Best Guacamole Recipe Ever

February 24, 2015 By Autumn Rose Reo 22 Comments

When I was growing up I remember one of my friend’s moms would make flour homemade tortillas after school and she’d give them to us right off the burner, soft and warm. We’d take a few hot bites, then add butter and cinnamon, and finally roll them up for the most amazing snack ever.

After that I was ruined for any tortillas that ever came out of the package. I mean once you get the real thing, you don’t really go back.

Apparently I’m not the only one who loves tortillas. I mean this guy has it so bad he made a song about it.

Anyhow, me and this guy aren’t alone since there’s a whole day dedicated too…it’s National Tortilla Chip Day.

And just like when I was growing up, I’m celebrating this tortillarific day with fresh-made Market Street Deli-Style Chips found only in the deli at Market Street. Made daily with a special blend of seasoning on a light, airy and crispy chip, you’ll need new dip recipes just to keep up with your new chip addiction.

While guacamole also deserves its love song, on National Tortilla Day, we’re sharing the love with the best guacamole recipe ever. Based on this recipe from one of my favorite restaurants in North Texas (and lucky for me, a client, too!), FnG Eats is known for taking your favorites and adding a twist. As part of their well-known Triple Threat Dip, the Roqamolé is their killer guacamole with bleu cheese. There’s a reason they call this dip a threat… you think you’ll just try a little dip on a chip and then you lick the plate. Of course, to meet my hubs taste for a little extra heat, we made our own twist.

I love bleu cheese and guacamole, so for me this is the perfect trifecta when paired with Market Street Deli-Style Chips.

Bleu Cheese Guacamole

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Ingredients

Scale

1 avocado, large
2 Tbsp pico de gallo
2 Tbsp bleu cheese
1 tsp cilantro, minced
1/8 tsp chile powder
1 jalapeno, chopped
Fresh lime juice from 1 lime
Favorite seasoning mix

Instructions

Scoop avocado in to mixing bowl and mash until smooth.
Add remaining ingredients and mix with rubber spatula.

What’s your favorite way to dip your chip?

One Pot Wonder: Mexican Rigatoni

February 23, 2015 By Autumn Rose Reo 1 Comment

If you asked anyone in our family what they wanted for dinner it most likely to be either something Mexican or something Italian. In efforts to make everyone happy (and to keep my time around the stove), I’ve concocted a one pot winner: Mexican Rigatoni.

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Mexican Rigatoni

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Ingredients

Scale

1 lb. ground beef
Salt and pepper
1tsp ancho pepper
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 can of enchilada sauce
1 can evaporated milk
1 lb. rigatoni pasta, uncooked
1 can of Mexican corn
1/2 can black beans, rinsed
2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese
For garnish, tortilla chips, Pico de Gallo, sour cream, green onions

Instructions

in a dutch oven, brown beef with seasonings on high heat, stirring frequently, until brown. Do not drain.
Add enchilada sauce, evaporated milk, 4 cups hot water, pasta, corn and beans and heat to boiling over high heat.
Reduce heat, simmer uncovered 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat; stir in cheese until blended.
Serve topped wth garnishes.

Enjoy another one-pot wonder with this Tuscan Pork Chops with Spinach and Cannellini Beans.

One Pot Wonder: Tuscan Pork Chops with Spinach and Cannellini Beans

February 23, 2015 By Autumn Rose Reo Leave a Comment

One pot wonders are a simple way to get dinner on the table with as little work and dirty work as possible.

Enjoy this delicious recipe I made on Good Morning Texas: Tuscan Pork Chops paired with cannellini beans, spinach and just the right amount of vinegar for a simple and dish that you’ll add to your rotation.

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Tuscan Pork Chops

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Ingredients

Scale

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
4 boneless pork chops (3/4 in. thick)
1 tsp paprika
salt and pepper
1 bag of spinach (or you can use 1 bunch Swiss chard or 1 bunch Kale)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 15.5-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed
3 Tbsp broth, chicken or vegetable
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Instructions

Heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in large skillet over medium heat. Season the pork chop with paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cork until cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side.
Transfer to a platter and tent with foil.
Place the onions in the skillet and begin browing, then add the beans, and brown. Allow for the beans to soften, about 5-10 minutes.
Once the broth has been absorbed, add the spinach, salt and pepper. Once the spinach is wilted, mix in the vinegar.
Add the pork chops on top of the beans and serve.

Enjoy another one pot wonder with this Mexican Rigatoni.

Zo Delicious: Zoes Kitchen Helps Families Serve Healthy Meals on the Go

February 17, 2015 By Autumn Rose Reo 20 Comments

Is your family as tired of rotisserie chicken as my family is?

While we still love a roasted bird, serving it three times a week as my quick solution to healthy takeout is ~~starting to get~~ old. And it sure isn’t make the little bit of time we have together very interesting hovering the same ole meal.

