No More Sushi Hana

I was very unimpressed with Sushi Hana. For one, I don't like taking the time to drag my child to a restaurant, pay a decent amount of money for my food, and then not have it be spectacular. This is why I have about five or six different places that I eat at and I rarely venture elsewhere, because it usually results in disappointment. I know that most of you would probably say "it happens, get over it," but I take food very seriously. I have seen billboards up all over Tulsa advertising this new sushi place and I could not wait to sink my teeth into their rolls. For starters, I was mildly irritated when they brought out the sushi and I saw that two of the rolls only had five pieces, considering they were $12-15 per roll. I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt IF they were scrumptious. They were not. I personally prefer the sushi from Sushi House in Broken Arrow over this and you can get four to five rolls for under $40. Oh well, you live and you learn. When you learn, you let others know so they don't make the same mistake. I understand that everyone has different taste buds, such as my husband who actually enjoyed it, and that some may disagree with me on this, but if you know me then you know that I know food and this food isn't worth your money. Enough said.

Shammy Says "I've had better"

Baked Fried Pickles? Oh Yes.

Fresh out of the oven

I was bored one afternoon last week so I decided to go on Pinterest in search for the perfect new snack to try. I stumbled upon these, which I had seen before but whizzed right past them because they looked too good to be true. I was right. I had all the ingredients on hand, they were entirely too easy to throw together, and they tasted scrumptious. Now I've got real problems. Now I am going to want to make these every day, which means I will just have to stop buying pickles for a while.  If you are in the mood for some greasy comfort food then these will fit the bill, just don't make too many of them ;)

Shammy Says "At least they are baked right??"

Put Up Your Duke's

The Smoked Turkey Club with Peach Aioli--FABULOUS

I had never heard of Duke's Southern Kitchen when my friend Fawna recommended it for dinner one evening. I have yet to dislike anything that she has recommended so I didn't ask questions. The first thing I noticed when we walked in was the enormous height of the ceilings and the chill atmosphere, I immediately loved it. As I was perusing the menu trying to find the perfect thing to order Fawna suggested the Smoked Turkey Club, among other items that she had tried. I was in the mood for a sandwich so that's what I went with. I remember wanting french fries badly but Fawna vehemently insisted that I get the side of the homemade crispy potato chips. I wasn't as enthused about those as I was the fries, but I took her advice. When my food arrived, I could do nothing but stare at it for a few moments, and then of course snap a picture for you all to see;) We ate there about a month or so ago and I am STILL in awe of how delicious the food was. The Smoked Turkey Club was the best sandwich I have ever had, with the peach aioli as the star of the show. I believe it was the secret ingredient, along with the bacon and avocado. The chips were phenomenal and I will definitely order them when I return, which will be very soon. If you have never heard of this place then I suggest you check it out!

Shammy Says "If I had three thumbs I would give Duke's three thumbs up"

Salsa Magnifico!

I am extremely well-known for my homemade salsa. Every time there is a party I am asked to make it, along with my unbeatable guacamole. For this reason I have never stepped out of my box to look for new salsa recipes, why would I? If it ain't broke...right? WRONG. I discovered this recipe the other day on Pinterest and it appealed to me for this reason alone: it looked incredibly easy. This is THE best salsa I have ever had, EVER. It was super cheap, super easy, and super delicious. I had seen a few other recipes that looked amazing but they all involved boiling and peeling your own tomatoes, which I'm sure makes the salsa quite tasty but who wants to go through all that work just for salsa? Not me. Especially when the canned tomatoes taste just as good. I am retiring my salsa recipe and replacing it with this one. Recipe is below, you are welcome!

Shammy Says "You say 'tomato' I say 'salsa'"

Salsa Recipe

2 cans of diced tomatoes

1 small can of diced green chiles

1/2 bunch of cilantro chopped

1 clove of garlic minced or garlic powder

3-4 whole green onions(stem included) chopped

Few shakes of red pepper flakes

1 tsp of salt(you can add a little more if you like salt)

Blend it all together minus the tomatoes, then add the tomatoes and blend a little to mince the tomatoes.

Notes: The great thing about salsa is that you can adjust it to satisfy your own taste buds, so if there is anything that you want to add or replace, just do so! I used garlic powder since I didn't feel like mincing garlic, I was lazy today ;)

Jalapeno. Popper. Dip.

