Favorite Pancakes

I bet every single one of you has a favorite pancake; you know what I'm talking about?... Either it was the time you went out for breakfast and you were absolutely STARVING and demolished a whole stack of pancakes; or maybe you still have those pancakes in mind that your grandmother used to make you when you were little.  Whatever the case, pancakes are next in line to eggs for the top spot on the breakfast food's list!

This is one of my favorite traditional pancake recipes; No weird ingredients are required, they are simple and quick; and pretty good too!  Give them a try and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 beaten egg

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Mix all of the ingredients together!

2. Cook in a hot, greased pan or pancake griddle as you would with any other pancake recipe!

3. Enjoy!

As I said, simple!  When I make myself pancakes, I like to add chocolate chips or blueberries in mine!  Sometimes I even add both together!  Who wouldn't want to start their day out with chocolate!?

Bon appetit!    

(As you can tell, there is a big blueberry right in the center!)

Chocolate Ganache Cake

It's cake time again!!! This cake is perfect for all the people in your life who LOVE super sweet treats!  If you're looking for something over-the-top with a high sweet intensity you have come to the right place!  Although the outside of my cake may not have looked as pristine as I would have liked it to; I assure you, it was delicious!

Cake Ingredients:
3 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
3 eggs
2 2/3 cup flour
2 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoons of vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup of milk
1 1/2 cup of water
1 1/8 cup cocoa powder

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Oil and flour 3 10 inch round cake pans (or line them with parchment paper) and set aside.
2. With an electric mixer combine brown sugar and oil.  Turn the mixer onto a low speed and gradually add the eggs.  Let the mixture continue to beat while you mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.  Set the flour mixture aside.
3. Place cocoa powder into another separate bowl.  Bring the 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil.  Once water is boiling, pour the water over the cocoa powder and whisk together until smooth.
4. To the oil and egg mixture, mix in the flour mixture as well as the milk and vanilla; alternating the milk with the flour mixture.  Once all of the flour mixture, the milk, and the vanilla is added; Set the mixer to low and slowly pour in the cocoa and water combination.
5. Pour the finished batter into the three pans evenly.  Make sure that you have coated the pans with enough flour or parchment paper so they do not stick when trying to remove the cakes after baking.
6. Place the cake batter filled pans into the oven and bake for about 28 to 35 minutes; or until toothpick comes out clean.
7.  Take cakes out of the oven and allow to cool for about ten to fifteen minutes before trying to remove from the pan.

Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients: 
3 cups of confectioner's sugar
1 cup butter (softened)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon butter extract
1 to 2 tablespoon heavy whipping cream

1. Blend together sugar and butter.
2. Add the vanilla, butter extract, and whipping cream.
3. Taste test to make sure the flavor has an equal amount of sugar to butter.  The original recipe that I used did not call for butter extract; but I noticed that a lot of the buttercream frosting recipes tend to have too strong of a sugar flavor, so I tweaked it a little... Ha. Of course.  It all depends on how you want your frosting to taste.

Ganache Glaze

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup of semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 tablespoon light corn syrup
3/4 cup heavy cream

1. In a bowl combine the chocolate chips and light corn syrup.
2. Bring heavy cream to a boil.  Once boiling, pour over top of the chocolate chips and corn syrup.  Stir until chips are melted and the mixture is smooth.


Assembly:

The assembly of the cake is pretty simple.  Simply layer the cakes with frosting in between each layer.  Cake 1, frosting, cake 2, frosting, cake 3, frosting.  Once the three cakes are stacked on top of each other; frost the entire cake with the buttercream frosting.  Place in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to chill.  Once chilled, bring the cake back out and pour the Ganache glaze over the top.  Allow to run down the sides and either spread over the entire cake, or simply allow to run over the sides. Let sit about 10 minutes to allow the Ganache get a bit cooled down and settled.  Cut, serve and enjoy!

                      

I did make two mistakes when I made this cake that I realize were pretty dumb! Haha... First off, I did not allow the cakes to cool completely before frosting them (I was in a bit of a hurry); Cakes take patience; I'm just a fast mover!
Secondly, I did not allow the Ganache to cool down a bit before I poured it over the cake; which caused the frosting to melt a bit; ending with the cake looking sloppy.

