A Pinch of This, A Dash of That

What Month is it?

2009-11-12T10:05:00.001-06:00

In Minnesota for once it does not feel like November at all—more like September weather, which is nice, but I have a feeling we are just being spoiled and that all of a sudden Mother Nature will dump us with insurmountable amounts of snow—fingers crossed it’s the opposite!

Anyway, since it really is November, that means it’s Good Nutrition Month. So what does that mean? If you haven’t been paying as much attention as you should about what your putting in your body, here’s a little reminder to keep tabs on what your food can do for you! Splurges are necessary, but overall, we need to fuel up with good food to keep us all going strong, and fend of all these crazy illnesses floating around!

I figured in lieu of November being Good Nutrition Month, I was glad all the recipes I made yesterday would qualify as good for you & good tasting! It left my mom and I with plenty of energy to power through the rest of our day. How are you going to become more aware of good nutrition this month? Maybe start by finding some healthy recipes here:

Of course breakfast is the first chance of the day to start off on the right foot—I’d say yesterday’s breakfast definitely did. I finally got around to making Brandi’s Pumpkin Stuffed French Toast with a few changes—drool worthy!

Ingredients:

2 slices bread, I used light
1/4 C canned pumpkin
1 tsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp light brown sugar swirl cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tbsp slice almonds
1/4 C SF apple pie filling
1 egg
1 Tbsp milk, I used Almond Breeze
Syrup if desired

Directions:

Mix egg, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, vanilla, and milk together until blended and pour into a shallow bowl.
In another bowl mix cream cheese, brown sugar, 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, and pumpkin until thoroughly blended.
Spread pumpkin mixture between 2 slices of bread and sandwich together.
Spray skillet with cooking spray, dredge the sandwich in the egg/milk mixture and cook as you would French toast.
Once browned, remove to plate and top with apple pie filling, a squirt of syrup, and top it off with almonds.

YUM!

Moving onto lunch, I decided on a really unique recipe that involved polenta because I have never tried it…

Ratatouille Bruschetta Bake

Adapted from here.

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (1/2 c)
1 medium bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 small unpeeled eggplant, diced (2 c)
1 medium zucchini, diced (1 c)
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can (14 1/2 oz) Italian, stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 tube (16 oz) polenta, see below for what kind I used
2 Tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese
3/4 c finely shredded mozzarella cheese (3 oz)
1/2 c fresh baby spinach

Directions:

Heat oven to 375ºF. Spray 12-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Cook onion and bell pepper in skillet 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in eggplant, zucchini, salt and pepper. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender. Stir in tomatoes, breaking up with spoon; reduce heat to low. Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Spray rectangular baking dish, 11x7x1 1/2 inches, with cooking spray. Cut polenta into 1/4-inch slices. Arrange slices on bottom of dish, overlapping and cutting to fit where necessary. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Spoon vegetable mixture evenly over top.
Cover and bake 30 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and parsley. Bake uncovered about 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

I used this polenta, and it was delicious!

After all of that hubbub, I needed to get my extensions changed up—four long hours later, I came out looking like this:

And not only did I have fresh new hair, I was mighty hungry and Subway was the closest, so I got my favorite Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki with every veggie under the sun.

Thank God tomorrow is Friday!

Raves & Reviews

2009-11-11T18:56:00.001-06:00

Hi friends! How the week going? We’re halfway through it! Do you have the day off for Veteran’s Day? Both my mom and I have it off from school and work, so that means it was time for our weekly get together!! We had a great dinner last night together and I knew exactly what I wanted to make for breakfast. But first, do you guys love photo booths at the mall like I do?! I have quite the collection =)

So first up, we decided last night for dinner we wanted to go to the Ground Round. They have a lot of neat stuff, and it’s one of the main supporters of our college sports here. I am really trying to step out of the boat and try different things when I go out to eat because I always seem to lean towards similar things. Do you do that? I decided on the Orange Grilled Salmon, which was described as “Cajun-grilled salmon basted in orange marinade”. I am not one to eat oranges plain—it’s about the only fruit I don’t like, but this was fabulous! I really wish I could remake the marinade, but so many good flavors I couldn’t quite pinpoint. I also got a baked potato with salsa, some steamed assorted veggies, and garlic bread that I didn’t have room for.

Mom got her favorite—chicken fajitas. I think they are quite entertaining because they come completely sizzling to the table and are so loud!

Then we skedaddled over to the mall to walk off our meal. I really wanted to look for a pair of high-heeled black leather boots to add to my ~~ridiculous~~ expanding boot collection, but I think I will wait it out till Black Friday sales! I also got my Christmas tree which is a white one like I’ve always wanted! I am doing the whole thing red and white candy cane themed. I love not being traditional! Of course the whole shopping shenanigan made us hungry again, so we ventured where next? Hint..

Coldstone Creamery! I used to go here every day last year, but now that I make my own ice cream, I rarely do, which is ok because it saves a heck of a lot of money! But Coldstone is a fun treat. I decided on Love It size Sinless Sweet Cream with a scoop of Coffee ice cream and the needed blueberries and cinnamon sprinkling—odd but wonderful!

Mom tried the seasonal Chocolate Peppermint, which looked like dirt to me, ha-ha! She said she didn’t taste the mint too much and it’s definitely a chocolate lovers flavor!

We came home, watched Housewives of Orange County and other pointless TV, we laughed, and chatted. Then we went to bed and woke up to a gorgeous 65 degrees today! I seriously must be dreaming =) Tonight I am seriously pooped from another busy and fantastic day—so stay tuned for Day 2 tomorrow—there’ll be a fabulous breakfast, lunch, and dinner—plus recipes!

Night all!

Acquired Taste

2009-11-09T09:42:00.001-06:00

If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile now, I am sure you’ve heard me mention that other than on pizza, I am not a huge cheese fan. I’ve only tried a handful of cheese—cheddar, American(really dislike), mozzarella, and Parmesan. Well lately, since I have been trying more dishes that are centered around cheese, I have slowly been acquiring a taste for it, and dare I say…craving it! Ok, all you cheese lovers can say, “I told you so!” (yes, Sophia..you!) :-)

So I’ve decided since there is so much cheese out there that I haven’t tried, I better get on the cheese train and start trying at least one different cheese a week. What is your favorite cheese? Since I’ve heard so much about feta cheese and how it’s such a great addition to dishes, I figured I better start there. I picked up some Athenos crumbled Basil & Tomato feta cheese. I am still needing to try out more Bisquick recipes for my upcoming classes. This recipe fit the bill! Of course, I made some changes, but you can find the original recipe here.

Impossibly Easy Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Cheese Pie

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 Boca Bruschetta Tomato Basil Parmesan burger
1/2 c red onion, chopped
7 oz jar of roasted red bell peppers, drained—I found these at my local Dollar Store!
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
3/4 c Heart Smart Bisquick mix
1 c milk, I used Almond Breeze
1 tsp dried basil
2 egg whites and 1 egg

Directions:

Heat oven to 400ºF. Grease pie plate, 9x1 1/4 inches. Blend Boca patty in food processor.
Mix Boca burger, onions and bell peppers in pie plate. Sprinkle with cheese.

Stir remaining ingredients in medium bowl until blended. Pour into pie plate.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes.

So fancy and delicious, yet WAY easy!

**Check out this chocolate-covered giveaway!**

Apple, Spice, and Everything Nice

2009-11-07T08:26:00.001-06:00

Just wanted to pop in and say “Hello” and “Happy Saturday!” Many bloggers are over in the beautiful San Francisco and enjoying the Food Buzz festival—I hope that one day I will be able to attend something so relevant to me and of course meet all the wonderful bloggers! Have you ever attended a big foodie bash like Food Buzz??

So if tomorrow by any chance you are planning on a lazy Sunday, I would highly suggest planning on making these. I had this idea brewing in my head for a few weeks and I finally got it down on paper and got to work. What did I dream up this time?

