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-A quote from "A Cook's Idea Book" by Valera Grapp Blair (1977)
Welcome to Midwest Plated!
This is the blog for all things Midwest and all things food. We will be looking at everything from fast food, to restaurants, to dinner recipes, and to cocktails. Consider this the side notes to every dish and flavor I come across.


Recent Food
To start of December, we had a birthday party for my daughter. It was a cold, negative-degrees day and there was a snowstorm that morning. We managed to have a wonderful party though full of laughs and warm smiles. One thing that really helped the party to be a success was the cakes that we had bought from Walmart. I know that normally I like to make my own cakes, but one thing that I've learned from being a mom is sometimes you have to pick your battles. I decided it wasn't
Paris Hitchcock
Dec 27, 20251 min read


Paris Hitchcock
Nov 4, 20250 min read


Espresso and Chocolate Cake (What else could you ask for?)
Recently, i purchased a Grosch miniature espresso machince. Well, more of a pot. It makes two shots of espresso at a time. I make lattes...
Paris Hitchcock
Sep 27, 20251 min read


Day Trip to Dubuque - Food
This past Saturday and Sunday, my husband and I and our daughter spent the day in Dubuque, Iowa. The food was as follows: We started the...
Paris Hitchcock
Sep 1, 20251 min read


World food and music festival! Des moines
First thing I tried was a curry chicken skewer From Pakistan. This was my favorite dish out of everything. The chicken was perfectly...
Paris Hitchcock
Aug 24, 20251 min read


Paris Hitchcock
Aug 11, 20250 min read


Coconut bread pudding from Cuba on wheels food truck
I was at the Maxwell farmers market. They got Maxwell market in the park and I was just about to leave. Everyone was closing down and the...
Paris Hitchcock
Jul 30, 20251 min read


Abundance Bowl from “Fit Men Cook”
Sweet Potatoes Kale chickpeas And Avocado/Cilantro Sauce
Paris Hitchcock
Jul 27, 20251 min read


Beet Red Velvet Cheesecake from “I quit sugar”
I had a blast creating this cheesecake. It came together less than six hours, including time the fridge. I save time by cooking the crust...
Paris Hitchcock
Jul 27, 20251 min read


My Brunch Date: The Breakfast Club
My husband and I and our baby girl Elizabeth went out to the breakfast club this morning in Ankeny. I’ve been wanting to try this...
Paris Hitchcock
Jul 26, 20252 min read


Paris Hitchcock
Jul 24, 20250 min read


Paris Hitchcock
Jul 24, 20250 min read


Paris Hitchcock
Jul 22, 20250 min read


Vermouth Braised Chicken Thighs and Potatoes (from Milk Street Instant Pot)
This recipe was so simple to make. It came together in less than 20 minutes. The potatoes were perfectly done, and the chicken thighs...
Paris Hitchcock
Jul 21, 20251 min read


My top 5 favorite restaurants in and around Ames, IA!
5) The Open Flame, Gilbert. This restaurant centers around a grill where you can purchase then grill your own meat. It offers an...
Paris Hitchcock
Jul 19, 20252 min read


Oatmeal with Apples from “Milk Street Instant Pot”
I made A few substitutions in this recipes. I switched the steel-cut oats for Rolled oats. The recipe designer said this would make for...
Paris Hitchcock
Jul 19, 20251 min read


Orecchiette Sausage Ragu from “Milk Street Instant Pot”
A few pics of prep This recipe was sooooo fast! It only took 4 minutes (+ preheat) to make. I left the extra salt out because of the salt...
Paris Hitchcock
Jul 18, 20251 min read


This Week on Midwest Plated: Milk Street Instant Pot Cookbook
This week I will be featuring multiple recipes from Milk Street's Instant Pot cookbook. I got this cookbook on sale at Books-A-Million...
Paris Hitchcock
Jul 18, 20251 min read


Bartender Paris
After dabbling in alcoholic beverages with Jell-O shots on the Fourth of July. I decided to make this concoction last night, using things...
Paris Hitchcock
Jul 18, 20251 min read


Keto Lasagna from “Keto Mama” blog
Keto Lasagna Zucchini This recipe was from keto mamas keto lasagna. There’s no noodles and it’s in a ground turkey Italian sausage and...
Paris Hitchcock
Jul 14, 20251 min read
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