March 2013 - Alida's Kitchen

Chewy M&M Sugar Cookies

March 26, 2013 ·

Chewy M&M Sugar Cookies add M&M chocolate candies to the best chewy sugar cookie recipe, resulting in one of my favorite cookies of all time. These are also fun for holidays!

When I first saw a recipe for Chewy M&M Sugar Cookies, and realized it used the same base recipe as my Chewy Sugar Cookies I knew they were going to be good. Since those cookies are one of my favorites of all time, I figured M&Ms could only make them better, right? Right! The sugar cookie base is deliciously chewy and the cream cheese adds a little tang. Chocolate bursts of M&Ms are studded throughout. Chewy sugar cookies made with M&Ms. Genius idea.

I love how cute these look and that they can be made festive for any occasion. Truth be told, I have been trying to make these cookies for months. I have M&Ms for every holiday stocked in my treat drawer that were intended to be used for Chewy M&M Sugar Cookies. While I used Easter “Bunny Mix” M&Ms, these are made in honor of Spring (since there won’t be any left for Easter…Oops!).

Chewy M&M Sugar Cookies

Yields: 24 cookies

Ingredients

2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups sugar, plus ⅓ cup for rolling
2 ounces cream cheese, cut into 12 pieces (I used ⅓ less fat cream cheese)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and hot
⅓ cup canola oil
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk (I used skim)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1⅓ cup M&M chocolate candies

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place ⅓ cup sugar in a shallow bowl and set aside (this will be used for rolling).
In a medium bowl, whick the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, add 1½ cups sugar and cream cheese. Pour butter over sugar and cream cheese and whisk to combine (some small lumps may remain). Whisk in oil until incorporated. Add egg, milk and vanilla; continue to whisk until smooth.
Add flour mixture and mix with rubber spatula. Add 1 cup of M&Ms and continue mixing until dough forms.
Divide dough into 24 equal pieces. Using hands, roll dough into balls. Roll balls in reserved sugar to coat and place on prepared baking sheets, 12 balls per sheet. Using bottom of drinking glass, flatten balls until 2 inches in diameter. Using remaining M&Ms, gently press 2-3 candies onto tops of cookies.
Bake 1 tray at a time until edges are set and beginning to brown, about 9 to 12 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack and let cool completely before serving.

Source: as seen on Carrie’s Sweet Life, originally fromTracey’s Culinary Adventures

Filed Under: dessert, Recipes Tagged With: candy, chewy, cookies, cream cheese, easter, holiday, spring, sugar

healthy cocoa chocolate coconut date truffles balls

Healthy Chocolate Coconut Truffles

March 18, 2013 ·

Healthy Chocolate Coconut Truffles are an easy recipe made in minutes using only 3 ingredients with no added fat or sugar. {vegan, gluten free}

Healthy Chocolate Coconut Truffles have the delicious flavors of dark chocolate and coconut…all coming in around 60 calories and without any added sugar of fat. They are made using only 3 main ingredients (plus an optional ingredient which helps to deepen and intensify the chocolate flavor). Even better – they take only minutes to make. Intrigued? I certainly was when I first found the recipe but it took me over 9 months to make them. I am kicking myself that it took so long…they are so amazingly good!

Thankfully, it is time again for the second installment of the Eating the Alphabet Challenge, hosted by Brenda of Meal Planning Magic. Participating in this challenge was the extra push I needed to make these truffles. This month we’re featuring healthy recipes using fruits, vegetables, grains or legumes that start with letters C or D. Since Healthy Chocolate Coconut Truffles feature both coconut and dates, I’ve got both letters covered this month.

Healthy Chocolate Coconut Truffles

Yields: 20 truffles

Ingredients

8 ounces pitted dates (approx 1½ cups)
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons unsweetened flaked coconut
1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
¼ cup unsweetened flaked coconut, for rolling

Instructions

Put dates, cocoa, 3 tablespoons coconut and espresso powder in a food processor and puree until smooth. If mixture is too dry, add water by the teaspoonful (I needed about 3 teaspoons). If mixture becomes too wet, add more unsweetened coconut.
Scoop mixture by the tablespoonful and form 1-inch balls. Roll balls in remaining coconut.
Chill/store in refrigerator until ready to enjoy.

Source: Bon Appetit, June, 2012

Filed Under: dessert, gluten free, healthy, Recipes, vegan, vegetarian Tagged With: alphabet challege, chocolate, cocoa, coconut, dairy free, dates, easy, quick, truffles, vegan

Happy Pi Day!

March 14, 2013 ·

Happy Pi Day! Today is March 14 (i.e., 3.14). A day to celebrate math and the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter…by indulging in pie! Since I already shared a savory pie with you, now it’s time for a sweet one. There’s no rule against having pie twice in one day (or even one meal)…especially on Pi Day!

Since I didn’t have time to make a my own sweet pie, I jumped at the opportunity to try a Marie Callender’s pie. The biggest challenge here was selecting which flavor we wanted! It was a tough decision given all of the tempting fruit and cream pies available (they offer savory pot pies too, but I definitely wanted sweet). I decided to go with a common flavor that I’ve never had before – Coconut Cream Pie. (The Banana Cream Pie was a close second). Of course, we had to sample the pie before actual Pi Day…just to be sure. We enjoyed every bite of this pie while pondering the ins and outs of Pi (or perhaps we were just pondering another slice of pie!)

While eating pie is everybody’s favorite activity to celebrate Pi, visit Marie Callender’s blog for several neat Pi-related activies, as well as other party ideas, how-to’s and more.

