Habachi Grill

Tonight was my first ever experience at a Habachi grill. It was great getting to watch some of the cooking being done. The line cooks show that cooking comes so naturally to them. The food was excellent. One piece of advice though...I would not recommend getting tea somewhere tea is not drank on a regular basis. The tea made my daughter sick. Other than that, everything was fantastic. I just might go to a Habachi grill again.

Team Work

To make a kitchen work, you must have team work. With team work comes communication as well. You must communicate with your team members to get food out in a timely manner. Also to get the right food out. If everyone in the kitchen isn't working as a team, your kitchen will fall apart. When a team works together in unison, it is like a dance, beautiful and productive.

Chili

Chili is a great thing to eat when the weather is cold. It will warm you from the inside out. When I make chili, I brown a pound of hamburger, strain it, and out it in the crock pot. Then I add 2 cans of tomato soup with one can of pinto beans. I also add a can of premade steak-n-shake chili with 2 packets of McCormick chili seasoning. I add about a cup of water to thin it out a little. I let it cook in the crock pot on low for 3 to 4 hours to really soak in the flavorings.

Chocolate

I am greatful for holiday candy. Especially chocolate. There is nothing better than chocolate. I always enjoy a big, tall glass of chocolate milk with my breakfast in the mornings. Sometimes I will go to the store specifically just to buy chocolate. Sometimes I say to myself, don't do it, but my chocoholic side always gets the best of me. Chocolate is used in many different ways in the food industry. 2 things that I instantly think of is chocolate ice cream and chocolate cake. Who doesn't love topping off their delicious meals with some form of delicious chocolate?

Chips

I, like most, love chips. They are one of my favorite things to snack on. Although they are not very healthy, I still eat them. I usually prefer chips with my hamburgers. I am very picky about my French fries and have not quite got down how to make them how I like them yet. I have made chips a few times before. After once or twice, I have found and heard that it is better to par cook your potatoes first in order to get that crunch everyone expects from a chip. I am a huge fan of baked chips. Some of which are my favorite. With all of the flavors of chips on the market, you can easily find a flavor that best suits you.

Great Holiday Gifts

I enjoy giving and receiving holiday gifts that have to do with sweets of any kind. Tonight I received a gift that I wish I would have thought of. It was a jar full of dry ingredients for brownies. So, all I have to do is add the liquids and bake. Everything is already measured. The ingredients came in a jar that was decorated with ribbon. The tag was the instructions. The rest of the ingredients for the brownies and what temperature and time to bake at. I am sure most have either heard or received something like this. As I have heard of it. Sometimes I get caught up in everything and forget about food gifts. So, don't forget about the delicious things that come with the holidays.

Holiday Food

What do you make for holiday meals? This Christmas, for one Christmas gathering, we grilled hamburgers. We wanted untraditional this year. So, that's what we did. We also had lil smokies and pulled pork. We wanted to spend less time in the kitchen and more time with the family. It worked out wonderfully. I believe it is easier for you get kids to have "snack" foods around all day. They tend to not want to sit and eat.

Common Courtisy

Common courtisy is needed in every position in a restaurant.  I would like to share with you, one of the worst experiences in a restaurant ever.  When I walked into the restaurant, I could obviously see that it was busy.  That did not lead me astray.  I like the food there, which was the main reason of going.  First, we were the only ones waiting to be seated.  It was about ten minutes of us standing there before anyone came over to seat us.  It took us a little while to decide what to eat, so we went ahead and put our order in for our daughter.  While waiting, 20 to 30 minutes pass.  I have not seen our waiter at all.  We did not get any refills, or our appetizer, or our daughters food yet!  So, I walked over to the manager, as calmly as I could, and asked her to get our table refills.  She did and did not say anything to us about our food, or lack there of considering we hadn't gotten any, or our waiter.  About ten minutes after that, our daughter's food came out. Keep in mind we have already been seated for well over 30 minutes at this point.  At about the 45 minute to an hour mark of us being seated, still no waiter of ours in sight, another waitress brought our check and told us she hopes our food was alright. I was livid.  I wanted to blow a head gasket right then and there.  I said, "We have yet to receive any food besides our daughter's."  She gave me a puzzling look.  About ten minutes after that, we finally got our food. After paying, I asked to see the manager.  She then notified me that she took our waiter to fill in another place needed.  I told her that was fine just that she needed to be aware next time that she has someone else fill in for his tables.  That is called common courtisy.  If it wasn't for my husband, I would have been gone before they even came over to seat us.  

Being Able to See

Some things people don't think about often while cooking, baking, or doing anything in the kitchen is being able to see clearly. It is important to have good lighting. You need good lighting to make sure you grab the correct product you are going for. Also, for reading recipes or orders. For myself, I have to include glasses or contacts in order to see. If needed, make sure you go to an eye doctor regularly. If you can't see, you won't be as effective as if you are able to see.

Queso

The thing I enjoy the most about going to a Mexican restaurant is their queso. I could sit there and eat chips and queso for the entire meal! I have tried to buy queso from the store, it does not even compare. I have not made any at home yet. Although, you can never go wrong with chips and dip at any sort of gathering.

