German Chocolate Cheesecake Cake

I'm a very bad decision maker. No matter what it is, it's very hard for me to make up my mind. 

My mom: "Where do you want to go eat?"

Me:"Uh... this place looks good, but so does that one. I don't know!"

Story of my life right there.

Merry Christmas!

I would just like to wish everyone a very Merry and blessed Christmas and holiday. I hope everyone is safe and warm with their family creating fond memories and enjoying each others company. May this new year bless everyone and let it bring good things to each and every one of us.

No recipes with any of these, yet, but here are some pictures of the afternoon feast we had at my house today. I am still recovering from it, it'll take me quiet a while to work everything off, but hey Christmas only comes once a year, why not go all out?

Italian Cream Cupcakes

Today was a very special day for a very great old friend of mine.

Holiday Cookies (Sugar and Gingerbread)

"It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas..."

Whiskey Cream Filled Cajeta Cupcakes

Whiskey, cream, and cajeta all together in a cupcake... Could anything sound better?

Homemade Pasta Dough Tutorial

Usually when I make dinner, it tends to be some sort of pasta. There are several reasons for this. First, pasta is always good. No matter what kind. Second, it makes me feel like i'm actually putting effort into making dinner, since I make the dough from scratch. It feels "truly" homemade.

More homemade than throwing something into a pot and letting it cook for several hours. Don't get me wrong, that is certainly a delicious method of cooking, but I like being hands on for everything.

Plus making the dough is very relaxing for me.

While pasta dough seems intimidating for beginners, it's really very very simple. 

My new favorite cookie (white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies)

Sometimes I forget how good oatmeal cookies are. Given the choice between oatmeal cookies or chocolate chip cookies I would always pick chocolate chip. The oatmeal always scared me away.

They are totally underrated though. Just because they say oatmeal doesn't mean they're all healthy and nasty.

These white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies are anything everything but nasty.

Chocolate chip cookies and a few tips

I've been going crazy with cookie dough lately, making chocolate chip, sugar, and gingerbread dough and putting it in the freezer until I want some.

It's really come in handy! My friend called me the other day really upset, so I turned on the oven baked up some fresh cookies and took them to her. Cheered her up fast!

Lemon Raspberry Truffle Cake

This weekend I am at my grandparents house who live in San Angelo. Every year, for as long as I can remember, we have always gone to the Christmas in Ole For Concho here in San Angelo. It's tradition! I was very excited to get off work for it. Even though it's warm outside, the traditions make it feel like Christmas. Lights on outside the house, fort concho, christmas trees and Christmas movies.

We went to a special showing of the movie "A Christmas Story" at Tinseltown this past Wednesday and let me tell you it was fun! I don't know if i've ever watched the whole movie from beginning to end before then, but it always makes it feel like Christmas.

Pumpkin Crunch Cake

Merry Christmas! 

This is my favorite time of year! Are ya'll as excited as me?!

I try and celebrate the holiday traditions as much as I can, although it gets harder and harder every year as my schedule gets busier and busier!

Christmas shopping, baking, school, work, parties! It gets crazy!

Black Forest Cake

When I was younger, I used to be kind of a tomboy. I grew up with two older brothers so I always wanted to do stuff with them. 

The only way my mom could get me to wear anything besides my brothers old hand-me-downs was to buy something with The Little Mermaid on it. 

Meeting me now you probably wouldn't have any idea I was like that though, I must say i've turned pretty girly over the years.

Now i'm not afraid of dirt and I do like challenges. In fact I even did Warrior Dash this just last November and came 6th in my division!

However, I do enjoy dressing more girly and decorating more. I love cooking and making things pretty, even though half the time my food doesn't come out too grand. I just enjoy pretty things more I guess.

Caramelized Onion Risotto with Gruyere

Has anyone been to Antonelli's Cheese Shop here in Austin? Omg...

I went for the first time the other day with my mom... That store is dangerous. Although it's small, they have so many different cheeses and products that are all so so good. 

And the samples? The guy working there that day practically gave us a meals worth of free samples just trying to find ones we liked. Sample after sample her kept trying to figure out what we would like the best. 

