Under The Copper Tree

A Consequence of Global Warming?

2012-02-20T21:31:00.001-05:00

Isn’t it too early for the Shamrock shake? Not that I’m complaining… but still. I love me liquid thin mints. Love. Love. Love.

Kitchen PLAY SideCar Event: Jarlsberg Chili Cupcakes

2012-02-15T16:11:00.001-05:00

Note: I was compensated for the ingredients used in this post

The folks over at Kitchen Play are holding a month-long event featuring Jarlsberg Dip. I was picked along with 28 other bloggers to try it out and offer a creative way to enjoy the dip. Savory cupcakes have been on my mind of late, so I offer to you a fun way to enjoy the Jarlsberg – in cupcake form!

Cake: I used cornbread. It's really up to you what you want to use -your favorite recipe; your favorite box mix - as long as it isn’t on the sweet side.

Frosting: I mixed the Jarlsberg dip and some cream cheese together and melted it in the microwave, checking every ten seconds to see if it was melted. The ratio of dip to cream cheese was about 1:1, or adjust to your liking. It should be the consistency of melted marshmallows (stringy, but not too runny).

Looks like a regular old cupcake, doesn’t it? Oh, those deceiving looks… who knew that cornbread and melted Jarlsberg would go well together? Not this gal, but I am glad I gave it a try.

Topping: Use your favorite chili recipe. This was a turkey chili recipe from a magazine article I clipped out many moons ago. I’d say the spicier, the better… but that’s just me. If chili doesn’t float your boat, how about some grilled onions and peppers?

I hope you give Jarlsberg cupcakes a try and let me know what you think. And if you like Jarlsberg, perhaps you’ll scoot on over to Kitchen Play (via the icon below) and see what other bloggers came up with.

Darwin Day 2012: Cooking the Tree of Life

2012-02-14T23:05:00.001-05:00

The geeky food love series is back! Here are some pictures of the food samples.

Started off with some soft cheeses, can’t remember their names. I think they were goat and sheep milk, and pretty darn good. I wouldn’t have minded another bite of either.

And more cheese. The rind on the cheese in the middle looked moldy, but I’m sure it’s just the way it ages. The cheese on the bread is blue veined.

The program ended with cheesecake bites from Cheesecake Machismo. I think this one was topped with toffee. Not bad, think I’ll stop by there one of these days.

It’s Just Tuesday. No More, No Less.

2012-02-14T20:17:00.001-05:00

Thanks to a disgustingly cold evening the night before, I was pissed off most of the day, with my anger unfairly directed at M. Turns out the pilot light on the heater broke and the boiler is on its last leg. After some shopping therapy, I came home to a box of chocolates and a burrito bowl from Chipotle. M didn’t have to do that, but awww… what a sweetheart.

Hope you’re enjoying the evening and indulging on good stuff. But remember, the candy will go on sale tomorrow.

Post Game Food Recap: Buffalo Chicken Wing Cupcake (1000th Post!)

2012-02-11T13:36:00.001-05:00

So there was all that hype about a local bakery that decided to sell buffalo chicken wing cupcakes for the Superbowl. It got enough hype to get talked about on national media sources (I think just their websites, but still). I hope this bakery isn’t taking the credit for this invention, because I’m pretty darn sure it was making its way through the blogosphere before they threw their version out.

Anyways, this isn’t to bash them. Can’t bash what you haven’t tried, right? But it got me thinking about savory cupcakes, and the following is how I made and ate my wings for the big game.

Chicken Wings

Traditionally the wings are fried, but I don’t enjoy either myself or the house reeking of that deep fryer smell. So I went the baked route, which is only slightly healthier… but then you add the sauce and then you’re back on an even playing field.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the chicken wings and boil for about 10-15 minutes. Drain and place on a baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven until the wings are golden brown. The boiling and baking should take care of the pink issue, but if you’re cooking bigger pieces of chicken, times will have to be adjusted.

