I’d Love It If You’d…

 

For the past 3 years this little blog has grown quite a bit, along with my experience/skills in the kitchen and food world in general. I love to share recipes, healthy living tips, and lifestyle/travel tips. I hope all my followers enjoy reading posts as much as I enjoy writing them. If you do, now’s your time to make light of it!

Women’s Health Magazine is currently looking for submissions for your favorite fitness, health, weight loss, and lifestyle blogs on the web.

Nominate A Pinch of This, and a Dash of That HERE!

Happy Friday!

Some Like it Spicy, Some Like it Hot

 

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The 2nd annual Foodbuzz Festival is right around the corner, and being a featured publisher, I get the chance to participate in a few different things to try to get a chance to go and share a recipe I’ve created!

Sometimes people ask me how I come up with recipes, and I can’t always give them a clear answer—however, that’s not the case with the recipe I decided to enter in the Nature’s Pride bread contest.

If I remember right, it started with brainstorming my favorite way to eat bread…

After considering sandwiches, stuffing, croutons, etc, I just couldn’t decide, so I decided to sift through recipes I’ve made….

That’s when I remembered. “Duh, I love strata's!” Why a strata you ask?Because it combines three of my favorite foods—bread, veggies, and eggs!

Then I thought, “Hey, this needs some protein..what would be best?” After consulting my pantry and finding a can of chicken, the decision was made…

But wait, it’s not over yet. I saw a bottle of Frank’s Buffalo Wings Sauce hiding behind some cans. Aha!!..

And at that moment the Buffalo Chicken Strata was born!

(And yes I am the proud parent of this recipe!)

Buffalo Chicken Strata

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 5 slices Nature’s Pride Country White Bread, cubed
• 1 9.75 oz can of white chicken, or 1 cup shredded chicken breast
• 3/4 c diced sweet potato, microwave until tender
• 1/2 c diced celery
• 1 3/4 c milk
• 1/4 c Frank’s Buffalo Wings Sauce
• 1 c chicken broth
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 c blue cheese crumbles
• dash of pepper

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 F
• Arrange bread cubes on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and bake until crispy and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, add chicken(drained if from a can), sweet potato, blue cheese, and celery. Add bread cubes to the mixture and toss to coat.
• In another medium sized bowl, add milk, broth, buffalo sauce, eggs and pepper. Pour into bowl with the bread cubes and mix until combined.
• Spray a 8 x 8 inch glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and pour mixture into it. Bake, uncovered, at 350 F for 45 minutes, stir. Bake 45 minutes longer or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

What’s your favorite way to eat bread?

Cream Cheese Please!

Another year to the book, another candle to the cake..however you put it, I am a year older, and hopefully another year wiser.

It’s been just about a week since my 19th birthday, and it gave me time to think about all the things I’ve done while being 18..

• 18th birthday
• Entered and took 3rd place in the Regional Rhubarb Fest
• Moved in to my first apartment
• Started my sophomore year of college
• Got to interview KATH
• Had a wonderful Thanksgiving
• Enjoyed the Christmas season to the fullest
• Headed to Orlando, FL
• Got hired to teach community cooking classes
• Visited relatives out in Boston
• Made a trip to Minneapolis and the General Mills Museum
• And overall just learned to live each day in life to the fullest—can’t wait to see what my 19th year has in store!

Some exciting things that are on my agenda for this year:

• Minneapolis Taste of the Nation
• Healthy Living Summit

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So now onto confession time: In the past 4 weeks I think I’ve eaten my weight in cake. Not just any cake though—my creation I’ve been tweaking and perfecting for the Real Women of Philadelphia Cream Cheese contest. I love Paula Deen, so I was extra excited to find out she is the main star of this contest—cooking in front of Paula Deen? Yes, please!