Although the cake does not look the best or the most beautiful; it tasted great!  As I mentioned before, it was very sweet!  A little goes a long way!  Next time I make the cake I may try just 1 layer instead of 2; to make the recipe and cook time a little more quick.  I will also frost it better with the buttercream and then just allow the Ganache to run over the cake instead of trying to spread it out.  This cake does take some time to make; and patience is a virtue that I obviously need to work  on when it comes to baking!
Good luck!

The Perks of Summer

One of my favorite things about summer is all the fresh fruits and vegetables that are available!!  I love eating fruit with every meal during the summer as well as making delicious dips and appetizers with veggies!  There is nothing like getting fresh fruit or vegetables from where you live!
Last year when I was in Guatemala I was introduced to so many different types of fruits and vegetables that I never knew existed!  I ate so healthy and fresh while I was in Guatemala that it made me re-think my own diet!  I now try to add some kind of fruit or vegetable with every meal; it's refreshing!

So the other day I decided to make some fresh chunky salsa!  I picked out my fresh ingredients and decided to just throw some things together to see what I could come up with (experimentation at its finest).  I grabbed 3 tomatoes, about 1/3 of an onion, 2 serrano peppers, 6 avocados, 2 tablespoons lime juice, and some salt for added flavor.  I chopped everything up and threw it all into a bowl!  I wasn't sure if I would need more of certain ingredients, so I bought a bit extra; and the only thing that I used that was not fresh was the lime juice!

            

 My mixture came out looking like this!  I was so pleased with the freshness and colors and was even more excited to try it!  To my delight, it tasted delicious! I was also able to eat it for about 3 days after I made it.  Although it tasted best when it was fresh, it kept in the refrigerator for about 3 days because of the lime juice.

The good thing about this chunky salsa is that it is great by itself with chips, or you can pair it up with either a hamburger, some chicken or even put it on a sandwich!  It is so cool and refreshing and makes the perfect summer snack or meal!  I paired mine with a beef patty for lunch; it made a great summer meal!... The perks of summer!

Guaca Maya Mexican Restaurant

Hola! Como estas?!  As you have probably noticed, I LOVE Mexican food... Actually, not just food, anything Mexican for that matter! Anyways, I was able to try out Guaca Maya Restaurant about a year ago; and since then, I have been back multiple times!  When I first pulled up to the restaurant I was shocked at just how big the building was from the outside!
When I walked in I realized that it was not only a restaurant, but also a place that groups come and perform and play music!  Usually their events only occur on the weekends, but if you check out the website (link posted at the bottom) there is a full schedule of events available.

The food itself is really good!  If you visit I would highly recommend the guacamole!  They have some of the best guacamole I have tried in the Omaha area; Not too chunky, not too oniony (yes, "oniony" is a word)... Just right!
Most of the time I order a taco, enchilada or burrito, and they have been good as well; But I may try something different next time I visit.  They also have a buffet available at some times, but I have never eaten off the buffet, only ordered specific dishes.

Let's get to the rating:

Cost: The good thing about Guaca Maya is that you can go and just order a taco or two, or you can order a whole meal.  I would expect on paying about $10.00 per person for a full meal; unless you plan on getting a specialty item.
Care: Great service! The staff was really knowledgeable about the food and they were extremely friendly!
Cleanliness: Very clean! Nothing out of the ordinary in this category!
Atmosphere: The cool thing about Guaca Maya is that it is such a different restaurant!  The place is huge!  It's a very open building, I could imagine that if there were a lot of people there it would be very noisy.  But whenever I have gone (lunchtime) it has been very pleasant.

Overall I would give Guaca Maya Mexican Restaurant a 9 out of 10 rating.  The only reason why I would dock Guaca Maya points is because of their menu.  Their menu is a little difficult to read and it is very large; making picking a meal a little difficult.
I would have no problem bringing children to this restaurant.  It is very family friendly; although I would double check before going on a weekend night since they may be hosting events.
Here is the link to the restaurant's website if you would like to check out their menu or learn more about the restaurant:

http://www.guaca-maya.com/index.html

I hope you get to try this restaurant out, it's very good and has a great atmosphere!  Here is the address and the phone number if you would like to try it out!  Enjoy!

