Review: Pompilio's

My friend has been raving about Pompilio's in Newport for a couple months now.  She said she loved the small local feel of the restaurant and really enjoyed her meals that she has had here.  I do love Italian, so when my husband was recently craving Italian, I suggested we give it a try.

Pompilio's is located in the small neighborhood of Newport, KY and there is a location in Independence too.  It is well-known for having a scene from Rain Man filmed here.  There was plenty of parking options located on the neighboring streets.  I loved the location, making it definitely feel like a neighborhood gem.

Upon walking in, I was a little taken aback.  The bar area was packed with people...and smoke.  I forgot that Kentucky still allows smoking in restaurants.  I am not one who typically is bothered by smoke actually, but this was pretty intense.  We were led to the hostess stand in another room who asked if we wanted smoking or non-smoking.  We chose the latter.  We were immediately seated to a cozy booth in the back of the restaurant.

As we got comfortable I was able to take a minute to soak in the ambiance and patrons of Pompilio's.  I liked how the interior had a feeling of being in a family restaurant.  There was a variety of patrons, including families, children, and couples.  It wasn't too loud and had some great eccentric pieces adorning the walls.

Ross and I took some time looking over the menu after ordering our drinks.  The menu is huge.  It offers specialty dishes, pastas, chicken, salads, appetizers, and more.  It really is pretty extensive.  I asked our matter-of-fact waitress what she recommended, and she suggested the chicken tortellini which was one of the dishes I was debating, so I went for it.  This was served with a side salad.  Ross decided to order the Cannelloni.  He has never ordered this before, so I was surprised, but it sounded good! He wanted a Caesar salad with his meal.

As we waited, a server brought us some bread to snack on.  This was pretty boring.  It really just was white bread.  It seemed to me like bread that I could get from a bag at the store.

Next, came our salads.  These salads were too a bit disappointing.  It was a portion of iceberg lettuce topped with two cucumbers and two tomatoes.  I had the Italian dressing, which was just okay. Ross didn't really care for his salad either.  It was over-dressed making it taste a bit soggy.  Not terrible, but not that great either.

At this point, we were excited for our entrees to come.  We finished our drinks and chatted while we waited....and waited...and noticed that the table who was sat 10-15 minutes after us received their entrees.  We weren't terribly bothered by this, but we did notice it.  Our waitress did stop by a bit later and apologized for the food taking longer than normal, which was nice to acknowledge.  Finally, our food arrived.

The chicken tortellini is sauteed with garlic, basil, onions, and sun-dried tomatoes and served in a Parmesan cream sauce.  This overall was just okay.  I thought there was way too much cream sauce making it a little too rich for me.  Other than that, I really liked the sun-dried tomatoes and the chicken was pretty good too.  This was a big portion and had about half to take home.  I think this was a decent dish, but just too much cream/cheese, in my opinion.

Ross' dish was not good.  I really can't even try to make it sound good.  I thought it was terrible.  The cannelloni tasted rubbery to me.  It was stuffed with beef and Italian sausage, which really had no flavor.  Ross chose Alfredo sauce on top of it, and I didn't think that had any flavor either.  It really needed some salt and pepper at least.  This was a very bland dish.  I also thought for Italian food it was a small portion. Ross didn't mind though because he didn't like this either.

I was so disappointed in Pompilio's!  I really wanted to like this place.  I thought the interior and exterior is really unique and a lot of people seem to enjoy it.  It was busy, but not on a wait, and prices are pretty fair.  My friend who recommended it said that she has only had the red sauce and really likes that, so if I ever do go back, I guess I will have to try that.  The food and service was just mediocre in my opinion. I don't need a server who is overly friendly or anything like that, but ours was really just down-to-business.  Let me know what you think! I'd love to hear other thoughts on this place.
~Kate

Food: 2
Service:2
Overall Experience: 2.5

Recipe: Chipotle Chicken Salad

Once again, I was inspired by Pinterest for this recipe.  I love anything with corn and black beans, so I knew I would like this salad. It's great for this time of year with tomatoes, corn, and some chicken from the grill.  I have made salad very similar to this before; however, I tried  a new dressing recipe that I got from the Nutmeg Notebook website.

Ingredients:
Romaine lettuce
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of corn, drained (you could easily use frozen or fresh corn too)
Cherry tomatoes
Red onion
Grilled chicken
Avocado

All of these ingredients are pretty much optional.  I didn't use avocado, but if you like it, go ahead.  You could also add some cheese or strips of corn tortillas that you can get by the croutons.

Dressing:
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2/3 cup light sour cream
1 tbsp. minced chipotle chile, canned in adobe sauce
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
4 tsp. lime juice
1/4 tsp. salt

Mix all these ingredients together and chill.  I used 2 tbsp. of chipotle chiles because I like spicy food and I didn't use quite as much cilantro because I think a little bit goes a long way for me.

So, all you have to do is prepare your salad and mix with the dressing.  I had spiced up my chicken with some of the similar spices, cumin, cajun, chili powder, salt and pepper.  I grilled it on the grill, and sliced it up for the salad.

I thought this turned out pretty good!  I thought the dressing was a nice change from the traditional ranch or lime dressing that would be used for this type of salad. I would have liked a little crunch, so next time I might have some tortilla strips on top.  Enjoy!

