Refreshing Detox Water for Warm Weather

The weather has taken a delightful turn; the sun is shining, the grass is green, the temperature is toasty, perfect days to sit outside on a blanket and get some work done. When the we reach this point of the year, I'm in constant need of hydration. I try hard to drink enough water to keep me sated, but honestly, who doesn't get bored with water every so often. It's also times like these that I yearn to sit on the porch and sip some sweet tea while I watch my dog bound through the yard. Though tea is refreshing and delicious, it's the opposite of hydrating, and even after drinking three glasses I still find myself parched.

This is where "detox" waters come in. Now, I put the detox in quotations because, while it's called detox water, I don't actually care about the "amazing weight loss abilities" or whatever Pinterest users write to sell thier recipes to viewers, I only care about the flavor the fruits and herbs add to ice cold water (is that bad?). With the hotter weather and the increase in assignments and studying, what better recipe to make than the simple yet delicious detox waters I found scrolling through Pinterest?

Recipe 1: Lemon with Mint

First I decided to start with a classic, Lemon and Mint. Now I think we all know that lemon goes well in water, so I took the liberty of squeezing a few of the slices to aid in the flavor. I also froze the lemons for about half an hour to serve as pseudo-ice cubes, although it was rather cold today. This recipe was very addicting, and I found myself having drank half of my 1000mL bottle in around fifteen minutes, what with the light lemon flavor and the refreshing mint as a side note.

Recipe 2: Pineapple with Mint

This recipe was... iffy at first. I was intrigued at the thought of pineapple, which is abnormal for me, since I'm not typically a fan of the overly sour flavor of pineapple. But I took a leap for this recipe, and suffered through carrying the sticky, juice-covered package as I tried desperately to remember what else I needed from McLanahan's. And at first I was rather disappointed. The mint hadn't soaked in yet, and the pineapple they sold at McLanahan's left something to be desired (I could tell by the pale yellow color before I even bought it). I tried really hard to like it, but after several sips I gave up on it. I didn't touch it for maybe half an hour, then decided to give it a second chance and, bam, I'm sold. The pineapple flavor still wasn't as prominent as I would have liked, but I'm attributing that to the low quality of the fruit to begin with. The mint had soaked long enough to seep into the water, and that really did the trick. Add some ice to cool down, and a nice breeze, and this drink was everything I hoped for.

Korean Snack Review

This week has been one hectic swarm of assignments and studying, followed by a sudden realization that I have yet to make anything for my blog this week. I had very little time to actually attempt to cook in my dorm room, let alone the will and determination that is required to microwave pasta for over ten minutes for mediocre results. But what I do have is Korean friends that bring me snacks. So here we are:

Korean snack review will start here.

In case you've ever walked through downtown and wondered what those fun looking snacks are in the windows, hopefully this will give you some courage to stop in and try some.

 First snack: "Onion Flavored Rings"

Okay, so, it doesn't necessarily sound like the best, but trust me. These things taste like real onion rings (hence the "onion flavored"). At first I just thought, "wow thanks for bringing me Funyuns, gross," but these are addicting. Out of all the snacks I got, I reached for these the most. I will warn you, though, you'll be smelling onion for awhile, so wash you hands and brush your teeth after eating these.

Second snack: Corn Cho: Hazelnut Choco

These are another under dog for me. As someone who has travelled to Germany, eaten the food, and fully enjoys the culture, when I saw hazelnut, I was immediately intrigued. But once I read the "corn," I was confused. Corn? With Chocolate? It didn't seem like an appetizing combination. I couldn't shake my initial interest and, boy, was I surprised when I tried it. The puff is the same consistency of a Cheeto Puff with a light corn flavor that oddly compliments the sweet chocolate coating. Compared to the multitude of hazelnut candies I've consumed in Germany the flavor on the puffs is rather weak, but I'm not mad at it. These are quite possibly my new favorite snack, second only to the onion flavored rings that I can't stop eating.

Third snack: Cookie and Cream Pepero

If you went through that anime phase in middle school, or you're just a snack enthusiast, then you're probably familiar with Pocky, the Japanese chocolate covered biscuit sticks. Pepero are basically the Korean version of Pocky (sorry, nobody kill me). These ones are dipped in white chocolate and coated with cookie crumbles, and taste about as delicious as you expect anything cookies and cream flavored to taste. They taste rather delicious, but I don't reach for them as often as I do the onion rings.

