all, I thought the meal was pretty tasty (and filling…I even gave one whole skewer to BB)…and at under 600 calories, I didn’t feel like the Goodyear blimp after eating it.

But I still wanted those damn quesadillas.

Wanna know how the story ends?

5 hours later…dinner…at a little place called Chaney Fork, Where there weren’t any calorie postings.

Crispy quesadilla filled with tender strips of buffalo steak, sauteed peppers, onions, and cheddar cheese served with chipotle sour cream

Let’s just say, sometimes…ignorance is bliss! 😉

Ok, I feel a bit better now that I got that out of my system…plus, I just had this as my bedtime snack:

Anyone care for a NUT and jelly sandwich?

Muahahaha!

Did you celebrate National PB&J Day?

What dish have you [ignorantly] enjoyed lately?
Fess up, I know you’ve got something! 😉

Posted in Food Holidays, Restaurant Review | Tagged Lent, peanut butter, rant | 22 Comments

Secret Ingredient Chocolate Pancakes

Posted on April 1, 2012 by kissmybroccoli

Good morning my loves!

I know a few of my fellow bloggers will be up to no good today in ~~fool~~ full April Fool’s style, but not me…

No, I have more important matters today and it involves some pancake batter, chocolate, and a little ~~magic~~ secret ingredient.

Any guesses as to what could be hiding in that stack of deliciousness?

How about a few clues?

It tastes like butter.

It’s creamy smooth.

And it’s GREEN!

I swear this is no April Fool’s joke!

Secret Ingredient Chocolate Pancakes

by Heather Powers

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10-12 minutes

Ingredients (Serves 2)

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 medium-sized avocado, mashed (about 1/3 cup)
1 egg, whisked
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2-1 tablespoon agave syrup (or other sweetener)*

Instructions

1. Preheat a non-stick skillet or griddle to medium heat and coat with cooking spray (I used coconut oil)
2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.
3. In a separate bowl combine mashed avocado, egg, milk, vanilla, and agave.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until all the flour is incorporated.
5. Spoon batter onto skillet or griddle surface (makes 6 medium-sized cakes) and cook for approximately 5-6 minutes or until the edges start to crisp.
6. Flip cakes and cook another 4-5 minutes until done.
7. Serve banana slices and cocoa spiked syrup.

*In the original recipe, I used 1 tablespoon of agave syrup. BB thought the sweetness was perfect (normal taste buds) while I thought the cakes were a bit too sweet (yeah, like I have a normal bone in my body!). Use the amount that suits your sweet tooth!

Now, before you start giving me the stank eye, hear me out.

First off, do not…I repeat, DO NOT think of guacamole.

Think of smooth creamy butter…

And just pretend that you’re color blind!

Because the moment you take a bite into these pancakes…

The only thing you’ll be thinking is…

Man, these taste just like chocolate pudding!

I kid you not.

There are two things I don’t joke about in life…money AND pancakes! 😉

And now, BB and I are off to Land Between the Lakes from some hiking!

What are you up to today?

Any of you pull off a good April Fool’s Day prank?

Posted in Breakfast, Pancake Sunday | Tagged avocado, bananas, chocolate, pancakes, recipe | 18 Comments

The Luck of the Irish

Posted on March 30, 2012 by kissmybroccoli

Hey guys and happy Friday!

Can you believe tomorrow will really be the last day of March? It’s been a fabulous month including some delicious food, fishing, and now, my very first Foodie Pen Pal exchange!

Maybe you guys have noticed this little button hanging out in the sidebar for the last couple of weeks?

Well, last month after ~~drooling~~ reading over Sarah’s post on her pen pal package, I got curious enough to sign up and give it a go! And you’ll never believe who I got as my very first pen pal…

Seriously, what are the odds?!

Like she mentioned in her post, I’m not sure if it was an alignment of the stars or some luck-of-the-Irish sort of magic, but I did in fact get paired up with Miss Smart herself!

I KNEW whatever she decided to send me would be amazing annnnnnd possibly a little “out of the box” if you will since we are pretty much foodie soul mates when it comes to our quirky flavor combos.

But I still underestimated her generosity:

And her sense of color coordination! 😉

It was only a matter of seconds before I chose the first thing I wanted to try:

Her Cranberry Ginger Walnut Cookies which became the inspiration for my
Cranberry Walnut Ginger Pancakes!

I am still amazed by the flavor combination…definitely a new favorite!

She also sent along some of her Irish soda bread that had similar ingredients, but unfortunately, with the moisture inside the package, they failed to make the journey alive 🙁

Surprisingly, the locally grown apple she sent arrived unscathed and boy was I grateful!

Perfectly crisp, sweet and tart, and oh so gone in like 5 minutes!

The Oskri bar she sent was equally amazing.

The only ingredients are coconut, almonds, and rice syrup…it was like eating the inside of an Almond Joy bar! It was definitely one of those treats that saddens you when you finish it and I’m already trying to think of a way to create something similar on my own.

After all the sweet, comes the spicy…

Don’t let the “mango” fool you, the first bite of this salsa totally knocked me back a bit…but I loved it because ~~I’m a little sadistic~~ my love for spicy food is forever increasing.

And you have to know I saved the best for last:

The homemade nut butters she sent me made for incredible…

paper weights!

Don’t worry guys, I didn’t lose my willpower (although it was tempting), but you better believe I’m cracking these little cuties open on Easter morning! Who needs ham and deviled eggs when you’ve nut butter and a spoon?!

Just a little over a week to go!

Thank you so so much Sarah for spoiling me for my first (of many more to come) Foodie Pen Pal exchange!

If you’d like to be spoiled/feel like it’s your birthday when the mailman arrives, you too can join the exchange. It’s easy to sign up, fun, and open to not only bloggers but blog READERS as well!

I was actually paired up with a blog reader for this month, Miss Rachel Frank. Take a look at her brand new Facebook page, Life in the Fresh Lane, to see a glimpse of the goodies I sent her!

A few details of the program:

Open to US and Canada residents
You receive your pen pal pair up on the 5th of the month
Fill your box with local foodie treats, homemade eats, etc spending no more than $15.
Send out your package before the 15th of the month.
And then wait in anticipation for YOUR goodies!

Sound like fun?

Then click here and fill out the form to join Foodie Pen Pals for April!

You won’t regret it!