**Check out my contest profile page here**

Recipe entry description:

“Inspired by Elvis's famous peanut butter banana sandwich, I took this to the next level by incorporating the flavors into a moist and simple cake. But who can have a cake without frosting? Not me! A creamy peanut butter cream cheese frosting tops this off and makes it my one-of-a-kind cake filled with four favorite flavors. I think Elvis would be proud!”

Recipe entry video:

Chocolate Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup(s) of all-purpose flour

1/2 cup(s) of whole wheat flour

3/4 cup(s) of granulated white sugar

1/4 cup(s) of unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp. of baking powder

1/2 tsp. of baking soda

1 tsp. of vanilla extract

3/4 cup(s) of low-fat buttermilk

1/3 cup(s) of unsweetened applesauce

1 large egg

1/2 cup(s) of egg whites or eggbeaters

2 large bananas, mashed

1/2 tsp. of salt

8 ounce(s) of original Philadelphia cream cheese

1/4 cup(s) of confectioners sugar

1/4 cup(s) of creamy peanut butter

1 tsp. of vanilla extract

1 Banana for topping if desired

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 8 x 8 glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Meanwhile, get 2 medium-sized bowls, one for the dry ingredients and one for the wet ingredients.

Starting with the dry ingredients, add in both flours, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

In wet ingredients bowl, start by mashing bananas. Add in applesauce, buttermilk, egg, egg whites, vanilla stirring until well combined.

Slowly add in the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient bowl and stir until just combined. Pour into baking dish and put into preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Meanwhile, prepare frosting by placing cream cheese(right out of the fridge temp), peanut butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar and beat with hand mixer until a creamy consistency is formed.

Once cake is cooled for at least 30 minutes, take a rubber spatula and run in around the cake. Spray a cookie sheet lightly and tip pan upside down onto sheet and tap lightly until cake comes out.

Take frosting and frost the bottom layer evenly. Then top with next layer and frost the top and sides until covered. Cut into 8 pieces.

Thinly slice up extra banana and top cake slices if desired.

 

Whether you try this recipe or not, keep your fingers crossed for me!! =)

Recipe Contest Casserole

This weekend was a bit spontaneous. Instead of doing the same old around town, we (Will and I) decided to take a joy ride to Grand Forks, ND. Funny thing is, I’ve been to a lot of different states, but have never been to either of the Dakota’s and they are right next door!! So Friday we threw the necessities in a duffel bag and headed out for a two hour drive. And yes, unfortunately the Red River is already rising at a fast pace, so much that only one bridge crossing was opened.

We didn’t get into town until dinner time, and so we knew eating was on the agenda soon. We both decided on the Texas Roadhouse.

Texas Roadhouse on Urbanspoon

About the restaurant…

“Hand-cut steaks, award winning ribs, fresh-baked bread and made from scratch side items are the standard at Texas Roadhouse. All of our food is created from scratch with only the highest quality-freshest ingredients. We combine large portions and great value to give you Legendary Food at a reasonable price.

But we're not just about steaks. With great ribs, chicken dishes, fish, salads and lots more, we can satisfy almost any appetite. We guess that's why you all voted us #1 in both Menu Variety and Value in the 2004 Restaurant & Institution Magazine's Choice in Chains Guest Survey.”

Immediately upon entering, I loved the whole “ranch” themed atmosphere. Big barrels of peanuts were scattered around and you could throw the shells right on the floor—kind of fun! You get ridiculously good fresh-baked buns—not lying when I say fresh, they make em’ every 5 minutes—and they are served with an amazing cinnamon butter spread!

The menu offered so much good food to choose from, but I was craving some grilled pork chops which I got paired with a garden salad and baked potato—turned out to be a great choice!

The rest of our little getaway was filled with lots of shopping, and one last special stop to Cabella’s. Even if your not a hunter, fisherman, or any type of outdoors person, it’s still a really fun store to go in because it’s like a zoo, but with all fake animals instead. They do a beautiful job with all the setups!

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Now onto something else exciting..I recently entered the 2010 “Better With Bisquick” contest which ended in March.

