5 Great Foods from Harry Potter World

Recently, I visited Universal Orlando's Island of Adventures Harry Potter World. The experience was absolutely breathtaking and I had a chance to try food straight from the Harry Potter books and even from England itself. If you plan on visiting I suggest you get in touch with your British side and try the amazing foods below.

1. Butter Beer!  Don't worry it's not real beer! :) This is an AMAZING drink that sings on your taste buds with every sip! This drink comes in two versions; frozen and cold (my preference is frozen) and you can buy it at various locations throughout the park. The best location to purchase it at is at the Hog's Head with little to no line, whereas every other place the line stretches for a good 30 minutes. This is the must buy drink of Harry Potter world so if you're planning on visiting plan on spending some money on a drink (or two) of Butter Beer.

2. Pumpkin Juice- This is a great drink, though it is very controversial. The best way to describe it is a liquid version of pumpkin pie. Some people like it, some don't. I highly recommend buying a jug to try, as it is a Harry Potter World favorite.



3. Every Flavored Jelly Beans- These are so much fun, even if you are not a Harry Potter fan because of all the creative flavors they have come up with (like vomit, soap, and toffee). Me and my family had a lot of fun trying to guess the different flavors (though more often than not we were wrong). This is definitely a kid (and kid-at-heart) friendly food.


4. Cornish Pasties- This is the dish I had for lunch, though the Three Broomsticks carried many main dishes that looked appealing. These have a soft shell (crust) with sweet meat inside. It comes with a typical side salad with various fresh vegetables. I really enjoyed this dish, and I recommend eating at the Three Broomsticks, if you have a chance to bypass the long line.



5. Chocolate frogs- I'm not going to lie, the chocolate is terrible. It's stale and cheap, not what I was expecting for the price I paid. This made it on the list for the experience not the chocolate. The trading card I would say, was worth it, but unless you're a die-hard Harry Potter fan I would not buy one. The box and the trading card was amazing though, so you may have to weigh the odds when it comes to this one.

Easy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Hi! Welcome to my blog and to all those subscribers out there here's a new recipe! This is a great Cinnamon Roll recipe making store-bought like cinnamon rolls. Enjoy!

Easy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

2 cups of Bisquick

2/3 cup of milk

about 1-2 tablespoons of butter

1/4 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon of cinnamon 

 1.  Heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 9 inch round pan. Stir together with a fork in a medium sized bowl to a soft dough the Bisquick and the milk. Beat vigorously about 20 strokes or until stiff and sticky.

 2.  Lightly flour a cutting board, roll dough on cutting board.  Knead gently by folding, pressing, and turning. Repeat this 8-10 times to smooth dough. with lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 12x7    inch rectangle.

 3.   Spread the semi thick flat dough with the butter. Sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Beginning at the long side tightly roll up dough. Seal by pinching edge into roll. Cut with a table knife into 1 inch rolls. Cook for 15 minutes.

Makes 12 rolls.

Cinnamon roll icing

Ingredients

1 cup of powdered sugar

1/2 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

splash of milk (optional)

1. Add all ingredients together except milk. Stir with fork or electric mixer. If needed add splash of milk. Pour on top of cinnamon rolls.

Photo cred: desktopcookbook.com

Yummy German Apple Pancake

This is a great crossover fruit and dessert recipe. Feel free to substitute other fruits for different flavors, Enjoy!

1.Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel and quarter 1-3 apple(s). Throw away core. Thinly slice the quarters.
In a small bowl mix 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon with a fork. Add the apple slices and mix well.

2. Slice 2 tablespoons butter into a few pieces and add the butter in a 9 or 10 inch glass pie pan. Put pan in oven for 2 minutes. Then remove from oven.

Easter recipes!!!

Are you're kids excited for Easter?  Well help ease the wait with these fun and delicious recipes!

#1 

Bunny biscuits!

Ingredients

• biscuit dough (10 biscuits)
• chocolate chips
• marshmallow

1. Open the can. Spread biscuits on cookie sheet. Slice half the biscuits in half (5 biscuits),and attach the 2 halves to whole biscuits to make it look like bunny ears.

2. Bake for the amount of time and heat as stated on can. Put 2 chocolate chips for eyes and a marshmallow for nose on you're bunny.


Variation
After they cook use the recipe from my beignets (http://cooking.staynalive.com/2011/08/princes-tianas-benyays-from-princess.html) and dip your bunnies in butter and the cinnamon sugar.


