Today is National Chocolate Souffle Day!

I am experiencing chocolate overload today. Today is National Chocolate Souffle Day! Have you ever made a Chocolate Souffle? I have never tried it because I am intimidated by the process. I have heard of the disastrous falling souffle. Someday I will have to jump right in and give it a try. Here are a few recipes I found for this lovely chocolate flavored day!

From Web-holidays Food Fest -

Chocolate Soufflé Recipe

3 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups milk
12 oz. bittersweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup brewed strong coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup granulated sugar
5 egg yolks
7 egg whites
powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375F.
Butter a 2-1/2 quart soufflé or baking dish.
Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat, whisk in flour and milk and cook until it thickens.
Stir in chocolate and stir constantly until melted.
Remove from heat; add coffee, vanilla, and half the sugar.
One at a time, add the egg yolks while whisking constantly; set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks and gradually beat in the remaining sugar and continue to whisk until the peaks stiffen.
Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture then pour into the prepared dish.
Bake 35 - 40 minutes until the soufflé rises 2 inches above soufflé dish.
Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately.

At Eat My Cake Now - here is a recipe for a Chili & Spice Chocolate Souffle. I bet that is one tasty souffle!

From Merlin Menu - try these Chocolate Souffle Cookies. This is an interesting twist on souffle.

On Zen Can Cook - here is a recipe for the Perfect Chocolate Souffle. It goes in to a lot of details to help make the perfect souffle. Beautiful.

I know I want to make the cookies. They are going on my One 2 Try list.
Enjoy your day!

Hershey's Kisses Cookie Exchange - Review with Giveaway

Do you need a Kiss? I have the perfect solution to break out of the winter blues. Make cookies. For cookie inspiration I turn to Hershey's Kisses Cookie Exchange. I became a member before Christmas to help me with holiday cookie swaps. This month Hershey's added a lot more recipes with many more to come. The recipes will be updated frequently by Hershey's.


Visit HERSHEY'S KISSES Cookie Exchange


For more than 100 years, HERSHEY’S KISSES Chocolates have been a fun, delicious and essential ingredient in baking.

HERSHEY’S KISSES Chocolates is helping bakers create their very own cookie exchange by offering delicious recipes and great party tips.

Everything you need is housed here at your finger tips.

The great part about Hershey's Kisses Cookie Exchange is...it is an entire community for bakers. There are over 9000 members. When you become a member you are part of the community. You can create your own page, add your own recipes, read others pages, and find new friends. My favorite section is the photos. Here members can share their photos of decadent baked goods, party decorating ideas and even happy chocolate faces. It is fun to browse.


Hershey's Kisses are a wonderful ingredient to feature in cookies. I love one of the newest recipes just added for KISSES Macaroon Cookies. Made with coconut, cream cheese and of course, Hershey's Kisses. They look so tasty. I love anything made with coconut. One of the featured recipes is the Kisses Sweetheart Cookies made with sugar cookie dough, Hershey's cocoa and Kisses. They are the sweetest looking cookies. If you prefer desserts rather than cookies, a newest Hershey's recipe is for Kisses Chocolate Mousse. The mousse is made with Hershey's Kisses and marshmallows for a fabulous chocolate treat. The neat part about being a member of the cookie exchange is you can share your own recipes with others, PLUS they can share them as well. Visit the Member Recommended Recipes category. Here you will find goodies made by other members. You just might find a new favorite. Keep checking in for updates.

Here is your chance to win! Hershey's Kisses is providing to three lucky readers - A Hershey's Kisses Cookie Jar and three bags of Hershey's Kisses Brand Milk Chocolates. Perfect for making cookie treats. Thank you Hershey's!



Mandatory Entry (First entry)
--Visit Hershey's Kisses Cookie Exchange recipes and tell me in a comment which recipe you would love to make.
--Include your email address (if not public in a profile) so I can contact you if you win.

Additional optional entries: Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following for one entry each. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done.

--Sign up to be a member of the Hershey's Kisses Cookie Exchange.

--Follow my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Already a follower, just leave a comment saying that you are a follower.

--Subscribe to my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Current subscribers are eligible too.

--Follow me on Twitter.Current followers are eligible too, just leave a comment saying that you are a twitter follower.

--Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link to your tweet (Can tweet once daily).

--If you signed up, post the Hershey's Kisses Badge to your blog.

--Post my button on your blog and leave a link to your blog.

--FOR 5 EXTRA ENTRIES - Write a blog post about this giveaway, with a link to my blog. Come back and leave the link to your blog post. Post FIVE separate comments that you've blogged about this.

Giveaway ends on March 10th at 11:59 PM Pacific time. Open to US addresses only. No PO Boxes. Winner(s) will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond in 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted. Rules.

Many thanks to Corey and Hershey's for providing the review sample and giveaway product.

Disclosure: I received gratis samples for this review. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

Dear So and So

Here are my Dear So and So letters of this past week that I wish I could have sent.

