The Adventures of Kitchen Girl

Winner Progresso Giveaway!

SJ.Grams@gmail.com (Jo) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:38:00 +0000

*Drum roll*

The winner of the Progresso give away is:

Olga!

She said:

ooh, what a cute selection of items!
I've used panko as a 'crust' for pork chops. But it's also great on fish.

I could really use a new cookie sheet!!! :)

Olga, I'll be contacting you today to get your mailing info! Congrats!

Thanks to everyone you entered!

Kids Cooking Easy Cheese Stuffed Manicotti

SJ.Grams@gmail.com (Jo) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:12:00 +0000

This is another in a series of posts done completely by my 11 year old son. He's got a huge interest in cooking and is becoming quite the little food enthusiast. Everything you see in these posts have been conceptualized and created by him. I've tried to be only minimally involved, allowing him to use my kitchen blog as the stage for his creativity. -KG

Hi everyone! It's Vaughn again. I'm back with another easy meal that most kids could make with a little help from Mom or dad. I love to cook and I know that lots of other kids do too. I hope I can inspire you to let your kids into the kitchen with this newest recipe.

Let's start with the recipe and everything that you'll need to make this meal.

Easy Cheese Stuffed Manicotti
1 package manicotti pasta
Mozzarella string cheese sticks (1 for each manicotti)
3 Tablespoons olive oil or water
2-3 Tablespoons Italian seasoning mix
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
4 Cups of your favorite tomato based spaghetti sauce

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Cool pasta until it can be handled safely. Heat oven to 350*. Pour Italian seasoning onto a small plate. Dampen the string cheese stick slightly in olive oil (water would work too). Roll each cheese stick in the Italian season and shake off the excess. Place each cheese stick inside a manicotti shell. Spread thin layer of sauce on bottom of 13x9 inch baking dish. Place filled pasta in single layer over sauce. Pour remaining sauce over pasta and cover with foil. Bake 40 minutes. Remove foil and top with shredded cheeses and bake 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

During the last 15 minutes of baking time, assemble your salad and set the table.

I used a pre-packaged Caesar salad mix that I got from the produce section at the grocery store and it was good, but I like my Mom's recipe for Caesar salad better. If you want to make the real deal, try this recipe- *Classic Caesar Salad* (scroll down for the recipe)

Another thing I want to mention is that I used my Mom's recipe for puttanesca sauce because it's my favorite but you can use any tomato sauce you'd like. I think you should try Mom's sauce though, because it's the BOMB! You can find that recipe here- *Puttanesca Sauce*

Thanks for coming and taking a look at what I've been whipping up in the kitchen!

Progresso Giveaway!

SJ.Grams@gmail.com (Jo) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:09:00 +0000

I've got a great new giveaway for you today! Once again, the folks at My Blog Spark have put together an amazing gift pack including some great items that any cook could use in their kitchen. This time the gift pack includes Progresso panko, a carton of Progresso broth, a measuring cup, slotted spoon, soup ladle, a small sheet pan and a Progresso soup mini magazine including some really inspired recipes from Michael Chiarello.

Progresso broths are 100% natural and use high quality ingredients to achieve a great homemade taste. They are fat free, gluten free, contain no preservatives, no added MSG and no artificial flavors. Progresso broth is available in chicken and reduced sodium chicken and beef flavors.

Chef Michael Chiarello appears daily on the Food Network and can also be seen on Top Chef Masters. In addition, he runs and owns Bottega Restaurant in Napa Valley, CA. Below are just a few of Chef Chiarello´s tips to help you create quick, flavorful meals you and your family will enjoy.

Panko Tips:

* Breading 1-2-3: Panko adds the perfect light crunch to fish fillets, chicken breasts and pork chops. Dip in flour, then beaten egg and coat both sides in Panko before frying or baking

* Faux Fried: Instead of frying, bake Panko-coated chicken in a 400F oven for 20 minutes to get the same crispy crunch without the fat

Broth Tips:

* Give New Life to Leftovers: Time in the fridge can steal moisture and flavor; drizzle a little broth over last night´s pasta or casserole before reheating

* Better than H20: Water adds moisture, not flavor; replace water with broth when you cook potatoes, rice and grains

To enter the giveaway all you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me how you use panko and/or broth! Don't forget to leave a way for me to contact you, in case you're the lucky winner!
US residents only, please!

The giveaway ends on Wednesday 11/4/2009 at 12:00 Noon EST. At that time I will randomly pick a winner and will announce it here!

Nature Valley Granola Winner!

