Dietetic Sinners

I heart Morels

2011-04-15T23:37:00.001-04:00

I'm in agony right now. I live down south. In the middle of Florida. And its Morel season. I can taste them. Buttery. Kind of crunchy. But I'm in Florida. Central Florida. There are no fried morel mushrooms for me here. Button mushrooms, shiitakes even, but no morels *sad face*
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An Egg By Any Other Name

2011-04-07T20:59:00.001-04:00

My most favorite breakfast in the whole wide world is poached eggs on buttered toast. Unfortunately, I also think its a bit of a hassle to make during the week. I just don't have time to get the water to a simmer and get the eggs cooked and actually have time to eat it before I leave for work.

Of course this wouldn't be an issue if I could stop hitting the snooze button. Mr. Penguin taught me how to use one. Its all his fault. :P

I do love the egg and toast combo and these eggs in a bread thingies are so easy to make they don't really need an explanation or a recipe. We called them toad in a hole at my house growing up. Mr. Penguin informs me that toad in a hole are something completely different. something involving sausage? I don't know. He could be lying so I checked out this Wikipedia article to get the definitive answer.

It would appear that my name for it is a common one but there are also many others. I think I like 'magic eggs'. Yep. I'm using this one from now on because they are magically delicious. Oh. Wait. Isn't that Lucky Charms cereal?

Hmmm, it would also appear that Mr. Penguin is also right. There is a sausage dish called toad in the hole. I wonder if I made it if he would eat it? Looks kind of unappetizing to me.

Toad-in-a-Hole

Ingredients:

1 egg
1 slice of your favorite bread
butter
salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Butter both sides of your slice of bread.
2. With a round cookie cutter or a drinking glass cut hole in bread slice. Reserve cut out piece of bread.
3. In small frying pan melt additional butter over medium heat.
4. Place bread and bread piece in pan (if you have room, sometimes I just cook them separately)
5. Cook until golden brown. Flip over. Don't forget the little cut out piece. It needs some love too.
6. Crack an egg into a small bowl. Pour the raw egg into the hole.
7. When the egg white has turned white and the yoke has started to firm, gently flip the bread and egg over.
8. Cook egg to desired doneness. I like mine with the yellow runny. (For dippin'!) Add some salt & pepper and enjoy!

I Hop for French Toast

2011-04-01T21:37:00.001-04:00

I hate stale bread and I always end up with quite a lot of stale bread by the end of the week. I’m the only one in the house that eats sandwiches. I only eat them during the work week packed in my lunch tote. I like store bread bought bread because it’s convent, but let’s be honest, it’s not particularly tasty.
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A Canful of Salmon (Salmon Croquettes)

2011-03-29T21:29:00.003-04:00

Right now my pantry is overrunning with canned salmon. I think they are mating. Well, maybe not, but due to a recently discovered food allergy Mr. Penguin's sister gifted us with a sackful. I was more than happy to take the little fishies. I love canned salmon!
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DBC March 2011: Yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake

2011-03-27T11:36:00.001-04:00

traditional style

The March 2011 Daring Baker’s Challenge was hosted by Ria of Ria’s Collection and Jamie of Life’s a Feast. Ria and Jamie challenged The Daring Bakers to bake a yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake.

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Cutie Cupcakes

2011-03-24T22:03:00.000-04:00

Every year I make the same old boring New Year resolution: get healthy and lose weight. Some years are more successful than others. 2007-2008 were good years and I actually lost some of the weight I gained while in college. I felt a lot better and gained some self-confidence. I have since regained that weight and than some and lost that self-confidence.
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THE Casserole

2011-03-22T22:20:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite meals growing up was a chicken and broccoli casserole that my Dad claims to have concocted. I have seen variations of this casserole on numerous recipe sites so I’m not sure if Dad can completely claim that this is an original creation. Coincidentally my Mom also claims to be its inventor and has told me that it is based on some dish a friend in Germany once served them. I don’t really care who came up with it first. All I know is that it’s darn yummy.
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Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Bread and a Giveaway! (Closed)

2011-03-17T23:06:00.003-04:00

This St. Patrick’s Day I am cooking up the traditional meal of corned beef and cabbage with lots of potatoes. I finally got a crock-pot so making this dish is so much easier to prepare. I really don’t know why I make it every year. I'm not really a big fan of corned beef. I think maybe I do it because that’s what my Grandma does every year. Just smelling it reminds me of being at her house for dinner on St. Patrick’s Day.

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Chocolate Meringue π

2011-03-14T20:23:00.000-04:00

Happy PI Day!

I had a hankering for something chocolate but also was bored and in need of a challenge so in honor of Pi day I decided to try make a chocolate meringue pie. I’ve never made a meringue pie before. I don’t like meringue. Mr. Penguin likes meringue though so I knew if I made this pie I’d have someone available to eat my leftover meringue. He did not eat any of my pie. My roommate Mr. Foo-foo cuddly poops had to help me eat it. Thank you roomie, you’re the best!

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But Do You Know the ENGLISH Muffin Man?

2011-03-13T23:22:00.000-04:00

I love English Muffins, what I don't love is the price of English muffins. Six muffins typically cost more than a whole loaf of sandwich bread. After taking the time to make some muffins myself I can see why they can be pricey. Don't get me wrong I love these muffins and will make them again! They are so delicious and fluffy and yummy. Its just a lot of work. Actually its a lot of waiting. I'm not patient.

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Spring Fever

2011-03-11T12:20:00.003-05:00

Can I nibble the ears? Just a little?

