Did you know there is a a new website from General Mills where you can find, save, and share recipes you’ll love?
When you visit Tablespoon.com, you will get to view more than 25,000 of the best recipes on the web. Share recipes easily on places like Facebook and Twitter. When you join Tablespoon.com, you can: Add your own recipe creations, and create your own version of existing recipes that suit your taste. Save up to $80 every month with printable coupons from brands you love Rate, comment, and save the recipes you try Bonus! Also, if you add your recipes to Tablespoon, your recipe and profile could be featured in a Tablespoon newsletter, which is sent to thousands of subscribers! The Tablespoon team will select some of the highest rated member submitted recipes to be featured in the weekly newsletter. If your recipe is highly rated, it could even be the main feature!
With all the holiday events coming up you'll want to check out some recipe ideas! How about these for a Halloween party or festival at school? Look for me there!
Guess what! One "Mommy? I'm Hungry!" reader will receive a "Pass the Inspiration" Prize Pack that includes a set of measuring spoons, a measuring cup, and two terry cloth pot holders. This will come in handy when cooking up your favorite recipes to add to Tablespoon.com!
*ENTER TO WIN! Just leave a comment below sharing with me, which recipe you’d like to try out from Tablespoon.com. Don't forget to leave contact info!*
*BONUS: Then if you like, earn up to 6 more entries by showing some "Mommy? I'm Hungry!" bloggie luv! -Please post yourself a separate comment for each one that you do or if you already are:
1. Follow me on Twitter here
2. Tweet about this giveaway, copy this: Get in the kitchen with @MommyImHungry!! Win a "Pass the Inspiration" Giveaway! http://bit.ly/OH8WA
3. Blog about this giveaway on your blog & post your link here
4. Follow "Mommy? I'm Hungry!" w/my Google Friend Connect side bar widget
5. Follow "Mommy? I'm Hungry!" w/my NEW Facebook Fan Page bar widget
6. Add my blog button to your site & post your link here
This Giveaway ends: 11:59 pm pst, Monday, October 5, 2009.
Please read the fine print:
-Open to all USA residents (due to shipping)
-I will verify links/names to be fair
-You must leave me your email so I can contact you if you've won, if it's not in your profile*
-Winner(s) will be posted on my Blog & Twitter, the following day
-I will choose my winner(s) using Random.org
As always be sure to follow along so you don't miss the upcoming fun!
I received this kit, information, and giveaway from General Mills and MyBlogSpark.
Monday, September 28, 2009
-CLOSED- Pass the Inspiration with Tablespoon.com Giveaway
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
September's Cookie Carnival: Black Bottom Coconut Bars
We took a break from our monthly Cookie Carnival cookies, but are back now to talk about these yummies! Martha's Black-Bottom Coconut Bars!
I have to admit that during our break, I was trying to come up with an idea I thought was my own, to make an almond joy sort of brownie. Well I searched and searched for something that would resemble their coconut goodness but couldn't find anything, and wondered if how I wanted to make them would even turn out. That idea soon fizzled away, then I got the email for these guys!
These are sort of what I was looking for, so I was really excited to get these made. Like the next day!
FOR CHOCOLATE BASE
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
FOR COCONUT TOPPING
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 package sweetened shredded coconut (7 ounces), 1/2 cup reserved for sprinkling
For chocolate base: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving a slight overhang; butter bottom and sides of foil (not overhang).
Place butter in a large microwave-safe bowl; melt in microwave. Add sugar and salt; whisk to combine. Whisk in egg, then cocoa and flour until smooth. Spread batter in prepared pan.
Bake just until sides begin to pull away from edges of pan, 10 to 15 minutes (do not over bake). Let cool slightly while preparing coconut topping. Keep oven on for topping.
For coconut topping: In a medium bowl, whisk eggs with sugar and vanilla. Gently mix in flour and coconut (except 1/2 cup reserved for sprinkling).
Drop mounds of mixture over chocolate base; spread and pat in gently and evenly with moistened fingers. Sprinkle with reserved 1/2 cup coconut.
Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Lift cake from pan, peel off foil, and cut into 24 bars. Store in an airtight container 3 to 4 days.
You first make a brownie layer, bake it for a little bit, then top it with a coconut macaroon layer and finish baking. I loved the brownie layer even if it was a thin layer, and the macaroon layer was really great too. It was nice and chewy like you'd expect from a coconut macaroon cookie.
