Gnocchi Nightmare

So... yeah... Gnocchi is not an easy thing to make. I don't know exactly where I went wrong, but I went wrong waaay wrong.

After watching a few videos on youtube and foodnetwork.com I think I know what I did wrong.

1) Potato was mashed incorrectly. I should have pushed it through a mesh strainer or potato ricer, instead of simply mashing them.

2) I put the gentle little babies into water at a rolling boil...when it should've been a gentle simmer.

3) The recipe I had told me to boil for too long. So when the gnocchi started floating (meaning they're done and ready to be pulled out of hot water) I let them go for a few more minutes.

4) Not enough egg. I thought it was strange to call for "3 tablespoons beaten egg"

I think #3 and #4 were the biggest mistakes. I'm sure there's probably a million other things I did wrong. I think I have a stray potato in my pantry so stay tuned for gnocchi nightmare #2.

Dinner Tonight: Taco Pizza

I've always had the problem of not finishing the left-over taco fixins. I can't remember where I've had this before but I once had a taco pizza...and I couldn't believe how brilliant the idea was.

So now when I plan on making tacos I also pick up a package of pizza dough along with it. It's the easiest dinner.

Taco Pizza
courtesy of Yours Truly

1 store bough pizza dough
left over taco meat
3-6 tablespoons salsa (or however much you want to use)
taco fixins
tortilla chips

1) Preheat oven to 350˚. Roll out pizza dough until it's about 1/4 inch thick. Pinch edges so there's a crust.

2) Spread desired amount of salsa on dough. (too much will make it soggy, so be careful)

3) Top with taco meat, fixins, and lastly cheese.

*if you're going to use lettuce, avocado, and sour cream..or anything that should be cold wait until after you've cooked the pizza.

4) Bake 15-20 mins or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

5) Top with cold fixins and tortilla chips.

Mardi Gras

Yay! Mardi Gras "Fat Tuesday" has arrived. I'm not one for plastic beads and crazy masks...but I am one for Kings cake.

There's a couple ways to do the kings cake. In my high school french class we always just did monkey bread for this and did the gold, green, and purple sprinkles. It's much easier for inexperienced bakers. More traditionally kings cake is like a giant round cinnamon roll.

I'm grossly unprepared for Mardi Gras this year. But....I might get into making some sprinkle covered monkey bread...we'll see how boyfriend feels about this.

Every Tuesday is Lost night, so it might be a good dessert to take. Just to keep in the festive mood!

Monkey Bread Recipe
courtesy My Mom

4 rolls of frozen bread from grocery store, defrosted
1 cup white sugar
3 Tablespoons Cinnamon, plus one teaspoon
1/2 butter

1) Preheat oven to 350˚. Cut each roll of dough into 1 inch disks, then each disk into fours.

2) Mix 1/2 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons of cinnamon. Roll each piece of dough in cinnamon mixture. Place in greased bundt pan in layers.

3) Melt butter and remaining sugar and teaspoon of cinnamon in small saucepan. Pour over dough. Bake in preheated oven 30 - 35 mins.

Food Allergies

According to this, a study done by Portsmouth University claims that 9 out of 10 food allergy sufferers do not actually have a food allergy.

Now...I don't have any food allergies. I never have. My mom on the other hand, has a million. Hers range from itchy scratchy hives to severe headache and other physical effects. I worry that someday I might develop these allergies, but if this study holds any truth to it I may not have to worry.

Every time I eat a new food, or a piece of sushi I worry that I might be allergic. Well, bring on the sushi and crazy stuff! Because this girl has nothing to worry about. (at least for now)

-TB

**photo courtesy of Family Nature**

Cookies Without Boarders: Bake sale for Haiti

Last weekend the girls at No Cookie Left Behind put on a bake sale to benefit Doctors Without Boarders Emergency Relief Fund. I whipped up a double batch of my blondies (which are in this picture...can you find them?) and 50+ other bakers whipped up their specialties coming in at $5500 raised for Haiti relief. That's a huge accomplishment and I'm super proud to say that I contributed.

I think this is something I need to get into more...
TB

**photo courtesy of Lindsay William-Ross/LAist**

Giada comes to Target!

Giada is one of my DVR'd shows. I love her easy recipes. She makes Italian food accessible for those of us who like to pretend we're Italian, if only in the kitchen.

This morning I saw that she now has a kitchen brand at Target. How awesome! Although I've already found the chef knife that she uses on her show, and it's not part of the collection...but of course right? Some of the other items are things I've convinced myself I need in the kitchen. Like this 2.5 qt ceramic baking dish that can be used on the stovetop and in the oven. For only $29.99. That's not too shabby.

Now we just have to get Paula Deen to start her own brand of "budda"...or maybe she already has?

-TB

**Photo courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine**

Valentines Day treats

It's February and for the first half of the month all I can think of is...treats. Of course! Boxes of chocolate, heart shaped cakes, cupcakes with heart shaped sprinkles, and of course heart shaped candies with cute "Be Mine" stamped on them! Even if you don't like this "holiday" you have to give it the treat points.

This year for the big V-day I'm heading up to Santa Barbara to spend some quality time with my best friend. (boyfriend is working on location in San Fran) We haven't nailed down what we're doing yet, but I do plan on making some treats for the day/evening. So I've come up with a few options for the treats:

1) Heart shaped sugar cookies with pink/red/white icing, stamped with various "valentines" phrases. From marthastewart.com

2) Mini Heart-Shaped Cakes also from MarthaStewart.com

3) Basic cupcakes with sprinkles. (this would be the easiest less challenging option)

Ohhh I can't wait to get started on these!

**photo from flickr user hiahmad**