Pumpkin Eater

Can you believe that our last post was on October 1st?? We are well into the fall season which is filled with so many yummy goodies, we are getting behind! Alas, we have been busy, and this blog may have some NEW twists and turns to it, as the Spice That girls have embarked on a new business venture TOGETHER. Ahhhh, that is how everything should be.

But have no fear! Fall food is still being enjoyed by many, and I have some yummies to share! At the end of October, I threw a surprise birthday/Halloween party for my husband. In my personal blog, I chronicled all of the good eats that were there, so check it out at: http://megosh.blogspot.com/2011/10/thriller-night.html.

The highlight of the evening was definitely Paula Deen's Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake. Butter belongs in the name because there are TWO sticks of butter in this sweet treat! Oh, but it is worth every calorie. I have made this a second time (per request) and I just LOVE it. IT IS SO GOOD.

My cousin and my neighbor do not like pumpkin things (I know, crazy right?!) and they both love this cake. So basically, this cake brings harmony to all homes.

And on a final note, my next challenge will be to find healthier substitutions that still give such fabulous ooey-gooey flavor. Low-fat cream cheese? I never shake a stick at it. A non-butter butter substitute? We'll just have to suffer through it. ;)

And, at last, here is the recipe:

Paula Deen's Gooey Pumpkin Butter Cake

Ingredients

Cake: 

1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix 

1 egg 

8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling: 

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin 

3 eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

8 tablespoons butter, melted 

1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar 

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 teaspoon nutmeg 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Zucchwinni!

Earlier this week, while babysitting my heart out, my cute little niece asked if I would make zucchini bread. Would I?! Talk about the most ultimate bonding experience you could have with two little girls. And yes, I realized I used "most" and "ultimate" together-- trying to let my emotion flow through the keyboard. :)

So we got their giant zucchini from their garden-- another plus I might add. And I immediately went to my go-to recipe site: www.allrecipes.com.

Maybe as a self-proclaimed foodies you would think that I might turn to something more gourmet or less mainstream. NOPE! I really like allrecipes because they allow people to rate the recipes and leave comments with their results and variations on the recipe. When I have oodles of time I love to pour through these comments... especially if I am missing an ingredient, which is usually the case!
But we were short on time... it was already bed time and I let them stay up *gasp* an hour late! I rock. I pretty much found the best recipe of all time... Mom's Zucchini Bread, with a 5 STAR rating and 3,311 votes. HELLO! Obviously this is a bomb.com recipe. And so, with my food loving friends, I share this bounty:

• 
  

• MOM'S ZUCCHINI BREAD

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 3 eggs

• 1 cup vegetable oil

• 2 1/4 cups white sugar

• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 2 cups grated zucchini

• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.

3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.

4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Nutritional Information Amount Per Serving  Calories: 223 | Total Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 26mg 

Now, as I mentioned before, I did not have all of the ingredients-- NO BAKING POWDER! What's a girl to do? Well, if you don't have baking powder, you certainly don't have cream of tartar. Seriously. And then I found that you can substitute 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 cup buttermilk, sour cream or yogurt (to replace 1/2 cup liquid called for in recipe). So again, I am going to be honest... I didn't read the parentheses and I did not remove any liquid anywhere else. Well, in this Utah altitude that was MONEY! Talk about moist delightful... MUFFINS!

Warm happiness for the soul. 

That's right... I forgot to tell you our other variation... we made MUFFINS! This is very handy for giving a little girl a job... fill those muffin tins, soldier! 


So, the two little girls and I stirred and mixed to our hearts content (I had to step in a few times to get some powerful stirring happening), AND then we split the batter in half and each girl got to choose which color they want their zucchini muffins to be. Yes, I am magic... or just okay with food coloring. So we made watermelon red and aqua teal (turned out more green) zucchini muffins that were so cinnamony sweet, you knew these weren't health food muffins. 


Enjoy the recipe! 3,312 people already have! :D
-M

Perfect Peruvian

This past week, while eating the fabulous food at Cafe Limon in Syracuse, Utah, I thought to myself, "I can't believe I haven't blogged about this place." 

Cafe Limon is a Peruvian restaurant and it is a top notch eatery, all around.