You can now see everyone's entries here!
enjoy,
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Tuesdays with Dorie: Apricot Cottage Cheese Pufflets
 |
| From Mommy I'm Hungry |
This week's TWD, Jacque of Daisy Lane Cakes decided on Cottage Cheese Pufflets, I decided on them being apricot flavor. What sweet little baked treats these are! I'm not sure you can call them a cookie, they are like mini turnovers, sort of. You will never know there is cottage cheese in the dough! I love cottage cheese anyways, so I was excited to make these. Once you are ready to roll and cut the dough into 3" squares, you have to work fast because the dough warms up quickly making it difficult to work with. I just used a little extra flour to dust with and it wasn't so bad.
 |
| From Mommy I'm Hungry |
You then dollop about 1 tsp of preserves in the middle and fold over the dough and press to seal it, like a turnover. I then put them in the freezer for a few minutes to firm up before baking (then I pricked a steam vent, much easier when the dough was firm). Mine did not puff up so much, they sort of fell flat and were a little delicate. Not the kind of treat to through in the cookie jar! They were great though, they were gone fast.
We're getting ready for Fall here with TWD! Stick around for some great fall flavors!
 |
| From Mommy I'm Hungry |
enjoy,
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
I have had Flan one other time, and it was a coffee flavor but I didn't know it. It was also a little mushy which totally turned me off on it. I decided to try again when I found this easy recipe. It came out great! Nice and thick, great density and flavor.
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt sugar until liquefied and golden in color. Carefully pour hot syrup into a warm* 8 inch round glass or ceramic baking dish, turning the dish to evenly coat the bottom and sides. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat eggs. Beat in condensed milk, milk and vanilla until smooth and well combined (another tip I saw was to use a blender*). Pour egg mixture into baking dish.
Bake in preheated oven 60 minutes. Let cool completely. Store in fridge for at least 3 hours or over night to firm up.
To serve, run a knife around the edges and carefully invert on serving plate that has an edge. The caramel syrup will drizzle the flan itself.
Caramel topping Tips:
-Heat the sugar until it melts. Don't stir, which promotes crystallization--the caramel will seize up and be grainy, not clear--but you may swirl the pan slightly to help redistribute any sugar that's starting to brown.
-*Tips from allrecipe user: Keep your baking dish warm/hot in the oven while you make the flan, so that when you do pour your caramel (melted sugar) into it, the caramel doesn't harden as quickly. When melting sugar, be patient and keep the heat LOW because the sugar may brown too dark. Don't fret if you still have small lumps of sugar in the end.. they will desolve when you bake the flan. As for the flan mixture, blend everything in a blender (adding the condensed milk last because its thicker) for the most effective and fastest way of mixing.
-I found these tips until after I made mine. Mine took forever to dissolve, and my recipe said to keep stirring it! It was not so pourable, but I did my best, and it sort of came out ok. The sugar caramel will dissolve from the moisture of the Flan once it's cooled in the fridge.
-adapted from Ralph's flyer and allrecipes
enjoy,
Mexican Rice
From Mommy I'm Hungry
I have been searching for a great homemade Mexican rice recipe, and when an old classmate on Facebook mentioned his wife was making his mom's recipe, I had to beg for it! =) I adapted it a little by adding in some diced carrots and a Serrano chili. This was really good rice. Just be sure to let it sit a while after it cooks so the flavors come together. This recipe also makes plenty for 3 meals, so either cut it in half or freeze in portions. I used this in some chicken and rice burritos, garnished as desired.
Mexican Rice
4 TBL canola oil
1 onion diced
2 Cups long grain rice
2 medium tomatoes, chopped (or 14 oz can diced Toms)
4 Cups water (or gluten free chicken broth)
2 1/2 chicken bouillon cubes (I love gluten free Better Than Bouillon base)
1 tsp crushed garlic
2 carrots, diced
1 Serrano chili pepper, diced
Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a pan. Add in 3/4 chopped onion and 2 cups of white rice. Cook and stir until rice is brown. Then in a blender, blend tomatoes, 1/4 of an onion, serrano pepper and garlic. Add water and bouillon, blend (if all the water does not fit in blender, add in with rice mixture). Then add this in with your onions and rice. To the pan, add in carrots, bring to a boil then turn heat down to low-medium and cover until rice is done, about 20 minutes. Fluff rice to combine the tomatoes and carrots. Allow to sit for a little while for flavors to come together.
-adapted from a friend David R.