Dear impatient driver in a big SUV,
I did what I was supposed to when the fire trucks were coming down the street with lights and sirens blaring. I pulled over. Everyone in front of me pulled over. When the trucks passed you came up so fast and cut every one of us off from getting back in traffic. Were you trying to cause an accident? Did it get you where you were going any faster to cut all of us off?

Dear fast food restaurant,
You are advertising the most delicious looking new flavor of shakes. There are signs all over your restaurant with pictures of the chocolate cake shakes. You really made me want one. When I ordered at the register I was told the shake machine was broken. What? Could you have posted a no shakes available sign on the register or removed the shakes signs all around tempting me? Humph! Well you did save me all those calories.

Dear Hubby,
I borrowed your car. While my mom and I were out, it started to rain. We grabbed the umbrella we found in your car. While we were walking, we opened the umbrella only to find out it was completely broken. There we were standing in the rain, getting soaked holding the most embarassing umbrella in our hands. We laughed so hard it didn't matter after that. But hubby why would you have a broken umbrella in your car?

Update - in his defense, I told him our story and which umbrella I grabbed. He responded "It's Broken". Yes I married a Sherlock! He said he was keeping it to remind him to get a new one. Humph!

I hope you all had a good week but if you had a Dear So and So moment, I would love to hear about it.

Today is National Kahlua Day!

This is a dangerous day for me. I love Kahlua. I have been known to spike a coffee or two with a dash of Kahlua every once in a while. I enjoy the Kahlua and Cream drinks on occasion. The goodness of Kahlua also can be used in many recipes. I was able to find a few tasty ones to try.

From My Baking Addiction - here is a decadent Kahlua Cheesecake. Wow I bet that is scrumptious.

At 8 Ounces - a Kahlua Smore's Cupcake made with graham crackers, kahlua and marshmallows. Oh My!

At CDKitchen there is a great recipe list of cakes, pies, beverages and more all made from the star of the day Kahlua.

I am off to make a pot of coffee and a dash of Kahlua. Somebody has to celebrate.

Enjoy your day!

A juicy tidbit about Welch's

Did you know that Welch's began in 1869 in Vineland, New Jersey? It was started by Thomas Bramwell Welch, a physician and dentist, and his son Charles wanting to create an unfermented wine for their church. Today Welch's produces over 400 products from juices, jellies, and sells them in over 35 countries worldwide. Amazing little juicy tidbit.

I also found out a personal story about Welch's from my mother. When she was growing up, her mom always had the Welch's grape juice concentrate in the home. In a moments notice they were enjoying the great grape taste of Welch's. To this day every taste of Welch's brings my mom right back to her childhood. My favorite of the Welch's products is the Grape Jam. I also am very fond of the flavor of the 100% Grape Juice. I was very pleased to find out you can use it for many recipes. (if there is any left) What is fun about the Welch's website is you can search for recipes based on a particular Welch's product you would like to use. I searched for the 100% Grape Juice recipes. I am amazed at the variety of recipes that came up. Beef In Tangy Onion BBQ Sauce, Grape Berry Low Fat Cheesecake, Grape Turkey Chili and Sweetheart Salmon Filets are just a few of the recipe selections using the 100% Grape Juice. Having the flavor of Welch's in a recipe, what could be better than that? How about trying the great pb&j makeover with 18 new recipes? Yum.

There is no denying the health benefits of fruits and vegetables. Welch's is a tasty way to add purple to your diet. If you are like my family who loves Welch's, be sure to sign up for the Welch's News From the Grapevine newsletter to keep up with promotions, discounts and health benefits.

Go back to the taste you love, have some Welch's today. Who knows you may even get the purple Grape Juice Smile on your mouth just like a little kid.

Many thanks to Amanda and Welch's for providing the review samples.

Disclosure: I received gratis samples for this review. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

Kettle Cuisine All Natural Soups - Review with Giveaway

With the wintery weather hitting most states a nice hot bowl of soup would be the perfect meal. Introducing Kettle Cuisine All Natural soups and chilis. Kettle Cuisine offers ten scrumptious chef inspired soups. The soups, chilis or chowders can be found in select grocer's freezer. Freezing the soups keeps the fresh tasting, from scratch flavor.

I admire Kettle Cuisine for their goals of bringing good foods to the people.
About Kettle Cuisine's Core Values:

*Feed people the best soup possible - every time.
*Source the best tasting, highest-quality ingredients we can find.
*Stay true to our core culinary ideals - no shortcuts.
*Promote and support the well being of all of the great people on our team.
*Remain honest and transparent in everything that we do.
*Minimize our environmental impact as much as we can.
*Make a lasting positive impact on our local community and the fight against hunger.



