Posts by admin:
- 18 corn tortillas
- olive oil spray
- kosher salt
- 1 1/2 lb. fresh tomatillos (green tomatoes with husks)
- 1 large jalapeno, seeded
- 1 can diced green chiles
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- Salt to taste (1 tsp)
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp sugar
- 16 large white button mushrooms
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
Koru Creamery-Style Yoghurt {Review + Giveaway}
April 30th, 2013
Disclaimer: Koru Yoghurt provided me with samples of their yoghurts and free coupons to give away.
A few months ago I was given the chance to try a new product called Koru Yoghurt. Even though I have focused on non-dairy yoghurt I have started adding dairy back in my life before the birth of my second baby. I was craving dairy and this was a delicious new product.
Koru creamery-style yoghurt is owned by Land O’ Lakes company and has been working to bring very unique products to the yogurt shelves in supermarkets.Even though there are currently available in the Northeast and Great Lakes areas you can request this product to be at your local grocer.
Why the “h” in the yoghurt? Well, not only does it look elegant but it makes the product look unique.
The company currently sells 5 flavors. Strawberry and Goji is not shown in this picture but I was given a nice cooler filled with these yoghurt goodies plus a nice plastic cup to drink on the go.
Here is what I thought of these flavors:
Pomegranate + Cherry: Cherry flavors are my favorite so it was great to see this paired with pomegranate.It was fresh and flavorful.
Mango: Tropical flavors and perfect with a muffin. There were chunks of fruit and delicious.
Passion Fruit: This is definitely not a fruit flavor one sees on the shelf so I was excited to try it. It was SO good and full of flavor.
Peach: This was a unique flavor with chunks of fruit. It was nothing too exciting.
Strawberry + Goji: I love super fruits and this was a great combination. I heard first hand that the company is going to expand the yoghurt line with more super fruit flavors. How wonderful!
Which was my favorite? Passion Fruit all the way!
Even though I got to share this with my husband, he did not particularly like this product because there was not enough fruit on the bottom. I did not agree since the cup size was only 5.3 ounce it was the perfect amount.
Some people prefer mixing the yogurt with the fruit on the bottom but I personally liked eating the yoghurt and then eating the fruit on the bottom. The fruit is lightly sweetened with honey, sugar and delicious fruit.
This is not greek-style yogurt but a creamy and smooth snack or dessert. Each container costs $1.79 which is a little more expensive than the other brands out there. I personally will not buy this anymore since my lactose issues returned after having the baby, but I would like someone to enjoy.
How about having a chance to win some free coupons?
Two people will have a chance to each win 5 coupons to try this product for FREE. Thanks to Koru for providing these coupons.
Want to find out where this product is sold? Check out the product locator to see if you are eligible for the giveaway.
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A Blogger and Family Weekend in Lancaster County
April 29th, 2013If you think this weekend was nice and sunny wait till you hear what I’ll be doing with my family next weekend. My family and I were invited to experience different activities in the Amish Country. It is incredible to think that we live so close to this beautiful countryside.
Even though we have only lived in the area for only 8 months we have gotten to see a lot of our area and the city. What about Amish country? I remember taking a family trip after I graduated from high school with 8 family members in a mini-van. It was a long trip but I remember going through Pennsylvania and going through Amish country. It was memorable, but I could not really tell you exactly where we were. I am happy to be visiting the area with my own family this time around.
Where will be staying?
We will be staying at the Bird-in-Hand Family Inn that also includes a restaurant. We arrive on May 4th and meet the other families involved in the event. The inn boasts a lot of amenities and activities for families. Can we swim? Why, yes, of course since this place has an indoor and outdoor pool.
The Family Inn also offers complimentary Amish Farmland Tour too! At the end of the evening we will get a chance to try out the restaurant where they offer foods that are traditional Amish recipes from several generations back.
Here are the three sites we will get to visit during our weekend:
The rail road is one of Pennsylvania’s leading family attractions and I would say so since they offer a 45- minute ride in different parts of the train, like the Dining car, Coach, Open-Air, or First-Class. I cannot wait to take the family on this!
What about the Choo Choo Barn? Well, it is also known as Traintown, USA and it boasts a handcrafted work of art that spans 1,700 square feet of 150 animations and 22 operating trains.
Look at the tiny details! It features small-scale landmarks and details of Lancaster County. I cannot wait to see this!
I think the best of all places will be The Amish Village which is located at the heart of Dutch country in Pennsylvania. The village is 12-acres large with real Amish working around the vicinity. They hold a 25-minute guided tour of how the Amish live. We will see first-hand how families live unplugged from the rest of the world.
