Here’s how to enter…..

Rules:

• US Residents only
• Leave a comment here and tell us all what color of PlasmaCar would be your first choice after visiting the PlasmaCar website HERE
• For 2 extra entries follow me on Twitter and tweet the following…  @pickypalate is giving away a PlasmaCar, check it out here:  http://tiny.cc/KYT9d    (leave 2 additional comments if you do this
• For 1 additional entry Follow me on my “Foodie Friends” over at my right sidebar  (leave an additional comment for this)
• For 1 additional entry become a fan of Picky Palate on Facebook HERE (leave an additional comment for this)
• Winner will be chosen from Random.org, will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond with address.
• Contest ends Tuesday February 19, 2010  Good luck!

This giveaway was provided by the folks at PlaSmart

Good Monday friends!  What did everyone think of the big game yesterday?  I don’t know about you, but I am not the world’s biggest football fan so I really look forward to the halftime show.  No offense to the Who, but give me some Black Eyed Peas or Justin Timberlake for crying out loud!  Something more modern would have been much more fun!  Ok, I’m done.  I did however enjoy some of the commercials, they were fun

So, Valentine’s Day is trickling upon us so let the baking begin!!  I am in love with these little heartcakes.  This is a no fuss recipe that is cute as a button.  Give yourself about an hour and you’ll have these perfectly soft, decadent and festive little treats, Enjoy.

I jazz up my cake box mixes with this special recipe every time, see recipe below   I also love my little silicone heart bakers.  I picked them up at William Sonoma years ago on clearance and get so much use out of them.  Here are some similar ones I found online for you…HERE

Tada…they are cute just like this.  But let’s drench them in chocolate!!

Take your can of sweetened condensed milk and heat it in a saucepan.

Add your chocolate chips and stir stir stir until creamy and dreamy!

Now time to drench these little stinkers.  Pour icing over then use a plastic knife to spread all the way around hearts.

Chocolate heaven, I’m telling you!

Red Velvet Chocolate Drenched Heartcakes

1 box Red Velvet Cake Mix

1/2 Cup vegetable oil

1/2 Cup water

8 oz sour cream

1 small box chocolate pudding mix (the 4 serving box)

4 eggs

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1 small can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 Cup chocolate chips

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a stand or electric mixer beat the cake mix, oil, water, sour cream, pudding mix, and eggs until thick and well combined.  Usually for about 60 seconds.  With a cookie scoop or spoon,  place cake batter into well greased little heart molds or paper lined cupcake tins, just over 1/2 full.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center.  Remove and let cool.  With the help of a plastic knife, carefully remove hearts from molds.  If you are using regular cupcakes, remove wrappers.  Place little cakes onto a cooling rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet.

2. To prepare chocolate sauce, pour sweetened condensed milk into a small saucepan over medium heat.  When hot, pour in chocolate chips and stir until smooth.  Pour chocolate sauce over cupcakes and use a little plastic knife to frost the sides of hearts.  Let chocolate set slightly or eat immediately if you like it gooey!

about 24 heartcakes

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See you soon with more Valentine’s Day Baking

So, what were you favorite Superbowl commercials yesterday?  There were some cute ones for sure!

I was thrilled to hear back from the folks at PlasmaCar for the opportunity to do a review and giveaway first thing tomorrow morning with the Picky Palate Readers!! Y’all are going to love this for your kids!

While we were in AZ for Christmas, we were out doing some after Christmas shopping and my little guy immediately saw the “plasmacar” in one of the stores window.  He pulled us inside and was able to test ride it through the store and quickly fell in LOVE with it.  It was so much fun to see his face when the box arrived at our house, I think he was in shock

If you haven’t seen these little cars, they are a must!  Talk about fun for kids, of any age really.  They support up to 220 lbs on a smooth flat surface and 120 lbs on a rough flat surface.  My husband loved the fact that the set up was really easy, minimal tools and effort.  Before we knew it, the kids were outside riding away.  I love that there are no batteries and it is such a quiet little car!  What’s also great is how easy it is for the kids to drive.  You literally move the steering wheel back and forth and off it goes.  Check out this 20 second video of my little guy cruising down the sidewalk.

I had to laugh at the woman at the other end of the sidewalk.  She quickly got out of the way!

I truly will only feature products on Picky Palate that I believe are quality products for your family.  My kids think this is the coolest little car and I’d recommend it to all of you, which is why we will be having a giveaway very soon, so stay tuned!!  Here are some photos of my cutie enjoying his new favorite toy!

So excited to ride, he skipped the socks!

I think it’s safe to say I’ve got a very happy customer!

Follow the Plasmacar folks on Twitter HERE and on Facebook HERE.  They also have a blog HERE to check out!

