The best Creamed spinach I've ever had!

I get a LOT of emails.. I’m on a ton of email lists so I get a lot of different newsletters and such and I find a lot of great recipes from a lot of pretty unlikely places.. Like this absolutely amazing creamed spinach recipe that I got from the Real Simple magazine newsletter a few weeks ago. Now, I’m really lucky to have a kid that is NOT a picky eater, there are very few things he won’t eat and he’s always game to try something new.

Last night I made roast chicken and decided to give this recipe a try and HOLY COW, it was so good! It’s got very few ingredients and it’s quick and easy (really, can it get much better than that?) It makes a huge portion too.

Creamed Spinach

Serves 6 Hands-On Time: 20m Total Time: 20m
Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 8-ounce bar reduced-fat cream cheese
3/4 cup 1 percent milk
2 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring, until soft, 6 to 7 minutes.

2. Add the cream cheese and milk and cook, stirring, until the cream cheese is melted.

3. Squeeze any excess liquid out of the spinach, add the spinach to the sauce, and cook until the mixture is heated through and thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle with the nutmeg.

I got my cupcakes

I was going to get my cupcake from Mo'Joe's after the ladies came back from lunch yesterday.. but as things tend to go around here I got psycho busy and before I knew it, it was time to go home and it's bad enough that it's dark at 5:00 now, but it was Raining.. Yuck!

I figured to save myself the stress I would just go home, and if my cupcake was still there tomorrow, that would be absolutely awesome.. if not, well.. then I would have understood that too. So on my way in this morning I went and stopped to get a cup of that amazing cocoa and see if my cupcake was still there.. AND IT WAS!! I was really, honestly so happy that they were cool enough to put it back in the display case in the box, you just have no idea. It was totally cool of them! So, I decided to be cool back and get another cupcake to share with the kid later. So in addition to my carrot cake cupcake I got a Samoa cupcake.. Oh yeah! chocolate, toasted coconut with a caramel center.. {Drool!}

ok, the pic isn't great.. I'll try again when I go to lunch to get a better pic with my cell.. but the fluorescent office lighting doesn't help, lol..

Mmm.. Cuppycakes!


(yea, I need to redo this pic later, it's bad!)

Café Mo'Jo

I had to run out today at lunchtime.. I HAD to get gas or there was gonna be trouble. Now, I very, very rarely take a lunch hour and even more rare do I have to drive anywhere.. But this was a biggie since it was creeping too close to Empty and I am not too fond of it being dark by the time I get home now (Farking daylight savings) but anyway..

I decided to stop at this little teeny place on the corner that I’d been to about 2 years ago with The Kid when he was off during the summer and lunch break is mandatory. Well.. This little place has made themselves known, that’s for sure! Café Mo’Jo in Mineola, NY is what looks to be a little converted garage on the corner of Mineola Boulevard and 2nd street down by the train station in Mineola, NY. This place is funky and cool without being overwhelming or “too much”. The tables are wooden and are so cool that I wish I could grab one for my apartment! They are scattered with change and postcards that are lacquered over like an old Gymnasium floor with the lacquer dripping down the sides as it dried.. It’s just, well. It’s very unique and I like it! They have a few coin operated old school arcade games scattered around (although I’m not sure if they work or not) 2 comfy leather sofas in the back along with a sign that says “please act appropriately’ I really loved that one!

The lighting is dim, but it’s got a very relaxed atmosphere and an absolutely impressive menu! I went there today seeking French Toast and boy was I in for a treat! I got 2 thick slices Challa bread cut into 4 triangles that were perfectly flavored and cooked topped with powdered sugar with a big helping of granny smith apple chunks and honeydew melon on the side and a nice container of syrup. It was Perfect! It was So good even, that I ate 3 pieces and saved the last for The Kid. Since it was already almost 12:30 when I got there instead of coffee I decided on a cup of hot chocolate.. And WOW.. It’s REAL hot chocolate.. Not anything that comes from a packet.. This is the stuff that I make at home with Hershey’s coco, sugar and milk.. It was FANTASTIC!.

