Delightful Thanksgiving Delights

In spirit of Thanksgiving (and procrastinating on studying)...
Today's entry will help you prepare for one of the many, many desserts that will be on the Thanksgiving Dinner Table. --CAN'T WAIT!!

Crisp Apple Pie with a Deen Twist

- 2 9-inch pie crust (refrigerated)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Dash salt
- 2 cups, granny smith apples, sliced
- 2 cups, gold delicious, sliced
- 1 (8-ounce) jar applesauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons butter, chopped into small pieces

Top:
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- Dash salt
- 2 tablespoon butter, at room temperature

Finish with: 
- Vanilla ice cream

Preheat your oven to 425F
Line your 9-inch pie pan with one of the crusts.
Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Stir in apples, applesauce, and lemon juice. Spoon apple mixture into pie pan and spread the diced butter on top.

Cut the other pie crust into strips. Arrange in a lattice design over the top of the pie.

For the extra crunch top...
Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cut the butter into the mixture (with a form) until it gets crumbly. Sprinkle over top of the crust.

Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F.
Continue to bake for about 45 minutes or until crust and topic are golden brown.
**Note: If you'd like to reduce the amount of mess, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and put it under the pie in case the apple sauce boils over.

Let it cool for 1.5 to 2 hours. Serve with desired amount of vanilla ice cream. (I like A LOT).

Confession: When I was prepping for my pie, I realized, I forgot to get a pie pan, so I ended up using a casserole dish. Still worked out well! For the second time around (I had extra pie dough, so I made mini apple pies.)

Boyfriend named it "one of the best apple pies he's ever had." WHAT A COMPLIMENT! =) Thank you! Enjoy! And, Happy Thanksgiving!!

Confession: A week and four days later, I realized, I forgot to put a confession!!! That should be my confession, but another that I'd like to share. When I was making the mini apple pies along with the medium one, everything was so hectic. Then, my boyfriend called. We talked and then without thinking, I hang up and put my cellphone on the stove top. Minutes later, I realize, grab my phone and it is BURNING. I can barely hold my phone. I put it down (more like toss it down) and then try to see if it works. It's off. I freak out. Take off my cover. My phone on the back was melted. I will take a photo and upload. Anyway, I ended up plugging it into my charger after the battery cooled a bit and then it started working again. Since then, it's been okay. YAY! 

Save the world, Save the food!

Between school, work, and friends, I find myself eating out a lot or grabbing a bite on the go. At the same time, I still have food at home from a. baking b. breakfast c. days that I decide I should make home at dinner and save money!!

Here are some tips for you!!

15 Tricks for Keeping Food Fresh Longer
These helpful hints will help you cut costs and the grocery store by keeping your food fresher longer than ever.
Posted By Country Living, Thu, 14 Oct 3:38 PM


1. If you're unsure of an egg's freshness, see how it behaves in a cup of water: Fresh eggs sink; bad ones float.


2. Don't throw away sparkling wine or champagne that's gone flat. Restore the bubble by dropping a raisin or two into the bottle. The natural sugars will work magic.


3. Line the bottom of your refrigerator's crisper drawer with paper towels. They'll absorb the excess moisture that causes veggies to rot.


4. A bay leaf slipped into a container of flour, pasta, or rice will help repel bugs.


5. Stop cheese from drying out by spreading butter or margarine on the cut sides to seal in moisture. This is most effective with hard cheeses sealed in wax.


6. When radishes, celery, or carrots have lost their crunch, simply pop them in a bowl of iced water along with a slice of raw potato and watch the limp vegetables freshen up right before your eyes


7. Believe it or not, honey is the only nonperishable food substance, so don't get rid of the stuff if it crystallizes or becomes cloudy. Microwave on medium heat, in 30-second increment, to make honey clear again.


8. In order to make cottage cheese or sour cream last longer, place the container upside down in the fridge. Inverting the tub creates a vacuum that inhibits the growth of bacteria that causes food to spoil.


