Some girlfriends and I decided to get together Friday before Mother’s Day. At first, we were going to bring appetizers, but then decided that, since we usually enjoy our brunches, we were going to have it for dinner. Initially, I was going to take the easy route and bring turkey bacon because I wasn’t planning…
Author: HungryEyes
I am a mother of two married to a Pastry Cook. I have worked in restaurants in various positions, but ended up as a teacher. Since having my last child, though, I am a stay-at-home mom trying to survive by cooking from home. I have never been someone who could open the fridge and whip up meals willy-nilly, but have been inspired by watching reruns of Chopped this summer. My post Small Dice is an ode to the show and, also, a challenge to myself to become a better cook and a more efficient mom. In addition, I love movies and music. I will be harassed throughout this blog for my love of Doris Day and Billy Idol, because they will be sure to come up, but I don’t care, it’s nothing new for me.
https://youtu.be/-sYKI4A3uhc
Small Dice Challenge: Spring Rolls and Chicken Wings
I was grocery shopping when I came across the above. I always love ordering Vietnamese spring rolls when I go out to Vietnamese restaurants, so I wanted to see if I could make them at home. I remembered that I had bought shrimp meat a couple of days ago and figured I could use that…
Small Dice Challenge: Chocolate Cookie Pie
Easter is not Easter without the story of a fall and rise of a being. This is such a tale. We were getting ready to visit our good friend, Rina. I had promised her a hollow Easter bunny because she likes to break their heads off and put ice cream into them. It is quite…
Small Dice Challenge: Buttermilk Salmon
Let me tell you a little story. It involves love, betrayal, and possibly….muuuurder. It was a chilly night. My husband ran to the corner store because alas we were out of milk. I wouldn’t be going to our regular store until the next day, and it was a milk and cookies emergency. After dinner, I…
Small Dice Challenge: Semi-healthy Shrimp and “potato”soup
A couple of weeks ago, I had my anniversary dinner at a French restaurant called Liaison Bistro. I can’t remember the last time I ate so well. Actually, I can’t even remember the last time my husband and I went on a date without a child. I ordered a sole stuffed with crab drowned in…
Small Dice Challenge: Sushi Rolls
The challenge this week is to see if I can make sushi rolls without all the necessary components that most sushi chefs have. For one, I don’t have one of those fancy bamboo mat rollers and, two, I’m not exactly sure how their rice is made or what kind of rice they use. I could…
Small Dice Challenge: Last minute Valentine
This is late for Valentine’s Day, but my husband has been home lately in the evening and has been cooking. Therefore, I haven’t, so I have been sitting back and enjoying the simple life (though not really because I have kids!) My Valentine’s story, though, goes a little something like this. Before leaving for work…
Small Dice Challenge: Asian Fusion
I think it’s been awhile since I have done a mystery challenge. I guess it’s time to get back to my roots. Plus, I had some lamb that was going to expire, so I had my daughter pick out other ingredients to go with it. She chose the following: I was having a craving…
Small(est) Dice Challenge: Baby’s First Birthday Cake
This past week, my son celebrated his first birthday. My husband’s uncle wanted to make one of his signature, grand cakes, but I don’t give my babies sugar. I allowed him to make his cake for the family, but my son was going to get a healthy cake. I searched online for cakes with no…
Small Dice Challenge: Baking Coconut Pecan Bars
I still have a bunch of pecans in my freezer from my mom from Christmas, so I looked through the Baking book to see if there were any recipes that called for them. I found “Double-Layer Coconut Pecan Bars.” Of course, this sounded delicious to me, because I love coconut, so I figured it was worth…