Category: Giveaway

Chai Toddy

The Holiday Season is officially upon us! And what better way to begin the season than with a giveaway? This post and giveaway are brought to you by one of my favorite organizations, World Vision.

The World Vision Gift Catalog is filled with beautiful gift options for this gift-giving season and cover every budget ($10 to $5,100) that help children and families in need worldwide.

The World Vision Gift Catalog offers an alternative (or addition to) traditional holiday gift giving. With a financial contribution, the gift giver can select from dozens of items that you will get while helping a person in need. For example, a gardener may enjoy giving hybrid or drought-resistant seeds to a farmer through a donation of just $17 to help one family. Or a child may be the perfect recipient of a donation of $35 which buys new toys such as stuffed animals, dolls, sports equipment, simple games, and more. Because of donations from leading companies, this gift actually goes 12 times further to provide fun-filled toys (it would buy $420 worth of new toys).

I’ve been lucky enough to work with World Vision for the past few years. In past years, I’ve made Star Anise Snickerdoodles to highlight the Prosperity Cinnamon, Couscous with Dried Cranberries and Pine Nuts featuring beautiful Hand-Carved Serving Spoons, and Tiramisu Jars using Fair Trade Coffee. This year, I was sent these gorgeous Capiz Shell Coasters, so I made a yummy Chai Toddy, perfect for cold winter nights! More information on entering the giveaway at the end of this post.

A Chai Toddy is a hot toddy made with chai, which is a tea made with a blend of spices typically including green cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, ground ginger, and black peppercorns.  With the addition of whiskey or bourbon, a Chai Toddy makes for a yummy party beverage, don’t you think?

Ingredients (serves 1, multiply as needed):

  • 6 oz steeped Chai tea
  • 1 oz whiskey or bourbon
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 oz heavy cream
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 star anise

Continue reading Chai Toddy

#Choctoberfest with Imperial Sugar GIVEAWAY

 

This is going to be a very good week. Why? Because it’s #Choctoberfest! Today, October 5th is the first day of a week long event celebrating all things chocolate!

#Choctoberfest is a virtual event put together by The PinterTest Kitchen. Bloggers from around the world will be posting their favorite chocolate recipes, and you’ll get a chance to win some awesome prizes. What’s not to love?

Here’s what this event is all about!

#Choctoberfest would not be possible without our sponsors, starting with our 2015 Gold Sponsor, Imperial Sugar. Imperial Sugar has been a trusted name in family kitchens since 1843. Their sugar products and sweeteners are made from non-GMO cane sugar and ensure consistently delicious results. We’ll be using Imperial Sugar whenever we use sugar in our recipes this week, and can’t wait to share the sweetness with you! (You may have seen my Instagram post; I’ve got plenty of Imperial Sugar to make sweet treats for a while!)

You can find Imperial Sugar on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more. Make sure you visit the recipes section of their website for some sweet inspiration, and you can also find coupons on their website if you want to try out Imperial Sugar yourself.

Imperial Sugar and our other sponsors have banded together to contribute some awesome prizes for our #Choctoberfest giveaway! Entering is simple – just click below to follow us on Pinterest. Here’s what you could win:

We also have a nonprofit sponsor this year – Rescue Chocolate! They make vegan chocolate treats and donate 100% of their proceeds to animal shelters.

Enter now to win the #Choctoberfest prize. Hurry, because we’re picking the winner on October 12 at 8:00 AM, so if you don’t sign up before then, you’ll miss your chance!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A huge thank you to all of the other blogs participating in #Choctoberfest 2015. Check out their blogs throughout the week for chocolate recipes you won’t be able to resist:

