A Day on an Ohio Hog Farm

This post is sponsored by OhioPork.org. All opinions are my own. 

My husband and I visited an Ohio Hog Farm this past weekend. We had the honor and privilege to tour the Shoup Brothers Farm in a partnership with the Ohio Pork Council. It's not often that we talk about, or even think about, where our food comes from when we are shopping at the grocery store or dining in a restaurant.  I'm hoping to change that with the story of this passionate farming family who graciously opened up their farm, home and hearts to us.

 

Best Salted Caramel Latte

Recently, I had the best Salted Caramel Latte kind of day! What is a Salted Caramel Latte day you ask?  Sometimes certain foods can envoke pleasant memories...for me it's the perfect day spent taking in all the Fall colors with my new favorite beverage of choice...a warm and delicious Salted Caramel Latte!

5 Reasons to Visit Kings Island this Year

When was the last time you had a chance to visit Kings Island?  I had the opportunity to enjoy a day of fun there with my family recently, and I'm going to give you 5 reasons why you need to put this vacation destination on your bucket list this year!

Mediterranean Veggie Hummus Toast

Mediterranean Veggie Hummus Toast is my homage to one of my favorite sandwiches I enjoy at a local cafe. It starts with the goodness of whole grains from Pepperidge Farm® Harvest Blends bread then it's topped with a wonderful veggie combination for a nutritious vegetarian snack or light lunch anyone can enjoy! 

Crispy Gluten Free Cheesy Chicken Fingers

Crispy Gluten Free Cheesy Chicken Fingers are a meal option your whole family can enjoy, whether you need to avoid gluten or not.  Crispy whole grain Van's Simply Delicious® Say Cheese! Crackers are the star in these easy-to-make, oven-baked, chicken fingers! 

Blueberry Pecan Chicken Salad

Fresh blueberries are the star of this easy and delicious, sweet and savory, Blueberry Pecan Chicken Salad recipe! Fresh blueberries, dried blueberries, crunchy chopped pecans, crisp celery, red onion and poppy seeds make this a salad to remember! 

Philly Cheesesteak Poutine

Philly Cheesesteak Poutine is a fusion of two regional favorites morphed into one delicious dish! In this "classic poutine meets classic Philly Cheesesteak" recipe, oven baked Idaho® potatoes are topped with tender seasoned steak and grilled onions and peppers, then covered in a rich cheese "gravy" and topped with fresh mozzarella pearls! YUM! 

Chipotle Ranch Bacon Cheddar Nachos

Chipotle Ranch Bacon Cheddar Nachos are loaded with the good stuff!  A spicy cheesy sauce, salty bacon, black beans, fresh tomatoes, and avocados to name a few!  It's a flavor blast for your mouth!

Hot and Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip with Pizza Dippers

This post has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone #NestleHoliday #CollectiveBias 

Wow your friends and family with this fun appetizer!  Hot and Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip with Pizza Dippers is a totally different, totally tasty way to enjoy pizza and dip. 

8 Terrific Ways to Spice Up Everyday Foods with Hot Sauce

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and it's advertiser.  All opinions are mine alone. #SauceOn #CollectiveBias

Maple-Bacon Fruit Dip

It's no secret that I love maple.  Just love it.  I've posted recipes for Maple Walnut Granola, Maple Walnut Banana Bread with Maple Glaze, and Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Maple-Balsamic Drizzle, just to name a few.  So when LorAnn Oils offered to send members of the OBC14 three flavors to try, and I saw Canadian Maple as one of the choices, I jumped for joy! 

Of course, at the time, I had no idea what I'd make!  But then I got an idea...

Maple-Bacon Fruit Dip!

Easy Skillet Chicken with Mustard Beer Sauce

Looking for something quick and easy to do with your chicken?  Look no further, because this Easy Skillet Chicken with Mustard Beer Sauce is your answer!  Full of flavor thanks to a little of your favorite brew and a new variety of Maille mustard, Honey Dijon with Balsamic Vinegar. 

(Pin this to your Chicken Board for later!) 

Harvest Snaps Wasabi Ranch Snack Mix

Harvest Snaps Wasabi Ranch Snack Mix is an addictable snack mix that won't leave you feeling guilty!

  

Southwest Mesquite Grille Chicken Salad

This is a sponsored post.  I received free product and compensation in exchange for recipe development using Perdue Perfect Portions® Mesquite Grille Chicken Breasts.  The recipes, recipe photos, and all opinions are 100% mine.

