Photo From POM Wonderful

During the fall, we eat a lot of pomegranates in my house—sprinkled over salads, mixed into yogurt, in cranberry sauce. I love the taste, and it's a great source of antioxidants. But removing the seeds from the pomegranate is tricky business...

It's difficult to eat a pomegranate: The deep red juice gets everywhere (and stains!), and the seeds (or "arils") either burst or get stuck in the white pithy membrane. Is it really worth all the mess?

One time I took a cooking class, and the teacher taught us this way to eat a pomegranate:

1. Cut the pomegranate in half vertically.
2. Holding the cut side down in the palm of your hand, whack the back of the fruit with a heavy wooden spoon, causing the seeds to fall out.

It works—sort of—but I can never get ALL of the seeds out using this method. Instead, I much prefer the under water method of eating a pomegranate:

Simply cut the pomegranate in half, submerge it in a bowl full of cold water, and separate the seeds from the membrane with your fingers. The seeds will float to the bottom and the membrane floats to the top. Brilliant!

Click this link to see a short, helpful video of the under water pomegranate method.

Do you have a good pomegranate recipe? How do you eat pomegranates?

Related Posts:

Pomegranates Taste Good & Good for You 

Pomegranate Cocktails Always a Party Pleaser! 

Is There Any Good Way to Eat a Pomegranate?

Pumpkin and apple pie seem to be the most popular dessert enjoyed by families on Thanksgiving. But I've also heard of eating pecan, sweet potato, cranberry swirl, lemon, chocolate, banana pudding—even cheesecake!

Tell us what kind of pie (or other dessert) your family eats on Thanksgiving, but first: check out this Apple Pie recipe from the White House pastry chef, who Obama calls the "crustmaster":

Apple Pie recipe by White House Pastry Chef Bill Yosses

For the crust:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

10 ounces unsalted butter, cold, cut into small chunks

3 ounces lard, cold, cut into small chunks

1/2 cup ice water

To make the crust, in a food processor pulse together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and lard, then pulse briefly until the mixture forms small crumbs. Add the ice water and pulse just until a dough forms.

Divide the dough into 2 pieces and shape into discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

To prepare the pie shell, on a floured surface roll out one disc to a 14-inch circle. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased, deep 9-inch pie pan, leaving a 1 inch overhang. Refrigerate the crust in the pan for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

When ready to bake the bottom crust, heat the oven to 375 F. Line the cold crust with foil and fill with baking weights, rice or dry beans to hold it in place. Bake the pie shell for 30 minutes. Leave the oven on once the crust is done. Meanwhile, prepare the filling.

For the filling:

2 pounds apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

For the egg wash:

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

Sugar, for sprinkling

In a large saucepan, toss together the apples, sugar, honey, cornstarch, vanilla, cinnamon and lemon zest and juice. Let sit for 20 minutes.

Bring the fruit mixture to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the fruit thickens. Let cool.

When the bottom crust is baked and the filling has cooled, pour the fruit into the crust.

Roll out the second disc of dough to about 12 inches.

In a small bowl, beat the egg with the salt. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg on the edges of the cooked crust. Place the top crust over the filling. Gently crimp the top crust, sealing the pie around the edges.

Puncture the top of the crust with a paring knife in several places to create steam vents. Brush egg wash over the crust, then sprinkle with sugar. Bake for another 30 to 40 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the top crust is golden brown.

Let cool for 1 to 2 hours before serving.

What kind of pie does your family eat on Thanksgiving?

Related Posts:

The Secret to Foolproof Pie Crust? 

Best Pumpkin Pie Recipe of All Time? 

Stuffing: How Do You Make It?

Do you remember last Thanksgiving when I wrote about brining my roast turkey? It was one of those experiences that seems like a good idea at the time, but turns out to be a total complete and total disaster...

Brining is a process by which you submerge a turkey (or other poultry product) in a sugar-salt-water bath for up to 24 hours. People say that brining a turkey produces the tenderest, most flavorful, most juicy turkey they've ever had.

But it's a messy, time-consuming process. And at the end of the day, I had gallons of water on the floor and a bunch of guests who couldn't tell the different between the brined turkey and a regular one.

