The Best Thing I Ever Ate

I'm definitely a Foodie. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's "a person keenly interested in food, esp. in eating or cooking" (dictionary.com). That doesn't mean I'll only eat fancy, expensive, trendy food, it means I don't care if it comes from a hole-in-the-wall dive or a fancy shmancy restaurant... if it's good, I'll eat it whether it's a hot dog or caviar or a caviar topped hot dog.

One of my new favorite shows to watch is "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" on the Food Network. Each show has its own theme from "sweet & salty" to "fried" to "chocolate." Every time I watch the show I sit there and try to think of the best thing I've ever eaten in that same category, but I'm always too distracted watching the show to really use my brain (isn't that what t.v. is for?).  So I thought that I would make my own list of the "best thing I ever ate" in a variety of categories.

Chocolate: Chocolate Lava Cake at Fleming's Steakhouse- I don't usually order chocolate desserts because they're a bit too rich and intense for me after a big meal. But, that didn't stop me from ordering the Chocolate Lava Cake at Fleming's. It was so moist and had the most intense chocolate flavor. Not to mention the molten chocolate center. That, paired with vanilla bean icecream and pistachios, don't even think about sharing. Oh and just in case you have a chocolate craving and need something fast... try these brownies. Sure you have to make them yourself, but top them with vanilla icecream and hot fudge and your head will float off into chocolate coma land.

Fried: Spicy Tuna Tempura Roll at Thaifoon- First of all, there are so many awesome things to eat at this place. From the Spicy Jeweled Beef with its amazing udon noodles to the banana eggrolls for dessert, I've never been disappointed here. But, my very favorite thing is their Spicy Tuna Tempura Roll. It's got the perfect amount of spiciness and the tempura gives it a little extra crunchiness... top that with some ginger and a touch of soy sauce and you've reached perfection. Of all the sushi rolls I've ever had, this is by far my favorite.

Salty: Fried Pickles at The Garden Restaurant- The first time I saw these on the menu I thought it sounded really weird and not all that appetizing. But then I thought, "Why would they put them on the menu if they were disgusting?" So, I ordered them. They come out in a parchment paper cone all fried in their pickle spear goodness. They taste delicious on their own, but add a little southwestern style or ranch dip on the side (which accompanies these) and you're set. I've had fried pickles elsewhere since then, but none are even close to the ones at the Garden Restaurant.

Meat: Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich at Zero's Subs- The thought of this sandwich makes my heart ache just a little bit. Mainly because I'll probably never have one ever again. I first found this sandwich while living and working in Arizona during the winter of 2001. Zero's was on the lower level of the strip mall where I worked. You wouldn't think the best philly cheesesteak sandwich would be in a little strip mall deli, but that's where I found it. Their steak was always cooked perfectly and was so tender and flavorful. And the bread and cheese and peppers and onions were amazing. Every time I went back to Arizona after that winter I would make sure to stop in and get me one of these delicious sandwiches.That is until the day I came back and the store had closed. I was heartbroken. There are only a handful of these sub shops open in the U.S. and none of them anywhere near any forseen travel destination. I've tried so many Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches since then and none of them even come close to the ones I loved at Zero's. I think I'm going to cry.

Sweet: Banana Foster at La Caille- Banana desserts are always my favorite. They are light and just sweet enough and what's not to like about bananas? But the Banana Foster at La Caille is probably the best dessert I've ever had. Not only was it beautiful to look at when the waiter brought it out, but then he swirled a rum sauce over the top from a small silver pot and lit it on fire. It was awesome! It was the perfect blend of banana/rum/caramel sweetness and I've never been able to find a banana foster dessert anywhere else that's come close to this. And nobody ever lights it on fire. So so good.

Savory: Puntas de Filete de la Norteña at Red Iguana- "Top sirloin tips sautéed with bacon, jalapeños strips, onions and fresh tomatoes, served atop the almond mole. Refried beans and tortillas complete this much loved dish." Holy crap this stuff is so good. The almond mole alone is worth going for. I could seriously drink that stuff. And the sirloin tips they use are always really tender and delicious. Don't get me started on the homemade tortillas. Mmm... probably my most favorite meal anywhere.