Last snack: Choco Pies

These are a fairly popular snack that I've seen my friends eat on a few occasions. A choco pie is marshmallow sandwiched in two soft cookies and dipped in chocolate. Honestly, I probably won't buy these again. They aren't the worst, but they didn't blow my mind. Choco pies are also very crumbly, and as someone who fully enjoys eating in bed, the crumbs are somewhat of an inconvenience. My grandpa is fond of Mallo Cups and the like, so these made me think of him.

Overall, my advice to you is go get some Korean snacks. They might seem a little strange at first, but the weirdest ones are the snacks I like best. Also pro tip: if you like to collect bags of snack and never finish them, but you don't have any bag clips, or you've simply collected so many snacks, use binder clips to close your bags! Nothing's worse than opening a bag of chips only to find they've gone stale from sitting out.

Microwavable Mac 'n Cheese Pt. 2

Two weeks ago I took on the task of deciding the best way to microwave Mac 'n Cheese. I've already cooked a recipe using cheese, milk, and elbow noodles. Now, let's see which recipe is better, the last one, or the typical, box-style Mac 'n Cheese.

(A quick disclaimer: My phone has moved on from this world and I was unable to take actual pictures this week, but as it turns out, there was not much need.)

What you'll need for this recipe:

1. One box of Mac 'n Cheese of your choice (I used Kraft)
2. 4 Tablespoons of butter (measured on the package, if you weren't sure)
3. A little bit of milk
4. Water
5. A bowl

In case you weren't sure (image compliments of Kraft)

This recipe is very similar to both the instructions on the box and my microwavable pasta recipe. Start by boiling a bowl of water for 10 minutes. Once the water is close to boiling, add the pasta and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes, or until the pasta is tender. Get out your trusty winter gloves (so you don't burn yourself) and drain the pasta. This is honestly the worst part of this recipe (did I mention this last time I made pasta?) because I'm absolutely terrified of spilling boiling water on myself.

Once you have the cooked noodles in a bowl, add butter, milk, and cheese mix. This is exactly like making Mac 'n Cheese at home, so feel free to revert back to your old ways and personalize however you want. I added more milk and butter because I am a glutton and also didn't want to buy a whole box of butter just for a few tablespoons. Mix until its all combined (you might need to pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to help melt the butter in a timely manor) and there you have it! Microwaved box Mac 'n Cheese.

Now for what you all came here for: the review. I hate to be that guy, but, honestly, I'm lazy and have extremely specific Mac 'n Cheese tastes that almost entirely revolve around it being made from a box with no actual cheese involved. While I've recently garnered a taste for other Mac 'n Cheeses, like the one from McAllister's and that I made a few weeks ago, I still prefer this box method (although I'd rather make it on a stove).

What I learned from this experience? You can make Mac 'n Cheese in a microwave and, whether you use real cheese or powder mix, get decent, comparable-to-stove-top results. Advantages to making it from the box: you get as much noodles as you need and no more. Disadvantages include an entire box of butter that I'm now going to need to use sometime soon.

Approaching End of Semester Stress Relief

I am a terrible, terrible liar. I said in last week's post I would make another Mac 'n Cheese recipe to compare this week, and hopefully you weren't looking forward to it, because I really did not make Mac 'n Cheese this week. In fact, I didn't make something to eat at all. Instead I thought about how much money I'd have to spend on an entire box of butter just to use about 3 tablespoons and leave sit in my fridge. For the same price, I could get all the ingredients to make my current obsession:

Slime.

If you aren't already hooked on slime, let me convince you. It sticks to itself, but not your hands, its cool (both figuratively and temperature-wise), is easy to make, and is all over ASMR and DIY Youtube. Now most of the channels that post DIY slime videos market the slime for children, but I don't conform to normal cooking rules, so why should I conform to their idea of what's for children?

If you still aren't convinced, here's some awesome videos of slime (that I totally did not spend time watching instead of doing my homework):

And the video I loosely used to make my very own slime:

Now to make the slime you will need:

1. One bottle of glue
2. A little bit of contact solution
3. A little bit of baking soda
4. A little bit of water

(Amazing measurements Kylie)

This recipe is extremely simple and surprisingly not messy. Start by dumping the whole bottle of glue into a medium sized bowl. Add a "1/4 cup" of water (see picture below for approximation on bottle).

I actually used less than the recipe called for (about half of the picture shown), then mix the glue and water completely. Add about a spoonful of baking soda and, once again, mix thoroughly. Once you've combined the ingredients, slowly add contact solution and mix until it does not stick to the bowl, only itself. It should not stick to you hands at all either. My advice is to continue mixing with the spoon until you are completely sure it is not sticky, as it's not difficult to use a spoon and saves you from having to pic little balls of slime off your hands.

