In the Kitchen – Page 20

Easy Entertaining: Kid Friendly Holiday Desserts

December 11, 2013 by Danielle

I created my easy kid friendly holiday desserts spread using Hershey’s™ Spreads as part of a sponsored post for Socialstars. #SpreadPossibilities #hersheysheroes

When we’re enjoying our holiday traditions I love putting out some easy kid friendly holiday desserts for the kids to enjoy. Whether we’re decorating the Christmas tree while drinking hot cocoa or wrapping gifts for oru friends, we love to enjoy some sweet treats together.

Since we’ve already done so much holiday baking already for gifts, friends, and events, keeping things simple means that I get to spend more time with the kids. And who doesn’t love easy entertaining? [Read more…]

Filed Under: Desserts, In the Kitchen, Uncategorized Tagged With: chocolate dip, chocolate spread, easy entertaining, easy kid friendly desserts, Hershey's Spreads, hersheys, holiday entertaining, kid friendly holiday desserts

Hot White Pizza Dip with Pepperonis and Philadelphia cream cheese

December 9, 2013 by Danielle

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.

I’m all about the appetizers and desserts this time of year. The one thing I always love to make for guests is a hot dip to enjoy and warm up to. And my dips almost always include Philadelphia cream cheese. Because who can say no to that creamy goodness? In an effort to combine a few of our favorite flavors, I made this delicious hot white pizza dip with pepperonis.

We just celebrated my daughter’s 3rd birthday yesterday and boy was it a blast. Good friends, good food, and good fun. While in full party prep mode the day before I made a list of all of the items I still needed to pick up for the party. Including the ingredients for this dip.

I went into the garden to see what kinds of veggies and herbs I had. Luckily I had 6 gorgeous tomatoes, a ton of small red peppers, and some fresh basil, thyme and oregano. So those were definitely going into the dip. Then I headed to Sam’s Club to pick up all of the items we needed for the party. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Appetizers & Sides, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: appetizers, dips, Holiday Appetizers, hot dips, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Philadelphia cream cheese spread, Philadelphia soft cream cheese, Philly cream cheese, Philly cream cheese spread, Philly soft cream cheese, soft cream cheese spread, white pizza dip

White Party Cake with Strawberries Recipe + Baking Tips

December 6, 2013 by Danielle

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of PAM Cooking Spray.

My baby is turning 3 tomorrow. 3 years old! How did that happen? In celebration of her birthday we baked together and made her a delicious white party cake with pink strawberry frosting. It’s a trial run for the cake I’m making for her party on Sunday and I think it’s a winner!

Every year I bake my kids a cake or cupcakes for their birthday party. We end up having both cake and cupcakes but I try and make one of them. And without fail I’m baking the night before the party and always have to re-do everything because my cakes stuck to the pan. Well not this year. I busted out my secret weapon: Baking PAM Cooking Spray. Not only is it the perfect non-stick spray, it also has flour in it so my baked goods come out perfectly every time.

The kids are slightly disappointed because they don’t get to eat up all of the cake crumbles from the broken cakes that I’ve just about ruined. But I’m happy because a cake that slides right out of the pan means less work and stress for me!

5 Tips for Slow Cooker Success

December 5, 2013 by Danielle

I have had quite a few successes and failures when it comes to slow cookers. So much so that I realize I haven’t even shared a lot of my slow cooker recipes on this blog.

Well… that also may be because most of my slow cooker meals do NOT look pretty when plated. And I usually make them during the winter when I have zero light in the evenings when we eat them.

But I’ve come to realize that there’s an art to slow cooking. And when you get that down, most meals turn out amazingly well. Yes… most. [Read more…]

Filed Under: In the Kitchen, Uncategorized Tagged With: Slow Cooker, slow cooker tips, tips for slow cookers

Easy Weeknight Dinner: Leftover Pot Roast Pot Pies

December 4, 2013 by Danielle

I created my Pot Roast Pot Pies using Campbell’s Slow Cooker Sauce as part of a sponsored post for Socialstars. #CampbellsSkilledSaucers

I have a love-hate relationship with my slow cooker. Because sometimes I have these amazing, awesome creations that everyone raves about. And other times I’m calling the pizza guy before my husband gets home because what’s in the slow cooker is definitely inedible. Luckily since I’ve found Campbell’s Slow Cooker sauce I can create an easy weeknight dinner AND create a second dinner for another night in the week with the leftovers.

Each time I’ve used these sauces I’m left with an absolutely delicious meal that the whole family loves. Lucky for me I’m stocked up on all of my favorite flavors. I love the Tavern Style Pot Roast: roasted garlic, mushrooms, cooked in it’s own gravy. Delicious. And the leftovers? They make these awesome leftover pot roast pot pies!

Creating a simply amazing weeknight dinner that can be turned into two meals is simple and easy! First you grab one of your favorite Campbell’s Slow Cooker Sauces. Then grab the meat you want to use. Feel free to add veggies as well but I prefer the texture of roasted veggies with my crock pot meals. In as little as 5 minutes your whole dinner will be prepped with the help of Campbell’s Slow Cooker Sauces.

In order to get a great texture on my roasts, if I’m cooking beef or pork I like to sear the sides of the meat first before placing it into the crock pot. 2-3 minutes per side in some olive oil should be more than enough time. But if you don’t have the time, or simply want to keep things as easy as possible, this step is not required.

When my slow cooker meal is about an hour away from being done I prep the sides. Small potatoes, carrots, and parsnips go great with the Tavern Style Pot Roast. I left the potatoes whole and cut the veggies into sticks.

Then coated everything in olive oil and tossed with some salt, pepper, fresh rosemary and roasted garlic. Throw the veggies and potatoes in the oven to roast about 30-40 minutes on 375 degrees or until slightly golden and tender.

If there are any leftovers from this quick and easy slow cooker recipe (and there were for my small family) save them! Because this is where the magic happens. Two dinners from one slow cooker meal! Pot roast turns into pot roast pot pies for a meal a few nights later.

The only difficult thing about this second meal is the fact that I made the dough from scratch. But guess what? My food processor did all of the work!

Homemade dough takes less than 5 minutes to put together if you do have a food processor. I’m pretty sure it’s cheaper than store-bought dough too but I won’t judge if you opt to use that! Crescent roll dough would be tasty on these as well.

Grab our delicious savory dough recipe here!

Leftover Pot Roast Pot Pies

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
2 cups chicken stock
2 servings leftover pot roast
2 servings leftover potatoes & veggies
salt & pepper to taste if needed
pot pie crust

Heat butter on medium in a small sauce pan until melted. While whisking butter, add flour. Make sure to break up any lumps.
Cook until butter and flour mixture starts to smell nutty and is a golden brown color.
Slowly add stock while whisking continuously until everything is combined. Let cook another 2-3 minutes or until sauce is thickened. A good way to check this is to dip a spoon into the sauce and put a line down the spoon. If the line fills up, it’s not thick enough!
Once sauce is thickened, add diced meat, potatoes, and veggies. Let cook until heated thoroughly. Add salt and pepper if needed.
Grab pie dough from the fridge and roll out to about 1/4″ thick. Trace a circle in the dough with a butter knife using the dishes you’re baking the pot pies in as a guide.
Fill each dish with equal amounts of pot pie filling and cover with pie dough. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until top of pie dough is golden brown.

There are a total of 5 different Campbell’s Slow Cooker sauces available on store shelves including Tavern Style Pot Roast, Sweet Korean BBQ, Hawaiian Luau, Moroccan Spiced Stew, and Mexican Red Chile Taco.

I’m definitely trying the Sweet Korean BBQ next. How amazing would that taste over rice? And maybe Korean BBQ tacos later on in the week! Yum. What would you try?

What’s your favorite slow cooker meal?

Filed Under: Dinner, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: beef, Campbell's, Campbell's Slow Cooker sauces, dinner recipe, pot roast, Slow Cooker, Socialstars

Savory Pie Crust for Pot Pies

December 3, 2013 by Danielle

Pie crust is one of those things I get lazy with. And I so don’t know why. I mean, making a pie crust takes minutes. Sure you have to wait for the dough to chill but really… it isn’t that hard if you have a food processor.

So when I decided to make pot pies from leftovers and found myself without any refrigerated or frozen pie crust (it is the week after Thanksgiving) I decided to just whip up some savory pie crust to use to save time and money.

And don’t worry… I’ll be sharing my pot pie recipe with you tomorrow! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Baking, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: butter, food processor, pie, pie crust

Holiday Appetizers: SeaPak Spring Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

December 3, 2013 by Danielle

I made this delicious spicy peanut sauce as part of a compensated social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and SeaPak. All opinions are my own.

It is officially December and I’m in holiday planning mode. That means seeking out the best holiday appetizers and desserts for our annual get-togethers and events. This weekend will kick off the celebrations with my daughter’s 3rd birthday. Not only are we feeding a large crowd, we’re also entertaining them as well.

When I decided on the party food I wanted to serve at her birthday party, I went with simple, delicious, and crowd-pleasing. Luckily these spring rolls are just that. By making a spicy peanut sauce to pair with the chili sauce included in the packaging, I can make a store bought appetizer more homemade. And everyone loves options, right? Since I can prepare the dip ahead of time I can spend more time with my guests. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Appetizers & Sides, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: appetizers, Dinner Party Recipes, dips, Easy Meal Ideas, Healthy Quick Dinners, Holiday Appetizers, Peanut Sauce, sauces, SeaPak, SeaPak Shrimp Spring Rolls, Social Fabric, Spring Rolls, Thai

Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Men Cookies

December 1, 2013 by Danielle

While everyone was slaving away on Thanksgiving making beautiful turkeys, preparing casseroles, and baking bread, my family was baking something else… gingerbread men and women! My husband is slightly obsessed with the holidays and asked the kids if they wanted to make some soft and chewy gingerbread men to take with us to Thanksgiving dinner. You know, to get in the holiday spirit!

After they baked them up they turned the reigns over to me and had me make the royal icing and decorate the men and women. We threw in some turkeys and fall leaves (not pictured) to round out the merging of the holidays but most purists around the dinner table grabbed for the gingerbread men and women.

Now that we’ve found an awesome recipe for the cookies it’s time to start planning what recipe we’ll be using for the houses we construct!

Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Men Cookies

3/4 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
3/4 cup molasses
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground roasted ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup white whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Royal Icing

1/4 cup meringue powder or egg white powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
3/4 cup cool water

In a saucepan set over low heat, or in the microwave, melt butter, then stir in the brown sugar, molasses, salt, and spices.
Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized mixing bowl, let it cool to lukewarm, and beat in the egg.
Whisk the baking powder and soda into the flour, and then stir these dry ingredients into the molasses mixture.
Divide the dough in half, and wrap well. Refrigerate for 1 hour or longer.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Get out several baking sheets and line with parchment.
Once the dough has chilled, take one piece of dough out of the refrigerator, and flour a clean work surface, and the dough. Roll it out as thin or thick as you like; for slightly less crisp cookies, roll it out more thickly. We go for 1/4 inch for a soft and chewy gingerbread man.
Place the dough on parchment, and put a sheet of plastic wrap over it as you roll, pulling the plastic to eliminate wrinkles as necessary when rolling; this will keep dough from sticking without the need for additional flour.
Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter, cutting them as close to one another as possible to minimize waste.
Transfer the cookies to un-greased cookie sheets (or, if you’ve rolled right onto the parchment, remove the dough scraps between the cookies). Bake the cookies just until they’re slightly brown around the edges 8 to 12 minutes, or until they feel firm.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for several minutes, or until they’re set. Transfer them to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Decorate the cookies with Royal Icing.

For the Royal Icing:

In a stand mixer or large bowl with electric mixer, add dry ingredients. Start the mixer and slowly pour in the cool water.
Mix on low speed at first, increasing to high speed over several minutes. Beat until the icing is fluffy.
Keep the frosting covered with a damp towel and some plastic wrap until you are ready to use it.
Divide the frosting into smaller containers and mix with food coloring for several colors.

What’s your favorite holiday cookie?

This recipe originally appeared on this site on December 1st, 2013

Filed Under: Baking, Desserts, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: Baking, Christmas, christmas cookies, Cookies, gingerbread men, holiday baking, Holiday Traditions

Enjoying Sticky Buns and Coffee with Friends

November 25, 2013 by Danielle

This is a sponsored post

One thing I absolutely love about my friends is that I can call them up at a moments notice and invite them over for an impromptu play date. If my youngest is driving me up the wall because she’s “bored” while her brother is at school I can simply hit up my friends and tell them to bring their kiddos over for a fun morning.

And, of course, that’s the perfect time for us mamas to reconnect and enjoy each other’s company while sipping on coffee and treats. Because caffeine is a must at play dates.

With the holidays fast approaching I also always try and use these play dates to my advantage by testing out fun recipes with my friends to see if they make the cut for the holiday baking frenzy to come. This past week I had a few friends over for some homemade sticky buns I made using my favorite flavored creamer, peppermint mocha. It’s great in coffee but also makes a great addition to baked goods.

There’s something magical about sharing a meal with friends. Being able to sit down together, take in a few laughs, and really enjoy each others company.

Over the past few years of running my playgroup I’ve come to know these ladies quite well. So much so that I feel comfortable enough with them, and them with me, that we allow our kids to enjoy playing in the playroom or living room while we catch up. No need to hover or follow our kids every step.

It does help that the kids know our home well and know where their favorite toys to play with are. And my daughter so looks forward to these mornings filled with fun and laughter.

On a recent trip to Walmart I picked up some Peppermint Mocha creamer to replace the Pumpkin Spice creamer I had just run out of. Tis the season for delicious coffee and I need my creamer!

I figured that the creamer would not only taste good in my coffee but in the sticky buns I was making as well. And I was right! These sticky buns were so delicious. They definitely hit the spot and were a huge hit with the moms and kids.

Sticky Buns

3/4 cup plus 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature, plus more for muffin tins)
1 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 tablespoons Peppermint Mocha creamer
1 3/4 pounds Martha Stewart's Yeast Dough (room temperature – or – 2 tubes crescent rolls, rolled out and pinch seams together)

Generously grease 2 24-cup muffin tins with butter or spray. Divide yeast dough into 2 equal balls. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream 3/4 cup butter together with 3/4 cup brown sugar and the salt on medium speed. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add corn syrup and creamer. Mix until well combined.
Divide butter-brown sugar mixture evenly between prepared cups, about 2 tablespoons per cup. Sprinkle a tablespoon of pecans into each cup.
Grab one of the dough balls. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll into an 18-by-10-inch rectangle. Brush dough with 2 tablespoons butter and liberally sprinkle with remaining brown sugar and chopped pecans.
Beginning with the long side facing you, tightly roll dough away from you into a round log; pinch the edge of the dough to seal it. Cut the dough crosswise into 1 inch pieces.
Place each cross-sectional piece into prepared muffin cup and lightly cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with second dough ball Place muffin tins in warm place until buns double in size, about 45 to 60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Once dough has doubled in size, remove plastic wrap and place on middle rack. Bake until tops are dark brown, about 35 to 40 minutes.
Remove from oven and immediately invert to cooling rack set over a baking sheet. Let cool slightly before serving.

One thing I can always count on with these ladies is a good time. And they’ll eat pretty much anything. Even when I had to sub crescent roll dough for yeast dough in this recipe because my yeast dough was still too cold to work with!

The recipe still turned out absolutely delicious and tasted great with a nice cup of coffee. With some peppermint mocha creamer, of course.

How do you enjoy time with friends?

Filed Under: Breakfast, In the Kitchen, Recipes Tagged With: Baking, Breakfast, coffee, Coffee-Mate, creamer, dough, peppermint, peppermint mocha, sticky buns, yeast

Apple Cheddar Quick Bread

November 24, 2013 by Danielle

I absolutely love a good, hearty bread with a bowl of soup when it’s cold outside. And this week it’s gotten pretty chilly! So when I stumbled upon this delicious Apple Cheddar Quick Bread recipe over at Simply Stacie I knew I needed to try it.

From it’s deliciously soft inside to the crunchy crust on the outside, this is the perfect comfort food to go alongside your favorite warm dish. And it’s so easy to throw together!

In true Danielle fashion, though, I did make a few changes to the recipe to tweak it a bit to our liking. Our version is below but I highly suggest checking out Stacie’s too! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Baking, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized, Vegetarian Tagged With: apple, Baking, bread, breads, cheddar, quick bread

Easy Entertaining: Kid Friendly Holiday Desserts

Hot White Pizza Dip with Pepperonis and Philadelphia cream cheese

White Party Cake with Strawberries Recipe + Baking Tips

5 Tips for Slow Cooker Success

Easy Weeknight Dinner: Leftover Pot Roast Pot Pies

Leftover Pot Roast Pot Pies

What’s your favorite slow cooker meal?

Savory Pie Crust for Pot Pies

Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Men Cookies

Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Men Cookies

Royal Icing

For the Royal Icing:

What’s your favorite holiday cookie?

Enjoying Sticky Buns and Coffee with Friends

Sticky Buns

How do you enjoy time with friends?

Apple Cheddar Quick Bread

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danielle@acraftyspoonful.com

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