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Come back for your chance to win a PlasmaCar first thing TOMORROW for your family!!  Can’t wait

What do you all think of the PlasmaCar, have you seen it, do you think your kids will love it?!!

Happy Friday everyone!  It’s a soggy Friday here in CA, hope it let’s up, we want to go back to Disney tonight!

I couldn’t resist sharing this perfect game day recipe that I posted last year.  These Smokin’ Mozzarella Balls are seriously so incredible, I could quite possibly eat all of these in one serving!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend

Reminders on Picky Palate Giveaways:

Win $100 Visa Giftcard with Eggland’s Best HERE

Win $100 Visa Giftcard with V8 V-Fusion HERE

Win $50 Giftcard from Safeway and it’s family stores for free groceries HERE

Smokin’ Mozzarella Balls

Vegetable oil for frying

8 oz container Fresh Mozzarella “Ciliegine” (cherry tomato size)

1/2 Cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 egg

2 teaspoons adobo sauce from can of chipotle peppers (add more if you like it spicy)

½ Cup Italian Bread Crumbs

¼ Cup Panko Bread Crumbs

¼ Cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

1 Cup of your favorite marinara or pasta sauce, warmed

1. Pour a couple inches of oil into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to 350 degrees F. with an appropriate thermometer.

2. Drain liquid from mozzarella balls and pat dry with paper towels. Place flour, salt and pepper into medium size bowl. Place egg and adobo sauce into a second bowl; whisk to combine. Place bread crumbs and parmesan cheese into a 3^rd bowl; mix to combine. Roll mozzarella into flour, then into eggs, then press into bread crumb mixture.

3. Carefully place 4-5 coated balls at a time into hot oil. Use a “spider” to constantly move them around in oil. Cook for 30-60 seconds or until golden. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Continue until all have been fried.

4. Place all balls onto a serving plate along with a bowl of marinara sauce. Serve warm.

4 servings

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Oh baby I could go for some of these today!  Happy Football Watching, see you soon for Valentine’s Day Baking!!  Woo Hoo!

Well, we are really getting close to Superbowl Sunday now.  Hope you’ve got your menu planned out. I wanted to leave you with one more almost too simple but totally adorable little game day recipe that is always a favorite.  Mini pigs in a blanket aka “piglets in a blanket.”  The kids go nuts for these and I guarantee you the adults will pop more than one or two as well

I picked up a great Party Pack of Aidels little sausages from Costco a week or so ago.  It comes with 3 different varieties and oh man they are good!  For this particular recipe I used the Cajun flavored ones, but for the kids I’d use a more mild one like the chicken/apple one.  You won’t be sorry if you pick up a pack yourself!!  If you don’t get to costco, you can also use the little smokies that you can find in any grocery store.  Or, cut hot dogs into thirds!

I added some poppy seeds for a little color, kind of looks like a mini bagel dog doesn’t it?  Whatever you want to call these, they take only minutes to make and are the perfect game day food for any party!  Enjoy!

Here’s that Aidells party pack I was talking about, all three of those flavors are so good!

Unroll that can of breadsticks and plop them onto a baking sheet, try not to jump when it pops open, hate that thing!

Separate into strips, then cut each into thirds.

Wrap the little cuties…

Sprinkle with a little poppy seed if you like…

Time to bake!

Ahh, puffed and perfect!

Voila’ here you have your perfect little Piglets in a Blanket

Piglets in a Blanket

32 little sausages or lil’ smokies (I used aidels cajun flavor from a Costco Party Pack)

1 package Pillsbury Breadsticks, in can

Poppy Seeds

Ketchup and Mustard for dipping

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Place little sausages in a bowl, dry with paper towel if wet.  Open breadsticks and separate into strips.  Cut each strip into thirds.  Take a little sausage and roll dough over, placing seam side down onto a silpat or lightly greased baking sheet.  Sprinkle tops with poppy seeds and bake for 15-18 minutes or until dough is cooked through, slightly golden.  Let cool for 3 minutes before removing from baking sheet.  Serve with ketchup and mustard!!

Approx 32 little piglets!

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Enjoy your Superbowl Weekend, happy snacking!!

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I leave you with my goof balls wishing you a wonderful Wednesday

Anyone need some extra grocery money?  I don’t know about you, but you wouldn’t have to twist my arm for that!

Safeway and it’s family stores, Dominick’s, Tom Thumb, Randall’s, Vons and Genuardi’s are offering one Picky Palate reader a $50 gift card for some groceries . How fun!

You have until next Tuesday, February 9th to take advantage of a special Safeway deal where you can purchase two 4-packs of Fiber One yogurt for only $4!

Here is some information on the Fiber One Yogurt….

