Always accepting family friendly product reviews & giveaways.
*Looking to review Gluten Free products also*
Please contact me .

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Olive Garden's Chicken Scampi Knock-Off



I love the chicken scampi from the Olive Garden, that's my go to meal from there. I found a knock-off recipe I thought I'd give a try at home. Let me tell you, it's very close to theirs, I loved it! Sorry mine wasn't so photogenic, but it sure was tasteful!

Olive Garden's Chicken Scampi
found here, from Top Secret Recipes

Scampi Sauce
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1/4 cup minced garlic (8 to 12 cloves)
1 1/2 cups Chablis wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
1 cup heavy cream

5 to 6 quarts water
16 ounces angel hair pasta
4 tablespoons light olive oil
12 chicken tenderloins
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 green bell pepper, cut into bite-size strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-size strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into bite-size strips
1 chopped red onion
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley

Optional Garnish
freshly grated parmesan cheese

Recipe
1. Make scampi sauce by melting butter in a preheated pan over medium/low heat. Add 2 tablespoons chopped onions and sauté for 2 to 4 minutes or until the onions begin to brown. If the butter begins to burn, turn down the heat. When the onions are beginning to brown, add the minced garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds. Don't let the garlic burn. After about 30 seconds add the wine, salt, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and black pepper, and bring mixture to a simmer. Simmer for approximately 15 to 18 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by half. Add parsley and heavy cream and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes. Do not let mixture reach a boil.
2. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the angel hair pasta and cook for about 4 minutes or until pasta is al dente, or mostly tender with just a slight toughness. Drain the pasta in a colander or sieve when done, then hit it with some cold water to prevent sticking and to keep it from cooking further.
3. If preparing all four servings, preheat 2 large skillets over medium heat (if making just 2 servings, you'll need only one skillet and half of the total ingredients -- save the rest for another meal). Lightly salt and pepper the chicken tenderloins, then coat each one in the flour that has been measured into a large bowl. Arrange all of the coated tenderloins on a plate before sautéing 6 tenderloins in each pan. Cook the tenderloins for 3 to 5 minutes on one side or until golden brown.
4. When the chicken is brown on one side, flip each of the pieces, and move them to the side of the pans, then add an even amount of the sliced peppers and chopped onions to the center of each skillet. Continue cooking the chicken and veggies for 4 to 6 minutes or until the chicken is browned and the veggies are beginning to brown on the edges.
5. Divide the scampi sauce in half and pour it over the chicken and veggies in each pan. Add 2 portions of pasta to each pan, then toss the ingredients a bit and continue to cook for a couple minutes or until the pasta is heated through. Prepare each dish by serving equal amounts of pasta onto each of four plates. Use a spoon or tongs to add the peppers and onions on top of each pile of pasta. Arrange three chicken tenderloins onto the center of the pasta.
6. Sprinkle each plate with about 1/2 teaspoon of fresh parsley and serve it up with freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired. (http://www.topsecretrecipes.com)

Makes 4 servings (but can be easily divided into 2 separate servings for 2).



sharing some goodness @
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enjoy,

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Saturday, May 29, 2010

Review and Giveaway: Pro Tongs by iSi North America


I am so excited about this review & giveaway! I do not own a proper pair of cooking tongs. I have these big old grill tongs and the old fashioned tongs where the chicken legs get caught in the end (lol), or I even just use a fork, but I don't have anything like these! I placed this in my counter top canister to sit with my spatulas and such. I'm not tossing this beauty in my utensil drawer to get lost! So check these out!

Designed with the professional chef in mind and now available to home cooks, Pro Tongs by iSi North America are a high quality, professional culinary tool. In the creation of Pro
Tongs, iSi took special care to ensure that this tool is uniquely efficient for preparing, cooking, grilling, serving, and handling ALL foods properly.

