Friday, December 20, 2013

Marinated Mozzarella with Bigelow Orange & Spice Tea #AmericasTea

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and its client.


This year, my holiday season has been all about creating the perfect dishes for holiday parties. On my quest to invent recipes that would please the masses I spent hours some time on Pinterest, repeatedly seeing recipes for Marinated Mozzarella. Being a complete and absolute lover of everything cheesy {including Luke Bryan's new song} I couldn't stop thinking about putting my own twist on some Marinated Mozzarella. Not sure of how I could put my own personal spin on this cheesy concoction, I sat down with a mug of warm Bigelow Earl Grey Tea {my own Brain Juice} and started brainstorming. It instantly dawned on me - flavor the cheese with tea!

I headed to Walmart {after finishing off my mug of tea} for ingredients to the Marinated Mozzarella with Bigelow Orange & Spice Tea. Having checked out Bigelow's selection of teas on their website, I had my heart set on the Orange & Spice Herbal Tea. There was a huge selection of Bigelow Teas at my local Walmart, with the Orange & Spice being smack dab in the middle of all my choices! I grabbed the rest of the ingredients I needed and excitedly headed home to try out this little cheesy idea of mine.


This recipe for Marinated Mozzarella with Bigelow Orange & Spice Tea is so easy to put together, plus it takes only a handful of ingredients including Mozzarella cheese, olive oil, red pepper flakes, garlic, salt and of course - Bigelow Orange & Spice Tea.


And although it's not required for making this marinated mozzarella, I do have to recommend enjoying a warm mug of tea during the prep of this recipe!


The marinade created for the Marinated Mozzarella with Bigelow Orange & Spice Tea could also be used on chicken or fish. I'm thinking of giving it a try for making Chicken Kabobs - and trying out different tea flavors, especially the Lemon Ginger. The flavors are aromatic and a refreshing change from the spicy marinades that I normally whip up.


By using a bland cheese, such as Mozzarella, it really allows for the flavors of the tea to shine through. It is an entirely new way to enjoy tea and I am so happy to have experimented with it! I was a bit worried before trying the Marinated Mozzarella with Bigelow Orange & Spice Tea that my idea was too far-fetched and the flavors would just clash - but my worries were put to rest after popping the first piece of Mozzarella in my mouth. It put a huge smile on my face. :) It's a savory bite of cheese with the distinct flavors of tea - pretty much a dream {that I didn't even know about} coming true.


Mozzarella Marinated with Bigelow Orange & Spice Tea
Ingredients
½ cup olive oil
contents of 2 Bigelow Orange & Spice tea bags
½ tablespoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon salt
1 lb Mozzarella {I used part skim}
Directions
1. Mix together olive oil, Bigelow Orange & Spice tea, garlic, red pepper flakes and salt. Set aside.
2. Cut Mozzarella into 1” cubes.
3. Pour marinade over mozzarella and use a spoon to mix cheese and olive oil mixture together.
4. Place in fridge for at least 2 hours, occassionally stirring to ensure marinade is getting evenly distributed.
5. Serve with crackers, salami, fruit, etc. Enjoy!!


This cheese goes perfectly with salami, crackers and olives - in fact that is how we enjoyed it with a couple friends that were visiting for the the holidays. It would be a perfect spread to bring along to a holiday party or seasonal get together. It's not only tasty but also a novelty dish that no one else is likely to show up with.

For more information about Bigelow make sure to check out their site, it is such a good read that I lost myself in it for nearly an hour. Grab a cup of tea before checking it out. ;) Also, if you are a lover of all things Social Media, make sure to follow Bigelow on Facebook and Twitter.

For more ideas on using Bigelow Teas, check out the cbSocially Bigelow Tea Pinterest Board! {get your re-pinning fingers ready!!}

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Caramel-Apple Thumbprint Cookies

This post is sponsored by Good Cook, as part of the Good Cook Kitchen Experts program. All opinions are honest and 100% my own.

