The Kitchen is My Playground

Southern Strawberry-Coconut Punch Bowl Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Harrelson) — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:04:00 +0000

So you've heard of a trifle, right? Well, what about a punch bowl cake? Your familiarity with this term probably depends upon where you live!

In the South, we call these beautifully layered, absolutely creamily delicious desserts punch bowl cakes ... layers of cake pieces, fresh fruit, and something-yummily-creamy all piled together in a gorgeous glass bowl ... yum. The glass bowl, of course, just so happens to quite frequently double as a punch bowl ... and you guessed it, that's how these cakes got their name.

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Soil Property Pudding Cups {a.k.a. Dirt Pudding Cups}

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Harrelson) — Mon, 20 May 2013 00:13:00 +0000

My 1st grade class has been cooking again! Well, maybe we should make that assembling ... not exactly cooking. Assembling Soil Property Pudding Cups, to be exact. I know, I know ... most people call these Dirt Pudding Cups. But I tweaked them to make them go along with our soil property science unit ... so Soil Property Pudding Cups is what these are!

I just love it when a cooking with kids project brings together what we've been learning ... relating content to food is fun and really cements information in students' minds. And that's just what we did with the different soil types with these super fun Soil Property Pudding Cups!

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Philly Cheese Steak Stuffed Peppers

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Harrelson) — Wed, 15 May 2013 00:29:00 +0000

Do you ever come across one of those recipes that you just know you have to make, like, immediately?? Well, these Philly Cheese Steak Stuffed Peppers from Peace, Love, & Low Carb were one of those for me! I mean, seriously, stuffing all the yummy flavors of a Philly Cheese Steak into a pepper is genius. And I had to try it.

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Mom's 16 Sweet Treat Favorites ~ 'cause she couldn't pick just 10! {Playground Round-Up}

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Harrelson) — Sun, 12 May 2013 04:30:00 +0000

Happy Mother's Day to all Mom's out there! In honor of this special day, I decided to ask my very special Mom to pick her top 10 sweet treats from The Kitchen is My Playground to share with all of you. Well, you see that the title of this post is "Mom's 16 Sweet Treat Favorites," right? That's because Mom couldn't pick just 10!

Barbecue Roasted Mixed Nuts {& the story of a photo shoot}

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Harrelson) — Fri, 10 May 2013 01:52:00 +0000

Okay, these Barbecue Roasted Mixed Nuts ROCK! I absolutely love barbecue potato chips. I mean, like could totally lick the inside of the chip bag kind of love ... but as I say in random fact #11 on my {About Me} page, I can't be left alone with a bag of chips. It's detrimental ... to both me and the chips. Well, I've discovered with these Barbecue Roasted Mixed Nuts, you can get that same great barbecue flavor without the potato chip guilt. Mmmmmmm ~ potato chips step aside ... I've got a new love.

Now, the photo shoot for these ROCKIN' barbecue nuts did NOT rock.

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Lemon-Poppy Seed Dip with Fresh Strawberries

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Harrelson) — Sun, 05 May 2013 20:37:00 +0000

It's almost strawberry season in my neck of the woods! And I. Can't. Wait. I absolutely love fresh-from-the-field strawberries, eating most of them 'straight-up.' Just a quick little rinse ... and then a big ol' bite into the sweet, juicy goodness. Yes, my favorite way to enjoy strawberries.

But sometimes I do want to jazz my strawberries up just a bit. Like, with a really simple, flavorful dip. Oh, like with, say ... Lemon-Poppy Seed Dip? Yeh, that sounds good!

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25 Foods for Cinco de Mayo Fun! {Playground Round-Up}

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Harrelson) — Wed, 01 May 2013 22:42:00 +0000

Oh, baby, with all the jalapenos flying around in these dishes, it's gettin' hot in here! There is never a shortage of jalapeno peppers in our house ... they're a staple ... like, as much as flour, sugar, and milk it seems. Though I have to admit, I didn't really realize how much of my cooking is Mexican-and-spicy-flavors inspired until I pulled together this Cinco de Mayo post. We sure do love our spicy food!

If you love it too, here are 25 fabulous foods for some Cinco de Mayo fun!

Hershey's Chocolate Syrup Cake {& KitchenAid Mixer GIVEAWAY for Mother's Day!}

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Harrelson) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Want a KitchenAid Mixer? Well, it's your lucky day! 'Cause you could win one right here on The Kitchen is My Playground! Yup, I've teamed up with a group of awesome bloggers to give away a KitchenAid Mixer in honor of Mother's Day. And let me just tell you, my KitchenAid Mixer made whipping up this easy Hershey's Chocolate Syrup Cake even easier. Just follow the instructions below to enter for your chance to win ... and then check out how to make this moist and scrumptious chocolate cake.