Jalapeno Popper Dip. Need I say more? Didn't think so. I have been perusing this recipe for 4 months now but haven't yet justified making a 4,000 calorie dip and eating it as my lunch...until today. I was foolish in thinking that this dip would be good, it was SPECTACULAR. So spectacular that I could not stop eating it, literally. I found myself digging for more chips as I was putting the dish in the sink, scraping the bowl hoping that the bottom would magically open up, and that there would be more below. I almost couldn't handle the deliciousness, blacking out for a period of time, similar to a state of euphoria. I wasn't the least bit surprised though, can you really go wrong with cream cheese, mayo, jalapenos, cheddar cheese, and parmesan cheese? NO. My one adjustment next time I make this will be to add less jalapenos. I love heat but I think it had a bit too much, taking away from the creamy cheesiness of it. My insides are burning, but it was so worth it.

Jalapeno Popper Dip Recipe

Shammy Says "Un-freaking-believable"

Pumpkin Everything...

Yes, they tasted as good as they looked

Pumpkin Donuts. Two words that go together like nacho and cheese, or Doritos and sour cream. These were not the easiest thing to make, but they sure were worth the effort. I actually enjoyed the cinnamon sugar over the glazed but I'm pretty weird about donuts. They literally melted in my mouth and rocked my world, and I also have a few people that can attest for me on that. This is yet another Pinterest success that I can add to the list. The ingredients were fairly simple but like I said, it was quite time consuming so you will need about five to six hours total to make them. But if you decide to make them, you won't regret it!

Pumpkin Donut Recipe

Shammy Says "Pumpkin deliciousness"

Creamy Delicious Taquitos

Like QT's, only INFINITELY better

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos. Everything about this recipe makes sense. I'm surprised I've never tried to make taquitos until now, but I sure am glad that I stumbled upon this recipe. The filling is definitely the secret weapon, it is a perfect blend of ingredients to make your taste buds do a dance in your mouth. I had most of the ingredients on hand, and ended up skipping the cilantro, simply because mine went bad. I also made a giant batch of queso to use as a dipping sauce, or to serve as bathwater for my taquitos. I also served them with sour cream(I can tell you're surprised,) and some Picante sauce. Bottom line is these babies were TASTY and you should make them too.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos Recipe

Shammy Says "These taquitos are a triple threat: easy, cheap, delicious"

An Eclair Cake Fit For Shammy

Let me be clear that this is what it is SUPPOSED to look like...

...and this is how MINE turned out ;)


I love eclairs. I now love cake. I love eclair cake. This recipe was super easy and super delicious. I am so pleased with it that I intend on making it again soon just so that I can perfect it and make it look like the picture on the recipe. It took me under 15 minutes to prep this and then I just popped it in the fridge for an hour. I will say that it was still runny after an hour. The longer it sets the better it is, but even after an hour my husband was licking his plate like an animal. If you like pudding recipes with the vanilla wafers and bananas, you will love this!

Chocolate Eclair Cake Recipe

Shammy Says "More than a feeling"

A Stack of Enchiladas?

Kyler licked his bowl CLEAN

It's like pancakes, only enchiladas

I found the Cheesy Enchilada Stack recipe on--you guessed it, Pinterest! Pinterest has OFFICIALLY become my goto place for new recipes. Not every recipe I have tried has been great, but many of them have. This recipe was really good, but not as good as some recent ones that I have tried. This is one of those recipes that is pretty easy to put together with basic ingredients so it's a nice quick meal for a frantic weeknight when you really don't feel up to cooking. I have a few modifications that I would make to this recipe, so grab a notepad because here they are: I used about double the amount of cheese recommended because the instructions for the recipe call for more than is listed in the ingredients; I will also use shredded rotisserie chicken next time instead of ground beef, simply because I have a killer enchilada recipe that I use rotisserie chicken in and it puts the ground beef to shame; I omitted the green chiles because I'm not a huge fan, so I will use sauteed onions next time; Last but certainly not least, apart from smelling delicious it was actually rather bland when we took our first bite--however the necessary ingredients to add when you are ready to eat are tortilla chips, picante sauce(or your salsa of choice,) and sour cream(aka "the lifesaver" of this dish.) So there you go, I have never had to modify a recipe as much as this one, but once you make the necessary adjustments I believe the end result will be spectacular! I'm guessing that this recipe will be twice as good leftover. I will also note that my suddenly picky child ate every bite and then some, so if it got his approval then you know it's good.


