Food Holiday: National Jelly Bean Day

Jelly beans are on sale everywhere I go lately.  I’ve bought a few bags for 50 cents each or less & now I’m glad I did ‘cause I’m prepared for National Jelly Bean Day!  I did a Pinterest search for jelly bean recipes & found some, but I wasn’t overwhelmed with the amount of jelly bean recipe creativity out there. 

In case you have some jelly beans left over from Easter or have bought some on sale, here are some ideas for you.

Jelly Bean Biscotti

Source: lafayettela.macaronikid.com via Anita on Pinterest

Jelly Bean Macaroon Nests

Source: lexieskitchen.com via Heather on Pinterest

Homemade Jelly Beans

Source: cupcakeproject.com via Mara on Pinterest

Jelly Bean Blondies

Source: afewshortcuts.com via Emily on Pinterest

Leftover Jelly Bean Poptarts

Source: seriouseats.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Jelly Bean Sugar Cookies

Source: fatgirltrappedinaskinnybody.com via Maryellen on Pinterest

Jelly Bean Cake

Source: sunscholars.blogspot.com via Caren on Pinterest

Jelly Bean Bark

Source: verybestbaking.com via Jenn on Pinterest

Eat In Recipe: Thin Mint Magic Cookie Bars

Did any Girl Scouts come knocking on your door this year?  Not here.  Not a one.  I didn’t even see them set up outside any stores around me.  For the first year in who knows how long, we didn’t buy a single box of Girl Scout cookies!  Can I tell you how depressed Mr. Diner is?  Yep, he is.  Thin Mints are his favorite.  I could order 100 boxes and he would still ask, “Why didn’t you buy more?” 

At least there are the Keebler knock-offs available.  I bought a couple boxes at the store this week…one for Mr. Diner and one for me to use to make Something Swanky’s Thin Mint Magic Cookie Bars.  I almost didn’t want to tell him I was going to crush up his prized cookie to turn them into something else.  I knew what he’s say:  “Why can’t you just let me eat them?”  or “Why mess with perfection?”  You know, something along those lines. 

But I went ahead and told him and let him know the other package was in the pantry for his consumption.  But I was surprised when he said, “Oh, that sounds good!”  Then I just hoped it tasted as good as it looked.

I broke out the cookies, put them in a gallon ziploc bag and gave my kids the task of breaking them into chunks…fun!  Let them squish & scrunch them, hit them with a plastic cup, etc. etc.  That’s the hardest part of the recipe.  Then it’s sprinkle this, spread that, pop it in the oven, ding!  They’re done.  Easier than pie…actually much easier than pie.  There’s no mixing or stirring and hardly any clean-up. 

And guess what…they were as good as they looked.  Yep, magic bars.  The taste of Thin Mints with parts that were the dry crunchiness of said cookie, and parts that were a bit gooey-caramel-y with other parts that held the delightfulness of a white chocolate chunk.  Yum.

P.S.  Who can find the face in my Thin Mint Magic Cookie Bars below?  That’s the only evidence left because now the bar has been eaten.

Thin Mint Magic Cookie Bars from Something Swanky
1 package (2 sleeves) of Thin Mints (or Keebler Grasshopper Fudge Mint Cookies)
1 c. white chocolate chips
6 T. butter or margarine, melted (I used butter)
3/4 of a 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat free & it turned out great)

1. Line 9x9 baking dish with foil or parchment paper.
2. Pour in melted butter.
3. Crush one sleeve of Thin Mints (should be about 1 cup). Pour crumbs into the baking dish and press firmly and evenly into the butter, until smooth.
4. Spread white chocolate chips over the crumbs, and pour 3/4 of the can of Sweetened condensed milk over top (the sweetened condensed milk should cover the top of the chocolate chips, but they shouldn't be swimming in it).
5. Break up the remaining Thin Mints into small chunks. Pour over the sweetened condensed milk and press in.
6. Bake at 350º for 25-30 minutes.
7. Let cool completely before cutting and serving.

Average Fork Rating:  4
Mr. Diner:  4
Mrs. Diner:  4
Amazing Diner:  4
Sweet Diner:  4
Little Diner:  4
Guest Diner:  4

We Have Winners…and 25% Off Salt City Bakery Today!

Congratulations to Marti Parks & Michelle Peterson who both won a dozen macarons from Salt City Bakery! 

For those of you who didn’t win, Andrea of Salt City Bakery still wants to give you a little something special.  Today only (Tuesday, April 10) until 10:45 pm MST, you can get 25% off your entire order at her etsy shop when you use the code THANKYOU.  Go order whatever you want:  dark chocolate biscotti, granola bars, russian tea cakes, whatever…but make sure you order some macarons!!!  Thanks Andrea!

Eat Out Review: Thai Evergreen

If you’ve been to the Orem Wal-Mart very often, you’ve probably spotted this little Thai spot in the strip mall across the street.  It’s been there for a long time, but this was my very first visit to Thai Evergreen.

When we arrived (my mother, myself, & Little Diner), I noticed three things immediately:  1) The place was sparsely decorated, but had bright blue walls, 2) The place was empty except for the couple who own the place and their toddler (and they were working away at the back table); and 3)There was a really odd, bad smell that we couldn’t place.  The first thing didn’t bother me…there are a lot of great “hole-in-the-wall” places that aren’t well-decorated.  But the second two things made me want to turn around and go back out the door we came in, but we didn’t. 

Thai Evergreen has a variety of dishes on the menu including curries, noodles, soups, and their own homemade ice creams.  Since we were there at lunchtime, we decided to try out the lunch specials.  They have three lunch choices for $7.50 each ($7.99 if you want to include a drink).  Each is served with white rice, two dumplings, and two entrees (Massaman Chicken Curry & Cashew Chicken/Teriyaki Chicken & Orange Chicken/Garlic Chicken & Beef Pepper Steak).  We ordered the first two lunch specials.

Our food arrived in a timely manner with friendly service.  The dumplings were average, but the entrees were very good.  All the food arrived hot and seemed very fresh with lots of vegetables that were prepared perfectly.  The Cashew Chicken had a lot of red & green bell peppers, pineapple, cilantro, and onions with an average amount of cashews.  The Massaman Chicken Curry (one of my favorite Thai dishes) had a wonderful creamy-coconutty flavor with nice chunks of chicken, potatoes, & carrots. 

The Orange Chicken had a fabulous fresh orange-tasting sauce with crispy fried pieces of chicken and little orange segments.  The Teriyaki Chicken had a lot of vegetables including broccoli, onions, & carrots in a sweet sauce. 

As we sat enjoying our food, we were grateful that three or four tables of people were seated which made our dining experience a little more comfortable.  Some of the diners seemed like regulars while others were first-timers like us.  There was also a person who stopped by to pick up take-out, which I think is probably the way to go with Thai Evergreen.  The food was very good, but the atmosphere was not one we enjoyed…mostly because of the odd smell.  It could be that the smell was a one-time thing, but I still think I’d tend to get take-out here instead.

Update (7/8/2012): The kids and I got takeout from Thai Evergreen. Phoning in the order was really easy and they said it would be ready in 10 minutes. We live close, so we hopped in the car & headed there and it was ready when we got there. Quick! I am happy to report that I didn’t notice the strange smell that bothered us on our first visit. New dishes we tried this time: Spring Rolls (filled with fresh vegetables & mint with a spicy pepper dipping sauce), Pad Thai (typical flavors, but done well), & Crispy Sweet & Sour Chicken (breading on the chicken was still crispy with a quite sweet sauce and lots of vegetables including red & green bell peppers, cucumber, celery, tomato, pineapple, cilantro, & green onion). The kids gobbled it up; Amazing & Sweet Diners loved the Sweet & Sour Chicken while Little Diner ate about 100 helpings of Pad Thai. They were begging to get takeout there again the next week.

Entrée Price:  $
Average Fork Rating:  3.6
Mrs. Diner:  4
Amazing Diner:  4
Sweet Diner:  4
Little Diner:  3
Guest Diner:  3

Ratings updated 7/8/2012.

Eat In Recipe: Pizza Dip

Any pizza-related recipe is popular around here…Amazing Diner just loves it to pieces, especially when it is topped with pepperoni. I ran into this recipe for Pizza Dip from the amazing blog Sweet Basil (love, love, love her blog!) and put it on my “to try” list which is impossibly long, but oh-so-fun to refer to. 

We followed her instructions, serving it up with Stacy's Pita Chips.  They were the perfect accompaniment to the dip, which baked up nice and bubbly with lots of melted cheese.  The cream cheese and sour cream on the bottom add a nice creaminess to the dip, but are seasoned well so that layer has a great richness on its own.  Then the creamy layer is topped with all the pizza toppings:  sauce, cheese, pepperoni, & Italian seasonings. 