To make this place even better.. THEY HAVE CUPCAKES!! I got a carrot cake cupcake (then like a dummy I left it on the table when I went to grab my lunch and leave, but miraculously it was still there when I got to the office and realized I was missing something and called) Good peeps there, they said they would hang onto it until I could get back after work.. Sweet! The guy behind the counter told me they usually have Red Velvet cupcakes (which, I have never tried, but will soon!) But the carrot one caught my eye today.

All in all, I’m impressed, I liked them 2 years ago and I really love them now! They have a great menu, great people working there and the service is pretty fast even during the lunch rush.. And did I mention the portions are HUGE? Best of all.. The price is right! I got 1 cupcake, an order of French toast and a small hot chocolate for $10.65. Everything was fresh and delicious and now I just have to find out if they deliver because I will be getting lunch there again soon, I just don’t always have a chance to run out and go that far.

Here's their info.. If you're in the area.. Stop on bye =o)
Café Mo'Jo

95 Mineola Blvd
Mineola, NY 11501

(516) 294-0714

The Atom cake project

'
Thursday night my kid says to me "Hey mom, I have an extra credit science project to do..."

I’m pretty sure any mom reading this knows what comes next... so I asked my kid “well, when is it due?” Um... November 3rd. That’s Tuesday! Arrgh! So, what’s this project about? “Atoms” ok, so what are you going to make this atom of? “Well, I told the teacher that I was going to make it out of cake and share it with the class” Oh, so loosely translated this means that mom has to bake the cake and put some icing on it and then he will decorate it as the atom of his choice. *sigh*

Science is 4th period, which means it’s 10:07-10:50 so I figured ok, I have some super ripe bananas and I was going to make banana bread anyway, so lets make a banana cake.. At least it’s kinda healthy-ish for that early in the morning.. Banana is fruit after all, right? (LOL. Like the 13 year olds really care)

So I collect all my ingredients and I realize I’m short on sugar, I have 1½ cups and need 2½ cups grr.. Fine, there’s a bag of ‘splenda for baking’ in the cabinet so I use a cup of that to make up for the rest of the sugar... that was my big mistake, my total downfall in this cake making process. Now, I should have known better.. I’ve made this mistake before with the lemon bars but the result was not this... um... disastrous, at least those were edible... these.. Um, notsomuch really.. More of hockey pucks. They were dense and chewy at the same time, yet I’m sure had I tossed one on the floor it would have bounced.

This is the recipe:

Banana Cupcakes
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/8 cups canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1 1/2 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard sized muffin pan with muffin liners or spray with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients. Mix until just blended.Fill muffin cups a little more than 3/4 full. Bake for about 20 - 24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely.

The failed batch..they baked for almost 40 minutes because after 25 minutes they were.. GLUEY and then the cupcakes stuck miserably to the paper cups.. I had greased the aluminum pan with Crisco and so it slid right into the trash can with ease *sigh* maybe I should have tossed it out to feed to the birds.. but then again.. I don't think they would have eaten it either.

Ok, so good thing I decided to do this Sunday night when the project is due on Tuesday.. I was leaving time for the cake to rest and cool so that it could be decorated as an atom today.. But no, that wasn’t going to happen with that frisbee.. So off to the grocery store I went on my way home tonight to get more bananas and another bag of sugar and there we went again.

The result...

Moist and fluffy and perfect.

This recipe makes a TON, I made a 9" round cake and 12 cupcakes (this recipe makes 36 cupcakes!)

Cake is cooling now and it will be iced & decorated later by the kid and I'll get a pic before it goes off to school tomorrow :)

Update!

The finished cake:

(BTW, it's a Potassium Atom)

Finished cake = kids report & presentation =90%
Sweet!

Wanna win some Domo Stuff?

Front
Back

I'm giving away a set of 3 exclusive Domo slurpee cups from 7-Eleven (no, they haven't had Slurpee inside them, they're all fresh & clean)


Why, you might ask, Am I giving away Domo cups?

Well.. I'm a dork, yea yea.. whatever. I think Domo is kinda cute, he's totally funny and I know that not every 7-Eleven is carrying this limited edition Domo stuff (it took me 3 tries to get some of this stuff!) so I'm Sharing my good fortune to have been able to find this Domo stuff in the first place.

I've got a Domo on my dashboard, in a Luchador mask & cape he looks like he's flying (like I said, I'm a dork and I'm not ashamed to admit it)

How do you win these cups?

