Tag Archives: #foodies

Dining Out With DOGS in Metro Phoenix December 2018

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*“We are Going Out to Eat Yippie”*

Dining out with dogs is just a fluff story about taking my dogs out to eat. It all sort of started when my dog Louie came down with cancer and was given only 3-6 monthsto live. He couldn’t do a lot back then but he enjoyed going out to eat so we took him out as often as possible. Instead of the 3-6 months he made it another 17 months. Today I take my current dogs out to eat.

Most restaurants in Metro Phoenix do have patios but not all restaurant patios are dog friendly. It’s always best to visit a certified dog friendly patio and it’s also best to call before your visit to make sure the patio is available. I also recommend to go at off times to avoid other diners and other dogs for numerous reasons. Some of the reasons are not everyone wants to dine with dogs. Also some people are allergic to dogs. Sometimes dogs bark at each other. You could be asked to leave for these and other reasons. Remember it’s always best to call first and dine at off times with your dog(s).

There are some rules for dining with dogs. Your dog must be by your side at all times when you dine with dogs. Dogs are NOT to sit on restaurant furniture. Dogs are NOT to eat off restaurant plates. Most of the food and drink that you consume is not safe and might be toxic to your dog. You must get a list of dog friendly foods and foods to avoid from your veterinarian. It’s also important to know that your dog is not as heat tolerant as you are. Dogs absorb heat threw their paws and can’t sweat. 90 degrees F and above your dogs should stay home. Each dog is different (just like people) and do have different heat tolerance. Most younger healthier dogs might be able to tolerate up to or almost 90 degrees F BUT ONLY IN FULL SHADED PATIOS. Hopefully you know your dog well enough to figure out your dog’s heat tolerance. When there is any doubt it’s best to leave them home.

*“We are on our way to Humble Pie in Glendale”*
The first week of December was very cold for dessert standards so we had to wait for week two of December to dine out. We made it to our local Humble Pie. Humble Pie is an Arizonian Group of nine restaurants that specialize in serving pizzas with house made mozzarella cheese. They feature their own house made sausage but also offer the locally made Schreiner’s sausage.

I ordered a Margherita for myself and a side order of grilled chicken for the dogs ($3.00).

Someone thought this smelled yummy!

*“OH you FORKING RUNT!” ……”GET OUT!” “I’m getting first taste!”*

“That’s better little boy now we can get along.”

“That Margherita is very thin….Good thing we got grilled chicken!”
“Our other human got the Humble Pie Signature Sausage Pizza.”

“We enjoyed ourselves at Humble Pie!”
www.HumblePieUSA.com

“We are on our way to Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante in Glendale.”

Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante is an Italian Restaurant that specializes in serving Neapolitan Pizzas, House Made Pastas and more! They recently updated their menu so we thought we’d give it a try.

“Why does she drink wine when there is beer?”

New Menu item Chicken Pizzaiola (Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella and Imported Prosciutto)

“OMG look at all that chicken (Chicken Milanese)…she can’t eat all that we will have to help a lot!”

“Ummmm that’s some good chicken….I can’t wait for my next bite….I’m so hungry!”

#We need to sample the Chicken Pizzaiola too!”

“Everything was delicious and portions were super extra large!”

“We enjoyed ourselves at Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante

www.BottegaRistorante.com

“We are on our way to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in Phoenix”

Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery is a Vietnamese Casual Restaurant that is Pho Free and specializes in offering about a dozen different varieties of the Banh Mi Baguette Sandwich. They also offer almost anything other Vietnamese restaurants offer except for Pho. They offer delicious rice plates, noodle bowls, appetizers, salads, curry chicken, desserts and MORE!

Today my husband went with a BBQ Pork Banh Mi that I forgot to photo and today I went with the Curry Chicken with Rice.

“The food is always so tasty that it can make even dogs smile.”

“We LOVE going to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery!”

www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com

“Well that was Dining Out With Dogs in Metro Phoenix for December 2018.” “We hope you enjoyed and we also Wish You a Happy New Year and Hope to see you next month!”

WTFork Happened to the Christmas Candy Cane?

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A long time ago in a land far away it was said that children were given candy in church to shut the FORK up. It has been written that a person in Germany got the idea to put a little religion into the candy sticks so they made candy shaped like Shepherd’s Hooks like from the dude in the Noel Scene.