Friendly service, amazing cheese, and bourbon dulce de leche... I'm telling you it's dangerous in there.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin Pancakes

This semester I had an early class at 7:30 two days a week. Surprisingly I preferred those days over the ones where my classes started at 10:30. I went to class half asleep but when it was over with I was done with the day. The whole rest of my day was free!

Cranberry Scones

What do you want to be when you grow up little girl?

That question comes up a lot when you're young. From the time you can talk til you're in your twenties, or already doing it. I've had so many answers for that question over the years.

I want to be a singer!

A Veterinarian!

A doctor!

A scientist! 

White Chocolate Mocha Cheesecake

Hello hello everyone! Hope ya'll had an amazing Thanksgiving and ate way too much food.

I certainly did! This year we had Thanksgiving at home, so it was just me, my brothers, my parents, and my uncle. 6 in all.

We ended up making enough food for 3x that many people.

Boozy Chocolate Pecan Pie

It's amazing how much life can change in 1 year. I keep looking back at what I was doing this same time last year and it seems like that was years ago! I was a completely different person doing completely different things! 

For instance, all my friends were in highschool and love was my biggest priority. I was running almost 6 miles a day and hardly ate anything unhealthy except on my one cheat day. I wasn't the closest with my family and I never spent as much time with them as I should have. 

Red Velvet Eggnog Cake

This year seemed to have just flown by hasn't it? 

Winter, Spring, Summer, and now Fall is flying by! Where does the time go?

Decadent Chocolate Cheesecake

I must say cheesecake is one of my favorite cakes. 

Rich and satisfying, it's in a class all in itself in the dessert world. I mean there's a restaurant named the cheesecake factory and it just happens to be one of the biggest chain restaurants in America. Coincidence? I think not.

Marshmallow Stuffed Chocolate Cake

I take words and meanings very seriously. So if I say something honestly, I really mean it. 

Like "love" or "hate". If I say I love you, I really do. 

I don't do the whole "oh I just met you I love you" thing. Just not my style.

I like things to have meaning when I say them.

Pumpkin Butterscotch Blondies

Can ya'll believe it's already November? It seems like October just flew by! Halloween is already over and now we have Thanksgiving and Christmas to look forward to! Anyone else as excited as I am?!

So to continue my fall flavors, or pumpkin craze, I am presenting to you all these lovely Pumpkin Butterscotch Blondies!

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

I'm a big comfort food fan. Anything cheesy, creamy, ooey and gooey... I'm there! 

(Sorry for the bad quality, this is the cold leftovers we had. I was too busy eating it to take a fresh picture)

Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt

Pumpkin season is just great! My mother made pumpkin mac and cheese (post coming soon) and pumpkin frozen yogurt! Both are absolutely amazing so I had to let her let me post the recipes for you guys.

(Sorry for the picture not being all fancy, but trust me it's delicious)

Austin/Boston food blogger swap!

I've always wanted a pen pal. I've never had too many friends and the thought of writing to someone in a far off land always appealed to me. Why did I never do it? Partially laziness. I didn't know how to find a pen pal. 

Now this isn't really a pen pal thing, but it's kind of close, so I was very excited to be a part of it. 

And how cool is it that my Boston partner is awesome? 

Butterbeer Cupcakes

I have a confession... don't judge... I'm a big Harry Potter fan. Like i've read all the books, own all the movies and have watched them many of times. They're the movies I turn to when i'm homesick. They just make it feel like home. 

I watch them any time of year, but I especially get in the mood to watch them during the holidays. Once October gets here either the movie is in, or it's a Harry Potter movie weekend on ABC Family. 

So why have I not made any Harry Potter recipes before? I have no idea, but here is my first and i'm so excited about them! 

Butterbeer Cupcakes! 

Brown Sugar Walnut Cake

Stressed spelled backwards spells desserts... Maybe that's why i've been baking up a storm lately? Psh, what am I saying? I know that's partly why i've been baking so much. Well that and I have a little obsession with sweet stuff...