Once the slime doesn't stick to anything, you're ready to play! Yes, it's seriously that simple. I've heard some people say to leave sit in the refrigerator for several days to get rid of air bubbles, but I didn't want to wait, and I honestly like to hear the comical noise it makes when you pop the bubbles.

As silly as this week's recipe sounds, I'm honestly so glad I made it. This recipe only cost me $4.83 and makes just the right amount to hold in one hand or pull between both hands. If anybody is having a stressful week, treat yourself to a $5 stress reliever. I've honestly relaxed myself so many times in just the two days since I've made the slime by pulling it between my hands for a few minutes while working on homework.

I hope everyone has a good week, and I hope you get a chance to make yourself some slime! (I'm not going to make any promises, but I'll probably make that Mac 'n Cheese I mentioned last time)

Microwavable Mac 'n Cheese

The beauty of Mac 'n Cheese. Whether you prefer it made with milk or creamer, lots of butter or only a little, milky and creamy or thick and cheesy, Mac 'n Cheese is one of the best American comfort foods. I have successfully made Alfredo pasta in a microwave and ever since then, I haven't been able to stop wondering if I couldn't make Mac 'n Cheese in the same way.

I don't know about you, but I absolutely hate those little individually-sized Easy Mac packages. The noodles come dusted in that mysterious white powder that no one actually knows what it is, but is required to "properly cook the noodles". Regardless of the white powder, the noodles come out mushy at best, with a subtle "freshly microwaved" after taste. You also get no creative freedom with the cheese sauce, which never thickens even after ten minutes, regardless if you prefer cheesy over creamy. I, myself, prefer creamy Mac 'n Cheese, but even for me Easy Mac leaves something to be desired. My macaroni tastes are rather specific, I'm not a big fan of baked Mac 'n Cheese, different flavored Mac 'n Cheese (like garlic and herb, etc.), and I absolutely refuse to eat it leftover.

So that brings me to this week's recipe:

1. One box of Elbow Noodles
2. One 8 oz. Bottle of Whole Milk (or 2% if you like it watered down)
3. One bag of shredded cheese of your choice (I chose Cheddar Mix)

I originally thought I would follow a similar procedure as my microwaved pasta, but I was able to find a recipe that uses a different procedure. Start by adding about 1/4 of the bottle of milk and macaroni to a microwave safe bowl. This only makes a single serving of Mac 'n Cheese, so measure the macaroni accordingly (about 1/4 of the box). Microwave this for one minute.  Stir thoroughly. Repeat microwave and stir 5-6 times, or until the noodles are fully cooked, adding milk if necessary (you should have to add milk about four times). There should be a little bit of milk left over even though the noodles are cooked; you need this to make the cheese creamy. Mix in about half of the cheese, until melted and smooth, microwaving for a few seconds if needed. The great thing about making the Mac 'n Cheese yourself: you can adjust the consistency to your tastes. I added a bit of milk to the cheese to make for a creamier sauce.

The finished product-- actually pretty appetizing, right?

After dutifully mixing for a few minutes, my macaroni is similar to that from McAllister's in consistency. The taste is very cheesy, as to be expected, which doesn't suit my tastes exactly, but turned out to be rather delicious. The consistency was just the way I like it, and I'd say ultimately this recipe was worth it. It took around 10-15 minutes to prepare, and was admittedly more difficult than making it at home on the stove, but if you have some extra time and are really craving some homemade Mac 'n Cheese, go for it! It's honestly quite similar to the Mac 'n Cheese I've made at home.

This is just one way of making Mac 'n Cheese. My pasta ambitions don't stop here, so tune in next week where I will attempt to make Mac 'n Cheese from a box and compare it to this weeks recipe.

(I Tried To Make) Oreo Chocolate Truffles

This weeks recipe (can it even be called that?) was inspired through one of my daily scrolls through Twitter, where I watched a 30 second video on how to make Oreo Truffles. I originally scrolled passed the video, until yesterday I thought, "You know, I've never made truffles before." Naturally, when I went back to find the video, it was nowhere to be found. Thinking "it can't be that hard to make" I decided to move forward with my plan.