~Kate

Recipe: White Wedding Cupcakes

It was my turn at work to bring the birthday treats this week, and I was glad to do so for my good friend Linda.  I wanted to make something that people could just pick up and eat and something new.  I immediately turned to the new favorite, Pinterest, for some inspiration.

I have to say, I was pretty impressed with these overall.  They turned out fantastic!  Everyone at work seemed to enjoy them, and I got a lot of compliments on them overall for how moist and delicious they were!  SUCCESS!  So a big thanks to Recipe Girl for this great recipe.

Ingredients:
1 18.75 oz. box of white cake mix
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1 cup of granulated sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/3 cup water
2 tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla abstract
1 cup of sour cream
4 large egg whites

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Put cupcake liners in cupcake pans.
2. Mix the first four ingredients together with a whisk.  Add the rest of the ingredients in the large mixing bowl and mix with a hand mixer for 2-3 minutes or until well-blended.
3. Use an ice cream scoop to fill the liners about 3/4 full.  Bake in the oven for 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

These were so simple and easy.  I decided to also get a recipe for butter cream frosting to top these off with.  I also got this from a link at the bottom of Recipe Girl's comments that is also from her website.  She has a ton of great recipes on here, so please check them out!

Wedding Cupcake Buttercream

Ingredients:
3 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
1-2 tbsp. whipping cream

First mix the sugar and butter together on low speed with a hand mixer.  Mix until well-blended then mix on medium speed for about 2 more minutes.  Next, add the other ingredients and continue to beat for 1-2 more minutes until desired consistency.  You can add more whipping cream if you want it to be thinner.

Overall, I these were some of the best cupcakes I think I have ever made.  The cake was extremely soft and were sweet without feeling like you're eating a ton of sugar.  I liked the butter cream frosting, but I have made other frostings that I liked a little bit more.
I will definitely be making these again, and a very Happy Birthday to Linda!
~Kate

Recipe: Spinach Salad with Apple Chicken Sausage

About a week or two ago, I came across this recipe in a Taste of Home magazine and thought it looked delicious.  I made it on a week night and immediately after making it, I had gone to my computer to write up this post, but it somehow got deleted, so I'm writing it again!

This recipe was actually in an ad for Al Fresco Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage.  I couldn't find this brand at the grocery, but Johnsonville had similar sausages that were on sale, so I decided to give these a try.  This salad was delicious! I loved it and will definitely be making this again soon.

Ingredients:
1 package of Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage
2 tsp. EVOO
1/2 cup pecan halves
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 cups radicchio, thinly sliced
6-8 oz. spinach
1/2 pear, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup light blush wine vinaigrette
2 oz. goat cheese
pepper to taste
lemon zest for top

Directions:
1. Coat saute pan with EVOO over medium high heat.  Add pecans and saute for 2-3 minutes.  Add sugar and cinnamon and toss to coat.  Remove from heat.

2. Coat another saute pan with cooking spray and heat the sausage until browned.  Turn as needed.

3. Place the spinach in a bowl with red onion, radicchio, and pear slices.  Toss with blush wine vinaigrette.

4. Top with pecans, goat cheese, and sausage.  Add pepper and lemon zest to taste.

This was such an easy and delicious recipe!  After my first bite I was really impressed!  I loved the mix of sweetness from the pecans with the creaminess of the goat cheese.  The apple flavor from the sausage really stood out and paired nicely with the pears, pecans, and onion.  I didn't really care for the radicchio.  I hadn't really had it before, and it was a very strong earthy, pungent taste that I didn't care for.  I didn't have lemon, so I didn't add that, but it's up to you.
I really liked this dressing too, it was light and sweet but not too overpowering. It was great!

If you haven't had these chicken sausages, they are great.  I have used them in pasta dishes or you could grill them and serve on a bun or with peppers and onions.  They are lower in fat and calories, so they are a nice substitute for regular sausage.

This was a great summer salad recipe!  Hope you enjoy!

~Kate

Guest Blog: Buckeye Pretzels

Big thanks to my sister, Kelley, today for sharing her great recipe for Pretzel Buckeyes.  She was nice enough to give one to me yesterday and it was delicious! I loved the mix of chocolate, peanut butter, and salt.  These are definitely a crowd pleaser :)  

So I’ve become completely obsessed with Pinterest.  I love all of the creative ideas for DIY crafts, home projects, and especially…wait for it…new recipes!  Every day I come across a new food idea that I just can’t wait to try.  The one that got me this week was Pretzel Buckeyes.  If you’re from Ohio, you’re no stranger to the traditional buckeye candy.…a peanut butter sugar mix dipped in chocolate.  So the idea of adding the salty pretzel to the mix sounded like pure genius to me!

I have some very fantastic friends who watch my pups when I have to travel out of town for work.  Jen and Beth keep my two with their three, so I’m selling them short by saying they have their hands full when they have all five dogs at once.  So to show my appreciation, I decided to make them a batch of the Pretzel Buckeyes.  They are super easy to make and from experience with the traditional buckeyes, I knew they were sure to be a crowd pleaser.

