Potato Peeling by Mary Anne

Here's an easy way to peel potatos... it's basically the same thing you would do to blanch a tomato or another veggie, but what a great tip! And a bonus - it's Mary Anne (Dawn Wells) from Gilligan's Island!

Gadgets We Like: Palm Zester

My mother in law got me this great palm zester for Christmas and I love it! There are many more key lime pies in my husband's future (his favorite dessert!) because it its so much easier to do the zesting with this little gadget. It fits perfectly on your fingers and catches all the zest in a neat little container. It's also dishwasher safe!

You can find your own (in one of three pretty citrus colors) at Sur La Table!

Kristy

Crock Pot Sante Fe Chicken

Photo: Gina's Blog - (mine's not this pretty)

End Product: Slow cooked shredded chicken with corn, tomatoes and black beans.

Tip: Prepare the night before and turn your crock pot on in the morning for an easy weeknight meal.
Bonus: This happens to be a Weight Watchers recipe that I just thought sounded good. I got it from my friend Krista's cooking blog - and she got it from Gina's blog - which is all about weight watcher's recipes! It's low fat and low in points.
Serve: over rice with chopped scallions, fresh cilantro, fat free sour cream (not for me, but an option!) and/or reduced fat cheddar.
Prep Time (for Kristy = slower than average): 12 minutes



Ingredients:
24 oz (1 1/2) lbs chicken breast
14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
15 oz can black beans
8 oz frozen corn
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth
3 scallions, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
salt to taste



Directions:
Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot. Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning. Serve over rice (extra pts).

Vamped-up French Toast

Who doesn't love a great stack of French Toast?

A great way to vamp up your regular French Toast into a sweeter, better version of itself? Add a dash or two of vanilla to the beat eggs before you dip the bread in. 

I promise you'll taste the difference!

SuperCook Recipe Finder

Whether you're about to move (as in my husband and I's case), needing to lower costs for the month, or just anxious to use some of those ingredients that tend to just sit in the pantry for weeks without being used... this is the website for you!

SuperCook is a search engine for recipes using the ingredients you already have at home! Once at the website, you simply type in the green box an ingredient you have and click "Add" to add it to your list. You can have as many or as few ingredients added to your list as you would like.

I would suggest grouping lists together to get the best return of recipes. For example, typing in "Angel Hair Pasta," "Parmsean Cheese," "Chicken," and "Mozzarella," then clearing these ingredients out before you try something like "Cubed Steaks," "Steak Sauce," and "Salsa."

Check it out, and enjoy!

A scoop above....

Imagine the pretty possibilities with this fancy little ice cream scoop! Your guests will think that same carton of Blue Bell Vanilla ice cream is gourmet when you scoop it out in this fancy shapeand add some fresh rapsberries and chocolate sauce. Excellent gadget!

Find it here - courtesy of HWTM.

Cooking with Magnets

A recent article explained the up and coming use of cooking with magnets! It's officially called "induction," where heat is generated as long as the right pots and pans are placed on top of the stove.

The article goes on to explain some of the reasons why this new eco-friendly choice is a great option if you're doing a home renevation or wanting to switch out your kitchen appliances:

"Safety – Because the cooktop only works when there is a ferromagnetic pot on top of it, there isn't much risk of the kids accidentally burning themselves by touching a burner, even if the stove is on, and it also won't react to a dropped utensil which may hit the burner. That being said, you could burn yourself if you touch a burner immediately AFTER use, or if you touch the pot itself.

Speed – The magnetic action allows for a "boost" of power that can boil 6 cups of water in under 3 minutes.

Responsiveness - The burner reacts quickly, giving the responsiveness of a gas cooktop (cooling and heating).

Cleanliness – The clean lines of a glass top electric plus because it stays cool, spills don't cook on the top.

It's just wicked cool - Let's face it, just sounds cool when you say you cook with magnets. And I can't even tell you how many times, during a family gathering, I had to demonstrate how fast the water would boil."

Of course going green with your cooking would require a new set of pots and pans that would interact with your new stovetop in the correct way. However, Ikea has a wonderful line of ferromagnetic cookware for absolutely fantastic prices. Go here to see an example.