Messy: Mushroom Burger at Big Jud's- Maybe it was because I was fishing all day and tired and hungry, but the Mushroom Burger at Big Jud's is the best burger I've ever had. You may be distracted when you first go there by their gigantic Big Jud burger (which is also delicious), but pull yourself away if you can and order the Mushroom Burger. This thing is loaded with sautéed mushrooms and swiss cheese and onions. You're sure to have mushrooms and who knows what else falling out of the burger at all times, but man is it good!

One of the ways I've found to find the best stuff a restaurant has to offer is to ask. Ask the waiter what the best thing is on the menu. You might not get a winner every time, but it sure helps to find those things you wouldn't normally have picked out. The rest is just trial and error. How are you ever going to find new things you like if you never try anything NEW? Be adventurous, be daring, and never discount anything until you TASTE IT!

So what's the best thing you ever ate?

Today's Special: A Bunch of Crazy Sounding Stuff You'll Probably Like

Sunday: Sauerkraut Chowder- This is one of my favorite recipes. It's different but delicious! Be careful not to use too much water when cooking the veggies or your chowder will turn out too soupy. This time I used low-fat cream cheese & turkey kielbasa sausage to make it a little healthier and it tasted just as good.

Monday: Spaghetti with Creamy Spinach and Tarragon- I've made this pasta before and it always turns out good. Great way to use up some fresh spinach.

Tuesday: Herbed Zucchini Soup- New Recipe. I made this to use up some zucchini I had. I thought it turned out really good and it was really fast to make. I thought it tasted kind of like broccoli soup. Anyway, it was a bit lighter of a soup than I expected so I threw some grilled cheese sandwiches together at the last minute to go with it. Delicious!

Wednesday: Corned Beef & Cabbage in Guinness- New Recipe. I know this is about a week early, but I had a head of cabbage I needed to use up, so I decided to make this. Oh I mean, I planned it this way so you'd have a good recipe to use for St. Patrick's Day. I've never made corned beef so I was a little worried how it would turn out. It took several hours to cook on the stove so it wasn't a fast dinner by any means, but man was it good! Definitely worth the wait!

Thursday: Leftovers

Bonus: Orange Rolls- New Recipe.... sort of. So, I had some fresh mandarin oranges I needed to use (we don't like to eat them plain because they're full of seeds) so I decided to make some orange rolls. I've made cinnamon rolls before using my sister, Corinne's recipe, which is awesome (and lets me use the dough cycle on my bread machine... which I also got from her!). So, I thought maybe I could tweak the recipe and make orange rolls instead. I'm not very experienced at making my own changes to recipes for baked goods, so I wasn't quite sure if this would turn out or not, but I was pleasantly surprised when it did... and that they were incredibly delicious! So, I thought I would just write the recipe out as I made it, in case you want to try it too!

Dough:
1/2 cup warm milk
1/2 cup orange juice, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp. orange zest
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Filling:
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter, softened

Icing:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons orange zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place all dough ingredients in bread machine in order recommended by manufacturer. Select DOUGH cycle and press Start.

In separate bowl combine cinnamon and sugar.

After dough has finished, turn it out onto lightly floured surface and roll into a 16x24 rectangle. Spread dough with butter and sprinkle evenly with cinnamon and sugar mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in lightly greased 9x13 pan. Cover and let rise until almost doubled (about 30 min). Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Bake rolls for 14-16 minutes (do not overbake!). While rolls are baking, mix together frosting ingredients. Spread on rolls when they are still warm. (I heat the frosting up in the microwave a little so I can pour it on the rolls instead).

Thursday 13: Vegetable Garden

Thursday 13 is an idea I got from Holly over at Snapshots. I thought it'd be a fun thing to do on a weekly basis and I can write about whatever I want! For my first Thursday 13 I wanted to do something Spring-ish so I went with the 13 things I'd plant if I had a garden.

1. Tomatoes
2. Basil
3. Dill
4. Cucumbers
5. Spinach
6. Zucchini
7. Jalepenos
8. Peppers
9. Sugar Snap Peas
10. Thyme
11. Chives
12. Strawberries
13. Raspberries

What's That on Your Head?