No wonder why my jeans fit tighter...

Ricotta Ravioli in Brown Butter Garlic Sauce

 One of my favorite movies has to be Julie and Juliet. Amy Adams is just so adorable and cute in it! Of course she always is in any movie she's in, but Julie and Julia is just especially great. Any movie having to do with food, and one of the food queens herself Julia Child, is obviously going to be amazing. 

One of my favorite parts is when she talks about butter. 

"Is there anything better than butter? Think it over, any time you taste something that's delicious beyond imagining and you say 'what's in this?' the answer is always going to be butter. The day there is a meteorite rushing toward Earth and we have thirty days to live, I am going to spend it eating butter. Here is my final word on the subject, you can never have too much butter."

That quote right there sums it up! Butter is amazing. I mean just look at this amazingness going on here; butter, onions, and garlic... Nothing is better. Period. End of story.

Now to brown butter is even better! This recipe is so simple and can be made even simpler by using pre-made ravioli. 

Ricotta Ravioli in Brown Butter Sauce

Pasta Dough

3 cups flour

4 eggs

Directions

Make a well with the flour on your counter, then break the eggs into the middle. With a fork slowly start beating the eggs and incorporating the flour until the dough gets too thick to use the fork. Then begin kneading with hands. Wrap with seran wrap and let sit at least 30 minutes.

Ricotta Filling

16 ounces ricotta

Garlic salt

Parmesan (grated)

Directions

Mix all the ingredients together with a fork in a small bowl.

Assemble Ravioli

After dough has sit, roll out strips about 2 inches thick through a pasta roller. Use an ice cube tray to help you get even squares and equal sized raviolis. Pleace the dough over the tray and push filling into the holes. Cover with another length of dough and cut in squares with a pizza cutter. Use a fork to seal all the edges. 

Salt a big pot of boiling water and cook ravioli for about 5-8 minutes. Once the ravioli is done, transfer to pan with sauce.

Brown Butter Sauce

3 tbls butter

1 yellow onion (chopped)

2 cloves garic (minced)

1 tbls mascarpone cheese

1tbls flour

1/2 cup smoked gouda cheese (grated)

Directions

Melt butter in a large sauce pan and add onions. Cook stirring occasionally until the onions get translucent. Add in garlic and continue cooking for several more minutes. Add mascarpone and stir until melted then add in flour to thicken. Continue cooking mixture until it just starts turning brown and fragrant. 

Once sauce is done add the ravioli and immediately add cheese and stir, carefully so as not to break the ravioli.

Peanut Butter Cup Sprinkled Brownies

Is anyone else loving this weather? This morning I woke up to go to class and it was in the 50's! It's actually cold enough to have wear jackets and jeans!

This is part of why fall is my favorite time of the year. The cold weather, football games, hoodies, holidays, and pumpkin everything! Especially Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte... Mmmm... late night Starbucks run anyone?

Anyway, a friend of mine asked me to make him some brownies that he'd seen a picture of on facebook. He actually offered to pay me for the price of ingredients plus an extra $10! This is the first of my customers for my business! How exciting!

I don't usually use recipes from brand names, usually because I don't like using brand name mixes, I like homemade everything, but since he specifically wanted this recipe I allowed it. It was homemade too, except for the peanut butter cups, but it was absolutely delicious! He shared some with me and some co-workers, oh so sweet of him!

They came out so beautifully, and the peanut butter swirls remind me of maple leaves, which of course makes me think of fall, which is partly why i'm posting this now!

Fall is in the air and so is the smell of pumpkin! Which reminds me, Starbucks anyone?

Here is the link for the recipe if anyone wishes to try this deliciousness for themselves!

Vanilla Cupcakes!

So one of the people I work with isn't a big fan of sweets, especially chocolate. I make a lot of chocolate desserts, so he never really cares for anything I bring in. I see this as a challenge. I wanted to bring him something he would actually truly enjoy. So knowing he likes vanilla and strawberries I decided to make vanilla cupcakes with vanilla and strawberry frosting! Perfect plan.

