Thankfully, we are here now and having a great time visiting my sister Lisa, my brother-in-law Randy and our 10 week old niece Maren.  Isn’t she amazingly cute?  She has the most rockin’ hair I have ever seen.  She is a whopping 9 pounds now, and quite fun to be around.

This morning while driving around Brooklyn we stopped in Baked, a bakery in Red Hook, to pick up some goodies.  Here is a link to their site.  Sarah had heard of their salted brownies; caramel and fleur-de-sel in a chocolate-y brownie.  I’d read that they also had incredible whoopie pies.

The bakery is a little funky and very cool.  The door is orange with an animal antler handle.  Inside the decor consists of white deer heads on the walls, orange details and warm wooden tables and wood grain walls and tables.  A crystal chandelier hangs above the counter to soften the manliness of the place.

Unfortunately the salted caramel brownie that we came here for was not on the menu today.  However, Sarah and I are not quitters, and we will not give up just because of a slight disappointment.  So we chose an assortment of treats to sample and share with each other.

Here is a tray of most of the goodies. Clockwise from top left are the s’more nut bar, rosemary apricot bar, oatmeal cookie, chocolate cookie, chocolate whoopie pie with vanilla cream filling, and mini Red Velvet cupcake.  Not pictured but very delicious are the banana whoopie pie, lemon pistachio vegan cookie and the Brewer’s brownie made with brewers malt.

S’more Nut Bar:  A slightly sweet graham cracker base with a chocolate and marshmallow center and peanut top.  The chocolate is thick, ganache-like and incredibly rich.  I would have enjoyed more marshmallow pieces in this bar, but it was still very good.

Rosemary Apricot Bar:  This was one of my favorites.  I usually do not like apricot, but with the rich buttery bottom layer and the nutty streusal topping I was a total fan.  The rosemary adds such a great savory flavor to the sweetness of the rest of the ingredients.  It reminds me of these rosemary pecan cookies which I LOVE with a passion and cannot stop eating when I make them.

Oatmeal Cookie:  Another favorite packed full of oatmeal, coconut, dried cherries, pecans and white chocolate.  I might try to recreate these at home.

Chocolate Cloud Cookie:  Dense, chocolate goodness.

Whoopie Pie:  A softer version of an Oreo and so much tastier.  Rich and yummy chocolate cookie encasing light fluffy vanilla cream filling.  Tasty.

Mini Red Velvet:  An adorable treat with a perfect dollop of cream cheese frosting.  This a perfect single serving cupcake.

A few years ago, these delicious cookies were on the verge of extinction when Mother’s Bakery closed.  Thankfully, Kellogg came along in 2008 and started making the cookies with the original recipe!  I love these cookies.

I saw a bag of them the other day, and broke down and bought them.  A little later while in the store, I saw a bag of Animals Frosted Cookies made my Keebler.  I was interested to find out which was better, so I bought those cookies also.

Here are my findings and analysis of the two cookies.

In this photo, the top 2 cookies are Mother’s and the bottom 2 are Keebler.

Appearance:  Mother’s have brighter colors, while the Keebler cookies are more pastel in hue.  Both have sprinkles, but Mother’s has more sprinkles per cookie.  Mather’s are smaller in size than Keebler.

Texture:  The cookie textures Are similar but Mother’s are a bit crunchier.  The frosting texture is softer on the Keebler but also waxier.  Mother’s has a firmer exterior of frosting that lacks the waxy aftertaste.

Flavor: Mother’s cookies ware a tiny bit sweeter, but the cookies were pretty similar aside from the waxy frosting.

The Verdict:  Mother’s wins, no question.  They are definitely the better cookie in every category and are just tastier…in my opinion, anyway.  When given the choice, choose Mother’s.

OMG.  I never say that phrase (or type that phrase for that matter)…well, not until now anyway.  But the lunch I had at Twisted Root deserves it.  This place is incredible.

