Nutella Pumpkin Muffins

Oh yes, you heard right and they taste as good as they sound!!!

 Here's what you need to get started: 1 can of Pumpkin Puree3 Eggs 1 Cup Apple Sauce (two individual cups from a pack of 6)1 Cup Nutella2 Cups Flour2 Tsp of Cinnamon 1/2 Tsp Nutmeg 1/2 Tsp Ginger 1 Tsp Baking Soda 2 Tsp Baking PowderPinch of Salt 12 oz of Chocolate Chips
Caramel Chews ***Optional

Here's some tips to make this recipe even easier! 

I got a six pack of applesauce and used two of the six cups. 

8 oz = 1 Cup

I also used the cup from the apple sauce to measure out the nutella and flour and saved some dishes from getting dirty. I will always try to use the most out of a dish to avoid washing more than I have to!

Here's what you want to do: 

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F

Pan spray muffin pan 

Mix all ingredients except caramels in one bowl

I used a mini muffin pan cause they are too cute! Take a measuring cup of spoon and fill with mix to the rim. Cut the caramels into fourths and place on top of each muffin. 

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes

Check on muffins towards 12 minutes in with tooth pick, when the tooth pick comes out clean they are done! 

Let them cool off for 10 minutes and ENJOY!!!

So simple and easy to make for the fall season!

Amazingly Simple Tortellini Pasta Salad

Here's a simple pasta salad that will fly off the table at any party or get together and takes 15 minutes to prepare! 

Grocery List: 

Tortellini 

(Frozen or from the Refrigerator Section)

Grape Tomatoes 

( I got the Heirloom Tomatoes that add extra color and they taste amazing)

Feta Cheese

Olive Oil

Italian or Greek Seasoning 

(***Optional but adds great flavor!)

Gently boil the tortellini with a dash of olive oil from keeping the noodles from sticking together 

Cut your tomatoes in half or quarters depending on the size

Here are the heirloom grape tomatoes I found in the produce section and they are amazing 

Once the noodles are a la dente, strain and then toss the noodles, feta cheese, tomatoes, a tablespoon or so and then add your seasoning

I would recommend buying Cavender's Greek Seasoning! My college roommate let me try some of her and every since then it's been my go to seasoning for everything! It has great flavor and compliments anything from meats to veggies to pastas, potatoes and more! 

Refrigerate until cold and serve! Easy and simple dish that won't tell long at all! 

If you want to make it for dinner one night I would suggest paring it with greek chicken and sauteed veggies or a salad. 

My name is Mallory and this is too easy!

Hibachi at Home

Here is how to make hibachi at home and it's a lot easier then you think! 

Grocery List: 

Three stocks Baby Bok Choy (Japanese Lettuce)

One Large Zucchini 

Half of a White Onion 

1/2 bottle of Teriyaki Sauce 

3 Tablespoons of Peanut Butter (Crunchy or Smooth) *Optional

(I used Harris Teeter brand just as good and cheaper!)

Meat of your choice: 3-4 chicken breasts, 2 steaks, 18-20 shrimp

3 cups of White Rice 

This is make enough for 3-4 servings depending on how much you're serving... I give big servings so this was enough for 3 servings. Double the recipe based on the amount of people and/ or for leftovers! 

I just made vegetable hibachi because I personally like the veggies more than meats. 

 Chop all of your ingredients. 

I like my zucchini in long strips but cut them any way you want. 

Above is the correct way to cut an onion. You have to cut along the lines of the onion and you will get proportional and consistent onion strips. 

Cut the bok choy horizontally 

Cook the white rice via directions in a pot or even get the microwave kind to make it a little easier.

If adding meat, cut into cubes or strips and cook with veggies... make it an easy one pan dinner

Pan Spray a large skillet and put meat in first to sear and then add veggies and cook on Med-High Heat. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon and then add the teriyaki sauce. 

Stir until veggies and meat are almost done. Then add your peanut butter. 

I eye everything out and just add more if needed. You don't have to add the peanut butter, but I think it gives the dish an extra dimension of flavor. 

You can even use rice noodles instead of white rice for something different if you're not a big fan of rice. Just cook the noodles via directions and then add your hibachi on top of your noodles.

I paired my hibachi with New Belgium Summer Helles, which is their new Lager and some chop sticks I got from the grocery store at the sushi section. 

To go a step further, you can buy white sauce or make your own! Here's the recipe to make your own white sauce like it's straight from the restaurant. 

1 cup mayonnaise 

3 tablespoons white sugar 

3 tablespoons rice vinegar 

2 tablespoons melted butter

 3/4 teaspoon paprika 

3/8 teaspoon garlic powder

My name is Mallory and I love Hibachi 

Amelie's French Bakery

My first visit was exciting because I got to share it with my sister. We both struggled out of bed but got ready and headed to Amelie's newest location in downtown Rock Hill, SC for brunch before I had to go to work. Rock Hill's downtown main street is adorable but it is easily over looked with Charlotte right around the corner. Over the years Rock Hill has been growing and developing as well as remodeling the look of the city and turning heads with the new additions to the city and one of those additions includes Amelie's. Students at Winthrop University come out and study while enjoying gourmet treats and great espresso as well as locals come in for business meetings or for a treat just because. 

