It’s hard to believe summer is starting to wrap up. I will venture to say it’s especially hard to believe it for me when it’s been over 100 degrees for the past few days down here in Texas! Since we homeschool year-round, our seasons tend to blend together anyhow. Regardless, it doesn’t stop the seasons from changing!
Disclosure: I received products to facilitate my review. Regardless, all opinions are my own.
Crosse & Blackwell, which offers an amazing line of premium condiments, has put together a fantastic collection of recipes including the Crosse & Blackwell 2014 Guide to Summer Dining. Do you know what the most amazing part is, though? It’s absolutely free! Yes, a FREE dining guide! Head over to the Crosse & Blackwell Recipe Page, and you will see the PDF download of the Guide to Summer Dining right under the recipe page description! Download it for later or print it right away!
For my review I received Major Grey’s Chutney and Seafood Cocktail Sauce. There were a few recipes in the Guide to Summer Dining that use the Major Grey’s Chutney Sauce and a handful that use the Seafood Cocktail Sauce as well. Unfortunately, I haven’t had a chance to make the recipes from the guide, but, of course, I had to try the sauces.
Wow, they are good! Premium is right. I think the Seafood Cocktail Sauce, in particular, is one that I could really tell a difference. OK, well, I had never had Major Grey’s Chutney before, so I can’t compare it, but this is good. But as regular users of shrimp cocktail sauce, we didn’t know what we were missing with the ho hum sauces we’ve been using! What a difference!
Now that things are finally starting to calm down around here I can’t wait to pick up some of the other ingredients for these recipes so I can make some of the recipes as well. They sound so good, and I can’t wait to use my sauces in the recipes! There are such a variety of recipes from sweet dips, appetizers, cocktails, to the main dish. Did I mention the Guide to Summer Dining is FREE?? Pick it up now!
End summer with a bang! Grab the free Guide to Summer Dining and pick up some of the amazing Crosse & Blackwell premium condiments. It will be Summer farewell and Fall kick-off to remember!
Fun Party Snack Recipe – Bacon and Eggs
I am in a “party” kind of mood, so I wanted to share one of my favorite party snacks to make (and eat)! My Mother In-Law introduced me to this fun snack at my wedding reception! It is cute and clever with a yummy sweet and salty taste! Now it’s my go-to snack for any party. I love this party snack recipe! I admit, I even make it sometimes “just because!” 😉 It’s pretty simple, and the kids can help with a lot of it!
Here is what you’ll need:
Wax Paper
Microwavable Bowl
Spoon
2 Bars of White Chocolate (Bakers Chocolate is best)
56 oz. Bag of Milk Chocolate M&M’s
Small bag of Small Pretzel Sticks
To start, separate out the yellow M&M’s. I recommend a 56 oz. bag since you will only be using the yellow. This is a great activity for children! They can practice their colors and fine motor skills and help make a treat at the same time!
Next, prepare the white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. If you purchased baker’s chocolate, it will generally have directions included on the wrapper. I recommend following the directions for those specific bars. If directions aren’t provided, a general rule of thumb is microwave in 30 second increments until it is melted all the way through.
Arrange the pretzel sticks in groups of three on the wax paper allowing about 1.5 – 2 inches of space in between each group. This is also a great activity for kids. They can again work on fine motor skills as well as counting!
Using a spoon, drop about a quarter size drop on one side of each pretzel group leaving just a little bit of pretzel peeking out on that side. It helps to hold them so they don’t separate too much. Then allow it to melt down over it. If it is thick and isn’t melting down naturally, lightly press it with the spoon.
Place the yellow M&M’s on the white chocolate drops. Make sure the “M” is facing down so it isn’t visible! Be sure to place them lightly and push down gently – not deep, but just to make sure it will be secured by the white chocolate.
Carefully place them in the refrigerator until the white chocolate has cooled. Then you’re ready to share them and enjoy!
Click on the recipe card above for a downloadable/printable copy! Enjoy!
Gorton's #RealSolutions
Disclosure: I received full product coupons and a cutting board to facilitate my Gorton’s review. Regardless, all opinions are my own and those of my family.
