What's Momma Makin' - German Chocolate Cake

If you follow on Facebook or Twitter you saw this weekend that today I had a special announcement!  Well here it is - my mom will be joining us every week for What's Momma Makin' Mondays!  You guys I am so excited that she will be joining me - we have always loved to cook together but now that we are over 2,000 miles apart that's a little difficult to do!  

Let me tell you a little bit about my mom - she is freakin' superwoman (I am not kidding I swear she has a cape some days!).  She spent my childhood creating some awesome memories - she can throw a party like nobody's business (especially a Halloween party!).  She is an amazing cook and everyone is always welcome at her table.  My brother had a friend growing up who we swore knew exactly when my mom was done cooking dinner because he would be at our front door ready to eat!  But more than anything she is my biggest supporter and one of my best friends - it doesn't matter what crazy idea I have she will be there with bells on ready to go (expect maybe when I told her we were moving - not her favorite idea but she still helped me pack!).  

And today she brought cake!  Now I just wish I was back home to have a piece!  So without further ado here is my mom! 

Copycat Fisher Scones - A Puyallup Fair Speciality

We are sending Fair Week out with a bang!  A few weeks ago I took a poll on Facebook to see what everyone’s favorite fair food is and today’s recipe was the hands down winner!   So today I bring you copycat Fisher Scones.   

Easy Four Ingredient Elephant Ears

Today we continue Fair Week with one of my fair favorites – Elephant Ears!  Does your local fair serve these fried dough treats from heaven?? 

Washington State Fair Onion Burgers

Fair Week continues here at Nel's Nook!  {ok so it's more like two weeks but hey who is complaining about two weeks of fair food!}  As a kid I always remember my parents stopping and getting onion burgers at Meyer’s Hamburger stand at the fair.  And as a kid I always thought “yuck onions!”  Now that I am a little older I love onions and I couldn’t wait to recreate my parents favorite fair food – onion burgers! 

Dear Starbucks: A Sad Tale from a Displaced Seattleite

Dear my beloved Starbucks,

You and I go way back, back before I was even supposed to be drinking coffee.  Yes, I confess, I would sneak sips of my mom’s beautifully crafted nonfat lattes with extra foam before I was tall enough to peer over the counter.  As I grew up your delicious concoctions of peppermint and mocha warmed me during the cold winters and your assorted icy beverages cooled me in the summer.  I speak “Starbucks” fluently, can tell a lot about a person by what they order, and even have a gold card with my name on it to prove I am part of the club.  I studied, met friends, debated life’s tough questions, wrote countless papers, worked, mended a broken heart or two, challenged my beliefs, loved, fought, grew, cried, laughed, and lived in the comfort of your espresso wielding arms. 

Gluten Free Funnel Cake: A New Twist on a Fair Favorite

Welcome to Fair week at Nel's Nook!  Back home September means the Puyallup Fair {pronounced: pew-al-up}.  Every year over 1 million people visit the fair - that's huge for a city of only 37,000 people!  

Since we aren't there to go to the fair I decided we would bring the fair to us with all of the must-have fair foods.  We go to the fair to see the animals, people watch, see all of the funky booths, and to eat all of the foods you only get at the fair!

Illinois to Tennessee - Finally! {Part 4 of Our Cross Country Move}

After a LONG drive through South Dakota we decided to stop and site see in Chicago.  I had been before but my girlfriend hadn't (and let's be honest she really wanted to try some Chicago style pizza!).  

Going from driving through fields to driving in the city was a little bit of an adjustment and we didn't really have a plan of what we wanted to see.  I knew that the waterfront was pretty and I wanted to take her to see the Bean in the park so that's where we started:

Funny story about this park:  We were walking through the park towards the fountain and there was a group of kids - it looked like a YMCA group - and all of a sudden one kid looks at us with pure terror on his face and screams "it's a lion!" at the top of his lungs.  So everyone in the park turns to look at us... apparently kids in the city don't see dogs very often!

The pizza that my girlfriend had been talking about for days weeks - it was really good but so much cheese!

