Football Season is Here!

I can’t believe the first Crimson Tide game is this Saturday! I am so excited. My friends and I are throwing a pre-game party on Friday night. I was trying to decide what to bring to the party. I wanted to take a dessert that wasn’t unhealthy, but tasted good. I found this great recipe for Apricot Upside-Down Cake. I tried it out last night and it was delicious. Below is the recipe:

You will need:

• 1/2 cup(s) packed brown sugar
• 8  ripe apricots, each cut in half and pitted
• 1 1/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup(s) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup(s) cornmeal
• 1 1/4 teaspoon(s) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking soda
• 3/4 cup(s) low-fat buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoon(s) margarine or butter, melted
• 2 tablespoon(s) canola oil
• 1 teaspoon(s) freshly grated lemon peel
• 1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

Cooking Direction:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 10-inch cast iron with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle brown sugar on the bottom of skillet. Arrange apricot halves, cut side down, over brown sugar.
2. In large bowl, mix the  flour, granulated sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and baking soda until blended. In small bowl, mix the buttermilk, eggs, margarine, oil, lemon peel, and vanilla extract until blended. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and fold with a spatula until just blended. Pour batter over apricots and spread to cover evenly.
3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes.  Let cool in skillet on wire rack 10 minutes. Wait about 30 minutes before serving.

You can find other great recipes like this at Good Housekeeping.

What is your favorite dessert recipe?

Photo courtesy of flickr

Great Sushi in Tuscaloosa

I went to Hokkaido Japanese Restaurant the other night and the food was delicious! The restaurant is located on 15th Street. They not only serve sushi but they also serve chicken, lobster, and steak from the grill.  I had the vegetarian Hibachi and tasted my friends avocado roll which was really good. Everyone that I went with were very please with their dishes. The chefs are very entertaining. The atmosphere is fun and the restaurant is very clean. For dessert I had a scoop of the ginger ice cream and a scoop of the chocolate as well. It was plenty for 3 of us to share. And it was a perfect ending to the meal. We will definitely be going back again when we want Japanese food.

What is your favorite Japanese restaurant in town?

Photo courtesy of stock.xchng

Cookies + Brownies = Heavenly

Have you ever tried a Brownie Pillow Cookie?  I’d never had one until I ran across the recipe for them on Bakerella.  They are truly heavenly!  If you love chewy cookies loaded with chocolate then you’ll enjoy making a batch of these.   They’re chocolate chip cookies with a hidden surprise of brownie in the middle.  Try them and let me know what you think.

Try These Delicious Cupcake Recipes

Cupcake boutiques are popping up everywhere.

I think we really like them because they are so simple: Just cake flour and icing. And you don’t have to be a kid to like them! If you’re searching for some good cupcake recipes, check out these 20 Better Homes and Gardens cupcake ideas, including traditional red velvet cupcakes to tangerine cupcakes with coconut frosting.

Throw A Party With Summer Cocktails

Try This Grilled Chicken Recipe For The Holiday

If there’s a must have on the grill this Memorial Day, it’s got to be BBQ chicken.

This recipe changes things up a bit with Beer can chicken, which results in moist, flavorful chicken with the aid of — you guessed it? — beer. Dry BBQ chicken is a thing of the past!

Get the BBQ chicken recipe.

Beer Can Chicken Rub:
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder

For the Chicken:
4 pounds chicken, washed and dried
Vegetable oil
Beer Can Chicken Rub
1 (12-ounce) can beer

Los Calientes For Cinco De Mayo

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at Los Calientes Mexican Grill, 3429 McFarland Boulevard East in Tuscaloosa. They’ve got plenty of drink specials and they’re celebrating the holiday with tasty margarita specials!

The Best BBQ In Alabama?

I love a good BBQ– sweet, sticky BBQ sauce and juicy, mouthwatering, tender fall of the bone ribs. Luckily, Archibald’s Barbeque on 1211 MLK Blvd. in Northport satisfies my BBQ jones.

They make BBQ the old fashioned way, in a wood burning stove. It makes for some of the best BBQ you’ve ever tasted.

7 Ways To Save Money On Food

Pizza is cool, but it gets expensive to buy it or eat out every day. Even though you’re still in college, you can save money on your grocery bills without clipping coupons or buying old food. Food is one of our biggest expenses. Do these seven things to save money.

1. Shop the Outer Aisles

The outer aisles usually contain fruits and veggies, fish and chicken, and low-fat dairy products; more expensive processed foods are usually in the inner aisles. Whenever possible, choose cheaper, fresh foods.

2. Buy in Bulk

Bulk items are often cheaper. The best values are whole grains, dried beans, nuts, seeds and cereals.

3. Go Seasonal

Buy cheaper, in-season veggies.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at Innisfree Irish Pub

What better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than at an Irish bar?

Innisfree Irish Pub at 1925 University Blvd in Tuscaloosa begins celebrating with an Irish breakfast buffet at 7 a.m. on March 17.

And there will be plenty of Irish specials … plus lots of green beer and other treats.

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