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{Review} Healthy Choice Café Steamers

I'm pretty sure I've alluded to the fact that I'm a busy mom of three boys.  What that translates to every afternoon is that I rarely have a chance to sit and enjoy a meal during lunchtime here at home.   What's more is that when I do actually have that chance, I usually have to fix something quick (so I don't have to share with my 2 year-old!) and easy because I need to move on to the next "to-do" on my list.  Plus, I really try and keep my time in the kitchen to a minimum.  I would much rather be spending time having fun with my kids or working on little projects around the house, than being a slave over the stove day in and day out!

So when I was offered the chance to review the new line of Healthy Choice Top Chef Inspired Café Steamers, I delightfully accepted!  I've always associated the brand Healthy Choice with quality and most of all YUMMY bites for busy moms!

I was particularly excited to try the barbecue seasoned steak + potatoes because, well, I'm from Texas and I'm a beef girl!  I really do like the unique steaming technology that Healthy Choice has introduced with this new line of bold and exciting entrees!  After I removed the bowl from the packaging and microwaved it according to the package directions, I simply removed the steaming bowl and poured the contents of it into the sauce, which was down in a separate part of the container.  Genius!

This totally kept my veggies crisp and tender without making them soggy since they weren't sitting in sauce!  Then it was time to mix it up and dig in!

Truly delish!  I could totally see these being my grab-n-go lunch option during the busy weeks ahead with all of the holiday planning and prepping!  And, I love that they are offered in so many varieties:

• Chicken Fresca with Chardonnay
• Chicken Linguini with Red Pepper Alfredo
• Chicken Margherita with Balsamic
• Grilled Chicken Marinara with Parmesan
• Grilled Chicken Pesto with Vegetables
• Grilled Vegetables Mediterranean with Rice
• Roasted Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms
  
  

These yummy meals are making their way to a grocery store near you very soon and will retail at about $2.75 - $3.50 each.  I highly recommend you give them a try!  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

{Disclosure:  I received product for review and compensation for sharing my review via this post, however all opinions expressed herein are those of my own.  No one is the boss of me!}

Perfect cinnamon + sugar

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I'm totally bummed about today being the last full day of summer.  Anyone who knows me, knows that I adore summer and hot weather. 

But recently since temps here have been so mild, I've found myself eating oatmeal in the morning fro breakfast, and if you give a mouse mom some oatmeal, chances are she's gonna want some cinnamon 'n sugar.  Since our stash was totally depleted, I took some time to make up a medium sized batch of it.  I totally love it on oatmeal and my kids love it on toast.  And usually around Christmastime, my mom has been known to make bunuelos - the most YUMMY mexican crispy dessert!  Cinnamon sugar plays a huge part in that recipe!

So here's how I got my stash of cinnamon + sugar to come out so perfectly.  First, start with these guys:

1/4 cup of sugar & 1 tsp. of ground cinnamon is the perfect combo!  (I should mention that I actually tripled these measurements so that I could make a large batch.)

Although I had just a tad of cinnamon + sugar mixture left in my container, I just poured the ingredients right over it.  First, the sugar.

Then, the cinnamon!

Mix it well! 

Well, hello there, your yumminess!

I hope you find this way on how to make cinnamon and sugar helpful!

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Recipe: authentic homemade flour tortillas

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So clearly, my tortilla rolling skills are lacking. But who really cares about the shape of them when their yummy goodness is all that matters?!

During a recent visit, my wonderful mother not only cooked up some of her down-home traditional Mexican dishes for me and my family, but she allowed me to film her during parts of the cooking fiesta! One of the things she finally shared with me was the recipe (which was handed down by my grandmothers) for original, authentic, homemade Mexican flour tortillas. I promise you do. not. need. any. other. recipe. And if "healthy" is what you're looking for, you might as well stop reading. We Mexicans don't do healthy. Ok, well maybe that's a stretch but what I am saying is that if you're going through all the trouble to indulge in something, it might as well be authentic. Nothing bugs me more than when people try to mess with a good thing. For example, applesauce in brownies? No, thank you!

My great grandmother lived 106 years and ate refried beans and tortillas probably at least daily! If you're going to cook Mexican food, cook it like a Mexican! So, without further ado, here's my a no-fail recipe for authentic homemade flour tortillas, courtesy of my mom!