Hopefully we will get a chance to roam around the area with our 2 little ones and that the weather permits this. Stay tuned for a recap of all the great experiences the following week!
Have you ever visited any of these places?
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Jewelry Creations {coming soon}
April 26th, 2013
Happy Friday! I am so happy it is here already. We do not have many plans but it will be filled with quality family time for sure!
Something I have been working on recently is posting my jewelry creations. I have had an Etsy shop for a while but I have not had the time to upload and post them in order to sell them. I love working with stones, beads, sterling silver and more.
Be on the watch for these postings on Etsy. A percentage of the sales will go to friends in the mission field. I love doing things for a cause in my daily life but I have not expressed this to my online life.
Which necklace piques your interest?
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Cinco de Mayo with Tomatillo Black Bean Mushroom Nachos
April 25th, 2013
Anyone have plans for Cinco de Mayo? It falls on a Sunday but who said you cannot celebrate it? We decided to invite some church friends to come over after church for some delicious comida. I am slowly getting back into the kitchen, wait, I am actually quickly getting back into the kitchen and creating. The recipes are flowing too fast with the little time I have to post. What did I decide to make for this Cinco de Mayo?
Well, what about a little recap on what Cinco de Mayo is all about? Here is what Wikipedia says:
“It originated with Mexican-American communities in the American West as a way to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War,[8][9] and today the date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.”
We have not always celebrated Cinco de Mayo even though I am half Mexican, but this year I was inspired. It is, of course, another day to have delicious food especially when you have people over to share it with.
What recipes did I have in mind? Well I have a slew of them and Food Network Celebrity Chef of Simply Delicioso has a few to share as well! She is coming out with a new cookbook called Latin D’Lite and here is one she is sharing with us.
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Photographer: Andrew Meade
Copyright: Chica Worldwide llc
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Turkey Nachos
Makes 4 servings
pico de gallo:
4 small ripe tomatoes, diced
1 small white onion, diced
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped
½ cup packed cilantro leaves, chopped
¼ cup fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
filling:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground lean turkey breast
1½ teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
1∕8 teaspoon salt
¼ cup water
nachos:
4 8- to 10-inch whole-wheat or whole-grain tortillas, each cut into 6 wedges
cooking spray
1 8-ounce bag shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup ripe black olives, sliced
1 Hass avocado, peeled, halved, pitted, and diced
low-fat sour cream or nonfat plain Greek yogurt (optional)
2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped (½ cup)
1. To make the pico de gallo, combine the tomatoes, onion, jalapeños, cilantro, lime juice, and oil together in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
2. For the filling, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and the chili power, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano, and salt. Cook, stirring often, breaking up the turkey with the side of a spoon, until the turkey begins to brown, about 5 minutes.Stir in the water and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the turkey is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with aluminum foil.
4. Spread the tortilla wedges on the baking sheets and spray with the nonstick spray. Bake until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven.
5. Spray a large, shallow baking dish with nonstick spray. Spread half of the tortilla wedges in the baking dish, and top with half of the cheese, half of the turkey mixture, half of the beans, and half of the olives. Top with remaining tortilla wedges, and repeat with the remaining cheese, turkey mixture, beans, and olives. Bake until the cheese melts, about 10 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and sprinkle with half of the pico de gallo and the avocado. Spoon a large dollop of the sour cream on top of the nachos. Sprinkle with the scallions. Serve immediately, with the remaining pico de gallo on the side.
Recipe from Ingrid Hoffman’s new cookbook called “Latin D’Lite
Even though I am planning on having fajitas on Cinco de Mayo we also like eating nachos and I decided to make a recipe to share with you all. It is vegetarian but can be easily made vegan.
These were so delicious and healthy since the chips were baked and the tomatillo sauce was fresh.It makes a great appetizer or a main meal for all to enjoy. I loved using mushrooms as the faux taco meat and using tomatillos instead of regular red salsa.
Here is the recipe:
Tomatillo Black Bean and Mushroom Nachos
by Noelle Kelly
Prep Time: 30-45 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients (2 servings)
Homemade Tortilla Chips
Tomatillo Salsa
Mushroom Taco Faux Meat
2/3 cup shredded cheese or vegan cheese
4 Tablespoons sour cream or vean sour cream
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 cup Bush’s seasoned black beans or homemade black beans
Instructions
Homemade Corn Tortilla Chips
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
9 corn tortillas makes one serving. Cut the tortillas in wedges or triangle shapes. Spread evenly over a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake at 425 for 12 minutes. Repeat with the next 9 tortillas.