While the chicken is baking, start working on the wing sauce. I don’t have exact measurements for this, but it’s butter and Frank’s RedHot sauce. Heat in the microwave in 10 second increments until the butter is melted. If you’re microwave wary, you can go the double boiler route, works the same. In a large bowl, pour the wing sauce over the chicken wings and toss to coat. Try your best not to eat all the wings… you do have cupcakes to make.

Blue Cheese Frosting

From what I’ve read of those who tried the BCW from the local bakery, it didn’t taste very blue cheesy. And it was sweet, which is not what I think of when I think blue cheese. If you’re going to use blue cheese, you want the person eating it to know it’s there. But it needs to be smooth enough to frost on a cupcake. Solution? Mix cream cheese and blue cheese crumbles together, and just enough sour cream to make it spreadable. The flavors of the cream cheese and sour cream are light enough for the strong blue cheese to stand out.

Cornbread cupcake

I used a mix for this, but I did add to it – an extra egg yolk and just a bit of honey for a hint of sweetness.

I was a little leery about this – come on, it’s a chicken wing on a cupcake! With a cheesy frosting no less! So I tried just the cupcake with frosting first. To my surprise, it was really good. The frosting was creamy with a very pronounced blue cheese flavor. The cornbread was moist and the slight sweetness went well with the frosting. Knowing those two went, I added in the chicken wing, which at this point was lukewarm. Not bad, but it was tedious to have to bite into the wing, then bite into the cupcake. Boneless chicken next time.

M tried the cupcake sans wing and agreed that the cornbread and blue cheese frosting went well together. We had to fight over the rest of the frosted wingless cupcakes, it was that good.

So there you have it, my week late take on the buffalo cupcakes. And for my thousandth post, to boot. Yay me.

Magnolia Orange Mango Fruit Drink

2012-02-07T22:12:00.001-05:00

Saw this at the Asian Food Market and had to buy it. It’s like Filipino Tang! Smells and tastes like dried mangoes.

The Hobo Sandwich

2012-02-06T23:38:00.001-05:00

So there was all that talk recently about the egg and cheese sandwich. Hell, there was even a tour, which I sadly could not attend.

And while I do enjoy the occasional ECS, it is not my favorite breakfast sandwich. But it’s almost there. Almost.

It just needs a little spud love.

The hobo sandwich. Have you ever heard of it? No? Well you should, because it is a damn fine sandwich. It puts meat on your bones, hair on your chest, and other macho sayings to justify how great this sandwich is.

I discovered the hobo years ago. Almost a decade now.

A decade of hobo love. This is a glorious thing.

At the time I was working in Baltimore, and the Monday morning routine in the office was to fax our breakfast orders when we first got in so that they would arrive at the conclusion of the weekly meetings. There were people getting pancake platters, french toast, which don’t get me wrong isn’t bad. But I’d rather eat those in a restaurant, not on the conference table. So sandwiches were the only answer. There were basic ones, fancy ones, and the stand out… at least in my eyes. Hash browns in a sandwich? Unheard of. So I ordered it, saltpepperketchup.

Not bad. Not bad at all. And from then on, the Hobo was my go to sandwich for the morning meetings. And because it was only once a week (at least), I never tired of ordering it. But then I quit that job and moved back home. Where I forgot about it, at least for a little while.

There’s a bagel shop by my parent’s hour that makes the Hobo, only they call it by another name… Zebra or Patriot. I could never remember which was which. The difference between the two is the inclusion of meat, which I almost always didn’t include. Then there was the deli near my job in New City… and another deli in New City, only this one was by the courthouse. Needless to say, the hobo was available for my consumption.

But here, no. Not that I’m aware of anyways. So to remedy this hobo lacking situation, I’ve started to make them at home. Pretty easy, and you can (and should) make them as well.

Bread – It has to be a hard roll. It’s the standard for this sandwich. Be daring and have it on a bagel, but it’s just not the same. Butter it up and brown on the grill/frying pan. Or use the toaster. Just make sure it’s wide enough to fit, our you’ll have to find a way to take it out in one piece.

