Category Archives: Travel/Food

Travel/Food

Brownie recipe review

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By: Norah Hoglund

Brownies are one of my favorite desserts. I love chocolate pastries and a good brownie is one of my favorite things ever. I have made many different recipes and today I am reviewing a recipe from Baker by Nature.

Link to the recipe: here

Review

This recipe made really good brownies all around. The top was crackly, just like it was advertised. They were very fudgy in the middle, but not undercooked. The edges were very crispy, which is good for the edge piece kind of people. I really enjoyed the chocolate chips that were mixed into the batter. They added a very nice texture to contrast the pastry texture. The chocolate flavor was strong, but it was still very sweet. As the brownies cooled, the edges got a bit more crispy. I personally prefer softer edges, but some people like them crispier. These brownies were really great overall and would go great with vanilla ice cream. I would rate them a 9/10 overall.

Recipe

  • 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (43g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon espresso powder optional (don’t use if you don’t like coffee)
  • 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter
  • 2 Tablespoons (28ml) oil canola, vegetable, or coconut will work
  • 1 and 1/3 cups (265g) granulated sugar divided
  • 2 large large eggs
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract optional, but recommended
  • 3/4 cup (128 grams) chocolate chips

instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F) (175 degreed C). Line an 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Spray lightly with non-stick baking spray and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder, and espresso powder. Set aside until needed.
  3. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, oil, and 1/3 cup of the sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until butter is completely melted. Remove from heat.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, egg yolk, vanilla (if using) and remaining sugar. Whisk until well combined, about 30 seconds.
  5. Slowly, pour the warm butter mixture into the egg mixture, adding it very gradually (a little bit at a time) and whisking constantly until completely combined.
  6. Add in the dry ingredients and chocolate chips and, using a rubber spatula, slowly stir until just combined.
    • *Do not over mix! Stop stirring when you see the last trace of dry ingredients. Over mixing will give you cakey brownies.
  7. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
  8. Bake for 28 (to 30 minutes) or until the edges are firm and the top is shiny and slightly cracked.
  9. Place pan on a cooling rack and cool completely before slicing.
Travel/Food

Recipe review: Everything cookies (Family recipe)

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By: Austin Bailey-Zimmerman

Ingredients:

  • 2 sticks butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups QUICK oats
  • 1 bag chocolate chips
  • 1 bag white chocolate chips
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1 cup chopped pecans or sunflower seeds

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
  2. Soften butter and in a medium mixing bowl, mix the butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla until combined.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together.
  4. Combine both bowls into one.
  5. Fold in the chocolate chips, raisins, and pecans/sunflower seeds.
  6. Roll batter into golf ball sized balls and set on a baking sheet.
  7. Bake for 8-10 mins or until golden brown.
  8. Take out and let cool.
  9. Enjoy!

Review:

Have you ever tried to find the perfect cookie to bake? For me, this recipe is it. My family and I made this recipe and decided to name these cookies “everything cookies” because they have everything you could think of for a cookie.

I associate these cookies with my mother because I have always made these cookies with my mom and older brother ever since I was a little kid. Whenever we would make everything cookies we would always have extra so we would share them with our neighbors, my grandma, and I would bring a bag to school and share with my friends at lunch. I think these cookies really made me feel connected to the people around me, especially my mom.

I have a lot of great memories making these cookies with my family. When we put them in the oven, the whole house would fill with the sweet warm smell of cookies and it would stay for the rest of the day. When we finally took the cookies out, we would always put on a movie or show and sit down in the living room with a glass of cold milk and the cookies still warm. They were always perfectly gooey on the inside, but golden around the edge.

Sometimes the ingredients change. Sometimes we add new things or take away something, but they always taste nostalgic. These have always been my favorite dessert, and maybe they’ll be yours too! Try these out! Enjoy!

Travel/Food

Review of copycat Crumbl red velvet white chocolate chip cookies

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By: Grace Wright

Recipe-

Ingredients

▢ 1 1/2 cup butter, softened

▢ 1/2 cup granulated sugar

▢ 1 1/2 cup brown sugar

▢ 2 egg

▢ 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

▢ 4 cups all purpose flour

▢ 1/2 cup cocoa powder

▢ 2 tsp baking soda

▢ 1 tsp salt

▢ red food coloring

▢ 2 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions-

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar.

Add the egg and vanilla. Mix until light in color and creamy.

