Nifty Recipe: Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

Rolls:

• 1 cup warm fat-free milk (100° to 110°)
• 6 tablespoons melted butter, divided 
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
  
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• 1 package quick-rise yeast
• 16 22/25 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3 3/4 cups)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Icing:

• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Preparation

1. To prepare rolls, combine milk, 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and yeast in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups. Add egg and remaining granulated sugar to bowl. Stir in 4.5 ounces (1 cup) flour; let stand 10 minutes.
2. Add 11.25 ounces (about 2 1/2 cups) flour and salt to milk mixture; stir until a soft dough forms (dough will be sticky). Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 6 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray; turn to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 35 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rise 35 minutes or until doubled in size. Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes.
3.  Combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; roll dough into an 18 x 11–inch rectangle. Brush remaining 3 tablespoons melted butter over dough; sprinkle evenly with brown sugar mixture. Beginning at one long side, roll up dough tightly, jelly-roll fashion; pinch seam to seal (do not seal ends of roll). Cut dough into 18 (1-inch) slices. Arrange 9 slices, cut sides up, in each of 2 (8-inch) square baking dishes coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 35 minutes or until doubled in size.
4. Preheat oven to 350°.
5. Uncover rolls. Bake at 350° for 22 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes in dishes on a wire rack. Turn rolls out onto wire rack; cool 5 minutes. Turn rolls over.
6. To prepare icing, combine 3 tablespoons softened butter and cream; stir with a whisk. Stir in vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar; stir until blended. Spread icing over rolls; serve warm.

Not to Eat: Burger King, White Knoll (Lexington, SC)

Location: Burger King at White Knoll (Lexington, SC)
To Eat or Not to Eat: Only if you have days to wait for your food.....

Fast Food? Not at this Burger King location...... It's so sad for these guys that the new McDonald's coming in took all of their business and, evidently, their zest for life, too. After waiting in line for 15 minutes (while I was only car #2 out of 3), I finally arrived at the window and said to the young guy, 'Competition getting the best of you?'...... His reply was priceless....'yeah, we haven't seen very many cars tonight, that's for sure.' My response: 'You wanna know why?' (With a BIG cheesy grin). The dumbfounded expression on his face said enough. I drove off with probably what is the last order of food from that Burger King that we will eat for quite some time. Serves me right.....should be feeding the family healthy stuff anyway, right?

Sooooo......its simple. No Bon Appetite, here!! Sorry, guys.

Not To Eat: Libby's of Lexington, SC

Location: Libby's of Lexington, SC
To Eat or Not to Eat: You would be better off going somewhere else

It is with such sad displeasure and disappointment that I write this review. On 03JUL2012, I raved and raved about Libby's in Lexington, SC. I was so proud of them for overcoming a bad moment a few days before that and for always being the place my family asks to go to eat. But when  a month ago, you overlook something as major as cheese being hand picked off of a burger after it's already been served and that same burger being served again after the cheese was hand picked off, it's really REALLY disturbing to experience the kind of visit I had this past Saturday (11AUG2012).

Saturday midday (not EVEN during lunch or dinner rush) around 2:30, my family and I (a group of 5) went into the restaurant with our taste buds absolutely salivating at the thought of an Asian steak wrap or pizza or steak and cheese sandwich. What we walked into was a very dirty restaurant, a manager eating pork with his hands right out of the tray it was cooked in out in the middle of the kitchen in plain sight, no air circulation in the dining areas, very SLOW moving staff that were also clumsy enough to drop more than one tray of food in the first 15 minutes we were there (probably because they couldn't stand upright on the greasy floor), and just an overall very disappointing look at the great Libby's that we had grown accustomed to. Orders not even prepped the way they were requested, one sandwich completely left off of the order and delivered 15 minutes after everyone else at the table had been served, and 2 trips to the kitchen myself to see what was going on.

After talking to Clint, (and some of you already know he plays a very important role in this restaurant's hierarchy), I was still very disappointed that the attitude of the day was not to fix the situation and try harder, but instead to make excuses for why the ship was running astray. I don't get it. I just don't get it. I'm so, sooo disappointed with Libby's right now. I almost take it personally that they could disappoint me sooo much. What a shame.

Long story shortened for you, I would give Libby's a while to clean up their act before even bothering to spend your money or your time. You'll only be frustrated with yourself for going right now.

