Amy

Spicy Chipotle Taco Soup

February 25, 2016 by Amy Leave a Comment

Disclosure: OXO sent me free products, in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are 100% my own.

Since we moved to the new house, we have been using the kitchen quite a bit. Honestly, the kitchen is what made me fall for the floor plan, so of course, I was going to go a little crazy. After a couple of weeks, however, we were definitely missing our old vented kitchen. So, we had someone come out and take care of venting the kitchen for us.

I can’t even begin to explain how nice it is to have a venting kitchen again. A lot of Louisiana comfort food revolves around cooking with onions/bell peppers/celery to start out the dishes, and while it smells good when you’re cooking, I really don’t want to smell it the next morning haha! It’s so nice to no longer deal with that…in fact, when I was cooking this soup, H commented that he could barely smell it (and y’all know that tex-mex spices, like cumin, are strong)! So, I’m definitely in my happy place when I’m in our kitchen now. 🙂

OXO sent me some of their newest products to try out, and I couldn’t help but think about making a hearty soup with some of their tools. I was sent the Ground Meat Chopper and Turner, Silicone Ladle, and the
Vegetable Chopper with Easy-Pour Opening.

I decided to make a spicy chipotle taco soup the other night. After having a smoky tortilla soup at a local tex-mex place, I so wanted to replicate the broth as closely as I could. One thing I didn’t expect was for H to love it as much as he did. He’s usually adding more spices to whatever I make, and I’m pretty sure he didn’t add anything to this soup! I will mention that this soup is pretty darn spicy, so I added some avocado slices to my bowl to help with the heat from this soup. If you don’t want it to be very spicy, you can use less chipotle peppers (or remove the seeds) or use a milder Rotel in the recipe (I used original). I also wanted to mention that while it’s delicious the day you make it, it’s even MORE flavorful the next day. Look at how hearty this soup is!

I have to admit, this recipe is pretty darn quick to throw together. Prep was very easy, thanks to the OXO Vegetable chopper. Chopping the onion and bell pepper was a breeze!

Also, I was surprised at how helpful the OXO Ground Meat Chopper was. I’m used to chopping things up with a spatula, but this made the meat break up so easily and quickly.

I think this recipe is perfect for weeknight cooking. You don’t have to prep too much, and a good bit of the ingredients involve cans of vegetables to add into the recipe. So simple and super delicious!

Spicy Chipotle Taco Soup
Source: an original

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef (at least 90% lean)

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3/4 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

1/2 tsp. salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 chipotle pepper (from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce), finely chopped

2 tbsp. adobo sauce

2 10.5 oz. cans of Rotel, with juice (I used medium…if you want it not as spicy, use mild)

1 15 oz. can of yellow corn, rinsed and drained

1 15 oz. can of black beans, rinsed and drained

32 oz. chicken stock

1/4 cup heavy cream

Optional toppings: sliced avocado, cheese, broken-up tortilla chips

Directions:

In a large, heavy stockpot (at least 5 quarts in size) over medium-high heat, brown the lean ground beef until it’s fully cooked.

Add in the chopped onion and bell pepper, cooking until the onions are translucent. Reduce the heat to medium. Then, add in the cumin, smoked paprika, salt, garlic cloves, chipotle pepper and adobo sauce, and stir/cook for about another minute, until fragrant.

Add in the Rotel, yellow corn, black beans and chicken stock. Stir and reduce the heat to a simmer. Once it reaches a simmer, place the lid on the pot, and allow the soup to simmer for 20-30 minutes. When the soup has finished simmering, slowly pour and mix in the heavy cream. Enjoy!

Mamma Chia Vitality Bar Review & A GIVEAWAY

February 17, 2016 by Amy 9 Comments

Disclosure: Mamma Chia provided me with free samples, and they are also providing the prize pack for the giveaway, in exchange for a post. All opinions are 100% my own.

Now that life is quieting down again, I decided that it was finally time to focus on the same thing I focused on three years ago: my health.

Do y’all remember this?

Picture collage made by Fit For a Bride

It’s been a while, and I’ll admit…most of my hard work from 2-3 years ago is gone. I’ve gained all of my weight back (and then some).

As of this week, I got back on track, and I’m motivated as all heck. I have a closet full of clothes in my previous sizes, and I cannot wait to be able to wear them again!