Amazing Apple Pie Rolls…and yes, they are as good as they look. The recipe make 17 huge rolls—almost as big as Cinnabon ones! But that’s the only similarity to Cinnabon, because these babies only have approximately 165 calories per roll—can you say well worth the indulgence?!

I made these in part due to the fact that I haven’t featured an apple recipe yet during the fall, but I have featured plenty of pumpkin ones, so I figured this would be a ~~nice~~ tasty little way to switch things up.

Amazing Apple Pie Rolls

Ingredients

1/4 c warm water
1/4 c I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter FF
1/2 (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 C warm milk, I used Almond Breeze
1 egg
1/2 Tbsp white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 C bread flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1 (.25 oz) package active dry yeast
1/4 C I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter FF
1/4 c brown sugar
4 tsp cinnamon
4 oz FF block cream cheese
1/4 c I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter FF
1 C confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp milk, I used Almond Breeze
1 large can of SF apple pie filling

Directions

I used my bread machine for the dough, if you choose not to, you’ll have to make it following a method like this.

In the pan of your bread machine, combine water, melted butter, vanilla pudding, warm milk, egg, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt, bread flour and yeast. Set machine to Dough cycle; press Start.
When Dough cycle has finished, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 17x10 inch rectangle. Spread with 1/4 c butter spread. In another small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread evenly over dough.
Next evenly spread the whole can of SF apple pie filling over rolled out dough.
Roll up dough, beginning with long side. Slice into 16 one inch slices and place in 9x13 buttered pan. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes. While rolls bake, stir together cream cheese, softened butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and milk. Remove rolls from oven and top with frosting. Sprinkle a dusting of cinnamon on the top if you want!!

Have a wonderful November weekend!

Clearance and Cookies

2009-11-06T09:41:00.001-06:00

Hello everyone!

I am really excited for the weekend because we are supposed to have weather in the 60’s! In November? I must be dreaming! What are you up to this weekend?

So now it’s the official holiday season. The Halloween things are being pulled off of shelves and replaced by Christmas decorations. Does anyone else notice how stores just kind of “skip” Thanksgiving? Well I particularly like the end of one holiday because then I rush to the clearance shelves and score some cheap deals—here’s what I scrounged at Target this year!

Wilton fall cookie cutters—turkey, leaves, apple, pumpkin, and an acorn. $1.50 each.

White candy melts--$1.25 a bag, I got four.

Brach’s caramel apple candy corn and gourmet pumpkin spice candy corn. $0.94/bag

A brownie pops pan, and a mini pumpkin pan for only $2.49 each!

So I was happy with all my purchases and can’t wait till Black Friday and after Christmas sales!

Did you score any after Halloween steals?

For the last couple of days, every time I visit Google, I am reminded that it is Sesame Street’s 40th anniversary. Do you know where this is going? I am celebrating by being a Cookie Monster! But for once, I am not making them from scratch! I was very fortunate to get a chance to try out Best Maid Cookie Company’s new Trans Fat Free Home Style pre-formed frozen cookie dough.

First off, when you order these, they come in a very uniformed fashion, with each layer separated by waxed paper.

They are very easy to remove—then all you do is pop em’ on a cookie sheet(at this point I was very tempted to eat just the cookie dough!), follow temperature instructions, wait a very short time, and almost instantly you have homemade cookies! Perfect for the time-crunched, or even those who are not because they’re delicious no doubt!

I got to try the Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter w/Rieces Pieces, White Chunk Macadamia, and the Oatmeal Cranberry Walnut.

They smell so great even before they bake!

About 7 minutes later..

They baked up beautifully! These are my kind of cookie, because like I mentioned before, I am a chewy cookie gal—not so much for the crunch. These were crisp on the outside, with that lovely chewy inside. I’d have to pick the Oatmeal Cranberry Walnut as my favorite because oatmeal cookies are always great, but with the additional cranberries and nuts makes for a treat! The White Chocolate Macadamia comes in a close second because the chunks of chocolate are huge & satisfying! The Peanut Butter w/Rieces Pieces is an obvious good one—creamy peanut butter taste studded with M&M’s? Yes please! And the Chocolate Chip was great dipped in some soymilk—perfect for that chocolate craving.

The Best Maid Company has TONS of great cookies and flavors. Be sure to check em’ out here ASAP!

Talking About Tuesday

2009-11-04T09:41:00.001-06:00

Do you like to do something during the middle of the week that helps you reach Friday a little easier? For me it’s having my family visit and just being together, even if it’s just for a short while. I never thought just a 2 hour distance would feel like so far! And since I only have one class on campus Tuesday’s and Thursday’s, we are going to try and get together once a week. We refers to my mom, grandma, and I. =)

So they came down yesterday and even though the weather was icky, we still had a blast. Something I really miss from home is cooking meals everyday for my mom and dad because they are so busy and it was just something I did that really helped em’ out. But, since I obviously can’t be at home forever, I just cook here for them when they come!

Yesterday for lunch, I put together a nice little meal of homemade calzones and a roasted spaghetti squash with a really good and sweet glaze. We obviously enjoyed it!

Candied Spaghetti Squash

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash (1 1/2-2 lb)
2 tsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp light butter spread
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Cut spaghetti squash in half, and then cut each half in half. Remove all seeds and place face down in a casserole pan.

Bake for 20 minutes and remove from oven.
Meanwhile, mix together brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and lemon juice in a small bowl.

Once cooled, scrape spaghetti flesh into 4 bowls. Place a dollop of the brown sugar mixture on top and stir to coat squash.

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Of course this was just the side dish to the fabulous homemade calzones—I have actually never made calzones before, but they are so fun and rather easy!

Homemade Calzones

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

(These are the fillings I used, but of course you can customize them to your heart’s delight!)

1 batch of my whole-wheat dough, or any other dough recipe that makes about 9 slices of pizza
2/3 c shredded Italian blend cheese, or shredded cheese of your choice
1 c baby spinach
1/2 c tomato sauce (Yes, it is a small amount, but it will prevent calzones from becoming soggy. You can dip them in more sauce while eating.)
1/2 c sliced and diced mushrooms
1 c assorted veggies, sautéed—I used red onion and green pepper.
1/4 c cubed pre-cooked ham
1/4 c Boca soy crumbles

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 F.
Follow bread machine instructions, or make dough by hand.
Once dough is done, divide into four equal pieces. Roll each piece into a square about 8’ x 12’ inches.
Divide all veggies, cheese, and meat into 4 portions. First put the layer of spinach, followed by cheese, meat, sauce, and sautéed veggies.

Take one end and fold to match the other. Seal with a little water on your fingers.
Place on cookie sheet, and bake for about 12-15, or until dough does not feel sticky to the touch.
Take out, let cool a little—dig in!

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So as you can see, lunch was delish, but I’d have to say that our dinner was a close second! We went to the Green Mill, which is a chain restaurant in Minnesota. If you ever visit the land of 10,000 lakes, pay a visit to the Green Mill. They have gourmet looking/tasting food for extremely reasonable prices, not to mention the whole atmosphere is just really fun.

My mom and I actually got the same dish which rarely happens. We both got the Chicken Parmesan which the menu describes as breaded chicken breasts topped with marinara sauce, roasted bruschetta, mozzarella and parmesan cheese, and parmesan herbs. Served with a choice of potato and grilled vegetables. We both opted for grilled chicken breasts in place of the breaded and I got a baked potato sans butter, and the chicken light on the cheese.

This meal hit the spot! Everything was perfection and I will definitely be getting it again. What’s your favorite chicken dish?

Of course we couldn’t have had a day without the necessary trip to ~~Wally World~~ Wal-mart—mom found a new vest!

Have a marvy day friends!

Gourmet Goodies

2009-11-02T09:39:00.001-06:00

Good Monday morning all.

How did the weekend go? Lots of candy, costumes and all things spooky? I did the norm—shopping, baking, cooking, cleaning, and actually got around to playing my Wii for awhile. Did you notice something missing there? No homework! Yes, it was a dream, and I savored the fact that I didn’t have to crack the books for once.