Cheesy Enchilada Stack Recipe

Shammy Says "The stack needed a little Shammy-ing to make it top notch"

It Feels Good Being Perfect

This is all that was left of the 30 cookies I made last night

In the words of Jay Z: "Can I get an encore, do ya want more?" I have been on the quest for the perfect chocolate chip cookie and last night the clouds parted, and my search was over. I started out looking for ingredients that would make the cookies super soft, and I stumbled upon Cornstarch. The first batch I made using Cornstarch was noticeably softer, so I knew that it would be a staple ingredient for future recipes. However I was still left feeling like all the recipes I tried could be better. I tried using bittersweet chocolate(which is what most of the recipes recommended) but evidently I am partial to semisweet chocolate chips. So with most of my ingredients set in stone, I overheard on a cookie blog to use Instant Vanilla Pudding in your cookie batter to make it creamier and softer. I knew that this could very well be the final step in my quest for the ultimate chocolate chip cookie. Before I unveil the first recipe that I put together myself, I must remind you that everyone has different taste buds and therefore different ideas on what makes the "best" chocolate chip cookie. These are, in my opinion the best chocolate chip cookies ever. I will say that the New York Times cookie was just as good, but not as realistic to make with things you have in your pantry at all times. So here you go, my version of the best chocolate chip cookie. Enjoy!

Shammy Says "Hard work really does pay off"

Caroline's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 box of Instant Vanilla Pudding mix
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
4 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cream together butter and sugars until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and blend in.
3. Stir in flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and pudding mix. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Drop by tablespoons onto a greased baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown around the edges. Let rest on cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes, until firm enough to not fall apart. Move cookies to a cooling rack and let cool slightly.

Oh Thank Heaven for Key Lime Pound Cake

Perfect dessert...or breakfast

I love lime. I love pound cake. This recipe was a hit before it even finished baking. I am not a big fan of cake, it never really tempts me. However, pound cake is a different story. Pound cake is one of my weaknesses because it is super moist and dense. With the combination of the key lime flavor, this dessert just made it to the top of my dessert list. It was surprisingly easy to make and I had everything on hand, which rarely happens. I cut the recipe in half because I knew it would make entirely too much. It is actually a perfect amount in my opinion. Next time I make it I will use a tad less sugar, which is what most of the reviews suggested. Also I will double the glaze because that's just the way I do things. The glaze MAKES this cake. I have eaten five slices since finishing dinner about four minutes ago. One other note I will include is that it says to bake for one hour and fifteen minutes, but I ended up taking mine out after one hour and it was perfect. I also didn't have a tube pan(which is what the recipe calls for) so I used a loaf pan. The loaf pan may have shaved a few minutes off the cook time, so take that into consideration.

Shammy Says "Moist and Delicious"

The Holy Grail of Spaghetti

Breathtaking

Delicious. Creamy. Crunchy. Cheesy. These are a few words that describe this pan of perfection. I simply can't put into words my love for creamy casseroles involving noodles. This is a spaghetti casserole and it is one of the best dishes I have ever made. It is noodles, meat sauce, a cream cheese mixture, parmesan cheese, and french fried onions. My husband and I both licked our plates clean. I used whole wheat noodles, extra lean ground beef, Ragu, 1/3 fat free cream cheese, and fresh grated parmesan. It isn't as fattening as it tastes, I promise. The only mistake I made was pouring the french fried onions on before I finished reading the directions. You are supposed to bake it first for twenty-five minutes and then put them on for the last five minutes of baking. Don't make my mistake, unless you want to spend an extra ten minutes picking out each onion. That and the fact that if they cook too long, they can break a tooth. In conclusion, I declare this recipe one of my top five favorite recipes, and that is a very big deal. You have to be creme de la creme to make that list. Congratulations Baked Spaghetti, you passed the Shammy test with flying colors.

Baked Spaghetti Recipe

Shammy Says "Make this yesterday"

Five Stars and a Second Post!

My beloved SunRise Tacos

Alright, I have blogged about Broken Egg Cafe once already, but I figured any place this good deserves a second post, on a different menu item of course. I get the SunRise Tacos most of the time because, well, go try them and you will understand why. If you can't already tell from the picture, it is the most delicious breakfast ever. Sausage, eggs, cheese, and tomatoes in a flour tortilla topped with a generous dollop of sour cream, with hash browns on the side. We have eaten here too many times to count and I have yet to have a bad experience. The food is always freshly cooked, AND they have a drive-thru! You have to call your order ahead but the fact that they have a pickup window is truly amazing. If you are anything like us and you live in your pajamas on Sundays, then Broken Egg is the place for you, and they are open until 2:00pm for you extra lazy people :)

Broken Egg Cafe Website

Shammy Says "Now I'm hungry"

Tijuana's Grill and Cantina

As you can tell from the above picture, the food was disgusting

I am always skeptical to try new Mexican restaurants. I have my places that I like and I rarely venture out of them because I am usually disappointed when I do. My sister told me about this place and raved about how good it was, and since she's never steered me wrong before, I acceded. I shall start with the salsa, since that is normally my main concern when eating Mexican fare. It was delicious. So delicious that we went through two baskets of chips before our meal arrived. The queso was good, but not the best I've had. The guacamole was very impressive and flavorful. We ordered the Chicken Tacos and they were different than anything I have ever had, in a good way. The chicken was seasoned perfectly and they were served atop corn tortillas with a side of pico de gallo. Overall I was very satisfied and will definitely be adding this place to my list of Mexican restaurant choices.

