Loaded Potato Stacks Recipe for Competition

I just took "The Ordinary Extraordinary Potato Recipe Contest" from FoodNetMag.com!

I took the idea of a good old fashioned loaded baked potato and turned it on it's head, creating a beautiful "stack" of deliciousness. Wish me luck!

Loaded Potato Stacks Recipe

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

2-3    large red potatoes

4       slices bacon – cooked and crumbled

¼ C  green onion – diced

2 T   olive oil

8 oz  cream cheese – softened

¼ C  sour cream

¼ C  shredded cheddar – chopped small

3 T   Dijon mustard

         salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Wash potatoes and remove any eyes and blemishes. Cut off the ends of each potato. Slice the rest of the potatoes into 1/2” thick slices, you will need 12 slices total.
   
2. In a bowl, toss the 12 potato slices with the olive oil, salt and pepper, coating well. Place the prepared potatoes on a cookie sheet and bake at 350° for 30 minutes, turning over once during cooking time.

3. In a standing mixer whip together the cream cheese, sour cream, Dijon mustard and chopped cheddar until smooth and creamy. Place cheese mixture into a piping bag.

4. To assemble the potato stacks, start with one potato slice topped with 2 T of the cream cheese mixture. Add another potato slice and top with 2 T of the cream cheese mixture. Add the last potato slice and top with 1 T cream cheese mixture. Garnish with the crumbled bacon and green onions. Repeat for all 4 servings. Serve immediately.

Voila! A gorgeous side dish that is scrumptious and surprisingly easy! Bring a little fancy to a classic side dish. Enjoy!

Festive Wild Rice Casserole Recipe

I just submitted this recipe to the Taste of Home "Merriest Potluck Recipe" contest. When I was a child my all time favorite holiday dish to eat was my Grandma Adeline's wild rice casserole. I would always go back for seconds...OK, who am I kidding, thirds. As an adult I was able to get the recipe but it didn't taste as good as I remembered. So, I played around with her recipe and created this dish. A staple at my own family holiday gatherings now. Yummy! I hope you love it, too.

If you would like to view this recipe on the Taste of Home website, you can do so by clicking HERE.

Festive Wild Rice Casserole

Ingredients:

1 C wild rice - cooked

8 oz cream cheese - softened

½ C sour cream

8 oz mushrooms

1 onion

1 T minced garlic

3 T butter

2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp salt

½ C dried cranberries

½ C slivered almonds – toasted

Directions:

1. In a large skillet add the butter, diced mushrooms, diced onion and minced garlic. Cook on medium-high heat until soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

2. In a standing mixer combine softened cream cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper until smooth and creamy.

3. In a large bowl combine the cooked wild rice, mushroom/onion mixture, cream cheese mixture, most of the dried cranberries and most of the toasted almonds, reserving some cranberries and almonds for the garnish.

4. Pour the wild rice mixture from the mixing bowl to a greased 9 1/2” baking dish (or similar). Top with reserved dried cranberries and toasted almonds. Serve immediately or refrigerate until needed. Reheat when ready in a 350° oven until heated through, about 30 minutes.

If you would like to read how to toast almond slivers, click HERE.

If you would like to read how to cook wild rice, click HERE.

And that's the scoop! Let me know if your try this one out. Happy cooking, ya'll!

Creamy White Turkey Chili with Sweet Corn Cake Recipe

Are you an expert on all things chili? Create a recipe using BUSH'S^® Beans and you could be one of two lucky winners (+ guests) selected to be flown to New York for a BUSH’S Beans Kitchen Collaboration Demo Video where you will be paired with BUSH’S Expert Chef Jeffrey Saad who will work with you on ways to mix up your current chili and try your hand at new chili recipes.

