Chocolate Bread Pudding and a Happy Mothers Day!

I love my mom. 

Seriously, she is my best friend. I know a lot of people who aren't very close to their family and it always makes me sad. I've been so blessed to have an amazing supportive family who I can honestly say are my best friends as well.

Chocolate Tart

Finally!

I've been wanting to write about since the day I made it. Which was.... Let's see a couple of months ago.

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.

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! 

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!

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...

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!

Hipster hotspot? Cowboy comfort?

Ah where to go if you're a hipster and you want a relaxing place to eat that serves GREAT food and a great atmosphere? Contigo is the place to be! Almost every diner seemed to be a hipster to me which suits me just fine!

Opened by two cowboy-like smart guys, Ben Edgerton and Andrew Wiseheart, they have made the perfect combination of flavors, themes, and ambiance for a great restaurant. Ben, who worked as an advertiser for 5 years before coming to Austin to open a restaurant, worked in the food service for quiet a while before meeting up with Andrew, a chef who not only studied cooking but traveled around to learn more about food, and opened the restaurant. The two guys wanted to bring their own "ranch" to the people, a place where people could hangout, relax, drink some beers and enjoy the little things in life, which is exactly what you can do at Contigo. While many restaurants only manage to do either the ambiance or the food good, Contigo does both perfectly.

Originally I had planned on going to Foreign & Domestic in the North Loop area, after reading the owners story and seeing some exotic menu items I was very intrigued! However, my dad wasn't as excited about trying Beef Heart TarTar as I was, so instead I suggested Contigo since I knew he would love the Tapas style of serving. 

On to the food! I love trying different and exotic foods, and while the food I had may not be to crazy and adventurous, i'd never had some of it before so i'll count it as a new experience. For starters we ordered the Pork Liver Pate, which came with Eggplant Fritters with Honey. I've never had any type of Pate, so this was one of those new experience, and damn have I been missing out! Spread the Pate onto a toasted slice of french bread and add a piece of the eggplant fritter and you've got yourself a little slice of heaven.

For the entree's we ordered the house sausage, which that day was Pork and Andouille Sausage which came on a baguette with french fries, dijon, onions, and sauerkraut if you ask for it. The sausage was delicious. I'm not the biggest sausage fan but this....this was some great sausage. Add some onions and sauerkraut and it just makes you smile. And the french fries? Delicious. I'm very picky about french fries but I have to say these were great fries. Crispy, salty, don't-wanna-stop-eating-them goodness.

We also ordered the Rabbit and Dumplings. I'd never had rabbit before, so another first! I had been hankering for some biscuits and gravy after seeing some shows on them on Food Network and Travel Channel, so of course if I can't have biscuits and gravy what's the next best thing? Rabbit and Dumplings, and let me tell you this dish is the best comfort food you could eat. Hot and steamy, creamy and starchy, carby and meaty. This dish has everything. Served in a cast-iron skillet it's so beautiful you almost don't want to eat it for fear of destroying such a masterpiece. But once you do, you tear into that bad boy and don't hold back! This is what you want on a cold winters day... or any day really. This has to be one of the best things I have ever put into my mouth and that's saying a lot for a passionate indecisive teenage foodie like myself. I'm craving this right now as I type it....

This is the first restaurant that i've been to so far where every single thing that we ordered completely blew me away and made me crave it even as we were leaving. 5 stars definitely, I can't wait to go back!