CIC: Lemongrass & Quinoa

January 20, 2015January 18, 2015 ~ lk529 ~ 10 Comments

I am pretty excited about this month’s Crazy Ingredient Challenge. While I didn’t vote for either of these ingredients, I’m glad they won. These two ingredients lend themselves towards healthy cooking, perfect for that post-holiday detox. I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone else made.

I actually found my inspiration during a search of ideas for my new Stir Fry Day Friday theme this year. Lemongrass shrimp. I reserved some of the flavoring mixture to mix into the quinoa. (I wanted to combine the two ingredients, not serve them together.) So if you don’t like or don’t want the shrimp, you can still have a beautiful, flavorful quinoa as a side to your protein of choice. You could even substitute chicken and keep the lemongrass flavor elements.

Lemongrass Shrimp with Quinoa

Ingredients:

1 C uncooked quinoa
2 1/2 tbsp lemongrass paste
zest 1 lime
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp grated ginger
1-2 tsp chili paste, to taste
1 tbsp canola oil
1 lb shrimp
1 tbsp fish sauce

Steps:

Cook quinoa according to package direction. (General rule of thumb is 1 C quinoa:2 C liquid)
In a small bowl combine lemongrass, lime zest, garlic, ginger, and chili paste. Set aside 1/3 of the mixture for the quinoa.
Heat the canola oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Cook shrimp 2 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Stir in 2/3 of the lemongrass mixture and cook one minute. Toss in the fish sauce.
Mix the remaining lemongrass mixture into the cooked quinoa.
Serve shimp overtop the quinoa.

*The shrimp recipe is adapted from Adam at http://unorthodoxepicure.com/2014/10/02/food-snob-chronicles-shrimp-the-real-chicken-of-the-sea-2/*

To see the other bloggers who participated in this month’s Crazy Ingredient Challenge click on the link below.

An InLinkz Link-up

Slow Cooker Honey Sriracha Chicken and Cabbage

January 17, 2015January 17, 2015 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Don’t call the doctor, you’re not experiencing dejavu. Yes, I posted a Honey Sriracha Chicken dish yesterday. Yes the ingredients in this slow cooker dish are the exact same. But here’s why.

When we had our friends over for that Honey Sriracha Chicken Stir Fry she asked me if I thought it could be done as a slow cooker meal. Because we loved the stir fry enough, I happily answered her question by testing it out!

The result was yet another wonderful sweet and spicy dinner. While we did prefer it as a stir fry, this version is a perfect alternative for those busy days. I doubled the sauce to ensure there was enough liquid in the slow cooker. Doing so also created that extra heat we were missing. The heat didn’t hit you right away but built with every bite. No extra sriracha or chili flakes needed. Not that that means you can’t add more!

Slow Cooker Honey Sriracha Chicken and Cabbage

Ingredients:

3/4 head green cabbage, chopped
3 large chicken breasts
1/2 C honey
2 tbsp Sriracha
2 tbsp sherry cooking wine
2 tbsp white distilled vinegar
2 tsp corn starch
1/4 C chicken broth

Steps:

Place chopped cabbage in the bottom of a slow cooker. Place chicken on top of the cabbage and season liberally with S+P.
In a bowl, whisk together the honey, Sriracha, sherry, and vinegar. Pour over chicken. Cook on LOW 6 hours.
Remove chicken from slow cooker, cover.
Make a slurry by whisking together cornstarch and chicken stock. Add to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cook on HIGH 15 minutes.
Cut or shred chicken and return to slow cooker. Keep WARM until ready to serve. Serve over rice.

Honey Sriracha Chicken Stir Fry

January 16, 2015January 16, 2015 ~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

Friends of ours from Florida moved up here to Ohio the summer before last. (Their going away party then was actually one of my first blog posts – my blueberry bars! It’s still my most popular recipe.) Well, they’re now leaving us again.

I’m really bummed about their move this time because they have a beautiful baby boy who is only one day older than my little man. I was hoping to have more than only a few months worth of play dates with these two. I loved having someone I could easily relate to locally as well. But, that’s what phones are for!

