Yummy! Pilsbury Potluck Party.

I have to say the Potluck party was a success. Everyone brought at least one dish with a Pillsbury product featured in it. Any boy was it yummy! There are no left overs here. (Something that made my hubby sad.)

When I was asked to host this potluck party, I chose to make it a great way to get my Mommies and kiddos together from our play date group. We kicked the guys out and sat back for a fun evening filled with Yummy food and great conversation. As the children sat playing together, we swapped recipes and cooking stories. There was a lot of laughs and taste testing. Our #1 pick of the night from each category was:

Dessert (yup I start with the best course) – We had a few but monkey bread took the cake!

stock photo (it went fast before I could get a picture!)

Side Dishes – There were a few but everyone loved the mini hotdogs wrapped in crescent rolls.

Main Dishes – biscuit pizzas, chicken and rice casserole, and pepperoni roll ups! Yumm!

Overall favorite of the night – chicken and rice caserrolle with breadsticks.

Per my post from before the winning recipe voted on by you, my readers, was the Chicken and Broccoli breadstick bake (above with some modifications, added rice). The kids surprisingly loved it and I cant blame them. I loved it too!!

Due to most of the guest being children. I respect the privacy of my friends and they have asked me not to post pictures of their children on the internet. I have chosen not to post pictures of my guests to honor that request.

If you haven’t had your holiday get together yet and still plan to. Think about hosting your own Pillsbury potluck party. To get you started take a look at these links:

• Ideas Made Easy on Pillsbury.com
• Pillsbury on Facebook
• Pillsbury on Twitter

Also the great folks at MyBlogSpark and Pillsbury are offering a coupon for $1.10 off Pillsbury products. That can be found in the Pillsbury widget on the right.

“Disclosure: The Pillsbury product, information, food ideas, online coupon link, and prize pack have been provided by Pillsbury through MyBlogSpark.”

Chef Boyardee HouseParty!

I was chosen to host a "Be a Chef with Chef Boyardee" party through houseparty.com. They provided me with coupons for 6 free cans of Chef Boyardee products, a Chef Hat, cooler tote and 5 recipes to try out on my guests.
In addition my guests got to take home a recipe information card, note pad, and a .50$ coupon towards one can of Chef Boyardee. As well as Goodies I personally included in their gift bags.
Here are a few pictures from my Chef Boyardee House Party!





Set up -
Making recipe bundles for my guests.







Goodie Bags w/ printed logo – I printed all the recipes used that night, a few dinner mints, the $.50 coupon, note pad and information card.






Children’s activity








Prize Drawing – winner won the Chef Hat and a can of Chef Boyardee







The food! -

		The Food VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

and the Fun -

		Party Time VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

All in all it was fun and we found a few new meals to try with our favorite Chef Boyardee products!

Betty Crocker. Betty 10: Red Hot Summer Trends.

 

                    

The Betty Crocker website is featuring a fabulous Betty 10: Red Hot Summer Trends, like Mai Tai Tiki Pops, Lemon-Ginger Icebox Cookie Cupcakes, Fruity Fro-Yo Fun Bars, Grillside Guacamole and Beer Snow Cones, and for great DIY ideas by Erica Domesek.

There are a ton of delicious sounding recipes and I cant wait to try them all!

Pie Lovin’: This has been declared the “Year of the Pie” and we are seeing creative takes on pies everywhere. These Mini S’mores Hand Pies take everything we love about s’mores – crunchy graham crackers, melty chocolate, ooey-gooey marshmallows – and put it into a handheld pie pocket that delivers a perfect taste of summer.

DIY Idea: Create a sweet tabletop sensation by repurposing a pie dish into a multi-wick candle. Set short wicks in a circular formation in the pie dish and pour candle wax into the dish, infusing your candle with your favorite scent and colors.

 

Spice It Up: Bold and big flavors are all the rage. Fresh Sriracha Refrigerator Pickles add a new twist to classic refrigerator pickles with a hot, Thai-inspired sauce that spices up your garden bounty – no canning equipment required!

DIY Idea: Tap into one of the summer’s biggest fashion trends and turn up the heat by creating a bold statement necklace using colorful beaded trim and ribbon.

 

Move Over, Meat: With vegetarian (and flexitarian) eating gaining popularity, more and more people are seeking meatless options that don’t skimp on flavor. The MONSTER Veggie Burger is loaded with fresh vegetables and tasty chickpeas and moves veggies from the side to the center of the plate.

