Amazing lunches have never been my strong suit. Dinner? I can do. Lunch? It’s always been hard for me to create lunches my kids will enjoy and that won’t get thrown out with the trash when lunch is over.

I used to simply do sandwiches for them… I’d add a fruit and some pretzels or crackers and call it good. It was only recently, when my 9 year old started getting in on the lunch making action, that we started to get a little more creative in our lunch time efforts. Here is what my daughter thinks are the keys to making an exciting lunch!

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Marketers love me. They really do.

I’m their target for commercials because it takes very, very little for me to get an idea stuck in my head and then I need that idea to come to fruition right that very minute. I’m the perfect case study for the power of suggestion.

My husband knows better than to even mention possibly picking up Chipotle for dinner because I can’t hear that word without needing to run there right then for my favorite burrito bowl. (See…guess what I’m going to have to have for lunch today, now?)

So it’s no surprise that when a few food blogger friends and I were chatting the other day and the topic of fried cheese curds came up, I had to investigate right away. Little, bite size cheese curds, lightly breaded, then fried to perfection? What’s not to love? (more…)

Well, hi there! I can’t tell you how happy I am to have you all see my new design and to welcome you to the new home of Dine & Dish. This has been such a long time coming and it feels so good to have something clean and fresh.  I know it’s quite the change, but I think it’s for the good. I hope you agree!

Besides the actual look of the blog, not a lot has changed. Like I mentioned in my previous blog post, my goal was to simplify and that’s exactly what I’ve done!

Read on for a little tour of the blog, this fantastic Pumpkin Spice Chex Snack Mix recipe, and a very special giveaway I wanted to share with you! (more…)

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Today is National Popcorn Day…who knew, right?

When I first started blogging, I had what I thought was a brilliant idea. I’d do my blog posts each time it is a National Food day. Oblivious as I was to the fact that every single day is a “national food day” of some sort. Of course, as an over zealous new blogger, I’m sure I figured blogging every single day about whatever star food of the day was would be a cinch. Riiiiigggghhhhttt….

You all know my lack of consistency with posting well enough to guess the outcome. My dreams of being the “National Food Day” blogger extraordinaire never happened and instead I just hop on the National Food Day bandwagon whenever it is convenient for me, which happened to be today with National Popcorn Day.

My kids love popcorn and we make variations of stove top popcorn all the time. That’s what I like about popcorn… you can just pile on whatever you like most (for me, that always includes at least butter) and have a new type of treat each day.

Like most of the popcorn we make around here, this isn’t really a recipe. It is just one of the variations of sweet and salty we love.

I hope you had a very happy National Popcorn Day. Let’s celebrate again in a couple days, shall we? I hear it’s national cheese day! Enjoy!

Recipe: Buttery Brown Sugar Popcorn

• 1 cup unpopped popcorn
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 250°
2. Pop un-popped popcorn using this method
3. Pour popped popcorn onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
4. In the meantime, melt the butter in the skillet. Pour melted butter onto the baking sheet over the popped popcorn. Stir until evenly distributed.
5. Sprinkle salt and brown sugar over the popcorn. Bake for 10 minutes. (Baking isn’t totally necessary, but it helps the brown sugar, butter mixture adhere to the popcorn better). Pour into a big bowl and enjoy!

My mom is an excellent cook but there were times in my life I would think that maybe she wasn’t so much. Like when she would make liver and onions. Or how about white sandwich bread with white hamburger gravy poured over it? I want to gag just thinking about it.

We lived in a house where choosing something else for dinner was not an option. If it was on the table you were expected to eat it, and that was that.

Our house is the same way. I’m not a short order cook and we have a rule where you have to at least take a bite of everything on your plate. With four kids sitting around the table, you can imagine we’ve had our fair share of resistance to eating some of the things I cook.

I was ready for the pouts and whines the other day when I placed a bowl of Kale Chips on the table. My friend Aggie raves about Kale Chips quite often and then Michelle published a post on her blog about them. With all the good things I’ve heard about Kale Chips and how even the most vegetable resistant kids love them, I thought I’d give them a try.

Let me end this blog post by saying this… 4 days later, Kale Chips have been baked each day. I love them, my husband loves them and the best yet… the kids love them.  I’m so glad to know that my kids won’t be blogging about the nasty green things their mom used to make them eat. Kale Chips, in this household, have been a hit!

What is a food your parents cooked that you dreaded seeing on the dinner table as a kid?

