So here we sit the week before Christmas. I don’t know about you but I have a ton to do. I want to keep things super easy for me and for the babysitters when they are here! Then there is always the quandary on what to do for Christmas Eve aster we get back from church.
Monday: Quesadillas, Broccoli
Tuesday: Grilled Cheese, Baby Carrots
Wednesday: Oven Poached Salmon, Rice, Broccoli
Thursday: Chicken Pot Pies with Puff Pastry Crusts
Friday: Corned Beef, Buttery Rolls, Broccoli
Recently I got the awesome opportunity to attend Red Robin’s Kids Cook Off Finale in Denver, Colorado! One of the big reasons I got the opportunity to attend is because we had a finalist from Fresno, California! This year Red Robin had a local blogger accompany each finalist.
Malia a sweet 7 year old little girl (same age as my NerdPie) who is just a rock star! I have already told you about this worldly girl and her international travels! She is showed up ready to play! She had an awesome burger, her speech memorized and a smile to melt all hearts!
After checking into the hotel Malia was off to the kitchen to practice making her burger! For the competition the finalists made their burger in front of everyone for the judges.
The Red Robin crew had all her materials prepped. They made sure that all the materials were right and that she was ready to put it together all by herself. Then they showed her the Red Robin way to wrap a burger. Did you know those little papers are called diapers?
There is Malia’s burger! Her Tropical Hawaiian Turkey Burger was so good! The part that I found most impressive was that the mango onion relish recipe was developed by her and her mom! Nothing out of a bottle there! For the competition the next day she made her burger for an esteemed panel of judges including a producer from Food Network!
Red Robin treated the kids so well and went all out! They had an AP photographer come in to take press pictures of the kids and it was such a kick to see her get interviewed just like on the red carpet! While she didn’t win, I think Malia really enjoyed the royal treatment! I am sure that this has been an experience that she will never forget!
If you want to read about the other finalists or get the cookbook with all the recipes (plus a few more) just hop over to Red Robin’s Kids Cook Off site! The winning burger (Donovan’s Mt. Vesuvius Burger) will be on sale later in 2011 with a portion of all the sales going to benefit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children! Even though I really wanted Malia to win, I must say that Donovan’s burger but more on that later;)!
I found this recipe years ago for a super yummy biscotti. It is so good that my kids even like it without anything to dunk in!
Ingredients:
1/2 softened butter
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
3 cups AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup crushed peppermint mini-candy canes
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
melted colored chocolate
Process:
Mix butter, sugar, eggs, and peppermint extract. Then blend in baking soda, salt, and flour. Then blend in crushed peppermint pieces and mini-chips. Yes, the batter is extremely stiff so I use my stand mixer.
Then dump dough onto either a greased cookie sheet or a silpat (or equivalent) lined sheet. Cut the dough in half and form into logs 10 inches by 2 inches. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until they are golden brown. Then cool the logs for 15 minutes.
Next cut the logs into 1/2 inch slices and place back on the cookie sheet on their cut sides. Bake at 350 degrees for another 15 minutes or until lightly brown and crisp. I don’t wait to long since my kids like to eat them plain;). then cool on a cooling rack.
Next melt the colored chocolate in the microwave. I microwave the Meltables at 30 second increments until it is really loose and drizzable. Then I just drizzle the chocolate over the cookies. You can also dip them in semisweet chocolate (my husband’s favorite) and sprinkle with more crushed candies.
Ok, I love that this is the season of peppermint! I love peppermint in my cocoa, chocolate chip cookies and in my biscotti! And of course I have a great way to get peppermint bits super cheap!
The first thing to remember is that candy canes keep for a very long time;). So I buy the mini candy canes on the 75% off sales after Christmas. And yes always the mini candy canes because they are so easy to crush then!
So open them all up and put them into a gallon size ziplock bag. Make sure you put the bag in an easy to clean place. As you crush the candy canes they will make small punctures in the bag and leave a little sugar dust where ever it was sitting. Then hand a child a rolling pin and let them whack away!
Then you have a bowl of peppermint bits! You can add them to all kinds of delicious things. But keep them in an airtight bowl or bag because otherwise they will clump!