So why am I thinking about doing it again this year? Because brining gives the turkey that something extra. You know how we always remember the good things about the past and tend to forget the bad and the watery? I think that's happening this year with the Thanksgiving bird.

But I'm going to learn from my mistakes and try a dry brine (instead of a water bath). The New York Times has an easy recipe for Dry-Brined Turkey: You simply rub the bird all over with 1/2 cup of salt two days before serving, wrap the turkey in plastic wrap, and let rest in the refrigerator.

No water, no baths, no swear words are involved.

Do you brine your turkey?

Related Posts:

Thanksgiving Turkey: No Time? Don't Brine 

Cranberry Sauce: Take It or Leave It?

Stuffing: How Do You Make It?

Just when you thought I couldn't possibly come up with another pumpkin recipe...

Thanks to CM.Ult.Cookbook for sharing her Pumpkin Pie Milkshake recipe with us. Pumpkin ice cream and whipped cream? I fear I will be unable to restrain myself...

Pumpkin Pie Milkshake (from CM.Ult.Cookbook's journal post)

2 cups pumpkin-flavored ice cream

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

2 crushed graham crackers

Whipped cream

Ground cinnamon

Put pumpkin-flavored ice cream in the blender with milk, pumpkin pie spice, and some crushed graham crackers, and whip it up. Add a dollop of whipped cream on top, sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon, and you have an easy dessert.

What's your favorite milkshake flavor?

Related Posts:

Pumpkin Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Filling 

Fall Dessert: Pumpkin-Cream Cheese Truffles

Perfect Pumpkin Muffins

Today I'm sharing a one pot recipe that we make often in our house: Tortilla Soup! The original recipe is from Epicurious.com, but I like to add a few handfuls of frozen corn during the cooking process, as well as top with sliced avocado and shredded cheese. It's got tons of flavor without being too spicy. Serve with a salad and you're good to go. Enjoy!

Tortilla Soup from Epicurious.com

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

3/4 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon chili powder

4 cups canned vegetable broth

4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

4 6-inch-diameter corn tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips

1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes

2/3 cup canned black beans, rinsed, drained

2/3 cup chopped zucchini

1 1/2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeno chili

Spray large nonstick saucepan with vegetable oil spray. Add onion and garlic; cover and cook over medium-low heat until almost tender, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, cumin and chili powder. Add broth and 2 tablespoons cilantro; bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until flavors blend, about 15 minutes.

Add tortillas, tomatoes, beans, zucchini and jalapeñp to soup. Cover; simmer until zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro.

What do you like in your tortilla soup?

Related Posts:

One-Pot Wednesdays: Minestrone Soup 

One-Pot Wednesdays: Vegetable Soup

One-Pot Wednesdays: Lentil Soup

14 dainty dessert recipes. — Woman's Day

Pint-size food recipes. — Martha Stewart

If you must have cola-fix, opt for the mini-Coke. — That's Fit

Healthy mini-pizza recipe. — Yahoo! Shine

Do you ever serve miniature foods? What's your family's favorite?

Related posts:

Mini-Meals Are a Hit With Kids

Toddler Meal: Mini Meatloaves

Toddler Meal: Mini Breakfast Frittatas

Photo by Arichey85

Sugar, and spice, and everything nice...that's what these Pumpkin Cream Cupcakes (baked by Archey85 and found via Cake101) are made of...

Pumpkin Cream Cupcakes from KraftFoods.com

1 pkg. (2-layer size) spice cake mix

1 pkg.  (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 pkg.  (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

Heat oven to 350ºF. Prepare cake batter as directed on package. Add dry pudding mix and pumpkin; mix well. Spoon into 24 paper-lined muffin cups.

Beat ceam cheese with mixer until creamy. Blend in sugar and egg. Spoon over batter, swirling gently with small spoon. Bake 18 to 21 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove to wire racks. Cool completely.

For topping: Stir 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg into 1-1/2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping; spread over cooled cupcakes.

Thanks to Arichey85 for sharing the recipe!

Do you make cupcakes for the holidays? What kind?