So I know everyone is probably tired of hearing/seeing candy after Halloween, but you must give these sweet treats a chance! They are not typical candy, but something I like to call gourmet goodies. I recently was so lucky as to have a chance to sample the divine Amella Caramels. Here’s a bit about the company:

Our team at Artisan Cocoa has created an exciting and new taste sensation for you to enjoy. Amellas are an all-natural buttery caramel made using pure cocoa butter, real fruits, nuts, and vegetables all hand dipped in the finest chocolate.

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They make 3 amazing flavors of caramels:

Carrot Cake
Passion Fruit
Black Forest

If the names don’t have you salivating, the pictures will!

My Chew Review

Carrot Cake

If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you know I am a die-hard carrot cake fan—but in cake form. In caramel form, I wasn’t so sure. It sounded amazing, but how could they capture that carrot cake taste and place it in a caramel form with an equal great taste experience? Apparently I don’t have to worry about it because the folks at Amella Caramels figured it out for me! I was in love at first bite! It was actually a really crazy experience, because you bite into it thinking your going to get a fluffy cake texture, but instead it’s a smooth and chewier texture, but still has that carrot cake taste—I was amazed! Not only is this flavor delicious, it also has a great visual appeal with a dark carrot hue, bits of roasted pecans, and the “icing” is a tasty layer of white chocolate. My favorite of the three!

Black Forest

Check out the details in these caramels! You can definitely tell they are handmade with tender loving care. I am a huge cherry fan, and love that this caramel is 70% dark chocolate. You better believe it makes for a rich and satisfying chocolate experience. Although the chocolate flavor is present, it doesn’t overwhelm the rest of the cherry and vanilla flavors, it balances out perfectly. I also really like the addition of the dark chocolate sprinkles as well. Second favorite!

Passion Fruit

Who would have thought that a fruit flavor and a caramel flavor together would meld into another one-of-a-kind caramel experience? I sure didn’t until biting into the Passion Fruit caramel. The slight tart taste of the passion fruit somehow highlights the creamy caramel deliciousness. It’s hard to explain—it’s one of those things you need to taste for yourself! This is good, however it would be one that I would eat occasionally—not ~~everyday~~ more often like the Carrot Cake flavor.

Overall thoughts:

Amella Caramels are to die for! If you’ve never experienced the delight of trying cocoa butter caramels, don’t hold off too much longer! I have a feeling I am going to be slightly disappointed when eating everyday caramels now, just because these take it up a notch…or five! =)

Another noted thing I like about the caramels is how they’re packaged—it makes the whole experience a little more fun!

Plus the nutritionals for these caramels aren’t half bad meaning you can eat more of them. Check those out here.

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Amella Caramels would also make a fantastic gift for the upcoming holiday season. I am hoping Santa would possibly leave some under my tree.

Thanks again to the wonderful caramel creators at Amella Caramels for the awesome opportunity to spread the word!

All About the Winners

2009-11-01T08:09:00.003-06:00

Happy November!

First off, let’s get to the winner of the Nature Valley prize pack! Thank you all who entered—there was a great turn out, and I really enjoyed reading about what nuts you prefer. I forgot to say that mine are peanuts and I like eating the Planter’s honey roasted ones for a snack =)

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2009-11-01 12:16:05 UTC

Maren! She said, “great giveaway! my favorite nut is almonds, and my favorite way to eat them is in raw crunchy almond butter!!!”

So please email me your mailing info at apinchandadash@live.com and the Nature Valley folks will have your prize on the way!

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So now that that’s out of the way, I really wanted to get to a winning dessert I recently thought up. It was based on a recipe in a old Taste of Home magazine from the 90’s, but I wanted to lighten it up just a tad. Now when I say this is a GREAT dessert, I have family and friends for proof who all claimed this was way better than pumpkin pie—and I have been eating it everyday for a week since I made it last Sunday! I was dying to share it with y’all! I will actually be featuring this dessert in one of my upcoming cooking classes, because it’s that good.

Now when you see it, you may think, “Oh c’mon, I’ve had my share of pumpkin already!” But you may regret it if you don’t make these till next pumpkin season! I know I will be making them even during the warm months =)

Perfect Pumpkin Delight Bars

Serves: 12-15

Ingredients:

1 box of yellow cake mix, I used reduced-sugar
1/2 cup light butter spread
1 egg
1 (30 oz) canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling
1 (5 oz) can of fat-free evaporated milk

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 sugar, I used Splenda
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp whole wheat flour (can use 1/4 c all purpose flour)
3 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 c mini marshmallows

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, butter and egg until crumbly. Set aside 2/3 c for topping. Press the remaining crumb mixture into a sprayed 13 x 9’ baking dish.

For crust, in a large bowl, combine the canned pumpkin, milk and eggs—pour over crust.

For topping, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon and reserved crumb mixture. Sprinkle over pumpkin layer, topping with marshmallows.

Bake at 350 F for 45-50 min or until top is golden brown. Cool on wire rack for 1 hr. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hrs before serving.

Please do yourself a favor, and try these ASAP if you have the ingredients handy!

A Pinch of This, and a Dash of That Halloween Bash

2009-10-31T04:19:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween 2009 all! I was just thinking how fun it would be to have a blogger Halloween bash—great friends, food, and of course some ghoulish fun would all make October 31st just a bit sweeter than all the candy that accumulates, don’t you think?

But since we are all scattered across the globe on this spooky day, I figured I’d invite you to a little ‘virtual’ Halloween bash.

Upon knocking at my door and saying, “Trick or treat,” I would hand you one of the following..that is if I haven’t eaten them all myself! =)

Pumpkin Pie Candy Corn—found at Target

1 lb of Warheads candy in a Spongebob Frankenstein treat caddy.

Or I might even possibly be handing out some of these..

Candy Corn Cookies

Monster Mash Cookies

What will I be dressed up as?

Well one thing—you’ll want to dress warm, because this is how the weather is currently:

Here’s what I would be dressed up as..

(disclaimer: this is not me)

And then once the fun is done, and Halloween is a thing of the past..here’s some ideas for your leftover candy!

Homemade Flavored Drinks

Add Jolly Ranchers or any fruit flavored candy to seltzer to make bubbly infused fruit sips!

Make Hot Chocolate With Real Chocolate

Melt a 1 oz. mini chocolate bar into a mug of milk, making sure to stir frequently. It's especially tasty with rich chocolates such Dove miniatures.

Sweeten Your Choice

Add some excitement to pork chops by adding a Pixie Sticks glaze. Simply combine red or white wine, vinegar, Pixie Sticks and salt. Try adding Smarties or Red Hots to BBQ for a homemade chipotle sauce.

Make Movie Night Sweeter with Ice Cream Toppers

M&Ms and gummy bears make a great toppings for ice cream sundaes. You can also mix them directly into your ice cream. And don't forget adding some mixed candy to your blended ice cream drinks.

Brownie Blends

Simply stir chopped candy directly into brownie batter. You can also sprinkle it as a topping or use it as a garnish for brownie sundaes.

Secret Treasure Cookies

Cut cookie dough (homemade or store-bought) into 12 slices, bring it to room temperature and then mold each slice around individual-size candies before baking.

Freeze & Forget It!

Place wrapped candy in a freezer bag and throw it in the freezer for later. Candy stored this way will last for up to a year. When you're ready to use, thaw at room temperature (the whitish bloom' that develops on chocolate candy when it freezes will go away after it thaws).
The same goes for cookies - which will keep for six months in the freezer when placed between sheets of freezer paper and stored in a plastic container. Keep the cookies between their wrappers for 10 to 15 minutes when thawing.

Make a Batch of Candy Coated Popcorn

Simply melt any type of leftover Halloween candy and use it as a glaze to coat popcorn (microwave or air-popped) in a large bowl. The key is to make sure the popcorn has no butter or salt (or as little as possible). Spread the glazed popcorn on a cookie sheet to dry, and voila: candy coated popcorn. Even better with nuts.

