Like a stake through the heart

That's how I felt when I just discovered that my all-time favorite dessert (deconstructed banana cream pie) has been removed from its restaurant's menu.  Let the tears begin!

Let it out, Dawson, let it out, buddy.  This is a judgement free zone.

I first gushed over Eleven over two years ago and haven't stopped raving about it since then.  I've sent friends, coworkers, and anyone who would listen to the Strip District to experience the glory that is my favorite of the Big Burrito Restaurant Group's creations.  The food is good, sure, but the dessert is out of this world.

Work it, work it good

Great weekend, great food, and time to get back to great workouts!  Actually, I don't have too much of a holiday hangover since I squeezed in two decent runs.  Makes those two pieces of Dairy Queen ice cream cake seem much less offensive :)

I returned to the gym yesterday and tried this, spotted on another blog.  Didn't seem like much at first, but whew!  I was dripping with sweat by the time I was finished.  Whoever said you need exercise equipment to get in a good workout is dead wrong.

Try it for yourself!

Fast Friday: Easiest fruit dip

TGIHWF - Thank goodness it's holiday weekend Friday!  I'm off today and whizzing through my to-do list before Matt and I head to his parents' house for the long weekend.  Exercise, check.  Breakfast, check.  One more recipe for you to add to the Memorial Day party menu?  Keep reading :)

This "recipe" is nothing new, but it's a tried and true favorite that's always a hit at parties big and small.  Plus, any dip that's served with fruit is automatically a freebie in my nutritional book. 

Memorial Day recipe round-up

It's almost here -- the unofficial kick-off to summer and grilling season -- Memorial Day weekend!  I've been watching the weather forecast like a hawk for the past two weeks (yes, before Memorial Day predictions were even available, erp) in anticipation.  It seems like Pittsburgh has been dancing with summer for weeks already, which is fine by me.  Dust off the patio furniture and fire up the grills, kids, because it's party time! 

I've picked a few of my very favorite picnic recipes to make your holiday weekend even merrier; almost all can be made ahead or on the grill so you can get maximum time to party with friends and family.

Appetizers
Bacon-wrapped potato wedges
Chicken dip
Mini corn dog bites (my #1 pick... your guests will gush over these!) 
Broccoli and cheddar quinoa cups (vegetarian!)

Burgers and more:
Rosemary chicken burgers (my fav!)
Stuffed turkey burgers
Greek lamb burgers
Portobello beef burgers (omit the beef for a vegetarian entree)
Slow cooker short rib ragu
Chili lime chicken

Sides to please everyone:
A-Z summer salad
Pat's loaded baked potato salad
World's best macaroni and cheese
Tomato and corn pie
Watermelon, arugula and goat cheese salad (light and refreshing!)

Desserts to definitely save room for:
Apple crumb pie
Coconut cream pie
Gooey butter cakes
Black bottom cupcakes
From scratch "box" brownies
Salted brown butter Rice Krispie treats
Monster cookies
Orange creamsicle cookies
Chocolate pudding dump cake (only 4 ingredients & 5 minutes of prep!)
Peanut butter cup fluffernutter blondies


For more recipes to rock your picnic guests' taste buds, check out the categories if you want something specific or use the handy dandy search bar on the right side of the blog.  Happy cooking! :)


One year ago: Spring asparagus bacon hash

Barbecue chicken pizza

I now truly understand the notion that distance time makes the heart grow fonder. And hungrier, thankyouverymuch.  After almost a month-long hiatus, Pizza Fridays returned last week in a big and bold way much to Matt's and my delight!

The nice weather has put us in a constant mood for grilling and al fresco dining.  Since we don't have a grill or porch, we've made slight adjustments and used our beloved Griddler to cook up anything and everything: burgers, salmon, shrimp kabobs, and enough chicken to feed a small army.  All to be enjoyed while sitting in folding chairs out on our rooftop.  Goodness, I love pre-summer :)

But pre-summer tends to make my appetite change slightly and crave slightly lighter versions of my favorite foods.  A stomach full of a heavy dinner is not conducive to evening walks, that's for sure.  So I've been on the prowl for tiny tweaks to lighten our favorite meals, like pizza. 

All that's required is a little smart meal planning.  I shredded aforementioned excess chicken earlier in the week and set aside extra vegetables used for other meals, as well as my favorite barbecue sauce, to use for the pizzas.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again: double duty ingredients are where it's at!  Looking at my grocery list, I realized that I could finally make that BBQ chicken pizza I've been dreaming of for month.

Dough-n't forget!

The Dumpling Festival is this Sunday, Pittsburgers!  Get all of your information here.  Hope to see you there.  Have a fantastic weekend, ladies and gentlemen, and enjoy the weather!


Two years ago: Apple, ham, & brie sandwich
One year ago: Steak sandwiches with goat cheese

How to: Peel a potato

I know, I know.  Am I seriously going to devote a blog post to the peeling of a potato?

You're darn right I am.

