Challenge #4

Marbled Chocolate Mint Bark

This was so easy it should not even be referred to as a challenge. It looks good and tastes even better. The chocolate is costly though, for the amount you get out of it. If you are needing to make something for a large number of people - I would not choose this. However, for something small - this is ideal.

Cost:
Semi-sweet chocolate squares $3.59
White chocolate squares $4.49
Mint Candies $1.29

Sub-total $9.37
HST $1.21
Total $10.58

Challenge #3

Warm Spinach & Artichoke Cups

I have never made anything with artichokes before. I thought this was a very simple recipe and I think it tasted really good. I made a few of my own amendments though. The recipe called for garlic, but I hate garlic so I didn't put it in. It also called for 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. I put 1/2 cup of cheddar and 1/2 cup of feta. I think the feta goes better with the spinach anyway.

Again, I had some of the ingredients already, so this is only the cost of things I had to buy:

Artichokes $2.49
Spinach $1.49
Won Tons $1.99
Red Pepper $1.27

Sub-total $9.73
HST $1.26
Total $10.99

I will be sure to make this again. It was good.

Challenge #2

Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake

Initially, I thought this turned out to be a bomb. However, the only problem was that we tried to eat it too soon. It hadn't fully cooled or set yet. After a few hours in the fridge, it was pretty delicious.

This was a very simple recipe. The hitch in this was the cost of the cream cheese. A tip for others is to never buy cream cheese in Canada. Here, one brick of cream cheese costs between $3.69-$3.99. In Michigan they are only $1.69 (at Walmart anyway). I bought them yesterday on our side because I was in a rush. But for future reference - take the time and buy cream cheese across the river. With Christmas baking season on its way, I plan to buy a few to keep in my fridge just in case.

In preparation for this recipe, I already had quite a few things on hand (sugar, oreo crumbs, butter, chocolate chips). So the breakdown of cost is only for the ingredients I had to buy:

Cost:

1 brick of cream cheese $3.69

1 brick of cream cheese $3.69

strawberries $4.99

eggs $1.69

sub total $14.06

HST $ 1.83

TOTAL $15.89

I would not normally have paid $4.99 for strawberries. I usually only buy them when they are on sale for much cheaper. Like 2/$5.00 for example. But that's what happens when you give yourself a 7 day challenge - can't control the sales. The cost of making a cheesecake is pretty high. For the record - I will probably only make this again when I have an actual reason and have a large number of people to eat it.

Challenge #1

Most people who know me are aware that I am repulsed by raw meat. The thought of touching it makes me want to throw up. While I like to eat meat - I very rarely touch it. That means it doesn't enter my kitchen very often and I generally only cook meat I don't have to touch first.

My goal for my first challenge was to make roast beef. Brian told me he loved roast beef so I invited him over for dinner. When I went to the grocery store to buy everything, I went to the meat area and picked out what I thought looked the best. It was pre-seasoned (I wouldn't have to touch it) and it looked like a nice size for the two of us.

I didn't learn until much, much later that I actually picked out a pork roast. HA. Oh well....good thing Brian is flexible with his meat.

I also decided to use this as an opportunity to try parsnips for my first time. I cooked the roast with potatoes, carrots, onions and parsnips. They were good. I will definitely eat them again.

Here is a breakdown of cost for this project:

Pork Roast $8.00

Onion $0.56

Carrots $1.47

Parsnips $2.49

Potatoes $3.19

Sub-total $15.71

HST $2.04

TOTAL $17.75

Overall, this was a success. Everything tasted good and it was very easy.

Good food, good company and good wine.

(This project made me realize I don't own place mats. Note to self: buy place mats)

7 Day Kitchen Challenge

I decided to give myself a 7 day Kitchen Challenge. As someone who is prone to a regular routine of eating habits, I wanted to learn to do some different things. I decided I have to make 7 things I have never made before. I am sort of a ghetto version of that chick from Julie & Julia (because I'm certainly not fancy enough to tackle anything that Julia Child's did).

The challenge may not necessarily happen over 7 days because I do work shift work and I'm going out of town this weekend. That probably means I should have come up with a better name for this challenge but I didn't feel like it. I'll do my best though.

So far, I have planned the first five things I am going to make. The recipes were found in two magazines so far: "What's Cooking" from Kraft and "Best Holiday Recipes" from Taste of Home. (Those are both really good websites...you should check them out)

The following posts will outline what I have made. Here we go!!

Halloween

I love Halloween. Love it. It is my favourite day of the year. I love how it's a blank slate to become anything you want to be. There are millions of possibilities. I love seeing the creativity and effort people put into their costumes. I prefer home made costumes vs. purchased - but I just like people to dress up, regardless.

One of my favourite Halloween memories is from back in 2004. My friend Mike and I drove down to Guelph to visit friends. I was an egg and he was a suitcase. A bunch of us went to this country bar and when it was time to go Mike refused to leave. He and I got in a big fight so I left him there. He didn't know where the house we were staying in was or how to get back. This was pre-cell phone days - so he was screwed. He ended up in a cab, driving aimlessly around town trying to find a house he recognized. Considering he was wearing a suitcase....he turned himself into lost luggage. Literally.

The one thing I do not like about Halloween is when people use it as an excuse to dress like wh*res. Guess what? 'Slut' isn't a costume. I have seen some pictures that are just plain ridiculous. Sometimes, the 'sexy nurse' or the 'police officer' type costumes are awesome. If you can pull it off - kudos. At least those are still costumes. But wearing a black bra and underwear doesn't make you 'tomb raider'.

I am a big fan of Twitter. @funnyordie tweeted this last week and I laughed pretty hard:

"A lot of girls are rocking the 'My Father Didn't Love Me Enough' costume this year for Halloween".

HA

2005 - Suitcase & Turkey
Mike & I

2006 - Fallopian Swim Team
Mike, Mel and I

2007 - Killer Bee & Ghostbuster
Mike and I

2008 - Taco, Cheese Whiz & Celery, Samba Dancer
Danie, Me, Jane, Travis

2010 - Deviled Egg

I am so happy and thankful to have friends who love dressing up too.

A quick note....

After I wrote the blog the other day about "Room" I emailed the author, Emma Donoghue. I have never emailed an author before but I thought I would send her a quick email to let her know I enjoyed the book. Well lo and behold, she wrote me right back.

I thought that was pretty neat.

Under: End of Story

There is longstanding debate in the toilet paper world of "Over or Under"? I am firm believer that under is the only option. I have no idea why. Under feels right and over feels wrong and I have no reason to support it.

Sort of like in skating, when you're doing circles and one way feels right and one way feels wrong? Well, toilet paper going over is the wrong way crossovers in the hockey of my life.

That's all. I wanted you all to know that.

Reading Rainbow #1

I don't know how many reading friends I have out there. But I am going to start posting really good books I find, in case you want to read them too. I will keep the posts short so they aren't all cheesy and book report-y. Just a little suggestion in case anyone has similar tastes in books and might enjoy the ones I've enjoyed.

The first one is "Room" by Emma Donoghue. I read it in two days. I couldn't put it down. It is about a boy Jack and his mother who live in a room together. The mother was kidnapped 7 years prior and neither have left the room since. The book is written from 5 year old Jack's perspective.

Favourite of the Day: I installed a new shower head today. You know the kind where you turn the head and the water sprays in all different ways? I love it. Also, I have my voice back. It may be the voice of a 12 year old boy, but at least it's a voice.

Top Ten Annoying Words

I am both fascinated and intrigued with the English language. Primarily when it is used properly and makes sense. Is that too much to ask? I may be somewhat of a word/grammar snob. I don't necessarily think that is a horrible thing to be.

Here are the top ten words that annoy me most. This list may depict me as a whiner, so I will later create a list of the top ten words I love.

Here we go:

1) Prolly. This makes me crazy. It appears to be the lazy way to type 'probably'. Not that I think that typing 2 extra letters is all that much work.

2) Kindygarten - Kindergarten? Sure. But Kindygarten? With a "y"? Maybe you should go back to Kindergarten and learn the alphabet.

3) Gongshow - WHAT IS THIS?? Is it really anything? No. When I hear adults use this phrase, I can only shake my head. Find some adjectives people.

4) "That's How I Roll" - Okay. This is a phrase, not a word. But I still hate it.

5) Seen - Used in the correct context, this can be a wonderful word. But preceded by the word "I" and I want to take my pen and stab you. I always want to correct people when it is misused but it happens so frequently I would be making a name for myself. A name that rhymes with witch.

6) Yous - Well, this isn't actually a word. Surprisingly though, I hear it more than I should. For example "I seen yous at the movies on Friday." This could only make sense if there were a pack of female sheep at the movies on Friday. But that doesn't make sense either now does it.

7) GoGurt - It is not so much the word but the actual product I find revolting. Therefore, the word makes me cringe. Yogurt you drink out of a tube? Augh. I am not sure why it bothers me so much, but it does.

8) Irregardless - I am surprised by how many people think this is a word.

9) Literally - I don't hate this word. I just hate the frequent misuse of the word. It is so overused it is in danger of losing its literal meaning. It should only be used to distinguish between a figurative and literal meaning of a phrase. However, that is not the case. There is an entire blog devoted solely to track the abuse of it. Check it out here. (It's quite funny).

10) Epic - Once upon a time this word was used to describe heroic deeds in literature or film. It was rare and held high honours. But now everything is epic which is basically saying that nothing is epic. This word has been ruined.




Favourite of the Day: Since it is early in the morning, I will refer to yesterday when I got to meet baby Nicco for the first time. I love babies and he is a cute one!

P.S. Link up your top ten list over at Oh Amanda!