First, Amparo (she and her husband Ron own the restaurant) is an award-winner! She submitted a recipe for the Food Network's Ultimate Recipe Showdown and SHE WON! You can eat her award-winner at their restaurant: Peruvian roasted chicken, served with yucca fries, huancaina sauce, and aji sauce. The first time we ate at Cafe Limon, this is what I got, and I was hooked! Yucca fries? Yes, please!

Guy Fieri's s autograph!

My husband served an LDS mission in Peru, which is initially why we tried Cafe Limon. He got one of our all-time favorites: Chicken in Aji Sauce (Aji de Gallina). He says it tastes just like he remembered having in Peru, and it was one of his favorites. I always want him to get this, so that I can several big bites of it. Aji de Gallina is shredded chicken, chili sauce, rice, and potoatoes... and half of a hard-boiled egg on top (one of my favorite parts!). Does that sound boring to you? Of course it does. But this dish is so unique and chock full of flavor, you can't pass it up. The aji sauce is so creamy, flavorful, and I'm sure you haven't had anything like it. I hadn't! This dish is comfort food to the max. 

Aji de Gallina GOODNESS

A few visits ago, a table next to us HIGHLY recommended the Jumping Beef (Lomo Saltado)-- they were pretty passionate, so I was convinced. Now I'm hooked! I think our new Peruvian go-to's will be the Jumping Beef and Aji de Gallina. Jumping Beef is beef stir-fried with onions, tomatoes, aji chile, on top of french fries and served w/ rice. French fries? You got that right. It's GOOD! Obviously there is something awesome about the aji chile, because it seems to make every dish a winner! Instead of just plain rice, we get this dish with "tacu tacu" which is rice cooked with beans and bacon. What?! Seriously folks, a party in your mouth. What a fabulous dish! Once again, packed full of flavor, and just plain good. 

Jumping Beef makes your mouth happy.

Now this last visit, was extra special. All the other times we have visited Cafe Limon we have been SO FULL that we couldn't even think about dessert. This time we took Amparo up on her offer of rice pudding, and I'm never gonna look back! She uses the traditional recipe, but has a few twists that make her recipe a family secret. This was THE BEST rice pudding I have ever had. One little secret she did share with us-- she cooks the rice in cinnamon, giving her rice pudding a brown color. She warmed it up for us, put a little cinnamon on top, and made me stop mid-sentence to say, "THIS IS SO GOOD!"

So, hopefully you understand that the food is GOOD. And you get A LOT of it. The portion sizes are very generous, and you could definitely share. But then again, if you're like me... you might need to just go all out. :)

Another irreplaceable aspect of Cafe Limon is the service. Cafe Limon is run by Amparo, Ron, and their family. When you enter, Amparo is there to greet you with a smile. She is so personable and warm-- she really adds to the entire experience at Cafe Limon. She chats with every customer and strives to make sure that they have a good experience. She is happy to make recommendations, and she is so passionate about her food! You can't help but have a great time. 

Cafe Limon gets FIVE STARS!

Cafe Limon is located in the heart of Davis County... so please, come give it a try. If you need a tour guide, I will gladly accept such a challenge. :) 

In the meantime, check out Cafe Limon's website, at http://cafelimonrestaurant.com/ and LIKE them on Facebook to find out the weekly specials and get special offers!

Til next time... adios! 

-M

Jump Into Fall...

Hello Friends!

It has been a long summer, devoid of posts, which is to say that we three have been mighty busy! But have no fear-- we had some fabulous food adventures this past week that we will write about soon. Look forward to posts about the Copper Onion in Salt Lake City, and a follow-up love fest for Cucina Toscana, also located downtown in SLC.

As a fair coordinator, I know all about fabulous food of another sort... deep-fried and finger-licken good. August was home to the Davis County Fair, and the Utah State Fair is currently going on through next weekend. I read about some of the food concoctions that they will have there... raccoon, alligator... deep-fried MAGGOT melt, anyone? No. Just plain no. Do we have to stoop to the exotically disgusting?! But let's be honest, these gimmicks, especially at fairs WORK. People may go just to try and find someone else eating the oh, so fiber-full maggot melt. Well, not I. My boss googled a picture of it, and that was enough for me!

My fair go-to's include, funnel cake, Polynesian chicken & macaroni salad, BBQ, and fresh-squeezed lemonade. Maybe I'm a simple girl, but I know what's good.

One of the biggest reasons that people attend fairs is for the food. Is this their excuse to eat whatever they want? Well, I say take it. Although, fairs are pretty prevalent all summer long (especially in Utah), so some may want to pick and choose the fairs they let it all hang out for.