DIY Idea: Use your garden go-to’s to create place cards for your dinner parties by cutting veggies in half and hollowing out the insides. Cut out paper tags, scribble your guests’ names and slice an opening on top of vegetable to hold name tag.

 

Backyard Green Grocer: More people than ever are “shopping” in their own backyard gardens – or the local farmer’s market – to create flavorful summer dishes full of their favorite veggies. Green Garden Fries are made from fresh garden veggies, oven fried and served with a lemony Greek yogurt dipping sauce.

DIY Idea: After you plant your garden, cut out the vivid images of produce and flowers on seed packets and découpage them to plain note cards, creating cute collages.

 

Switch Up The ‘Wich: Sandwiches are the ultimate comfort food – from old favorites like PB&J and grilled cheese to new obsessions like Korean tacos. The Mediterranean-inspired Greek Grilled Cheese Taco reinvents the familiar grilled cheese sandwich in taco form, with grilled Greek halloumi cheese and fresh veggies and herbs stuffed in a flour tortilla for a portable, fun new take on the sandwich.

DIY Idea: Combine the food and fun factor this season and serve your sandwiches on a playful platter - the flying disk. Line disks with a colorful bandana and arrange sandwiches neatly.

Check them out for yourself:

• Betty 10: Red Hot Summer Trends: http://bit.ly/betty10
• Erica Domesek DIY Ideas: http://bit.ly/diyideas

What are your favorite go-to summer recipes and summer entertaining tips?

Disclosure: I received these great recipes and tips from Betty Crocker through MyBlogSpark. No monetary compensation was received.

Recipe week day 7: BLD

What’s a BLD? I’m glad you asked. Well its what Rachael Ray calls this very yummy dish, because its good for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner! And I thought it would be a perfect ending recipe for this week!

Savory French Toast with Homemade Sausage Patties and Warm Honey, Strawberries and Basil

Ingredients:

• 3 large eggs
• 2/3 cup whole milk or cream
• 1/2-2/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (a couple of handfuls)
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds ground pork
• 2 1/4 teaspoons ground sage or rubbed sage (half a palmful)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons granulated onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic (half a palmful)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons fennel seeds (half a palmful)
• 3 pinches of ground cloves or ground allspice
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 8 thick-cut slices good quality white bread
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups strawberries, halved or sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced or torn
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Good quality honey of your favorite variety, for liberal drizzling

We added maple syrup to the sausage to add just a touch of sweet to it.

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the griddle to medium.
2. Whisk together the eggs, milk or cream, cheese, nutmeg and salt and pepper, to taste, in a shallow dish.
3. In a medium size bowl, add the pork, sage, onion, garlic, fennel seeds, cloves, lots of black pepper and salt, to taste, and mix to combine. Divide the mixture into four portions and form each portion into two small patties, about 2 1/2-inches wide. Heat the EVOO in large skillet over medium heat. Add the patties and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Turn off the heat and keep warm in the pan.
4. Wipe the hot griddle with butter nested in a paper towel. Soak the bread, a few slices at a time, in the milk mixture, shaking off the excess. Add the bread to the griddle and cook until toasted, crispy and golden, about 3 minutes on each side. Cook in batches, if necessary.
5. While the bread toasts, combine the strawberries, basil and sugar in a medium bowl.
6. Halve the toast from corner to corner. Serve the toast on individual plates layered with sausage patties, a liberal drizzle of honey and the berries with basil.

This was truly a fantastic dish and very filling!! (PS the picture is from our actual meal!)

Recipe week day 6–Desert!

Yummy! Who doesn’t like desert. Here is another recipe from my Sister -

Gooey Butter Cookies:

• 8 oz cream cheese-softened
• 1 stick unsalted butter-softened
• powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla
• 1 box yellow cake mix

Directions:

Mix cream cheese, butter & egg. Add vanilla & cake mix. Shape dough into balls and roll in powdered sugar. Flatten dough .slightly on greased cookie sheet (I like parchment paper better) and bake 8-10 minutes @ 350.

They are so good! She has also heard of this recipe being used with strawberry cake mix. Enjoy!

Recipe Week: Day 5–Dinner!

