Foddie Friday: Foodie Heaven: Remembering Your Hometown Eateries

In the middle of May, we were lucky enough to fly back home for the start of a much needed family staycation. I say staycation because we came back to our home state and families to spend time with them before moving on to our next duty station. While in town we played the local tourist and ate our favorite local grinds. Due to the fact we were without our local favorites for 4 years, I want to share with you all the amazing eateries we have here in case you ever visit. Why would you visit ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI you might ask- because it is home to one of a few VCP locations when you ship you car! So grab a hotel room and read the following places to eat while in town. In no particular order:

Lion’s Choice: It says it right there on the cup! Best thing to eat is their original roast beef sandwich on a wheat bun with cheddar cheese and extra seasoning. I love how their cheese is not just a slice, but like nacho cheese and the seasoning is to die for. I pour it all over everything.

2. Steak n Shake: Num Num Num. Chili 5 way is the only way to go. I also enjoy their frisco burger and shakes!

3. Penn Station: Subway on crack folks. This place is awesomely good.

4. St. Louis Bread Co. aka Panera Bread: Is that, is that really…. a bacon turkey bravo?! You guessed it right! Did you know that only in the St. Louis metropolitan area and a few other cities out side St. Louis is it called the St. Louis Bread Co. Why is it not called Panera bread? For the fact that it orginated in St. Louis (well Kirkwood, Missouri). That’s right all you awesome readers, I come from the home of St. Louis Bread Co. I will blow your mind even more- I worked there for 4 years!

 

5. Imo’s Pizza: I have a little pet peeve when I order pizza. To many restaurants are confused with the real definition of what Chicago vs New York pizza is. Then when I ask for St. Louis style pizza they are totally and utterly confused. They like to tell me that St. Louis style is Chicago style. Um, no sorry. I worked at Imo’s for two years and I made the pizzas. So here is some education for you all out there in bloggy land. Chicago style is a deep dish, I don’t know and don’t care what New York is and St. Louis style is a thin crust pizza, normally with a sweeter pizza sauce cut into squares; not triangles. Try it just once. The closest we could get on the rock was ordering a thin crust Papa John’s pizza and asking to have it square cut.

So there you go folks; a little run down on some of my favorite places to eat while in town. There are several more, so if  you want to know just ask!

Foodie Friday: Sloppy Joe Pockets

In my never ending quest to make my kids get used to eating more than the five food they do, I stumbled upon another extremely easy and parent pleasing meal. All to often I am finding meals that either tailor to a parents or a kids taste pallet but never the same at once.

Kids love sloppy joes for their sloppyness. When else can kids make a mess at meal time and get away with it. But parents (and my non-typical children) hate the mere quality that most kids enjoy about sloppy joes- the mess. Sorry, but I really don’t want to be licking my fingers and have food spread all over my face. I left those years long ago.

So enter a incredibly smart solution. One which I can not take credit for- the sloppy joe pocket. I found the recipe on Pinterest and after the first take we adapted the recipe. I’ll include the original and our version (which we think is better).

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 can manwich
Cheese
Pillsbury flaky biscuits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make manwich mixture according to directions on can. Flatten each biscuit and lay on baking sheet. Spoon 3 tspb of mixture onto half of flattened biscuit and top with cheese. Then fold the other half of the biscuit to make a pocket. Use a fork to press the edges together. Bake for 14 or until golden brown.

It was good. But we did better.

We used the same ingredients. However, we used American slides cheese (half a slice) instead of the shredded cheddar the original recipe suggested and we used Pillsbury grands buttermilk biscuits instead of the flakey ones. We found the flakey ones made to much bread. We also baked for 6min. Enjoy!

Foodie Friday: Easy Pleasy Micorwave Eggs

If you haven’t read it enough, my children are super picky eaters. And of course they can all be picky about the same things. One only eats cheese, one only eats pepperoni, and one only eats the cheese pizza after she picks off the pepperoni and it’s it first. The differences could run all the way around the world; twice. But they do share one common similarity between them and Hubs. Diva, Bug and Hubs hate eggs. SB and I love them.