Best-selling author and food expert Lisa Lillien, AKA Hungry Girl, has given her “seal of approval” to the new Fiber One yogurt, the only leading nonfat yogurt with 50 calories and 5 grams of fiber (20 percent of the Recommended Daily Value). It is also a good source of calcium and vitamins A and D, making this a guilt-free and all-around great choice for dieters and those watching their weights. Each cup includes the creamy, delicious taste you expect from Yoplait, and you don´t have to feel guilty about enjoying it. Fiber One is available in a variety of flavors including, Strawberry, Peach, Vanilla and Key Lime Pie.

Here are the rules:

• Leave a comment here and tell us what flavor of Fiber One Yogurt you’d like to try.
  

• For an extra entry Follow Picky Palate under my “Foodie Friends” (top right of the page).  Leave in a separate comment letting me know if you are a follower.

• For an extra entry become a fan of Picky Palate on Facebook HERE.  Leave this in a separate comment.

• For 2 extra entries follow me on Twitter HERE Leave 2 separate comments if you follow me

• For an extra entry tweet the following:  @pickypalate is giving away a $50 Gift Card for Groceries! Check it out: http://tiny.cc/mDwmX

• Winner will be chosen by Random.org

• Contest Ends Wednesday February 10th, 8pm PST

Phew, lots of chances to win!  Good Luck friends!!

Please note:  Safeway and Fiber One provided me with the free product, VIP Coupon, information and giftpack through MyBlogSpark TM

Good Tuesday to you!

I had so much fun making these baby pies!  For some reason party food seems more fun when it’s miniature right?  I don’t know what it is, but I just love it.

So, these are totally doable, they look detailed, but seriously are really easy.  I snapped photos while I was preparing them to show how easy they are.  I’m talking only 3 main ingredients, love recipes like this!

Peanut Butter and Jelly is one of those combinations that I could do in almost any dessert.  I knew this duo would be irresistible as little pies.  The kids will love these as will the adults because they are so darn cute, make some PB & J baby pies for game day and wow your guests!  Enjoy.

Time to create the lattice top…

My strips were a little long, but you get the idea.  It’s the over under effect!  Once you are done, use a knife to cut off the excess dough and it will look like the next picture

Brush lightly with egg wash

Here you have the lovely little PB&J pies.  I am in love with these!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Baby Lattice Pies

1 roll Pillsbury pie dough

1/2 Cup creamy peanut butter

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/2 Cup Smucker’s Strawberry Preserves

1 egg white whisked with 1 teaspoon water for egg wash

Sugar Crystals for sprinkling on top if desired

2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Unroll pie crust onto a lightly floured surface.  Use a 2 1/2 inch round cutter to cut out circles in dough (I used a random little cup that worked great).  Lightly press dough rounds into greased mini muffin tin.  Roll remaining scraps of dough to an even thickness then use a sharp knife to cut thin 1/8 inch strips to create the lattice topping.  Set aside.

2.  With a small cookie scoop or teaspoon, drop a heaping teaspoon into each of the pie crusts.  Do the same with the jam.  Using the pie strips, form the lattice top.  See pictures above for help.  Cut excess dough from edges and brush tops lightly with the egg wash, sprinkle with sugar crystals (optional) and bake for 25-30 minutes or until nice and golden brown.

3.  Remove and with the tip of a knife, loosen edges where jam has oozed out.  Carefully remove from pan after 5 minutes with the help of the knife and let cool.  Dust with powdered sugar and serve with milk!

12 mini pies…..let’s see what the judges think…

Think we’ve got some happy taste testers!  Come back soon for more game day recipes!!

Hey everyone, only one week until Superbowl Sunday, do you know what you are making?  Let me help   In fact, all this week I will be posting fabulous Superbowl Sunday recipe ideas for you.  All of this party food is so much fun to make!!

So, a month or so ago one of my friends was telling me about these “Walking Tacos,” I said what on earth is a walking taco!?  Come to find out, they make the perfect party food.  It’s a taco in a bag people!!  And you can take them anywhere!  No washing dishes afterwards either!  I thought is was hilarious and the perfect idea, so here you have my take on the perfect

walking tacos

Here are most of your ingredients for the Taco Chili.  Not pictured is the lime and hot sauce.

Go pick up how ever many small bags of Fritos you need.  My grocery store only had the bigger 99 Cent bags, the small ones are perfect, so find those

Making the chili, dump it all in!

Seasonings that make the chili mmmm!

Here is your set up.  Open up your Frito Bags, get your chili and all your fixin’s in order…

Now the fun begins, spoon in your taco chili….

Add your cheese…

Add your sour cream…..

Add your jalapenos, or green onions if you can’t take the heat

My bags were a little big, so I cut the extra bag off the top to be able to eat my tacos better

Here you have it, your perfect little bag of “Walking Tacos!”

