Johnny's Pizzeria- Mt. Vernon, NY

We've been coming her forever and the pizza is always really good. You gotta eat it there, not to go. Buy the pie not the slice and bring cash no credit cards. Get a regular pie and the house salad and you'll be set, even if it's two of you.

Johnny's

Address: 30 W Lincoln Ave, Mt Vernon, NY 10550

Phone:(914) 668-1957

Grandma's Back Porch- Lake George, NY

Love this place, great for breakfast or for dinner. Great view of the lake when you sit outside. You really feel like you're at your grandma's house. The staff is friendly. They now have place mats that list everything going on in the area. It was perfect for a last minute trip we took there.

Address: 4 Hill Dr, Lake George, NY 12845

Phone:(518) 668-3862

Menu: viewmenu.com

Tomo - Yonkers, NY

I really like this place AND you can order online. You know how many places have the option to order online and the order doesn't go through or the delivery guy never comes. Well you can order online with Tomo. The sushi takes a little longer than it should for a place that's usually not busy but I still like it. My usually favorite is Ginban in Mamaroneck, it's not as close as Tomo. I get the same feel, similar decor. 

The food is really good, the spicy tuna isn't that spicy I always ask for more spice. 

 

http://www.tomoyonkers.com/

Porreca's Restaurant - Nordick's Motel - Lake George, NY

Homemade pasta!!! I love Lake George but there aren't a ton of great places to eat. The food is really good here. The service is not great but that's what you should expect in vacation towns. We would definitely come back, we'll be in Lake George next week and can't wait to visit this place.

http://www.nordicks.com/restaurant.asp

The Lone Bull- Lake George, NY

We love this place. We go here every time we are in Lake George. Get there early, there is usually always a wait. The place is cute, it has that old school feel. The staff mostly consists of seasoned waitresses. Everything I've eaten there is great.

Here are some of my recommendations:
The raison toast
The rasion french toast
Any of their eggs-they made perfect over easy eggs
Biscuits with gravy
and they have Great butter!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Lone-Bull/204509366260331

Olde Bryan Inn- Saratoga Springs, NY

Not that I'm in Saratoga often but anytime I go there, I go to the Olde Bryan Inn. It's a really cute place. The wood work and the cozy rooms make for a relaxing experience.

http://www.oldebryaninn.com/

Country Fried Chicken - my husband had this and he really liked it.

Chicken & Pumpkin Walnut Sauté - I almost went turkey dinner but this was awesome. So many flavors. I would definitely have it again. 

Zucchini Bread

There are so many great recipe sites out there, one of my favorites is allrecipes.com

I love squash and zucchini. We checked out a couple of farmers markets yesterday and saw some of the baked breads and got a serious craving for zucchini bread. I found a great recipe online that a tried last night. It's not as heavy as I would have liked but it was really good. I need to figure out how to make it a little darker and heavier like what I remember as a child. Next time I'll carrots too. I followed the recipe almost exactly, the only thing I changed was the oil, I used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/moms-zucchini-bread/

Ingredients

Original recipe makes 2 loaves Change Servings

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/4 cups white sugar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

The Cookery - Dobbs Ferry, NY

As my friend says you are NOT on a diet when you come to this place. The food is great...I actually think about the food when I'm not there. I've been here a few times and loved pretty much everything we ordered.

Some of my recommendations: 
The meatballs - amazing!! 
The bone marrow pasta- me and my husband had it so good and the perfect portion
The cauliflower ravioli - so good and so tasty, actually everything is super tasty!
Pizza rustica - they give you a nice portion, if you know anything about pizza rustic it's very pricey to make and can be a bit of a pain.
Buttery salty potatoes are my friend's favorite
Steak was also very good
For dessert try the stickabutta pie! 
I wasn't crazy about the cheesecake or the chocolate polenta.