I love this dish and I love that the kids love it too! It has veggies and a protein, hidden inside cheesy goodness! another Rachael Ray dish.

Mac and Cheddar Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli

 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 1 pound chicken breast tenders, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 pound macaroni elbows or cavatapi corkscrew shaped pasta twists (we use whole wheat corkscrew pasta)
• 2 1/2 cups raw broccoli florets, available packaged in produce department
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 3 cups yellow sharp Cheddar
• 1 tablespoon prepared Dijon mustard

Directions

• Place a pot of water on to boil for macaroni.
• Heat a medium pan over medium to medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and chicken and season with salt and pepper. Saute a couple of minutes then add onion and cook another 5 to 7 minutes until onions are tender and chicken is cooked through. Turn off heat and reserve.
• To boiling pasta water, add pasta and salt to season the cooking water. Cook 5 minutes, then add broccoli and cook 3 minutes more or until pasta is cooked to al dente and florets are just tender.
• While pasta cooks, heat a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add butter and melt, then add flour, cayenne and paprika and whisk together over heat until roux bubbles then cook a minute more. Whisk in milk and stock and raise heat a little to bring sauce to a quick boil. Simmer sauce to thicken about 5 minutes.
• Drain macaroni or pasta and broccoli florets. Add back to pot and add chicken to the pasta and broccoli.
• Add cheese to milk sauce and stir to melt it in, about a minute or so. Stir in mustard and season sauce with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken and broccoli and cooked pasta and stir to combine. Adjust seasonings, transfer to a large serving platter and serve.

So what does everyone think about recipe week? I’d love to know if my readers want to have a Recipe day featured on Family Treasures.

Recipe Week: Day 4–Dinner!

We just saw this one on 30-minute meals today and we think it will be a HUGE hit!
Rachael Ray called this her express go to meal its not only easy to make, its easy to shop for, and ready for the ‘10 items or less’ lane! And it’s a 3 course meal!

 

Ingredients

• 9-item grocery list:

  • 2 pounds baby Yukon gold potatoes
  • 1 tub bocconcini, (bite size fresh mozzarella in water)
  • 2 pounds ground Italian (sweet), chicken, turkey or pork sausage (bulk if available)
  • 1 1/2 pounds broccolini
  • 1 head garlic
  • 1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock or milk
  • 1 tub grated Pecorino Romano
  • 1 tub good quality fresh pesto from the refrigerated cases of the market

• On hand:

  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for liberal drizzling, 4 to 5 tablespoons total
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Quarter baby potatoes and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil then salt water and cook until tender, about 12 minutes.
• While potatoes come up to a boil, place a nonstick baking sheet alongside a mixing bowl. Remove 12 pieces of bite sized mozzarella from the water and set on work surface. Remove sausages from casings, if bulk not available, and place in a bowl. Combine the meat into a single mound then score it into 4 sections. Each section will yield 3 large sausage meatballs. To form each ball, take a handful of meat and wrap it around a piece of mozzarella. Roll 12 balls. Wash up. Coat balls with a drizzle of olive oil. Bake 18 to 20 minutes until cooked through and evenly browned.
• While the balls are cooking, trim ends of clean broccolini and scatter evenly over a baking sheet. Grate or chop 2 to 3 cloves of garlic and drizzle the broccolini and garlic with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper and roast 12 to 15 minutes to crisp the broccolini tops.
• While the broccolini is roasting, add tomatoes to a small pot or skillet, mash with a potato masher and season with salt and pepper. Heat over medium heat then simmer to reduce about 8 to 10 minutes.
• When the potatoes are tender, drain and return to the hot pot to dry them out a little. Mash the potatoes with 1/2 cup stock or milk, 1/2 to 2/3 cup grated Romano cheese, a few generous handfuls, lots of black pepper and a little salt.
• Turn the heat off the tomatoes and stir in 1/2 cup prepared pesto.

Serve three cheese-stuffed sausage balls with tomato-basil sauce on top or underneath, cacio e pepe smashed potatoes and broccolini alongside.

We are trying this recipe later this week and will let you know how it tastes!