Add in the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt), mix into the dough. Mix until completely combined. The dough will be soft.

Mix in the red food coloring (add until it looks like the desired color), then fold in the white chocolate chips.

Use a 1/2 cup measuring cup to portion out the dough. Roll the dough and flatten them slightly. Arrange 6 cookies per cookie sheet. This will make 12 cookies.

Bake at 350° for 15-17 minutes – the cookies should spread slightly, crackle a little bit and the centers should not look shiny and wet anymore.

Allow the cookies to cool for at least 10 minutes on the pan before serving. Serve warm.

These cookies were pretty easy to make but there would be some modifications I would make. One, I would change when you add the food coloring. The dough is a thicker kind so when it said to add the food coloring last, I struggled. I couldn’t mix the coloring evenly throughout the dough, so it ended up streaky and not really red velvet. I would recommend adding the food coloring when you are mixing all the wet ingredients. This makes sure the food coloring mixes nicely and you can add some more in the middle of mixing the dry ingredients in if you want it more red.

I would also recommend mixing the chocolate chips by hand. Once again, because the dough is thicker my stand mixer struggled getting the mix evenly throughout the dough. This made some of my cookies to have no chocolate chips or some to have a lot.

Finally, I would recommend that if you don’t like huge cookies to make them smaller. I think they are good this big but for my family we just like smaller cookies so then you don’t have to break them apart if you don’t want that big of a cookie. My parents agreed that they would have enjoyed them more if they were smaller.

I would say these are pretty close to the ones from Crumbl, but Crumbl’s have a better texture and are more flavorfull. Overall, I really liked making these cookies and they were tasty. I think most people can bake them with ease with just a few adjustments.

Here is the link to the recipe I used:

Travel/Food

Jimmy John’s

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By: Maya Song

Jimmy John’s, the popular sandwich franchise, was founded in January 1983 in Charleston, Illinois, by Jimmy John Liautaud. Jimmy John’s is an American multinational sandwich franchise.

After college Jimmy took a twenty five thousand dollar loan from his father to start a business with the promise that if his business did fail he would enlist in the United States Army. Jimmy decided on starting a hot dog cart but he later came to the realization that a hot dog cart might be too expensive for his budget and decided against the hot dog stand.

Later on Jimmy came across a sandwich shop and considered starting one himself. He knew that there’d be more ingredients so he’d have to be careful with his budget. He started to bake his own bread and purchased premium meats from a nearby neighborhood market to limit spending.

When their first restaurant opened in Charleston, the menu consisted of four different sandwiches. Over ten years later, Jimmy John’s first franchise opened in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. About three years after opening their first franchise Jimmy John’s had created their first drive through restaurant in Saint George, Utah. They then began being considered as a fast food restaurant with their drive through, quick service, and fast delivery.

The first four sandwiches The Pepe, Totally Tuna, Turkey Tom, and Vito’s are still on the menu today and are still very popular items. When Jimmy John’s first opened they had smoked ham and provolone, turkey, homemade tuna salad and capicola & salami. From there, the restaurant has been gaining more and more ingredients for customer satisfaction.

Today, the menu has 18 sandwiches and even consists of unwichs. An unwich is for those who crave less bread and carbs so the bread is replaced by lettuce leaving all unwichs with twelve grams of carbs or under.

Travel/Food

Recipe review: Peanut butter protein balls

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By: Austin Bailey Zimmerman

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup natural peanut butter or other nut butter
  • ½ cup honey
  • ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Instructions:

  1. Combine oats, peanut butter (or other nut butter), honey, chocolate chips and coconut in a medium bowl.
  2. Using a 1-tablespoon measure, roll the mixture into balls.
  3. Put balls in the fridge (or freezer) to harden.
  4. Enjoy!

Review:

This recipe was great to make. It took me less than 10 minutes to make the balls, and it was so easy. There aren’t many ingredients at all and only 3 steps! The balls themselves tasted amazing, the peanut butter was very savory so the sweet honey really balanced it out. The chocolate chips and oats gave it a bit of a crunch and great texture. Sometimes I like to dip them in melted chocolate and freeze them to make them into more of a dessert.

I absolutely love eating these before going to the gym or going on a run. They give me lots of energy and protein, just without the unnecessary additives like a protein bar has. It has all very natural ingredients and is so healthy. I also eat them just for a snack because they are very satisfying and filling.

