spaghetti squash

I was watching Dr. Oz and he was doing another bit about losing weight and one of the recipe substitutes mentioned was using spaghetti squash instead of pasta, with pasta sauce.

I've always wanted to try cooking spaghetti squash so I picked one up while grocery shopping today.

I cooked it according to the label that came stuck on the squash (baking in the oven) and eating it with pasta sauce, and it wasn't halft bad. Although it is more expensive than eating pasta and a little more time intensive.

Eating healthy & low calorie sure hurts the wallet.

Kaiseki Yu-Zen Hashimoto

Me & Dave are going to Kaiseki Yu-Zen Hashimoto to celebrate Valentine's day! Unfortunately customers are not permitted to take pictures in the restaurant, but I'm still super excited!

cheeseburger cupcakes

As I mentioned in a previous post, I found a cute tutorial on how to create cheeseburger cupcakes!

I had a go at it today and they turned out not TOO shabby for a first attempt. Check out the pictures -

wasabi (mississauga)

Me and Dave had dinner at Wasabi Japanese Buffet (Mississauga location) tonight. I am STUFFED!

It's brand new and it's gigantic! It's so much better than the other locations we've been to in Scarborough and Richmond Hill! The service is 100-times better and there is a lot more food to choose from.

But, I think my favourite is still Prince Sushi for Japanese buffets in Mississauga. If you can get a table at Prince Sushi and like more authentic Japanese food I would recommend it.

If you're wanting to try out either Wasabi Japanese Buffet or Prince Sushi they're located on Hwy. 10 (Hurontario) at the Courtney Park AMC complex.

bakerella

Wow, check out this site - Bakerella !!! I love it! I can't wait to try some of these goodies!

Thanks to Sweet Things for introducing me to the site!

Those are cupcake & brownie hambergers and cookie fries in the picture above in case you're wondering!

Images from: bakerella.com

zoku quick pop maker

I was clicking around as usual on my twitter account and I found the Zoku Quick Pop Maker! I watched the video on the William Sonoma website and it's pretty awesome!

Customized popsicles in only 7 minutes! Time for bacon-apple popsicles!!!!!

Image from: williamsonoma.com

cheeseburger cupcakes!

I've been using twitter lately, and it's great because it introduces me to lots of new and awesome things.

Just recently I blogged about Sweet Things which I found through one of the people I follow on twitter, and tonight I found another awesome link at cheeseburgercupcake!

She has a "how-to" on her page and I cannot wait to try it out (maybe next weekend). I've seen hamburger cakes (via Sweet Things), but since I'm not as skilled of a baker & cake decorator these cupcakes seem more like something I might be able to pull off. Wouldn't these make the perfect dessert at a bar-b-q?

Image taken from: cheeseburgercupcake.wordpress.com

8-layer dip

Me & Dave have to bring something to a potluck and we chose appetizers, only to realize afterwards that we have no idea what to bring. So after racking our brains a bit, I decided to try making a 8-layer dip like the one I used to buy from Costco.

Layers (from bottom to top)
1. refried beans
2. guacomole
3. salsa
4. sour cream/cream cheese mixture
5. tomatoes
6. lettuce
7. shredded cheese
8. chopped green onions

I'm not sure about the layer ordering right now, but I guess it doesn't matter as it all mixes up anyways.

I wonder if it's too summery an appetizer to bring....

kettle corn popcorn

I had another opprotunity to try (a.k.a. stuffing my face with) kettle corn popcorn. I didn't like it the first time I tried it, but this time around I fell in love with it.

I ran out to buy some today and although they didn't have the brand my friend was stocking at Superstore, i picked up a different brand which is shown in the picture. It's oh-so-good I can't stop eating it!

According to Wikipedia:
"Kettle corn is a sweet-and-salty variety of popcorn that adds granulated sugar, salt, and oil. The flavor of kettle corn is less sweet than caramel corn. It is a lighter sweetness that contrasts subtly with its saltiness."

I love that sweet 'n salty yumminess!

Image via: popcornindiana.com

sweetthings.ca

As an fan of Food Network's show "Ace of Cakes", I was enthralled when I found Sweet Things which is based out of Toronto! I happened to click to the site by chance through 1 of the people I follow on twitter - I love finding awesome sites through chance curiosity.

I love all the cakes on her page and her blog! They are adorable! I wish I could make such wonderful looking yummy pieces!

Check out her website at: sweetthings.ca
Check out her blog at: sweetthings-toronto.blogspot.com

She mentions various cake decorating courses she's taken at George Brown and the Bonnie Gordon School. I'm tempted to take a couple of courses, but....I have to learn how to bake a decent cake first I think.

smores to you

My friend gave me & Dave this cute little tree ornament to commemorate our first Christmas together as a married couple and it's perfect for the foodies in both of us.

It's a smores couple! haha. At first I thought they were 2 snowmen, but then I noticed the chocolate and graham cracker they were standing on.

I can't wait to put this on our future tree.

brick toast - trial 1

I am actually having trouble finding powdered milk NOT in bulk quantities at my local grocery stores. Dave suggested I try Bulk Barn, but the 1 near our house is closed for renovations, so I decided to try the eaglebrand.ca brick toast recipe.

Ingredients:
1 loaf unsliced white bread
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

Preparation:
1. Line a baking sheet with foil.
2. Slice bread into l ½” (4cm) slices. You should get approximately 8-10 pieces. Place on baking sheet. Score each piece from top to bottom with an X. Spoon 1 tbsp (15mL) condensed milk over bread. Let sit 5-10 minutes.
3. Place under broiler and broil for 1 minute or until bread starts to get golden. Watch it carefully as it can burn quickly. Serve immediately.

I burned one of the slices a bit, but all in all it turned out very good. Success!

I can now enjoy the loveliness of brick toast IN BED!