Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Bread

I've never tried to make homemade bread. The task always seemed too big to handle and quite intimidating. However, when I saw this post on a blog I read frequently, I knew I must get over my fear.

Turns out, the bread was not as tricky as I thought and it was so delicious that I may never return to eating store bought bread again. In fact, I'm already searching for what bread recipe to make next!


{Make the dough and let it rise. Easy peasy.}


{Roll the dough out, cut it into strips and brush with butter and cinnamon sugar.}


{Make stackable squares and put them in the baking pan for a second rise.}



{Viola - Perfectly baked bread that you don't even need to slice...it can just be pulled apart and be devoured quickly!}

Tex Mex Nite

Sometimes you want a soft shell taco or an enchilada....and some crispy chips and salsa. Oh and then you need the margarita to wash it all down! We were in that mood a few weeks ago and decided make Senorita's our destination. This spacious two story restaurant provided the comfort food we needed and I quite liked the rustic décor, open archways and festive atmosphere.





It wasn't the best Mexican I'd ever eaten, but I had fun and I think when the mood strikes, I'll visit Senorita's again.

My Apologies

I never really liked Bobby Flay. If you ask me why, I can't even tell you. Maybe I don't have a reason?! Maybe I just don't like the way he comes off on Iron Chef. Don't know.

I DO like his food though. He's a master and I won't deny that. My meal last week at Bobby Flay Steak at The Borgata proved it once again. We had all sorts of crazy food during the meal and honeslty, one thing was better than the next.


{Shimp cocktail that tasted fresh like ocean water was perfectly complimented by the spicy spicy sauce!}


{A crispy calamari and lobster salad appetizer. Crispy lobster, need I say more?}


{Towers of fried onion rings with blue cheese sauce and roasted tomatoes. Are you kidding me?}


{The sauce paired with this Southwestern Ribeye was utterly delicious and expertly offset the super-marbled richness of the meat.}

I just read that this is the first steakhouse Flay has opened. That being the case I guess I owe him an apology for what I said in my first paragraph. You have a new fan, Mr. Flay.

A Hotel with History

Remember this photo of gorgeous china from last week?



It was from the hotel in Cape May called Congress Hall (just like the plate says!)

I loved staying at this hotel. For starters it is a Cape May landmark that was built in the 1800's and completely restored a few years back. It now boasts 21st century upgrades and luxuries in a historic setting overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. You'll find state of the art amenities in the rooms, which is sorta cool, if you think about the amenities that were offered almost two centuries ago when this place opened and how different they probably were!




{I was slighty obsessed with Tommy's Folly Coffee Shop in the hotel lobby. Love the name and the fact that the place was stocked with homemade treats like the iconic Blue Pig cookies below.}

Fish Feast

I mentioned a fave of crab with mustard sauce earlier this week, which came from The Lobster House in Cape May.

When it comes to seaside atmosphere, you can't do better than The Lobster House. The restaurant is located on a pier overlooking the harbor and features clocks from old ships and captain's chairs in the decor. On the menu you can choose from nearly any seafood you desire - from calamari to clams to crab to scallops - it's all here. And of course, LOBSTER! (Oh and if you're a landlubber, they have beef).


{perfect starter of homemade onion bread.}


{the infamous crab with mustard.}


{fried oysters. Wow.}


{stuffed shrimp which were tasty but not quite as good as the fried oysters.}

Two Blue Pigs

I might have found a new favorite place to dine. The only problem is...this restaurant is over 100 miles from my house :-(

The Blue Pig Tavern is a scrumptious gastro-pub in the Congress Hall Hotel serving up American fare in a cozy environment sticking close to Cape May’s colonial roots. Truth be told, I love me a pub. And I love me a pub in charming Cape May even more! So naturally I adored every single thing about The Blue Pig Tavern.

We started our leisurely lunch with an app of chips and guacamole. Not your ordinary stuff. This appetizer was serious business. Light, airy, uber fresh guacamole and greasless flour tortilla chips. 200% Delicious.


Entrees were a Croque Monsieur and a chicken club sandwich. Perfect. Pub. Fare. Enough said.



The food was super tasty and yes, we ate like two Blue Pigs (pardon the pun).

Faves

A weekend trip to South Jersey made me realize just how many things I adore. Below is a list of my current five favorites from our Cape May excursion (more details on each as the week goes on).


{A pub with with a name and logo that have me completely infatuated.}


{Mustard sauce and red checkered tablecloths couldn't have been more perfect accompaniments to crab.}


{A Southwestern steak by master Bobby Flay that was 100% mouth watering.}


{Perfectly beautiful and elegant china to remind me where I was.}


{Photo texts from a fellow foodie and fantastic friend about Richard Blais' food in Atlanta.}

Weekend Chef

My husband (and I'm sure all of you by now) knows that a dinner like this is one of my favorite meals. So when he decided to cook up some Sunday Sauce at home, I was overjoyed.

He even took the photos while he was cooking, so I could blog about the meal. Is he a sweet guy or what?

Michael, in case I haven't told you lately I love you and your cooking
:-) XO




(I ate too fast to photograph my finished plate, hence the stock internet photo above).

Fat Tuesday

Fat Tuesday is rapidly approaching and somehow the whole Mardi Gras thing always leaves me remembering an old job and one of my favorite bosses. Every year at this time, our office was sent a King Cake by a colleague my boss did business with in New Orleans.

I miss that job, I miss that boss, but possibly most of all - I miss that King Cake. Our whole office loved tearing into the fresh yeasty brioche like ring of cake topped with sugary white icing and sparkly sprinkles in green, yellow and purple. The cake was a nice combination of pretty and scrumptious...and if you were lucky, you got the Baby Jesus in your slice.

If I have time tomorrow, I'm going to try to bake up some King Cake Cupcakes and bring them to work. Maybe I'll start a tradition at my new office. Ya never know.....

Family Devotion

I consider myself to be a fiercely loyal person. So naturally I love when a restaurant makes it easy to be a loyal customer. Case in point: La Famiglia.

I’ve talked about them before because of their uber tasty meatballs. This time around, we figured we’d try something different. That meant an appetizer of broccoli rabe with hot peppers, main dishes of lamb and fish with a side of pasta, and a shared rum cake dessert.






Verdict? This restaurant has proven again and again they have some of tastiest, freshest food at veryyyy reasonable prices. AND, someone we know who used to work there said the kitchen is so clean you could eat off the floor. Love, Love, Love La Famiglia.

In case you want two more facts that make this place outstanding: (1) You'll adore the convivial atmosphere (they succeed in making you feel like part of the “family”); and (2) the rum cake was one of the greatest creations in dessert we’ve ever tasted. It made us return the following week only to find out it was sold out. Oh well, I guess that means we’re heading there again soon…..
Ahhhhhh.

Let's Celebrate

Apparently it is National Pancake Day?! Am I the only person who didn't know this?

Maybe I can convince Michael to let me make breakfast for dinner tonite to celebrate! Do you think he'll go for it?