Mothers Day Drink Recipe: Broken Sunrise Cocktail #sponsored

Mothers Day Drink Recipe: Broken Sunrise Cocktail #sponsored

May 6, 2013 by · 5 Comments

This Mothers Day Drink Recipe is sponsored by a sample from Broken Shed Vodka but all opinions expressed are my own.

Yesterday my husband and I were chatting and I reminded him to get a card for his mom for Mothers Day.  He looked at me with a sort of deer in the headlights look for a moment and asked “Mothers Day is next week?”  Yes, dear husband, Mothers Day is coming  up in just a few short days!  So, of course his next question is “Is there anything special you WANT for Mothers Day?”  Good thing for him I am an easy mom to please on Mothers Day!  I don’t want diamonds, spa packages or exotic vacations.  The only things I really want are a day off from housework, some time with my family, and a very large bowl of ice cream!  Of course, I would also like to sit down to a nice cocktail to relax after someone ELSE cooks me dinner!  This Mothers Day drink recipe from Broken Shed Vodka is the perfect way to relax at the end of the day.  I was sent a bottle of Broken Shed Vodka so that I could try out this Mothers Day drink recipe for myself and it was the perfect combination of fruity sweet but just a tad bit tart!

Broken Sunrise Cocktail

mothers day drink recipe with banner

Mothers Day Drink Recipe

 

Broken Sunrise Cocktail
 
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Lightly sweet and tart, this cocktail is very refreshing!
Recipe type: Drinks
Serves: 1

Ingredients
  • 2 parts Broken Shed Vodka
  • 1 part orange juice
  • 1 part cranberry juice
  • 1 part soda water
  • mint for garnish

Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients in a tall glass
  2. Add ice and stir gently
  3. garnish with mint if desired

Broken Shed Vodka is distilled, crafted and bottled in New Zealand and it is completely free of additives.   Broken Shed Vodka is created with whey (which comes from milk production) and is distilled 4 times so it is incredibly smooth.  The water comes from the sparsely populated Southern Alps and is very pure.   Broken Shed recently received a score of 90, (with the accolade of “Excellent, Highly Recommended”) at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

I found this vodka to be incredibly smooth and the cocktail recipe turned out fabulous!  If you are looking to create a unique Mothers Day Drink Recipe this is certainly a wonderful choice of vodka to use!

 

broken shed vodka

Disclaimer:  In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials.”: I received product samples  in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation. All opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.

 

Filed Under: In The Kichen · Tagged: , , ,
Cooking from Scratch Made Easy #sponsored #MyBlogSpark

Cooking from Scratch Made Easy #sponsored #MyBlogSpark

April 18, 2013 by · 185 Comments

This Cooking From Scratch post is sponsored by Pillsbury and My Blog Spark but all opinions expressed are mine alone.

My kids have more activities to keep them busy than I can keep up with.  Every day after school we tackle homework and whatever extracurricular activity is scheduled for that evening.  Occasionally that means my husband and I are taking different kids in different directions and don’t get to eat dinner til 7 PM.  I like that my kids are active but I refuse to eat takeout and/or delivery on nights that we are busy.  You might think that cooking from scratch is impossible on busy nights but I have learned a few ways to make cooking dinner for my family a little bit quicker.  Cooking from scratch is much healthier and cheaper than hitting the drive through and you get to control the ingredients you put into your meal.  Sometimes, cooking from scratch requires a bit of advanced planning, though, to make it work for a busy night.  Here are a few ideas on how you can make cooking from scratch a little bit easier:

Cooking From Scratch Made Easy

cooking from scratch

1.  Homemade soups are much healthier than the canned variety and are an incredibly easy, one pot meal.  Skip the canned stock, too, by making up a batch of homemade stock and freezing it back on the weekends.  Just add leftover bones from your latest roast, a few chunks of veggies like onion and carrots, and some herbs and seasonings.  After a few hours of simmering you will be left with a low sodium, flavorful stock that you can freeze back in plastic containers or zip to lock bags for the next batch of soup you want to cook from scratch on a busy night.