The PinterTest Kitchen • 2 Cookin’ Mamas • A Day in the Life on the Farm • Aloha Flavor • Amy’s Cooking Adventures • Angels Homestead • Balancing Motherhood • Bless this Mess • Busy-at-Home • Chocolate Slopes • Coconut & Lime • Colie’s Kitchen • Cookaholic Wife • Cooking In Stilettos • Cooking With Libby • Cookistry • CopyKat Recipes • Cravings of a Lunatic • Crumbs in my Mustachio • Culinary Couture • Cupcakes Take The Cake • Deliciously Savvy • Eat It & Say Yum • Fairyburger • Famished Fish, Finicky Shark • Farm Fresh Feasts • Food Hunter’s Guide to Cuisine • Full Belly Sisters • Get Off The Couch and Cook • Grumpy’s Honeybunch • Hey What’s for Dinner Mom? • Honey and Birch • I Can Cook That • Jane’s Adventures in Dinner • Jessie Weaver • Life on Food • Life, Love, and Good Food • Majorly Delicious • Moore or Less Cooking Food Blog • Mother Would Know • Or Whatever You Do • Poet in the Pantry • Recipes Food and Cooking • Sassy Southern Yankee • Savory Tart • Seduction in The Kitchen • Serena Lissy • Sumptuous Spoonfuls • Take Two Tapas • That Skinny Chick Can Bake • ThatsSoYummy • The Chonchudo Files • The Crumby Cupcake • The Dinner-Mom • The Saucy Southerner • The Spiced Life • The Spiffy Cookie • The Two Bite Club • The Weekday Gourmet • Vintage Kitty • Wendy Polisi • What A Girl Eats • WhitBit’s Indian Kitchen • Wit Wisdom & Food • Zesty South Indian Kitchen

Are you a blogger who is interested in joining us during out next community event?

Sign up here now!

We’ll make sure you get an email about our next blogger event.

Check out some of my#Choctoberfest posts below!

Overnight Iced Coffee

This post is sponsored by Equal. All opinions are my own.

I love coffee. No,  I need coffee. And in the summer, I crave iced coffee, but don’t want to have to go to a coffee shop every time I have a hankering (that can really add up!)

 

Really solid iced coffee is made strong enough to stand up to the ice as it melts. I also prefer a really strong brew so that I can add sweetener and half and half to make the perfect iced beverage. So overnight iced coffee is a simple and awesome option, plus it’s ready for you in the morning!

 

Overnight iced coffee is cold brewed; the ground coffee “brews” in the water overnight to give a rich deep flavor, and is really easy to make. I was sent a summer beverage kit from Equal to get ready for all the delicious drinks of summer and thought this would be the perfect time to try out an overnight coffee using the kit and Equal 0-calorie sweetener!

 

 

Equal 0-Calorie Sweetener pairs wonderfully with a strong brewed iced coffee. Equal packets are concentrated (1 packet = the sweetness of 2 teaspoons sugar) while Equal Spoonful measures cup for cup. Equal is a great option to sweeten recipes without adding calories! (For more recipes using Equal, check out their recipe page.)

 

 

The summer beverage kit includes:

  • Equal® 0-calorie sweetener 115-ct boxes
  • Equal® Spoonful 4-oz. “Easy Pour” Container (226 servings)
  • Takeya Flash Chill Tea Maker
  • Republic of Tea Green tea sachets
  • Blended iced coffee packets
  • Cool Peach Iced Tea Recipe Card from The Diabetic Chef® Chef Chris Smith
  • Equal® Recipe Guide Booklet
  • Equal® iPad holder

 

 

I decided to use the Takeya Flash Chill Tea Maker to make the overnight iced coffee and sweetened my coffee with Equal Spoonful. The Tea Maker has a built in Tea Infuser which also works great to hold the coffee grounds. (Equal is also providing one reader with a kit of their own! Details after the recipe…)

 

Ingredients:

  • 10 tablespoons coarsely ground coffee
  • ~2 quarts water
  • ice cubes (or coffee ice cubes)
  • 3 tablespoons Equal Spoonful 0-calorie sweetener (or 4 Equal packets)
  • 1/4 cup creamer or half and half
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Continue reading Overnight Iced Coffee

{Giveaway} The Joy of Writing a Great Cookbook Review

If you’ve ever dreamed of publishing a cookbook, Kimberly Yorio’s THE JOY OF WRITING A GREAT COOKBOOK: How to Share Your Passion for Cooking from Idea to Published Book to Marketing It Like a Bestseller is right up your alley. I was sent a free copy of this book to review, and I was surprised with how much content was in this book that I never really even considered before!