5002 South 33rd Street

Omaha, NE 68107

402-733-3440

1,000 Views!!!

Happy 1,000 views to my blog!!! I'm so excited that I have finally hit the 1,000 view mark on my blog and I hope that it continues to grow!! Come take a look around and enter your e-mail address on the side to get the latest updates when something new comes along!
Thanks for reading, and as always, try something new and delicious!
=)

Oatmeal Cinnamon Cookies

So who likes cookies?? And who likes cinnamon??? I DO! This is one of my favorite cookie recipes to make and chow down when I'm in the mood for something sweet and cinnamony; yes, "cinnamony" is a word!  There is only one problem that I have had in the past when I want to make this recipe... Sometimes it is impossible to find the cinnamon chips!! I found them first around Christmas time a few years ago.  I made the cookies with the chips at the time and didn't think that the cinnamon chips would be unavailable after the holidays were over.  WRONG!  I searched and searched to find them again after that year and finally came across them at a local grocery store... I bought 5 bags when I finally found them!

SO, moral of the story: you may or may not have a hard time finding these cinnamon chips where you live!  But if you do find them, this is the recipe for you!

Ingredients:
1 cup of butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cups of quick cooking oats
10 ounce package (1 2/3 cup) of cinnamon chips

1. Cream together the butter, brown and white sugar, eggs and vanilla with an electric mixer or by hand.
2.  Add the flour and baking soda slowly until well mixed with the other ingredients.
3. Mix in oats until well-mixed.
4. Stir in cinnamon chips by hand to the mixture so the chips do not get broken up.
5. Lightly spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.  Drop spoonfuls of the cookie dough onto the cookie sheet (about 1 inch in diameter).  Do not press down the mounds, they will flatten all by themselves!
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit and bake for about 10 minutes or until edges are slightly browned.
7. Note that the cookies will flatten out considerably after taking them out of the oven.  With these cookies I like to leave them on the pan for about 1 to 2 minutes after taking them out of the oven to finish their baking process.
8. Enjoy!

 ** If you would like to add something to these cookies, whether for appearance or a little added flavor, try drizzling with white chocolate after they have cooled!  The white chocolate tones down the cinnamon but leaves the cookie looking a little more top-notch!

**Also note that the pictures you see of the cookie dough are of a double batch.  This recipe makes about 30 cookies, depending on how large you make them.

Completed cookies!

Major Meringue Mess

Well, here it is guys... The first MAJOR FAIL on my cooking blog!  Let me just say this first; I am not a dessert pro by any means; and now I am more convinced that I should just stick with main dishes! Ha.  Sooooo... My original plan was to make a custard with a meringue top drizzled with caramel.  Sounds good right?? I thought so too, HA. Anyways... I have made custard before, and I had never ever had it come out lumpy until today, go figure.  But it came out lumpy... I tried whisking it really fast to get them out, but the custard just kept get more and more chunky lumpy.

Since I already had my egg whites all divided up by this point I decided to go forth with the meringue... BAD choice!  I have never made meringue before but I knew that it may require some skill... Little did I know just how much skill!  I beat the egg whites, sugar and vanilla until stiff just as the recipe said; But when the time came for me to drop spoonfuls of it into the boiling water, they just wouldn't work! GRRR.... Now, I thought  meringue was supposed to be very firm and a tad bit crunchy; let's just say they came out slimy and floppy, like a pancake (minus the slimy part).

So I'm blaming the weather.  Yes, the weather.  I had to blame something or someone, and since I was the only one present, I had to pick something.  So how about that weather today guys? It's not very nice that's for sure!

If any of ya'll have any suggestions or comments about making meringue, I would love to hear from you!  I will attempt it again sometime... I just have to regain my composure first!
I'm going to get a milkshake...