To make these delicious treats, you need the following ingredients:

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons softened butter

½ cup powdered sugar

¾ cup brown sugar

1 bag of regular pretzels

1 large bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

The Pinterest recipe says you need to use a standing mixer, but I don’t have one, so I use a hand mixer.  Works just as good.  Mix together the peanut butter and butter until combined.  Add sugars and mix again until combined.  Roll the mixture into balls, about a ½ inch in diameter and sandwich between two pretzels.  You want them small but they need to big enough that when sandwiched, it fills the pretzel gaps.  Place the pretzel sandwiches on a wax paper-covered baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes. 

While the sandwiches are in the freezer, bring a pan of water to a simmer and cover with a metal bowl (a double-boiler works best).  Melt the chocolate in the metal bowl and stir until smooth.  I recommend melting about 1/3 of the bag at a time to prevent the chocolate from burning.  Dip each pretzel halfway into the melted chocolate and replace onto the baking sheet.  After each pretzel is covered place back in the fridge until the chocolate is set, roughly another 30 minutes. 

They are that simple to create and make a wonderful gift idea or party treat.  My friends were over the moon about them, and I have had numerous requests for the recipe.  So give them a try and surprise the ones you love.  Enjoy!

~Kelley

Review: Cincy By The Slice

Cincy by the Slice is a little pizza joint located on the corner of Plainfield and Blue Ash Roads in the Deer Park/Silverton area. I have driven past this little corner building and have often wondered what it was like. This building has been occupied by a couple different places over the years and nothing has ever seemed real successful. For one, the building is VERY small and narrow and also looks a little run-down. There isn't a ton of parking near by either, so it can be a little confusing as to where you are supposed to park.

 Well, all this aside, I have heard good things about Cincy by the Slice and wanted to give it a try on my way home from a happy hour one recent night. I figured I could walk right up and grab a slice of pizza and head back home. As I pulled into the tiny gravel lot next to the building, I saw a worker walking in. I asked him if I could just order a slice of pizza or 2 and he said of course.

 Apparently, Cincy by the Slice is known for their pickle pizza. Although this sounds a bit unique, I definitely wanted to try it because I love pickles. So I ordered one of those slices and told the friendly pizza maker to pick another slice that he would recommend. I was a bit hesitant that the pizza wouldn't be very fresh since it didn't seem that this place gets a lot of walk-ps, but the pizza man asked if I had 6 or 7 minutes to spare so he could make me fresh pizza...sounded perfect to me!

 As I looked around, the only waiting area was a lonely table outside on the gravel lot overlooking the busy road and railroad tracks.  I didn't want to sit out there by myself, so I asked if I could stand inside and wait. The 2 workers were very accommodating and didn't appear bothered by me at all! I was able to wait in the kitchen and make conversation with the nice workers. They said business has been good and told me about some of their favorite menu items. I also found out there is a location downtown on Main Street too:). It probably took a little more than 10 minutes, but I didn't mind the wait. They wrapped my 2slices up individually as I paid and was on my way! It was only $5 and change for 2 good sized pieces! A steal for how ungry I was :)

 I took my pizza home to enjoy, and that I did! I started with the pickle pizza and loved it! The pickles were a different typing, but in a good way! There was just enough sauce and cheese and I loved that the pizza was on the thinner side without being paper thin. It was a bit crispy, without being overcooked or crunchy. Cooked perfectly! I would definitely go back for this.

The other slice he gave me was a meat lovers. I told him to pick whatever, so this was fine, but I don't typically like a ton of meat on my pizza. This had pepperoni, bacon, and sausage. I really liked the sausage on this. It was a bit spicy, which I love.  I thought this slice could have had more sauce to even up with the meat, but overall this was pretty good!

 I was pleasantly surprised by Cincy by the Slice. I would recommend it, and hope to get it again soon, the staff was awesome and they do deliver. If you are in the area check it out!

 ~Kate
 Food: 4
Service:4
Overall Experience: 4

Recipe: Southwestern Shrimp Bisque

My mom got me a subscription to Taste of Home magazine which I use a lot.  There are always a variety of easy and delicious recipes that look great.  The most recent issue had a recipe for Shrimp Bisque which looked and sounded unique and tasty.  I had never made a bisque before and love shrimp, so I thought I'd give it a try!

Ingredients:
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 lb. uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup sour cream
Chopped fresh cilantro and sliced avocado, optional

Directions:
1. In a small saucepan, saute onion in oil until tender.  Add garlic; cook one minute longer.

Stir in four until blended. Stir in water, cream, bouillon and seasonings; bring to a boil.  reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

2. Cut shrimp into bite-size pieces if desired; add shrimp to soup.  Simmer 5-10 minutes longer or until shrimp turn pink.  Place sour cream in a small bowl; gradually stir in 1/2 cup hot soup.  return all to the pan, stirring constantly.  Heat through. (do not boil).  If desired, top with cilantro and avocado.

This was such an easy soup to make and it turned out really great!  I didn't put avocado on mine, but I did put some cilantro.  I thought this had a nice kick and I would maybe even add a bit more chili powder and possibly red pepper flakes next time, I like it even spicier.

