A few of my favorite things around Birmingham lately!

I wanted to take this post to highlight some of my favorite new eateries in Birmingham! Lately, I have been trying to get out and find new local favorites! It is only fair that I share those with y'all! I'm currently obsessed with Saturdays at the Pepper Place Farmer's Market, enjoying unique Popsicles at Steel City Pops (which conveniently often have a cart at Pepper Place), and dining at The Pantry.
Pepper Place has a wide variety of local vendors that set up every Saturday from 7 a.m. - 12 p.m. mid April - mid December featuring the season's best produce! It is a wonderful chance to stock up on your produce for the week and enjoy live music! Along with the produce there is a section of the market that features arts and crafts! It is just a fantastic way to spend your Saturday morning!
Second local place I love Steel City Pops I first went here with some friends from work during lunch and I have been hooked on their Popsicles ever since. They offer fruity pops or if you want something that is a little more like ice cream, they have a creamy option. I haven't made a pop that I haven't liked! They change up their selection every day depending what is available. I have had coffee, sweet tea, and banana. I love them all! I look forward to trying the strawberry balsamic and avocado (I have tried a bite of the avocado and it was great! I wasn't quite sure what to expect!) Allyson, laughs at just how much I'm cheesing in this photo because I was that excited about Steel City Pops! I like to think it was a combination of worrying about dropping my phone, getting our pops in the photo, and my excitement about a pop on a hot day!



Third, there is a new organic restaurant in town called The Pantry. It is wonderful! Again, I originally went there with friends from work and have recommended it to everyone I know! The Pantry is a small family owned restaurant and everything comes from their farm, Stone Hollow Farmstead. Their goat cheese is some of the best I've had and the majority of their dishes include some goat cheese! They also have a raw bar that is served everyday and the only thing they serve on Monday along with their juice cleanses. I have currently been three times and I have gotten something different each time and everything has been wonderful I'm so glad I continue trying new dishes. The first time I went I got the marinated tomato sandwich(with avocado and goat cheese) with sweet potato chips, next I got the chicken tacos with avocado and sweet potato chips, and this most recent time I got a veggie plate with grits & greens, naan with goat cheese and a pear preserve, and fruit salad. It has all been delicious! I really want to go one day just for a shake made with goat's milk! I'll leave you with a picture of my veggie plate!


I hope you all try these out sometime this summer (just seems a good season to try something new)!




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Eggplant Ricotta Bake

I have a new favorite summertime hobby, going to the Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings. Specifically Pepper Place Farmer's Market. I went last Saturday in search for eggplant! It was a successful trip and from that I made eggplant ricotta bake! This is an easy dish to make up for the week or to serve for dinner with friends. Enjoy! This is a recipe from marthastewart.com

Ingredients
2 large eggplants (1 to 1 1/4 pound each), sliced lengthwise 3/4 inch thick
3 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and pepper
1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese (1 2/3 cups)
3 large eggs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (2 teaspoons for dried)
1 jar (16 ounces) marinara sauce (2 cups)

Instructions
Step 1: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Brush lightly on both sides with oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Roast until eggplant is tender and golden, 20-25 minutes. Turn slices over halfway through.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta, eggs, 1/2 cup Parmesan, oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Brush an 8 inch square baking dish with oil.
Step 3: Lay one fourth of the eggplant slices in the bottom of the dish; spread with half of the marinara sauce; top with another fourth of eggplant; spread with half of ricotta. Repeat layers ending with the ricotta; sprinkle the remaining Parmesan. Bake until bubbling and golden, 20-25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.



A glimpse of the lovely selection of veggies at Pepper Place!


Eggplant ricotta bake!

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Strawberry Fields Forever

Strawberry Cupcakes are calling! I made these cupcakes a few weeks ago for a friend's birthday and they seemed to be a hit. This is a recipe from my mom's cookbook, usually made as a cake. Mom always made it in the shape of a heart from Valentine's Day when we were growing up! They are easy to make and can be made a day or two in advance. Usually when I make cupcakes I love to use my icing gun to make the presentation of the icing really pop but this icing doesn't stand up very well but it still helped to ice them quickly and make them deliciously covered with icing!!!!

Cake Ingredients
1 box white cake mix
1 cup oil
4 eggs
5 ounces frozen strawberries
3 ounces strawberry jello

Frosting Ingredients
1 pound confectionery sugar
1/4 pound soft butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 ounces frozen strawberries
3-4 tablespoons strawberry juice from frozen strawberries

Instructions for the Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350.
Step 1: Stir oil into cake mix.
Step 2: Lightly beat eggs and add to cake mix.
Step 3: Stir in 5 ounces of strawberries.
Step 4: Mix in jello.
Step 5: Pour into lined muffin pan. Bake for 15-18 minutes.
Step 6: Cool and frost with Strawberry frosting.