Try a New Recipe: Apple Candy Bar Salad

You'll need:

a few Granny Smith apples
a bunch of candy bars (e.g., Snickers, Baby Ruth or 3 Musketeers)
Cool Whip

Cut the apples and candy bars into small pieces and mix them with thawed Cool Whip. If the candy is too mushy to cut, put it in the fridge for a few hours before cutting. Serve.

Brought to you by BakeSpace

Have a Bootiful day!

I’m Nuts!

2009-10-29T08:23:00.001-05:00

Did you come up with any guesses on what today’s giveaway was going to be??

Binoculars…

A water bottle…

All pertains to nature…

which leads to a wonderful giveaway from..

Nature Valley!

But your not only getting a water bottle and binoculars,

you’ll also be receiving this:

Aluminum water bottle
Binoculars
A Nature Valley sling backpack
A flashlight that is powered by you pumping the handle, so cool!

And of course you’ll be winning some grub as well..

The complete line of the new Nature Valley Nut Clusters.

(Find out more about em’ here!)

I thought these nut cluster were amazing. They came in Roasted Cashew, Roasted Almond, Nut Lover’s, and Honey Roasted Peanut(my fav). I shared these with the family, and every seemed to agree that they were nuts kicked up a notch and the perfect snack-time treat.

How to enter you ask?

Simply leave a comment telling me what your favorite nut is and your favorite way to use it.
I would really appreciate a link back to spread the word about free goodies!
Winner will be chosen via random number integer on Sunday, November 1st.

TOMORROW IS FRIDAY!!

Comfort Food Fix

2009-10-28T19:52:00.001-05:00

First off, thank you all SO SO much for your kind words regarding the unfortunate event with my cat. I wish I could come and hug you all. So here’s a *virtual hug*! I have never been good at dealing with death, but I just really need to remember all the great times I had with him and then I feel truly blessed. Some of my favorite memories with him were always giving him at least a handful of my Cheerios in the morning because he wouldn’t leave till I did, playing for hours with bouncy balls in the kitchen, trying to discreetly open tuna cans so he wouldn’t meow until he got a hefty serving, and most of all just having a snuggle partner to always keep you warm. This week will still be hard, but my Tuesday made it much better. Here’s why..

First off, my mom came to visit me as I said before, and came not only bringing her smiley face, but this…

She obviously knows what can cheer me up! I can’t wait to get started with this gem. Looks like I can check one thing off of my Christmas list a little early!

So here’s some other things that were rather comforting during this sad week…

Homemade Hawaiian Pizza

Ingredients consisted of:

One recipe of my homemade whole wheat crust
3/4 c pizza sauce
1/2 c mushrooms
1/2 c chopped green pepper
3/4 c precooked/cubed ham
1 small can of chunk pineapple, drained
2/3 c mozzarella cheese

Directions are simple:

Preheat oven to 450 F.
Prick dough with fork after rolling out onto pan and bake for 8-10 minutes.
Take out of the oven, add toppings, and bake again for about 10-12 minutes.

Easy does it!

Obviously this week I am on a ham kick…

Breakfast Bonanza Tomato

Ingredients:

1 tomato, medium to large
1/4 c shredded cheese, your choice of kind, I used a fiesta blend
3 slices of thicker deli ham
1 egg + 1 egg white
2 tbsp chopped mushrooms
2 tsp hot sauce, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 F. Get your tomato all shiny any pretty. Just kidding, but make sure to wash it good!

Pulp out the inside leaving a 1/2’ shell. Discard seeds and liquid, but reserve the pulp.

Now take the three slices of ham and place inside the tomato so the ham goes up the sides.

Meanwhile, scramble one egg ,one white, and mushrooms in a sprayed skillet until they are no longer watery.
Stuff mixture into tomato once it has cooled. Top with cheese and hot sauce if you choose.

Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and tomato has softened to the touch.

In other news:

Yesterday I viewed the beyond gorgeous Home-Ec room I will be teaching my classes in which made me even more excited for this new opportunity!! My classes need to be finalized by Sunday, so I am busy planning away.
I have some really REALLY good bars you are not going to want to miss and a soup that my old Italian neighbor lady used to make which is divine to say the least.
Tomorrow in lieu of all this sadness hanging around here, I decided on a giveaway to make you all a bit happier =) I will give you one hint….

Or two I suppose..

Unfortunate Event

2009-10-26T19:10:00.001-05:00

Good evening all.

Just a quick post to say that unfortunately a few hours ago my beloved cat Peaches was diagnosed with cancer and had to be put down. So my mom is driving down for a sleepover to get our mind off of things. He was 13, so he lived a long and happy life, but it’s still hard, you know? So posting will resume Wednesday..see you then!

Thankfully tomorrow is a new day!

Live Tour of The Pinch of This, and a Dash Of That Apartment!

2009-10-25T18:36:00.001-05:00

Hey friends!

Hope your weekend didn’t fly by as fast as mine—busy week ahead, and next week is Halloween already. Did I mention that is 8 weeks until Christmas? Sorry if I just put you in a state of panic!!

Anyways, here is a LIVE apartment tour—I have been meaning to make a video now for only about 4 months—eek! Enjoy! =)

Food to come this week, so stay tuned!

Box of Bisquick

2009-10-23T19:29:00.001-05:00

So glad it’s Friday, like I always am! This weekend will be busy just like weekdays though. But it is busyness I have brought on myself, and a type of busyness I don’t quite mind—I like to call it kitchen busyness! Do you know what I am talking about? Whole days in the kitchen spent mixing, experimenting, tasting, all the while trying not to sweat due to the oven and stove top on? Yes, that kind of busyness. I have a ~~embarrassing~~ massive amount of recipes from everywhere piling up in a box. I figured since I don’t have a lot of homework, it is a perfect time to put a dent in this box. Some things planned: Cinnamon rolls with an unsuspecting twist, a soup that my old Italian neighbor lady used to make, a new bread machine recipe, one more pizza to celebrate National Pizza Month, and 2 Halloween treats to post next week. Now whether or not I get to ALL of these is yet to be known, but keep your fingers crossed! :-) Oh and keep an eye out for some amazing product reviews soon as well.

So today’s post has reference to Bisquick, which if you don’t know is just an all-purpose baking mix sold in a box for roughly a little over $2.00. Recently I have become a big fan of their slightly newer Heart Smart Bisquick Baking Mix, which is basically just a healthier alternative to using Original Bisquick mix. It also has more calcium, low in fat with 0 Trans Fat, and it is certified by the American Heart Association. Once I logged onto the Bisquick website, I was blown away with all the recipes that use Bisquick. So I bookmarked oh, about 20 and have gotten through about 6. But I need to get through all of them by December, because I am planning on teaching “A Box of Bisquick” as one of my cooking classes that I start teaching in January(the catalog gets printed in Dec.). I think it’s a GREAT way to keep meals cheap, healthy, fast, and I bet you could find at least one recipe on the website, so it can please many palates. Within the next couple of weeks I’d love for you to stay tuned for “A Box of Bisquick” previews and recipes!

Bon Appétit a la Bisquick!

My thoughts on this recipe: Great overall! Looks super fancy, and tasted like it took a long time and expensive ingredients. However, next time I will be using fresh spinach, I am not too fond of the frozen spinach taste.

Impossibly Easy Spinach Parmesan Pie

Ingredients:

1	tablespoon butter or margarine
4	medium green onions, sliced
2	garlic cloves, finely chopped
1	package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to drain
1/2	cup small curd creamed cottage cheese
1/2	cup Bisquick® mix (preferably Heart Smart!)
1	cup milk
1	teaspoon lemon juice
1/4	teaspoon pepper
3	eggs
3	tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4	teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

1.Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease 9-inch pie plate. Melt butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook onions and garlic in butter 2 to 3 minutes or until onions are tender. Stir in spinach; spread mixture in pie plate. Spread with cottage cheese.