Since I’m back to eating better, I’m constantly on the search for healthier/grab-and-go snacks. The folks at Mamma Chia sent me an assortment of their new Vitality Bars to try. I’m a big fan of Mamma Chia products, and these bars were no exception.

I mean…these bars are seriously chocolate-y. Pictured is their coconut almond & dark chocolate flavor.

These bars are available in four flavors:

Blueberry & Dark Chocolate
Cherry & Dark Chocolate
Coconut Almond & Dark Chocolate
Peanut & Dark Chocolate

My favorite flavor is their peanut and dark chocolate….I’m a big fan of the chocolate + peanut combination. 🙂

What I love about Mamma Chia products is that not only are they fairly low in calories, but they are full of nutritional benefits. Each Vitality Bar includes 1000 mg of Omega-3s, 3-6 grams of protein (soy and dairy-free), and 3-4 grams of fiber. Also, if you are avoiding gluten, these bars are gluten-free!

I especially love their Vitality Bars for something to enjoy in the afternoon. Not only do they taste good, I feel like the bars take care of my sweets cravings (which are always raging after work).

The generous folks at Mamma Chia are offering one lucky reader of The Nifty Foodie a prize pack, which includes their new Chia Vitality Bars, as well as other great Mamma Chia products and/or coupons!

Enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below (continental US readers only):

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Note: This giveaway is supplied by Mamma Chia, and is open to readers in the continental US only. Entries will be accepted until February 24th, 2016 at 11:59pm (central standard time). Winner will be emailed (make sure you leave an email address in the form), and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

A Bunch of Randoms

February 1, 2016 by Amy 1 Comment

Hi, hello, how are things?

It has been a crazy whirlwind since we moved. Between unpacking like crazy, getting things set-up in the house and just in general, getting used to our own space again, we’ve just been busy…busy…busy!

I had these grand plans to decorate the house for Christmas the day we moved. You guys know how much I love the holiday season, and us having a brand new house was definitely motivating to get the decorations up.

Well….this was the extent of our Christmas decorations.

Since we were living with my in-laws for the past few months (with a very small amount of our belongings), it was like Christmas Day while we were unpacking. I honestly forgot about 1/3 of the things we owned, which makes me think that I could definitely declutter a bit. Time for a garage sale, right?

It took Millie about a week to get settled in when we moved. Our new house is larger than our previous house, so I think she is still adjusting to all of the rooms she has to “guard”. One thing that didn’t change for her was that our sofa + blanket = bliss.

While Christmas was a whirlwind (it really didn’t feel like Christmas happened), I did have a lot of fun shopping the after-Christmas sales. Of course, I had to buy all sorts of new Christmas decor (hi Hobby Lobby and Target!), and I also attacked the Lush buy one get one sale. It’s the only time of the year I buy from them, because I’m cheap.

A few months ago, I purchased a Nespresso. While I’m a huge fan of Keurig, I’m frequently visiting coffee shops for a $4 espresso drink. When the Inissia went on major sale (I guess this color was being discontinued?), I had to get it. Y’all…why did I wait so long to buy this? Around the holiday season, I mixed a little eggnog with my espresso and it was heavenly! I love it!

Y’all may remember that my sister and I signed up for the half marathon last year. While the half marathon wasn’t in the books for me, I was able to transfer my registration to the 5k. I didn’t train at all, so I walked most of the race. I was slow, but I finished. 🙂

As far as house pictures go, I promise I will be sharing pictures very soon! I thought it wouldn’t take very long to unpack everything, but oh man…I was SO wrong. We’re getting there though…slowly, but surely. 🙂 I think we’re about 90% done!

Our Holiday Moving Announcements

December 14, 2015 by Amy Leave a Comment

Disclosure: Minted.com is compensating me for writing this post in the form of a credit on their website, in exchange for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

These past few months have just flown by. My work weeks have been pretty busy, and on weekends, our focus is to see the progress of the new house. It blows my mind that our dream home is pretty much done and ready for us to make this new house into a home. 🙂

Our usual holiday cards feature Millie, but with the big move about to happen, I thought it would be fun (and hey, pretty darn efficient) to mention our move with our holiday cards. Thankfully, the designers at Minted already have this covered…there’s a whole category of holiday moving announcements on their site!

Some of my favorite options in the category included:

Source: Minted

I honestly loved both of these cards, but it was a bit hard to figure out when we would be able to take a picture of us with Millie in front of the house. We would have had to wait until the house was done to get a picture taken, since a dog + a construction site is simply not a good idea.

