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Is it just me or did we skip from winter right into summer? The high this week is going to be 87 degrees. April is usually one of the best weather months in Tampa with highs in the upper 70’s to low 80’s, but upper 80’s? Ugh.This cheesecake is perfect for spring and summer. It gets a lovely raspberry flavor from not only fresh raspberries but raspberry liquor as well. (Booze makes everything bette
A couple of days ago I showed you a healthy start to the day with my favorite breakfast smoothie. Today I’m going to share with you a breakfast for when you need to indulge a bit. A breakfast for a rainy Saturday morning or that Sunday morning when you’re paying for all the fun you had on Saturday night.It would go beautifully with a Tequila Sunrise or Bloody Mary. Just saying!As much as I love Me
About 5 years ago I became pretty obsessed with yogurt. I started eating it every day for breakfast and haven’t stopped since. I do change it up to keep from getting bored though. Some weeks I eat flavored yogurt and other weeks I’ll use plain yogurt and mix in fresh fruit and granola. And then there are other weeks when I make smoothies.I think the smoothies are my favorite. Smoothies have gotten
When I first started cooking I struggled with new ideas for pork recipes. That doesn't seem to be the case anymore.I made this a few weeks back when it was still cold-ish (for Florida) and I wanted something warm and cozy for dinner. Now that Spring is officially here, I probably won’t be making it for a few months. Especially since I just spent the last two days hemming and hawing over several ne
I’m picky when it comes to eggs. I didn’t even eat eggs until I was an adult, and I learned that eggs (specifically omelets) are a great hangover remedy… and are pretty tasty when mixed with cheese, veggies and bacon. One of my favorite ways to eat eggs is as a frittata. Frittatas are so versatile. They are ready to eat in less than 30 minutes most of the time and are great for cleaning out your p
A few months back I posted a Banana Bread recipe that was fantastic – if I do say so myself. I liked it so much that I honestly never see myself making any changes to it. However, I did want to make a version that was a bit healthier. Now I’m not going to tell you that this is a super healthy banana bread/muffin recipe that you can eat as much as you want of guilt-free, but it is healthier that my
I’m ready for the warm weather to get here. Usually I try to cling to every last chilly day we get – probably because we only get about 10 here in Tampa and I am SUCH a New England girl who loves her scarves and boots – but this year I am ready for cute spring/summer dresses and pretty wedges. I’m ready to wiggle my toes into the sand, and relax on the beach with a good book pretending to weigh a
I’m a sucker for a good fish taco. It combines two things I am absolutely crazy about – seafood and tex-mex.And they can actually be fairly healthy for you depending on how you make them. These are lightly pan fried so they have a bit of texture but not deep fried so they aren’t a huge calorie bomb. These are blackened as well so they have a nice spicy kick to them. A win-win as far as I’m concern
I’m pretty sure I’ve established here that I love Tex-Mex and Mexican food. I love spicy, cheesy, guacamole covered yumminess. I can’t help it.Pico de Gallo is a common Mexican fresh condiment much like salsa. Many people have their own version and this one is mine. Chili peppers are common in Pico but I omit them when I make Pico. I feel chili peppers (such as jalapeños) have their place already
For Valentine’s Day Brent surprised me with some Bailey’s Irish Cream Chocolates. They were pretty fantastic and since then I’ve wanted to play around with a boozy truffle. I used dark chocolate for these since it’s better for you than milk chocolate, but if you don’t dig dark chocolate, use semi-sweet. The older I get the more I prefer dark chocolate and I loved how these truffles came out. The d
Restaurant Recreation: Olive Garden’s Ravioli di PortobelloAhhh….the Olive Garden. The go-to date night dinner destination of my teenage youth. This dish was the only one I would ever order there. It was consistent and good, the sauce especially since you could dip the breadsticks in it. This is such a cheater’s version of it, which makes it perfect for a weeknight meal. And if you’re good at mult
I’m not a huge lover of whipped cream. I like it but I just don’t NEED it most of the time. Especially on milkshakes or blended coffee drinks – I always order them without it.Still, whipped cream has a place in the world…. maybe just not as big of piece in my life.Making whipped cream at home is very simple and can really make an impression when serving a dessert at a dinner party. I know a lot of
I suck at making rice.I can’t buy the big cheap bags of rice and make perfectly fluffy rice. I always screw it up somehow. So I gave up trying and use instant rice instead. And they lived happily ever after. The end. So I shared this photo over the weekend of my little puppy Gravy (my dad calls him Gravy Boat), watching me try and get a fair photo of the Cilantro-Lime Rice. He was VERY interested
I’ve been sharing a lot of slow cooked shredded meats with you lately. I haven’t really meant to but it just sort of happened. One thing I’ve learned as a food blogger is that two things have to happen in order for a post to come together. The food has to taste good and the pictures have to look good as well. Or in my case, the pictures have to look at least OK.I can’t tell you how many times I’ve
Thank you to those of you that entered the giveaway for a $25 gift card to Applebee’s!The winner is:Congratulations, Edward! I hope you enjoy it!Please contact me at kittenwhisk [at] yahoo [dot] com to claim your prize!*Numbers were assigned to each comment starting with the first comment. Be sure to follow Kitten with a Whisk on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!