Source & Photo: Real Simple

Chick Cupcakes

source: Martha Stewart

Tools and Materials
20 Vanilla Cupcakes
Buttercream Frosting
4 cups sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
1 piece (10 inches) black licorice lace, cut into 40 (1/3-inch) pieces
20 whole almonds
140 red candy-coated licorice pastels (about 1/3 cup), or pieces of snipped red licorice laces

Step 1
Bake cupcakes and cool completely. When turned upside-down, each cupcake becomes the body of a chick. Spread buttercream frosting on a cupcake to anchor it to the serving plate while you are working. Use a small offset spatula to coat the sides thickly with frosting, and then mound more on top to create a dome shape.

Step 2
Press toasted shredded coconut into the frosting -- it stands in for fuzzy feathers. Hold the plate at an angle while applying the coconut so the excess falls back into the bowl.

Step 3
Place eyes (made from snipped black licorice laces) on chicks using tweezers. Use a whole almond for the beak and red licorice for the feet and comb; both can be pushed into the frosting by hand.

Cookies 'N Cream Brownies

These are brownies in a whole new way! And easy? So easy! My original idea for this recipe came from a friend, Kipi, who had made these brownies with Hershey's Almond Bars. My husband had told me that he loves Hershey's Cookies 'N Cream bars and would give anything for me to try this recipe with those bars, so I gave it a try and they were a HUGE hit at our church barbecue! All of them were gone literally within minutes of starting dessert. :)

-1 box original or plain brownies (plus the ingredients to make these brownies according to box directions)
-6 or 7 Hershey's Cookies 'N Cream bars (regular sized)

1. Mix up brownie recipe as directed on package.
2. Pour half of the batter into a greased 13X9" pan.
3. Lay 5 of the Hershey bars side by side on top of the mix. Make sure none of the bars are touching the edges.
4. Pour the remaining batter on the top and make sure the bars are completely covered.
5. Cook at 350degrees for 30-40 minutes or until done.
6. Optional: use remaining bars to break into chunks or use a grater/zester to sprinkle bits of the bars on top!

Enjoy!

Artichoke Soup

This is a great, quick option for a fresh soup that is without meat and still filling. My husband normally has to have meat incorporated in to his meal, but he really enjoyed this soup and I found it very easy to make.

6 artichoke hearts (jarred- make sure they are just in water)
garlic powder
3 T butter
1 potato, peeled (optional) and diced
4 c vegetable stock
salt/pepper
saltine crackers

Heat butter over medium heat, and sauté the artichoke hearts and garlic, stirring frequently, until golden. Add potato and stock, bring to a boil, lower heat, cover, and simmer about 10 minutes, until the veggies are tender. Blend half of the potatoes and artichokes with a little bit of the cooking liquid until smooth. Transfer back to the pan, season with salt and pepper. Stir the purée into the remaining liquid, and reheat. Serve immediately with saltine crackers.

*If you would like a smoother puree of a soup, blend all of the potatoes instead of just half.

Enjoy!

Napkin Folding 101

I found this tutorial on 12 different napkin folds via Hostess With The Mostess. Throw a party with the best of 'em by dressing up your table with a pretty napkin.

Photo: HWTM

Calypso Chicken

Delicious! You must try this one - it's easy (prep. time is only 10 minutes!) and mixes sweet and savory flavors. Everyone will be fighting to get the pineapple!

What you'll need:

• a large oven cooking bag
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 (15-oz) can of pineapple chunks, drained
• 1 (8-oz) package of black bean-rice mix (uncooked)
• 1 (10.5-oz) can chicken broth
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• 4 (8-oz) bone-in chicken breasts, skinned***

How to make it:

• Preheat oven to 350. Place oven cooking bag in a 13*9 in. baking dish. Add flour to bag; twist end and shake to distribute.
• Add pineapple and next 4 ingredients to oven bag; squeeze bag to blend ingredients.
• Arrange chicken in an even layer over rice mixture.
• Close bag with nylon tie; cut 6 (1/2 inch) slits in top of bag.
• Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.

*Just so there is no confusion, you put the rice in the bag uncooked. It cooks in the bag in the oven.

***You can certainly use a boneless skinless breast or any cut of chicken you prefer.

Source: Southern Living's Busy Moms Weeknight Favorites Cookbook.

This one will be a hit - I promise!

Welcoming Guests: 8 Tips

photo: Real Simple magazine

The following article was taken from Real Simple's Simply Stated nightly email. I thought it was a fabulous few tips that really led to welcoming guests in the more comfortable and proper of ways without going too out of your way. And just in time for spring and summer visitors, I wanted to share! Again, you can find the original post here on Real Simple's website.