Not only does Kettle Cuisine have great mission values, they have great tasting soups. The soups are all natural, gluten free with many of the soups also dairy free and vegetarian. I like the convenience of going from freezer to microwave for preparation in just a few minutes. I was able to sample 3 of the ten delectable soup varieties. My first choice is Grilled Chicken and Corn Chowder. The chicken was plentiful mixed in with the creamy corn chowder broth. The flavor is very Southwestern with a nice kick of spices. Delicious. For a more traditional flavor I tried the Chicken Soup with Rice Noodles. I was very good. It reminded me of homemade chicken noodle. Last my tastebuds jumped at the chance to taste Angus Beef Steak Chili with Beans. This is a rich hearty chili with a bit of spice. The peppers and green chilis make this a nice meal. The beef is tender, the tomato base is perfectly seasoned. This was my favorite of all my samples. My meat eating guys loved it too.

Kettle Cuisine can be purchased at select grocers nationwide. The soups are usually found in the Natural foods frozen section. In my area I can find them at two of the local healthy markets.

You can connect with Kettle Cuisine on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with all the happenings.

Want to try Kettle Cuisine? I am giving away to (10) lucky readers 2 coupons each for $1.00 and 50 cents off Kettle Cuisine Soups (redeemable at retailers where Kettle Cuisine Soups are sold).

Mandatory Entry (First entry)
--Visit Kettle Cuisine and tell me in a comment which flavor sounds delicious to you.
--Include your email address (if not public in a profile) so I can contact you if you win.

Additional optional entries: Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following for one entry each. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done.

--Subscribe to my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Current subscribers are eligible too.

--Sign up for the Kettle Cuisine email Newsletter (at bottom of page).

Giveaway ends on March 6th at 11:59 PM Pacific time. Open to US addresses only. No PO Boxes. Winner(s) will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond in 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted. Rules.

Many thanks to Meghan and Kettle Cuisine for providing the review samples and giveaway product.

Disclosure: I received gratis samples for this review. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

Today is National Pistachio Day!

Today is National Pistachio Day! I remember when I was little the only way you could get pistachios were the red ones that would stain your fingers. Now pistachios are used in many recipes as well as a natural snack. I was able to find a few interesting recipes with pistachios as ingredients.

On Clumbsy Cookie she is featuring a recipe called Greenies. White chocolate with pistachios brownies.

From Daydreamer Desserts - a fabulous looking recipe for French Vanilla Pistachio Sables cookies. These little gems look so beautiful. I bet they taste fantastic.

Found on Chow.com is a Pistachio Mexican Wedding Cakes recipe which is actually a little buttery cookie.

From Shared Sugar here is a decadent Cherry Pistachio Biscotti recipe adapted from Martha Stewart. I love biscotti with coffee and these sounds so scrumptious.

My favorite way to have pistachio is in Spumoni ice cream. Chocolate, Cherry and Pistachio flavors all in one delicious ice cream. It is very Italian.

Enjoy your day!

Winners to Announce!

I have a few lucky winners to announce for recently ended giveaways.

Chocolate Cheerios
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
87 Timestamp: 2010-02-23 15:59:58 UTC

87. barbara.montyj
Bare Escentuals
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
18 Timestamp: 2010-02-19 02:03:45 UTC

18. WondrousStrange
Brittanie's Thyme
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
101 Timestamp: 2010-02-26 21:10:28 UTC

101. julis55
Backroads Bakery
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
271 Timestamp: 2010-02-26 21:14:28 UTC

271. mim
Congratulations to all the winners! I have sent your email notifications. Please reply within 48 hours. Thank you everyone for entering. More great reviews with giveaways coming soon.

Today is National Chocolate Covered Peanuts Day!

Just in case you were wondering...Today is National Chocolate Covered Peanuts Day! Grab a box of Goobers or a bag of Brach's or visit a candy shop for some peanut clusters. If you are ambitious here is a simple recipe:

CHOCOLATE PEANUT CLUSTERS

3 (6 oz.) bars milk chocolate, cut into tiny bits
1 1/4 lbs. roasted peanuts
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Melt cut-up chocolate in upper part of double boiler, over boiling water. Stir occasionally. After 15 minutes remove boiler from heating surface. Immediately add vanilla, beat chocolate with a wooden spoon, or an electric mixer, until smooth and glossy.
Fold peanuts into chocolate gradually, using a wooden spoon, so as not to chop up peanuts.

Pick up rounded teaspoonfuls of candy and with another spoon shape clusters as they are placed on wax-paper-lined cookie sheet, about 1 inch apart. Let stand to cool, about 2 hours, or until chocolate is very firm to the touch. Store in a cool place, in wax-paper-lined boxes.

Recipe from Cooks.com

Enjoy your day!

Take It All Off Thursday!

When did my butt get so big? Well I am taking it all off. I am so excited to share this wonderful news with you. I am starting Nutrisystem. I will begin the Womens program as soon as my Nutrisystem food products arrive. They have been ordered. Nutrisystem is providing the opportunity for me to experience the program. I will be sharing my journey here with weekly updates. I can't wait to get started. It is time for me to learn how to eat to live and not live to eat! With the help of Nutrisystem I hope to achieve a few personal goals.

Here is my when I am thinner list:

Snorkeling in Hawaii - I love the ocean. I love the underwater world!

Zip Lining - I would never bungee jump but being able to fly through the landscape is pretty exciting.

