11-20-10 On board the Carnival Triumph with our Sign & Sail Cards

Hey Young Chefs!

During the Thanksgiving holiday week I went on a Carnival Cruise to Belize, Honduras, and Mexico! It was exciting. I ate a lot of tasty food, had some thrilling adventures, and had the time of my life. (Sing Fergie!) LOL

11-20-10 Taking a picture before we set sail, with New Orleans as our backdrop

We were on the Carnival Triumph. It was my first time on a cruise ship. Boy, was it BIG. On the Lido Deck (Floor 9), there was a humongous screen for an outdoor theater; 4 swimming pools and 5 Jacuzzi tubs; a basketball court; and a putt putt golf course.

11-20-10 Paw Paw enjoys putt putt golf with my cousins, Ashlynn & Camrynn on the top deck of the ship

The view from the top deck was amazing. Here is a picture of the city of New Orleans. Pretty!

11-20-10 A picture of the city of New Orleans from the aft of the top deck of the Carnival Triumph

After the ship set sail, we had dinner and then we went to a family dance party at the Hollywood Dance Club. We even learned a new dance called “The Wobble.” It’s so much fun!

11-20-10 My mom, my cousins and I dance at a family dance party in the Hollywood Dance Club. We learned a new dance called the Wobble!

It was a fun ending to a great first day on the Carnival Triumph. More to come!

Cool Kids Cook and Cruise!

Bon Appetit, Kid Chef Eliana

Hey Young Chefs!

Tonight’s dinner was definitely delish! Mommy and I made Top Sirloin steaks, tantalizing twice-baked taters, and grilled cabbage. Yum! Yum!

Here I am wrapping the potatoes for baking. Thank you, Aunt Heidi, for the idea to make bake potatoes with our steaks!

I made my own seasoning blend for the steaks using three different kinds of seasoning including “Eliana’s Magic Seasoning Blend.”

Once the steaks were seasoned, they were thrown on the grill. We also grilled cabbage, which came out fantastic. To grill cabbage, cut the cabbage into four quarters. Drizzle with a little olive oil, season to your liking (we added minced garlic too), and wrap in foil, leaving a little air pocket at the top. Grill for 45 minutes to one hour on low heat. Here is the recipe for our potatoes.

Tantalizing Twice-Baked Taters
Ingredients:
4 Russett or Idaho Brown potatoes
1 1/2 c. light sour cream
1 c. grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 c. grated Pepper Jack cheese
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper

Directions:
Wrap potatoes in aluminum foil and bake potatoes at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and remove foil. Scoop out insides of potato and place in large bowl. Place empty skins back in the oven to crisp them (without foil) while you prepare the filling. Mash potatoes. Add remaining ingredients to potato and mix thoroughly. Spoon into potato skins and bake for 20 minutes. As soon as spuds are taken out of the oven, top with a little cheese and chives (optional) for presentation. Serve hot.

For dessert, we had bananas and fresh blueberries with a little Mexican table cream poured on top. Then we sprinkled dark chocolate chips and added a dollop of Cool Whip. Talk about tasty!

Cool kids cook so get creative in the kitchen!

Bon Appetit, Eliana