Have ya'll ever been to Sweetapolita's blog? If you haven't, please go now. Seriously, it's amazing. I used her cupcake recipe that are apparently the same cupcake recipe that Magnolia bakery uses up in New York! After tasting them I would believe it. They're the most delicious, light, soft, moist vanilla cupcakes you have ever tasted. And the buttercream frosting? Bliss.

Of course however the day I bring the cupcakes in the coworker I had made these for wasn't working, but everyone else sure enjoyed them!

Go check out the recipe here.

To make the frosting strawberry I just added a little strawberry jelly to it.

Shepherds Pie (Cottage Pie)

Even though it's still hot outside, when September rolls around I start thinking fall and holidays. I get antsy waiting for cooler weather and even more for the warming comfort food! Shepherds pie is one of those comfort foods.

It's simple to make and delicious! Meaty, cheesy, potatoey, and hey throw on some bread crumbs too and you've got all the best foods in one delicious pie!

Although it might not be too figure friendly, it'll definitely help warm you up in the winter!

This was my first time making shepherds pie and I must say it came out pretty damn good. I didn't really follow any specific recipe, just kinda threw in what looked good, and asked my mom to sort of guide me a little. She was hesitant knowing how I am in the kitchen. Prone to start yelling and breaking down at any mistake I make. BUT she helped! Thank you mom!

I don't measure really in my cooking so sorry for the lack of measuring, but here is the ingredient list!

Shepherd's Pie (Cottage Pie)

(Recipe by Sarah Eats Austin)

For the potatoes

Potatoes of choice

Garlic salt

Butter (Lots of it)

Sour Cream

Milk

Sharp Cheddar Cheese

For the Filling

Olive Oil

Ground Beef

1 Onion

Garlic Cloves

Garlic Salt

Worcestershire

Tomato Paste

Beef Stock

Parmesan

Flour

The potatoes are easiest, just boil your potatoes mash em' up with the rest of the ingredients.

The Filling isn't hard either. Pre-heat oven to350.  Pour some olive oil in a skillet and start caramelizing your onions. After they've cooked and are soft and translucent add in your garlic for a few minutes then add in the beef. completely cook the meat and then add some beef stock, not too much you don't want it to be runny, and the rest of your ingredients. Add the flour a tablespoon at a time until it's to your favored consistency. Not too runny, but still moist. Pour the filling into a pie or casserole dish, top with mashed potatoes, grate sharp cheddar on top and bake for about 20-25 minutes. Switch oven to broiler and broil until cheese gets brown and crispy.

Take out and enjoy!

The Noble Pig

Finally! I was so excited to try The Noble Pig last week. After hearing about it from a friend, food network, everywhere in Austin and from my brother about amazing this place is, i've been eagerly awaiting the time when I would finally try it....

And now I have.

Sometime's after hearing great reviews on something it tends to be a let down. I mean it has to be truly mind blowingly good if that's what I hear about it all the time. The Noble Pig was not a let down.

It's a very small deli several tables and usually a line out the door. When I went it was no exception. Me and my brother patiently waited in line in the Texas heat with everyone else trying to have a taste of one of, if not, THE best sandwhiches in Austin.

The menu varies from a familiar BLT to a Smoked Duck Pastrami sandwhich. The one that really caught my eye though was the Seared beef tongue sandwhich with smoked green onions, red pepper relish, and aioli. This sandwhich.... pure bliss. Served on whole wheat toasted bread, the simple combination of flavors worked perfectly together. And how they managed to get the bread from getting soggy I have no idea, but this sandwhich was a work of art.

It comes with a bag of seasoned potato chips, and of course who can pass up root beer in a bottle? A perfect lunch any day. Well worth the 8 bucks.

An over the top cake for an over the top mom

So a couple of days ago was my mom's birthday. My mom is my best friend. Seriously I don't know what I would do without her. I know, I know that's been said many times before but it's true. My mom is like supermom x10. Not only has she home schooled me and my two older brothers, but she's managed to cook us homemade food almost every night, helped us with anything we needed help with, helped my dad with anything he needed helped with, I mean the list of things she's done for us goes on and on.