This is a great recipe, perfect for Easter parties and celebrations:


#2


Rice Krispie eggs


Here is the link http://www.ricekrispies.com/en_US/recipes/hidden-surprise-easter-egg-treats.html#/en_US/recipes/hidden-surprise-easter-egg-treats
and the recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes • Total Time: 40 minutes • Servings: 12 

Easter Recipes - Egg shapes with chocolate candies hidden inside

Give these Easter egg-shaped goodies a shake to hear the tasty surprise inside – M&M candies!

• 12 Plastic snap-apart 3 x 2-in Easter eggs
• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows
• - OR -
• 4 cups miniature marshmallows
• 6 cups Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal
• 1/2 cup M&M'S® Brand Chocolate Candies
• Canned frosting or decorating gel (optional)

1. Clean, then coat inside of plastic eggs with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
3. Add KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated.
4. Using greased hands, firmly press 1/4 cup of the cereal mixture into each plastic egg half. Use fingers to make hollow center in each half. Remove from molds. Place on wax paper. Cool slightly.
5. Place about 6 M&M'S® Brand Chocolate Candies in one half of each egg. Gently press two halves of each egg together until they stick. Cool completely.
6. Decorate with frosting and additional M&M'S® Brand Chocolate Candies (if desired). Best if served the same day.

MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS: Follow step 1 above. In microwave-safe bowl heat butter and marshmallows on HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Follow steps 3 through 6 above. Microwave cooking times may vary.

Notes:
For best results, use fresh marshmallows.

1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow crème can be substituted for marshmallows.

Store no more than two days at room temperature in airtight container.

#3


Cadbury Egg Brownies




This is a great recipe! 

Here is the link http://gingerbreadbagels.com/2011/04/13/cadbury-creme-egg-brownies/


and the recipe

Cadbury Creme Egg Brownies

4 1/2 Cadbury Creme Eggs (total of 9 halves)
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the Cadbury Eggs along the crease. You should have a total of 9 halves. Set aside.

Sift together the flour, unsweetened cocoa powder and kosher salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl with the paddle attachment (a handheld mixer works too), mix together the packed light brown sugar, sugar, melted unsalted butter and vanilla extract on medium speed for 3 minutes.
Add in the eggs one at a time and mix.

Slowly add in the dry ingredients on low speed. Mix until just combined. Take a spatula and fold the ingredients together.
Throw in the semi sweet chocolate chips and fold them in.

Spread the brownie batter into a lightly greased 8×8 inch baking pan. The brownies will bake for a total of 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Once the brownies have baked for 25 minutes, remove them from the oven and carefully press the Cadbury Creme Eggs on top of the brownies. The center of the Cadbury Eggs should be facing up.

Put the brownies back in the oven and continue baking for 5 more minutes.

Cool the brownies and then cut into pieces. Enjoy!

Easy and Delicious Parfaits

 Craving a sweet, healthy treat? Why not go for a parfait! This is a great after school snack or night time sweet, also a great dessert if you are on a diet. Why skip dessert when you can substitute it for something healthy?    

Liz's delicious Parfaits!

Ingredients:

Plain low fat yogurt or Flavored yogurt (I recommend Yoplait)

(Note: Do not use flavored yogurt if searching for a healthier choice)
fruit 

chocolate chips, optional

granola, optional

Splenda or other alternative sugar, optional

Steps:

1. Put 3 or 4 large scoops of yogurt in a bowl. Mix in splenda or alternative sugar.

2. Add in the desired amount of fruit. Add desired number of chocolate chips. Sprinkle granola on top. Enjoy! 

Taste the Rainbow Cupcakes

These cupcakes will put the fun in desserts (dessfunerts?)! Ok, I fail at play on words but these cupcakes are sure to take the cake (see what I did there...) This is a fun recipe for kids and the kid at heart, showing a fun rainbow in the center of each cupcake! This is the perfect recipe for parties and get-togethers or you could even play suck-up and bring a plate of these to your boss (you know the one with his wonderful wife and daughter he can never stop talking about). This is sure to bring a smile to anyone's face when they take a bite  out of the fluffy, colorful center, and the crazy thing is, it's just white cake mix and food dye!


You will need

1 box of white cake mix
4 food dye colors
4 bowls
Cupcake pan, Liners, Cooking Spray, Ingredients on cake mix, Muffin cups, etc.