At the Davis County Fair, I pretty much tried everything. A few stand-outs were The Greek Station and Wild Wild West BBQ. Both were new to the Davis County Fair, and I hope they come back! I branched out and had a traditional gyro with beef and lamb... the guy was right... SO GOOD! And at Wild Wild West... well, I ate their twice. And that, my friends, is the official stamp of approval. I had his homemade kielbasa sausage and a full platter... ribs, chicken, homemade salsa with tortilla chips. They even make their own BBQ sauce, which is another reason why their food was so good. It had a unique twist to the flavor, and I liked it!

This next week I will be going to the Utah State Fair, and of course I plan on hunting out something fabulous. I do like to branch out... but I'm pretty sure you won't catch me eating raccoon... I hear it's greasy. :)

Tell us about your favorite fair foods and the craziest thing you've tried! I hear deep-fried Pop Tarts are getting popular!

Love,
M

P.S. OFFICAL ADVICE-- Do NOT get funnel cake anywhere other than a fair or city festival. Funnel cake at Cold Stone? I gave it back and got something else. No bueno. Funnel Cake at IHOP? I'm pretty sure the answer is in the question. No. Don't do it. Gird up your loins for the winter, and wait it out 'til summer comes. Your tastebuds will thank you.

In The Garden...

I am having a love affair... with
BASIL!!!

Can't get enough of the green stuff... 

And don't worry, my husband is okay with it. :) 

My husband is not a big fan of flowers, because he does not think they are practical. On the other hand, he loves growing things that he can actually eat-- tomatoes, peppers, etc. All spring (ahem... if I can call it that), whenever we discussed our "garden" I would always throw in, "And basil!" "And I can get a basil plant!" "Don't forget the basil!" And so it was! 

I'm not sure exactly where this love affair started... I'm pretty sure it's been less than a year. I used to think basil was boring. What was I thinking?! HELLO Bruschetta, Basil Alfredo Pizza, Pesto... So many good things have basil at their core. 

One of my new faves is Vietnemese Pho. You haven't had it?! Give me a call, and we'll go get some together. Once I have had a few more pho adventures, I will be fully ready to post about it's magical qualities, but for now all you need to know is it comes with a big plate of all the goodies to put in (see the below picture) and add your desired flavors, including a big bushel of basil. Yup, and some people just eat the leaf straight off the stem. You know who you are! :) 

Basil, Limes,Sprouts, OH MY! 

So, now that my little plant is just growing up a storm, I have already embarked on a few culinary adventures. I have made a yummy pizza with ricotta and basil... and my favorite was lasagna! I have never made a real lasagna before, and I was quite impressed with myself. Or maybe it's just the recipe. :) 

There is something about good basic ingredients, with great flavor, that just gets the job done. I think the essential parts of this lasagna are the basil and the Italian sausage. MMM! So good! I changed this recipe up a little bit... I used a tomato sauce mixed with alfredo, threw some spinach and mushrooms in for good karma, and voila! A masterpiece! Try it out! 

Sausage Cheese Basil Lasagna

Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound spicy Italian sausages, casings removed
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with added puree
• 1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes with green pepper and onion (do not drain)

Filling:

• 1 1/2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves
• 1 15-ounce container plus 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 cups (packed) grated mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces)
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Assembly:

• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles from one 8-ounce package
• 3 cups (packed) grated mozzarella cheese (about 12 ounces)
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
• Nonstick olive oil spray

preparation

Sauce:
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add sausages, onion, garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper and sauté until sausage is cooked through, mashing sausage into small pieces with back of fork, about 10 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes with juices. Bring sauce to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 5 minutes to blend flavors. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill until cold, then cover and keep chilled.)

Filling:
Using on/off turns, chop fresh basil leaves finely in processor. Add ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Using on/off turns, process filling until just blended and texture is still chunky.

Assembly:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread 1 1/4 cups sauce in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange 3 noodles on sauce. Drop 1 1/2 cups filling over noodles, then spread evenly to cover. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layering of sauce, noodles, filling and cheeses 2 more times. Top with remaining 3 noodles. Spoon remaining sauce atop noodles. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Spray large piece of foil with nonstick olive oil spray. Cover lasagna with foil, sprayed side down.