I visited my sister Sarah in Dallas last week since it was my spring break and her “weekend” is Thursday and Friday.  I had a great time.  Going to work on Monday was pretty much horrendous.  What happened to sleeping in?  Getting coffee and surfing the web at a coffee shop down the street?  Spending the morning shopping and then going to lunch and getting more than 25 minutes to enjoy it?  After lunch, why wasn’t I perusing design stores where everything was out of my price range?  Why am I not spending my evenings going to watch live music at a tiny bar in Greenville?  Alas, I must work to afford to do the fun things.  Such is life.

Twisted Root is in Deep Ellum and is probably a place you could pass up if you drove by.  At least at the time we were there.  It was 2pm on Friday afternoon and the street the restaurant is on was not exactly hoppin’.   Deep Ellum is an area near downtown in east Dallas.  Across the street from the restaurant was a tatoo place, a bar and a few other random shops.  Sarah had been there before and told me about how great it was, so we went there after a tiring morning of shopping.  Our original plan was to head to a vegan restaurant, but our hungry stomaches demanded MEAT!  So, we ate a big juicy buffalo burger complete with cheese and bacon.  There is nothing vegan about that!

It took us almost an hour to travel the 6 miles to the restaurant.  I hate traffic.  Amarillo has spoiled me.  15 minutes tops to anywhere.  The time we sat in stopped traffic on I-30 was totally worth the wait.  We were both famished so the food tasted especially delicious.  The house made pickles, juicy burger, curly fries and root beer float with house made root beer would have been good even on a full stomach though.

Here is the before and after of our meal.  We split the burger, an oder of fries and the float.  The perfect sized meal.  Full and happy…not full and uncomfortable.

We had one of the special burgers for the day: Applewood bacon with a spicy ranch mayo.  Sarah ordered the buffalo and added cheddar cheese.  It was crazy good.  The fries were my favorite kind…spiced curly fries.  I got some of their pickles to nibble on, and they were incredible.  The bread and butter ones were to die for.  I would special order them and eat only them for dinner if they would send them to me here in Amarillo.  Yum.

The root beer float was also incredible.  The Twsited Root root beer is available in their fountain drink machine, so you can just help yourself to as much of its goodness as you desire!  If you ever find yourself in Dallas, you should make the effort to go here.  You will not be sorry.  Here is Sarah, finishing off the last little bits of root beer float.  I’m fantasizing about it right now.  So.  Very.  Good.

Having so much fun with our friends made me sad to live so far away from those people, but also so very happy that we still enjoy each others company and keep in touch despite the distance.

When you travel, you are often required to eat what is quick and convenient.  Our day of travel on Sunday found us having breakfast at Starbucks, and lunch at the McDonalds in the DFW airport.  Here are my reviews of both of these fine food establishments.

Starbucks:  On Sunday morning we headed to the airport to catch our flight back to Amarillo.  We decided to pick up coffee and breakfast at Starbucks on the way to San Antonio.  I was just going to get a cappuccino and a muffin, but then I noticed that they also offered breakfast sandwiches and wraps.  I’ve seen these before, but never at a time when I needed breakfast so I had never thought to try them.

There are about 5 different options, including the Huevos Ranchero wrap that Ben ordered and said was “OK”.  I had the Turkey Bacon Breakfast Sandwich which is an egg white, white cheddar cheese, and turkey bacon on a whole grain english muffin.  It wasn’t bad, but not great either.  The bacon was kinda crispy, the egg wasn’t too rubbery, the cheese was warm and melty, and the muffin was pretty tasty with nice crunchy egdes.  It wasn’t the best breakfast sandwich I’ve ever had, but it wasn’t the worst.  It didn’t leave me feeling overly full , but it didn’t leave me unsatisfied either.  I think it is the perfect size for pre-travel breakfast, and it wasn’t too greasy.  No one wants to get on a plane after having scarfed down a short stack, eggs and sausage.  And no one wants to be the person sitting next to that person either.

McDonalds (@ DFW):  When we arrived in Dallas it was 2 o’clock.  We were hungry, and since our plane left in 30 minutes, we were not about to stand in line at the Chili’s and miss our flight.  McDonald’s it is!

