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Our Favorite Recipes from 2012!

December 30, 2012 ·

The other day, I posted the most popular recipes from 2012 based on what you’ve viewed. Those include many of our favorites as well, however today, I am sharing our picks from 2012.  I did this last year, and the rule was that we just couldn’t choose any from the top 10 most popular recipes.     My intent was to select only twleve, but it was a challenge.  So we made it a baker’s dozen to ring in 2013.   Happy New Year!


Chunky Tortilla Soup with Black Beans – a delicious and healthy vegetarian (vegan) soup that is super easy to make.

Grandma’s Peanut Butter Bars – The peanut butter and chocolate combination is always a favorite. This is one of my favorite recipes passed down from my grandma, and also quite easy!

Peanut Butter Pretzel Truffles – add pretzels to chocolate and peanut butter, and I’m a happy girl! These are not only delicious, they are easy to make and surprisingly a healthier option!


Baked Tortellini with Spinach – This pasta dish immediately became a regular feature in our dinner rotation. It’s simple, it’s healthy, and it’s tasty!


Pulled Chicken Sandwiches – Simplicity is a theme with everything I make, but these are equally delicious as they are easy!  Mike loves when I tell him these are on the menu for the week.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas – Sweet potatoes and black beans are two of my favorite foods…and are a wonderful combination in these enchiladas.

Herbed Goat Cheese Muffins – A savory, herb-y muffin filled with goat cheese – yum!

Lighter Cajun Chicken Pasta – A secret ingredient helped transform this dish into a lighter, healthier option.  Mike loves cajun anything, so was very excited over this dish!

Strawberry Banana Pancakes – The addition of banana to my strawberry pancakes made these an instant favorite. Adam asks me to make these often.

Baked Buffalo Chicken Tenders – This buffalo chicken is awesome because it is not drenched in sauce and is made using ingredients that are on hand at all times.  Super easy!

Black Bean Brownies – The addition of black beans to brownies was such an intriguing concept to me with a very delicious outcome. It’s true…you really can’t tell there are black beans in there!

Easy Meatless Manicotti – We have been making this manicotti for years, and it’s just one of our classic favorites.   Leftovers make great lunches the next day.

Baked Chicken Fajitas – These are amazing. Just put everything in the pan and bake…can’t get any easier or tastier!

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Top 10 Recipes from 2012: Reader Favorites!

December 27, 2012 ·

As we are nearing the end of 2012, it is time to look back at the most popular new recipes of the year ~ YOUR favorite recipes!

Over a year and a half since starting Alida’s Kitchen, it has been such a fun opportunity to share what goes on in our kitchen with you. My hope is to have inspired you to get in the kitchen, to try something new and/or different, to make something special for loved ones or simply to treat yourself.  I have so many recipes and ideas for 2013, including many delicious, healthy recipes to start the new year.  I am eager to start sharing them all with you.  In the meantime, let’s look back at the 10 most popular recipes from 2012 on Alida’s Kitchen!     

10.  Double Chocolate Chip Muffins – a low-fat chocolate muffin studded with chocolate chips and topped with chocolate chips…all under 200 calories! 

9.  Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars – pumpkin cheesecake made on the lighter side in an easy-to-make bar.

8.  No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie – This pie takes 10 minutes to make (with ingredients easy to keep on hand at all times) and then is chilled to creamy perfection.

7.  Four Cheese Lasagna –  This lasagna is hands down one of our favorite dinners.  We make it for special occasions, and it is such a treat!  (Bonus – leftovers heat up extremely well)

6.  Carrot Cake Pancakes – Carrot cake in pancake form, these are awesome.  Adam loves these, Mike and I love these, and clearly you love these enough for them to take the #6 spot. 

5.  Pumpkin Banana Muffins – Since posting these, I can’t even count how many times I have made these muffins for Adam.  They are simple to make and a tasty breakfast (or any time) treat!

4.  Lighter Pretzel-Crusted Chicken – This chicken is as easy as it is tasty.  We always have the ingredients on hand, and it’s so quick to make. 

3.  Oven-Baked Sriracha Chicken – Spicy, Sriracha chicken baked in the oven.  Another easy, tasty household favorite. 

2.  Oreo Cookies and Cream Cupcakes – I admired this recipe for years and was so excited for an opportunity to make these cupcakes.  Truly the ultimate Oreo cupcake!