2.Stir Bisquick mix, milk, lemon juice, pepper and eggs until blended. Pour into pie plate; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and nutmeg.

3.Bake about 35 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Nutritionals and such can be found here.

Check out one of my prior Bisquick recipes here.

Want some free muffins? Of course you do—head here for your chance!

A Tropical Way to Take the Cake

2009-10-21T18:29:00.001-05:00

Oh how I wish I lived somewhere even semi-warm from October through April. Countless days spent indoors can get old to put it nicely. I know a lot of bloggers out there can’t relate because well..they are ~~smarter~~ luckier and choose to live in the southern or western sunshine. All I can do is look forward to our yearly vacation to somewhere warm over winter break.

Last year I visited L.A.:

The year before was Florida:

(My grandma and I)

Clearwater Beach

And in 2007 was Florida once again:

Orlando

2006 was back to Clearwater Beach:

And 2005 was Clearwater once again..can you tell I love it there?!

So to say the least, all I do in these dreary months to hold me over till December is look back at all the fun times I have had.

Where’s your favorite vacation destination?

But of course I would not leave you with a post filled with pictures of past vacations with no mention of food. You almost thought I was going to right? No chance! Of course fall time is meant for baking with pumpkin, squash and other savory food. But for the sake of my tropical dreams, I cannot give up sweet treats with fruity tastes because it temporarily brings me to a tropical state of euphoria. Bear with me okay? =) This recipe has a little fall with cinnamon and a lot of tropical with coconut and banana!

Banana Spice Cake with Coconut Frosting

Serves 16

Ingredients:

Cake:

2 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c granulated sugar (I used Splenda)
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c low fat buttermilk (I used a little less than 3/4 c Almond Breeze milk with 1 Tbsp lemon juice—let sit for about 15 minutes)
2 ripe bananas, mashed, about 1 cup
2 large eggs
1 egg white
1/3 unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting:

1 (8 oz) package of light cream cheese, at room temp
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
3 Tbsp milk (coconut milk is recommended, but I subbed vanilla Eighth Continent soymilk)
1 tsp coconut extract (This is a crucial ingredient—no substitutes!)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c sweetened flaked coconut, toasted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with nonstick spray.
To make the cake, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together the remaining cake ingredients in a separate medium bowl. Gradually add the banana mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until just blended.
Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 30-35 min or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove cake from pan and let cool completely on rack.
Meanwhile, to make the frosting, with an electric mixer on high speed, beat all the frosting ingredients except the flaked coconut until smooth, about 1 minute. With a narrow metal spatula, spread frosting over the top of cake. Add the toasted coconut evenly over the top.

This cake would even be delicious without the frosting..but who doesn’t like frosting? :-)

**Speaking of tropical, enter a HUGE giveaway here!**

Feeling a Bit…Fishy

2009-10-19T13:31:00.001-05:00

It’s Monday, and I am feeling a bit fishy—but I would rather feel fishy then to have the flu feeling like so many people out there. We got a notice saying two people at our University were confirmed with the Swine flu. When I got the message, I immediately called my mom and said, “What should I do?”(Of course I knew the probable answers.) She casually replied, “Well just stay home.” But unfortunately it was the last of my mid-term tests, so I had to tough it out. I armed myself with hand sanitizer and a pack full of Lysol wipes—no way am I getting this flu!

Have you dodged this flu bug??

So I suppose your wondering why I am feeling a tad on the fishy side. This weekend I tried out two new recipes that feature an under the sea specimen. First up is a Tuscan Salmon Sandwich Spread. It’s such a good sandwich spread to make on Monday and have all week to put on homemade bread, hero rolls, pita bread, sandwich thins, bagels, etc. Next up is simple yet semi-gourmet looking/tasting Confetti Crab Cakes.

So grab your scuba suit, and join in on the under sea scrumptiousness!

Tuscan Salmon Sandwich Spread

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1/3 c bottled light Italian dressing
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
14.75 oz. can red or pink salmon
15.5 oz can rinsed cannellini beans
1/2 c diced celery
1/4 c chopped red onion
1/4 c chopped black olives
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley or 2 tsp dried

Directions:

Mix Italian dressing with mustard.
Flake salmon in a bowl; toss with beans, celery, red onion, olives, parsley and dressing mixture.
Split mixture up into 4 equal parts and serve on your preferred bread.

Confetti Crab Cakes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

8 oz lump crab meat
1/2 c unseasoned bread crumbs
1/2 c chopped scallions
3/4 c finely chopped red bell pepper
1 tsp seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay)
1/4 tsp ground red pepper (optional)
2 Tbsp light mayo
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp canola oil or butter

Directions:

Combine crabmeat, breadcrumbs, scallions, bell pepper, Old Bay seasoning, and ground red pepper (if using) in a medium bowl. Add mayonnaise and lemon juice; mix with a fork. Form mixture into 8 patties about 3 inches in diameter.
Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Fry crab cakes until browned on the bottom (about 4 minutes); turn and cook 4 more minutes, or until browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the crab cake reads 155°. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

Hope your Monday treats you well! Don’t miss Wednesday’s post—it will make your hump day just a bit better! :-)

Dare to Be an Éclair Extraordinaire

2009-10-17T04:00:00.000-05:00

Wow!

I don’t think I’ve been so glad for the weekend in quite some time. I am going to spend my 2 free days with no thoughts of college in sight—oh wait, I have a restaurant review due for my Media Writing class next week that I plan on doing today, but hey I talk and write about food on here all the time, so I really don’t consider it as homework! I think I will do a review on Applebee’s..cliché I know, but college students around here love to hang out there due to the fun, laid back atmosphere, and of course good food. Hello appetizers and dessert shots!

Anything noteworthy going on in your neck of the woods this weekend??

If you have some down time, you should rent the DVD State of Play if you haven’t already watched it. We had to watch it in class and do a movie review. I will be watching it again due to the fact that I was extremely intrigued by it!

Oh, and if you by any chance happen to have even more down time, you need to make this recipe I am going to feature today. I figured after a busy week and no baking(which resulted in eating way too many bars for dessert), I deserved to try this somewhat daunting recipe, which in fact turned out to be one the easiest things I have ever made, and mighty tasty as well!

If you don’t know already, éclairs are is a long custard-filled French donut that is based on a cream puff dough. Here’s what I loved about this recipe:

Comes together in about 15 minutes.
Original recipe makes 8, perfect amount, or can be doubled.
Who doesn’t like a creamy chocolate/banana filling.
Cream puff dough tastes identical to a deep-fried donut without the deep-fried mess and fat. I can’t wait to experiment more with this quick and easy dough.
Although the recipe calls to pipe the filling via pastry bag into the long donuts, I was running out of time before class, so I opted to spread the filling on top which actually made the powdered sugar dusting stick much better.

So what are you waiting for?! Get out your chef hat and make some éclairs!

Chocolate-Banana Éclairs

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

Pastry Cream

1/4 c granulated sugar (or Splenda)
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp banana extract
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp corn starch
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2/3 c fat-free milk (I used Almond Breeze)
1/4 cup thawed fat-free whipped topping

Cream Puff Dough

1 c water
3 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp unsalted butter (I used I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter)
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 c all-purpose flour
2 egg whites
1 large egg white
1 Tbsp confectioner’s sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

To make pastry cream, whip together sugar, egg, and vanilla in a bowl. Whisk in the corn starch, cocoa, and cinnamon. Bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan; whisk in the cocoa mixture and extracts. Return the milk mixture to the saucepan and bring to boil. Cook, whisking, until thickened. Spoon into a bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface; refrigerate until cool. Fold in whipped topping. Refrigerate.
Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray, line with parchment paper or nonstick tinfoil.
To make cream puff dough, combine the water, oil, butter, granulated sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Cook until butter melts and mixture boils, about 3 minutes. Stir in flour all at once, cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the dough begins to pull of the side of the pan, 1-2 mins. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in eggs and egg whites, one at a time, beating vigorously until dough is smooth and shiny.
Fill a large pastry bag or a freezer bag with the corner cut off with dough. Pipe onto baking sheet to form 8 4-inch long x 2-inch wide fingers. Bake until golden, about 35 minutes. Turn off the oven.(If you want to make them like I did, with filling on top, now just take filling out of fridge and spread evenly on each log.) Make a small slit in one end of each éclair. Return to oven for 10 minutes. Let cool completely on rack.
To assemble éclairs, with a small knife, make a hole in the end of each one. Spoon pastry cream into pastry bag with 1/4 inch plain tip and pipe about 2 Tbsp cream into each éclair. Dust with confectioner’s sugar.