For those of you who may be unaware... I'm a girl. I have been since I can remember... and probably way before that. The facts being as they are, you would think I'd be able to do girl things. Things that seem to be so much more instinctual and natural for most other girls out there. Most of you are probably thinking, "She's definitely got a particular girl skill on her mind... just spit it out already!" Well ok then. I will.

Ever since I was a kid I've had the hardest time doing my hair. And I don't mean I have a lack of motivation (most of the time). I like my hair to look nice. I try to do my hair. But I swear I lack the most basic of skills to do so. I remember trying to do the '80s bangs in elementary school. I'd curl my bangs, brush them up into the famous '80s pouf and hit it with a bunch of hairspray. Five minutes later I had a flat row of bangs that looked like a matted half-pipe. All my little friends had bangs that looked perfectly puffy all day long.

Then I got a perm. I was unaware of the need for things like hair gel, or any sort of styling product for that matter. My hair would look great when I first got back from the stylist, but forever after that it'd be a head full of fuzz. How was I supposed to know that I couldn't brush my hair out during the day?

In high school I finally grew out the perm and the bangs (you don't even want to know what that transition period looked like). I would try to make my hair smooth and turned under like the other girls but to no avail. No sooner would I finish curling it under then it would flip into random directions looking like I'd purposely made one giant strand of hair boing out the back of my head. Not cute.

My hair has improved a little with time (and the discovery of the straightening iron) and the concerted effort I make to watch the professionals at work. Even this has proved harder than I thought it would be. I've learned how to use a round brush to blow-dry my hair without getting it stuck... even the back. Though, it still never looks as good as when it's professionally done. And, well this is a bit embarrassing to admit, but I don't know how to "tease" my hair to get it to look voluminous. I had to ask my current stylist, Tawnya, how to do it. She was very patient and showed me how to do it correctly. When she was finished, it looked great. When I tried it the next day, my head looked like a box. I've tried to practice since then, but have finally come to the conclusion that I will never have hair teasing as one of my great talents, unless you count "Hey Hair... why the long face?" HA!

I recently had my hair chopped pretty short... well short for me. When I first got it cut, Tawnya used the straightening iron to put cute little curls in the bottom. She showed me how to do it and made it look so easy. So, of course I tried to do the same thing the next day. It didn't work. Not even close. So now I have to straighten my hair otherwise it looks like a rat's nest, though the straight look isn't much better as it's just a short skip away from a bad mullet. I've been watching YouTube videos today of girls demonstrating how to curl hair with a straightening iron. It looks easy. I'm hopeful. Although that's what I thought when Tawnya showed me how so I'm a little apprehensive about trying it again. If this doesn't work I'm going to have to keep my hair in a ponytail until it grows out a little more and I can go back to using my tried-and-true velcro rollers (yes I tried those with this new 'do... somehow they're not working!). So keep your fingers crossed, this may get ugly.

A Snowshoeing Adventure for the Ages

This week Seth's sister, Collette, called him up and said that she and her husband, Marty, were coming down from Idaho to spend the Saturday with us. Sweet! A wonderful unexpected surprise. We weren't really sure what we were going to do with it being winter and all, but eventually came up with a plan to go snowshoeing.

Seth and I drive by the Snowbasin ski resort on a regular basis when we go out fishing. It always looks incredibly beautiful up there, so we thought it might be a good place to go. To our surprise they had a whole bunch of FREE "Nordic Trails" for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. So, we rented some snowshoes and trekking poles from Weber State and went up to Snowbasin.

We had a great time exploring a couple of the trails and I was surprised to see how few people were using them. We only passed one other person the whole time! It was a beautiful warm day and perfect for going for a wintertime hike.

Aren't they so cute?

Nordic Man

So this was the only group shot of the day. The camera moved when I pushed the button. I only had 10 seconds to run over there in my giant snowshoes. It was the best I could do ok?

After spending a couple hours at Snowbasin we headed a little further up Weber Canyon to Taggart's Grill... one of our favorite restaurants. They have the best hamburgers and fries ever. And according to Collette, their enchiladas aren't too shabby either! We all happily ate way too much and had a great time talking.

Thanks for coming down to see us Collette and Marty! Best grown-up double date ever!