1.  Lighter Sesame Chicken – Who doesn’t love a light twist on a classic favorite…and so easy! Lighter Sesame Chicken is amazing and definitely suited for the #1 spot. 

Next I will be sharing our favorite recipes from 2012!

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12 Weeks of Christmas Treats ~ Round Up

December 20, 2012 ·
12 Weeks of Christmas Treats from Alida's Kitchen
 Each week for the past 11 weeks, I have joined a group of bloggers in sharing a variety of holiday treats as part of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats (I missed week #1).  I can’t believe we started all the way back in September, and here we are less than a week away from Christmas!  In the event you still have some holiday treats to make (or if you’re like me and stockpiling recipes for next year!), below is a round up of the treats I shared.  Just click on the recipe name after the Week # and you’ll be directed to the corresponding post.

I have also selected an “Alida’s Pick” from each week, featuring a link to a recipe by another blogger.  There are so many delicious recipes that were shared over the past weeks, it was hard to choose.

I want to thank Brenda from Meal Planning Magic for hosting the blog event 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats, as well as all the other fellow bloggers for participating.  My list of recipes to make has increased exponentially as a result!

Week #2: Grandma’s Lemon Bars

Alida’s pick from Week #2:  Pumpkin Coffee Cake by Baker Street

Week #3: Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Alida’s pick from Week #3: Peppermint Marshmallows by The Redhead Baker

Week #4: Easy Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Alida’s pick from Week #4: Snickersnaps by Cooking to Perfection

Week #5: Mounds Brownies

Alida’s pick from Week #5:  Peppermint Patties by Delicious Melicious

Week #6: Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Alida’s pick from Week #6:  White Hot Fudge Sauce by Baked Bree

Week #7: Sunny Blossoms

Alida’s pick from Week #7:  Candy Cane S’mores by Roxana’s Home Baking

Week #8: Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Alida’s pick from Week #8:  Pretzel S’mores by Books ‘n Cooks

Week #9:  Pumpkin Surprise Cupcakes

Alida’s pick from Week #9:  Peppermint Blondies by Kitchen Meets Girl

Week #10:  Grandma’s Caramel Bars

Alida’s pick from Week #10:  Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes by Karen’s Kitchen Stories

Week #11:  Peppermint Twist Kiss Cookies

Alida’s pick from Week #11:  Soft Sugar Cookies from Midwestern Girl

 Week #12:  Chewy Ginger Cookies 

Alida’s pick from Week #12:  Peppermint Cake Roll by Baking and Boys

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Soup’s on at Panera!

December 19, 2012 ·
A couple weeks ago, we got blasted with snow, and it’s been a chilly December ever since.  Definite soup weather!  Fortunately, I was given the opportunity to check out Panera Bread’s soup line…and am so glad that I did.  While I’m not generally a soup person, I found a soup that I not only love, but have been dreaming of ever since!

 

 

I’m always trying to find a soup that I like, so thought it best to test out a few different flavors.  Mike and I made a weeknight dinner of it and shared 3 different soups:  broccoli cheddar, French onion and low-fat garden vegetable pesto.

Mike and I both liked all three soups, though Mike’s favorite was the broccoli cheddar.  There were actual chunks of broccoli, as well as a generous amount of carrots, all in a smooth cheese soup.  It really was delicious…especially for dipping the baguette.

Hands down my favorite soup was the garden vegetable pesto. So many delicious fresh vegetables, including Swiss chard, chunks of zucchini, and bell peppers, swimming in a light tomato broth, topped with a nut-free pesto. It’s one of those things I would happily eat every.single.day. (hint hint, every day please Panera!) 

Panera Bread has a new website (panerabread.com/soup) devoted to their soups, which hosts the daily soup schedule, as well as other fun facts about their soups.

 

Disclaimer: As part of the DailyBuzz Food Tastemaker program, I received a giftcard and stipend to try Panera Bread Soups.  All opinions are my own.  

 

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cream cheese cookies with lemon glaze

Cream Cheese Meltaways

December 18, 2012 ·

cream cheese meltaways with lemon glaze

Cream Cheese Meltaways with Lemon Glaze are little bite-sized cookies that are a light and delicious addition to any holiday cookie platter.  These cookies were a new addition this year, and they were an instant favorite!  The lemon glaze gives just a hint of lemony sweetness to the cream cheesy butter cookies.  The recipe for glaze makes plenty.  You could probably get by with using half the glaze recipe, or better yet – double the cookie recipe…these will go fast!