Cinco de mayo

Adventure time!!!
NO, Cinco de mayo is not the "mexican independence day" nor is it a version of any other large holiday commonly celebrated in the US.  Cinco de mayo is a celebration similar to our version of St. Patrick's Day.  Although it does celebrate a battle won in 1862 (the battle of publa); It is NOT, and I repeat, NOT an independence day!
Now that we have that straightened out, I think it is safe to say that cinco de mayo is celebrated all over the US and is very popular in places like Los Angeles.  I however, do not reside in Los Angeles but decided to attend the cinco de mayo festival in Omaha!  I was super excited to go because I knew that they would have some awesome food and it was something different to do!  Although the weather was a little gloomy, lots of people still came out to enjoy the festivities!
The main street that the booths were set up on was 24th street in Omaha.  I have driven by and on 24th street quite a few times, but had never stopped to see what kind of shops and restaurants are on the street.  Although the taco trucks are usually not there all the time, it was still fun trying them out!  I ate SO much food on cinco de mayo and loved every bit of it!  I was very pleased that some of the foods resembled what I had in Mexico when I was there in 2010!
Here's a few pictures of the foods that I tried; there are plenty of others that I did not get pictures of because I was too busy chowing down.

I know the food looks good right!? You should have been there to taste it!!  They had tortas, enchiladas, tacos al pastor, quesadillas... and mangos on a stick!  They also had the infamous corn cob on a stick with the mayo and chili powder (which I do not eat).   

Well, that was my adventure for the day!  When cinco de mayo comes back around I will definitely be going out again just for the food!  

Comida increible!

Espana: Tapas Bar Paella Sangria

So, it's raining/snowing... It's MAY! The April showers are supposed to be done now! C'mon!... Well, as I sit here gritting my teeth about the weather, I thought it would be the perfect time to tell you about something to enjoy indoors!
When I got back from my trip to Guatemala about a year ago (wow!), my friends from the Guatemala trip and I decided to go out one night. One of the people from the trip suggested that we try this restaurant; a Spanish restaurant. As far as I know, this is the only/closest you can get to Spain in Nebraska!

Epaña Restuarant is a nice, small restaurant/bar located on Maple street in Benson; It's on the same street as the Waiting Room (if you're familiar with that area of town). When I walked into the restaurant I was surprised at how small it was; which is not a bad thing. The decor is very nice with paintings hung around the room.
I had never been to a restaurant where they served Tapas before; so I was a little confused on how to order at the restaurant. BUT for your information, I found out what Tapas are; they are basically small versions of meals... Mini meals! You order a bunch of different Tapas so that you can try a bunch of different items! If you were in Spain, the Tapas may be ordered with a drink and may vary based on region. At this restaurant in particular, they have special Tapas days where you buy a certain amount of them, and then you get some free!

When the Tapas arrived I was very interested in seeing what they looked like and how they were served. To my surprise, they come served on plates placed on a semi-tall fixture-type thing.... I don't know if this is how they actually serve them in Spain, but it was very interesting. Although I did not order a one-dish meal; the mini-meals filled me up completely! It was also nice because the table was able to sample a bunch of different foods instead of everyone just ordering one dish. Here's my rating on España restaurant:

Care: Great! Nothing to complain about in this department! The waitress was very friendly!
Cost: A little pricey; but it is something unique and different that is well-worth the money! I would plan on spending about $20 per person if you want to try a bunch of different things.
Cleanliness: Very clean! A very nice restaurant overall.
Atmosphere: Very nice setting; I don't know what it's like in Spain, but if it was like the restaurant, I can't wait to visit someday!

Overall, the restaurant was very nice! I would not recommend bringing children to the restaurant; I would definitely consider this a "girls night out" or "date-night" place to go. Although, I think there was a table that had children and they did just fine, it just might get a little pricey.
I also found out that it may be best to make reservations if you decide to go on a weekend night, luckily we went there during the week and did not have a problem being seated.
All in all, this was a great restaurant to visit and I would definitely go back sometime! I am an adventurous eater so the menu was very intriguing to me as they had a lot of different items to choose from!
The good thing about this restaurant is that they have a GREAT website to visit! Check it out and take a look through their photo gallery as well! Here is the website and the address of the restaurant if you would like to check it out yourself! Enjoy!

6064 Maple St.

Omaha, NE 68104

Phone: 402-505-9917

http://www.espanaomaha.com/