Eggs – Fried. I suppose you could scramble it up, but then you’d have egg chunks. There are no egg chunks in this sandwich. Just a flattened egg thing.

Cheese – I’m pretty sure these delis have been using American, and that’s what I’ve used on mine. I throw the cheese on top of the egg in the pan just before it’s done so you have some good melting going on.

Hash brown – It’s gotta be the patty. There is no other way. Loose potatoes, just like egg chunks would inevitably fall out and make a mess of your suit. And you wouldn’t want to pay that dry cleaning bill… would you? But this is under the assumption you’re having this while wearing a suit. You could wear your birthday suit and I really couldn’t judge you on that… except it would be weird if you tried to get dry cleaned. Just saying.

Saltpepperketchup – Your call. I like it. Gotta season somewhere.

Healthy Beginnings

2012-02-03T18:26:00.001-05:00

So I’ve started to take steps to be healthier. I got a membership at a local center and have been running/swimming/loosely hitting the weight room. I’ve also been eating oatmeal in the mornings – I’ve remedied that stale steel oat issue and bought a few pounds of oats from Honest Weight. I also picked this up, since it was on sale. I’m not really a cereal person, and hot cereal… well, doesn’t sound all that appealing. But it’s healthy, so why not, give it a go.

Cooking is a snap. There are directions, but I don’t really follow them. Mix enough water with the oats to your liking and cook in the microwave. I usually set cook time for two minutes, but there’s a lot of pausing to stir the oatmeal and prevent it for spilling out of the bowl. Sprinkle some brown sugar and allow it to cool down enough so it doesn’t burn your mouth.

It’s not bad, and surprisingly very filling. I’ve been eating this in the early afternoons, when work slows down a bit. And since it is winter, warm food is always a good thing.

Sri Siam (East Greenbush, NY)

2012-02-01T01:55:00.001-05:00

Did you know there’s a new Thai restaurant in the Capital Region?

Did you also know that you don’t have to cross the river to get to it? Unless, you’re coming from Albany and points west of the Hudson… then yes, you’ll have to cross the river to get to it.

You may have seen it mentioned on Steve Barnes Table Hopping blog. It’s because of this that I decided to check the place out tonight. It’s not hard to find – if you’re heading east on Columbia Turnpike, Sherwood Avenue is just past the Kmart – Big Lots shopping plaza on the left (if you pass the American Legion building, you’ve gone too far). On Sherwood, the restaurant will be on your left. It’s not too hard to see at night, because they have a big lighted sign.

The inside looks like it has been recently made over, and has a cozy vibe to it. The dining area is on the small side, perhaps a dozen of tables in the room, with some chairs for people waiting for take out orders. I sat myself down at a table by the kitchen, to get a better view of the food as it was coming out.

Thai iced tea ($3). Cool and refreshing on this warm January evening (seriously… can you believe it was 50 today?!?) And surprise, surprise… one of the few times I’ve actually ordered a Thai tea at a Thai restaurant.

I wanted to try a more Thai specific appetizer, but I couldn’t settle on one, so I went back to spring rolls ($5). They’re filled with cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, and bean thread noodles. Good, and not oily. I also ordered Tom Yum with soft tofu and mushrooms ($4). The broth was clear with hints of what I’m guessing is lemongrass and other herbs I couldn’t identify. The soup had a generous amount of tofu, cut into bite sized pieces. Slightly more sour than I would have liked, but still enjoyable.

I also ordered the drunken noodles with pork ($11). Wide noodles sautéed with egg, onion, carrots, bell peppers, and basil. The sauce the noodles were cooked in was made in-house, and pretty good. The spiciness of the dish creeps up on you, so the iced tea comes in handy. The pork was tender and cut into bite sized pieces (I didn’t have to cut it up into smaller pieces, like other places). Because I had the spring rolls and tom yum, I wasn’t able to finish the noodles, so I took it home and finished it while watching tv.