Related Posts:

Fall Dessert: Pumpkin-Cream Cheese Truffles 

Perfect Pumpkin Muffins

Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake With Gingersnap Crust

Photo From Hip Hostess

Cheese is and forever will be my weakness. That's precisely why I wouldn't dare trust myself around mini blue cheese balls rolled in bacon (from Hip Hostess).

What a perfect appetizer to serve to my guests before Thanksgiving dinner! Hip Hostess suggests serving these cheese truffles with plenty of fruit to balance the saltiness from the cheese and bacon.

Mini Cheese Balls Rolled in Bacon from Hip Hostess

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 (4-oz.) container crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (a.k.a. blue cheese)

2 teaspoons finely chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon

Beat first 5 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until well combined. Cover tightly, and chill at least 1 hour or until firm (can chill up to 3 days).

Roll cheese mixture into 3/4-inch-round balls. Roll each ball in bacon. Serve immediately, or cover and chill until ready to serve. If chilled, let stand 30 minutes before serving.

What's your favorite way to serve cheese during the holidays?

Related Posts:

How to Build the Perfect Cheese Platter 

Quick Appetizers for the Holidays

Pizza Bites! An Appetizer, A Meal...Or Just Because

Easy Party Pinwheels Recipe

See this video at CafeMom.

The creators of the "Got Milk?" ads launched a new campaign today to convince schools to continue to serve chocolate milk to students. Their reasoning? Sugary flavorings are the only way to get kids to drink milk.

Supporters for the "Raise Your Hand for Chocolate Milk" campaign (including Rebecca Romijn) maintain that schools should serve chocolate milk because without it, kids choose juice, soda, and water and miss out on the calcium, vitamin D, and potassium that dairy provides. Moreover, they say that chocolate milk has only 60 calories more than white milk, and "that's nothing" compared to the nutrients they are getting.

But nutrition experts disagree, saying that chocolate milk should not be served in school because kids get too much sugar (which is heightening America's obesity problem). They believe kids will drink white milk if it's the only milk offered.

Where do you fall in this debate over whether schools should serve chocolate milk? Do your kids drink chocolate milk or white milk?

Related Posts:

Doughnuts for Breakfast in Public Schools? 

Should Kids Learn Nutrition in School?

Should Cities Ban Fast Food Near Schools?

Photo by ChicagoKate

Thank you to ChicagoKate for sharing her family's recipe for Cinnamon Apple Bars. I'm dreaming of one (or five!)—warmed and topped with vanilla ice cream. Heavenly.

Jackie's Cinnamon Apple Squares (from ChicagoKate)

2 cups flour

1.5 cups brown sugar

1 stick butter, soft

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sour cream

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

2 cups peeled, finely chopped apples -- preferably Granny Smith

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and butter. Blend at low speed until well-mixed and crumbly. Stir in nuts if desired.

Press 2.75 cups of this mixture into the bottom of a greased 13X9 pan (can use the back of a spoon to press into pan). To remaining crumb mixture, add cinnamon, baking soda, salt, sour cream, vanilla, and egg.  Stir well. Stir in apples. Spoon evenly over crumb base.

Bake for approximately 25-35 minutes, until fork clean.  (Squares should remain moist.) After cooling, cut into squares. Serve alone or with whipped cream or ice cream.

Got a favorite fall family recipe to share? I'll post it here.

Related Posts:

Fall Recipes: Applesauce in the Crock Pot

Fall Recipes: Apple Cider Doughnuts

Baked Acorn Squash With Brown Sugar

See this video at CafeMom.

We gave 10 CafeMoms a meal's worth of Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers and asked them to capture the experience on video. This week's featured mom is TallChic. Watch the video and answer the question below to get entered to win a $500 Crate and Barrel Gift Card!

This week's question:

What are your family's favorite vegetables?

TallChic's son said his favorite vegetables were all of them.

We will post new Green Giant Influencer videos in Food & Party Buzz on 11/16 and 11/23. One (1) mom who replies to any of the CafeMom Green Giant Influencer video posts will be chosen at random to win a $500 gift card to Crate and Barrel.* Only your first comment on each video post counts as an entry. You may comment on each video post for up to four (4) entries. 

Click here to watch last week's featured video.

