Pinterest Challenge: Reuben Roll-Ups

After such a high stress, high work couple of months, I can't even remember the last time I was the one who cooked. Greg has been absolutely spoiling me, handling just about every meal we've had at home recently. So, when it came time to whip something up for the family reunion picnic dinner, I was completely out of ideas -- and practice.

Fortunately, I had good old Pinterest to turn to. Seriously, what did I ever do before Pinterest?

I had pinned some Reuben Roll-Ups and restumbled upon the idea while scrolling back through my Food board. When I saw how easy the recipe looked, few ingredients and not a lot of work time required, I knew I'd found the right thing to make this year.

The pin lead me to the recipe for Reuben Roll-Ups at Taste of Home.

I followed the directions -- though I forgot to half the corned beef slices, so I guess each roll up had about double meat compared to the recipe -- and in 20 minutes, 30 if you count draining the sauerkraut, I had delicious looking roll ups just begging to be eaten. For the sake of testing, we had to try one before we took it.

The result? So good. Honestly, when we got there and there wasn't enough room on the table for our food, I was not going to complain. Eventually, I did share, but I had a couple other people spot them and ask me to hold some aside for them - and they came back for more after that too. For people who like the flavors of a Reuben sandwich, I think this recipe is a real winner. Kind of a pig-in-a-blanket kind of take on a Reuben.

I think this was a total 10 out of 10, will absolutely make again kind of recipe. Hurrah!



On a personal note, we're obviously still adjusting to the new-to-us electric oven instead of the gas one we've had for the last 4 years. I'm still happy with the change, but the rolls aren't quite as pretty as I think they would have been in our other oven. But looks don't matter when something is this yummy.

Pinterest Challenge: Doughnut Strawberry Shortcake

Inspired by pins of pictures from Oven Adventures, I decided months ago what I wanted to have for my birthday cake this August. Except that when the time came to it, I was out of town and couldn't. When I got back home, there weren't any strawberries to be had in my town.

So, I made do. Just like I made do with purchased whipped cream. Actually, that one had to do with being lazy.

Peaches were a little tart compared to the sweetness of the doughnut, and let's face it, they just weren't strawberries, but all in all it was really good. And, since I skipped making my own whipped cream, easy and fast too.

Even with the comparable tartness of the peaches, this was yummy. And I am going to do this again with strawberries. Prossibly this weekend.

Assuming I can make it to the store this week. Which is not looking like a bet I'd want to take. Then again, for yummy sugary breakfast, I might just run out Saturday morning after my walk.

Pnterest Challenge: 2 Ingredient Brownies

My second new recipe for the month was 2-Ingredient Nutella Brownies, from thekitchn.com. These went immediately into my 'make it soon' board, despite having spent nearly two months working hard to reduce the amount of sugar I've been eating. I knew if I made these while we had company, I wouldn't be faced with eating half the pan -- both my husband and one of our regular guests are huge chocolate fans, maybe more than I am or ever was!

Since the recipe suggests it should take 7-8 minutes to whip the eggs into the right size, color, and consistency, I didn't have Greg start working the Nutella right away. This was a mistake. I was using an old electric hand mixer, and the eggs were easily triple their original size within three minutes. I think by the time the Nutella was melted and ready to add to the mixture the eggs might have been larger than that!

My baking pan was small enough that I was able to completely line it (roughly) with baking paper. It wasn't pretty - but it seemed to do the job well enough.

In my gas oven, it did take longer than 30 minutes for the toothpick test to come out clean, I'd say more lie 40-45 minutes. I know some people really like gas ovens, I'm just not one of them I guess; I can't seem to adjust to the differences -- though if I ever get another electric I don't know what I'll blame my issues on... Maybe the high altitude has something to do with the differences I sometimes encounter when baking or cooking...

After letting it cool for 40 minutes (during which we all had to leave the house to avoid temptation), we cut in to it. Sine it was fully surrounded by the paper, I was able to lift it out of the pan completely before cutting and serving. This helped keep the pieces neat rather than looking like I dug them out with my fingers...

I almost forgot to get a photo before they were all eaten!