From Mommy I'm Hungry
enjoy,
Pork Carnitas and Pico De Gallo
I have been making a lot of Mexican foods lately, and just in time because Sept. 15- Oct 15th is Hispanic Heritage Month! My Ralphs grocery store sent out a flyer with a few recipes to enjoy. Down here in Southern CA, we've got a lot of great taco shops but for those who aren't able to get to one, here are some recipes to follow so you can enjoy them at home.
I found a recipe for Pork Carnitas /tacos that I adapted here. These were great!
3 lb pork roast
1-2 tsp Cumin
1/2-1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp Chili powder
1/2 tsp Black pepper
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Brown sugar
1 med. white onion, diced
1 cup milk
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 limes, juiced
1 3/4 cups Chicken broth
1 Bay leaf
1 Tbl crushed garlic
2 small cans green chilies
1 jalapeno, sliced in half (remove membranes & seeds -that's the hot part!)
1/2 C salsa
1 Tbl Olive oil
2 Tbl Butter
Soft corn tortillas
Cheese
Pico de gallo
Sour cream
Mix the cumin, oregano, red pepper, chili powder, black pepper, salt, and brown sugar into a bowl. Rub onto pork all over. Add everything else to a crockpot then add pork and drizzle with olive oil. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours. Remove pork, and shred.
In a 400' oven, add the shredded pork to a large pan ( I used a cookie sheet) and add some of the onions and juice from the crockpot. Cook this about 10 minutes until the tips of the pork have become crispy. Remove from the oven and toss with any juice left on the pan. Serve.
 |
| From Mommy I'm Hungry |
3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced fine
1/2 large red onion, diced fine
1 bunch cilantro, chopped (more or less if you desire)
1 TBL crushed garlic
salt & pepper to taste
juice of lime
Combine all, and allow to sit in the fridge for a few hours.
enjoy,
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Review: Aromatica Organics' Spice It Now! Herb and Spice Blends
 |
| From Mommy I'm Hungry |
We were sent a wonderful supply of Aromatica Organics’ new line of Spice It Now! sample packets in 15 different kinds. I just love being able to find smaller packets of seasonings, because otherwise the big jars will expire before you use it all up, plus being able to buy a smaller amount saves you a little extra money.
Conveniently packaged in single portion packs, the new Spice It Now! herb and spice blends retail at Aromatica Organics’ new Web site, for a budget-conscious $0.99. At that price, why not a few? They are perfect to use at home, work, traveling or camping! They are USDA, Kosher and QAI certified.
This new line of budget-friendly spices is available in a variety of taste-tempting flavors to suit a wide range of palates.
Meat eaters:
Nebraska Prime Steak
Cajun Spice
Prime Rib and Beef
Mesquite BBQ
Caribbean Jerk
Seafood lovers:
Great King Salmon
Mediterranean Seafood
For the vegetable lovers:
Ultimate Guacamole
Potato Topper
Green Bean
All-Purpose Vegetable
Mushroom seasonings.
For the budget conscious-home cooks:
Multi-purpose Salt-Free
Garlic Pepper
Sweet Lemon Pepper varieties
 |
| From Mommy I'm Hungry |
I used the Green Bean seasoning for sauteed fresh green beans, All-Purpose Vegetable for sauteed squash and zucchini, the Potato Topper for roasted potatoes and Mesquite BBQ for grilled chicken. Other nights I used the Ultimate Guacamole as a rub on chicken for tacos (had a little spice to it) and Nebraska Prime Steak on some pork loin chops!
These are great seasonings, so far we've loved what we've tried.
 |
| From Mommy I'm Hungry |
* 9/9/10 It has come to my attention, that you can no longer get these spices on the website link. I have no idea what happened to this company or have any idea how to get a hold of someone that might. I have had several emails asking about them from fans of the spices, and I hope we can find out something, since I like them too! If I hear anything, I will update!
*10/3/10 Another inquiry has me searching yet again. Amazon is out of stock of these spices, this other site has some they say is in stock: http://store.bbqgalore.com/store/search.asp. You may have to searcdh your grocery store's meat department and see if they have any around. I know a little store near us has a little basket of assorted flavors at the register, but yet no one there seems to know how they ordered them in. Maybe I'll go buy them all and sell them here for you guys??
Review: The Un-Constipated Gourmet: Secrets to a Moveable Feast
From Mommy I'm Hungry
We were sent a copy of The Un-Constipated Gourmet: Secrets to a Moveable Feast, 125 Recipes for the Regularity Challenged, a cookbook by Danielle Svetcov. She is a writer and literary agent based in San Francisco. You can find her articles in Forbes, The New York Times, U.S. News & World Report, Real Simple, The Chicago Tribune Magazine, The San Francisco Chronicle Magazine, and many others. Read here for her blog.