Summer is the perfect time for salads!!  I often make salads with lots of veggies and a protein in the summetime for a quick and easy dinner option when the temperatures are soring.  This Southwest Mesquite Chicken Salad is super easy to put together with the help of Perdue® Perfect Portions® Mesquite Grille Chicken Breasts.  The fresh skinless, boneless chicken breasts are individually portioned and packaged with a delicious mesquite grille flavor marinade and there is absolutely no need for any other seasoning!  Cook up one chicken breast and store the rest in the easy-close resealable zipper bag for another time or make the entire bag, you decide!   Since they are perfectly portioned, they are ready when you are!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

There is nothing quite like the combination of peanut butter and jelly. Simple, timeless, and always a classic.  Growing up, PB&J was a staple for us kids.  Many PB&J sandwiches were packed in school lunches over the years!   I think I lived off of PB&J as a young adult going through nursing school. I often skipped the bread all together and just made a mixture of PB&J to eat with a spoon.. Anyone else do that?

Cookbook Review: Sprinkles! Recipes and Ideas for Rainbowlicious Desserts, Homemade Gingersnap Cookie Butter AND a GIVEAWAY!

When Quirk Books contacted me and asked if I was interested in reviewing the cookbook, Sprinkles! Recipes and Ideas for Rainbowlicious Desserts I couldn't imagine how there could be an entire cookbook devoted to sprinkles!  I mean...sprinkles?  Sure they are fun and whimsical...but a whole book??

Boy was I surprised when the book arrived.  (Disclaimer: I received this cookbook for free to review from the publisher.  The thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are entirely mine and I have not received payment for them.)

Sprinkles!  Recipes and Ideas for Rainbowlicious Desserts by Jackie Alpers is a delightful paperback book with 144 pages of wonderful recipes and recipe ideas, as well as a tutorial on sprinkles themselves.  I mean, who knew there was a "World of Sprinkles", each kind with their own "personality" out there!?  Jackie even shows you how to make your own sprinkles in this book!  How fun is that??

Bison: "Meet the Better Meat"

This month, as an Allrecipe Allstar, I was given the opportunity to expand my palate and experience one of the best healthy animal protein options out there today...bison.  I fully admit, my experience with bison has been very limited.  Bison do not roam the prairies of Ohio...(wait, there are no prairies in Ohio!)  I remember having a bison burger one time in a local restaurant years ago.  I remember it being good...but that's where my bison story ends.

I was very excited to be a part of this campaign with The Bison Council and Allrecipes. So I began my adventures with bison by going onto The Bison Council's website and educating myself a bit on the wonders of bison.  The Bison Council's website is great resource for all things bison.

Here's what I learned...

"A" is for Apple...8 Great Apple Recipes for Fall!

Apple season is here!!  In all it's apple-y glory.  Living in NE Ohio, I can't even imagine Fall without apples...lots and lots of fresh apples.  Beginning in September, local apples are abundant and available at just about every road side stand and farmers market you go to.  They are priced right too!  You will find even the big grocers in the area carrying local apples at a very good price!

So what to do with those apples once you bring them home?

Beef and Pasta Skillet Primavera

Beef...it's what's for dinner! Quick, easy, delicious, and HEALTHY!

Did you know that a three ounce serving of lean beef gives you?
(according to Beef. It's What's for Dinner.)

• Nearly half of the daily value for protein
  
• Less than 10 grams of fat
  
• 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat
  
• Less than 95 mg of cholesterol
  
  
  
  

Give the Beef. It's What's for Dinner website a look.  There is a really awesome interactive meatcase in the Butcher counter section, that allows you to choose the cut of beef you want and gives you an explanation of that cut, the best way to cook it, nutrition information and even recipes!   

This Beef and Pasta Skillet Primavera the perfect healthy one skillet dish when you use lean ground beef and whole grain pasta.

You can find the recipe for this dish HERE.  I only altered the recipe a bit by adding salt, pepper, and some Italian seasonings and sauteing up some onion before browning up the beef.  My entire family gave this "two thumbs up"on taste and I gave it "two thumbs up" on ease of preparation.  Serve with a garden salad for a delicious, complete and healthy meal you can have on the table in record time. (Disclaimer:  I was provided with product for this recipe via Allrecipes as part of the Allstars program.  I was not compensated in any other way.  All opinions expressed in this post are mine.)