If an apple a day is supposed to keep the doctor away, then eating a batch of these should put you in good repair. I know it's wintertime and the flavors of this recipe scream Fall, but I just couldn't resist. Apples are by far my favorite fruit and if they are in season I need to be making something with them! I've started seeing Thumbprint cookies all over and started thinking of how I could put my own little spin on them - my mind automatically went to apples and then to caramel apples and bam - these awesome Caramel-Apple Thumbprint Cookies were born!!

The Caramel-Apple Thumbprint Cookies were a breeze to make, especially with the awesome cookie-making supplies that were provided to me by the good folks at Good Cook. I'm not being a show-off here - you could win yourself one of these awesome kits! {includes Bowl Mixing 3pc Set, Hi Temp Spatula, Flex Cookie Turner, Stainless Steel Cookie Dropper, Holiday Cookie Cutters and 2 Non-Stick Cookie Sheets}


All you have to do is visit Good Cook's site {on 12/18 at 12 PM PST} for the information on how to enter. It involves voting for your favorite cookie recipe. I know of a really good one being featured for some Caramel-Apple Thumbprint Cookies... {no pressure, just encouragment!} But seriously, whether you vote for me or not - go get your entry in to win one of the 25 awesomesauce Cookie Kits being given away!

The tools included in the kit rock - especially that Stainless Steel Cookie Dropper! I had no idea what I had been missing out on. Cookie making will never be the same. Ever. And those cute Christmas Cookie Cutters? My kids can't wait to use them for making Santa some cookies this year. I wish every one of you could win one of these awesome kits!!

So go enter!!


And then make a batch of these Caramel-Apple Thumbprint Cookies! For your next cookie swap, potluck, office party, holiday soiree or to pig out on in front of the tv. You will not be sorry. {unless you are out of milk...}


Caramel-Apple Thumbprint Cookies
{PRINTABLE RECIPE}
Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped fresh apples
1 egg white
1 cup chopped walnut pieces
1 package(11 oz.) Caramel Bits
2 tablespoons milk
Directions
1. Whisk together salt and flour, set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar together until smooth. Add egg and vanilla extract, continue to beat until smooth again. Mix in flour & salt until just incorporated then fold in apples. Place dough in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
3. In a small bowl whisk egg white until frothy.
4. Roll dough into 1” balls {I used a Sweet Creations Stainless Steel Cookie Dropper that worked wonders!!}, dip them into the egg whites and then roll them into the nuts. Place each cookie ball on a baking sheet, 2” apart.
5. Using a small spoon {or your thumb} press an indentation into each cookie, trying to keep the cookie as round as possible.
6. Bake for 12 minutes or until cookies start to turn golden-brown. Let stand for a couple minutes on baking sheet and then transfer to cooling rack.
7. After cookies cool, heat caramel bits and milk in medium saucepan until melted, stirring constantly. With a spoon, pour caramel into the indentations on cookies.
8. Let cool and enjoy!

Monday, December 16, 2013

Strawberry Cheesecake Ball

To indulge in my love of Buttercream Frosting, as part of a sponsored post for The Frosting Queens, I made a Strawberry Cheesecake Ball with The Frosting Queens Striking Strawberry Buttercream Frosting. 


Are you someone that can eat Buttercream Frosting with a spoon? I will shamelessly admit to being one of those people - in fact I will take it a step further and admit to doing it standing at the fridge, door open. No shame in my game folks, no shame. So, with that being said - you could imagine how excited I was to receive a package in the mail that included two pouches of The Frosting Queens Buttercream Frosting! Although I wanted to cut the pouches open and start squeezing them into my mouth, I refrained. Instead, I decided to create a recipe just for my fellow Frosting Lovers out there. {that's you!} This Strawberry Cheesecake Ball is perfect to take to holiday parties, potlucks or to indulge in at home. {we did the latter and even the kids joined in on the action!} 

If you haven't heard of The Frosting Queens Buttercream Frosting - I will tell you all about it. But first, you MUST check out their awesomesauce packaging. This is what baking dreams are made of...