9. Prevent extra cooked pasta from hardening by stashing it in a sealed plastic bag and refrigerating. When you're ready to serve, throw the pasta in boiling water for a few seconds to heat and restore moisture.


10. You can freeze cheese! After serving, put leftovers back in the original package, wrap tightly in plastic, and freeze. Defrost in the fridge a day before serving. This trick works best for soft cheeses with a high fat content.


11. Prevent mushrooms from getting slimy by wrapping them in paper towels before refrigerating.


12. To revive day-old muffins, sprinkle them with water, place in a paper bag, and pop in a hot oven for five to 10 minutes. The steam created by the water will restore moisture.


13. Keeping brown sugar in the freezer will stop it from hardening. But if you already have hardened sugar on your shelf, soften it by sealing in a bag with a slice of fresh bread or an apple -- or by microwaving on high for 30 seconds.


14. Stock up on butter when it's on sale — you can store it in the freezer for up to six months. Pack the butter in an airtight container, so it doesn't take on the flavor of whatever else you're freezing.


15. Avoid separating bananas until you plan to eat them — they spoil less quickly in a bunch.


Confession: Some of these tips are truly excellent ideas. Whether they work or not...I'm not sure!! Speaking of food, the other day, I watched Super Size Me for the millionth time (in class), and I actually started to crave a burger. Ugh, what does that say about me? Hahaha

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

I realized that I've been cooking at home a lot recently...

Today, I wanted to go on a date, but I wasn't craving anything. I literally surfed the web for three hours looking for a restaurant. My goal was to find something "fun." I feel like I'm bored of the typical Italian restaurant date. Don't get me wrong, I love it...but I was craving "fun"

My options ended up to be Korean BBQ, Brazilian BBQ, or Indian.

I've never had Brazilian BBQ before, so that's my next goal. For tonight, I ended up going to Indian because my boyfriend doesn't like it...and I HAD to change his mind. Yes, he likes it now. =)

I must say though...I like cooking at home. Come back to check out the recipes!!

Today's recipe...
It's a great afternoon snack. Great lunch. Great...overall!

Pizzguette (That's meant to be a combo between "Pizza" and "Baguette")
- 1 baguette
- Any spaghetti sauce you have handy
- Toppings: olives, jalapenos, orange peppers, red peppers, onions, pepperoni, american cheese
- Shredded Cheese (I used Four Cheese Mexican Mix)

Preheat your oven to 350F
Cut the baguette longways. Spread a thick layer of spaghetti sauce on both slides. Add your toppings. Above are the toppings I used. Worked out well. Top with shredded cheese. Put it in the oven for 15min to 20min.

Serves 3-4.

Confession: My recipes come from the typical college-student fridge. I try my best to be creative and use whatever I have in the fridge. I actually used all the toppings for my Mexican night. These were the leftovers. Another time, I got fresh american cheese slices and they were getting old, so I threw them on as well. Finally, with all these ingredients, you can also use it for future meals. Spaghetti sauce can be used for pasta night. Along with the toppings. Shredded cheese can be used everyday! I use the four cheese mexican mix because I usually buy a large bag and it's multi-use! Welcome to college life slash budgeting! How good of me...!!

Sad, Sad News

British chef and author Nigella Lawson once said, "[Chocolate] gives [people] a feeling that's meant to be comparable to the feeling you get when you fall in love...It's like giddiness, feeling of excitement, feeling of attraction. So, in other words -- perhaps without knowing it -- we're giving people a love drug"

Not that I am a huuuge chocolate lover, but I know a lot of them. Sometimes, yes, it is a problem.

However, we have one, large problem facing us in the next 20 years.

Apparently...we are running out of chocolate. Well, we're actually running out of the main ingredient of what makes chocolate -- cocoa. We are consuming at a faster rate than we are producing. According to AOL News, cocoa is a labour and time consuming crop.