Flash Mob - Have you seen any Flash Mobs? I am mesmerized by them and would love to participate in one. If anyone has a flash mob contact in Orange County, CA please let me know.

High Heels - I have in my lifetime never worn any heels over an 1 1/2 inch heel. I want to wear sexy high heels.

Run a Marathon - Yeah right! It's a dream.

I bet you are wondering how my Nutrisystem journey will affect my other food related reviews or posts. No worries, I feel it will actually give me a new respect for foods. I have plenty of volunteer tasters to help me too! I really do have to share my chocolate!

This will be a journey for me, for my goals and my health. Join me. I appreciate all the support from everyone. If you have any tips for me I would love your input.

Here's to taking it all off!

Many thanks to Nutrisystem for providing the complimentary program.

Disclosure: I received a gratis program for this review. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

Crunch! Today is National Tortilla Chip Day!

Now why didn't the combine National Tortilla Chip Day with National Margarita Day? I guess because tortilla chips are good anyday. Put some in soups, on top of salads, serve with a hot cheese dip or a really good salsa!

Here are a couple different types of salsa recipes I was able to locate to go with the star of the day... the tortilla chip!

From Cooking Stuff here is a scrumptuious sounding Charred Pineapple Salsa. This creative salsa is made with broiled pineapple rings. Oh I bet this is super tasty.

At EatMakeRead continuing with the fruity salsa - a sour cherry and peach salsa. It is made with fresh cherries and nectarines. Wait where are the peaches? Sounds delish anyway!

Grab a tortilla chip, dip it in your favorite salsa and crunch.

Enjoy your day!

Today is National Banana Bread Day!

Ahhh the smell of banana bread. It is so great that we can take those mushy, no one will eat them, bananas and make something so tasty. I have a wonderful banana bread recipe that I have used for years. I found mine on the paper bag the super ripe bananas are sold in at the market. It is my favorite banana bread recipe I have ever tried. In searching for recipes to honor banana bread, it must be one of the most popular recipes just behind chocolate chip cookies. Hundreds of thousands of banana bread recipes are out there, maybe even more. I am sure you have a favorite of your own. Here are a few recipes I located:

At The Salty Cod here is a Marbled chocolate banana bread with peanut cream and crumble topping. Wow!

From Salt and Chocolate, here is a Banana Bread Muffin recipe which is made with the richness of cream cheese. I bet those are decadent.

At Allrecipes.com I found Banana Bread Cookies that look pretty simple to make.

Buns in my Oven features a Banana Bread Chocolate Chip cookie made with oats. I am definitely putting these on my One 2 Try list.

Last for the more traditional Banana Bread - CDKitchen has Fun Food Holidays featuring National Banana Bread Day. Here your will find 25 recipes for all sorts of banana bread. Yum.

Do you have a family recipe for banana bread? Treat yourself and make one today.

Enjoy your day!

Are your Kids Getting enough Fiber? Pedia-Lax Giveaway

Maybe in your household there is a picky eater. I have one in my home who will not eat a vegetable if it was the last thing on the plate. My picky eater is my hubby. I can imagine how hard it is to deal with a child picky eater. Kids need fiber. Now there is a new way to get them the fiber they need. Pedia-Lax Fiber Gummies daily fiber supplement.


In 2009 the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) significantly increased the recommended daily fiber intake standards, far above the previous "age plus five" rule. In fact, today's updated guidelines recommend 25 grams of fiber per day for four-year-old children. But how do we meet these requirements and get our children to eat high in fiber foods?

Now there's a delicious daily fiber supplement to help kids ages 2-11 maintain better digestive health and stay regular.* The penguin-shaped, great tasting Pedia-Lax Fiber Gummies are sugar-free, calorie-free, gluten-free and made with natural fruit flavors. With a recommended serving of three gummies every day, (equal to ½ cup of broccoli!), Fiber Gummies are a great way to supplement the fiber found in fruits, vegetables and other fiber-rich foods in your child’s daily diet. It’s a great solution to help bridge the gap between the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended amount of fiber and the fiber that kids actually consume in their daily diet. Don’t forget to tell your readers that Fiber Gummies are dentist approved!

* This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Each cute little penguin shaped gummy provides 2 grams of fiber. Chewing one gummy three times daily is the recommended dosage for added fiber. The taste is pretty fruity. Yes I tasted one. Not bad at all. The kids will think they are just candy. Make sure to keep the jar in a safe place! They are sugar free too! Look for Pedia-Lax Fiber Gummies in your local drugstores.

Here is a fiber comparison chart which is pretty eye opening. Which one would your picky eater prefer to eat?


Here is your chance to win! One lucky reader will win a jar of Pedia-Lax Fiber Gummies.

Mandatory Entry (First entry)
--Tell me in a comment how you get added fiber in your family meals.
--Include your email address (if not public in a profile) so I can contact you if you win.

Additional optional entries: Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following for one entry each. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done.

--Follow my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Already a follower, just leave a comment saying that you are a follower.

--Subscribe to my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Current subscribers are eligible too.

