Cheeseburger Cake

My sweetie just had a birthday and what other cake could I make, but a giant cheeseburger cake!  One of his favorite foods is fast food burgers, so this was the perfect cake for his birthday this year. 

50th Birthday Party Cupcakes-Part 2!

Now that the hurricane has passed, the 50th Birthday Party was rescheduled and this is what I made for the festivities:

• Irish Car Bombs
• Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
• Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
• Cannoli Cupcakes

Shrimp & Grits

What to do for dinner when you haven't been to the grocery store this week?!  What I came up with was a quick and easy shrimp & cheese grits!

Make 1 serving of quick cooking grits (be sure to salt your water generously when cooking or you will never be able to salt the grits enough when they are done!).  When they are done, stir in a pat of butter, some shredded cheddar cheese and a little parmesan.

I sauted chopped onion in a frying pan, added some chopped green peppers, salt & pepper, garlic powder and oregano.  Cook until soft.  Add a little tomato sauce and I used defrosted frozen shrimp.  Cook until shrimp are done.

Serve over grits and enjoy!

Miami....

On a recent trip to Miami, Fl with my sweetie, we tried some amazing food. 

The first place I'd like to tell you about was a BBQ restaurant my mom and dad found years ago in Ft. Lauderdale.  It was definitely lived up to the hype and the staff was so friendly, the place is clean and so nicely decorated with a very vintage feel that I loved.

It was so good, we drove back to Ft. Lauderdale before the airport to have one last meal!  I even bought 2 bottles of their original bbq sauce to bring home with me and try to recreate the experience!  If you are ever in the area, I suggest you try Tom Jenkins BBQ, you will not be disappointed.

www.tomjenkinsbbq.com

1236 South Federal Highway
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316
TEL: 954-522-5046  

               Mmmmmm good!!!!      Ribs, Corn Muffin, Baked Beans, Mac & Cheese and  Fresh Squeezed Lemonade!

The Pit!  It all looked and smelled so good!

Neil's Donuts-Aaaaamazing!

I was fortunate enough to be introduced to Neil's Donuts & Bake Shop last year.  They have amazing donuts, cookies, pastries, breakfast sandwiches, coffee and more!  This weekend my honey surprised me with a Neils breakfast sandwich (which I wish I'd gotten a photo of) and later on...a chocolate chip cookie sandwich treat!

If you are ever in the area, please stop by Neil's, they are only open certain hours/days, but it is worth the wait in line!  They offer over 30 varieties of donuts made daily :)

www.neilsdonuts.com

Neil's Donuts and Bake Shop
83 North Turnpike Rd, Wallingford, CT
Telephone 203-269-4255
Open Tue - Fri 6am-3 pm, Sat 6am-2pm, Sun 6am-1pm

Magic with Leftovers-Risotto Cakes!

With a container of leftover mushroom risotto in the fridge, I had to think of some other way to eat it, the outcome was risotto cakes.

Mix leftover risotto with:

• 1 egg
• Chopped fresh basil
• Cubed fresh mozzarella
• Salt & Pepper

Heat frying pan with a little butter and olive oil, fry patties on both sides until browned. 

Lemon Coconut Quick Bread

Another great recipe from www.farmgirlfare.com, Lemon Coconut Quick Bread!

Cheddar Dill Beer Bread

I found a great recipe at www.farmgirlfare.com for an easy beer bread.  They have a great blog with lots of wonderful recipes.   I added minced dried onion, pepper and a little garlic powder to the recipe.  I did not use organic flour, so not sure if that made the difference or if my vintage loaf pan was a little smaller than the size required. 

I think I will try this recipe again as it came out a little heavy, but was delicious left over and toasted with butter!