Adapted from Weight Watcher’s Best Ever Desserts

Nutritional Info: Calories-193 Fat- 9g Sat. Fat-2g Trans Fat-0g Sodium- 24g Carbs-24g Fiber-1g POINTS: 4

Hey by the way, head on over to a new website called Funny Spoon for easy and tasty meal ideas! I’m already eyeing up these!

Another Way to Celebrate

2009-10-15T08:56:00.001-05:00

All of that great brain food in my last post is powering me through this week for sure! Hope everyone else’s week is smooth sailing as well.

Did you forget already that October is National Pizza Month?

I would like to say I didn’t forget about it since my celebration started a tad early, but sadly weeks passed and I failed to celebrate at least once a week with a wonderful slice. So as October is getting well underway, I figured no better time than now to try a new pizza recipe I have been eying up for quite some time. I still decided to use my lovely homemade crust recipe that I adore, but that was the only change I made to this one. Hope you enjoy! Are you still celebrating National Pizza Month?

Veggie Breakfast Pizza

Serves: 6 (2 slices each)

Adapted from Healthy Cooking Magazine

Ingredients:

1 recipe of my whole-wheat crust
1 c salsa
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp EVOO
3 eggs, and 3 egg whites, beaten
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 c (4 oz) shredded part-skin mozzarella cheese

p.s. Next time I am going to add some ham and pineapple to this as well!

Directions:

Follow the recipe for my whole wheat crust, once that is done baking continue on.
Drain salsa, discarding the liquid. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook and stir in the tomatoes, onion and green pepper in oil until crisp tender. Combine eggs/egg whites, and seasonings, add to pan. Cook and stir until eggs are set.
Spoon salsa and egg mixture over crust; sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 3-5 mins or until cheese is melted.

I wasn’t sure if I would like the whole “breakfast” theme on a pizza..but how could I not? I love all things eggs, and basically anything on a tasty crust is a winner with me, so of course this is by far one of my fav new pizza combos! Don’t let the salsa sauce, or anything else make you think twice—make it ASAP!

Brain Food

2009-10-13T19:07:00.001-05:00

Hey friends!

Sorry if posting gets a little sporadic this week—it’s midterm week already and I have to dedicate 80% of my time to studying. (10% eating, 10% sleeping). So basically no time left to do anything else—thankfully on Friday it’ll be all good till finals!

Whether you’re in school, out of school, or in between, there’s always going to be a time you need to use your brain for things other than everyday easy tasks. Tests, problem-solving at work, multi-tasking, planning, etc all require your brain to be working top-notch. How to make sure it will work for your advantage? Well ample sleep and good food are priorities.

I like to call it brain food!

How to eat to best benefit your brain?

Breakfast: If you’re strapped for time in the morning, as we all tend to be, a bowl of fruit is a much better energy source that will start the brain working. Later on in the morning something with more protein, a cereal, will do the same to keep energy in the brain all day. A piece of toast or sandwich does the same, directly improving memory and attention.
Snacks: Energy bars with not a lot of sugar such as Lara bars provide a steady stream of good for you ingredients that will satiate you and stop stomach grumblings from disrupting you until your next meal.
Lunch: Vegetables do much of the same good as fruit. Glucose levels alter during cooking so sticking to a salad may be better. Think about adding an egg to the mix. Egg yolk is a leading source for choline, a nutrient that, recently, has been proven to boost brainpower by speeding up the sending of signals to nerve cells in the brain. Complementing this with nuts [particularly walnuts] balance omega-3 acids with omega-6’s while neutralizing blood sugar levels.
Drinks: While eating food for the brain, it is important to keep hydrated. At least 80 ounces of water every day reduce stress hormones. Drinking non-caffeinated tea, like green tea, relaxes the brain and induces mental alertness. A juice, such as grapefruit juice, has the same affects for the brain as fruits and vegetables along with the hydration benefits.
Dinner: Let your dinner contain some carbs because when eaten with protein or fat they may indeed be mentally soothing. Pizza is a good example because it contains a lot of carbs, but protein and fat as well. Soothing for the mind. There are times when we all need some of that!

Here’s my brain food I am eating this week to power me through this studying and tests!

Fruit, yogurt, and granola parfaits. The perfect balance of protein(yogurt), carbs(granola), and natural sugar(fruit). Also easily packed for lunch!

Kashi Honey Sunshine cereal. Not only is cereal a breakfast food, but it can be put in a small baggy to eat as a pre-portioned snack, which is what I like to do for in between classes or a test snack! :-) This cereal reminded me of Captain Crunch, but with a honey touch instead of PB—now it’s a definite staple in my cereal stash.

Nature’s Valley Nut Lovers clusters consist of cashews, pecans, peanuts, granola and a smidgen of honey. Such a good snack to hold you over—not only are nuts super good for you in moderation, these are a little tastier than your average plain nut! (Watch for the review on the whole line in the near future!)

Okay, so a lollipop is a lollipop, but lets just say Yummy Earth takes it to a whole new and healthier level. Their lollipops are handcrafted and the flavors are made with real fruit extracts. They even use organic black carrots and
organic pumpkin for fabulous color!! Be sure to check out their 21 YUMMY flavors! Studies show that students who chew gum or suck on candy concentrate significantly better.

These Meteor Bites are from Galaxy Granola are super hard to find. But they are worth the hunt! The flavor I had this time was Blueberry Yogurt Flax—I’ve tried em’ all and this is my favorite! It even has a delicately sweet icing over the top of the quarter-sized granola snack! Most granola contains good for you fiber to keep you satiated. I buy these here.

I received these yummy Nature's Path toaster pastries from the company itself awhile back to review. I used to be a Pop-Tart fan when I was younger, so I was up for the review! Looks similar to a Pop-Tart? Check. Tastes like a Pop-tart? Not so much. But in fact it was much better than a Pop-Tart, and much healthier as well. The Wildberry Acai filling was rich along with the decadent frosting and perfect flaky crust. A must for a healthy breakfast to keep that brain fueled! Acai berries are ranked in the Top 5 Brain Health Foods!

And lastly, to keep myself fueled with a guarantee for no rumbling tummy, I reach for Special K protein shakes in three yummy flavors—Vanilla(favorite), chocolate, and strawberry. With 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, it’s a surefire way to satisfy your hunger.

Time to study!

Souper Sunday

2009-10-11T08:13:00.001-05:00

My weekend was highlighted by the fact that yes indeed, our weather services finally had a correct forecast—about two inches of fresh fall snow hit the ground, the roads were slippery, and I had to wear my winter jacket for the first time. At least I always have a warm kitchen beckoning me to bake, right?

How was your weekend..did anything exciting happen?

Today’s post is a branch off of Jenny’s themed food of the week. She picks one type of food and everyone sends in their favorite recipe/picture in that category. This weeks theme was soup—how perfect for the chilly fall days! So Jenny and I decided that I should do a little blog “history” info on the food she chooses each week. Every Sunday there will be a feature on my blog, and then you can check out Jenny’s to see all the great submissions of the week.

Soup

History Lesson

One of the first types of soups can be dated to about 6,000 B.C.^[ Boiling was not a common cooking technique until the invention of waterproof containers about 9,000 years ago.

The word soup comes from French soupe ("soup", "broth"), which comes through Vulgar Latin suppa ("bread soaked in broth") from a Germanic source, from which also means the word "sop", a piece of bread used to soak up soup or a thick stew.