We had this with a side Caesar salad and it made a great dinner!  This was a serving for 2-3, but that was all, so if you want to serve more people you would want to double the recipe.  Enjoy!
~Kate

Recipe from Taste of Home April/May 2012

Recipe: Homemade Salsa

I first have to apologize that it has been a really long time since I have posted.  This time of year just keeps me busier with other things than working on my computer, but I hope to be better about updating new posts!  As it gets warmer out, it makes me crave salsa more.  I like making my own salsa at home but don't always have fresh tomatoes on hand.  I don't think they always look that great at the grocery either, so when they don't, I just buy some canned diced tomatoes.  This recipe uses that plus some other fresh ingredients.  This is a go-to salsa that I will just make to have on hand at home for a snack or to serve with chicken or fish tacos:

Ingredients:
1 can of petite diced tomatoes with green chiles (any diced tomatoes would work, but I like the chiles)
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of corn drained (you could use frozen if you have it)
1/2 green pepper chopped
1/2 red onion chopped
1-2 jalapenos chopped (add more if you like spicier)
1-2 tbsp. cilantro
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
Juice from one lime
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder

All you have to do is throw all these ingredients in a bowl, mix and serve! I like it better after it has chilled for awhile and all the ingredients have settled together.

So, this is a really easy and tasty salsa and it also makes a lot!

~Kate

Recipe: Chicken Tikka Masala - Lightened Up

Some of you may have noticed that Kate and I regularly cook and review a lot of Mexican, Italian and American cuisine. For some reason, Indian food has not made it in the regular rotation yet. It's not a "go-to" option for me when I'm deciding where to go out to eat or what to cook. On the rare occasion that I do get Indian food, I always order the chicken tikka masala and I loooove it. I'm not sure why I don't get it more often!

While perusing on Pinterest recently, I found a recipe for a lightened up version of chicken tikka masala from the blog Skinnytaste and decided to give it a try. As I mentioned, I don't have a lot of experience cooking Indian food, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was very pleasantly surprised! It was fantastic and was really low fat. I will definitely be making this again!

Ingredients:
2 tsp canola oil
1 small onion, minced (I did not use this)
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes
4 oz. fat free plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup 1% milk
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric (optional - I skipped this)
1/2 tbsp chili powder
Salt
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
4 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (more or less to taste)

Start out by heating the oil in a large skillet. If you like onions (gross! jk), add those and cook until about golden. Next add the ginger and stir together with the onions for a couple minutes. Add the garlic and let that cook for another minute. Add the cumin, garam masala (which I couldn't find at my Kroger's - had to go to Fresh Market), turmeric, chili powder and salt. This will cook for about 2 minutes. Next stir in the tomatoes, yogurt and milk and let it simmer on low for about 10 minutes. The sauce will have thickened at this point. Add the chicken and let it simmer for 10 - 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Now it's ready to serve! I served it on top of brown rice and put quite a bit of the fresh cilantro on top. I absolutely love cilantro, so you may not want that much if you're not a big fan. Feel free to add veggies to it as well! You could even make it a vegetarian dish with all veggies.

Enjoy!!

~Kris

Review: Barresi's

I first of all have to note that if you follow a lot of Cincinnati Food Blogs, you will feel that this is repetitive of Cincinnati Bites post.  Apparently, we were both at Barresi's on Valentine's Day! So, check out his blog too for more reviews if interested :)

I have lived near Barresi's for a really long time and have never gone.  I walk past this restaurant on my neighborhood walks at least 3 times a week and had often wonder what it's like on the inside. Kris and I have both have lived near hear and always talked about going but never did.   From the outside, Barresi's looks like a renovated stucco home with vines and flowers painted on the outside of the building.  It appears very charming from the outside and was always a mystery to me.  I had heard that this was a pretty pricey place, which was why I had never gone before.

I typically am able to talk Ross into going to a nicer restaurant for Valentine's Day.  Yes, we do go out for Valentine's Day.  It really is a good excuse for me to go to nicer restaurants that we wouldn't normally go to :)  When I suggested Barresi's, he immediately agreed.  He had been wanting to try it too!

We made reservations since it was a holiday and knew that it can fill up quickly.  We made early reservations though and I think we would have been able to go on in and have a seat.  Barresi's is a very warm and inviting restaurant.  We were greeted by a hostess who offered to take our coats for us and led us to the hostess stand to check in for our reservation.  The inside of Barresi's is pretty close to what I imagined it to be.  Lots of rooms that have eclectic touches that make you feel like you're at home.  We were led to an upstairs dining area that was broken into 2 or 3 separate rooms.  We sat toward the back next to a fireplace.

After looking over the wine list for a minute, I selected a glass of wine and Ross opted for a beer.  Our server was attentive and friendly, but appeared a bit nervous.  She may have been new, but this didn't bother us in the slightest.  She was very knowledgeable and shared good opinions about the menu items.  The full menu was not available this night, but there were still plenty of options.  As we looked it over, a basket of their famous Zeppoles.  These things were AMAZING.  I had never heard or tasted such things before, but these were addictive.  Zeppoles are little square bites of fried dough and had just enough salt and garlic.  They were served with butter.  I tried not to eat too many before even ordering my meal because I wanted to save room, but I could have easily eaten that entire basket of these.

There were so many different menu items that sounded delicious that it was hard to decide.  After asking the server her opinion and going back and forth a couple times, I decided to get the Beef Crab Gorgonzola.  This was twin filets with lump crab meat, topped with a mushroom and artichoke Gorgonzola cream sauce.  Need I say more!?