Tijuana's Grill and Cantina Website

Shammy Says "If I had three thumbs I would give this place three thumbs up"

Two Words: Guacamole and Bruschetta

Yes it tastes as good as it looks

I love Bruschetta. I also love guacamole. I can make meals out of both. When I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest, I was more than intrigued. Actually it was really a no-brainer deciding to make them. Guacamole Bruschetta? Who wouldn't love this? It was fairly simple to make, just alot of chopping and dicing, but the final product didn't fail me in the taste department. I would highly recommend this recipe to anyone!

Guacamole Bruschetta Recipe

Shammy Says "Tasty and light--if you don't eat ten pieces"

When Life Hands You Lemons, Make Lemonade Cookies

Dreamy

I love lemon in just about anything. Lemonade, lemon pie, lemons with salt, and now lemonade cookies. I spotted these on Pinterest yesterday and decided I HAD to make them. They were very easy to make, and very fun to decorate. They are not overwhelmingly lemony, but coming from me that doesn't say much. After all I eat lemons plain, with lots of salt. If you are not a lemon person, you won't care for these. However if you do like lemon, then these are the perfect cookies for you! They are creamy, soft and the frosting is nothing short of heaven in your mouth. I fell in love with these and will definitely make them again, but next time I'll serve them with lemonade, and make a double batch. DELICIOUS.

Lemonade Cookie Recipe

Shammy Says "One of my new favorite cookie recipes"

I'm terrified at how easy this recipe was...

Warm, fresh, delicious

You know that saying "too good to be true?" Well these were not, they were too simple and wonderful for me to believe. A can of biscuits, a little bit of oil, sugar, cinnamon and butter? That's all it took for me to make my own homemade donuts. Inconceivable! Now I will say that I need to work on the recipe a couple more times because apparently I didn't fry them long enough. The center was a bit doughy, so I threw them in the oven to cook them all the way through. Still, they were divine. The recipe is below, you're welcome.

Homemade Doughnuts Recipe

Shammy Says "I'm not sure if it's a good or a bad thing that I can make homemade donuts in less than 5 minutes...?"

Meh

They LOOK scrumptious, unfortunately they were not.

I really dislike when this happens; a recipe looks and sounds amazing, but after all your hard work it falls flat in the taste department. With a title like "Glazed Donut Muffins" you would think that this recipe would be a no brainer. If you thought this, like me, you were wrong. As these were baking, they smelled just like a glazed donut, I was even tempted to stick my head in the oven and try one as they were baking, that's how good they smelled. Once they were glazed, I dove in for a hot one. No fireworks, no taste explosion, nothing. If I could describe them in a few words, I would say they were thick, heavy, and too nutmeg-y. Don't waste your time on this recipe if you were thinking of trying it, but I will tell you to try the Peach and White Chocolate Chip Muffin recipe that I blogged about a few weeks ago. THOSE were amazing. They have fruit and chocolate in the batter, which undoubtedly makes them creamier and less dry on the inside after being baked. They were wonderful, and these were NOT.

Shammy Says "I'm disappointed that a recipe containing the words 'donut' and 'glazed' could be such a let down"

Taste Explosion!

I discovered this recipe a few weeks ago on Pinterest. I can feel your shock and amazement. It is a Pioneer Woman recipe, so I was expecting nothing less than fireworks. This Taco Pizza recipe is very similar to an Indian Taco, which I have been wanting to attempt for a while now, instead of waiting on October to roll around when I heave on over to the fair and eat five in one night. One pesky detail that I was NOT excited about doing was having to make my own pizza dough. I used to make homemade bread with my grandma and it was such a fun experience but that was when I was a kid, and I didn't have a two-year old nipping at my ankles, and my grandma let me throw flour all over the kitchen floor. I saw that this recipe required two hours of preparation, and twelve minutes of cook time. Two hours of prep, are you kidding me? The only meal that I put that much time and effort into involves driving to Glenpool for sausage rolls and donuts. Alas, I threw caution to the wind and decided that I was going to give it a shot. With the help of my mother on how to get the dough to rise, it turned out perfectly. Now keep in mind that I had to spend about three hours prepping instead of just two, because my husband wouldn't touch black beans, cilantro, or any of the other delicious toppings with a ten foot pole. So I followed the recipe for half of the pizza, and the other half was dough, taco meat and lots of cheese, just how Pooh Bear likes it. My side was black beans with some taco seasoning, cooked to the consistency of refried beans, cheese, tomatoes, cilantro, green leaf lettuce, and sour cream/buffalo sauce. How have I not thought to marry the two main staples of my diet until coming across this recipe?? I was a little disappointed in myself to say the least. Sour cream plus Frank's equals the most delicious topping for any dish. Of course I doubled the amount that was listed in the recipe, it only made it more phenomenal. You should do it too. This is one of those dishes that you simply cannot have just one serving. I had three and it was worth every last bite. As I was wiping the sour cream from my face I was like a kid on Christmas morning, nearly bursting with excitement to tell all my friends of this recipe as if I had just won the lottery. One last thing I love about this recipe is that you have big breaks in between prepping for cleaning dishes. I hate recipes that leave you with what seems like every dish you own on top of the stove, who wants to tackle that after eating? Not me. This recipe made it easy to clean as I cooked, leaving me with only the plates and a baking sheet to clean when we finished eating. There, my novel is complete. Best recipe ever!