As time passed someone got the idea that they should add hyssop flavoring to the Candy Canes because hyssop was used in the old testament for purification and sacrifice. Perhaps nobody wanted child sacrifice on their hands? ……Or just maybe the real reason they stopped using hyssop was because mint flavoring was much cheaper and better tasting than hyssop so they switched over the Candy Cane recipe to be made with mint flavoring.

Some people believe the red strips were added to symbolize Christ’s Blood.

If you have been shopping for cane canes you might have noticed that Candy Canes aren’t actually flavored with mint all the time.

Merry FORKING CHRISTMAS! and HAPPY EVERY THING THE FORK ELSE!

Have a Happy New Year too!

Doesn’t Forking matter what flavor the candy is. The kid will shut the Fork Up!

References www.Wikipedia.com , www.WhyChristmas.com , www.NoelNoel.com , www.FoodNetwork.com

1st Taste at The Social on 83rd Restaurant at P83 in Peoria – Worth a Fork!

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The Social on 83rd Restaurant and Bar recently opened in P83 section of Peoria Arizona (former location of Slick’s Garage). This area is also known as part of the Upper West Side. The Social on 83rd offers a full bar and an intriguing Modern American Global Menu with reasonable pricing. The atmosphere is clean and modern and maybe sort of lounge-like with a mix of all sorts of tables and booths.

Seating is available indoors and also outdoors. They offer an indoor-outdoor bar and a two level patio for dining or libations.

We shared two appetizers and a salad. The appetizers were reasonably priced and were larger than we expected them to be. We shared the Bao Buns that were filled with 24 hour short rib. The Buns were topped with pickled vegetables and came with a side of mandu sauce. ($8.50 – subject to change)

The menu reads Bun so we only expected one bun and not two. Inside the fluffy steamed bun was a generous amount of short rib that was compacted into a meatball sized ball. The meat was tender and the fat was cooked out. All together with the pickled vegetables and mandu sauce it was delicious!

The Mac ‘N’ Cheese Balls had a thin crisp exterior and creamy cheesy pasta inside that was prepared to perfection. ($7.50 subject to change)

Mac ‘N’ Cheese Balls seemed free of oil and were flavorful. They rested on top of a little lemon herb aioli.

How often to you come across a Jerk Chicken Caesar Salad made with iceberg, peppered pecorino and mango caesar dressing? ($9.50 subject to change)

The first thing I tasted was a crouton. It was buttery with a tender crunch. The Jerk Chicken was not spicy hot but very flavorful with allspice and other flavors. All together it was a delicious interesting salad.

That was my First Taste at Social on 83rd.

Worth a Fork!

Can’t wait for my second taste!

www.TheSocialAZ.com

Everything is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.

Chicken Meatloaf Surprise on Potato Nests Recipe

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This was very well received. You will get great compliments if you make this one. I made an extra tasty chicken meatloaf….I made it extra tasty with the jelled drippings of chicken I prepared yesterday for extra flavor but you can substitute chicken broth. I boiled eggs for 6 minutes and patted the meatloaf around each egg and that’s basically it. I thought it was pretty easy and the meatloaves re-heated with the same runny egg too! Potatoes I sort of winged….I spiral cut with the Paderno spiral slicer a red potato for each serving squirted a aroun a tablespoon of oil into the potato strings and mixed threw. They went in a 500 degree F oven for 15 minutes and then got flipped and in for another about 10 minutes and hit them with salt and pepper. That’s all there was to the potatoes…..You can fry if you prefer. I didn’t have time to make a cooked sauce so I just made a basic common ketchup spiked with Franks Hot Sauce and Worcestershire sauce. This really did come out FORKING GREAT!

Ingredients for 6 servings

1 lb ground chicken 96% lean

1 cup whole wheat panic bread crumbs

2 eggs – slightly beaten

1 shallot (about 2.5 oz.) – chopped fine

1 garlic clove – microplane or ground to paste

1 celery rib – chopped fine

1/2 carrot – shredded fine

2 Tablespoons dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons vegetable base (instead of salt..more flavorful)

4 Tablespoons jelled chicken drippings (or substitute chicken broth)

non stick spray

6 eggs

Other ingredients you might want to use.