SJ.Grams@gmail.com (Jo) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:40:00 +0000

The winner of the Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters Giveaway is:

Comment #6 Jessie!!!

She said:
I'd give the nut clusters to my husband to take to work because he needs healthy things to eat during the day. I'd use the water bottle and backpack when I'm walking my dog after work. I'd use the binoculars to spy out my office windows at the people on the ground below. I'd use the flashlight to find dog toys that rolled under my dresser because my dog will wake me up and make me find them for him...

Just being honest.

Oh, and I <3 granola!

:)

Congrats Jessie! I'll be contacting you today to get your mailing information!

Thanks for entering and be on the lookout for another great giveaway soon!

Rachael Ray Cookware

SJ.Grams@gmail.com (Jo) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:45:00 +0000

I was recently introduced to a great online store that carries Rachael Ray Cookware and I thought my readers might be interested in hearing about it. Currently they have a sale going on that could save you up to 60% on Rachael's favorite items! Also, there is FREE Shipping on All Rachael Ray Cookware Sets! You can't get much better than that! So, if you're in the market for some new cookware, I'd suggest you try this site. I spent quite a long time browsing around and was amazed at not only their prices, but the selection available as well.

Also, in the next couple of weeks, be on the look out for the review I'll be doing on the Global Cutlery G-46 7" Santoku Knife that I'm receiving from CSN Stores. I'm a die hard Wüsthof knife fan, so I am really looking forward to seeing how the Global measures up.

Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters Giveaway!

SJ.Grams@gmail.com (Jo) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:56:00 +0000

The other day the folks at My Blog Spark presented me with an opportunity to try these new Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters. They are a bite size blend of 100% natural ingredients that include select roasted nuts, whole grain oats and a touch of honey - a wholesome and delicious pick-me-up any time of the day. If you love nuts, you´ll enjoy this flavorful little snack featuring the perfect combination of sweet & salty flavors paired with a crunchy texture that you can see and taste. And with the first unique cluster-shaped granola packaged in a handy re-sealable pouch, it´s perfect for sharing on the trails or in your living room!

They come in four delicious flavors: Nut Lovers, Roasted Almond, Roasted Cashew and Honey Roasted Peanut. Our favorite was the Nut Lovers!

My family really enjoyed these and they were a good alternative in ready made, store bought snacking. As much as I prefer to feed my family home made snacks and treats, sometimes being able to get something off the store shelf when you're pressed for time is nice. These totally fit the bill.

Now it's YOUR turn to try these flavor packed morsels! My Blog Spark will provide one (1) of my lucky readers with a super neat Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters "Snack Pack" prize package that includes all four (4) varieties of the Granola Nut Clusters along with a sling backpack, stainless steel water bottle, flashlight and binoculars!

To enter the giveaway all you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me when/how you would use this great "Snack Pack" prize package! Don't forget to also leave me with a way to contact you, in case you're the lucky winner!

The giveaway ends on Friday 10/16/2009 at 11:00am EST. At that time I will randomly pick a winner and will announce it here!

Thank you and good luck!

Please Vote!

SJ.Grams@gmail.com (Jo) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:27:00 +0000

My "Peanut Butter Banana Bread" has been entered in a contest at Pham Fatale! The winner will win a beautiful New West Knifeworks bread knife!

You do have to register at Pham Fatale to vote, but if you do, there is a chance YOU can win a Petty Phoenix Knife!

So please click on the photo above, register at the site and vote! This is what my entry looks like:

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Submitted By: Sherri

Giveaway: Tablespoon.com

SJ.Grams@gmail.com (Jo) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:55:00 +0000

The winner has been chosen and it's:
mmurray0924!!!
I will be contacting you today to get your mailing information! Congrats!!!
Thank you to everyone who entered! I'll be back tomorrow with another giveaway!

Once again the wonderful folks at My Blog Spark have provided me with an awesome opportunity to share with my readers. This time it's a neat new website called Tablespoon.com! In addition, at the end of this post you can find out about how you can enter a great giveaway for a "Pass the Inspiration" Prize Pack!

Tablespoon.com is a new website from General Mills where you can find, save, and share recipes you´ll love.

When you visit Tablespoon.com, you can:

* View more than 25,000 of the best recipes on the web
* Share recipes easily on places like Facebook and Twitter

When you join Tablespoon.com, you can:

* Add your own recipe creations
* Create your own version of existing recipes that suit your taste.
* Save up to $80 every month with printable coupons from brands you love Rate, comment, and save the recipes you try

Bonus! And if that wasn´t enough, if you add your recipes to Tablespoon, your recipe and profile could be featured in a Tablespoon newsletter, which is sent to thousands of subscribers! The Tablespoon team will select some of the highest rated member submitted recipes to be featured in the weekly newsletter. If your recipe is highly rated, it could even be the main feature!