We had them over for dinner before they left and they happily experimented a new Stir Fry Day Friday recipe with us. I suggested a couple recipes and this one won the vote. It was a huge it! She took the recipe home with her (of course, she can also catch it here!).

I promise you this stir fry has much more flavor than it looks. I was so bummed when I realized how bland this dish appeared to be. My tastebuds happily disagreed with my eyes, and we will be making it again.

The honey balanced the Sriracha very well and this dish wasn’t very spicy. If you want some more heat I suggest adding a little more Sriracha to the sauce or tossing in some red pepper flakes. But this gentle back note of heat is perfect for every palate. You can always put the Sriracha bottle on the table for those wanting more pizzazz.

Since we both have kiddos who are just now starting to experiment with solid foods, I’d like to add the disclaimer that this dish is not one that’s safe for infants. Once they really are eating off our plates forgo the honey and try using maple syrup, agave, or maybe even brown sugar instead.

Honey Sriracha Chicken Stir Fry

Ingredients:

1/4 C honey
1 tbsp white distilled vinegar
1 tbsp sherry cooking wine
1 tbsp Sriracha
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp canola oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced
1 tsp grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 head green cabbage, chopped
2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 C chicken broth
3 scallions, chopped

Steps:

In a small bowl whisk together the honey, vinegar, sherry, Sriracha, and salt. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken for 2 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside.
In the same skillet, stir fry the ginger and garlic for 30 seconds. Add the cabbage and toss to coat. Stir in the sauce from step 1. Cover and cook 2 minutes, until cabbage is wilted.
In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and chicken broth. Add it to the skillet. Bring to a simmer and return the chicken to the pan. Cook another 3 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked.
Garnish with chopped scallions and serve with rice.

*This recipe is adapted from Katie at http://www.healthyseasonalrecipes.com/honey-sriracha-chicken-cashew-stir-fry/*

#BundtBakers: Coconut

January 15, 2015March 3, 2016 ~ lk529 ~ 42 Comments

Today is the first #BundtBakers post of the new year! #BundtBakers is a group of bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bundts with a common ingredient or theme. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient. This month’s theme is coconut and our lovely host is Terri of Love and Confections.

I wasn’t sure I was going to participate in today’s bundt challenge because I’m allergic to coconut. But for Christmas I got not just one but two new bundt pans and I was itching to use them. I am now the ecstatic owner of the Bundt Duet Pan and the Garland Bundt Pan.

My husband’s birthday was last Friday and he loves Almond Joys, so I decided I could make bundtlettes for him (and #BundtBakers) and reserve one to be coconut free for me. (I should have saved me two, not just one!) Last year I tried making him Almond Joy Cupcakes which turned into Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cupcakes. So it was time for redemption. Yet again, I ran into frosting problems. It wasn’t a flavor/execution problem this time though! When I turned my bundtlettes out of the mold I realized there was no way I wanted to cover them up with frosting. They’re just too pretty! Turns out I didn’t have almond extract like I thought either. So instead, I made a ganache and garnished these little cakes with slivered almonds and coconut flakes. If you really want to play with the coconut flavor try adding 1/4 tsp coconut extract to the ganache!

This chocolate cake batter uses buttermilk and yields an incredibly rich, moist cake. My favorite part was the crusty edge.

I got six 1 C bundtlettes and one 2.5 C bundt out of this batter amount. According to the original recipe it will also make 24 cupcakes.

Almond Joy Bundtlettes

Ingredients:

2 C flour
2 C sugar
3/4 C cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 C buttermilk
1 stick butter, melted and cooled slightly
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 C heavy cream
slivered almonds, for garnish
sweetened coconut flakes, for garnish

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease six 1 C bundtlettes and one 2.5 C bundt pan.
Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer until completely combine. Until it looks like a packaged cake mix!
Add in the eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk. Mix for a few seconds before adding in the butter; to prevent the eggs from scrambling if the butter is still hot. Batter will be thick.
Fill prepared bundt pans. Bake the bundtlettes for 25 minutes and the bundt for 30, or until a knife inserted comes out cleanly. Allow cakes to cool slightly in the pan before turning out onto a cooling rack.
Prepare ganache: In a microwave safe bowl, heat chocolate chips and heavy cream for 30 seconds. Stir. Repeat until mixture is smooth. While the ganache is still warm, pour over the cakes. Garnish with slivered almonds and coconut.