6 potatoes

6 Tablespoons canola oil (about)

salt to taste

pepper to taste

12 tablespoons ketchup (about two a meatloaf)

Franks Red Hot Sauce to taste

Worcestershire sauce to taste

Directions

Put on a pot of water on to boil for eggs. When the water is at a medium-medium high boil carefully add the 6 eggs and set a timer for 6 minutes. After 6 minutes remove the eggs from the water and get them right away in a dish of cool water and add ice to stop the cooking and to cool the eggs. Set them to the side and let them cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl add ground chicken, panko, eggs, shallot, garlic, celery, carrot, parsley, thyme, black pepper, vegetable base, chicken drippings (or broth). Mix well and set to the side.

By now the eggs are very cold and will be easy to peel but be careful and don’t be too rough with them because they are delicate with soft centers. Put the peeled eggs to the side.

Eyeball (or measure) the meatloaf mixture into 6 even piles.

Make a dent in each for the egg and then insert the egg.

Roll each in your hands so the meat encases each egg. Then set each on a non stick sprayed sheet pan(s).

They go in the 350 degree preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the meat is cooked.

For baked potato string nest use the spiral cutter and mix each potato with around a Tablespoon of Canola oil and place each on a sheet tray. They go in a preheated 500 degree oven for about 15 minutes and then get flipped over and go back in for another 10 minutes.

Hit them with fresh crushed sea salt and fresh ground black pepper (these nest didn’t get flipped yet)

While everything is cooking whip up some ketchup and season it with a good amount or Worcestershire sauce and Franks Red Hot unless you have time to cook down tomatoes and basically add these seasonings and a few others.

Serve the meatloaves over the nest and drizzle with sauce.

Chicken Surprise Meatloaf over Potato Nest

Chicken Meatloaf Surprise over Potato String Nest

These Meatloaves re-heat well at 300 degrees F at room temperature about 20 minutes or when chilled 350 degrees F at 30 minutes. But these don’t freeze well because of the egg center.

People will FORKING LOVE THEM!

Confluence Restaurant in Carefree AZ is Always Worth a Fork

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Confluence is a small casual upscale restaurant located in beautiful Carefree Arizona. Confluence offers detailed elevated Modern Cuisine. The atmosphere is classic with modern touches. Seating is at the bar, standard tables or outdoors with mountain views. Currently Confluence is open for lunch and dinner Tuesdays – Saturdays at this time (December 2018).

Between use we tried around twenty different plates so far at Confluence. Dining at Confluence never gets boring and the food is always exciting.

Today we started out by sharing the Grilled Eggplant with Sesame Seeds, Peanuts, Fresno Chili, Miso and Bonito Flakes.

Delicious! Now I know new flavors to do to eggplant!

For my main I went with the BBQ Chicken Sandwich with Celery Root, Spicy Pickles, Beet Greens, Smoked Onion Mayonnaise on a Fontina Roll.

OMG! YUM! This is from another planet DELICIOUS! This is another one of the best things I’ve tasted this year! It’s MAGICAL! I’m almost speechless…..I’ll start with the Fontina Roll. It’s rich but light textured. I think it taste eggy and buttery…but it’s very strong with a strong yummy-licious Cheese Flavor. The bun alone taste almost like the most delicious grilled cheese sandwich you’ve ever had! The middle of the sandwich is a MIX of all the fillings and became almost like a messy but FORKING DELICIOUS Chicken salad with all kinds of DELICIOUS Flavors….A little sharp crunch and bite from the pickle. Chicken that seemed slow cooked or Sous Vide and was tender like butter. Sharp beet greens. Smoked Onion Mayonnaise that should be bottled……..OMG…BIG FAT YUM!

My husband went with the Beef Tips with Sun-choke, Broccoli, Potato, Mushroom, Cipollini Onion and a Taleggio Sauce.

We didn’t need dessert but Confluence Desserts are among the best…..

A little Chocolate Mousse with Almond, Orange and White Chocolate Biscotti was well received.

Confluence Restaurant in Carefree AZ is Always Worth a Fork!

www.RestaurantConfluence.com

Some of the prior dishes we tried

Roasted Peach, Epoisses Cheese, Mint, Pecans, Honey

Every thing is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.

