Mish Mash Momma

Food Friday: Appetizer - Mini meaty toasts

I wish I had a less lame name for this cute little appetizer, but I don't. I owe my sister the credit for this idea. It came to her as we were wondering what to do with all the leftover meat sauce from our Buca di Beppo lunch. - Hint: If you order your spaghetti with sauce on the side, they will give you a giant bowl with an obscene amount of tasty sauce. Make use of it!

Meat sauce makes this a hearty appetizer, but you could substitute the sauce of your choice here. I think a thicker sauce is the way to go though. 

For this particular appetizer, here's what I used:

• Musso's Garlic Cheese toast
  
  
• Buca di Beppo meat sauce (Or any type)
  
  
• Fresh oregano

Directions:

• Heat the meat sauce
   
• Top the garlic cheese toast with the meat sauce
   
• Garnish with fresh oregano

 

How easy is that? Enjoy!

 

Check out Mish Mash Momma's Kids Meal Deals page!

The Mish Mash Momma blog is expanding! I've created a new blog page for Kids Meal Deals. Right now, it's just covering the Greater Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky area, but I'd love to get a national list going as well. Please click on the link below to check it out and post your deals/updates in the comments. 

 

 

Mish Mash Momma's Kids Meal Deals Page

 

 

Food Friday: Nutella covered Rice Krispy Treats

I don't have a big time recipe today, just something super yummy I discovered this week. - Nutella covered Rice Krispy Treats. I was busy experimenting with Nutella and various other foods in my kitchen when I hit the tasty jackpot. I didn't even have to make any Rice Krispy Treats, I just opened up some store-bought ones and slapped on some Nutella. You can probably really dress this up for Halloween (or Bengals football season) with orange and black sprinkles or other types of festive toppings. 

Enjoy!

 

 

Food Friday: Easy and hearty veggie soup

With the first day of Autumn approaching, that means sweater weather and a strange attraction toward soup. It seems there are a gazillion soup recipes out there, but I think my veggie soup recipe is the best, naturally. It's full of flavor and hearty enough to fill you up. As with a lot of soup recipes, you can tweak this to your tastes. I like to boil it down to a thicker consistency, which yields about 6 cups of soup. - I only know this from my storage containers. Results may vary depending upon consistency.

Lori's Hearty Veggie Soup
 

Ingredients:

• New Potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
• 2 cans whole tomatoes 
• 1 bag frozen mixed vegetables, or equivalent fresh 
• 4-5 beef bouillon cubes
• 1 bay leaf
• Worcestershire sauce
• 4-5 quart stock pot

 

Directions:

• Peel and cut potatoes, boil 15 minutes in stock pot.
   
• Add beef bouillon cubes to stock pot.
   
• Add tomato juice from cans of tomatoes, cut tomatoes into large chunks, add to pot. 
  *Alternately, you can use fresh or diced tomatoes and add a small can of tomato sauce.
   
• Add remaining vegetables (fresh or frozen)
   
• Add 10-15 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
   
• Add bay leaf
   
• Boil down to desired consistency
   
• Remove bay leaf and enjoy
  
  

 

When social media and FroYo go bad...

I told you I'd be back! Let's just jump right in, shall we? 

There's a place not too far from my home that sells frozen yogurt. It's ridiculously expensive, but we enjoy all the toppings. - I also just discovered their raspberry flavor is to die for, by the way.  I happen to "like" their local page on Facebook, so I can see if there are any deals going on. Sadly, it's starting to become a painful blight on my Facebook timeline. No, it's not for lack of super awesome deals; it's for the atrocious grammar and posts written in text-speak. I get the distinct feeling their "Social Media Expert" might be a 16 year old girl sitting amongst boxes of FroYo flavors in the back storeroom. Today, it was all too much. 

 

Whaaaaaa? I'm used to most of their Facebook posts looking like teenager text-speak, but I'm still not entirely sure what this says. I should note that after a few people left comments about the incoherent and unprofessional post it was later deleted.

Only to be replaced by this. 

 

 

As the kids say, smh. 

I don't think I can claim to be a social media "expert" any more than the next person who hangs out on Facebook or Twitter, but seriously. Seriously? Is it so hard to represent your company in complete sentences that make sense? Is getting passive aggressive really going to make your company look better? This is everything you don't do to try to earn more business. Especially grown up business. This is how you DON'T do your social media.

On the upside, that second post at least made sense. 

Family unfriendly dining at Johnny Rockets

You ever go to a restaurant expecting one thing and instead end up with your eyes bugging out of your head? That's what happened to us with our dining experience yesterday.

Hubs and I took the kids downtown to check out the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day Parade (a Cincinnati tradition!) and decided to have lunch at the Johnny Rockets that just opened next to the ballpark. It started out well enough, as we were able to get seated relatively quickly despite the opening day/lunch time crowds. It went downhill from there, though. First, we got a very limited menu, which I kind of understood considering it was a game day and they need to move people in and out quickly. But then I asked about the kids menu, only to be told the only thing they had for kids was a plain hot dog. Okay. My kids like hot dogs. No biggie.

So, we order. Two hot dogs, two burgers (mine was very simple: lettuce, onion, and pickle), two orders of fries for us to share (because they don't come with the burgers or dogs), and four drinks. - The drinks came before we ordered, actually. I was surprised the girls got a large size, but they were all in take out cups, so I didn't think much about it beyond that. The food came out, but not my burger. Apparently the waiter forgot to put in my order. Then they brought out a burger for me. Except it had cheese on it, and I can't eat cheese. That was quickly fixed, and everything was fine. I really don't get worked up over things like that, so it barely factors into the experience until you put it all together.

Then the bill came. This is the point where my eyes bugged out of my head. How much would one assume two plain hot dogs for kids, two fries, two burgers, and four drinks would cost?

How about $56? Yes, FIFTY SIX DOLLARS! That was before tip.

I hate to cook, so we dine out probably more than we should, but we're very good at keeping our meals between $20 - $30 for our family of four. We knew this would cost more than normal, but WOW! Eyes. Bugging.

Yeah, so it doesn't take much to guess why I find Johnny Rockets to be terribly family unfriendly. Lack of a kids menu is the main reason - though their website claims they have one, but not this location. I can't confirm this personally, but I was told the location across the river in Newport, KY no longer has a kids menu either. Those hot dogs were darn near $7 each. Then the drinks were $3.75 each. That makes one "kids meal" - AKA a hot dog and drink - almost $11. That's $11 per kid. We can go to some of the finest restaurants in town and not pay nearly that much for an actual kids meal, complete with a side and probably a drink too. And sadly, the food isn't even really that spectacular. Or even good, actually. Funny how it seemed so much better nearly nine years ago, when we spent almost every night of our honeymoon cruise at the ship's Johnny Rockets and the food was all free. Free food is always tasty.

So, what is my point here? It's this: If you have a never ending supply of money and enjoy mediocre food, then disregard this entire post. But, if you think spending that much money for a child to eat - or probably not eat - a crappy hot dog, then skip your visit to Johnny Rockets. A trip to Red Robin will yield a much better dining experience for way less money. - And those fries are bottomless!

FIFTY SIX DOLLARS!! Holy crap!

 

*Adapted photo by Loadmaster

Food Friday - Freezer meals and how I hate to cook

Apologies for slacking on Food Friday. I NEED recipes, people! Click the email link on the left side of the page and send some my way!

Alrighty... So, I'm just going to admit that I really hate to cook. Once in a while I feel domestic enough to whip up an awesome meal, but usually, I'd just rather go out to eat. I am a fan of restaurants for sure. I know that's not always the healthiest thing, and it's certainly not good for the budget, but we do end up eating out more than we dine in. My husband's step mother is convinced I have no idea how to even boil water after he once mentioned that I don't like to cook. Attention: I DO know how to cook! Hubs swears I'm a good cook, even. I'll take his word for it.

One of the reasons I don't care to cook is that it can be time consuming. I've been dealing with the kiddos all day, and I don't particularly care to stand in the kitchen for an hour or more working on dinner. Once upon a time ago, I would sometimes go to one of those meal prep places where you assemble meals into containers or baggies, then take them home to freeze. The only problem is that it tends to be pricey and I had to drive all the way across town to the nearest one.

Lately, I've decided to start tackling freezer meals on my own. I'm still pretty new at it, so I don't know exactly which things freeze well, but I'm learning. Case in point; when I thawed out my Rosemary chicken and Potatoes, only to discover that all the potatoes were black. Yuck.

I don't really set a day to work on my freezer meals. I just get to it when I have a free moment here and there. Usually during the afternoons, while I plop my 3 year old in front of the TV. Sadly, she rarely stays there. Today, I put together some apple and sage pork chops, Lemon Rosemary Chicken, pre-cooked chicken tenders, and some Italian chicken breasts for a Chicken Parmesan Bake I was intending to assemble, until I realized I had no pasta. (Whoops.) A couple weeks ago I made the aforementioned Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes, Garlic Dill New Potatoes, Beef Barbecue, and I browned some ground beef to use on the fly.