No Bon Appetite here for a while..... :(

TO EAT: TakoSushi, Columbia, SC

Location: TakoSushi, Columbia, SC
To Eat or Not to Eat? Oh yeah, baby, BRING IT ON!!!

So far this place gets my highest marks!!  Nice casual atmosphere. Great Food. Friendly service. As Guy Fierri would say, this place is "Spot On". (Guy, you need to come check this place out!!)

Have a family of picky eaters? Can't try new places because you're afraid there will be nothing your crowd will eat? Think you get too noisy to eat out? Think again. TakoSushi is the one place where everyone can chow down on something they like. From awesome sushi to fantastic fish tacos, you won't go wrong here. And you won't upset your neighboring table with a little loud chatter. I HIGHLY recommend it. No. I take that back. I absolutely INSIST you try it.

Long story short, To Eat or Not to Eat? No question about it.....it's a MUST DO.

Bon Appetite!!

TO EAT: Zesto, West Columbia, SC

Location: Zesto, West Columbia, SC
To Eat or Not to Eat?  MOST DEFINITELY TO EAT!!!!

So it's been a while since I've blogged. Of course, that's mainly because it's been a while since I left my home to go anywhere. The family has left me alone for a few weeks off and on now this summer, but that's ok...I can hold my own!! Last night I went out with the ladies on a whim....decided to go somewhere I had heard about in the local area but had never tried. BOY!! Did I not know what I was missing!!

It's called Zesto, ladies and gentlemen. It's located in West Columbia, SC. Its been in business since 1949 and it is well worth the stop! They're always busy and now I know why..... you want some AWESOME southern fried chicken?  Just stop by Zesto! You want a really good homemade butterscotch milkshake? Just go on by there and get you some!! :)

You know me, I can't comment on a joint without giving you the full low down....so, rest assured, it was clean, they were efficient, the staff was personable, and they were gettin' it done!!! I would suggest you leave now so you can beat the lunch crowd!!!!

To Eat or Not to Eat?? Absolutely BON APETITE!!!!

TO EAT: Cheddar's in Greenville, SC

Location: Cheddar's in Greenville, SC
To Eat or Not to Eat???? Sure...why not.

On our way to summer camp this past weekend, we stopped by a chain 'casual cafe' that I had never heard of before. It's called Cheddar's. This particular one is in Greenville, SC. Let me tell you, it was HOPPING. People E-V-E-R-Y-W-H-E-R-E!!!  That's usually a good sign. And it held true to the expectation.

Service was good. Food was tasty and priced ok. They were a little too busy to keep the floor swept to my liking, but it wasn't dirty or anything. Just a few napkins and straw papers floating around here and there. And for those of you that know me well, this next comment holds a lot of water.....the Bathrooms were nice AND clean. Individual walled stalls with real doors, nice flooring and counter tops, nice sinks.....grade A set up. The rest of the restaurant was just as nice with palm fans, nifty lighting, comfortable booths and tables.....all together a pretty nice look. I was impressed.

So, if you're near a Cheddar's, I would definitely say stop by and try it. If it follows suit with the Greenville, SC location, it is a 'TO EAT'.

Bon Apetite!!!

Nifty Recipe: Crab Cake Hush Puppies

Nifty Recipe Alert...Crab Cake Hush Puppies

Don't these just look Y-U-M-M-Y ????    To Eat or Not to Eat?     Oh yes!!!!

Crab Cake Hushpuppies

Ingredients

• 1 cup self-rising white cornmeal mix
• 1/2 cup self-rising flour
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces fresh lump crab meat, picked
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup beer
• Vegetable oil

Preparation

Stir together cornmeal mix, flour, green onions, bell pepper, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in crab meat, egg, and beer until just moistened. Let stand 10 minutes. Pour oil to depth of 2 inches into a Dutch oven; heat to 360°. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls into hot oil, and fry, in batches, 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Serve with your favorite rémoulade or cocktail sauce.

Bon Apetite!!

Nifty Recipe: Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Cake

Nifty Recipe Alert....Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Cake!!!!

Ok... So I decided to broaden the blog criteria here. Now I'm going to start adding in nifty recipes that I find and think are worthy of all our time. This one caught my eye and made me know I just had to share. To Eat or Not to Eat? I THINK SO!!!! Let's do it!!!

Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Cake

Unsweetened cocoa
1 (18.25-oz.) package devil's food cake mix
1 (3.4-oz.) package chocolate instant pudding mix
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons chocolate extract (optional)
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 (1.55-oz.) milk chocolate bars, chopped
3 (16-oz.) cans homestyle cream cheese frosting
3 (7.75-oz.) boxes frozen cheesecake bites, coarsely chopped
1 (12-oz.) jar dulce de leche caramel sauce
Double chocolate rolled wafer/Pirouline cookies
Chocolate fudge rolled wafer cookies, coarsely broken

Grease 2 (9") round cakepans, and dust with cocoa.
Beat cake mix and next 7 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute; then beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Fold in chopped milk chocolate bars. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake at 350° for 32 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool cake in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Wrap and chill cake layers at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. (This step enables you to split cake layers with ease.)
Using a serrated knife, slice cake layers in half horizontally to make 4 layers. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on a cake plate. Spread with 1/2 cup cream cheese frosting; sprinkle with one-fourth of chopped cheesecake bites. Repeat procedure with remaining 3 layers, frosting, and cheesecake bites, omitting cheesecake bites on top of last layer. Frost sides and top of cake with remaining frosting. Drizzle desired amount of caramel sauce over cake, letting it drip down sides. Chill until ready to serve. Decorate cake with rolled wafer cookies and remaining chopped cheesecake bites. Store in refrigerator.

Bon Apetite!!!!

NOT TO EAT: Casa Linda's in Lexington, SC

Location: Casa Linda's, Sunset Blvd, Lexington, Sc
To Eat or Not to Eat???? Not really on my 'approved' list right now.....

So, the Mexican food lover in me wants to think that Casa Linda's in Lexington, SC is just having a 'down' moment. Last night was a really rough experience with them and that makes the 2nd poor experience we've had with them in the last couple of months.

My lady friends and I like to meet once a month and have enjoyed going to this restaurant many times, but last night kind of put a bad taste in our mouth. The night started out with everyone driving across town in some pretty rough storms just to get to see each other. We were so psyched out about our time together. But upon arrival at the restaurant, our excitement begin to dwindle.

The power had gone out and the fire alarm was blaring. The staff could not get the alarm to disengage. As I arrived to the not-so-welcoming noise, customers were leaving and the staff were standing outside with their fingers in their ears. Knowing I had 8 or 9 other ladies coming to join me, I decided to wait it out to see if they could disarm the alarm. Much to my liking, within 2 minutes of the other ladies arriving, the fire department saved the day by silencing the alarm (but not turning off the blinking emergency lights!). Even though this should be a positive thing, I think it just confused the staff all together.....the service went down hill from there....maybe the blinking lights caused minor seizures?

It took our waiter 4 visits to the table to get our food ordered, lemons were mistaken for limes several times (one is green and one is yellow...) even after asking for the one that is 'verde' (green in Spanish), a small side of pico de gallo was $1.25 but if avocado was requested, it was $2.00 more (you can buy one of those in the grocery store for 89 cents, right?), tea orders were confused a couple of times, and as soon as the food was delivered to the table, so was the bill. Now...let's see.....you should be glad we stuck around to eat, right? There's very few others in the restaurant, but you want us gone soooo badly that you bring us the bill with our food? Go....shooo...get out...we have better things to do.....

Sooooo.......my take on this one.....To Eat or Not to Eat? Probably not again for a long time.

No more Bon Appetite here...... :(

NOT TO EAT: Columbiana Super Buffet, Columbia, SC

Location: Columbiana Super Buffet: Columbiana Drive, Columbia, SC
To Eat or Not To Eat?..........Only if you want to die of food poisining!

Oh my gosh.....did we do something today that we never ever condone and would never EVER do knowingly. Yes we did. We ate at a troubled restaurant with a grade of 'C'. You heard me right, completely unknowingly did we do this. So,word to the wise, stay FAR FAR Away from Columbiana Super Buffet on Columbiana Drive in Columbia, SC.

How can I describe this so you will understand? The best way is probably with the raw truth. Grade of C HIDDEN by a poster, air conditioner on the fritz, staff that conveniently chooses to not understand English when you ask questions, cold food that tasted absolutely
N-A-S-T-Y. Nasty enough that, after the first bite, you start looking around for what is really wrong with the place. Seek and ye shall find.....sopping wet carpet in 1/4 of the restaurant that eventually draws your attention to the black mold creeping up the baseboards and wall, behind the wall paper, and on to the ceiling.