 

Kimberly Yorio is a brand strategist, food authority, and women’s business advocate who has worked as an in-house publicist and marketing director, a for-hire publicist and agent, a cookbook co-author and proposal writer.

 

Kim, with 20+ years experience in the cookbook industry, has developed an amazing how to for cookbook author hopefuls. In her own words, the cookbook “will show you how to get from great idea to bookstore shelves (or, at the very least, Amazon).”

This book is filled with not just Kimberly Yorio’s advice, but tips and tricks of publishers, editors, publicists, recipe testers, food stylists, journalists, bloggers, agents, and celebrity chefs. It even includes a history of cookbooks and a thorough review of social media, which I found to be really helpful for my own blog!

 

Not only has Kim given novice writers all of the tools to create a cookbook of which they can be proud, Page Street Publishing is offering  a chance to win your very own cookbook contract and marketing campaign executed by Kim and her team. Hopeful cookbook authors can submit their proposal by August 1, 2015 and have a chance to earn a publishing deal for a printed book and an e-book. (Guidelines and official rules can be found at pagestreetpublishing.com.)

 

If it’s always been your dream to write a cookbook, don’t hesitate, and enter now!

 

screen shot of pagestreetpublishing.com

 

A copy of Kim’s book would be super helpful in preparing a proposal for this contest though, wouldn’t it? Luckily, I have also been given the opportunity to give away one copy of The Joy of Writing a Great Cookbook to one reader! Use the widget below and good luck!

For those who can’t wait to get their hands on a copy, the book is available now and retails for $21.99.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Grilled Citrus Salmon

 This post is #sponsored by LongHorn Steakhouse. All opinions are my own.

With summer in full swing, it’s time to get grilling! As I’ve mentioned before, I unfortunately do not have any outdoor space at my apartment for a grill, but that hasn’t stopped me! I use my trusty grill pan as often as possible to bring the flavor of summer indoors.

 

This yummy recipe for Grilled Citrus Salmon was sent to me by LongHorn Steakhouse, and a version of this is actually available in their restaurants as part of their Summer Chef’s Showcase menu. I adapted it slightly to include ingredients I had on hand, so be sure to stop in to your local LongHorn Steakhouse to try their version as well!

 

 

 

As we all head out to grill this July 4th, LongHorn Steakhouse will have their Grill Us Hotline open Thursday, July 2 through Saturday July 4 from noon to 5 pm to answer grilling questions via phone and text. At-home grillers can call 1-855-LH-GRILL or text LHGRILL to 40679 (wait for a response & follow the prompts) to be connected with a grilling expert to answer questions live in real-time.

 

LongHorn Steakhouse was also kind enough to offer to give away a LongHorn Steakhouse Summer Grilling Party Pack to one winner! The grilling pack includes various grilling tools, koozies for your outdoor grill-out and a $25 gift card to visit LongHorn Steakhouse. More details after the recipe.

 

 

Ingredients:

Salmon

  • 4 (7-oz.) salmon fillets
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste
  • 8 oz. crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley

Citrus Glaze

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley

Summer Vegetables and Pearl Couscous

  • 4 cups cooked Israeli (pearl) couscous (~1 cup dry)
  • 1/2 batch of fresh asparagus spears
  • 1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Continue reading Grilled Citrus Salmon

Natural Balance Foods- Healthy Cereal Bars and Snacks

A while back, I was contacted by a healthy snack company based out of Britain called Natural Balance Foods. Their Eat Nakd Bars are snack bars made from natural ingredients including fruits and nuts and are gluten free, wheat free, and dairy free with no added sugars.

