Posted September 21, 2017 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 2 Comments
In Amelia’s Notebook, Amelia complains about the terrible cafeteria food at her school, citing the fact that the brownies seem “fossilized” and the mystery mush looks like it’s made of dog food. I think we all have memories of gross cafeteria food (I can recall some particularly slimy sliced turkey), so I thought it would be fun to redeem a tired cafeteria standby: tater tots.
Amelia’s school tater tots are called “tater gems,” but she thinks they taste more like cardboard. To make some delicious, Amelia-worthy tots, I started with a simple recipe for tender, healthy baked tater tots from Wishful Chef and amped it up a bit with garlic powder, minced onion, and snipped parsley. I even made some honey sriracha ketchup to serve on the side! These tater tots are super easy and ultra flavorful. If Amelia’s school served them, they’d be a hit! 🙂
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Posted September 14, 2017 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 1 Comment
In the first installment of the Amelia’s Notebook series, Amelia and her family move from California to Oregon. The trip takes 3 days, and Amelia’s sister Cleo orders the same thing at every restaurant: a burger and fries. Amelia thinks it’s gross to order the same thing all the time, but it got me thinking…what kind of burger would be good enough to inspire someone to order it for EVERY MEAL FOR 3 DAYS? It sounded like an exciting challenge, so I set to work.
I started from the assumption that Amelia’s family probably wasn’t stopping at fine dining establishments all along the way to Oregon. Fast food joints and diners were probably more likely, so I stuck to materials you could easily find at any chain restaurant.
I started with a basic, smooshy burger bun but toasted it to get that perfect seal to keep any moisture from soaking in. Then I whipped up copycat In-N-Out Burger sauce using a slight variation on a recipe from Cherry Kitchen. It added just the right mix of creamy and tangy with a touch of sweetness, and it’s made with stuff any fast food restaurant would have on hand. Next came the burger patty itself—100% beef with butter mixed right into the meat and smashed onto a hot iron skillet for crispy edges (I used a smash burger technique from Bon Appetit). Add lettuce, tomato, and onion, and you’ve got yourself an awesome diner-style burger that takes basic ingredients to a whole new level.
I think if Amelia gave it a taste, she’d want to order it for every meal too! 🙂
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Posted September 7, 2017 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 3 Comments
Our new Book of the Month is here, and it’s the Amelia’s Notebook series by Marissa Moss!
When I was a kid, Amelia’s Notebook was my JAM. After reading the books, I insisted on buying wild colored composition notebooks for school. I dressed as her for Halloween. I even had My Notebook (with Help from Amelia) and brought it to school with me. She was seriously my hero. So how could I NOT make a menu of all the awesome foods from the series?
In Amelia Takes Command, she gets to go to Space Camp. She spends the night before daydreaming about what it will be like, and one of the things she hopes for is the chance to eat astronaut food. Although she has a great time at camp, she’s disappointed that they had to eat “gross cafeteria food three times a day.” So I decided to restore Amelia’s dashed hopes by making astronaut pudding for our appetizer!
The recipe I use here is a slight variation on one from Feels Like Home. You’d think astronaut pudding would be super complicated or require special tools, but it’s actually really easy (and all you need is a ziplock bag!). It’s a great dish to make with kids and tastes great alongside freeze-dried fruit. So let’s get cooking! 🙂
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Posted September 5, 2017 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Reading Kits / 2 Comments
That’s right, folks! Our new Book of the Month is the Amelia’s Notebook series by Marissa Moss. I fell in love with the books as a kid, and they were a big inspiration for me to start writing my own stories. Plus, Amelia’s signature composition notebooks and focus on school make September a great time to feature her books, what with everyone heading back to school for fall. So let’s get started! 😀
Today we’re kicking things off with an Amelia’s Notebook reading kit. It’s got loads of Amelia-inspired items: lunchboxes, eraser, notebooks (of course!), and a lot more. This is definitely one of those kits where I had to limit myself. I kept thinking of more things that would be perfect for the kit—I almost couldn’t stop! In the end, I included only the best of the best. I had a lot of fun putting it together, and I think you’re going to love it. 🙂
So let’s get ready to start reading Amelia’s Notebook…and don’t forget to check back on Thursday for our first Amelia-inspired recipe!
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Posted October 5, 2016 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Hints / 2 Comments
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So it has been raining for almost a week straight. I kid you not. This was SO not what I ordered when I asked for fall to come soon! The fall flowers I planted have all but drowned, and taking blog photos has been tricky with the perpetually darkened skies.
It’s times like this that I need some cozy food in my life, and this month’s menu DEFINITELY delivered. Let’s take a look back before I share our next Book of the Month hint:
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Posted September 29, 2016 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 6 Comments
For our Sherlock Holmes bonus recipe, we’re making a recipe I first heard of when researching this menu: London Fog Lattes. These are lattes made with EARL GREY TEA! And I was so excited to try them. Plus, there’s nothing more British than Earl Grey, so they’re a perfect send-off for Sherlock! 🙂
P.S. The recipe I use here is kind of a mash-up of two recipes I found online: one from Gimme Some Oven and another from The Busy Baker.
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Posted September 22, 2016 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 13 Comments
For our Sherlock Holmes dessert, I wanted to make something quintessentially British. I tossed around ideas for all kinds of recipes—jammie dodgers, trifle, Victoria sponge, and various tarts. Then I stumbled across brandy snaps!
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Posted September 20, 2016 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Reading Kits / 4 Comments
Is it just me, or was Sherlock Holmes DESIGNED to have a reading kit? Putting this thing together was a breeze, you guys. I’ve made easy kits before, but seriously—I chose all the items for this one in under 20 minutes. It practically made itself! Maybe it’s the iconic imagery (pipes! deerstalkers! magnifying glasses!), or maybe it’s just the fact that there are so many Sherlock fans out there making awesome stuff. Either way, I’ve pretty much decided that this is already in my top 5 favorite reading kits. Enjoy! 🙂
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Posted September 15, 2016 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 0 Comments
A Study in Scarlet: the very first Sherlock Holmes case ever! Of course I had to include it in our Holmes menu, but since no specific foods play a big role in the story, I decided to draw my inspiration from the name of the case itself. We’re making a culinary study in scarlet: Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup!
This particular recipe is my take on a soup that was originally developed by Pretty Practical Pantry. This savory, satisfying soup is the perfect side dish to accompany our Sherlock Steak Sandwiches. So stir some up and get to sipping—we’ve got a case to solve! 🙂
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Posted September 8, 2016 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 6 Comments
Sherlock Holmes is famous for having a sparse appetite, but cold beef sandwiches seem to be a weakness of his. He indulges in them several times throughout the books, mostly while traveling on a case. I can see why! What could be better brain food that hearty bread, protein that sticks to your ribs, and some choice toppings to wake your taste buds?
The recipe we’re making today features toasted whole wheat bread, seared steak, arugula, and homemade horseradish sauce (it’s an interpretation of an appetizer I saw at The Kitchen Alchemist). It’ll set your brain cells whirring in no time!
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