Seriously though, how awesome is the packaging?

The Frosting Queens makes All-Natural Buttercream Frosting in a variety of flavors with fun names such as Charmed Chocolate, Crowned Caramel, Velvety Vanilla and Striking Strawberry. Ok, on the cuteness level - they got everyone beat, hands down. But they don't stop there - all of the Buttercream Frostings are All-Natural. Every ingredient on the label is recognizable which makes this Momma happy. Plus, they are from Sacramento, CA which makes them a local company to me. Why would I not want to use The Frosting Queens Buttercream Frosting?!? {there is no reason!}

Ok, so enough about one of my new favorite products and on to one of my new favorite recipes! All that is needed is a pouch of The Frosting Queens Striking Strawberry Buttercream Frosting, cream cheese, walnuts, white chocolate chips and vanilla wafers. This recipe is too easy to prepare and so, so, so delicious to devour. We enjoyed ours with graham crackers {regular and chocolate}, vanilla wafers and Ritz crackers. The Ritz crackers were the favorite accompaniment amongst our group - the mixture of sweet and salty was wonderful!


Beware: You may get caught eating this Strawberry Cheesecake Ball with a spoon, by the fridge - with the door open. ;)

Strawberry Cheesecake Ball
Ingredients
1 pouch The Frosting Queens Striking Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
8 oz Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup vanilla wafers, crushed
Directions
1. Mix together Striking Strawberry Buttercream Frosting, cream cheese, ½ cup white chocolate chips and ½ cup chopped walnuts until smooth and fully incorporated.
2. Place mixture in middle of large piece of plastic wrap and wrap up forming a ball. Place in freezer for about an hour or until firm to the touch.
3. Mix together remaining ½ cup white chocolate chips and ½ cup chopped walnuts. Roll cheesecake ball in nut mixture, pressing pieces in with fingertips. Then roll in crushed vanilla wafers. Wrap in plastic wrap again and return to freezer for 30 minutes and serve immediately. If making in advance, place in fridge until ready to serve.

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Bacon Wrapped Spring Rolls {Easy Holiday Appetizers that will #PakTheParty!}

To create the perfect party appetizer, as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias, I made Bacon Wrapped Spring Rolls using SeaPak Shrimp Spring Rolls.


'Tis the season to be jolly and to get ready for holiday parties! I have no shame in admitting that I like to be a show off and bring something awesomely different to holiday parties that everybody will love. One ingredient I have found that will please the masses is bacon. I'm sorry, I meant to say BACON. {I think it deserves to be spelled in all caps, at least once in this post.} Not only did I want to put bacon in a dish, I wanted to wrap something in bacon - but wasn't sure what. That was until I saw this article in Ladies Home Journal for the 15 Best Frozen Appetizers to Serve at a Party - #10 was SeaPak Shrimp Spring Rolls. My kids {& me} LOVE SeaPak Popcorn Shrimp, so I knew the quality of these Shrimp Spring Rolls would meet my quality standards. At first I was thinking they would be perfect to serve with a new, delicious dip. But then my Bacon Angel tapped me on the shoulder and reminded me about wanting to wrap a delicious holiday appetizer in bacon. And thus - the Bacon Wrapped Spring Rolls were born!

These make the perfect dinner party recipe since they can be made ahead of time, only need 2 ingredients, have a short cook time and are addictingly {I'm finding it extremely hard to believe that's not a word}delicious. I did a test run on these Bacon Wrapped Spring Rolls to make sure they would be as awesome as I hoped for an upcoming party. Someone's gotta do the dirty work... haha


It's real easy to make these Bacon Wrapped Spring Rolls - just roll them, place on a baking sheet and then pop them in the oven. If making them ahead, roll them and then place them on a baking sheet and in the fridge until ready to bake. Wrap the bacon around the rolls tightly to help avoid having them unroll during baking.