Some of the FORKING BEST Desserts on the Forking Truth

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It’s that time of year when maybe you need to bring a dessert to a holiday event. Here are not all but some of my most recommended recipes.

Thomas Keller’s Chocolate Bouchon made by me

Cannoli with fresh house made cheese fillings

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Chestnuts with Crisp Sage

Melon Salad with Preserved Lemon, Lavender and Whipped Cream Cheese

Tomatio Jicama Fruit Salad with Tapioca and Lemon Cream

Forking Adorable and DELICIOUS Mini Apple Pie Bites

Nigel Slater’s Extremely Moist Chocolate Beet Cake Simplified

Summer Time Lemon Verbena White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Purple Sweet Potato Blackberry Pie with Coconut/Almond Crust

Kabocha Squash Cake with Drizzle and Chestnuts

No Added Fat Banana Chocolate Chip Snack Cakes

Forking BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies ever!

Best Food I ate out in Metro Phoenix Arizona 2018

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I haven’t been everywhere in Metro Phoenix but I’ve been to many restaurants in Metro Phoenix. The foods pictured are in no particular order. These just are the dishes that stood out from the rest of what I tried in Metro Phoenix.

From Multi Award Winning and James Beard Award Winning Chef Christopher Gross- who was at Christopher’s and Crush Lounge I had the incredible House Smoked Salmon. It MUST BE NOTED that this restaurant is now closed for business but Chef Christopher is the executive Chef at Geordie’s Steak at Wrigley Mansion in the Biltmore area of Phoenix. This smoked salmon plate was epic. It’s so painstakingly detailed…..the thin crepe, the crisp greens, hand made squid ink spoon with creme fraiche, crisp potatoes. The salmon was sliced with expert perfection and was so buttery it just melted in the mouth. If you tried this plate you’d know how lousy most other smoked salmon you can try is…….It’s very rare that you get smoked salmon like this.

I have to give another one to Christopher’s and Crush Lounge for dessert. The Lemon Pie with Sorbet (in a shell) might have been the very best dessert I ate all year.

The pie was just AMAZING with the PERFECT tart/sweet. The sorbet was natural tasting and perfect. I also loved the detailed plate.

The BEST beef burger that I tried (maybe in my life) was the Prime in house ground Filet Burger on an Apple Cider Bun with Bourbon Pickles and was topped with a Wasabi Deviled Egg and a Bourbon Cherry from the The Bourbon Cellar in North Scottsdale. They went too heavy on the mixed greens but who cares about that? This burger was the most flavorful and juicy burger I’ve ever eaten. This burger was delicious without any sauce. How often does that happen?

Luna Gelateria (Pomo Ownership) serves the most incredible Luna Flavored Gelato. There are some other outstanding Gelato Shops in Metro Phoenix but this Luna Flavor gotta be among the best! It has a different creaminess that comes from local dairy and state of the art Italian machinery.

The placement of the spoon makes it looks like we are checking for breathing

One of the best Fish Dishes I had came from a place you wouldn’t expect………It was the fresh killed Tilapia in a scallion Ginger Broth from D&Y Chinese in Glendale. Tilapia usually isn’t among my favorite fish to eat but fresh killed and prepared well it’s great!

I can add maybe a 1/2 dozen pizzas that are incredible and memorable. This Bufalina Pizza from Fabio on Fire in Peoria was up there among the BEST! The combination of Bufala Cheese, Balsamic Vinegar, Arugula and San Marzano Tomato Sauce are the things that make angels sing. I also have to add that the Spinach Raviolis and the House Made Gelato in Strawberry and Passion Fruit are just as great!

The other most delicious pizza I ate this year came from La Piazza Al Forno in Glendale. The Certified Neapolitan Pizzas do taste different than from other Neapolitan style or certified Pizzas from other restaurants. The Mozzarella Cheese is made in house and is very flavorful. The crust also is more delicate and usually more wet in the middle. I don’t usually order the Bianca variety but I have to say it was more delicious than my photo shows. The combination of House made mozzarella, (tasted like house made but not sure) ricotta, fresh garlic, extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, Sicilian Oregano and Calabrian Chili Peppers was also one of the most delicious pizzas ever! It’s a possibility that La Piazza also offers the very best Cheese Cake in the Valley…..I know that I don’t care for any other I tried…..La Piazza Al Forno’s Cheese Cake is the best!