Spent the afternoon in my kitchen yesterday. The mission...create an original chili recipe for competition. I just submitted my entry to the Bushs® Beans Chili Cook-Off and I am going to share it with you today. I created a Creamy White Turkey Chili topped with a scoop of Sweet Corn Cake. One of the things I love most about chili is it's versatility. You can switch up the types of beans to your liking. Different meats and vegetables can be mixed and matched depending on what you happen to have on hand any given day (or in my case, what the kids will actually eat). If you prefer a spicier chili, just add a teaspoon of cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes. No matter the state of your pantry, you can almost always make an awesome pot of chili.

Creamy White Turkey Chili 

Chili Ingredients:

20 oz. Lean ground turkey

1 can Bushs® garbanzo beans

1 can Bushs® cannellini beans

1 red bell pepper

1 medium red onion

1 cup frozen corn kernels

8 oz. cream cheese

5 cups chicken broth

2 T minced garlic

1 T cumin

1 T chili powder

1 T oregano flakes

¼ cup lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Sweet Corn Cake Ingredients:

8 T butter

1 can cream-style corn

8.5 oz. box corn muffin mix

Sweet Corn Cake Directions:

1. Melt butter in a microwave safe/oven safe dish.

2. Add the can of cream corn and muffin mix. Stir well.

3. Bake in a 350° oven for 40 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Chili Directions:

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven add the turkey, diced onion, diced bell pepper, garlic and cook on medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes until veggies are tender and meat is browned.

2. Add the 2 cans of drained beans, corn, broth, cumin, oregano and chili powder. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Add the lemon juice and cream cheese. Stir often until cream cheese is melted. Bring back to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a dollop of Sweet Corn Cake and enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by! I would love to hear from you if you give these recipes a try. Happy cooking and wish me luck!

Miso Slaw Burger Recipe for Competition

I am done! I just finished up my recipe using the Saucy Mama products that I received. Now, I submit the recipe and wait. What am I waiting for? Well, Saucy Mama is going to pick one of the recipes submitted and send that cook to represent them in the World Food Championships 2015 this November in Kissimmee, Florida. Exciting, right?!

I decided to go with my burger idea. I am sure the competition will be fierce in this category but I loved my burger so much, I decided to just go for it! So here it is...the Miso Slaw Burger. It is both sweet and savory.

Miso Slaw Burger by Virginia Louden

Miso Slaw Burger Recipe        (serves 4)

Ingredients

Patties:
1 1/2 lbs. Lean ground beef
1/4 cup Saucy Mama Creamy Horseradish
2 Tbsps. Red onion (finely diced)
1 1/2 tsps. Garlic salt

Patty coating:
1 cup Brown sugar
3 Tbsps. Panko bread crumbs
2 tsps. Coarse sea salt

Miso Slaw:
1 cup Red cabbage (shredded)
1/2 cup Carrots (matchstick style)
1/2 cup Cucumber (matchstick style)
2 Tbsps. Red onion (sliced)
2 Tbsps. Saucy Mama Miso Sesame Orange Marinade/Dressing
2 Tbsps. Mayonnaise
2 Tbsps. Brown sugar

1/2 cup Feta (crumbled)
4 Buns (I prefer white silver dollar buns but standard hamburger buns would work)
2 Tbsps. Butter (room temperature)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix together the 3 patty coating ingredients and set aside. Brown sugar, Panko and Sea salt.

2. In a medium sized bowl, mix together thoroughly the 4 patty ingredients and form into 4 same sized burger patties. Beef, horseradish, garlic salt and tiny diced red onions. When forming the patties, the center of each patty should be much thinner than the edges of the patty. This will help keep the patties from balling up while cooking. Makes for a much more even sized burger.

3. Roll/coat the 4 burger patties in the brown sugar coating mix, covering evenly.

4. Grill the burger patties, turning only once. Approx. 5 minutes each side. (I prefer a grill pan so that the brown sugar coating stays with the burger.) After flipping the burger once, top each patty with 1-2 Tbsps. of the crumbled Feta cheese. Remove from heat when done and set aside.

5. Split and lightly butter the inside of each bun. In a separate pan, toast the buttered inside of each bun half until golden brown. Spread a little Saucy Mama Creamy Horseradish on the top half of each bun (the side that will touch the cheese). Set aside.