You could enter dishes in various categories—snacks, apps, main dishes, ethnic inspired, and a healthy twist. Mine would qualify for both main dish and healthy twist. The contest results will be posted April 13th here, so keep an eye out for the winners!

I modeled my dish to be somewhat like a baked ziti dish, but instead of pasta, butternut squash takes the stage and is mixed with a blend of hot Italian sausage, green peppers, diced tomatoes, spinach and ricotta cheese. The filling is then topped with a Parmesan/Bisquick mixture to create an Italian style casserole!

I present to you….

Italian Butternut Bisquick Bake

Ingredients:

*1 c cubed butternut squash
*1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
*1/2 green pepper, diced
*2 Italian sausage, finely chopped
*1 clove garlic
*1 c tomato sauce
*1 c diced tomatoes, drained well
*1/4 c pesto
*1 c fat free ricotta cheese
*1/2 c shredded parmesan cheese
*1 c fresh baby spinach
*1 c Bisquick Heart Smart
*1/4 c Eggbeaters
*1/2 c milk
*1 Tbsp Italian seasoning blend
*1/2 tsp garlic powder
*1 1/2 tsp fennel seed
*Sprinkling of feta cheese, optional

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease a 8 x 8 baking dish, set aside. Microwave cubed butternut squash for 4 minutes, let cool. Meanwhile, lightly spray skillet, turn to medium heat and add onions, peppers, Italian sausage, and garlic sauteeing until tender, about 3 minutes.
2) Lower heat to low and add in diced tomatoes and pesto. Stir until thoroughly combined--shut of heat and keep covered.
3)Stir together ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and spinach in a bowl. Heat for 20 seconds in microwave if nessecary. Spread ricotta mixture in the bottom of baking dish.
4) Next spread butternut squash evenly over cheese mixture. Top with mixture in skillet. Drizzle 1/2 c tomato sauce over sausage mixture.
5)Mix Bisquick, eggbeaters, milk, seasoning, and fennel seeds together with a wire whisk until combined. Pour evenly over the top of sausage mixture.
6)Put in preheated oven for a total of 30 minutes, removing at the 15 minute mark to add remaining 1/2 c tomato sauce evenly over the top with a rubber spatula.
7)Remove from oven, sprinkle with feta cheese if desired and let sit for 10 minutes--cut into 8 pieces.

Super Soup Sunday

Is it just me, or during the cold months, curling up with a bowl of soup is just traditional? I find that my soup consumption October-March jumps significantly. Whether it be tomato soup, a hearty stew, or a broth based soup, they warm you from the inside out. For me, I am more fond of homemade soups because I still can’t seem to get past the canned taste of store-bought soups and sky high sodium levels. However, just recently I was contacted by the Progresso soup company and asked if I would be willing to try various cans of soup from their new line. I agreed with no expectations being I have only tried their Hearty Tomato which actually is now my favorite canned tomato soup!

“We craft all our soups, broths and foods from authentic recipes using only the highest quality ingredients. We are dedicated to making better taste better for you. We believe that food should always be delicious, and there is no reason that delicious food can’t fit within your diet. At Progresso, we love great food. It’s been our passion for more than 50 years.”

