Tag: food blogger

Baltimore Orioles’ Adam Jones Hits a Home Run in Local French Fry Challenge

Published on by neverbeensoLeave a comment

It’s no secret Adam Jones is a stellar ball player, but did you also know he’s a huge connoisseur of food?? He has been part of the Care First Fan Challenge for years, in which Jones encourages fans to challenge him to various activities. And in recent years, the challenges have become more centered around food; in 2014, it was a Burger Competition and in 2015, it was a BBQ Battle. Not only is this year’s challenge food related, but it’s a cook-off competition with one special twist: the submission must be a ballpark-themed menu item!

The Challenge

After a week of entries, the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) announced that Jones hand-selected the 2016 winner: husband and wife duo, Kevin and Elizabeth Irish, owners of restaurant The Local Fry. This local federal hill spot serves up sandwiches and specialty fries topped with items such as Carnitas, Southwestern BBQ, Kimchi Pork Belly, and my personal favorite, Buffalo Chicken.

The competition took place August 3, 2016 during O’s Xtra, the Orioles exclusive pre-game show, before the Birds took on the Rangers. If competing against Jones wasn’t enough to make the Irishes nervous, the competition came stocked with a panel of local celebrity judges, including Chef Chad Gauss of The Food Market, located in Hampden, 13-year old Bryce Taylor, a Food Network Teen Chef and Junior Finalist from Food Network’s show, ‘Chopped Junior’ from Mount Washington. (Watch the video here) and Zach Britton, pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles.

Chris Person, Sous Chef for Dempsey’s Brew Pub and Restaurant, where the competition took place, served as Jones’ assistant for the event.

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Kevin and Elizabeth Irish prepping for the competition.

The Outcome

The Irishes came in hot with two options for the judges: fries topped with braised short rib, crema, pickled red onion and toasted sesame seeds, as well as fries topped with jerk chicken, mango salsa and cole slaw. But it wasn’t enough to beat the reigning champion. It was a sweep across the three judges, all unanimously picking Jones’ fries topped with carne asada, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and cilantro, “a mountain of calories” as Jones referred to them.

Chef Bryce Taylor said of Jones’ fries, “they were the best thing I’ve had to eat today so far.” Chef Chad Gauss went on to say, “the ingredients were the perfect consistency to enhance the french fries and not damage the potato.” Being that he’s a “huge fan of comfort food,” these hit a home run for him.

Jones presented the Irishes with an idea to add his fries to The Local Fry’s menu. We’ll see if they make an appearance in the coming weeks. Congrats Adam!!

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The Local Fry – Braised short rib, crema, pickled red onion and toasted sesame seeds.
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The Local Fry – Jerk chicken, mango salsa and cole slaw.
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Adam Jones – Carne asada, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro, salsa, and cheese.
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Jones watching on as Chef Bryce Taylor, Chef Chad Gauss and Zach Britton make their decisions.
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Adam Jones Wins with his Carne Asada fries!

 

Treatsie Review and 50% Off!

Published on by neverbeensoLeave a comment

Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE my sweets. Could literally live off sugar. I also really love subscription boxes (continue reading for a 50% off coupon!!). Receiving packages in the mail is my favorite, so I always find it hard to say no to getting pretty little boxes dropped off at my door step on a monthly basis.

Treatsie combines both of these loves into one little package and I have to say I’m really digging it. I tried it out for the first time this month (you can purchase various plans – monthly, quarterly, annually – you know how subscription boxes work).

Treatsie Review and 50% Off

Now let’s get into the goodies. Conveniently, I received my June Box on a 98 degree day with a heat advisory, so naturally I thought, everything would be melted. NOPE. Treatsie surrounds the box with ice gel packs and just incase that isn’t enough, they have a melt-free guarantee. If a product arrives melted, you contact them and they’ll replace it! #neverbeenso impressed.

June’s box came loaded with the following four products:

1. Lemon Cooler Cookies by Love, Cookie
Lemon Cooler Cookies by Love, Cookie

You don’t get 1 or 2 cookies, you get a whole sleeve! And these cookies had just the right amount of lemon! Super refreshing on this HOT day!