"Spring kicks off in just a few days which can only mean that soon guests will arrive as warmer months tend to bring in long lost friends and family members looking to reconnect. I enjoy having guests but unfortunately lots of what I read out there for entertaining tips tend to depress me because they're geared more towards the perfect housewife (not me) who is lucky enough to have a guest bedroom (also not me). I don't have a lot of space -- good friends have slept on my sofa and recently a couple had to sleep on an air mattress in my office/craft room because that was my only option as they refused to take our bed. This is why A Warm Welcome, a book written by Amy Elliott who lives in Brooklyn and is a writer at Condé Nast really can help a girl like me out.Elliott caters to hostesses everywhere from small apartment dwellers to to those lucky enough to have that coveted 'guest bedroom'. Her book is really helpful because she 'gets it' which comes through in her writing and through her many tips. I also like that in addition to being a good hostess the book also includes lots of suggestions on how to become a better guest because you know, an enjoyable time takes effort by all, right?

Published by Ryland Peters & Small, this 128 page book includes many creative and useful tips along with gorgeous lifestyle photography to motivate you and get you in the spirit of entertaining. Elliott addresses space issues, includes stress-free menus, cocktail recipes, day trip ideas, how to create a cozy sleep space and tips on making the bathroom 'guest ready'. I have to add that I really appreciate her laid back approach, it's not a fussy planning bible but instead a casual conversation with a smarty pants girlfriend who really knows her stuff. We all need a friend like Elliott and now we have one, all 128 pages of her.

A few tips every hostess should consider according to Elliott:

Give the house a good cleaning before guests arrive.

Provide your guests with maps and detailed directions.

Let guests know what they should bring (hiking shoes, club clothes for a night on the town, etc.).

Ask if there is anything special they'd like to eat or drink.

Find out if there is anything in particular that they'd like to do while they're in town so you can research and make arrangements to fit something in.

You may need to child or animal-proof your home if guests are bringing kids or pets.

Welcome guests with open arms with a quick tour, something to drink, offer to take their bags to where they will sleep, etc.

Keep dinner low-key on the first night as weary travelers may not fully appreciate a fancy feast.

I particularly found tip #8 helpful because I'm bubbly and by nature I get really excited when I have guests and immediately want to pounce and over-welcome them with big plans, a big meal, and lots and lots of everything I can fit in. I have to learn to tone it down which I realize now after reading that tip and thinking about it and how it must feel for guests. As a guest myself, I recall appreciating a warm welcome but usually did not respond well to being overwhelmed by an overly energetic hostess because I was often tired from traveling. Good tip!

You can pick up A Warm Welcome where books are sold, I usually purchase mine at Amazon.com so here's the link to the book on Amazon in case you are interested --- it's $19."

Almond-Crusted Chicken

I didn't get a picture of this one, but trust me - it's delicious! It's a recipe out of the Southern Living 2007 Annual Recipes Book. It's easy too - prep time is 10 minutes and cook time is 8 minutes!

Ingredients:

• 2/4 cup almonds, coarsely chopped (you can just buy them this way)
• 1/2 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
• 2 tsp. Jamaican jerk seasoning: Okay - this is the ONE ingredient you probably don't regularly buy, but it's worth it! (You can find it in your regular spice aisle)
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1tsp. grated lime zest
• 1 1/2 lb. skinned and boned chicken breast cutlets
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

1. Process first 5 ingredients in a food processor or blender 45 seconds or until finely ground. Place almond mixture in a shallow bowl.
2. Brush chicken evenly with 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil. Dredge chicken in almond mixture.
3. Cook chicken in remaining 1/2 Tbsp. in remaining olive oil (after heating olive oil for a few seconds in a hot non-stick skillet). Cook over medium-high heat 4 minutes on each side or until done.

Makes 5 servings.

The Skinny Girl's Margarita

Bethenny Frankel from The Real Housewives of New York (on Bravo TV) shows you how to make what she has deemed "The Skinny Girl's Margarita." She doesn't use exact amounts of any of the liquids, but really I think it's best when making drinks with alcohol in them to use your own proportions to best suit your needs. (My husband probably used 1/8 of the amount of alcohol in making margaritas for us that normal ones have. :) )

Enjoy!