Did I file an online complaint with the Richland County Health Department? Yes I did. Did I email the pictures that I took of the restaurant walls and sanitation grade? Yes I did. Did I stand outside of the restaurant and shoo people away? YES I DID. Now I'm encouraging you to tell everyone you know....do NOT EVER EAT HERE!!!

Long story short....To Eat or Not To EAT? Only if you have  a death wish.....

No Bon Appetite here!!!

TO EAT: Libby's in Lexington, SC

Location: Libbys, Lexington, SC
To Eat or Not to Eat?....... Eat and then eat again!!

Oh, so many good things to say about this place....... The food is great! The staff are polite and friendly. The management staff comes out to meet and greet. They're always busy, so you know you can't just take my word for it.

The restaurant is clean and pleasant. Once again,  you've heard me say this about other places.....it's truly not an insult,....but this is not your five-star restaurant. It's your local, casual, where-do-we-want-to-go-tonight, "pick of the litter" joint. Great pizzas, great calzones, yummy shrimp and grits, and a YOU-HAVE-GOT-TO-TRY-THIS Asian Steak Wrap!!  Could the kitchen be a little less cluttered and more organized? Yeah, probably so, but it's heavily used....not the they-never-clean kind of clutter. Could they use some swinging doors between the kitchen and sitting/waiting areas? Yeah, probably so....but that's asthetics.  If you don't like the way it looks on the inside, they even have patio seating outdoors!

I highly recommend Libby's to anyone looking for a good meal any night (even every night) of the week. You won't go wrong. I recommend them so much, that they even get a 'pass' from me for the one time that they did something MOST restaurants would not get away with. Just one time (out of many MANY visits), we ordered a burger plain (that means no cheese, no nothing...). The kitchen got a little hasty, slapped cheese on the burger and then peeled it off after they realized what they had done. The sent it to the table that way . (Oooops!) I caught it instantly, had a nice little chat with the manager and waitress, got the correct responses and witnessed the situation being handled properly in the kitchen. I can assure you this 'uh oh' will never occur again at Libby's....not for me or for anyone else. Good job, guys!! You handled it well. You get an 'A' from me.

So, long story, short....To Eat or Not to Eat? You don't even have to finish the thought....just go.....you'll be glad you did!

TO EAT: Ganbei in Lexington, SC

Location: Ganbei in Lexington, SC
To Eat or Not to Eat? ........ oh my Heavens, YES.......TO EAT!!!

Ok, this one is for all of my "Ladies' Night" dinner pals. If you haven't eaten at Ganbei Japanense and Sushi bar yet, please do yourself a favor and head on over to Hwy 378 in Lexington, SC and get you some! It's a great, casual, clean, friendly location to enjoy a good variety of sushi rolls, hibachi steak and shrimp, edame, soups, salads, yummy appetizers, and more. It is the cheapest we've ever eaten? No....you'll splurge a little (especially by the time you've tried several rolls and then take some home for later), but you'll enjoy every bite.  My friends and I have eaten here several times and have never had anything that we didn't enjoy and brag about later.  

To add to the delight, the wait staff and management team are friendly, outgoing, and aim to please. They've welcomed us each time we go, whether our group be large or small, and no matter what time we go. They let us close the place down without ever making us feel pressured to hurry up and get out of their way. They've even accommodated our requests for seperate checks with no gripes. You can't go wrong by choosing this one for a night out on the town.

To Eat or Not to Eat?  You got it! Eat 'til your heart's content.....

Bon Appetite!!

NOT TO EAT: White Horse in Rock Hill, SC

Location: The White Horse Restaurant, Rock Hill, Sc
To Eat or Not to Eat?...........DEFINITELY NOT!!

So since I like to share both positive and negative feedback, this location gets my big ol' "do-not-even-bother" rating.

We visited this restaurant in May 2012. Once again, it was a mid afternoon stop, after the lunch crowd was over and what you would think should be a relaxed time for the restaurant. The time when everything should be clean, the waitstaff should be refreshed, and the kitchen should be on top of their game. Wellll.....the only one of those attributes that even came close to being true to expectation was the waitstaff. They were soooo relaxed, they didn't even bother coming to the table to greet us, take our drink order, or hand us menus. They were soooooo relaxed that they chose to stand in a corner, sipping their sweet tea, and reminiscing about who was the most intoxicated the night before.

