Better than Cold Stone® Milkshake

I just made the BEST milkshake ever—thanks to my brother-in-law! While down for a visit, he shared with us about his “protein shakes” (a.k.a. glorified milkshakes), and I decided tonight—as odd as the recipe sounded—to give it a try. After all, if it went bad, I could just toss a cup’s worth of milk and ice cream right?

Well, I don’t need to say that the result was astounding! Islands, In-n-out, and Cold Stone, in my humble opinion, have some of the best shakes around (trust me, I was allowed a milkshake every time I got braces on or off, and whenever I had teeth pulled—so I’m a valid authority on milkshakes); but I have never—and I mean NEVER—had a milkshake as good as the one I made tonight.

Basic recipe:
Several scoops ice cream
2 eggs
milk (just enough to make it smooth)

My shake:
Several scoops ice cream
2 eggs
milk (just enough to make it smooth)
+
1-2 spoonfuls chocolate syrup
1-2 scoops peanut butter
Shredded coconut

Blend a couple scoops of ice cream, 2 eggs, and whatever else you want, together until smooth. Add the milk only after you’ve blended everything else—and use it sparingly. I added chocolate syrup, peanut butter, and a scoop of shredded coconut. LR adds a scoop of protein powder to his.

I know: “raw eggs in a milkshake?” I was a bit put off by the recipe too at first, but LK loved the shakes her husband made; and she’s not one to eat raw eggs—except if it involves chocolate-chip cookie dough…but that’s another story. The eggs are responsible for the great texture—not to mention the protein! Did you know that one large egg contains 6.3 grams of protein? So a shake using 2 eggs has 12.6 grams of protein—wow!

I have no idea what the calorie count is on these things, and I really don’t want to. Hey…if it’s got 12.6 grams of protein, who am I to complain?

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving will be here in two days--and with the holiday comes a slew of festive food. Here are two recipes that have Thanksgiving written all over them.

Autumn Tossed Salad--I just love this salad!

Dressing:
½ c lemon juice
½ c sugar
2 tsp. finely chopped onion
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
½ tsp salt
2/3 c vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Salad:
1 bundle Romaine lettuce, torn
1 c (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
1 c unsalted cashews
1 medium apple, chopped
1 medium pear, chopped (I might add an additional pear or apple depending on how it looks)
¼ c dried cranberries

Dressing Directions:
In a blender, combine the lemon juice, sugar, onion, mustard, and salt. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream. Stir in poppy seeds. Transfer to a small pitcher or bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, or until chilled.

Salad Directions:
In a large salad bowl, combine the romaine, cheese, cashews, apple, pear, and cranberries. Right before serving, drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.


Pumpkin pie is a holiday staple for most, but if you're like me, there is such a thing as "too much of a good thing." The next recipe is a variant of the traditional pumpkin pie--and guaranteed to be hit wherever you go. The recipe comes from my friend's mom.

Pumpkin Cake-Pie

Crust:
1 box yellow cake mix (reserve 1 cup)
½ stick melted margarine (or butter)
1 egg
Mix together and press into a large 13 x 9 pan.

Filling:
1 large can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
2/3 cup evaporated milk ¾ cup sugar

Prepare your favorite pumpkin pie filling and pour over cake mixture.

Top Crust:
1 cup cake mix (from above)
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ stick melted margarine (or butter)
¼ - ½ tsp. cinnamon

Mix together and crumble over filling.

Bake: 350* for 50 min. Let cool completely.

Topping:
9 0z. cool whip
3 Tbsp. honey
½ tsp. cinnamon

Mix together and spread over cool cake.

*Very easy, tasty but very impressive!

And if you're feeling stressed by all the preparations, check out this cute e-card for a good laugh (make sure you stay 'till the end and watch the bloopers).

Lets Eat!!!

Bet you can't guess what I'll be posting about (smile)! The purpose of this blog is to share recipes, and talk about food (tips, tricks...etc). However, I don't want to be the only one talking, I want you to be able to share your recipes, hints, and questions here too. Since this isn't a group blog, if you have a recipe, hint, or question you want to share, please feel free to email it to me and I'll put it up for you.

Ready? Let's get started!

To kick-off the start of this new blog, I want to share one of my favoritist recipes. I was introduced to this dessert two years ago when I saw a Hagan Daas ice-cream competition on TV. The winning ice-cream flavor looked so good that we went out and bought it, tried it, and loved it. About a year later, one of my sisters saw a recipe in Country Home Magazine for the original desert that inspired the ice-cream flavor. The ice-cream was really good, but the dessert was even better! Thus I give you:

Sticky Toffee Pudding (Country Home Magazine)
The Kitchen uses plump Medjool dates, but any dried dates will work. You can cool the cakes, cover, and store them for up to three days (chill sauce separately). Then you can add sauce and heat only as many cakes at a time as you plan to serve.


For Cakes:
12 pitted dried dates, chopped
1 Tbsp. brewed espresso or strong brewed coffee
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. vanilla
¾ cup boiling water
5 Tbsp. butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
¾ cup self-rising flour

For Sauce:
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
¾ cup whipping cream
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Lightly coat ten 2 ½-inch muffin cups with cooking spray; set aside. Place dates in a blender** with espresso, baking soda, and vanilla. Cover and pulse for a few seconds until slightly blended, then slowly add boiling water, pulsing until nearly smooth. Transfer to a small bowl.

**You can use a food processor—but I thought the blender worked better.

In food processor (or with a hand mixer), process 5 tablespoons butter with granulated sugar for 5 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides occasionally. Add eggs, 1 at a time, processing until combined after each. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl and fold in flour, a little at a time, until combined. Fold date mixture into butter-flour mixture. Pour into prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake in a 350* oven for 15 minutes or until tops are lightly browned and spring back when touched. Let cool 5 minutes in muffin cups. Remove cakes from muffin cups and arrange in foil-lined pan

To make caramel sauce, melt 1 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar. Bring to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil gently, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in cream (slowly) and pecans.

Spoon about 1 tablespoon sauce over each cake in pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes more or until sauce is bubbly. Remove to serving dishes. Spoon additional warm sauce atop each and serve with ice cream, if desired.

Makes approx. 10 servings.