Bake lasagna 40 minutes. Carefully uncover. Increase oven temperature to 400°F. Bake until noodles are tender, sauce bubbles thickly and edges of lasagna are golden and puffed, about 20 minutes. Transfer to work surface; let stand 15 minutes before serving

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sausage-Cheese-and-Basil-Lasagna-103005#ixzz1QXI3rUTs

A few of my favorite things...

Yup, these little beauties!

I know a weenie man... 

Strange as it may seem, HOT DOGS are some of my favorite foods! I wanted to start a new segment on this blog having to do with "favorite things" and I think hot dogs are a great way to kick it off! 

I often joke and say that I could never be a vegetarian because I love hot dogs too much. I also once had a red t-shirt that read, "I <3 Hot Dogs." Wow, I really am obsessed! Since it is one of my "favorite things," I obviously know a lot about them, and I definitely know where to get the best dog at. So here, are my words of culinary, Oscar Meyer Weiner, wisdom. Enjoy! 

Rule #1: ALWAYS go all-beef with your hot dogs. Chicken ones taste funny & and the other ones are too mysterious. Stick with 100% all-beef and you'll never go wrong. (I was raised on the low-fat, all-beef, Oscar Meyer weiners... so good!)

Rule #2: When in Chicago, you MUST get a Chicago style dog. And please, get ALL of the toppings. You might go to jail if you don't. ;) 

 Chicago Cubs Game, Honeymoon, 2008:
Lemonade in hand, Chicago Dog in stomach

The BEST places to get a hot dog (in no particular order): 

1. DISNEYLAND, Anaheim, CA-- I'm telling you. They are the BEST! Me and my girl, Holly, would rave about them back in the day. You know why? THEY ARE GOOD! And they are premium all-beef hot dogs. Yes, premium is important. It may be $10 for a hot dog and chips, but trust me... you didn't know hot dogs like that existed in the happiest place on Earth. 

2. J-DAWGS, Provo, UT-- Do you live in Provo? Do you live in Utah? Please drive to 700 E and do yourself a favor! J-Dawgs is THE BOMB! And it's not just because of the cool entrepreneur success story behind it. When I go to Provo, I hope that someone wants to go with me... cuz I'm going! They cook their hot dogs on a grill, right there-- there are sliced so the grill-y goodness gets all up in it. You have the choice of Polish or Beef. Either way, you're golden. So, the dog is already good... what makes it even better? SPECIAL SAUCE! 

Mmmmmmm

The owner/creator/genius has his grandmother's secret recipe and it is amazing! Last time I went to J-Dawgs, I seriously considered buying a bottle of the sauce... and a t-shirt. Do you need help choosing what to put on these amazing hot dogs? Here's what I get EVERY time: 

• Beef or Polish-- truly, choose what ever tickles your fancy at the moment, they are both great! 
• Special Sauce-- YEAAAH!
• Onions
• Banana Peppers-- I die for these. SO GOOD! 

This combination is a true winner. But guess what? There are so many great options! Sauerkraut, pickles, jalepenos... live it up! 

3. CAFE CREPE, Santa Monica, CA-- I recently went back home to California, and while rendevous-ing with a good friend, we ate at this lovely joint. It was meant to be, friends! Crepes, you say? What does that have to do with hot dogs? Well, have you ever had a Parisian hot dog?

OOOOoooooo! 

Me neither! I had no idea this even existed. I spotted it on the cute little menu, and my friend was the one who actually ordered it.  J.Hatch ordered a ham and mozzarella panini... BORING! Had I known beforehand, I would have stopped that one. Luckily, my friend is good at sharing. So, the Parisian hot dog is on a french baguette (already a winner!), then it is covered with melty-gooey swiss cheese and bechamel sauce. Yes, I knew what bechamel sauce was before this. It looks so beautiful when it comes to you, you almost can't eat it, and we certainly did not besmirch it with ketchup. It was a winner in all of our books, and so I just HAD to share it with you!

And, just a few side notes about this place-- of course I had a crepe! A lemon-sugar one-- simple but oh, so delicious! I just love lemon on a crepe, and it's also very good on french toast with powdered sugar... DO IT! And the piece de resistance... A NUTELLA MILKSHAKE! Yes, why didn't I think of this before?? It was A-MAZE! So, next time you're cruisin by the beach, do some fun shopping, and get a treat at Cafe Crepe... 