Nutrition information for Beef and Pasta Skillet Primavera is as follows:
Servings - 4  Serving Size - 1/4th of recipe   Points Plus per Serving - 8 Points+
Calories  332,   Total Fat - 12.9g,   Carb. - 25.4g,   Protein - 28.1g,   Fiber - 3.7g

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This is the perfect dish to make your own.  For a bit of zing, substitute the Italian canned tomatoes with tomatoes with chilies and add a bit of cumin to the ground beef when browning it.  You can use any type of whole grain pasta you like.  I used farfalle...but there are so many choices for whole grain pastas out there today!  You could also play with the vegetables and either substitute other vegetables for the squash or add more to the mix, such as green or red peppers.  Honestly, the variations are almost endless.  

I was a bit skeptical on cooking the pasta along with the beef and broth in the skillet.  (I've had less than desirable results when using this method in the past)  But the liquid to pasta ratio in this recipe worked out great and the pasta was flavorful and had good texture.  

I am a fan of good recipes that cook up quick and are healthy.   How about you?  

Quick and Easy Shrimp and Pasta Primavera

Can you believe you can have this tasty, healthy and under 400 calorie dish on the table start to finish in about 10 minutes??  Let's face it.  There are times when we need to get dinner on the table FAST.  Or maybe you just don't feel like cooking (been there!) or it's so hot out you don't want to spend a lot of time over the stove or turn the oven on...THIS is the recipe you need for those times. 

And it's all possible thanks to these products:

Birdseye® just came out with these new Recipe Ready® products (currently available at Walmart) that make putting together a dish like this a snap.  The flavors of this pasta dish are perfect for a warm summer evening and the quick prep and cook time is perfect when you don't want to spend a lot of time in a hot kitchen.

You will find recipes included on every package of the Recipe Ready® products as well.   I chose to combine two of the vegetable combos to make the delicious dish pictured above.  This was my first time trying Bertolli® jarred Alfredo sauce and I really liked it.  I would definitely buy it again.

Sure, you could buy fresh veg, chop them up and make your own Alfredo sauce but can you do all of that and have dinner on the table in 10 minutes?  I know I couldn't. 

Quick and Easy Shrimp Pasta Primavera

adapted from Allrecipes

Printable Recipe

Servings - 6   Serving Size - 1/6th of recipe   Points Plus per Serving - 9 Points+

Calories - 375.9,   Total Fat - 7.5g,   Carb. - 45g,   Protein - 28.3g,   Fiber - 5.3g

1 lb. raw, tail on shrimp, (thawed if using frozen)

1-12 oz. package Birdseye® Recipe Ready Primavera Blend (frozen)

1/4 cup Birdseye® Recipe Ready Chopped Onions and Garlic Blend (frozen)

12 oz. dry Barilla Plus Farfalle pasta (or pasta of your choice)

1-15 oz. jar of Bartolli® Light Alfredo Sauce

1/4 cup white wine

Parmesan cheese and fresh ground black pepper for garnish (optional and not included in nutrition information)

1. Cook the pasta al dente according to package directions.  While pasta is cooking prepare the rest of the steps. 

2. In large nonstick skillet that has been sprayed with cooking spray and heated to med/high add shrimp and allow to begin cooking.  When it just starts to turn pink, add in frozen veggies (Primavera and Onion/garlic mixture)  Stir and cook until shrimp is opaque and vegetables are heated through.  

3.  Add the jar of Alfredo sauce to the skillet on top of the shrimp and vegetables.  Pour the wine into the empty jar of sauce and put the lid on.  Shake it up to get the rest of the sauce clinging to the sides of the jar.  Pour into the skillet and mix with the rest of the sauce.  Heat until the sauce is warm.  Add in the cooked pasta and serve.  You can add additional Parmesan cheese and fresh ground black pepper if you wish. (Not included in nutrition information listed above)

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This cooked up so fast I didn't even have time to throw together a salad!  lol  The boys all enjoyed this meal.  The pasta needs to be enjoyed immediately, or it has a tendency to soak up all the sauce and become dry. 

I didn't take the tails off the shrimp before I cooked them.  I think they do tend to give more flavor to the dish if they are left on...much to the dismay of my youngest son, who doesn't like the work of taking the tails off!  lol  Of course, this is the kid who loves crab legs, but won't eat them because of the work!  haha 

Last but not least...a few pics from my vacation...enjoy!