Let me just tell you:  when you dip a pita chip into this marvelous melted creation, the flavors are even better than the pizza inspiration!  I’d love to try some other pizza topping variations to see if they work as well as this one.  Definitely put this on your “to try” list and if you’re having friends over, this would be a fantastic & easy starter for dinner, a great game night snack, etc., etc.  You don’t even need a reason….just go try it!

Pizza Dip from Sweet Basil
1  8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
pinch of salt
1/4 c. fresh parmesan cheese, grated, plus 1 T. more for the top
1/2 c. pizza sauce
3/4 c. mozzarella cheese, grated
1 3.5 oz. pkg. pepperoni, chopped
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
pita chips for serving

1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft and creamy. Add the sour cream, garlic powder, salt, and parmesan cheese. Stir everything together and place in an 8x8 inch baking dish.
2. Spread the pizza sauce over the top and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Cover the entire dip with the pepperoni and then lightly sprinkle the Italian seasoning and extra parmesan cheese over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min or until bubbly.
3. Serve immediately with pita chips.

Average Fork Rating:  4.3
Mrs. Diner:  4
Amazing Diner: 5
Sweet Diner:  4

Giveaway: Salt City Bakery Macarons

I love small businesses…especially good ones. And today I have a great one to introduce you to: Salt City Bakery. Andrea runs Salt City Bakery from her home in Salt Lake City, Utah. She makes all kinds of amazing goodies including custom cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and her specialty, macarons. Not macaroons; macarons. Macarons are a French cookie with two meringue-based cookies with a filling sandwiches between them.

Andrea started her bakery business in 2009. She focuses on using high-quality, natural and organic ingredients to make the best-tasting baked goods. We were fortunate to get to sample some of her cupcakes, macarons, & madeleines.

The strawberry cupcakes were made with real fruit and had a rich, cream-based vanilla frosting. The cake itself had a mild flavor with little specks of strawberries and lemon zest that was complimented by the creamy frosting (with real vanilla specks…my favorite).

We also tried the madeleines, which were light and spongy with a hint of vanilla.

But what we were really excited to sample were the macarons (and they’re gluten-free, too)! Andrea provided macarons in milk chocolate, Neapolitan, & raspberry lemonade. They were all fantastic with a light, delicate shell on the outside and a chewy-creamy middle that really satisfied the senses. The milk chocolate has both milk chocolate shells and a milk chocolate creamy center, so it is quite chocolaty. We all loved them! The Neapolitan has a chocolate shell and a strawberry shell with a vanilla cream center. The strawberry is a little understated, but these were a delicious creation, as well. Finally, the raspberry lemonade macarons were fresh and fruity with raspberry shells and a lemony center. I loved the light, but fresh flavor of these. The milk chocolate and raspberry lemonade were my favorites.

Strawberry Cupcakes Average Rating:  4 Mrs. Diner:  4 Amazing Diner:  3 Sweet Diner:  4 Little Diner:  5	Madeleines Average Rating:  4 Mrs. Diner:  4 Sweet Diner:  4	Milk Chocolate Macarons Average Rating: 4.5 Mr. Diner: 4 Mrs. Diner: 5 Amazing Diner: 4 Sweet Diner: 5
Neopolitan Macarons Average Rating:  5 Mrs. Diner:  5 Sweet Diner:  5	Raspberry Lemonade Macarons Average Rating:  4.5 Mrs. Diner:  5 Sweet Diner:  4

Salt City Bakery accepts custom cake orders from local customers, but also sells other fantastic baked creations (go order some macarons now!) on etsy. Andrea ships her freshly baked items all over the US. She also has a blog that features her lovely custom cakes and a Facebook page to make it easy to keep up with her latest creations. Andrea is celebrating her three-year anniversary of her etsy shop on April 9th and has included our readers in the celebration with a giveaway of a dozen Neapolitan Macarons each to two lucky readers (believe me – you want to win these)! Also, make sure you check out her Facebook page, blog, & etsy shop for other great anniversary offers!

To Enter: Go to Salt City Bakery’s etsy shop, then leave a comment on this post saying which item currently for sale most appeals to you. Additional entries are available for liking Salt City Bakery on Facebook, subscribing to Salt City Bakery’s blog, & following Rate the Plate Utah. Please use the Rafflecopter form to enter.

Giveaway Closes: 12:01 am EST on Monday, April 9, 2012. Winner will be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to respond. You must be at least 18 years old and have a US address to enter. Good luck!