{click here to watch on YouTube}

I'd love for you to comment if you enjoyed the video and/or if you made these! Thanks for watching.

What you need:

1 3/4 c. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 c. shortening (i.e., Crisco vegetable shortening)

approx. 1 c. hot (but not boiling) water (add a little at a time)

-Makes 8 to 10 flour tortillas

What to do:

Mix all ingredients together, using (clean) hands to mix and knead.

Ball up the dough and place it in a bowl covered so it won't dry out. Let rest for approximately 10 - 15 minutes.

Tear off small rounds of dough and curl them up from the sides (see video).

Roll out the dough rounds onto a lightly floured surface using single strokes with a rolling pin. (I also find it helpful to lightly flour your rolling pin before rolling out each tortilla)

Place onto a preheated 400 - 425 degree griddle or comal and brown on each side, flipping once.

This is my favorite step:

--Optional - take one and slather it with butter, roll up and enjoy the fruits of your labor. You just made tortillas from scratch!

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This post is shared over at TidyMom in the weekly "I'm Lovin' It" series.

The most perfect homemade guacamole

One of the most wonderful things about cooking Mexican food (in my opinion) is the infusion of guacamole in just about every dish I make!  Not only are avocadoes wonderful antioxidants, they are wonderfully tasty! 

I cringed the other day when I was in the grocery store and a woman was picking out about a dozen avocadoes for what was obvioulsy some serious guacamole-making.  Then, she went to the little area off to the side where they sell the little packets of "guacamole seasoning".  Are you for serious?  And, then she did it.  She reached for about half a dozen of them and threw them into her cart, too.  Um, yeah, I'm pretty sure my grandmas would be turning in their graves if they EVER knew I did something like that.  Since I don't want to disgrace my ancestors and wish to remain a proud Latina, I choose to make my guac sans seasoning packets.

And, in hopes that none of YOU will ever resort to such pathetic measures, here's the way to do it on your own and it tastes TONS better!  I whipped up this batch last week when we had nachos for dinner and it was the perfect complement.  Enjoy!

Start with a few wonderfully ripe and fresh avocadoes.  I usually use about 3-4 large Haas avocadoes.  And, to determine how ready they are, look for darkened outer skin, and that they feel soft when you squeeze them, but not too overripe.  The other great thing I like to do is pull off the button-like tip off the avocado and check the color of inside of the avocado.  Whatever color appears, is what the inside of the avocado looks like.  Look for a bright green color that's not too firm on the outside.  So, peel them, take out the pits and then drop them in a small-to-medium mixing bowl.

You'll also want to chop up some fresh tomatoes (I only use Roma) and white or yellow onion.  Don't use onion powder!  Trust me!  Fresh is best.

I use a spoon to break up the avocado and mash it up.  You could also use a masher if you prefer.

Once you've got it all mashed up and creamy-like, taste it.  Yum!  Nothing like fresh, plain avocado goodness!   Ha ha!  Just kidding!  Now here come's the fun!  I add a few cloves of freshly pressed garlic.  You can also use garlic powder if you prefer.  And really, it's to taste but a good guideline is I use at least one clove for every avocado I have.  We're real garlic lovers here!  You can also add some salt at this time, but you won't need tons.  Once again, just to taste.

Then, add your chopped onions and tomatoes.


And mix it up really well.  I then like to squeeze a little bit of fresh lime juice on the top if I'm not using the guacamole right away.  It helps with anti-browning factor.

Well, hello there, sabroso!  Yum is definitely a universal term!   You might also be wondering why I left the pit in the bowl.  It actually helps keep the guacamole from browning too soon and is great if you are refrigerating it before a party or something.


That's it!  Enjoy your newfound guacamole-making skills!  So go on and make it Mexican for dinner tonight!

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Throwback Thursday: Ice Cream Cupcakes

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This post was originally posted on September 9, 2010.  In light of the fact that it is almost one year later and my Nathan is getting ready to turn 8, I thought it would be the perfect Throwback Thursday post.  Enjoy!

Just spent hours turning these . . .

into these . . .

My Nathan is turing SEVEN tomorrow! The things I do for that kid! Thankfully, my awesome husband came up the transport method. Otherwise, I'd have no idea how to get 24 of these to Nathan's 1st grade classroom tomorrow!