Caffeine Intake

I saw an interesting article on Real Simple's website about monitoring your caffeine intake. The recommended limit for caffeine intake is 400 mg per day. While you may (some of you may not!) turn down that third cup of coffee, there are a lot of hidden sources of caffeine that you may not think of.

photo: realsimple.com

The article says that 12 oz. of Starbucks brewed coffee has 195 mg of caffeine. that may not be too surprising, but did you know your alka seltzer may contain as much caffeine as a Starbucks latte?

Check out this link to see the rest of the article.

Slow-Cooker Lasagna

Honestly, this lasagna needs no introduction, really- as it is my FAVORITE lasagna I have ever had. Honestly! AND, it's made in the slow cooker! It's a super easy recipe that I found on the internet but substituted a few things here and there and made it even EASIER than it was originally! You don't even have to bake the noodles, the tomato sauce will soften them over time in the slow cooker. I used a large slow cooker, so if yours is smaller you might want to half the recipe, or make more layers and adjust the time accordingly (adding an hour to the cook time). There's no picture, because, well, all lasagna looks the same- this one just happens to taste the best!

Slow Cooker Lasagna

-1 pound lean ground beef
-Garlic powder (or garlic salt)
-1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce
-1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
-2-3 teaspoons dried oregano
-1 (12 ounce) package lasagna noodles
-12 ounces low fat cottage cheese
-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
-16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

1. In a large skillet over medium heat cook the ground beef until brown. Add garlic powder to your personal taste while beef is still warm. Add beef, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and oregano to a medium sized bowl and stir until well incorporated.
2. In another bowl mix together the cottage cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, and shredded mozzarella cheese.
3. Spoon a layer of the meat mixture onto the bottom of the slow cooker. Add a double layer of the uncooked lasagna noodles, making sure that the tomato sauce is covering the underside of the noodles. Break to fit noodles into slow cooker. Top noodles with a portion of the cheese mixture. Repeat the layering of sauce, noodles, and cheese until all the ingredients are used. (We did three layer in our big slow cooker.) Make sure that the meat/sauce is thick but watery enough so that the noodles will soften in the slow cooker.
4. Cover, and cook on LOW setting for 4 to 5 hours. (Watch it the first time you make it and make sure that the noodles are able to get soft, ours were perfect doing it on this setting for this amount of time.)

Enjoy!

Hello, Cupcake!

I receive, nightly, a copy of the blog put out by some of the writers at Real Simple Magazine. (If you are a fan of Real Simple, and haven't done this- you absolutely should! It's free and it's basically like waking up to a mini-magazine of ALL your favorites every morning! Go here to subscribe!)

Today's post included a book review on a precious book called "Hello, Cupcake!" by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. You can go here for Real Simple's review, but I wanted to just post a few pictures of some sweet examples in this book so that you know you should can go out and get one for yourself!

photo: "Updates from Real Simple's Simply Stated"

Below is some cute details of horses out of peanut shells, and what looks like a little bunny running into it's hole!:

photo: "Updates from Real Simple's Simply Stated"

Here are some aliens in their personal UFO's and some classic bugs out of M&M's! Below this picture is a way cool "Shark Attack" with mini-doughnuts for life preservers and channel markers from mini ice cream cones and small lollipops, as well as "Popcorn" made with marshmallows!:

photos: "Updates from Real Simple's Simply Stated"

And probably my favorites...
Spaghetti and Meatballs- with chocolate hazelnut balls for the meatball, covered in strawberry jam on a bed of icing!

photo: "Updates from Real Simple's Simply Stated"

And we'll leave this up to your findings... can you figure out where this "TV dinner" and "corn on the cob" come from!!!!! (Hint: does the "pat of butter" look like a yellow Starburst to you?)

photo: "Updates from Real Simple's Simply Stated"

Enjoy! And have fun entertaining with these great conversation starters that will TASTE sweet, too! :)

Brittany

Lunches on the Go

Whether it's sending the kids off to school, helping the spouse out the door in the morning, trying to leave before traffic gets too bad, or just wanting to cut back on spending- lunches and snacks to take from home for school or work can be a great option to always eating out during the day while you're away from home.

I recently came across Hillbilly Housewife, where they share all kinds of fresh ideas for ways to keep from getting in the "sandwich, chips, and juicebox" rut that many can fall in to!