Ross ordered the Lobster Ravioli and Crabmeat Cardinale.  This was one of our server's suggestion and was one that I almost ordered too.  All the entrees were served with a house salad and a side pasta.

The salads came out first.  These were just OK.  I was actually expecting a better salad. The house dressing was pretty good for the most part, but again, just fine salads.

Now, for my complaint that really has nothing to do with the restaurant itself.  Ross and I were enjoying the quiet ambiance of the restaurant, which was pretty quiet overall until the table next to us was sat.  This was a family of 5 or 6 people with two boys and 3 or 4 adults.  I don't mind groups, kids, or even noisy groups; however, this was by far one of the most annoying tables I have EVER sat by in my entire life. Keep in mind this was Valentine's Day in a more "upscale" restaurant that is pretty quiet.  The kids were fine, but the adults talking to these kids was so distracting that it pretty much ruined my dinner.  The continuous nitpicking then complimenting, then correcting, then praising...it was all too much for me.  This non-stop banter continued the rest of the meal....

So, for the rest of my food...I can easily say it was delicious.  The filets were cooked perfectly, juicy and tender.  The crab, filet, and gorgonzola cream sauce was a very rich and flavorful combination.  There was a little earthiness from the mushrooms and artichokes, but overall the entire dish was spot on.  It was definitely a very rich and creamy sauce, so if that's not your thing this wouldn't be your dish, but I loved it and would easily order it again!

My meal was also served with a side of pasta.  I'm not really sure why, I didn't need the pasta, but I tried it.  The red sauce was pretty good overall, but I honestly didn't have more than a bite or two of this, so I can't say a whole lot about it. But it was nice to try their homemade sauce :)

Ross also loved his lobster ravioli.  This also had a lobster cream sauce served with it.  I thought the portion was a good size and a really unique option for Italian.  I tried this as well and liked it a lot, but liked mine better :)

Barresi's was a great choice for a restaurant for a special occasion. Like I said, Italian food is one of my favorites and this did not disappoint.  I wish that the rest of the patrons had been a little more tolerable because it really was completely distracting and made it difficult to pay attention to anything else!

Service was overall good, nothing that stood out, but average overall.  But if you want a nice, family-owned neighborhood restaurant, this will definitely give you what you're looking for.
~Kate

Food: 4.5
Service: 3.5
Overall Experience: 3 (due to the other guests)

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today I'm excited to share a great chocolate chip cookie recipe! This is a rare occasion since Kate and I are not huge on baking. Several years ago, Shannan - a former co-worker of mine - shared an AMAZING recipe for chocolate chip cookies with me. She first wrote about the recipe on her blog Mommy Bits. I couldn't wait to try it out, and I'm so glad I did! They are truly sooooo easy to make and very versatile. They're always a crowd favorite.

Here is the basic recipe:
1 (18.25 oz) package moist yellow cake mix (make sure it's MOIST)
1/3 cup vegetable oil (canola will also work)
2 eggs
1.5 cups semisweet chocolate chips

After preheating the oven to 350 degrees and greasing your cookie sheets, mix together the cake mix, eggs, oil and lastly the chocolate chips. Drop teaspoons of dough onto your greased cookie sheets and let them bake for about 8-10 minutes. After taking them out of the oven, remove from the pan and put them on wire racks to cool. Next....ENJOY!!!!

They are so moist and delicious! And the best part is that you can mix up the flavor of the cake mix and the chips. You can do moist chocolate cake mix with peanut butter chips and/or Reese's pieces. You could do moist white cake mix with white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts. The possibilities are endless! Get creative!

~Kris

Review: Tom + Chee

As you probably noticed in my last restaurant review post of Coffee Please, I like tomato soup and grilled cheese.  It is just one of those go-to meals that I almost always have on hand at home. I am sad to say that I have never made my own tomato soup, however.  I think it just seems like a lot of work when there are so many decent tomato soups from cans (or plastic microwaveable containers, and boxes).  One of my other favorite things are sandwiches.  I do love grilled cheese, but I pretty much love all different kinds of paninis--I guess anything with melted cheese is going to be a winner in my book.

Needless to say, I had been wanting to try Tom + Chee for quite awhile.  As you might guess from the title, this restaurant combines Tomato soup (Tom) and Grilled Cheese (Chee), but with a plethora of variety.  They are known not only for the classic tomato soup and grilled cheese, but other homemade soups and new twists on sandwiches to go with that soup of choice.

A couple weeks ago, I talked Ross into going downtown with me on a Saturday afternoon for lunch to check it out.  There is a location in Downtown on Court St. and a location on Newport on the Levee.  We opted for Downtown because we didn't want to go all the way to Newport and have to pay for parking and what not.  This was a pretty chilly day out and there was PLENTY of parking available right in front of the restaurant.  I had actually never been to this little area of Court St. before with all the parking meters, stores, and restaurants.  I obviously need to get downtown more.

The restaurant itself is somewhat small.  When we entered, the cashier was in the middle of explaining their menu board to another couple who were newbies so we listened as he explained the choices.  The menu was written on a big chalkboard and was pretty self-explanatory.  You can pick a cup or bowl of soup, any sandwich, combine the two, just get one or the other, it's up to you.  I think there was also salads, but that was not what we came for.

