Review

The Keepsake Kitchen Diary (Review + Giveaway)

May 4, 2016 by Amy 13 Comments

Disclosure: I received a copy (as well as a giveaway copy), in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are 100% my own.

Back when I started this blog, the original idea was for my blog to just be for me. I just wanted a place to type out recipes, along with what we thought of them (sort of like a virtual recipe box). 🙂

I still love something about sifting through cookbooks, though. It’s a lot easier to refer back to a book vs. refreshing a screen while cooking, and plus, it’s just something about paper. I can’t get rid of it….I know my husband wishes I’d move to a Kindle edition of every cookbook I own, but I just can’t.

Lily & Val came up with a lovely way to sort of DIY your own recipe box cookbook. They created The Keepsake Kitchen Diary, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it to review for you guys!

One of the key details that I appreciate is that it’s spiral-bound. It just makes everything lay flat as you’re writing in it. 🙂

The book also features a pocket folder on the front and back sides, which is perfect for newspaper clippings, recipe cards or other stray papers. Another nice detail is that there are tabs to separate the recipe types, so you can flip to exactly what you need.

In the front of every tab is a table of contents that you can fill out. Also, all of the pages in the book are numbered for you to make a true table of contents.

Here’s the recipe page. On the left side is where you can write the recipe name, ingredients, directions and other tips. The right side is more of a journal to where you can write when you made the recipe. As you can see, my mom’s fudge recipe is pretty much just for the holidays. 🙂

Also throughout the book, there are really cute graphics. I sort of want to tear some out and frame them, but the book is too pretty to mess up!

And finally, near the back of the book are perforated recipe cards for you to share your favorite recipes with others.

All in all, I really appreciate the details in The Keepsake Kitchen Diary. Between the lovely graphics and just how organized it is, I have a feeling I’ll fill this book up in no time. 🙂 If I had to list a con, however, I wish there were more lines for directions. I don’t have very large handwriting, so I feel like they could have put the lines closer together, allowing them to add more in the space that they have on the page.

Do you guys want to enter for a chance to win your own copy of The Keepsake Kitchen Diary? Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway 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 May 11th, 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.

Coconut Oatmeal Cookies with Caramel Drizzle

April 21, 2016 by Amy Leave a Comment

Disclosure: I was sent this cookbook at no cost to me for a fair and honest review. All opinions are 100% my own.

A few years ago, I went to IFBC when it was held in New Orleans. It was my first blog conference, and I had no idea what to expect. I gained so much from that conference, from inspiring sessions to meeting wonderful bloggers like Andie. Andie stood out to me, because her weight-loss journey inspired me, and after meeting her, I can’t even begin to describe how awesome she is. When I introduced myself (in probably the most dorky way possible), she was just so sweet and genuine. She’s just such a wonderful person, and her positivity is contagious.

If you haven’t read her blog before, I urge you to take a minute (or a few hours haha) to check it out. She’s a fantastic writer with an inspiring story. Her memoir, It Was Me All Along, was the first book that I read in a long time, and I couldn’t put it down. In fact, I read her memoir again recently to inspire me on the start of my weight loss journey.

When Andie announced that she was writing a cookbook, I knew it would be perfect for someone like me. Her book, Eating in the Middle, features the perfect combination of recipes for enjoying a healthier life without sacrificing the foods that most people crave (in moderation, of course). From Greek Yogurt Pancakes to Jerk Shrimp Salad with Mango & Avocado to these lovely cookies, there’s a huge variety of recipes in this book! If you have yet to read her memoir, I feel like this book is beyond recipes…she relates her recipes to different aspects of her life and experiences that make you feel like old friends. 🙂 Also, the photography is just drop-dead gorgeous. Because of Andie’s book, we’re going to have several new dinner ideas to try.