To enter the giveaway:
1: Go to Tablespoon.com and take a look around at all they have to offer.
2: Pick out a recipe that appeals to you and that you think you'd like to try.
3: Come back here and leave a comment on this post with your name, contact email information and the name of the recipe from Tablespoon.com that you would like to try.

That's all there is to it! You don't need to sign up as a member of Tablespoon.com to browse recipes, but I'll bet you will want to, since it's such a great site.

I'll pick the winner of the "Pass the Inspiration" Prize Pack by random draw at 12 Noon EST on Thursday October 1st, 2009.

Good luck and enjoy!

Saffron Scented Mac and Cheese

SJ.Grams@gmail.com (Jo) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:47:00 +0000

My family LOVES mac and cheese. So much that I have 5 different recipes for it that I make on a fairly regular basis. This is one that the kids love, but has a bit of a spin on it for the grown ups in the family. Saffron. The kids like that the saffron colors the dish a vibrant yellow color, kind of like the stuff from a box that I refuse to make for them since homemade is *always* better in my opinion. The adults like the way the saffron scents and flavors the dish and makes this traditional comfort food into something a little more special. I think saffron pairs really well with cheese and pasta... there is something delicious about the way it imparts a slightly sweet yet subtle earthy flavor. I also enjoy the way it scents a dish with a slightly floral note.

Kitchen Notes: The saffron in this dish is quite subtle and the regular and cayenne peppers can overpower the saffron if you are not careful. *I* personally love the spicy addition of the peppers to this dish, but want to make sure it's understood that it's better to leave out the cayenne pepper completely, if you want the true nature of the saffron to come through.

Ingredients:
1 pound elbow pasta
1 onion, finely chopped
5 + 2 Tablespoons butter
1/3 cup flour
5 cups low-fat milk
1- 8-ounce package low-fat cream cheese, cut into pieces
1- 8-ounce package shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Small pinch saffron threads
3 Tablespoons hot water
Salt and pepper to taste
cayenne pepper (optional, see kitchen notes.)

Method:
An hour or so before you plan to make the macaroni and cheese, grind your saffron threads into a powder using a mortar and pestle. In a small bowl combine the ground saffron and 3 Tablespoons of hot water and allow to steep. This will help evenly distribute the saffron throughout your dish and leave you with a lovely vivid yellowish color.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain, then return to pot.

Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, cook onion in 2 Tablespoons butter over medium-high heat until the onion is softened. Transfer the onion to a bowl and set aside.

Melt the remaining butter in the skillet, whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and bring just to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cream cheese and cook, stirring constantly, until just melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheddar cheese, a handful at a time, until smooth. Stir in the cooked onion and saffron water.

Add the cheese sauce to the pasta and stir until combined; season with salt, pepper and cayenne to taste.

Serves: 6 as a main dish, 10 as a side dish.

"Scare Me S'mores" Bars

SJ.Grams@gmail.com (Jo) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:16:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by someone from BettyCrocker.com asking me if I would like to develop and submit a Halloween treat recipe using any of the General Mills cereals that they would provide me with. Of course, I said yes!

The recipe I came up with is simple and my kids LOVED it. It's got all the elements of the classic s'more in an easy to make and serve bar form. It's definitely a recipe that the kids could help make and one they will certainly love to help eat up! As my eldest son said, "these are so good... it's scary!"

Scare Me S’mores
Ingredients:
4 Cups Golden Grahams cereal
4 Cups Cocoa Puffs cereal
1 Cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips
10.5 ounce bag mini marshmallows
3 Cups mini marshmallows
½ stick (¼ Cup) butter or margarine
No stick cooking spray
13x9 inch pan

Method:
1: In a large bowl combine cereals, mini chocolate chips and 3 cups mini marshmallows. Set aside.

2: Spray a 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray or grease well with butter.

3: In another large bowl microwave the butter on high for 45 seconds or until completely melted.

4: Add 10.5 ounces marshmallows to the melted butter and toss to coat.

5: Microwave the marshmallow and butter mixture on high for 45 seconds. Remove and stir until well blended. Return to microwave for another 45 seconds until marshmallows are fully melted.

6: Add cereal mixture from step 1 into the melted marshmallow and mix to combine well.

7: Turn mixture into the greased pan and press firmly to spread mixture to the corners of the pan.

8: Cool completely before cutting into squares to serve. Wrap tightly to store.

