Have you ever enjoyed a B.A.T. sandwich?? B.A.T. is what I prefer over a B.L.T. Skip the lettuce and replace it with a tasty avocado. Talk about flavor! Yum!

I decided to take that favorite sandwich of mine and turn it into a pasta salad. Cinco de Mayo is coming up and you know you’ll be asked to bring something to go alongside the nachos and margaritas. Although this isn’t really Mexican, it has such fresh flavors and with avocado and bacon as ingredients, I don’t think anyone will complain one bit!   (more…)

I was hired by Kraft to create a recipe using their Kraft Fresh Take Cheddar Jack and Bacon mixtures. This post is about my experience.

I’m talking Bacon again this week with a new #KraftFreshTake challenge!

You may remember that with my first #KraftFreshTake challenge I made these amazing Cheesy Bacon Bite appetizers. Now, I’m rising to the next challenge…

I decided I was going to make a Cheddar Jack and Bacon Shrimp and Walnut salad topped with Cheddar Jack and Bacon Salad Dressing. How’s that for the longest recipe title, ever? You get it… there’s bacon and cheese involved. That’s really all you need to know! (more…)

When was the last time you hosted a lunch for your girlfriends?

For me, it’s been a long time… I’ve been a stay at home / work from home mom for 10 years now, and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve actually had girlfriends over during the day for lunch. I get so stuck in my routine and always think that entertaining needs to happen in the evening, (more…)

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of heading to Medford, Oregon to spend a few days with the folks at Harry & David.

First of all, as you can probably guess, I loved Oregon. Completely and totally to pieces. And yes, I may have said one or two times that I want to move there… big shocker, right? I promise I don’t say that about every place I visit… just many!

Friends from left to right: Maria, Rebecca, Amy, Jenna, Heidi, Jessica, Lori, Sandy, me, Rachel and Bridget

Joining me on the trip to Oregon were some of my great friends in the blogging business. You know them all, I’m sure, and I bet you read their recaps weeks ago… these gals are talented, smart, beautiful and totally on the ball. I would be the slacker of the group.

We gathered together in Medford to spend some time getting to know the folks at Harry & David, a bit better. We were given the opportunity to take an inside peek at the company, look at how their operations run, and discover the true heart of their organization… the people who have worked for them throughout the years. Needless to say, I was impressed.

While I was in Oregon I learned a few things. I discovered that Harry & David grows their pears and peaches right there in Oregon. I also learned that they are the most incredible peaches and pears I have ever tasted (which is why I am signing up for The Harry & David Fruit of the Month club ASAP… you can’t get fruit like this in Kansas!)

I learned that I have fairly mad skills when it comes to basket arranging. Creating and tying bows… not so much. (Plus I found out that Harry & David is full of long-term, dedicated employees. People who work there, stay there. As a former Human Resources person, I know what a special thing that is… they are obviously doing something right!)

I discovered that even though I thought I hated blue cheese, I actually LOVE blue cheese… specifically blue cheese from a friend of Harry & David, Rogue Creamery. See that simple little app up there with Harry & David peaches and a piece of blue cheese? I could eat that every single day and nothing else and be perfectly happy. So good.

I was also reminded of my love for the friendship I have with people I have met through the years from blogging. It’s crazy that some of the people I consider to be some of my dearest friends are people I met on the interwebs. I am so thankful to have these ladies in my life and am especially grateful to Harry & David for bringing us together for an epic event. It was truly fantastic.

The recipe I’m sharing today is a throw together of an incredible salad we had on the Harry & David event. It was probably one of the best salads I have ever had and the dressing was so light…I had to try and create a version at home. I have no idea if I’m even close, but this Red Wine Peach Vinaigrette is almost as good!)

Disclaimer: Harry and David paid for my travel and accommodations and treated us to an amazing event. All opinions expressed are my own.