Instructions for Frosting
Step 1: Beat confectionery sugar and butter together.
Step 2: Add salt and vanilla and strawberry juice.
Step 3: add drained strawberries and mix well.
Step 4: Frost cooled cupcakes.

Keep Refrigerated



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Fish Tacos

With the first week of summer it calls for an updated blog post of Fish Tacos! These tacos are meant to be done on the grill but I did them in the oven and worked out great! I chose to set up all the toppings and let everyone fix their taco to their liking! This is a light meal that is great to serve during the summer. This recipe is originally from blogchef.net For dessert I served Key Lime cupcakes! Recipe from Bon Appetit! Enjoy and feel free to share your cooking adventures with me!

Grilled Fish Tacos
Ingredients
1 lb tilapia fillets
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Marinade
1 cup white onion
1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons orange juice
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 teaspoon oregano

Lime Sour Cream Sauce
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons lime juice

Corn tortilla tacos

Toppings
1 cup onion (diced)
1/2 cup cilantro
2 avocados (peeled, pitted, and diced)
1/2 small head of cabbage (thinly sliced)
Salsa verde

Instructions
Step 1: Combine 1 cup onion, 1/4 cup cilantro, olive oil, 3 tablespoons lime juice, 3 tablespoons orange juice, garlic, and oregano. Mix well. Sprinkle fish fillets with salt and pepper on each side. Pour half the marinade on the bottom of a large casserole dish, lay the fillets over the marinade and pour the remaining marinade over the fish. Cover and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, after 30 minutes flip the fish over and cover and refrigerate for another 30 minutes.
Step 2:Whisk together the sour cream and 2 tablespoons of lime juice. Cover and set aside. Heat the oven to 400 degrees and put the fish in for 15 minutes until fully cooked. Alternate Option (technically the oven is the alternate option from the original recipe) heat the grill to medium-high heat and put the fillets on the grill for 3-5 minutes per side. Place corn tortillas onto the grill and grill for about 10 seconds per side.
Step 3: Chop cooked fillets. Let everyone fix their taco with their choice of toppings!






Key Lime Cupcakes
Ingredients
1cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
1/4 tablespoon neon-green food coloring
3/4 cup buttermilk

Frosting
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350. Line standard muffin pan with paper liners.
Step 2: Whisk both flours in medium bowl. Beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar; beat to blend. Beat in eggs one at a time, then the next 3 ingredients. Don't worry if the batter looks a little curdled here it will smooth out. Beat in flour mixtures in 3 additions alternating with buttermilk in 2 additions. Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each liner.
Step 3: Bake cupcakes 20-25 minutes (until tester comes out clean). Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool.
Frosting
Beat all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth. Spread over cupcakes. Again, if using an icing tool remember to increase the frosting amount by to 1 1/2 or 2x the recipe!



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Cabbage Soup

This is a great low-cal recipe for anyone trying to eat healthier or jump start your diet with a tasty meal. Another great thing about this recipe is that you can make it for the week and be set to take your lunch to work for the week so not only are you feeling good about your meal but you are prepared to start the week. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 head of cabbage
1 package of dry onion soup (I used Lipton Recipe Secrets onion recipe soup &dip mix)
2 bell peppers
6 green onions
1 celery stalk
1 large can of Stewed tomatoes (original recipe)

Directions
1. Add all ingredients to the pot and cover with water.
2. Boil for 30 minutes.
3. Cover the pot and let it simmer until the vegetables are soft.
4. Enjoy your healthy meal!



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Would you like your eggs scrambled, fried, or perhaps an omelet in a bag?

My mom is genius on all things involving entertaining large groups (she comes from a family of 6 children). Well, last week we were having about 20+ family members over for brunch and mom wanted to serve omelets but we also wanted everyone to be able to eat together which just isn't the case when you are trying to individualize 20 omelets to each person's desire UNLESS you make an omelet in a ziplock bag! It is a fantastic idea and works wonders! You need ziploc bags, toppings of your choice (but remember if you're serving it to a group of people have a variety of toppings so your guests can choose their favorites), eggs, boiling water! Ok, let me elaborate on that, I wish i had taken a few more pictures of the process but next time!
First, when fixing these omelets for a large group or really anyone other than yourself I would take the ziploc bags (sandwich size) and write names on each bag! This will help you keep everything organized.
Then, take one egg for each omelet and beat in with a fork in a bowl and pour into the bag and add any of your desired toppings. It doesn't matter if you dump the egg in the bag first or the ingredients, we tried it both ways and it works no matter the order.
Add all the bags to boiling water for 13 - 15 minutes and enjoy! You can put all the bags in one pot together.
If you are serving buffet style then I would suggest laying the bags out on a serving tray with the names showing so everyone can pick up their individual omelet and enjoy brunch together!

