The 'How to Cook' Blog

So, I’ve been trying to cut Red Bull out of my dietary repertoire, and have picked up a new cold beverage instead that I like. It’s an aloe drink called Alo Exposed. I believe this is the “original” flavor, and yes, it does have all those delicious and cool chunky pieces of aloe vera floating in it. Yummy & fun! You may think aloe vera is just for cuts &  [ Read More ]

As all of you know, I am a serious tea fanatic! I’ve been off the Chai Latte kick as of late, but still crave hot bevy of tea. So, my new kick at Starbuck’s is the Tazo Awake Tea Latte. I get the venti because they put 2 tea bags in and that makes it nice and strong like I like it. The black tea flavor really comes through because  [ Read More ]

Do you love Espresso? If so, I’m sure it’s crossed your mind to purchase an espresso machine to accomplish the perfect flavor you’re craving. However, when you think of purchasing an espresso machine, it will also cross your mind how expensive they are. In fact, it’s a larger purchase than most appliances for the kitchen. So, it’s important to do your research and find just the right one for you.  [ Read More ]

Well, recently, when I made my New Year’s Seafood Gumbo, I tried a few new beers while I was cooking my roux. My new favorite beer, hands down for the moment, is Young’s Double Chocolate Stout. When I say it tastes like chocolate, I’m not kidding in the least. It tastes like a sweet chocolate bar, without being sweet, if that makes any sense at all. I believe it was  [ Read More ]

If you have never used a food dehydrator before, well you’re missing out. Once you start, you’ll think of a hundred things you’ll want to dehydrate all of a sudden…fruit, vegetables, jerky, even flowers & herbs! For instance, you have a plethora of tomatoes in your garden, but don’t feel like canning them all, dehydrate the slices. If you have an overgrown batch of basil or mint, it’s a great  [ Read More ]

I think everyone has a particular shaped pasta they prefer over others… Some people prefer short pasta shapes, some prefer long pasta shapes, some have one of each! Well, I just thought I’d share my favorite pasta type. By far, I prefer Linguine! Linguine is a long pasta shape, as you can see in the photos above. Why do I love Linguine? I love that it is long and you  [ Read More ]

Are you an avid gardener at home growing veggies, herbs or fruit and berries? Well, whether you are an green-thumbed expert or a blue-thumbed beginner, Scotts Miracle Gro is going one step further than providing you with a great product that grows your plants strong & healthy. They have started a ScottsMiracle-Gro Almanac YouTube channel, where they have their employees and growing experts drawing on their inner Quentin Tarantino and  [ Read More ]

Today was the first time I tried these malt beverages – Poppers Silver White Nectarine flavor. They are really delicious with a great nectarine flavor and that malt beverage kick you enjoy. It’s fresh and crisp with a slightly sweet and tangy taste that’s satisfying and doesn’t interfere with the flavors of your tasty tailgating tidbits you’re eating. It’s If you would like to buy me some new and unique  [ Read More ]

I’ve been reviewing a fabulous, new local, Niagara cookbook by my new friend, Lynn Ogryzlo called “Niagara Cooks“. This cookbook heralds in a new way of life reminiscent of days of old – getting back to eating local food, “from farm to table”. Not only is supporting our local farmers and food suppliers good for your local economy, but it’s healthier and tastier for you too! I’m making it out  [ Read More ]

We travel a lot and we often drive. So, that means stopping at rest areas and gas stations where we often grab a few snacks and drinks. This past week, my hubby and I chose a couple bags of popcorn, Just Honest Caramel Popcorn and Just Honest Butter Popcorn from the Rocky Mountain Popcorn Company. My choice, the caramel flavor, was really fabulous! Seriously, it tasted just like homemade caramel  [ Read More ]

I often try different brands of jerky so I can find the varieties and flavors I like the best because not all jerkies are created alike. I tried this Peppered flavor Natural Buffalo Jerky from Jerky Direct and I think it’s, honestly, my new favorite jerky. I’ve never been crazy about “moist” jerky – it just seems odd to me. I enjoy a good “chew” with my dried jerky. This  [ Read More ]

I had the opportunity to try Land Shark Lager yesterday, which is apparently affiliated with Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” brand. On the bottle, it says it’s “Original Island Lager” – and after you take one sip of it, you’ll understand why. It’s a light lager that tastes similar to a combination between a Corona with lime and a Bud Light with a twist of orange. It’s light, slightly sweet and flavorful!  [ Read More ]

Wanting to buy an electric skillet, but don’t know which brand to buy? Well, let me put all of your questions to rest and give you a fabulous option. We recently received an electric skillet from my husband’s grandmother – a Rival brand electric skillet, to be more precise. I’ve used it just over a handful of times and am completely happy and satisfied each and every time I use  [ Read More ]

If you’re in the market for a new coffee maker, consider the Cuisinart Stainless Steel Coffee Maker. I love it because not only does it match the rest of our stainless steel appliances in our kitchen, but it’s heavy duty. You’re getting top of the line quality for a better price. It’s programmable – you can program more than 1 time to brew. When you fill it with water, and  [ Read More ]

I wanted to share our experiences with our GE Single Burner we bought for cooking in our fixer upper investment property while it’s being repaired. It works very well… Be careful though…the entire appliance gets very hot, so don’t touch anything, but the temperature dial, when it’s heating. It has an off position, a low and half of the dial is adjustable up to the high mark. It’s great for  [ Read More ]

If you want a great glass of milk, first of all, go organic! Secondly, try the 365 brand organic milk, which is Whole Foods Market’s own brand. It’s creamy, you cannot taste that “antibiotic flavor” most milks on the market have nowadays that aren’t organic. The milk makes everything you use it with taste even more unbelievably delicious! Cereal tastes better, cream and cheese sauces are more wonderful, chocolate milk  [ Read More ]

Alexia Certified Organic, Gourmet Quality Hashed Browns are not only USDA organic, but also fat-free! What’s even better, is that they taste phenomenal! These already hashed gold potatoes come already flavored with seasoned salt. This makes them super easy and really delicious. They browned up nicely and had a fabulous flavor. Who says organic can’t be easy and time-saving? They were If you would like to buy me some new  [ Read More ]

If you’re looking for a fabulous organic chocolate syrup in stores to make chocolate milk, hot chocolate or to drizzle over ice cream… …This is fabulous! Ah!laska is certified USDA organic, 100% dairy free, gluten free, peanut and tree nut free, cholesterol free, sodium and fat free! Anything else? Oh yeah, flavor… …Ah!laska is If you would like to buy me some new and unique ingredients, or just help me  [ Read More ]

I Love Love Love this cookware item! Everyone needs an entirely stainless steel frying pan, in my opinion. It’s great on the stove, single burner and even in the oven because the handle is made of stainless steel. You could even make cornbread in the oven in this frying pan! This is the non-stick version of the Chefmate frying pan: Since it’s stainless steel, you can’t scratch it with metal  [ Read More ]

Okay people… You KNOW I had to see the movie, “Julie & Julia“, don’t you? Well, my hubby, Jessica and I went to watch it last night in the theater! It was absolutely delicious! I could relate to Julie Powell on so many levels with her cooking blog and working her way through Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking as I have done over the years too. I  [ Read More ]