*This recipe is adapted from Kristan at http://www.confessionsofacookbookqueen.com/2013/03/almond-joy-cupcakes/*

If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. All recipes and photographs can be found on our individual blogs, on our Pinterest board, and the#bundtbakers homepage.

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month:

Candy Bar Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake by Terri from Love and Confections

Chocolate Italian Cake by Renee from Magnolia Days

Chocolate Chip and Key Lime Bundt Cake by Julie from Eat, Drink and Be Mighty

Coconut and Banana Bundt Cake by Victoria from Just One Bite Baking

Coconut Banana Bundt Cake by Kathia from Basic N Delicious

Coconut Carrot Bundt Cake by Anna from Media Racion Doble, Por Favor

Coconut Cream Bundt Cake by Andrea from Adventures in All Things Food

Coconut Hummingbird Bundt Cake by Patricia from Patty’s Cake

Coconut Milk Bundt Cake by Beatriz from I Love Bundt Cakes

Coconut Milk Bundt Cake by Samantha from Un Mordisco Un Pecado

Coconut Oil Pound Cake by Laura from The Spiced Life

Coconut Sugar Banana Cake by Jelena from A Kingdom for a Cake

Cranberries and Coconut Bundt Cake by Aisha from La Cocina de Aisha

Cranberry, Orange and Coconut Bundt Cake from Kids & Chic

German Chocolate Bundt Cake by Teri from The Freshman Cook

Glazed Chocolate Macaroon Bundt Cake by Stacy from Food Lust People Love

Gluten-free Coconut Orange Bundt Cake with Coconut Whipped Cream by Cassandra from Cassie’s Kitchen

Gizzada Mini Bundts by Kelly from Passion Kneaded

Key Lime Coconut Cream Bundt by Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Mini Samoa Bundt Cakes by Rebekah from Making Miracles

Orange and Coconut Bundt Cake by Catherine from Living the Gourmet

Oreo Coconut Bundt Cake by Shilpi from Indian Curries/Stew

Pina Colada Bundt Cake by Jane from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner

Rhubarb n Rose Coconut Frosted Bundt Cake by Laura from Baking in Pyjamas

Rum Bundt Cake with Coconut and Lime by MB from Bourbon and Brown Sugar

Toasted Coconut and Sweet Potato Bundt by Margaret from Tea and Scones

Toasted Coconut Lime Bundt Cake with Chili Lime Glaze by Tux from Brooklyn Homemaker

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Tuesday Tattles: Flying Edition

January 13, 2015January 13, 2015 ~ lk529 ~ 8 Comments

Today’s Tuesday Tattles isn’t to celebrate another milestone (for the record, my son is half a year and ten days old). I’ll combine his 6 month favorites with his 7 month favorites in February.

Today’s Tuesday Tattles is to give a little personal experience on flying with a little one with some tips and lessons learned on getting through the airport, too.

For Christmas we left cold and gray Ohio for the warmth and sunshine of South Florida. My in-laws also traveled from dreary Northern Alabama to celebrate in their grandson’s first Christmas. It was a most wonderful holiday!

We were able to book a direct flight at the expense of driving an extra hour to the airport. Believe me when I say – if you can do this, DO IT! Not having to worry about traveling through another airport to make a connecting flight while changing diapers or feeding eased my stress. All I had to worry about packing in my diaper bag were enough diapers for the flight length, a blanket in case it were cold on the plane, a change of clothes, burp rags and bib, and a couple of toys to chew/suck on. Essentially, the things I schlep along with me every day.