I knew I wanted tomato soup, but they offered 3 kinds: Classic Tomato, Chunky Tomato Basil, and Creamy Tomato Basil.  I asked the cashier and he recommended the Creamy Tomato Basil so that was what I went for.  As for my sandwich, there were so many options to choose from, and they all sounded unique and made me very curious.  I wanted to try a lot of them!  I narrowed my choices to 2 or 3 and once again went for advice from the cashier.  I always ask workers their opinion. I almost always get honest responses and they should know best!  He suggested the Swiss + Shroom: Grilled Onion, Swiss, and Mushrooms on Rye.  This was $4 and add $2 for a cup of soup.

Ross had a hard time deciding as well, but he opted for the Soup of the Day, which was Buffalo Chicken Soup and he got a sandwich I wanted to try: BBQ + Bacon: BBQ Potato Chips, Bacon, American on White.

We took a letter (they give you letters instead of numbers) and found an open table.  We immediately realized we had gotten there just in time.  There was a huge line of business people waiting right after us and all the tables were quickly filled.  Apparently a lot of people work on Saturday?

Our meals came out very quickly.  Ross suggested we split our sandwiches which sounded good to me! I wanted to try his also so we each took a half of sandwich and dug right in.

One bite of my Mushroom and Swiss sandwich and I knew I regretted splitting mine :)  This was really good. The bread was toasted but not too crispy.  The mushrooms were grilled with the cheese and onion and everything melted together just as a sandwich should.  My ONE complaint...this was a bit on the greasy side for me.  You could see the grease on your fingertips after picking up the sandwich, which I don't love.  BUT, the sandwich really did make up for it.  I thought this was really good!  Even dipped in the Creamy Tomato Soup it was delicious.  Now for the soup: overall, it was good.  I would say that I liked Coffee Please's tomato soup better, but this was a close second.

Ross' sandwich choice was just OK.  I liked the crunch from the BBQ chips on the sandwich, but they weren't evenly dispersed in the sandwich.  I got one or two bites with a lot of chip and 4 our 5 bites with none.  I also didn't really care for the bacon and thought the cheese could have been melted with the ingredients better.  It seemed like they put the cheese on and added the ingredients after the cheese had melted making them not all cohesive.  The bread was just OK too.  I didn't care for the white bread as much as the rye and thought it was a bit over toasted.  But I did like Ross' soup a lot.  It was unlike any other soup I have ever had.  It wasn't too spicy or buffaloey (I know, that's not a word), but you know what I mean.  It had a good amount of cheese and chicken without being overwhelming.  I kept going back for a second bite :)

So for my first experience at Tom + Chee, I would say it was a good one.  I think this place is fun and would love to have one closer to my house.  I think there are so many possibilities here and would love to try some of their other concoctions.  It was fairly priced and the staff was knowledgeable, friendly and helpful.  I say go try it out! Let us know if you have any favorites!
~Kate

Food: 3
Service: 4
Overall Experience: 3

Review: Bakersfield OTR

After hearing a lot of buzz about Bakersfield OTR, the new taco joint in Over-the-Rhine's Gateway Quarter, Kate and I decided to give it a try. Our friend Christina met us there at about 6 pm on a Tuesday night.

The restaurant was already filling up even at this early hour, but luckily we were seated right away. I've heard the wait time on the weekends can be 2-3 hours, so be prepared and get there early if you plan to go on a Friday or Saturday. When we arrived at 6 pm, there weren't any "regular" 4 top tables available, so we were seated at a long picnic-like table at the front of the restaurant. A few other people were already seated at the same picnic table, but it was spacious enough that we weren't right on top of each other. It didn't bother me at all; however it could be annoying if there was a loud/obnoxious group sitting next to you. :)

Shortly after being seated, our amazing server came over to get our drink orders. He was incredibly friendly, knowledgeable and full of great suggestions. There was quite a lot to choose from, including specialty cocktails made with mostly whiskey or tequila (since that is what they specialize in), margaritas, sangria, wine and beer. After some debate, I ordered the Sangria, Kate got the Red Headed Stranger (bourbon, cayenne pepper, candied ginger, lemon, bitters and Domaine de Canton) and Christina ordered the Bakersfield Margarita.




We were all very pleased with our cocktails! The sangria was made with Rosé and was rather sweet, but delicious. One was definitely enough. Kate really liked her bourbon concoction as well, and Christina was happy with her margarita! When our cocktails arrived at the table, we knew we were ready to order the chips and queso. There are a few appetizers to choose from but we all agreed that the chips and queso sounded great! And we were right! Deliciosa! The chips were clearly homemade and so was the queso and the two salsas. They have a green salsa verde that was my favorite. It was clearly made with fresh ingredeints. The same can be said for the red salsa, which is smoky with a nice spicy kick. They were both fantastic with the chips - and the tacos!

Just as he did with the drink menu, our server thoroughly explained the food menu to us and made fantastic suggestions. In addition to appetizers, there are salads, tortes (sandwhiches) and lots of TACOS to choose from! There are 7 different types of tacos to choose from, and they're priced individually so you can mix-and-match. I aboslutely love this concept! You don't have to commit to one type of taco...you can order a few different ones and try a little bit of everything. The server said the Pastor (chili marinated pork with pineapple, onions and cilantro) was the #1 favorite, so we all ordered that one. In addition to the Pastor, I ordered the Short Rib and Fish tacos. Kate ordered the Rajas (portobello mushrooms) and the Short Rib. And Christina ordered the Pollo Verde (tomatillo braised chicken) and cochinita pibil (spicy pork). 

