Super Speak » Cooking

Edible Footballs Make Watching The Super Bowl Much Better

Robyn — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:22:15 +0000

I am not a huge NFL fan, and as a result I see about 27 minutes of football all season long. One game where I make an exception is for the Super Bowl. This is mainly because of the great food, great (and sometimes not so great) commercials, and for the socializing. And since we are regulars at the University of Utah’s football games, I know enough about the game to not embarrass Mr. S. In fact, most of the time I come off as the smartest, non-fan in the room.Loving a good party as much as I do, and knowing how much I love to see a theme carried out, I decided to make these fancy Rice Krispie treats. I was especially proud of the “field” I created with leftover frosting and a piece of green paper. To make your own use Cocoa Krispies instead of the regular ones, hand mold into football shape, and add frosting piping to make the stitching detail.

Bread Has Its Day

Robyn — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:24:30 +0000

Today is National Homemade Bread Day. True fact. I’m convinced there is a day for just about everything. Lucky for me I work at a place that likes to celebrate random holidays and today is no exception. So last night I made cinnamon bread to bring into the office and hopefully it will win me a prize. I like winning.

I’ve never made this bread before so naturally I had to try it before I brought it to work. I approve. And so does Mr. S. It was actually quite easy. So easy in fact that I am sharing the recipe with you. Enjoy, and don’t forget to do some baking of your own today.

Cinnamon Bread (courtesy of allrecipes.com)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons margarine

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9×5 inch loaf pan.
Measure flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, salt, buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla into large mixing bowl. Beat 3 minutes. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Smooth top.
Combine 2 tablespoons white sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and butter, mixing until crumbly. Sprinkle topping over smoothed batter. Using knife, cut in a light swirling motion to give a marbled effect.
Bake for about 50 minutes. Test with toothpick. When inserted it should come out clean. Remove bread from pan to rack to cool.

Cloudy With A Chance Of Salad Dressing

Robyn — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:41:20 +0000

Note to my beloved blog readers: It is not smart to shake the salad dressing bottle until you are certain the lid is on tight. Some lessons must be learned the hard way.

I heart Williams-Sonoma

Robyn — Mon, 25 May 2009 16:42:46 +0000

There is something about Williams-Sonoma Cookware that makes we want to be a better cook. No matter that I have no idea what three-quarters of the gadgets in that store actually do. And it’s not just the fancy tools. Even measuring cups and bowls are superior to any I have found and must find a place in my kitchen. Sure I can go to a “regular” store and find similar products, but they won’t be as durable as the silicone spatulas I got as a wedding present or come in so many different sizes and colors. I am partial to anything in red.

It is more than a store, it’s an event. Many times you can see cooking demonstrations and sample recipes from those that know the value of spending $1000 on a set of knives. But my favorite things created by the geniuses at Williams-Sonoma are the totally useless but I have to have it novelty items I can purchase. And have. Mr. S has a bit of a fetish with animal cookies. So what did he get for Christmas? Animal cracker cookie cutters and cookie mix. Can I make mashed potatoes with a hand mixer? Sure, but that takes all the fun out of using my potatoe ricer.

My latest love and must have; the cake pans that make this cookie cake. For the love, it’s a giant Oreo!

And my dad is going to be pleasantly surprised when he opens his Father’s Day gift and finds his very own monogrammed steak brand. It should make up for that time I side-swiped a parked car as a teenager. I am the best daugher ever!

Culinary Inspirations

Robyn — Mon, 25 May 2009 03:21:00 +0000

I often tell my mom that I need a wife. She usually laughs, especially now that I am one. I try to explain to her that with working full-time, teaching dance, and every other thing Matt and I seem to be busy with that there is no time to cook a decent meal on a regular basis. There are so many nights that one or both of us gets home way past dinner time and so we just scrape up whatever is quick and easy. I tell myself I will do much better on the weekend, but lack of planning ahead usually results in a less than perfect meal. This is one of the main reasons I hate grocery shopping. I write a list for a few regular purchases, but usually end up wondering, “What am I going to make?” as I wander up and down the aisles. I have great aspirations of being one of those wives and moms that plans my menu out for 1 or 2 weeks at a time and then shopping for the needed supplies. Baby steps are imperative though. I came across a great website and hopefully it will help out some. I know planning is key, but there will still be nights where that may not be possible. Enter Supercook. I still need to try it out, but the idea is to make a list of ingredients you already have in your kitchen and Supercook does the rest. It compiles recipes, from various websites, that can be made with your ingredient list. Why didn’t I think of this? It’s genius. And I’m sharing it with all of you. And if you check my sidebar you will also see a couple of other links for cooking websites/blogs that have inspired me or been recommended by others. Any others I should know about?

My parents are both wonderful cooks and I would like to think that someday my future children will say the same about me. As it stands right now, all they have to go on is chocolate chip cookies, a great recipe I found for homemade macaroni and cheese, and great tastes in restaurants. It’s a start.