Makes 24 servings.

Mayan Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes

SJ.Grams@gmail.com (Jo) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:41:00 +0000

This recipe was born out of an act of desparation. Häagen-Dazs used to make a "Mayan Chocolate" ice cream that was to die for, but after being on the market a short time, they took it off the shelves in the US. I've heard rumors that it's still available in some other markets... but I don't know if that's true or not. Since the first time I had that ice cream, I have been a fiend for anything with chocolate and cinnamon. I've even made my own ice cream, trying to replicate what Häagen-Dazs did. It's always fallen short though. The other day I was planning to make some brownies for my kids, since they love them so much and suddenly it occurred to me that I could make them into Mayan brownies. It was simple enough and the results were delicious. The kiddos enjoyed them plenty... but the adults I've shared them with raved and raved. While this isn't the same thing as the ice cream I loved so much, it's a really good replacement. The flavor is very similar and it totally satisfies my Mayan chocolate craving. Serve one of these brownie cupcakes warmed with a scoop of ice cream and I'll bet you'll be in heaven too!

Kitchen Notes:
* I LOVE a big cinnamon flavor, use less if that would better suit your taste.
* These are excellent without frosting also, especially if serving with ice cream.

Ingredients:
6 Tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into cubes.
8 oz. 70-percent bittersweet chocolate
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips

Method:
1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Prepare cupcake pan with paper liners. This recipe makes about 12 small cupcakes.

3. Place the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water and stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat.

4. With a large rubber spatula or wooden spoon, beat the sugar, salt and cinnamon into the chocolate mixture. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the flour and mix vigorously until the batter is very glossy and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Lastly mix in the chocolate chips.

5.Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake pan, filling about half way, and tap the pan bottom on the counter top to level the batter. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out moist but clean.

6. Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Remove the brownies from the pan and cool completely on the rack before frosting.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting
From: Sugarlaws
INGREDIENTS:
10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, cut into pieces
2 tbsp butter, softened
1 tbsp vanilla
2 tbsp sugar
2 egg yolks
3/4 cup light cream

DIRECTIONS:
1. On a double boiler, heat chocolate, vanilla and butter until melted, stirring to make sure there aren’t any lumps. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
2. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar until lightened in color. Add cooled chocolate mixture and beat for about 3 minutes, until fully incorporated.
3. Add the cream in a steady stream, continuing to beat until fully mixed through. Spread on a prepared cake or allow to cool and pipe to decorate a prepared cake.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups of frosting.

The Money Mark $andwich

SJ.Grams@gmail.com (Jo) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:32:00 +0000

I frequent quite a few LiveJournal food communities and the other day I came across this post with a photo of a OMG! huge sandwich and a link to a website. Of course, being me, I had to go see what it was all about...

Photo property of: http://www.enjoymoneymark.com/

It's basically a heart attack sandwich! However I have to admit to it sounding scarily delicious. I don't know that I'll be running out to purchase the ingredients anytime time soon, but I was impressed with the website and the creators sense of humor and clever marketing ploy. I love it when anyone takes something food related to the next level and he certainly did that with this sandwich and website.

Take a look and give the guy some support... I'd love to see him be able to do something with this one!

The Official "Money Mark" Site
On Twitter: enjoymoneymark
On FaceBook: The-Money-Mark-Sandwich
On MySpace: enjoymoneymark

If you're a member of LiveJournal, there are several great food and cooking communities to visit there:

Food Porn
Cooking
Picturing Food

Smashed Potatoes and Spinach

SJ.Grams@gmail.com (Jo) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:51:00 +0000

I love to combine mashed potatoes with other vegetables to change things up a bit for my family. I'm lucky in that my kids eat their vegetables with little argument, but certainly mashed potatoes are one of their absolute favorites... by adding in another veggie to the mix they still get the comfort food they crave and I get peace of mind knowing they are eating something better than just mashed potatoes. Also, something I've noticed with my children is that they don't want gravy or extra butter with these. There is so much flavor already in the potatoes that they don't need it! Gotta love that :)

I've used several vegetables with the potatoes in this manner... peas (aka champ), shredded Brussels sprouts, carrots, rutabaga, parsnip, sweet potato, corn, cabbage (aka colcannon), beets, winter squash. Experiment and find what combinations work for your family and let me know what you like. Really Good Stuff!

Speaking of children and getting them to eat what's good for them... what tips or tricks do you have to share? Do you have any secret weapons that work for you when it comes to getting kids to eat healthy?