All six of the tasters agreed that the brownies needed nuts - both for a little more flavor and a little more crunch. I really enjoyed the mellow flavor, and thought that both the fudge style inside and the crispy top were fun textures. My husband and I both were impressed with how easy this was to make, despite the wait time to allow for cooling (something I am never patient enough to allow for). These did all disappear quite quickly, before our seventh would-be-taster even had a chance to try them. I'll let him try again next time I make these -- which might be tonight!

Pinterest Challenge: Tatertot Casserole

It's been a while since I last tried a new recipe, so I thought I'd attempt two new things this month. I tend to pin whatever looks good, and later come back to see if it's something I'm interested in ever making, so about twice a month I go through my pin boards relating to food, desserts, or crafts to delete what I'll never ever attempt (no matter how it looks or sounds). If I come across something I want to try in the next month or two, I repin it to a private board that runs more like a to do list than anything else. With both the recipes I tried this month, they went directly onto the 'to do list' board.

First up was the delicious looking Taco Tater Tot Bake recipe from blogchef.com.  Tater tots, enchilada sauce, and cheese? What more could I ask for!

We made a couple substitutions - going with ground turkey instead of ground beef, and using crispy crowns instead of true tater tots. And one unintentional issue when I forgot to stir the cheese in before putting the mixture of potatoes, black beans, corn, and meat into the baking dish - so my cheese is just kind of clumped on top instead of quite as mixed in as it ought to be.

I had one comment that it was spicy (from the same person who always finds enchilada sauce spicy, even when I buy the mildest option) and I thought it was a little salty (next time I'll probably skip the taco seasoning in the ground meat, I don't think it was noticeable under the sauce except as extra salt) - but overall it was really good. I think three out of four people had seconds, and I even had the rest as leftovers the next day. The potato pieces didn't hold up well as leftovers, but the flavor might have been better the second day. It's not quite as easy as I'd like - having to take an additional pan for browning the meat - but it was relatively fast and very delicious. Will be fixing this one again.

Pinterest Challenge: Bubble Up Bakes

Dinner: Taco Bubble Up Bake
Inspiration recipe from The Seasoned Mom, found via Pinterest

Canned biscuits, taco sauce, ground turkey, taco seasoning, and a little cheese.
Result: All four testers thought it was pretty good - but I think it needs a little something more. Sour cream or guacamole would have been an interesting addition, but I don't think it's what I wanted. I think I wanted something more like olives or lettuce.

We've tried it twice now and I'm still not certain I like it. Sometimes the biscuit seems to work well, other times I feel like it's just a little too sweet for my (very picky) taste. It's an easy enough recipe to make, and doesn't call for much in the way of supplies, which I like, but I feel like it needs a little bit more refining or something before I'm 100% happy with it. I wonder how it would taste with cornbread instead.... Hmm... Maybe I'll try that next!


Dessert: Apple Pie Bubble Up Bake

Inspiration recipe from Recipes for My Boys, found via Pinterest

Frozen rolls (defrosted and allowed to rise), apple cider, apples, brown sugar, and a powdered sugar glaze.

Result: While one person thought it could have used more apples, the rest of us thought that the issue was that as the dough cooked, it rose and pushed the apple pieces to the bottom rather than staying quite as well mixed as we'd have preferred. That said, the flavor was amazing and I am already thinking I should make it again tonight. Much easier than making pie, and so, so delicious.

I did use a little bit of apple cider mixed with powdered sugar to make a quick glaze to pour over the top of each serving. I like to give everyone the chance to control how much sweeter their own portion is - and I wasn't certain if we'd have leftovers or not (we didn't, but if we had, I think things store slightly better without glazes and frosting).  I think I might cut the rolls into slightly smaller pieces next time, which might help them mix with the apples better. I may also try keeping a small part of the apple mixture to pour over the top just before baking. I am definitely trying this one again though.

Cheating

Would you believe me if I told you that this started as a package of ramen noodle soup? Maybe - the noodles did maintain a little of the classic shape I suppose.