Just a short walk from Santa Monica Pier!

So, there you have it! Important hot dog tips that you can use throughout your life. 

You're welcome. :) 

~M

The Garden of... Not Good

Well folks, I am normally a very positive, optimistic person, but sometimes you gotta call 'em like you see 'em. Here comes a bad restaurant review- but the message needs to be shared!

Two weeks ago my husband graduated from the University of Utah (WIN!), [as well as our own Miss Colleen]! So of course the in-law's were in town, which means we had to plan the day, which I always plan around food. :) I have had GREAT experiences at The Garden restaurant in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, in the heart of Temple Square in Salt Lake City. I made a reservation a few weeks in advance for our group of 10, expecting no less than their best.

Well, that's not what happened!

See Exhibit A: It started out great!

We got a few appetizers to share: Artichoke Cheese Dip and Brent's Blue-Bacon Potato Chips. I am a big fan of blue cheese with potato chips-- these were a little too salty, but not bad. And the serving was HUGE. Our large group left several chips on the plate. The dip received mixed reviews-- there was nothing special about it, but it tasted fine.

A normal highlight of all the Temple Square restaurants are the soft, yummy rolls. All of the rolls we received were soft on the inside, but too hard on the outside. Sometimes that's what you need-- but this staleness was not on purpose, if you know what I mean.

The biggest disappointment surrounded my husbands entree. He LOVES Philly steak sandwiches... I might even call him a connoisseur, and I thought their Philly sounded great. Blue cheese sauce, sauteed mushrooms? Different, but I like different. Josh thought it sounded good, and I made him promise to give me a bite. Needless to say, I never got a bite... and I was okay with that. :) Josh did not like it-- he said it had no flavor... it was just a blah mess. He decided to complain, after which our server offered him another meal. Josh declined. Then the manager came over to talk to Josh, and after hearing Josh say it just didn't taste good, she asks him, "Did you read the description?" Um, yeah. he just closed his eyes and pointed to something. Really?! He was offered a new dish again, which he again declined. Was the dish taken off the receipt? NO. I think some people operate under the policy of, "Well, they didn't ask..." And that, my friends, is not the policy of places with excellent customer service.

On top of this, the only person who really liked their food was my sis-in-law (the salmon!). I got the Chicken Parmesan, which I got the last time I ate at The Garden. I LOVED it... back then. I loved it so much that I thought about it every time someone mentioned The Garden and I always recommended it. This time, the Chicken Parmesan was just okay. Not as flavorful as I remember. My favorite part was originally the balsamic drizzle, and this time around, maybe there just wasn't enough. My brother-in-law got the lasagna, which looked to DIE FOR... all covered in cheesy goodness. But alas, lacking in the flavor department. Does this place own a spice rack???

When we got boxes for everyone, part of the family was like, "Really?" We boxed it up, but did we eat it later... Nope!

Overall, it was a really negative experience, at a place that I have really loved. We have gone to The Garden for special occasions for several years, and we have never had an experience like this. I think that is what made this experience even more disappointing. I really wanted us to have a nice family dinner together, to celebrate my husband, to help him feel special, and it did quite the opposite. Throughout the rest of the weekend we would only talk about what a bad experience it was. SO SAD! I can tell you, we won't be going back to the restaurant for a long time, and now I would not recommend it.

But can I end on that sour note? NO WAY JOSE!

Just several floors beneath The Garden is the Nauvoo Cafe. They make the BEST pork sandwich that I have ever had-- something I have raved about and will continue to do so! Here are my selections for an awesome sandwich experience:

• Pork (Coca-Cola!)
• Whole Wheat Ciabatta
• Provolone
• Cranberry-Orange Relish
• A smidgen of mayonaisse
• Lettuce, Tomatoes, Onion

And they toast it! MMMM! SO GOOD! 

So, if you find yourself on Temple Square with a rumbly in your tumbly, head over to Nauvoo Cafe, and top it off with a Utah mint truffle! 

Happy Eating!

M

Thankful for Chocolate

Remember how my last post said that a good meal or good food can help a bad day get better? Well friends, there have been a few rough days lately. For this I am thankful. If I don't have rough and bad days, how will I ever appreciate and treasure the good and great days? While food didn't take away all of my frustrations, it did help. After all, I do love food! Let us get on with it.....

Today I am going to tell you about two delicious restaurants and one great recipe that you should always have.