I had to continually flag down the hostess to ask if our waiter/waitress was coming to the table to get us started. As I begin to notice even more "uh oh's", I even took out my phone and begin to snap pictures. The floor was nasty. The few waitstaff that were actually waiting on tables had to step around spills and food garbage on the floor to keep from slipping and falling and dumping trays of food on their own customers. The manager was gabbing in the bar with one of the employees and could have cared less what the staff were doing. A bus person never once entered the restaurant to clean tables or sweep the floor. People were walking in, standing around, and eventually leaving again before even being greeted.

To top it all off, once I managed to summon someone to get the manager for me, the manager appeared at our table disgruntled because I had interrupted her gab session. Really? I show you pictures that I have just taken of your dining room AND your nasty bathroom and you want to give me attitude. Too bad for you, lady!! Thanks to your lack of professionalism and management skills, it is with great pleasure that I tell everyone that will listen.......The White Horse in Rock Hill, SC is a NO-GO! Do not waste your time or your money. You will be highly disappointed.

Soooo.......To Eat or NOT to eat? Absolutely, Positively, WITHOUT A DOUBT - NOT!!!

No Bon Appetite here.

TO EAT: Pawley's Front Porch in Columbia, SC

Location: Pawley's Front Porch, (Five Points) Columbia, SC
To Eat or Not To Eat........................Defintiely TO EAT!!!

Soooo......this particular restaurant made the wait worthwhile and allowed my usual uptightness to relax some. (Key Word: SOME). :)

Guy Fierri got it right when he said you have to visit this place. The burgers are AWESOME. The french fries aren't "all that" but who needs a gourmet french fry when you can't put the burger down long enough to eat more than one or two, anyway? Truth be known, the parking lot and building are older and leave a lot to be desired, but they fit the bill for this burger joint. It's not your Five-Star restaurant. You're not gonna get linen napkins and chocolates with your check, but you ARE going to get a great burger, a clean table, and fairly attentive staff (for the workload they're under). And when it's all said and done, you are going to be glad you came.

Make a date. Get in line mid afternoon (perferrably on a Sunday if you want a shorter wait), and ENJOY the burger that is everything you want it to be.

Most DEFINITELY a "TO EAT".....

Bon Appetite!

NOT TO EAT: Ruby Tuesday's in Lexington, SC

Location: Ruby Tuesday's, Hwy 1, Lexington, SC.
To Eat or Not to Eat................A big Maybe NOT!!!!

On Saturday, 30JUN2012, my family and I visited this particular Ruby Tuesday's location at 3:30pm (EST). When we arrived at the location, as you would expect mid afternoon on a Saturday, business was quite slow. Should be able to get a good seat, have prompt service, and expect the restaurant to be clean, right? Wait staff should have all had time to cool their jets after the lunch rush and should be gearing up for the dinner crowd, right? Yeah.....NOT the case here. The floor was littered, majority of the tables needed wiping down, the ladies' restroom was littered with waste drippings on the toilets and paper on the floor, the salad bar hadn't been refreshed in hours, AND to top it all off, the waitstaff argued over who was going to "have to wait on the table". Did you catch that? You're working a job where you're dependent upon your tips to make a half decent salary at a job YOU CHOSE TO DO, and you're arguing over who's going to HAVE to wait on the table. Not a good start, folks.

Well, because we were feeling quite tolerant that afternoon, we decided to give the benefit of doubt and sit down for our meal anyway. As we feared, the table service was slowwwwww, the food was only OK, and the highlight of our mealtime was continuing to watch the wait staff argue over who was going to wait on the next table seated.

Needless to say, it'll be a while before we visit this location again. Luckily for this particular restaurant, my rule is you get one shot to redeem yourself. IF and when we choose to go back, it'll definitely have to live up to our standards, or the check will be on them.

So.......To Eat or Not to Eat? This one is no more than a maybe.....closer to a maybe NOT!

Bon Appetite.....(or Not!)

Welcome to My New Blog

Welcome to my new blog, 'To Eat or Not to Eat'.  If you enjoy eating out or even 'eating in' with friends as much as my family does, you can appreciate a little head's up every now and then on where to go and where NOT to go. If the food is good, the appearance is satisfying, and the service is as expected (or better), I'm going to tell you about it. If it's bad, I'm going to tell you about it. The truth is here. It's up to you to decide......To Eat or Not To Eat.     Bon Appetite (or Not!!!)     :)