French Onion Soup Chew Review: I was highly impressed by this soup—I have tried another brand of French Onion, and it was too salty to eat. This had just the right amount of salt without being over powerful and it had the perfect balance of onions to broth. If you don’t have time to make a homemade French Onion soup, this would be a perfect substitute topped with a baguette and some Gruyere cheese. Italian-Style Vegetable Chew Review: This water based soup has carrots, celery, green beans, tomatoes, peas and enriched penne pasta. Growing up eating a lot of Italian soups, this soup had some good competition from my past. It would have been more flavorful if it were infused with a chicken broth instead of just water—I also would have amped up the seasoning, adding basil, oregano, and some thyme. But, if your in a pinch and looking for a fast veggie fix, this soup could be an option. Light Chicken Noodle  Chew Review: Whether you have a cold or your grandma is known for making her homemade chicken noodle soup, it’s usually a soup eaten no matter where you are in the US. My grandpa makes a killer chicken noodle soup that sits and marinates in flavors for hours on end which results in an incomparable bowl of flavor. But I still tried to go into the canned chicken noodle with an unbiased review—the only thing I would change about this is by adding some celery and a little onion for more flavor. Other than that, the noodles and the chicken remained a good texture after being heated and the broth was a nice flavor. Plus it’s a light soup which is an added bonus!  Manhattan Clam Chowder Chew Review: I am fond of eating the New England clam chowder, known for being a cream based soup with clams, potatoes, etc. So it was a definite switch to open a can of clam chowder and being greeted with a tomato based soup instead. It still had the potatoes, clams and celery, but also included carrots and tomato paste. Being a tomato flavor fan, I would have to say this is by far on top of the traditional New England clam chowder. And I was pleasantly surprised at the great texture of the clams and the veggie to broth ratio. If you haven’t tried a Manhattan clam chowder, I would definitely point you towards to Progresso brand if your not up to making your own.   Light Chicken & Herb Dumpling Chew Review: Since this was another Weight Watcher’s endorsed soup, I was half expecting it to be a little bland like the Italian-Style vegetable, but I was wrong—without the added herbs it might have been a bit on the less-flavorful side, but the combo of parsley and chicken broth really set a base for the rest. The dumplings were a bit on the too-chewy side for me, but then again I don’t eat dumpling soup often, so I don’t have a wide variety of comparison. Plus, where else can you get a hearty dumpling soup for 80 calories a cup?    Light Chicken Vegetable Rotini Chew Review: I loved that this light soup added corn to the mix—it seems to add a bit of a sweet contrast to the chicken. Progresso does a really good job of maintaining the texture of the meats in their soup, however this soup seemed to have too much pasta in it. I would have preferred about half the amount of pasta and double the veggies—I still don’t think this knocked my socks off, and I probably wouldn’t buy it again. Hearty Tomato Chew Review: Say hello to your new perfect match for a grilled cheese sandwich! This soup quickly shot to the top after the first bite. It definitely trumps Campbell’s original Tomato Soup and even their Healthy Request! The chunks of tomato added a lot and really made it clear that it is a “hearty soup”. The nice thing is, you don’t need to add water or milk—so as soon as it heats up and you are enticed by the smell, you can just dig in! So does this post have you craving some soup, or did it just make you curious as to how the Progresso soups would measure up to your standards? Before you head out and buy some, how about entering a giveaway and try your luck at winning some soup, a nice Progresso soup mug, and a electronic jump rope for yourself? It’s much easier than getting in your car, going to the grocery store, finding the soup, buying it blah, blah, blah. Instead, Progresso will gladly deliver the soup and your other prizes directly to your door. Can’t beat that! How to enter:

• 1 entry: leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite canned soup flavor or brand.
• 2 entries: Link back on your blog to this giveaway.

*Please leave a separate comment for each entry*

Contest ends Friday , March 5th 11:59 p.m. Central Time

Come Down to Candy Cane Lane

--My holiday photo contest is extended until December 20th, so keep sending your pictures to apinchandadash@live.com to win the Secret Santa gift!--

Ok, so I may be overdosing on candy canes this year—my tree is a prime example, but hey, I only think, eat, and talk about them during December!

December already?! I honestly wouldn’t believe it if it wasn’t for Jack Frost moving in on us in this last week—10 F temps, my trunk frozen shut, and bringing out the Columbia jacket—it’s December, no doubt. But, in just 26 days I am headed to Orlando for my grandma and I’s annual winter getaway trip. I haven’t been to Orlando in 3 years, so I am excited. Any tips on what to do or see? And any blogger’s in the area January 1-7th? If you are a meet up would be fun!

