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Red Lobster’s Garlic Cheese Biscuits

24 Feb

Growing up, one of the outings I looked forward to most was getting good grades then celebrating at one of my fave restaurants.

Usually it was a Chinese spot, but sometimes I craved those yummy Biscuits from Red Lobster. (Oh, the joys of living in Suburbia)

To this day, I still get a hunger for those yummy buttery bites of goodness.

I was super excited when i stumbled upon this recipe from Gimme Some Oven for the Red Lobster biscuits.

They are super easy and turned out great.

Todd Wilbur, author of “Top Secret Restaurant Recipes” has a recipe too. His calls for butter in the biscuit mix, which I will def try next. You can get his recipe from his GMA apperance HERE.

If you get the craving, here’s the ones I just made from Gimme Some Oven:

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits
(Adapted from Joyful Abode)

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups buttermilk biscuit mix (such as Bisquick or Jiffy)
  • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
  • 2 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together biscuit mix, cheese and garlic powder.  Add in milk, and stir until well mixed.  (Heads up – the dough will get very sticky!)

With a spoon or with your fingers, shape the dough into biscuit-sized clumps, and drop onto the baking sheet.  (Note that the dough will pretty much hold its shape when baked, so feel free to pat down random peaks in the dough if you’d like them to look more uniform!)

Bake for 10-13 minutes, or until biscuits begin to brown slightly around the edges.

While the biscuits bake, prepare the warm butter mixture by mixing together the melted butter, oregano and garlic salt in a small bowl.  As soon as the biscuits are removed from the oven, brush the biscuits (while they are still on the baking sheet) with the mixture until they are well-coated.

Serve warm.

(*This recipe usually makes about 15 biscuits for me.*)

**I doubled the melted butter for the topping just bc I’m a butter freak.

**Next time I’d add the butter to the mixture, just out of curiosity and I’d cut down the oregano.

Food Truck Ban Near California Schools

22 Feb

Food trucks are all the rave in Los Angeles.

I will admit, I am a HUUUGE Food Truck groupie.

I’m a regular at The Grilled Cheese Truck, Lobsta Truck, and Ragin Cajun.

They know me, I stalk follow them on Twitter…yes, I have a problem.

My boys and I love it! Great food, convenience, and reasonable prices.

There are a zillion food trucks in LA to satisfy the hunger for even the pickiest eater: Korean BBQ, Vegetarian, Gourmet Burgers, Shaved Ice, Nom Nom, Dim Sum, Salads, Tacos, Crepes…you name it!

In addition to providing great food options, Food Trucks are also becoming staples at birthday parties and events around LA.

Many local schools bank on the popularity of the trucks and their huge following by organizing them for school fundraisers.

Popular trucks assemble on school grounds, and a portion of the proceeds earned are donated to the school.

I have gone to quite a few of these (just doing my part to help support education!). They are so much fun and kids and parents really enjoy it.

However, this could come to an end soon.

Carmel Assemblyman Bill Monning introduced a bill prohibiting food trucks from selling food within 1,500 feet of an elementary or secondary school between the hours of 6am and 6pm.

The bill is intended to be part of the state’s effort to create a healthier eating environment for school children.

I understand the need for healthier food in schools, especially with a child obesity rate that has tripled in the past 3 decades.

I’d be more inclined to find something healthy and yummy on a food truck than in a school cafeteria.

Are food trucks really the problem???

What about the liquor stores, fast food restaurants, and convenience stores within walking distance of schools? Where are the laws for those???

And I find it odd that by California law, a marijuana dispensary needs to be at least 600 feet from a school, but a food truck needs a distance of 1,500 feet.

Are we saying Mary Jane is better for a child’s health than something a food truck has to offer???

IJS.

Doesn’t make sense to me.

Get it together lawmakers. FOOD TRUCKS ROCK!

McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets Are Gross

29 Jan

This blog almost made me puke.