Inspired by Budget Bytes chicken yakisoba, I took a couple packages of noodles from our emergency preparedness pantry to see what I could do. A couple of chicken tenders, a bag of frozen vegetable mix, and a little patience raiding the spices and sauces (including lime, peanut butter, worchestershire, soy, and some spicy Asian style seasoning I had forgotten we owned) - and woah, surprisingly good and surprisingly easy.

I can't believe how many times I ate just noodle soup in my college days - when the thought to add stuff to it to make it better never even occurred to me! Seems obvious now and good grief was I missing out all these years. I'm going to have to start buying some for eating as well as for stockpiling in case we're ever low on water or electricity...

In fact - this is what I'm doing for supper again tonight. Can't wait!

Pinterest Challenge: One Pan Enchilada Pasta

I tried to follow One-Pan Enchilada Pasta recipe from Number 2 Pencil (found via Pinterest) - though I realized after cooking that I had completely forgotten to add the onion! It would have been a little better with onion, I think.

The recipe was simple and came together quickly.

Blurry photo - because I was in too much of a hurry to taste it.

Two of my four dinner eaters liked it, though we all agreed the 'mild' sauce was a little more intense than desirable. One didn't say much, though he did have seconds, and one said it was basically do it yourself Hamburger Helper. I don't think I've ever had Hamburger Helper... but I have a general idea what it is, and I have to agree that this does seem quite similar. That said, I don't really care. It was good and it was fast, and there wasn't much clean up involved afterwards - so I still think it's a winner.

Next time, I think I'll remember the onion, and I think I might try adding black beans or something else - especially if I use the same kind of sauce! It was good as I made it, but it felt just a little like it was missing something.

2014 Goal #27 - 1 of ?

Goal #27 for this year is to try at least two new cuisines or restaurants.

While one of my companions from this outing would argue that an ice cream shop hardly counts as a restaurant, I think it counts - especially when the ice cream in question is made in a new-to-me way: using liquid nitrogen.

My grandparents were dairy farmers, so I can be a bit of an ice cream snob. And yeah, call me old fashioned, but I think I'd rather have the traditionally made ice cream. That said, it's very nice to be able to choose a flavor combination and have it made for you right in front of you. And while that's possible the old fashioned way - it takes a lot longer! We'll be going back again, I'm sure, but it wasn't quite as good as I'd hoped. 

Pinterest Challenge: Oven Fajitas

The Inspiration: Budget Bytes Oven Fajitas found via Pinterest

The Results:

Although I did take the short cut of using fajita seasoning I had on hand (rather than making my own as the recipe gives instructions to do for those interested - and I'm sure it would have been a little better tasting and a lot better for me), I tried not to deviate much from the recipe as presented. Not being a fan of red peppers, I went only for green peppers and some onions - though I seriously thought about adding squash or large pieces of mushroom. My knife skills are rusty, so cutting everything up wasn't the easiest for me to manage, but I was still able to have everything in the oven a few minutes before my husband realized I'd started cooking dinner.

About half-way through the baking time, he kept coming out complaining that it smelled too good in the house. By the time I pulled it out of the oven, we were both practically drooling. Fortunately, the oven fajitas tasted as good as they smelled. Maybe better.

Delicious. I didn't have to do any clean up - not only did everyone come back for seconds, and thirds, but the scrappy little leftover onions and peppers that didn't quite make it into any plates got picked off before the dish was cold.

I've had multiple requests for the recipe, and repeated requests that this become a weekly thing. It's easy enough it just might!

Pinterest Challenge: Baked Ravioli

The Inspiration: Baked Ravioli at the old blogspot place of AmyLynnTitus.com. Found, of course, via Pinterest - though I had to do some back tracking to find the actual link to the instructions.

The Results:

Knowing about how much my usual test subjects eat, and having read the comments on the inspiration post, I went ahead and double layered the ravioli, with a little bit of cheese and a little bit of sauce between the two layers, but otherwise followed the instructions as stated. I was slightly surprised that it took nearly an entire can of spaghetti sauce to cover the large portion (approximately 24 ravioli) - when we usually use half that on spaghetti for three. Not being a fan of tomato sauce, I didn't try any from this large portion, but they went over well. All three guys had seconds - and all the sauce and cheese left over in the pan got scooped up with a little extra garlic bread.