Here is what my freezer looks like right now:

 

 

In full disclosure, the bag you see in the front are the Italian chicken breasts I had just made. There shouldn't be moisture in the bag before freezing, but it was still warm. I waited for it to cool down before actually freezing it. Same with the chicken tenders.

 

Here are a few tips I've learned along the way:

• Potatoes turn black when they thaw. With the Garlic Dill New Potatoes, I stuck them right in the oven from the freezer, and they were perfect.

• McCormick's makes these pre-measured recipe cards with all the spices you need for a particular recipe. I really like them.

• Let your stuff cool before freezing. Condensation leads to ice crystals, which leads to freezer burn. Never tasty.
  

• Double bag your stuff, because you don't want it leaking everywhere while it thaws.

 

Any other tips? Since I'm pretty new at this, I certainly do welcome them! Happy freezing!

That time I lost my mind and bought a cake pop maker

My 5 year old watches way too much TV, so that means she watches way too many commercials. Besides the Slushy Maker, the second most requested item on her "Mommmm can I have it pleeeeeaseeee?!" list is some sort of cake pop pan. So, while I was out shopping before Christmas I spotted the George Foreman Grill version of a cake pop maker. It's called the Babycakes Cake Pop Maker. I decided next time I got a 30% off coupon from Kohl's I'd pick one up. And so I did.

Zoe and I wasted no time in getting started, so there we were at 9:00 at night delving into the world of cake pop making. It seems like a good idea in principle; mix up the batter, fire up the cake pop maker, squirt in the mix, cook 5 minutes, pop out, decorate. EASY! Nothing is ever easy.

My first sign that this might not go according to plan was when the printed words under the power lights melted off. Seriously. The word "power" (I think that's what it said) liquefied and melted away as it was preheating. The word "ready" under the green ready light is only half melted away. Which is good, because how would I know which light was which? It didn't go unnoticed by me that the cake pop maker on the box doesn't have any words printed under the lights. I guess those melted off too.

Next, I decided to use the handy dandy syringe that came with the cake pop maker. It's supposed to make the little half-dome divots easy to fill. The problem is that the syringe itself is messy to fill, and only holds about 4 cake balls worth of batter. In the time it takes to refill the syringe, your 4 cake balls have already cooked. That was a moot point though, because the plunger in the syringe broke before I ever got around to refilling it. - A plastic baggie with a corner cut off works pretty well and holds all the batter.

Once we got past the melting and breaking, the actual cooking of the cake pops was pretty easy. 12 of them cook up in about 5 minutes and they're not too hard to pop out with the fork-like thingie included. We made chocolate cake balls (not yet cake pops), and they looked pretty good. I did purchase a box of cake pop batter (with glaze) because I'm too lazy to make it from scratch. They are tasty little things. Even if they do look like little turds in this photo.

The stick sticking-in and decorating part wasn't as easy. We did chill the little cake balls for a while to make it easier, but by the time we finished Zoe and I were both covered in chocolate glaze and sprinkles. It was messy to say the least. Not to mention the balls were prone to falling off the stick as we tried to dip it into the glaze. I'm thinking maybe some of those chocolate candy melts might work better. Needless to say, they looked nothing like the picture on the box. I will say that after a night in the refrigerator, they were much more solid, and just as tasty. So, It wasn't so bad after all.

When I say it's like the George Foreman Grill version of a cake pop maker, I'm not kidding. Specifically the George Foreman Grill that's hard to clean. Why is it so hard to make these things with removeable plates? Cleaning was not fun.

I might actually take the cake pop maker out of the box again at some point. Maybe after I have a better plan of action about how to not make a disaster of ourselves or our kitchen. Or if Zoe begs me enough. Or, maybe I'll get a little pie maker. Mmmm. Pie.

 

Food Friday: Simple and tasty Beef Barbecue (Otherwise known as Sloppy Joes. Only better)

This recipe first originated from my grandma; most likely a clipping from the newspaper or a magazine. Some call it Sloppy Joes, but we've always just called it Beef Barbecue. It's so much better than a can of Sloppy Joe mix off the shelf, and with very few ingredients. I have yet to come across a similar recipe with so few ingredients, yet so much flavor. My husband and everyone who's ever had this say it's delicious. I sure think so, but I might be a bit biased. My Beef Barbecue recipe is great for a gathering or holiday party because it's so super easy to make and can be adapted to feed as many or as few people as you need.