I baked my Bacon Wrapped Spring Rolls on parchment paper to avoid having them stick to the baking pan. Though this step may not be necessary, it does save a lot of cleaning time.


Bacon Wrapped Spring Rolls
(PRINTABLE RECIPE)
Ingredients
1 package SeaPak Shrimp Spring Rolls
1 lb. pork bacon, regular sliced
Directions
1. Heat oven to 400
2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper
3. Wrap each Shrimp Spring Roll with a piece of bacon. Start at one end of the spring roll and wrap to the other end, pulling and creating tension as you go. Place, seam down, on baking sheet.
4. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until bacon is turning golden.
5. Let cool and serve with Sweet Thai Chili Sauce that is included with SeaPak Shrimp Spring Rolls


Not only did these Bacon Wrapped Spring Rolls turn out to be the perfect Holiday Appetizer, they also are now one of our favorite Easy Meal Ideas. I can't wait to take a batch of these to a Holiday Party this weekend - they are going to knock the socks off of some Bacon Lovers {everybody}!! I also love that SeaPak saved me time from making a fancy dip by including a Sweet Thai Chili Sauce that is not only delicious but the perfect accompaniment to the Bacon Wrapped Spring Rolls. Thank you SeaPak!!

The SeaPak Shrimp Spring Rolls are wonderful with or without the bacon, plus are so easy to make that they're now part of our regular rotation of quick-to-make snacks. I love finding new food products and this one is certainly worth sharing!!


For some delicious recipe ideas using SeaPak products, make sure to check out their Pinterest Boards. They can also be found on Facebook and Twitter sharing recipes & specials!


I found my box of SeaPak Shrimp Spring Rolls in the frozen section at Walmart, to find where they are located near you make sure to check out their product locator. I also signed up for the Coastal Catch while on their site and received an $1 off coupon in my email - make sure to check it out!

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Chocolate Lover's Boozy S'mores #Cheers2Chocolate

To share my love of chocolate and red wine, as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias, I made Chocolate Lover's Boozy Smores using ChocolatRouge Wine. The following content is intended for adults, ages 21+.


We are a bonfire-loving family which means we see a lot of S'mores over the course of Fall & Winter.When the sun starts to set my husband will head outside and start a little fire in our store-bought firepit. {In spirit, it's a big bonfire in the woods!} While he builds the flames, my job is to prep our beverages and snacks - and I love coming up with new fireside ideas. This year I have decided to leave the good ol' fashioned S'mores to the kids and kick ours up a notch with the help of ChocolatRouge Wine. Oh yes, we are incorporating Chocolate Wine into this holiday season with Chocolate Lover's Boozy S'mores!!

All that is needed is the basic ingredients for S'mores {graham crackers, marshmallows & chocolate} and a bottle of ChocolatRouge Wine. If you haven't heard about ChocolatRouge Wine yet, let me tell you - it is possibly one of the best things since sliced bread. It's a blend of rich chocolate flavors and fine red wine to create an amazing flavor that will leave you wishing you'd found it years ago. It's ok, I can wait for you to run out and grab a bottle - here is their store locator to help you out!


Ok, now the hard part. Roast the marshmallows as usual, but dip them into the ChocolatRouge Wine before assembling your S'more. So, it's not really hard at all - plus you get the added bonus of sipping on Chocolate Wine while roasting marshmallows. This is really a win-win situation here folks! We used a bottle of ChocolatRouge Milk Chocolate but there is also a Dark Red Blend and Sweet Red Blend. To find out which flavor would match your palate the best make sure to use the Sweet Meter on the ChocolatRouge website to find your perfect match!


And to say that a roasted marshmallow was the only thing I dipped into my glass of ChocolatRouge Wine would be a lie. I dunked my whole Chocolate Lover's Boozy S'more in it. No shame here - just being a chocolate & red wine lover! For some more delicious ideas of what you can do with ChocolatRouge {besides drinking it straight from the bottle} make sure to visit their Recipes page.