She's the one person I can tell absolutely anything to. We never fight. She even puts up with my bad moods and breakdowns both in the kitchen and in real life.

So what do you make for someone on their birthday who's that amazing?

My original plan was to make her a pie, since I had bought her a new Le Creuset pie dish, but then I decided i'd make her something in that later, but for now I needed something big. Something over the top delicious and decadent. Then while I was sitting there the day before her birthday I decided... Chocolate Cheesecake Layer Cake with Guinness Chocolate Ganache. The most brilliant idea i've had in a long time.

My cakes never tend to come out the greatest looking, but i'll be damned if they're not delicious. If I do say so myself.

I always wondered how people managed to get the cheesecake filling in between the cake layers, but now I know. What I did was make the cheesecake layer the day before, but it in the freezer, then the next day make the cakes and while the cheesecake was still frozen set it on top. Brilliant.

I used several different recipes for the different elements of this cake. Ina's chocolate cake, Chantals cheesecake, and Gastronome Tart's guinness brownies frosting.

This cake was every bit of deliciousness you could imagine. Rich creamy cheesecake, fluffy moist chocolate cake, and dark decadent Guinness ganache.. Every slice is heaven...

Cheesecake Layer

• 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch springform pan.
2. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press onto bottom of springform pan.
3. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Blend in milk, and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours; this prevents cracking. Chill in refrigerator until serving.

Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing the pans
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups good cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
• Chocolate Buttercream, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch roundcake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubberspatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

The frosting came from Gastronome Tart's blog. I highly recommend you check it out! 

Impossible Cake

I've been on a baking spree... I've made cookies, cakes, donuts, you name it! Since I don't want any of that food to go to waste, i've been bringing them to work with me and feeding my fellow workers. So they started requesting for things. One request was half a dare.

"Sarah make an "impossible cake" and I will have complete respect for you."

I was in.

I couldn't think of what an impossible cake was, but they told me to look it up. So I did. Turns out i'd actually seen recipes for this cake before and had been meaning to try it anyway! So I went with the master chef Mr. Davis Lebovitz and tried his recipe which he adapted from the cookbook "My Sweet Mexico."

The recipe was much easier than I expected and the results were astounding. This cake was just as mouthwatering as it looked. Rich and creamy this isn't for the faint of heart.

So here's to my co-worker who requested this cake. I thank you for this dare, and now I have the respect of at least one person.

Anyone else have any requests for me to make? Leave a comment and I shall try it out!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Man Bites Dog

I'm always cold. Seriously all summer I have carried a jacket around with me everywhere I went. This past week though? HOT! I've hardly worn a jacket at all and I actually turned the air conditioning in my car up past low. You know it's hot when that happens. I'm actually getting ready for fall...
Anyways, today was a split shit at work and not knowing what to do with three hours I drove to the Domain, walked around for a bit, then decided to drive down Burnet and see if any restaurants looked good. I wasn't particularly hungry but it's something to do and I knew I needed to eat. I could either eat at work, go home, or try something new. I almost gave up and went home to find something to eat when I saw Man Bites Dog. I'd heard of the place before and knew I had to try it.

I walked into the tiny place and loved it instantly. Small and cute. Looking at the menu everything looked amazing. I asked the girl what was her favorite and what was the most popular items on the menu which she told me were the Abe Froman and the Chili Cheese. I was undecided between the coney, chili cheese dog, or the all classic Abe Froman dog. I eventually decided on the Abe Froman: Beef frank, yellow mustard, onions, relish, tomatoes, pickle spear, sport peppers, and celery salt. The food was served fast and the dog was amazing. Hot and fresh, it was honestly one of the best hot dogs I've ever had. Considering im not the biggest hot dog fan that is saying something.

Halfway through the Abe Froman, I just had to try the Cartoon Dog. A hot dog with peanut butter and jelly topped with captain crunch cereal. How could I possibly pass that up?