Recipe Week: Day 3–Side dish

 

This one is supper yummy -

CRANBERRY BROCCOLI SALAD

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch broccoli floret (smaller bites)
• 1/2 bunch cauliflower floret (smaller bites)
• 1/2 cup sunflower seed
• 1 cup cranberry craisins
• 1/2 lb bacon, cooked & crumbled (OR 1/8 to 1/4 cup bacon bits)
• 4 chopped green onions (smaller bites)
• Dressing
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup sugar (I used a little less)
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Directions:

1. Chop broccoli and cauliflower into small florets. Place in a bowl.
2. Add sunflower seeds, craisins, bacon and green onion to broccoli/cauliflower mixture.
3. Combine dressing ingredients.
4. Toss dressing over broccoli/cauliflower mixture.
5. Refrigerate.

NOTE: You may alter ingredients according to your taste. For example I used equal amounts of broccoli & cauliflower.

next up dinner!

Recipe Week: Day 2 -Breakfast

Its breakfast time, well not really but its time to share one of our favorite family breakfast recipes.

Egg and Sausage Muffins

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 7 minutes
Bake time: 12 to 15 minutes
Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 8 eggs
• 1⁄4 cup low-fat milk
• 1⁄4 tsp. salt, or to taste
• Pinch of black pepper
• 1⁄2 of a 12-oz. package of bulk turkey or pork sausage meat, thawed
• 6 English muffins
• 2 tomatoes

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F and spray a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large skillet, brown the sausage until it's crispy, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Cool slightly, and crumble into small chunks.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, beat eggs and milk together. Add salt and pepper, and stir in crumbled sausage.
4. Ladle mixture into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until set. Let cool, then loosen gently and remove to a plate.
5. Split and toast the English muffins. Cut tomatoes into about 12 thin slices. Place a slice on each toasted muffin half, and top with an egg-sausage muffin. Serve hot, 2 per person.

Enjoy!!

*note I am not a cook nor will I ever be one (at least a good one) All recipes are ones our family likes and are not my own.

Recipe Week: Day 1 -Appetizers

 

This Is one of my favorites from my sister. They taste so Yummy. You just have to try them!

Best Stuffed Mushrooms -

2 x 8oz packs of mushrooms ... if you want them stuffed more or less, buy more or less
1 8oz package cream cheese softened
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup chopped up imitation crab meat
2 tablespoons chopped chives or green onions
¼ cup each white wine and fresh lemon juice
S&P to taste

Wipe the mushrooms and take out the stems. Place them in a deep glass baking dish.
Whip up the cream cheese and stir in all the other ingredients except the wine and lemon juice. If it seems too thick you can ad a few tablespoons of sour cream.
Using a teaspoon or pastry bag fill each mushroom cap with the mixture. Pour the wine & lemon juice over the mushrooms and bake at 400F until the mushrooms are tender and the cheese is brown and bubbly.

Let them cool a bit or you’ll burn your tongue. These are a BIG HIT at parties. You could probably stuff other things if you don’t like mushrooms. Or are allergic like my mother-in-law.

Recipe week!

I would love to do a recipe week soon. With the holidays coming up, lets share our favorite family recipes!

If you want your recipe featured on my blog please e-mail it to me Kryssi01@msn.com

Sat - we will start with appetizers.

Best chili Recipe!

I hate chili bu after watching Racheal Ray cook this one on her show, we gave it a try.
I loved it! OMG - and is not really fateneing if you substitute for fat free/ low fat.

Morrocan Chili and 10,000 Grains of Sand

Courtesy Of: Rachael Ray, Everyday Exotic



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds ground lamb
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 bay leaf
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
A handful golden raisins
4 apricots, chopped
1 1/2 cups couscous
3 to 4 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
A handful fresh parsley leaves, chopped
A handful fresh mint leaves, chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
8 pita breads, cut into wedgesfor scooping


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat skillet with extra-virgin olive oil, add meat and brown. Season the meat with salt and pepper, to taste, chili powder, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and paprika. Add the bay leaf, onions, bell pepper and garlic to the pan. Cook until onions are soft, 8 minutes. Add lemon juice and zest, Worcestershire sauce and tomato sauce. Stir and reduce heat to simmer.

Bring butter and stock to a boil in a pot with tight fitting lid. Add dried fruit and couscous, stir then turn off heat and set lid in place. Let stand 5 minutes. Add nuts and herbs and toss with fork.

Toast pita wedges in hot oven or under broiler. Pile chili in bowls, top with "sand" and serve with pita wedges for scooping.

