Peanut Brittle FAIL!

Keeping it real, folks-- some recipes just don't work out. Fail, if you will. But lessons can be learned through the unfortunate outcome of a recipe. In this case, it's to check your recipe source.  Copy down these notes, if you wish, in a spiral, college-ruled notebook for today's lesson in Recipe Reviewing 101. 

Rule #1: Check to see if your recipe source is credible.

For instance, the recipe I dug up for peanut brittle came from my freshman year high school history teacher.  This was the teacher that let us watch taped The Simpson's episodes, throw erasers at him for extra credit, and had the class copy down the anatomy of a perfect Thanksgiving plate. Gory war movies were his favorite, and I almost fainted in delight when Saving Private Ryan broke during the opening credits. Apparently, making candy was part of some assignment for class, probably for no reason other than he wanted free candy. 

Rule #2: Just because the recipe name includes "Granny's," that doesn't mean it will be good. 

My former teacher's "Granny's Peanut Brittle" was okay, but certainly not the best I've ever eaten. It called for 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup corn syrup, which produced peanut clumps rather than brittle. The food genius, Mark Bittman, has a recipe for PB that's 2 cups sugar and no syrup. Sorry, Mr. Teacher's Granny, I'm going with Bittman next time.

Rule #3: Check the recipe steps before beginning.

Vague language used for instructions in recipes is especially difficult when making finicky candies. For example, "cook sugar for a few minutes" tells me nothing. Does the sugar turn color? Do I need to stir it? When are the peanuts added? My personal favorite was "add peanuts and cook until they stop popping." What? There was definitely no peanut poppin' going on. 

Or lockin'. Or droppin'. But that's a different matter.

The end result was still edible, but it was far too thick and "peanut-y." (As you can see in the picture.) 

ps- I followed the recipe exactly. Call my Mom. I have her as witness. 

Sugared Pecans

These pecans are gobbled up in a grand total of 3.2 minutes once opened at my family's Christmas party. It doesn't help that I pick out all the broken pieces and eat them. But in reality, I'm just concerned for my family. Those little pecan pieces may be a choking hazard. I want my beloved relatives to experience the flavor profile of a whole pecan.

Who am I kidding. Sugared pecans are freaking delicious. I don't even like nuts that much. But, oh man, toast with sugar and cinnamon and you've created a snack fit for baby Jesus. I think sugared pecans were actually Jesus' fourth gift in addition to gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but the nuts were devoured too fast to record for the Bible.

Make these for the holidays to enjoy with your family.* Happy birthday, Jesus. You've got a kickin' party snack.

*Make sure to set aside some for yourself! They go fast. 

Sugared Pecans

1 egg white

1 T. water

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 pound pecan halves

1.) Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2.) Beat egg white and water in large bowl until fluffy. Add pecans and toss to coat.

3.) In a large (gallon-sized) plastic bag, combine sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Pour in egg-coated pecans and shake until well covered.

4.) Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 40 minutes. Stir every ten minutes to make sure the pecans don't burn.

Swiss Steak

Fun fact of the day: Swiss steak did not actually originate in Switzerland. It's named for the process of swissing, or softening, tough cuts of meat.

Dang. I've always held the image of professional Yodelers braising the steak while a batch of chocolate cooked on the neighboring burner. Oh, and they're wearing suspenders like the Ricola man. And a goat is hanging out back waiting for meat scraps. Someone please rid me of my crackpot stereotypes.

Even though my Swiss Steak bubble has burst, it's not any less delicious. The steak is so tender it does not even require a knife. Hearty and comforting, this dish is perfect for the cold weather ahead. Serve with rice to sop up all the yummy sauce. Suspenders optional.

Swiss Steak    Serves: 4
1 T vegetable oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1.5 lbs. beef chuck or round steak, trimmed of fat
1/2 t. seasoned salt
1/4 t. pepper
2 T. flour (plus 2T. more to thicken the sauce later)
2 cups beef broth
1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 t. dried tarragon
1/2 t. dried thyme

1.) Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent and slightly browned. Remove onions from skillet and set aside.
2.) Rub beef with seasoned salt and pepper. Sprinkle with 2 T. of flour on both sides.
3.) Add beef to skillet. Cook over medium heat for around 5 minutes per side. Return onions to skillet. Add broth, tomatoes (with juice), carrots, tarragon, and thyme. Cover and simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
4.) Near the end of cooking time, place remaining 2 T. flour with 2 T. water in a small bowl. Whisk until lumps are gone. Add to the broth mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Serve with hot cooked rice.

Portobella Mushroom Burger

*Sorry for the posting delay. I was soaking up glorious sunlight in Miami. I'm not burnt, rather it's a tan in the "developing stages." 