Sweet and savory. Crunchy, creamy, juicy, sweet and salty. This dog had everything. While if you're looking for a good old fashioned hot dog, don't go for this, but you should at least try it. While eating it you feel like a little kid. Almost naughty in a way. So wrong but so right...

Needless to say it was a good break from work.

Cooking at home

My family knows how to cook. My mom can make the best anything, same goes for my dad and brothers. I honestly don't know if there's anything they've made that I don't like! That doesn't mean we eat like kings and queens every night though, however we always ate at home more than most people I know. It always shocked me how so many people never cook at home with their family. Eating a homecooked meal (not from a box) is surprisingly  rare it seems. I just couldn't understand this.
This is all coming from a girl who's been homeschooled her whole life. My family had time to cook at home. Now that I have a job and go to school, I understand how hard it is to cook at home sometimes. Sometimes the last thing you want to do is come home and cook after a long day of working and freaking out! Thankfully my mom still cooks amazing meals so I get leftovers.
Now while I haven't been eating out too much either, I usually just don't eat til I get home, the thing is I miss having meals with my family. I miss spending all day on Saturdays and Sundays cooking a great meal and relaxing, enjoying one another's company and then feasting on amazing food. Sharing love and comfort with each other. Food is almost always the center point of any gathering for a reason, it brings people together. It's a sign of love. Cook something for someone and they will feel loved. Not only does good food make people happy and feel good, but it is a sign of nurishment. It makes me sad that not everyone gets to have that.
We're so caught up in our busy lifestyles that slowing down for one afternoon can be tough. I now understand how hard it can be for many people to do this, but I strongly encourage them to try and make the time. Invite friends and family over and just relax and enjoy. Cook some good food, have others bring their own food, share recipes and stories and have fun! Food brings people together and makes anything more special.
Have a great weekend everyone and cook!

Hopdoddys

So during a break from work one day I found myself with nothing to do. I went home for about 5 minutes, got bored of that so I then went to the Domain and walked around and soon got bored of that as well. So what does a foodie do when they are bored? They eat. That day I decided to try out Hopdoddy's since they supposedly have the best burgers in town.

Here's a secret. I happen to work at another burger joint in Austin that has amazing burgers, the back of our shirts actually say voted best burgers in Austin. I felt like I was cheating when I walked into Hopdoddys. Since I was just on break I still had my shirt on and all the workers kept asking which was better, how I liked it, how we made ours.

I'll be completely honest. Hopdoddy's makes a damn good burger! I went with the classic bacon cheeseburger and floated into hamburger heaven for a minute. All the ingredients are fresh and it shows. It was juicy and greasy in the best possible way.

Now which burger is better, the burger joint I work at, or Hopdoddys? Honestly I feel like they are two completely different burgers. Hopdoddy's is more of an upscale burger bar rather than the family style burger joint I work at. The fact that Hopdoddy's makes everything, including their own buns, fresh every day impresses me, and I love the fact that they get all their food from local farmers. Any place that does that I support completely!

There is one thing I can say for sure though. The fries were not my cup of tea. Were they good? Yes, they were good, but when I want french fries I want thicker cut, not wedges but not shoe string, and I like em' deep fried and extra crispy.

Would I come back? Yes, especially seeing the shakes... I must try one of their shakes one day, however it is rather expensive for a broke teenager. Over 10 dollars for one burger and fries is quiet a bit, but if you have the money do it! I urge everyone in Austin to at least try it, because it is amazing! Definitely one of the best burgers in Austin!

The Buckhorn Exchange

Hello lovelies! So I just got home from my vacation to Colorado which was AMAZING! I hate caps lock, but this trip was so fun I just couldn't not use them. I got to see the Beach Boys in concert, which was amazing... just truly so great! We also went sandboarding, so so fun! And hot springs are perfect... So many great memories!

We went to eat at the famous Buckhorn exchange in Denver, which was just so great! The carnivore in me came out. There were 6 of us and we all got something a little different so I ended up trying 8 different animals that meal. Several of which i'd never tried before like ostrich and rattlesnake. We also had elk, quail, lamb, buffalo, cornish game hen, beef, and pork. The food was heavenly...