I had my own smaller portion made with some leftover cheesy 'Alfredo' sauce. The cheesy sauce and cheese added between and over the layers, and the cheese centers all made for a very rich little dish - but that didn't stop me from eating it. Or from wondering if I have enough to make another batch for tonight.

Waiting forty-five minutes for everything to bake up (though the smaller serving dish could have gone with less time) was difficult, but the results were worth it. I can't tell you the last time we had ravioli in this house... probably before we were married, so it's hard for me to say how it compares to the traditional boiled method. It didn't take long to put together, only about three ingredients - though I do wonder how it would taste with some vegetables added between the layers - and tasted great, so I think it'll be joining the regular rotation around here.

Pinterest Challenge: Spinach Artichoke Bubble Bake

The Inspiration Pin: Spinach Artichoke Bubble Bake

The Reaction:
I swear I followed the directions - but not only did mine not look like the inspiration recipe, it can't have tasted like it. All three of my taste testers said that it was rich (the cream cheese probably) and a little too much spinach. The artichoke, cheese, and seasoning basically disappeared under the spinach. Extra disappointingly, most of my pieces of biscuit didn't bubble up - even after an extra 20 minutes in the oven. The edge pieces that had bubbled up were pretty delicious, even with some (about half of what wanted to be there) of the spinach artichoke mixture on them - but the majority of the dish was a soggy spinach flavored disappointment. We did eat half the pan, but no one was interested in seconds or keeping the leftovers.

Probably some of the problems would have been avoided if I had taken the time to really press the fluid from the defrosted spinach instead of assuming that since I didn't see that line in the directions that it was okay to skip putting much effort into that.

The recipe really had promise, but the result was highly disappointing. I may try it again - with some serious changes and reduction in the spinach amount - but it'll be a while before I'm feeling that brave again.

Pinterest Challenge: Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup

The Inspiration: Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup from FoodieCrush.com

The Attempt:
I didn't have fish sauce on hand, and I decided to skip the peanut butter and brown sugar (my pesky dislike for sweet/savory combinations again - plus a very strong dislike of savory nut dishes).

Since we didn't have any rice on hand today, I started some quinoa about the same time I added the thawed peas to the slow cooker. I had some frozen cubes of red chili and cilantro to use in this - though in the end I chickened out on the red chili. Rightfully so! Without the brown sugar or peanut butter, this was hot enough already without the additional chili.

Result:
Initially, we both said this was something we liked the taste of and wanted to do again - but I noticed that neither one of us ate any of the left over soup... So, maybe it wasn't quite such a hit. Even though it was spicy, the flavors were good - and it was very easy since there were no extra pots to wash or anything. As it cooled, the soup did separate a little, which made it look much less appetizing. Also (probably because I cut so many ingredients without adding anything back in), it did feel like it was missing something. I'll probably try something similar as a jumping off point again, but I'm not sure this will be going into the typical rotation. But, if I ever need spicy soup for a crowd (no left overs), this is something I'd consider doing again (though then I would probably include the peanut butter, or some of the other ingredients I left out in this attempt).

Pinterest Challenge: Oreo Marshmallow Cookie Bars

(Note: this should have been shared in October - but I forgot!)

Well, I know I found this idea through Pinterest, but... I can't seem to find the link today.

The basic idea is to make rice crispy treats - but with crushed Oreo cookies instead of the cereal.

The first time I attempted this I used 1 box of regular Oreo cookies, 1 10 oz bag of mini marshmallows, and half a stick of butter.

1) Crush the cookies - I used a food processor, though in theory you can put them in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin or something.
2) Melt the butter and marshmallows - I did it in the microwave (15-20 seconds then stir, repeatedly)
3) Mix the cookies into the gooey mess
4) When everything is combined, pour into a pan and let cool at least 10 minutes.

I was a little surprised when batch number one (regular Oreo cookies, 10 oz mini marshmallows) turned out to be less than a full pan's worth of cookie bar. It made about an 8x8 size bar that was a little on the thin side:

Yeah, not quite so appetizing to look at, right? But, they were pretty good. The sweetness of the marshmallow cut down the bitterness of the chocolate cookie pieces, and the other all taste was neither too sweet nor too bitter.