Then, I started to look into non-photo options. There were SO many great cards!

Source: Minted

It was really hard for us to choose, but after going back and forth with H about it, we decided on the Yule Haul card!

Along with the option for many different types of cards, I love that Minted also has a few color choices once you choose the card you like. We went with the cranberry Yule Haul card, which looks fantastic!

Once we selected the card we liked, we were able to get a live preview of the card before placing the order, which was helpful. Our new address is a bit on the long side, so the option to alter the font sizes was really great. Also, once we placed our order, we were sent a proof to approve before the card went to print. You pretty much know what your cards will look like before you receive them in the mail.

Minted also has a great, new option to make holiday cards even easier: recipient addressing (at no extra charge!). All you have to do is download their excel file template, fill it in with your address book and save it. Then, you upload that table, and then Minted autofills in your addressing information on their envelopes! I think that’s pretty awesome!

As far as my experience goes, I was thrilled with the way the cards came out. Granted, I really can’t show them to you all (since they contain my address), but I wanted to show you how much care goes into their packaging.

Everything was bubble-wrapped, so there were no bent envelopes or bent corners in the cards. I also appreciated that the quality of the cardstock and envelopes are great. I’ve purchased holiday cards from other companies before, and the cardstock/envelopes from Minted are by far, the best quality.

I can’t wait for our friends and family to receive our cards this year. It’s an exciting time for us, and I really feel that these cards are such a fun way to announce the upcoming move!

Beef Enchilada Rice Bake

December 9, 2015 by Amy 4 Comments

Disclaimer: I received a copy of Dinner for Two, in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are 100% my own.

House stuff is really starting to get hectic for us. With Christmas just around the corner, and this big move about to happen, I honestly just want to go home after work and be lazy. I don’t want to pack boxes or worry about cooking dinner. I just want to chill…I really miss my afternoon naps, y’all. 😛 Adult problems.

Since we alternate cooking nights with family that we live with, I’m always looking for something quick and easy to make after work. (It also has to taste good, of course.) I have quite a few go-to recipes, but I’m always looking for something different to add to my usual recipes. When I was offered to review Julie Wampler’s (of Table for Two) new book, Dinner for Two, I had to jump at the chance to give this book a try. Dinner for Two has 70 quick and easy dinner for two recipes (50 of which are dinner entrees and 20 are breakfast for dinner entrees). Quick and easy recipes…you had my attention, Julie. 🙂

I met Julie at Food Blog Forum in 2013, and ever since then, I’ve been a fan of her blog. She has gorgeous food photography, and she features a little bit of everything in her blog. One of the first recipes I tried from her blog was her Slow-Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala (which was delicious….I never blogged about it, but if y’all love chicken tikka masala, you have to try that recipe!).

Once I received her book in the mail, I immediately put post-it flags all over this book…there’s so many great dinner ideas! The first recipe we tried was this Beef Enchilada Rice Bake, and y’all…this recipe was so easy to throw together. Since it calls for cooked rice, I had the rice cooking while I was prepping and cooking through the first couple of steps. The timing worked out perfectly for me, since our rice cooker has rice ready in about 15 minutes.

As far as taste goes, this dish was super flavorful, and since I used a medium heat Ro*Tel, it had a good kick to it, too. My husband is pretty particular about recipes too, and he told me to add this to the (recipe) list. That’s when you know the recipe is a winner! 🙂

After flipping through Dinner for Two a few times, this book would make a wonderful gift this holiday season (it’s under $20 on Amazon right now). It’s perfect for anyone looking for quick and easy dinner ideas. I love that this book revolves around portions for two people…it’s just my husband and I, and we don’t need a ridiculous amount of leftovers we end up with after making some of my go-tos.

If you want more of a sneak peek of the book and to check out the recipes other bloggers are making out of Dinner for Two, check out Julie’s Virtual Date Night-In!

Beef Enchilada Rice Bake
Source: Dinner for Two cookbook

Ingredients:

2 tsp. vegetable oil

1 medium onion, diced (about 3/4 cup)

1 green bell pepper, diced (about 3/4 cup)

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 lb. 80/20 ground beef

1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chiles (Ro*Tel), drained well

2 cups cooked white rice

1/2 cup red enchilada sauce, plus more for drizzling

1 1/2 cups shredded mexican cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil. Once the oil is heated, add the onion, green bell pepper and garlic. Saute the mixture for 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the cumin, salt and black pepper.

