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.