April – 22 – 2018

Here’s another one that you can’t get anymore. Zabari Mediterranean Grill is now closed for business. I have to say that pita sandwich was the best I’ve had anywhere. What made it much better than the others were several things. One the fresh baked pita was very above average….it was perfect and molded around all the filling and didn’t fall apart or get soggy. Their Chicken Shawarma was KILLER……KILLER>>>>>>I MEAN KILLER……most flavorful and moist I’ve had anywhere. But the one thing they offered that none of the other Mediterranean Restaurants offer was that unbelievably delicious DELICIOUS Matbucha (spicy tomato and roasted pepper salad or salsa). That Matbucha was so delicious that stores should sell it. All those other sauces they made were delicious too….I should be happy that I got to eat here twice but I get upset when I have so many mediocre Mediterranean Restaurants near me that are in business and a really good one isn’t anymore. My other favorite for Mediterranean is also closed for business this past November The Shawarma King…BAHHHHH!

I was fortunate to dine at Cafe Monarch in Old Town Scottsdale. The Squash Blossom Relleno is what I remember most…….It was so layered with delicious flavors and so so textured. It packed a little heat so but was so dam scrumptious I wish I had a Forking Platter of them.

The Food is great and also painstakingly highest of quality from all the Bianco Restaurants….But This Nutmeg Italian Ice I had from Pane Bianco in Phoenix is still burning in my memory of one of the most delicious things I tried this year…..It really was THAT GOOD!

This Focaccia di Recco made with Stracchino Cheese from Pomo Pizzeria in Scottsdale is ULTRA SCRUMPTIOUS!!!! It’s so thin and cheesy……but not the normal cheesy…..it’s a cheesy flavor that just melts in the mouth and also taste better than most pizza cheese.

The Tea Brined Fried Chicken Thighs from Elements at Sanctuary was so darn delicious I tried it twice. It did differ the second time around but was still incredible. Both times the chicken had a developed flavor and was juicy with a tasty crust. It went really yummy with the pickled watermelon salad. The delicious sauces underneath kept each bite interesting.

How can I pick one favorite dish from Confluence in Carefree AZ…..It’s impossible. Every dish was way up there……like from another universe……..EVERY FORKING DISH WAS A FORKING MASTERPIECE…..So complex so interesting and so darn amazballz…..This Red Snapper from Confluence in Carefree AZ was really perfect and unusually delicious. The skin was seasoned just so and was extremely crispy. This dish contained fennel and I don’t know what they did to it but it was the best tasting fennel I ever tried. The plate also contained cucumber, grapes and Calabrian Chili Peppers….it was a hum-dinger! The Monk Fish….mindblowing…….The BBQ Chicken Sandwich…..OMG YUM!

From The Delta and The Larder in Phoenix came the MOST FORKING GLORIOUSLY DELICIOUS Spicy Chicken Sandwich I’ve eaten (so far). OMG this was scrumptious YUM! The chicken so flavorful and delicious. It had this slightly caramelized thin crisp coating, delicious slaw, extra great thick pickle chips (not chips more like blocks) and a bun that wasn’t too big….If Jesus wanted a DELICIOUS GREAT Hot Chicken Sandwich he’d fly to Phoenix and stop in to The Larder and The Delta in Phoenix.

Spicy Chicken Noodle from Szechuan Cuisine in Glendale AZ

The Spicy Chicken Noodle (Big Plate Chicken) from Szechuan Cuisine in Glendale was one of the best Chinese Dishes I’ve ever had…….It was a magical food adventure like Chinese Thanksgiving with fireworks. This dish was rich, full of flavors and spices and comforting, spicy and with all the chicken, potatoes and noodles. The magic part were the Sichuan Peppercorns because they made the onions turn unusually sweet in your mouth. This was a very delicious dish.

Another one of the BEST MEALS I ate this year came from Atlas Bistro in Scottsdale. Just like Confluence it’s next to impossible to pick one dish…..Another restaurant that offers highly creative detailed plates that are beyond delicious!