Recipe: Oven Baked Kale Chips (from What’s Cooking with Kids)

• Bunch of kale
• Olive oil
• Salt, to taste
• Cracked black pepper (our addition but not required)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Hold the thick stem of each kale leaf with one hand. Pinch the base with the fingers of the other hand and rub them up the stem – the leaves will tear right off!
3. Put the kale pieces on a baking sheet lined with a silpat (a silicone baking mat) or with parchment paper.
4. Pour on a little olive oil and toss with clean hands.  Sprinkle with salt (and pepper if your kids like that…)
5. Make sure they are in a single layer on the baking sheet sheet.
6. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes or until crisp.

You can find more great, kid friendly recipes like this in Michelle’s new cookbook, The Whole Family Cookbook. Make sure to check it out!

Have you ever tasted an avocado? I mean….really tasted an avocado? I thought I had – I make avocado fries, salads with avocado and avocado ranch dressing, guacamole and more. I eat avocado’s straight up with a bit of Kosher salt and I love them on a sandwich.

I recently received a shipment of California Avocados from California Avocados Direct. Securely packaged with care and a hand written note directly from the farmer himself, I was pretty excited about this package. California Avocados Direct is bringing fresh from the orchard avocados directly to your home and mine through their innovative e-commerce store. With a selection of monthly avocado deliveries, gourmet avocado gift baskets, and more, California Avocados Direct is giving the chance for people like me, in Kansas, to really be able to taste an avocado.

What I realized when I first took a bite of an avocado from California Avocados Direct is that I have never really tasted a fresh avocado. We have avocados in the supermarket here that you have to hurry to get home or they will be over ripe. What we don’t have are orchard fresh, delicious, farm fresh avocados. After one taste, I can tell you… you haven’t truly tasted an avocado unless you have tasted a farm fresh California avocado.

I hesitated to even turn these avocado’s into a recipe… they were so good by themselves – fresh and full of flavor. However, I decided to create a delicious veggie dip (or pita chip dip) using an avocado, some cream cheese and Rotel. A veggie dip for your veggies… gotta love that!

If you are interested in supporting a farmer with a commitment to providing the freshest avocados to people in all regions of the United States, check out the California Avocados Direct website. Their story is one worth supporting and their avocados are truly like nothing I’ve ever tasted. Freshest of the fresh and the highest quality avocados available.

Recipe: Avocado Dip

• 1 8oz package light cream cheese
• 1 ripe avocado, diced
• 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1 10oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine light cream cheese and diced avocado. Blend until smooth.
2. Add Kosher salt and tomatoes with green chilies. Stir with a spoon until well incorporated. Serve cold with fresh vegetables or pita chips.

California Avocados Direct sent me a lovely package of avocados. All opinions expressed within this post are my own.

I have a confession to make. I love mall food court food…

There, I said it. Do you think less of me now? I understand if you do… truly… guess we won’t be hanging out at the mall together anytime soon then, which is a bummer.

I bribe my kids to be good at the mall with the promise of Pretzel Bites once we are done. Then, I am the most lenient mom ever just so we can get to the pretzel bite reward at the end. Knock down a rack of clothes? I’ll turn my head and pretend I didn’t see it happen. Run away from me and head down the escalator? That’s fine… we’ll meet up with you at the bottom like it was totally planned. Have a screaming meltdown in the middle of Ann Taylor? Pure entertainment… isn’t she just the cutest little thing?

As long as we can get the pretzel bites at the end, I’m a happy camper.

Now I don’t have to go to the mall to get pretzel bites anymore. I’m thrilled to share that I can make these babies right here in my very own home and I can use my bread machine, which gives me more time to be a good mother and to teach my beloved children how to act in public. I’m working on it… I promise.

Recipe: Homemade Pretzel Bites for the Bread Machine (from All Recipes.com)

• 1 1/8 cups water (70 to 80 degrees F)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 quarts water
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• coarse salt
• melted butter – not in the original recipe, but a must for mall food pretzel like experience

1. In bread machine pan, place the first four ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough setting (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons water or flour if needed).
2. When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into eight balls. Roll each into a 20-in. rope; form into pretzel shape. In a saucepan, bring water and baking soda to a boil. Drop pretzels into boiling water, two at a time; boil for 10-15 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels.
3. Place pretzels on greased baking sheets. Bake at 425 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with salt.

It was great while it lasted…

I know it was only yesterday that I was claiming my true love for all things snow. Yes, I threw around the word “Happiness” and how I was “present” with my kids. I even said “beautiful” and “Kansas” in the same sentence, which I believe is a first for me. Well happiness schmapiness…. that was yesterday and this is today and today, I am sick of the snow. I loved it for all of 24 hours and now I am 100% done with it, thank you very much. It can go back to Antartica, or where ever the heck it belongs because I am through.