So whether you want Chocolate Lover's Boozy S'mores, an awesome gift for your favorite hostess or to surprise your favorite wine lover - make sure to grab a bottle of ChocolatRouge Wine this holiday season. I've seen it on sale at a couple different retailers and even received a $3 off coupon after purchasing my bottle {you know those coupons that print up at the checkstand?}, so I know there are some deals to be had out there!

For more information on ChocolatRouge make sure to visit them on Twitter and Facebook.

Onion-Cheddar Pumpkin Bread {and a Sweet Creations 4-Cup Mini Loaf Pan Giveaway!}

This post is sponsored by Good Cook, as part of the Good Cook Kitchen Experts program. All opinions are honest and 100% my own.

It's no secret - I heart pumpkin. In fact, I love it so much that I had no control of my hands opening a can and scooping it into this Onion-Cheddar Pumpkin Bread batter. It was just supposed to be Onion-Cheddar Bread, nothing fancy. But I couldn't help myself - the self-control is out the window when it comes to Pumpkin. Plus I had this new Sweet Creations Mini Loaf, 4 Cup Pan, so I was feeling a little ambitious in the kitchen.

The afternoon of baking was a great success for both the bread and the pan - so happy to have both in my cooking life now! I was a tad weary of the bread, but it is a wonderful explosion of flavor. It was the first time I'd tried a savory pumpkin bread and it was awesome. Can't wait to make some more batches of it with different add-ins. The pan worked beautifully and I am so happy to have it in my arsenal collection of bakeware! There were no problems at all - no sticking, uneven cooking or warping. Love it!!


Onion-Cheddar Pumpkin Bread {mini loaves}
(PRINTABLE RECIPE)
yields approximately 1 dozen mini loaves
Ingredients
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 cups pumpkin puree
⅔ cup water
3⅓ cups flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (plus more to sprinkle on top of bread)
1 medium onion, diced & sauteed
Directions
1. Heat oven to 350. Spray mini-loaf pan with non-stick baking spray.
2) Beat together oil, sugar, eggs, pumpkin, and water.
3) Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg until combined.
4) Fold in cheese and onions.
5) Fill mini-loaf cavities up halfway, sprinkle a small amount of cheese on top.
6) Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bread is starting to turn golden brown.
7) Remove the bread from the oven, and cool on a rack.


I took these tasty Mini Loaves to our family's Thanksgiving dinner. Since one loaf is a lot of bread when considering how much there is to eat at a Thanksgiving feast, I cut them in half then wrapped them in Plastic Wrap and Sweet Creations White Snow Flake Parchment Paper, finishing them off with a natural string. The parchment paper certainly added the personal, homemade touch I was going for - totally keeping this idea for future use!


Enter to win a Sweet Creations Mini Loaf, 4 Cup Pan and a package of Sweet Creations White Snow Flake Parchment Paper! Open to US only. Giveaway will end December 20, 2013 at 8:00am PST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Gaming is Better with M {Pixel Art Contest}

To show my love for pixel art, as part of a sponsored post for Collective Bias, I entered the Gaming is Better with M contest. #FueledByMM


Being a kid that was raised in the 80's, some of my first {and still my favorite} video games were introduced. The first video games I remember playing were Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt. Back then, we thought those 8-bit graphics were awesome. Afterall, there were fireballs in Super Mario Bros. and blades of grass in Duck Hunt - man were we all impressed! So, when I heard that M&M's was teaming up with Xbox and Forza Motorsport 5 to host a contest with a focus on creating pixel art with M&M's I was super excited and ready to play!!

The first order of business was reading the contest rules. {I always read the small print!}

http://statigr.am/contest/pypm/gaming-is-better-with-m

Then I needed to obtain a big stash of M&M's. I headed to Walmart and ended up buying a couple different varieties so we {me & Mr. HungryHarp} would have more colors to work with.