6. In a medium bowl, toss together the Miso Slaw ingredients: shredded red cabbage, matchstick carrots and cucumbers, sliced onions, Miso Sesame Orange Marinade, Mayo and brown sugar. You will want to do this step last so that the slaw stays nice and crunchy and does not get too wet. Also, any extra slaw can be eaten as a tasty side dish.

7. Assembly of the Miso Slaw Burger: On the bottom half of each bun place a heaping spoonful (or 2) of the Miso Slaw. You could also lay a small bun-sized leaf of red cabbage on the bun first to help prevent it from soaking up too much slaw dressing. I personally don't mind a little bit of a mess when I eat a burger though, especially when it's this yummy ;-)

8. Place the burger patty on top of the slaw and then cover it with the bun top. Done and Eat!


I hope you enjoy this one. I had so much fun creating it. Pretty please let me know if you make it. I would love to see pictures, too. Wish me luck and Happy Cooking!

One Saucy Mama!

Hey ya'll! I received an awesome box in the mail this weekend and I am super excited to tell you what it's all about. A couple of weeks ago I put my name into the "hat" in order to be considered for a spot in Saucy Mama's "qualifying event" contest. What exactly does one have to qualify for? A golden ticket to the World Food Championships 2015 in Kissimmee, Florida this November! Say what?!

Image from: barhyte.com

You heard me. A spot to compete at the WFC 2015 and represent Saucy Mama products. I am beyond tickled that they chose me to participate in this pre-contest. I have no idea how many other food bloggers I am up against. I do know that I am going to give this my best shot. I also know that the odds of me making it to Florida are slim, seeing as I'm the new girl on the food block and all, but maybe that's the trick. They won't even see me coming!

Basically, Saucy Mama sent me six of their sauces (I got to choose which ones) and now I need to create a brand new recipe using at least one of the sauces I received. I actually spent the afternoon yesterday tasting them all and I must say...Yummy! Their flavors are all amazing and after only a couple licks, inspiration started flooding over me. Now, the trick is narrowing it all down and deciding on which of the six competition categories I want to dive into: burgers, sandwiches, bacon, seafood, pasta or fresh. If you've ever been out to a restaurant with me when I am indecisive on what the heck I want to eat...feel free to laugh with me at my current predicament. Lol!

The six sauces from Saucy Mama that I chose are Champagne Honey Mustard, Creamy Horseradish, Creamy Garlic Mustard, Parmesan & Garlic Marinade, White Balsamic & Honey Dressing/Marinade and Miso Orange Sesame Dressing/Marinade. A nice variety of flavors to work with. Decisions...decisions.

So, what am I going to make for my new recipe? Ha! Wouldn't you like to know? Just kidding. In all seriousness though, I am not quite sure yet. And if I did know...this is competition folks! I don't wanna give away the goods too soon. But, you can be sure that I will continue to share this journey with you along the way. Swing back here from time to time to get the whole scoop OR you can also find me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Come along for the ride!

Wish me luck and send me all your positive vibes, good jujus, prayers and whatever else you got 'cuz this Saucy Mama wants to compete in Florida! Thanks for stopping by! And thank YOU Saucy Mama for this exciting opportunity!


You can find Saucy Mama products HERE.

You can check out the World Food Championships 2015 website HERE.

Pinion Pins Review & Giveaway!

Have you heard about Pinion Pins yet? I hadn't either until I was contacted by the company asking if I would be interested in trying out their product a couple weeks ago. Was I? Of course! I love trying new things and sharing them with others. I was up for the challenge.

One package includes 8 pins and caps, plus 1 magnetic key. Retails for $19.95

So what are Pinion Pins? They are an "innovative new pinning system that allows you to attach materials together and have them stay fast."