Since that batch turned out a little less than I'd hoped, and since we ate it all (eventually) without any other opinions, I wanted to try again. This last weekend I made a second batch - doubled. This time I went with two packages of a knock off brand, and a 20 oz bag of large marshmallows, with slightly less than a whole stick of butter. (And I still think the butter could be cut down a little more next time.) Same process, but completely different looking - and tasting - results:

I didn't have a large enough bowl for mixing, so I did end up with a less well blended cookie bar - but that made it better. Instead of every bite tasting exactly the same, there was some variation in how much cookie or marshmallow. And this 'double' size easily filled a 9x13 pan with a thick layer. I don't know if it was the change in marshmallow size or brand of cookie, or something else, but this second batch was much better all around.

Now I'm curious to see if I can make a peanut butter version. I'd like to try yet this week - but I think I need a little break from marshmallows... Don't get me wrong - these cookies are good and I could certainly eat more of them -- but I probably shouldn't eat part  most of three pans worth in two weeks!

Edit: I tried a peanut butter version. Every recipe I found said to use peanut butter and marshmallow. That didn't really work. After trying a bite, two of my taste testers said they'd never used both when making peanut butter rice crispy cookies, so now I'm wondering if I should try it again with only the peanut butter or if I call it a failure... Again, probably should let some time pass before I try again. 

Pinterest Challenge: Roasted Corn Caesar Salad

Inspiration Link: Roasted Corn Caesar Salad from How Sweet It Is, found via Pinterest.

Full disclosure: I was way too lazy to try making my own dressing this time - even though I want to try that some time. I just used the bottle I had in the fridge...

Roasting my ears of corn in the oven was difficult. I didn't get much blackening, and the ears really rolled around in the oven. Perhaps I'm missing the trick and it's not quite as simple as brush ears of corn with olive oil and place in oven. The flavor was good, but the coloring didn't happen - nor was I able to cut them off the cob in large strips (as I always have in the past). Instead, I wound up with kernels. Which wasn't an issue for taste, but presentation-wise was a bit of a disappointment.

So the images of my roasted corn Caesar salad probably won't be sending anyone off to make salad, but it tasted amazing. I had no idea that corn would go so well with Caesar salad.

Ultimate Response: Would absolutely do again - though I'll be working on figuring out a better way of roasting corn!

Feedback (Flexible Menu Planning)

Whoops! I thought I posted this a couple weeks ago! So, this is kind of old news, but since I don't really have anything else ready to share tonight and I'm about to crawl into bed, here you are anyway! 

It's week two  FIVE! of using the flexible menu plan boxes and I'm back with a report.

The short: This is a win. It's easier. It's faster. And yes, it's fun. Really.

Picking a box to work out of was much faster and easier than looking at the entire fridge, entire freezer, and entire pantry. Even without explicit instructions being written on the boxes, it was easy enough to know what each box needed - possibly because we went with familiar meals for the first shot. It also helped to know that instead of trying to look at ingredients and make something out of them, all we had to do was pick a box that already had a plan.

So what about the fun part?

I was actually excited about 'refilling' the boxes. So, not only was I planning menus - I was actually excited to go grocery shopping.

So we're starting out week two  five of the box plan - and we're even more ready to go than last week: chicken stirfry, Mediterranean hummus dip, soup, pasta, roast beef crescent rolls with sweet potato puffs, egg salad, sandwiches with potato salad, chicken Caesar wraps with broccoli, buffalo chicken pizza with broccoli, and at least one more that's slipping my mind at the moment! This week we're looking at pasta with rosemary asiago and broccoli, hummus dip, soup, buffalo quesodillas, roasted corn Caesar salad, stirfry with pot stickers, meat loaf, hard boiled eggs or egg salad, and English muffin pizzas.

Going into month two of this and it's working well. We're also using it as an excuse not to go shopping specifically for our Saturday movie night dinners. Instead of putting in extra cost, we're just going with whatever box we have ready - assuming it feeds the right number of people! So, yes, I basically love this. And that's saying something.

