I know Thanksgiving is in a few days, but sometimes when it's this close to Thanksgiving the last thing I want to eat is all the food I'll be eating on that day. Sometimes I just want something simple and delicious, maybe even succulent enough for a (rare) date night for two at home. This steak is perfect for those occasions.You may recognize this steak from my post a few weeks ago on wine pairings with meats. This particular steak was paired with a dessert wine, I thought it was a perfect ... continue reading...
Most Recent Posts
Chorizo & Egg Breakfast Pockets: Behind the Scenes at Pillsbury
Last month Pillsbury gathered together a group of bloggers to bring out to the kitchens located at the General Mills Headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota. If you happen to follow me on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook then you probably knew that I was one of the nine bloggers in attendance!We had a busy schedule that included background information on how Pillsbury has become what it is today, how they develop their recipes, current food trends and, our main subject, easy weeknight dinners! ... continue reading...
Easy Chile Relleno Casserole
Have you ever tried a dish that you haven't had in years, since childhood, and that first taste immediately took you back? I remember when I was a child, my mom would toy around with different approaches to cooking. She had these recipe cards delivered that would fit into this recipe box, and each week she'd add the newest ones. She also had this one specific cookbook that was all sorts of recipes you could create in the microwave. Hey, it was the eighties then and it was all about convenience ... continue reading...
It’s a Season to be Thankful with Macy’s & Rwanda Path to Peace Baskets
Disclosure: I am a member of the Everywhere Society and Everywhere provided me with a complimentary Rwanda Path to Peace basket. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own. This holiday season my family has so much to be thankful for. Our health, wisdom, the necessities - most importantly, we have each other. Thanksgiving to us isn't about the holiday that we're taught in grade school. To us, it's about quality time together, spending the day enjoying good food and each ... continue reading...
Two Ways to Combat Flu Season With Bigelow Tea
Unfortunately that inevitable season has arrived. No I'm not talking about Thanksgiving or Christmas, or even the holidays in general. I'm speaking about the cold and flu season. Some seasons are just unavoidable for our family, and this is one of them. We take our vitamins, we eat well, we even give ourselves extra boosts for immunity and health. There's a variety of steps our family takes to try to avoid the sick season, but once one of us gets sick we know what's to come. Weeks of stuffy ... continue reading...
Friday Letters – November 8, 2013
Dear Christmas, Please slow down! The day after Halloween my neighbors already began decorating in preparation for you, and even before Halloween while looking for costumes there's was all the red and green decor in the next aisle over! You already arrive way too quickly, let's let Thanksgiving have it's time first. Deal? Dear Pillsbury, Thank you so much for allowing me to visit your test kitchens and tour your facility! I had an amazing time and can't wait to share my experience ... continue reading...
Simple Spanish Rice
There's many Mexican dishes that I love to make like enchiladas, tacos or burritos, "refried" beans, carne asada.. well the list goes on. With all those dishes, you have to have just the right side dish to bring the entree together. Many times the perfect addition is some Spanish Rice. I absolutely love a good Spanish Rice. I like it to have some tomato flavor and spices, but not too spicy, not too bland. It has to be just the right amount of flavors and aromas for it to be a well rounded ... continue reading...
Mix-and-Match Wine Pairings for the Season
Can we chat about wine? This past weekend I was browsing the aisles of my favorite Save Mart store and I noticed they were having a fantastic sale on wine. You can buy ANY four (or more) wine and spirits and receive 10% off your total - you even get this cute tote that fits all four bottles! I realized that I don't talk about wine or alcohol in general in this space, unless it's added to a sauce or as an additional flavoring to meat. Since the holidays are upon us, I felt this was a subject that ... continue reading...
Easy Holiday Recipe Ideas for Entertaining!
During the holiday season it's not out of the ordinary for family or friends to come visit. Whether they are visiting for the holiday or just during the holiday season I'm often at a loss of what to make. I love having a few easy recipes on hand that I can whip together and they appear that I spent forever on them. That way my guests can feel welcomed and special! The other day I went to Smart & Final and was inspired by all of the great deals you can find. Smart & Final is great because ... continue reading...
Easy Indoor Fun with Popsicle
Disclosure: This post was created in connection with my appointment as an Ambassador in the Popsicle® Blogger Program. Visit facebook.com/popsicle to join the conversation. All opinions are my own.The past few weeks have been tough in this house.I travelled out of state a few weeks ago, and the morning I left RoRo woke up with a terrible cough. I was hoping it was just allergies, or the change in seasons. Unfortunately it was the beginning of a terrible cold, and soon it was passed onto our ... continue reading...