 

The company was kind enough to send me a bunch of the Nakd Bars to try, including their Cashew Cookie and Berry Delight Bars, which were my two favorites.

I brought a bunch of the Nakd Bars hiking and they were the perfect portable treat for the day. (I actually ended up spraining my ankle and spent most of my day at the base of the mountain, but hey, sprains work up an appetite as well!)

 

These little bars don’t skimp on flavor and are a great on the go snack for busy days.

 

So, what sets Eat Nakd apart from the rest?

 

A typical cereal bar can contain as many as 30 ingredients, many of which I can’t really pronounce.

It only takes 35 minutes to make an Eat Nakd bar, from start to finish, while a baked cereal bar can take almost 4 hours to process.

 

The lack of sugars doesn’t result in a cardboard tasting bar, however. The bars typically are made with dates, which adds natural sweetness to the other flavors. Eat Nakd currently has nine different bars, so it’s worth trying them all to find your favorite!

 

The company also has Eat Nākd Crunch bars which are are dairy, wheat and gluten free, packed with soya crunchies for extra protein to keep you feeling fuller for longer, and are completely vegan friendly. Flavors include Banana, Strawberry, Apple and Cocoa.

 

I enjoyed these bars so much that I want you to be able to try them too! One I Can Cook That Reader will will an Eat Nakd Sampler Box! The Sampler Box includes one of each of their yummy bars —

  • One of each 9 Eat Nakd fruit and nut bar flavors; Rhubarb & Custard, Caffe Mocha, Cocoa Orange, Cashew Cookie, Pecan Pie, Berry Delight, Cocoa Mint, Ginger Bread and Cocoa Delight (9x 35g bars)
  • One of each 4 Eat Nakd Crunch bars: Apple Crunch, Strawberry Crunch, Banana Crunch and Cocoa Crunch (4x 30g bars)

 

Use the widget below to enter. Also, be sure to check out their website and pick up some of the bars for yourself — because Natural Balance Foods is relatively new to the U.S., they are currently offering free shipping on all U.S. orders!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mother’s Day Gift Options from GourmetGiftBaskets.com

Mother’s Day is just days away! If you’re still scrambling to find the perfect gift for your mom, GourmetGiftBaskets.com has developed a number of awesome gift baskets that would be perfect for this Sunday!

 

 

Gifts range from chocolate dipped strawberries to spa gift baskets. Some of my favorite food-themed gifts include:

 

Bountiful Harvest Fruit Gift Basket ($99.99) –  Nestled in a beautiful willow branch basket is an arrangement of freshly harvest orchard fruits, including crisp apples, juicy oranges, and sweet pears, plus irresistible snacks, like classic farmhouse cheddar, handcrafted popcorn, and a hearty trail mix.

 

Mother’s Day Wine basket ($89.99).  Mom will find two bottles of coveted wines (Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva by Alto Tierrucav and Chardonnay by Backhouse) along with an array of delectable accompaniments: a sensational summer sausage, deli-style crackers, smooth Wisconsin cheese, mocha chocolate California wine wafers and more.

 

LadyBug Insulated Lunch Tote ($69.99) loaded with goodies including peanut M&Ms, honey mustard and onion pretzel bites, pepperoni pizza combos, Cheez-its, crackers, Rice Krispie treats, Oreos, snack mix, Mike & Ikes, a protein bar, spearmint gum, a Healthy Choice micro soup, and even a Bursting Berry Blow Pop.

Mother’s Day Golf Gift Basket for $54.99. This creative basket is really a cooler in the shape of a golf bag that can be transported easily to the course or other sporting events. It’s replete with sweet and savory snacks, including: chocolate wafer petites, sugar cookies, snack mix, roasted peanuts, Fuji apple crunch dried fruit, jelly beans, roasted edamame, and a blueberry, pomegranate & almond orchard bar.