Next we set out to create some awesomesauce 8-bit sprites with our huge cache of M&M's. It only seemed fair to pay ode to Forza 5 and Xbox - so we made an Xbox controller, the Forza 5 logo and a Ford Fiesta that is in the Forza Motorsport 5 game. When we were done, I just needed to snap a picture and share on Instagram and Twitter with the hashtags #FueledByMM and #contest.


So, I may be a total geek and love putting together 8-bit sprites - but it was a LOT of fun! Plus, you have a TON of M&M's leftover. I am going to make some sugar cookies with them, or maybe another batch of these M&M's Sweet Rolls with Peanut M&M's-Caramel Sauce. Whether I win or not, I had a great time with my husband creating 8-bit sprites and now have a huge supply of M&M's to get creative in the kitchen with!


If you are planning on buying Forza Motorsport 5, make sure to take advatange of the Buy, Snap, Redeem promotion. Purchase Forza Motorsport 5 at Walmart along with a qualifying M&M's product and be rewarded with a $10 eGift card to Walmart. Just snap a photo of the qualifying items on the receipt and text it to 811811. Include the code M&M with the picture of your receipt. Forza Motorsport 5 and M&M’s must be purchased on the same receipt. You will then receive a text back with a reward code valid for a $10 eGift card to Walmart.  

M&M's Sweet Rolls with Peanut M&M's-Caramel Sauce

For a sweet appetizer at brunch and as part of a sponsored post for Collective Bias, I made M&M's Sweet Rolls with Peanut M&M's-Caramel Sauce. #BakingIdeas


One of my favorite memories of going out to breakfast as a kid was sharing a sweet roll with my parents. We would order one as an appetizer and split it three ways. Maybe it wasn't the healthiest choice - but it sure did make for some sweet memories! Needless to say, sweet rolls are front and center when it comes to my comfort food. I recently decided to share my love of sweet rolls and another favorite comfort food of mine, M&M's, with some friends we had over for brunch. In a season full of pumpkin & peppermint flavored everything - it was refreshing to relish in some warm, gooey comfort food that was not affiliated with the holidays.{and from the silence at the table and the empty tray of M&M's Sweet Rolls with Peanut M&M's-Caramel Sauce, I think everyone else agreed with me!}

Although I could have used seasonal M&M's in these M&M's Sweet Rolls with Peanut M&M's-Caramel Sauce, it was the classic Milk Chocolate and Peanut M&M's I saw while shopping at Walmart that caught my eye. If you are in the market for some M&M's right now {or always, as myself} there is a great coupon available for $2.50 off a 15.4 oz bag of M&M's. You're welcome. :)


I gathered up all of the ingredients and got to baking! It may look like a lot of M&M's, but I just needed to make sure there were enough to eat. cook with.


I really don't think there is a more colorful ingredient to make baked goods with than M&M's. My kiddos kept coming over and giggling at how many M&M's I was using, which of course made me start giggling. Gigglefest 2013 happened in my kitchen - and more memories were made with sweet rolls!


These M&M's Sweet Rolls with Peanut M&M's-Caramel Sauce are relatively easy to make and most of the prep time is spent waiting for dough to rise. {my kinda work!} With sweet rolls that look this pretty, they could make anyone feel like an awesome baker.


Plus I am positive I have never seen sweet rolls this pretty! The options are countless as to what these M&M's Sweet Rolls with Peanut M&M's-Caramel Sauce could be used for. We had them for a brunch with friends, but I think they would be awesome for a Birthday Breakfast, Office Party, Rainbow-Themed Party, Class Party, Potluck, etc.