Southwestern Stuffed Poblano Peppers {with Concord Foods' Salsa}

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Harrelson) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 12:30:00 +0000

Thank you to Concord Foods for sponsoring this post.

My husband recently asked me to make him stuffed peppers. Hmmmm, I have to admit I wasn't thrilled with this request. See, I've never really been a stuffed peppers fan ... you know, the typical green bell pepper stuffed with rice-mixed-with-something and smothered with tomato sauce? ... it's just not my thing. So I decided to take my husband's request as an opportunity to get creative. Now that is my thing.

With the help of Concord Foods salsa mix and a family recipe for Cumin Black Beans & Rice, I came up with these scrumptious Southwestern Stuffed Poblano Peppers! Now these stuffed peppers, ... I like.

Tamale Pie Casserole {#CountryCrockStars}

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Harrelson) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 01:27:00 +0000

Do you love casseroles? Got a favorite? Well, then it's your lucky day! 'Cause you can share that favorite casserole with Shedd's Spread Country Crock on their Facebook page to enter the Country Crock Stars contest.

By simply clicking this link, sharing a photo of you with your favorite casserole, and sharing in about 100 words how you demonstrate creativity and resourcefulness in the kitchen, you could WIN $5,000 and a trip to New York City for two!! That's a pretty sweet deal, don't you think? Pop on over {until May 31st, 2013} to enter!

Now, as for me and casseroles? I love them. I mean, we probably eat a casserole for dinner about 80% of the time in our house. And, oh, do they hold many memories for me of our dinners together as a family growing up...

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Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Harrelson) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 03:00:00 +0000

I have a friend who absolutely loves chocolate-covered cherries. I mean, I do too. They're one of my favorites. But my love totally pales in comparison to hers.

Well, 'said' friend came over recently, along with a few of our other friends, for a The Kitchen is My Playground tasting party. What's that, you say? A tasting party??

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Spicy Chipotle Wrap with Smoked Turkey & Mango {& Hidden Valley $1,000 Sweepstakes}

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Harrelson) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 22:19:00 +0000

Ever get tired of your same-ol’-same-ol’ lunch? As a 1^st grade teacher, I sure do. I mean, I pack my lunch every day for 180+ days during the school year. Packing lunch … every day, every day, every day.

And now thanks to Hidden Valley, I have four new low fat spreads to help shake up my lunch routine! ... there's Country Herb Ranch, Oven Roasted Garlic Parmesan, Smoked Bacon Ranch, and Spicy Chipotle Pepper ... Soooo many possibilities just waiting to be created.

So where did I start creating?

Black Bean Salsa

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Harrelson) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 02:07:00 +0000

So, I've recently started doing Zumba. Yup. And I don't really like to exercise, so that's a big deal.

Seriously, it's totally amazing for me. 'Cause exercise is truly just not my thing. But, alas, sometimes we just need to do things that are good for us, like it or not. So I took the plunge into Zumba, and much to my surprise, I actually even like it!

One big help? ... MUSIC! I love music, so the fun up-tempo songs keep me motivated and movin'. You'll crack up at what my favorite Zumba song so far is, though ...

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No-Bake Mint Chocolate Chip Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Harrelson) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I have become enamored with the simplicity of this no-bake pie method ... the simplicity of simply melting some chocolate and stirring it into some Cool Whip. Can a great tasting pie truly be that easy? Oh, yes. Yes, it can. I found that out in the classic No-Bake Hershey's Chocolate Bar Pie I posted about just a little bit ago.

Once I had whipped up that no-bake chocolate bar pie, I just had to try it out with some other experiments...

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Roasted Corn, Black Bean, & Mango Salsa {my all-time favorite salsa}

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Harrelson) — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 00:56:00 +0000

Not too long ago, I professed my love for salsas when I posted my recipe for easy Restaurant-Style Salsa. It's an undying love, for sure. Well, now I bring you my all-time absolute favorite salsa. Ever. Like, if salsas could be our friends, this one would be my BFF.

Ham & Cheese Lasagna

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Harrelson) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 23:27:00 +0000

Got ham?

Sure, I bet many of us still have some leftover Easter ham in the frig, ... or have popped some in the freezer. Well, this Ham & Cheese Lasagna is my absolute favorite way to enjoy our leftover Easter ham ...