--Follow me on Twitter.Current followers are eligible too, just leave a comment saying that you are a twitter follower.

--Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link to your tweet (Can tweet once daily).

--Fan Pedia-Lax Fiber Gummies on Facebook.

--Post my button on your blog and leave a link to your blog.

--FOR 5 EXTRA ENTRIES - Write a blog post about this giveaway, with a link to my blog. Come back and leave the link to your blog post. Post FIVE separate comments that you've blogged about this.

Giveaway ends on March 5th at 11:59 PM Pacific time. Open to US addresses only. No PO Boxes. Winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond in 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted. Rules.

Many thanks to Laura and Fleet for providing the review sample and giveaway product.

Disclosure: I received a gratis sample for this review. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes

Italian foods are one of my favorites. I grew up in an Italian family where everything revolved around the kitchen. We were always cooking something. Needless to say I crave Italian food. If you love real Italian recipes then this cookbook should be in your collection. Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes.


Lidia Matticchio Bastianich has authored five previous cookbokos. She is the owner of a several restaurants in New York City. She travels the country to share her demonstrations of Italian cooking. In this newest cookbook Lidia takes us on a culinary adventure through the different regions of Italy. It is as much a travel book as it is a cookbook. Lidia teaches us to respect the food. Use every morsel. Understand the complexities of the ingredients and make them work together. "Waste not, want not" and make it delicious is her motto.

I loved the wonderful pictures contained in Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes. The photos show the beautiful countryside of Italy, the warm friendly faces of its people and the rich tastes of the regions. Each glorious section features a new region. I enjoyed the opening stories and memories Lidia shares with us of her recollection of the region. It is part history and part memoir. She introduces us to the foods prominent to the area and how to prepare them in the Italian heritage from the region. I stopped at Baked Apples from the Trentino - Alto Adige region. This is not our typical baked apple, this one is made with Amarena Cherries, heavy cream and semisweet chocolate. I would love to taste this dish. The freshness of the ingredients is apparent with each region. Rice in Lombardy, vegetables in Liguria to beautiful olives in Le Marche. Each page turn features a dish unique to the area with all the glorious flavors that are Italy. You will find complex and simple dishes throughout this gastronomy adventure. Well done Lidia.

Here is a recipe for preview:
SPAGHETTINI WITH OLIVE OIL AND GARLIC

This classic Italian dish has found a permanent spot in Italian American cuisine. You can dress it with Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, or Grana Padano. And I guarantee that it's a favorite for kids as well as moms. Why? Because it tastes delicious and requires very little clean up!

Serves six

•Salt
•1 pound spaghettini or vermicelli
•5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
•10 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
•½ teaspoon (or more to taste) crushed red pepper
•½ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
•1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, Pecorino Romano or Grana Padano
Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat. Stir the spaghettini into the boiling water. Return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, but still very firm, about 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, shaking the skillet and stirring, until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper.

Ladle about 1 ½ cups of the pasta cooking water into the sauce. Add the parsley, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt to taste.

If the skillet is large enough to accommodate the sauce and pasta, fish the pasta out of the boiling water with a large wire skimmer and drop it directly into the sauce in the skillet. If not, drain the pasta, return it to the pot and pour in the sauce. Bring the sauce and pasta to a simmer, tossing to coat with sauce. Cook until the pasta is coated with the sauce and done, about 1 minute. Remove the pot from the heat and toss in the grated cheese, if using. Check the seasoning, adding salt and crushed red pepper if necessary. Serve immediately in warm bowls.

© 2010 Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali, authors of Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes

There is a wealth of Italian flavors and culinary treasures to explore in Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes. Purchase a copy for yourself or for the chef in your family. You can find Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes at Amazon or check with your local bookseller. pub date: 2009-11-03 | hardcover | 9780307267511

Now that's Italian.

Many thanks to Caitlin of FSB Media for providing the review copy.

Disclosure: I received a gratis copy for this review. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

Today is National Margarita Day!

Today is National Margarita Day! It sounds like a good excuse to party. I am partial to the fruit flavored ones like strawberry and melon. I found some interesting recipes to share. Not your drinkable margaritas but better!

From How to Eat A Cupcake here is a Margarita Cupcake with Tequila in the frosting. Yum. Check out the pictures too, they are very festive.

At Annie's Eats here is a recipe for Strawberry Margarita Pie Not something for the kiddies, there is lots of Tequila!

Finally from Smitten Kitchen there is a fabulous Margarita Cookies recipe that is shown served in a margarita glass. I am going to make these.

Don't eat any of these recipes then drive.
Enjoy your day!

Victorian House Scones - Review with Discount

My sister has always said scones are so easy to make. I have never made them before. Imagine my excitement when I was introduced to the fabulous scone mixes from Victorian House Scones. What makes Victorian House Scone Mixes so special is the flavor variety. They even won Best New Product at the World Tea Expo 2009 for the Scone Mixes. Tea and Scones a perfect combination.