Yesterday I posted about low-calorie menu options at Applebee’s, today I’m going to talk to you about donuts.By the way – if you haven’t entered for the giveaway for a $25 gift card to Applebee’s, CLICK HERE and go enter! The giveaway ends tomorrow at 6PM.When I was in middle school a friend of mine had an all girl sleepover for her birthday. I think there were about a dozen of us, which I’m sure
Shortly after I posted my recreation of Applebee’s VeggiePatch Pizza, I was contact by a representative for them asking if I’d like to try out their new Under 550 Calories menu. I’ve seen the commercials over the last month so I was already familiar with the concept, and while I hadn’t tried any of the dishes yet I was eager to give them a chance.Last night we went to the Applebee’s around the cor
If I had one wish I could make – and have it actually come true – it would be that I could eat whatever I want and not have to worry about gaining weight or having to exercise to keep it off. I don’t need to be supermodel thin, but I don’t want to be overweight either.Generally, I stick to a pretty simple “regimen” (I hate the word diet) during the work week. Some yogurt and fresh fruit for breakf
So in case you haven’t heard yet, there is this big – HUGE really – football game tomorrow. Which means pizza, wings, beer, and tons of other fat and calorie laden yumminess to indulge on. I confess that I don’t love buffalo or chicken wings and I refuse to eat them in public. In general, I don’t like any meat that is still on the bone. I do love buffalo sauce though. I've posted a few t
Did you know that Applebee’s took the veggie patch pizza off their menu?I was pretty shocked when I found this out a little while back. I don’t eat at Applebee’s all that often but whenever I do find myself there, I almost always to order it. This is probably why I thought it was a favorite for their customers. Apparently, it wasn't.Since I love the challenge of recreating my restaurant favor
I love my slow cookers. Despite having three, they all surprisingly get a fair amount of use, and I actually wouldn't mind having a fourth. But according to Brent, we don’t have room for anymore kitchen gadgets.So I buy them and don’t tell him about it. I do this with clothes and shoes too. Shhhhh! It’s a secret, k?While I love using my slow cookers for a variety of things, I find the mo
My house is fully decked out for Christmas. The tree is up and the stockings are hung. My mother’s handmade ceramics are placed high on shelves where my meddlesome cats can’t knock them down. The outside is set ablaze with thousands of blinking lights so Brent will let me keep the lights inside solid. And it’s 82 degrees outside.Yup. Eighty-freaking-two degrees. Yes, I know there are plenty of peo
I like bananas. I also like banana bread or banana nut muffins. But I can't stand banana flavored things or adding a banana to a smoothie.Like strawberry-banana smoothies? Yuck. I love strawberry smoothies and as I said above, I like bananas. Just please don't put them together. The banana just overpowers it. And banana flavored candies and such are just too sweet.This banana bread? Out of th
Coming up with new ideas for pork is always a challenge for me. In my opinion, pork can be a bit more temperamental than chicken breast when it comes to keeping it juicy and flavorful. And while I like pork, I always find myself opting for other meats instead because I have better ideas for chicken or shrimp. This recipe was even inspired by a way I prepared chicken not too long ago. In the summer
This is one of the easiest appetizers I have come up with to date. The first time I made it was out of desperation to serve unexpected guests that came to our house. It went over so well that I've been making it regularly ever since. In fact, I made it last night for Brent to bring to his potluck at work today.So if you happen to be looking for a quick appetizer to share for Thanksgiving
Buffalo sauce drenched shredded chicken. Blue cheese. Sharp cheddar cheese. Fresh tomatoes. Caramelized onions. Chewy whole grain bread. And bacon. Oh yes, there’s bacon too.This sandwich is a sandwich’s sandwich. It is a two napkin man’s sandwich. It is what other sandwiches want to be – chewy, gooey, cheesy, and mouth-watering delicious.I’m sure I’m not alone i