Chocolate Delight Holiday Trifle
Disclosure: I am a Blog Ambassador for Walkers Shortbread. I was provided free product to try and was not compensated for this post. All thoughts are my own.For the past few months I've been an ambassador for Walkers Shortbread and have been able to try many of their amazing cookies and create recipes with them. I've discovered that Walkers is a wonderful company, committed to bringing tasty products with all natural ingredients. What I love about Walkers is they've kept true to their traditions ... continue reading...
KitchenAid Savor the Savings Event
Disclosure: This is sponsored content in partnership with KitchenAid and The Niche Parent Network & Conference. All thoughts are my own.Currently there's an amazing sale going on, just in time for the holidays. This couldn't come at a better time, when many of us are heating up our kitchens in preparation for all that Holiday goodness! The Savor the Savings event is happening right now with select KitchenAid products at Sears!Imagine being able to purchase big ticket items, and the more you ... continue reading...
Apple, Coconut & Carrot Breakfast Muffins
I love having muffins in the house for my family. They're so convenient for kids to grab and snack on, or to take along for a quick breakfast on the go. You can combine so many different flavors and combinations, it's pretty hard to go wrong! Not only that, but they're fun to make! These particular muffins have come a long way since I made my first batch. Back when I first made them, I followed this recipe by Weelicious which is absolutely more guilt free than my version. They were nice, but I ... continue reading...
Moments of Connection with Coffee-Mate Pumpkin Spice #loveyourcup
Today we're going to talk about one of my favorite subjects. We're talking coffee. Actually, scratch that. I'm a coffee addict, but what makes my coffee extra delectable and something I look forward to each day is the creamer. A little secret as to why Autumn is my favorite season.. well, that's when my favorite seasonal coffee creamers are fully stocked at stores everywhere. My favorite flavor is Pumpkin Spice!I've shared many times my affinity for coffee, about how I fantasize in the evening ... continue reading...
Tradewinds Slow Brewed Iced Tea Review
Disclosure: I was provided free product from Tradewinds Tea to try and was not compensated for this post. All thoughts are my own.Recently I received some Tradewinds Teas in the mail. These aren't the hot teas that you'd find yourself drinking on a cold night in Autumn, but rather they are the types of teas you'd serve over ice on a sunny and warm summer day. Of course they can be served year round, but the lovely beach and palm trees on the label remind me of eternal summers. All of the ... continue reading...
Blackberry Dragon Fruit Smoothie
Dragon fruit is honestly one of the prettiest fruits out there. It's so unique with it's leafy and bright exterior and freckled insides, and I love the texture of the fruit. It's light and mild, with a texture similar to kiwi. I came across some this year and I just couldn't pass them up, and I decided to create a unique smoothie to incorporate their taste. One of the first things to cross my mind was blackberries. I just thought the contrast between the two fruits would be a unique blend, ... continue reading...
McDonald’s Bay Area Field to Restaurant Tour
Disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for McDonald's. I attended an event to facilitate my review and received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.When I was growing up it was a rarity to eat fast food. That's not to say that we ate healthy home-cooked meals every night, but the only times we really had fast food were when we drove on a road trip or had a coupon. If you fast forward a few years to my teens and twenties I was a huge fan and ... continue reading...
Healthy (and Gluten Free) Tuna & Avocado Bowls
When I think of eating healthy, vitamin rich foods one of the things that always tops my list is tuna. Tuna is rich in Omega 3 and protein, and it's mild taste compliments a variety of meals. Mixed with the right ingredients it can be just the right fuel your body needs when you are eating right and getting in shape. Unfortunately, tuna tends to get combined with a ton of bad ingredients, which completely ruins the health benefits by adding unnecessary fats, carbs, sugar and sodium. Recently, ... continue reading...
#Rubi2Go The Convenient Pick-Me-Up!
Often I do my grocery shopping in the morning. Sometimes it's best to just get it out of the way so I have the rest of the day free to spend with my little ones, write recipes, or cook. I'll wake the kids up, pack everyone in the car while they're still calm and groggy and head off to the store. Often I'm still groggy too, and it just doesn't make sense to stop at those expensive coffee shops when I'm the type that shops for the best deal with my groceries.The first time I spotted a Rubi Kiosk ... continue reading...
Harvest Season Chicken Noodle Soup
There's one place I can always depend on finding some fresh produce, and that is at Save Mart Supermarkets. I love browsing their produce department and am delighted when there's awesome sales and great deals on seasonal items. I know that it's all I talk about on here, but I'm practically obsessed with Fall recipes. Last year I posted two pumpkin recipes, and they were both breads. Actually one was bread, and one was muffins but they were essentially the same recipe. Of course, when pumpkin ... continue reading...