Daily Dish Recipes » Food Fun and Tags

Food, Food and More Food!

Nicole Humphrey Cook — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 13:06:02 +0000

Simply a quick meme I thought would be fun to do. Why do I insist on doing these? LOL

What cooking shows do you watch?
I really don’t, though sometimes I like to watch Top Chef for the simple entertainment value.

Your top three favorite cookbooks are:
Baking from my home to yours – Dorie Greenspan; Taste of Home Cookbooks; The Joy of Cooking

Your must-have kitchen accessory is:
Cast-Iron Skillet. Crock pot.

What is your go-to ingredient?
Olive Oil, Garlic and Herbs

How many courses should a meal have?
I don’t really do this. I think a main course is perfectly acceptable as the only part of a meal. Of course dessert is kinda nice too.

What’s your favorite course?
Appetizers. Desserts.

What nationality of food do you like the best?
Italian and French. I cannot pick one.

What’s your favorite meal of the day to prepare?
Probably breakfast, though I am much more apt to prepare breakfast for dinner

Where do you find inspiration when creating a new dish?
Ingredients on hand. Taste of home.

What is your favorite comfort food?
Chocolate Cake.

Do you ever eat fast food? If so, what?
Yes. Wendy’s. Mr. Goodcents.

What restaurant do you want to eat at that you haven’t yet?
Probably anything in New York.

What’s your favorite dessert?
Texas Sheet Cake

Are there wines or liquors that you cook with?
Sometimes. Red wine. I’ve used white a few times.

How much time do you spend cooking a meal just for yourself?
I never prepare a meal just for myself. There are seven people in my family. LOL

What scent in the kitchen do you love?
Baked goods in the oven. Banana bread. Chocolate cake.

What ingredient(s) do you avoid/dislike?
Lima Beans, soy, tofu (sorry vegans – I keep trying to like it – its just not happening)

What’s your secret splurge at the grocery store?
Pringles specialty flavors and Chocolate. Sometimes Ben & Jerrys.

What’s your favorite midnight snack?
Leftovers reheated. A sandwich roll-up.

Food Photo Meme

Nicole Humphrey Cook — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 20:48:17 +0000

As usual, I jumped on the meme wagon and had fun with this one. I love looking at photographs of food, so this was entertaining to say the very least. Never mind that I am now starving from staring at all the food photos and thinking about my favorite meals.

1. What is your favorite breakfast?
2. What is your favorite lunch?
3. What is your favorite dinner?
4. What is your favorite snack?
5. What is your favorite drink?
6. What is something you eat everyday (or often)?
7. What is a food you hate?
8. What is your guilty pleasure (as far as food is concerned)?
9. What food smells gross to you?
10. What is your favorite ethnic food?
11. What is your favorite restaurant?
12. What was the last thing you ate?

1. Pancakes 2. Red Robin’s 5-Alarm Cheeseburger 3. Lobster Ravioli 4. Soft Pretzel with Cheese 5. Ice Tea 6. Coffee (I know it doesn’t say drink but this is it) 7. Brussels Sprouts 8. Chocolate Cheesecake 9. Microwave Popcorn 10. Sushi 11. O’Charleys 12. Little Caesars Pizza

Ran off… and got married!

Nicole Humphrey Cook — Thu, 27 May 2010 01:38:35 +0000

It was long over due, really. But after four years together, we finally decided to get married.

Our wedding was Thursday, May 13 and it was absolutely beautiful, everything I dreamed it would be. It was very small, and I had my absolute closest friends and family there which made it even more special. It was absolutely amazing.

I don’t feel a whole lot different than I did before, but I have a new last name.

A Case of Extreme Frugality

Nicole Humphrey Cook — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 17:59:57 +0000

Wow. Sometimes people seriously go to extremes to be frugal. And honestly, the woman I am about to tell you about, did it more for the principal of it being her money, but she fought for over 10 years about 14 cents. Is that not the craziest thing ever?