Above is a picture of the Rattlesnake appetizer. It was basically queso with rattlesnake in it. It was absolutely delicious! Being from Texas you gotta appreciate good queso! The rattlesnake was better than I expected, a little chewy but good!

Our meals also came with either a soup or salad. I got the lamb stew which was comfort food at it's finest! Lamb and potatoes in a steamy broth. This is the perfect dish for a cold Colorado night.

And here was the plate I ordered. Peppercorn  Crusted Ostrich and quail with a raspberry sauce and beans. I wouldn't say that ostrich comes close to being my new favorite meat, it's still good! Definitely worth a try, for those who didn't know they would probably think it was some sort of beef. A little tougher but still good. Quail is my favorite type of bird, and this did not disappoint! The raspberry sauce was the perfect touch of sweetness with the meat. This meal was so good even the beans were heavenly! Although I didn't fill up with them too much as there was so much food!
If you're in Denver definitely check this place out! A little expensive, and not for any vegetarians, but worth the money and worth the trip!

Ross's Old Austin Cafe

Wow, I have been lacking. I honestly haven't been posting much due to the fact that i've been working like crazy, taking peoples shifts and just been out and about enjoying my summer! But, I shall try to get back into the habit of posting more for you all! Next week I'm going to Denver Colorado for vacation, and of course I must eat at the Buckhorn Exchange and find so many other amazing restaurants i'm sure some of you may, or may not, care about.

But anyhoo, on to the review! I'm terribly sorry for not having pictures for this review I forgot my camera when I went.

Ross's Old Austin Cafe. This place is one of my parents' go to spots for breakfast, they go probably at least once a week. The waitress knows them and has their coffee waiting at their table when they walk in. I love the old timey feeling, the little country store where you can come in, have a hot good meal and just relax like you're in your southern grandma's house. I honestly used to hate breakfast, I wouldn't eat anything except cereal or a toaster strudel. Now? I love it. So I was very excited to stray from our usual dinner date to a morning feast.

On the morning we went I was craving some biscuits and gravy. So naturally, I got the biscuits and sausage gravy! We also ordered pancakes which came with eggs and sausage. All the carby sugary goodness!

Biscuits and sausage gravy are to die for. The gravy is creamy and rich and is filled with giant chunks of sausage that has a little spice to it. You can actually taste the sausage it's not just a bland filler. And the biscuit itself is light buttery and flaky. If I could have this every morning i'd be in heaven...

The Pancakes were also very very good. Drizzle a little syrup on there and man you got a smile on your face that lasts all day, which is really saying something since I especially used to hate pancakes. These were very very good.

Ross's Old Austin Cafe is one of those small town feeling cafe's that I just love. The people that come in are regulars and you just feel at home. Everyone's friendly and you can feel like your out in the country for a while and forget about whatever's bothering you.

My parent's also would like to recommend the breakfast tacos which are some of there favorites. They almost always get some and being the great parents they are they always bring some back for my brother.

Now I am off to make some lasagna for my dad to celebrate his birthday today! I hope everyone has a great weekend and happy early Fourth of July! Celebrate people! And cook! BBQ all day and enjoy each other's company. Relax and sit and talk and feast.

European Bistro

So where did my food adventures take me this last time? The European Bistro! A small restaurant in downtown Pflugerville serving the finest European food in all of Austin, in my opinion. This wasn't the first time i'd eaten here, but it was for my brother. He loved it, like I knew he would.

The atmosphere of the restaurant is very unique. A two story seating place, dimly lit with a piano player, a glass case filled with fresh made cakes and other sweet treats. It makes you feel like you left the small town of Pflugerville and went to an actual Bistro in Europe.

I've tried several of the dishes here, all of which were amazing, my personal favorite is the Jagerschnitzel. A veal schnitzel with mushroom sauce... (picture below) Just thinking of it makes me drool... Crispy, bready, saucy, yummy deliciousness....

But! That's not all. The Hungarian Goulash served over Spatzle is also to die for. A comfort dish that'll leave you satisfied and happy.