A little history: Victorian House Scones started with a passion for British novels combined with the known heritage from Edinburgh, Scotland. I first encountered the sheer indulgence of warm, fresh scones when I was in graduate school. A wonderful Scottish lady lived in the apartment downstairs. On Sunday mornings, she would make a fresh batch of scones, wait until she heard my footsteps above her, and then call and tell me she’d made too many, and I would come down and help her eat them. Who could resist? Twenty years have passed on a quest for the perfect scone recipe. The Scone Lady would make the scones several times weekly to sell them. In 2002 she decided to sell the mixes for her scones. Her deicision was a good one. Victorian House Scones was created.

I was sent two of her Scone mixes for this review. My flavors of choice - Lemon Poppyseed and the Original Oatmeal. The mixes come in lovely packages. The mix needs just a few fresh ingredients to make your scones. The Lemon Poppyseed needed buttermilk, butter, lemon juice and powdered sugar for the glaze. Buttermilk is not something I normally have on hand so off the store I went. I had no trouble making the scone mix. It actually was pretty easy and a lot of fun. Following the directions was very simple. The fun part for me was when the dough forms a ball. You knead it a few times, then simply cut the flattened dough ball into eight wedges. Each package of mix makes 16 scones. You will have two dough balls to work with. If you only want eight for the moment, the other dough ball can be frozen for later use. A tip that the Scone Lady provided about freezing - rather than freeze the ball of dough, cut the scones, lay them on a cookie sheet, and freeze them as individual, ready-to-bake scones. Bag them up a couple of hours later. When you want more scones--freezer to preheated oven to table takes just shy of 20 minutes! Brilliant! Fresh scones for another day. The baking time is only 12 to 18 minutes. They smelled so fabulous while baking. My home was filled with a lovely lemony aroma. I made the lemon sugar glaze for my scones. One bite of these delightful lemony treats warm from the oven with the melted glaze...pure Heaven. The lemon flavor is delicate while the glaze adds a lovely lemon sugary sweetness to the scones. I instantly had to make a cup of tea to enjoy the scones. Scrumptious. I am saving the Original Oatmeal mix for a family get together we have coming up. I love the Oatmeal mix because you can add other ingredients like chocolate chips or raisins. I was even thinking chopped apples with cinnamon might be tasty. I will have to let you know how I made them. The ease of preparation of the Victorian House Scone mixes will keep me coming back to purchase more.

Victorian House Scones offers a nice variety of scone mixes in all sorts of flavors. Original, Original Oatmeal, Butter Brickle, Gingerbread, Indian Chai, Lemon Poppyseed and Pumpkin Spice. I already know I want to try the Butter Brickle and the Pumpkin. Besides the scone mixes you will also find Biscuit Mixes and Cookies Mixes. How about a Lemon Gingerbread Shortbread cookie mix? Oh my those sound delicious.

I know your mouth is watering now so I have a special for you courtesy of Victorian House Scones. If ANY reader would like to try the fabulous mixes from Victorian House Scones - they are offering a 20% discount off your order now through March 7. All you have to do is to mention One 2 Try in the comment section of the order form to claim the discount.

Take advantage of the savings to get a few mixes to have on hand. Try one or try them all. Once you make scones with Victorian House mixes you may want to make them quite often. I already have my order in mind.

Many thanks to Victorian House Scones for providing the review samples.

Disclosure: I received gratis samples for this review. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

The Magic Warble - Book Review with Giveaway

Let me take you on a fantastic adventure. An adventure filled with fairies, gnomes, talking animals, a Prince and of course an Evil Queen. Come - be drawn in to the story, The Magic Warble by Victoria Simcox.


Twelve-year-old Kristina Kingsly feels like the most unpopular girl in her school. The kids all tease her, and she never seems to fit in. But when Kristina receives an unusual Christmas gift, she suddenly finds herself magically transported to the land of Bernovem, home of dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals and the evil Queen Sentiz.

In Bernovem, Kristina not only fits in, she's honored as ''the chosen one'', the only one who can release the land from Queen Sentiz's control. But it's not as simple as it seems. To save Bernovem, she must place the gift she was given, the famous ''Magic Warble,'' in its final resting place. And she must travel through the deep forest, climb a treacherous mountain, and risk capture by the queen s ''zelbocks'' before she reaches her destination. Guided by her new fairy friends, Clover and Looper and by Prince Werrien, a teenage boy, as well as an assortment of other characters, Kristina sets off on a perilous journey that not only tests her strength but her heart.

The story is geared towards young adults but I was hooked on The Magic Warble. From the very first chapter, I wanted to keep reading to see what happens next. The characters were well described in such detail, it was easy to picture exactly what they were like. From Kristina, a young girl feeling unpopular, to the Evil Queen with her viscious nature, combined with the strong fearless Prince, the story is filled with moments of wonder. Every adventure and location was written with perfect details. I felt like I was standing right with them. I loved the amount of colors used in the storyline. Victoria is an artist painting with words. The book is illustrated by Amanda Swanson which adds to the story at just the right moments. The Magic Warble reminded me of the Narnia series as well as the Never Ending Story. Young readers will enjoy the shortness of each chapter but will find themselves reading just one more. My favorite part of the story involved the talking animals. Kristina's best friend is a rat who talks. Along the way they encounter a talking horse who helps them on their journey to save Bernovem from the Evil Queen. Each page was a joy to read. I became transported to the land of Bernovem. It was not an easy journey for Kristina but with the help of her new friends, her spirit and her heart, she marched on to her destiny.

