Sponge Candy and Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Did I get your attention? With my Easter basket full of goodies (and I got the Pretzel Crazy Pretzels that I blogged about before Easter!) I have been grazing the candy I got this past weekend. I forget how much I love both sponge candy and chocolate covered strawberries. Sponge candy is something most of my readers are probably unfamiliar with. This reason is that it is pretty much only located in the western New York and northwestern parts of Pennsylvania. There is even a website dedicated to this tasty treat: www.spongecandy.com

Photo courtesy of spongecandy.com



Sponge candy is caramelized sugar that has a crispy texture. This cube of sugar is drenched in milk chocolate. Once you bite into the sponge candy (bearing the name because the caramelized sugar resembles a sponge with the air pockets) it first is a crispy bite, but the "sponge" then melts in your mouth. I've tried many different types of sponge candy, but my absolute favorite is from Pulakos 926 Chocolates. Their milk chocolate is so rich and delicious that it really complements the sponge so well. Head over to their website and order some online...you will not regret it!

Photo courtesy of pulakoschocolates.com

Pulakos also has my absolute favorite chocolate covered strawberries. I've had the chocolate covered strawberries from many of the famous online sites that deliver to homes, however they don't compare to Pulakos. The reason is the quality of the chocolate. The online version's chocolate is very hard and difficult to bite through. Pulakos has plenty of chocolate covering the very large strawberries, but it's significantly softer and easier to bite. Pulakos also cuts off the green stem so the entire berry is covered in chocolate! Unfortunately, due to the cost of shipping the strawberries, Pulakos does not sell these online.

Photo courtesy of www.loss-weight-diet.org

Birth Certificate?

Stephen Colbert is hilarious. With all of the hype about Obama's birth certificate, I am glad to see the majority of the American public is agreeing now that it's time to forget about all of this and move on to the real issues. However, this can't be done successfully without first making Donald Trump look like an idiot :)

If the video doesn't appear, just click on the black screen. Enjoy!

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
America Needs to See Obama's Report Cards
www.colbertnation.com
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Veal Piccata

Last night I stopped at the grocery store to pick up my necessities (can't go a day without bananas or orange juice...addicted). Walking by the fresh meat/fish is like a kid walking by the candy counter...I have to stop. I was ravaging the new deliveries like I was on Supermarket Sweep. I picked up some lobster tails on sale, beef tips, and some veal scallopini (!!!!!). If you aren't familiar, veal scallopini is just veal that's really really thin. Immediately my favorite veal dish popped in my head, Veal Piccata. It's such a quick dish. I don't really use a recipe, but I've tried to put into words what I do with the veal. Not very difficult and I think the entire cook time was 10 minutes. I prefer a salty dish, so I use more capers than most people, but feel free to adjust to your liking. I also assume that there is a healthier way to do this with less butter, maybe use oil? I don't want to mess with perfection.

2 tbs butter
2 tbs of capers (I also pour a teenie bit of the caper liquid into the pan)
1/2 to 1/4 of a lemon
2 veal scallopini fillets
1 egg
1/2 cup of flour

Melt the butter and capers in a pan. Add just a little bit of the juice from the 1/2 lemon. While the butter is melting, coat the veal in the egg and then into the flour. I don't like mine very heavily breaded, so I don't put too much flour on..just enough to coat the veal.  Fry up the fillets in the butter, adding a little more lemon while cooking. Because the fillets are so thin, once the veal is brown, flip it over and do the same on the other side. No more than like 1-2 minutes per side. Serve with the remaining butter. That's it!! Enjoy!

Photo courtesy of nourishnetwork.presscdn.com

Bluetooth Phone

I recently purchased this Panasonic phone for my new apartment. I don't have a landline..this phone is strictly for my cell!! I really don't like talking on cell phones because they are not convenient for multitasking. I can't "shoulder" the cell phone while doing other things. (and I will not put a Bluetooth in my ear!!) Plus, I try and minimize any brain harm from the cell phones as much as possible. :)  This phone connects to any cell phone via Bluetooth. So, when the cell phone rings, the cordless phone rings as well. I also programmed my phone book into it, so it's pretty easy to use.

Photo courtesy of Amazon.com

Uncle Mario Manhattan

My Uncle Mario, notorious for inventing things, invented my favorite cocktail when he was a young employee of a golf course. He worked at the bar and developed the "Mario Manhattan". Since then, the "Uncle" has been added. Seriously try it, you'll love it!

1 part Jim Beam® bourbon whiskey

1 part amaretto almond liqueur

Fill the rest of the glass with Coca-Cola®

If you prefer a sweeter drink, add more amaretto.

Enjoy!

 

Phot courtesy of wikuciiic.files.wordpress.com

Interesting Inventions

Check out the Daily Cognition for their list of "Just when you thought all the good ideas were gone". Some of my favorites:

All photos courtesy of dailycognition.com



Coach Larranaga

Basketball Coach Jim Larranaga was on 106.7 The Fan today discussing his decision to leave George Mason for Miami. Listen here.



Photo Courtesy of washingon.cbslocal.com

In addition, I suggest you check out this very well written article about his departure from the Washington Post. Although seemingly corny, I feel like the author was putting into words what a lot of GMU Alumni are probably feeling.

We're Building a Boat!