The staff was friendly and made sure that all their customers were comfortable. Those who came in for take out orders were offered tea while they waited. The owner, Tin, stepped out from the kitchen and after noticing I was eating rather slowly (I was actually slyly taking pictures of my meal and jotting down notes), asked if there was anything wrong or if the spiciness of the dish needed to be corrected. It didn’t, but I did appreciate that he checked in on me.

I spoke briefly after my meal with Tin, and he mentioned that next week (Feb. 6 – 12) they were having a special – 20% off your check. I don’t remember if he said it was dine in only, but you could always call to clarify. I’m pretty sure I’ll be going back there with M soon, so it’s just an added bonus.

My dinner came out to just under 26 dollars, before tip.

Sri Siam
44 Sherwood Avenue (on the corner of New Jersey and Sherwood Avenues)
Rensselaer, NY 12144
(518) 915-1655
(518) 915-1654

Open 11:00 – 9:00 Monday – Friday
11:30 – 9:00 Saturday & Sunday

Credit cards accepted

Ralph’s Tavern (Albany, NY)

2012-01-31T23:47:00.001-05:00

I’ve eaten here plenty of times, but it seems that I’ve never actually written about it. Here’s a tip – late Sunday afternoon/early evening is your best bet at getting a table. The place started to get busy as we were heading out, just before 6:00.

Manhattan Clam Chowder. If you order a dinner entrée, you have your choice of soup or salad. Chunks of carrot, celery and potato. Lots of chopped clams. Bread and butter are also included with the meal.

I ordered one of the night’s specials, mussels marinara – a dozen mussels covered in their homemade marinara over a bed of linguine. Could have used more seasoning, and the pasta could have been drained better. I think I’ll stick to my usual red clam sauce.

M had their eggplant torpedo – thin slices of eggplant fried and topped with marinara sauce and mozzarella. He thought it was okay, although the bread would have been better if it was toasted. He had the choice of either french fries or onion rings and a pickle. He liked the rings, and ate them quickly so I couldn’t sneak one.

The highlight of the visit was the beer. We had a pitcher of Sam Adams, that was unusually good. They probably had just tapped a new keg… so lucky us. Too bad the price of the pitcher was more than my dinner.

Our meal came out to $42, tax and tip included.

When Bad Things Happen To Good Toasters

2012-01-31T22:32:00.001-05:00

I feel like things would be better if they’d let us have a toaster oven at work.

Stewart's Buttered Roll

2012-01-27T00:21:00.001-05:00

So there was a discussion on Twitter recently about the buttered roll. One person in particular didn't understand what the big deal was and why people could eat such a thing.

Why? Why the hell not?

It's bread and butter, conveniently put together and in grabbing distance as you pay for your morning coffee. And it really isn't an upstate thing, nor is it really a New York thing. I've bought these at Stewart's here in the Capital Region; 7-Eleven in New Jersey, Maryland, DC; Wawa in Southern Jersey; and Sheetz in Western PA. Hell, I bought buttered rolls in a tiny hotel shop in Hawaii! I've bought these at gas stations, bodegas, the corner food cart. You don't buy it because it's flavorful. You buy them because it's cheap, portable, and tides you over until you actually eat.

Okay, I'm done complaining.

Anyways, I went to Stewart's this morning on the way to work to pick up some ice cream for a party (Crumbs Along the Mohawk, on sale this week for $3.19). I poured myself a large coffee and there they were... the buttered rolls. But there was more... much more. Peanut butter rolls! Peanut butter and jelly rolls! Plain rolls you can toast and then butter! And bagels with the same options, but I didn't really pay much attention to those since the hoopla was all about the rolls. I grabbed a roll and scooted over to the cashier. Paid for my food and went on my way. I put my coffee and roll in the staff lounge to eat once I got settled at work. This was about 9AM. When did I finally get around to eating that roll? When I got home, which was about 6PM. Bread didn't taste stale, butter I'm guessing was salted.

Whatever, still hit the spot.

Taiwan Noodle (Albany, NY)

2012-01-25T10:40:00.001-05:00

Is it just me, or is Central Avenue trying to Asia-fy itself?

