by Joi on October 2, 2007
I had several things all bouncing around in my head, so I needed a place to dump them out – you know, make room for new stuff!
I’ve been wanting to tell you for over a week that you really should check out the new Dawn Simple Pleasures dishwashing liquid. It’s the same great Dawn detergent (the superhero to a greasy pot’s villain), but it’s in a sassy little bottle that serves as an air freshener. I love it!
I’ve tried the Lemon and Tangerine one, so far – with my eyes on the blue one. I’m hoping they come out with a version for the Dawn Botanical’s Jasmine & Lavender – my favorite. Ooooh la la!
(Did I just Ooooh la la a dishwashing liquid? Someone spends a little too much time in the kitchen.)
The lemon/tangerine one was amazing, though. It had an uplifting quality to it – very spirited. The bottles are a little more costly than the other Dawns, but not much. Besides, they’re worth it. If you’re anything like me, you’re all about a great aroma. And, just between you and me, after my first bottle ran out, I actually bought a bottle of the cheaper Ultra Dawn and did the whole re-fill trick. The air freshening effects continued strong. BTW, the air freshening comes from little fragrant beads in the bottle of the bottle – encased in a plastic environment. When you get the bottle home, you remove a sticker from the front of the base and one from the back – releasing the great scents!
Next up: The Food Network looks like it’s mixing their daytime/evening programming up a little bit. It looks like there might be a little less Alton, which concerns me like, big time. Hopefully he’ll be back on more on other nights. The good great news is that it looks like they may be putting Tyler Florence into the afternoon mix. I hope so, anyway – he’s one of the best. I guess it would be a really good idea to contact The Food Network and let them know who we love to see, who we like to see, and who we hope to never see again.
Speaking of speaking – as in speaking up – here’s something else I think we should all do more often. We should utilize those little “What did you think?” cards available at restaurants. If we have a great server, great food, and great environment – we should say so. Give credit where credit is due! By the same token, if we have a rude server with an I-couldn’t-care-less-about-you-than-I-do-right-now attitude (like we had last night), we should also let the company know about that. As well as the local manager. If this particular server had JUST been hateful and obnoxioux it would have been bad enough. She also did something that I honestly had never seen before. After she set the salsa and chips on our table, she licked her fingers!
I wanted to say, “Haven’t been at this long, have you?” but for one thing I was afraid she’d sneeze on my food, or worse. For another thing, it’s hard to talk with your jaw on the floor. Since the servers reflect on the entire Restaurant – the restaurant owners WANT to know what kind of ambassadors they have out there. This was a nationally known restaurant chain with a great reputation – The one in our hometown (Owensboro, Kentucky) is one of my favorite places to eat – so we went to one in a nearby town expecting the same thing.
Unfortunately nothing about it was as good – least of all the service. I most definitely have my “What did you think” card, and they’ll soon know!
Before wrapping it up, I’ll go back to a good note (I HATE to end a post on a bad one) – I bought The Biggest Loser Cookbook ( Pictured over there to the right —>>>> ) and it’s amazing. Not only are the recipes completely reasonable and easy to make, they look delicious! There are also a lot of great tips and advice for eating healthy. They also have a Fitness book out as well as a really awesome calorie counting book. They’re next on the list.
BTW, if you’ve never watched The Biggest Loser on NBC, you oughta check it out. Not only does it motivate you to take better care of yourself by eating right and exercising, it’s inspirational to see people overcome so many obstacles and achieve their dreams. After an episode, you feel like you could do just about anything! Plus, it’s downright entertaining on top of all of that.
It’s on tonight, so if you get a chance, drop in on all the colorful, determined, hard-working human inspirations. They’ll be glad to see you and you’ll be even happier that you saw them!
Today’s Food Network Line-up is Summerlicious. All the girls are cooking foods that go as well with summertime as a glass of iced lemonade. Paula’s Lime Shrimp Lettuce Wraps, The Barefoot Contessa’s Guacamole Salad, and Rachael’s Devilish Chili-Cheese Dogs will all get a turn in our kitchen and/or grill.
As a Coconut fanatic, I’m also excited about Alton’s Good Eats Tonight: “Coconut Cake Revival.” He’s set to make a Coconut Cake with 7-Minute Frosting , Coconut Milk and Cream, and Coconut Extract.
Paula’s Home Cooking: “Summertime Favorites” – Lime Shrimp Lettuce Wraps,
Strawberry Shortcake,
Almond Broccoli Salad,
Watermelon Punch
Everyday Italian: “Giada’s Summer Entertaining” – Focaccia Lobster Rolls,
Ice Caffe Latte,
Pecorino Crackers,
Avocado and Papaya Salad
Barefoot Contessa: “Girls That Grill” – Blue Cheese Burgers,
Chocolate and Vanilla Sundaes,
East Hampton Clam Chowder,
Guacamole Salad
Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee: “Summer Show” – Sweet and Spicy Slaw,
21 Burger,
Tapioca Cake,
Blu-tini
30 Minute Meals: “Grilled to Perfection” – Flank Steak Pinwheels,
Toasted Hazelnut and Shredded Carrot Salad
30 Minute Meals: “Endless Summer” – Oil and Vinegar Slaw,
Devilish Chili-Cheese Dogs,
Summer-ish Succotash Salad
Have you caught any of the great grilling shows on the Food Network? There have been some amazing recipes, techniques, and tips. From Bobby Flay to Paula Deen, from Tyler Florence to Emeril, and From Rachael Ray to Alton Brown – they’re masters of the grill as much as the kitchen.