Cream Cheese Meltaways
 
Print
Yields: 36 cookies
Ingredients
  • 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup cornstarch
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ½ cup butter, softened (I used light butter)
  • 2 ounces block-style Neufachtel cream cheese (1/3 less fat/light)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Glaze:
  • 1¾ cups powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • assorted sprinkles, for decorating (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch and salt until combined.
  3. In a large bowl, add powdered sugar, butter, cream cheese and vanilla and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
  4. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, stirring until combined. (Note: dough will be dry and crumbly).
  5. Shape dough into 1-inch balls (be careful not to overwork dough) and place on prepared cookie sheets.
  6. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until bottoms of cookies are lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes of pan and then move to wire rack to cool completely.
  7. GLAZE: In a medium bowl, whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Dip the tops of cooled cookies into glaze and place on wire rack. Decorate with sprinkles, as desired. Let cookies stand until glaze is set.

Source:  Cooking Light

cream cheese meltaways from Alida's Kitchen

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RedLaser – the secret weapon for smart shoppers!

December 16, 2012 ·

 

For several weeks now, I have been sharing favorite recipes for cookies, bars, and cakes to help make your holiday celebrations a little sweeter. In lieu of a recipe today, I am excited to share with you a secret weapon designed to help you save money and make your life a little easier ~ all with ease using a free app on your smart phone, called RedLaser.  I tested out several of RedLaser’s features, including price comparison, loyalty cards storage, and scanning food items to get allergen and ingredient information and more. Here are some of the highlights:\
Welcome to Red Laser!

 

Save Money with Price Comparison and Deals! 

This feature is by far my favorite, and what I found most useful (and timely with holiday shopping).  I was shopping for a few Christmas gifts for Adam and wanted to save money by getting the best price possible.  I powered up RedLaser, entered “b symphony.”  The handy app let me know the lowest price was just down the street at my local Target store.  Easy!


To locate a product, simply enter the product into the search bar (left) or scan a barcode (right).  I entered B Symphony and easily found what I was looking for in the search results (left).

The search results for B. Symphony in B tells me the best price is at Target. Later that day, we drove to our local Target down the street and picked up this toy…happily knowing we found it at the lowest price!


Whether I was at home searching or scanning a product at the store, RedLaser helped me find the best price available for toys, toiletries, clothes, etc.  I was able to easily verify if an in-store price was better than online since RedLaser did the research for me with one quick scan.  The app also pulls up current deals associated with each store (powered by Retail Me Not), which saved me yet another internet search.

Consolidate Your Loyalty Cards!  

Mike was most excited about the ability to scan all of his loyalty cards into his smart phone.  With so many cards, his wallet is out of control.

How nice is it to be able to just whip out a smart phone (you always have it with you, right?) to access your card.  There are pre-loads, such as CVS, Walgreens, Panera, etc, where you can just scan your card. You can also scan local grocery cards, and I even scanned my fitness club card ~ all easily accessibly on a smart phone.  Your wallet will be a little lighter, and you will never be without your cards again!

Allergen Information:

As a person with a tree nut allergy and a mother to a child with a peanut allergy, I was most interested in this feature of RedLaser.  I had very high expectations for the ability to scan food items and get allergen information.  I did some test scans with various food items to see how this feature works.

First I scanned pretzels. As you can see, the details (left) show nutrition information as well as allergen information. I expanded the allergen information (right) and it gives a nice snapshot of allergens associated with these pretzels.

Next I scanned peanut butter to see how allergen information would appear for a peanut product.  It was consistent with what I would expect.  The allergy information is informative and helpful.  So far so good!

As I continued additional scans on a jar of peanuts and a bag of whole wheat pastry flour, I expected both to be flagged for allergens.  Unfortunately there was no allergen information for either item.

So while the allergen information is useful when present, the inconsistency makes me uneasy.  People without allergies or folks with newly discovered allergies always have lots of questions about what foods are safe.  I was hoping to be able to point them to RedLaser.  However without reliable results, I just can’t do that…yet.  I see great potential here and am interested in seeing where RedLaser goes with this.  Like I said, when it does work, it really is an amazing feature.

 
RedLaser is available for download on iPhone, Android and Windows smart phones and has been downloaded over 22 million times. Clearly the secret is out!


This post is brought to you by RedLaser. Get the free app at RedLaser.

Disclaimer:  As part of the DailyBuzz Moms program, I have been compensated for my time on this post for RedLaser, however the details and opinions are completely my own.   