It seems like it, with yet another Chinese restaurant opening up on the same stretch that houses Shining Rainbow, CCK, Van’s, Ichiban. Not that I’m complaining, but come on… spread the love (especially to Troy where it is much needed but will be poorly received)!

Anyways, there’s a new noodle shop in town where Saso’s used to be. I’m not sure how long it’s been open, but I found out about it from Albany Jane. Checked out their menu online and there were things I was interested in trying. Their prices looked more than reasonable, another plus.

There about a dozen items to choose from in each category – appetizers, dim sum, noodle soup, and entrees with rice. Prices range from a dollar for a five spiced egg to $5.95 for mixed mushrooms with noodles or rice. On the day we visited, they were serving homemade soy milk, which isn’t listed on the menu. You can order it either hot or cold. I’ve had soy milk before and hated it, but this was good. It was slightly sweet and faintly tasted of soaked beans. If they make their own soy milk, I wonder if they make their own tofu?

M and I split a double order of scallion pancakes ($1.95).They must have just come right off the stove because they were HOT. Unlike other restaurants, these are thin and crispy. Not oily. Tasty. I ended up only having two pieces of this because I had a lot more to go. M happily finished this off.

After the pancakes, the food pretty much came out all at once, so I tried to dim sum first before I tackled my soup.These are the pan fried pork buns ($2.95), which is just the steamed version that’s been thrown into a frying pan for a quick second. I don’t remember if the bottoms were browned up, but there is that sheen to these, which would make you think it spent some time in a frying pan, no? Sprinkled with some scallions and sesame seeds. Good, although pork buns in general have more bread than stuffing in my opinions. GIVE ME MOAR MEAT.

There aren’t a lot of options for vegetarian, so I ended up ordering M the veggie dumpling ($2.95). Good sized portion, filled with a mix of veggies (cabbage and mushroom I can clearly identify) and glass noodles. There was something in the mix that M didn’t particularly like (I’m thinking it was the mushrooms) but otherwise he thought they were good. I wonder if they make these in house or if they buy them frozen?

That picture of the beef noodle soup on the front of the menu was taunting me, so I decided to order the stewed beef chuck ($4.95). Okay, so not exactly what the menu picture looks like, but holymolyfreakingoodness, the taste exceeded my expectations. Crazy for a simple bowl of noodles with some bok choy, some meat, and broth. Oh, that broth! I slurped half of it down before I remembered there were other things in that bowl. Over on Albany Jane’s post, she mentions how the broth for all the noodle dishes are vegetable based. That’s awesome, and means that M can get something… meat free, of course. While eating, I had this crazy thought that I would order something else and take it home for the football games. This never happened because after finishing that soup, there was no way I could eat anymore that day… and perhaps part of the next day.

I may have been full, but I still ordered some almond cookies. Had to… there was still some soy milk to finish. Pretty sure these were store bought, but if they make them in house, nice. As you can see, our lunch came out to just under twenty bucks, which is not bad, considering how much food we got.

I think the man who took our order and served/cleaned up the table was the owner. Very nice, and kept asking how we were doing and how the food was. Very nice, attentive. And he also let us know that next time we visit, we should park in their parking lot (I was wondering about those spots… now I know).

Yesterday I wanted to go back and grab some food to go, but alas! They’re closed on Tuesdays. Weird, considering the area likes to shut down on Mondays.

Taiwan Noodle
218 Central Avenue
Albany, NY 12206
(518) 436-1328
http://taiwannoodle.net
Facebook page

Accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover

Hours:     Monday – Friday 11:00 – 10:00
                Saturday              11:00 – 10:30
                Sunday                10:30 – 9:00
                Closed Tuesdays

Stale Steel

2012-01-24T07:40:00.001-05:00

I’m a mess today. Woke up hours ago because of some sharp pains to my thigh. Not that you really need to know, but the pain is anterior-lateral is occurs when sitting down or getting up. Abduction or adduction is possible, but not without me almost crying. Most likely this is all muscle related, and the sensible thing would be to just rest.