For the main entree of a lunch box, they suggest choosing from one of the following:
Tuna Salad with Celery
Egg Salad with Pickles
Chicken Salad with Raisins
Turkey Salad with Curry Powder
Baloney & Cheese & Mustard & Mayo
Turkey and Cranberry sauce
Fried Spam & Cheese
Fried Canned Corned Beef & Sauerkraut
Meatballs in a hotdog bun with tomato sauce
Meat Loaf with Tomato Slices
Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato
Bacon and Fried Eggs
Fried Baloney or Spam & Fried Eggs
Sloppy Joes
Turkey & Bacon and bean sprouts
Sliced Cucumbers & Butter
Sliced Cucumbers & Cream Cheese
Cream Cheese & Jelly
Peanut Butter & Jelly
Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Fluff
Peanut Butter & Raisins
Sausage & Egg Biscuit
Egg & Cheese Sandwich
Pork Roast & BBQ Sauce & coleslaw
Sliced Beef Roast & horseradish
Sliced Beef and Swiss Cheese
Sliced Beef & Cream Cheese
Sliced Beef & fried onions or mushrooms
Loose fried hamburger & onions & cheese
Burritos with beef or beans & cheese
Tacos
Quesadilla (fried cheese tortillas)
Baloney, mayonnaise & Pineapple Rings
Cream Cheese & minced peppers
Baked beans with pickle relish
Hamburgers with fixings
Corn Dogs
Hot Dogs with Chili
Hot Dogs with Cheese
Hot Dogs with Coleslaw
Chopped Chicken & BBQ Sauce
Ham Salad with Pickles
Fajitas with Beef or Chicken
Baloney, Mustard & Sprouts, wrapped in a tortilla

If you've got a thermos on hand, you can also try out any of these:
Baked Beans & Sliced Hotdogs
1/2 cup Hot Rice with 1/2 cup Beef & Broccoli overtop
Mashed potatoes with creamed chicken or turkey & gravy
Tuna Casserole
Chicken & Rice Casserole
Beef & Tomato Casserole
Canned Soups
Chowders
Creamed Soups
Hot Pinto Beans & Salt Pork or Bacon
Chili with beans
Spaghetti and Sauce
Chopped up Lasagna
Scalloped Potatoes or Potatoes Au Gratin
Macaroni & Cheese
Lentils & Rice
Beef Stew
Hamburger Gravy to spoon over bread
Sausage Gravy to spoon over biscuits
Creamed Ham to spoon over biscuits
Mashed Potatoes with Cheese
Ramen Noodles & Veggies

Great options for the classic Ziploc baggie can include these:
Apple Wedges
Orange Smiles
Cluster of Grapes
Small Banana
Carrot Sticks
Celery Sticks
Broccoli Trees
Turnip Sticks
Radishes
Boiled Eggs
Green Pepper Strips
Cucumber Slices
Cheese Cubes
Peanut Butter Crackers
Crackers & Baloney Triangles
Crackers & Cheese Slices
Crackers & Cream Cheese
Pretzels
Popcorn
Caramel Corn
Raisins
Dry Apricots
Prunes
Banana Chips
Peanuts
Sunflower Seeds
Cheese Crackers
Celery stuffed with Peanut Butter
Celery stuffed with Cream Cheese
Granola
Gorp
Homemade Cereal Snack Mix (like chex mix)

And finally, to add some variety to your drink selection during the day, choose from one of these:
Reconstituted Milk
Chocolate Milk
Hot Chocolate
Hot Coffee or Tea
Kool-Aid
Iced Tea
Ice Water
Fruit Smoothies
Orange Juice
Apple Juice
Grape Juice
Lemonade

You can view the original post for "Lunchbox food" here!

Also, in the next few days, check out our Sassy Chefs store for some great options for a thermos!

Enjoy!

Applebee's Menu Items Spur Lawsuit

If you've been to Applebee's in the last few years, you've seen the Weight Watchers logo on the menu indicating how many "points" particular menu items have. In general, patrons think of the items with the Weight Watchers logo as lower in calories and fat than other menu items. Unfortunately, it appears that some of the nutritional information found on the menu about these items is misleading.... or flat out false. For at least one menu item, lab tests revealed twice the number of fat grams listed on the menu.

Yikes! You can read more about it here!