Place the beef into the skillet and thoroughly cook the beef, breaking it up into pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Stir in the tomatoes/green chiles, and remove the skillet from heat. Add in the rice to the skillet, and stir everything together until everything is evenly distributed. Stir in the enchilada sauce, until just incorporated.

Place the mixture into a 2.5 quart oven-safe casserole dish. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the rice.

Bake the casserole in the oven on the middle rack, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Carefully remove the casserole from the oven and drizzle on more enchilada sauce, if desired. Enjoy!

The generous publishers of Julie’s book want to offer one lucky reader of The Nifty Foodie a copy of Dinner for Two!

To enter for a chance to win a copy, use the Rafflecopter widget below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Note: This giveaway is supplied by the publisher and is open to readers in the continental US only. Entries will be accepted until December 16th, 2015 at 11:59pm (central standard time). Winner will be emailed (make sure you leave an email address in the form), and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

Spiced Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

December 4, 2015 by Amy Leave a Comment

Disclosure: OXO sent me an illuminating hand mixer, in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are 100% my own.

Today, I went to our local party/baking supply store to stock up on holiday gift packaging. I honestly can’t believe it’s December. I know I say that a lot, but the whole house building process has just thrown me off, time-wise. My life is measured by the house countdown, because well…I’m pretty darn excited about it!

This year, I’m not going to do my usual bake-palooza. Since we live with relatives while the house is being built, I just don’t feel right taking over their entire kitchen for a full weekend (which is what I usually do). I’m going to scale back and make some candy (fudge, caramels), as well as these cookies.

I love the combination of dried cranberries with white chocolate. The chewy, tart berries, combined with sweet white chocolate works so well together, and to top these cookies off, I rolled part of the dough in a cinnamon/sugar combination to add a little crunchiness to the cookies. When I brought these to work, I kept getting compliments on how great they tasted, which made me think that I definitely have to make these again for holiday gifts. 🙂

To make these cookies, I put away the stand mixer and used OXO’s Illuminating Digital Hand Mixer.

While I love using my stand mixer for baking, this hand mixer is pretty awesome. It worked like a dream when I was mixing this cookie dough, and the illuminating feature is something I would have never thought was handy until I used it. I also love the digital control….it’s a simple up or down button to change the speed of the mixer. OXO also took care to make sure that storage was a cinch. The cord wraps around the unit, and there’s a special cap for you to snap the beaters into. It just goes neatly into the cabinet, which is a nice added touch (at least it is to me). I’m definitely going to use this hand mixer more often, especially for quicker baking recipes like this one!

Spiced Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies
Source: an original

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

12 tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup dried cranberries

For rolling:

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in a medium-sized bowl.

Using a mixer in a large bowl, mix the butter and sugars together until well-mixed. Beat in the egg/egg yolk and vanilla extract until well-mixed.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix on low until just combined. Using a spoon or spatula, mix in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.

Mix together the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a separate small bowl for rolling. Roll the dough into balls (about 2 tbsp. in size) and dip one half of each dough ball into the sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Place each dough ball on a cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart, with the un-sugared side down. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are starting to brown, being sure to turn the pans halfway through the baking process. After the cookies have cooled for about 10 minutes, transfer the cookies to fully cool on a cooling rack. Enjoy!

One-Pot Cheesy Sausage Pasta

November 19, 2015 by Amy Leave a Comment

Since daylight savings time ended a couple of weeks ago, it seems like my evenings are flying by. It doesn’t help that it’s dark just after 5pm…it just mentally throws me off to where I feel behind, no matter what time I start cooking. So lately, I’m a fan of quicker meals.

I’m pretty sure I’ve made this dish at least a handful of times the past couple of months. It’s a quicker recipe, and you only need one (oven-safe pot) to make it happen. I didn’t think I’d really like this dish, but the combination of flavors and the subtle richness from the heavy cream, makes for a quick comfort food (perfect for weeknights).

You can also lighten the recipe up with a few adaptations. I sometimes substitute regular sausage with chicken or turkey sausage. I also have used whole wheat pasta with success. However, I haven’t messed with the heavy cream in the recipe. I feel like it’s such a small amount for the entire dish, and it just goes well with the cheese in the recipe to make for a wonderfully creamy dish.