Images from: www.PinionPins.com

They were originally created as a solution to help hold comforters, duvets and sheets together. And they do work great for that purpose. I always have mismatched sets of blankets and sheets on my bed. These pins do help keep all of my layers together while the hubby and I toss and turn in our sleep. Keeps things from getting bunched up and twisted. I was intrigued by this product and wanted to see what else I could use these handy little pins for around the house.

Firstly, Easter was coming around and I had made these adorable Salt Dough Easter Egg decorations that I had found on Pinterest. I wanted to hang them up for our Easter party but wasn't sure how or where I should put them. The eggs turned out a little heavier than I was anticipating. These pins hold up to 10 lbs. so I knew they would be up for the task. They worked famously, held steady and didn't ruin my curtains. Yay!

My favorite use for them though is to keep the diapers on my two and a half year old twin boys. Or as I have come to call them, the "Deuce of Hazards." It is not necessary all of the time but if you have ever had a child that likes to remove their diaper or onsie at the exact wrong time or place, you will understand how great these pins can be. A couple of months ago I went in to get my twins up from their nap and found a horrific site. They had removed their diapers and "painted" practically everything in their room with...you guessed it...poop. It was awful. Now, we are in the process of potty training these little rascals and they are still getting the hang of when and where to remove their diapers. These pins have helped me greatly in this way.

Now, these pins are sharp and you would need to take special care when placing them onto your child's diaper but I am confident that they are safe to be used in this manner. I pulled with all of my might to practice and the caps did not budge without the use of the magnetic "key." I even let the twins try and they could not pull them apart either. They won't be able to remove them and choke or hurt themselves in any way.

I do not use cloth diapers but I imagine, for those parents that do, these pins would help with the cost of cloth diapers. You wouldn't need to spend oodles of money on the new fancy cloth diapers. You could go old school and the diapers would be very secure without the use of regular old safety pins, which have popped open for me unexpectedly on occasion. That never feels very good.

I pinned right through the "tape" of the diaper.

Placed the cap on securely.

And used the key to remove the Pinion Pin when ready. Easy peasy. No mess, no fuss. Great!

These pins are very versatile and I am sure the ways of use are endless. You should give them a try. Here is where you can find some for yourself:

The Pinion Pins website!
Buy some on Amazon!
Like them on Facebook!
Follow them on Twitter!

And now for the giveaway! One lucky reader will win one package of Pinion Pins! You can enter right here:


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Thanks for stopping by! You stay classy San Diego...just kidding ;-)

** I did receive one box of Pinion Pins for free in order to conduct an optional and honest review.

Back-to-School Palooza Giveaway!

Welcome to the

Back-to-School Giveaway Palooza

Sponsored by: Failing Perfect, Dibsies Personalization Station, Zazzle, Fundanoodle, and Educational Insights

Another amazing group giveaway happening right here! As a mother of 5, I know that every little bit helps when sending the kiddos back to school each year. A huge thank you to my fellow mom bloggers and our fabulous sponsors for putting this together and allowing me to participate. Good luck to my readers and thank YOU so much for stopping by! Here's to a super duper end to our summer season. Peace! - Ginny

Hosted & Organized by: Failing Perfect

Co-hosted by: Here We Go Again, Ready?, Intelligent Domestications, Heartbeats ~ Soul Stains, Spaceships and Laser Beams, Peace and Chaos, and The More The Merrier

 I can't believe it's that time of year again! It's time to get those kids ready to go back to school. It seems like just yesterday when we were looking forward to the start of summer. Because we love our readers - and their kids - we want to help you get ready for back-to-school by helping one lucky reader get the year started with a bang. That is why we teamed up with our blogger friends and a few generous sponsors to bring you the chance to win this fantastic giveaway! One winner is going to receive a prize package worth over $430! This giveaway includes something for everyone in the family from preschoolers through college students. Here is what is included:

• Kindle Fire HD 7" Tablet, Wifi, 16 GB  & $100 Target Gift Card from Failing Perfect (Retail Value: $269.00)
• Personalized Lunch Box & Personalized Backpack from Dibsies Personalization Station (Retail Value: $78.00)
• $50 Zazzle Gift Code from Zazzle
• Hot Dots Laugh It Up! Math Vocabulary Cards for grades 1-3, Hot Dots Reading Informational Text for grades 4-6, Hot Dots Pen, & GeoSafari Jr. My First Microscope for ages 3+ from Educational Insights(Retail Value: $79.95)
• The winner's choice of one activity kit:  I Can Bead, Lace, Rip, Trace!, I Can Pound!, I Can Build Uppercase! or I Can Build Lowercase! from Fundanoodle (Retail Value: $32.99) 

Back-to-School Palooza Giveaway: The Details

• Giveaway will begin on August 18th, 2014 and will end at 11:59 PM, Mountain Time (US) on September 2nd, 2014.
• Open to residents in the continental US, 18 years or older.
• One entrant per household.
• Void where prohibited by law.
• No purchase necessary to enter or win.
• Winner will have 24 Hours to respond to winner notification email, or prize will be forfeited and another winner will be chosen.
• Winner will be chosen via random.org.
• The winning entry will be verified.
• Sponsors will be individually responsible for prize fulfillment.

If you agree to the above terms, then enter using the Giveaway Form below. Good Luck!! 

Back-to-School Giveaway Palooza

Good Luck!

Disclosure:  This blog did not receive compensation and is not responsible for prize fulfillment. This post may contain affiliate links. By participating in the Sweepstakes, each entrant unconditionally accepts and agrees to comply with and abide by these rules and the decisions of Failing Perfect ("Sponsor"), which shall be final and binding in all respects. Failing Perfect is responsible for the collection, submission or processing of Entries and the overall administration of the giveaway. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and/or any other social media. Please contact michelle@failingperfect.com with any questions, comments or problems related to the Sweepstakes. 

If you would like your product or service featured on a similar giveaway, contact michelle@failingperfect.com for more information.

Be sure to check out Failing Perfect's other current giveaways.

Pop It! Top It! Review and GIVEAWAY!

Oh yeah! I was selected to receive these amazing new popcorn treats in order to taste test, review and host a giveaway. Lucky me! Snickerdoodle flavored popcorn? How could I possibly turn that down?

Pop It! Top It! is a delicious new product by Maggie & Mary's of North Aire Market, Inc. I decided to use my samples at a Halloween party I had for my kids, nieces and nephews just last Sunday. It was a hit. My guests could not keep their hands out of the bowl. Everyone was asking me what it was and how I made it, some with mouthfuls of popcorn. Ha! My sister-in-law even said it was, "The best popcorn ever." I think she's right.

What a great idea. Everything you need comes right in the bag. It is so easy to make and is definitely something that kids could help you do. All you really need is a microwave, bowl and spoon. You'll have a tasty treat in about eight minutes.

Maggie & Mary also said that it would be good if you added in other ingredients, like pretzels, candies, peanuts or anything else that sounds yummy. I will try this next time but I wanted to have it "as is" for the review.

Where can you find this fun new popcorn? Visit http://www.northairemarket.com to buy some for yourself. They are based in Shakopee, MN and would love local support, I'm sure. With the holidays right around the corner, I think that these would make great gifts, stocking stuffers or potluck offerings. I hope you get a chance to give this popcorn a try. I can't wait to see what fun new flavors they come up with next.

And now for the giveaway! One of my lucky readers will be chosen to receive their own order of Pop It! Top It! Snickerdoodle Popcorn AND a fun popcorn bucket that automatically filters out unpopped kernels. Bonus! Use the easy peasy Rafflecopter entry widget below. Contest starts at midnight and ends in one week. Good luck!




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All Play Kitchens

I heard about a great new giveaway going on right now by a company called All Play Kitchens. If you have a blogspot, wordpress, personal website or Tumblr account, you are eligible to enter. Check out their website for all the contest details.

They are giving away one item from their site completely free, including shipping, on November 16th. 2013.