2. The Original Brownie by Salt of the Earth Bakery
The Original Brownie

Oh.my.god. That’s literally all I kept thinking in my head after every bite. This brownie incorporates a trio of chocolate with a dash of Halen Mon sea salt. So soft and chewy. I still can’t stop thinking about this brownie. I’ll have an entire box of these, please.

3. Black Lava Sea Salt Caramels by McCrea’s Candies
Black lava sea salt caramels

These little babies are dangerous. I could just pop them in my mouth all day! Again, the pairing of chocolate and sea salt takes away all self-control.

4. Maple Almond Brittle by Sweet on Vermont
Maple Almond Brittle

I have to say I’ve never been a fan of brittle. But this stuff is pretty amazing. The rich maple syrup flavor paired with the crushed almond is a match made in heaven!

Overall, I have to give Treatsie five stars! There wasn’t one item I didn’t like, the portions were good size (except that they had me wanting more more), and the packaging was on point. Have I convinced you to try Treatsie?! Well you’re in luck! If you use code “NEVERBEENSO50” on Treatsie.com you’ll get 50% off your first order! (That’s only $9.98 for 1 month, $28.43 for 3 months and $101.50 for the whole year)! 

What are you waiting for?!

Bacon Jams GIVEAWAY and Recipe for Bacon Jam Deviled Eggs with Pancetta

Published on by neverbeenso2 Comments

Guys this post is HUGE! Not only am I sharing a fantastic recipe for deviled eggs, but I’ve partnered with The Bacon Jams to give away a free jar to one of my lucky followers (more about that in a bit!).

Bacon Jams GIVEAWAY and Recipe for Bacon Jam Deviled Eggs with Pancetta

As you read in 11 Baltimore Restaurants Doing Deviled Eggs Right, deviled eggs are one of my most recent obsessions and I’m not mad about it. However, I just recently made these babies for the first time! I’ve seen tons of recipes online, but had some plans of my own.

Thanks to a giveaway hosted by Official Food Group, I won a variety pack from The Bacon Jams including their original flavor, Red Chile and Garlic, and Black Pepper. I started putting the original flavor on EVERYTHING and then started experimenting with the others. I thought to myself, how good with this stuff be incorporated in deviled eggs! After a few recipe revamps, I came up with the MOST DELICIOUS combination and I can’t stop making them! And because I love all of your support so much, I decided to host a giveaway myself to pay it forward AND include this recipe!

RULES FOR GIVEAWAY:
1. Head on over to Instagram and follow @neverbeenso and @thebaconjams
2. Like the photo associated with this post/giveaway
3. Tag 2 bacon-loving friends
**Open to U.S. residents only**
Winner will be picked randomly and will receive one jar of his/her choosing (original, red chile and garlic or black pepper). 

Announced Friday, June 17 on Instagram!!

Now for the recipe! First, I tried these without the pancetta to make it easier (and still totally delicious), BUT if you have the time it’s definitely a nice addition of texture!

I read about several different takes on what makes the eggs easiest to peel. I found that adding vinegar and salt to the boiling water, as well as peeling them under cool running water worked nicely. But I’m always up for new tips! Leave your suggestions in the comments below!

NOTE: The recipe below is for 12 deviled eggs (6 whole eggs), but the pictures included show only 6 deviled eggs.

Bacon Jams GIVEAWAY and Recipe for Bacon Jam Deviled Eggs with Pancetta

I love using this handheld strainer to gently remove the eggs and place them in a cold water bath.

Bacon Jams GIVEAWAY and Recipe for Bacon Jam Deviled Eggs with Pancetta

You will have more pancetta for the servings below.

Bacon Jams GIVEAWAY and Recipe for Bacon Jam Deviled Eggs with Pancetta

Bacon Jams GIVEAWAY and Recipe for Bacon Jam Deviled Eggs with Pancetta

Who doesn’t love a hot sauce surprise??