Source: Andie Mitchell

Now, these cookies. When I was flipping through the book, of course the dessert section grabbed my attention. These cookies have a little bit of everything delicious in it…sweetened coconut, oatmeal, walnuts, chocolate chips, and of course…caramel! When I brought these to share them with my coworkers, I was shocked that all 36 cookies (ok, 35…quality control haha!) disappeared. 🙂 I even had a couple of emails asking for the recipe (well here it is, y’all)! These were a home-run, Andie! I can’t wait to try other recipes in the book. 🙂

Coconut Oatmeal Cookies with Caramel Drizzle
Source: Eating in the Middle

Ingredients:

For the cookies:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup unsalted walnuts, toasted and chopped

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

10 tbsp. (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

For the drizzle:

12 soft caramels, unwrapped

2 tbsp. heavy cream

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a medium-sized bowl and whisk until combined.

In another medium-sized bowl, stir together the oats, walnuts, coconut and chocolate chips.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and dark brown sugar on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, until whipped and smooth. Scrape the bowl, and add in the egg and vanilla. Mix for about a minute, until combined.

Change the speed on the mixer to low, and gradually add the flour mixture, beating until the dough is just combined. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, add in the oats mixture and stir until just combined, being mindful not to overmix.

Using a medium cookie scoop (or 2 tbsp.), scoop out the dough and place the dough balls 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Using your hands or the bottom of a glass, gently flatten the dough balls.

Bake the cookies, rotating the baking sheets halfway (front to back and top to bottom) until the edges of the cookies are crisp, the cookies are a golden color, and the centers are still soft and underdone (about 13-15 minutes). Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets before transferring the cookies to a wire cooling rack.

Once the cookies have completely cooled, prepare the caramel drizzle. In a small microwave-safe bowl, add the caramels and heavy cream. Microwave the mixture on high, stirring every 30 seconds, until the caramels have melted and the mixture is smooth (about 1-2 minutes). Drizzle the caramel over the cookies, and allow the caramel to cool completely until the caramel is set. Enjoy!

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!

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!

Taffy Plus Size Activewear Review/Giveaway

March 24, 2014 by Amy 37 Comments

Disclaimer: This review/giveaway is sponsored by Taffy, in conjunction with Fit Approach/Sweat Pink. All opinions are my own.

Since I’ve gained some of my weight back, I’m gonna admit that I’m back in plus sizes. A 1X is my usual size, and while some of my XL clothes still fit, most of my closet isn’t being worn right now. It’s sort of depressing.

I know it’s just a tag, but eh…it’s still a tough pill to swallow. A while back, a good blogging friend sent me a link about reviewing this brand of plus size activewear: Taffy. Since some of my workout clothes are a bit snug right now, I went for it.

I was sent the Taffy Essential Jacket (in white) for review through Sweat Pink. Since it tends to still switch between cold and warm lately, this jacket is still getting some use! I mean, last week we had weather in the 30s and just Saturday when my husband and I were doing yard work, I couldn’t stop sweating…it was HOT. Anyway, for chilly afternoons/evenings, I like to wear a light jacket to say, go for a run, walk the dog or heck, just wear on the way to the gym!

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Cruisin’ with Carnival

January 28, 2014 by Amy 1 Comment

Back in December, my husband and I took a cruise out of New Orleans in the Western Caribbean (Montego Bay, Jamaica…Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands…Cozumel, Mexico) through Carnival Cruise Lines. While we took this same cruise last year, we were excited to go on the Carnival Sunshine, since the ship was recently renovated. We were much more excited, especially, after spending a few hours aboard the Sunshine for the naming ceremony.

We went the week before Christmas, and while many people think that’s a tad bit crazy, I absolutely loved it! It was awesome to come home a couple of days before Christmas absolutely refreshed and stress free, especially since we were hosting my husband’s family for Christmas. There’s nothing to worry about when you don’t have a house to clean or any food to prep! 🙂

We booked an aft balcony room, which is quickly becoming a favorite room type of ours. Aft balcony rooms are in the back of the boat, and it’s usually super quiet/serene, since it’s far from the parties/restaurants on the boat. We loved sitting out on our balcony every afternoon (or almost every afternoon, since I nap like a champ) and just snapping pictures. Sunsets are SO fun to photograph. 🙂

Also, the night sky. When you’re in the middle of nowhere, the moon looks especially amazing. This was as we were leaving Jamaica. The water absolutely sparkled under the moonlight…it was so serene and lovely. I stink at photographing it, though…none of my photos did this view any justice.