 

GourmetGiftBaskets.com is also generously offering I Can Cook That readers the chance to win the Golf Gift Basket! Unfortunately, the winner will not be chosen until Mother’s Day, so be sure to pick up a gift for your mom!

 

Looking for more inspiration? Check out the rest of GourmetGiftBaskets.com’s Mother’s Day gifts here!

 

Enter to win by using the widget below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Virtual Mad Men Finale Party – Steak in the Pan with Butter, Potatoes au Gratin, and a Perfect Manhattan

This Sunday is the beginning of the end of Mad Men. Sniffle. I have been a huge fan of the show for years and am sad to see it end. But that doesn’t mean I can’t still throw a little party of my own in celebration of the final premiere!

All week, bloggers have been  featuring their own spins on Mad Men-inspired recipes to gear up for the premiere this Sunday, when we will have a Virtual Mad Men Finale Party!

I adapted some recipes from The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook: Inside the Kitchens, Bars, and Restaurants of Mad Men by Judy Gelman and Peter Zheutlin. I wanted to cheers to Mad Men in style, so I made a version of Trudy’s Rib Eye in the Pan, Individual Potatoes au Gratin, and Perfect Manhattans.

If you’re a Mad Men fan, you probably remember Trudy calling Pete at the office early into their marriage asking what he wanted for dinner. His response: “Rib eye, in the pan, with butter.” So Pete, this one’s for you! This version is a pan-seared New York Strip Steak with cognac butter. (I made New York Strip Steaks instead of Rib Eye, because that would have just been way too much meat for me.)

The steaks are paired with an adapted version of Julia Child’s Potatoes au Gratin, served in individual crocks.

And what’s a Mad Men Party without a cocktail?? I decided to make a more modernized version of a classic, called a Perfect Manhattan, which refers to using equal parts sweet and dry vermouth.

If you want to also Party Like a Mad Man, you’re in luck! I also have a copy to give away! Details after the recipes.

 

Adapted from The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook

Ingredients:

Steak in the Pan with Butter:

  • 4 boneless New York Strip Steaks, ~1 inch thick
  • 4 teaspoons canola oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 4 oz cognac
  • 8 tablespoons butter

Potatoes au Gratin

  • 3 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1 cup finely chopped onions
  • 1/2 pound raw potatoes (about 2-3 large potatoes), peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups half and half
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, crumbled (I used Valley Thunder from Valley Shepherd in Reading Terminal)

Perfect Manhattan

  • 8 oz rye whiskey (I prefer Dad’s Hat’s version that is finished in Vermouth barrels)
  • 2 oz dry vermouth
  • 2 oz sweet vermouth
  • 8 dashes bitters
  • maraschino cherries for garnish

Continue reading Virtual Mad Men Finale Party – Steak in the Pan with Butter, Potatoes au Gratin, and a Perfect Manhattan

MARY’s Secret Ingredients Giveaway

 

Source: https://www.maryssecretingredients.com/
They are snazzy limited edition culinary surprise boxes that come out seasonally (4 boxes a year) and are filled with fun culinary-themed items. The boxes are filled with unique gourmet, artisanal ingredients as well as small kitchen products. To get an idea of what comes each season, check out previous boxes here.

 

Source: https://www.maryssecretingredients.com/
Mary also has a blog, LOVE – the secret ingredient, where she shares recipes using each of the box’s ingredients, which is so helpful when you need some suggestions on how to use what is in the box.

 

The first box of the year is being prepared now, and will be shipped on April 25th. There are only 100 subscriptions available each season, so it is best to sign up for them as early as possible.

 

Source: https://www.maryssecretingredients.com/
What makes these boxes even more special is that MSI helps fight hunger and is a proud supporter of Feed the Children.