The things I do to bring you guys info and entertainment…

Sooo….this chic named Stacey Irvine, a 17 year old in Britain has been scarfing down McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets all her life. No fruits. No veggies. Just nuggets.

While my 7 and 3 year old sons would enjoy the thought of this, it is actually disgusting and not good for you.

Stacey was rushed to a British hospital bc she collapsed and was struggling to breathe.

Upon examination, doctors learned since the age of 2, Stacey has never eaten fruits or veggies, only fast food fried chicken nuggets.

WTH?!

Ok, I know babies don’t come with a manual, but come on parents, THIS IS NOT GOOD!

Stacey’s mom said she tried to get her daughter to eat other foods. Stacey said once she started eating nuggets, she “loved them so much they were all I would eat.”

So, what’s in these yummy nuggets Stacey and so many others scarf down daily:

A study determined McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets are “stripped down to the bone, and then ‘ground up’ into a chicken mash, then combined with a variety of stabilizers and preservatives, pressed into familiar shapes, breaded and deep fried, freeze dried, and then shipped to a McDonald’s near you.”

Do you like cosmetic products and Silly Putty? Great, because one of the stabilizers and preservatives you are eating is dimethylpolysiloxane, a form of silicone used to make cosmetice products and Silly Pully.

YUM-OH! Let’s break out the BBQ sauce!!!

Parenting isn’t easy.

We are often trying to spread ourselves thin finding enough time in the day to get things done.

But COME ON…we have to do better than letting a fast food chain feed our kids on a regular basis.

Do my kids eat McDonald’s? Yes. But not on a regular basis.  I also make sure they eat fruits, veggies, and healthy home cooked meals in addition to the crushed eyeballs/tendons/preservatives nuggets they get at McDonald’s.

I remember growing up, an outing to a fast food joint was a TREAT. It was a reward for doing something really great like getting an “A” on a report or my mom getting a promotion.

Fast food was not the answer to dinner EVERY NIGHT.

Just like we are conscious about who our kids play with, how much tv they watch, their grades in school, their safety in public, what activities of play they do…we should also be responsible about what foods we feed them regularly.

If you have young kids, start them on good eating habits NOW. It will make your life and theirs much easier and healthier.

P. S- Someone please tell me Chick Fil-A doesn’t do any of this crap to their chicken, bc I GETS DOWN at Chick Fil-A!!!!

Mom Banned From 8 McDonald’s

27 Oct

Welp, no more Big Macs or Egg McMuffins for 36 year old Arizona mommy , Erin Carr-Jordan.

The mom of 4 has begun a bacteria fighting crusade against McDonald’s and their play structures.

Her efforts have gotten her banned from 8 Arizona McDonald’s.

It all started after she complained to a McDonald’s manager about unsanitary conditions in an indoor play area, and came back a few days later to find nothing had changed.

At that point, Carr-Jordan began swabbing indoor McDonald’s playgrounds around Arizona.

Her findings have included MRSA bacteria,and other pathogens that can cause a host of serious health issues, including meningitis,  gastrointestinal disease and nausea. *gasp*

She reported some of her findings to the McDonald’s manager as well as some of the customers at the PlayPlace.

No action was taken and days later she recieved a hand delivered letter from a lawyer prohibiting her from setting foot at eight Arizona McDonald’s or she will be charged with criminal trespass.

Erin has her BA in Broadcast Business Management and MA and my Ph.D. in Educational Psychology specializing in Lifespan Development.

Despite Ronald’s ban, she is continuing her crusade against yucky play areas on her site, Kids Play Safe.

There are currently no regulations at the state or the federal level that require establishments that have indoor play lands (i.e. McDonalds, Burger King, Chuck e Cheese) to keep them clean or safe. *yikes*

So GROSS!!!

Our kids have all been to those places and there is prolly more germs and yucky stuff in there than the Playboy Mansion grotto.

I applaud her efforts. I’m sure her family is proud of her.