I was more than a little disappointed in the situation here.  NO salad.  NO grilled chicken.  NOT well stocked in the kitchen, I see.  So, I ordered a cheeseburger Happy Meal…and I didn’t even get a toy. Come on!  That is why you get the Happy Meal.  Toys make people happy.  No toy = no happy.

The burger was what you’d expect from a simple McDonald’s cheeseburger.  Plain bun, small patty, yellow cheese that is only partially melted, a splat of ketchup and mustard in the center of everything with 3 pickles (without seeds…interesting).  It was, however, comforting.  It brought me back to being a kid except that I actually liked the mustard on this burger.

While the boys were at the football game, the ladies got a babysitter for Scott and Jennifer’s sweet baby girl and went out to dinner.  Jennifer suggested a sushi place she’d been wanting to try; Piranha Killer Sushi.

A friend in high school took me out to sushi one summer when we were both home from college.  He did all the ordering.  His dad lived in Japan for a while and my friend had gone to visit a few times.  So he was pretty educated in the ways of sushi.  I just sat back and enjoyed it…and let him pay.  Since that time I have not eaten sushi mostly due to my inexperience and lack of knowledge about it.

With some suggestions about what to get and some perusing of the online menu I felt ready to go as we headed out in the drizzle to downtown Fort Worth.

We started the meal with some wine and a bowl of steamed and salted edamame.  A cute bowl of rice noodles in a spicy soy sauce was served sprinkled with crunchy sesame seeds and a piece of pickled ginger.

Jennifer and I ordered two rolls to split between us.  Candace was going to go the non-sushi route.  We decided on the Sexy Roll and the Rainbow Roll.

The Rainbow roll is a rice encased combination of avocado, masago & cream cheese topped with tuna, scallops and salmon.

The Sexy Roll is shrimp tempura, ginger cream & cilantro topped with avocado, crawfish & mango.

Both were delicious.  Dipped in a little soy sauce into which a bit of wasabi has been mixed made this a truly enjoyable meal.  I was not an expert with the chopsticks, but I managed.  I love sharing plates of food, and sushi is a great way to do it.

I wanted to try a hand roll as well.  It just sounded too cute to resist!  A cone of seaweed filled with rice and spicy tuna.  It was adorable.

Maybe it was the company of good friends, or maybe the food was that good, or maybe a combination of both.  Whatever it was, I had such an incredible time at dinner that this will be one of those nights that I’ll remember and refer to in the future.

Online this bar goes for $6.00 a piece.  I got mine at Wal-Mart for $4.00!  Anyway, I was not expecting to like this combination of dark chocolate, chipotle, salt and popping candy…aka Pop Rocks!  Pop Rocks?  Even if I didn’t like it, I didn’t care.  How could someone not at least try something with Pop Rocks in it?  I hadn’t had Pop Rocks in a while, and I knew there was no better time than now to have them as an adult.  This is an “adult” candy bar.  The dark 60 % cacao chocolate, spicy chipotle and salt would not appeal to many kids.

The flavor of the bar was actaully very nice.  The bittersweet chocolate was complemented well by the subtle spice of the chipotle and salt.  The pop rocks don’t hit you at first.  You can sense the crunch immediately.  The popping begins as the candy melts and the carbon dioxide gas inside the pop rocks is released creating an audible pop and a bubbling sensation in your mouth.  So fun!  I liked this candy bar.  I wouldn’t have one everyday, but it would make a fun little gift or a candy bar to share with a few people.  I will probably try some of the other Chuao flavors now.  They have a new Panko Bar coming this fall, and a Spicy Maya being sold online and maybe at Wal-Mart…so, go get yourself one.

I have yet to get people excited about playing this game with me.  The three times, that’s right, THREE, someone has agreed to play with me it has been out of sheer pity.  I personally think that people are intimidated by my vast food knowledge…ha!  I know more about food than the average person, but I have been stumped by some of these questions.  There are questions that ask about the science of food or nutrition facts that I’m not so good at.  Other questions are about food brands or fast food restaurants that a lot of people would know.  Then there are the etiquite questions that I struggle with.  Texting at dinner is inapppropriate?  Who knew?  I did know that actually, but I have been out with people who did not.  There are questions about authors of food books, or singer/songwriters who referred to a food or dish in a song.  So, like trivial pursuit, if you have a well balanced team with different trivial assets, then the game is pretty fun.