Springtime vegetables are popping up everywhere these days.  Baskets of onions, asparagus, and glorious potatoes are dirt cheap (pun intended).  And, thankfully, I love 'em all... even aforementioned asparagus.  It's totally true what they say -- they you can learn to like something.

Cough, with enough butter and seasoning, cough.

Annnnnnnyway.  Potatoes!  Love those spuds to death but hate hate hate to peel them. Check out this brilliant trick that will surely come in handy next weekend if you're making potato salad to feed a crowd:

Love your salmon

 

I love salmon!  There, I said it.  Really, though, who doesn't like salmon?  If salmon were a high school student, it'd be the Ferris Bueller of its class.  Salmon is just laid-back, cool, and gets along with anything.  Even self-proclaimed seafood haters I know will clarify that even though they don't like fish, they will eat salmon.

Hmm.

Why not enjoy salmon instead of just eating it?  If you like it, give it the four star treatment and, maybe, just maybe, you'll learn to love salmon!

Event: The Pittsburgh Dumpling Festival

Oh, goodness gracious have I got an event for you, Pittsburgh locals.  And, even if you're more than a stone's throw away from the city, you're going to want to listen up anyway; this is definitely worth a drive:

When I first heard about this event, my heart skipped a beat.  It involves two of the things most dear to my heart: carbohydrates and competition.  You know you want to join the fun, right?

Well... you can!

First, you've gotta clear your calendars for Sunday, May 20th, and map your route to Mr. Smalls Theater in Millvale.  Brooklyn Brewery is traveling across the country, looking for amateur cooks to enter and compete against other hungry (literally and figuratively) dumpling fanatics, and Pittsburgh is the next stop on the 16 city tour.  Fly solo or recruit your most trusted culinary companion and sign up here.  Competitors will receive a $50 Giant Eagle Market District gift card to help cover contest ingredients.

Let's just say your creativity wins over the stomachs of local chefs from restaurants like Eleven, Legume, and The Crusted Duck, and crowns you the winner of the Pittsburgh Dumpling Festival.  What's next?  Aside from bragging rights, which we know are always underestimated, and some sweet prizes from big names in the culinary world, you'll be flown to Brooklyn, New York, to compete in the national cook-off competition!

Pretty sweet... or savory, right?!

If you're more of a spectator, there's room for you, too.  Tickets to the event are only $10 each, which treats you to a cold one courtesy of Brooklyn Brewery, as well as sampling privileges to the dumpling smorgasbord.

For more information or any details that I forgot to include, click here.

Hope to see you and your 10 closest friends there.  I'll definitely be there!  May the best pierogie, ravioli, or dumpling win!  Get to it, Steel City.

Update: There are only 5 spots left in the competition!

B.P. and A.P.

To some, there is B.C. and A.D.

To others, there is B.P. and A.P. -- Before Pinterest and After Pinterest.

It's difficult for me to remember what life was like B.P.  Surely, it wasn't as glorious and mouth-watering as life A.P.  Because now, more than ever, I'm exposed to wondrous baking creations like these: Twix brownies, courtesy of My Baking Addiction.

[image via My Baking Addiction]

I'm scheduled to work next Saturday, so you can bet that this recipe has been added to the list of potential candidates.  Thank goodness, too, because otherwise I'd simply be bringing fruit.  How boring!

One year ago: Monte Cristo sandwiches

Sour cherry streusel coffee cake

Whew!  It feels good to be back.  I've been running -- literally -- all over the place for the past two weeks.

Matt's family visited for his  "graduation" from Pitt two weeks ago.  I say "graduation" because Matt's not totally done his program, but the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter every day.  Commencement was lovely, and we had a fun weekend despite the damp weather.  The highlight had to be dinner at The Melting Pot.  I recommend it for the ultimate playing-with-your-food dining experience!

The following week was filled with delicious dinners with longtime friends (Dish = fabulous, fellow Pittsburghers!), running, no-longer-neglected errands, and serious amounts of pasta.  I take training for and running in races very seriously :)

So, once I finally took a minute to stop and smell the roses turn my computer back on, I realized that I had just the recipe to lure you back in and convince you that hey, I haven't forgotten about you.

And I certainly haven't stopped baking.  In fact, I've gone back to my sugar and butter-coated roots.

Madness

Sheer madness.  And brilliance.

If you loved the chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes I shared a few months ago...

What?  You haven't made them yet?

Please do.  Then continue reading.

As I was saying.  If you loved the chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes I made and shared with you a few months ago, then this next recipe is for you:

Chocolate chip cookie dough whoopie pies!

Sweet heavens, don't those look fantastic?  Sinfully fantastic, one might say.  One might also have just scheduled a rarely-seen and never-discussed mid-week trip to the grocery store to obtain said ingredients.

One might have even called one's husband to have him check to see if said ingredients were already in the pantry and fridge.  (They were.)

That same one may have rejoiced that the gym is closed, convinced herself that baking is a great pre-race respite from training, and carbo-loading will indeed be achieved by consuming these.

Head over to Cookies & Cups for the recipe and fabulous photographs.  Happy baking!  And a happier May!


One year ago: Chicken with garlicky spinach and melted cheese