The 18/10 stainless steel Pro Tongs feature a work area with three different multifunctional edges – it’s like three tongs in one! The smoothly scalloped edge is gentle for handling delicate foods. A straight side allows for accurate control of small items and is great for precise tasks such as deboning fish fillets. The jagged edge ensures a firm grasp of foods that can be difficult to pick up, such as grilled vegetables.

Use these tongs to flip and turn steaks, chops, chicken, shellfish, veggies, sausages, burgers and even coals with these light-weight, easy to use, powerful tongs.



You can clean these in the dishwasher! The award winning Pro Tongs by iSi North America are the only locking tongs that can be completely disassembled to go into the dishwasher to be totally cleaned and sanitized, forever eliminating unseen food traps, as the first NSF Certified locking tongs.

And on top of all that these unique tongs also open up into two different positions – a narrow position for comfortable handling of smaller foods and a wide position to handle large quantities or bigger food items. The tongs lock into a closed position for compact storage and have a convenient hook for hanging. iSi Pro Tongs have a chrome-plated flexible spring and high performance fiberglass reinforced nylon lock.

Available in three different sizes, 9”, 12”, and 16”, Pro Tongs have a suggested retail price of $20, $25, and $30, respectively. These are available for purchase at their website or even at Amazon.





I was sent a 9" Pro Tongs for review, and I instantly fell in love with them right out of the box! They are a perfect light heavy weight, sturdy, easy to hold and use. I love the 3 locking clip settings, the multi use of the edges and most of all it's dishwasher safe! I am so excited about these, that I haven't even cooked with them yet and I'm already sharing them with you!



ONE "Mommy? I'm Hungry!" reader will win a 9" Pro Tongs by isi North America too!





(This is a must before any extra entries will be accepted!)

1.
All you have to do is tell me what food do you cook most, that you need to use tongs for?





Earn up to 4 extra entries by showing some "Mommy? I'm Hungry!" bloggie with these rules*!
-Please post yourself a separate comment for each, letting me know which ones you do.

2. (+1 bonus entry) Follow me on Twitter here

3. (2 bonus entries) Tweet about this giveaway using my Tweet button above & post your link or ID here

4. (+1 bonus entry) Click the icon to share this giveaway link on your Facebook then post your link here:





This Giveaway ends: 11:59 pm pst, Monday, June 14, 2010.

Please read the fine print:
- Open to USA
- Please leave your email!
- I will verify links/names
- Winner(s) will be notified by email & announced on my Blog & Twitter as soon as the following day
- I will choose my winner(s) using Random.org
- Important! Please read about my giveaway rules
HERE*

I wrote this review for "Mommy? I'm Hungry!" about Pro Tongs. I received free product to keep for this review. All opinions for this review are that of myself & family. Product info & stock images provided by PR.

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Friday, May 28, 2010

My Grill Daddy Brush Winner is...

Grill Daddy

Just in time for the weekend...my winner for the Grill Daddy brush giveaway is...


Grill Daddy
#30 Nicole!
Congrats! Watch your email and reply soon!


Have a great Memorial Day weekend everyone! Don't forget about my other giveaways going on!

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California Chicken Club Sandwich



This sandwich rocked! It was really good! I didn't follow any recipe, just used what I liked in a club sandwich. Ok, actually I don't order clubs when we go out, but years ago I did work in a cool Cafe and a club sandwich was on the menu. I made a mean one back then, if I say so myself! Anyways I made this a grilled BBQ sauced chicken club with avocado and bacon and veggies. Very simple. I made a few clubs and served them all on a platter family style. I was able to get 5-6 sandwiches with the amount of ingredients I used, plus a little leftover. Adjust the amounts to your liking, like I said there is not recipe, just add however much of whatever you like. (Mr. took my camera on a work assigment, so I had to use my Daughter's little thing)