Since we had just woken up (even though it was noon) we decided to start off with a breakfast sandwich, which is our favorite thing for breakfast. We got a Peppered Egg, Manchego, Spinach, and Bacon Sandwich on a Baguette. Every bite was amazing! This place is perfect especially because my day always starts later and I crave breakfast around 11 to 1 when breakfast ends at most places. We also got Caramel Lattes and the espresso was so smooth and the caramel melted in my mouth... needless to say YUM! 

After we ate our breakfast sandwich and had our coffee, we couldn't stop staring at the large case full of pastries and desserts. So... we had to get the Signature Eclair and the Raspberry Tart. They were so good and you can tell they are homemade. When you bite into the eclair, every bite has just as much filling as pastry. The raspberry tart had fresh raspberries and cheesecake filling that had the perfect amount of fruit and sweet cream in every bite.

What I love about Amelie's is obviously the food but also the atmosphere, the employees and the decor all bring the experience together and with those aspects, Amelie's will continue to grow and succeed. They even have locks you can buy, paint and initial and then lock them onto the gate outside of Amelie's just like the Pont des Arts footbridge in Paris. 

Everything was so good that I even got a sandwich for a late lunch at work. I got the Turkey and Brie Sandwich with a Raspberry Compote on a Baguette. Needless to say I over indulgenced in Amelie's and I can't wait to do it again! 

There are locations in Uptown Charlotte off of South Tyron Street, in NoDa Arts District off of North Davidson Street, and in Atlanta, Georgia off of Marietta Street as well as the Rock Hill location.

My name is Mallory... and I love french bakeries.

Traveling Back to the Renaissance Festival

Tis the season for the Ye Ole Renaissance Festival in Huntersville, NC  every Saturday and Sunday from October 4th to November 23rd, 2014!

Opening weekend Chase (the bf), my best friend Lauren, our friend Aaron and I all traveled back in time for our favorite day of the year! Every year we go and do the same things and see the same acts... BUT it's still as amazing, exciting and entertaining as the year before. We expect nothing less this year when we gorge ourselves with beer, turkey legs, and everything renaissance. BEST DAY EVER!

Here's our adventure back in time through every sip and every bite :) 

Round 1 

Lauren and I both got Cottonwood Pumpkin Beer ($6) by Foothills Brewery based in Winston-Salem, NC. and split a delicious turkey leg that was juicy, hot and full of flavor. The beer was perfect for fall, it has a blend of spices and a hint of pumpkin. It wasn't over powering or too heavy, which made it a very good beer for any beer drinker. If you're not a beer drinker there is also wine and margaritas available. 

Here we are just playing around with feather crowns after watching some belly-dancing. 

Round 2

Chase and I both got bread bowls but there were so many go soups it was hard too choose.  I got the spinach artichoke dip and Chase got broccoli and cheese soup. The soup and dip were awesome, both creamy and full of veggies and cheese. The other soups were meatball marinara, beef stew, and chili and all the bread bowls are $6 each. Next time I am definitely getting the meatball bread bowl because it looked really good! Out of the two, I thought the broccoli and cheese was the best. 

We watched Jousting and were on the Blue and Silver side and we won!!!

Round 3

We had to try the Fried Macaroni and Cheese Bites and I'm glad we did because they were amazing and only cost $3 for 5 pieces! They came out hot and crispy on the outside and gooey and cheesy on the inside. They probably didn't have these golden gems in the renaissance era but I'm glad they included them in the festival :) 

And on the right is Chase loving the homemade beef jerky that I got him! They have three flavors, original, hot and spicy, and teriyaki. We got original and hot and spicy, which are addicting and only $5 each for a large rectangular piece! We couldn't stop eating it! 

To wash down the mac n' cheese bites and jerky, I got a Snake Bite ($6) which is Woodchuck Cider on the bottom and Guinness on the top. They use a bent spoon to prevent the two from mixing. This is such a great drink especially if you like something a little sweet but also like a smooth beer. The two together are a perfect pairing and go well with a beautiful fall day. 

Round 4 

The next beer I got was Pilot Mountain Pale Ale from Foothills Brewery ($6) and I paired with a salty soft pretzel for $2. The pale ale complimented the salty pretzel perfectly and you even got to pick and take off the pretzel of your choice from the vendor who walks around with a huge display of hanging pretzels. 

Round 5

We grabbed some sweets before we left including a Caramel Latte, a Cappuccino, Hot Candied Almonds, a Homemade Peanut Butter Cup, and this Caramel Apple rolled in chocolate chips which was only $5! All of them were so delicious and we were fat and happy by the end of the day!  

Overall our day was a success and just as we hoped! We saw so many comedy shows and other talents from the performers. There is something at the renaissance fair for everyone! My suggestion for tickets is just to buy them from Harris Teeter for $19 and go straight through the gate instead of waiting in line for tickets and to bring cash with you because most of the food stands and shops only take cash. 