Green Food

1) I raided the garden last night and grabbed a little bit of what I found to throw in to this salsa/salad:

The avocado and black beans came from the store, but the corn, cilantro, jalapeno, and zucchini all came from the garden. I added a little lime juice and some salt and wound up with a bright, spicy salad/salsa to go with our burritos. (I had intended to add one of the onions the elk spared this time around, but the jalapeno was so hot I didn't need the extra heat - and yes, our onions are hot!)

2) Okay, mine didn't turn out nearly as cute as the ones I pinned, but I tried to follow the general recipe from ShakenTogetherLife.com for Key Lime Cookie Cups.

I guess I didn't let that one cool long enough before frosting it... or removing it from the pan...

These two look less melty - but no where near as appetizing as the ones I pinned!

Looks aside, they were delicious. I could hardly get them out of the oven, slightly cooled, and frosted quickly enough to suite myself (or the company I had over for movie night). Next time, I think these might be a cook in advance kind of thing so I have no excuses and will let them cool first.

I got a little tired of working with only 16 at a time (the size of my mini muffin tin), so toward the end of the evening I took the left over ingredients and super sized it:

Again, I know it doesn't look like much, but it was delicious. Don't take my word or my pictures for it, click over to the recipe, buy the ingredients, and give it a try yourself. If you like key lime, you will not be sorry.

Slow Cooker Korean BBQ

The only Korean food I've had (so far) has been cooked at home with the help of seasoning packages - so I admit, I have no idea what the 'real deal' should taste like. But last week, we happened upon a package of Campbell's Slow Cooker Sauces in Sweet Korean BBQ and knew we wanted to give it a try.

Since I spent most of the day at work while Greg got the day off, the effort involved, and the photos, are all his.

Following the directions on the packaging, he added some stew beef that we'd picked up just for trying with this, covered in it sauce, and left it to cook for several hours.

By the time I got home, dinner was waiting for me!

Yes, you might notice, it cook just a little long, which led to some of the pieces being a little black - but they weren't yet burned, and still tasted great. We ate it over quinoa (having burned rice the last several times we've tried to make it) and with a large side of broiled broccoli. It was delicious. Sweet/savory enough to appeal to his taste buds, but not so sweet that I was unhappy.

Again, following the lead of the package, we packed up the left overs for the next night - tacos with cabbage. I didn't feel like picking up a whole head of cabbage just for this, so I grabbed a bag of 'Asian Chopped Salad' kit - cabbage, cilantro, wonton pieces, and a ginger dressing.

And as I was working again, once again the photos and credit for fixing dinner go to Greg.

Oh My! Honestly, the burritos/tacos/whatever was even better than the previous night (with the quinoa). I especially loved the bites of cilantro against the sweet bbq flavors. And we are always happy to find a new way to eat cabbage - so this is another win win win!

So, slow cooker win and taste bud win? Absolutely doing it again!



Note: I am not in cahoots with Campbell's or anyone else. I was not asked to talk about this nor do I get anything for doing so. Again, if that's ever the case, I'll say so. This really was us just finding something, trying it, and wanting to talk about it a little bit. 

Flexible Menu Planning

You might have noticed that one of my goals for August was to plan menus for at least one week this month. After several months of unofficially having that as a goal, and failing, this time I've jumped completely in and made some changes that I hope will make the process easier.

One of the greatest issues with our menu planning is that we eat lunch out almost every (work) day, and have little control over where we go on those trips. In all honesty, what we have for lunch is determined by what's nearest when we get our chance go break. So I might end up having pasta for lunch on the same day I planned to have pasta for dinner. I'm not the best when it comes to eating pasta, a little bit goes a long ways for me, so that doesn't work.

So, this time around I'm making more of a guideline than a plan.

I bought six of these Rubbermaid boxes with lids (some have been scrubbed out already, but I didn't have time to attack all of them) and filled them with most or all of the ingredients for one meal. It's my goal to find a way to label the boxes (at least with what other ingredients go with that box), but I haven't put much effort into that yet.