California Chicken Club Sandwich

5 small thin boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt & pepper (per taste)
BBQ Sauce
1 pound bacon, cooked, cooled
5 Provolone cheese slices
2 Ripe Avocados, sliced
Green leaf lettuce, cut to fit bread
2 Tomatoes, sliced
1 small Red Onion, sliced thin
Mayo
White bread slices
Wheat bread slices
Sandwich picks

Season chicken with salt & pepper. Grill chicken 4 minutes per side on low-medium heat. Baste with BBQ sauce. Slice when cooled down.
Toast bread (3 slices per sandwich), add a little mayo then layer with lettuce, tomato, onion and avocado on the bottom layer. Add a second piece of toast with a little mayo and add chicken, bacon and cheese. Top with third piece of toast with a little mayo . (I used white and wheat for one sandwich)
Secure sandwich with picks at the top, bottom and sides of sandwich. Cut the sandwich from corner to corner, so that the picks are in the middle of each triangle slice.





enjoy,

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Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Beef Stroganoff



When I'm too lazy to dig through my cookbooks for a recipe, I'll go online and find another, if it's not on my blog. So I found this version at Tina's Mommy's Kitchen blog. It was slightly different than my mom's, she doesn't use a gravy in hers. Sounded good to me! With a few more adaptions to her posted recipe I think this came out pretty darn good. One thing I did not add, was I ran out of pepper (I know huh!) so I used a packet of garlic pepper seasoning I had. Use whatever kind of steak meat you like, something tender, since it's little cook time. Next time I'll use fresh cremini mushrooms and mushroom gravy, mmm. *tip: freeze your steak meat for a couple hours, it'll be much easier to slice thin.

Beef Stroganoff
adapted from Mommy's Kitchen

1 - lb. beef steak, thinly sliced
1/2 C flour (seasoned w/salt & pepper)
3 Tbl oil
1 small onion, diced
salt & pepper (to taste)
1 Tbl crushed garlic
1 - small can sliced mushrooms or 1 C. diced fresh mushrooms
1 - can cream of mushroom soup
1 - packet brown gravy mix, made as directed (mushroom gravy would be good too!)
4 oz - sour cream
3 Tbl parsley
1 bag Wide egg noodles

Combine seasoned flour and toss with sliced steak to cover, tap off excess flour. Brown & cook steak with chopped onion, salt, pepper, garlic and mushrooms in a skillet with a little oil. While the steak is browning, Start the noodles to cook. Add cream of mushroom soup and gravy, mix together and simmer over low heat about 10 minutes. Add the sour cream and parsley, mix until thoroughly blended. Serve over cooked noodles.


enjoy,

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Review: Diva Defined Shapewear



With Summer just around the corner, everyone is hitting the gym and preparing for warm weather clothes - but who wouldn't want a little exercise-free help?

Annette International recently launched DIVA DEFINED, an innovative adjustable shapewear collection to bring out the diva in you! The DIVA DEFINED Collection is comprised of basic styles that are both flattering and functional - the panel adjusts from LIGHT to FIRM control, while allowing a tremendous amount of comfort. This revolutionary concept of adjustable shapewear allows users to alter the degree of control to dress fabulously and look flawless day and night!
Check them out on Facebook and Twitter too!

I was sent these two garments for review. I found these to be comfortable, no pinching at the legs and sure made areas smoother. I really like the adjustable band, so you can make it tighter or looser. If you've tried other shapers before and weren't happy, give these ones a try!


Diva 24/7 Brief (click to watch a video)
The ultimate 24/7 solution has arrived. Treat your tummy and tussy with personalized attention when wearing this soft sleek brief. Sitting and walking have been redefined. The invisible belt adjusts to give perfect control when you want or need it.



Diva Express Long Leg Thigh Shaper (click to watch a video)
The Diva Defined long leg short camouflages little flaws on tummy, hips, and thighs. The invisible belt adjusts to give you the best control in targeted areas when you want or need it.

Their sizes for these run from Small-4XL, so there is something for everyone!

Check that out! Very nifty!