We would go back for sure! We haven't been on the weekend but judging by how busy it is during the week, try the weekdays first.

http://www.thecookeryrestaurant.com/

Bareburger - Hartsdale, NY

A little expensive but worth it. The grilled chicken was really good, I tried The Supreme. So many creative options! Read the story on the place. Worth trying and Trader Joe's is close by and most likely packed but hey it's Trader Joes!


http://www.bareburger.com/
http://265-n-central-ave.bareburger.com/

Polpettina - Eastchester, NY

The pizza is so good. We've done sausage and mushroom, delicious at any temperature.We've also done the fig and prosciutto pizza. The meatballs are so good! My husband dreams about them. The zeppoles are just ok, you can get better somewhere else and they have natural soda, which some may not be a fan of.

hmmm wish they had a menu on the website I can't seem to find it but check it out for the hours etc.

polpettina.com/

Empanadas!!!

I've been craving empanadas for quite awhile. Last week I decided to make the Argentinian style. I used turkey meat and I didn't fry them....I know I know why!! I wanted to make them a little healthier and I had turkey meat. I bought los discos!! or the empanada shells, they sell them in the goya section in the frozen food aisle. I went orange but the white ones are just as good. 

I chopped some onion about 1/2 a small onion. I let the onion cook in a little vegetable oil.
I used about 21 oz of the ground turkey meat any fat content works really. I dumped in the meat while the onions were still cooking. Added some salt, pepper, garlic powder, and about a tablespoon of the chopped jarred garlic. I left it cook about 75% of the way and then I added a few handfuls of Spanish olives in the jar, already chopped and I put some juice into the meat. Let it cook all the way through and let it sit. You can make the meat stuffing one day and stuff and bake or fry the next. It gives the meat more time to flavor up.
I boiled 2 eggs and chopped them up and added them to the meat mix. 

I left the shells / discos on the counter for a bit for them to thaw out. I put the shell in my hand and I filled the shell slowly stretching it a bit. I fill them enough to just close them. I than fork them closed. Pressing the fork into the edges. I spread them out on a pan and pre-heated the oven to 350. I than do a quick egg wash and take them out when golden brown around 25 minutes to bake. 

Yvonne's Cafe - Ocean Grove, NJ

 I love this place. Outdoor seating, the staff is friendly and they have a huge menu with a variety of creative options. I love breakfast and this place has so many options. Below is the Western Omelet with American Cheese instead of cheddar. So good!! My husband got the banana pancakes. Never disappointed and worth the wait. I wouldn't recommended the Barbaric Bean next door....not a great experience. It could have changed but we haven't been back.

www.yvonnescafe.com/

The Macaroon Shop - Avon-By-The-Sea, NJ

If you're ever in this part of NJ you have to come and pick up so macaroons!  So good, my husband ate them before I had a chance to take a photo. The cakes look awesome too, check out their website.

http://www.themacaroonshop.com/about-us/

I did snap a picture of their oatmeal pies. So so good, reminded me of Honey I shrunk the kids with the giant oatmeal cookie pie. It tastes as awesome as it looks.

Lefteris Gyro III- Yonkers, NY

They have three locations, the other two are Tarrytown and Mount Kisco. All experiences have been awesome AND consistent. The dressing on their salads is ridiculously good. Here is a shot of the large salad I got....which I've been eating for 3 days now. So good. We always get the Gyro platter, amazing! The service is great at all locations and they are quick. The waiters in the commercials really work at the locations!

http://www.lefterisgyro.com/Menu.aspx

If you have leftovers- Picked out some of the peppers, onions and feta and made an omelet for breakfast! Waste nothing!

The Bacon Bomb!

I'd listen to this guy for the accent alone! Check out this video on the Bacon Bomb https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LDsk75q2Xw

Egg Bacon Baguette Breakfast Recipe

I found the video on how to make this online. Doesn't this look amazing. I LOVE EGGS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJADI5mpuh8&noredirect=1

Everything bagel O YES

I love everything bagels or any bagel for that matter. One of my favorite meals is a bacon, egg and cheese on a bagel. To bring my sandwich to another level….I cut my everything bagel in the bag it came in to save all the everything that falls off of it (garlic, poppy, sesame, rye, salt). Made my bacon, eggs and cheese, placed it on the fresh bagel and then I poured the everything that feel off. So delish. 