Looks like those Old Navy shirt boxes have come in handy!

I am so excited to see his face in the morning when he plants his big browns on these! I hope he likes them....my feet hurt from all the time I stood frosting these suckers! So worth it though!

If I post an S.O.S. on my blog tomorrow, you'll know why -- we're hosting several of Nathan's friends for a sleepover party. Looking forward to the fun!

Do you have a Throwback Thursday post?  Link it up here!

Crockpot Chinese Pork Ribs

I hate to cook.  But I love to eat.  Many of you know this.  For these reasons, I love to turn to my crockpot all year-round.  I seriously don't know how people survived without them back in the day.  And, one of my favorite go-to crockpot recipes is for slow cooked Chinese pork ribs. 

Now, my husband is Chinese so I struggle with making these because I'm sometimes afraid they're not flavorful enough.  Thankfully, he's not picky and would pretty much eat anything I served up at 5:15 p.m. for dinner.  Yay for me!

Here's my plate just before I was about to dig in!

What you'll need:

• Pork ribs (bone-in or boneless -- your choice)
• Soy sauce
• Ketchup
• Minced garlic
• Fresh ginger (chopped); if you MUST, go ahead with dried ginger spice
• Orange juice or marmalade
• Chinese five spice

How to make it:

Ok, so first off, I should mention that I use about 4 pounds of the ribs for my family.  Yes, I've got a housefull of boys and healthy appetites.  Plus, everyone loves this dish so we usually have no leftovers!  Secondly, since this is my personal made-up recipe, I don't have measurements.  Trust yourself - eyeball it.  It will come out tasty, I'm sure of it!  You can't go wrong when you blend the ingredients.

Take a medium sized mixing bowl and mix in soy sauce, ketchup, garlic, ginger, orange juice and about a teaspoon of the Chinese five spice.  Blend with a whisk or fork.  Place pork ribs in crockpot then pour contents of mixing bowl over, making sure each rib is evenly coated with the sauce.  Cover the crockpot and place on low for 6 hours.  Enjoy the amazingly good smell throughout your house! 

When the ribs are done, serve 'em up with steamed white or brown rice (with sauce from the crockpot ladled over it) and some steamed broccoli if you choose.  Some tasty kimchi would also be amazing with these!  The ribs will be fall off the bone good -- I personally guarantee it!  Enjoy!  What is your favorite crockpot recipe?

Throwback Thursday: Homemade Migas

Earlier this week I shared about how busy I would be prepping for the upcoming Midwest Media Moms Brands & Bloggers Summit and boy, I was right on! So, I am doing a special "throwback Thursday" post today and it's about food. YUM!

A few friends of mine and I were talking about migas the other day and I couldn't believe that they didn't know what they were! As luck would have it, one of my friends said she had the most delish corn tortillas that she bought from somewhere she visited recently and she is going to be dropping them by today. So naturally, I thought this post from 2009 was a great fit! Enjoy!

Homemade migas -- for breakfast, lunch, whenever!

Sauteeing a few onions and corn tortillas.

Mmmm....almost done! My mouth was watering by this point!

I've died and gone to Texas! My finishing touches of some pico de gallo and fresh avocado made this dish even better!

My take on the best Tex-Mex Migas? Here you go!

What you'll need:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (or other favorite cooking oil - oh and I didn't measure this, just eyeballed it in the pan!)
• Corn tortillas (I used two) shredded/torn into bite size pieces
• 1/2 cup diced onion (I didn't really measure, just chopped till I thought it was enough)
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Store bought (from the produce section) - or homemade - pico de gallo OR your favorite salsa!
• Half an avocado (sliced and diced into small pieces)
• A big 'ol hefty fork!

How to get it:

Add oil to pan over medium heat. Add onions and corn tortillas and begin a light simmer. Once onions become soft and translucent and corn tortillas are softened, add eggs to pan and cook thoroughly while mixing onions, tortillas, and eggs until firm. Add salt and pepper, if desired. Spoon the migas onto a plate and pile on the pico de gallo (or salsa) and fresh avocado. Grab that hefty fork and dig in!

Variations on this:

Don't be afraid to experiement with your favorite ingredients! That's what's great about migas....you can add just about anything! Try mixing in bacon or using sour cream as a topping along with some fresh cilantro. Either way, you can't go wrong!

