Hungry Harps: February 2015

Thursday, February 26, 2015

25 Delicious Ways to Celebrate National Pistachio Day

1. Pistachio Muffins with Chocolate Heart

AgneseItalian Recipes

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes {Family Favorite}

Although there are about 481,000 recipes online for Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes, we think this one is the best! This recipe is our go-to on weekdays and weekends alike!!

Since becoming one of those moms that makes her kids pancakes almost every damn morning, I've learned a few secrets and even concocted my own recipe. This recipe is one I know by heart and decided it was well past due to share it with y'all!

The first secret I have to the most delicious pancakes is to get rid of that pre-made mix. I know, I know - but it's so much easier and faster. Yeah, yeah - I know. But the truth is that it's just laziness keeping the masses from fantastic pancakes. I do say all of this with experience, just check out the first ingredient on these Banana & Chocolate Waffles with Nutmeg. {smh at myself...}

Second, skip those overripe bananas and use fresh or ripe - unless it's that over-ripened taste that is preferred. Instead of mashing I like to chop the banana pieces up so that there are little chunky bites throughout the pancake.

Third, use two different bowls for mixing dry and wet ingredients. It makes a difference - trust me. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients for best mixing results...

... then add those banana chunkys!

And last but certainly not least - how to grease the pan so that pancakes don't stick. I like to use vegetable oil spray. I've used butter but it seems that I was using way more than necessary and the result was no different than the vegetable oil spray. Plus, with vegetable oil spray there is no fat. Nuff said? Just wipe the pan clean in between each batch of pancakes.

Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes {Family Favorite}
(PRINTABLE RECIPE)
yields approximately thirteen 4” pancakes
Ingredients
1¼ cups whole wheat flour {if using all-purpose flour, increase to 1½ cups}
1½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1½ cups milk {I use fat-free}
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
3 tablespoons melted butter
2 bananas, chopped
Directions
1. Heat skillet to medium-high heat.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
3. In separate bowl whisk together milk, vanilla, eggs and butter.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients, mix until just incorporated. Add bananas and stir in.
5. Spray skillet with vegetable oil spray. Using ¼ cup measurement, pour as many pancakes as will fit in your skillet without crowding. Cook for about 2 minutes and then flip, cooking for about another minute. All stoves are different, so temps will vary. I find myself needing to turn down the temperature on the stove while cooking a batch of these pancakes. I cook these pancakes nearly every day, so I’ve had time to play around with times and temps. Remember to test one pancake first to make sure skillet temps are A-ok!
6. Serve within 20 minutes or refrigerate for later. Enjoy!

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Rollback Prices on Banquet Frozen Dinners and Chef Boyardee Canned Pastas #LowPriceMeals

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LowPriceMeals #CollectiveBias

Frozen Banquet Dinners and Chef Boyardee Canned Pastas are making it easy in the kitchen during this busy time of year! The rollback prices on frozen Banquet dinners & pot pies and Chef Boyardee cans makes it easy to save money and spend less time in the kitchen. The rollback prices are just $0.80 for each frozen Banquet dinner and pot pie {now through February 24, 2015} and $0.75 for each 14.5-15 oz can of Chef Boyardee {now - April 6, 2015}. Tasty meals like Banquet Pepperoni Pizza and Chef Boyardee Whole Grain Beefaroni make dinner a breeze! Be sure to head to Walmart and stock up on this great deal while supplies last!

See the entire list of meals on rollback price:

Frozen Banquet Dinners

Chef Boyardee Cans

While shopping at Walmart, be sure to look for the Rollback signs for Banquet in the Freezer section and Chef Boyardee in the Canned Food aisle!

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Stonyfield Organic YoKids Squeezers {and Disney on Ice}

I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events.

If you already know how awesome Stonyfield products are - you beat me to it! I guess I've been in a yogurt-rut, just buying the same yogurt every week and not paying attention to the other selections being offered at my go-to grocery store. It wasn't until Disney on Ice {DOI} was coming to town did I actually hear about Stonyfield Farm {or just Stonyfield} as they are presenting the 2015 DOI show! After scouring the Stonyfield website, checking out their products and what they are all about, I instantly changed up my yogurt game and decided I needed to make the switch to Stonyfield. I absolutely love that they do NOT use high fructose corn syrup or artificial flavors, plus the fact that their products are certified organic is a MAJOR bonus! So, I headed down to my trusty grocery store to pick up some Stonyfield YoKids Squeezers and what do you know? There is an offer for 50% off of the Disney on Ice show on the box!

I love that a company with healthy standards is presenting the 2015 Disney on Ice show!

If you are a Disney-lover yourself and near the Sacramento area - you won't want to miss the Disney On Ice shows between February 11-16, 2015 {there are 11 show-times!} at Sleep Train Arena. It’s one colossal party on ice, with all your favorite Disney friends at Disney On Ice presents Let’s Celebrate! (Presented by YoKids Organic Yogurt) This show has a fantastic line-up that is sure to please all ages, there are more details about which characters you can expect to see on their site.

Come join the celebration you’ve been waiting for when Disney On Ice presents Let’s Celebrate! skates into your hometown! For tickets and more information about shows in your area, visit the Disney On Ice or Ticketmaster site.

Friday, February 6, 2015

15 Gifts for "Foodie" Disney-Lovers {plus Disney on Ice 'Let's Celebrate' Show Details}

Disney on Ice is on it's way to Sacramento with their new show, Let's Celebrate! I am totally excited about this year's show and theme, so I decided to put together a fabulous list of gifts that are perfect for the "foodie" Disney-lover in your life. These gifts are perfect for celebrations year-round, whether it's Valentine's Day, a birthday or just to say "I Love You"!

If you are a Disney-lover yourself and near the Sacramento area - you won't want to miss the Disney On Ice shows between February 11-16, 2015 {there are 11 show-times!} at Sleep Train Arena. It’s one colossal party on ice, with all your favorite Disney friends at Disney On Ice presents Let’s Celebrate! (Presented by YoKids Organic Yogurt) This show has a fantastic line-up that is sure to please all ages, there are more details about which characters you can expect to see on their site.

Come join the celebration you’ve been waiting for when Disney On Ice presents Let’s Celebrate! skates into your hometown! For tickets and more information about shows in your area, visit the Disney On Ice or Ticketmaster site.

1. Mickey Mouse Casserole Dish