It all started over a cheap phone plan on pre paid phone bill. She was left with .14 at the end, and one day it just disappeared. She felt it was her .14 so she began a long process to get it back. And guess what? She did!

She was sent her check for .14. I know its the principal, but is it really worth it to be THAT frugal? Here is the article.

DO you know anyone who has done, or does something crazy to save money?

Happy New Year to All My Bloggy Friends

Nicole Humphrey Cook — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 02:39:36 +0000

I hope your 2010 is the best year yet. Keep smiling and have faith and hope that your New Year will be better, and I promise the positive attitude will deliver.

Here’s to 2010!

Another Fun Food Meme

Nicole Humphrey Cook — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 02:18:36 +0000

Why am I drawn to these things? Whenever I see one, I grab it and save it in my drafts until a day when I am feeling less creative and wordy and I substitute the meme for a blog post. But truthfully, I actually enjoy doing them. I know, I’m weird.

If you do this (or did this) please post a link to yours in the comments so I can come learn about you.

Which do you prefer? (my choices in italics)

01. CHEESE or CHOCOLATE?
02. BLUEBERRIES or STRAWBERRIES?
03. COFFEE or TEA?
04. CORN MUFFIN or ENGLISH MUFFIN?
05. PANCAKES or FRENCH TOAST?
06. YOGURT or CREAM CHEESE?
07. RICE or PASTA?
08. CAKE or PIE?
09. GROUND BEEF or GROUND TURKEY?
10. HOT DOGS or HAMBURGERS?
11. JELLY or MARMALADE?
12. AMERICAN CHEESE or SWISS CHEESE?
13. DIET SODA or NO SODA?
14. LEMONADE or ICED TEA?
15. CHERRIES or GRAPES?
16. CHOCOLATE QUIK or STRAWBERRY QUIK? – ewww neither
17. WAFFLES or PANCAKES?
18. WHITE BREAD or WHOLE-GRAIN/WHEAT BREAD?
19. PEAS or CARROTS?
20. PUDDING or FRUIT-FLAVORED GELATIN?
21. COLD CEREAL or HOT CEREAL?
22. KETCHUP or MUSTARD?
23. MUSTARD or MAYONNAISE?
24. MAYONNAISE or KETCHUP?
25. BLACK OLIVES or GREEN OLIVES?
26. ONION or GARLIC?
27. PLAIN BARBECUE or BARBECUE WITH SAUCE?
28. SCRAMBLED EGGS or FRIED EGGS?
29. EGGS or EGG REPLACEMENTS?
30. MEAT or VEGETABLES?
31. CHINESE TAKE-OUT or PIZZA?
32. SUSHI or DELI SANDWICH? — mmmm love both – favorites!
33. WHITE CLAM CHOWDER or RED CLAM CHOWDER?
34. KEY LIME PIE or LEMON MERANGUE PIE? (I’ve never had either)
35. PIE & ICE CREAM or CAKE & ICE CREAM?
36. WHIPPED CREAM or CAKE FROSTING?
37. HONEY or MAPLE SYRUP?

Okay those were hard. I love both on many of them, but I tried to pick my favorite of the two. Let me know if you did this too.

Cool Things Made Out of Chocolate

Nicole Humphrey Cook — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:50:22 +0000

The sweet, decadent, silky and distinct flavor of chocolate – I find myself craving it regularly. How about you? I’m not overly picky about my chocolate, though I definitely tend to have a penchant for choosing more expensive chocolates. I’m not a big fan of white chocolate, though I do like it when it’s in a dessert with another flavor.

So every now and again I google weird search terms just to see what comes up. A couple of days ago I googled something for a chocolate cake I was going to make (was trying to find a specific type of chocolate) and of course as I’m known to do, one click on one site, takes me to another and eventually I’m in a whole different place then where I started. I found myself lost in a world of cool things made out of chocolate, which I thought was fun, since I also have a penchant for cool cakes too. So why not? Aren’t these awesome?