To prepare for security I put my Hand Sanitizer and Infant’s Tylenol in one resealable bag and Petroleum Jelly and Butt Paste in another. My second carry-on item was my Breast Pump bag. In that bag I had only one set of pump parts to ease up on space, 2 bottles (one empty and one with milk), 2 Pump and Save Breast Milk Bags per vacation day, the charger for the pumping unit, and the cooler and ice pack that came with my pump. It is important that the ice pack be completely frozen when you go through security, so don’t pack it until you’re ready to walk out the door! Breast milk and formula are not limited to the 3.4oz volume restriction, but they will do a quick scan on the bottles/bags for anything over the amount. Don’t worry, they will not open the bottles or contaminate them! And if it’s completely frozen you can get thru the security check point with ease. For information on what you can and can’t take thru security check the TSA website before you fly. (They even have a nifty kids page!)

I had always heard that traveling with kids is difficult. Now, it’s certainly not a walk in the park, but with the TSA precheck lines, it’s easier than it used to be. Because we were traveling with an infant we were allowed access to this line. (I can’t speak to whether or not this is a rule, but my observation and experience indicated that it might be!) In the precheck line we didn’t have to unpack our liquids (unless it was more than 3.4oz), take off our shoes or coats, remove computers from bags, or even empty our pockets. I was able to walk through the metal detector carrying my son while the stroller and car seat went on the x-ray conveyor belt.

When in the airport take advantage of family/companion restrooms. If you can’t find them don’t be shy about changing your child’s diaper on the floor or in the stroller at your gate. I would suggest a diaper change as close to boarding the plane as you can.

You will be provided a gate-check tag for the car seat and stroller when you get to the gate. Leave those items by the loading door, you’ll pick them up there when you deplane at your destination. (Another great reason for a direct flight, depending on how quickly you can get off the plane, you might be waiting for your things.) Our stroller had a cup holder before our vacation. It did not have one after our vacation. My piece of advice: remove any extras before you gate check it! Also, don’t forget to buckle the car seat straps.

I encourage you to take advantage of pre-boarding. With an infant in arms and bags hanging off each shoulder it’s nice to board an empty plane. It prevents any embarrassment if your diaper bag strap gets caught on an armrest and you don’t have to worry about accidentally whacking someone in the face with a child’s foot. Not to mention you can avoid all of those strangers’ looks of fear, anger, and sympathy. And you only have to answer the question, “How old is he?” once – to the flight attendant.

While some airplanes have changing stations in their bathrooms it’s simply easier to do that in-flight diaper change on your lap or in your seat. On our flight to FL we were lucky enough to have a row of three seats to ourselves and could allow our son to play in the seat between us.

If your child isn’t asleep during take-off I encourage you to feed him. If he’s simply not hungry make sure he has a pacifier to suck on or a teething toy to chew on. I repeat the same piece of advice for landing, but beware if you’re breast-feeding that the landing might startle him into biting.

And my last piece of advice – pay the checked bag fee. Particularly if you have a connecting flight. It would not have been fun dealing with rollerboards through an airport and a stroller. Not to mention you still only get two carry-on bags!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Mozzarella Stuffed Turkey Meatballs

January 12, 2015January 10, 2015 ~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

After we found out we’d be moving to Ohio I started to do some Facebook research on the spouse group connected to my husband’s organization here. I was excited to discover that there were multiple clubs and plenty of opportunities to get to know people.

One of the groups is the Recipe Club. You can imagine that I was excited for this one! It took five months before I could fit this extracurricular activity into my new mom schedule. I could have gone in December and was prepared to bring Broccoli and Grape Pasta Salad but I came down with a winter fever the night before.

Last week I was not only able to attend, but the theme of the night of “New Recipes” (something you’ve never tried before) fit in perfectly with a food blogger’s normal kitchen routine. The meatballs I was even planning to make could easily be adjusted to feed more and bring to the potluck-style event. Don’t worry, I did hold a few back for Stuart.

If you bring these to a party you can make them a but smaller than I did (or not!) and provide marinara for dipping. If you have these for dinner just whip up a quick batch of pasta! The leftovers can easily be made into an epic sandwich, too.