One morning I made myself scrabbled eggs. Added in a bunch of goodies and sat down to eat. Then the vulture attacked. She ate all my eggs, with all my goodies. So I decided to make her some. Finally! Someone has my tastes! So I “slaved” over a hot stove and made her scrabble eggs loaded with goodies. Served them up and she just stared at them. Refused to eat them and broke my fragile little momma heart. Feeling defeated, I gobbled down the second batch. So sad, I know.

The she started crying. Why for young toe-head of mine? You refused the best eggs ever and I was forced to eat them. Sign. They were so good!

So I decided to try an experiment. I made the eggs again. This time the easy way. And the little stinker ate them.

Here’s what I did. Hold on, because it might get confusing

First I cracked an egg into a microwaveable coffee mug (you can use any microwave save dish).

Then I whisked them in the same cup with a fork.

Next, microwave for 45-50 seconds. Each microwave varies. You just don’t want to blow up your egg or serve it raw.

And complete! Lastly, I just dump it into a bowl for the kid and cut it up.

Foodie Friday: Birthday Pull Apart Cake

Sorry, this is a little late in the evening for a few of our readers. I was out celebrating my belated birthday with a few friends (who happen to be my childrens old ABA’s. Sad or awesome?). So, I am finally getting around to this post.

Last weekend was my birthday. No, I will not share my age. Age is just a number; no more. I was on Pinterest the previous Friday night when I ran across this pin, from Chef in Training

 

Awesome, huh? I decdied that Hubs needed to make this for me. And he did.

 

 

Did it look like the photo? Um, no! A profession chef made that and probably did some great food camera photo magic. Did I have to make my own birthday cake? NO, and that was the best part. However, the cake was undeniably delectable and the kids ate it.

Taken from www.Chef-in-training.com

Cake Batter Pull Bread

• Yield: 1 loaf

• Course: Dessert
• Skill Level: Easy

This recipe is so simple and rediculously delicious!

INGREDIENTS

 Print This Recipe

• 1 round, unsliced loaf of sour dough bread
• 1/2 cup butter melted (add more as needed)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup yellow cake mix dry
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 cup color sprinkles
• . . CREAM CHEESE GLAZE
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 oz. cream cheese softened
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2-3 Tbsp. milk

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Slice bread to make 1/2-1 inch sections slicing almost all the way to the bottom of the loaf. Be careful not to cut too far or to cut through. I used a serrated knife and cut on inch slices all the way down the width way of the loaf. Then I used my kitchen sheers to snip the 1/2-1 inch sections on each row, just to avoid any of them tearing off. Place loaf on cookie sheet.
2. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, yellow cake mix and cinnamon. Stir to evenly mix together. Set aside.
3. Evenly pour and distribute melted butter between each of the sections, making sure to get in-between each one. Trust me, you want the buttery goodness 🙂 If you need more butter, simply melt as much more as needed.
4. Evenly sprinkle/pour sugar/cake mix mixture between each of the sections. Rub in to cover them if necessary. Be care not to tear any of the sections.
5. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.
6. While Cake Batter Pull Bread is baking, make the glaze. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and beat until smooth. Add more powdered sugar/milk as needed to reach desired consistency. Drizzle as much as desired over warm bread. Sprinkle with some added sprinkles if desired. Serve warm.

 

Foodie Friday: Delicious and Easy Homemade Pancakes

I am learning the love of home made meals. I feel more accomplished and more like a mom should be. However, it’s hard. My kids only eat 5 food items and Hubs can be a picky eater. Luckily, thanks to me Hubs is expanding his taste pallet; so I am more eager to try new recipes. One of my first, headed towards everyone in my family, is home made pancakes.

This is a big step and a future battle brewing. Bug only eats square waffle, cinnamon in flavor, must be cut into fourths and butter. If his waffles are not prepared that way; he refuses breakfast.

So needless to say, I was a little concerned how this would go. But you only live once, right?

Here is the award winning (per my two ASD children) pancake recipe. I would love to claim it as my own, but I got it off allrecipes.com.

Ingredients
3/4 cup milk2 tablespoons
white vinegar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter melted
cooking spray

Directions
Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to “sour”.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into “soured” milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.

Add butter and syrup to tasted after you have plated amazingly easy pancakes. My two ASD kids approved.