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Chewy Ginger Cookies

Chewy Ginger Cookies

December 13, 2012 ·
Chewy Ginger Cookies

This is my favorite recipe for Chewy Ginger Cookies. They are soft, chewy, with warm flavors of ginger and molasses, plus they take 10 minutes to prepare!

When it comes to holiday baking, I enjoy trying new recipes, but I also like to have some go-to recipes.   Standby recipes that are guaranteed to be crowd pleasers and are easy to make.  For years, I have been trying to find that special recipe for a ginger cookies.  These Chewy Ginger Cookies are the top contender for becoming that special recipe.  They are super soft and chewy with the warm flavors of ginger and molasses in each bite.   The dough takes less than 10 minutes to make, which is always a bonus!

This marks the final week of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats hosted by Meal Planning Mom.  Be sure to check out the thumbnails at the bottom of this post for more delicious holiday treats!

Chewy Ginger Cookies
 
Print
Yields: 30 cookies
Ingredients
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup molasses
  • ¼ cup water
  • Additional sugar, for rolling
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt.
  2. Mix molasses and water in a liquid measuring cup, and stir until combined (Note: you may need to stir again before adding to butter mixture).
  3. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until combined. Beating on low, alternately add flour mixture and molasses mixture to the butter mixture, until fully combined. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to overnight.
  4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  5. Roll a rounded tablespoonful of dough into a ball and then roll the ball in granulated sugar. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until edges are set (be careful not to overbake). Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Slightly adapted from Taste of Home: Best Loved Cookies and Bars

 

We are to Week #12 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats hosted by Meal Planning Magic. Be sure to check out all the other bloggers who are participating this week in the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog hop.

 

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Peppermint Twist Kiss Cookies

December 6, 2012 ·
 Peppermint Twist Kiss Cookies are a fun variation of the ever-popular “blossom” cookies with a candy kiss in the middle. These light-tasting peppermint cookies have a red and white swirl that are cute and festive for the holidays or any time! 
Peppermint Twist Kiss Cookies | alidaskitchen.com
Peppermint Twist Kiss Cookies are tasty, fun and festive…perfect for this time of year!  The red and white cookie is a light-tasting peppermint butter cookie, and then topped with a chocolate kiss.
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Cookies for Kids’ Cancer ~ Cookie Exchange

December 5, 2012 ·

Every year I have a list of must-make holiday cookie recipes, including Peanut Blossoms, Pretzel Kiss Candies, something with ginger, as well as several others.  It’s always fun to add new recipes to the mix, and that is where the genius idea of a Cookie Exchange is great.  You get the benefit of trying several new recipes without a) having to do all that work and b) the risk of making several dozen of something that you wished turned out differently (or sadly wished you never made!).

This holiday season, I had the privilege of hosting a Cookie Exchange, courtesy of GLAD, to help raise awareness for the Cookies for Kids’ Cancer campaign.  And I was GLAD to be a good cookie!

Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is a non-profit organization founded by parents inspired by their young son’s fight against cancer.  Pediatric cancer is the number one cause of death by disease of children in the United States, due in large part to the need for funding research into new and improved therapies.  It is unthinkable, yet according to the National Childhood Cancer Foundation, one in every four elementary schools has a child with cancer.  While many children are cured, there are still many children who will not survive.   

In the spirit of holiday giving and in being a good cookie, I made a personal donation to the Cookies for Kids’ Cancer program.  I have also created a Cookies for Kids’ Cancer Donation Page so that you too can be a good cookie and help fight pediatric cancer!

Thanks to GLAD, you can also join in the some fun by exchanging a virtual cookie with a friend at www.glad.com/Glad-Cookie-Exchange. GLAD will donate up to $1.00 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer for each cookie sold, exchanged or given this November and December 2012 – up to $100,000! Encourage your friends, family, coworkers, anybody and everybody, to do the same!   

As far as my Cookie Exchange, I am very excited that GLAD is generously donating $1 per cookie that was exchanged.  How awesome is that!  There were several dozens of cookies sampled and packaged, recipes printed and exchanged.  As a result, I have many recipes to share with you!


I have partnered with The Glad Products Company through DailyBuzz to help promote their Food Storage products. I have been compensated for my time commitment to work with this product.  However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments. Thank you GLAD!

Diclaimer: The donation page is my personal page that I set up to offer an option for people to assist in the fight against pediatric cancer.  It is not affiliated with the sponsor(s) of this post. 

 

 

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