Nutella Cool Whip Fruit Dip

Admit it.  I had you at Nutella.  I knew it!  Seriously though, there couldn't be more of a staple pantry item in our home than Nutella.  I spread it on everything - toast, bagels, you name it.  I also LOVE drizzling it on my special variation of rice krispy treats that have become a great go-to dessert in our house as well.

But the other day I was wanting something different.  So I reached into my pantry, pulled out my Nutella jar and set it on the counter as I hunted around for things in my fridge.  I ended up pulling out the strawberries and a tub of Cool Whip.  {Nevermind that I enjoy eating Cool Whip straight out of the containter.  That's an entirely separate blog post.  But seriously, I do!  And, I'm not ashamed!}

I took a heaping spoonful of the Cool Whip:

and married it with an equally heaping spoonful of the nutty deliciousness:

I really wasn't sure how this was going to turn out but I sure was enjoying the process!

Then it was time to blend.  Mmmmmm!!

Nutella.  Cool Whip.  What could possibly go wrong??  I'll tell ya what could go wrong.

Nothing.

Yum!  Come to mama, you little berry, you!  Holy cannoli, why hadn't I read about or discovered this before?  Oh because then I'd be as big as a house, that's why!  Seriously peeps, if you love Cool Whip & Nutella, you'll love them even more together!  I love the creaminess that the Cool Whip brings and the dipability (Is that even a word? Ok, it is now.) the Nutella takes on when paired with it. 

I could totally see using bananas, pineapples, raspberries, or any other edible item you happen to have on hand to drench in this Nutella fruit dip.  My taste tester tends to agree.

I'll take my Mother of the Year Award now, thank you.  Try the dip!  You'll love it! 

Not just for jelly rolls

I was recently invited to a Pampered Chef party by a friend of mine as part of a fundraiser she was taking part in. I ended up buying a few things I felt my kitchen was lacking at the time. This new rectangular bar pan (a.k.a., jelly roll pan) was not one of them.

Boy was I wrong!

I have actually come to LOVE and reach for this pan for just about anything. We've enjoyed making nachos on it and it's become my go-to way of cooking bacon.

What's so cool is that everything in this pan heats up and cooks the same amount on top as it does on bottom.   The demonstrator I bought it from told me that it is great for cooking pancakes or even grilled cheese sandwiches!  I haven't actually tried either of those things yet, but I know I will soon.  I love how it cooks my bacon consistently throughout and that it doesn't shrink up in the oven as it would on the stovetop.  Not to mention no more grease splatters!  Yay, me!

So, what is YOUR favorite go-to kitchen gadget or item to use?  And, were you skeptical at first about putting it to good use?

{Disclosure:  This review is being shared with you on my own accord, and not part of any product review or blogging project.  I blog about what I want to blog about.  No one is the boss of me!

Grill o' Rama

I won't lie. Ever since our insurance company offered to replace our old grill, along with our roof, as part of hail damage claim, I was giddy! I mean, I loved our old grill but it was just that - old.  It was a wedding gift from my awesome dad and probably the most-used wedding gift we received.  So much so that a while back Nathan begged for the grilling to stop!  We would grill out almost every night back then. And, i'm here to say that we've reached that point yet again.  Almost.

Our new grill is getting a lot of use, especially this week.  On the menu this week is tons o'grilling (with the exception of a couple of days only so that I can use up items in my pantry).

(The new grill, thanks to homeowner's insurance.  Not as shiny as a couple of weeks ago, but it's gotten plenty of use!)

Sunday:  Baked rotini, salad, garlic bread

Monday:  BBQ chicken, Sunbelt salad (I'll have to tell ya'll all about this one soon!), baked beans

Tuesday:  Eat out....likely some place with Kids Eat Free, since we are headed to a T-Bones baseball game that evening.

Wednesday:  Grilled steaks, corn on the cob, rolls (buttery rolls....with REAL butter)

Thursday:  Grilled pork chops, rice, Sunbelt salad (yes, we love it THAT much!)

Friday: I rarely cook on Fridays!  Am I the only one?

Saturday: Brats, hot dogs, chips, fruit

See, told ya.  Tons o' grilling.  I am hoping the kids don't get too burned out on it.  (No pun intended)  So what about you?  Do you use your grill tons more in the summer or year 'round?