Here's my friend Sam that I ran into! Doesn't he look awesome?! (and no he doesn't work here!)

I am secretly a hippie inside so I admire the flower crowns every year but a couple years ago, my friend Chelsea and I decided to make our own flower crowns and it was a lot less than $12! I simply bought pipe cleaners, ribbon, fake flowers, little jingle bells and used a glue gun to put our flowers and bells on. 

Instructions on your awesome flower crown: 

1. take pipe cleaners and braid them and then tie the ends together to make a circle that fits around the crown of your head

2. take the ribbon ( we used several different types) and tie the piece on ribbon on the back where the ends of the pipe cleaners meet 

3. Glue the flowers and bells wherever you want to on the crown

Feel free to be creative and add anything extra like feathers or fake butterflies

Now you have your own flower crown thats perfect for the renaissance festival or any other music festival or concert

Rumpelstiltskin Look-a-like! If anyone watches Once a Upon a Time, this guy was on point and had the laugh down and everything!!! 

Check out the site for any coupons and information about the festival! 

Free Parking and Appropriate for All Ages

http://www.royalfaires.com/carolina/

My name is Mallory and this was the best day ever! (until next year) 

How to Cheese Tray

Anyone that knows me knows that I love cheese. Let's face it, if we're hanging out we're most likely drinking wine (or craft beer) and munching on a cheese tray that I prepared for a party of 20 for just two people. Any type of cheese is my favorite except for individual wrapped cheese because that is not cheese! Let's face it, I'm a cheese snob... if a dish at a restaurant has gouda, gorgonzola, goat, bleu, manchego or any other fancy cheese... that's what I'm getting hands down. Everything is better with cheese in my opinion. So this cheese rant brings me to my favorite thing to do besides eat cheese is to make a cheese tray. This is the perfect thing to bring to a party or just over to a friend's house and so easy to put together it ridiculous! 

My rules of an amazing blow the socks off your guests this was so easy cheese tray: 

1. Get an old number of cheeses.. 3 or 5 

2. Have a variety of cheeses

    - Soft: Brie, Goat, Mozzarella

    - Semi-Soft: Gouda, Bleu, Cheddar, Havarti, Baby Swiss

    - Hard: Manchego, Gruyere, Parmesan, Asiago 

     (You can even go a step further and get different types of bases of cheese: Cow Milk, Goat Milk and Sheep's Milk)

3. Have some colorful fruit

         The usual red or green grapes, apples, pears, any type of berry 

4. Have something crunchy 

          Nuts, Crackers, Crisp Fruits, etc.

5. Other add ons: honey, olives, jam, balsamic glaze, meats, antipasta, olive tapenade

Tip: Cheeses and other delicious things will be touching so be aware of who will be eating it if they are a vegetarian or have an allergy BUT don't let this hold you back. 

Now the fun part putting all of it together! 

Find a platter that isn't huge maybe like the size of a medium size pizza 10 to 13 inches. I like round platters or unique shaped platters but that's just me. Use any type of platter whether it's a large dinner plate or a wooden cutting board. You can normally find fun platters at Home Goods that will only cost you $15-20 if you want to go a step further and get a designated cheese platter. 

Place your cheeses on first and stagger them. They can be layered on top of each other and on different angles and sides. 

Then add your larger sized fruits like a bunch of grapes and/or sliced apples or pears as well as the little bowl(s) of honey or jam or any other toppings 

Now scattered and group smaller fruits, olives, crackers, nut, etc. 

BAM! Now you have an amazing cheese tray that took you no time and will be the hit of your party. 

          This post is dedicated to two of my best friends that I met in college and who shared my deep love of cheese, Kellane and Pam. May you forever have cheese in your life. 

My name is Mallory... and I love cheese. 

This is My Food Blog.

I grew up in a family where food was not the only main course, but it was time we spent together while enjoying and indulging in food. Every meal we ate together was never around a tv but was spent with phones unanswered and us gathered around the table with our meal. My kitchen was also the dining area where we picked at food before the main meal. Our kitchen table would have a spot light from the light above and we turned off the other main lights leaving the table as a display of good food and even better conversation. My mother grew up on a farm learning to cook since she could remember and my dad grew up with a passion for food and an eye for creativity. My dad was a salesman but of course sold food products such as cheese, meats, and condensed milk. He was the top salesman and recently I just entered a job in sales but I think I would be better at sales if I was selling what he was. It may just be me but I bond with people over food. Just talking about certain dishes and recipes is how I have made new friends. I could literally talk about food for hours! (Thank god I'm not 300 pounds yet either) Maybe it's because my parents started their own restaurant and my dad got his culinary arts degree, or maybe it's because food has always been an important aspect in my life. Specifically I love food, eating it, making it, researching it, and talking about it but food is what always brought my family to the dinner table for uninterrupted time together. Now my family isn't whole anymore without my dad but we still keep the tradition alive and continue to add more to our kitchen table.

My name is Mallory and this is my food blog.