1. Follow directions on cake mix until you arrive at the step where you are asked to pour the cake batter into the muffin cups.


2. Separate batter into the four bowls and add 3-5+ drops of single colors to each, so that you have four bowls each with their own color. 

3. Pour a little batter into each muffin cup. Layer the four colored batter until each muffin cup is filled 3/4 full. Feel free to experiment with colors and toppings! 

Have fun!

What is the Best Burger?

The science fair has come around once again, with new ideas and questions. Being the "overly" creative person I am, I decided "What would be better than a rotting burger?" Exactly. That is how I started my determined quest to find the best burger out of major burger corporations.

Below are the result of conducting a nine day experiment, with five independent variables, and one determined person.

Burger 1, McDonalds:   Unsurprisingly, It never rot.

Burger 2, Burger King:  Instead of growing mold (or other signs of rotting) it was covered in an icy, gel substance.

Burger 3, In and Out:  At day 5 it began to show signs of rotting, growing small, white colored bumps.

Burger 4, Smash Burger: Also began to show signs of rotting at day 5, growing common house mold.

Burger 5, Carls Jr. :  Beginning to rot at day 5, it grew a fungi of greenish blue color.

Another comparison made was size to price.

McDonalds' burger is a small patty, barely visible with the naked eye, sold for a whole dollar (inflation these days).
In and Out's burger is a good size and price to satisfy, ranging between $3 - 4, also having nice, satisfying quality. Burger King's burger is a fair price for what you're getting, not high quality, but high quality and burger aren't meant together in a sentence. Smash burger's burger is a large burger that feeds three to four small children, and it's quality is finest, matching the $6 price tag. Carls Jr.'s burger is not something to write home about, it's very similar to Burger King's burger.

In and Out's burger won on my overall scale (I know, big shocker, I bet you were expecting McDonalds to win), with it's fair quality, size, and price.

Overall setup

In and Out is top left, Burger King Center, Smash Burger bottom left, Carls Jr. bottom right, and 

          Mcdonalds (May have to be looked at through microscope) top right   

In and Outs burger, after 6 days

   

Burger King  

        

Smash burger

 

Carls Jr.

 

Poor Mcdonalds :(

Valentines Day Treats!

Valentine's Day is here! Imagine how happy your "special someone" would be if you made a homemade treat for them! I have prepared a set of recipes just for YOU (and your special someone)! 

# 1
Easy, Cute Valentine's Day Cookies

You will need:
Wafer Cookies
Chocolate or Vanilla Frosting
Heart Shaped Gumdrops

Directions:
1. Frost wafer cookies with chocolate or vanilla frosting.
2. Place a heart shaped gumdrop in the center.
Vióla! You're finished!

# 2 


Fancy and Easy Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Cupcakes


You will need:

Cupcake Liners 
Disposable  Frosting Bag and Decorating Tip, Optional


Strawberries
1 Chocolate Cake Mix 
Vanilla icing
Red food coloring
1 cup Chocolate Chips
2 tbsp Milk
1 tbsp Butter


1. Follow the directions on the back of the cake mix. Pour batter in cupcake liners in cupcake pan. Cook for the amount of time it says for cupcake on the box of cake mix.
2. Place a few drops of red food coloring in the vanilla frosting. Stir and add coloring until it the desired color of red.
3. Put chocolate chips, butter, and milk in double boiler or micro wave. Heat on low for 10-20 seconds in microwave safe bowl in microwave or until melted. Heat in double boiler until melted. Cut the tops off the strawberries. Dip as many whole  strawberries as there are cupcakes and put on cookie sheet. Put in freezer for approx. 10 to 20 minutes.
4. Follow package on frosting kit's directions to put  frosting in disposable bag. Set aside.
5. Frost cupcake as desired. Place chocolate dipped strawberries on top. Enjoy!

#3


Heart cake


What you'll need:
1 cake mix
1 can of frosting

Directions:
1. Follow directions on cake mix. Bake one 8 inch circle cake  and one 9 inch square cake.
2. Let cool.  Remove cakes from pans. Cut the circle cake in half.  Set aside. Turn square cake to create a diamond shape. Place the two halves of the circle cake on the top sides of the diamond, so that it forms a heart. 
3. Frost and enjoy!

                              Happy Valentine's Day