Brrrrrrr!!!!

One of my FAVORITE things about summer is all of the cool treats -- ice cream, DQ blizzards, this cake, and most of all, SHAVED ICE!! Now, shaved ice is not to be compared to the ever-so-popular snow cone. The textures are totally different from one another.


Snow cones are granular, with little pieces of ice kind of in the shapes of little balls with flavored syrup on top (usually blue, red, or purple) and scooped into a paper cone. Shaved ice has the consistency of soft snow and is usually scooped into a styrofoam cup, packed/piled high with a plethora of flavors to choose from. Snow cones usually lose their flavor fast, whereas shaved ice keeps the flavor until the very end.


I am very fortunate to have a shaved ice stand 3 MINUTES from my house (driving that is) called Snow-to-Go. It. Is. Awesome. The workers are soooo nice and friendly, and the prices are very cheap - Small $1.50, Medium $2.00, Large $2.50, XLarge $3.00. Plus they have some covered picnic tables to the side where you can sit and enjoy your delicious treat. I haven't counted all of the flavors, but I am pretty sure there are more than 50 listed from Strawberry to Ninja Turtle to Tiger's Blood. :)


My favorite is this one:

You can't really tell by the pictures (since it was half gone at the time!), but it was a blue raspberry/cherry swirl. Can you see how soft the texture is?

When I was little, we had a shaved ice stand in my hometown. I think we were there just about every day of every summer, and I tried almost all of the flavors! One of my favorites then was the Creamsicle (orange and vanilla swirled).

This was so good and refreshing on a hot day. I think next time I will try the Pink Lemonade. :)

G.O.R.P.

I haven't had GORP in quite a while, but was thinking about it this evening. I may have to make some in the near future. What is GORP you ask? Well, it's simply "Good Ole' Raisins and Peanuts." :) Actually, the recipe I used includes M&Ms too.

G.O.R.P.

Raisins -however much you like

Peanuts - " "

M&Ms - " "

Mix together and store in airtight container. Enjoy!

YUM-MY!!

Baby Food - Snacks

Isaiah (my little one) LOVES his snacks! Fortunately, nutritious snacks are easier to come up with than his main meals. And, since his palette is becoming more and more interested in different tastes, I am finding more and more foods for him to snack on. For example, I just found these the other day at Walmart. They are $1 for a bag of all-natural dehydrated fruit (this one is strawberry-banana):

Some other snacks that he loves are string cheese, crackers, graham crackers, fruit cups, fresh fruit, Kix cereal, and yogurt. This yogurt is his favorite:

There are two flavors in the pack, strawberry-banana and peach, and the texture is perfect for little ones. The yogurt is thick and sticks to the spoon, so it is great for toddlers who are learning to self-feed. Isaiah loves to hold a spoon and "dig" the yogurt out of the container. It's messy, but I just love watching him learn. :)

Oh, and another thing he likes for a snack (which are also great if traveling) are these:
I really wish Gerber made more flavors than just strawberry-banana, but these are great for now. I really like the Gerber Graduates snacks that are for toddlers, but they can get kind of pricey.

Any ideas for other snacks I can give to my little one?

The Popcorn Station

I would like to give a shout-out to one of my favorite places in Louisville....The Popcorn Station! This little place brings magic to an ordinary popcorn kernel. It is located in the Jeffersontown area of Louisville off of Taylorsville Road. You can check out their website here.

The Popcorn Station has over 30 flavors of popcorn from butter to watermelon to peanut butter cup! They have a variety of seasoned, sweet, specialty, and chocolate-covered popcorn to satisfy every tastebud. I've only been there a few times (because it is so addictive!) and have tried something different almost every time. Plus, they will give you samples of any of the flavors you would like to try.

On our most recent trip, I got a bag of mine and my hubby's favorite: Peanut Butter Cup. For this particular popcorn flavor, they take their caramel corn (one of their most popular flavors) and drizzle it with peanut butter and chocolate and then toss it together. Oh...MY....when you get a big "clump" of that chocolatey-peanut-buttery-caramely goodness.....I just cannot describe it. A party happens in your mouth! You have to be careful, though, because it is very addictive and if you eat too much your tummy will not thank you.