2.  Making a casserole? Try making TWO!  If you invest in a couple of extra glass pans with fitted plastic lids it is easy to make up one extra casserole or pan of lasagna on a Saturday afternoon.  Freeze one back for a night when you just don’t have time to cook.

3.  Do the dicing and chopping ahead of time:  If you dice up several onions, bell peppers, celery stalks, carrots, etc you will have a lot less work to do the next time you pull out your favorite recipe.  Use a hand held chopped to really get things going quickly and then store the leftovers in the freezer so you can cook from scratch without getting out your cutting board again.

4.  Throw an extra chicken breast on the grill on the weekend.  I love having leftover chicken in my fridge because it is so incredibly versatile!  If you have the grill on anyhow, throw one or two boneless chicken breasts on.  Use them on top of homemade pizza, in a stirfry, or as a top your own salad addition.  All of those meals are much quicker when you don’t have to worry about cooking the meat first!

5.  Realize that semi homemade is still okay:  Some things can be made quickly from scratch and others cannot.  I learned long ago that ALMOST homemade is still better than fast food and takeout.  I do not roll out my own homemade pie crusts when I make a quiche and I do not make my own pizza dough when I make homemade pizza.  I COULD…but I rarely have that kind of time during the week.  Thankfully, you can buy some great premade pizza crusts at the grocery store, including the Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain.

pillsbury_artisan_pizza_crust

Making homemade pizza is a great way to use local and seasonal ingredients in your dinner.  It is also very easy to make up your toppings ahead of time to help make dinner preparation quicker.  With previously diced peppers and onions along with some leftover grilled chicken, I have a balanced meal for my family that is filling and quick to make.  If you want a few ideas on how YOU can prepare homemade pizza for your family check out the Farmer’s Market Pizza Ideas from Pillsbury.   Also make sure to get the online coupon for $1.50 off one package of Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust.

The GiveawayArtisanFreshIgredients_PrizePack

Want to try the new Artisan Pizza Crust and make your own Farmer’s Market Pizza?  My Blog Spark would like to give one of my readers a prize package that includes:

  • A VIP coupon for one FREE Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain
  • 15.5″ Farberware Pizza Pan
  • Food Chopper with Storage Containers
  • Silicon-grip Oven Mitt
  • Retail Value: $64

 

This is a Giveaway Tools contest so follow the directions in the form below to enter to win.

 

Disclaimer:  In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials.”: I received product samples  in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation. All opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone. Some of the links in this post may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.

By entering this giveaway, you release this blog and it’s owner from any liability whatsoever, and waive any and all causes of action, related to any claims, costs, injuries, losses or damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with the giveaway or delivery, mis-delivery or acceptance of any prize.

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: giveaway, In The Kichen · Tagged: ,
Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wing Recipe

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wing Recipe

April 15, 2013 by · 2 Comments

My husband has managed to get my kids addicted to chicken wings and every time we head out to a restaurant, that is what they enjoy getting.  Since I cannot afford for them to go out to eat every week, I figured I needed to find a recipe to easily make them at home.  I love the combination of sweet and spicy flavors combined together and this recipe has a great balance.  It is not flaming hot so if you want MORE heat, just kick it up with some cayenne pepper in the dipping sauce right before you serve it.  I warn you though, put down some aluminum foil on your baking sheet because the honey in the marinade creates a bit of a mess when it bakes!  Since this chicken wing recipe is baked rather than fried it is lower in fat, which is nice!  I use sriracha sauce for the heat in this recipe but you can use other hot sauces depending on your preferences.