Beef Barbecue
(By Mish Mash Momma)

These ingredients plus ground beef are all you need!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef (I like ground sirloin)
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped (I use pre-chopped frozen)
• 1 medium onion, chopped  (I use pre-chopped frozen)
• 1 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• Hamburger buns
  

Useful items to have:

• Measuring spoon (Tablespoon)
• Measuring cup
  
• Frying pan
• Saucepan
  

Directions

• Brown ground beef and drain
• Mix Ketchup, mustard, sugar and vinegar with ground beef
• Simmer for 20-30 minutes

 

Serve on hamburger buns. Goes well with cole slaw and french fries.
Optional: Use small buns for appetizer size and keep warm in a crock pot for parties.

This recipe makes about 8-10 Beef Barbecue sandwiches on regular sized buns.

 

Food Friday: Easy desserts - Peppermint Bark Brownies and Jello-O Pie

Time for another Food Friday! This week the recipes are super easy, because things are crazy this time of year, and we could all use some time savers. I don't think there's any shame in making dessert out of a box. It's pretty much the only kind of dessert I make.

 

This first recipe is a yearly favorite of mine. Everyone loves it, and it's the easiest thing ever to make.

Peppermint Bark Brownies
(By Mish Mash Momma)

Ingredients:

• Your favorite box of brownie mix and its listed ingredients
• Peppermint bark - You can find it this time of year at Target, Williams Sonoma, etc or make your own with broken candy canes and a mix of white and chocolate chips)
  
  

Helpful items to have:

• Brownie pan (an aluminum one you can toss is a great idea for parties)
• Quart sized zipper bag
• Rolling pin, hammer, meat pounder, etc
  

Directions:

• Mix brownie batter according to directions and pour into your usual brownie pan.
• Start baking your brownies according to directions.
• While brownies are baking, put peppermint bark into a baggie and break it up with a rolling pin, hammer, etc. - It helps to put a dish towel under the baggie to avoid counter damage.
• With 5-10 minutes left in baking, sprinkle crushed peppermint bark onto brownie batter evenly and finish baking.
  

Viola! Delicious Peppermint Bark Brownies. Sure to be a big hit at holiday parties!

Jell-O Pie
(By Mish Mash Momma - borrowed from a Jell-O ad in a magazine)

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cup of boiling water
• Ice cubes
• 1/2 cup of cold water
• 2 cups of Cool Whip or other whipped topping (it equals an 8 oz container)
• 1 graham cracker pie crust (6 oz)
• 1 package (4-serving size) Jell-O, any flavor
  
  

Useful items to have:

• Large bowl
• Small bowl
• Measuring cup
• Wire wisk
  
  

Directions:

• Stir boiling water into Jell-O in a large bowl until completely dissolved (at least 2 minutes)
• Mix cold water and ice until it measures 1-1/2 cups.
• Combine with Jello-O mixture, stirring until the ice melts.
• Remove 2 cups of the Jell-O; place in a small bowl and refrigerate 5 minutes, or until the Jell-O is the consistency of unbeaten egg whites.
• Carefully spoon the Jello into crust and refrigerate 10 minutes.

• Meanwhile, add whipped topping to remaining Jell-O.
• Stir with a wire whisk until well-blended.
• Refrigerate 10 minutes until the mixture is thick and will mound.
• Carefully spoon over Jell-O layer in crust.
• Refrigerate at least 3 hours until firm.
• Refrigerate 15 to 20 min or until mixture thickens.
• Spoon into crust and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
  
  

I think it would be fun to try to layer red and green Jell-O for Christmas. I've never tried it, but if anyone does, let me know how it goes.

This last recipe isn't necessarly quite as easy, but I'm thinking cheesecake lovers would enjoy it.

Vanilla Mousse Cheesecake
(By Carolee) 

Borrowed from Kraft recipes.  I've made it about 5 times and it's so yummy! I like the change from graham cracker crust to the Nilla wafers. 
So it doesn't go to waste, after you've eaten your fill, slice it into individual slices, wrap in wax paper, and place in freezer bags and freeze.  When you want an easy dessert, thaw out on counter.

Ingredients:

• 40 Nilla Wafers, crushed (about 1-1/2 cups)
• 3 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted
• 4 pkgs (8 oz each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened, divided
• 3 eggs
• 1 tub (8 oz) Cool Whip Topping, thawed
  
  

Helpful items to have:

• Springform pan
• Mixer or hand mixer
  

 

Directions:

• HEAT oven to 325ºF.
• MIX wafer crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
• BEAT 3 pkg. cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp. vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.
• BAKE 50 to 55 min. or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool completely in pan.
• BEAT remaining cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with mixer in large bowl until well blended. Whisk in COOL WHIP; spread over cheesecake. 
• Refrigerate 4 hours. Remove rim of pan before serving cheesecake.

That's all for this week, if anyone has any recipes to share, please email them to me by clicking the "email me" link on the left side of the page.