Well, it's pretty easy really, just answer all the questions correctly and I'll use the Amazing Blanche at Random.org to pick a winner on November 1st

The questions aren't that hard.. it's all in good fun

1. What Year was Domo created?
2. What is Domo?
3. Who does Domo live with?
4. What is Domo’s least favorite food?
5. What kids network shows Domo shorts?
   

That's it. Contest ends at Midnight on 10/31 and sometime on Sunday 11/1 I will choose a winner.

If you follow me on twitter, chances are you'll get an extra goodie thrown into the box with your cups too :)

Good luck!

Coffee, Coffee.. I need my coffee.

Alright Guys, I need some good advise here. I’ve been totally faithful to my Senseo but my senseo died on me Sunday.. Actually.. It didn’t even die, but that sucker BROKE. The plastic latch at the top that snaps down just snapped right off and water came spilling all over my kitchen counter. So now I’m on the hunt for a new Coffee maker.. But I have about 150 Senseo pods at home since I have them on auto ship with Amazon (because it was absolutely impossible to find the Senseo Cappuccino in stores and when I did they were $5+ per bag.. INSANE!) I don’t know of many other Pod brewers other than the Tassimo, but I’m open to Suggestions since there don’t seem to be any Senseo’s out there for sale since the Recall a few months back (mine wasn’t one, but damn do I wish it was.. Although from what I’ve read many people still haven’t gotten their replacement machines yet)

All suggestions are appreciated. I’m even open to trying one out for a review here. I hear Keurig’s are great.. But I just can’t plunk down $150+ for a coffee machine when I’m pretty much the only one who drinks it every day (and 2-3 cups on the weekend). I like the idea of pre measured coffee, because it takes the guesswork out of it all and I make really gross coffee otherwise, ROFL!!

Thanks guys!
Ash~

It's getting to be that time of year again...

It's getting to be that time of year again... time to bust your butt to find the perfect gift. Whether it's just for that special someone, the kiddo's or you go all out and try to get something for everyone (even on the tightest budget I try to get a little something for everyone).

Now, I'm not a girl like all the others.. I HATE TO SHOP! I don't like lines or messy stores, I hate getting all the way there only to find they don't have the thing I went there for, I can't stand dealing with cranky customers or nasty store employees, I get enough of that during my 9-5, thank you very much.

I did 100% of my shopping online last year. I came home every night to another box or 2 full of goodies that I ordered online. I got something for everyone and quite a few things for the kid and stayed well within the budget that I had set for myself. How did I do this you might ask, well I'm a sleuth. I shop around online for the best deal and then I look for a coupon or a code to use for either dollars or a percent off and if I can get free shipping on top of that it makes the deal even sweeter!

I look around online and I post all the great deals and bargains I find at Smoking Hot Deals. There you can find some of the best coupon codes, bargains, freebies and there's much more to the site than shopping. You can sign up and chat with us in the off topic forum, find recipes, enter online contests & sweepstakes, print out in store coupons and find rebates on products you use every day. I've been doing this for years.. It's a great community of people and I can't even begin to tell you of some of the amazing deals that I've gotten that I would have never even found without Smoking Hot Deals, from Free blankets to practically free orders.. It's amazing the things you can get with just a little help.. And in this economy, you need all the help you can get, and all the better when you can get great gifts for everyone on your list and still keep money in your pocket.

3 minute Cocoa

I Love, I mean, absolutely LOVE hot chocolate.

But don't bring me a packet of some store bought stuff..

Just hand me the canister of sugar and the Hershey's cocoa powder.. oh yea.. and the milk.. NEVER water.. never, never EVER.

The weather's getting colder here in NY.. I'm not happy about it since we barely had a summer this year, but the one good thing is sitting and enjoying a cup of hot cocoa at night before bed.



This is the recipe I use:

Hot cocoa for one

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cocoa
1 dash salt
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1 Add sugar, cocoa and salt into a large cup.

2 Heat milk in microwave on high for 1 minute or until hot.

3 Pour milk into cocoa mixture; stir.

4 Stir in vanilla.

I like to add a little dash of cinnamon into it for a little kick too.. just be careful not to leave your cup alone for long.. I sat mine down.. and half of it was mysteriously gone