Some of my other favorite flavors are: Dill Pickle (yep, had to try this one when I was pregnant...and it tastes just like you're biting into a big juicy dill pickle!), White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup (kettle corn drizzled with white chocolate and peanut butter), White Cheddar, Cheddar, Cinnamon Swirl (tastes just like a cinnamon roll), and Cookies and Cream.

So for all of you popcorn lovers out there, you have GOT to try some of this popcorn! You don't have to live in Louisville to enjoy it, either. They ship all over!! But you might want to hurry, they only ship their chocolate flavors from October to May (due to it melting in the hotter months). I promise you won't regret it!

YUMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just Wing It!!

Okay, so I have to brag...but just a little brag and just for a few seconds.

I......made.........hot wings! By myself! I mean, I made the sauce and everything. Oh, and Honey BBQ wings too!

You see, every year for Super Bowl we have a few friends over and the menu is usually the same: Chili, wings, chips/salsa/queso, and some form of dessert such as cupcakes or Chocolate Rice Krispie treats in the shape of footballs. Everything is usually homemade except for the wings and salsa. Well, this year I thought I might try my hand at making my own wings and wing sauces.

So, I bought a bag of frozen chicken drummettes from the grocery store for $6.99. All you have to do is defrost them in the fridge for a few hours (or overnight, which is what I did), then bake them or fry them. I ended up baking them, which made them kind of healthy (*wink*).

I decided to make two sauces - a sweet one and a savory one. The savory one was the hot sauce and the sweet one was a honey bbq sauce. Now, I don't have actual recipes for the two because I kind of just "eyeballed" everything. But I can tell you what I put in them (and try to estimate the amount!).

Hot Wing Sauce

Hot sauce (about 1/2 cup)

garlic powder (maybe a teaspoon)

1/2 stick butter, melted

worcestershire sauce (about a tablespoon)

ground red pepper (a few shakes)

pinch of salt

pinch of black pepper

pinch of sugar

*Like I said, I didn't really measure anything. Just use your own judgement and make changes depending on how hot you like it. :)

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.

Honey BBQ Sauce

Your favorite BBQ sauce (about 1/2 cup)

molasses (about a tablespoon)

brown sugar (maybe a teaspoon)

worcestershire sauce (about a teaspoon)

pinch of salt

a few dashes of cola (I used wild cherry pepsi)

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover a large sheet pan with foil and placed the drummettes in a single layer on the sheet (I seasoned my drummettes with Lawry's before baking, but you can skip this if you prefer). Bake for about 35 minutes, turning once halfway through. Once drummettes are cooked through, place however many you want of each in the sauces. Turn several times to coat each one and then place back on the foil-lined pan. Turn oven up to 400 or 425 degrees and bake for about 5-10 minutes longer or until sauce has "stuck" to the drummies (I actually turned on the broiler for a couple of minutes, too, just to crisp them up a little).

And....there you have it! Homemade hot/sweet wings! Here is a picture of the finished product:

The Perfect Snack for a Shower

If you are looking for a recipe to take to a shower, whether it be a bridal shower, baby shower, or even just a party, this is the easiest snack to make...in your slow cooker!

Sweet and Saucy Meatballs

1 bag frozen meatballs

1 small jar grape jelly

1 bottle of your favorite barbeque sauce

Empty meatballs in to slow cooker. Pour jelly and barbeque sauce over meatballs. Cook on Low for 3 or 4 hours.

Now that is the easy way to do it. What would make it even easier is to melt the grape jelly and barbeque sauce together in a saucepan (or in the microwave) and then pour it over the meatballs. This would make the sauce very smooth.

If you wanted to put a little more effort into this snack, you could make your own meatballs. Actually, I prefer homemade over the store-bought meatballs for the simple fact that you can make them with lean ground beef and put your own ingredients in them. Here is a recipe I use:

Meatballs

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 small onion, minced (or 1 T. dehydrated onion flakes)

1 egg

1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 T. mustard

1 tsp. worcestershire sauce

Mix all ingredients together (using your hands to mix works really well). Roll into bite-sized balls. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, or until meatballs are cooked through and brown. Or, you can brown/cook them in a skillet on the stove (faster method).