I have a confession to make: raw meat freaks me out. I get a bad case of the heebie jeebies- shuddering, gaggy noises, and compulsory prayers to the Almighty One that a molecule of meat will not flick up and land in a facial orifice.

This is not to suggest I don't like meat. Helloooooo cheeseburgers. But since I'm usually only cooking for myself, buying a big package of meat is a pain in the butt. It takes forever (i.e.- 4 days) to eat it all. And I'm usually so sick of the same meat by the 3rd day I never buy the same cut again. Let's just say Apple Turkey Patties doesn't quite have the same appetizing ring to it as it once did.

That's why I consider myself semi-vegetarian. It's healthy and gives me license to say stuff like: "Yo, dudes. Save the whales! Groovy." 


I use portobella mushrooms in a lot of dishes. They're meaty and, most importantly, don't bear any resemblance to raw meat. Hey, you should really give mushrooms a chance. I hear they're fun guys. (Fungi? Get it? Ha!)

Portobella Mushroom Burgers
1 whole Portobello Mushroom
½ Tablespoons Olive Oil
½ Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1 teaspoon Dried Basil
Salt To Taste
Freshly Cracked Pepper To Taste
1 slice Mozzarella Cheese
1 slice Tomato
Whole Wheat Bun


1. Clean mushroom with a damp paper towel and remove the stem.
2. Place olive oil, red wine vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Add in the mushroom and let it marinate for 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Preheat the grill to medium. Place mushroom on the grill and cook for 5 minutes per side, or until soft.
4. Near the end of the grilling time, lay on the mozzarella.
5. Transfer to bun and add the tomato, or whatever toppings you want. I recommend spinach, tomato, mozzarella, and Dijon mustard mixed with mayo. Enjoy!

Whitechocranberry Cookies

Well, folks, it's finally December. 'Tis the season for rice cakes, steamed salmon, and celery sticks.

Who am I kidding? It's cookie season, of course. I had an urge to whip up some holiday goodness, and these Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk cookies sure hit the spot.

Phew. Say that cookie name ten times fast. Let's rephrase:
Oatmeal cranberry white chocolate cookies?
Chunky white chocolate and cranberry cookies?
Cranberry white chocolate cookies?
Whitechocranberry cookies? Bingo. 

The cookies are perfect for the holiday season with the heavenly combination of white chocolate and cranberries. I also made them just in time for my Miami beach vacation. Nothing says "South Beach Diet" like a big batch of fluffy cookies. Guess I'd better re-think that thong bikini.

Whitechocranberry Cookies       Makes about 2 dozen
2/3 cup Crisco (or butter, softened)
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 6-ounce package Craisins (dried cranberries) 
2/3 cup white chocolate chips
1 t. vanilla extract


1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.) Beat brown sugar, vanilla extract, and Crisco together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs and mix well. 
3.) In separate bowl, stir oats, flour, baking soda, and salt together. Add dry ingredients to brown sugar mix a little bit at a time and mix well. Stir in cranberries and white chocolate chips.
4.) Drop by rounded spoonfuls on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. 
5.) Ignore the South Beach Diet and eat two cookies straight from the oven. 

Crunchy French Toast

"Breakfast for dinner?! Can you do that?" My Mom told me she was making pancakes for dinner, but my six year old brain couldn't quite grasp the concept. I didn't know what to expect-- possibly a knock on the door from the food police.

Hello, ma'am. We got a report that maple syrup was being poured after standard breakfast hours. We're gonna let you contemplate your crime for a few hours in the slammer. 


But I've learned to embrace the "breakfast for dinner" concept since then. Breakfast food is a beautiful thing. And I'm not talking about cold, soppy cereal. Pancakes, waffles, and omelets--that's the good stuff.

French toast is a superb way of using up bread that's a little past its prime. This recipe is also a good means of putting "cereal dust," aka the crumbs from an almost-gone box, to good use. I used Kashi whole grain cereal, but any flaky or grainy kind would be good.

But if you use crushed up Fruit Loops, I may have to call the food police.

Crunchy French Toast     serves: 1
2 slices bread (any kind)
1 egg
1 T milk
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
dash allspice
1/4 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 cup cereal

1.) Crush cereal in a plastic bag (so it doesn't get everywhere) with your hands or a heavy can. Cereal should be pretty broken up, but not crushed to a fine dust.
2.) Crack and scramble egg into a shallow dish. Add milk, cinnamon, allspice, and brown sugar to the dish. Stir to combine.
3.) Place crushed cereal on a plate next to the egg mixture. Dip bread in egg mix first, then transfer to cereal plate and coat both sides with cereal.
4.) Heat skillet on medium heat. Spray with cooking spray and add bread. Cook 2-3 minutes per side, or until browned.