It’s no secret these play places are grimey and germ-y. This is one of the main reasons I don’t like going to these places.

On her site, Erin says, “I love being a graduate professor but there is nothing better than being a mom!“

I believe this combo will prove that Erin is a force to make a difference!

New Heinz Ketchup Packet

20 Sep

We are a ketchup family.

I don’t keep mustard or mayo in the house, so ketchup and BBQ sauce always get extra attention.

Like most families, we hoard the ketchup packets at restaurants.

When we get fries, Mo and B have fun wrestling with the ketchup packets trying to (unsuccessfully) open them.

Then I give it a go, tussling with the right corner, then the left, going back and forth between using my teeth and fingernails…

*FINALLY* that fateful moment when the clouds open and the ketchup is free from the lil packet…

Well, after 42 years, Heinz has re-designed the Fort Knox ketchup holder.

The orignal packet has been challenging ketchup connoisseurs since 1968.

After 3 years of design modification, it has been unveiled to the public.

This is almost as big as VW revealing the new model Bug.

The re-designed Heinz packet holds 3x more red gold than the original. This is great bc I end up using about 20 packets anyway just for one large fry.

The other big change is that it can be used in ”squeeze and pour” or “dipping” mode. KEWL. Kinda reminds me of the chicken nugget dipping sauces.

I see a couple downfalls though:

1. The cost to produce these new “high tech” packets costs restaurants 3x more than what they pay for the original rectangular ones. Since fast food chains give these away FREE, my 8-ball forecasts these prices later being passed on to the consumer.

2. It uses a lot of plastic. Prolly not a good thing with the world becoming more and more environmentally conscious.

I guess only time will tell.

Chick Fil-A and Dairy Queen have started carrying the new crack packets.

Heinz will also be selling the packets in packs of 10 for a suggested retail price is $1.99. You can find them at retailers nationwide, including Walmart, Target, Kroger and Safeway stores.

I can’t wait to get my hands on 20 a few.

P.S- Now I’m craving french fries.

 

S.A.M Salad = Yum

6 Sep

After 13 years living in LA and complaining how the cookouts don’t compare to the South, I finally hosted my own.

No valet parking, no caterers, no dressing up…just good food, great friends, lots of laughs, full bellies, and NO leftovers.

I wanted to make something everyone would enjoy and appreciate.

I came across a recipe from Lindsay of Suburban Turmoil.

It had 3 of my fave ingredients and seemed like a great dish that Southerners and Angelenos would both enjoy. Jackpot.

I renamed it S.A.M salad just to help remember the main ingredients (Shrimp, avocado, and mangos).

It’s a great light salad and requires little to no cooking. Just slicing and dicing.

I do recommend getting the FRESH SHRIMP and not frozen. It’s worth the few extra dollars. I used large shrimp and put them in whole and also jumbo shrimp that I sliced into 3 pieces.

The S.A.M salad was a huge hit!

Here’s her recipe. Check out her site too. She’s a great writer and has a lot of fun and useful mom 411.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 quarts water
  • 2 1/4 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
  • 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 peeled ripe mangoes, cut into bite-sized wedges
  • 2 peeled avocados, seeded and cut into bite-sized wedges
  • cilantro sprigs (optional)

DIRECTIONS

-Bring water to a boil in large pot. Boil shrimp for about 2 minutes. Remove from water, rinse.

-Combine onion, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add shrimp and toss together in large salad bowl.

-Top with sliced mangoes and avocadoes. Add cilantro sprigs as garnish if desired. Serve it up!

My Son’s 2 Fave Things In NYC…And My LEAST Fave

13 Aug

The main focus of my NYC trip was to make sure my son had the time of his life.

He did.

Thanks to F.A.O Schwarz and Dylan’s Candy Bar.

If you take the kiddies to NY, these are definitely places you don’t wanna miss!