M&M’s Sweet Rolls with Peanut M&M’s-Caramel Sauce
(PRINTABLE RECIPE)
yields 12 rolls
Ingredients
Dough:
¼ ounce instant yeast
½ cup warm water
½ cup scalded milk
¼ cup sugar
⅓ cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Filling:
½ cup melted butter, plus more for pan
¾ cup sugar, plus more for pan
¾ cup Milk Chocolate M&M’s
Peanut M&M's-Caramel Sauce:
11 oz caramel bits
2 tablespoons water
½ cup crushed Peanut M&M’s
Directions
1. Mix together water and yeast. Set aside.
2. Mix milk, sugar, butter, salt and egg until smooth. Mix in yeast mixture. Mix in flour in 2 batches, starting with 2 cups. When mixture is fully combined, knead on floured surface for 5 minutes.
3. Place in grease bowl, covered, until has doubled in size - about 1 hour.
4. Roll dough out in large rectangle, about ½” thick. Brush melted butter onto dough and then sprinkle sugar on top. Sprinkle M&M’s on dough, trying to make it as even as possible.
5. With fingertips on the shorter end of the rectangle, start rolling up the dough. Make sure to keep it even, but not too tight. Cut into 1” pieces - I used a paring knife that worked beautifully.
6. Butter a pan (I used a Bonny 11x7 Biscuit/Brownie Pan that baked 6 rolls perfectly!) and then sprinkle it with sugar. Place rolls in pan - just close to touching each other. Let rise for another 45 minutes.
7. Heat oven to 350 and bake rolls for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
8. After removing the rolls from the oven, heat caramel bits and water in saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat until caramel is completely melted, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add Peanut M&M’s and stir until smooth. Pour over rolls and serve immediately.


Baking is Better with M Pinterest Sweepstakes

Right now there is an awesome Baking is Better with M Pinterest Sweepstakes going on for M&M's

Pin for a chance to win one of three $250 Walmart gift cards! It's as easy as submitting your email and pinning an image. Simply complete the following steps:

1. Enter your email in the form below and click “Enter”
2. Pin the contest image to any of your own Pinterest boards
3. Visit the Baking with M Pinterest board and Re-Pin your favorites to enter http://www.pinterest.com/cbsocially/baking-with-mms/

Three (3) Winners will be selected at random - One (1) entry per person.
Contest runs 12/06/13 - 12/31/13



Mars has some Bright Ideas for how to use M&M's in baked goods, make sure to check them out!

Friday, December 6, 2013

Fully-Loaded Hash Browns

To celebrate my love of potatoes & Disney movies, as part of a sponsored post for Collective Bias, I made Fully-Loaded Hash Browns with Ore-Ida Shredded Hash Brown Potatoes #OreIdaHashbrn


One of the most fun things about being a Momma is using my creativity to get my kiddos trying new foods. It can certainly be a challenge but it is definitely rewarding when they are licking their plates clean. {true story} We were recently at Walmart when my son saw bags of Ore-Ida Hashbrowns that had Olaf from the new Disney movie, Frozen, on them. {I swear my kiddos have Disney radar...}


If we are anything, it is a family that loves movies {especially Disney}. So I grabbed a bag of the Shredded Hash Brown Potatoes and got straight to thinking about a recipe that my whole family would love. My kiddos would eat the entire bag of hash browns as is, no need to do something special - but I wanted something special. Something we could sit down together, as a family, and snack on while watching a movie.

My husband and I LOVE Fully-Loaded Baked Potatoes and my kids love, well, cookies. So, how about cookie-shaped Fully-Loaded Hashbrowns? Sounded perfect to me - I grabbed the ingredients and got to work!


Only 5 ingredients are needed to whip up these Fully-Loaded Hash Browns: Ore-Ida Shredded Hash Browns, cheese, bacon {of course!}, chives and egg whites. Gotta love a short shopping list!


I used a Whoopie Pie pan to shape the Fully-Loaded Hash Browns {can be found in Walmart's baking department}. The hash browns can also be made on a baking sheet, they just need to be shaped by hand and baking time may vary based on size of hash browns.