I wrote this review for "Mommy? I'm Hungry!" about Diva Defined Shapewear. I received free product to keep for this review. All opinions for this review are that of myself & family. Product info & stock images provided by PR.

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Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Tuesdays with Dorie: Banana Coconut Ice Cream Pie



Spike of spike.bakes selected Banana Coconut Ice Cream Pie this week (he'll have the recipe for ya). Check this recipe out. You take shortbread cookies, coconut and butter. Cook them down a little then press into a pie dish and freeze. Stir chocolate ice cream with pureed bananas to make the filling. Freeze. Easy as pie! No baking!! Perfect for the upcoming summer! Well for those of use getting summer this year! In Utah it just snowed!
Anyways, this crust is awesome. The overall pie, I was honestly not crazy about. Since it's all frozen, it's hard to slice and my crust stuck to the dish when getting a slice out. Then it was hard to eat just a bite, it was "hard". Well I did freeze mine a day + overnight so maybe that's why. I had to let it sit out a bit to slice it and eat. The kids liked it though. I used a dark chocolate gelato and left the rum out of mine and sliced the bananas for the top per slice of pie.





You know what I'm thinking, this would be great done as a Banana Coconut Chocolate pudding/cream pie instead. But that crust! I may have to think of something else to use that with too, Hmmm....something key lime maybe?




enjoy,

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Monday, May 24, 2010

Review and Giveaway: Zippity Doo's Children Hair Care Products



With all the love and joy that we experience from being Moms, comes many tasks that can only be described as "icky". We wipe noses, change soiled diapers and clean up accidents left and right- all in the name of love. There is one situation that continues to strike fear in the hearts of even the toughest moms, and it involves a comb and creepy crawlies. We're talking of course, about head lice. Thank goodness neither of my girls have ever had lice (yet! knock on wood)! I remember as a kid getting them a couple times, and I had to have my head washed with this disgusting smelling shampoo that came in a brown glass bottle. I sure wish we had these products back then!

Any mom who has had the pleasure of picking insects out of her little one's hair knows that it's not a fun experience for anyone involved. That's why I'm so excited to introduce you to a line of products that will protect your child (and your sanity) from this very problem.

Moms, meet Zippity Doo's™, a line of children's hair care products that help prevent head lice. Zippity Doo's™products contain natural ingredients that are mild enough for daily use and provide health benefits to the hair and scalp while helping to prevent lice infestation. They are also paraben-free! From shampoo and conditioner to styling gel, as well as a shield spray for all surfaces, Zippity Doo's has created an entire hair care regimen that will leave your child's hair clean, healthy and shiny.


Because their brand is all about Moms, Zippity Doo's wants to get their products into the hands of influential moms- like you! We were sent a full size bottle of these 4 products (gosh they all smell great, so my kids will be protected and smelling nice!):

-Zippity Doo's Shampoo for Children
-Zippity Doo's Conditioner for Children
-Zippity Doo's Styling Gel for Children
-Zippity Doo's Shield Spray for children

And while Zippity Doo's products are designed for the prevention of head lice, they don't want to prevent you from spreading the word!
We're confident that using Zippity Doo's will give you great peace of mind, knowing that you are preventing head lice and reducing the need for harsh treatments.

Check them out on Facebook and on Twitter too! You can also save $2 on every Zippity Doo's product in your cart on www.cvs.com by using the promo code "zippity" !
Or you can enter here for a chance to win some!


ONE "Mommy? I'm Hungry!" reader will win a box of Zippity Doo's products for your kiddos too!*





(This is a must before any extra entries will be accepted!)

1.
All you have to do is tell me your story of the dreaded lice! Have you had to deal with it before? Let me know!



Earn up to 4 extra entries by showing some "Mommy? I'm Hungry!" bloggie with these rules*!
-Please post yourself a separate comment for each, letting me know which ones you do.

