Holidays.

Happy Easter! We spent the day on Saturday with c's family celebrating my future mother in laws birthday. Then Sunday went to my dads and got to visit with everyone. Today and tomorrow I work my twelve hour shifts so I have had no time to cook...but I'm including some pictures of our weekend and some of my fav gourmet goodies I was able to pick up while we were visiting.

efbe.

So as lent is coming to an end i am asking myself the question do i return to the efbe? aka Facebook. I gave it up for lent. I did this because since moving back to Philadelphia I am much closer to my best friends, not to exclude my loves in the district, but Facebook has become much less of keeping in touch and much more what feels like keeping up with the Jones'.
This is not me and I do not like it. I mean why am I comparing myself to people I barely know..or why am I judging?.... PLEASE, do not even act for a moment, no matter how old you are, that you haven't silently stalked that former ex who gained 25 elbe's/ that former ex's girlfriend who gained the 25 elbe's...... or that girl who got knocked up in 10th grade and baby got whacked with the ugly stick ( i apologize that was below the belt-babys are never ugly) .
Then my mind starts going why haven't we bought a house? Why are we waiting so long to have a baby...and it goes on and on. Then I take a deep breath and remind myself.. I'm ( almost) 26 & while I would love to own a home.... I don't want to right now. Who knows where I will decide on to go to grad school...and while I am obsessively in love with my nieces and nephews.... I am in no way shape or form ready to play mommy. I am so excited about furthering my education, spending a few years traveling with C before we start a family. Most importantly why am I judging these people? Who cares? It does not affect my life and i need to focus on bettering myself, period, end of story. So for now ill use this as my outlet and keep facebook deactivated.

Crispy Potato Roast

Crispy Potato Roast
Serves 8

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
4 shallots, thickly sliced lengthwise
Coarse salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)
8 sprigs thyme

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine butter and oil. Brush bottom of a round 9-inch baking dish with some butter mixture. With a sharp knife or mandoline, slice potatoes very thinly crosswise.

2. Arrange potato slices vertically in dish. Wedge shallots throughout. Sprinkle with salt and red-pepper flakes (if using); brush with remaining butter mixture. Bake 1 1/4 hours. Add thyme and bake until potatoes are cooked through with a crisp top, about 35 minutes more.

*Please note that the recipe is the photo is doubled.

Thanks FishFoodBlog for introducing me to this recipe!

Hamburger Cupcakes

A very tasty treat in disguise! Dazzle your friends with your creativity and surprise them with a sweet-tasting "hamburger." They're SO easy to make!

• Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Classic Cake Mix
• Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Devil's Food Cake Mix
• Sesame seeds
• Cocktail toothpicks
• 6 Large eggs
• Water
• Vegetable oil
• Green, Red, Yellow frosting bottles
  

1. Bake vanilla cupcakes according to directions on box. DO NOT use cupcake liners, but grease and flour the pan so they easily pop out.
2. Bake chocolate cupcakes according to directions on box (either use 2 cupcake trays or thoroughly clean between vanilla & chocolate batches). Again, DO NOT use cupcake liners.
3. When vanilla cupcakes are cool, cut them in half horizontal-wise with a serrated knife to create the "bun."
4. When chocolate cupcakes are cool, cut them in half horizontal-wise and save the cupcake top as the "meat." You can discard the bottoms
5. Use red icing ("ketchup") and yellow icing ("mustard")
7. Lightly dampen burger "lids" with water and sprinkle with sesame seeds so they stick a little.
8. To create the burger layers...put red icing on the bottom bun, then add the "meat," then add the yellow icing, then sprinkle the lettuce on top, then add the lid.
9. Finish by using a cocktail toothpick to keep it all together!

Chef in Training: Nutella Puppy Chow

I am getting back in shape and beginning to train for the broad street run in Philadelphia ..a very easy 10miler this will be my third year doing it. I took off last year to run the American Oddyssey Run a 200 mile relay from gettysburg to Washington DC. I would like to do the Philadelphia half and then follow up with the DC marathon next spring. My whole point is that cooking/baking all these delishh treats isnt working for my summer bod so I have been donating my treats to my Unit, and they have been loving it ...win/win. I get to cook & bake and I dont let it sit around my house awaiting me and C gorging in the late night hours. This was probably the most popular recently. A little messy with the confectioners sugar, but overall very quick, very easy and you probably already have most of the ingredients. My central PA peeps introduced me to puppy chow and if you have not heard of it yet----- keep reading because it is not actual kibbles n bits.

NUTELLA PUPPY CHOW

recipe from: Healthy Tasty Chow

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup Nutella
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips (use semi-sweet or dark, milk would be far too sweet and you’d lose the chocolate flavor)
• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup hazelnuts
• 13 cups (more or less) or one 12oz box of hearty wheat/corn/rice cereal like Crispix or Chex – try to find a hearty version so it doesn’t break down when stirring
• 3 cups powdered sugar
  

In a 350 degree preheated oven, roast hazelnuts until fragrant and light brown, about 8 minutes

Allow to cool and remove as much of the skin as you can with a towel

Grind up hazelnuts finely in a food processor

Put the cereal in a large bowl and set aside.

In a pan over medium-low heat, melt butter, chocolate, and white chocolate, stirring constantly.

When all is melted, remove from heat and add Nutella and stir until mixed in, then add hazelnuts and stir well.

Slowly pour over cereal.

Stir with your hands! (make sure they are clean first!) It is MUCH easier than with a spoon. It may take some time since the the batter is thick.

Dump into a gallon size zip-lock bag and pour in powdered sugar. Start out with a little and add more as needed. You don't want them TOO coated with powdered sugar because they will end up tasting to sweet. Zip up the back and shake it until they are coated.

Enjoy!


Thank you to Chef in Training blog for introducing this recipe to me!

Oh hello there!!

I would like to introduce myself. I go by from mel, melanie, and melly . I am 25 about to be 26 in... ouch.. 9 days. I am engaged to my best friend. We have been together for the better part of eight years. We are in no way perfect but love each other very much. We both strive to be the best people we can and part of that challenge is creating new and delicious meals, while at the same time keeping healthy & fit and traveling to where ever we feel like. So far we have traveled to Egypt, Peru, Italy, Greece, Turkey, England, Germany, and a bunch of Caribbean izzlands. But right now we are putting our love of traveling on hold to save and plan for our wedding. I work in a Level one Trauma-Surgical Intensive care unit as a RN and I am a certified CCRN. This blog is a way to stay in touch with family and friends. Share some great recipes, love and life experiences.

I am going to start out with blogging some of the recipes I have made over the last month! Then I will post as I make them.