Sensible thing.

Instead, I’ve been hobbling around the kitchen and living room, packing my pool bag and getting something in my stomach so I can take a pain reliever. I went swimming last night, and there is a good possibility that session aggravated this problem even more. But I paid this membership off and I intend on using it as much as possible.

Since I was up, I decided I should have something more than several cups of coffee (I’m in my crazy coffee drinking phase again). It was still dark, and the heat wasn’t going to kick in for at least another hour. So oatmeal was the only answer. But not the instant stuff I have laying around in the pantry, but steel cut oats.

It’s not add-some-water-and-zap-in-the-microwave quick, but cooking steel cut oats is not hard, nor does it take all that long. Bring three cups of water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Add in a cup of oats and cook on low for 20 minutes or so. Cooking directions may vary depending on your brand, but that is really all there is to it. I added brown sugar to the mix, hence the brown tinge to the oatmeal. Smelled wonderful.

But then came that first bite. The oats had some give, which I like, and it was lightly sweetened. But it was stale. There’s no amount of toppings to cover that stale taste – it just coats the inside of your mouth.

Just how long have I had this stuff sitting around? I took a look at the expiration date on the bag, and hello! Use by date was a date last year.

Whoops.

I really need to clean out that pantry.

Things To Eat

2012-01-22T13:10:00.001-05:00

You may have seen this list on Facebook. How many on the list have you eaten?

1. Abalone – I’ve probably had this but don’t remember.
2. Absinthe – I’ve been meaning to try this stuff… really.
3. Alligator
4. Baba Ghanoush
5. Bagel and Lox
6. Baklava
7. Barbecue Ribs
8. Bellini
9. Bird's Nest Soup – Soup make with bird spit? Eh…
~~10. Biscuits and Gravy~~
~~11. Black Pudding~~
12. Black Truffle – Had food with truffle oil, but never the actual truffle.
13. Borscht
14. Calamari
15. Carp
16. Caviar
17. Cheese Fondue
18. Chicken and Waffles – I eat my chicken and waffles separately thankyouverymuch.
~~19. Chicken Tikka Masala~~
~~20. Chile Relleno~~
21. Chitlins
22. Churros
23. Clam Chowder
24. Cognac
25. Crab Cakes
26. Crickets – Ick.
~~27. Currywurst~~
28. Dandelion Wine – Another one of those things I may have had but can’t remember.
~~29. Dulce De Leche~~
30. Durian – Double ick.
~~31. Eel~~
32. Eggs Benedict – I have a thing with eggs. A not-good-thing with them.
33. Fish Tacos
34. Foie Gras
35. Fresh Spring Rolls
36. Fried Catfish
37. Fried Green Tomatoes
38. Fried Plantain
39. Frito Pie – Never got around to it
40. Frogs’ Legs – Save Kermit!
41. Fugu – They don’t really have puffer fish here…
42. Funnel Cake
43. Gazpacho
44. Goat
45. Goat’s Milk
46. Goulash
47. Gumbo
48. Haggis – I’ve had haggis-like things, but not the original
49. Head Cheese – Just doesn’t sound right
~~50. Heirloom Tomatoes~~
51. Honeycomb – Why eat wax?
~~52. Hostess Fruit Pie~~
53. Huevos Rancheros – Ugh… eggs.
~~54. Jerk Chicken~~
55. Kangaroo – One of these days.
56. Key Lime Pie – Never looked like something I would want to eat.
57. Kobe Beef
58. Lassi
59. Lobster
60. Mimosa
61. MoonPie – Never see them in the store.
~~62. Morel Mushrooms~~
63. Nettle Tea – It sounds like it’s a bug tea.
64. Octopus
65. Oxtail Soup
66. Paella
67. Paneer
68. Pastrami on Rye
~~69. Pavlova~~
70. Phaal – Do they serve it around here?
71. Philly Cheese Steak
72. Pho
73. Pineapple and Cottage Cheese – Dislike cottage cheese.
~~74. Pistachio Ice Cream~~
~~75. Po’ Boy~~
76. Pocky
77. Polenta
78. Prickly Pear – Don’t even know why I haven’t had this.
79. Rabbit Stew – I’ve only had my rabbit grilled
~~80. Raw Oysters~~
81. Root Beer Float – Not a big root beer fan.
82. S’mores
83. Sauerkraut
84. Sea Urchin – Eh…
85. Shark
86. Snail
87. Snake – I wear it, not eat it.
~~88. Soft Shell Crab~~
89. Som Tam – Spicy papaya salad? Really need to try this.
90. Spaetzle
91. Spam
92. Squirrel – Ooof.
93. Steak Tartare
94. Sweet Potato Fries
95. Sweetbreads – Not opposed to it, but never had some.
96. Tom Yum
97. Umeboshi
98. Venison
99. Wasabi Peas
100. Zucchini Flowers