2. (+1 bonus entry) Follow me on Twitter here

3. (2 bonus entries) Tweet about this giveaway using my Tweet button above & post your link or ID here

4. (+1 bonus entry) Click the icon to share this giveaway link on your Facebook then post your link here:




This Giveaway ends: 11:59 pm pst, Monday, June 7, 2010.

Please read the fine print:
- Open to USA
- Please leave your email!
- I will verify links/names
- Winner(s) will be notified by email & announced on my Blog & Twitter as soon as the following day
- I will choose my winner(s) using Random.org
- Important! Please read about my giveaway rules
HERE*

Mom Select - Bringing Companies and Moms Together

I wrote this review for "Mommy? I'm Hungry!" about Zippity Doo's . I received free product to keep for this review from the company through MomSelect. All opinions for this review are that of myself & family. Product info & stock images provided by PR.

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Review: The Complete Root Cellar Book: Building Plans, Uses and 100 Recipes By Steve Maxwell and Jennifer MacKenzie and Rhubarb Streusel Coffee Cake





I chose to review The Complete Root Cellar Book: Plans, Uses and 100 Recipes by Steve Maxwell and Jennifer MacKenzie. It sounds kind of intriguing, something I think my parents might like. I have never heard of a root cellar before. The closest I come to having a root cellar is keeping my bag of potatoes in my dark cool pantry room, lol. So if this sounds like something you'd be interested in, let me share some info about this book. Of course they've included recipes for a root harvest, and I chose to make a rhubarb coffee cake. Scroll down for the recipe!

Root cellars are a natural way of storing fruits, vegetables and preserves for longer shelf life and in these hard economic times, root cellars are making a big comeback.
Eating fresh fruits and vegetables are important for a healthy lifestyle. But how many times do we go to the store or our local farmers’ market and buy beautiful produce only to have it spoil and go uneaten? For generations, root cellars have been used to store fresh fruits and vegetables in a safe environment. Today, root cellars are making a comeback and a new book shows you how to build and utilize one yourself. THE COMPLETE ROOT CELLAR BOOK by craftsman Steve Maxwell and home economist Jennifer MacKenzie, takes a fresh look at the art and science of building and stocking your own root cellar and eating healthy all year round.

Root cellars help us make the most of our food budget by allowing us to stock up on fresh produce at low prices during seasonal harvests. A root cellar can create a lifestyle of healthy eating. The seemingly simple act of visiting your cellar, examining your stores, and carrying something delicious up to the kitchen affords simple satisfactions that can’t be sealed in cellophane.

Most people think of root cellars as residing in a home basement or hole in the ground, but THE COMPLETE ROOT CELLAR BOOK changes that perception by providing detailed and illustrated construction guides for making five different and attractive root cellar options, including never before-seen strategies for apartment-and condo-dwellers and homeowners without a basement.


There’s truly no better or more natural a way to store food than in a root cellar. Everything you need to know about this time-honored tradition can be found within the pages of this book.
Part 1: Root Cellaring in the 21st Century, provides DIYer’s four root cellar options:
There is even a section on condiment recipes. Jennifer’s healthy and delicious recipes include:
-Root Cellar Medley Soup Sweet and Tangy Beet and Carrot Salad
-Broccoli and Apple Slaw Classic Beef Pot Roast
-Farfalle with Hearty Greens Chicken and Olive Ragoût with Dijon Potatoes
-Chocolate Citrus Trifle Walnut and Orange Baked Apples

Harvesting or Purchasing Produce:
To stay fresh as long as possible, the produce you harvest or purchase must be in top condition. Damaged specimens won’t last long, no matter how good your cellar is. Root crops keep the longest of any produce in a root cellar, but they’re also the most likely to get damaged during harvest. While unblemished skin is the most important quality to look for when you’re choosing produce for storage, there are other criteria that will affect storage life, such as variety,
degree of ripeness and how much of the plant is harvested. In addition, some produce benefits from certain preparations, such as curing or salting, before it is stored.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Steve Maxwell is a cabinet-maker, builder and award-winning home improvement author. He is also a photographer, videographer and seminar leader. He has been helping people renovate, build and maintain their homes for more than 20 years. Steve’s magazine and newspaper articles appear in publications across North America and he is a regular contributor to The Toronto Star, Ottawa Citizen, Canadian Home Workshop, Cottage Life, and Mother Earth News. His “how-to” DVDs, videos and online books have been the favorite of DIYer’s everywhere. Steve, his wife, and five children, live in a stone and timber home they designed and built on their 90-acre farm on Manitoulin Island.