 

Source: https://www.maryssecretingredients.com/
The boxes are $25.95, while the average value of each box is $45.00! The team at Mary’s Secret Ingredients is offering one I Can Cook That reader a FREE spring box! Use the widget below to enter!

 

For those who are interested in a year subscription, Mary is also offering I Can Cook That readers a special promo code for $16 off a full year subscription! Use MSICANCOOKTHAT when signing up to receive the discount! (Note: the promo code expires April 25, 2015)

 

Source: https://www.maryssecretingredients.com/
Lastly, Mary’s Secret Ingredients is also currently running a Crowdfunding Campaign to allow them to grow and donate more money to Feed the Children. There are some cool rewards for those that donate, including receiving a cooking class with Mary. Check out the campaign here. There are just a few days left to donate!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sourdough Bread

I have made a couple of breads in the past, but never one that yielded a typical bread you’d use for sandwiches. For whatever reason, I’ve always been very intimidated by the whole bread making process. I recently visited a friend that loves to bake bread and she assured me it wasn’t nearly as difficult as I was imagining. So, after putting it off for a couple of months, I finally decided to try!

 

I decided to make a sourdough bread, because it is a relatively simple recipe. The hardest part is the whole waiting aspect of it. I found this recipe on King Arthur Flour’s website and used their sourdough starter to make the bread (rather than making my own starter which can take a week). My interest in baking bread was well timed, ZWILLING‘s Knife of the Month for March is the ZWILLING Pro 8″ Bread Knife, and they were kind enough to offer to not only let me try one of the knives out, but are also offering one to give away!  Details after the recipe.

 

 

ZWILLING J.A. HENCKELS knives are no joke, they are great quality knives made in Germany for over 280 years. When I moved out on my own, my mom actually bought me a set of ZWILLING J.A. HENCKELS knives to get my kitchen started, and I still use them daily!

The ZWILLING Pro 8″ Bread Knife has a serrated edge that effortlessly cuts through hard bread crusts, and cuts neat slices due to its aggressive long prongs. The knife is forges from one single piece of steel, is ice-hardened, and is hand sharpened and polished. The knife is dishwasher safe, but it’s suggested you hand wash it to keep it in great shape longer (dishwashers are really tough on knives).

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup “fed” sourdough starter
  • 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
  • 2 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 5 cups unbleached all purpose flour

Continue reading Sourdough Bread

Frog in a Hole with Blueberry Pancakes

Did you know that February is Hot Breakfast Month? If your schedule is anything like mine, the closest you get to a hot breakfast on a week day is instant oatmeal. So why not switch up a weeknight dinner and serve breakfast instead?

Coinciding with National Hot Breakfast Month in February and to make sure everyone can regularly enjoy both the simplicity and fun of breakfast for dinner, Krusteaz has officially named every Wednesday Night in February “Breakfast Night.”

 

To make Breakfast Night super simple, Krusteaz sent me some of their Baking Mixes so I could have breakfast for dinner!

My fiance absolutely loves breakfast, so he was so excited for us to switch it up and have a sweet and savory dinner. I used Krusteaz’ Blueberry Belgian Waffle Mix to make pancakes (I don’t have a Belgian waffle maker), and cut out the center of each pancake to make a spin on Frog in a Hole with Blueberry Pancakes. (Frog in a Hole is usually made with a piece of toast that has the center cut out to make room for an egg.) I added some crumbled bacon for good measure on top as well.