Taco Pizza Recipe

Shammy Says "Words can't express the pure joy I feel when finding a recipe like this"

Homemade tortilla strips--surprisingly easy!

THE SAUCE

Euphoria

Just one more slab

Top of the Muffin to You!

These Peach and White Chocolate Chip Muffins almost didn't get made. I bought the ingredients for them a week or so ago and my peaches went bad. So I threw them out and then realized I had intended on making these muffins with them. Damn. Now I had to go all the way back to the grocery store just for two peaches. I was at Walmart today and picked up a couple as I was shopping for some other things. I came home and vowed to make them after lunch, even though I would have rather taken a nap. I am beyond happy that I decided to make these muffins because they are the best I have ever had. I found the recipe on FoodGawker and they looked amazing. They were ridiculously easy to make, inexpensive and the hardest part was cutting the peaches. I highly suggest you give these a try, they are perfect for breakfast if you are on the go!

Peach and White Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe

Shammy Says "Here's your problem. You're making just the muffin tops. You've gotta make the *whole* muffin. Then you...Pop the top, toss the stump. Taste."

I Promised You the Good, Bad and the UGLY

Dipping the chicken, completely unaware of the massacre that was to come...

When I began this blog, I told you that I would blog about the good, the bad, and the delicious. Well, this was HORRIFIC. This was one of those meals that we have all had the pleasure of cooking, the recipe that turns into an utter nightmare as soon as you begin cooking. The recipe was Coconut Chicken with Sweet Chili dipping sauce. My intentions were good, but I have the common sense of a rock so that didn't help me in this situation. I planned on making oven baked french fries out of my russet potatoes that I had in my pantry to go along with the chicken. I have made oven baked fries many a time, so why all of a sudden did they turn to mush as I was cooking? I am still scratching my head on that one. So as I was attempting to salvage the "fries" I set my oil on high(I don't know why I did this either) and plopped 6 strips into the pan as soon as I thought it looked ready. Burn baby burn! In case you are not quite grasping the severity of the situation, no worries I documented it...

Anyone hungry for some fry crispies and some chicken strips that even your dog wouldn't eat?!

An utter disgrace

So after the first two batches got fried, literally, I figured out the secret. Turn the heat down! Voila, I turned the heat to low and look what happened! Golden perfection, the problem is that we only ended up with 6 small strips which was just enough to tide my husband over as an appetizer. They were quite tasty, so for anyone wanting to attempt this recipe who isn't an utter moron like myself, go for it!

Pretty delicious after I nearly burned the house down

Coconut Chicken with Sweet Chili Sauce Recipe

Shammy Says "Balls"

Mexican + Pizza = Ecstasy

Mexican Pizza at it's finest

This post should come as no surprise, I love Mexican just about as much as I love my child, maybe a little more. All kidding aside, I could not wait to try this recipe. This is another Pinterest find, slowly but surely, Pinterest is becoming my go-to site for recipes because it is mostly women like myself discovering, cooking, and perfecting delicious recipes. You can add or omit any ingredient that you choose, making this the ultimate dinner recipe. I will post the recipe below, which I happened to follow to the letter and it turned out phenomenal, as you can see above.

Mexican Pizza Recipe

Shammy Says "My new favorite mexican dish"

Don't Think, Just Eat

Too good to be true

I am not going to muck up this post with a bunch of words. To put it simply, ever since I posted this picture on Facebook I received over fifteen requests for the recipe, so that is why I am blogging these cookies. To keep it short and sweet, I don't eat chocolate chip cookies, they simply don't tempt me and never have. Until now. I saw a picture of these on Pinterest and they looked so gooey, chocolatey and delicious. Folks, they are so much more than that. These cookies changed my very existence. I plan on making a huge batch just to have around the house when I want a little nosh, when the cold weather kicks in of course. Wonderful, delicious, amazing and tantalizing are just a few words that come to mind when I think of these cookies. Oh yeah it was also voted the New York Times best chocolate chip cookie recipe, if that validates my opinion any more.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Shammy Says "TOO GOOD"

HOLY MOLY...