Here's what I remember from the video:

1. Heavy Whipping Cream
2. White and Milk Chocolate
3. Oreos

Clearly this information is not enough to successfully make truffles. Regardless, here's what I did:

1. Heat up the cream (an entire pint) in the microwave for 45 seconds. Add white chocolate and heat in microwave in 30 second intervals until fully melted and combined.
2. Separate the cream from about half a package of Oreos. Crush the cookies in a plastic bag until you have fine crumbs.
3. Get really confused and microwave the cream/chocolate mixture a few more times because it isn't thick like you remember from the video.

Here's the point where my friend and I finally google (seriously, Kylie, you should have done this before you started) a recipe for Oreo Truffles. The recipe we chose was severely different from what we had already done, but we decided to call an audible in hopes of saving these truffles. Most of the other recipes we saw called for the cookie crumbs to be mixed with cream cheese to make the filling of the truffles, so we went ahead and did just that. I conveniently had almost a full container of (debatably expired) cream cheese in my fridge from when I made oatmeal.

I went ahead and added the milk chocolate to the cream mixture as well, in hopes to thicken it up and use as a dip for the truffles. Proceed to dip the cream cheese balls in the chocolate and set in the freezer for at least half an hour. I took the liberty of dipping the balls once again in the chocolate, as they were rather thinly coated and ugly.

"Meatballs and Gravy"

It's safe to say the second coat didn't help much in the aesthetics department. It also appears that the chocolate mixture is not planning on hardening like normal chocolate...

Honestly, I don't know if this is because of my lack of a kitchen, or just due to my lack of skills. My advice to you: don't make truffles in your dorm. It is entirely too messy and not worth it (at least mine). If you are feeling rather ambitious, at least use an actual recipe.

Learn from my mistakes everyone.

Rice Chex Balls

If anyone made the Funfetti Puppy Chow with me last week, then you are in the same boat as I am this week: you have half a box of Rice Chex that you don't know what to do with (unless you eat cereal in the mornings).

Never fear, our next recipe is here! I quickly searched up "things to do with rice Chex" and was shocked that I did not think of doing this earlier. As the title suggests, I made Rice Chex Bars (basically Rice Kripsie Treats but with a different cereal). I thought they would make for a good snack (I am in a relationship with Rice Krispie Treats) or an easy on-the-go breakfast. I've actually never made Rice Krispies myself, as I think the store bought ones taste better, so this was an interesting experience.

I have a mild understanding of how these types of cereal bars come to existence, so I decided to forgo a recipe. This turned into quite the collaboration because I did not have any butter in my dorm. Thanks to my relentless complaining in the group chat, a friend offered to give me enough butter for this recipe, except when he got wind of what I was making, he decided he was going to make them with me. The interesting part of this story, we didn't make them until after 9p.m., and I didn't realize until then that I hadn't bought marshmallows yet. Another friend in the same building just happened to have marshmallows, which we may or may not have taken from his room since he never locks his door ("That's why you should always lock your door," we said). Of course we shared with him as well, since we all contributed in some way to these treats.

Here's what you'll need (we do not endorse theft here at Little Cub Cooks):

Pardon my messy desk.

1. Half a stick of butter (4 Tbsp.)
2. Rice Chex
3. 1 bag of marshmallows

Now, as you can see, I (read: my friend) only had about half a bag, so we just adjusted the amount of cereal used. With half a bag of marshmallows we used approximately one fourth of the box of Chex.

You will also need, once again, as big a bowl as possible. We split the melted marshmallow into two bowls and each mixed a portion. While this recipe was rather messy, it was enjoyable with friends, so I suggest recruiting a friend to endure with you.

Step 1: Melt the butter in the microwave. (You can do this in the same bowl you plan to put the marshmallows in to reduce dirty dishes.) This only takes about 45 seconds.

Step 2: Add the marshmallows to the melted butter, mixing to coat the marshmallows evenly.

Step 3: Microwave the marshmallows until melted.

Step 4: Add the rice chex and mix until evenly coated.

Step 5: Shape into balls and place a plate in the fridge to set.

If you have wax paper or plastic wrap (or a pan) those would work best, but two plates worked just fine for the amount we made. We scooped a spoonful of cereal into our hands and made balls, but you can also make cereal bars, or any other shape. The balls were already practically set by the time they were all made, but we still placed them in the refrigerator for maybe fifteen minutes.

The only snacks left after 2 boys ravished them.

I am actually very satisfied with the way these turned out. It was a little bit of a hassle to make, but with enough time and some company, I really enjoyed making this recipe. It requires very little actual skill, just love and lots of wet wipes. I hope you can enjoy making Rice Chex Balls as well!