The Fully-Loaded Hash Browns were exquisite! They truly have the flavors of a fully-loaded baked potato, especially when dipped in sour cream. We got comfy on the couch, set up tv trays and snacked on these delicious hash browns while watching Disney's holiday TV feature from last year, Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice. Not only were these hash browns the perfect movie snack but they were a cinch to make - definitely going to be a repeat in our {crazy} house!

  Fully-Loaded Hashbrowns
(PRINTABLE RECIPE)
yields 1 dozen hashbrowns
Ingredients
2 cups Ore-Ida Shredded Hash Brown Potatoes
½ cup colby jack cheese, shredded
¼ lb bacon, cooked & chopped
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 egg whites
Directions
1. Heat oven to 400
2. Mix all ingredients together well.
3. Scoop ¼ cup of mixture into a greased Whoopie Pie Pan {a regular baking sheet would work as well, the patties would just have to be hand-shaped}. With fingertips, lightly press mixture into each pie cup.
4. Bake for about 30 minutes or until hashbrowns are turning golden brown.
5. Let cool and enjoy!! {serve with sour cream!}


Enter Ore-Ida's Family Holiday Giveaway for a chance to win one of thousands of valuable prizes, including movie tickets to see Disney’s Frozen, a one-year supply of Ore-Ida® products, a $500 Awards2Go Visa® Award Card* and the Grand Prize of a trip to Atlantis®, Paradise Island, Bahamas!

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Holiday Pesto with Cranberries

For my love of pesto, as part of a sponsored post for Collective Bias®, I made Holiday Pesto with Cranberries using STAR Usage Pairing Extra Virgin Olive Oil. #STAROliveOil #shop


I am a pesto lover - and it's a serious deal. I love creating new pestos to pair with specific meats or dishes. The ingredient combinations are seriously endless and it's fun to challenge myself for the "perfect" flavor. But how about pairing a pesto with the holidays? I'm talking about popular flavors of the season {cranberries, freshly cracked nuts, oranges and mint} put into a pesto. That's exactly what I was thinking when making this Holiday Pesto with Cranberries. Being beyond excited, I headed to Walmart to pick up the ingredients which included a special bottle of olive oil!


There is no beating around the bush - you need good olive oil to make a good pesto. Having recently heard about STAR Oils new Usage Pairing Extra Virgin Olive Oils, I knew I had to check them out. The three varieties of olive oil are specifically made to be used with Vegetables, Poultry/Fish or Beef/Lamb - Arbequina, Hojiblanca and Picual respectively. Each oil is made from different olives to naturally enhance the flavors of specific meals. Just as I pair wine with food, I can pair Extra Virgin Olive Oil with recipes. I'm seriously loving this. So I grabbed a bottle Arbequina which is perfect for my pestos!

I gathered up all the ingredients and got to work.


I will admit, after I finished making this pesto I was a little hesitant to try it. I know that sounds silly considering I created it - but that's so me. {true story} So, I let it sit in the fridge for an hour to let the flavors meld and then got brave. Oh Em Gee, it's amazing. I would almost say it's sweet & spicy but will instead say it's one of the most delicious kicks-in-the-mouths I have ever created. I could also taste the difference in the new olive oil and the new added smoothness to this pesto - there is no going back, I am a Arbequina Fan for life. So happy to have both STAR Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil and this Holiday Pesto with Cranberries in my life now!


Holiday Pesto with Cranberries
(PRINTABLE RECIPE)
Ingredients
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup packed assorted greens {I used Marketside: Herb Mix Salad}
5 mint leaves
½ orange, peeled
3 tablespoons shelled nuts {I used a mix of pecan, walnut, almond & hazelnut}
⅔ cup Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Vegetables
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Directions
1. Place all ingredients in food processor and process until smooth.
2. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 1 hr. Flavors will enhance over time.


For a chance to win a set of the 3 Usage Pairing Extra Virgin Olive Oils make sure to check out STAR Fine Foods Facebook page! You can also find STAR Fine Foods on Twitter & Pinterest.