Go buy these NOW

I like to include grocery store gems in my blog, because I know how awesome it is when you find something so good from the grocery store that you would rather eat in than out, at least for me. I have tried EVERY brand of frozen waffles in the freezer section and I finally found "the one." I buy this brand all the time, but I was buying the "Pomegran Plus" kind. They were decent, but the other day I saw that they just came out with the "Homestyle" and figured I would give them a shot. Son of a nutcracker these are delicious. I am not lying when I say they taste just like home cooked waffles. I wanted to eat four, but stopped myself after one. If I weren't going to be in a bikini this weekend I would have polished off the entire box. These are a tad more expensive than Eggo waffles but you I've said it before and I'll say it again, I will spend the extra money if it is yummers.

Shammy Says "BEST FROZEN WAFFLE YET"

Simple and Yummy!

Cashews, bell peppers, and chicken OH MY!
I was searching for stir fry recipes to try last week and came across this one on the internet. It looked easy and delicious, 2 things I love about a recipe. It was actually one of the easiest recipes I have come across, and it passed my taste test with flying colors as well. The thing I love about stir fry recipes is that they are so versatile, you can switch out ingredients to suit your own palate. I went ahead and used the garlic, bell peppers, and hoisin sauce as the base for this one, just to see how it turned out. Naturally, I loved it and Pooh Bear told me to make it orange flavored next time with no bell peppers. He is hands down the hardest person to please when it comes to food. I will definitely make this dish again, but next time I will switch a few ingredients to suit my very picky husband!

Cashew Chicken Stir Fry Recipe



Shammy Says "Cashew Chicken Stir Fry is a GO!"

This Will Be a Two-Parter

This dish just does it for me

Buffalo Chicken Potato Casserole. Greater words were never spoken.  I knew that this dish would be phenomenal because of the title alone. My predictions were proven right after tasting it, although I made a few mistakes that I fully intend on rectifying in the near future. The recipe called for six cups of frozen hash browns, and I figured one bag would do the trick. I was sadly mistaken. I should have used at least two bags. Also, I didn't use a measuring cup for the cheese either, so it ended up really cheesy. Who the hell do I think I am, Rachael Ray? Needless to say, it turned out good but VERY rich. So rich that you could really only eat one serving. Every time I try to be cool and measure ingredients using my eye it backfires. Lesson learned. I am not Suzy homemaker, I HAVE to follow directions. Back to the dish, it was heavenly. If you care for Buffalo Sauce even in the slightest, this dish is for you. You can sub the ranch for blue cheese if you prefer to do so. I would have done that but Pooh Bear loves ranch, so I acceded. All the ingredients worked very well together, and will work even better when I use the correct amount of potatoes and cheese. I can't wait to make this again, but will probably wait until the weather cools down a bit.

Recipe------->Buffalo Chicken Potato Casserole

Shammy Says "Even more phenomenal served with Tostitos"

My Comfort Food

MAGNIFICENT

Oh nacho cheese Doritos and sour cream, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I have been eating this snack since I was a little girl. I remember standing in the kitchen begging my mom to let me eat this for dinner. She always denied my request, being the good mother that she is, but as soon as I flew the coop I have been having this for dinner quite often, and guilt free I might add. Every time someone is around when I am eating this, they ask me "why the HELL are you eating chips with SOUR CREAM." I simply reply by saying "just try it." They try it and end up loving it, going on and on about how weird it sounds but how good it is. I figured I could not run a food blog without mentioning one of my all time favorite things to eat. I don't know how I came up with this concoction, and I don't need to know. All I know is that it is delicious.

Shammy Says "JUST TRY IT"

Pasta Carbonara? Yes Please!

Bethenny's Low Fat Pasta Carbonara with Chicken

I made this dish last winter without the chicken and it was fabulous, but Pooh Bear requested that I add chicken to it the next time I make it. So tonight that is what I did, and it turned out even better! Pasta Carbonara is known to be a high fat dish, but I found this low fat version in Bethenny Frankel's book The SkinnyGirl Dish. Pasta is one of my favorite comfort foods, and Pasta Carbonara is no exception. It is a perfect dish for the winter, and even the summer. Served with a glass of white wine, or a SkinnyGirl margarita in the summertime, it makes for a surprisingly light dinner. My favorite thing about this dish is the crumbled bacon, even though I am not a big meat eater, I do love bacon. The bottom line is that you really can't go wrong with a butter and cheese based pasta dish.

