Buttery Ranch Honey Wheat Pretzels & Facebook Launch!

These are super popular treats at school fairs or at the bake sale. This is the other YUM snacks I love to eat besides my popular furikake chex mix! The great thing about these pretzel snacks is you don't have to BAKE it!!

1 bag of honey wheat pretzels (I used the safeway brand)
1/4 cup buttery flavor popcorn oil
1/2 pack of Hidden Valley Ranch mix (the powder form)
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp dill weed (opt)

1) Place pretzels in a large ziplog bag (you may remove excess salt on the pretzels first , if you wish).
2) Pour oil over pretzels, toss until evenly coated.
3) Sprinkle ranch mix, garlic powder, dill weed, and toss until evenly coated.
4) Separate and place them in smaller ziplog bags or airtight containers.

I literally took less than 10 minutes to put these together! I didn't have dill weed, so I omitted. It tasted just as good. The ranch makes this snack very flavorful. Now i don't have to find them at bake sales. :)

























Btw, I have finally launched a Facebook page! Please like the page here as I will be doing some online events! First stop, we're kicking off local kine grindz Hawaii Style with a Loco Moco Day on Feb 1st! Eat a loco moco plate (buy them or make your own healthier version), take a pic and post it on my page labelled with "Loco Moco Day: " For those of you who want to participate but have no clue what Loco Moco is, it's basically a hamburger patty, topped with fried eggs, and smothered with gravy, all over rice. Of course there are different versions of loco moco pending on your diet. If you're watching your weight, here's my suggestion: you could go for a garden patty, or tofu patty, topped with egg whites, smother with gravy made from low sodium beef broth cooked with finely diced onions and mushrooms.

I'm going to make my own for dinner on Loco Moco Day. Our goal for this event is 50 plates/pics. Are you in on Loco Moco Day on Feb 1st?? Would love to see your pics!! =)

Moist Cupcakes

I do alot of semi-homemade food, mostly because I don't have the time or ingredients to make them entirely from scratch. When I bake cakes and cupcakes, I use boxed cake mix. When I did my Star Wars cake, although I love the way it looks, I didn't like how it crumbles and falls apart when you cut it. I finally figured out the secret ingredient to make the cake from boxed cake mix moist -- pudding.

Moist Cake/Cupcakes using boxed cake mix

1 box of cake mix (I used german chocolate on this one)
1 box of pudding (4 serving one)
4 eggs
1 cup water
1/3 cup oil

1) Mix the cake mix and pudding together in a large mixing bowl.
2) Add in the eggs, water, and oil and mix until combined.
3) Pour batter into pan or lined cupcake pans.
4) Bake for 50 minutes for cake, or 35 mins for cupcakes (or when insert toothpick comes out smooth)

Seriously, don't you think the cupcakes even LOOK moist on the picture itself?! I will never bake cake without pudding now!

This past weekend I hosted a baby shower. Although the mom-to-be decided she wants to bake her own cupcakes, I pleaded to decorate it. I was excited because I can finally get to do the homemade frosting recipe given by Oh Happy Cakes . The frosting can stay outdoor and stays in place without melting. The baby shower theme was cherry blossom tree with birds. I am proud of what I did and I put them in these cute single cupcake containers by PoshBoxCouture, these containers made it easy for anyone to take home!

Kamaboko Dip

Who said Kamaboko is only good for saimin and fried noodles/rice/udon?

My SIL made a few years ago...and I couldn't stop eating it! Recently I had a craving for it, and...I couldn't stop eating it again!

1 loaf of kamaboko
A quarter of a medium white onion
1/4 cup mayonnaise (I used the olive oil one)
dash of black pepper

Using food processor
1) Cut kamaboko and white onion into chunks.
2) Put them into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

OR

Using grater
1) Grate Kamaboko into a small bowl.
2) Grate onions into a small bowl.

OR worse comes to worse, chop them with knife...I did that too.

3) Combine chopped kamaboko and chopped onions with mayonnaise, then add a dash of pepper. (add more or less mayo according to your liking)
4) Refrigerate for half an hour.
5) Serve with crackers!























this pic's dip is done by chopping with a knife.

Ono-licious! And they are pretty in color! :)

Tonkatsu and Furikake Ahi Katsu

Ok I lied, I will do another post since I do have alittle bit time on my hands!

Tonkatsu is also known as pork katsu, or pork cutlet.

Thin filets of pork
flour
pepper
salt
beaten eggs*
panko flakes
oil for frying

1) Have 3 plates side by side, filled the first plate with flour(approx 1/2 cup, but when you run out, you would want to add more flour), dash of salt and pepper.
2) Filled the 2nd plate with beaten eggs (approx 2, again add more when you run out).
3) Filled the 3rd plate with panko flakes (approx 1/2 cup, again, add more as you run out).
4) Heat oil in a large skillet (3/4 cups, add more as you run out).
5) Dip pork first in flour, then eggs, then panko, then fry until golden brown.
6) place cooked cutlet on paper towel to absorb the oil, then cut them into stips.

*For veggie hiders (like me), I mixed in 1/4 cup of sweet potatoe puree in the egg.

I bought 8 slices of pork for about $7, then I saw ahi steak (also known as raw tuna) for $6. I figured I can make ahi katsu, but I made it even better, with furikake!























Ahi Steak (Raw)
salt
pepper
garlic powder
flour
beaten eggs
panko flakes
furikake

1) Season ahi steak with a dash of salt, pepper, and garlic powder, both sides.
2) Place 3 plates side by side, one with flour, one with beaten eggs, last plate with panko and furikake mix.
3) Drench ahi steak first in flour, then eggs, then panko/furikake mix, same as stated with the tonkatsu recipe. Then fry until golden brown.
4) Lay it on paper towel to absorb the oil, then cut into strips.

















I took a taste and WOW that was awesome, it was crunchy on the outside but juicy on the inside!! It was YUMMY!! But...Mr. P...that man...sigh. asked me for tarter sauce. LOSE MONEY!!

Layered Jello

Happy New Year everyone!!!

I have been cooking and I've got lots to post so I'm actually really excited! But I'll do one post today and if I have time work on another this weekend. :)

First off, layered jello. This delicious AND pretty thing I have eaten, but never attempted my entire until...until now. I have been meaning to make this forever. As a matter of fact, I wanted to make it for our Day After Christmas get together luncheon but that was a big fat FAIL. I wasted my blueberry and lime jello, so all I have left is strawberry. I end up making it on New Year's Day and it was a hit!

2 boxes of strawberry jello (or whatever flavor you desire)
2 c hot water (divided 1 cup each)
1/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup whipping cream

Standard jello method
1) Take one box of strawberry jello powder, pour it in a bowl.
2) Pour in 1 cup of hot water, stir until powder desolves.
3) Pour in 1/4 cup of cold water, mix.
4) Pour mixture into a 9x9" pan.
5) Refrigerate until firm (approx 2 hours) OR put in freezer for 20 mins.

Cream layer
6) Take the 2nd box of strawberry jello powder, pour it in a bowl
7) Pour in 1 cup of hot water, stir until powder desolves.
8) Pour in 1/4 cup of WHIPPING CREAM, mix.
9) Pour mixture over the previous (already firmed) jello pan.
10) Refrigerate until firm (approx 2 hours) OR put in freezer for 20 mins.

If you got more boxes of jellos, just repeat with each flavor.

I had ate alot as taste test...it was delicous! I then placed them in pretty cupcake cups.
























But it was devoured within an hour by lil P, my nephews, and niece...and of course, ME!!! haha...