One of the recipes on today’s shows (Paua’s Home Cooking) that caught my eye…or tongue, I guess…is for Lime Chicken and Shrimp Kabobs. How amazing does that sound? I see it in my near future. Rachael Ray, on one of her 30 Minute Meals is also making something that sounds like a winner: Roasted Asparagus Tips. YUM-O, indeed!
Robin Miller – a lesser-known Food TV personality, but as good as any of the super stars – is making several intriguing things on her afternoon show: One is a Quick Fix Avocado Salad and the other is Chai Tea Smoothies. I have an appointment with each.
Not to be out done by the ladies, Bobby Flay (on the Food Network BBQ special tonight) will feature delicious-sounding Green Chile Cheeseburgers. The Green Chile sauce on these guys sounds to die for. (Eat, THEN die for them.)
When I was working on the Food TV scroller (to the right), I noticed a few featured recipes on today that’ll soon be featured in my own kitchen. The beautiful, refreshing-looking drink above is the Pomegranate Breakfast Soda that Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) will fix on an episode titled, “Bed and Breakfast.” (Click the link for the recipe – it sounds amazing.)
Other recipes from the show are:
On an episode titled, “Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut,” Alton Brown will make a Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi that I WILL try out before the week’s out. We’ve been trying to eat as much fish lately as possible – so I’ve been trying out different varieties of fish as well as different cooking techniques.
Yesterday I steamed a Haddock as well as a few Flounders – and they were absolutely delicious. I’d never steamed fish before, because I didn’t have much faith in the flavor. Plus I thought they’d fall apart. I was very pleasantly surprised – and my family ate them as fast as they do fried fish. I was worried about the kids – but they went back for seconds and thirds….always a good sign!
I only used a little salt and some Lemon Pepper for seasoning, because I didn’t want the fish to have to compete with anything. I served it alongside some brown rice that I added crushed almonds to and some great hushpuppies. Brown rice has a unique flavor that, in my own opinion, benefits from the addition of almonds. Left to itself….well, I’m not that in love with the flavor! But, add some almonds and it’s perfectly amazing.
$40 a Day will be on pretty late tonight, but it’s worth staying up for. It’s the Cape Cod episode with the highlight being delicious-looking Stuffed French Toast. I have to try this one out. When I make Stuffed French Toast, I use softened cream cheese, whereas this recipe uses ricotta. I’m anxious to see how that tastes. It alongside the Pomegranate Breakfast Soda….and coffee, let’s not even pretend it isn’t the star of the show….sound like a little bit of heaven to me.
by Joi on February 6, 2007
Buy at AllPosters.com
Who says TV can’t be good for you? Last night, my husband and I were watching the Food Network – it happens to be Chocolate Week, so Emeril and Alton were each waxing brilliant with chocolate lovelies. And since I happen to be Chocolate Weak, I was in my element. Apparently my husband shares this weakness even more than I thought, because right after Emeril signed off, he got up, got dressed, and braved the cold for a trip to the store. When he came back, he wasn’t alone – he brought two boxes of decadent chocolate candies with him. One was an assorted variety and the other was all truffles. I’ll need a little further research to determine which is better. Hard work, but somebody’s gotta do it….may as well be me.
The chocolate magic continues tonight – not just in my kitchen, but on the Food Network as well. You can see a complete run down in the scroller to the right, but a few things that stood out to me were Emeril’s Chocolate Covered Turtles and Alton’s Cocoa Brownies, Hot Cocoa, and Cocoa Syrup.
On Rachael Ray’s Tasty Travels, one of the featured foods will be Chocolate Brownie Baklava, and it sounds like something that would make an extra special Valentine’s Day gift for someone just as extra special as it is.
Enjoy the rest of Chocolate week! Around my house, we’ve been battling this horrible flu bug for over a week – and chocolate week has been one of the few bright spots.
Memo to self: Next year – get the flu shot, hard head!
by Joi on January 8, 2007
by Joi on October 12, 2006
I added a little ticker to the right that’ll keep you up to date on what you might want to watch out for on the Food Network. Each day I’ll change it to that day’s line up – I’ll only give the day’s very best….the shows, the chefs, and the food you just can’t miss!
Joi
by Joi on August 15, 2006
2 cups Self Rising Flour
2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
2 4oz Jars Strained Carrot Baby Food
4 Eggs
2 Cups Sugar
1-1/2 Cups Vegetable Oil
FROSTING:
1/4 Cup Butter, Softened
1 8oz Pkg. Cream Cheese, Softened
1 16oz Box Confectioner’s Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Pre-Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour three 8′ or 9″ pans. Mix the cake ingredients and blend well with an electric mixer. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake 25 – 20 minutes, until golden brown. Cool in the pans for about 5 minutes, then invert onto waxed paper and allow to cool completely.
