One-Pot Garlic Spaghetti

Guinea Pig: Jennifer

THE CLAIM

Cool Home Recipes recently joined the "One-Pot" craze, offering this One-Pot Garlic Spaghetti Recipe.  But is it really that simple, and does it taste as good as it looks? Click the link in the photo caption for recipe and photo source. 

Click here for Recipe and Photo Source. 

THE TEST
Guinea Pig Jennifer gave this one a try, and wasn't overtly impressed: "It is in truth just a poor man's substitute for Alfredo." Based on the picture, she expected a pasta with a light sauce for a light flavor.  But be forewarned that with 3/4 cup of cream and additional butter that it's not exactly low-fat.  She also didn't think the parsley added much to the dish. 

So while it's great that it only uses one pot, it does need some TLC.  As the blogger mentioned, the pot did go dry (twice), neccessitating additional broth. Jennifer definitely suggests cooking the pasta in the chicken broth, as it adds flavor.  Next time she suggests adding lemon juice, olive oil and roasted garlic.  


CONCLUSION
A good start, but has a way to go.  

Photo Courtesy of Guinea Pig Jennifer.
Note: Fettuccine pasta was used in lieu of spaghetti. 

Piri Piri Chicken

Guinea Pig: Jenna

THE CLAIM

Tastebook suggests that if you like Sriracha, this recipe is for you.  Will this be hitting your Memorial Day grill?  Click the link in the picture caption for photo source and recipe. 

Click here for photo and recipe source. 

THE TEST
Guinea Pig Jenna gave this a try for the holiday weekend, and it was a hit! The weather prevented her from grilling it outside, so she used her grill pan instead. She says, "It was flavorful and juicy, with a nice acidic kick. I added some additional chili sauce once I plated it with coconut rice and roasted zucchini." 

One a spiciness scale of 1-10, ten being the "Homer Simpson Guatemalan Insanity Pepper," Guinea Pig Jenna rated the spiciness as a "4." It should be noted, however, that Jenna has a tongue of steel and enjoys spicy food. Those of you who start to sweat at the word "Sriracha" might want to proceed with caution. 

CONCLUSION
A keeper for grilling season! 

DIY Sidewalk Chalk

Guinea Pig: Kelli

THE CLAIM

Princess Pinky Girl offers this recipe for DIY Sidewalk Chalk.  Will it work, or be our next DIY fail?  Check it out. 

Click here for photo source and recipe. 

THE TEST
Good news - Guinea Pig Kelli had great success with this recipe.  The directions were easy to follow and it turned out perfectly.  Felt like chalk, wrote like chalk, washed away like chalk. They were good enough to use as teacher appreciation gifts! 

Some notes from GP Kelli: 

• The colors aren't as vibrant as the paint bottle, but show up well on concrete. 
• The mold you use may impact your drying time.  Kelli's took a little longer to dry (-about a week outside the molds). 
• There is no need to sift the Plaster of Paris.  It will blend, even though it's chunky. 

Please note that we're not certain about the toxicity of Plaster of Paris.  While most sidewalk chalk brands label themselves as non-toxic, we don't think we could do that with this recipe.  Use it on the sidewalk, not as a garnish. :)

In regards to cost-effectiveness, Kelli spent about $12 to make this.  With the supplies she had, she made 24 chalk pieces and could have made "at least" 24 more. 



CONCLUSION
No problems here!  Just don't eat it. 

Photo Courtesy of Guinea Pig Kelli

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken

Guinea Pig: Kimberley

THE CLAIM
Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken promises to be the holy grail of slow cooker recipes for Chinese food lovers.  Will this recipe replace your favorite take-out place?  The RecipeCritic seems to think so! 

Click here for photo and recipe source.

THE TEST
Guinea Pig Kimberley gave this recipe a try.  Instead of cooking 3-4 hours, she cooked it all day.  She also added green onions per the stock photo, even though the recipe didn't call for them. 

The result? Salty!  And not in the awesome Chinese take-out kind of way. While it was edible, we definitely recommend cutting back on the soy sauce (or maybe using the low sodium variety). 


CONCLUSION
A let down for those craving Cashew Chicken. 

Photo Courtesy of Guinea Pig Kimberley

Banana Pudding Oatmeal

Guinea Pig: Amber

THE CLAIM
Lékué, in effort to market its microwaveable oatmeal kit, published this recipe for Banana Pudding Oatmeal.  In good marketing fashion, the recipe has been circulating around Facebook, and made its way to the Guinea Pig Squad kitchen. 


Click here for product information and photo source.  

Click here for recipe source. 

THE TEST
Guinea Pig Amber didn't have the $40 Lékué Oatmeal Kit.  Instead she used her Pampered Chef Microcooker, which was similar in product design.  We imagine any microwaveable container with a vented lid would work. 

The results?  It's good!  One thing the recipe doesn't say, however, is that it's probably enough for 4-5 servings.  It's filling.  Even after Amber and her 3 year old had it for breakfast, there were leftovers for the following day.  Those dubious about "leftover oatmeal" will be delighted to know that it still tasted good the next day (though it was bit thicker, and the bananas were beginning to brown).  We wouldn't recommend letting it sit a second day. 

One of the big questions is "is it healthy?"  It depends on what you're looking for in a diet.  A serving breaks down to about 300 calories per serving, which isn't horrible for breakfast.  It does have quite a few carbs to take into account, but breakfast is perhaps the best meal of the day to go carb-heavy. 

Suggestions for making it better (and possibly even less healthy?): 

• Add dried fruit, like cranberries or apples

• Add nuts

• An extra lump of butter before serving, or replacing the water with additional milk might make it a little creamier

CONCLUSION
A simple, tasty, family-sized breakfast.  


Photo Courtesy of Guinea Pig Amber

Crocheted Plastic Bag Coasters

Guinea Pig: Sarah

THE CLAIM
Country Women Magazine presents the latest craze to hit the upcycle community: plastic grocery bag coasters. Click link in the photo caption to see photo source and instructions. 

Click here for photo source and instructions. 

THE TEST
Guinea Pig Sarah, our Master Crocheter, took on this project.  She says the instructions are spot on, and the difficulty level is low.  She stresses that it's important that the strip is 1" wide (-she apparently only had a few inches left over at the end).  

Photo courtesy of Guinea Pig Sarah

However, Guinea Pig Sarah's coaster is now in the garbage.  Why, you ask? Because unless you need to match the plastic covering your living room furniture, these are certifiably tacky.  And they don't work. The large holes in the design and the non-absorbent material means that the condensation from your glass will slide right through to your table.  That defeats the purpose of a coaster (assuming that your table is not also covered in plastic).  

Photo courtesy of Guinea Pig Sarah.
Note the water spots.

CONCLUSION
It works, just not in the fashion sense. Perhaps save this for a low-budget way to teach crochet.  




Kielbasa with Peppers and Potatoes

Guinea Pig: Kelsey

THE CLAIM
Can Allrecipes.com really provide a kielbasa recipe that will please everyone - even someone who doesn't like kielbasa? Click the link in the photo for recipe and photo source. 

Recipe and Photo Source

THE TEST
Guinea Pig Kelsey was in a bind this week, having kielbasa that she didn't know what to do with, and little time to work with it.  Relying on allrecipes.com, she found this 5-ingredient recipe and decided to give it a shot.  The result?  It's good!  Kelsey, who typically doesn't even like kielbasa, enjoyed it, as did her toddler. 

There's not much to change about this recipe, so if you have the ingredients on hand, give it a try!

Photo courtesy of Guinea Pig Kelsey

CONCLUSION
No complaints here!  A simple, basic dinner!