If I’m going to be honest, I’ll let you know that I used to hate pasta salad. I like pasta. I like salad. But the two together and cold just never did much for me. Plus, pasta salads always seemed like they were overloaded with dressing… and I’m a dressing gal, I am. But, salads soaked in dressing? Ick.

It was only recently I discovered you can make a really great pasta salad, with flavors you’ll enjoy, without the standard “box mixes”. Now, I truly look forward to events where pasta salad is served.

The recipe I created today was part of a challenge for Swanson Premium Chunk Chicken. Imagine picnicking in the park…what recipe would you take that included Swanson Premium Chunk Chicken?

I immediately knew that I wanted to toss together some of my favorite flavors and create a delicious pasta salad. Honey Mustard Dressing, garden fresh vegetables and Swanson Premium Chunk Chicken with our favorite bow tie pasta. This is a pasta salad worth making room for on your plate. We all know potlucks have some pretty awesome food… and you sometimes have to be very strategic your first go around because you never know what’s going to be gone if you want seconds. This should make sense… save room on your plate for this pasta salad the first time around. It’s worth it. It’s delicious. It’s pasta salad, done my way and I love it! Enjoy!

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Swanson. All opinions expressed are my own.

My friend Cheryl certainly likes to throw a good party. You know Cheryl from her awesome blog, TidyMom, but probably also recognize her as my partner in crime for SoupaPalooza. This spring, Cheryl has traded in her soup bowls for salad tongs and is hosting a one of a kind event – The Salad Social!

I love a good salad almost as much as I love a big bowl of soup, so I can’t wait to see all the recipes that will be linked up to her salad party. If you have a recipe to share, make sure to head over to Cheryl’s blog and check out the details, including some great prizes.

The salad I’m sharing isn’t your typical lettuce salad, but it is so darn good. My sister-in-law shared this recipe with me at a barbecue over the weekend and I couldn’t get over how awesome it was. In fact, I came home from her house and started a batch of my own.

I’ve never been a huge fan of potato salad or coleslaw – and you know, those are just about the most popular salads brought to summer events. It was so nice to be at a party and see something other than the traditional served… this Robust Bell Pepper Salad truly stole the show!

Do you have a favorite salad? Remember to share it over at TidyMom starting next week, during her fun Salad Social – I can’t wait to see what you bring!

PS – I’m sharing a Creamy Black Bean and  Corn Salsa recipe over at the Simple Bites blog, using my favorite Bush’s Black Beans. Make sure to head on over and check it out!

In 80 days, I’ll be running my first 5K – not walking, but R-U-N-N-I-N-G.

As I’ve mentioned, I’ve officially gotten off my sedentary butt and have taken to going to the gym 4-5 times a week since the new year. I have also been exercising at home on my off days. I’m working with a really awesome running trainer who is teaching me how to work within my heart rate zones to run most effectively. He also kicks my butt with strength training and core exercises, which makes me actually look forward to the running portion of the session!

I don’t think I’ve shared this on Dine & Dish yet, but my motivation for finally getting back on the running bandwagon (after about 10 years of being off) was this inspiring blog post by Karen Russell. It’s a long one, but read it. Afterwards, if you aren’t inspired to get up and move, there might be something wrong with you

So, here I am now.. with 80 days left to train… I have my fancy, handy, dandy new Purple Polar Heart Monitor (love it), all the right running clothes, a team of friends working with me towards the same goal, and I feel great. So what’s the problem?

Well, as most people already know, I’ve discovered that exercising and running is not enough. My eating habits are horrible and my will power is even worse. Although I have come to enjoy my daily run (I NEVER thought I would say that) I’d like to have the added benefit of dropping a few pounds along the way. It’s not going to happen if I don’t figure out how runner’s eat… because I’m pretty sure it isn’t this, this and this!

I’m inspired by the following bloggers who run and love food as well: Courtney from A So-Called Runner, Johnna from 52 Sweets, Jenna from Eat, Live, Run, and Ruthanne from Eclectic Whatnot. If you know of any other bloggers who love food yet manage to stay fit with exercise and balanced eating, please let me know.