Do you say white beans or cannellini beans? I find myself switching between the two all the time. So this is either Cannellini Bean and Pesto Dip, or White Bean and Pesto Dip depending on day.Regardless of which way you say it, this is a really tasty dip to share. And so easy too! I made this for a birthday lunch we made for Brent’s mom. He was making her a big Italian dish for the main cours
Anyone else tired of everything pumpkin yet?Yea, me neither.I’m a HUGE fan of cheesecake, but when I was a kid I thought the idea was kind of gross. Cheese + cake? Ewww.... but then I actually tried some and I fell in love.This particular recipe I’ve been tinkering with for several years. The first time I made it was the same Thanksgiving I made the Smoked Gouda and Sausage stuffed Mushrooms. I’m
My 21st birthday was some time ago. More years than I’d really like to admit, if I’m being honest. While there are many things I remember about this specific birthday, one was an appetizer we had at dinner. The dish was simple enough, consisting of goat cheese baked in marinara sauce and served with toasted baguette. Our server suggested mixing the cheese and sauce together – which we did – and I
Fall has finally arrived in Tampa. The humidity has subsided and the past few days have had clear blue skies. While the temperatures are still hovering around 90 degrees during the day, the change is certainly noticeable. It’s time for apples, pumpkins, and boots and scarves.Ok, well not the boots or scarves… I won’t be breaking those out until December. This recipe is based off of a flatbread Bre
Recipe for: Sweet and Sour Pulled Pork on Hawaiian Sweet Rolls with Spicy BBQ SauceA couple of years ago now Brent and I were going to a Hawaiian themed graduation party. We were asked to contribute a Hawaiian type dish and bring it along. I've never been to Hawaii, though I’d love to get there someday, but for whatever reason Sweet and Sour Pulled Pork seemed to fit the theme. Plus
Let me start by saying it was never my intention to make and post a green bean casserole recipe for this blog. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of recipes out there claiming to be the best, better than Campbell’s, better than your mother’s, and most are completely made from scratch.The world didn’t need another one. Yet here I am, posting one.Why?Because I needed to use up a lot of green
Recipe for Restaurant Recreation: Arby's Loaded Potato BitesThanksgiving is tomorrow and all week I’ve been seeing articles about how to cut the calories in the meal or what to eat so that you don’t consume a bazillion calories. I see it every year and it kinda drives me batty. Holiday calories don’t count! We all need to splurge a little every now and then. To me, “splurge” means enjoying a
It’s starting to get dark earlier now.This means taking pictures indoors because it is impossible for me to have dinner ready before 7pm. Other than that, I actually do like changes the clocks back. I need the light in the morning to get moving. That, and a good, strong cup of coffee.Brent, on the other hand, hates it and will bitch and moan about it until we spring forward. It’s another one of th
I can’t deny the fact that living in the Tampa Bay area for so long hasn’t left some sort of impression on me. I love a good sunset, I know how to combat humidity riddled hair days, I wear sandals 360 days a year, and I love a good fish sandwich. Before moving here, I’d never had a fish sandwich. Sure, I’d had fried whole belly clam rolls, or hot lobster rolls – very tradition New England fare – b
One thing that Brent and I differ on is keeping snacks on hand in the house. I have a strict policy of not buying sweets or junk food at the store, because honestly if they are in the house I will eat it. ALL of it. I have no self-control. Sure, I get cravings for cookies, brownies, and chips, but the craving is rarely strong enough to make me want to drive to the store and go buy some. Brent on t
Summer is starting to wind down and the Autumn Equinox is only a few days away and will mark the official start of fall. Personally, fall is my favorite season…even though here in Florida it isn’t exactly colorful and crisp and cool. Still, the humidity seems to subside a little and we do have some beautiful days of bright blue cloudless skies with a slight gentle breeze every so often. This past
I was lucky enough to inherit a lot of great qualities from both of my parents, but their green thumb was definitely not one of them. It’s pretty much a give in that I will eventually kill any plant I’m put in charge of. I can’t even keep those little “lucky bamboo” plants alive longer than a month or so. I have no idea why I seem to have such a honker of a black thumb, but I figure I can’t excel