*Sweepstakes rules: No Purchase Necessary. Starts November 2, at 2:00 p.m. EST and ends November 30, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Open to residents of the 50 United States and D.C.  who are at least 16 years old and CafeMom members.  Void where prohibited.  Click here for official rules.

About Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers

Enjoy the convenience of steaming your vegetables right in the microwave with the great taste that comes from 100% natural sauce. Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™ vegetables combine the best of both worlds to give families a great tasting and convenient solution for getting their vegetables.

Photo From Un Muffin de Mer

Generally, I have no problem eating (most) animals. But these Turkey Cupcakes for Thanksgiving might be the exception. They're too cute! Un Muffin de Mer has the recipe.

What are you having for dessert on Thanksgiving?

Related Posts:

Pilgrim Hat Cookies for Thanksgiving 

Cute Turkey Cookies for Thanksgiving

I'm hosting Thanksgiving this year. It will be the first time I cook dinner with all the fixings for a big crowd. *Gulp.* I've got the turkey under control. But the one food that's stressing me out? The stuffing!

Help!

I know it's silly to get worked up over a Thanksgiving side dish. But stuffing is serious business! It's an item that I, personally, look forward to all year. Plus, I feel like the success of the stuffing is an important measure of the overall Thanksgiving dinner. Do I want to go down in history as having the worst stuffing (and, therefore, the worst Thanksgiving dinner) of all time?

*Deep breaths.*

I've been looking through my cookbooks for recipes, and I'm getting really overwhelmed by all the options: Should I cook it inside or outside the turkey? And which ingredients should I put in it? I've seen everything from sausage, cheese, and cornbread to butternut squash, chestnuts, and oysters(?).

Again. Help!

Every family makes it differently—got any recipes or tips to share?

Do you eat stuffing on Thanksgiving? How do you make it?

Related Posts:

Southern-Style Sweet Potato Casserole 

Cranberry Sauce: Take It or Leave It? 

Best Pumpkin Pie Recipe of All Time?

The good news? This is the first year that public schools in Chicago are offering free breakfast to almost every student.

The bad news? Students are allowed to choose three items for breakfast, and most of them are opting for a (fortified!) doughnut paired with other sugary, processed items including Kellogg's Pop-Tarts, Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, and French toast with syrup. Needless to say, they are bypassing items like apples and oatmeal in favor of the high-sugar items.

True, a high-sugar breakfast is better than no breakfast at all (which would be the case for many of these students). And, the items offered as part of the breakfast in the classroom program supposedly do meet the requirements established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

However, nutrition experts are worried that sugary, processed options not only cause children to sleepy and inattentive in school, but also contribute to our nation's growing weight-related health problems including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. In effect, they warn that our kids are "learning" in school that it's okay to eat doughnuts every morning for breakfast. What does this mean for their future eating habits?

The solution? Some parents are advocating to only serve healthy options as part of the breakfast in the classroom programs.

What do you think? Does your school have free breakfast? Are kids allowed to eat doughnuts every day?

Related Posts:

Should Kids Learn Nutrition in School? 

Should Cities Ban Fast Food Near Schools?

Is This Family Too Fat to Work?

Photo From For The Love of Cooking

My stomach is growling for these Pizza Bites (from For the Love of Cooking)—pillowy balls of pizza dough filled with cheese and pepperoni with a side of pizza sauce. Yum!

A crowd-pleasing party food or a fun dinner for the kids? Only you can decide!

I like the pepperoni idea, but I'd also try it with veggies (mushrooms, bell pepper, etc.).

Which pizza toppings would you put inside your pizza bites?

Related Posts:

Toddler Meal: Breakfast Pizza 

Fast, Kid-Friendly Pizzas

Hot Pizza Dip For Your Next Party

Photo by Totallysober

Is your little girl dreaming of a princess-themed birthday party? Moms in the CafeMom Newcomers Club recently shared photos of their gorgeous princess cakes.

Here are some of my favorites...

Totallysober purchased the above princess cake from a local baker for her daughter's first birthday.

ShakleeMama87 made this princess cake for her daughter's first birthday. It's a chocolate cake with butter-cream frosting.

Photo by ShakleeMama87

Check out this pretty pink princess cake by Nicky80.