As promised I am going to tell you about a "torpedo" which translates to happiness in the form of a true Belgium waffle. :) Downtown Salt Lake has just the place for you! It is at Bruges Waffles and Frites. They take a Belgium waffle and then fill it with real Belgium chocolate(which if you have had true European chocolate, you know the difference between this and a Hershey's bar). Then they have toppings for it. I have only tried the fresh strawberries and creme fraiche (which is your thick cream). I seriously died and went to heaven! It had the perfect amount of crunchiness to it. I have also been told by a friend that I need to try the speculoos spread....don't worry, I'm on it soon! I just have to make sure it is on a day that I can run. :) And, I don't like fries(I know, my friends have already told me that there must be something wrong with me) but I love the fries here! Go and try Bruges!
On to restaurant number 2, The Melting Pot in Salt Lake City. I have been here multiple times and I truly enjoy it. A few friends and I decided to get appetizer fondue and dessert fondue. We went at 8:30pm on a Saturday night. While our sweet server did her best to keep up with things, our drinks were empty most of the time and it took longer than usual. This aside, we still had a great experience. On to what we ate...
For cheese fondue we had the Spinach Artichoke Cheese Fondue and the Wisconsin Trio Cheese Fondue. I am originally from Wisconsin but it didn't rock my world. Now the Spinach one sure did. It had just the right amount of garlic and that was our favorite. For the dessert fondue, we had The Original with milk chocolate and crunchy peanut butter(hello, it already sounds to die for!) and the Flaming Turtle with milk chocolate, caramel and chopped pecans. While I prefer my desserts to be void of all nuts, the Flaming Turtle was completely worth those nuts! Both of the dessert fondues were a hit with us. So advice to you, skip the cheese fondue and go straight to dessert.
Now for the recipe. This is a favorite of most of my friends. It is incredibly easy. It is also chocolate! (It's kind of a theme today!) I call them Rolo cookies. I am sure many of you have had them but I have tried to master them. Here is the recipe and instructions:

Rolo Cookies
1 Box Triple Chocolate Cake Mix by Betty Crocker (NEEDS TO BE THIS ONE! Trust me.)
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil (Do NOT substitute Canola or anything else, it will taste funny if you do.)
2 Eggs
4 Individual Packs of Rolos

Mix cake mix, vegetable oil and eggs. Unwrap all Rolos and put them in the middle of the cookie dough so none of it is showing. Place on greased pan to bake. 350 f for 8 minutes. Bake them until there are little "breathing holes" in the top. I know that doesn't make perfect sense but you will see what I mean.

Do not overcook them. Don't try to move them for 8-10 minutes after they come out of the oven. But DO eat them when they are warm. Delicious!

Alright friends, that is all for now. I do have to say that Cucina Toscana is still my favorite in Salt Lake. (If you are wondering why, please see earlier post.)

Have a great week everyone!!!

Muy Delicioso!

My life plans don't involve living in Utah forever, and one of the things I will miss the most whenever I get where I'm going is... SONORA GRILL!

Over the last 10 months, Sonora Grill has become my favorite restaurant. I love Mexican food. I could eat it every day, and I have NEVER had Mexican food like this before! I recommend it to everyone, and I take my favorite people there. 

Now I'm taking you! 

This place is packed with FLAVOR! Every dish is like a party in your mouth-- excellent flavor combinations that you can't even imagine. The atmosphere is modern, swanky, and relaxing. I LOVE IT! 

You know you are in a good place when they bring you a basket of fresh tortilla chips, each chip as large as your face. Can't go wrong! With the chips, they serve two excellent salsas: a divine salsa verde and a roasted chili salsa. In 2010, they won City Weekly's "Best Salsa" award. Here's what they had to say: 

“At Ogden’s Sonora Grill, meals begin with great chips and salsa. The “chips” aren’t typical: These are whole, intact, deep-fried corn tortillas that need to be smashed into chips. But it’s the salsas that star. There’s a lively, bright-green tomatillo salsa that is delicious, and also a rich red salsa made with roasted morita peppers that has the perfect amount of zippiness, smokiness and depth of flavor to make it a truly world-class salsa.”