In the meantime, I’m doing what I know is necessary… increasing my greens and enjoying more salads. We love salad around here and know that it is good for us – so I don’t know why I feel like I’m “missing out” on something when salad is on the table.

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This Spring Salad with Orange Vinaigrette was a recent meal. A filling salad with plenty of protein and flavor… I honestly didn’t feel like I was being cheated of anything (except maybe bread) when I was finished eating it. If you have a favorite healthy type recipe or salad recipe, I’d love if you’d share in the comments section.

(And don’t worry… Dine & Dish isn’t going to turn into a health food, no sweets, no carbs, no good stuff kind of blog. I just would love some of your tips to help me get this “running me” in better shape, all around!)

Recipe: Spring Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

• Zest of 2 oranges
• ½ cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
• ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 10 ounces pre-washed Dole spring mix salad
• ¼ cup shredded Jarlsberg cheese
• ¼ cup crumbled, cooked turkey bacon pieces
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

1. In a large bowl, combine orange zest, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, honey, Kosher salt, black pepper and extra-virgin olive oil. Whisk until well blended and smooth.
2. Place lettuce, cheese, walnuts and bacon pieces on each individual plate. Drizzle with the blended orange vinaigrette dressing.

Don’t forget the big giveaway going on. We’re giving away EIGHT 2-day passes, which includes tickets to both Universal Studios Orlando and Islands of Adventure. We are breaking this up into 2 so TWO families have the chance to win 4 2-day passes! Check it out over on my Universal Studios Blogging Vacation recap post!

There are some people out there who have serious salad making talent. For example, one of our neighbors knows how to make a killer salad. He throws things in and whips things up and before you know it, you are feasting on the best salad you’ve ever had. Me? Although we eat salads with our dinner almost every night, I’m not that great at just throwing salad ingredients together.

I recently went to Monterey, CA with Dole salads and learned something pretty cool. Did you know that their bagged lettuce has recipes on the back for salad dressing that would go good with the particular variety of lettuce in the bag? I had no clue and let me tell you… I think it is a brilliant idea for those of us who are more salad challenged.

I’ll write more about my trip to Dole next week, but as you are planning your food for Memorial Day, make sure to check out the recipes on the back of the Dole bagged salad packages for inspiration and ideas.

I picked up a bag of Mediterranean lettuce the other day and loved the sound of the recipe for Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Dressing, so I made it for dinner. I got a little dump happy with the roasted red peppers, so my dressing was quite thick, but the flavor was fantastic! Our dinner salad included rotisserie chicken, Mediterranean lettuce, grape tomatoes, feta cheese and mozzarella cheese balls. With the addition of the Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Dressing, it was salad perfection!

Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, everyone. I can’t wait to see what you’ve all cooked up!

Recipe: Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Dressing (from Dole Salads)

• 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
• 3 Tablespoons roasted red pepper, chopped
• 3 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (I used Red Wine vinegar because that’s what I had… yum!)
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste.

1. Combine all ingredeints in a blender or food processor. Cover and blend until smooth. Season to taste.
2. Serve over salad with toppings of your choice.

We have salad almost every night with our dinner. Nothing fancy… I typically just put out the tub of organic mixed greens from Sam’s Club and the family dishes from that. My kids love salad, so if all else fails and they don’t want to eat whatever it is we are having for dinner, I feel good knowing that they at least got some greens in them.

The other night my son was the first one to get his salad, and as I looked over at him I noticed he had my favorite salad dressing and had taken the very last drop of it. I was so bummed and ended up eating a dry, tasteless salad that night. I don’t know why it never crosses my mind to make homemade salad dressing for just our weeknight dinners. I typically reserve that for a dolled up, fancy salad… not family mealtime. Realizing that was about as silly of a notion as one could get, I decided I would return to making our salad dressings from scratch, even if it is just for our nightly dinners.