An inviting welcome to F.A.O from perky human toy soldiers

Our goofiest pose by the Lego Ms. Liberty

Off to Dylan’s Candy Bar

The giant chocolate fountain is ready to dunk strawberries, pretzels, pineapples, marshmellos, and Rice Krispie Treats

Gotta ♥ a candy bar honoring the greatest female singer of all time

The celeb candy faves were cool

Candy is EVERYwhere…even in the stairs

Now for my least fave and prolly the least memorable for Mo too…TIMES SQUARE.

OMG…if you are my friend and told me to go here, I am seriously re-considering our friendship.

There is absolutely nothing to do there except wander aimlessly with stinky tourists.

The billboards and lights are cool…ok…saw it…now what? Yes, Times Square is lined with stores, but it’s the same boring stores found at my local mall. Oh gee…let’s see what’s in Walgreens…umm no…CHECK PLEASE!

So, to ensure this wasn’t a wasted trip, me and Mo busted out a photo shoot right in the middle of Times Square…then we ditched it for something more exciting…

Great Food (For Mommy/Kids) In NYC

12 Aug

Our NYC trip was really short.

I wanted to make sure Mo had a blast.

I was so focused on him having fun, I didn’t even do any shopping for MYSELF. *Gasp*

I didn’t step one single foot in any ladies stores…no clothes, purses, or shoes for mommy. :(

BUT…I did however indulge in my other fave past time: EATING!!!!

I love food. It’s one of my fave things about traveling…checking out all the local spots for yumminess.

New York was in no shortage. Here are some of my faves:

RED ROOSTER

*Located in the heart of historic Harlem, they serve upscale comfort food. I had the blackened catfish and black eyed peas. It was pretty good. The cornbread is great and the honey butter, I could drink…loved it…Chef/Owner Marcus Samuelsson was the winner of 2010 Top Chef Masters Season 2 and also served as the guest chef for the first State Dinner of the Obama administration. I went on a Friday night and they had a dj inside and a nice crowd. I enjoyed the food and atmosphere. Sylvia’s is just a couple doors down.

Patsy’s Pizzeria

*I figured I couldn’t go to NY and NOT eat pizza. Patsy’s was great. I ate at the one right across the street from Dylan’s Candy Bar. It had a nice atmosphere and the food was amazing!!! I’m basic Betty when it comes to pizza…just cheese…I loved it. I went there for pizza, but the real winner was the Fried Zucchini and Eggplant w/garlic yogurt dipping sauce…OUT OF THIS WORLD AMAZING. I’m from the South so I love my fried food, but this one was healthy right…veggies, yogurt, and garlic?? The breading was light, well seasoned, and fried just right. This is a must have!!!

Magnolia Bakery

*Soooo many people raved about this place, I couldn’t wait to try it. I went to the one at Rockefeller Center. It was love at 1st bite!!! I had an orange cupcake with chocolate frosting, Blueberry jamboree, and peach jamboree. The jamborees were heavenly…they have a pecan shortbread crust layered with whipped cream cream cheese filling and fresh fruit topping. The only thing that was as good as the taste was the price…$3.50!!!! They also have banana pudding, cakes, cookies, pies, bars…Their staff is super friendly and helpful…I was all around impressed by this place.

The only annoying thing was the ordering…you order desserts in stations per category (ex. one line for cupcakes, one for cookies, one for pies, etc…and one for checkout). But it’s all worth it. Some of the best baked goods I’ve had since I lived in GA. Their tshirts are really cute too. And I just found out there is a Magnolia Bakery in LA…all my LA peeps need to check it out!!! They will also be shipping worldwide soon so check their website.

Food Trucks/Street Vendors

*I am such a food truck flunkee…so I was right at home eating on the streets of NYC. I instantly fell in love with the fresh fruit juice/smoothies. They use freshly cut fruits and veggies and make your drink right in front of you. They are pretty cheap too, about $3-$5. I loved the Nathan’s hot dogs…crisp and yummy…and also all the hot nuts (cashews, almonds, peanuts) coated with a sweet topping made fresh. Also very cheap $2.50-$4 for a lil baggie full.