I read through her very informative book and marked a few recipes I would like to try. I know I'll be coming back to try the flourless chocolate cake with raspberries!
Her book "puts the fun back in fiber" with enjoyable flavorful foods. Each recipe is given a Go- Meter rating to show how effective it is. There are no recipes below a 5 in her book, there is even a 10++ in there! So if you are having issues, get things moving the natural way and stay regular! Toss out the over the counter remedies, and get to the store to buy ingredients! Even if you are fine in that department, these recipes are great.
I love roasted Brussels sprouts so when I saw her recipe for Brussels sprouts with bacon and shallots, I knew I'd have to try that with dinner. These are rated with a #7.
I've blogged about Roasted Brussels Sprouts before, so I used her ingredients and roasted them off.
Thank you Danielle for sending a copy!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Zespri Spifes Winner:
Sorry it's take me a little long to announce my winner, things have been busy here.
So the winner of the Zespri Spifes is....
#5 cpullum!
Congrats!! Be sure to check your email!
Be sure to stick around, there's lots more excitement on the way!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Winner of Wonderfully Made Designs!
Who wins a $10 credit for my Wonderfully Made Designs giveaway?
#4 Kasey of All Things Mamma!
Please check your email for mine! Congrats!!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Crock Pot Tacos
This recipe came from Picky Palate's blog I adapted it a little. It's super easy, tastes great and makes lots.
 |
| From Mommy I'm Hungry |
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 serrano chili peppers, finely chopped (seeds and membranes removed for less heat)
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 lbs lean ground beef (or ground Turkey)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried Parsley
1 Cup Salsa
1. Place oil into a large rimmed skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, peppers and garlic for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add in beef, salt, pepper and Lawry’s. Cook until browned. Stir in Salsa then transfer to crockpot on low heat. Let cook on low for 2-3 hours or until ready to serve. Right before serving, stir in fresh chopped cilantro if desired. (I cook the meat up, then keep it on low in the crock-pot all day)
Serve with hard or soft taco shells and garnishes, such as shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced olives, sour cream, guacamole and shredded cheese.
 |
| From Mommy I'm Hungry |
 |
| From Mommy I'm Hungry |
 |
| From Mommy I'm Hungry |
enjoy,
Review and Giveaway: -Closed- ZESPRI Kiwifruit "Spife" Utensil
logo photos credit to ZESPRI International Limited
ENTER TO WIN: Entry #1: Please tell me how do you like to eat kiwifruits?
*BONUS: Optional, earn up to 4 more bonus entries by showing some "Mommy? I'm Hungry!" bloggie luv with #1 and #2 below! Please post yourself the extra bonus comments for entry.
1. 2 bonus entries: Tweet about this giveaway, copy this & post your tweet urls below:
Win a handful of Zespri Kiwi Spifes @kiwiforlunch @MommyImHungry's Giveaway http://bit.ly/w6Sen
2. 2 bonus entries: Blog about this giveaway with this link & then post me the URL below.
That's up to 5 entries!
This Giveaway ends: 7 pm pst Sunday, September 13, 2009.
Please read the fine print:
-Open to USA
-Winner(s) will be posted on my Blog & Twitter
-I will choose my winner(s) using Random.org
Don't forget to follow along so you don't miss new and exciting things!
Review: POMx Iced Coffees
Pom sent us some of their new drinks, POMx Iced Coffee in Chocolate and Café au Lait flavors. It's made with their POMx pomegranate extract, equal in antioxidant power to an 8oz serving of 100% pomegranate juice, plus a stimulating dose of caffeine.
It's called the “Healthy Buzz” because it’s a delicious blend of polyphenol antioxidants and caffeine. Don’t worry, their coffee tastes absolutely nothing like pomegranates, I promise. Check it out at healthybuzz.com.
I have been making Mr. iced coffees lately, to help with the heat we have been having. So when I was asked to sample these, I jumped on it.
I knew Mr. would like these, he's the coffee drinker here. I tasted the chocolate one, and I have to admit I could not taste much coffee flavor! It was like a thick chocolate milk. Mmm! The Café au Lait did have a stronger coffee flavor. Mr. said they were both pretty good! =)
Thank you POM for providing these samples to share.
enjoy,