Mozzarella Stuffed Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb ground turkey
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
3/4 C freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 C Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
20 cubes mozzarella, from approximately 4 oz
3 tbsp olive oil

Steps:

In a large bowl, use your hands or a wooden spoon to combine the ground turkey with garlic, eggs, parmesan, breadcrumbs, and S+P.
Form balls from 1 tbsp of the meat mixture. Place a cube of cheese into the ball, grab a little more of the meat mixture and seal it up. Repeat until all the meat is used up – I got 20 golfball sized meatballs.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown meatballs 2 minutes on each side. (I had to do this in two batches of 10.)
Bake meatballs in a lightly greased casserole dish for 10-13 minutes, or until cooked through.

*This recipe is modified from Kayle at http://www.cookingactress.com/2014/12/mozzarella-stuffed-meatballs.html*

Stir Fried Beef with Tangerines

January 9, 2015January 9, 2015 ~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

Welcome to the very first Stir Fry Day Friday! Let me give you a little background as to how Stir Fry Day Friday was born:

We had just gotten back from a fabulous family vacation for Christmas. My in-laws joined us at my parent’s hosue down in SWFL for our son’s first Christmas. I’ll have a separate post in the future about our travel experience, but spoiler alert – my then almost-six-month-old did amazingly! It was fabulous to be in the warmth (I’m talking 80 degree weather) and sunshine. We went for walks and even took a dip in the pool. Not a jacket was to be seen.

But then we had to return to Ohio where the clouds are gray, the wind nippy, and the fridge empty. It was time to create that back-from-vacation grocery list. Normally I’d spend an hour surfing my Pinterest and foodgawker accounts but after a week of being spoiled by the grandparents, my son wasn’t about to be put down for more than ten minutes. While he was momentarily happy playing with his new toys on the floor I plopped down next to him and ate my bowl of cereal. We were conveniently situated next to the bookshelf with my cookbooks. The menu of our first week back actually came from recipes on paper!

I grabbed Tyler Florence’s Real Kitchen. My brother got me this cookbook a few years ago for my birthday. It’s embarrasing to admit that I’d only created one dish from it – but it was incredible. Tyler Florence is joining Anne Burrell this season on Worst Cooks in America. If you’ve never seen this show I highly encourage you to tune into Food Network Sunday nights for some great laughs. I figured now’s as good as any to put his skills to the test. 😉 I settled on his Stir Fried Beef with Tangerines, Green Beans, and Chiles. Planned it for Friday and alas, the idea of Stir Fry Day Friday was born. Tyler’s book has great informational tidbits about the recipes and tips on how best to prepare the dish. I have high hopes for him on this season of Worst Cooks.

This stir fry dish is full of flavor. The Chinese five spice powder has a subtle licorice smell and taste that I was afraid of but it lends itself beautifully to the ginger and balsamic vinegar. I loved having a fresh crunch of green beans and the pop of fried tangerines delectable. I was excited to try these tangerines as Tyler indicated that frying them would take out the bitterness of the rind and make it edible. He was right! I plan on experimenting with more fried citrus soon.

Stir Fried Beef with Tangerines

Ingredeints:

1 tsp Chinese five spice powder
3 tbsp cornstarch, divided use
1 egg white
1/2 tsp sesame oil
salt
white pepper
1 lb thinly sliced beef (Tyler calls for boneless top round, I used a pre sliced beef intended for stir fry from the meat counter)
1 tangerine, unpeeled, very thinly sliced
2-3 C oil (Tyler calls for peanut, I used vegetable)
1″ piece of ginger, grated
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 scallions, sliced
3/4 lb fresh green beans, cut in 1″ pieces
1/4 C chicked stock
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or more to taste
toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Steps:

Whisk together Chinese five spice powder, 1 tbsp corn starch, egg white, sesame oil, salt, and white pepper. Toss beef in marinade and return to fridge for 30 minutes.
Heat 3 C oil over high heat in a wok. If you don’t have a wok use only 2 C in a large skillet. Bring oil to 350 degrees F.
Toss tangerine slices in 1 tbsp corn starch. Carefully add to the hot oil and fry for 4 minutes. It will splatter at first as there is moisture in the tangerines. Remove tangerines to a paper towel lined plate using a slotted spoon.
Bring oil back to 350 degrees F. Fry the beef in two batches, removing to a paper towel lined plate.
Remove oil to a glass measuring cup. Return 1/4 C of the oil to the wok/pan. Quickly stir-fry the ginger, garlic, and scallions until fragrant.
Add the green beans to the pan, seasoning with salt.
In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken stock with the reamining 1 tbsp corn starch. Add the slurry to the green beans. Tossing to coat. Add in the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and sugar. When the sauce is thickened and the green beans al dente add the beef and tangerines. Toss to coat. Add in the red pepper flakes – to taste.
Garnish with sesame seeds and serve with steamed rice.

*This recipe is adapted from Tyler Florence’s Real Kitchen*

#FoodieExtravaganza: Oatmeal + a Giveaway

January 7, 2015January 7, 2015 ~ lk529 ~ 23 Comments

Happy New Year, Foodie Fans! To kick off the year, this January we’re having an oatmeal extravaganza! If your New Year’s resolution is eat healthier, adding oats to your diet should be part of your plan. Or better yet, add a real breakfast to your morning routine.

I made oatmeal pancakes for you. These pancakes are very filling and could make for a satisfying breakfast or a fun late night snack. (We had them as breakfast for dinner.) I served these two ways – as breakfast and as dessert. For the breakfast version I topped the pancakes with apples, raisins, and syrup. For the dessert version I topped the pancakes with whipped cream and chocolate chips.

I’m not sure where my recipe fits into a healthy lifestyle but I’m sure some of my blogging friends have something for you so be sure to check out the list at the end of this post. Our host this month is Lauren of From Gate to Plate.

Oatmeal Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 C flour
1 C old fashioned oats
1/2 C brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 C sour cream
3/4 C milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 C melted butter
toppings: apple, raisins, nuts, chocolate chips, syrup (optional)

Steps:

Preheat griddle to 350 degrees F. Spray griddle with non-stick cooking spray or melted butter. Note: If you don’t have a griddle use a large skillet over medium high heat.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and melted butter. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until combined. (This is a thick batter.)
Drop 1/3 C of batter onto griddle. Cook 3 minutes on each side, or until golden. Serve with desired toppings.

*This recipe is adapted from Emily at http://itbakesmehappy.com/2014/11/oatmeal-cookie-pancakes.html*

Be sure to check out these other oatmeal recipes. We have a diverse list this month! There’s also a give-away happening so keep scrolling.

Apple Pie Overnight Oats / Wallflour Girl

Bacon Whole Grain Granola Bars / Pantry Friendly Cooking

Berry Oatmeal Super Smoothie / Keep Moving Forward With Me

Brown Sugar Barbecue Meatballs / Fearlessly Creative Mammas

Chickpea Veggie Soup / Food Lust People Love

Homemade Cranberry Almond Granola / Rhubarb and Honey

Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies / Making Miracles

Mango Poppyseed Oat Muffins / The Sweet {Tooth} Life

Mini Meatball Subs / The Freshman Cook

Monster Cookie Granola / From Gate to Plate

Mushroom Ginger Oat Congee / Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Oat Cinnamon Rolls / Passion Kneaded

Peanut Butter Oat Snack Balls / Mrs. Penguin

Vanilla Salted Oatmeal Cookies / Baking in Pyjamas

Southwestern Oatmeal Cakes / A Day in the Life on the Farm

If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you’re a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out HERE.

The Giveaway

The oat-guru Kathy Hester has been so generous in donating one of her books to one of our lucky Foodie Extravaganza readers. With her book OATrageous Oatmeals: Delicious & Surprising Plant-Based Dishes From This Humble, Heart-Healthy Grain, you will learn how to use heart-healthy oatmeal in new and exciting ways! You can find recipes such as Veggie Oat Taco Mince, Gluten-free Lemon Blueberry Belgian Waffles, and Blackberry Mojito Overnight Oats.