Ingredients:
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 stick butter or lower fat butter substitute
1/2 bunch scallions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup milk (add this to taste, sometimes you don't need a whole cup!)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch fresh spinach, chopped (frozen could be used, but fresh is better!)

Method:
Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan. Cover with salted water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender. Drain well and return to the pan.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the scallions, chopped spinach and garlic and cook, stirring, until spinach is wilted and scallions are soft. Remove from the heat.

Return the pan with the potatoes to medium-low heat and cook for 1 minute, shaking the pan. While mashing with a potato masher, slowly add the milk, mashing until the potatoes are creamy. Add garlic, scallion, spinach mixture and stir to incorporate. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve hot wit a pat of butter atop each serving. Serves 4-6.

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

SJ.Grams@gmail.com (Jo) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:27:00 +0000

Yesterday marked the beginning of the new school year for my 3 kids, so I decided it would be nice to have something "just out of the oven" waiting for them when they returned home. There's nothing like coming home after a long day to a house that smells of something delicious. I had a few bananas that were past their prime for eating out of hand, so I knew banana bread would be just the thing. Especially with the chill that's been in the air here the past few days... it makes me think Fall and that makes me want to bake! My children *love* peanut butter and sliced banana sandwiches... so this was a natural choice for us.

The beautiful thing about this recipe is it's simplicity and variability. As long as you follow the basic recipe, you can add so many different things to make this bread your own. I like to make a "Piña Colada" bread using shredded coconut and crushed pineapple (measurements below) instead of the peanut butter. Just be sure to use butter or margarine in place of the peanut butter when making another version or your bread will be too dry.

I hope you'll try this easy recipe and jazz it up in your own way for your family... they'll love you for it! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
4 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mash bananas in a large mixing bowl with a fork until fairly smooth. Add in the peanut butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla and combine well. Add in the cinnamon, baking soda and salt and mix again. Lastly add the flour, mix well. Pour the mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for about 1 hour. When a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean, the bread is done. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and serve! Makes one loaf.

Kitchen Notes:
If you don't like peanut butter, you can make this into a more traditional banana bread by substituting 1/3 cup melted butter, margarine or applesauce (keeps the bread moist without the added fat) for the PB.

Variations my family likes:
1/2 cup of shredded coconut.
3/4 cup well drained and squeezed canned crushed pineapple.
3/4 cup chopped nuts (we like walnuts).
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips.
3/4 cup raisins.

Spicy 5 Bean Chili

SJ.Grams@gmail.com (Jo) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:44:00 +0000

I know it's still a bit warm out there and you're probably not thinking about chili yet... but I am! The NFL season kicks off in less than 2 weeks and all these pre-season games have me thinking about game time food! I made this delicious chili last week and my family loved it! I like to serve it with a sprinkle of shredded cheese, sour cream and Fritos Scoops corn chips on the side.

What foods make you think Autumn? Are there any dishes you like to make on game day?

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef chuck
1.5 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
2 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper, or to taste
Salt, to taste
1 1/2 cup burgundy wine
2 (16 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 can green chilies
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Optional Additions:
Corn chips
Cheddar cheese
Sour cream

Method:
In a large, preheated dutch oven brown the ground chuck with the thyme, sage and garlic. When browned remove and drain beef. Set aside. In the same pot heat the oil and add the onion, garlic, shallot, red bell pepper and jalapeno. Saute until vegetables begin to brown, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add chili powder, cayenne pepper, chipotle pepper, salt and cook, stirring, until spices begin to stick to the pan. Add burgundy and cook until liquid is reduced by half. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil. Stir in beans, reserved beef and green chilies. Simmer, partially covered, over medium low heat for 1 hour. Top with cheddar cheese and sour cream, if desired. Serve with corn chips. Chili may be made, up to 2 days in advance and kept covered and refrigerated. Reheat to serve.

Serves 8-10

Pillsbury "Simply..." Giveaway! Winner!

SJ.Grams@gmail.com (Jo) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:44:00 +0000

I had one of my adorable kids pick the winning number from a hat this morning and the winner is...

Comment #11, Summer!

Her tip:
Good morning! What a delicious giveaway! I try to make my days simpler by picking three tasks each morning that are most important and then letting the rest of the day unfold as it will :) Have a great day!

Thanks and congrats Summer! I'll be contacting you today for your mailing information!

Pillsbury "Simply..." Giveaway!

SJ.Grams@gmail.com (Jo) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:17:00 +0000

It's been a crazy busy summer at my house and it's left me little time for blogging, but I'm back for a minute with a great new giveaway from the wonderful folks at Pillsbury and My Blog Spark!