One-Pot Cheesy Sausage Pasta
Source: mildly adapted from Kevin & Amanda, originally from America’s Test Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. canola oil

1 lb. smoked sausage

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, grated or minced

15 oz. can low-sodium chicken broth

10 oz. can Rotel tomatoes and green chiles (mild or regular, depending on how spicy you want it)

1/2 cup heavy cream

8 oz. penne pasta

1 tsp. cajun seasoning

1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

Directions:

Add the canola oil to an oven-safe large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and onions, and cook the mixture, stirring often until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add and stir in the garlic, and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).

Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta and cajun seasoning to the mixture. Stir everything together well, and bring the mixture to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the skillet. Simmer the pasta until tender, about 15 minutes, uncovering and stirring every minute or so to make sure the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the shredded monterey jack cheese. Top the pasta with the remaining cheese, as well as the sliced green onions. Place the pan in the broiler (or at a super high heat, like 450°F), and broil the pasta until the cheese is melty and starting to brown. Enjoy!

Quick Dinner Rolls

November 17, 2015 by Amy Leave a Comment

This past week, the temperatures finally dipped into the 40s for us. I know that’s not really cold for those of you up north, but for me, all I could think about was SWEATERS…BOOTS…FALL! Finally!

As you may remember, we’re living with my husband’s parents while our house is being built. When the temperature dropped last week, his mom let us know she was cooking gumbo for dinner one evening, so of course, I had to make bread. Dipping bread in gumbo is one of my favorites, especially when it’s homemade bread.

Since it was a weeknight, I needed a quicker recipe, and this recipe from King Arthur Flour was perfect. In about an hour, the bread was ready for baking. The rolls were so tasty, too! I’m already considering the idea of making these for Thanksgiving…this quick(er) recipe would be perfect for a holiday dinner, since it makes 24 rolls. 🙂

Quick Dinner Rolls
Source: King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:

1/2 cup lukewarm water

2 cups warm milk (100-110° F)

3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled until lukewarm

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

1 tbsp. salt

2 1/2 tbsp. instant yeast

6-7 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Directions:

Place the water, milk, butter, sugar, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir everything together, and let it sit for 6-8 minutes (until the yeast begins to foam).

Add 5 cups of all purpose flour to the bowl and mix with a paddle attachment (or by hand) on low, until the dough forms a rough mass. Change the attachment on the mixer to the dough hook, turn the mixer on low. Add more flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a smooth ball of dough starts to form. Knead for 4-5 minutes in the mixer (or by hand for 10 minutes), until a soft, smooth ball of dough has formed. The ball of dough should feel elastic and slightly tacky to the touch.

Lightly spray the inside of a large bowl with cooking spray and place the dough in the bowl. Lightly spray the top of the dough with cooking spray, and cover the dough lightly with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise for 20 minutes at room temperature, until the dough appears to be full and puffy.

Gently deflate the dough and pat out the dough into a rough rectangle, about 8×12 inches in size. Cut the dough into 4 long strips, and then divide the strip into 6 portions, making 24 dough portions. Shape the portions into round balls, and if necessary, lightly spray cooking spray on your hands to prevent sticking.

Place the rolls in either one half-sheet baking pan, two quarter-sheet baking pans, two 9×13″ baking pans or four 8-9″ round baking pans. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Once the rolls are in the pans, cover the pans in plastic wrap, and allow the rolls to rise at room temperature for another 20-25 minutes.

Once the oven has preheated, bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and an internal thermometer reads 190°F. An optional step is to brush the baked rolls with melted butter. Serve warm. If you have leftover rolls, store the rolls in a plastic bag for up to 3 days.

Thanksgiving Throwback & GIVEAWAY!

November 11, 2015 by Amy 18 Comments

Disclosure: Butterball provided me with a turkey gift check, as well as two other turkey gift checks to giveaway, in exchange for a post. All opinions are 100% my own.

Y’all.

Thanksgiving is almost two weeks away. Yep…two weeks. I know I say this a lot, but holy cow…this year is FLYING.

I truly love this time of the year. Family gatherings mean so much to me, because as the years pass, it seems like we get busier and busier. Thanksgiving is just one of those times where we can all sit around the table and catch up on each other’s year. It’s so different from our Thanksgiving dinners from 15-20 years ago.