*This is also the recipe I use for making meatloaf. Just form the mixture into a "loaf" instead of rolling it into balls.

A look back at 2008....

I pray that everyone had a very blessed Christmas this year. Can you believe 2008 is almost over? It is hard to believe that we are about to begin a new year...a year of "change" for most people. Since starting this blog on June 15, 2008 I have had the best time posting recipes, reading comments, and most of all reading other people's blogs! I have absolutely no idea how many people read my blog, but I appreciate you taking the time to. :)

Over the past year, a lot of things have happened in my life (mostly unrelated to food!). Here is just a snapshot of things that have occurred:

*Horribly sick on New Year's Eve, 2008 (stayed in friends' bathroom until 3 am) - a foreshadow of what was yet to come

*Another "episode" of the horrible sickness in February
*A third episode in March - thus sending me to a Gastroenterologist
*Colonoscopy (my first and hopefully last!!)
*Admitted to the hospital where I spent 8 days
*Gallbladder surgery (man am I glad to get rid of that thing!)
*April - recovery the entire month (off from work)
*May - Getting back into the swing of things, traded 2002 Grand Prix for 2007 Sonata (yay!)
*June - "Stay-cation" in Louisville, KY (due to earlier health problems and finances)
*July - our 6 year anniversary and my birthday!!!
*August - mini-vacation to Gatlinburg, TN
*August 26 - found out I am PREGNANT!!
*September - Hurricane Ike blows through Louisville, KY
*October - trip to Huber's (including one of the BEST caramel apples I've ever had!)
*November - in-laws come to Louisville for Thanksgiving (I cooked!), traded 05 Chevy Colorado for 07 Mitsubishi Galant ($200 cheaper payment per month!)
*December - found out Baby Lowe is a BOY! Went to both families for Christmas, celebrated the Birth of Jesus Christ.

Well there you have it - just a few things that happened in the life of the Lowes in 2008 (there was plenty more, but these are just a few of the highlights).

Now for a recipe. Since New Year's Day will arrive tomorrow, and we all have heard the superstitions of eating black-eyed peas, cabbage, and other foods for "good luck", here is a recipe that I am sure you will enjoy. It has nothing to do with cabbage or black-eyed peas, and it may or may not bring you luck....but what is luck anyway?

Hot Chicken Dip

4-5 chicken breasts, shredded
1 8-oz. block of cream cheese
1 bottle of ranch dressing
1 block or 1 package of monterey jack cheese, shredded
can of Rotel tomatoes (tomatoes with chilis)

Mix all ingredients together. Pour into casserole dish or baking dish. Bake at 35o for 10 minutes, or until everything is melted together. Serve with tortilla chips or corn chips.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Stay tuned -- there is lots to come in the new year for Bites With Brandi...including some neat giveaways!! Details soon....

Day 2 of "The 12 Days of Christmas Treats"

For today's treat, I thought I would post something a little different than your usual Christmas cookie or candy. This recipe is from one of my long-time best friends, Melissa. I am hooked on this mix!! Try it for yourself:

Yum-Yum Candied Mix

5 cups Rice Chex cereal
5 cups Corn Chex cereal
4 cups Wheat Chex cereal
4 cups oats and honey granola
1 box Honey Teddy Grahams (about 3 cups)
4 cups pecan pieces (or whole pecans)
1 package of dried cranberries

1 cup (2 sticks) of butter
¾ cup light corn syrup
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup honey

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Spray large roasting pan with cooking spray. Combine the first 7 ingredients in large sprayed roasting pan; set aside. Combine butter and remaining ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour mixture over the combine cereals, tossing to coat. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Pour onto wax paper to cool, gently separating with a spoon. Store in airtight container.

This is better than any granola I have had, or almost any other snack mix (there a few that rank pretty high on my list). Plus it is so easy!! Even kids can help you with this treat, just make sure they stay away from the hot sugar mixture (of course).

This mix would be a great gift for co-workers, teachers, and friends. Just put a scoop into a Christmas cellophane bag (like those treat bags you find at the dollar store), tie it with a pretty ribbon, and attach a little card and there you go -- instant Christmas gift!!