I have read many fantasy stories including the entire Harry Potter Series. If your book loving little ones or yourself enjoy magical lands of fantasy, The Magic Warble is a delight to read. It was exciting to read from cover to cover. In my mind, I did picture a slightly different ending. I wanted more. I wanted the story to continue. The author, Victoria Simcox lives with her husband and three children in Western Washington. In addition to writing, she spends her days as an elementary school art teacher. She has a lovely book in The Magic Warble. You can visit Victoria's blog for information of book signings.

You can purchase The Magic Warble direct from the author or it can be found on Amazon.

Here is your chance to win! Victoria is providing to one lucky reader a copy of The Magic Warble.

Mandatory Entry (First entry)
--Tell me in a comment what your favorite fantasy story is and if you have someone who would love to read The Magic Warble.
--Include your email address (if not public in a profile) so I can contact you if you win.

Additional optional entries: Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following for one entry each. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done.

--Follow my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Already a follower, just leave a comment saying that you are a follower.

--Subscribe to my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Current subscribers are eligible too.

--Follow me on Twitter.Current followers are eligible too, just leave a comment saying that you are a twitter follower.

--Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link to your tweet (Can tweet once daily).

--Post my button on your blog and leave a link to your blog.

--FOR 5 EXTRA ENTRIES - Write a blog post about this giveaway, with a link to my blog. Come back and leave the link to your blog post. Post FIVE separate comments that you've blogged about this.

Giveaway ends on March 4th at 11:59 PM Pacific time. Open to US addresses only. No PO Boxes. Winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond in 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted. Rules.

Many thanks to Victoria for providing the review copy and giveaway product.

Disclosure: I received a gratis copy for this review. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

Winner - Lazar's Chocolates

Here is the lucky winner for the Lazar's Chocolate:

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
416 Timestamp: 2010-02-21 23:50:45 UTC

416. Marci said...

February 20, 2010 10:08 AM
I'd love to try anything with peanut butter/chocolate combo. My favorite!
june_spirit

Congratulations to the winner! I have sent a notification email. To all my fellow chocolate lovers, if you are a chocolate lover as much as I am, consider placing an order with Lazar's Chocolate. They are so scrumptious. I already have my wish list going for my order to come soon. Thank you everyone for participating in the giveaway.

Today is National Sticky Bun Day!

Yes there is a National Sticky Bun Day it is today! I can imagine the yummy sugary, buttery, with or without nuts sweet delight. Browsing for the recipes sure made me crave a sticky bun.

From Jenny Mac's Lip Smack she is also honoring National Sticky Bun Day with an easy recipe using biscuits. Quickie Stickies! So simple.

At Ezra Pound Cake here is a more ambitious made from scratch Pecan Honey Sticky Bun recipe. Mmmmmm.

From Not Microwave Safe here is a scrumptious looking Sticky Buns with Toasted Almonds recipe from scratch! Love the photos.

Last I found another easy recipe using frozen puff pastry. On foodnetwork.com here is a recipe from the Barefoot Contessa for Easy Sticky Buns.

I see you wanting sticky goodness. I am going on a biscuit run to make some myself.

Enjoy Everyone!

You gotta see this!

Remember when we were younger and the school project was to create a diorama? I loved making those. Mine were always about books I had read. Most of them were made from simple construction paper but with lots of details. I still have one I made many years ago. When I visited one of my favorite blogs Blackberry Jam Cafe, Susan had a photo story about Michael Paul Smith. I had to find out more. Michael is an artist in the diorama realm. He takes his wonderfully detailed scenes then creates the illusion of being on a real street or location. It it fascinating. I have since browsed through the entire gallery of Michael's. The details are amazing. See for yourself.




Be sure to view the rest of Michael Paul Smith's works. I have shared this with my dad who loves looking at creations like this. He loved it. Thank you Susan for sharing this lovely work with us. Take a moment today to find a little peace in a small world of imagination.

Enjoy your day!

Dear So and So

I have seen these letters to so and so on many blogs. I think it is a great idea. Here are some of my, I wish I could send these letters.

Dear Trash Digger,
There is a reason I do not put my trash at the curb on trash day until the truck is right on the block. I find it repulsive to have you digging through it. It may be trash but it is my trash. I know what nasty things are in there. You also make a mess. Everytime I see you digging in cans I just say Ewwww.

Dear next door neighbor,
I realize you have 3 families living your home. Please be considerate while parking. You have been parking in front of my home in such a way that no one can park in front or behind you. Must you take up the middle?

Dear NBC,
I hope for the next Olympics you can put a mute button on the narrators for the Opening Ceremonies. So annoying.