Today's Special: Double Bonus Baby

Monday: Gnocchi with Zucchini Ribbons and Parsley Brown Butter- This is one of my favorite recipes. So fast and easy. I'm sure you could cut down the prep time even more by just dicing the zuccini (the recipe says to cut it into ribbons with a veggie peeler), but I don't think it would turn out quite as pretty (if you care about such things). Also, if you've never used gnocchi before, don't be scared. It's just pasta made out of potatoes. In fact I think it's easier to use than regular pasta. It cooks much faster and it floats to the top of the water when it's done so there's no guess work or throwing it against the wall to see if it sticks!

Tuesday: Black Bean & Salmon Tostadas- New Recipe. This turned out so good! I did cheat and use a packet of guacamole instead of the chopped avocado. I also don't ever use low-fat sour cream because I think it tastes weird. I probably screwed up the calculated nutrition facts, but eh. Who cares.

Wednesday: Fish Couscous with Onion T'faya- New Recipe. This looked interesting to say the least. It definitely isn't going to win the "Wow That Looks Delicious" award. But, it tasted good. Not sure I'd make it again, but it was nice to try something different. There's a possibility this would have been a killer recipe, but I chose not to spend $15 on what would probably be about 2 tsp. worth of saffron, so I guess we'll never know. Somehow I think I made the right decision.

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Hamburger Gravy on Mashed Potatoes- I came home Friday night to find Seth making dinner! Lucky me! His specialty is Hamburger Gravy. He tried out a new recipe this time and it was really good. He halved the recipe I linked to, but accidentally put in the full amount of sage... although I think maybe it was an improvement. That stuff was great! Also, he doesn't use a recipe for his mashed potatoes. And his are always better than mine. Must be some kind of inborn skill those Idahoans have.  Unfortunately I completely forgot about taking a picture of his masterpiece. Maybe I'll have to make him make dinner again!
Double Bonus... Dessert AND Appetizer

Banana Cream Pie with Banana Graham Crust (just the crust from this recipe)- This is my very favorite pie in the whole world. The banana pie filling is awesome just on it's own, but pair it with this crust and I could seriously eat the whole pie myself. Also, just a tip... sprinkle about a tablespoon of lemon juice on the sliced bananas before putting them in the shell to keep them from turning that yucky brown color. It gives the pie a fresh but not obviously lemony taste. Oh, and try using this Whipped Cream for the topping. Yum!

Beet Hummus- New Recipe. I saw this in my recipe feed in Google Reader and had to make it right away. It looked so pretty! It was delicious fresh tasting dip and Seth and I both really liked it a lot. I used a 15 oz. can of beets instead of cooking my own. We ate the dip with Rosemary & Olive Oil Triscuits. Delicious!

Insomnia

It's 10:15pm. Somehow it feels like the middle of the night. Probably because it's about an hour or so past my normal bedtime. Pathetic, I know. Normally when I can't sleep I lay in bed as a sort of protest to my body. I say, "Listen here... I don't care if I have lay here wide awake all night long... I'm NOT gettting up." And it always works. But tonight was different for a few reasons. I'd already done my nightly reading ritual which didn't seem to get the melatonin flowing. Then as I lay there I heard the tapping sound. The tapping sound I hear almost every night. It sounds like it's coming from outside... like a dripping tap but projected in volume like someone holding a megaphone up to it. Tap Tap Tap Tap TAP TAP TAP. And my dear husband has been sick with a bad cold so his normal heavy sleep breathing is more like a buzz saw. Why is it so damn hot in here anyway? Maybe if I do my relaxation technique it'll help. Let all of the tensions in your head float away... now move to your neck... all of the tensions are relaxing away... you're getting sleepy... Tap Tap TAP BUZZ TAP BUZZ TAP! I'm wide awake. I don't feel tired. It's not a weeknight. Staying up late isn't going to kill me. It's only ten o'clock anyway Polyanna. So for the first time in I don't know how long, I got up, put my robe on, and started sampling the night life.

It's not all that exciting really. Just more of the same stuff I do in the day-time... just darker. And a little bit quieter. Though not much. I think most normal people are still up at this time of night. Is it bad that I'm already bored? It feels like I've been sitting in this chair for hours and it's only been thirty minutes. I'm going to bed.