Campfire S'mores in a Cone

Last weekend I went on a stay-cation with my boyfriend's family. We ventured up to a nice little cabin in Azle. The cabin was just off the lake with a long dock the boys fished off of (where they caught a good sized catfish-link page- that I fried up).  It was a great time spending time with each other away from work and (some) technology. We became avid kayakers during this trip: we kayaked 7 miles on the Brazos river and then got to the lake house and kayaked some more. We even took the kayaks and a canoe out on to the lake and we fished. We spent our nights making s'mores around the campfire. We made traditional s'mores and then we decided to mix things up a bit by putting the s'mores fillings inside of a waffle cone.

We sat outside talking around the fire and making our s'mores enjoying the company and sweets. They turned out pretty good and pretty sweet. So, if you LOVE sugary things this is the treat for you. This is a pretty clever idea and the cool thing about it is you can add different types of fillings alonf with the marshmallow, such as: peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, and any sort of chopped up candy bar! I am not a huge fan of chocolate, so using peanut butter chips sounds so yummy right now. Also, what is even better is that you can use an oven or grill to heat the cones if you are not around a campfire. If you do decide to use an oven I recommend heating the cones (still in foil) at 350 degrees for 7-10 minutes. Have fun and enjoy!

Ingredients

12 waffle cones

1 bag of mini marshmallows

1 bag of chocolate chips

1 bag of large marshmallows ~ optional

Directions

Fire up the campfire.
Take your waffle cone and ~if you chose to buy large marshmallows as well stick that at the bottom of the cone~ fill it with the marshmallows and chocolate chips. Wrap the filled cones in aluminum foil and place them in the campfire about 7-10 minutes. Keep away from direct flames! Be careful when you unwrap the foil because it will be hot.

LATER RATER

I asked all the people who tried this with me and it was a mixed vote. Some loved it, some didn't care much for it. The votes ranged from a 2 (because it was too sweet) to a 5. So, if you love sweets and want something fun to eat give it a try!

Fried Catfish

Over the weekend I went on a stay-cation with my boyfriend's family. We took a trip up to a cozy little lake house in Azle. It was a nice time where we got to spend our days outside enjoying nature and each other. We kayaked 7 miles on the Brazos river, fished off a dock, canoed in the lake, and made s'mores around the campfire. The cabin was just off the lake with a long dock the boys fished off of. Taylor and his dad would set there lines and wait for a fish to come along and hook on. Well, we were in luck because one catfish took the bait.

I wasn't too big off a fan seeing my dinner breathing right in front of my very own eyes or even watching the men fillet the fish. However, we did that catfish justice with this delicious meal; at least thats how I see it. Anyways, this recipe is from Robert Irvine so you know that it has got to be delicious... and it was. The catfish being fresh made it even better.  We tweeked the recipe a bit by using lemon pepper seasoning rather than using seafood seasoning that it called for. So, Taylor's sister-in-law and I set up our dipping stations and began frying up the fish. The fish turned out nice and golden brown with a crunch to 'em. Boy, was it fantastic. The best part is that it isn't just for catfish. Taylor had some bass left over from his last fishing trip that we dipped in the batter and fried. It was just as delicious as the catfish.

Ingredients

Vegetable oil, for frying

Olive oil, for coating the fish

2 eggs

1 cup of milk

Catfish

Salt

Ground pepper

2 cups of flour and 1 tsp of lemon pepper seasoning

1 cup of cornmeal

1 lemon, juiced

*The amount of each ingredient is different from the original recipe. Since we had less fish than what the recipe called for, we didn't need that much of each ingredient. 

Directions

Heat the oil in a deep sauce pan on medium high or in a small fryer for 350 degrees. Next whisk together the eggs and milk, making sure you mix well. Then place in a shallow bowl or pan. Next, in another bowl/pan, mix together the flour and seasoning and set aside. Then, in another bowl/pan pour in the cornmeal and set aside. To bread the fish, start off by rubbing or brushing olive oil on the fish to keep that moisture in the fish then sprinkle with salt and pepper, then dip that into the seasoned flour. Follow with the egg wash and then the cornmeal. Make sure the breading is evenly over the fillets. Now it is time to place the breaded fish into the heated oil and cook for 3 minutes, then flip and finish with 2 more minutes. The time limit on frying the fish may vary depending on the size and heat. We ended up having some nuggets of fish which we fried for less time. The breading should be golden brown and crisp. Once fried, remove from the oil and place them onto a paper-towel-lined platter. Top it off with some lemon juice and serve.