Jennifer MacKenzie is a professional home economist, food writer, editor and cooking instructor, with over 15 years experience in recipe development and testing. In 1999 she started her own food consulting business, FOODWORX, and shares her passion for delicious, easy-to-make, nutritious food in several national and regional publications. Jennifer has been the official Milk Calendar recipe developer for the past several years, and is a familiar face to consumers on CHEX Television on NewsWatch where she can be seen cooking up tasty and nutritious recipes on-air. Jennifer is the co-author of several best-selling cookbooks including The Complete Curry Cookbook, The Complete Book of Pickling, The Dehydrator Bible and The Complete Trail Food Cookbook. In 2005, Jennifer, along with her husband, Chef Jay Nutt, opened Nuttshell Next Door Café, a friendly, neighborhood gathering place. Jennifer has served as a canning competition judge for several years in Canada and lives in Buckhorn, Ontario.


This rhubarb coffee cake is really good! Even better the next day as it becomes even moister when wrapped up. If you like rhubarb, you ought to try this recipe! Trust me, it's really good if my kids helped eat it all!





Rhubarb Streusel Coffee Cake
Serves 8 to 10

If you’ve grown rhubarb in your root cellar, dazzle guests with this moist cake topped with a crispy streusel, long before their garden rhubarb is ready.


• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C)
• 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan, bottom lined with parchment paper

Streusel
1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour 75 mL
1⁄3 cup packed brown sugar 75 mL
1⁄3 cup quick-cooking rolled oats 75 mL
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or ginger 2 mL (I used 1/4 tsp of ea.)
1⁄4 cup butter, melted 60 mL

Cake
1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour 375 mL
1 teaspoon baking powder 5 mL
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or ginger 5 mL (I used 1/4 tsp of ea.)
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda 2 mL
1⁄4 teaspoon salt 1 mL
2⁄3 cup packed brown sugar 150 mL
1⁄2 cup butter, softened 125 mL
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 10 mL
3⁄4 cup plain yogurt (not fat-free) 175 mL (I used Greek style yogurt)
2 cups fresh rhubarb, chopped small, divided 500 mL (Six stalks gave me enough for 2 C)

1. For the streusel: In a bowl, mash together flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon and butter until crumbly. Set aside.
2. For the cake: In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat brown sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla until blended. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in flour mixture alternately with yogurt, making three additions of flour and two of yogurt. Gently stir in half the rhubarb. Spread into prepared pan, smoothing top.
4. Sprinkle the remaining rhubarb over batter in pan, then sprinkle with streusel. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes (mine was done at 50 mins) or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake and remove ring. Serve warm or let cool completely.


This recipe may be reproduced with the following credit:
Recipes from THE COMPLETE ROOT CELLAR BOOK: Building Plans, Uses and 100 Recipes
by Steve Maxwell and Jennifer MacKenzie
(Robert Rose; May 2010 Softcover/$24.95)

THE COMPLETE ROOT CELLAR BOOK:
Building Plans, Uses and 100 Recipes
by Steve Maxwell and Jennifer MacKenzie
Robert Rose; May 2010
Softcover/$24.95
ISBN: 978-0-7788-0243-3



I wrote this review for "Mommy? I'm Hungry!" about The Complete Root Cellar Book. I received free product to keep for this review. All opinions for this review are that of myself & family. Product info & stock images provided by PR.

enjoy,

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