What we're eating: Bacon-Cheeseburger Calzones

Ok, I wish I could say we had this tonight but we didnt. We had a failed pot-roast dinner and a quick trip to McDonalds. This is one of our family's favorite go to meals. Its so fast and yummy! (and I wish we had cooked it tonight!)

Prep time: 30 min.
Total time: 50 min.
Makes: 4 sandwiches

INGREDIENTS
2 slices bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (we use turkey bacon)
1/2 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
2 tablespoons dried minced onion
2 tablespoons chopped hamburger pickle slices
2 tablespoons ranch dressing (fat free)
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet
1 plum (Roma) tomato, thinly sliced, if desired
2 slices (3/4 oz each) American or Cheddar cheese, each cut in half (we've used shredded too)
1 egg, beaten

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 375°F. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium heat 2 minutes. Add beef and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked. Drain if necessary. Stir in pickles and ranch dressing.
2. If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough; separate into 4 rectangles. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press each into 7x4-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough; cut into 4 rectangles. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press each into 7x4-inch rectangle.
3. Spoon about 1/3 cup beef mixture onto one end of each rectangle. Top each with tomato slices and 1 piece of cheese. Fold dough over filling; press edges with fork to seal (sandwiches will be full). Brush tops with egg.
4. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until deep golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

Robert hates ranch so we add that last and seprate the meat mixture in half. He adds BBQ sauce to his half and I add the ranch to the other half. We usually give the kids 1/2 of each flavor and they love it.

What we're eating: Recipe Time

Tonight I'm making my mom's Seafood Stew recipe, yummy! I'm not sure why its called a stew because its more of a soup but that just doesn't sound as nice as stew. Anyway if you like seafood try my mom's recipe out. You wont regret it!

-------------------

Ingredients
• oysters - 5 cans (chopped)
• tail off salad shrimp 1 1/2 pounds, you can buy fresh or frozen
• clams - 6 cans
• crab meat - 1 pound fresh or packaged
• milk - 1 1/2gallons
• butter - 1lb and 1 stick
• potatoes - 10lbs
• parsley
• salt
• pepper
• onions

Feeds about 10 people with leftovers. Cut recipe down for smaller families. And its almost always under $60!

Directions:
1. Boil potatoes, drain.
2. Add seafood w/ canned juice, milk, butter and onion. Season to taste with pepper, salt and parsley.
3. Done when at low boil.
-------------------

Helloo......Delivery Man,

I got a visit from the Schwan's delivery guy and now my freezer is stuffed!

Seriously I wasn't sure it would all fit and I don't suggest anyone open the door without a net and helmet. You will be hurt, LOL. I was surprised to find out that Schwan's isn't as expensive as I thought it was and they take all forms of payment. Who doesn't like home delivery? Especially this cold winter when I'd rather starve than go out to the store.

Craving

OMG I am tottaly craving a Ruben sandwich. Lastnight we were watching 'Dinners, Drive-ins and Dives'. They had a dinner that served Rubens and now I want one badly!!



The best Ruben I ever ate was at Donatello's Restarunt in Niagara Falls. So if your ever in NF stop my there you wont be sorry.

So now I'm off to the grocery to buy corned beef, saurkraut, thousand island dressing, swiss cheese, and rye bread. Yummy!

Best Burgers EVER!!

My husband and I are Food Network junkies and a few days ago Racheal Ray's 30 min. meals was on and she was making homemade chips and MOP burgers. After watching it Robert wanted to make our version of the meal.

One word can describe them.... ORGASMIC!! OMG they were the best!! I hate homemade burgers, at every family picnic I will choose not to eat rather than eat a burger. BUT these I'd gladly eat every day! Well if it wasnt for the fact that I'd then die of a clogged arteries. I'd love to share with you our version of the best burger.....

Ingredients
• 1 lb Ground Beef
• 1 lb Ground Italian Sausage
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 Tbsp Parsley
• 2 tsp Garlic
• 4 Tbsp Grill Seasoning (we used gourmet burgers seasoning)
• Provolone Cheese, sliced

1. Preheat large skillet or cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Coat bottom of a large bowl with olive oil. Add beef, sausage, and seasonings. Mix by hand until well blended. Shape into patties.

2. Put patties in skillet. Cook 4-5 minutes per side until just about done (160®F).

3. Add cheese on top of burgers. Cover until cheese is melted and meat is done. Put on bun and enjoy!