Sugardaddy's is So Sweet!

On a recent trip to Columbus, I made a stop at Sugardaddy's bakery. This spot was featured on the Food Network show "Throwdown with Bobby Flay" and ever since hearing about this store, I've wanted to check it out. Now, most who know of Bobby Flay would probably agree that he's not know for his confectioneries, but he was willing to take on the challenge of competing against the fine folks at Sugardaddy's for a "throw down" on who could make the best brownie. Now that's my kind of competition! Sugardaddy's is know for their "couture brownies", which is is a phase that has been trademarked by the owners. The shop in Columbus definitely has an upscale "couture" feel and is a fun place to check out. Here's some shots from inside their shop near the Polaris shopping center.

The staff at the store was super nice and very helpful while I was mulling over all the fabulous choices. "My new friend", aka the Sugardaddy's employee, told me all about their brownie flavors, how they can package the brownies if you're giving them as a gift and she also shared with me that they've started to use their brownies as crust for cheesecake. I had a sample and it was some seriously out of this world deliciousness. The case full of fresh brownies:

After a great trip to this fun store, here's a shot of all the goodies I purchased on my first trip to Sugardaddy's:
6 brownies:
1 American Beauty Brownie (no nuts)
1 Rich Mint Brownie (My favorite!)
1 Dark Berry Brownie
1 Cinnamon Blondie
2 Strawberry Blondies

1 bag of "Pocket Change" - American Beauty brownie bites. Sugardaddy's cuts their brownies into circles, so they have tons of left over crusts. They've cleverly bagged up those left overs and sell them, which my new friend at the store tells me is the most economical option when purchasing their sweet treats.

Cheesecake with Dark Citrus Brownie Crust - definitely check this option out if you're a fan of brownies and cheesecake (and who isn't a fan of those two things!).

So, who won the "Throwdown" of Sugardaddy's vs. Bobby Flay?

Sugardaddy's, of course.

Go ahead, order some - you know you want too!

Roasted Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash - peeled and cubed

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon garlic & herb seasoning

3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

* Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

* In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix to coat the squash, marinate if time allows

* Place squash on a nonstick baking sheet or a baking sheet lined with foil, throw away marinade

* Bake until the squash is tender and brown about 20-25 minutes - make sure to flip the squash at the half way point.

The finished product...

We really enjoyed this summer side dish with our dinner the other night. JJ got a huge bag of fresh vegetables from his Dad's garden over the weekend and I wasn't really sure how to tackle the ol' butternut squash. I know we never had it growing up in my house and I'm not sure if I've ever eaten it out at a restaurant, but I was up for the challenge of figuring out a way to prepare this "new" vegetable. I fired up google and came up with this recipe from the food network. I did alter it slightly on the suggested seasoning and I also cut about 10 minutes off their suggested cooking time. (Click here for the original recipe.) JJ must have been impressed with my cooking abilities on this one because he told me like 15 times how this was "the best squash he's ever had and he wasn't even sure it was going to make it out of the bag" - which made laugh. Truth be told, if I would have been given a butternut squash a few years ago I probably wouldn't have even thought about cooking it, but my taste buds have changed and I'm enjoying being more adventurous in my cooking. So if you're in the mood for a really tasty summer side dish, give this one a try - I think you'll like it. Enjoy!

Shrimp Scampi with Penne Pasta

(white wine, not shown)

My version of a recipe from Tyler Florence from the foodnetwork.com website. It calls for linguini, but I only had a box of penne on hand and it worked just fine.

• 1 pound linguini pasta
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 2 teaspoons on garlic, minced
• Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• salt and black pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves

Cook pasta according to directions on box. Drain pasta and rinse with cold water.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Saute the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes until the shallots are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper; add them to the pan and cook until they have turned pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan; set aside and keep warm. Add wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons oil. When the butter has melted, return the shrimp to the pan along with the parsley and cooked pasta. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to pan, stir well and season with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately and enjoy this yummy seafood and pasta dish.

Bananas Foster French Toast

If the title alone doesn't make you want to try this dish, then that can only mean a few things....

One, you don't like Bananas...

Two, you don't enjoy fabulously tasty breakfasts...

or Three, you know it's a Paula Deen recipe that is FULL of butter and sweet stuff!

This past weekend I visited my friends in West Virginia and we enjoyed this awesomely delicious recipe for dinner. Now I know it's a breakfast dish, but some days there's nothing better than breakfast at dinner time!

The "french toast" part is actually buttery croissants sliced in half, dipped in an egg, heavy cream & cinnamon mixture, then fried in a skillet. The topping is 100% maple syrup, dark corn syrup, brown sugar, pecans, and of course, butter! Bring that mixture to a boil, then add sliced bananas and simmer for a few minutes. Pour over french toast!

(Official Recipe from Food Network)

The Before Pic...

(The banana's did look a little funny, haha, they did get kinda mushy, so I think we cooked the sweet topping mixture just a little too long!)

The After Pic...

(Clearly the mushy banana's didn't effect the taste - YUM, YUM, YUM!)

As seen on TV...

Hillbilly Hot Dogs is a unique place located in Huntington, WV.  It's a hometown joint where locals go for tasty hot dogs covered in strange toppings, we're not talking ketchup and mustard here people, I'm talking about salsas, cheeses, peppers, just about anything you can think of.  

I heard about it one night while watching the Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

So while on my recent trip to WV, Momma Warrick and I took a drive through downtown Huntington to cruise the Marshall University campus and drove past this great spot.  Having heard the hoopla about the restaurant, I had to stop in and see what it was all about!  To my surprise, the owners were sitting right there, grabbing some grub.  This husband and wife team, Sonny & Sharie, have created quite a unique menu and dinning experience!  

Below are some great pictures from our afternoon...

The Home Wrecker Hot Dog. - You got it, that's a hot dog he is holding on that platter!  This would be the house speciality.  It's a 1 lb hot dog, deep fried in canola oil, topped with sauteed peppers & onions, smothered in chili sauce, nacho cheese, jalapenos, ketchup, mustard, cole slaw, tomatoes, lettuce, and shredded cheddar cheese.  Oh and all stuffed in a grilled bun.  

We did not see this humongous hot dog in person, so these are some pics I found on the Internet from another person's visit - looks pretty impressive!
The Single Wide - Double Stacked Burger.  That's right, it's one cheeseburger!  The classic Single wide is a beef burger, w/sliced cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pickles.  Of course, you can add ketchup, mustard and mayo.  Stack two of those 5 lb patties on top of each other and you have the 10 lb Double Stacked Single Wide Burger!  I'd say I'm more of a burger person than a hot dog gal, so I was seriously impressed with this masterpiece when a group of people ordered this the day we where there...WOW!

Momma Warrick was so impressed with the Double Stacked burger, she decided to order one too, but a smaller version of course!  She went with the 6 oz burgers, called Big Bad Bubba's Baby Sister Bertha Burger!  I can say it was very tasty indeed, since I snuck in a few bites.  I had to go with a hot dog to see what all the hype is about.  I decided on the Pizza Dog - a hog dog, covered in pizza sauce, cheese, and pepperoni...an excellent choice I think since it's was the first thing that caught my eye on the menu!  Overall, a really fun day at a really fun spot.  One of the greatest adventures in life is trying new things...that sums up my feeling on the day - lots of fun with my Mom, at a really fun place. Thanks to Sonny & Sharie for a great restaurant filled with friendly service and lots of fun memories!!  Check out Hillbilly Hot Dogs if you're ever in Huntington, WV.