Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

Several weeks ago I went on a stay-cation with my boyfriend's family. Taylor's mother asked me to make something during the week, so I decided to go with lemon poppyseed muffins for breakfast. They turned out pretty yummy!

Ingredients

Muffins:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup Sour Cream

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup {1 stick} unsalted butter, room temp.

1 tbsp grated lemon zest

2 large eggs

2 tsp poppy seeds

Glaze:

1 tsp melted butter

powder sugar

4tsp lemon juice

Directions

Oven: 350

Line muffin tins with paper liners or non-stick spray.in medium bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and baking soda. In a small separate bowl, whisk sour cream, buttermilk and lemon juice to blend. In a large bowl, using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, and lemon zest to blend. Add eggs 1 at a time to the large bowl, beating well after each addition until mixture is light and fluffy, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in dry ingredients alternating with sour cream/buttermilk mixture. Mix just until blended. Stir in poppy seeds. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake muffins 20 – 22 minutes. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Remove muffins from pans and cool on rack. 

 Mix together melted butter, lemon juice and enough powdered sugar to make a glaze. I was hungry and I made the mistake of not waiting to drizzle the glaze over. So, wait till muffins are cooled and drizzle or pipe glaze over tops of warm muffins.

LATER RATER

Makes 48 mini muffins or 12 large muffins

Family Vacation

It's been a while since I've posted anything and the reason being is family and moving into my apartment. 
Now I know this is a food blog, but I will be posting about the places I went to eat in Eureka, so it's also an excuse to blog about my awesome vacation! I am bummed I did not take pictures of any of my food. Unfortunately, the idea to blog about this was far past my eating adventures. 
~I have tagged [the majority of] them throughout the blog~

So here it goes: I've spent the past week with my family. Every three years we have a family reunion and this happened to be that time of the year. My oldest brother lives in Eureka California. Haven't heard of it? Neither had I until my brother Tyler and sister in law Claire moved there three years ago. Anyways, we decided to go visit Tyler and Claire before we headed off to the reunion. They were FANTASTIC hosts. They had planned out literally everything. After a long day of flying and driving we made it to their little town and met at a Mexican restaurant called Pachanga Mexicana. The food was fantastic and service was great. Best part was the queso; I am a sucker for queso. 
The following day we met back up at Tyler and Claire's house to enjoy breakfast together. They bought THE biggest tray of bagels at Los Bagels; the platter came with so many varieties of bagels along with a very generous amount of cream cheese, pesto spread, 6 butter pats, Lox, 2 kwasants, 4 small muffins, 4 cookies, jam, and Larrupin Musatard Dill Sauce aka the best mustard I have ever had. {Now this platter was huge so we ate it for breakfast for the next few days, which I so didn't mind.} This day was filled with exploring their town; after bagels we ventured out to see the bay that lined their town (Lol bagels, bay....). 

It was gorgeous and a wonderful 69 degrees, which was a nice change from Texas's 108 degree weather. We took a stroll through the farmers market, Humboldt chocolate store, and a bookstore before going out to lunch. For lunch we went to a yummy burger place Stars Hamburgers. I had a BBQ burger and added grilled mushrooms and some of my dads fried onion rings. We took this delicious lunch to Sequoia Park.  

After enjoying our lunch we walked through the tall forest of sequoias down to a pond filled with hungry ducks. Long story short, we ended up at a Babe's Pasta-Pizza where we shared a box salad, a spicy pepperoni pizza, and chicken, spinach, mushroom pizza with creamy garlic sauce. 

Since this is mainly a food blog I'll skip the details of this night and jump to breakfast; the next day we went to an unforgettable place called Mcintosh Farm Country Store. We all ended up ordering off of the not so "Secret Menu". My mom and I split eggs Benedict, which was amazing

[Picture from their FaceBook page]

and we split THE BEST biscuits and gravy I have ever had; I will probably never get biscuits and gravy ever again because my search for the best ended that day. Yes I am from the South and I found the best recipe in the North, but it is true. The biscuit was homemade and fresh and the gravy was like I never tasted. I could *Chris Traeger voice* literally just eat the gravy. The gravy had bits of sausage and was so cream and filled with so much flavor and the biscuit was perfectly baked. {Did your mouth water because mine won't stop.} I could have died and gone to heaven after that, but we had to head off to our day of camping! 

This is the second time I've ever camped and I loved it just as much as the first. Patrick's Point State Park was our camping destination. Since the sun was out, which apparently the sun is never out, we decided to go on an adventure. 

We ventured up to wedding rock

a sweat lodge at an Indian tribal ground
and to Palmer's Point where we took in the scenery of open waters, mountains, and trees. 

We finished our night off with watching the sunset then coming back to the campgrounds to enjoy hotdogs, turkey chili and Fritos. We ate around the campfire Claire so awesomely put together, exchanging memories, laughs and smiles. The next morning we ate those bagels from the other day and sipped on coffee and hot cocoa. We packed up camp and ventured off to our next location: Fern Canyon, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. 

Our California adventures came to an end, but it was time for the reunion. For reunions we always travel to whom ever hosts the reunion and this year was my grandmas brother Jed. 

The reunion was held in Klamath Falls, Oregon. It is a nice little town surrounded by lots of land, cattle, and trees.  Jed owns a ranch that stretches out to about 300 acres. This means I barely had any service and when I say barely I mean I had to climb to the top of a huge rock in order to get service. The fact I barely had any service allowed me to enjoy what God created with very little distraction by technology (Of course I still had to snap photos for memories). Being out on that ranch was such an experience. 

Jed has two horses: Bubba (grey), his companion and Brownie (brown), a wild mustang who has been tamed by his, ever so far, neighbor. They are both so loving and sweet; I spent a good amount of my time petting and feeding them. 

 

I climbed a ginormous rock

 and went four wheeling with my cousin.

 But back to the food, we ate chicken, potatoes, and unbelievably tasty tri tip hat smoked for hours. I also tried fresh goats milk, which I could easily drink that over cows milk. 

To sum this all up: Every piece of food I ate during this family vacation was so fantastic and delicious that I forgot to take pictures because I ate it up right as it touched the table. So, if you ever find yourself in Eureka, California check out these links and go eat there! 

BLT Stuffed Avocados

I was asked to make these for a dinner one night at Taylor's house because his Papaw loves avocados, so I did. They ended up being pretty good. The recipe originally called for cubed french bread. However, we were not a fan of the french bread being included, so I recommend not adding the bread (which is why it is not listed under the ingredients). If you would like to try the recipe with the french bread, you can visit Stepable from which the recipe was adapted. I love the idea of putting sandwich ingredients into an avocado, it is brilliant...and delicious. Go ahead, give it a try!

Ingredients

2 large avocados

Fresh lemon juice

1 Roma tomato, seeded and cubed

1/2 cup finely chopped spinach leaves

1/4 cup cooked crumbled bacon

2 tbsp mayonnaise

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions

Oven: 400
Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits, and carefully remove the peel. Rub the outsides of the avocados with the lemon juice. This helps the avocado from turning brown so quickly. Set them aside. In a medium mixing bowl, add all the ingredients and stir to combine. Stuff the avocados with as much filling as possible, allowing the filling to come up over the sides. Place the avocados on a non stick baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Serve immediately.

LATER RATER

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