We could not have been happier with our choices! Of all nine tacos, there was not a single complaint about any of them. I aboslutely loved all three of mine. The Short Rib taco was the winner (Kate also agreed), but not by much. The Pastor was a close second! The combination of the sweet and spicy was fantastic! And the mahi mahi taco was light and flavorful and a good change from the other two tacos. It was topped with a cabbage slaw, cilantro and a tabasco lime mayo. Yummmo!!

I will definitely be back to Bakersfield in the near future! The service, atmosphere, food and cocktails were very impressive and worth a repeat trip! I'm already planning my next visit!

~ Kris  

Food: 5

Service: 5 

Overall: 5

Recipe: Light Lasagna

Yes, this is another Pinterest recipe. And it was DELICIOUS. This was definitely one of the best lasagnas I have ever made, and it's a bonus that is "light".  Even Ross liked this a lot because you really can't tell that it is a lighter version.  I don't want you thinking that it is completely low-calorie, just lower.  Like I said, I got this recipe from Pinterest, but it was originally posted in another food blog called Emily Bites.  I really like her blog because it is "lighter versions of recipes."  So, check it out for more good recipes!

Ingredients:

3/4 lb 95% lean ground beef (I used ground turkey)
3/4 lb Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed (I used hot sausage links, 3 of them)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 (26 oz) can Spaghetti Sauce
8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, cubed
1 c 1% cottage cheese
1 T minced fresh parsley
6 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained (I used whole wheat)
1 c shredded 2 % reduced-fat Mozzarella or Italian cheese blend
3 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided

This was overall a really easy recipe to make.  You just have to follow the directions.   It can be intimidating to make a whole pan of lasagna for just one or two people, but I froze the left-overs and it re-heated just as nicely!

First, preheat oven to 350. I then got my water boiling for the noodles and added the noodles once the water was boiling.
 Next, cook the ground turkey, sausage, onion and pepper over medium heat breaking up the meat until browned.

Set aside a cup of spaghetti sauce and pour the rest into the saute pan.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes or so.

In a small saucepan, melt the cream cheese over medium heat.  Once it is melted, remove from heat and stir in the cottage cheese and parsley.
Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and spread the meat sauce evenly along the bottom of the pan.  Top that layer with 3 noodles, top that with the cream cheese mixture and 1 1/2 t of Italian Seasoning.

 Lay 3 more noodles on top of that, spread more of the meat mixture on top and the cream cheese mixture on top of that.  (Emily's original recipe just had the one layer on the bottom of the meat mixture and one layer of the cream cheese, but I thought it'd be better to have another layer).  Cover the cream cheese layer with the rest of the spaghetti sauce, mozzarella cheese, and rest of Italian Seasoning.

Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.  Remove the cover and cook for another 10-15 minutes.

All I can say was that this was fantastic!  I added some crushed red pepper to the sauce for a bit of a kick and with the hot Italian sausage, this was a great addition of heat.  I loved the creaminess of the cottage cheese and cream cheese melted together.  I honestly would never have thought this was a lighter version at all.  Ross and I both loved this and will definitely be making this again!

(Check out Emily's blog post for nutritional information and Weight Watcher's points.)

~Kate

Recipe: Vegetable Soup with a Kick

Soup is one of my favorite winter comfort foods to make. I'm always looking for new recipes to try. I like to keep it healthy and low-calorie so I can pack them in my lunches throughout the week. My mom has a pretty good recipe for vegetable soup but I wanted to take it up a notch and give it a spicy, Mexican kick. I have to admit, this turned out really good for something I just made up with ingredients I had on hand. I will definitely be making this again and again!

Ingredients:
1 can low sodium chicken broth (could also use vegetable or beef broth)
1/2 cup water (this can be adjusted depending on how thick vs. watery you want it to be)
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles (such as Rotel)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3/4 cup carrots, chopped
3/4 cup celery, diced (I chop up the leafy parts too and put those in the pot for more flavor)
1 zucchini, chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
S&P to taste
fresh cilantro, chopped

To make the soup, you'll want to start out by sauteing the carrots, celery and red pepper until softened. While those are cooking, add the tomatoes, chicken broth, cumin, chili powder and black beans to a large soup pot over medium heat. Once the veggies have softened, add them to the pot as well. In the same skillet as the other veggies, saute the zucchini for a few minutes. Zucchini doesn't need as much time as the other vegetables, so I do it separately. I added the red pepper flakes to the skillet with the zucchini as well. After a few minutes, toss those in the soup pot with the other ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to your liking and add the cilantro. I actually didn't add any salt because the tomatoes had pretty much sodium in them already.

Let it come to a boil and then turn it down to warm. I left it on warm for about an hour and a half for the flavors to meld together - stirring every so often. At the end, I added in my water because I thought it was too thick, but you may like it that way.