It’s very hard to focus on just one plate but this plate of Carrot Gnocchi, Lentil Meatball, Artichoke Melted Leeks, Fried Broccoli and Sea Scape Cheese was a stunning gastronomic adventure of flavors, colors and textures.

The Sushi I tried from Haru Sushi and Grill in Glendale was incredible……This sushi is different than other sushi I’ve tried on the upper west side. The texture and taste is different. It just melts in my mouth. Toro, Blue Fin and Ocean Trout were my favorites but even the mackerel was sweet.

What just squeaked in was the Chilean Sea Bass Entree also from Haru Sushi and Grill. Wow super fresh fish that was prepared as well as from the finest restaurants and the vegetables were also delicious fresh and tender crisp. You might not be able to see but I also got a nice serving of black rice. This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is fullsizeoutput_7abc-1024x768.jpeg

Another one of the best things I’ve eaten this year was the Charred Sweet Potatoes with Avocado, Lime, Pickled Shallots, Radish Salad, Pasilla Pumpkin Salsa and Aleppo Pepper Plate from Ocotillo in Phoenix. OMG YUM! The flavors went together so well! Something about that char……and something about that pasilla pumpkin salsa….really made flavors pop! This plate was way more delicious than I can describe and truly was among the best of the year.

This was a sampling of the Best Foods I tried in Metro Phoenix 2018

The Forking Truth

The FORKING BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

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The FORKING BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

This recipe was years in the making. A little tweak here and there until I got it absolutely FORKING AMAZING many years back…… When I started my blog I thought that this was the one recipe I’d never publish because I was expecting to get locally popular by selling my Forking Amazing Chocolate Chip Cookies at the Scottsdale Farmer’s Market because maybe a hundred different people told me that this was the best chocolate chip cookie they’ve ever tried. But over the past few years I decided that I would never sell at the Scottsdale Farmer’s Market because it’s a far ride for me and I don’t want to sit or stand at a market all day……. Especially if it’s hot and sunny like it usually is in Arizona…..and then my cookies might melt……Anyways- These cookies are very easy to prepare. It’s just a one bowl recipe that you mix up with a “Fork!” The secret for the cookies coming out FORKING AMAZING is to prepare the dough the day before. I don’t know why but if you don’t refrigerate over night the cookies don’t rise as well and don’t get that just right crisp. This recipe makes 18 cookies if you measure the dough into 1 1/2 oz high pieces. You won’t be able to wait a day to eat them but it takes a day for the chocolate chips to harden. The cookies will have a chewy center day one and the next day have the PERFECT Chocolate Chip Cookie Texture.

Ingredients for 18 servings

4oz unsalted butter – room temperature

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 cup BREAD flour (if you don’t use bread flour don’t cry to me that your cookies failed)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon course sea salt (for that just right tiny bit of salt crunch against the sweet)

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

6oz milk chocolate chips

6 oz semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl add the sugars and the butter and mix well with a fork. Then mix in the butter till mixed. Next mix in egg until it looks creamy. Dump in the BREAD flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon and mix with your fork till everything looks mixed. Dump in chocolate chips and mix till the chips look mixed threw.

Get out your parchment paper or Quilon Coated Baking Sheets that I prefer.

Roll the dough into a big log shape and place it on the parchment paper.

Roll up the dough in the parchment paper like it’s a big sandwich and place in the refrigerator and refrigerate over night.

The next day preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Not sure maybe another secret is that I use cheap disposable aluminum pans. I do have real sheet pans but I used to bake cookies for a hundred people and I used to burn myself occasionally on the real pans so since I made so many cookies I liked using these cheap disposable pans because they take up almost no room and you will never burn yourself on them. Line your pans with Quilon Baking Sheets. Measure your dough into 1.5 oz mounds that look like hills or big gum drops and space them generously. Maybe another secret is that I only put one tray in the oven at a time.

Make your cookies into a hill or gum drop shape, space generously. Only one tray at a time in the oven.

I have a double oven so I can do two trays at a time. In my oven the cookies were perfect in 15 minutes. In your oven they may differ slightly. You do need to let these cookies cool some.

Crisp on the outside with a sort of chewy middle day one tomorrow the chips get hard and cookie will be the correct crisp.

These cookies are truly Forking Amazing! You will throw out your old Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe.