What is your favorite Marie Callender’s pie? Share your experience! You can rate and review any of Marie Callender’s products here.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Filed Under: Admin Tagged With: clever girls collective

Pasta Pizza Pie

March 14, 2013 ·

Pasta Pizza Pie combines two Italian favorites (and two of my favorites!) into a delicious pizza-inspired baked pasta. First, you start by baking a pasta “crust.” Then you spread your favorite pasta sauce over the crust and top it with your favorite toppings. I used a 12-inch saute pan in lieu of a pizza pan, and it worked great!

Pasta Pizza Pie puts a fun twist on pizza and a fun twist on pasta,…and incidentally since it’s also a “pie,” this Pasta Pizza Pie is perfect for today, March 14th (3.14)…”Pi Day!”

Pasta Pizza Pie

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, chopped*
1 cup sliced mushrooms (I used baby bellas)*
2 garlic cloves, minced *
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup milk (I used skim)
8 ounces (1/2 of a 1 pound box) rotini-shaped pasta, cooked and drained
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces)
1½ cups of your favorite pasta sauce (I used Muir Glen Tomato Basil)
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
* substitute with your favorite pizza toppings

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 12-inch saute pan or pizza pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and mushrooms and cook until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the last minute, add minced garlic and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
In a medium bowl, stir egg, milk, pasta and ½ cup cheese. Spread pasta mixture in prepared pizza pan. Bake this pasta crust for 20 minutes.
Remove pasta crust from oven and spread sauce over crust. Top with onion-mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Shake crushed red pepper flakes over cheese.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Source: Campbell’s Kitchen

Filed Under: healthy, kid-friendly, main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: baked, dinner, easy, mushrooms, pasta, pie, pizza, quick, tomato

healthy blueberry strawberry blackberry yogurt smoothie

Diet Mixed Berry Smoothie

March 11, 2013 ·

This Diet Mixed Berry Smoothie is quick and easy to make and perfect for breakfast on a busy morning, a post-workout recovery drink, or an afternoon pick me up. Made with just a few healthy ingredients, it’s a vitamin-packed smoothie that can be enjoyed anywhere, anytime (and portable too for when you’re on-the-go!).

Recently, I was given the opportunity to try Ocean Spray’s Diet Juice Drinks and thought it would a tasty addition to this smoothie recipe. At only 5 calories per serving, swapping out full-calorie juices in favor of Ocean’ Spray’s Diet Juice Drinks can help save calories (and carbs, if that’s a concern), while still tasting delicious. For this recipe, I used Ocean Spray’s Diet Cranberry juice and it went nicely with the berries used in the rest of this smoothie. For next time, I have my eyes on the Diet Blueberry Pomegranate!

To learn more about Ocean Spray’s Diet Juice Drinks, visit http://www.oceanspray.com/Products/Juices/Diet-Light/Diet-Cranberry-Juice-Drink.aspx.

Diet Mixed Berry Smoothie

Yields: 1 servings

Ingredients

½ cup Diet Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Drink, any flavor
½ cup frozen mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries)
1 ripe banana, frozen and cut into slices
3 ounces fat free plain or berry-flavored Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon flaxseed (optional)

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a blender (or Magic Bullet). Blend on high speed until ingredients are thoroughly combined. Pour into a chilled glass. Enjoy!

Notes

Tip: slice banana before freezing...it's much easier!

Adapted from Ocean Spray

I have partnered with Ocean Spray through DailyBuzz to help promote their new Ocean Spray Diet product. 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.

Filed Under: Admin, breakfast, healthy, Recipes Tagged With: beverage, drink, easy, quick, smoothie, snack, tastemaker, yogurt

The Green Giant: A Giant Surprise #AGiantSurprise #spon

March 7, 2013 ·

In general, people consider me a trustworthy person ~ especially with their secrets. I’m always good to keep a secret. Well, almost always, unless for some reason disclosing a secret would be for the greater good…like now. The Green Giant has a very giant surprise that I must share with you!

Green Giant has a new line of Veggie Snack Chips! Good news for you snackers ~ a great tasting chip you can feel good about. Adam kept asking to try the ‘new veggie chips,’ he was very excited. It was nice to be able to offer him some chips that are made with real vegetables and with whole grains.

We sampled the Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips with Sea Salt and the Roasted Veggie Tortilla Chips (Zesty Cheddar flavor). I’m a huge sweet potato fan and less fond of flavored chips, so I assumed my preference would fall accordingly. While I did enjoy the sweet potato chips, the veggie tortilla chips were by far my favorite. Adam loved the sweet potato chips. So I saved the sweet potato chips for him and used the rest of the tortilla chips in a tasty recipe (after eating several chips, of course) to be shared soon.

In the meantime, here are some fun facts about the chips:

The Green Giant Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips with Sea Salt:

The Green Giant™ Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips – Sea Salt Flavor are made with real sweet potatoes and made with 14 grams of whole grain. Plus, they contains 40 percent less fat than regular potato chips*!

*Green Giant Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips (6g per 28g serving) have 40 percent less fat than regular potato chips (10g per 28g serving).

The Green Giant Roasted Veggie Tortilla Chips – Zesty Cheddar Flavor

The Green Giant™ Roasted Veggie Tortilla Chips – Zesty Cheddar Flavor are made with real vegetables, 17 grams of whole grain per serving (48g are recommended daily), and are naturally flavored.

The Green Giant has more surprises!

You can find a printable coupon for 85 cents off Veggie Snack Chips here.
Check out the surprise talents the Green Giant has unearthed here.
- Visit the Green Giant Facebook page to find out how to share YOUR surprise talent with the Giant.
Even more of the Giant’s favorite surprise talents at the Green Giant YouTube channel.

Thank you to The Green Giant™ for being a sponsor. Show the Giant your surprise talent at www.facebook.com/greengiant