The fire roasted tomatoes add such a nice kick to this soup. It's super filling and very healthy - a winning combination.  :)  And feel free to play with the spices and veggies. I just used what I had on hand at the moment. Almost any veggie will work! You could make it more of an Italian soup by changing out the spices to garlic, basil, parsley and oregano and switching to a cannelini bean. They make diced tomatoes with basil and garlic in them instead of the ones with green chiles. You get the idea! Be creative...and enjoy!

~ Kris

Review: Coffee Please

One thing I love about working at a school is having the school hours!  It really is nice to have lots of holidays and breaks off to relax or get things done.  When we were off on President's Day, I was planning to run some errands, go to the grocery store and grab lunch somewhere.  Since I typically go to Kroger in Madeira, I decided to grab a bite to eat near the Kroger.  Coffee Please is a little cafe and coffee shop located on Miami Ave. right by the Kroger.  Very convenient for me!  I had been here once before, but it had been a long time, so I didn't quite remember a lot about it.

There is parking on the street right in front or there are lots around back as well.  The coffee shop was packed!  I went around lunch time but I'm guessing a lot of other people were enjoying their day off work as well.  I saw the menu board hanging behind the counter, so I made my way toward the front to try to read the menu.  I don't know if it is my eyes or what, but I had a really hard time reading the menu.  I didn't see it written anywhere else or a print-out, so I just went up to the cashier and asked her.  There were options of soups, hot sandwiches, cold sandwiches, and a few salads.  I really couldn't say the variety of food there was because I couldn't see.  I went in knowing I was in the mood for a grilled cheese and tomato soup, so I just asked the cashier if they had that.  Sure enough, they did!  I asked for a half sandwich and soup, but they don't do half of grilled cheese.  She said they do offer half sandwiches of other ones, however.

So, after ordering my soup and sandwich, she gave me a number and said they would bring my lunch out to me.  I cozied up in one of the only tables available, which was by a window.  I liked being able to read my book and have the sunshine right by me as well!  It was pretty loud in the cafe with couples, children, and some individual people working on their laptops.  I did notice there were children's books and games near the window, so I'm assuming many families come into this shop.

My food was quickly brought out to me with my water as well.  I sampled the tomato soup first.  It was very warm and I loved the texture.  It wasn't too chunky or too creamy.  It had some rotini-type noodles in the soup which I really liked!  This had a hint of basil, but not very much that was overwhelming at all.  I loved this tomato soup! Probably one of the best I've had.

I next dove into my grilled cheese sandwich.  This was served on a marble rye with grilled onion and tomato.  I like extra toppings on my grilled cheese, so I was pleased to have those in addition.  This sandwich was pretty good.  I liked all the ingredients and it was melted perfectly.  My one complaint was I thought the bread was too crispy.  It was rough on the roof of my mouth and tasted a bit burnt.  Of course, it was good to dip in the tomato soup.

On the side, they gave me the option of carrots or chips.  I went with the carrots, but I ended up not eating very many of them because I got full and they were dried out.

Overall, I think Coffee Please is a great little neighborhood cafe and coffee shop.  I'd like to go back and try the coffee. The cafe as a whole was a bit noisy for me, but I could look past that.  I like that it is a non-chain shop, but I thought it was expensive.  My soup and sandwich was $10.  I think that's high for lunch and I wouldn't be going back very often to spend $10 on lunch...but I really loved that tomato soup!  Maybe next time I'll just get a cup of that and try some coffee :)

~Kate

Food: 3
Service: 2.5
Overall Experience: 3

Recipe: Chicken Gyros

I have always really enjoyed Mediterrean food, but besides store-bought hummus, it's not usually something I make at home. Recently, I decided to try my hand at making chicken gyros, and it was a success! I looked up a few different recipes and came up with one that was pretty healthy and delicious!

Ingredients (Servings: 2)
For tzatziki sauce:
2-3 oz. Greek yogurt, plain (a little less than half of a standard 6 oz Chobani yogurt container)
1/8 cup cucumber, very finely diced 
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp dill
1 tsp oregano
Salt and pepper
Fresh lemon juice (from about a quarter of a lemon)
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil 
For chicken:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp Greek yogurt, plain
Fresh lemon juice (from about a half of a lemon)
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp dill
Salt and pepper
For assembling:
2 pitas (I used whole wheat)
Feta cheese
Kalamata Olives, chopped
Tomatoes, diced (I prefer roma)

I know this seems like a lot of ingredients, but a lot of them are spices and vinegars that you probably already have on hand. I actually only had to buy a couple things to make these.

To start, mix together all the ingredients for the chicken marinade. Once combined, add the chicken to the bowl and make sure each piece is completely coated. Cover and refrigerate it for 30 - 60 minutes.

Once that is complete, assemble the tzatziki sauce by mixing together all the ingredients in a bowl. It helps if you can let this sit in the refrigerator for a little bit while the flavors marry. My tzatziki sauce was actually better the second day because the flavors had melded together more.

When the chicken is finished marinading, transfer it to a skillet over medium heat. While the chicken is cooking, toast the whole wheat pitas just so they're slightly crispy and warm. I put mine in the toaster oven for a few minutes. Once the chicken is cooked through, place half the chicken on to each pita. Top with feta cheese, kalamata olives, the tzatziki sauce, and diced tomatoes. I served it with a delicious Greek salad with similar toppings as the gyro.  

Here is the final plate....good for you and delicious! Enjoy!

~ Kris