When we were younger, the adults would have their own table and the kids would have their own table. The adults would serve themselves on china, and the kids would eat on disposable plates. I mean, I totally understand why. I also understand why we didn’t get a tablecloth at the kid table. We sort of made a mess. 😛 Now, we all eat at the same table, and I nervously/carefully eat my meal on china (a clumsy person’s nightmare).

The food has changed as we’ve gotten older, too. Of course, there was (and still is) Butterball turkey and cornbread dressing as the main components of the meal. However, the picky kid palates are no more, so we’ve gone from mac & cheese (from a box) to cheesy cauliflower and sweet potato casserole to sweet potato souffle. While the general ideas are the same, it’s interesting to see how things have changed.

Even the topics of conversation have morphed from report card grades and what we’re asking Santa for this Christmas, to college/careers, sports and politics. With so many adults at one table now, the volume of conversation starts at a normal volume, and seemingly gets louder and louder until you can no longer hear the football game that is on TV in the background. It can be a bit overwhelming to an outsider, but I mean…that’s just how my family is. 🙂

Now, before any of the family conversations happen, Thanksgiving starts early in the morning simply with a turkey. Turkey for us is the heart of our Thanksgiving meal…it just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without the turkey. Butterball is all about being a part of your family’s Thanksgiving. From quality turkey to great recipes and helpful turkey advice/how-to articles (hello, turkey calculator!), Butterball is there to help you host an amazing Thanksgiving gathering.

This year, Butterball is embracing the throwback, made popular by Throwback Thursday (#TBT). Butterball is encouraging families and friends this year to throwback and recall favorite Thanksgiving moments by sharing Thanksgiving family photos, memories and favorite (or not-so-favorite) vintage dishes on their Facebook page. Butterball is also bringing past Thanksgivings into the present by opening the Butterball archives and sharing their favorite throwback recipes. And of course, there’s always the help from the Turkey Talk-Line experts, who have been around for 30+ years, offering home cooks turkey-related advice around the November/December holiday season.

To gear up for the upcoming holidays, the generous folks at Butterball are offering a $20 turkey gift check to TWO readers of The Nifty Foodie.

Enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below (continental US readers only):

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Note: This giveaway is supplied by Butterball, and is open to readers in the continental US only. Entries will be accepted until November 15th, 2015 at 11:59pm (central standard time). Winner will be emailed (make sure you leave an email address in the form), and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

Halloween Candy Muddy Buddies

November 6, 2015 by Amy Leave a Comment

Last week, our Trick or Treat night was moved to Friday night. We’ve been having some crazy rain lately, so they wanted to allow the families to enjoy Halloween with nicer weather (which Friday night was forecasted to be rain-free).

I had some grand plans of sitting out on the patio, and giving the neighborhood kids fun little treats. However, by the time the work week was over, and I had fought crazy Friday afternoon traffic, I was pretty much done. We picked up dinner, and turned off the front porch lights. LOL.

So, needless to say…leftover Halloween candy is a biggie this year in our house. I’m probably going to throw quite a bit of the chocolate in brownies for our coworkers (as usual), but I also thought that chopping it up and adding it to a batch of muddy buddies would be an easy way to get the leftover candy out of our house.

I’m surprised that I’ve never shared muddy buddies with y’all before. They’re a great, simple party food/snack, and each batch makes a LOT. With the addition of leftover Halloween candy, this batch filled up a huge party bowl, and almost all of it was gone by the end of the day. 🙂

Halloween Candy Muddy Buddies
Source: mildly adapted from Chex

Ingredients:

9 cups of Chex cereal (rice, corn, and/or chocolate)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

1-2 cups of chocolate candy, chopped

Directions:

Place the cereal in a large bowl and set aside. Line a baking sheet with wax or parchment paper and set aside.

In a microwave-safe medium-sized bowl, add the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Microwave the mixture for 1 minute on high. Stir the mixture well, until smooth. If you need to heat up the mixture more, microwave the mixture for 30 more seconds and stir (repeat if necessary). Stir in the vanilla extract.

Pour the chocolate/peanut butter mixture over the cereal, as well as the chopped chocolate candies, and gently stir until the cereal is evenly coated in the mixture. Add the mixture evenly to two 1-gallon plastic resealable food-storage bags.

Add half of the confectioners sugar to each bag, and seal each bag well. Shake each bag until the mixtures in each bag are well-coated.

Spread the muddy buddies evenly onto the baking sheet, and allow the mixture to cool. Store in an airtight container in the fridge, until you are ready to serve. Enjoy!

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