The word restaurant (meaning "[something] restoring") was first used in France in the 16th century, to describe a highly concentrated, inexpensive soup, sold by street vendors, that was advertised as an antidote to physical exhaustion. In 1765, a Parisian entrepreneur opened a shop specializing in such soups. This prompted the use of the modern word restaurant to describe the shops.

Commercial soup became popular with the invention of canning in the 19th century, and today a great variety of canned and dried soups are on the market. Dr. John T. Dorrance, a chemist with the Campbell Soup Company, invented condensed soup in 1897

America’s Top 3 Soups

Campbell’s Tomato
Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom
Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup

**Approximately 2.5 billion bowls of these soups alone are consumed each year!**

Soups By The Region

Bird's nest soup is a delicacy in Chinese cuisine.
Bisque - A thick, creamy, highly-seasoned soup, classically of pureed crustaceans, of French origin.
Canh chua (sour soup) - A Vietnamese dish made with rice, fish, various vegetables, and in some cases pineapple.
Clam chowder - two major types, New England Clam Chowder, made with potatoes and cream, and Manhattan Clam Chowder, made with a tomato base.
Gumbo - A traditional Creole soup from the Southern United States, thickened with okra pods.
Leek soup - A simple soup made from Leeks popular in Wales during Saint David's Day
Minestrone - An Italian vegetable soup
Tomato soup (pomidorowa) - Traditional polish soup made of tomato concentrate

What is your favorite soup?

Apparently people’s soup choices reflect their personality types..

If you have a hankering for chicken noodle soup, you scored high on the church-going scale, are fond of pets, are more likely to be stubborn and less likely to be outdoorsy.

If minestrone filled your mug, you were more likely to be physically fit, nutritionally conscious, family spirited, unlikely to own a pet and also on a restricted diet

A vegetable soup aficionado was a homebody at heart, less likely to be a world traveler, less likely to be spontaneous and more likely to read family and home magazines.

Tomato soup lovers, by contrast, could stomach more adventure, were more likely to be social and also tended to enjoy books and pets.

Read more about that study here.

Review of my Favorite Store-Bought Soup Line

Imagine Creamy Red Bliss Potato & Roasted Garlic Soup

It’s light, yet filling, creamy, yet flavorful. All the goodness of a thick potato soup condensed!

Imagine Organic Creamy Tomato Soup

This blows Campbell's Tomato Soup to the ground when it comes taste and nutrition. No “can” taste here, but instead the taste of fresh pureed tomatoes.

Imagine Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

I was expecting a bland taste with this, but instead it was creamy with a pleasant sweet and savory taste to it. Perfect for bread n’ butter dipping!

Soup Recipes on My Blog

Soups I Have Saved to Try Soon!

Oh Me, Oh My, a Healthy Pie?

2009-10-09T03:00:00.000-05:00

So I just heard on the weather that snow is predicted for Saturday! Snow? Already?! Where did fall go? Oh that’s right, this is Minnesota and it’s so ~~ridiculous~~ unpredictable. Humph! At least I have this delectable dessert in my fridge to boost my spirits.

When it comes to pies, I actually would rather have a bowl of ice cream or a cinnamon roll. I have never been a fan of pumpkin pies, apple pies, or any other. However, there is one pie that I could eat 10 times over! It’s been a favorite since childhood..

Banana Cream Pie!

I used to get it all the time at one of our local restaurants that is known for their array of pies. The crust, the fluffy banana cream filling, and that inch thick layer of silky whipped cream is a one-of-a-kind taste sensation. Although I knew I could probably not get too close to the original taste of that pie, I wanted to give it a shot just for the heck of it. And of course, now I wanted to try to “healthify” it a bit.

First..What makes a pie unhealthy in the first place?

A typical pie has a crust made up of white flour, full-fat butter, and sugar.
Many people do not eat a pie by itself—they will add unhealthy toppings such as ice cream, whipped cream(not Cool Whip), or different sugar laden sauces.
Fillings can contain cups of sugar, high fructose corn syrup, saturated/trans fats, high in cholesterol and astounding sodium levels.

However, I am about everything in moderation—so go ahead and have a slice of your favorite pie, or if it’s a bit healthier like mine, have 2 slices =)

My Too-Good-To-Deny Banana Cream Pie

How is this healthier than a standard Banana Cream Pie you ask?

Starts with a Fiber One/Banana Cheerios crust combined with a little banana puree and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter FF Spread.
Next comes a layer of potassium-filled bananas.
The bananas are followed by a rich and thick SF pudding/yogurt filling paired with creamy Almond Breeze milk.
Any finally, some bananas top it off to garnish and a layer of Cool Whip just for fun! =)

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 cup Fiber One cereal
1 cup banana flavored Cheerios, or just plain if you don’t have them.
1 Tbsp mashed banana
4 Tbsp ICBINB FF Spread
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 large banana, plus more for garnish if desired
2 c. milk, I used Almond Breeze, any will do.
1-8 oz container of Banana Cream Pie yogurt(from Wal-Mart’s Great Value brand)
1-6 oz box of SF vanilla pudding and pie filling mix
1/2 c Cool Whip, thawed

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Pulse cereals, 1 Tbsp mashed banana, cinnamon, and butter spread in food processor until a fine crumb consistency is formed.
Spray pie plate generously with cooking spray and pour in crumbs, forming a pie crust along the bottom and half way up the edges.

Bake pie crust for 10 min.
Meanwhile, cut up the large banana into thin slices. Once pie crust comes out of the oven, let cool briefly, then layer slices evenly around crust.

Mix milk, yogurt, and pudding/pie filling mix with mixer on medium speed for 1-2 min.
Pour over pie and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Spread on whipped cream and top with additional slices if desired.

YUM!!

Good for You Goodies: Glow Gluten Free Cookies

2009-10-06T06:28:00.001-05:00

**Make sure to check out Zesty’s POM Tea giveaway here**

If you are a newer visitor to my blog, you might not recall hearing about my Good for You Goodies feature. It was created by me in an attempt to highlight great companies that make tasty goodies that are both good tasting, and good for your well-being. All companies that qualified for this feature donated products that I review. I haven’t done a feature for a long time, just because I was a little too busy this summer with moving and such, but expect a few new Good for You Goodies posts in the near future. (p.s. There will be a feature page posted on my blog so you can access all reviews soon!)

The Company: Glow Gluten Free

The Products: 4 flavors of gluten-free cookies

My Chew Review: When browsing the web, sometimes I will stumble upon a company’s website that has a food I am dying to try—this was one of those times! I mean who doesn’t like cookies? And it was even better that all four flavors are all natural, preservative free, gluten free, trans fat free, and casein free. I like when I can feel a bit better about eating cookies! =) Then I recalled a time when I had tried some not so stellar gluten free cookies—but I figured every cookie deserves a chance, so I was pleased when the wonderful Jill agreed to send some cookies for me to sample. I had high hopes after visiting the website and seeing the drool-worthy photos. Was I let down by these fab four? Read on to find out! But first a little rundown on this company:

Baking entrepreneur and celiac disease expert, Jill Brack, has cooked up a mouth-watering collection of gluten free cookies full of everything that has been missing in the marketplace. Her new line of Glow Gluten Free cookies will surprise even the most discerning palates: rich Double Chocolate; crisp and spicy Gingersnap; cinnamon sugary Snickerdoodle and, always a best seller, the old fashioned Chocolate Chip. And in case all of these delectable flavors make you forget, yes, they’re all gluten free. “It takes one to bake one,” says Brack, who has been diagnosed with celiac disease for many years. “Eating gluten free doesn’t mean you have to settle for less. I created Glow Gluten Free cookies to put fun and delicious flavor into snacking gluten free. People tell me they crave these cookies whether they are gluten free or not.”

Snicker Doodle Cookies

Since I am not a giant fan of chocolate I have always leaned more towards being a sugar, snickerdoodle, molasses type cookie girl. So of course I had to dig into this flavor first!