sweet and spicy chicken wing recipe

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wing Recipe

5.0 from 2 reviews

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wing Recipe
 
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A great blend of sweet and spicy flavors make these chicken wings delicious!
Recipe type: meat, appetizer
Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients
  • 2 dozen Chicken wings and/or Drumettes
  • For the marinade:
  • ½ cup Olive Oil
  • ¼ red wine Vinegar
  • 1 TBSP Sriracha sauce
  • ½ cup Honey
  • 2 TBSP Soy Sauce
  • ½ teaspoon Chili Powder
  • 2 Garlic cloves (minced)
  • 1 tsp minced ginger
  • ¼ tsp black pepper to taste
  • For the Dipping Sauce:
  • 1 TBSP Sriracha sauce
  • ½ cup Honey
  • 2 TBSP Soy Sauce
  • 1 teaspoon grated Ginger
  • ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions
  1. Mix all of the marinade ingredients in a large bowl
  2. Add in the chicken wings/drumetts and toss to coat. Place in refrigerator and marinate 2 hours to overnight, mixing occasionally
  3. Place the chicken on a foil lined cookie sheet
  4. Bake in an oven preheated to 425 degrees for 35 minutes, turning over half way through.
  5. While chicken is baking, mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
  6. Remove chicken from oven and let cool slightly before serving with the sauce.

Do you have a favorite chicken wing recipe?  If you do, leave a link in the comments below so I can try it out!

Filed Under: In The Kichen · Tagged: , ,
Honey Crunch Quick Bread Recipe with Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal! #HoneyBunchesGreek #sp

Honey Crunch Quick Bread Recipe with Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal! #HoneyBunchesGreek #sp

April 3, 2013 by · 1 Comment

This recipe for Honey Bunches of Oats Quick Bread Recipe has been sponsored by Mom It Forward and Honey Bunches of Oats. All opinions are mine and mine alone.

I love to make quick bread for my family because they are incredibly easy and I can hide all sorts of good things in them. They are sweet enough for my kids to think they are eating dessert without realizing that they are actually eating something slightly healthy for them. Whole grains, seeds, and dried fruits are all great things to throw into a quick bread recipe next time you feel like baking. When I was recently sent a box of Honey Bunches of Oats Greek Honey Crunch cereal to try out, I thought this would be a great addition to my next quick bread because it is sweet, crunchy and loaded with whole grains.  We use cereal in all sorts of ways in my house besides in a bowl with milk for breakfast.  Cereal makes a great addition to trail mix and is tasty dry as a snack.  You can make it into cookies or a tasty quick bread and even crush it up and use it as a coating on other foods.  Who says cereal just has to be for breakfast, right?

Honey Bunches of Oats

New Honey Bunches of Oats Greek is made with two unique granolas made with Greek yogurt, crispy whole grain flakes and a touch of honey. With 33 grams of Whole Grains, one bowl provides over two-thirds of your day’s Whole Grains.  There are tons of whole grain flakes and clusters of sweet, Greek yogurt goodness that made my kids happy to see it in their bowls in the morning. My kids and I both enjoyed the flavor of this cereal straight and it was also a great addition to my quick bread recipe.  The combination of light and crispy flakes with the clusters of sweet yoghurt was really enjoyable.  Here are a few other facts about this new cereal that you may want to know:

Honey Bunches of Oats Greek Honey Crunch cereal has:

  • Four nutritious grains: rice, wheat, oats and corn
  • 33g of whole grain per serving†
  • 5g of protein per serving
  • 4g of fiber per serving
  • 80% of the recommended daily value of iron per serving

Want to try Honey Bunches of Oats Greek Honey Crunch cereal?  Check them out on Facebook and get a $1.00 off coupon! You can also connect with them on Twitter.

honey crunch quick bread with banner

Honey Crunch Quick Bread

5.0 from 1 reviews

Honey Crunch Quick Bread
 
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A sweet and chewy quick bread with bits of crunchy whole grains.
Author:
Recipe type: bread
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients
  • 1½ cups all purpose flour
  • 1½ cups Honey Bunches of Oats Greek Honey Crunch cereal
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground allspice
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup honey
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup dried fruit (I used cherries)

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cereal, spices, baking powder, and salt.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, honey, vegetable oil and eggs, vanilla and milk.
  4. Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until combined
  5. Stir in dried fruit until well incorporated.
  6. Pour into the prepared pan.
  7. Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  8. Turn loaf out to cool on a wire rack before slicing.