LATER RATER

Reese's Pieces Peanut Butter Blondies

I. Love. Peanut butter. I am one of those people who will eat it by the spoonful. I bring a jar of peanut butter and plastic spoon with me to work, this should explain to you how much I like peanut butter. If a recipe has peanut butter in it, I'm all game. Without fail, I always get Reese's Pieces or Reese's cups for any sort of present. All that being said, I obviously like Reese's Pieces; so, this recipe was a must and will always be a must. I mean, come on, who doesn't like peanut butter? (If you don't, something must be wrong) So, you could probably guess that my favorite candy is Reese's Pieces and you would be 100 percent correct. So, I knew I had to try this recipe from Persnickety Plates, immediately. It just so happened that I had two boxes laying around. Next I'll have to try them without the chocolate chips. Unlike most people, I don't love chocolate. I know, I know, you're all probably thinking "What is wrong with this woman?". But hey, I still eat chocolate, it is just never a craving or a must have; I always choose something else over chocolate....like peanut butter, always choose peanut butter. Back to the blondies: whether there are chocolate chips in them or not, these blondies were delicious. Especially with a nice tall glass of cold milk. 

You can also ask my father how good they are; every time I came back to have a piece, like 5 more were gone. I only got to have a few squares. I guess that means I need to make some more... bummer. So, if you make them eat 'em quick because they won't last long. 

ENJOY!

Ingredients

1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick), softened

2 cups light brown sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

2 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

2 and 1/8 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup Reese's Pieces (4 oz box)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick spray and set aside. In a large bowl, add butter and brown sugar. Use a hand mixer to combine. Add in the peanut butter and stir with a spatula to combine. Add in the eggs and vanilla and stir till combined. In another medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until combined. Pour in the chocolate chips and stir to evenly distribute into batter. Push the batter evenly into the pan using spatula or fingers. Now come the Reese's Pieces; push Reese's Pieces into the top. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool on a cooling rack before slicing. 

LATER RATER

Quick set up to the "Later Rater": It is summer time (YAY), meaning I am back home. This being so, my roommate Tater isn't here to rate these recipes. However, these will eventually be made for her later..... see what I did there? So with that, I am still trying to keep up the cool name of "Tater Rater" and that is why I have chosen the name "Later Rater". Lame or cool? I'll let y'all be the judge of that. Anywho, those determining the ratings for the summer is my family.

Based off of how quickly these went in my household, they receive a 5. 

Brownie in a mug

 
Ever feel like eating a brownie, but you don't want to make a whole batch? Well, here ya go, a brownie in a mug. So, I've tried a couple different brownie recipes. The first one wasn't that sweet, where as the second time was too sweet. So, I finally found a balance from Simple Recipes. Now the best thing to add with this recipe is a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream. I didn't have any vanilla ice cream which was upsetting. However, I had white chocolate chips, which added some color and a little extra flavor. The trick here is cooking the brownie; each microwave varies in cooking time due to the wattage. So, a minute is what I cooked it on and then I added an extra 30 seconds.

Ingredients

1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
dash of salt
pinch of cinnamon
1 small scoop of ice cream
~optional, but recommended~

Directions

Make sure you pour the dry ingredients in, then the wet ingredients.
SO start with pouring in your mug the flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, and cinnamon in a mug. With a fork or spoon, mix well breaking up any clumps. Add the oil, water, and vanilla. Stir batter to smooth and free of lumps. Place in the microwave and cook for about 1 minute. Since all microwaves have different wattages, I suggest starting at a minute and adding a few seconds on if it needs additional cooking. Let cool for a minute or so. To finish it off, top the brownie with a scoop of ice cream.
Have fun and enjoy!

TATER RATER