What does that mean for us?
Does that mean less happy people?

Discovery Health has concluded that

"Chocolate does, indeed, contain several compounds that have been shown to act on the brain in myriad ways, and most of them induce pleasure. It's also long been believed that chocolate, which is processed from the cocoa plant and is found growing in such far-flung areas of the world as Malaysia, Ghana and Guatemala, bestows heightened feelings of sexuality upon the eater. This would make chocolate an aphrodisiac, a notion that the Aztec ruler Montezuma reportedly bought into. He's said to have drunk goblets full of a chocolate drink called xocolatl ("bitter water") to provide stamina for his sexual conquests"

John Mason, executive director of the Ghana-based Nature Conservation Research Council, claimed that chocolate will be like caviar in 20 years, "It will become so rare and so expensive that the average Joe just won't be able to afford it."

Confession: As I'm writing this entry, I'm eating a Hershey's Cookie 'n' Creme bar. HAVE YOU TRIED IT? Quite delicious. Courtesy of my friend: Laura Schiraldi.

Boo!

Excellent for days following Halloween...

Everyone...

May I present to you...

BOO!

What a cutie. Seriously. 

I've been wanting a little puppy, but I'd feel like I'm cheating on my baby at home. 

Chere, currently lives with my family in Beijing.

Little baby Chere is too cute. I had to put more than one photo up. 

Her secret (and only) talent: standing on her two back legs for an abnormally long time. Of course, this must have a treat involved. 

Confession: I ALMOST thought Boo was cuter, then I saw Chere on Skype....

Nope, Chere is still my little baby <3

Bye-bye Halloween, Heeeello Thanksgiving!!

Sad, sad news.
I threw my pumpkin out today. I lift the cap for fun...only to find mold!!! Gross!!!

I'm glad I got a couple snapshots before it got all moldy.

That's my beginning and after shots! Can you see what it is? 

Hint...

Imagine a face.

Need another hint?

Open mouth. Screaming. 

STILL one more?! 

Hands on cheeks. 

You must've guessed it by now!! 

It was called "Mourning." Now that I think about it, kind of depressing. I found it in my pumpkin carving toolkit. 

I carved this on Halloween. The day after, I was over it. We're all about working with the pumpkin now! For sure, I'll be making pumpkin pie! CAN'T WAIT! 

Of course, while carving the pumpkin, I couldn't waste it! I had the urge to do something with the insides...so I decided to roast the pumpkin seeds. 

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
- 2 teaspoons melted butter
- A generous dash of salt
- Any optional spices such as garlic powder, cayenne pepper, cajun seasoning!

Preheat oven to 300F.
Mix melted butter and salt with about 1.5 cup of pumpkin seeds.
Add any spices.
Spread pumpkin seeds in a single layer onto a baking sheet.
Bake for about 45 minutes stirring occasionally.

Voila! Great snack!

Confession: I didn't put any additional spices, and it didn't taste very great. I wish I had tried cinnamon and sugar! 


Let me know how it goes! 

Prom Dress, Anyone?

Of course, there must be a Halloween edition!
Food, food will be returning soon! I've been very inspired recently.

However...I'm sitting in my Advertising and Promotional class when we started talking about consumerism and prom. Someone brought up Duct Tape prom dresses. WHAT????

Never heard of this!!! NEW TO ME!!! Check it out below (or here)

2010 Winner

Runner-up

I love the detail on this one

Then I came across some other interesting dresses...

Dress made out of condoms

And finally...

Dress made out of diapers

Hahaha this has been very interesting. I'm very impressed with all their hard work and creativity. 

Confession: I would still like my magical, gorgeous prom dress. Just like how I would love that magical, gorgeous wedding dress. Yes, advertisement is my life story. They have shaped me. Ruh oh...

How do these values become so strong? How does advertisement shape this? This is like the engagement ring. We expect a large diamond ring. Think about it.