Today, we were snowed in from school again, which is always great with me because I do love having my kids home. Instead of getting all sappy and all lovey dovey with the outdoors like I was yesterday, we stayed inside. We did not leave the house all day and today, we did what makes mama happy, which was spent time in the kitchen baking up yummy treats. I was still present with my kids, having fun, but I wasn’t out freezing my tail off in the process.

So yes, I am fickle and maybe a tad bit indecisive and lead by emotion sometimes, but as my daughter likes to say “That’s how God made me”. Maybe I’ll like the snow again tomorrow. Or maybe not. I do know one thing… these cookies using Hershey’s Toffee Bits will be on my love list for a long time to come!

Recipe: Hershey’s Toffee Bits Cookies (from the back of the Toffee Bits package)

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1-1/3 cups (8 oz. pkg.) HEATH BITS ‘O BRICKLE Toffee Bits

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.
2. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended. Add eggs; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in toffee bits.
3. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

Anyone out there tired of cookies and other baked goods yet? I mean, it has been a non-stop flow of cookies, cakes, brownies, breads coming out of my oven since November 1^st. I think I would be fine never seeing another baked good for the rest of my life…

OK – that is totally untrue. I love baked goods and the holiday season is pretty much my favorite time of the year because there seems to be total acceptance of all day cookie eating. In the summer if you walk outside with a cookie in your hand at breakfast time, other mom’s on the block might give you a strange look and judge the kind of parent you are. However, during the holidays? You walk outside with a cookie at any time of day and people flock to you asking for one. It’s the holidays! Cookies, cakes, candy are celebrated all day long!

There does come a time for balance though. We can’t merely survive on cookies alone. Every once in awhile, it is probably a good idea to throw the occasional apple or carrot into the mix just so your body doesn’t go into shock when you initiate your annual “I’m giving up sweets” resolution on January 1st.

I’m headed to a holiday party this weekend and am going to give my friends the opportunity to munch on some apples, grapes and strawberries. Oh – did I mention I’m bringing this fabulous Brown Sugar fruit dip along with the fruit tray? I think if I brought something too healthy, like plain fresh fruit, to the holiday party, my friends would revolt.

If you are ready to step away from the baked goods for a bit, but still want a delicious sweet treat paired with some healthy fruit, this Brown Sugar Fruit Dip will give your sweet tooth just what it craves!

Recipe: Brown Sugar Fruit Dip


2 8oz packages light cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 Tablespoons vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. Using an electric mixer, mix the softened cream cheese for about 2 minutes on medium speed
2. Add the brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon and continue to mix until ingredients are full incorporated
3. Place in 2 small bowls and serve with fresh fruit

Sometimes as food bloggers, we try so hard to do something original or out of the ordinary with our recipes that the plain recipes… the classic recipes… get overlooked. As much as I love a touch of special, I also have to admit that some of the most basic and simple recipes are my favorite.

These chocolate cookies, for example, won’t stand out to anyone as being unique. It is a chewy, chocolate cookie. Delicious and extraordinary in flavor, but there is nothing special about this recipe. This cookie won’t make it on a list of most interesting cookies. It won’t win awards for the most unique blend of flavors, but I can guarantee you that it will win smiles from each and every chocolate lover who tastes them.

Sure, I could have added a sprinkle of sea salt on the top to make them stand out. I could have sandwiched a layer of french vanilla caramel in between them for that extra ounce of ooomph. Even better… I could have drizzled salted french vanilla caramel on top of them for the biggest punch of wow, but I didn’t. You see, these cookies… these tender, soft, chewy, chocolaty cookies, don’t need help from a fancier supporting cast. They, my friends, can handle the spotlight quite well on their very own. Take a taste and see… sometimes plain can be the most extraordinary flavor of all.

The recipe is after this  short, fun video with Linda Stahl, baking authority for Hershey’s test kitchens. Linda personally answered some of my most pressing questions about the ins and outs of Cookie Exchanges. This chocolate cookie is one of my contributions to an upcoming cookie exchange with friends…listen to Linda’s advice on how else to make a cookie exchange successful!

Recipe: Extra Special Chewy Chocolate Cookies

• 1 1/4 cups butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened Hershey cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs then add the vanilla
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; gradually mix into the creamed mixture.
4. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheets
5. Bake 9 minutes in the preheated oven. Cookies will be soft and still look slightly doughy
6. Let set and cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes then remove from sheet onto wire rack to cool completely