Now onto the main show..as you know I am not one to use store bought mixes and love making things from scratch, but I realized not everyone has the time to whip stuff up from scratch during this busy season, so I will be featuring some pre-made mix recipes too!

Candy Cane Cake

Makes: 12 servings

**Warning: Make sure you grease your tube pan VERY well**

Ingredients:

• 1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix
• Water, vegetable oil and egg whites called for on cake mix box (I subbed unsweetened applesauce for oil)
• 1/2
  teaspoon red food color
• 1/2
  teaspoon peppermint extract
• Icing: 1 c powdered sugar, 1 Tbsp milk or water, 1/2 tsp vanilla
• Topping: Crushed candy canes, if desired

Directions:

1.Heat oven to 325°F. Generously grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube cake pan. Make cake batter as directed on box. Pour about 2 cups batter into pan. Into small bowl, pour about 3/4 cup batter; stir in food color and peppermint extract. Carefully pour pink batter over white batter in pan. Carefully pour remaining white batter over pink batter.

2.Bake as directed on box or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Turn pan upside down onto cooling rack or heatproof serving plate; remove pan. Cool cake completely, about 1 hour.

3.In small bowl, mix icing ingredients. If necessary, stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Spread icing over cake. Sprinkle top with crushed candy. Store loosely covered.

 

Have a wonderful winter weekend!

25 Days Of Christmas

Thanksgiving is over + back to school= not cool

Ok, I have no choice, and I love college..it’s just that after 9 days off, can you expect me to hop out of bed and be on my way? I swear, if I didn’t always have a yummy breakfast calling my name, I would probably oversleep on a regular basis. Are you back to the regular work/school week?

So if you didn’t know, I love the holiday spirit! So in lieu of my obsession admiration for all things red and green, the blog is celebrating 25 days of Christmas.  How you ask? Christmas recipes, a contest with a fun gift, holiday tips and prep plans, cookie round up, homemade gifts, etc.

First up..

Contest time!

What you win: A package filled with all sorts of goodies—and yes, most of it is food, but surprises are always better, don’t ya think?

How to enter: Between December 1st-December 10th, email me (apinchandadash@live.com) a picture of your Christmas tree this year, or if you for some reason don’t have one, send a picture of your favorite thing this time of year, winter related or holiday. All pictures must be original ones that you take. And please link back to this if you wouldn’t mind, because Christmas is all about spreading good cheer!!

Now time to share my Christmas display! I was so excited to finally decorate my own place. Last year decorating the dorms was fun, but I wanted a Christmas tree and all the works! I feel like I am in some sort of Christmas fairy land now—I swear it makes doing my homework easier :-P

By the way, everything is candy-cane due to the fact that I love the real candy-cane story. Read it here!

-Wreath on my door-

-C’mon in!-

-I like to call it Christmas corner-

-Here’s to hoping Santa will fill at least one stocking!-

-“O Christmas Treeeeee”-

-Close-up of all the candy cane fun!-

-My favorite ornament this year-

-Light up candy canes are much more fun-

-Build-a-Bear holiday style!-

And now switching gears to reverse, if you still have leftover turkey from Thanksgiving—which by the way you should only use four days after the holiday for safety reasons according to this—so I used up the last chunk for this Tex Mex inspired recipe!

Tex Mex Turkey Wraps

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1  large wrap
• 1/2 c shredded turkey meat
• 1/4 c golden corn
• 1/4 c black beans, rinsed
• 1/4 c FF shredded cheddar cheese
• handful of spinach
• Hot sauce and/or salsa and sour cream

Directions:

• Place wrap on plate and layer with spinach, turkey, corn, and beans.
• Sprinkle cheese evenly across the top and top cheese with desired condiments.
• To roll fold in two sides until they meet in the center. Fold the bottom of the tortilla to the center over the filling, and continue rolling.
• Heat in microwave or toaster oven until warm.

“Goodbye turkey, and helloooo Christmas cookies!”