Got your attention didn’t I;)? So 24 hours before Thanksgiving dinner we had kids with fevers so there was no going to the Mother in Law’s for Thanksgiving dinner. So I pulled a turkey breast out of the freezer and did a quick thaw. So I mixed butter, Pappy’s seasoning and parsley together in a bowl. Then I put it in between the skin and the meat. Then I just covered it in bacon. Where could I go wrong;)?
I then covered it and put it in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes a pound. I then uncovered it for the last 45 minutes of cooking and the bacon finished cooking. It smelled so good!!! And it was super moist!!!! So, so good!!!
Ahh, here we meet again for another week of food!
Monday: Ribeye Steaks, Chili and Broccoli, Buttery Rolls
Tuesday: Appetizer Dinner! Spanikopita, Little Smokies, Potstickers, Apples and Brie
Wednesday: Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli
Thursday: Corned Beef, Fried Potatoes, Broccoli
Friday: Turkey and Pasta with Broccoli
So what are you eating this week?
For those of you who don’t read my twitter (and why don’t you?), I am in Colorado right now as a blogger correspondent for the Red Robin Kids Cook-Off. They asked me to come as a Fresno blogger because one of the finalists is from Fresno! I got the opportunity to meet Malia and her parents in our travels to Colorado.
She is just adorable! She is a sweet 7 year old girl who has already lived quite the worldly life! She was born in Germany while her father was stationed there and she also got the opportunity to live in Japan during her kindergarten year. I look forward to seeing her make her burger (and getting to try it;).
And Red Robin…. They have been awesome! They have me set up in a gorgeous hotel and later I will upload the gift pack that was waiting for me;).
Post more later!
Who doesn’t love Ziploc products? We use the bags and containers for everything! I have always used the bags for storing various meal components in the freezer. Then all the containers…NerdDad uses them to take lunch to work. I use them to freeze soups, refried beans and stocks. But now that I have tried the Twist ‘n Loc containers I won’t be afraid to take soups and sauces with me to potlucks! Now I am getting a better seal so there is even less of a chance of freezer burn. I really love them!
Ziploc is running an awesome contest right now! Ziploc has teamed up with TerraCycle to have the Make a Difference Mom Contest going right now.
Do you know a Mom who is making a difference in her community one day at a time?
Is this Mom in charge of organizing the recycling center, or volunteering to help plant trees around town? Is she always carpooling the kids and making sure to keep the energy use down around the house?
To celebrate the resourceful, hard working moms that give back to their community (it might be you!) and are mindful of the environment, Ziploc Brand and TerraCycle, the manufacturers of eco-friendly products from waste materials, are searching nationwide for that special “Make-A-Difference-Mom.” We’d like your help in discovering the mom who outsmarts waste in everything she does. Perhaps one of your readers knows someone that fits the profile exactly? Or perhaps you are the “Make-A-Difference-Mom?”
So do you know (or are a ) Make a Difference Mom? If so go enter now because they have prizes going all the way up to $1500! You only have a few more days!
(This post was written for Family Review Network & SC Johnson who provided the complimentary product for review & giveaway in exchange for my honest opinions.)
Ahh, these last couple of weeks have been super crazy!!! Between my dad dying, the kids all getting sick for Thanksgiving, my dad’s funeral… life and meals have been nuts. And this week I am out the next 2 evenings and then off to Denver to go to Red Robin’s Kids Cook Off! So I am going to try and regain a little control over life with some meal planning;).
Monday: Spaghetti, Broccoli
Tuesday: Quesadillas, Broccoli
Wednesday: Fast food
Thursday: Rice with Shredded Pork and Broccoli
Friday: Latkes, Scrambled Eggs w/Spinach
Ok, I struggle with my pantry. On one hand, if it isn’t clean I get a bit stressed out. An organized pantry is a sign of an organized heart and chef. But on the other side, it is so very easy to have the pantry get so messy that it takes hours upon hours to clean it out. My life had major turmoil this last few weeks and I exorcised it by cleaning out the pantry!
I also wanted to clean it out before all the holiday sales and holiday parties hit! Now I can put plates of finished food in there and I have cleaned off all my counters by putting many small appliances in the pantry!