I checked out their website with my daughter, Daphne, today and had her choose the item she would like the best. Here is the one she chose for us to try and win: http://allplaykitchens.com/products/complete-wooden-kids-play-kitchen-red.html

Image from AllPlayKitchens.com

COMPLETE WOODEN KIDS PLAY KITCHEN - RED

PRICE:

$269.99

Adorable! Here's hoping! And if you get a chance to enter...Good luck!

Great Clips: The Great List!

I am sure most of you have heard of Great Clips. I have been taking my two older sons there for haircuts for many years now. They are close to home, have great customer service and are nice and quick. My husband also switched over to Great Clips after we couldn't afford for him to go to Kalla Lily Salon anymore. Great Clips offers online check in, which is very nice for a busy mother like me. I can go online, see how long the wait is and then add my sons to the list while we are out running errands. Very convenient. Very user friendly.

Great Clips is running a contest right now called The Great List! It is super easy to enter. Upload a picture of or file with your child's back to school supply list along with the online entry form and you could win school supplies! You have through Sunday 8/18/2013 to enter the contest. They are announcing winners daily. Hurry up and get your school supply list in! And good luck.

Website: http://www.greatclips.com

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/GreatClips

Twitter:  www.twitter.com/GreatClips

* I received two free haircuts, one for each of my older sons and some of their school supplies as compensation for this post. My opinions are honest and my own.

The Juppy: Review & GIVEAWAY!

I am extremely excited to be doing my first ever product giveaway. An opportunity presented itself for me to review this amazing new product and I knew it would be perfect for me. As most of you know, I have nine month old twin boys. They are very busy babies; crawling, rolling, climbing, walking around all of the furniture and so on. At nine months old, they still have no fear of danger and not enough coordination to fulfill their daring attempts at walking. I have been a little on edge. Lucky for us, I found The Juppy!



The one I have is a Blue Juppy Baby Walker Momentum. This is a baby walker that helps little ones learn better balance while practicing walking upright. It is to be used with a parent, so rather than bending down and holding on to their little slippery fingers while doing a number on your lower back...you can stand upright and walk them around the room or yard or anywhere you want to go!



See that?! It folds up to fit in a little pouch. I can throw it in my purse or the diaper bag and take it anywhere. It even fits in my husband's cargo shorts pocket. No other walker on the market can do that! And as for my back? This walker is great. After my pregnancy with the twins and having their weight in my belly, putting all of that extra stress on my lower back and the epidural tenderness I actually still experience, this walker really helps me a great deal. I have no discomfort when I am walking them around. The Juppy walker was also very convenient to send along to the grandparents house when they babysat the kiddos. Much easier to transport and utilize.

I am very confident in this product and it's durability. The stitching and materials are solid. The Velcro reinforcements on the back side are a great touch. It is very easy to put on and take off of my wiggly baby boys. There are soft hand grips for the adult to hold on to and they are quite soft and comfortable.



The babies seem to love it. They really do not know what they are doing just yet. It is new and fun and interesting to them. They like to hold onto the straps, try to bite them, hang their heads back and smile up at me and then play jelly legs. They are enjoying it very much though. If I gently nudge their heels with my feet to help them step left, right, left, right, in turn, they are starting to catch on. They smile big the whole time. It is not going to work magic and make them walk overnight, but it is super safe, nice and sturdy and a whole lot of fun and bonding for me and my baby boys. I am now a fan of The Juppy!



Now, for the GIVEAWAY! Enter below daily for your chance to win an amazing new Blue Juppy Baby Walker Momentum. The giveaway starts at midnight tonight and will run for three weeks. I will announce and notify the one winner on July 27th, 2013. Good luck and see below for a listing of all the places you can check out and purchase a World Famous Juppy Baby Walker today!

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Visit their Website : http://thejuppy.com/

Like them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheJuppy

Follow them on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thejuppywalker

Check them out on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/thejuppy/

Read their blog: www.thejuppy.com/news/