The beach through the car window - the parks in Chicago don't allow dogs (we learned that because we got kicked out!)

After a long and kinda stressful day of getting lost, I mean, driving around Chicago, we were very excited to see this sign:

Our plan for the trip was to try as many local/famous restaurants as we could.  So on our drive through Indiana I looked up places that might be good for dinner.  I stumbled across a little gem that had been featured on "Man vs Food" called Bub's Burgers and Ice Cream.  

We love Man vs. Food so we decided to give it a try!  They are famous for their "Big Ugly" burger which weighs a pound after it's cooked!  They have pictures covering all of the walls of people who have eaten one (or more!) of these giant burgers.  We didn't even try to attempt that but their normal sized burgers are delicious!  

The restaurant is in a small town just outside of Indianapolis called Carmel and it is the cutest town!  

I was so sad that this bakery was closed - it looks exactly how I want my bakery to look one day!  Plus I love the name (I have an Auntie Em who is amazing!).  If we ever are up that way again we will definitely stop here again!

Last day of the trip and this poor pup is ready to get out of the car!  She was so good the entire time!

Coffee!  Ok this Seattle girl was having some major coffee withdrawals - it had almost been a week without anything but hotel coffee and let's be honest that doesn't count.  We couldn't find a Starbucks so we decided when in Rome (or when in Kentucky, drink as the Kentuckians).  Let's just say I have some adjusting to do! 

Of course during the last few hours of the trip we got so lost!  Kentucky highways are a little confusing! 

Last little way of the trip - we are only a few miles away from our new home!

Ok y'all that's it we finally made it to our new home!  Overall the trip was not as nearly as bad as we were expecting.  We actually took about two days longer than we were planning but all of the sites that we got to see were worth it plus there was no stressful rushing!

Read about the rest of our cross country trip:

Big Changes Ahead - A Cross Country Move

Part 1: Washington to Montana

Part 2:  How to See Yellowstone in One Day

Part 3:  Quick Trip to Mount Rushmore

I will also keep you updated on how we are adapting to Southern living! 

Until next time, 

Duncan Hines Spring Bake Contest: Dark Chocolate Mocha Gooey Bottom Bars

 I have a new recipe to share you with but first a short story behind how the bars came to be….

Before we left Washington – during an exceptionally busy day at work – I opened my email and screamed!  My boss came flying into the office, certain tragedy had struck.  As I tried to explain as calmly as I could (ha yea right) – I WON! 

A Quick Trip to Mount Rushmore {Part Three of Our Cross Country Move}

After Yellowstone we made our way through South Dakota to Mount Rushmore.

We had to stop in Sturgis just to check it out.  We were there about a week before the big bike rally but people were already starting to show up.  Actually our entire trip we saw lots of motorcycles - we assumed they were all headed to Sturgis.




After learning from Yellowstone, we looked up to see if we could take our pup with us into Mount Rushmore - no dogs allowed.   Time for Plan B... We actually really didn't have a plan B we just kept following the signs for Mount Rushmore hoping to catch a glimpse.  And boy did we get lucky!  Note to anybody who A) has pets with them, B) doesn't have time to stop but really wants to see Mount Rushmore, or C) doesn't wanna pay to park - check this out:

From the road up to the park

 There is a small pull-off on the shoulder of the road where you can see the monument perfeclty

On the other side of the hill there is a parking lot where you can pull into and see the other side of the monument (you can't see the whole thing like the other side)

In the parking lot on the other side of the monument there are some boards with quick facts about the Mount Rushmore Monument - like did you know that the original plan was to make each carving down to the President's waist but they ran out of money before they got that far.  

George Washington is HUGE - his nose is about 20 feet long!

And no offense to the rest of South Dakota but we were really ready to see something other than fields and Wall Drug signs for hours!

On to Chicago next!  

Have you followed our entire trip??  Catch up here:

Big Changes Ahead - A Cross Country Adventure

Part 1:  Washington to Montana

Part 2:  How to See Yellowstone in One Day
Part 4:  Illinois to Tennessee - Finally!