My Blog Spark gave me a chance to try these new Pillsbury "Simply..." cookies and they are fantastic! The new cookies come in two favorite flavors, Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter. They are made with wholesome ingredients like flour, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla and have zero grams trans fat, no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial colors or flavors and no preservatives. The cookies are ready to bake so there is no messy preparation, and they are ready in minutes! Doesn't that sound like the perfect after school snack?

This giveaway includes a coupon for a free sample of "simply..." refrigerated cookies as well as a prize pack that includes a cookie jar and a really great canvas grocery tote!

All you need to do to enter is leave a comment on this post sharing your favorite tips to simplify day-to-day life! Also, make sure you include a way for me to contact you in the event that you are the winner!

You have until 5:00pm EST TODAY (8/26/09) to enter! I'll pick the winner by random draw and announce the winner here!

Thanks for stopping by... and GOOD LUCK!

Freezing Basil

SJ.Grams@gmail.com (Jo) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:25:00 +0000

Or, how I turned this...

into this....

I've got several basil plants this year and they've been growing like crazy... producing far more than I can use or even give away at the moment. So, I decided to take some of it and freeze it for use later on. There are several ways to do this. Do a search on Google for "freezing herbs" and you'll find countless pages on the subject. This is the way *I* freeze herbs for later use... I don't pretend to say it's the only way... but the way that I've found works best for me.

I took several bunches of basil and discarded the stems, leaving only the tender leaves. I washed the bunch and spun them dry using a salad spinner. I placed the bunches of basil leaves in my food processor with only a tiny bit of water and processed it until the basil was chopped quite finely. Once that's done, I fill ice cube trays with the basil and water mixture and freeze until solid. Finally, I pop the cubes from the tray and place them in labeled zip-lock freezer bags. I go by the rule of thumb that the basil cubes will be at their peak for about 6 months when frozen. Of course they will keep longer than that... but it won't have as fresh a flavor as the first 6 months of storage.

These small cubes I made are about a teaspoon each when thawed, if I use the larger trays, it's about a tablespoon. Fill one of the compartments on your tray and measure the amount so that you'll know about how much herb you have in each cube.

Easy Cheese Danish

SJ.Grams@gmail.com (Jo) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:41:00 +0000

This is a quick and easy recipe for cheese danish that my family simply adores. Honestly, I don't know where the recipe comes from originally, since my Mother and Grandmother both made this for as long as I can remember. Despite being so easy to make, it's satisfying and wonderful for a quick weekend breakfast treat. We love it best still warm from the oven, but it will keep well for a couple of days if it's well covered and placed in the refrigerator. It also reheats well in the microwave for a few seconds. Try this simple recipe for your own family one of these days and see if they don't rave about it too!

Ingredients:
2 cans ready to use refrigerated crescent rolls
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg white

Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:
Preheat oven to 350* degrees and grease a 13X9-inch baking pan. Lay a pack of crescent rolls in the pan and pinch the openings together. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and egg together until smooth. Spread the mixture over the crescent rolls evenly and then lay the second pack of crescent rolls on top of the cheese mixture and brush with egg white. Bake for 35-45 minutes until the top is golden brown. Top with glaze after cooling for 20 minutes.

Kitchen Notes:
I have made this danish using low fat cream cheese and splenda (sugar substitute) and it was delicious! Also, the amount of filling the original recipe calls for makes a VERY heavily filled danish. I have halved the filling using 1 package of cream cheese, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 whole egg, and a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract and it was still very good. If you use the half filling method, bake for closer to 30-35 minutes.

Caprese Pie

SJ.Grams@gmail.com (Jo) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 18:46:00 +0000

Recently one of my neighbors shared a bounty of fresh beefsteak type tomatoes with us. We spent a good week eating these luscious beauties in salads, on sandwiches and simply sliced with a touch of sea salt and balsamic. They were wonderful! But when we got down to only a few left, I wanted to do something "different" with them... but I didn't want to make an extra trip to the grocery to do it. So, I took a look around and came up with this with what I had already on hand.

What I came up with, I call a "Caprese Pie." It's got all of the elements of a classic caprese salad... only layered in a pie shell and baked. It was really delicious. Delicate, light and a perfect side to the grilled chicken I'd made for dinner that night. I've made it a couple of times since then, my family enjoyed it so much. We also like it along side some crusty Italian bread as a light lunch.