Last night I came home from work and the last thing I felt like doing was putting any effort into cooking. I knew we had some burgers in the freezer, so I pulled them out to thaw and decided tater tots for a side. Classy, I know. Once Brent threw them on the grill, I decided that I was just going to eat mine with cheese, mustard, and ketchup. No fancy pants toppings this time! Just a damn good and
If you were to ask me to list my top three most hated foods, the list would most certainly include mayonnaise. I just can’t stomach it and therefore I steer clear of a lot of summer favorites such as potato salad, macaroni salad, and chicken salad. This recipe is my solution to that problem and is probably one of my favorite new recipes I’ve come up with in the last couple of months. It’s very sat
I originally made this tart months ago on a day when I apparently was not “all there”. Not unlike like the day I asked Brent how I could thicken up pasta sauce. The answer of course is tomato paste but I was having a blonde moment. Well, maybe I should say a “brown out” since I’m a brunette.When I made this recipe originally it was fantastic and we both loved it. There was one minor glitch however
In general, I think the theory that our taste buds changed every seven years is true. When I was little I didn’t care too much for tomatoes, but now I like them for the most part. Except, I still hate the squishy guts inside. I love the idea of stuffing tomatoes and baking them till they are slightly soft. This is probably because I have a slight obsession with stuffing items with delicious concoc
There are few things I love more than pizza and I love to experiment and come up with new topping combos. I’d guess we have pizza about once every ten days. And while we never tire of it, we do get burnt out on buying it. Once I discovered that out local grocery store sells fresh dough, it was on! Especially since I don’t have what I consider the proper amount of space, or tools, in my current kit
?I have a dirty little secret. But before I tell you what it is, here is the thing…I get burnt out on cooking some nights. As much as I love trying to come up with interesting new things to eat for dinner, there are days when I have no inspiration. Or maybe it was a crazy stressful day and all I really want is a margarita. Either way, there are nights were I will eat frozen burritos for dinner. Br
Over the weekend I was invited to participate in a Foodbuzz Tastemaker Event at a local Carrabba’s Italian Grill. This was such a wonderful opportunity to not only get a "behind the scenes" look at Carrabba’s and their food philosophy, but also the chance to meet with other Foodbuzz Featured Publishers. Brent came along with me for the experience. Before I get started, let me give you a little bac
This is my favorite salad of all time. It has mixed greens, strawberries, walnuts, bleu cheese, tortilla strips, and raspberry vinaigrette. Now if you’re thinking that all those ingredients don’t sound good together - don’t worry, I was really skeptical myself the first time I tried it. When the waitress described the salad to me, I must have looked hesitant because she assured me it was tasty, an
A few weeks’ back– ok ok, months - Brent’s mother had a get together at her house for the family. She was having a good ol’ southern fish fry and I decided to make some peel n’ eat shrimp to share while we all waited for Brent to fry up pounds and pounds of tilapia, catfish, and grouper. I’ve wanted to make peel n’ eat shrimp at home since October when Brent and I took a short getaway to Orlando a
A couple of years ago I happened to catch Sam Zien’s cooking show. His personality and approach to cooking immediately drew me in. I’m not much of a fancy or fussy cook and I tend think food doesn’t have to be overly complicated to be damn good. I certainly can “get down” with those types of meals every now and then, and I appreciate the time and skill they take, but it’s not realistic to me for e
Last week I was lucky enough to be invited to the Grand Opening event for the Tampa Bay area’s first Pinkberry store. For those of you who aren’t familiar with it – Pinkberry is a premium frozen yogurt chain that first opened in West Hollywood in 2005. I have friends in California, so I was familiar with their product but never had the chance to try it. So when their local PR rep invited me to the