I have been SO busy lately. I have just been completely swamped. Trying to keep up with homeschooling, housework, blogging, and freelance work has been quite trying and even a little overwhelming at times! I have to admit that when we’re wrapping up our homeschooling day, and it’s time to think about dinner, there are many days I just don’t feel like cooking! That why I love to find products like Gorton’s new Artisan Fillets that offer a real mealtime solution for busy moms like myself that the whole family will enjoy!
For my review I received full value product coupons and a Gorton’s cutting board.
I was really excited to try the new Artisan Fillets because they come in a few different varieties, and they don’t require a lot of prep time. They are breaded and seasoned. All that is needed is putting them in the oven! That means all I really have to worry about is what else we will be having with them!
The cutting board is great for chopping up vegetables for a side dish or on particularly busy evenings, I could just get out some easy to prepare frozen veggies. Did I mention how grateful I am that the hard part is already done?
We tried both the Roasted Garlic & Italian Herb Artisan Fillets as well as the Southern Style Artisan Fillets. They both smelled so good. For a family of a five, one box of 5 Artisan Fillets is probably sufficient, but my husband tends to eat more meat and less of the side items, so I made both boxes just in case!
That was a good idea because they were a BIG hit with everybody, and even our older two kids had two each! Even our preschooler who has been asking to boycott everything except cereal ate some and enjoyed it. I was thrilled! Although both varieties are flavorful, our family unanimously agreed the Roasted Garlic & Italian Herb is our favorite. It just has an extra pop of flavor we all enjoyed.
Perhaps you’re thinking, well, the Artisan Fillets DO sound great for those nights when time is cut short, but what if I enjoy cooking? No problem! Gorton’s offers a wide variety of products, and what’s more is they offer a lot of great recipes. You can search specific recipes for the variety of Gorton’s products you’d like to make.
As someone who always looks more into the foods we’re eating, I was glad to know Gorton’s seafood is sourced responsibly. They work hard at providing the best quality products that are safe. That makes me feel good about the choice to serve Gorton’s products to our family.
If you’re looking for real solutions for your meal times, you can also enter the Real Solutions Sweepstakes on the Gorton’s website or their Facebook page until April 21, 2014 with a Grand Prize of $2500! You can enter daily! Enter the Real Solutions Sweepstakes.
For More Information:
Visit the Gorton’s Website to download a coupon, find recipes, and learn more about the products and where to purchase them
Connect with Gorton’s on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube
*Giveaway*
Would you like to win your own Gorton’s cutting board and two full-value product coupons? This giveaway is open to US residents ages 18+ and ends 4/16/14 at 11pm Central Time. Enter the Gorton’s Giveaway now!
Spruce up your New Year's Snacks #LBFSTGCHEER
Disclosure: I received a Holiday Entertaining Kit in order to share my experiences with you. Regardless, all opinions are my own.
If you need something quick and easy you can definitely turn to something like one of my personal favorites like that pictured above: Artichoke Spinach Dip! Food Should Taste Good has a great Artichoke Spinach Dip recipe that goes great with a variety of their great gluten-free, certified Kosher chips! They most recommend their Olive, “The Works!,” and Multigrain chips for the perfect pairing, though!
I got an extra treat with my Holiday Entertaining Kit, though, in addition to three bags of Food Should Taste Good Chips and holiday entertaining utensils – LARABAR bars! Now there is a chance to be just a little more adventurous with the recipes this New Year’s Eve and still keep them healthy as well! Exciting right?
Talk about an amazing entertaining combination! There wasn’t a LARABAR bar included I didn’t like! My favorite Larabar recipe was also the simplest recipe. Since I’m a busy mom, simple often wins! There is a tasty recipe for Peanut Butter Chocolate Pops using their Peanut Butter Cookie LARABAR bars. You can check out this tasty Peanut Butter Chocolate Pops recipe in this pin on LARABAR’s Pinterest! I love that it uses very few (and very simple) ingredients. If you are not the one hosting a get together but will be heading out to one, these Peanut Butter Chocolate Pops would also be great for an on-the-go treat!
Whether you’re looking for sweet, savory, or both Food Should Taste Good and LARABAR have you covered! They’re both a healthier option as well! So grab some chips from Food Should Taste Good and some LARABAR bars and make some tasty recipes and spread some New Year’s Cheer!
For More Information:
Visit the Food Should Taste Good Website
Connect with Food Should Taste Good on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram
Visit the LARABAR Website
Connect with LARABAR on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram