My oldest child LOVES spicy foods. So when he gets a choice of snacks, he wants Buffalo Wings and me to use hot sauce. So recently, I broke out my air fryer oven and made Air Fryer Spicy Buffalo Chicken Wings. He was so thrilled with the result.

I was going to cook them the same way I made my other wings, but found that I needed to cook them at 400 degrees Fahrenheit and longer than the 20 minutes that I did my other wings at. The air fryer, for me, is still about trial and error and to me, it’s not like the Instant Pot, that you can just set it and forget it. But it will be so crispy as opposed to making them in the oven or in the Instant Pot!

What You’ll Need:

3 lbs of Chicken Wings and Drumettes (or any amount you like)
Spray Oil — I like Pompeian or any oil you like. Avocado or Olive Oil works well
Hot Sauce of your choice – I used Frank’s Red Hot
Optional:
Celery
Blue Cheese Dip – I used Bolthouse Farms‘ Blue Cheese Salad Dressing (any blue cheese you like is fine)

Instructions:

Defrost your wings and then spray them with oil spray or toss in oil. You can use frozen wings, but I honestly like them better defrosted.

Place on a tray and/or basket in your air fryer.
I have the oven air fryer and I set it on 400 for 25-30 minutes (for the raw, defrosted wings). Turn over when halfway cooked. Check after 25 minutes and see if they are totally cooked.
If you have the basket air fryer, I would cook them at 360 for 20 minutes.
Let wings cool slightly and then toss with Frank’s Red Hot Sauce in a bowl. Add as much or as little as you like!

Serve with celery and blue cheese dressing.

You can play with intensity by adding more or less sauce. I usually add sauce and eyeball the amount – you want the wings totally covered in the sauce.

Print

Air Fryer Spicy Buffalo Chicken Wings

Air Fryer Spicy Buffalo Chicken Wings are easy to make and come out delicious! Teenager approved!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword Air Fryer, Air Fryer Chicken Wings, Air Fryer Wings, Buffalo Wings

Author The Mama Maven

Equipment

• Air Fryer

Ingredients

• 3 lbs Chicken Wings and Drumettes
• Spray Oil I like the Pompeian brand Avocado or Olive Oil works well. If you don't have oil spray, you can use any oil like Olive or Avocado
• Hot Sauce I like Frank's Red Hot (Original)
• Blue Cheese Dressing I like Bolthouse Farms
• Celery sticks

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Defrost your wings and then spray them with oil spray or toss in oil. You can use frozen wings, but I honestly like them better defrosted.

  Place on a tray and/or basket in your air fryer. I have the oven air fryer and I set it on 400 for 25-30 minutes (for the raw, defrosted wings).

  Turn over when halfway cooked. Check after 25 minutes and see if they are totally cooked. If you have the basket air fryer, I would cook them at 360 for 20 minutes. Let wings cool slightly and then toss with Frank's Red Hot Sauce. Serve with celery and blue cheese dressing.

What you need:

Emeril’s 360 Air Fryer Oven

Olive Oil Spray

Frank’s Red Hot Sauce on Amazon

Other Wing Recipes on the blog:

BBQ Chicken Wings

These BBQ chicken wings taste decadent, but they’re sugar free, dairy free, and gluten free.

https://www.themamamaven.com/air-fryer-bbq-chicken-wings-using-frozen-wings/

Honey Mustard Wings

These honey mustard wings are guilt free and absolutely delicious when you make them in your air fryer!

https://www.themamamaven.com/air-fryer-honey-mustard-chicken-wings-sugar-free-and-low-carb/

And these yukon gold potato wedges would pair with the wings nicely.

https://www.themamamaven.com/air-fryer-roasted-yukon-gold-potatoes/

More Related Posts:

• Air Fryer Honey Mustard Chicken Wings (Sugar Free and Low Carb)
• Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings (Using Frozen Wings)
• Air Fryer Grilled Shrimp Bowls with Veggies and Rice
• Sweet & Spicy Cheesy Gluten Free Cornbread
• Air Fryer BBQ Tofu

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The post Air Fryer Spicy Buffalo Chicken Wings (Gluten Free) appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

After my fridge broke a few weeks ago and practically all my food spoiled, I was so excited when I got a huge delivery of delicious foods from Perdue Farms. If you aren’t aware, Perdue Farms is more than just the Perdue chicken you see at your local supermarket. Perdue Farms has a full line of premium protein products and brands, including Niman Ranch, Coleman Natural, Perdue Chicken, Perdue Harvestland, Panorama Meats, Spot Farms, Full Moon and more. When I unpacked the box from Perdue Farms, I was thrilled to find so many different scrumptious items to feed my family. You can get delicious food from Perdue Farms right to your door – how awesome is that??

I received the “Gatherings (Medium)” box. You get an 11% bundle discount on it than purchasing it individually on the site. This is perfect for feeding your family (or you could even have a party with all the fun foods in this box). Did you know that customers will receive free shipping on orders over $119?
We were sent Coleman® Organic Breaded Chicken Breast Tenders, PERDUE® Herbed Olive Oil Seasoned Wings, a SONOMA RED® Organic Pasture Raised Whole Chicken, Niman Ranch Pulled Pork,
Niman Ranch Kielbasa, and Niman Ranch Fat Tire Ribs. My boys immediately gravitated towards the ribs and pulled pork, I tried to claim all the wings for myself (they weren’t okay with that though). Everything arrived completely frozen in eco-friendly packaging and immediately went back into my freezer.

I’m honestly not sure which was a bigger hit. My family really enjoyed each of the items we received. My boys will tell you they loved it all and so will my husband. I’ll tell you that the wings were the best, but I may have snuck more than a few of the chicken tenders on my plate. I think the best way to decide this is to order more items from Perdue Farms – so we can be sure, of course. My boys are very picky eaters, so I was thrilled that they really enjoyed our shipment from Perdue Farms.

My boys had never had pulled pork before and they loved the Niman Ranch Pulled Pork. Our little guy loves bbq sauce, so he loved the smoky chipolte bbq sauce on the pulled pork. I quickly heated this up one night and served it on baguettes with pickles. The bbq sauce is a traditional Memphis style bbq sauce with a little chipotle pepper to add smokiness. It was an easy and delicious choice for dinner.

The PERDUE® Herbed Olive Oil Seasoned Wings were out of this world! You can totally use your air fryer, instant pot or oven to heat them up. The chicken wings are tossed in a roasted garlic and sea salt infused olive oil before being frozen. No thawing necessary – you can bake them directly from frozen. Can you say Time Saver?

We liked them so much that I am going to grab a couple of packages for our New Year’s Eve Celebration. My boys, my husband, and I really, really enjoyed them. As in we were fighting who got to have seconds. We didn’t end up dipping them in a sauce, but I plan to make a garlicky ranch sauce next time.

Ribs — who doesn’t love ribs?? My younger son was really never interested in trying them.. until he saw these Niman Ranch Fat Tire Ribs. These were meaty and smelled incredible. However, my older son grabbed most of them and wasn’t sharing. I will be ordering more so my little guy can also enjoy them.

I served the Fat Tire Ribs with the Coleman® Organic Breaded Chicken Breast Tenders. Combining the highest quality all-natural meats with New Belgium Brewing’s award-winning Fat Tire Amber Ale definitely created something scrumptious. The sweetness and the hop bitterness of the Amber Ale really goes well with the tomato-based BBQ sauce and goes beautifully with these applewood smoked ribs.
My older son was thrilled because he loves ribs and with his Type 1 Diabetes, they won’t spike his blood sugar levels (a win/win all around). The organic chicken breast tenders were lightly breaded and had a delicious crunch.

Kielbasa Sandwiches with Peppers and Onions

Niman Ranch Kielbasa is pork sausage is combined with a special blend of spices and slow smoked over real applewood. This sausage, like all of other Niman Ranch sausages, is made with heritage pork and finished without a casing.
I decided to get a little creative with the kielbasa. My parents used to buy Kielbasa when I was little and serve it often, but I haven’t done that. I decided to make sandwiches with kielbasa, peppers and onions on Italian Bread. I started by heating up the kielbasa in my toaster oven.

Then I cut up green bell peppers and onions and sauteed them in a little olive oil. I used my stainless steel frying pan.

Then I slit open the kielbasa, placed it on the bread and added the peppers and onions on top. It was delicious!

Recipe: Kielbasa Sandwiches with Peppers and Onions

Niman Ranch Kielbasa
Italian Bread
1 Green Bell Pepper
1 onion
1 tsp Olive Oil

Heat up kielbasa in toaster oven or oven for 6 minutes at 350 degrees.
Slice up green bell pepper and onions. Sauté it in olive oil for a few minutes until it’s soft.
Toast Italian Bread. Slice open kielbasa and place on toasted bread, add peppers and onions on top.

Alternative, you can also cut the kielbasa up and sauté it with your veggies.

Note: My husband didn’t appreciate my love of veggies and ate his kielbasa with sauerkraut and mustard on his Italian Bread.

About Perdue Farms

Over the last 10 years, Perdue Farms has transformed from from conventional chicken & turkey production to becoming the #1 supplier in the U.S. for Organic Chicken as well as a leader in premium Beef, Pork, Lamb, Pasture Raised, Grass-fed, Heritage Breed, Antibiotic Free (No Antibiotics Ever), Non-GMO, Ever, Certified Humane, GAP & more. For 100 years, Perdue Farms has worked with small family farmers to raise animals with care. Perdue Farms is passionate about farming, sustainability, land preservation and healthy and nutritious food.

Perdue Farms and Sustainability

Perdue Farms cares about being thoughtful stewards of the environment and they have been taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint and protect our ecosystem:

For every bundle shipped, they will donate to the Arbor Day Foundation, which is working to replant damaged areas of our nation’s forests. This donation will help reduce the carbon footprint required to ship our products.

Perdue Farms designed their shipping boxes with sustainability in mind. Boxes are made out of 100 percent recyclable cardboard and insulated with Green Cell Foam®. Green Cell Foam® is eco-friendly packaging and is biodegradable, compostable, and made from high-grade non-GMO cornstarch that is dissolvable in water.

With every purchase, included is a reusable and recyclable grocery bag. Reach for this bag next time you go to the store to avoid using paper or plastic.

A pollinator seed packet is also included in every box. Perdue Farms says they wouldn’t be able to produce the food they do without bees and butterflies, which help to make one out of every three bites of food we eat. You can plant the seeds to create a robust pollinator habitat near your home.

Learn more about the progress they’ve made in the areas of food, environment, animal care, people, community and their partners on their website: Perdue Farms

So, did you like what I got? Get it for yourself when you order direct from Perdue Farms.

Special Offer

Get 10% Off + free Perdue Harvestland Diced Chicken Breasts on first order.

Shop now: Perdue Farms

Check out my air fryer roasted whole chicken, using the SONOMA RED® Organic Pasture Raised Whole Chicken

The post Get Delicious Food From Perdue Farms Right to Your Door appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

The Jewish High Holy Days are almost amongst us and if you are supposed to hosting this year, you may be panicking. A little. Or a lot. Although I’ve been married for 19 years, I’ve never hosted my own dinner at my house. However, if you are making dinner at the last minute, I’m familiar with that. Several years ago, my husband’s grandmother died the morning of the first night of Rosh Hashanah. We weren’t expecting it to happen so quickly, but my Mother-in-Law  had the funeral arrangements set and we held the funeral early that day and then ran up to my in-law’s house upstate right after. However, my mother-in-law was in no shape to make holiday dinner and my father-in-law had a bad cold. So we drove up to their house and I quickly went shopping for food to make the meal. We were only going to be 9 people (my family of 5, my in-laws, and my brother-in-law and his now wife). My mother-in-law, who is awesome, did not expect me to make everything from scratch. She suggested that I pick up a chicken, some salad, some chicken broth, and call it a day. While I did just that, but I grabbed my Instant Pot on the way out of the house and brought it up with me. I figured I could throw together a chicken soup (which is my favorite part of every meal) and possibly make some side dishes. My matzo balls are legendary, so I knew I was making that also. I could totally buy the rest. So here it is – the Jewish Holiday Meal Cheatsheet! The Jewish Holidays Dinner Cheatsheet: Get Your Holiday Meal On The Table in Less Than 3 Hours

Step 1 – you need groceries. Make a quick list or do grocery pickup or delivery (so you’re not tempted to just get lost in the bread aisle). You can get pre-made foods the day before, btw!

1. Veggies – Salad and Or Crudite
You need salad or veggies to cup up with dip. Appetizers are always great, but buying pre-cut veggies and dip is just easier (and pretty healthy). You can also get two bags of pre-made salad and put it all in a big bowl with a few bottles of dressing. Cut up a tomato or a red pepper to add some color on top.

2. Soup
You need a soup. You can quickly whip up my 30 minute Instant Pot Chicken Soup or if you have around 4 hours, make my grandmother’s Classic Chicken Soup Recipe (which is pretty easy, but you need the ingredients and 3.5 hours to cook). It’s an easy recipe, so you can pretty much dump the ingredients in and let it simmer. Instead of cutting up the onions, carrots and celery, I pick up the veggies pre-cut, plus a soup greens package. Make Matzoh Balls while you start the soup- see the next part!

3. Matzo Balls 
You just need matzo meal, oil, and water. The matzo ball mix, once made, needs to sit in the fridge for an hour or so. Then you’ll need to have a pot of boiling water to cook them in. Allow 2 hours before you serve the soup to do this.

4. A Main Dish 
Pick up a rotisserie chicken at the supermarket — you may need several chickens to feed a crowd. Figure each chicken should feed 4 people and adjust accordingly. 

If your guests are plant-based or don’t eat meat, you need to find something they can eat. Example: My daughter is a pescatarian and won’t eat meat, so I would pick up a piece of fish from the fish department that all I had to do was pop in the oven to cook or look for fish that is already cooked and I’d just have to heat up. No one is going to be keeping score and if you really want to, pick up a main dish and veggie sides from a fast casual restaurant or your supermarket (one of my aunts always swears by Boston Market for her holiday meals). This isn’t going to be kosher, if you are kosher, there are kosher supermarkets or restaurants (like a Zorn’s or Aron’s in Flushing) that will have everything you need.

5. Side Dishes 
One potato dish and one green veggie – Buy or make a potato dish:  I am not good making mashed potatoes, so I usually cut up small red or yellow potatoes, add a little olive oil and roast them at 450 degrees Farenheit for 15-25 minutes. 
– Make a green veggie:  Buy creamed spinach (Seabrook Brand) or serve roasted or steamed green beans or zucchini. If you like to make your veggies in the instant pot, check the cooking time (but it will usually work well on 0 or 1 minute manual pressure)

6. Challah, Apples and Honey
Cut up some apples and put out some dishes of honey. You can make the challah if you have time, but here’s an easy challah in a bag recipe that we tried. 

Or you can totally buy challah. Save some for French Toast the next morning!

6. Dessert — I am not much of a baker, so I would buy 2 or 3 cakes. Remember people like to bring dessert so if you get 2 desserts, most likely you can ask someone to bring a third. You can never go wrong with Chocolate Babka. Elaine from Seinfeld would approve!

The Recipes: 

Matzoh Balls
Matzoh Balls are so easy to make! 
Here’s the recipe I always follow (with video instructions)

Chicken Soup

Here’s the 30 minute way: 

Or the 3.5 hours way

Challah in a Bag Recipe

The Table:

Now — your table. Pull out a clean tablecloth, your candlesticks, and china. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but should be clean and neat. Flowers are always a great touch – your supermarket will have a fall-inspired bouquet that could work nicely.

If you want to do disposable plates, cups, and silverware, my mother-in-law and sister-in-law have used this brand. Order several days before you need it or pick up a similar set at your grocery store. 

There are some great ideas for tables in this post: 

The post The Jewish Holidays Dinner Cheatsheet: Get Your Holiday Meal On The Table in Less Than 3 Hours appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

Seder Plates

The Seder plate is the most important item on your Passover table, as it contains food that symbolizes the story of the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt. 

Armenian Ceramic Seder Plate

This blue and green Armenian design with be perfect with a blue flower arrangement on the table. $27.48

Buy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2u2KF7q

Silver Seder Plate

Classic and timeless, this seder plate will match pretty much any tablescape and ratchet up the glam. Retails for $33.24. 

Buy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2XOXNKO

Hexagon Shaped Porcelain Seder Plate

Add a pop of color with this elegant porcelain plate.Retails for $39.95.

Buy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2XQX9wv

Matzah Plates

The Matzah plate, as its name suggests, holds the matzahs, kind of like a bread basket. 

Armenian Matzah Plate

Another stunning Armenian design with bright, vivid colors. Retails for $46.50. 

Buy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2tZMSQV

Acrylic Matzah Box

This modern matzah holder can also go well with a more traditional tablescape, as it is neutral in color and has a clear cover. Retails for $34.59.

Buy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2tYxB2T

Fused Glass Matzah Plate

Another modern matzah plate, with blooming branches, handmade. Give them4-5 days to create it for you. Retails for $66.

Buy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2XRV832

Matzah Plate Cover

It’s customary to cover the matzahs with a special cloth, which typically has a pocket for a part of the matzah. That part later gets hidden somewhere in the house for the children to find.

Satin Star of David Matzah Cover

This classic matzah cover will go with a traditional tablescape and match pretty much any look.Retails for $24.95.

Buy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2SUmeD2

Embroidered Matzah Cover

This multi-colored matzah cover also comes in blue. Retails for $34.87.

Buy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Uvs0g9 

Satin Matzah Cover

This matzah cover is also in satin and features silver and gold embroidery. Retails for $19.95.

Buy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2XRMzp2 

Tablecloths

You can opt for a plain white tablecloth and decorate the table with other items, or select something more colorful or with a design. 

Damask Jacquard Spillproof Waterproof Tablecloth

This modern pattern comes in five colors. Retails for $26.99.

Buy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2XRNTbx

Satin Stripe Weave Tablecloth

This elegant, soil-resistant fabric comes in three colors and doesn’t require ironing. Retails for $15.99.

Buy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2UxMNzs

Maison D’Hermine Equinoxe Beige Tablecloth

Passover is also called the Holiday of Spring so this tablecloth, which features birds and brightly-colored leaves is perfect. Also comes in gray. Retails for $32.99.

Buy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2VLancm

Wine Goblet

This is a special goblet for Elijah the Prophet who, according to legend, visits each house and drinks wine from his goblet. 

Ceramic Passover Elijah Cup

A stunning Armenian-like design.Retails for $30.38.

Buy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2ESzDXh

Porcelain Elijah Cup

This unique-looking cup features a drawing of Jerusalem.Retails for $29.99.

Buy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2ESzDXh  

Wooden Elijah Cup and Saucer

Designed by Jerusalem artist Yair Emanuel, this cup also features Jerusalem and is hand-painted. Retails for $34.05.

Buy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2F4quML

Dish for Saltwater

Some families provide a dish with saltwater for each guest, while others pass around one larger dish for people to dip food into. I typically choose the latter, as it just makes things easier logistically, saves space, and takes much quicker to clean. Some people use a wine glass for dipping or a soup bowl, but I think gravy boats are perfect for saltwater.

Lenox Housewarming Gravy Boat

You can’t go wrong with the timeless elegance of Lenox. The ivory china is accented with 24-karat gold and is dishwasher-safe.Retails for $48.

Buy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2HsxK6y

Godinger Brandon Gravy Boat

This exquisite glass gravy boat is hand-wash only. Retails for $17.

Buy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2EUGLT6

Basketweave Gravy Boat

This classic porcelain gravy boat is dishwasher-safe. Retails for $23.99.

Buy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2HsBFQX

Happy Passover!

I was not compensated for this post. This post contains affiliate links.

Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman is a freelance writer and has written for several blogs, including The Huffington Post. She has been living in the New York City area for eighteen years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree, but blogging is her true passion. Maytal is a stay-at-home mom to three kids (ages 12, 9 and 6) and loves finding great products for her family.

The post Elegant Passover Essentials for a Gorgeous Tablescape appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

Here is my basic hamentashen recipe. You honestly can’t screw these up. Just make them a day ahead!

Or how about a cherry coconut hamentashen? These were so good. While I wasn’t sure the flavor combo would work, it was terrific and my family begged for more. 

Here’s my S’mores Hamentashen recipe. I love S’mores! 

Here’s a gluten-free recipe and several ideas of what to put in. You won’t miss the gluten in these one bit (seriously). 

Here’s a little secret, if you really don’t want to make the dough from scratch, find a sugar cookie dough and use that to put fillings in. It will work in a pinch! Enjoy and happy Purim!

What’s your favorite hamentashen recipe?

Related Posts:

https://www.themamamaven.com/how-to-simplify-making-mishloach-manot-basket-of-treats-for-purim/

The post The Best Hamentashen Recipes for Purim from The Mama Maven Blog appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

In our package was Male Maryland Blue Crabs, 4oz. Maryland crab cakes, their famous spiced shrimp and crabmeat bisque. It was super cold (there are ice packs), but the liquid did leak every so slightly – so open carefully. I was impressed with the amount of food and the quality — but would it taste good?

Check out our unboxing!

To get it ready for our feast, I steamed the crabs and the shrimp quickly. Having card with the directions and photos of the directions was really helpful and make warming everything up very easy.

I served baked potatoes and a salad with it. And then we dug in! It was delicious! This is perfect for a family occasion like a big family dinner or dinner party.

Frankly, it was a lot of food! We ended up saving the crab cakes and the bisque two days later for lunch and it was still so fresh and delicious.

I highly recommend ordering from Cameron’s Seafood.

In fact, we liked their food so much that we have a giveaway of $50 to Cameron’s Seafood AND an exclusive $12 discount if you order (cannot be combined with other offers). Buy here through our link: https://www.cameronsseafood.com/?wpam_id=20 and use code: MAMAMAVEN .

Enter below:

We were sent samples and this post contains affiliate links (which means if you buy through our link, we get a small percentage of your sale). It doesn’t cost you anything and supports this blog.

The post Cameron’s Seafood: Delicious Maryland Crabs and Seafood Right to Your Door ( + discount code) appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

I eat a variety of superfoods and encourage my family to eat the same as well, but there is one superfood I eat on a daily basis that is an absolute must for my health: avocado. I eat avocados each day in various forms, not only because they are healthy and delicious but because they are the only way to keep my cholesterol under 200 mg/dL without taking medications. I’m always looking to find new recipes that include avocados. I recently held a small tasting party to try out new recipes for avocado dishes and to show my friends and family how easily avocados can be incorporated into any diet. My Delicious Avocado Tasting Party (+ Recipes)

To prepare for the party I first bought some fresh avocados. Avocado contributes nearly 20 vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, making it a good choice to help meet nutrient needs. It’s no wonder it is considered a superfood! Since I eat it on a daily basis, I usually rush and just add some slices to my salad or sandwich, but sometimes I will make a more elaborate dish, such a guacamole or we’ll do taco night at home and avocado will be one of the taco fillings. Either way, I always have on hand avocados at home.

TIP: if you want to buy an avocado that’s ready to eat simply squeeze it gently, without applying your fingers. It will yield to firm gentle pressure. If it feels very soft or mushy it’s overripe and if it doesn’t yield at all it’s not ready.

I prepared two dishes with avocados for the party (Recipes below). The first was chipotle avocado stuffed cherry tomatoes. I blended an avocado with yogurt, cilantro, lime juice and chipotle chili powder. I loved the creamy texture of the mixture. So versatile, fresh avocados can be used in any meal or dish. They can be used as a recipe substitute for bad fats, a way to add naturally good fats, a nutrient-dense fruit to add nutrient value, and as a vegan or vegetarian possible alternative to dairy products. I put the mixture into hollowed cherry tomatoes and garnished with cilantro leaves.

My second dish was a vegan avocado ceviche. This was quick and super-easy to make – it required only mixing of ingredients. The recipe called for chopped cauliflower so I bought chopped cauliflower at Trader Joe’s and just mixed it with the rest of the ingredients. Within a few minutes, I had a delicious dish that can be used as an appetizer or a side.

I served the dishes with a Mediterranean spread. I specifically focused on healthy dishes packed with nutrients to accompany the two avocado dishes. Avocados act as a “nutrient booster” by helping the body to better absorb fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha- and beta-carotene and lutein, from foods that are eaten with the fruit. So you absorb nutrients from other ingredients in other dishes when you eat them at the same time as you eat the avocados.

Clockwise from top: cheese and crackers, Greek salad, stuffed grape leaves, vegan avocado ceviche, skordalia, pita chips for dipping and in the middle, is my chipotle avocado stuffed cherry tomatoes.

The ceviche was the biggest hit of the party. It was full of flavor and went great with the pita chips.

The stuffed tomatoes also disappeared quickly. The recipe calls for 14 tomatoes but I will double it next time.

I had to keep adding more ceviche to the little bowl. Note to self: serve ceviche in a bigger bowl next time!

Here are recipes for the chipotle avocado stuffed cherry tomatoes and the vegan avocado ceviche:

Print

Chipotle Avocado Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

This recipe is a real crowd pleaser. Double or triple this for a party!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Author Avocado Central

Ingredients

• Ingredients
• 14 large cherry or cocktail tomatoes 1 1/2-inch diameter
• 1 fresh avocado* halved, pitted and peeled
• 1/2 cup <g class=”gr_ gr_1244 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling multiReplace” id=”1244″ data-gr-id=”1244″>low fat</g> Greek yogurt
• 2 Tbsp. cilantro chopped
• 2 tsp. lime juice
• 1/4 tsp. chipotle chili powder
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 14 small cilantro leaves for garnish

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Slice the tops off the tomatoes and scoop out seeds and pulp. Drain, <g class=”gr_ gr_1239 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace” id=”1239″ data-gr-id=”1239″>cut side</g> down on paper towels.
• In a blender, puree the avocado, Greek yogurt, cilantro lime juice, chipotle chili powder and salt until smooth and blended.
• Spoon or pipe avocado filling into centers of tomatoes.
• Garnish with cilantro leaves.
• *Note: Large avocados are recommended for this recipe. A large avocado averages 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados, adjust the quantity accordingly.
• Recipe from https://www.avocadocentral.com/avocado-recipes/chipotle-avocado-stuffed-cherry-tomatoes-original

Print

Vegan Avocado Ceviche

This vegan avocado ceviche is easy to make and full of healthy ingredients.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mexican

Author Avocado Central

Ingredients

• Ingredients
• 1 ripe fresh Hass avocado*, halved, pitted, peeled and cubed
• 1 cup cauliflower diced
• 2 to matoes diced
• 1/3 cup red onion finely diced
• 1 Tbsp. jalapeno pepper minced
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro chopped
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• In a large bowl, combine avocado, cauliflower, tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, salt and olive oil.
• Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with homemade pita chips.
• Serving Suggestions:
• Serving Suggestion: Serve as an appetizer or side dish.
• *Note: Large avocados are recommended for this recipe. A large avocado averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados, adjust the quantity accordingly.
• Recipe from https://www.avocadocentral.com/avocado-recipes/vegan-avocado-ceviche

Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman has also written for The Huffington Post. She has been living in New York City for fourteen years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree, but blogging is her true passion. Maytal is a stay-at-home mom to three kids (ages 10, 8 and 4) and loves finding great products that make her family’s life easier. 

The post My Delicious Avocado Tasting Party (+ Recipes) appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

I’ve been up at my in-laws’ house upstate in Port Jervis, NY, so my daughter and I headed over to Walmart and headed to the International Foods section. While I was intrigued by the <rel=”nofollow” a href=”http://amzn.to/2r7AcHh” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Mini Soft Flour Tortilla Boats, but that wasn’t a choice this week – but anything gluten free would work. 

My daughter and I had a hard time decided between the Stand and Stuff, the Super Stuffer or the regular crunchy taco shells. We decided on the Old El Paso Taco Shells (the 18 pack for $1.97).

Overwhelmed with choices, I decided to go with the crunchy taco shells, which I’ve been eating since I was a kid. Bonus: All their (corn) taco shells are gluten free (it’s still Passover, so no wheat!). They have only three ingredients – can’t get much simpler than that. My kids love crunchy taco shells, so I knew I would have a winner on my hands. 

I am a huge fajita fan and I adore hard taco shells, so why not combine the two? I picked up two flank steaks and 6 tri-colored peppers and two onions, plus verde salsa and a chili-lime marinade mix. We don’t eat a lot of red meat, so I figured this would be a nice change from the chicken I always seem to make (according to my sassy 11-year-old son). I wasn’t sure what my kids would think or if they would even eat my dinner (I never know), but I decided to go for it anyway. We had just gotten through several days of Passover and I wanted us to have a really fun and festive meal. 

Grilled Steak Fajita Tacos

So I took out all my ingredients. 

First, I made the marinade. I had a Chil Lime Marinade that I had picked up and quickly made it.

I added the marinade mix to a shallow casserole dish. 

Then I added olive oil.

I added some water (but forgot to add a little white vinegar). It turned out very tasty, anyway.

I marinated the flank steak for 30 minutes, while my father-in-law started the grill. 

I cut up the peppers and onions. 

I put the peppers and onions on skewers to cook them on the grill. 

My father-in-law cooked the meat and then the colorful peppers and onions.

After the flank steak was done, I sliced it up. 

We set the table, added some verde salsa (mild) and guac, as well as the Old El Paso Crunchy Shells and the flank steak, peppers, and onions. 

My daughter loved the tacos. She wanted extra guac on hers. 

My sassy 11-year-old son added hot sauce to his tacos. He usually doesn’t like meat, but he loved the flank steak. 

My Mother-in-law had seconds (and she never has seconds). 

My youngest child (who is ultra picky) may be making a wacky face below, but he had me make him THREE tacos. Unheard of!

Our fiesta was a big hit! The mom in me was really happy that this was also a healthy meal.

Next time I’ll make these scrumptious steak fajitas and use the Mini Soft Flour Tortilla Boats for a different taste. 

The post Grilled Steak Fajita Tacos for Cinco de Mayo appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

While you can definitely take any of Dancing Deer Baking Co.’s cookies or brownies and make something semi-homemade (see my last post for my great idea), I have an easier idea this time. Order their scrumptious cookies or brownies, buy a nice plate, and boom — that’s your host(ess) gift! You look like the hero when party guests dive for the triple chocolate chunk brownies or pop the tasty dessert bites into their mouths. 

You look like the hero when party guests dive for the triple chocolate chunk brownies or pop the tasty dessert bites into their mouths. 

Check out the video I made (where I explain it all):

Dancing Deer Co.’s sent me some of their Dessert Bites (which truly smell amazing). 

I put them on a pretty plate and added a placemat underneath.

And I’m ready to go to my mother-in-laws for Hannukah dinner! If you don’t want to use your own plate or you want to makie it a really great gift, pick up a pretty plate from a big box or specialty store and plate it yourself. 

Here are some ideas for what to take to your holiday parties and special occasions:

We love their Hannukah Stars Set ($29.99). 

Filled with a  classic assortment of Dancing Deer Baking Co.’s brownies and drizzled star cookies, this Shaker-style box contains 4 Chocolate Chunk brownies and 8 Hanukkah Star cookies. Remember everything baked by Dancing Deer is certified Kosher (kosher dairy), so it will really pair well with a meal of latkes and sour cream. 

The Classic Three-Tier Holiday Cookie Tower ($52.49, on sale) is a pleaser.

This holiday gift set is filled with a variety of 6 dozen crisp and buttery shortbread cookies, including Gingerbread Folk, Peppermint Trees, Espresso Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Sea Salt Stars and Vanilla Bean flavors, along with 2 bags of festive holiday cookies. The cookies are packaged in three wooden Shaker-style boxes tied with grosgrain ribbon. Order it and bring it right in the box with the ribbon. Your hostess will be in awe. 

And if you really want to feed a crowd, their Premium Holiday Crowd Pleaser Gift Basket ($99) will really make your host happy ($99). You’ll definitely be invited back next year. 

This abundant collection of gourmet baked goods includes 8 each of our chewy and soft Molasses Clove, Snickerdoodle, Triple Chocolate Chip and Cranberry Orange cookies, 4 each of Chocolate Chunk, Caramel Pecan, Peanut Butter and Cappuccino brownies, a Chocolate Espresso cake (serves 4-6), along with 20 Gingerbread Folk cookies and a bag of Chocolate Sea Salt Stars. Hand-packed into two rich burgundy seagrass baskets with toggle tie.

So, what do you think looks good from Dancing Deer Baking Co.?

Go to http://www.dancingdeer.com – there are several specials waiting for you right now!

Click below for my DIY Ice Cream Sandwich Bar using cookies from Dancing Deer Baking Co.

The post Be A Great Guest! Bring Dessert from Dancing Deer Baking Co. This Holiday Season appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

Ingredients:
Organic Blue Corn Tortilla Chips
Cheddar Cheese (shredded) – we used white and yellow cheddar
Organic Grape Tomatoes, sliced
Rinsed can of black beans
Olive oil or coconut oil

Instructions:
Coat pan with either olive oil or coconut oil so the nachos don’t stick.
Spread out the bag of blue corn chips

Open a can of black beans and rinse under water. Spread beans on top of blue corn chips.

Shred cheese and sprinkle on nachos.

Cut up grape tomatoes.

Sprinkle cut tomatoes on top. Bake for 12 minutes at 350 until cheese is melted.

Serve. You can add salsa, guacamole, or sour cream.

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Black Bean and Cheese Nachos

This vegetarian nachos recipe is super easy to make and only has 5 ingredients.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mexican

Author Nancy Johnson Horn, The Mama Maven Blog

Ingredients

• Organic Blue Corn Tortilla Chips
• Cheddar Cheese shredded - we used white and yellow cheddar
• Organic Grape Tomatoes sliced
• Rinsed can of black beans
• Olive oil or coconut oil

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Coat pan with either olive oil or coconut oil so the nachos don't stick.
• Spread out the bag of blue corn chips
• Open a can of black beans and rinse under water.
• Spread beans on top of blue corn chips.
• Shred cheese and sprinkle on nachos.
• Cut up grape tomatoes and sprinkle on top.
• Bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees until cheese is melted.
• Serve. You can add salsa, guacamole, or sour cream.

The post Black Bean and Cheese Nachos appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

My husband helped me make this – it’s fun to cook with your spouse, right?

Cheesy Olive Focaccia

Ingredients:

1 large focaccia  bread(any supermarket bakery should carry it)
Sun-dried tomatoes
Artichoke hearts (jarred)
Olive oil
Green Olives
Sincerely, Brigitte Tomato Olive Prairie Jack Cheese
Sincerely, Brigitte Garlic Basil Prairie Jack Cheese

Directions:

1. Shred cheeses. First I shredded Sincerely, Brigitte Tomato Olive Prairie Jack Cheese. I love that the subtle flavors of the tomatoes and olives come through in this. 

2. Then I shredded the Sincerely, Brigitte Garlic Basic Prairie Jack Cheese. I love garlic, this is very subtle also. Both cheeses will appeal to adults and kids.

3. Warm up focaccia in the oven for 5 minutes at 350 degrees.
Let it cool, then brush with olive oil.
4. Add shredded Sincerely, Brigitte cheeses, then add sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, and green olives.

Looks good, right?

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. You just want the cheese to melt. Cut the focaccia into small pieces to serve easily to your guests!

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Cheesy Olive Focaccia - Perfect for the Big Game!

This focaccia bread with toppings is the perfect thing to serve at the big game.

Course Appetiser

Cuisine American

Author Nancy Johnson Horn, The Mama Maven Blog

Ingredients

• 1 large focaccia any supermarket bakery should carry it
• Sun-dried tomatoes
• Artichoke hearts jarred
• Olive oil
• Green Olives
• Sincerely Brigitte Tomato Olive Prairie Jack Cheese
• Sincerely Brigitte Garlic Basil Prairie Jack Cheese

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Shred cheese
• Warm up focaccia in the oven for 5 minutes at 350 degrees.
• Let it cool, then brush with olive oil
• Add shredded Sincerely, Brigitte cheeses, then add sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, and green olives.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. You just want the cheese to melt.

Check out our other Sincerely, Brigette recipes:

See what my kids thought of Sincerely, Brigitte cheeses .

Find out where to buy Sincerely, Brigitte cheeses here.

http://www.sincerelybrigitte.com/
Follow Sincerely, Brigitte on facebook.

The post Cheesy Olive Focaccia Bread – Perfect for the Big Game! appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

Spinach Stuffed Shells Recipe

It’s pretty simple to make.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta shells, set aside. Line baking dish with 1/2 bottle of Ragu pasta sauce.

Let chopped spinach defrost (in a colander) and squeeze the water out.

Stir together spinach, cheese (reserving 1 cup cheese for topping), eggs, and spices. My 8 year old daughter helped to mix everything together.

Start filling shells with mixture (use a tablespoon). This can be a little time consuming.

Top with more sauce and cheese, bake for 35 minutes with a cover or foil.

Wear a funny chef’s hat and pose with your delicious dish.

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Spinach Stuffed Shells With Ragu Pasta Sauce

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Author Nancy Johnson Horn, The Mama Maven Blog

Ingredients

• 2 jars of your favorite Ragu sauce
• 1 box stuffed pasta shells cook according to box instructions
• 1 box chopped frozen spinach – let it defrost and squeeze the water out
• 32 oz Part Skim Ricotta Cheese the big tub
• 2 cups shredded mozarella or Italian cheese blend
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp basil
• 2 Tbsp parsley
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• 1/2 a pinch of nutmeg

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta shells, set aside. Line baking dish with 1/2 bottle of Ragu pasta sauce.
  
• Stir together spinach, cheese (reserving 1 cup cheese for topping), eggs, and spices.
• Start filling shells with mixture. Top with more sauce and cheese, bake for 35 minutes with a cover or foil.
• Recipe is adapted from the one on stuffed shells box.
• 

Recipe is adapted from the one on stuffed shells box. 

The post Family Favorite Recipes: Spinach Stuffed Shells appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

This post contains affiliate links from certain websites and Amazon. I receive payments for clicks, purchases, and/or registrations made through affiliate links in this post. Please see our disclosure policy for more information.

When you are entertaining, you want to have a variety of flavors and spices. Some people can’t get enough of spicy things, some people prefer the sweet. This cheesy cornbread muffins uses both — by using a sweet cheese and a spicy cheese. And it’s gluten free! We used Sincerely, Brigitte cheeses in this.

Sincerely, Brigitte cheeses is made using non-animal sourced microbial rennet and starters and all natural vegetarian ingredients, and they only use premium rBST-free milk sourced from only small Wisconsin dairy farms. The flavors are bold and intense and will spark the curiosity of the most discriminate cheese aficionado. Plus — they have a cheese for literally everyone — every tastebud will be happy.

We recently made a scrumptious zucchini artichoke flatbread with their tomato olive prairie jack cheese and their garlic basil cheese.

To make this recipe, you’ll need any gluten free cornbread mix (I used Trader Joe’s). If you aren’t gluten free, any cornbread mix will do. If you want to make your cornbread from scratch, we found some recipes on yummly for you — http://www.yummly.com/recipes?q=cornbread.

Sweet & Spicy Cheesy Gluten Free Cornbread

Ingredients:

1 box of gluten free cornbread
1/2 block Sincerely, Brigitte Jalapeno Cilantro Cheese
1/2 of the package of Sincerely, Brigitte Orange Ginger Cheese
1 egg
3/4 milk
1⁄2 cup oil (use canola or vegetable oil)

Directions:

Make cornbread according to directions. Split batter into two bowls. Add 1/4 of the grated Jalapeno Cilantro cheese block to the mix and stir. Then pour batter into silicone baking cups and top with  1/4 of the grated cheese.

Take the remaining batter and add add 1/4 of the grated Orange Ginger cheese to the mix and stir. Then pour batter into silicone baking cups and top with 1/4 of the grated cheese. Bake in a 375ºF oven for 20-25 minutes

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Sweet & Spicy Cheesy Gluten Free Cornbread

This recipe uses gluten free cornbread mix and Sincerely, Brigitte Cheese: Jalapeno Cilantro cheese.

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 12 Muffins

Author Nancy Johnson Horn, The Mama Maven Blog

Ingredients

• Gluten free cornbread mix I used Trader Joe’s. If you aren’t gluten free, any cornbread mix will do.
• 1/2 of the package Sincerely Brigitte Jalepeno Cilantro Cheese
• 1 egg
• 3/4 milk
• 1 ⁄2 cup oil use canola or vegetable oil

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Make cornbread according to directions. Split batter into two bowls. Add 1/4 of the grated Jalepeno Cilantro cheese block to the mix and stir.
• Then pour batter into silicone baking cups and top with 1/4 of the grated cheese.
• Take the remaining batter and add add 1/4 of the grated Orange Ginger cheese to the mix and stir. Then pour batter into silicone baking cups and top with 1/4 of the grated cheese.
• Bake in a 375ºF oven for 20-25 minutes.

Check out our other Sincerely, Brigitte recipes:

See what my kids thought of Sincerely, Brigitte cheeses .

Find out where to buy Sincerely, Brigitte cheeses here.

http://www.sincerelybrigitte.com/
Follow Sincerely, Brigitte on facebook.

The post Sweet & Spicy Cheesy Gluten Free Cornbread appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

As a mom of three I’m always looking for deals and trying to get the most bang for my buck. We’ve been members of BJ’s Wholesale Club before we even had kids and always found it a reliable place, not just for diapers and organic produce, but also for gorgeous gifts for any occasion and with the best prices. During the holiday season the deals are unbelievable and the quality of the products is something I can stand behind. I recently checked out BJ’s new holiday gift offerings.

Berkley Jensen 5-Tier Buffet Server

Perfect for entertaining, this server can be used as a 3 or 5 tier server. It comes with 5 dishwasher and microwave-safe trays. $29.99

Berkley Jensen Ceramic Write & Wipe Menu Board with Place Cards

With family members who are vegetarian or meat-eaters, and some who have allergies, I always find myself having to describe certain dishes and mention the ingredients. With this set of six place cards and a menu board I can easily and elegantly fill everyone in on what’s on the menu. $11.99

Berkley Jensen Porcelain Platters

This set, which comes with 3 platters (large, medium and small) works for both elegant and casual meals. From appetizers to main courses to desserts, the platters make it easy to serve food due to the convenient handle on each one. $12.99

Berkley Jensen Swirl Chip & Dip Dish

From chips to crudites, this dish is large enough to fit it all, plus it has a built-in well for dips and other snacks, which makes it convenient. $11.99

13-Piece State and Wood Paddle Serving Board Set

I’m a big fan of serving a cheese platter for guests – it’s super-easy to put together and almost everyone loves it! This set makes it even easier to put together because it comes with slate markers and pencils, so you can write the types of cheese that you’re serving. It also comes with a tray, stainless steel cheese told and more. $14.99

Johdpuri Moscow Mules Mugs

If you plan on serving the famous Moscow Mule cocktail copper mugs are a must. This set of two stainless steel mugs is perfect for other types of drinks that need to stay chilled and makes a perfect gift for your alcohol-loving friend. $15.99

Berkley Jensen 100 Sq. Ft. Gift Wrap Ensemble

Looking for gifts wrap to wrap all of your gifts? This 5-roll set comes with gift tags and ribbons and in dazzling metallic colors. $11.99

Click here to find the nearest BJ’s Wholesale Club location.

I was not compensated for this post. I received a gift card.

———————————————————————————————————

Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman is the owner of Mama’s Bites and has also written for The Huffington Post. She has been living in New York City for fourteen years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree, but blogging is her true passion. Maytal is a stay-at-home mom to three kids (ages 8, 6 and 3) and loves finding great products that make her family’s life easier.

The post Holiday Shopping at BJ’s Wholesale Club appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

I based it on the potato latke recipe from All Recipes, making it gluten free by using gluten free flour (Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour).

First I spiralized the yukon gold potatoes, using around 4-5 potatoes.

I spiralized two yellow onions right on top of the potatoes.

Then I used a paper towel to dab out some of the excess water.

Then mix potatoes, onion, beaten eggs, gluten free flour together. I didn’t add the salt, salt to taste.

Place batter in a heated pan with oil. Brown on one side, turn and brown on the other. Let drain on paper towels. Serve very warm with applesauce or sour cream.

If you are thinking about buying a spiralizer, this is the one I bought on Amazon. Simple and inexpensive.

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Spiralized Golden Potato Latkes

This spiralized potato latke recipe is potato latke recipe from AllRecipes.com, making it gluten free by using gluten free flour (Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour) and omitting the salt.

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Author Nancy Johnson Horn, The Mama Maven Blog

Ingredients

• 4-5 peeled potatoes
• 2 small yellow onions
• 2 eggs beaten
• 2 tablespoons gluten free flour if you aren not gluten free, you can use all-purpose flour
• Salt optional, we didn’t use it

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Spiralize the yukon gold potatoes, using around 4-5 potatoes.
• Then spiralized two yellow onions right on top of the potatoes.
• Then I used a paper towel to dab out some of the excess water.
• Then mix potatoes, onion, beaten eggs, gluten free flour together. I didn’t add the salt, salt to taste.
• Place batter in a heated pan with oil. Brown on one side, turn and brown on the other. Let drain on paper towels. Serve very warm with applesauce or sour cream.

This post contains affiliate links. 

The post Spiralized Golden Potato Latkes appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

I love cooking for family and friends, so when my friends at Veetee Rice asked me to come up with something festive for holiday entertaining using Veetee Rice, Kitchen IQ, and Casabella products, I rose to the occasion. I worked with Veetee Dine In Rice on a chicken soup recipe back in January and love their microwave ready rice. It’s healthy, super convenient, and delicious. In fact, since I worked with Veetee, it’s the rice we buy all the time now. I knew I wanted to make something that would work with chicken or fish, so my friend Melissa and I started talking about ideas. She suggested I make a coconut pineapple rice. I wanted something that would be dairy free and gluten free, while still having tons of flavor. I think you’re going to LOVE this (my family did).

It’s an easy recipe, but I used a lot of veggies – so if you are short on time or ingredients, you can cut down my ingredient list a little. Remember to keep the ginger, coconut, and pineapple as not to sacrifice the flavor.

Coconut Pineapple Rice: Perfect for Entertaining!

To make this,  you’ll need:

Veetee’s Dine In Whole Grain Brown Rice – 2 packages – if you prefer to make rice, here’s my Instant Pot recipe
1 yellow pepper
1 orange pepper
1/2 english cucumber
1/2 bag frozen organic peas
1/2 lime
Fresh ginger
1 zucchini
2 carrots
1 can pineapple
3 tablespoons shredded coconut. I was able to only find sweetened coconut, try to find unsweetened coconut
Coconut oil to taste (for sauteing)

The cucumber, zucchini, ginger, and carrots can be grated in Kitchen IQ Container Grater with V-Etched Nonstick Blades & Ceramic Slicer.

Kitchen IQ’s Container Grater offers 3 styles of stainless steel v-etched blades: fine, coarse and extra coarse and 1 slicing blade. There are measurements on the side of the storage container and the blades are non-stick. Shredding the veggies was a lot quicker than chopping them up, so I really liked using this. I liked that it’s compact and all the mess goes right into the container. It’s small, but holds 3 cups in the container. While I love my spiralizer, I can’t easily take it out, grating was much better for plumping up my rice dish with veggies. Plus, I could easily slip this in my weekend bag to take to my mother-in-law’s house, which I did!

What’s the worst thing about cutting up bell peppers? The seeds get everywhere. I also used the red Kitchen IQ Pepper Tool to prepare my yellow and orange bell peppers. You literally place the pepper tool (use red for bigger peppers, the green tool for smaller peppers) over the stem ( you should cut it down) and slide it into the pepper and pull out.

The tool will catch most of the seeds (genius!). Just rinse it out under the faucet to get the rest of the seeds out. Such a small tool, but saved me mess and the seeds flying everywhere.

Get all your ingredients ready. This will take you the most time for this dish, however, Kitchen IQ’s container grater made it a lot easier. I used a lot of veggies, you can cut down the amount or add more.

Heat up a frying pan with a tablespoon or so of coconut oil. Add veggies, and stir while sauteeing.

I really liked the amount of veggies we used and the colors were glorious!

The order of the veggies really doesn’t matter and you can use as many different veggies as you like.

Adding the coconut and ginger will give it the flavor.

Add the Veetee Dine In Whole Grain Brown Rice and stir. Then finish by add the lime and two pinches of salt to finish the dish.

Serve with our Sesame Ginger Marinated Chicken.

Kids will like this because of all the glorious colors, adults will like it because it’s delicious and healthy.

Mr. Picky Eater 2.0 devoured it.

But, like all meals, you have to clean up. Since my father-in-law helped me cook, my mother-in-law offered to clean up. Casabella sent their Clean Sink Kit to make things a little easier. I think she offered to clean because she loved the bright pink washing up gloves. Plus, I’m not the biggest fan of kitchen cleanup, but it has to be done. Casabella made things very easy for washing our dishes and pans!

Casabella producgts I used: Premium Waterblock Gloves (2 pairs), Cellulose Sponges, Sparkle Sponges, Smart Scrub® Dispensing Dish Brush & Refill, and a Soap Pump!

The Smart Scrub Dispensing Dish Brush was brilliant too — just add a little dish soap and you can squirt more soap on while you are actually washing your dishes. Total time saver. 

This is the perfect gift for a housewarming gift for newlyweds, new parents, and college students. Why? Because people don’t always stock up for themselves. They may have the fancy cookware and then realize that they don’t have anything to clean that cookware with. You really do need a soap pump, good sponges, full coverage gloves, and dish scrubbers!

Coconut Pineapple Rice Recipe

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Coconut Pineapple Rice: Perfect For Entertaining

Kids will like this Coconut Pineapple Rice because of all the glorious colors, adults will like it because it’s delicious and healthy.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 9 servings

Author Nancy Johnson Horn, The Mama Maven Blog

Ingredients

• Veetee’s Dine In Whole Grain Brown Rice – 2 packages
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 orange pepper
• 1/2 english cucumber
• 1/2 bag frozen organic peas
• 1/2 lime
• Fresh ginger
• 1 zucchini
• 2 carrots
• 1 can pineapple
• 3 tablespoons shredded coconut. I was able to only find sweetened coconut try to find unsweetened coconut
• Coconut oil to taste for sautéing

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Get all your ingredients all ready.
• Heat up a frying pan with a tablespoon or so of coconut oil.
• Add veggies, and stir while sauteing.
• The order of the veggies really doesn’t matter and you can use as many different veggies as you like.
• Adding the coconut and ginger will give it the flavor.
• Add the Veetee Dine In Whole Grain Brown Rice and stir.Then finish by add the lime and two pinches of salt to finish the dish.
• Serve with our Sesame Ginger Marinated Chicken.

Products I used:

Casabella Products I used:

Premium Waterblock Gloves – the Double Cuff catches liquid before it rolls down your arm and it has a cotton inside and redesigned custom pattern texture on finger tips and palms for safe grip

Cellulose Sponges

Sparkle Sponges – safe and effective on non–stick surfaces and glassware and porcelain

Scrub Brush– the cross action bristles have 8 times as many scrubbing edges and an easy fill soap changer. It’s safe for non–stick cookware and 2 refill heads are included.

Soap Pump – the top unscrews for easy refill and it holds up to 12 oz. of soap

The Kitchen IQ products I used were:

Kitchen IQ Container Grater with V-Etched Nonstick Blades & Ceramic Slicer

Kitchen IQ Pepper Tool (Red) 

The post Coconut Pineapple Rice: Perfect For Entertaining appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

You’ll need low sodium soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, toasted sesame oil, garlic, 1 1/2 lbs of chicken breast, and a plastic zippered bag. My father-in-law whipped this up the other night — wait ’til you see what we served it with!

Grate fresh ginger — until you have around 1 tablespoon.

Add 1/4 cup of low sodium soy sauce.

Add 2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar.

Then add 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, minced. We used jarred minced garlic (don’t throw things at us!). Add 2-3 tablespoons of toasted sesame oil.

You can use this with chicken or fish.

We used chicken breast, cut into strips. Let chicken marinate for around 20 minutes (or longer if you have the time).

Broil chicken or cook on grill to taste.

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Easy Sesame Ginger Marinade

Need a simple sesame ginger marinade for chicken? Our recipe has 4 ingredients and will literally take you 5 minutes to prepare.

Course Marinade

Cuisine Asian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 5 servings

Author Nancy Johnson Horn, The Mama Maven Blog

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp fresh frozen, or powdered ginger
• 1/4 cup of low sodium soy sauce.
• 2 tbsp of rice wine vinegar.
• 3 or 4 cloves of garlic minced. We used jarred minced garlic (don’t throw things at us!).
• 1 package chicken breast around 1 and 1/4 pounds
• 1 gallon plastic zipper bag
• 2-3 tbsp toasted sesame oil.

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to plastic zipper bag and mix.
• Add chicken breast (we cut ours into strips) and let chicken marinate for around 20 minutes (or longer if you have the time).
• Broil chicken or cook on grill to taste.

The post Easy Sesame Ginger Marinade for Chicken or Fish appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

Football season is here in my house and I am always looking for healthy and delicious recipes to serve to my game-obsessed husband. My challenge was to make something with Blue Diamond Almonds Smokehouse Almonds and Wasabi & Soy Sauce Almonds that had #GameChangingFlavors.

I decided to use non fat greek yogurt and make two healthy dips. One dip would be on the sweeter side, the other dip would be savory.

For the Sweet Almond Dip, I took Blue Diamond Smokehouse Almonds, honey, and non-fat greek yogurt. The almonds have a great smokey flavor that paired nicely with the sweet honey.

I was going to chop up the almonds, and then decided to blend them in my Vitamix.
If you don’t have a strong blender, you can use a food chopper, or food processor.

Then add a teaspoon of honey, the ground almonds, and the greek yogurt. I used around 1/2 the container of greek yogurt. I mixed the ingredients together with a spatula.

I served it with cut up red delicious apples. Since the apples will brown, you can sprinkle lemon juice on the apples to stop this or cut up the apples right before you serve it.

 For the savory dip, I took Blue Diamond Bold Flavor Wasabi & Soy Sauce Almonds.
When the almonds are combined to the greek yogurt, it calms down the spiciness and still lets the bold flavor come through.

I served it with celery, you can substitute any other veggie.

My dips were so easy to make and were super delicious (and healthy). Your family won’t miss the chips!

Print

Greek Yogurt Dip 2 Ways: Sweet and Savory

Course Appetiser

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Nancy Johnson Horn, The Mama Maven Blog

Ingredients

• Sweet:
• Honey
• Blue Diamond Smokehouse Almonds
• 1/2 container greek non fat yogurt
• Savory:
• Blue Diamond Wasabi & Soy Sauce Almonds
• 1/2 container greek non fat yogurt

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Healthy Sweet Almond Dip:
• Grind 1/2 the container Blue Diamond Smokehouse Almonds in a strong blender or food processor
• Add almonds to greek yogurt
• Add a teaspoon of honey
• Mix together and serve with cut up apples
• Healthy Wasabi & Soy Sauce Greek Yogurt Dip:
• Grind 1/2 the container Blue Diamond Wasabi & Soy Sauce Almonds in a strong blender or food processor
• Add to greek yogurt
• Mix together and serve with cut up veggies

This post is sponsored by Blue Diamond Almonds.

The post Greek Yogurt Dip 2 Ways: Sweet and Savory appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

Are you a fan of delicious cheese sticks? Then John Wm. Macy’s CheeseSticks is the brand for you.

John Macy launched John Wm. Macy’s CheeseSticks in 1985 from a small storefront “factory” on the Lower East Side of Manhattan with his recipe for hand-twisted, twice-baked sourdough and cheese breadsticks originally created for his small catering business. Within two years, CheeseSticks were being sold at some of the City’s top specialty retailers and served in several of its leading hotels.

In 1990, John’s brother Tim joined the business and the family-owned bakery moved across the Hudson River to Northern New Jersey. The product line has grown and distribution has spread across the USA and Canada. You can find John Wm. Macy’s CheeseSticks in your local supermarket and high end specialty markets. The taste is absolutely delicious!

We spoke to John William Macy himself at the Summer Fancy Foods Show.

They sent us a few boxes to try out.

My family liked all the types  – though the Smoked jalepeno was too spicy for me. The Melting Parmesan and Original Cheddar were my faves. The sweet ones were delicious too –  try the Dutch Chocolate. We snacked on them. I served them with a few different kinds of dips. My youngest son dipped his Original Cheddar CheeseSticks in his pizza fondue dip.

Features:

• Made with wholesome, natural ingredients
• Produced in a nut-free facility
• Made with 100% real cheese
  
• Baked twice for “the perfect crunch!”
• No trans fats, GMO ingredients, artificial flavors, colors or preservatives (compare this with ingredient lists for other cheese snacks!)

Product Line:

• John Wm. Macy’s CheeseSticks (savory twisted breadsticks) – Original Cheddar, Melting Parmesan, Garlic Romano, Dijon Swiss and Cheddar & Scallion
• John Wm. Macy’s CheeseCrisps (cracked-shaped squares) – Asiago & Cheddar, Melting Romano, Smoked Jalapeño, Sesame Gruyère and Garlic Parmesan
• John Wm. Macy’s SweetSticks (dessert twists) – Dutch Chocolate, Java Cinnamon and Madagascar Vanilla

 

 

 

The post Love CheeseSticks? John Wm. Macy’s CheeseSticks Review appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

]]> https://www.themamamaven.com/review-john-wm-macys-cheesesticks/feed/ 4 https://www.themamamaven.com/stonewall-kitchen-review/ https://www.themamamaven.com/stonewall-kitchen-review/#comments Fri, 14 Aug 2015 04:01:08 +0000 http://www.themamamaven.com/?p=40419 Headquartered in York, Maine, Stonewall Kitchen is a specialty foods producer. It was founded in 1991 by partners Jonathan King and Jim Stott. John and Jim established themselves at local farmer’s markets, fairs and festivals with their flavorful line of distinctive and high-quality food items sold under the name of Stonewall Kitchen. Over time, they expanded their product...

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]]> This post contains affiliate links from certain websites and Amazon. I receive payments for clicks, purchases, and/or registrations made through affiliate links in this post. Please see our disclosure policy for more information.

Headquartered in York, Maine, Stonewall Kitchen is a specialty foods producer. It was founded in 1991 by partners Jonathan King and Jim Stott. John and Jim established themselves at local farmer’s markets, fairs and festivals with their flavorful line of distinctive and high-quality food items sold under the name of Stonewall Kitchen. Over time, they expanded their product line to include sauces, condiments, mustards and jams using fresh, local produce. Today, the company is known for its innovative product development, beautiful packaging, stunning retail spaces and exceptional customer service. Stonewall Kitchen has won 28 prestigious awards from the Specialty Food Association and the recipient of the coveted Outstanding Product Line Honors three times. Dinner Idea: New England Chicken Stew  

At the Summer Fancy Foods show, Stonewall Kitchen showed off some great holiday sets. Who wouldn’t want to get this as a gift??

As someone who’s newly gluten-free, I was thrilled to see gluten-free mixes. I can whip up delicious treats which I can actually sample myself (a win/win!).

Take a look at what I found at Stonewall Kitchen’s Summer Fancy Foods Show Booth:

After the show, Stonewall Kitchen sent us quite a few goodies. My in-laws have bought the Wild Maine Blueberry Jam for years and it’s so scrumptious.

I made their delicious New England Chicken Stew, which tasted like Chicken Pot Pie.

I made it gluten-free (the only thing I had to change was the flour for making the roux, I added tapioca starch instead). While I did stress a little bit on how to make gluten-free, if you leave any kind of flour or starch out, it will still be delicious.

The New England Chicken Stew Mix contains potatoes, carrots, peas, onions, white beans, celery, yellow pepper, thyme, sage, and other seasonings. The directions are right on the package, which costs $8.95.

I started with gathering together the other ingredients, tapioca flour, chicken broth, coconut oil spread, chicken breast, and pepper. Once the soup was simmering, I sautéed the chicken breast (which I had diced beforehand). Then I added it to my stew and finished the dish. From start to finish, it took around 45 minutes to make. I topped with thawed frozen kale to get more veggies in there. Delish! My kids, husband, and I loved it.

This didn’t yield more than one serving for leftovers, so make a double batch if you want it for two nights. I would definitely purchase New England Chicken Stew Mix as an easy and yummy way to get dinner on the table.

Here’s my take on Veggie Packed Sloppy Joes, using Stonewall Kitchen’s Sloppy Joe Sauce.

Go here or click the photo above for the recipe.

I also loved their Sea Salt Caramel Sauce. I made gluten-free belgian waffle and topped it with Stonewall Kitchen’s Sea Salt Caramel Sauce and Bananas. Delicious!

The post Stonewall Kitchen Review appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

]]> https://www.themamamaven.com/stonewall-kitchen-review/feed/ 8 https://www.themamamaven.com/grocery-delivery-and-dinner-parties-made-easier/ https://www.themamamaven.com/grocery-delivery-and-dinner-parties-made-easier/#comments Tue, 26 May 2015 20:57:02 +0000 http://www.themamamaven.com/?p=37270 Update: Giveaway is now closed, but we loved using Peapod! Peapod’s recent expansion in NYC means that every zip code in all 5 boroughs is now able to experience the time and money savings Peapod has to offer! To celebrate that, Peapod, an online grocery retailer (by Stop and Shop, my local supermarket) recently challenged me to...

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Update: Giveaway is now closed, but we loved using Peapod!

Peapod’s recent expansion in NYC means that every zip code in all 5 boroughs is now able to experience the time and money savings Peapod has to offer! To celebrate that, Peapod, an online grocery retailer (by Stop and Shop, my local supermarket) recently challenged me to use their service and throw a dinner party with friends. Since I can’t get to the supermarket during the week anymore (my husband takes our car to work and I commute into Manhattan), I was excited to get my favorite brands delivered to me!

If you read our senior writer Maytal’s recent post, she discussed how easy it was to order from Peapod. Peapod offers the best of the suburban grocery store without having to go to the suburbs! A full assortment of popular grocery and store-brand products, from grocery basics to farm-fresh produce; top quality meats and seafood; prepared foods and party trays; deli meats and cheeses that are sliced to order; Kosher, organic and specialty foods; time savers like rotisserie chickens; office, school, health & beauty and pet supplies and store brands like Nature’s Promise (affordable organics and natural products). In this post, we decided to have a dinner party… using Peapod.

I decided to invite my friend Carolyn over for a family dinner party. I found some great recipes on Gatheredtable — a great resource for meal planning. If you aren’t familiar with Gatheredtable, check this tutorial out that walks you through editing your weekly menu, using the smart grocery list, adding recipes to your personal recipe library and updating your menu preferences. The coolest thing was that it seamlessly worked with Peapod. I was able to pick recipes for our dinner party and add all the ingredients I needed into my Peapod shopping list.

For my dinner party, Carolyn and I discussed what we wanted to make. You can order Peapod up to 10 PM the night before delivery (or order a few days in advance). We decided to make Grilled Teriyaki Shrimp Kabobs, Tropical Cucumber Salad, and corn on the cob. I used Gatheredtable’s recipes to even order the food I needed. It worked seamlessly with my Peapod account and let me take off the ingredients I already had in my home. It was really simple! I added a few more groceries for the week, picked my delivery window for the next day and checked out. It was so easy!

My groceries showed up around 20 minutes into my delivery window. I got a text saying that Peapod was on its way. My driver showed up with my bags in little green crates.

I was actually so impressed that I immediately added their app to my iPhone and plan to order again soon.

The Dinner Party

Our friend Carolyn (of YouCake.com) came over and we started getting things ready.

While I started prepping the cucumbers for the salad and started the corn, she was in charge for entertaining the kids. We had already made the cupcakes for dessert. I had ordered Duncan Hines Cake mix and vanilla frosting from Peapod.com and we had them pre-baked to make things easier.

As I’ve mentioned before, I used to work with Carolyn and YouCake.com. YouCake is a great way to personalize cookies, cakes, and cupcakes and we have done several birthdays for my kids with them. That night we were using homemade cupcakes and putting YouCake Edible toppers right onto the cupcakes using frosting. We wanted the kids to have fun!

And they did. Cupcakes + frosting + their own faces on said cupcakes = winning. Now that my kids are a little older (B is 9 1/2, A is almost 7 1/2, and S is almost 5), they were able to follow Carolyn’s directions and put the toppers on the cupcakes themselves.

I had sent photos that I took on my iPhone and Carolyn made edible stickers.

 

They picked it up pretty quickly (because cupcakes were involved).

Carolyn ended up decorating S’s cupcakes (we had him wearing the Playmobil pirate hat from our Playmobil Super 4 Party), because he preferred to just put frosting and sprinkles on his cupcake.

How to Decorate Cupcakes with YouCake Edible Toppers

1. Put frosting on the cupcake (just a small amount).
2. Peel the edible topper backing off and place it on the cupcake!
3. Put the cupcakes in a container to sit for a while to let the toppers attach. A cooler place is recommended, like a freezer or fridge, if the weather is warmer.

Then we sent the kids off into the other room with my husband and Carolyn and I made the rest of the dinner. And we had fun! I’ve known Carolyn for almost 7 years and it was great to spend time with her.

After I spiralized the the cucumbers (love the Paderno Vegetable Spiralizer). I defrosted the shrimp that we bought from Peapod and deveined it.

Carolyn was in charge of putting it on the skewers. She also added red pepper and pineapple.

I brushed the kabobs with Soy Vey Marninade.

While the shrimp cooked, I finished the cucumber salad with Carolyn’s help. I zested the lime and added it to some olive oil for the marinade.

Then I added the pineapple. The recipe called for a whole pineapple, but I didn’t have time to cut one up. Luckily Peapod offered cut-up pineapple, which was very fresh and delicious (and saved me time).

Next, I added the avocado.

The Cucumber Salad looked delicious.

Since we had leftover shrimp, I brushed them with the marinade and popped them into the oven to broil.

I plated the skewered shrimp and put it on the table.

It smelled amazing.

I forgot to add the fresh cilantro to the cucumber salad, so I added it when it was on the table.

It really “kicked it up a notch” — with a nod to Emeril Lagasse, who I did research for at Food Network in the late 90’s. Note: If you use a spiralizer, you may have to cut the “noodles” for young kids, sometimes they are too long.

I served fresh corn on the cob and fresh organic Nature’s Promise Baby Carrots, also from Peapod.

Small girl, big skewer

After dinner, we enjoyed the cupcakes that the kids decorated.

Peapod really made entertaining easier. 

Recipes:
Click on each picture to go straight to the recipe on Gatheredtable.com.

Thoughts on Peapod:

The prices and quality of the food made me happy. I liked that they had specials and since I am a Stop and Shop customer regularly, I appreciated that I knew the house brands well, such as Nature’s Promise (their organic line). Plus, I got to use my rewards card on this purchase.

Note: I didn’t tell the reps from Peapod when I was ordering, to see if I could have the average, everyday experience (which was excellent anyway). I was pleased that I could order things like organic chocolate milk in tetrapacks for my 4 year old’s lunch and my favorite Stop and Shop iced tea drink mix, without having to leave my house. Because it was such a good experience, I would definitely order again.

The post Grocery Delivery (and Dinner Parties) Made Easier With Peapod appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

]]> https://www.themamamaven.com/grocery-delivery-and-dinner-parties-made-easier/feed/ 7 https://www.themamamaven.com/coconut-cream-cookiewiches-hampton-creek/ https://www.themamamaven.com/coconut-cream-cookiewiches-hampton-creek/#comments Sat, 31 Jan 2015 03:57:13 +0000 http://www.themamamaven.com/?p=35049 I’m very excited to be teaming up with Hampton Creek again to create a recipe! I loved reviewing their Just Mayo this summer and creating meals with it. . They recently sent me a sample of their newest product, Just Cookie Dough, and I’m in love. It’s egg free, dairy free, and butter free —...

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The post Coconut Cream Cookiewiches Recipe with Just Cookie Dough appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

]]> I’m very excited to be teaming up with Hampton Creek again to create a recipe! I loved reviewing their Just Mayo this summer and creating meals with it. . They recently sent me a sample of their newest product, Just Cookie Dough, and I’m in love.

It’s egg free, dairy free, and butter free — (vegans will rejoice). And it’s delicious! It’s also kosher certified.
Since it’s egg free, if you choose to eat it straight out of the jar… you can!

This is a company with a terrific mission, which is to bring healthy and affordable food to everyone, everywhere. The company received the Best of What’s New 2013 Grand Award by Popular Science for their “plant-based egg.” Hampton Creek’s partners include The Humane Society of the United States and Global Viral, an organization dedicated to addressing the world’s most pressing infectious disease threats. Josh Tetrick, a Fulbright Scholar and former college football player, co-founded Hampton Creek in 2011 after spending seven years working in Sub-Saharan Africa with the President of Liberia and the United Nations, among other initiatives.

Hampton Creek challenged me to create a recipe. Here’s my creation: Coconut Cream Cookiewiches made with Just Cookie Dough and Coconut Cream. This all vegan.

It’s pretty simple, all you’ll need is a can of coconut cream (Trader Joe’s or any supermarket should carry this) and Hampton Creek’s Just Cookie Dough.

First, open the jar of Just Cookie Dough. Try not to scarf down the whole thing.

 

Scoop out the cookie dough onto parchment paper. Or a cookie sheet. I use to wonder about the greasing vs. non-greasing. Then I bought parchment paper and it just worked much better.

I used my magical ice cream scooper (all metal, got it at Bed, Bath, and Beyond) to scoop the cookie dough out and it worked perfectly. Otherwise you can let the cookie dough sit out at room temperature for a little while.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and flatten your cookies a little. They cook for around 9 – 11 minutes.

 

One jar of Just Cookie Dough made 11 medium to large cookies for me. It may have made a few more, but I enjoyed some of the raw (safe to eat) dough.

While your cookies are cooling, pull out your refrigerated can of coconut cream. Coconut milk will not work and the can has to be refrigerated overnight.

It will look like Crisco shortening before you whip it. Put the whole can into a mixer – I pulled out my trusty Kitchen Aid for this. It will take between 7-10 minutes to whip up your coconut cream.

While you can eat the cookiewiches without freezing them, but if you like more of an ice cream consistency, place them in a freezer safe container and freeze for 3-5 hours.

When you are ready to serve them, let them sit out at room temperature for 10 minutes (so you don’t break your teeth). You want cool coconut cream (you should still be able to bit into it).

 

Make this!

Print

Coconut Cream Cookiewiches with Just Cookie Dough

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 11 minutes minutes

Total Time 26 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Nancy Johnson Horn, The Mama Maven Blog

Ingredients

• Hampton Creek's Just Cookie Dough
• 1 Can of coconut cream Trader Joe's or any supermarket should carry this.
• Parchment Paper optional

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Scoop out cookie dough from container, place on parchment paper. I smushed them down a little, as I wanted to make them as "sandwich-y" as possible.
• Bake cookies for 9-11 minutes.
• Cool.
• Prepare coconut cream. Open can and put in a mixer (I used my Kitchen Aid).
• Mix on high for 7-10 minutes until smooth (it will look like whipped cream).
• Dab coconut cream on the bottom of a cooled chocolate chip cookie. Place a cookie on top.
• Freeze for 3-5 hours. When you are ready to serve them, let them sit out at room temperature for 10 minutes (so you don't break your teeth). You want cool coconut cream (you should still be able to bit into it).

 Thank you to Hampton Creek for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are my own. 

The post Coconut Cream Cookiewiches Recipe with Just Cookie Dough appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

]]> https://www.themamamaven.com/coconut-cream-cookiewiches-hampton-creek/feed/ 4 https://www.themamamaven.com/ring-in-the-holidays-with-hickory-farms-traditions-charitable-giving-and-chocolate/ https://www.themamamaven.com/ring-in-the-holidays-with-hickory-farms-traditions-charitable-giving-and-chocolate/#comments Wed, 17 Dec 2014 22:35:30 +0000 http://www.themamamaven.com/?p=34219 Traditions matter because they are how our family members live on in our hearts. I find myself remembering my grandmothers and grandfathers, as well as beloved great aunts and uncles by passing down things that we did together. As I light my Hanukkah candles or serve a favorite snack or dish that they loved, I...

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Traditions matter because they are how our family members live on in our hearts. I find myself remembering my grandmothers and grandfathers, as well as beloved great aunts and uncles by passing down things that we did together. As I light my Hanukkah candles or serve a favorite snack or dish that they loved, I remember. When family comes over for get togethers, I make it a point to do something that’s a tradition, to remember and honor my relatives. Hickory Farms definitely fits into this, as it has graced our table over the years and is a family favorite.

They offer a great selection of specialty foods and holiday food gifts that are perfect for any budget and for everyone on your list this year. Quality, freshness and value are key traits of Hickory Farms’ holiday treats and gifts.

For more than 60 years Hickory Farms has been providing holiday shoppers with options that not only present beautifully, but also taste delicious. Did you know that Hickory Farms Signature Summer Sausage was rated the #1 Summer Sausage in America, winning the Masters of Taste Gold Medal for Superior Taste, in 2011.

This year Hickory Farms is proud to introduce its first ever Signature Chocolate Collection (yes!). The 1lb chocolate assortment offers the true taste of American confectionary craftsmanship. Each piece is cooked in small batches using the finest ingredients and paired with premium milk or dark chocolate. The Hickory Farms Signature Chocolate Collection is available in select stores, from the catalogue and online at HickoryFarms.com.

Hickory Farms also gives back and is proud to support Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign. Share Our Strength is the leading non-profit organization working to end childhood hunger in America by 2015. To date, the combined support of Hickory Farms and their valuable customers has raised more than $3.3 million. These contributions help provide funding for summer meal programs, emergency food assistance, nutrition education, holiday charitable giving and long-term solutions for families in need.

For each Party Planner gift box sold this holiday season, Hickory Farms will donate $5 to Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign. And also — Hickory Farms has 5 products that they offer free shipping to military APO and FPO addresses, including the “Festive Cheese Sampler” gift basket and “Beef Hearty Hickory” basket.

To learn more, go to HickoryFarms.com.

Compensation and products for review were provided by Hickory Farms via MomTrends. I received a free sample of the product for the purpose of this review. The opinions expressed are my own and are not indicative of the opinions of Hickory Farms.

The post Ring in the Holidays with Hickory Farms- Traditions, Charitable Giving, and Chocolate! appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

]]> https://www.themamamaven.com/ring-in-the-holidays-with-hickory-farms-traditions-charitable-giving-and-chocolate/feed/ 2 https://www.themamamaven.com/great-entertaining-tips-from-gail-simmons-and-camille-styles-with-pure-leaf/ https://www.themamamaven.com/great-entertaining-tips-from-gail-simmons-and-camille-styles-with-pure-leaf/#comments Wed, 03 Dec 2014 12:09:33 +0000 http://www.themamamaven.com/?p=33901 By Guest Contributor Natalie Stanton of Natfly Love, The holidays are coming up and that means my baby boy will be here soon (I am due December 29th)! Amazingly time has been flying by, and I cannot believe Thanksgiving is almost here. Time is starting to slow now that I am feeling stuffed like your holiday...

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The post Great Entertaining Tips from Gail Simmons and Camille Styles with Pure Leaf appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

]]> By Guest Contributor Natalie Stanton of Natfly Love,

The holidays are coming up and that means my baby boy will be here soon (I am due December 29^th)! Amazingly time has been flying by, and I cannot believe Thanksgiving is almost here. Time is starting to slow now that I am feeling stuffed like your holiday turkeys were! 

Luckily, I recently attended an awesome event with Gail Simmons (!!) and Camille Styles (!!). The event was hosted by Pure Leaf Tea and I learned some really fantastic ideas that I share below to help make your fall entertaining extra special!

1. The Welcome Cocktail

My good friend, Jessica, over at Used York City gave me a great entertaining idea – to always have a welcome cocktail to serve to guests. I am no mixologist so I had no idea what to serve. But, thanks to Gail Simmons and Pure Leaf Tea, I now have an amazing welcome cocktail to serve to guests who may come over this fall, the Lemon-Ginger Pomegranate Sparkler. It’s delicious and easy on the eyes.

Lemon-Ginger Tea Pomegranate Sparkler

By Gail Simmons

Serves 2

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, thinly sliced

1 cup Pure Leaf Iced Tea with Lemon

1/2 cup pomegranate juice

Cold club soda

2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds, for garnish

2 cinnamon sticks, for garnish

Instructions: In a saucepan, combine the ginger and Pure Leaf Iced Tea with Lemon and bring to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to steep, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool in an airtight container in the fridge.

Fill two highball glasses with ice. Pour 1/2 cup ginger-infused tea, then 1/4 cup pomegranate juice into each glass. Top each with club soda, garnish with a tablespoon of pomegranate seeds and a cinnamon stick to stir.

For alcoholic version, add 2 ounces gin or bourbon before adding tea.

*I am going to serve the drink with some bourbon for guests but it also makes a fantastic mocktail for pregnant ladies like me to drink if you do not add the alcohol.

2. A Yummy Fall Salad 

Gail taught us how to pickle radishes for this recipe. Brilliantly, the pickling juice can also be used as the dressing for the salad. The result is a refreshing, healthy salad perfect to serve to your fall guests. I loved the salad so much I had to buy a mandolin so that I could slice my vegetables just right. The recipe is below.

Shaved Fall Vegetable Salad with Tea-Pickled Radishes

By Gail Simmons

Serves 4

FOR THE TEA-PICKLED RADISHES:

1 cup Pure Leaf Sweet Tea, warmed but not boiling

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 cup apple cider vinegar

8 small radishes, thinly sliced or 4 large watermelon radishes

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Instructions: In a medium bowl, combine the tea with the salt; stir to dissolve. Add the vinegar along with the radishes, garlic and peppercorns. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour or overnight. Drain the pickled radishes, reserving 1Ž4 cup of pickling liquid for use in vinaigrette. Set aside.

Note: The drained radishes can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

FOR THE SHAVED VEGETABLE SALAD:

1/4 cup reserved picking liquid

1 tablespoon honey

Kosher Salt

Freshly Ground Pepper

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced

2 sweet, crisp apples, such as Gala or Fuji, cored and thinly sliced into half moons

2 small heads radicchio, thinly sliced

4 celery stalks, thinly sliced on a bias, leaves reserved for garnish

2 tablespoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley

Tea-Pickled Radishes, see recipe above

Instructions: Pour the reserved pickling liquid into a large bowl. Add the honey and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Slowly add olive oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly to emulsify. Add the fennel, apple, radicchio, celery, parsley and pickled radishes to the bowl and toss all ingredients together to coat. Season with more salt and pepper if desired and garnish with celery leaves before serving. 

3. Setting the Table

I was really impressed with Camille Styles’ simple ideas to make a spectacular fall table. Below you can see what she was able to do with candles, leaves, branches and fall vegetables. She also used a stylish vase to hold some of the fall vegetables for an adorable centerpiece and for a final touch she made a lovely orange garland.

Camille Styles’ Tips for Creating an Orange Garland 

•  Cut two large oranges into 1/2” thick slices

•  Lay each slice flat on a baking rack that’s nested in a sheet pan, and bake in a 200 degree oven for 6-12 hours, or until oranges are fully dry

•  To allow air to circulate completely, leave oven propped open a few inches throughout the drying process

•  Once orange slices are dried, easily string each slice onto a long piece of thick jute twine

Fall Centerpiece 

I was so surprised how easy it was for Camille to create this beautiful table. The fall centerpiece was simply just fall vegetables in a decorative vase. She placed a small amount of water in the bottom of the vase to keep the kale fresh and then added various other beautiful colorful vegtables like orange cauliflower and yellow squash to make a gorgeous centerpiece.

Leaf Place Cards

The leaf place cards were so easy as well. Using a white ink pen (or you can choose another color – I think gold or silver would look nice as well) simply write out your guests names on leaves you gather from outside. There are plenty in Central Park this time of year so even city folk can use this table setting tip. The place card I made is below.Find more fantastic recipes and entertaining ideas at http://theloveofleaves.com

Thank you to Pure Leaf Tea for hosting this fabulous and informative event.

The post Great Entertaining Tips from Gail Simmons and Camille Styles with Pure Leaf appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

]]> https://www.themamamaven.com/great-entertaining-tips-from-gail-simmons-and-camille-styles-with-pure-leaf/feed/ 2 https://www.themamamaven.com/how-to-have-an-impromptu-dinner-party-with-kids-aladdinmason/ https://www.themamamaven.com/how-to-have-an-impromptu-dinner-party-with-kids-aladdinmason/#respond Thu, 17 Apr 2014 16:10:05 +0000 http://www.themamamaven.com/?p=28721 By Nancy Johnson Horn —   We love to entertain, but with three small children and working full time from home, it doesn’t happen nearly as much as I’d like. When Aladdin was gracious enough to send me a selection of their new mason jars, I decided it was time to entertain a little. The...

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The post How to Have An Impromptu Dinner Party…With Kids appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

]]> By Nancy Johnson Horn —  

We love to entertain, but with three small children and working full time from home, it doesn’t happen nearly as much as I’d like. When Aladdin was gracious enough to send me a selection of their new mason jars, I decided it was time to entertain a little.

The occasion was my inlaws’ return from a 2 week vacation in Spain (okay, we were looking for any excuse). I broke out the Aladdin Mason Jars (which you can get at Walmart right now). We had been using them for smoothies, but they were perfect with our big family dinner.

 The smaller jars with the screw on tops were genius for my three kids (no spilling!).

My husband bought take out from the Columbian restaurant down the street (the perks of living in NYC!). Usually I would cook, but this was really an impromptu party and I had nothing in the house.

I did glam up the table with fancy platters, our good wedding china (I still love the floral pattern we picked) and I used a blue pashmina as a table runner. I usually have a fitted tablecloth protecting my table, but my three year old just drew all over it.

The Aladdin Mason Jars were the perfect accent. We served grape juice for my husband, father-in-law and kids, water for my mother-in-law and diet cola for me (a rare treat).

How to Entertain Last Minute.. When You Have Kids:

1. Have a quick pickup around the house. Kids can help put things away quickly. Get everything off the floor (at least). No one coming over is going to expect perfection (especially if you have little kids). Even little kids can help pick up things. We have lots of bins and baskets at my home and everything does have its place (even though my children prefer the store it all over the den/playroom floor method). And yes, I feel like we clean up constantly and it’s still a mess. But I try to make an effort.

2. Pull out the better dishes (for the adults at least). Kids can use your every day china or paper plates.

3. Throw a festive tablecloth or a scarf on your table to add a pop of color

4. Takeout is perfectly fine. Add something kid friendly, like chicken drumsticks and mac and cheese if possible, so picky kids have something they like. If possible, use plate your takeout on nice platters. It looks so much better.

5. The Aladdin Mason Jars we used were great because they were sturdy and we used the screw on lids for the kids (with a straw). The bright colors looked great on my table and I was able to clean them in my dishwasher after.

6. Dessert can be simple (we served ice cream).

Find Aladdin’s Mason Jars at Walmart. 

Thank you to Aladdin for sending us these fab mason jars to party with. We were not compensated for this post. 

The post How to Have An Impromptu Dinner Party…With Kids appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

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