Bacon Jams GIVEAWAY and Recipe for Bacon Jam Deviled Eggs with Pancetta

Bacon Jams GIVEAWAY and Recipe for Bacon Jam Deviled Eggs with Pancetta

Bacon Jam Deviled Eggs with Pancetta

  • Servings: 12
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients
6 large eggs
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp vinegar
½ cup pancetta, cubed
¼ cup mayo
1 tsp yellow mustard
1 tbsp sweet pickle relish
2 tsp bacon jam (any flavor, I used original)
Fresh ground black pepper
Kosher salt
Hot Sauce (any brand, I used Frank’s)

Directions
1. In a saucepan, combine the eggs with cold water and cover by 1 inch. Add 1 tbsp of salt and 1 tbsp vinegar and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, remove the pan from the heat and cover. Let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Fill a bowl halfway with ice and cold water. Once the 10 minutes are up, transfer the eggs to the bowl of ice water and let sit for 5 minutes.
3.  While the eggs are cooking, spray a nonstick pan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Fry the pancetta until it starts to brown, transfer to paper-towel lined plate to cool.
4.  Peel the eggs under cold running water. Halve the eggs lengthwise, then carefully pry out the yolks and transfer to a bowl.
5. Add the bacon jam, mayo, mustard, relish, salt and pepper to taste and mash or beat until smooth. (I found that using a hand mixer here makes the filling super smooth).
6. Squirt a dab of hot sauce inside the empty egg white.
7. Fill a sandwich sized plastic bag with the yolk filling (if you fold the edges of the bag down, the bag will be easier to fill). Force all of the filling to one corner of the bag, snip off the end with scissors, and pipe the filling into the egg whites.
8. Top with pancetta.

NOTE: I like to refrigerate my eggs for at least 30 minutes to get them extra cold, but up to you!

 

You Can Make This Blue Apron Meal All On Your Own (And You Need to ASAP!)

Published on by neverbeensoLeave a comment

We LOVE Blue Apron in our house. We like to do it once a month as a treat; it gives us a nice break from meal planning and grocery shopping. What I really love about Blue Apron is it brings new flavors into our house that we wouldn’t normally cook with and we don’t end up having to buy an entire bottle or package of a unique ingredient and watch it go to waste.

Occasionally, we come across a flavor profile that is so out of this world delicious, YET not totally off the wall and when that happens I set the recipe aside because I know this is one I’ll make again on my own. This time, it was the Seared Pork Chops and Fig Compote with Kale and Farro Salad. OH MY GOODNESS, was this delicious. and beautiful. and easy!

While I’m not new to the flavor of fig (I love it!), I am new to cooking with them and pairing them with pork. Normally I just slather fig jam all over every soft cheese I can find. However, this recipe called for dried figs and you can find them ANYWHERE!

You Can Make This Blue Apron Meal On Your Own (And You Need to ASAP!)

The kale and farro salad paired so well with the lemon juice and the pork, I literally could not put my fork down. Excuse my  lack of photos, I was starving, and didn’t think I’d be sharing this recipe, but I would be doing a disservice if I did not pass this along. Share your Blue Apron faves with #neverbeenso!

You Can Make This Blue Apron Meal On Your Own (And You Need to ASAP!)

Golf Ball Cake Pops for Father’s Day 

Published on by neverbeenso4 Comments

Father’s Day is coming and you know what that means, you get to celebrate the wonderful men in your life, especially your dad (aka the hardest person to shop for)!

If your dad is an avid sportsman like mine, over the years you’ve probably exhausted him with every ounce of paraphernalia of every single one of his sports team’s and any type of sports equipment you could get your hands on. I’ve also gone the route of bringing him things to eat and drink (dad loves a cold beer). This year I took it to a new level and combined both of the ideas I’ve been using for the last 28 years!

I give you golf ball cake pops!

Really any sport will do, as long as you find the mold online and Amazon has an awesome selection. I used these molds (for the balls) and sticks (for the tees) and they worked perfectly!