Ingredients:
1 unbaked pie shell
12 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
2-3 Large sliced tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
Fresh chopped basil
Pepper

Method:
Preheat oven to 400* F. Place the pie shell in a pie dish and layer the bottom with half the cheese. Sprinkle cheese with pepper (to taste) and chopped basil. Layer the sliced tomatoes and sprinkle with more pepper. Repeat with another layer of cheese, basil and pepper. End with a layer of tomato and a sprinkle of pepper. Drizzle the olive oil over the top of the pie just before baking. Bake for 45 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the tomatoes begin to shrivel a bit. Serve hot out of the oven or at room temperature.

Serves 6 as a side dish, 4 as a light lunch.

Barefoot Wine and Pillsbury Winners!

SJ.Grams@gmail.com (Jo) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 13:46:00 +0000

I'm in a hurry this morning... my son has a TKD tournament! But I wanted to get these posted before I go :)

The winner of the Barefoot wine beach pack is: HoneyB who said...

Love your drink! I personally would like the White Zifinandel!

Welcome back! I'm glad that things are slowing down so you can be around again!

Congrats HoneyB!!! I'll be in contact with you today to get your mailing info!

The 2 winners of the Pillsbury giveaway are: Bob who said...

Definitely those barbecue cup things. My work sometimes gets those cookbooks, I've spent hours reading them. Good times.

And: Vicki who said...

The strawberry cream cheese pastries sound delicious!

Congrats Bob and Vicki!!! I'll be in contact with you today to get your mailing info!

Thanks for entering everyone... there will be more great giveaways soon!

Pillsbury Bake-Off Voting and Giveaway

SJ.Grams@gmail.com (Jo) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:17:00 +0000

For the first time in the Pillsbury Bake-Off contest's 60-year history, we can help determine 10 recipes among the final 100 that will compete for the $1 million grand prize! How fun is that?

How does the You Be the Judge! voting work? Judges will select 20 recipes to be placed online at www.bakeoff.com in pairs for a period of two weeks for each pair. Consumers can vote for their favorite recipe in each pair. The recipe from each pair that wins the most votes will earn a spot in the final competition, April 11-13, 2010, in Orlando, Florida.

Voting is limited to one vote per person per each pair of recipes. Voters must be registered members of www.pillsbury.com and 18 years of age or older as of May 1, 2009, to participate.

The first pair of recipes was posted on May 14, 2009 and a new pair of recipes will be posted every two weeks (namely, May 28, June 11, June 25, July 9, July 23, August 6, August 20, September 3 and September 17, 2009). The voting period for the tenth and final pair of recipes will close at 11:59AM CDT on October 1, 2009. Visit www.bakeoff.com for the official rules.

As an added bonus, My Blog Spark is offering prize packs featuring a magazine of past Bake-Off® recipes and a Pillsbury Doughboy giggle doll to two of my lucky readers!

To enter this great giveaway all you have to do is take a look at the past bake-off contest recipes and come back here and tell me in a comment which is your favorite! Make sure you leave a way for me to contact you, in case YOU are the winner! You have until Friday June 19th at 11:59 PM EST to enter and I will random draw the winners and announce them here on Saturday June 20th! US participants only, please.

Good Luck!

The Pomosa... and a giveaway!

SJ.Grams@gmail.com (Jo) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:24:00 +0000

I know I've been a really bad blogger recently but sometimes the obligations and home and family just have to come first. Hopefully though, I am back on track and will be posting with a bit more regularity again :) I've missed interacting with my readers and visiting all my favorite food blogs. I'll be around on twitter again now too, since things on the home front have calmed down.

Today I bring you one of my favorite ways to drink champagne... "The Pomosa." You know the old standby cocktail, the mimosa... the classic combination of orange juice and champagne. This is similar... only instead of OJ, I use pomegranate juice. The combination is so delicious that it's nearly sinful!

The Pomosa
*Ingredients*
2 oz chilled pomegranate juice (I used POM Wonderful's POM Cherry Juice)
4 oz chilled champagne (I used Barefoot's Brut Cuvée)

*Method*
In a champagne flute, pour in the pomegranate juice first and top with champagne. No stirring needed. Enjoy immediately. Repeat! *wink*

The Brut Cuvée I used in this cocktail was sent to me by the lovely folks at Barefoot Wines and Bubbly. I've been a fan of Barefoot wines for quite some time and when they asked me to try some of their wines and offered to do a giveaway with me, I was all for it!

Barefoot wines are great quality wines without the pretentiousness. Delicious libations that are easy on the pocketbook... and who doesn't need that these days? If I was going to use a single word to describe Barefoot's wines and bubbly... I'd use the word FUN! These wines are the kinds that beg to be shared with friends. A glass shared over dinner, over a game of chess, on the beach soaking up some sun. Grab a bottle or two, your best buddies and have a party!

