Typo... oh wait I'm just dumb.

So, yesterday when I posted that screenshot from Fox News I put up the second picture think "Ha! Look! They still spelled Osama wrong!"

But then I found out I was just the uneducated one....

Fox News:1 Meredith: 0

Damnit.

Typo!

 Sunday night, like many of you, Chris and I were trying to piece together the latest news.  Since we don't have cable television we had to scour the internet to figure out what was going on.

 

I imagine Usama Bin Landen as the Middle Easter cousin of Michael London, the coiffed star of Little House on the Prairie. 

Anyone else see the resemblance?

Fox news finally updated the typo about 10 minutes later:

 

closer guys.... but not quite there.

Johnson & Wales Canapes

If you follow me on twitter you know that I have been battling with canapes this week. Yes, my personal demon is a two bite item that is appropriately sized for a toddler.

 

All night I had a reoccurring dream that I had to make thousands of canapes but had no plan, the walk-in refrigerator was never ending and I had forgotten how to cook.  It was a rough night y'all.

But, it paid off.  Today at school we had a "Grand Buffet" filled with canapes and while I would definitely tweak a few things it turned out beautifully! 

the final product

 

 chicken, spinach, and bacon en croute (middle) with black bean and corn galantine (left)
Edited to add:  the center pieces are made from smoked chicken breast wrapped in spinach in the en croute (middle) and chicken breast wrapped in prosciutto (left)

smoked turkey canape with chive cream cheese spread and roasted red peppers
Edited to add: these canapes are sitting on top of toasted wheat bread

 black bean salad with roasted peppers, corn, and topped with cilantro lime sour cream

pickled zucchini, squash, and onions

 accompanied with a fresh salsa of tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, and cilantro

I will tell you though, I am looking forward to cooking things that aren't fun-sized!

Low(er) Calorie Carrot Cake

Did you know that carrot cake has an incredibly high calorie content?  I won't mention exactly how high, but trust me it's high! And while I do believe in indulging I would much rather indulge in a larger slice of lower calorie cake than just one slice that comes with a heaping side of guilt.

So, for Easter I made a lower calorie version of traditional carrot cake from Cooking Light and doctored it up myself to bring the calorie content down even further.

While you might be doubting that low cal carrot cake is as good as the real thing everyone at the table had at least two slices and we all counted it as a serving of vegetable for the day!

• Cake:
• 10 1/10 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 cups)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups grated carrot
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk-- To lower the fat content I made my own butter milk.  Simply take  1/2 cup of skim milk and add a teaspoon of lemon juice and let it sit of 10 minutes! I made my lactose free by using almond milk.
• Cooking spray
• Frosting:
• 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup toasted coconut

Preparation

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°.
• 2. To prepare cake, weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ground cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add 2 cups grated carrot, tossing to combine.
• 3. Place granulated sugar, brown sugar, and 6 tablespoons butter in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Spread batter into a 13 x 9-inch metal baking pan coated with cooking spray or I used 2 9 inch round pans to make a prettier cake. Bake at 350° for 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake completely on a wire rack.
• 4. To prepare frosting, place softened cream cheese and next 2 ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy. If making a layered cake, thinly spread the top of one cake with icing, then add the other cake on top. Spread frosting evenly over top and side of cake. Sprinkle evenly with toasted coconut.

The carrot cake was the perfect follow up to an easter lunch of ham, lobster stuffed deviled eggs, my momma's potato salad, stuffed jalapenos, AND a green salad.

Miracle: Baby survives tornado in Dunn, NC

The South was torn apart by tornadoes this weekend.  But my home state of North Carolina was hit the hardest and suffered the most damage and casualties.   We were lucky and had nothing more than heavy rain fall.

I heard this amazing story yesterday and couldn't help but share. I'm not sure if there is some deeper meaning but it did make me think about how miraculous event occur.

 

Jonathan Robinson could feel the wind from inside his trailer in Dunn, N.C. One of the 62 tornadoes reported in North Carolina over the weekend was headed his way.

He did what came naturally: the 21-year-old picked his cousin's three-month-old baby and ran to a closet. What happened next is simply harrowing. Hear Jonathan tell the story himself:

The force of the winds tore apart the trailer around him and ripped the baby out of his arms. Next thing Robinson knew he was digging out of the rubble.

More than 20 people died because of the storms on Saturday.

By some miracle, perhaps, Ayden, the three-month-old, survived. Robinson heard him cry and found that he was dusty and dirty, but without a scratch on him.

Story edited from NPR

For laughs

One tasteless sign spotted on a giant pile of hot peppers in Maiori, Italy.

Tupperware Needed

I just spent a while writing a brand new blog post and then all of a sudden

MUTINY!

It randomly disappeared.  It was very disappointing but I'm going to take it as a sign that I should have chosen a different topic to write about... so instead of writing about myself traveling I'm going to write about myself cooking.  Totally different while still revolving around yours truly, love it.

Chris and I have been cooking up a storm this week filling our fridge full of goodies like hard boiled eggs, whole wheat pasta with broccoli and olives and these three goodies:

Hotter Than Hell Habanero Hot Sauce

Recipe and picture from www.chow.com

Healthy Honey Oat Muffins that we added cranberries to.  Gotta get your antioxidants y'all!

Recipe and picture from www.cooklikeachampionblog.com

Spicy Serano Vinegar to keep our taste buds burning!

Recipe and picture from www.eclecticrecipes.com

What have you been working on in the kitchen? And hey, eating leftovers counts too!