Shammy Says "Delicious EASY Dinner"

Low Fat Pasta Carbonara

Crazy About the Wild Fork

The Fries

More Than a Mouthful!

BEST. DIP. EVER.


I have known about the Wild Fork restaurant in Utica Square for a while, but today was my first time eating there. I am really upset I waited this long because it was way better than I was expecting. First off, my friend Ashley was told to order the Black Bean Cassoulet dip, so of course we did as we were told, rarely do I ignore a recommendation. This dip was AMAZING! Everything that I love was in it, black beans, cheddar cheese, green chilies, cilantro sour cream and pico de gallo, served with warm tortilla crisps.  I will order this every time I visit from now on. The burger was just as good, it was a basic burger with lettuce, tomato, onion and I also added cheddar cheese. We all know I am not a burger person but I had an inkling that this would be the place to order one, and like most of the time regarding my food instinct, I was right. It was juicy, very flavorful and I must give the mayo two thumbs up as well, very creamy and rich, the perfect addition to any burger. Now to the important stuff, the french fries. These were some of the best french fries I have ever eaten. They were crispy, sprinkled lightly with sea salt, and not overly greasy. All of it was a taste explosion in my mouth, right down to my iced tea. I will definitely be going back to the Wild Fork very soon!

Shammy Says "Pure Satisfaction"

Better Than The Rest

Best Chicken Yet!

This is another wonderful recipe that I got from Foodgawker. I have yet to be disappointed in anything I have found on this website. I had an inkling that this would be good, because anything with Parmesan cheese is bound to be delicious. This was surprisingly easy, cheap AND yummy! I am very pleased with how this turned out and can't wait to make it again. This probably isn't the healthiest chicken recipe but it's a goodie!! The lemon juice over the top of the chicken really is the secret weapon, so don't forget that if you make it!

Click here for recipe ---> Pecorino (Parmesan) Crumbed Chicken

Shammy Says "Tastes like chicken"

MAKE YOUR MOUTH HAPPY!!

This is the most beautiful sight I have ever seen

Buffalo Fries. When I saw the title to this recipe, I knew before long that this would be my new favorite thing to make. I made them tonight, and they were unbelievably fantastic on every level. As a matter of fact, I sort of went into a trance as I was eating them. I can't remember most of the dinner because I was in a deep buffalo hallucination. If you like buffalo sauce even just a little bit, then I suggest you make this dish. It will not let you down. This is now one of my favorite recipes and I intend on making it twice daily.

If you would like to make these, click here ----> Buffalo Fries

Shammy Says "Orgasm in my mouth"

Superb Bar Food

Kraft lied, THIS is the CHEESIEST!

Gonzo's Nachos!

I have eaten at Leon's quite a few times. I have had their chicken tamales, Bob Marley dip(it is out-of-this-world-GOOD), buffalo fries, buffalo wings, pizza, and countless other items from their menu, and I have loved everything. Tonight, my foodie friend Morgan Horwitz suggested quite fervidly, that I order the nachos. I'm sure all of you know by now how much I enjoy a large plate of nachos. It took me about 2 seconds to consent. She also mentioned the mac and cheese, but she ended up ordering it with her burger and let me have a taste, which turned into about 16 bites. Ok, I am going to get straight to the point here, I have probably tried every order of nachos that Tulsa has to offer and Leon's takes first place. One way to turn me away from ordering nachos is to put shredded cheese on top and melt it. GROSS. I cannot stand shredded cheese. It MUST be processed gooey cheddar, no exceptions. As you can see in the picture, they do have a few sprinkles of cheddar on top, which I am perfectly ok with because it is not the main cheese source to the nachos. Underneath that pile of black olives, guacamole, beans, chicken, steak, green onions and tomatoes is a heaping portion of the gooiest nacho cheese ever. I joked as I ordered them that there would be no way I could eat even half the plate, and I ended up eating almost the entire plate by myself, along with a large portion of Morgan's mac and cheese. Delicious.

Shammy Says "Good thing I don't have to drive all the way to Brookside when I get a nacho craving now"

Holy Peaches!!

This was bite #427 I think...

It was a hot afternoon at the Loony Bin, dinner was being prepared and I was starving. Then the salsa arrived; it was Peach Habanero Salsa and it was amazingly delicious. It was so satisfying that I could not stop eating it, and ended up eating so much that I got a tummy-ache and was completely full by the time dinner was served, although that is not unusual for me. I would like to credit Daniel and my wonderfully sarcastic sister Emily for making this taste explosion. I will be begging them to make this for me now, presumably on a weekly basis. They will agree to do so unless they enjoy bodily injuries. If anybody is interested in the recipe, just ask Emily! 