Ribs

I made some ribs lastnight. It is not something I usually make. I would have preferred to cook them in my crockpot, but I did not have enough time to do that. So, I salt and peppered them and baked them. After about 20 minutes in the oven, I took them out and put some barbeque sauce on them. After about another 30 minutes, I took them out of the oven to cool. I let them cool for 5 to 10 minutes and found out they were delicious!

Crockpot

I am so thankful for my crockpot. I truly believe it is one of the greatest inventions ever made. You can throw a bunch of ingredients together, turn it on, and go on about your business for the day. It has made lives much easier being able to do this. People, in general, are very busy. Sometimes so busy as to not be able to cook dinner. A crockpot meal is a great alternative to fast food.

Ham and Potato Casserole

So, my husband has been bugging me to make him a ham and potato casserole. Tonight I finally did. It is easy to make. I dice up potatoes and ham. Put them into a casserole dish. I sprinkle salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, and Mrs. Dash original over the ham and potatoes. Top it off with 2 cups of any cheese. Bake at 425 degrees for an hour and fifteen minutes.

Chicken Alfredo

Who doesn't like chicken Alfredo? I, myself, love it. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I always get chicken Alfredo when I go to Olive Garden. When I make it at home, I cheat. I use Classico Four Cheese Alfredo in a can. I almost always use cheese filled tortellini. I saute my chicken with a little bit of oil. I cut it into bite size pieces first. I season it with pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and mainly seasoning salt. It's quick, easy, and delicious.

Hot Chocolate

With the Holiday Season upon us, I always think about hot chocolate. I am a chocolate lover. With it being cold outside, hot chocolate helps warm me up. I prefer my hot chocolate to be topped off with marshmallows. It is also great for family gatherings. It does not have caffeine. So, kids can drink it. They will just get a sugar rush. Hot chocolate helps put me in a festive mood.

Shoes

It is extremely important to wear non slip shoes in the kitchen. There could be grease on the floor. Among many other things. Also, be sure that you find comfortable shoes. Working in the kitchen is non stop. You will be on your feet for hours at a time. Wearing the improper shoes could cause back or knee pains. These pains could possibly put you out of work for a few days. I truly believe comfort starts with your feet.

Utensils

If you did not have a spoon, how would you eat soup, an ice cream Sunday, or even a banana split? A spoon makes all of that easier. How about a fork? It definatelly helps when you are trying to eat spaghetti. A knife makes eating a steak, without your hands, a whole lot easier. There are plenty of things that are enjoyed without using utensils. Sandwiches. Two popular things to eat that go well with sandwiches that are "finger" food, chips and french fries. Ice cream cones are a delicious way to wrap up a non utensil meal. Ice cream cones are sometimes messy, but they are worth every drip that is dropped.

Spatulas

Spatulas are a very important piece of equipment to have around. You might no think about it, until you find yourself in a position to need one. They come in handy when you scrape a bowl after mixing anything. A spatula will halp save a lot of the product left on the sides of the bowl. Spatulas help ice cookies, cakes, cupcakes, and many more goodies. They will help when you need to flip pancakes, or even eggs. Many types of spatulas are available to you. So, the next time you are searching for more kitchen utensils, don't forget about a spatula.

Ovens

Ovens are a necessity in the culinary world. As well as in your everyday life. They are used for yummy treats. Roasting meats. Baking breads, casseroles, and a number of many other items. They are important in the kitchen to finish off a perfectly crosshatched grilled piece of meat. You would put the meat in the oven so it finishes cooking evenly with out over cooking it. Ovens can also be used to hold hot plates, as well as an item not ready to be served. There are just so many different things that ovens are used for.

Monkey bread

This is my first attempt at monkey bread. Shown in the top picture is the dough. I combined 2 cups ap flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon sugar together. Then I cut in 1/3 cup of shortening, until it resembled coarse meal. Then I gradually added 1 cup of milk until the dough pulls away from the bowl. Knead 15-20 times. Then I rolled them into little balls and rolled them in a mixture of 1 cup white sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. After I rolled them in the cinnamon and sugar, I placed them in a greased pan.

Then I melted1/2 cup of margarine with 1 cup packed brown sugar and let boil for 1 minute. Then pour over the buscuits. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degree F. The last picture is what they looked like when they were done. They were delicious!

Rolling Pins

There are many different types of rolling pins. I currently have three different types. I have a wooden rolling pin, a plastic rolling pin, and a marbel rolling pin. Although they can vary in sizes, all of mine are approximately the same size. I do not particularly like the plastic rolling pin. It is really just collecting unwanted dust. I favor my marvel rolling pin the most. It was my grandmother's. I use my rolling pin for a number of things. I use it to roll out cut out cookies. Usually sugar cookies. It is also used for rolling out homemade pie crusts and cinnamon rolls. Who doesn't enjoy the things rolling pins come in handy for?

Cheesecake

I love the art of making a fantastic tasting cheesecake. There are many different ways and flavors of cheesecake. My personal favorite is peanut butter cheesecake. I am a huge peanut butter fan. Although I do not really care for premade store bought cheesecakes, I have had some that weren't terrible. My all time favorite cheesecake is the no bake cheesecake. I know, its horrible. There is something about gelatin that makes me feel like a kid again. Also, I am not the worlds biggest cream cheese fan. Some cheesecakes taste strictly like cream cheese. That is not for me.