You only need to add water, oil, and eggs to the Krusteaz Blueberry Belgian Waffle Mix to have your batter ready to go, the blueberries are already in there!  Krusteaz was also kind enough to allow me to host a giveaway. You can receive a bunch of their yummy mixes, including:

  • 1 box of Buttermilk Pancake Mix
  • 1 box of Blueberry Belgian Waffle Mix
  • 1 box of Chocolate Chunk Muffin Mix
  • 1 box of Honey Wheat Pancake Mix
  • Krusteaz coupons for free product

More details and how to enter after the recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 4 strips of bacon
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 3 cups Krusteaz Blueberry Belgian Waffle Mix
  • 6 eggs, divided
  • 1 1/4 cup water
  • 1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
  • cooking spray
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Continue reading Frog in a Hole with Blueberry Pancakes

Spiked Mint Coconut Milk Hot Chocolate

Today (February 19) is National Chocolate Mint Day! With the cold temperatures across most of the U.S., I think we can all use a nice warm beverage to keep us toasty, and this is the perfect food holiday for such a beverage! So, I present: Spiked Mint Coconut Milk Hot Chocolate!

Blue Chair Bay must feel the same way, so I developed this non-dairy hot chocolate beverage to pair with their Coconut Spiced Rum. The coconut rum, spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove is the perfect accompaniment to hot chocolate, don’t you think? To enhance the coconut flavor in the rum, I decided to use coconut milk which makes a rich and creamy hot chocolate base.

Rum always reminds me of warmer weather, and the Coconut Spiced Rum is no exception. Blue Chair Bay offers a collection of premium-blended rums inspired by multi-platinum singer-songwriter Kenny Chesney’s love of the island lifestyle. So even though most of us probably are not soaking up the sun at the moment, we can have our own little escape with this winter-weather treat!

For readers over 21 years of age, I also have an exciting giveaway! Blue Chair Bay has offered to give one bottle of Blue Chair Bay Rum to a lucky winner! Details after the recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 2 (13.5 oz) cans full fat coconut milk
  • 4 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 4 teaspoons turbinado sugar
  • 4 oz Blue Chair Bay Coconut Spiced Rum

Continue reading Spiked Mint Coconut Milk Hot Chocolate

Baked Chicken Parmesan

Happy Carnevale! Carnevale is celebrated in Italy 40 days before Easter. It is the last hurrah before Lent begins. (It’s similar to Mardi Gras). The word “carnevale” actually means “no meat” in Latin, so the best way to celebrate this holiday is with some protein before fasting begins for Lent.

Redpack Tomatoes sent me a package of assorted canned tomatoes to get me in the spirit of Carnevale, and included some tasty recipes to go along with it. I decided to make Chicken Parmesan, one of my favorite comfort foods. I adapted the recipe from Redpack, but decided to bake the chicken rather than pan fry it, so here is my recipe for Baked Chicken Parmesan.

Redpack is also offering one reader the chance to win the same kit I was sent! It includes:

  • 1 20-oz can of Redpack crushed tomatoes
  • 1 28-oz can of Redpack whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1 28-oz can of Redpack diced tomatoes
  • 1 6-oz can of Redpack tomato paste

 

Details on how to enter after the recipe below.

 

Redpack is also hosting a Facebook promotion running until March 4 where 1,000 Redpack followers will win a Redpack branded apron each week. One grand prize winner will receive a pasta stock pot, pasta-related serveware, and a selection of Redpack products.

 

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
  • 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • cooking spray
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 shallots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 (28 oz) can Redpack Crushed Tomatoes in Thick Puree
  • 1 teaspoon fresh oregano
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
  • 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Continue reading Baked Chicken Parmesan

Tiramisu Jars

I wanted to have this post for Tiramisu Jars up for National Coffee Day (September 29th) but. Well. I didn’t. So instead, we will finish off the week with this yummy recipe! Also, honestly, isn’t every day National Coffee Day?

For the past three years, I have had the opportunity to help spread the word about World Vision, and each year they are kind enough to offer a giveaway to go along with the post! Last year, I made Star Anise Snickerdoodles to highlight the Prosperity Cinnamon and the year before I made Couscous with Dried Cranberries and Pine Nuts featuring beautiful Hand-Carved Serving Spoons. This year, I’m using Fair Trade Coffee to make a fun spin on Tiramisu.