First up, this delicious Poppy Seed Salad Dressing. It is very similar to the salad dressing featured in my absolute favorite Special Spinach Salad recipe I posted back in March, but just slightly different. With the perfect blend of sweet and tangy, this lovely Poppy Seed Salad Dressing will have you wondering why you weren’t making salad dressing your way a long time ago!

Recipe: Poppy Seed Salad Dressing (adapted from All Recipes.com)

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 4 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped onion
• 3 teaspoons ground mustard (which I forgot to put in, but I bet it is a great addition)
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup canola oil

1. In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients.
2. Slowly add oil, while whisking briskly. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

I’m starting a new weekly feature at Dine & Dish to go along with Adopt a Blogger. I always feel so bad when I can’t get everyone adopted out that wants to be. It is typically because they have signed up too late and matches for adopt-a-blogger had already been made. For those people, waiting for the next round to come a long can mean losing out on critical mentoring they want during the first few months of blogging. Every day, I get questions from new bloggers wanting advice about this or that in regards to blogging, so I decided to start a feature here to help answer some of those pressing questions. I am in no way a blogging expert… which is why I am turning to those of you who have also been blogging for awhile to help answer the questions here in the comments section of the post. Hopefully, between us, we can help to mentor the newer bloggers who are in between rounds of Adopt-a-Blogger!

Each week I will feature questions from bloggers. If you have a question you would like answered, please email it to me at kristen <at> dineanddish <dot> net. I will post your question during one of the Ask a Blogger segments and will link back to your blog. Hopefully, we’ll get enough answers for you to help you out some!

The first question is one I get all the time…

“Posting every day on my blog is so hard to keep up with. Is it necessary to post every day? How many times is the right time to post during a week?”

My answer to this one is simple… you have to figure out a rhythm that works well for you. When I first started blogging 3 1/2 years ago, I wrote a new post every day. I soon found out that between cooking, photographing and writing a post each day, I was quickly getting burnt out. I eventually went to 3 times a week and felt like that fit what I was able to do much better and I enjoyed blogging a whole lot more. When I was posting so often blogging became more like a chore than something enjoyable. I think the key with blogging is to be consistent. If you post once a week, make it on the same day so that your readers know when they can expect to get new content from you (I know I need to practice what I preach, don’t I? ).  Do what works for you and your readers. Is there a right or wrong answer to this question? Experienced bloggers…what do you think? I look forward to hearing what you have to say!

Now, at 11:58pm, here is my Menu Plan Monday menu for the week:

• Monday: Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin from Food Network
• Tuesday: Panda Express Copycat Orange Chicken from Recipezaar
• Wednesday: Baked Chicken Legs from Chaos in the Kitchen
• Thursday: Special Spinach Salad (recipe below… this is my new favorite salad recipe!) with Baked Chicken from Wednesday
• Friday: Crab Cakes from Paula Deen
• Saturday: Mushroom Stuffed Chicken from Cooking Light
• Sunday: Shrimp Fra Diavlo from Cooking Light

Special Spinach Salad (from my Sister-in-Law)

1/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 bunch of romaine, torn
1 pkg (6 oz) fresh baby spinach
1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms
3 cups shredded swiss cheese
1 med. red onion, sliced
1/2 lb. sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 can 15 oz mandarin oranges, drained

Poppy Seed Dressing:
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 tbsp. dijon mustard
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup canola oil
2 tsp. poppy seeds

1. In a small heavy skillet, melt sugar low heat add almonds and stir to coat. Spread onto a greased sheet of foil; break apart if necessary.
2. In a large bowl combine romaine, spinach, mushrooms, cheese, red onion bacon and oranges.
3. For dressing, in a blender, combine the vinegar, sugar , onion, mustard and salt cover and process until blended. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream, stir in poppy seeds.
4. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sugared almonds.