You can play with the cute little dinner plate game boards, or you can just ask questions without keeping score.  That is a more fun and less formal way to use the game that can lead to some pretty entertaining discussions and possibly a heated discussion about whether the question referred to particular liquor or a mixed drink…it has happened folks, it has happened to me in the last 24 hours…and the argument that followed was not pretty.

Here are a few sample questions.  If you think you know the answers, then post them in the comments…let’s see if you are as much of an educated “foodie” you think you are.  Answers will be posted (for the 5 of you who read this) Friday morning.  There are no prizes involved…

1.  How many fresh tart cherries does it take to make a cherry pie?  about 150, about 250 or about 350 cherries?

2.  What does R.S.V.P. stand for on an invitation?  Respond regrets only, respond either way, or a response is optional?

3.  What chocolate covered treat made of marshmallow and vanilla cookie appears in the 1997 novel She Comes Undone and the 1989 move When Harry Met Sally?

4.  How many cups are in a quart?

5.  What politician, evoking the plight of single mothers on a campaign stop in 2000, said, “Working hard to put food on your famliy”?

Buy the game.  It’s fun.  It’s a great gift for the foodies in your life and a pretty fun game for non-foodies as well.

The restaurant is called Cowboy Gelato and has been open since the 1st of August.  The owner was there, her daughter took our order and I think her son was making the gelato.  The owner was such a sweet woman.  She came and talked to us a few times, complimenting me on my lunch decision, the Leone, which I will describe shortly.  Everyone there checked on us more than once to make sure we were enjoying our food, and offering to refill our drinks.  I love Texas hospitality.

The name of this place seems like quite an odd combination.  Cowboy food and Italian gelato are not a match made in culinary heaven, but it works people…it really works.  The inspiration for the place is film “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly”. Most menu items are named for Spaghetti Western movies, directors and actors.  The walls are hung with Spaghetti Western movie posters.

The sandwiches are called The Eastwood, Van Cleef, Wallach, Bronson, Leone, and Hill.  Salads choices include The Ferzetti, and Volonte.  Kids meals are the Django, Red Sun, Sabata and Campaneros.

Are you lost?  I was.  I knew Eastwood meant Clint Eastwood and that Van Cleef referred to Lee Van Cleef who starred alongside Eastwood in “For a Few Dollars More”.  I also knew that Sergio Leone was a direcor.  I did not know that he directed “For a Few Dollars More” and “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly”.  Other than that I was pretty clueless about who the other food items on the menu were named for.  I found the answer to all my questions here!  I never thought a restaurant would lead me to a wiki article devoted to the Spaghetti Western.

Ok, to the food!

Ben ordered “The Hill”

A Texas steak and cheese sandwich with “Ranch Roasters” which are simply baked and seasoned french fries.  I thought it was pretty tasty.  The meat had good flavor, and it wasn’t overwhelmingly cheesy.  The “fries” were definitely healthier than fried french fries.  They don’t have the crunch of a deep fried slice of potato, but they were good.

I had “The Leone”.  Ben wishes that he’d ordered it too.

Two Sky View specials with cabbage, pimento cheese, red onion and chili between 2 toasted corn tortillas.  Weird?  Yes ma’am, weird would be a perfect description.  Delicous?  Oh yeah.  What is a Skyview special?  The owner of Cowboy Gelato, upon hearing what I’d ordered came and told me how much I was going to enjoy it and asked if we wanted to hear the history of it.  She’s been making them for her family for years, but had one originally at the Skyview Drive In in Lamesa, Texas south of Lubbock.  I haven’t been able to confirm anything about the origin of this amazing stack of food.  All I know is that it was good.  Ben and I agreed that it tasted a lot like a Frito pie, only better.  Corn tortillas baked until crispy replace the Fritos, pimento cheese replaces grated cheddar, chunks of red onion replaces chopped white onion, the chili is the same, and the addition of cabbage creates a nice fresh crunch.  It’s eaten like a sandwich, so be prepared to use quite a few napkins and get some greasy chili juice on your face and hands.