 

World Vision is an organization that helps sponsor children in need and helps fight world hunger through your donations. One of the ways you can help the organization is by purchasing products within their Gift Catalog, which allows you to give a truly meaningful gift this holiday season.  The 2014 Christmas season marks the 19th annual edition of the World Vision Gift Catalog. In the 2013 fiscal year, more than 186,000 donors purchased more than 475,000 items that raised over $33.7 million. These items help more than 844,000 people around the world!

The catalog is filled with items for every budget ($16 to $39,000) that help children and families in need worldwide. The World Vision Gift Catalog offers an alternative (or addition to) traditional holiday gift giving. You can choose a gift for these families that fits your financial abilities and personal tastes. For example, a gardener may enjoy donating $17 towards hybrid or drought-resistant seeds, which is enough to feed one family.  With a financial contribution, the gift giver can select from more than 250 items at www.worldvisiongifts.org, as well as Handcrafted Gifts for those who want to give a tangible gift to a loved one.

 

The Fair Trade Coffee I used within this recipe is available with a donation of $65. The 12 oz. coffee set is blended by OneCup.org, using delicious flavors from Ethiopia, Sumatra, and Costa Rica, and is delivered in a gift bag of African fabric hand-sewn by local women. World Vision Gift Catalog has offered to give a Fair Trade Coffee Set away to one lucky reader! Details after the recipe.

I used the coffee to make a strong overnight cold-brewed coffee to use in place of espresso in Tiramisu. Because I am visiting friends this weekend and always try to bring them a treat, I decided to make individual mason jar Tiramisu Trifles because they travel better than a large baking dish. I adapted a recipe from Food Network to make these Tiramisu jars.

Ingredients:
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 pound mascarpone cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups cold-brewed coffee (recipe below)
  • 1 tablespoon coffee liqueur
  • 24 packaged ladyfingers, cut into small pieces (I cut mine into 1/6ths)
  • cocoa powder, for dusting
  • 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate shavings, for garnish
  • 6 8oz mason jars

Continue reading Tiramisu Jars

Eggplant & Portobello Pasta #BeerLoversHH

I love cooking with beer, I’ve used it a lot in past recipes — everything from Beer-Steamed Clams and Mussels to Pumpkin Spice Bread. So this new cookbook is right up my alley! The Ultimate Beer Lover’s Happy Hour includes bar snacks, beer cocktails, and recipes that incorporate beer into the dish as well as almost 1,000 beer pairing suggestions for the recipes.

I was sent one of the recipes in the cookbook to test and share with you: Eggplant & Portobello Pasta. I  used local witbier in the recipe but you can also use a slightly toasty Vienna Lager, mellow Golden Ale, or classic American Wheat Ale.

I also  have a fun contest to share! In celebration of the release of John Schlimm’s new book, The Ultimate Beer Lover’s Happy Hour, you can win a copy of the cookbook for your very own!

For a chance to win, try the recipe of the week (this Eggplant & Portobello Pasta I’m posting below) and take a photo of your dish.

Post it on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram using the hastag #BeerLoversHH and tag me! (Facebook: I Can Cook That, Instagram: @icancookthat, Twitter: @icancookthat).  Send them my way by Monday, September 8 for a chance to win!

Photos posted using the hashtag will also be compiled onto Sourcebooks’ Pinterest page and shared across Sourcebooks Media.

Pair with: Vienna Lager, Golden Ale, American Wheat Ale

Adapted from The Ultimate Beer Lover’s Happy Hour

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 Portobello mushroom caps, sliced into bite-size pieces
  • 2 medium eggplant, peeled and diced (I used graffiti eggplant)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 (16 oz) beer of your choice, preferably the same beer you’re pairing with the dish (I used Walt Wit)
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 1 pound rotini pasta
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

  Continue reading Eggplant & Portobello Pasta #BeerLoversHH

Exit mobile version