Honestly though, if anyone ever gave me anything like these, I definitely would NOT be able to eat them. Chocolate Art is really pretty cool – don’t you think?

Make It From Scratch Blog Carnival for Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Nicole Humphrey Cook — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:00:13 +0000

Ack! I am so sorry about the Blog Carnival and its untimely posting. I’m relieved I came to check on the carnival this morning. For some really strange reason, it posted my original draft version of the carnival, instead of the final copy. I am SO sorry. HERE is the Blog Carnival in its entirety and not all crazy.

While off to a rough start this morning, the Make It From Scratch Blog Carnival rocked this week…

Cute Craft and Gift Ideas

Emily made the cutest T-Shirt Scarfs posted over at Insert Catchphrase Here. Great gift idea and super simple.
I thought of so many ways I could incorporate the cute Tissue Paper Flowers that Crafty Rose posted over at Fine Craft Guild .com. These could embellish all kinds of things and would look really cute in a vase clustered together.
The minute my daughter saw the cute Mother/Daughter Aprons that Abi posted at lighter side, she wanted to get started right away. These are GREAT gift ideas, and I am positive that my daughter and I will probably be sporting matching aprons at Christmas time.
Brooke presents a DIY Backless T-Shirt posted over at her blog Rambling Brooke. Not only is this the easiest thing to do, it looks absolutely amazing – there is no way you can tell it is handmade and not store bought. Totally fashionable and really cute.
gp gave us a glimpse into a Fall To Do list with Gotta Help with the Chores Here « Musings from Montana and even ended with a delicious recipe for Pumpkin Cranberry Loaf posted over at Musings from Montana. Can I just say, I really wish I was in Montana at this time of year. So beautiful.
Kerry Fletcher taught us How to Decorate Your Christmas Tree Like a Professional Designer, which made me so ready to put up the tree. It’s posted over at Interior Design Info.
Lori Vaughn had a really cute idea for a Make It Yourself Christmas #2 Clipboard. My kids tell me it would be a fun gift to do, check it out over at Telling Secrets
RecycleCindy showed us how to make a really cute Recycled Flat Bottom Plastic Tote Bag. Not only is a great “recycle” project but it would make a great gift idea! Find it over at My Recycled Bags.com.

Money Saving

Lucky made bringing the holidays into your home a little bit easier and cheaper, thanks to her great post Thanksgiving — Natural Decorations Are In This Year! posted at Making My Own Luck.
June Tree tells us all about a DIY Debt Management Plan: Go On Oprah’s Debt Diet!. As far as I’m concerned, Oprah is my hero – it helps that she is famous, but she always has the best advice. Check it out at The Digerati Life.
Wise_Bread just taught me how to go natural for a lot less than I thought I could with the post Stock A Natural Food Pantry For Less. This is a great post that gives you ideas and ways to save money and still eat healthy posted at Wisebread
Rosey Dusk had another take on decorating anytime, with Give a Room a New Look when your Broke. which she posted over at living cheap now.
The Smarter Wallet (I need one of those!) shows us 7 Frugal Tips To Clean and Care For Your Clothes, which is awesome because there are simply not a enough ways to save money on things we need to do. Cleaning clothes is a must, so this article was awesome, posted at The Smarter Wallet.
Jennifer Powlison gave us a great Laundry Detergent Recipe, AKA Jenn’s Laundry Jello Soap, which I found really unique and cannot wait to try. It is posted at Confessions of a Cheapskate.
Quirky Momma closes out this weeks Money Saving articles with Tiny Storage Solutions for Cluttered Spaces which anyone who knows me, knows I needed to read that! Check her out over at Tips for Moms, Activities for kids by Quirky Mommas.