 

Disclaimer: I am part of the Mom It Forward blogger network. Mom It Forward and Honey Bunches of Oats partnered in support of this campaign. Honey Bunches of Oats compensated me for participation in this campaign. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Filed Under: In The Kichen · Tagged: ,
Almost Homemade Paella Recipe with Gorton’s Seafood #sp

Almost Homemade Paella Recipe with Gorton’s Seafood #sp

April 3, 2013 by · 151 Comments

This Almost Homemade Paella Recipe is sponsored by Gorton’s Seafood but all opinions are my own.

I grew up in New England so seafood has always been a huge part of my diet.  I can honestly say that they only seafood so far that I DON’T like has been oysters.  Other than that, I can eat it grilled, fried, or in a creative soup or entree.  While I love to eat seafood, I don’t always have time on a busy night to get too creative with it.  Like most families, we are loaded down with after school activities that require us to eat dinner quick and get going to the next event.  Well, I was recently given the chance to work with Gorton’s seafood to try out some of their frozen seafood options with my family.  I created this almost homemade paella recipe in less than 20 minutes with Gorton’s Grilled Tilapia fillets  and it came out delicious.

paella recipe

Almost Homemade Paella Recipe

4.8 from 4 reviews

Almost Homemade Paella Recipe
 
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A quick and easy paella recipe for a busy weeknight
Author:
Recipe type: entree
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients
  • 3 cups cooked rice
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 Gorton’s grilled tilapia fillets (2 packages)
  • 1 can diced tomatoes (undrained)
  • 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
  • ½ chicken stock
  • 3 TBSP olive oil

Instructions
  1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute onions until translucent
  2. Add in the garlic, can of diced tomatoes, and chicken stock.
  3. Bring to a simmer
  4. Place the 4 grilled tilapia fillets on top of the mixture in the pan and cover. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 10 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork.
  5. When fish is cooked, add the thawed frozen peas and the cooked rice. Stir until mixed completely and serve

I love the selection of Gorton’s seafood that I found in my grocery store.  I even came home with some great shrimp that I am looking forward to using in a stirfry.  If you want to start including more seafood in your diet but aren’t really sure you have time to get really fancy, check out the Gorton’s Recipe Page for inspiration.  They have a great selection of recipes to try and you can sort by how much time they take or which product you would like to feature.

gortonschallenge

Enter to Win Seafood for a Year

Right now, Gorton’s is sponsoring the weekly Gorton’s Seafood Challenge which focuses on a different product every week.  You create the recipe, upload the photo, and Gorton’s chooses a new winner every week.  What do they win?  Seafood for a year!  That is a pretty awesome prize! Check out the Gorton’s  Facebook page to participate.

gorton's seafood with homemade paella recipe

Enter to Win a Gorton’s Prize Pack

Want to make the homemade paella recipe I spotlighted above?  Want to get free seafood to put in it?  Well, enter to win a Gorton’s Seafood prize pack that  includes:

  • 5 full-value product coupons so you can sample several different 20 at 200 products
  • 1 Gorton’s branded apron
  • 2 Gorton’s branded oven mitts
  • 1 Gorton’s branded spatula

This is a Giveaway Tools contest so just follow the directions in the form below to enter.

Disclaimer:  In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials.”: I received product samples  in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation. All opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone. Some of the links in this post may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.

By entering this giveaway, you release this blog and it’s owner from any liability whatsoever, and waive any and all causes of action, related to any claims, costs, injuries, losses or damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with the giveaway or delivery, mis-delivery or acceptance of any prize.

Filed Under: giveaway, In The Kichen · Tagged: , , ,
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