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Maple-Peanut Breakfast Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Harrelson) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 04:30:00 +0000

Happy day after Easter and April Fool's Day and Spring Break day {at least for me}, all in the same day everyone! Mark and I just got back from spending Easter weekend 'home' with our families. We had a very nice and relaxing weekend ... Mark got to spend time doing two of the things he loves best - working with our bees and working with his tractor. I got to do two of the things I love best - be Mark's assistant beekeeper and hang out cooking with my Mom. Good times.

And one of the kitchen treats I was spoiled with this weekend by my Mom were these scrumptious Maple-Peanut Breakfast Cookies. Cookies for breakfast?? ...

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No-Bake Hershey's Chocolate Bar Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Harrelson) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 04:35:00 +0000

Want to make pie but thinking it's too hard? Or too time consuming? Or too messy? Well, then you haven't met this pie yet. And you won't believe a pie this good can be this easy.

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bites

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Harrelson) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 01:51:00 +0000

I have a bit of an obsession with granola ... like these chai, mocha, peanut butter, and honey-vanilla varieties. I just love to snack on its crunchiness. But you know, sometimes you want a soft-and-chewy granola treat. A chocolatey peanut buttery soft-and-chewy granola treat. Like these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bites. Oh, yes ... these granola bites hit the spot.

Easy Restaurant-Style Salsa

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Harrelson) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:25:00 +0000

I am a total sucker for chips and salsa. Of all kinds. Plain ol' regular salsa, fresh pico de gallo (or simply 'pico,' as we call it), fruit salsas like peach-pineapple or mango, and even blueberry salsa. Yes, blueberry salsa.

In fact, eating chips and salsa is my total downfall when eating out at a Mexican restaurant. I can easily steer myself to the healthier menu options ... but, dang if those bowls of chips and salsa don't crush my willpower spirit every time. Oh well, there are worse things in life.

So, being such a lover of salsa, this easy restaurant-style go-to salsa recipe of my sister-in-law's quickly became one of my go-to recipes, too.

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Peanut Butter Greek Yogurt Fruit Dip

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Harrelson) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 01:25:00 +0000

"You got yogurt in my peanut butter! ... You got peanut butter in my yogurt!" And just like the famous combination of peanut butter and chocolate from Reese's, the pairing really works.

Now, as a little aside, remember that little Reese's commercial bit ...

Triple Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Harrelson) — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 02:44:00 +0000

Chocolate makes me happy. Triple chocolate makes me even happier. Put triple chocolate in cookie form? ... I'm in cookie heaven. And including a little whole-grain oats makes them healthy, right? Okay, so maybe not so much with that last part ...

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New England Boiled Dinner {aka ~ Corned Beef & Cabbage}

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Harrelson) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:31:00 +0000

New England Boiled Dinner ... corned beef, cabbage, carrots, onions, potatoes, and turnip all simmered together until tender ... oh, how I had forgotten how much I love you!

I grew up on this stuff. But until last weekend, I had never made it myself. And, seriously, it had been about twenty years since I'd had it last. {Am I seriously old enough to say it's been twenty years since something?? Oh, yes ... yes, I am.} Now, my Southern-born-and-bred husband had never had it. This weekend, I decided I needed to change all that.

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Leprechaun Shakes {& Trapping a Leprechaun!}

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Harrelson) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 00:30:00 +0000

It's that time of year! Yes, the time of year when rascally little leprechauns make their appearances in all the craziest of places. And last year ... we had one turn up in my 1st grade classroom! Can you believe it?

He turned over the chairs in our classroom. Threw little shamrocks all over everything. Left us silly notes on the whiteboard. Dropped his hat one day ... and his sock the next. He even tried to steal our pot of gold, leaving our carpet littered with little gold pieces ... how dare he!

So, of course, my students decided we needed to try to trap him - I mean, he did try to take our gold and all. And here's how we decided to do it.

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Spicy Guacamole Shrimp Melts {& Concord Foods Seasoning Mix GIVEAWAY}

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Harrelson) — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 03:43:00 +0000

Oh, I have a very exciting post today! You know why? Well, because I'm sharing a very easy, very yummy recipe featuring two wonderful products from Concord Foods. But that's not all. It's also because one of you gets to try these wonderful products, too! That's right. Compliments of Concord Foods, I get to give away a sampler pack of their guacamole and salsa seasoning mixes to a reader of The Kitchen is My Playground. Yay!

And that makes me happy. Because I love to give gifts. So now let's check out what I made with Concord Foods' stuff so you can get going with entering to win the sampler pack. Ok?