Delicious Food

There is nothing better than making S’mores over an open fire, unless it is eating the Smores Cupcakes that cookingfor5 posted at Budget Crafting.
When I think about Fall, apples always seem to come to mind. Cyndi L gave us the recipe for Apple tarts that look absolutely delicious posted over at Real Food Fast!.
Kristia had my mouth watering this morning checking out her Make It Yourself Monday – Turkey Sausage, Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Recipe posted at Family Balance Sheet.
Nutella has always been interesting to me. Toni got my curiosity further peaked with her Nutella Wontons she posted at Wifely Steps. They sound yummy!
The Homemaking Helper showed us a recipe for one of my favorite holiday cookies, Peanut Butter Hershey Kiss Cookies. The recipe is posted on her blog The Homemaking Helper.
Fabulously Broke (which I always am – cute name) gave us Recipe: Vanilla Almond Pound Cake that sounds amazing and has me in the mood to bake today, posted over at Fabulously Broke ….in the City.
We just made pretzels the other day, but this recipe that Amanda Louden shared, Soft Homemade Pretzels looks far less complicated then the one we used. I love homemade pretzels, check it out posted over at Daily Diner.
Make it from Scratch always shares something awesome, and of course this time is no exception. Those Home Roasted Peanuts – MMM good! sound well,… mmmm good. The recipe is posted over at Make It From Scratch.
Joanne gave us Gift Basket Snacks, which I immediately found useful because we are trying to be bit more frugal this Christmas. Everyone is getting gift baskets with home made goodies and items inside. She shared ideas and a few recipes that sound easy and yummy – Check it out, posted at Personalized Gift Baskets.
I’m not a vegetarian but wow! Liss shared her recipe for Vegetarian ‘Rainbow’ Lasagne that looked so scrumptious my mouth was watering from the start. I’m definitely trying it, you should too – it’s posted at Frills in the Hills.
The recipe for Butternut Squash Gnocchi: A Recipe for Victory that Kris posted, not only sounds amazing, but looks super easy to prepare and would be a great addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas meal. Find it at Cheap Healthy Good.
Before I saw this recipe for POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice Cake from Mama Bear, I’m not sure I would have ever thought to use pomegranate juice (which I love) in a cake – awesomely posted at Gotta Little Space. Thank you!
Annette Berlin shows us how to make Bubby’s Lemon Pie which can I just say, sounds to die for. I love lemon pie. Seriously. No really, I would eat it daily. Awesome recipe posted at Craft Stew.
NerdMom brings it all home with a great recipe for her Chicken Tamale Pie. I think a few of my kids will actually eat this, and I know I will too so I’m definitely trying it. Thanks! It’s posted at Nerd Family Food.

I have hosted the Made From Scratch Blog Carnival in the past on other blogs, but this is the first time, I loved every post that was shared!! Thanks for participating this week in the Make It From Scratch Blog Carnival. I look forward to seeing what everyone brings next week over at: Frills in the Hills.

Make It From Scratch Hosted Here – Next Tuesday

Nicole Humphrey Cook — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:11:38 +0000

Next week, I will be hosting the Make it From Scratch Blog Carnival here at Frugal Changes.

The point of the carnival is to share the things you make from scratch. Create a blog post, showing something cool that you created from scratch – doesn’t matter if it is a recipe, craft or something else. No strict definition of scratch here, use your own judgment.

The rules are simple, only one post per blog per week, and right now we are looking for some Christmas gift ideas, so if you have something to share, please submit to one of the upcoming carnivals. The carnivals are posted every Tuesday morning on selected hosting blogs.

If you are interested in submitting a blog post showcasing something that you made from scratch- the deadline for submitting is Sunday, November 15, 2009 at midnight and you can submit your post here.

Check back on Tuesday for this week’s Made From Scratch Submissions.

Oh, and if you’d like to see this weeks Made From Scratch Carnival, to see what kinds of things are posted, visit The Festival of Frugality.

Give Me 5: 5 Favorite Drinks

Nicole Humphrey Cook — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:31:12 +0000

Give Me Five of your favorite drinks.

1. Water
2. Iced tea
3. Coffee
4. Diet Coke
5. Cream Soda

If you participate in Give me Five Monday, let me know by leaving me a comment and I’ll drop by for a peek.