Every time we go to this fabulous place, I almost always get a different dish. And I've been there A LOT. I  believe that everything there is good, and I would always recommend seeing what specials they are having.  Here are some of my favorites dishes:

• Chile Verde
  *I like to try Chile Verde at all of the Mexican restaurants I go to. This Chile Verde is unlike any I've ever had and it is packed with chile flavor. The sauce is thick and a dark green. So good!
• Arroz Con Pollo
  *One of the first dishes we got-- sealed the deal for us!
• Shrimp Chile Relleno
  *We have gotten this on multiple occasions because it is THAT GOOD. My husband Josh does not really like shrimp, and this is a winner with him. And this dish goes along with my uncle's sage advice: "You know a Mexican place is good by their chile rellenos." So right, Uncle Richard!!!
• Carnitas Nortenas
  *OMG. Seriously. The carnitas are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. What?! The flavors are fruity, spicy, and oh so happy. 

Highlights:
TACO TUESDAY! Each taco is $1.50. You can get whatever combination you would like. The chile verde, the shredded beef... MMM! Again. you may be thinking, "Shredded beef? Boring!" That's what I thought, and boy was I wrong!
GUACAMOLE! #1- they make it right in front you. #2- It is amazing. $10.00 is a steep price, but it is worth it at least one try. Those humungo chips will thank you.
DATE NIGHT! Right next to the Megaplex at the Junction. One time we ate dinner, went to the movies, and then we went back and had dessert! Dreams do come true.

After reading this post, please go to their Facebook page: CLICK HERE! They have GREAT pictures of their food and of the restaurant.

They recently updated their dessert menu, which includes locally made coconut ice cream, and one of my favorite childhood treats, frozen chocolate covered bananas (I had these served at my wedding. True love <3). They are also adding mole dishes to their menu. MOLE! Yes, I tried the mole enchiladas. And yes, they were muy bueno.  Their mole is a mix of fruit, nuts, cocoa beans, and magic.

And so, my love affair with Sonora Grill will continue. I've been two times in the last two weeks. Take a trip north of Salt Lake and satisfy your taste buds. They will be dancing all night long!

Much Love,
M

The Sonora Grill
2310 S. Kiesel Ave. Ogden, UT 84401 
801.393.1999
www.thesonoragrill.com

For the Love of Food

Food is joy. I once dated a guy that could not understand how food could bring someone joy. Well, it does. At the end of a horrible day, you can go home and make(or buy) the most delicious food there is. And somehow it makes everything right in the world. Judge me if you must, but I get giddy about two things, men and food. I tell my clients that I run so that I can eat. I know that the other two girls feel the same way. Our dream is to go to Europe when we turn 35 and eat...and shop of course. After all, we are girls!

Now I will tell you how this little blog came to be. It all started at Cucina Toscana in Salt Lake City. At my work, each manager is required to take a shift monthly in the lobby to make sure our guests are being greeted as they walk in. We also recommend food establishments if they are heading out to dinner. I recommend Cucina Toscana to each guest. I do this for the following reasons: Warm and attentive service, great ambiance and most importantly, their Spinach Ravioli makes my heart soar through the clouds. It literally melts in your mouth. Because I love food as much as I do, guests usually go there and come back and tell me how wonderful it was. It is the kind of place that you don't have to worry about telling your friends about. Cucina Toscana delivers each time. This time was no different from the rest.

We had some of the best service by Valter(Owner), Arturo (Manager) and Chris(Excellent Server). Valter always greets you as if you were an old friend. He kisses you on each cheek and you are set for your meal. Chris brought us their wonderful bruschetta. While I prefer it on a crostini, it was still fresh and delicious. Then Chris brought out my favorite part, the Gnocchi and the Spinach Ravioli. I will let Megan and Paige tell about their favorite part of the meal, but this was mine. The hot chocolate is best (next to mine-only because I learned how to make it in Denmark) in Salt Lake City. They melt down the chocolate and it is a true hot chocolate. I know Paige will tell all about the dreamy lemon gelato.

Over this wonderful food, Megan, Paige and I decided to write a blog about food and the experiences that go with it. Who cares if no one reads it, we will. And we will laugh. For true food lovers, this is the blog if you need good food. Whether you are making it or going out, we will come through for you. Next for me, I will tell you all about the most amazing "Torpedo" ever! It is at the Belgium Waffle House....

The Sassy Trio

This is the blog that three friends created over a magical meal. Something to inspire, something to delight, and something to detail all of our food travels. This is for foodies, the die hard ones. Let's celebrate good food!