Also, when I cruise, I eat. I’m sorry, but I threw calorie counting out the window. Warm chocolate melting cake was a must…a MUST. I also loved the dinner-time entertainment, as silly as it was. I’m a sucker for that stuff. 🙂

As far as workouts go, I will admit that I did still train for my half on the cruise ship. Thankfully, the gym wasn’t crowded at all for my long run, so I had no worries about being asked to leave the treadmill for the 30 minute limit that is set for peak times. I ran 5.5 miles, which for me, on a treadmill, was a feat in itself. Sadly, no other runs happened on the cruise, but I was happy that I got the long run in!

We also regularly enjoyed the Punchliner Comedy shows every evening after dinner. We loved the adult comedy shows, and some of the comedians on the ship had me laughing so hard that it felt like I had an ab workout that night. Hilarious!

And, after everything was over, it was always nice to come back to our room at night to see our towel animal of the evening. Our room stewards absolutely rocked, and they had such a funny sense of humor…I mean, how cute is a towel monkey hanging from the ceiling?

Also, this guy. He looks like he’s saying, “How YOU doin’?”

I could go on and on about things on the ship, but I definitely want to talk about what we did while the ship was in port. In Jamaica, we didn’t book an excursion, because we just wanted to shop (hi, cheap rum!) and have a relaxing day in the port. We had a busy day ahead of us in Cayman anyway….or so we thought.

We were super excited about our day in Cayman, because we booked an excursion with the stingrays. We packed our day bag (which we got at the naming ceremony…thanks Carnival!), and went out to the tender boat. We booked something called “Faster to the Fun” through Carnival, which was especially awesome for tender days. Not only do you get VIP check-in, you also automatically get on the next tender boat, no matter when you go downstairs. We felt pretty fancy getting escorted to the tender boat, and not having to wait at all. 🙂

Here was the view of the Sunshine as the tender boat was pulling in to the island. Isn’t the water just gorgeous?

Now, here’s where the bummer came in. That day when we got off the ship, we were told that all stingray excursions were cancelled, due to high winds on that side of the island. Huge bummer. We were really looking forward to the excursion, but we understood that safety was a priority, and even if we did go, we were told that the stingrays don’t go in shallow water when the tides are like that. So, it would have been a waste of money. Ah well…

So, when life throws you coconuts, drink coconut water? Ok, maybe that saying goes a little differently, but this cart kind of made my day. How much more island-y can you get? 🙂

Even though our excursion was cancelled, we didn’t want to waste our day on the island, so we ended up taking a driving tour of the island, and learned some interesting facts about Grand Cayman. Did you know that they don’t elect their governor? Great Britain just sends one every 4 years. They also only pay property taxes ONCE. We joked about moving here once we win the lottery. 😛 Hey, they have a Popeye’s…I could survive.

The next day, we were in Cozumel. Our excursion in Cozumel was a Mexican Cooking Class at a resort. OMG…this beach…

My husband and I walked away from the beach for a while to take the cooking class, and it involved making an appetizer, an entree and dessert. What I enjoyed about this class is that these were dishes that I’ve never made before, like caramelized plantains with chocolate tequila sauce (OMG) and seared grouper with vegetables and tamarind sauce. It was insanely good, and the coconut rum/pineapple drinks that the bartender would bring made the class even sweeter. 😛 My only issue is that the room was a tad stuffy with 20 burners going on, but they finally let us open the windows to let the breeze through the room. Whew!

While we didn’t get to do everything we wanted, I have to say that we had a great time, and we’ll definitely cruise again. We’re already looking into another Carnival cruise, but this time, I definitely want to check out different locations in the Caribbean. 🙂

Disclosure: We paid for our cruise, “Faster to the Fun” and our excursions, but Carnival did provide me with some complimentary WiFi time on the ship in exchange for a blog post. All opinions are 100% my own.