I tried the Chicken Crepes with Cheese Sauce for the first time and I was impressed. I've only ever had sweet crepes so I was a little weary about how it would taste, but this was even better than sweet crepes. Cheesy and chickeny, light and fulfilling. Packets of happiness.

And last but not least of the dishes we had that night, which was also very very delicious, was the pork schintzel. Drizzle the lemon juice all over it and fly right to European heaven.

The only drawback at the European Bistro is the food takes quiet a while to prepare. Even if you're the only customer there, they make everything from scratch so much prep is required. So I suggest getting an appetizer, like three cheese spread with bread. Very good and will hold you over until your food arrives! But trust me, the wait is  worth it.

The European Bistro is definitely in my top ten list of my favorite restaurants. The food and atmosphere score very high, and of all the times i've gone i've never been disappointed. The staff are all very friendly and knowledgeable and the musicians that play are very talented. I strongly urge everyone to try it out at least once. You won't be disappointed.

Mandola's Italian Market

Hot gooey cheese and tomato sauce smothering fresh hand made pasta cooked to perfection alongside chewy soft crunchy bread... What could be better on a rainy day? Which is why I chose to check out Mandola's Italian Market last night with my wonderful father companion. My scale did not like my decision this morning especially since I had queso and crawfish and potatoes smothered in cheese on Sunday, but I regret nothing! Gotta enjoy life right?

Mandola's is a family owned restaurant started by Damian and Trina Mandola. There are currently 3 locations in Austin, one of which is run by the Mandola's twin sons Dominic and Damian Jr. Mandola. The passion and love that the family puts into their work is obvious. 

The restaurant is also a cafe and market selling breads and various different Italian cooking staples. The cafe has coffee and espresso, amazing looking pastries and gorgeous looking gelato. The smell of garlic and tomatoes lingers in the restaurant making your mouth water. 

Usually me and my dad spend a good 5 minutes or so going back and forth saying "what do you want?" "I don't know, what do you want?" not really wanting to order something the other doesn't want to try. However, this time my dad was certain. Meat lovers pizza and Lasagna! So that's what we got! Along with bruschetta, my choice. 

At Mandola's you stand in line behind a counter, order your food, then sit down wherever you want with a little number and they'll bring your food to you. Very convenient and easy, and with the tons of employees running around, you'll be sure to be served promptly. 

The bruschetta came out along with a basket of complementary bread, ciabatta bread I thinkkk or focaccia, im not sure im no expert. The bruschetta was delicious though! Crunchy garlic toasted bread topped with halved and whole cherry tomatoes. So simple but when done right so delicious.

Next came out the pizza and lasagna! The pizza really surprised me. I'm not a big fan of meatballs or hamburger meat on my pizza, and from the size of the meatballs on this pizza I was a little iffy, but I was wrong. These meatballs were REAL meatballs, like you would actually put in pasta, and they were GOOD! Perfectly seasoned, and it really didn't overpower the rest of the pizza. The pizza oven they make the pizza in gives the crust a nice crunchy crust and cooks it to perfection. Not too much cheese, not too much meat, just good. 

Now for the best thing we ordered, the lasagna! Lasagna can be tricky to master sometimes, you gotta have the right amount of sauce, the right amount of cheese, a good pasta, and cook it right. Mandola's does just that. Right away you can taste the freshness of the pasta dough, it tastes homemade and it's great! The sauce is sweet and tangy and the cheese compliments it perfectly. The ricotta filling in between each layer is absolutely heavenly.... Seriously, this competes with my momma's lasagna. Ok, my mom's not Italian only been to Italy once, but it's my mom's and she make's a damn good lasagna. Nothing tastes better than fresh ingredients and handmade homemade pasta dough. Store bought just does not cut it. 

If you couldn't tell I liked the place. The food was great, the atmosphere charming and cute, the only thing I would change is to make it a little more adult friendly and a little less kid friendly. I know I know, a lot of people like that it's kid friendly, but when I go out to eat I don't like being surrounded by a bunch of kids screaming and running all over the place. But I urge you all to try this place out and be reminded how good Italian food can be.