Pumpernickel Ardsley, NY

I've been here a handful of times. I really like it I need to go back for brunch. We went last week and came back again my husband loved the chicken caesar wrap.

http://www.pumpernickelrestaurantardsley.com/

I had the Cow Girl Burger it was good but an improvement would be a butter toasted bun. It's looking kinda sad without the butter. This week I tried the steak wrap it was good and it was awesome cold for lunch the next day! I need to go back and retry brunch for sure, I can't remember what I got last time.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's an easy recipe. I did it last night. If you like chewy cookies these are for you!! I didn't use as many walnuts or chocolate chips. I had dark chocolate and milk chocolate chips and mixed them.

direct link to allrecipes.com http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=best%20chocolate%20chip%20cookies&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page&soid=sr_results_p1i1

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons hot water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.
3. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

Choca Taco!!!

Amazing!! I have to try this!!

http://dudefoods.com/bacon-weave-choco-taco/

Bacon Taco

Full instructions on http://dudefoods.com/bacon-weave-taco/

officially getting hungry!!

Grilled Steak with Basil Chimichurri Sauce

Grilled Steak with Basil Chimichurri Sauce

Ingredients:

• 3 handfuls of Jack Daniels Whiskey Smoking Chips
• 1 1/2 pound bone-in rib-eye steak
• 40 basil leaves
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
• 1/4 red onion, roughly chopped
• 8 cloves roasted garlic
• 1/2 red chili pepper, roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Soak the wood chips in water for 30 minutes. Create a small boat out of foil to hold  about 1/2 of the chips while the rest can be placed directly on the charcoal while you prepare the grill.
Allow the rib-eye steak to sit at room temperature while the grill heats up. Season with salt and black pepper on both sides.
Create the basil chimichurri sauce by pulsing the rest of the ingredients in a food processor until combined.
Grill the steak for 5 minutes on each side for rare meat, 6-7 minutes on each side for medium rare, which is close to what our steak was. We’re just not rare meat eaters. Cook it to the doneness of your preferance. Serve with a spoonful of basil chimichurri on top and enjoy!

more details on http://solidgoldeats.com/grilled-steak-basil-chimichurri-sauce/

Bacon, Egg and Cheese Brunch Ring

Bacon, Egg and Cheese Brunch Ring

• prep time 30 min
• total time 55 min
• ingredients 9
• servings 8

Ingredients

4 slices bacon, cut in half crosswise

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk

4 eggs, slightly beaten

Salt and pepper, if desired  

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury™ refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (4 oz)

Chopped fresh cilantro, if desired

1 cup Old El Paso™ Thick 'n Chunky salsa, if desired

Steps

• 1 Heat oven to 375°F. Line large cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper. In 10-inch skillet, cook bacon over medium heat about 4 minutes or until cooked but not crisp, turning once. (It will continue to cook in oven.) Set bacon aside; drain all except 2 teaspoons bacon drippings from skillet.
• 2 In medium bowl, beat 1/3 cup of the milk, the eggs, salt and pepper with fork or whisk until well mixed. Stir in bell pepper. Pour egg mixture into skillet. As mixture heats, portions of eggs will begin to set. Gently push cooked portions with metal spatula to outside edge of skillet. Avoid stirring constantly. As more egg sets, push it to the edge and place it on top of the already set egg mixture. Cook 5 to 6 minutes or until eggs are thickened throughout but still moist.
• 3 Unroll dough; separate into 8 triangles. On parchment-lined cookie sheet, arrange triangles with shortest sides toward center, overlapping in star shape and leaving 4-inch round circle open in center (see diagram). Crescent dough points may hang over edge of cookie sheet. Press overlapping dough to flatten.
• 4 Place bacon on each of the triangles. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of the cheese onto widest part of dough. Spoon eggs over cheese. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of the cheese. Pull points of triangles over eggs and cheese, and tuck under dough to form ring (filling will be visible). Carefully brush dough with remaining 1 tablespoon milk; sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup cheese.
• 5 Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool 2 minutes. With broad spatula, carefully loosen ring from cookie sheet; slide onto serving platter. Garnish with cilantro and salsa.