Dear comment spambots,
I have the comments moderated. Your comments are not welcomed on my blog. I and my readers would not like to hear about your low drug prices or your ways to get rich. They are always rejected.

Dear Captcha,
Seriously. Why the really long, hard to read words lately? Do you need to keep increasing the amount of letters for all the users using your program? Pretty soon we will have to spell supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Wow I feel better. Try it on your blog. It is liberating.

Enjoy your day.

Welcome New Followers!

Hello to all my new followers. I am so happy to meet you. Grab a cup of coffee, relax and have fun. A little about me and my blog. I like to find recipes to share them with you. I like to tell stories. I will have the occasional Soapbox rant if it is something so outrageous. Of course I have some great new product reviews. I am always finding One 2 Try! Check out the current giveaways for your chance to win fabulous goodies provided by the sponsors. I blog just about everyday. Stay updated with a subscription to your email, sign up on the right hand side. I share so many good things, I would not want you to miss a moment.

One 2 Try is my happy place. Everyone is welcome. To me it is all about sharing. Speaking of sharing.....here are a few things that you may not know about me.

--I grew up in New Jersey but moved to Southern California with my family when I was 11 years old. I live 8 miles from the beach and 10 miles from Disneyland.

--I am a big Elvis Fan. I have recently started a collection of Elvis Memorabilia. It is growing nicely.

--I love to read Harlequin Blaze romance stories. The steamier the better.

--I enjoy visiting the casinos here in California or occasional trips to Vegas or Laughlin. I mostly play the penny slot machines. I do not have a big gambling budget but I like to have fun. I also play bingo.

--My favorite music artist (besides Elvis) is Garth Brooks. I have always said one day I will meet him personally so if anyone knows him please let him know I am such a big fan.

--I also enter sweepstakes with my biggest win ever was a trip to the Wynn in Las Vegas. Fabulous. My dream prize would be a new car.

--I always choose chocolate!

There you have it. A little about me. From the bottom of my heart - welcome.

Lucky Winners to Announce!

Here are a few Lucky Winners to announce for:

Jovan Satisfaction
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
15 Timestamp: 2010-02-20 15:32:36 UTC
15. Kiara said...
February 8, 2010 3:58 PM
I signed up for the free samples.
austma7

Strapped Belts
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
26 Timestamp: 2010-02-20 15:36:05 UTC
26. contestrobyn said...
February 9, 2010 12:32 AM
I subscribe to your blog

Bea's Gift Basket
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
65 Timestamp: 2010-02-20 15:39:19 UTC
65. ~J said...   CONFIRMED
February 9, 2010 5:28 PM
I follow on Twitter.
boobiesbabiesandablog

Congratulations to all the winners! I have sent you notification emails. Please reply within 48 hours. Enjoy your weekend everyone.

Amano Chocolate Discount Through March 2010

Delicious Amano Artisan Chocolates is offering a discount to all readers through the month of March. From now until the end of March, you will receive 10% off any Amano Artisan chocolate placed at http://www.amanochocolate.com/. Just use the coupon code 17V01130R74.

My favorite of the Amano Artisan Chocolates is the Guayas. Yum!


Keep up to date with Amano Chocolate by becoming a fan on Facebook.

Take advantage of the discount to place your orders today.

Update to Hubby in Vancouver

For those of you not familiar with the story, my hubby is in Vancouver for the Olympics. He is a television camera operator. His coverage was the opening ceremonies and now he is covering the medal ceremonies until the closing ceremonies. He is less than 2 weeks away from coming home. I have been hearing about his adventures by phone several times during the day.

A big highlight for him, he was able to visit the Olympic Flame cauldron. He was so impressed. I can't wait to see all the pictures he has taken. He stood right next to the cauldron. That is pretty cool. He has been walking around the Olympic areas and finally found the pin trader location. Yes he trades pins. I have boxes of them in the closet to prove it. He gets a lot of the rare media release pins so collectors are happy to trade with him. It is an obsession hobby of his. A few funny stories he shared with me. Laundry day. He and two of his friends packed their backpacks filled with dirty laundry to venture in the city to find a laundry service. Three people walking around with stinky clothes through the city. I would hate to be walking behind them! They finally found a place near the Chinatown area so they dropped off the laundry, went on a tour of Chinatown, had a beer or two, then went back for the laundry. He will find any excuse for a beer but waiting for laundry is a new one.

Another funny story - remember in the Opening Ceremonies the stage door that was malfunctioning and did not open for the lighting pillar? He was working at the arena the other day, walking across the stage floor and jumping on the door that did not work - while he was calling me. Oh my gosh, on my end I was so scared he would fall through. We already new the door was broken. He was jumping on it, laughing I might add because I was so nervous! I could picture it breaking underneath him. He is crazy like that. That is why I married him. He is goofy and makes me laugh all the time. Who knows what his next adventure will be. He said something about visiting Stanley Park while his friends went bike riding. He will wave at them as they pass the place he is sitting .... probably having a beer!

Hurry up the next 12 days. I need a hug!