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Walking Tacos

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

6-8 little sweet peppers or 1 green and 1 red bell pepper, chopped

4 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 lb lean ground beef

Pinch of kosher salt and black pepper

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 Cup Herdez Salsa or your favorite salsa

1 small can tomato paste

1 Cup warm water

3 cans of beans, drained (I used black, pinto and red kidney)

1 can black olives sliced

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1 Tablespoon ground cumin

1 Tablespoon hot sauce, Tabasco

1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice

Pinch of Kosher salt, fresh cracked black pepper and Lawry’s Garlic Salt with Parsley (to taste)

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Bags of Fritos

Shredded cheddar cheese

Sour cream

Jalapenos, or green onions

1.  Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat.  Saute onion and peppers for 5 minutes or until softened.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add ground beef, salt and pepper.  Cook until browned.  Drain if needed.  I usually don’t need to for the lean beef.  Pour in tomatoes, salsa, tomato paste then stir to combine.  Add 1 Cup warm water to thin out slightly then add in beans, olives, chili powder, cumin, hot sauce, lime juice, salt, pepper and garlic salt.  I start with just a pinch of salt then keep tasting until it’s to my liking.  Add chopped cilantro and reduce heat to low to simmer until ready to serve.

2.  Open bags of fritos.  Spoon in chili, cheese, sour cream and jalapenos.  Stick a fork in it and eat!!

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Here are my guys loving their Walking Tacos!

Walk your tacos to the couch and watch the big game!!

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So have you guys heard of these, or did I just live in a bubble?!  See y’all soon for more Game Day Eats!!

Good Thursday to you.  Here is a simple yet completely satisfying pizza night extravaganza.  I’ve added a second option of doing cute little heart lasagna calzones if you find them adorable like I do!  The kids went nuts for these and I just bet yours will too   Oodles of cheeses and Italian Sausage Marinara tucked inside whole wheat pizza crust, YUM!

Trader Joes has my favorite pizza dough, it’s just a little over a buck.  If you don’t have the luxury of a Trader Joes near you, any good pizza dough will do.  Have fun with this week and have a stuffed lasagna pizza night!!

Here are most of the ingredients you’ll need.  Not pictured is the mozzarella cheese and some seasonings

Brown the sausage and add your pasta sauce!!

Prepare the ricotta cheese filling…parmesan,  mozzarella and a pizza seasoning pictured below. YUM!

This is a great seasoning, I use it in all kinds of Italian dishes. Covered my tacky chipped nail polish this time   **One of my readers let me know that McCormicks no longer makes this pizza seasoning, so use your favorite Italian Seasoning in it’s place.  Dear McCormicks, we want the pizza grinder back!!

2 options with your dough, either press it into a pizza pan or see the pics below for some little heart calzones!

Roll and cut

Fill, top with another heart of dough and press edges.  It gets messy, but no big deal.  I just wiped the cookie sheet before baking.

mmmmm, love these

and these!

Here is the other option…stuffed personal pan pizzas, picked up the cute pans at William Sonoma last year.  Loved both versions of the recipe.

Top with more rolled out dough, brush with olive oil and add some of that pizza seasoning.  Now you are ready to bake!

Sausage Lasagna Stuffed Pizza

2 16 oz packages pizza dough, I used the Trader Joes whole wheat variety

1 lb Sweet Italian Sausage

26 oz jar Pasta Sauce of choice

16 oz ricotta cheese

1/2 Cup fresh grated cheese

1/2 Cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Pinch of kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper

Few cracks of McCormicks Pizza seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon

extra virgin olive oil for brushing dough

For Heart Calzones

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Brown sausage until browned.  Drain and return back to skillet.  Add pasta sauce and reduce heat to low to simmer.

2.  Place ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella cheese and seasonings in a mixing bowl.  Mix until well combined.

3.  Roll dough 1/4 inch thick.  Use heart cookie cutter to cut into dough.  Place half onto a lightly greased or silpat lined baking sheet.  Fill each heart with a Tablespoon or so of sauce then top with a small spoonful of ricotta cheese.  Top with remaining dough shapes and press edges with the tines of your fork.  Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with pizza seasoning.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through.

makes approx 10 heart calzones

For Stuffed Personal Pan Pizzas

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Brown sausage until browned.  Drain and return back to skillet.  Add pasta sauce and reduce heat to low to simmer.

2.  Place ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella cheese and seasonings in a mixing bowl.  Mix until well combined.

3.  Cut each of the two pizza doughs into fourths so you have 8 pieces of dough.  Press 1/4 pieces into 4 small pizza pans.  Top evenly with sausage marinara then with ricotta (you may have leftovers)  Top each pizza with remaining pieces of dough, so that each pizza is covered with dough.  Brush lightly with olive oil then sprinkle with pizza seasoning.  Bake for 18-25 minutes or until browned and cooked through.

4 personal pan pizzas

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Have a wonderful weekend!!  Come back soon