I tried a couple different cake recipes. I really wanted to somehow incorporate beer, but all of the cake recipes I found that included beer were basically inedible, IMO. Including a very basic cake pop recipe below.

One Little Project has a ton of different cake pop flavor variations.

Here are some tips for coating cake pops that I’ve found helpful.

Once your cake pops are beautiful. Grab an old slab of wood, drill a few holes and you’ve got the perfect presentation of tees on a course! [I’ve also found this is a great way to dry your cake pops].

Golf Ball Cake Pops

  • Servings: 24
  • Difficulty: moderate
  • Print

Ingredients
1 box white cake mix (and ingredients called for on the box)
1 jar white frosting
1 package Candiquik melting chocolate (or any other variation that works for you, but I swear by Candiquik) + 2 tablespoons of white chocolate
Cake pop molds and sticks

Directions
1. Prepare cake (9×13 or 2 rounds) as directed and let cool.
2. Add cake to bowl and crumble until it resembles fine crumbs.
3. Using your hands to incorporate, add frosting a little bit at a time until cake can be formed into a ball, yet slightly crumbly.
4. Freeze your balls for 20 minutes.
5. Melt the 2 TBSP of white chocolate and dip sticks into chocolate and into balls, place back in the freezer for 20 mins.
6. Melt the Candiquik according to directions and then cover each cake pop with the melted chocolate and place into the mold.
7. Let them harden for 10 minutes or so and place on your stand!

Oreo Stuffed Churro Cupcakes

Published on by neverbeenso2 Comments

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!! This is one of my favorite holidays to celebrate. Tacos, margaritas, tequila, guac; what else do you need? As I was sitting at work today, I couldn’t help but crave churros and wanted to share that craving with my co-workers. However, I was a little late to the game in preparation and decided to think up something quick and easy in my head that I could prep tonight and bring in tomorrow (or this weekend, if I became too lazy).

For the sake of time, I decided to enhance store-bought mix and icing. I figured I could just throw some cinnamon in the batter and call it a day, UNTIL I spotted cinnamon bun oreos! So, I decided to stuff my cupcakes with the oreos and add a little crunchy layer underneath the icing to give them a churro-esque texture.

Alas, Oreo Stuffed Churro Cupcakes. Now, if you don’t have time to whip these up before tomorrow’s festivities, why not expand your Cinco Celebration throughout the weekend?? Or make them just because; they’re that good (AND EASY)!

Oreo Stuffed Churro Cupcakes

Oreo Stuffed Churro Cupcakes

Oreo Stuffed Churro Cupcakes

Oreo Stuffed Churro Cupcakes

Oreo Stuffed Churro Cupcakes

Oreo Stuffed Churro Cupcakes

Oreo Stuffed Churro Cupcakes

Oreo Stuffed Churro Cupcakes

Oreo Stuffed Churro Cupcakes

Oreo Stuffed Churro Cupcakes

  • Servings: 24
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients
1 box white cake mix (and the ingredients called for on the box)
2 jars cream cheese icing
1 package cinnamon bun oreos (or golden if you can’t find these – and add ground cinnamon)
4 tablespoons of butter, melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 TSP ground cinnamon
Cupcake liners (since these were for Cinco De Mayo, I used red, green and white)
Decorative pieces (found these edible mustaches at Party City)

Directions
1.  Mix cake batter according to box directions. 
2.  Line your muffin tins and pour 1 tbsp batter into each liner and then place one oreo into each liner and push down (the batter should hug the oreo, but not cover). Then place 1-2 tbsp more batter into each liner until they are 3/4 full.  
3.  Bake according to box directions (mine were perfect in 17 mins).
4. Move the cupcakes to a wire rack and cool completely.
5. Once cooled completely, mix granulated sugar and ground cinnamon in a bowl. Brush melted butter on the tops of each cupcake and then dip into cinnamon sugar mixture.
6. Top with cream cheese frosting and decorative pieces.
7. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Set out 20 mins prior to serving.