To help you get started on that party, Barefoot is offering a lucky winner this great prize pack that includes a tote bag, wine opener, stemless wine glass, and a big soft beach towel!

To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is check out the Barefoot Wine & Bubbly flavors and then come back here and leave a comment with which flavor you think you would try first and your email address, so that I can contact you if you're the winner!

You have until Friday June, 19th at 11:59 PM EST to leave a comment here. A winner (US entries only, please) will be randomly drawn and announced here on Saturday June 20th!

Good Luck!

Amano Chocolate Giveaway Winners!

SJ.Grams@gmail.com (Jo) — Sat, 30 May 2009 00:16:00 +0000

I did things a little different this time and let my 3 little ones pick numbers from a hat to pick the winners.... and here they are:

#5 Elisa said... The Ocumare bar sounds awesome! I prefer milk chocolate most of the time, as long as it's not too sweet and it has that rich chocolaty flavor :-) Fantastic reviews, BTW, you totally made me crave chocolate - you know, the good stuff :-) And these sound like they are good! I would love to win. Chocolate is always welcome in my house :-)

#3 darkfire007 said... mmmmm chocolate!!! :)

#24 Donalyn said... Hands down, the dark stuff - always my favorite!

#2 Katie said... I could really use some chocolate today! And your description of the Ocumare 30% Milk Chocolate Bar sounds fantastic! I would love to try that one!

#13 5 Star Foodie said...I love dark chocolate the best!

Congrats and thanks for entering! If you're listed here, I'll be contacting you this weekend for mailing information!

Amano Chocolate Review and Giveaway

SJ.Grams@gmail.com (Jo) — Wed, 27 May 2009 14:46:00 +0000

About a week ago I got an email from Amano Chocolate asking if I would like to try out and giveaway their 3 newest artisan chocolate bars. Being that I have tried and loved Amano chocolate in the past, how could I say no!?

The first we tried was the Ocumare 30% Milk Chocolate Bar. Single Bar Price: $6.95.
This bar was very smooth and rich without being too overpowering. It's got an ever so slight "fruitiness" about it that reminds me of some ripe, juicy fruit.. just a wee bit of spiciness alongside the creamy nature of this bar as well. I enjoyed it very much and would say it was my favorite of all 3 bars.

Second was the Jembrana 30% Milk Chocolate Bar. Single Bar Price: $6.95.
I found this bar to seem much sweeter that the Ocumare bar. It was smooth and rich also but there was a good bit of spice and warmth with this bar where as the Ocumare seemed almost "cool" in comparison. It was a very good, solid and enjoyable chocolate, certainly. It seemed a bit more "typical" to me. Excellent quality.. but it didn't stand out the way the Ocumare did, for me.

Last but not least was the Montanya Limited Edition 70% Dark Chocolate Bar. Single Bar Price: $8.95.
*This* bar really knocked my socks off! I love dark chocolate and this was snappy and cool and dark as the depths of Satan's soul dark. Nutty. Complex. Sharp. This, to me, is what dark chocolate *should* be. I really enjoyed this bar. Immensely. Honest cocao flavor. Only a slight hint of sweetness... and it was wonderful. Definitely a keeper.

Now that I've got you curious... it's your turn! Leave a comment here with your email address and which of these 3 new Amano Chocolate bars intrigues you most! You have until Thursday night 5/28/09 11:59PM EST to enter and I'll random draw 5 lucky winners on Friday morning 5/29/09 to receive these 3 bars to sample!

Good Luck!

The Adventures of Kitchen Girl

*Winner* Progresso Giveaway!

*Kids Cooking* Easy Cheese Stuffed Manicotti

Progresso Giveaway!

Nature Valley Granola Winner!

Rachael Ray Cookware

Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters Giveaway!

Please Vote!

Giveaway: Tablespoon.com

Saffron Scented Mac and Cheese

"Scare Me S'mores" Bars

Mayan Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes

The Money Mark $andwich

Smashed Potatoes and Spinach

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Spicy 5 Bean Chili

Pillsbury "Simply..." Giveaway! Winner!

Pillsbury "Simply..." Giveaway!

Freezing Basil

Easy Cheese Danish

Caprese Pie

Barefoot Wine and Pillsbury Winners!

Pillsbury Bake-Off Voting and Giveaway

The Pomosa... and a giveaway!

Amano Chocolate Giveaway Winners!

Amano Chocolate Review and Giveaway

Winner Progresso Giveaway!

Kids Cooking Easy Cheese Stuffed Manicotti