After lunch I had to have some gelato.  Lucky for me, a fresh tray of Tiramisu gelato had just been placed in the cooler.  They had about 6 flavors of sorbet and about 10 flavors of milk based gelato.  I tried a bit of the Chocolate Green Chile which was described to me as “It is what it is!” meaning that you can taste both the chocolate and the green chile, yet somehow it works.  I also tried the Chocolate Hazelnut.  The Green Chile was a little grainy, I assume because of the chiles.  So I had “The Good” which is a 4 ounce cup with your choice of 2 gelato flavors.  I had the Chocolate Hazelnut and Tiramisu.  The Tiramisu was so fresh, rich, wonderful and creamy.  The Chocolate Hazelnut was also delicious with tiny, tasty, crunchy pieces of hazelnut.  If you want more gelato or to try more flavors in one cup you can order “The Bad” with 7 ounces and up to three flavors, or “The Ugly” with 9 ounces and up to four flavors of cold, creamy goodness.

It was hot today and from the moment I was handed my gelato it started to drip on my hand, so I had to eat pretty quickly.  I managed to snap one pic with my phone, but it magically disappeared so I am using this gelato pic just to give an idea of what I saw as I scarfed down my creamy dessert.

If you find yourself driving through Amarillo, you should try this place.  If you live in Amarillo, go here and help support local business!

A recent jaunt through the frozen food aisle ended with a container of cool whip in my cart.  What I thought was plain, lovely, sweet and light Cool Whip was something new.  Well, new to me.  French Vanilla Cool Whip!  Initially I was pretty upset about my error.  After I opened the container, saw its luscious creamy, pale yellow color, and tasted a bit on my finger my anger changed to pure joy!  This is a thicker, richer, sweeter whip than the original, but it is oh so good.  A little goes a long way, so there’s no need to overdo it.

Last night I made a lovely dessert with my new cool whip.  A scoop of Blue Bell Homeade Vanilla, fresh sliced strawberries and a dollop of FRENCH VANILLA COOL WHIP!  Yum.

OK, so I know what people say about Cool Whip.  I know that if any foodie is reading this post right now they will blacklist me.  I have opinions on food and I normally turn my nose up at processed foods, especially foods containing ingredients like polysorbate 60.  But I like Cool Whip.  Sorry!

Blue Bell Ice Cream has been a staple of my diet since I was allowed to eat ice cream.  It breaks my heart that there are people out there who can’t get Blue Bell in their local grocery store.  Blue Bell is only sold in 17 states, with their headquarters in Brenham, Texas near Houston.  You can visit the creamery, take a tour of the facilities and get a scoop of ice cream at the end!  The tour is only $3 for adults and $2 for kids.  Not a bad deal.  The last time I was there I even got a free Blue Bell hat…looked something like this.  Very stylish.  Ok, so my Photoshop skills are not stellar, but its kinda realistic…right?  Anyway…

I highly reccomend visiting Blue Bell if you find yourself in Houston this summer.

Ok, back to the new ice cream flavor.  Whenever I pass through the frozen food aisle I check the freezer for new flavors of Blue Bell.  There are times when I am excited about the new flavors and other times when I ask “Who decided that this was a good idea?”  I don’t always buy the new flavors that are offered.  Sometimes I just find it too hard to spend $5.99 on a half gallon of ice cream that I’m not sure I’ll like.  But this new flavor intrigued me.  I am not the biggest fan of chocolate ice cream in general.  I’d rather have vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips or chocolate fudge than just plain chocolate.

I like this ice cream.  The cake pieces are yummy, the strawberry is not overwhelming and adds a different type of sweet than the chocolate flavors, so it works.  Look for this new creation from the “little creamery” in Brenham at your local grocery store and try it.  You know you want to…