Photo by Nicky80

AngelRT and her MIL made this princess cake for her daughter's birthday. It's a yellow cake from scratch iced with butter-cream frosting, then covered with fondant (from scratch) made from marshmallow. They used the Princess Castle Kit from Wilton Cakes.

Photo by AngelRT

This lovely princess cake was the first cake that Adamjackie has ever made. She used boxed yellow cake and canned frosting.

Photo by adamjackie

Beautiful__Mama made this beautiful princess cake for her beautiful daughter's first birthday party.

Photo by Beautiful__Mama

Logan_Bellasmom bought this princess cake for her daughter at Albertsons.

Photo by Logan_Bellasmom

Meagan0716's husband made this princess cake: It's strawberry and Tinkerbell-themed. They bought the toppers in the toy section of Walmart.

Photo by Meagan0716

Finally, 2boys_1girl bought this princess cake for her daughter's fourth birthday.

Photo by 2boys_1girl

Now I want to have a princess-themed birthday party!

Don't you just love all the princess cakes? Which one is your favorite?

Related Posts:

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Boxed Cake Mix: Oh, the Possibilites!

Is the Princess Fantasy Dangerous?

Photo by Plan9

The following is a guest post by Ideal Bite's Mama Bite contributor Jennifer Orr.

My girls love, crave, go nuts for junk food...basically anything with little or no nutritional value. To satisfy their cravings and my must-be-good-for-you standards, I've learned some tricks to turn their favorite fast food into a somewhat healthy dinner (and for healthier snacks, try these makeovers).

As an alt to chicken nuggets, I always have one or two organic, free-range birds in my fridge, already cooked by Whole Foods. I warm up some drumsticks, and the girls dip 'em in ranch or barbecue sauce, just like their nuggets. One of their favorite meals is chicken and cheese biscuits. They wrap shredded chicken and organic cheese in refrigerated crescent-roll dough. I cook them at 375 for 12 minutes, and voilà, they've made dinner themselves.

Another meal they like to make themselves is pizza. The kids "paint" some organic olive oil on pre-made whole wheat pizza crusts with a basting brush, then some tomato sauce (sometimes secretly infused with pureed veggies), then they pile on the cheese, and add ham, barbecue chicken, or salami. I cook at 425 for about 8 minutes (much quicker and healthier than take-out or frozen varieties), and dinner is served.

As for mac-‘n'-cheese, they eat Amy's organic kids meals. I cook them for a couple of minutes on high and then add frozen peas, green beans, broccoli, or carrots for the rest of the cooking time, usually about 6 to 8 minutes, tops (for more quick veggie meals, try these).

Now if I can only find a healthy version of my favorite junk food: double chocolate cupcakes with cream-cheese frosting...

Which "healthy fast foods" do you eat in your house?

Related Posts:

Top 25 Healthy Snacks for Kids 

15 Healthy Snacks for Pregnant Gals

Junk Food That's Good For You

First Place: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

We had a Cupcake Contest in the CafeMom office last week in which many, many cupcakes were consumed. All entries were delicious, but some were better than others—it was a contest after all! Here are the three winning cupcake recipes!

First Place (photo above):

Brian won first place in the cupcake contest for his Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting—both Martha Stewart recipes. However, the decorations—marshmallow snowmen dressed in Halloween costumes—were all his own; they're "painted" with food coloring. So cool!

Second Place:

Anthony took home second place for his cream-filled "Tastefully Sweet" Cupcakes. It's a modified Emeril cupcake recipe (recipe after the photo), so you know it has to be good.

Second Prize: Tastefully Sweet Cupcakes

Cupcake mix:

6 large eggs, separated

2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In the bowl of a mixer, beat the egg whites on low speed until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually with the mixer running and peak to stiff peaks. Add the egg yolks 1 at a time, beating well after the addition of each. Sift together the flour and baking powder and add to the egg mixture, alternating with the milk. (Do this quickly so the batter does not lose volume.) Add the vanilla.