Living in Central Florida doesn’t give me the opportunity to experience much seasonal transitions. It does get cold in the winter and it gets really hot and humid in the summer. I miss the spring time and fall time weather that seems to last all too briefly around here. Today I can definitely tell its spring time. The air smells absolutely divine and it isn’t terribly hot and humid. In fact it’s the perfect weather to swing. I love wood swings sets! I’m sad to see that many playgrounds just don’t have them anymore (along with twisty slides and merry-go-rounds and teeter-totters!).

I heart Penguins

2011-03-07T22:31:00.000-05:00

You might have noticed that I have been referring to my soon to be husband as Mr. Penguin. Why is this you ask? A picture says a thousand words:

Can you tell I'm laughing?

You see folks, Mr. Penguin loves penguins. I bought him that blankie because it had his name written all over it. I was afraid he wouldn't like it. Silly me! We're talking about a man who has penguins in his bathroom and penguins on his dresser, of course he loves the blankie!

The perfect man for a girl who has a stuffed bunny in her bed every night.

Disney Dining: Blizzard Beach

2011-03-06T12:25:00.000-05:00

Mr. Penguin took me to Blizzard Beach for New Year’s Day this year. Having some fun is the best start of a New Year. I’m so lucky to live in a place that is snow free and 70 degrees in the middle of winter. Even though it was warm out I was still skeptical of being able to have fun at a water park in winter. I’m glad I was wrong and braved the water. It also helped that it was heated water!

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

2011-03-03T19:47:00.000-05:00

During the week I really don’t like coming home and having to cook something for dinner. This recipe is supper-duper easy and I always have the ingredients on hand.

Daring Baker's Challenge: February

2011-02-27T09:00:00.002-05:00

The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.

A Camera Rant

2011-02-24T23:37:00.001-05:00

The Junkiest Camera Ever

Sorry I haven’t posted in awhile. My camera decided to be stupid and walk out on me. It wasn’t a fantastic camera to begin with but at least it got the job done (in a sorta crap-tastic frustrating way). None of my posts have great photos because of this camera. I also lack skill, but its also the camera.

Lemon Pepper Chicken Pasta

2011-02-17T20:58:00.002-05:00

I have a ton of lemon pepper seasoning in my cupboard. I don’t know who bought it or how it got there. It may be my roommates. Except I have rarely seen him cook. I think I can count on one hand the number of times he has whipped up food not from a can or a box. In fact I sorta-kinda took over our kitchen when I moved in. I might actually be a bit territorial when it comes to MY kitchen.

Soup-a-Palooza: Split Pea & Ham Soup

2011-02-13T22:37:00.018-05:00

I just happened to have a leftover ham bone in my freezer just waiting for a good excuse to become something scrumptious. When I saw this contest on the TidyMom blog I knew that bone was destined to become soup, but what kind of soup? I like peas, but I’ll be honest, split pea soup just looks unappetizing. Its green, it’s goopy, and, well, goopy.

Sunday Snackin': Kettle Corn

2011-02-13T19:31:00.007-05:00

My most favorite snack on the entire planet is Kettle Corn. I think it’s a mid-west thing though because I have a hard time finding it here in Florida. Up north I could just go to Lowe’s and occasionally there would be a lady out in front set up to make it up fresh and to sell. If she wasn’t there I could try the flea market or sometimes Wally World (Walmart). I would always buy the big bag. It never had time to get stale.
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Crockpot Cooking: Swiss Steak

2011-02-11T22:12:00.005-05:00

This is one of my favorite dishes that my Dad would make for us when we were growing up. I used to scrap off all the tomatoes and onions and eat the meat only. Then, my favorite part of this meal was that it was always served with mashed potatoes, now; I love how tender the meat is and the wonderful flavors of the stewed tomatoes and onions. What I don’t love is having to bubbling on my stove all day making a mess. Dad never made it in the crackpot but this is the only way I will make it. It comes out exactly like my Dad’s without the mess and worry about it burning on the stove.
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Meatless Mondays: Honey Baked Lentils

2011-02-07T18:49:00.001-05:00

This year I decided to try to save money and eat healthier. I didn’t really need to designate a meatless Monday as we eat very little meat anyways. Usually because meat is expensive and my boyfriend won’t eat meat with bones in it unless it involves BBQ ribs. He’s impossible to feed sometimes.

Sunday Sweets: Aunt Georgia’s Cheesecake

2011-02-06T20:19:00.013-05:00

This recipe is from my boyfriend’s Aunt Georgia. Every time there was a family dinner she would make this recipe. According to the bf it is like crack and the most epic thing ever. I have to agree. It isn’t really cheesecake in the traditional sense but it does have cream cheese and is way simpler to make than the traditional style New York Cheesecake.
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Disney Dining: Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café

2010-11-12T15:34:00.001-05:00

Frontierland - Magic Kingdom
Counter Service

Thursday was Veteran’s Day and as a result I got a day off from work. Unfortunately, Peter, my fiancé, did not. But as luck would have it I happened to have an unused free admission voucher to a Disney park of my choice for volunteering earlier in the year. This meant that I could go pester my sweetie while he worked (and he could hook me up with a Fastpass or two!) and enjoy a wonderful day in the park.

Take a Stand Against Domestic Violence

2010-10-14T11:26:00.001-04:00

I know a lot of people are aware that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month but did you also know that it is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month too? I think the purple ribbons get lost among the pink ones but there is no reason why the two cannot be worn together as they are both issues that affect thousands of women everyday.

Meaty & Loafy

2010-09-27T21:02:00.001-04:00

Lots of people don't like meatloaf. I've never understood why. It's meat, a loaf of meat that can be smothered in ketchup, slapped between two slices of bread and best of all goes awesomely with mashed potatoes. I'm not sure whats better meatloaf fresh out of the oven or cold the next day on a sandwich. I have to admit that it makes a spectacular sandwich and is one of my favorite lunches.
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