Well, I'm not building a boat, but my friend Roxie over at We're Building a Boat is! Check out her blog as she shares the trials and tribulations of building her first boat from scratch. It's a really good thing she keeps such a light and humorous attitude, otherwise it could get very frustrating! I was so impressed with her craftsmanship!



Sugar, Sugar

My new favorite game (never when I should be doing work of course!) is called "Sugar, Sugar" from Addicting Games. The idea is to draw lines with your mouse in order to get the sugar that falls from the "comma" into the designated cups. I haven't beat the whole game yet, but I will!

Photo courtesy of themojocoach.com

Male Attractiveness

I recently read this article on MSN called "Digit ratio linked to guys' attractiveness, study says". The digit in question is not the 7 digit number, but their right index finger and right ring finger. I first snubbed this article off with other articles that bear no actual scientific meaning, but I'm interested to hear what my readers think about this one. It would currently be a little awkward to ask my male coworkers to show me their hands. So the idea in the article is that there is a ratio between the two previously mentioned fingers called the "2D:4D" ratio. Makes sense, the index finger is the second digit and the ring finger is the fourth. The study claims that men with higher testosterone have a more "attractive" face to women. The higher testosterone causes "caveman" like shaped faces. The correlation to the fingers is actually kind of interesting. The more testosterone a fetus receives during the end of the first trimester the higher their testosterone levels as an adult. The right ring finger...or 4D, is longer with more testosterone. The 2D is related to estrogen levels. So, if the 4D is longer than the 2D, then you've got yourself a good looking man. Unfortunately, now not only do I have to be on the look out for wedding rings on the left ring finger, I also have to look for the length of the right! Enjoy!

Photo courtesy of vq.vassar.edu

Thanks to one of my blog readers for sending me this picture of his hand at work. (Obviously a busy day for you!) You'll have to use your imagination, but he is quite a handsome guy - so says his digits!



I like to smell nice things!

I have recently been introduced to Scentsy. Scentsy's main product is a flame less candle warmer. I've had similar items in the past that warmed scented wax with a candle underneath the bowl, however Scentsy has their wax warmed with a light bulb. The idea is that it's never over body temperature, thus can not burn anyone (or any animal) that touches it or knocks it over! I have been a strong advocate for the "plug-in" fresheners that you can buy from all grocery stores. Then I met Scentsy! I threw out all of the plug ins. I have ONE Scentsy warmer in my apartment and I can smell it everywhere. Plus they have 80 difference scents to choose from. What's even more addicting, is that they have all kinds of warmers to choose from. Sports themes, traditional, funky...etc. Every time I look through the website I think how everyone I know would like a certain one.

They even have plug-ins!

Scentsy is sold through consultants. If you don't know of anyone selling it, check on the website to find a consultant in your area. I assume you could even host a Scentsy Party! Although, after smelling about 25 flavors, I got quite a headache.


(All photos courtesy of scentsy.net)

Yes Please!!

Taco Bell has announced hard taco shells made from Nacho Cheese Doritos! Top that with the burrito with Hot & Spicy Fritos...they are seriously winning me over with their not 100% meat tacos!

Photo courtesy of foodbeast.com

Chicago Cubs Fan

Please check out this Video from Vimeo of a not-so-sober Cubs fan on Opening Day. The interview was for NPR. The one comment is my favorite: "She is the real life Meridith from the Office".

Photo courtesy of mobilecommons.com

Everything's better with Bacon!

In honor of Denny's current "Bacon-alia", a celebration of everything bacon, I thought I'd showcase some of my favorite (and bizarre) bacon recipes! Denny's Bacon-alia has what you would expect a diner to have during a bacon party; bacon flapjacks, eggs with extra bacon...etc. My favorite on the list is the "Maple Bacon Sundae". Two scoops of vanilla ice cream sandwiched in between maple syrup and cubes of bacon! According to this Yahoo article about how even the employees of the Denny's thought this sounded gross, I think this sundae sounds amazing! Just like the article says, I prefer a mix of salty and sweet things together. How's this any different than sweet pancakes with syrup and bacon? Just ice cream instead!

Photo courtesy of news.yahoo.com

This reminded me of the infamous chocolate covered bacon. Again...sounds like perfection to me!

Photo courtesy of 27.media.tumblr.com

Not to disgust my vegetarian readers, but now bacon is just getting crazy! The "bacon weave":

Photo courtesy of bbqaddicts.com

Photo courtesy of motifake.com

For the real bacon addicts, Bakon Vodka:

Photo courtesy of uncrate.com

NCAA Basketball Coaches' Salaries

Since the NCAA Basketball season has just recently ended (with a less than impressive championship game), I found it interesting to see how much the head coaches of the 68 teams in the NCAA tournament made this year. USA TODAY did an analysis of the salaries of these coaches; including base pay from each University, non-University pay (including speaking engagements, camps, corporate sponsorships...etc) and any bonus pay. Rick Pitino from Louisville takes the cake with a whopping $7.5 million/year total salary. Interestingly, prior to the Final Four, Shaka Smart from VCU was making $424,000 according to this article. However, for making the Final Four this year, ESPN reported that he renewed his contract for 8 years at $1.2 million per year. Needless to say, he'll be moving up in this listing next year.



Photo courtesy of rumorsandrants.com

80's & 90's Educational Shows

I found this cute article about shows that were educational when we were kids at NewsVine.com. I loved every single one of these shows!

Photo courtesy of chroniclebooks.com