I got this recipe from Eating Well (https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/275207/peanut-butter-energy-balls/) by Lisa Valente. She made this recipe so easy to follow and the website is very easy to navigate. The peanut butter balls were so good and so healthy, and she balanced health and a treat perfectly.

I have made these many times now, and each time they are gone very quickly because my brother likes to eat them before a workout as well. I really enjoy them, and I think you would too! Try this easy recipe out!

Travel/Food

S’mores cookie bar review

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By: Alice Rapacz

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • ¾ cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 large egg (room temperature)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (around 8 full sheets)
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 heaping cup marshmallow creme (fluff)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8-inch square baking pan or 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy (about 2 minutes).
  3. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until combined. (It may look curdled but that is ok) scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
  4. In a separate medium bowl mix together the flour, graham cracker crumb, baking powder, and salt.
  5. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix on medium speed until combined.
  6. In your prepared baking pan, spread ⅔ of the cookie dough onto the bottom of the pan. The dough will be sticky so do your best to evenly spread the dough in a thin layer.
  7. Use a spatula to spread the marshmallow creme on top of the dough. It is very sticky so just do your best to spread it in an even layer.
  8. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the marshmallow creme in an even layer.
  9. Using the remaining cookie dough, mold it into flat pieces and layer on top of the chocolate chips. (There won’t be enough dough to cover the whole top in a single layer, some marshmallow and chocolate chips will be exposed.)
  10. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
  11. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
  12. Lift the bars out of the pan and cut into squares
  13. Cover and store the leftover bars at rooms for up to 1 week.
  14. Lastly, Enjoy!

Review:

The process of making the bars was very straightforward and the recipe was easy to follow. Once the dough was made the only part that was kind of hard was the assembly, only because of how sticky the dough and marshmallow creme was. I used my hands to spread out the dough, which made it easier to make sure it was spread evenly to each corner. Using a rubber spatula to spread out the marshmallow creme was a lot easier than anything else because it didn’t stick to it as much. I found that placing a few dollops of the creme on the dough before spreading it out made it much easier.

The hardest part of the whole process was waiting. The combination of the baking time and cooling time felt like forever and the smell of sweet graham cracker filled the air.

These cookie bars were so good! The inside of the cookie was soft from the marshmallow and the actual cookie itself, and the outside had the perfect amount of crunch. The sweetness from the marshmallow complemented the bitterness from the chocolate. I wasn’t sure how the marshmallow creme would bake, I didn’t know if it would get hard like other marshmallows when they are cooked for a while, but they were still soft.

These bars were so good, I made them a second time. They were the perfect way to end the night and my family loved them. I think that these would be perfect for a summer night and definitely are a better version of the classic s’more.

Travel/Food

4 places you should visit in Minnesota

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By: Jooney Freddieson & Aalovely Lor

Picture Generated by Canva Ai

Are you bored with time to waste but can’t decide where to go? Saint Paul, Minnesota, offers a variety of indoor and outdoor venues where you can enjoy fun activities, eat delicious food, and create fun memories.

Puzzle Works – Located in the Twin Cities, offering the most exciting and intense escape rooms.

They provide a variety of rooms including The Loose Sleuth, The Vault, The Dungeons, The Hospital, and The Nightmare at the Museum, difficulty levels ranging from 5-10.

The game allows you to work together with a minimum of 4, and maximum of 10, people to solve puzzles located inside the rooms. Your mission is to complete objectives within a set time and escape.

  • The Vault: Assist an exiled prince into retrieving treasures from the bank.
  • The Loose Sleuth: Investigate the mysterious disappearance of a top detective.
  • The Hospital: Return a misplaced heart before the upcoming surgery.
  • The Dungeon: Escape execution after being caught stealing from an enchanted avocado.
  • Nightmare at the Museum: Bring an end to a doll exhibit that has been terrorized by a ghost.

A minimum of four participants are required for bookings.  Tickets cost $32.99 per person Sunday through Friday and $34.99 on Saturdays.

Location: 755 Prior Avenue North, Suite 007A, Saint Paul, MN 55114

The Burrow – A multifaceted venue that offers a variety of entertainment that is suitable for different age groups.

They offer various entertainment like axe throwing, pickleball, a private karaoke room, rope courses, outdoor mini-golf, laser tag, and multiple arcade games.

Axe throwing allows you to throw axes on targets, engaging in sessions ranging from 30-60 minutes. $20 per person for 30 mins and $30 for 60.