If you prefer, or if you can’t find the Mexican cheese blend, make your own. Mix 1/2 cup each shredded mozzarella, shredded provolone, shredded Cheddar and grated Parmesan cheeses.

Garnish each serving with chopped tomato, cilantro, green onions, sour cream or salsa. 

Stuffed Cheese Buns

Stuffed Cheese Buns 

1 cup warm water (probably somewhere between 105º and 115º. I just get it hot from the tap. Don't get it too hot or it will kill the yeast.)

2 tablespoons yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup olive oil

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

-At least 8 oz. of cheese, the more the merrier (I used chunks of mozzarella for the inside and a mixture of shredded colby and swiss for the top. I was just trying to use up all the forgotten chunks in the hidden corners of the fridge)

-Parmesan cheese

-A few tablespoons of melted butter mixed with a sprinkle of garlic powder and some fresh herbs if you want. 

Mix together the yeast and water and let it sit for a couple minutes. Add the sugar, garlic powder, melted butter, and oil. Add the flour a little and a time, mixing in your stand mixer with a dough hook. Add the salt. Knead for 10 minutes, in the stand mixer or by hand. Let the dough rise in a greased bowl (I used the same bowl) covered with a wet cloth for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375º. Divide the dough into about 20 pieces or so (you can make them as big or small as you want). Put about a 3/4 inch chunk of cheese in each one and make sure you pinch all the edges back up tightly. Put the pinched side down on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle the buns with more shredded cheese and some parmesan cheese. Bake at 375ºF for about 11-15 minutes until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. Brush with the melted butter and serve warm.

Stuffed Cheese Buns

1 cup warm water (probably somewhere between 105º and 115º. I just get it hot from the tap. Don't get it too hot or it will kill the yeast.)

2 tablespoons yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup olive oil

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

-At least 8 oz. of cheese, the more the merrier (I used chunks of mozzarella for the inside and a mixture of shredded colby and swiss for the top. I was just trying to use up all the forgotten chunks in the hidden corners of the fridge)

-Parmesan cheese

-A few tablespoons of melted butter mixed with a sprinkle of garlic powder and some fresh herbs if you want. 

Mix together the yeast and water and let it sit for a couple minutes. Add the sugar, garlic powder, melted butter, and oil. Add the flour a little and a time, mixing in your stand mixer with a dough hook. Add the salt. Knead for 10 minutes, in the stand mixer or by hand. Let the dough rise in a greased bowl (I used the same bowl) covered with a wet cloth for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375º. Divide the dough into about 20 pieces or so (you can make them as big or small as you want). Put about a 3/4 inch chunk of cheese in each one and make sure you pinch all the edges back up tightly. Put the pinched side down on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle the buns with more shredded cheese and some parmesan cheese. Bake at 375ºF for about 11-15 minutes until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. Brush with the melted butter and serve warm.

Read more at http://www.yammiesnoshery.com/2012/08/peetas-stuffed-cheese-buns.html#PZ19IYiTuZawqGEC.99

Stuffed Cheese Buns

1 cup warm water (probably somewhere between 105º and 115º. I just get it hot from the tap. Don't get it too hot or it will kill the yeast.)