Cream topping:

1 14-ounce can evaporated milk

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup heavy cream  

In a blender, combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream and blend on high speed. Remove the cupcake from the oven and while still warm cut off the tops of the cupcakes. Pour 3-4tsp of the cream mixture over it. Let sit and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Icing:

3 tablespoons water

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 large egg whites  

Once the cake is completely chilled, in a saucepan combine the water and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and stir to dissolve the sugar. Cook until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage, 235 to 240 degrees F. Remove from the heat. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. While beating, add the hot syrup in a stream. Beat until all the syrup has been added, the mixture cools, and a glossy icing forms.

Remove the cupcakes from the refrigerator and spread the icing across the top.  Finish it with some rainbow dots.

Third Place:

Hollylynn13 (Holly) won third place for her Maple French Toast and Bacon Cupcakes, which she found on the Food Network. And oh yes, that is bacon dredged in brown sugar on top of the cupcakes. Yum!

Third Prize: Maple French Toast and Bacon Cupcakes

Please join me in congratulating the winners of the CafeMom Cupcake Contest!

Which kind of cupcakes would you bake for a cupcake contest?

 

Related Posts:

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Happy One-Pot Wednesday!

We eat a lot of sweet potatoes in my house because they're high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and fiber. Plus, yams taste great because they're naturally sweet! We'll be trying this easy recipe for one-pot Garlic Pot Roast and Sweet Potatoes from Betty Crocker. Just combine ingredients in the crock pot and leave it to cook all day.

Slow Cooker Garlic Pork Roast and Sweet Potatoes 

3.5 lb boneless pork loin roast

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 medium onion, sliced

6 cloves garlic, peeled

1cup chicken broth or 1 cup apple cider

Place sweet potatoes, onion, and garlic in crock pot. Season pork with salt and pepper, and place on vegetables. Pour broth/cider over pork. Cover. Cook on low heat setting 8 to 10 hours.

Do you have a favorite sweet potato recipe?

Related Posts:

Sweet Potato Fries: Baked, Not Fried

Southern-Style Sweet Potato Casserole

One-Pot Wednesdays: Pulled Pork

Photo by roxysmommy

Us here at CafeMom loooove cupcakes, and it's Cafe Sheri's birthday today and Cafe MicheleZ's was yesterday (happy birthday guys!), so I thought I'd share some cupcake links I love!:

Martha Stewart's top 20 cupcake recipes. Mmm! — Martha Stewart

A seven-foot-tall cupcake...I think I'm in heaven. — That's Fit

An awesome vegan cupcake book. — Parent Dish

Instructions for creating tons of fun cupcake decorations. — Cupcake Creations

What's your favorite flavor of cupcakes?

Related posts:

It's My Birthday: Wishful Wishlist

Third Trimester & Having a Birthday

Cupcakes Make Mom's Life Easier

Sweet and Sour Chicken

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

1/4 cup finely chopped green onion (discard white part)

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced OR 1/8 teaspoon ginger

2 lb. boneless chicken, sliced into thin strips

Skewers (if grilling)

Combine soy sauce, sugar, garlic, sesame seed, green onion, and ginger in large resealable plastic bag or container with tight-fitting lid. Add chicken strips. Marinade strips in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. Remove meat from mariande. Discard marinade.

To grill: Place chicken strips on kabob skewers. Grill 3-5 minutes per side or until cooked through.

To broil: Place chicken strips on broiling pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 3-5 minutes per side or until cooked through.

Dipping Sauce (optional)

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/3 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons vinegar

Combine sugar and cornstarch in saucepan. Add soy and vinegar. Cook over medium heat, stirring slightly until mixture begins to bubble and thicken. Remove from heat and set aside in bowl.

Have you ever made sweet and sour chicken?

Related Posts:

New Food Group: Recipes for Busy Moms

Easy Roast Chicken...With a Twist

Toddler Meal: Sweet-and-Sour Chicken Stir Fry

Photo by Jeanmarie1975

I have a new favorite food group here on CafeMom: Recipes for Busy Moms. Have you checked it out yet? It's great if you need a cheap and easy dinner idea and don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Here's a sampling of some of the recipes you might find...

From 3boyz1princess:

Cook 2 lbs hamburger meat in skillet and season with garlic salt (or any seasoning that you like). Hollow out 2 loaves of sour dough French bread. In large bowl, mix the meat with 2 packages shredded Mozzarella cheese, and stuff the bread with the meat/cheese mixture. Brush the top of the bread with butter and garlic, wrap in foil, and heat in oven at 350 for 10 minutes. Serve with salad and vegetable. Serves 6.