Pickleball can be played on their indoor courts with a price of $15 per person for 2 hours. The private karaoke room rents for $55 an hour.

Rope Courses and Outdoor Mini-golf are seasonal, only being offered in specific weather conditions. Both activities are filled with their creatively designed courses and are set at a price of $15 per person.

Laser Tag is a fun elimination game where you get to shoot players with a laser gun, earning points for either yourself or your team, costing only $10 per person each round.

Not only does this place offer various entertainment options but they also offer dining areas with delicious food and an adult menu allowing people to relax and chill.

Location: 7053 10th Street North, Oakdale, MN 55128

Can Can Wonderland – An artistic entertainment venue filled with vintage arcade games, live performances, a mini-golf course, and a unique food and drink menu.

They offer over 150 vintage arcade games along with modern arcade games that are free to play.

They include regular live performances including music, themed nights, and talent shows. The venue updates its event calendar with upcoming shows and performances.

Can Can Wonderland offers a diverse food and beverage menu that complements its whimsical and wacky atmosphere while also including an adult menu, making this place suitable for various age groups.

Location: 755 Prior Avenue North, Saint Paul, MN 55104

Spirit Mountain – Located in Duluth, approximately 150 miles away from Saint Paul.

They offer outdoor activities, including snowboarding, skiing, adventure parks, and mountain biking. They also include a jumping pillow attraction for young kids, making this place suitable for all ages.

Winter Sports: Include 22 ski runs, terrain parks, and snow tubing.

Mountain Biking: A lift-accessed trail that caters to various skill level courses, offering both smooth and rugged paths.

Adventure Park: Features a 3,200 track alpine coaster, a 700-foot zip ride, scenic chairlift, jumping pillow, and mini-golf.

Winter Lift Tickets:

  • Alpine (13+): $80 (weekday), $86 (weekend)
  • Youth (6-12): $65 (weekday), $70 (weekend)
  • Senior (80+): $40 (weekday), $45 (weekend)

Adventure Park Tickets:

  • Alpine Coaster: $16 (online), $17 (ticket counter)
  • Zip Ride: $10 (online), $11 (ticket counter)
  • Scenic Chairlift: $14 (online), $15 (ticket counter)
  • Jumping Pillow (30-minute session): $10 (online), $11 (ticket counter)

Location: 9500 Spirit Mountain Place, Duluth, MN 55810

These spots offer many different activities and entertainment that are suitable for all interests. Next time you’re wondering how to spend your free time, consider one of these places for a fun experience and memories.

Travel/Food

Recipe review: Brookies

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By: Austin Bailey-Zimmerman

Ingredients

Brownie Batter:

  • ½ cup unsalted butter melted
  • ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips or roughly chopped chocolate
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour

Cookie Dough:

  • ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder

Instructions:

  1. Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper or grease it.
  2. Heat the oven to 350Fº.
  3. For the brownies, melt butter then stir in cocoa powder.
  4. Whisk in both sugar and the salt then add the eggs and vanilla and beat well (secret to glossy brownies is to beat the eggs and sugar very well.)
  5. Add the flour and mix until almost combined then fold in the chocolate chips
  6. Transfer the brownie batter to your prepared pan and spread into a thin layer then set aside.
  7. For the cookie dough, cream the butter, and sugars on high for 3-4 minutes or until light and fluffy.
  8. Mix in the vanilla and egg.
  9. Add salt, baking soda and powder then mix until combined.
  10. Pour in the flour and mix until almost combined then fold in the chocolate chips.
  11. Drop spoonfuls onto the brownie batter. You don’t need full coverage, it will be nice to see the brownie batter peaking through after baking.
  12. Bake at 350Fº for 35-40 mins.
  13. Allow to cool before removing from the pan and cutting.
  14. Enjoy!

Review:

These brookies were absolutely amazing. The brownie was so rich and gooey, and the cookie was perfectly browned and sweet. The chocolate chips in both were melted and tied both of them together. There was the perfect ratio of cookie to brownie, so in every bite I got a little bit of both. I paired it with a cold cup of milk and it made my night.

The recipe was easy to follow, but took up a lot of time since you have to make two different mixtures. It was all very worth it though, and now I have lots to share.

The next day while I was hanging out with my friends, I shared the brookies with them and they tasted just as good cold or warmed up in the microwave. I also gave some to my brother and he said that they were great.