Also, you might have noticed the box containing pickles and sugar cookie mix? Those are going to be used on the same day, but they are not going together.

Five of the boxes are sitting in the fridge, holding the tools for Slow Cooker Korean BBQ Tacos (2 days worth), Stir fry with spicy basil chicken, bbq pizza, buffalo chicken pizza, smothered burritos (2 days worth), plus the box with pickle dip ingredients and the beginnings of the birthday dessert ingredients. The sixth box is sitting in the pantry with our 'I cannot cook today' options: a couple soups and a pasta idea.

So, in theory, we've got at least ten meals and some snacks in the fridge, hopefully divided up into ways that will be easy for us to make a choice, grab and go. I'm hopeful this will be useful - especially after spending for the boxes (though to be fair, they were less than $1.50 each, which is why I went with the purple ones, rather than the clear which were more).

Feedback to come!

Pinterest Challenge: Pudding Poke Cake

Pinterest introduced me to this recipe: The Country Cook Oreo Pudding Poke Cake

But my attempt leaves a bit to be desired...

Hmm... Looks more like a 'no-poke' cake, doesn't it? Yeah. I didn't find a single one of my pokes where the pudding actually went into the cake. The pudding only sat long enough for me to put the whisk in the sink and then pull the cake out of the oven. But I noticed even as I was pouring it that it seemed too thick to really go into the holes. I tried to use a spatula to force it into the holes, but obviously that didn't work. So it was more like pudding frosting.

I guess I should have gone with a more intense chocolate cake; everyone who tried it wanted a stronger chocolate flavor. One of them said it should have been topped with chocolate ice cream, chocolate shell, then some hot fudge. Out of the six people I had over, one person refused to try it, three people ate one slice (but said they wouldn't eat another slice, even the next day), one person said they'd have seconds (but didn't), one person said they'd have seconds (and did).

Even more telling, we only ate half the cake the first night - and the rest is still sitting in my fridge. Not for long though, I think I'm going to chuck it today. On the third day, the pudding cracked and stopped looking even remotely appealing, and there's no use taking up that much room in the fridge with something we're clearly not going to eat.

If we try something similar again? More intense chocolate flavored cake to start, and either pour the pudding directly onto the cake with no wait time or intentionally make slightly liquid-y pudding. I don't think there's anything wrong with the recipe, but my ingredients didn't do what they should have, which was very disappointing.

Color me not impressed - mostly with my pudding making skills. On the other hand, now I have some milk (which we usually don't buy) and a box full of cookies (which we usually don't buy) that didn't get used as extra topping, so I can eat those instead. Not worth it... but I'm looking on the bright side.

Pinterest Challenge: Grilled Cheese Pull-Apart Rolls

There is nothing remotely healthy to be found here today. You might not believe it, judging by the kind of recipe adventures I share here, but this one called for me buying two things I try never to buy: canned biscuits (the part you might not believe) and Velveeta cheese (which is probably more believable).

But seriously, when you see a picture of something as yummy looking as Oh Bite It!'s Grilled Cheese Pull-Apart Rolls, you might be more than a little tempted to go pick up both. Obviously I was.

This seems easy enough: wrap Velveeta in biscuits...

Pour some melted butter over the top...

And bake.

Only in our case, that turned into: and bake, and bake, and bake.

After more than twice the suggested cooking time, we pulled them out anyway. There were still some raw looking bits - especially on the center ones, so we ate around the edges and put the center ones back in for longer.

I only managed to eat three. Two of them were amazing, one was a little under cooked. But ultimately, it was more Velveeta than I can handle (this being only the second time in nearly three years of marriage I've willingly eaten Velveeta).

So, here's my thought for next time (because the husband was a huge fan): less cheese, more edges to the pan, and maybe add a little something to go with the cheese. I'm thinking a pickle slice (or perhaps relish style cut would work better?). My husband wants hamburger. So, even though things didn't work out quite as quickly as planned (and mine don't look nearly as delicious as the original inspiration), I think we'll be trying something similar again soon - though maybe with the idea of hamburger pull-apart rolls instead of grilled cheese... And certainly when there are more people around to eat it than just the two of us!