My Forking Thoughts on Happy Holidays Caramel M&M’s

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I recently purchased a bag of the NEW Happy Holidays Caramel M&M’s. About a year and half ago M&M’s did offer a caramel flavor M&M’s. These Happy Holiday M&M’s do seem to differ.

Here’s the May 2017 Caramel M&M’s Large (for M&M’s) slightly irregular shapes in colors of yellow, orange, red, green, blue and brown. I remember these M&M’s were unusually chewy.

The Happy Holiday M&M’s smell different.

I open the bag and take a whiff…..They smell like chocolate mixed with sour cream….

I pour some out.

The finish is different. Not the smooth polished shell that M&M’s normally have. Instead the shell is rough. The colors are red and green but in a rough finish.

These Happy Holidays Caramel M&M’s have a rough shell that taste similar to most other M&M’s. The Chocolate is a same familiar M&M’s Chocolate that most of us enjoy……………..these caramel centers aren’t as chewy as the caramel ones I tried in May 2017. The caramel is a softer caramel but it has a sour finish. After a few of them the sour taste builds and my throat hurts.

Maybe I got a defective bag?

I’m not eating the rest.

NOT WORTH A FORK!

Your experience and opinion may differ.

The Forking Truth

Low Fat Kabocha Squash Muffin Top Cookies Recipe

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Low Fat Kabocha Squash Muffin Top Cookies
These Kabocha Squash Muffin Top Cookies are tasty, high in potassium, and are low in fat. Only TWO Tablespoons of butter in about 28 cookies. The batter is made with bread flour and old fashioned oats. Once your squash is cooked this recipe is easy and fast to whip up. PLEASE roast your Kabocha Squash. Someone emailed me that they boiled their squash and a different recipe didn’t come out. NEVER BOIL YOUR SQUASH FOR ANY RECIPE PLEASE! I made these Kabocha Squash Muffin Top Cookies with leftover Kabocha Squash that I thawed from my freezer. This is a very easy one bowl recipe that you mix up with a “Fork!” I note that I don’t know if this recipe will work with other squash because I know that might be your next question. I’d say that two cookies might be a serving. It’s hard to tell because these cookies are seasoned just so and seem so light. You almost want to eat them like potato chips. They have a somewhat crusty exterior and a really light cake like interior. Lighter than the average cake and certainly lighter than a muffin. My husband usually hates sweets but he said these were very good and kept eating them. I have to also note that they are best the day you bake them because after you put them away in a ziplock bag or a tin the next day they lose that pleasing crust texture and turn all cake-ee.

Ingredients for about 14 two cookie servings

1 cup kabocha squash – roasted and mashed
2 oz unsalted butter – melted
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup bread flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup old fashioned whole grain oatmeal – not the instant – also uncooked
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon course sea salt

Directions
Set oven to 350 degrees F.
Line sheet pans with preferably quilon coated liners (or parchment paper).
Get a large bowl and add the kabocha squash, butter and sugars and mix up with a fork. Next add egg and mix well. Dump in remaining ingredients flour, baking powder, baking soda, oatmeal, cinnamon and salt. Mix till combined.
Use a small scooper and scoop out about 28 muffin top cookies and leave some spacing around the cookies.
The cookies need to stay in the oven till done.
Ovens do differ and the size of your Muffin Top Cookies also may differ.
Timing is impossible to call
In my oven these 28 cookies took 11 minutes.

Not too sweet and they have a pleasant flavor and seem heathy. I think some people might even enjoy them for breakfast.

TheForkingTruth

Forking Thoughts on Food and Restaurants

Tag Archives: #foodies

Dining Out With DOGS in Metro Phoenix December 2018

Like this:

WTFork Happened to the Christmas Candy Cane?

Like this:

1st Taste at The Social on 83rd Restaurant at P83 in Peoria – Worth a Fork!

Like this:

Chicken Meatloaf Surprise on Potato Nests Recipe

Like this:

Confluence Restaurant in Carefree AZ is Always Worth a Fork

Like this:

Some of the FORKING BEST Desserts on the Forking Truth

Like this:

Best Food I ate out in Metro Phoenix Arizona 2018

Like this:

The FORKING BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Like this:

My Forking Thoughts on Happy Holidays Caramel M&M’s

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