Dylan’s Candy Bar, Candy Cafe

*Lots of kiddie and adult edible treats: dessert pizzas, tea, coffee, frozen hot cholcolate, Crumbs cupcakes, and sundaes like the infamous I BET YOU CAN’T SUNDAE $25
(10 scoops of ice cream (your choice), 10 toppings (your choice), hot fudge, whipped cream, cherry). Oh, and an adult bar with adult beverages and top shelf liquor. The 3rd floor cafe is decorated with enough candy memorabilia and bright colors to make you vomit, but it’s festive and the kids love it!

Healthier Happy Meal?

27 Jul

Soooo….recently McDonald’s announced new changes in their red box Happy Meal.

Instead of the CHOICE between fries or apples, there will be apples in every Happy Meal and the fry portion will be cut by half.

They will be giving 3-5 apple slices which equates to half an apple. It will however come with the unhealthy caramel dipping sauce, which the chain says will be phased out.

This change reduces the calories, fat, and sodium by 20%.

The McDonald’s hamburger Happy Meal is going from 590 calories and 20 g fat to 470 calories and 14 g fat.

Parents wishing to recieve a full apple serving can substitute more apples for fries, but does that mean that a fry junkie can substitute more fries for the apples??? thus not really a change in the Happy Meal????

IJS

McDonald’s is touting this as some MAJOR change, but umm….it just seems like a marketing ploy to piggyback off of Michelle Obama’s efforts to reduce the childhood obesity rate.

Yes, Macky D’s is making an effort, but honestly, I don’t see the big deal. But then again, I rarely buy my kids Happy Meals.

If the point is for them to be eating healthy….McDonald’s is the last place we will be. I will just get in the kitchen and cook something.

Ah well…at least they still get the lil toy in their red box Happy Meal. As long as that doesn’t change, I’m sure all the kids will be happy regardless.

Children Under 6 Banned From Restaurant

13 Jul

A Pennsylvania restaurant has banned kids under 6 years old from eating there.

Beginning July 16, 2011 McDain’s Restaurant will no longer admit children under 6 years of age.

McDain’s is an “upscale casual and quiet” restaurant and bar in Monroeville, PA. It is located on a golf course that boasts having the “World’s Greatest Driving Range“.

After receiving noise complaints from customers about crying kids at neighboring tables, they decided to institute the policy.

McDain’s (not to be confused with McDonald’s) owner Mike Vuick (not to be confused with Mike Vick) stated,

“Nothing wrong with babies, but the fact is you can’t control their volume. And there may be restaurants that prefer to cater to such things, not here. I think it’s the height of being impolite and selfish and so, therefore, I instituted a policy.”

This new policy has sparked much discussion about kids in restaurants.

I don’t mind other people’s bad kids. I actually find it entertaining.

However, I don’t take my 3 year old to nicer style sit down restaurants. Even as an infant I didn’t take my kids out to eat. I never understood how parents did this.

For me, the expectation for a young toddler/infant to sit still in a stimulating, new environment for 40 minutes to an hour is just asking for trouble. I would rather go to a kid friendly place or take the food to enjoy at home than set myself up for a disaster.

I love the art of food and eating. I simply cannot enjoy myself if I’m rushing to eat and worried about feeding, disciplining, and giving attention to a young infant/toddler/child. Maybe my kids are just badazzes and other kids can sit quietly like statues in a nice eating environment. IDK.

I can understand Vick’s Vuick’s ban on kids. Although their menu has many kid friendly items such as broccoli cheese bites, mac n cheese, quesidillas, and wings, they also offer entrees like Flounder, Crab Cakes, and steak that cater to a more mature palette.

Last year, a North Carolina restaurant instituted a “screaming children will not be tolerated” policy.

Could this be a trend in restaurants?

Who knows, but I would love to see people with annoying ringtones, loud voices, Dallas Cowboys fans,  and cell phone talkers banned as well.

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