I got this recipe off of Preppy Kitchen (https://preppykitchen.com/brookies/#recipe) by John Kanell. The website was easy to navigate and the recipe was amazing. He did a great job with creating the perfect brookie recipe.

I had a great time making these, and the result was so worth the time spent! It was great to share with my friends and family. Try making these yourself! Enjoy!

Travel/Food

How to make tres leches

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By: Nereida Dominguez Remedios

Image by @joefoodie via Wikimedia Commons

According to the Loco Gringo food blog, in the 19th century, there was a recipe floating around Mexico for a bread cake that was soaked in wine and topped with custard. This is thought to be a spin of the Italian tiramisu or the English trifle, both alcohol soaked sponge cakes with heavy cream, cheese and sugar! All recipes were a great way to reconstitute leftover, stale cookies, cake or bread into a great dessert.

There are several different styles of tres leches such as, coffee, chocolate, piña colada, strawberry, and coconut. But many people enjoy and prefer regular tres leches.

Oftentimes there are tres leches that have fillings like strawberry, pineapple, cookies and cream, or peanuts and another filling could be peaches.

The things you will need to make the cake will be listed below:

  • cake mix of choice (I use Betty Crocker’s or make your own)
  • sweetened condensed milk (I use la Lechera)
  • evaporated milk (Carnation)
  • regular milk (of choice)
  • heavy whipping cream
  • sugar
  • vanilla extract 
  • measuring cups

The majority of time when I make tres leches I often use cake mix. I follow the instructions on the box then when I take out the cake I let it cool down for at least one hour.

Once it is cooled down I begin to poke holes all around the cake with a fork.

While it’s cooling down, you can make the milk mixture (tres leche) by pouring a can of condensed milk with a can of evaporated milk (both contain a cup and a half) and lastly you add one cup of regular milk (of your desire).

Once you have finished the milk mixture you may add it to the cake and let that sit in the fridge for one hour to a hour and a half.

Once the milk soaks into the cake you may start the whipping cream. You use a cup and a half of heavy whipping cream and one fourth of a cup of sugar and lastly a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Once all the ingredients are in a bowl you may begin to mix them into a thick consistency. After that, you may put it on the cake.

If you would like, you also can put cinnamon as a topping, or strawberries, then you will have a tres leches cake.

You may now enjoy! 

For more information, please visit:

Travel/Food

Best sites to see in the Twin Cities

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By: Maggie Hong

Image via Wikimedia Commons

As we get closer to summer, there’s a lot of free time in the future. One great way to fill this time is exploring our cities through museums and historical sites. The Twin Cities Area has lots to offer when it comes to art, culture, and history. Here are three of my favorites, perfect for all ages and interests.

Minneapolis Institute of Art— Mia is a must see site in the Twin Cities. It has 143 galleries, showcasing almost 5,000 years of artwork from around the world. Permanent exhibits include African, Asian, American Indian, and European galleries, as well as various eras of American art. More immersive galleries include rooms decorated in Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie Style and period rooms themed around the Renaissance era, Ancient Japan, and the American 1950s. Be sure to check out rotating exhibits, which feature local and international artists.

Mill City Museum— The Mill City Museum might not be on the top of everyone’s sightseeing list, but it’s one of the most interesting museums in the cities. Built in the ruins of downtown Minneapolis’ Gold Medal Flour factory, this museum has interactive exhibits themed around Minnesotan milling history. Board historic train cars, bake bread, and ride a flour elevator while you learn about the people who worked in one of Minnesota’s biggest industries. A highlight of this museum for me is walking through the ruins park; a part of the building preserved as it was after the 1878 Mill City disaster, an explosion which leveled the building and damaged much of the surrounding area. You can see the old walls, outlines of rooms, and pieces of metal equipment that survived the fire.

Historic Fort Snelling— Historic Fort Snelling is a great place to learn about Minnesotan history, as well as experience the beauty of the Mississippi riverbank. Watch cannons fire and historic reenactors march military routes in this 1800s fort. Fort Snelling is also a great place to learn about Native history. Learn about Dakota language, history, and culture from community members and historic actors, and see how native people were treated during Fort Snelling’s time as an internment camp. Lastly, hear the story and see the living quarters of Dread Scott, a slave who sued the US government for his family’s freedom. So much history and many monumental moments have taken place at Fort Snelling, right in Highland’s backyard.