Use the link below for the rafflecopter to enter the giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms & Conditions: This giveaway is open to residents of the United States and Canada only, age 18 and older. The OATragous Oatmeals Cookbook giveaway runs from Wednesday, January 7, 2015 12:00am ET through Thursday, January 15, 2015 12:00am ET. Winners will be randomly chosen and announced on January 16, 2015. Winners will also be contacted by email and will have 24 hours to respond to the email. If a winner does not respond in that time a new winner will be chosen. For more information, see the full terms and conditions in the Rafflecopter widget.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Slow Cooker Jalapeno Lime Chicken

January 5, 2015January 1, 2015 ~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

My New Year’s Resolution for 2015 is to create at least one original recipe a month. I created three new recipes in December 2014! All three were spurred from a case of the empty fridge. But it gave me the idea to adopt a New Year’s Resolution. If I hope to expand my presence in the food community (ahem, Food Network, are you listening?) then I need to have recipes of my own. I also can’t create a cookbook of “copied” recipes! Everything stems from my ability to be creative in the kitchen. And the only way to test that ability is to give myself a challenge/goal. And with this homework assignment every month I can create my grocery list based off of my idea – not create my idea based on my pantry supply.

Today’s post is one of December’s recipes. In fact, it’s one that I made before leaving town for Thanksgiving and then tweaking into the recipe I post today. The first version of this dish, while tasty didn’t feel Mexican. I added garlic, salsa, and cumin. I reduced the amount of liquid and omitted the corn. As much as I love corn it didn’t quite fit with the shredded chicken and got lost. In the photo below you can see how different the two versions are; version 1 is on the left and the final version is on the right.

What I love most about this recipe is its versatility. My favorite way to eat it was as nachos. I put tortilla chips on a plate, topped them with the shredded chicken and shredded cheese. I microwaved the nachos for 30 seconds until the cheese was melted and dipped in salsa. The shredded chicken can also be rolled into a burrito with beans, rice, and cheese. Or use it to top some flavored rice. Create a sandwich with the chicken, salsa, cheese, and lettuce. Even stuff it in a lettuce wrap for a carb-free version.

Slow Cooker Jalapeno Lime Chicken

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, diced (for mild heat remove seeds)
1/4 C chicken stock
1/4 C salsa
zest and juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp taco seasoning
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 C fresh cilantro

Steps:

Season chicken with S+P. Place in the bottom of a slow cooker. Top with onion, garlic, and jalapeno.
In a bowl, whisk together stock, salsa, lime, taco seasoning, and cumin. Pour over chicken.
Add cilantro to the slow cooker.
Cook on LOW 5 – 7 hours or HIGH 3 – 5 hours.
Shred chicken and return to sauce until ready to serve.

DIY Ornament Storage

January 3, 2015January 2, 2015 ~ lk529 ~ 4 Comments

We’re only 3 days into the new year and my house is already devoid of holiday decor. The twinkling glow of Christmas decorations has been replaced with the flashing lights (and noises) of children’s toys.

Packing up the boxes and bins of holiday things is an opportunity for the part of me who loves organizing to have a party. I was one of those kids who constantly rearranged stuffed animals and trinkets. I even collected Pokemon cards just to reorganize them in a binder – by color, by creature type, by rarity, or alphabetically.

Today I want to share with you how I store our ornaments during the 11 months of the year they’re not beautifully displayed on the tree. I found this idea on Pinterest years ago and our keepsakes have been safe. Even through a move! I did lose one ornament from my childhood to the moisture in FL though – I don’t think it was the salt dough that’s so popular, but something similar. But nothing fragile has been jostled into smithereens yet!

Here’s what you need:

storage bin
cardboard
plastic drinking cups
hot glue gun (and glue)

Here’s what you do:

Cut your cardboard to the size of the bottom of your storage bin. Do this twice.
Hot glue cups to one of the pieces of cardboard. You’ll need to press the bottoms flush with the cardboard until dry.
Use the second piece of cardboard as a top or “shelf.” If your bin is deep enough repeat with more cups. (You’ll need a third piece of cardboard to top this layer.) I put ornaments that come in boxes (such as these) on top of this “shelf.”