Shammy Says "NOBODY made salsa as good as mine, until Sunday"

I'll Have Nine Slices of Cheesecake Please

Pomegranate Mojito

Rotisserie Chicken with Mashed Potatoes

BEST CHEESECAKE I'VE EVER HAD!

I have been salivating at the thought of Wolfgang Puck for quite some time now, so you can imagine how excited I was on Saturday when we arrived. I was told by Erin Meehan to try the Pomegranate Mojito, so I ordered that right as I sat down. It was ridiculously refreshing, and very tasty, I will definitely order that again next time. For dinner I ordered the Rotisserie Chicken with Mashed Potatoes, it did not leave me unsatisfied either. The portion was large(see half of a chicken above), and very tasty. I was impressed with their mashed potatoes because they were not too rich. Most of the time when I order mashed potatoes at a nice restaurant, they are great but entirely too rich. These tasted like mom's homemade mashed potatoes, fluffy and light. My favorite part of the entire meal ironically, was dessert. Now I am going to note again that I am usually not a dessert person, unless it's insanely good. This cheesecake was absolutely, hands down THE BEST cheesecake I have ever had. First of all, it was crustless. I know some of you are rolling your eyes and furrowing your brows thinking "The crust is the best part, is she high?" But I was also skeptical about the idea of a crustless cheesecake. But when it arrived at the table, the slice of cheesecake was sitting on top of a thin layer of sugar in the raw crystals, so you still got the sugary crunch with the creamy cake. To top that off, they creme bruleed the top of the cake. I am literally at a loss for words at this point on how to describe how yummy this was. Pooh Bear was fighting me for bites, and by the time we were done I wanted another slice. I can tell you that I will be making random stops at Wolfgang Puck now just for a slice of their cheesecake, and for me that is unheard of. Overall, everything was wonderful, including the price. I was shocked when the bill came and it was only $50. We had cocktails, dinner AND dessert, which is a very reasonable price considering the quality.

Shammy Says "I see multiple trips to Wolfgang Puck in my future"

In Case You Were Wondering...

#1 potato salad, in my opinion

Just in case you guys were wondering where to get the best potato salad, look no further than McAlister's Deli. I know that everyone has their own ideas on what makes potato salad good, some like it mustard-based while others like it mayonnaise-based. I'm not sure what McAlister's is, I just know that it is DE-licious. Sometimes I will stop by McAlister's and make their potato salad my entire lunch. You would be surprised to know that I am not a huge fan of potato salad in general, and that is because most potato salads gross me out. It has got to be absolutely perfect for me to eat it, and McAlister's more than fits the bill.

Shammy Says "I hear their Sweet Tea is pretty good too ;)"

Definition of DELICIOUS

BEST KEY LIME PIE EVER!

"Something Chocolate" was "Everything and More"

"Off the menu" Buffalo Shrimp with Chipotle Bleu Cheese dressing


Where do I begin? It is hard for me to blog about places that are this good because I find myself at a loss for words to describe it. I had been hearing from many friends how good Red Rock Canyon Grill was, so I knew it was time to try it. It was one of the best places I have ever eaten, and that is saying a lot coming from me. When the waitress was telling us about their "off menu" specialty items, I heard the words "buffalo shrimp" and about jumped across the table in excitement. I could barely sit still. I could taste it as I ordered it, trying to hold back the desire to order two of them. This was the best buffalo shrimp I have EVER had. The shrimp was very fresh and the buffalo sauce was different than any other I have had, in a good way. The Chipotle Bleu Cheese dressing was so good I ended up eating it with my spoon when the shrimp was gone, and no I am not joking. Josh and I ordered the Cluck and Moo, per recommendation from everyone I know. The Cluck and Moo consists of Rotisserie chicken and beef tenderloin, served with redskin mashed potatoes and sweet glazed carrots. All of it was more than delicious, the mashed potatoes being the best I have had. The chicken was the moist, tender and seasoned perfectly. Then we ordered dessert. I have made it abundantly clear that I am NOT a dessert person. That is, unless it is unbelievably scrumptious. We ordered the Something Chocolate and the House Made Key Lime Pie. Key Lime Pie is my all time favorite dessert, whenever I eat dessert. This Key Lime Pie was smooth and creamy and the crust was phenomenal. The Something Chocolate was the best chocolate dessert I have had yet, not to sound redundant. All of it was amazing and I can't wait to go back and try more!

Shammy Says "Red Rock ROCKS"