A few hints when prepping for a large group (again, wonderful ideas from my mom, I take in so much from watching her host and entertain our family and friends). These hints will help you not feel as rushed the day of your party.
Go ahead and beat all of the eggs separately in small Dixie cups and cover with Saran wrap and refrigerate. We put that cups in a mini muffin tin to make it easy to transport in and out of the fridge. That way each guest just picks up a cup and dumps it in the bag with their toppings.
Split all of your toppings into individual bowls and cover with Saran wrap and keep in the fridge until the morning of.
Then set up an omelet station with all your bags laid out, the eggs set out, and all the toppings. Each guest comes through and assembles their bag (be prepared people may decide after they see some omelets that this is the coolest idea and now they want to make one too so you may have a few rounds of omelets going on which is fine, at least this is what happened last week with my family!) Kids will love watching the process and getting their individual omelet out of a bag!
Also, double check the lock on the bag to ensure it is sealed completely!

Some of the toppings we included were cheese, mushrooms, ham, peppers, green onions, sausage, and salt and pepper to taste!

Here are a few photos I took, I wish I had some of our omelet station just so the separation of each component made more sense, but that will have to be included next time.


The omelette are cooking away!



The finished product! I am still amazed by this process! Good luck trying it.

And because this blog is about trial and error on any cooking adventure I would like to share my first successful scrambled egg experience! Yes, I haven't mastered scrambling an egg before now and I'm very ashamed by that but now I know and it is so easy to make, breakfast, lunch, dinner here I come! I have attempted before but never got them just right and they were awful to me! I love scrambled egg sandwiches so it is imperative I learn how to scramble an egg! Most kids in elementary school longed for the day their mom would bring them McDonalds or Wendy's for lunch but for me I always loved the days my mom would bring me a hot scrambled egg sandwich that she had just made! It was always so delicious and such a treat! Ok, enough rambling about the sandwich. In order to scramble your eggs, beat 2 eggs with a fork before dumping them in the pan and once it heats up for a little continue to beat while it is over the heat. You can always add a little cheese to the eggs for something extra. I was just excited so I had to share!



And being the nerd I am I took a picture before eating!

So how do you like your eggs best?

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My Cupcake Obsession

I have a new obsession...cupcakes...ok really I think it is more the process of icing the cupcakes than the actual cupcake itself that I'm obsessed with! This probably comes from the increased amount of Food Network's "Cupcake Wars" I've watched lately! My recipe board on Pinterest ("In the Kitchen") contains more cupcake ideas than anything else... So lately I come up with any excuse I can to bake cupcakes and share them with others. Red velvet, carrot cake, and next up hopefully lemon blueberry!

As I mentioned previously, I think I love the icing process more than enjoying the cupcake itself and that is saying a lot! I give the credit to my icing tool I bought a few months ago. I believe I've already touch on the beauty of the tool in a previous post so I will keep it simple here by saying I love it. So far I have only experimented with the star tip but look forward to using some of the other tips very soon! This tool makes it so quick to ice each cupcake, they look prettier than I could ever do freehand, and you probably get more icing on each cupcake which is always a good idea! I do advise you make 1 1/2 times the recipe so you have plenty to ice all of you cupcakes. For the most recent cupcakes I used my mom's carrot cake recipe with cream cheese frosting! Usually when I make the carrot cake with this frosting I mixed pecans into the cream cheese frosting but for the cupcakes I decided it would be better to leave the pecans out and sprinkle them on a few of the cupcakes instead.
Ok, before I post the recipes and pictures I thought I would post the icing tool I use because often when I talk about people seem to be very confused! I have the Nordic Ware icing decorating set and got it from Target.



Time for recipes and pictures...enjoy and be sure to comment if you try the recipe out.
Carrot Cake
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup oil
4 eggs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 cups finely grated carrots

Directions
Sift and mix dry ingredients.
Add oil and stir well.
Add eggs one at a time.
Add carrots and cinnamon.
Split into a lined cupcake pan.
Bake at 350 for 18 - 20 minutes. A trick that I've learned is to turn the pan around halfway through baking to evenly bake the cupcakes through. To check your cupcakes Stick a toothpick into one and see if it comes out clean.
Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting
Ingredients
(Remember this is the normal recipe so if you are heavily icing the cupcakes you should make 1 1/2 times this recipe)
8 ounces cream cheese
1 stick butter
1 box (1lb) confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
Pecan chips, for garnish

Directions
Soften cream cheese and butter and mix together.
Add confectioner's sugar and vanilla and beat well.

Frost cupcakes, sprinkle with pecan chips for garnish and enjoy! I bought pecan chips but actually crushed them even finer in my hand before sprinkling them on the cupcakes. I know not everyone is a fan of pecans so I opted to do a few with pecans and a few plain.

Here was my final product! I took them into work for a fun Friday treat and then shared the rest with my family last weekend, I'm surprised they survived the drive without me eating all of them myself!


I love that this picture shows the height of the frosting after using the star tip.



With the help of my mom's hosting skills we added them to a cake stand and voila presentation points gained. Thanks mom!

Happy Baking and Happy Icing! You'll be so happy with how quick, easy, and pretty your future cupcakes are to ice!

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