Pinterest Recipes: Success and Failures

Since joining Pinterest I have pinned so many new recipes. I love to cook and try to things, so this seemed like the perfect place for me to quickly find some new ideas. What I realized that I didn’t like, was that although people pinned lots of yummy looking things, there is no way to review the dishes other than to comment on someone’s pin. Commenting does not ensure that everyone who pins the recipe will see the review. So, after some successes and some failures, I’m bringing you my review. Now if only Pinterest could find a way to incorporate this into their website!

Here are the sweets …

Pretzel, Chocolate Chip, and Peanut Butter Cookies

Super delicious! I followed the recipe exactly, with one exception. I substituted toffee chips for the peanut butter chips because that’s what I had in my pantry. I didn’t miss the peanut butter, but will definitely try them soon too! I took these up to a girls’ weekend getaway and they went over really well. I don’t know that everyone shares my extreme love for salty/sweet treats, but if you or someone you know likes this combo I would recommend this recipe.

Samoa Bark

In theory, these looked delicious. They reminded me of the Girl Scout cookies that are in the purple box (what are those called?) Unfortunately, although they tasted good – they did not stay together, nor did they withstand the summer heat for even a few minutes. The main problem was that the caramel and coconut topping did not stick to the cookie and chocolate bark. I followed the directions exactly and refrigerated it so that it would all set. When I went to serve it, I set it out for about 10 min and then cut it. First, cutting it into cute triangles like the ones shown here did not happen. It was all so hard that my knife barely went through it and made the chunks I could break off less than pretty to look at. The bark and the topping also separated during this process on many of the pieces. When I served it I just told people to make sure they ate the top and bottom together. I don’t think I should have to give instructions for how to best assemble this dessert! Finally, I let it sit out awhile hoping that if it got closer to room temperature it would be easier to cut and the topping would adhere better to the bark, but sadly I was disappointed. The only thing that happened was the the chocolate bottom became melty and you could barely pick up a piece. I’m not sure what I could do differently, although I have wondered if it could have used more caramel and less coconut. Hmmmm….do I try again?

Salted Caramel Cookie Cups

Despite looking like my ultimate treat (here’s the sweet/salty again)… this was not the best recipe. The directions for the most part were correct, but when the recipe says “Fill each cookie cup with about 1 tablespoon melted caramels” they seriously understate the ease of this task. So, I melted my caramels  about 45 sec in the microwave and decided that I would pour the caramel into a bag and pipe it into the cups. In theory that seemed like the best way to fill the cups without getting the caramel everywhere. Boy was I wrong! At first the caramel didn’t seem very hot, but after filling a few cups my hands were on fire! I ended up spooning the caramel out of the bag and into the cups. My cups weren’t quite as neat as the ones pictured here, but I did realize that after the caramel had set a bit that I could use the back of the spoon to touch up some of my mistakes.

The biggest disappointment, once I got them all filled and looking perfect, was that the peanut butter cookie was overpowered by the caramel. Neither really elevated the other and all in all they were pretty dull on the taste buds.

Here are the savory …

Mini Tacos

I made these for a recent football party. They were SO easy and super yummy! When I went to purchase the ingredients I realized I had never purchased wonton wrappers before. Just a little FYI they are in the refrigerated section of the produce department! Once I found those everything else fell into place. I made the meat and gathered all the toppings. When I got to the party I just put the wonton wrappers into the mini muffin tins, filled them with my pre-cooked meat (I heated it up in the microwave first) and cheese, baked for 5-6 min, and they came out crispy on the outside and warm in the middle. The bottoms weren’t super crispy, but they still held all the ingredients and didn’t take away from the deliciousness. I set out a variety of toppings for the guests and got tons of compliments! I would recommend this for an easy, “do ahead” appetizer!

Meatball Sub

When I saw that this was a recipe for a 231 calorie meatball sub, I knew that I had to try it. My husband loves a meatball sub and both of us are always looking for tasty, low-cal takes on original, high calorie recipes. Surprisingly, this recipe did not disappoint. I wasn’t sure if the meatballs would be too dry or fall apart, but they stayed together really well and the marinara sauce disguised any dryness (although I didn’t notice any). This was an easy weeknight menu idea that was both healthy and delicious!

Balsamic and Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

I usually don’t like to spend too much time on my side dishes, but this recipe looked simple and interesting. I love balsamic vinegar and the idea of adding it to roasted veggies sounded great. The recipe was easy to follow and it turned out to be well worth the effort! The cauliflower soaked up the vinegar and the parmesan cheese melted and browned. We had filled an entire cookie sheet with the cauliflower and when my husband and I were done eating the entire pan was gone! I would honestly eat this for a meal, as I am pretty sure my meat played second fiddle to this delicious dish!

I have a ton more reviews to give you all, so stay posted! There are more to come. Also, if you have some great recipes you want to review please post those below. Like I mentioned before, I love trying to make new recipes, but I love it even more if I know they are worth my time!