What I thought:

Just like a fresh-baked snickerdoodle that I would have made. Not overly sweet, but just the right amount of goodness! Crunchy and crumbly at its’ finest! Great on top of a fruit and yogurt parfait—made it 10 times better!

Gingersnap Cookies

What I Thought:

I had very high standards for this gingersnap. I find it hard to compete with the chewy ones I bake around Christmas. But, every cookie deserves a chance, and I am so glad they do! Can you see the sugar crystals just gleaming on that cookie? And the crinkles made it all the more appealing. This is definitely my new go to gingersnap cookie for when I don’t have time to whip up my own.(This is also a crunchy cookie, as are all of the Glow cookies) Did I mention I am astounded these cookies are gluten-free and still so delicious?!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

What I Thought:

Okay, so in all reality, how many different brands and variations of chocolate chip cookies has the average person tried? Lets just say a lot. So needless to say, each chocolate chip cookie needs to have something memorable about it to be marked as a “good cookie”. I guarantee this variation on a chocolate chip cookie will please anyone in your family who is a Chip’s Ahoy fan! I used to love Chip’s Ahoy, and this cookie brought back chocolaty (albeit healthier) memories! Cheers to that—with a cold glass of milk of course! ;-)

Double Chocolate Cookies

What I Thought:

Like I said before, I am not a giant chocolate fan, but I do enjoy an occasional chocolate cookie or a few chocolate candies. This cookie would be perfect for brownie lovers because it had that same deep richness of a typical brownie, without the dense chewiness of course. So if you need a serious chocolate fix, I found your match!

Overall, all of the cookies were delicious. I really have no gripes about them, other than I would have liked a chewy cookie for maybe one of the flavors—but like I said, they are great dipped in milk, crumbled over yogurt, or just a snack.

Thanks again Jill—what a great company!

Get your own Glow Cookies HERE!

Semi-Fine Dining

2009-10-04T09:58:00.001-05:00

Well, Sunday is here and that means Monday tomorrow, but hopefully you all had a super weekend! We had Friday off of school for homecoming and such, so I was not complaining of a 3 day weekend =) So what did I do with 3 days? Homework, cleaned, shopped, and cooked a meal for my dad and I! He hasn’t seen my apartment since it was all boxes because he’s a over-the-road trucker, so our schedules usually conflict. This weekend my mom was gone, so it was perfect!

Not seeing my dad for 3 months was extremely crazy—he makes me laugh, and I needed a dose of dad humor and of course a big hug! I already knew what was on the menu for us—he and I are huge seafood fans (my mom doesn’t like it), so here’s our menu! It turned out fabulous!

Dad & Daughter Menu

Crab Stuffed Chicken (recipe here)

Homemade Roasted Garlic Wheat Bread (recipe below)

Sliced Garden Tomatoes

Brown Sugar Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, and Fennel (recipe below)

My dad was so excited—check out when I delivered his plate to him! (don’t mind the hat hair ha ha)

Love him!

With a look at this, could you blame him for his excitement?

Brown Sugar Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, and Fennel

(This was so flavorful, and perfect as a side dish for any fall meal!)

Serves:4

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes
3 large carrots
2 fennel bulbs
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp olive or canola oil
Salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 F.
Peel sweet potatoes and carrots in to your desired size/shape.
Slice fennel bulb and cut into four sections.
Toss all veggies with oil and brown sugar. Add salt and pepper.
Take a casserole dish or roasting pan and spread veggies in a single layer.
Cover pan with tinfoil and roast for 45-60 minutes, stirring every 15-20 mins. Roast until sweet potatoes and carrots are tender and fennel starts to brown.

Roasted Garlic Wheat Bread (bread machine)

Makes 2 pound loaf

Ingredients:

1 c water
1/2 sour cream
2 tsp minced garlic
2 c bread flour
2 c whole wheat flour
1 tbsp wheat germ
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

Directions:

Place ingredients in bread machine in above order.
Choose wheat bread cycle if available, otherwise just the standard.

If you do not have a bread machine, you could easily make this my prepping yeast, mixing, and letting rise, then baking. I would suggest following another similar oven-baked bread recipe for a basic time guideline.

I Found My Fall Angel

2009-10-02T08:23:00.001-05:00

---Finally Friday!!---

Have you ever combined two good foods to get something extraordinary? That’s what happened with this recipe. Two things a lot of people probably have lying around their pantry paired together to create one delicious dessert. Usually I will make something, eat it throughout the week, and get sick of it. With this one, I made it Sunday and wish I had made more! This would be perfect for a fall time/Halloween get together too.

+ =

Pumpkin Angel Food Cake with Cinnamon-Cream Filling

Serves:12

Ingredients

Cake

1 box Betty Crocker® white angel food cake mix
1 tablespoon Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 cup cold water

Cinnamon-Cream Filling

2 cups Cool Whip
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

1.Move oven rack to lowest position; heat oven to 350°F. In extra-large glass or metal bowl, beat all cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 1 minute. Pour into ungreased 10-inch angel food (tube) cake pan.

2.Bake 37 to 47 minutes or until crust is dark golden brown and cracks are dry. Immediately turn pan upside down onto heatproof funnel or glass bottle. Let hang about 2 hours or until cake is completely cool. Loosen cake from side of pan with knife or long metal spatula. Turn cake upside down onto serving plate.

3.In chilled large bowl, beat cool whip and powdered sugar with electric mixer on high speed until stiff. Fold in cinnamon. Cut cake horizontally in half to make 2 even layers. Spread half of the filling on bottom layer; replace top of cake. Spread remaining filling on top of cake. Sprinkle with additional pumpkin pie spice if desired.

Will all the pumpkin recipes floating around this time a year, I would definitely recommend adding this to your list of “must makes”! Let me know if you make it and how you like it =)

The blogenda for next week:

A new cookie line review
A pie—oh my!
A easy fall side dish

Bun Fun

2009-09-30T18:25:00.001-05:00

Well, I am sad to say it, but I think old man winter is making his way to Minnesota. Nightly temps have been in the 30’s, and the daily temps barely reach 50. Although I do like winter because it means:

hot chocolate
baking with a warm oven on
bringing out the electric blankets
watching the trees get covered in pretty, glistening snow
the holiday seasons

Ok, so basically I am just trying to be positive—I really do not like anything about winter, well besides the holiday season. What’s winter like in your neck of the woods? (Al Roker slang ha!)

So, the other day I bought something I haven’t bought in a long time—hot dog buns! I went into our local bread store (where bread is highly discounted), and noticed that there was whole-wheat hot dog buns! I grabbed em’ since they were only $2, and I knew I would find some use for them. But then I got home and realized I do not eat nor like hot dogs, so it was time to get creative!

Italian Sautéed Sub Sandwich

Serves: 1

Ingredients

One hot dog bug
1/4 c sliced green bell pepper
1/4 c sliced onion
1 Italian chicken sausage, sliced
1/4 c pizza sauce
1/4 c of shredded cheese blend

Directions:

Toast bun briefly in a toaster oven or under broiler.
Sautee sausage, onion, and pepper.
Spread sauce on bun, add veggies/sausage.
Put cheese on the top side of the bun.
Place back in toaster over or broiler until cheese is bubbly and hot!

Easy, cheap, fast, and GOOD!

So then I found myself on another quest—ways to use up all these bargain buns. Here’s some great uses for them that I came up with!

Make fast cheesy breadsticks by splitting buns, sprinkling some cheese, and toasting in the oven.
Make French toast—ok, so not your typical looking French toast, but still good nonetheless!
Garlic bread. Use this method to make them.
Miniature pizzas anyone?
Pulse the buns in a food processor for quick bread crumbs.
Use them for my strata!
PB and Banana sandwiches—the banana will fit perfect =)
Use them in your favorite bread pudding recipe.
Make any kind of mini subs for on-the-go lunches.
Homemade croutons in an instant!
Use them in your meatloaf recipes.

What are your ideas for using up hot dog buns?!