Cut. It. Out.

2012-01-19T00:20:00.001-05:00

And put it on your grilled cheese.

A return is sure to follow.

Project 365: Day 6

2012-01-06T13:53:00.000-05:00

My hands are too dry.

Project 365: Day 5

2012-01-05T18:50:00.001-05:00

Does my face look swollen to you? This was post-dental visit, when my ice bag had warmed up, and I reverted to drinking iced coffees.

At least I was told I was a good patient.

Project 365: Day 4

2012-01-04T08:17:00.000-05:00

Pool's closed. But amazingly enough, I've swam every day they've been open in the new year. And that's only been two days... seems longer than that.

posted from Bloggeroid

Project 365: Day 3

2012-01-03T23:23:00.001-05:00

Cookies! And on sale with a coupon. Now I don't feel bad buying six boxes.

posted from Bloggeroid

Project 365: Day 2

2012-01-02T17:22:00.001-05:00

This was so not worth nine bucks. Really need to curb my eating out.

posted from Bloggeroid

Shortcut Wonton Soup

2012-01-01T16:29:00.001-05:00

With all the food we had last night, I'm surprised I wanted to consume more, let alone think about cooking.

My NYE was low key - celebrated with family and Mags. M had to work last night, and from the sounds of it, not a very fun start to the year... work wise. I brought a couple dozen of those mini hot dogs the Capital Region is known for - complete with the mini buns and meat sauce. It was a huge hit, and one of my uncles has already requested to bring more the next time I go home.

I also ended up making wontons with the leftover lumpia filling I made for the work pig out. It just so happened I had some wonton wrappers in the freezer (one of those "just in case" purchases), and through trial and error, I finally remembered the right way to wrap them. Not really sure how to cook them, I decided to fry about a third of them, and save the rest just in case we didn't have enough food.

Yeah. What was I thinking?

We had tons of food. And forced all attendees to bring home at least two containers of food. Brunch this morning made a slight dent in what was left over, and once again bringing food home was pushed on people.

My parents won't eat all that food. Why waste it?

Anyways, I'm still at home, listening to the Steelers game and finishing up the last of my laundry. And not that I'm really hungry, but I needed to use those wontons. It would be wasteful to just let them sit there. And I've had wonton soup on the brain.

No recipes needed, just wontons and broth. Filled up a pot of water and added the corresponding bouillon amount to it. Brought to a boil and dropped in the wontons. Lowered the heat and covered. Kinda forgot about it because the Steelers game was that distracting (we won though!). Added pepper. Would have thrown in some scallions, but my grandma used the rest of it for the pancit I made for brunch. Definitely hit the spot.

posted from Bloggeroid

Project 365: Day 1

2012-01-01T00:44:00.001-05:00

New Years Eve. Mags and I trying to spruce up the Christmas village.

The Final Countdown

2011-12-31T23:10:00.001-05:00

Of 2011.

And I am exhausted.

Wontons

2011-12-31T16:30:00.001-05:00

I had leftover filling from the lumpia, so wontons for new years

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