From Jersey2:

Add 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1 envelope of taco seasoning, and 1 jar of salsa to a crock pot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Shred chicken with a fork. Serve with tortillas.

From Angiebooboo:

Add cooked noodles to canned mushroom soup (or any cream soup). Optional step: Add cooked hamburger meat and/or a bag of frozen veggies.

Are you a member of Recipes for Busy Moms? What's your favorite quick recipe?

Related Posts:

Sane Family Dinners -- The Day Ahead Strategy

Toddler Meal: Mini Meatloaves From $5 Dinners

How to Make Dinner for $5 or Less

See this video at CafeMom.

We gave 10 CafeMoms enough Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers for one family meal. We also sent them Flip cameras so they could capture the experience on video. We're going to feature a video each Monday for the next four weeks. One lucky mom who posts a comment on any of these videos will win a $500 Crate and Barrel Gift Card!

Today's video is from Jillysmom.  Watch the video and answer the question below to get entered to win.

This week's question:

Jillysmom's DH says he's normally not a big vegetable eater. Do you have the same situation in your home? 

Will your family eat their vegetables?

We will post new Green Giant Influencer videos in Food & Party Buzz on 11/2, 11/9, 11/16 and 11/23. One (1) mom who replies to any of the CafeMom Green Giant Influencer video posts will be chosen at random to win a $500 gift card to Crate and Barrel.* Only your first comment on each video post counts as an entry. You may comment on each video post for up to four (4) entries.  

*No Purchase Necessary. Starts November 2, at 2:00 p.m. EST and ends November 30, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Open to residents of the 50 United States and the D.C.  who are 16 years old and CafeMom members.  Void where prohibited.  Click here for official rules.

Valley Fresh Steamers - The Convenience of Steam with the Great Taste of Sauce

Valley Fresh Steamers^TM vegetables come in a convenient stand-up bag that steams perfectly right in the microwave. This easy-to-open bag prevents messes that come from using dishes to cook your vegetables.

Plus, all Valley Fresh Steamers products are 100% natural and low in fat.

Nine delicious varieties of vegetables and sauce:

•     Broccoli & Cheese Sauce
•     Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower & Cheese Sauce
•     Super Sweet Corn & Butter Sauce
•     Roasted Red Potatoes, Green Beans & Rosemary Butter Sauce
•     Cheesy Rice & Broccoli
•     Asian Style Medley
•     Basil Vegetable Medley
•     Garden Vegetable Medley
•     Buttery Rice & Vegetables

My mom's sauce!

My mom doesn't have a lot of variety in what she cooks, but wow, what she does make tastes amazing.

My favorite meal is her pasta and meatballs. Her red sauce is a combination of what her mom used to make along with her own add-ins. And the meatballs -- incredible. One of the many benefits of being part Italian.

Though my husband, who doesn't have any Italian in him, also makes a great meatball. Very different taste, but equally yummy.

It's funny, with all the great cooks around me, I'm not much in the kitchen. I like to bake, but with cooking, I've got a repertoire even smaller than my mom's and not half as good.

My twins are due soon and my mom is going to help out. I asked her to make us the biggest pot of sauce and meatballs and I will be the happiest postpartum lady around.

Who in your family or friend circle makes your favorite dish? What is it?

Related posts:

Can You Cook As Good As Your Mom?

Do Your Kids Cook With You?

What Did Your Mom Make Growing Up That You Loved...or Hated?

Photo by dstny157

My husband and I took our 6 year old and 4 year old trick or treating in a friend's city neighborhood, where you knock on brownstone after brownstone, so needless to say, they cleaned up. We could have used a crane to load the plastic jack-o-lantern baskets into the car.

Today, however, their stashes are mysteriously ... lighter. Hmm. Wonder how that happened? Truth be told the garbage man will notice the trash bags are considerably heavier at pickup this week. Yes, I'm one of those moms that tosses candy. Out of sight, out of mind, for me as well as my already hyper kids.

But not all moms are candy tossing fanatics like me.

See this poll at CafeMom.