Casablanca

I haven’t done a restaurant review on here in a long time because I’ve shared pretty much all of my favorite Memphis eats at some point or another already. However, Casablanca is a place we’ve discovered this year and really enjoy.

Hummus with pita is a favorite of ours. Casablanca’s is good, but I wouldn’t say it’s better than the hummus at other places we’ve eaten here in Memphis.

Christopher loves their Super Sandwich which is a pita stuffed with lamb, beef, and chicken not to mention all the other goodness you see above.

And chicken kabobs will always be my favorite. They are seasoned so well here! The “veggies” it comes with on the side are really more just a couple of starchy potato and sweet potato chunks, but the delicious kabob makes up for it.

In general Christopher and I agree on all our favorite places to eat here in Memphis, but we are definitely split when it comes to our favorite Middle Eastern / Mediterranean place. I still prefer Zam Zamz. I love a good chicken kabob and the one at Zam Zamz is so great. And less expensive than Casablanca’s. And we love the hummus at both places equally. However, Christopher prefers the rich flavors of the other dishes at Casablanca. Plus we can both agree that the decor at Casablanca’s is more fun.

If you are looking for a quick and affordable lunch, Zam Zamz is your place. If you want a slightly nicer place where you will sit down and be there for a bit (and pay a bit more), then check out Casablanca. Or better yet, try them both and let me know which you prefer! 🙂

A Healthier Cake-in-a-Mug

So this isn’t a healthy snack. Don’t read the title above incorrectly. It’s a healthier version of the traditional cake-in-a-mug recipe (you know, the one that includes oil and sugar). But this isn’t exactly like having a sliced apple for a snack. 😉 Now that we’ve got that out of the way, I want to share with you guys our favorite way to make cake-in-a-mug!

A Healthier Cake-in-a-Mug

Ingredients:

4 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tbsp granulated Stevia
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
2 tbsp Egg Beaters (or 1/2 of a whisked egg)
4 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
3 tbsp no sugar added applesauce
splash vanilla
3 tbsp dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Add ingredients to mug and mix together. We have a tiny whisk that we use for this and it’s perfect for making sure everything is combined perfectly. Microwave on high for 1 minute or until middle of cake is set. Enjoy!

Speaking of mugs… apparently I have an affinity for them. Which means we have a bunch of them. And I love them all. Want to see?

Travel related mugs! All but one of these were gifts from friends and family over the years. The only one we actually bought was the blue one right in the middle which we found at a thrift store. It’s from the Cinque Terre which was one of our favorite places we’ve traveled. From Left to Right: Wuhan, China (where I spent my teen years), Tupelo (where we filmed a commercial), Rome, Cinque Terre, Prague, Czech Republic, and Disneyland Tokyo (where I visited as a teenager, but apparently have never blogged about).

The mug on the far left was the first set of mugs that we ever owned as newly weds. We ended up giving a couple of them away over the years and as our random mug collection grew I realized that I didn’t feel strongly about having all matching mugs so we gave the rest away as well. The rest of these are a mix of gifts and ones I found on sale at Target and thrift stores.

The three on the left were gifts, but the two on the right were Target discount finds. I just love them so much!

So yes, we have 18 mugs. For 2 people. And I’ve had to slow myself waaaay down on purchasing them over the years (even when they are the cutest ever and super cheap) since we’ve been given so many as gifts. But I have to tell you guys, we use them for everything! Sometimes I use them in place of anything I would put in a bowl (like soup, cereal, or oatmeal). Obviously we use them for cake-in-a-mug and of course we drink from them as well. So while we probably don’t need this many mugs, we certainly use them! 🙂

Do you find yourself drawn to cute mugs?

Have you ever had cake-in-a-mug?

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

A few years ago I shared a recipe on this blog for lemon poppyseed muffins. I’m not sure where I initially got this recipe, but I’ve been making it again lately and it is such a winner! So I wanted to share with with you guys. 🙂

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp poppy seeds
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar in the raw
2 tbsp lemon zest (2 large lemons)
1/4 cup melted butter
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Zest the lemons over a small bowl of sugar. Rub the sugar and zest together until the sugar is slightly moist and fragrant.

2. Add egg, melted butter, buttermilk and vanilla. Mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add liquid ingredients to the dry slowly and stir just until moistened. Be careful not to over-stir. Fold in poppy seeds.

3. Spray muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Divide muffin batter evenly into 36 mini muffin cups. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

I made these recently for a group of friends and they were such a hit! I had forgotten  just how yummy they are and how amazing they smell as they bake!

Speaking of baking things… I will be baking today. Apparently the ridiculous number of freezer meals I have stocked up suddenly doesn’t feel like enough and I’m itching to bake and freeze some scones and waffles as well. And I’m planning to bake cookies for the nurses (to take in with us when I deliver) so I’ll pop those in the freezer until we head to the hospital. I’ve never actually frozen baked cookies before, but I’ve heard they thaw quickly at room temperature and are super delicious. So here’s to hoping!

Does anyone have experience with freezing baked cookies?

What was the last thing you baked?