Tomatillo Salsa
Rinse tomatillos under warm water and cut in quarters. Slice and partially seed jalapeno. In a food processor, liquefy tomatillos, garlic, jalapeno, and green chiles.
Heat olive oil on medium skillet. Add sauce to hot oil and add lime juice, water, salt, sugar, vinegar and cumin. Boil the sauce for 10 to 15 minutes minutes. Add cilantro at the end and set aside.
Mushroom Taco Faux Meat
Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick pan. Place the quartered mushrooms and garlic cloves in a food processor and pulse until the mushrooms looks like meat. Place in the pan and add the seasonings. Mix well and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes or until the water in the mushrooms has evaporated.
Assembly
Add the chips to each plate and add 1/2 cup black beans and 1/2 the mushroom mix, then add 1/4-1/2 cup of tomatillo sauce and top with 1/3 cup cheese. Melt under the broiler. Top with 2 Tablespoons of sour cream and red onion.
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Are you in the Philly area and want ideas?
Cinco de Mayo Fiesta in Kennett Square
Celebration of Mexican culture from noon to 5 p.m. Includes authentic Mexican food, music, entertainment, and children’s activities.
PHILLY’S CINCO DE MAYO BAR CRAWL–12PM – 2AM
For more fun ideas on
how to celebrate Cinco de Mayo at home
with your family, visit
http://www.
How about ideas for activities for your children?
Need more ideas for recipes? Here are a few dishes that are meat-free and delicious!
How will you be celebrating?
Disclaimer: The Cinco de Mayo Blogger Campaign was sponsored by the Role Mommy Writer’s Network but all my opinions are my own.
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Manayunk StrEAT Food Festival {Review}
April 23rd, 2013
It was a lovely Saturday two weekends ago, perfect for a lovely trek to Manayunk for their bi-annual StrEAT Food Festival. I had something else going in the morning in downtown Philly so we tried to fit two events in one day. If the sun is out one can do everything, right?
I had the fun opportunity to cover this event and boy was it entertaining!
As we arrived in Manayunk we were under the impression that Main street would be shut down for the festival, but it was not. The whole street was open for all traffic while the curbs were crowded with various food trucks and long lines waiting for food.
I was kind of stressed we arrived at 3:30pm thinking we would not get a chance to try anything at all. Seeing we have only been living in Philly for 7 months, I am getting used to the fact that there is traffic EVERYWHERE! The festival had started at 11am and ended at 5pm. Do you see how nervous I was?
Luckily we were able to catch a few goodies. We first stopped at Local 215 food truck where a lot of their menu items had already been sold out. It did not stop us from trying the last 2 items available: their vegetable tempura and their strawberry cucumber cooler.
I loved the color scheme of the truck and we loved the flavors of the food served. The tempura was lightly breaded and the strawberry cooler was different but delicious! Food trucks are quite new to me. Back in Michigan, I only visited one local food truck that was a farm to truck food truck. 🙂
As a family of four, winding the streets with a double stroller was challenging. Julianne did pretty well because as along as she saw people and activity she was happy. Oh, and as long as you also gave her food she was also VERY happy. She is definitely our child.
Our next stop was Zea May’s. They too were all sold out of their items except for their strawberry soup which was delicious! I loved the fact that all menu items were inspired by Native American cuisines and that most of their menu items were vegetarian and vegan. I simply need to visit their truck in the city at some point!
Our favorite truck (because it was the truck that had not completely sold out) was Farm Truck. We ordered both of the sandwiches they offered and we wept when we saw that their Chocolate Strawberry Brownie was all gone. I NEED that recipe.
The guys operating the truck have only been open for 2 months and they are the nicest. Can I also say that they make AWESOME sandwiches???
Ryan and I shared the sandwiches so we could give our full opinion and we simply liked both. One was a vegetarian sandwich while the other was not since we ordered the Pesto one with prosciutto.
I am sad we did not get to try many other items due to extremely long lines but we definitely want to come again later this year. It was challenging having the kids in the double stroller but it made for a fun outing filled with sunshine and entertainment. There was live entertainment in one street and a small market for local businesses.
Since we did not get a chance to try many food truck foods we stayed in the area and ate dinner with our little family. We dumped the stroller in the car and used our carriers and it was MUCH simpler. I believe we should have gone that way while visiting each food truck.
If you have never attended this festival, try to keep it in mind since the city will be rolling it out again later this year. We will definitely be there!