For the frosting: Mix all ingredients with a mixer. Blend until smooth and creamy. Frost the cake when it’s completely cool.
———————–
A recent visitor to the blog requested this recipe from one of Paula Deen’s earlier cookbooks. Luckily I’m just the source to turn to for all things Paula Deen, Rachael Ray, Alton Brown, and Emeril!
The great thing about each of these chefs
is the fact that their recipes are doable. You can buy their cookbooks and know you’ll actually be able to use all of the recipes. I use and re-use all of the recipes in my cookbook collection, and Paula’s are honestly as good as it gets. Some of my favorite recipes lie within her cookbooks. She’s one of us!
Joi
by Joi on August 10, 2006
While getting the Food Network ticker loaded up for the day on Buttermilk Press – a few shows and/or recipes stood out in my food-obsessed little mind :
On Paula Deen’s first show (1:00 est), she’ll be making Jalapeno Cracklin’ Corn Bread. That sounds like it’d be amazing with some well-seasoned white beans (or Pinto or Great Northern)….or a pot of chili, for that matter.
Immediately after that episode, Giada De Laurentiis comes on with “Everyday Italian.” One of the foods she’s set to make is Warm Chocolate Cakes with Berries. Like the Jalapeno Cracklin’ Corn Bread, it made an appointment with my kitchen.
See the scroller on Buttermilk Press for the specifics, but both of Emeril’s shows (Essense and Live) will be big winners today, as will Semi-Homemade, and tonight’s Good Eats (Tortillas).
The ones I”m most looking forward to are Paula’s second show of the day and Rachael Ray’s 6:30 pm est. 30 Minute Meals. Paula’s episode is titled “Paula Goes International” and will feature Cuban Sandwiches, Homemade Potato Chips, Alice Jo’s Spaghetti Sauce, Taco Salad, and Mexican Wedding Cookies. The Cuban sandwiches should be the ones featured in her most recent cookbook.
Rachael’s show is titled “Rustlin’ Up Vittles” and it has me camped out by my tv set. She’ll make Cowboy Hash and Eggs, Texas Toast and Salsa. The salsa is a Yellow Tomato Salsa and sounds pretty amazing. Can’t wait for that one.
If you’re like my husband and like Bobby Flay, you’ll want to see his “Throwdown” show tonight – featuring Jerk Chicken. They’ll also be cooking up Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Caribbean Stuffed Red Snapper, Spicy West Indies Fish, Honey-Grilled Vegetables, Calypso Corn, Rice Salad
Grilled Garlic Bread, Tanzanian Baked Bananas, Strawberry-Lemonade Punch, Grilled Jerk Chicken with Mango Cilantro Salsa, and Grilled Jerk Rubbed Chicken with Habanero-Mint Glaze.
Habanero-Mint Glaze. Does that sound dangerous, or what?!?!
It’s a good day. I have the Food Network on in our home office – since I work at home, no one can tell me it’s a “no no,” well they could – it just flat wouldn’t do them any good. Get between me and Rachael, Paula, Giada, Emeril and Alton? They’d be a fool. That’s right up there with jerking on Superman’s cape and spitting into the wind…
Have an amazingly delicious day,
Joi
technorati tags: RachaelRay, Emeril, AltonBrown, PaulaDeen, FoodTV, FoodNetwork, Recipes, Food, BobbyFlay, EverydayItalian, GoodEats, 30MinuteMeals, Giada
Hot day on the Food Network!
If there’s any food in the world better than authentic Mexican (or Tex Mex, for that matter) – I don’t want to taste it. I’d straight die, that’s all.
We’re fortunate here in Owensboro, we have more than 6 Mexican restaurants to choose from. My family keeps returning to one in particuluar, though, and it all comes down to the Salsa. Real Hacienda’s salsa is just a culinary happy dance waiting to happen – there’s just something about their’s that sets it apart from everyone else’s.
A number of the shows on the Food Network are headed South of the Border today: Paula’s Home Cooking (Chicken Empanadas, Tay’s Hot and Spicy Salsa, Enchilada Pie, Churros ), Semi-Homemade (Mexican Pizza, Borracho Beans, Individual Lime cheesecakes), Tyler’s Ultimate (Fajitas), 30 Minute Meals (Chipotle Cashew Chicken with Brown Rice, Glazed Spinach Salad ), and Barefoot Contessa (Tequila Lime Chicken, Guacamole, Frozen Key Lime Pie, Sagaponack Corn Pudding).
Can’t wait to check out the Sagaponack Corn Pudding – I’m hoping it’s similar to a corn dish Chi Chi’s serves.
Also, don’t forget about Alton Brown tonight. His first episode in the Feasting on Asphalt series, “The South Shall Fry Again” will fly again, followed by episode #2, “I Smell Pork.”
technorati tags: food, recipes, Mexicanfood, Mexican+food, AltonBrown, Foodnetwork, RachaelRay, PaulaDeen