2 tablespoons yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup olive oil

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

-At least 8 oz. of cheese, the more the merrier (I used chunks of mozzarella for the inside and a mixture of shredded colby and swiss for the top. I was just trying to use up all the forgotten chunks in the hidden corners of the fridge)

-Parmesan cheese

-A few tablespoons of melted butter mixed with a sprinkle of garlic powder and some fresh herbs if you want. 

Mix together the yeast and water and let it sit for a couple minutes. Add the sugar, garlic powder, melted butter, and oil. Add the flour a little and a time, mixing in your stand mixer with a dough hook. Add the salt. Knead for 10 minutes, in the stand mixer or by hand. Let the dough rise in a greased bowl (I used the same bowl) covered with a wet cloth for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375º. Divide the dough into about 20 pieces or so (you can make them as big or small as you want). Put about a 3/4 inch chunk of cheese in each one and make sure you pinch all the edges back up tightly. Put the pinched side down on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle the buns with more shredded cheese and some parmesan cheese. Bake at 375ºF for about 11-15 minutes until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. Brush with the melted butter and serve warm.

Read more at http://www.yammiesnoshery.com/2012/08/peetas-stuffed-cheese-buns.html#PZ19IYiTuZawqGEC.99

Peeta's Stuffed Cheese Buns

1 cup warm water (probably somewhere between 105º and 115º. I just get it hot from the tap. Don't get it too hot or it will kill the yeast.)

2 tablespoons yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup olive oil

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

-At least 8 oz. of cheese, the more the merrier (I used chunks of mozzarella for the inside and a mixture of shredded colby and swiss for the top. I was just trying to use up all the forgotten chunks in the hidden corners of the fridge)

-Parmesan cheese

-A few tablespoons of melted butter mixed with a sprinkle of garlic powder and some fresh herbs if you want. 

Mix together the yeast and water and let it sit for a couple minutes. Add the sugar, garlic powder, melted butter, and oil. Add the flour a little and a time, mixing in your stand mixer with a dough hook. Add the salt. Knead for 10 minutes, in the stand mixer or by hand. Let the dough rise in a greased bowl (I used the same bowl) covered with a wet cloth for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375º. Divide the dough into about 20 pieces or so (you can make them as big or small as you want). Put about a 3/4 inch chunk of cheese in each one and make sure you pinch all the edges back up tightly. Put the pinched side down on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle the buns with more shredded cheese and some parmesan cheese. Bake at 375ºF for about 11-15 minutes until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. Brush with the melted butter and serve warm.

Read more at http://www.yammiesnoshery.com/2012/08/peetas-stuffed-cheese-buns.html#PZ19IYiTuZawqGEC.99

Peeta's Stuffed Cheese Buns

1 cup warm water (probably somewhere between 105º and 115º. I just get it hot from the tap. Don't get it too hot or it will kill the yeast.)

2 tablespoons yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup olive oil

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

-At least 8 oz. of cheese, the more the merrier (I used chunks of mozzarella for the inside and a mixture of shredded colby and swiss for the top. I was just trying to use up all the forgotten chunks in the hidden corners of the fridge)

-Parmesan cheese

-A few tablespoons of melted butter mixed with a sprinkle of garlic powder and some fresh herbs if you want. 

Mix together the yeast and water and let it sit for a couple minutes. Add the sugar, garlic powder, melted butter, and oil. Add the flour a little and a time, mixing in your stand mixer with a dough hook. Add the salt. Knead for 10 minutes, in the stand mixer or by hand. Let the dough rise in a greased bowl (I used the same bowl) covered with a wet cloth for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375º. Divide the dough into about 20 pieces or so (you can make them as big or small as you want). Put about a 3/4 inch chunk of cheese in each one and make sure you pinch all the edges back up tightly. Put the pinched side down on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle the buns with more shredded cheese and some parmesan cheese. Bake at 375ºF for about 11-15 minutes until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. Brush with the melted butter and serve warm.

Read more at http://www.yammiesnoshery.com/2012/08/peetas-stuffed-cheese-buns.html#PZ19IYiTuZawqGEC.99