The Time You Save & A Calphalon Giveaway

November 20, 2013 by Amy 49 Comments

With the holiday season just around the corner, time with family and friends is so important. The holidays can be very hectic, between the shopping and party planning, but if you can save some time on the day to day tasks (like cooking for your family/cleaning up afterwards), you can definitely etch out some time with your loved ones.

Calphalon recently relaunched their popular Contemporary Nonstick line, and is all about helping families save time with “The Time You Save” campaign. One of the key new perks about the cookware is that it’s now dishwasher safe! So, you can make your quick, weeknight meals, rinse the pot/pan out & place it straight in the dishwasher with your plates & utensils. Calphalon realizes that The Time You Save is valuable, so taking away the task of doing the dishes after a meal is great! You can now take some time away from the kitchen, and instead, enjoy that time with your family decorating the house, wrapping gifts or building a gingerbread house for the holidays! 🙂

Also, along with Calphalon’s “The Time You Save” campaign, I wanted to share a couple of recipes with y’all, featuring their new cookware that requires very little hands-on time in the kitchen. 🙂

Calphalon sent me their new panini pan, as well as their 8 quart multi-pot with steamer to use for some time-saving recipes. I used their panini pan to make a chicken panini, using leftover roasted chicken, and I used the multi-pot to make a chicken tortilla soup.

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Holiday Spritz Cookies & A Giveaway!

November 11, 2013 by Amy 55 Comments

I am in hog heaven lately. It’s no surprise to you guys that Christmas is a holiday that I just adore, and with the holidays, there is always baking. Lots and lots of baking. I know I mentioned last week that I had to special order 28 blocks of cream cheese…well, when the butter goes on sale, I’m pretty sure I’m going to need 15 boxes. I’m not even kidding. I just love holiday baking, and truly enjoy sharing those treats with the ones that I care about.

America’s Test Kitchen recently came out with their newest book: The Cook’s Illustrated Baking Book, and sent me a complimentary copy to review. I just adore America’s Test Kitchen. I subscribe to both Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country, as well as frequently cook from The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook. So when they asked me if I’d like to review this book, I didn’t even have to think about it. I actually had this book on my holiday wish list when I first read about the book in this post (which is what encouraged me to bake those scrumptious sticky buns in the first place). 🙂 When I received it in the mail, I had my post-its in hand ready to mark the recipes that I wanted to make right away.

The book contains 15 different chapters, with 450 recipes total. The book also has a comprehensive section called baking basics, explaining pretty much anything you ever needed to know about basic baking ingredients and tools, as well as tips to become a better baker in the kitchen.

It’s also beautifully illustrated. I’m usually a sucker for color photos when it comes to food photography, but the black and white photography just draws you in. Also, in true Cook’s Illustrated fashion, there are step-by-step illustrations for some of the more complicated recipes. I appreciate this, because while you don’t necessarily always need step-by-step photos, there are some recipes where you just need an illustration or two to guide you along the way. There’s also notes in the beginning of every recipe, explaining what the recipe is and how certain ingredients in the recipe work to make this recipe just perfect.

As I was skimming through the book, these holiday spritz cookies caught my eye. Really, it was the word “holiday”. 😉 I’ve attempted to make spritz cookies before, and sadly, the dough ended up being too thick to use in the cookie press. I haven’t attempted spritz cookies since, and that was a few years ago. While I own a cookie press, I wanted to try it with another method that they recommended: a star tip and a piping bag. Genius….

I was so excited when these cookies actually piped out, and they baked up perfectly. These cookies put those holiday tin cookies to shame. They’re perfectly buttery, not too sweet, and are so simple to make! I ended up adding some sprinkles to some before baking as well, and that gave them some extra holiday flair. Of course, they’re delicious on their own, but sprinkles make everything more fun, right?

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