One of my favorite places for lunch also just makes great sense for time-pressed families is Zoës Kitchen. Zoës Kitchen Mediterranean Family Meals are a complete dinner solution designed to serve families of all sizes. You can choose chicken, steak or shrimp kabobs, grilled chicken entrees or Zoës’ famous Roll-Up combos, along with two fresh sides of their choosing, Greek salad, and pita bread. All meals are made from scratch, and prepared by hand using fresh produce and lean proteins that are predominately preservative and additive free. You won’t find any fryers or microwaves at Zoës Kitchen. Mediterranean Family Meals can be enjoyed at the Zoës Kitchen table or at your own kitchen table, making it a simple way to bring the family together for dinner.

In one quick phone call, online click or even their new app, I was able to bring home a hot and delicious meal that we all enjoyed and can look forward to eating again and again. While everything in our Mediterranean Family Meal was fresh and delicious, there were a few standouts that make me want to find another reason to make another order right now:

Braised White Beans
Don’t tell me you don’t like beans because this will be the exception! With an aroma of rosemary, garlic and olive oil, you could devour these beans and their sauce as a mean meal within itself. It’s perfect for those days when you are looking for something to warm you up on a cold day or for me, any day that ends in the letter y.

Orzo Tabouli Salad
Like the White Beans, this Pasta Salad isn’t like anything you’ve ever had, so get the idea of a traditional noodle salad out of your head. Made with orzo pasta (that looks like a fat piece of rice), mint, tomatoes and their zesty dressing, the orzo tabouli salad for a side that can’t be beat. I mean I tried to after I found this orzo tabouli salad recipe from Zoës in a TV segment, but my version didn’t come out quite like Zoë’s . It was an ok second when in a pinch, but it’s just not worth it when you can have the real thing that’s healthy to eat and so easy to get your hands on!

Hummus
If you’re a hummus eater, you know the difference between good hummus and “it gets the job done” hummus. Zoës hummus is full of flavor with only fresh ingredients, including chickpeas, tahini, virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice and spices – which is why it tastes so good. While nibbling on the sliced cucumbers is a great starter (and magic for getting kids to eat their veggies) when it’s paired with the toasted pita bread, it’s so addictive. Then they went and made it triple amazing with the launch of the Hummus Trio.

Expanding off their traditional recipe, Zoës added a basil pesto hummus and a red pepper version. The Basil Pesto Hummus is infused and topped with a made-from-scratch basil pesto prepared with fresh basil, spinach, chopped garlic and parmesan cheese. The Red Pepper Hummus is a delicious, zesty version of the classic hummus with a variety of additional spices, including paprika, cayenne pepper and crushed red pepper, mixed with roasted red peppers, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper.

While it’s obvious I love my Zoës, what did the rest of the family think? The kids loved eating “off a stick” with their hands and we all came back for seconds on the sides. And the leftovers? Mom and dad both took them the next day for lunch at work AND we even had salad left for dinner the next night.

That’s a home run for us!

Ready to find out what you’ve been missing at Zoës? You have a chance for $25 gift card to Zoës Kitchen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more information or to find a restaurant near you, visit www.zoeskitchen.com, Like Us on Facebook or follow Zoës Kitchen on Twitter.

20 Minute One Pot Wonder Meals

February 16, 2015 By Autumn Rose Reo 22 Comments

I love to cook. I hate dishes.

Like to the deepest parts of my soul hate dishes.

And if I don’t invite you over, it’s not that my house isn’t clean; it’s that I’m so embarrassed how bad I’ve put off my dish duty and don’t want you to see.

So if there’s a way I can make a meal in just one dish and in less than 20 minutes, touchdown! Family dinner, dishes done and I can continue down my other 20 things to do that must be completed before bedtime. Gotta love one pot wonder meals to the rescue!

20-Minute One Pot Wonder Meals

Mexican or Italian? Italian or Mexican? This time we’re making both with a Mexican Rigatoni that is the best of both worlds!

One Pot Wonder: Mexican Rigatoni

Are you on a Paleo or working to increase your veggies? This Tuscan Pork Chop recipe is one of my husband’s favorites and you can use Spinach, Chard or Kale to make this the perfect dinner meal in less than 20 minutes.

One Pot Wonder: Tuscan Pork Chops

Say I Love You with Red Velvet Oreo Truffles

February 12, 2015 By Autumn Rose Reo 9 Comments

The only better than Oreos? Red Velvet Oreos. Show your sweet side with these Red Velvet Oreo Truffles. EASY!

Last weekend I shared a few quick ideas for Valentine’s Day you can do with the Fox Good Day. There were several cute ideas, but the one that stood out and has led to several text messages and Facebook emails is this recipe for Red Velvet Oreo Truffles.

In just three steps, I created these little monsters that I’m sure are the reason I only lost two pounds this week. Nevertheless, they were worth every bite I managed to get into my mouth. As always I had posted this ridiculously cheap recipe to the blog, but the texts just kept coming.

” Where did you your Oreos?” came in streams for about four days as people were in a mad dash to find these limited edition little red devils.

Market Street! Market Street! Market Street! has had them in store since Feb. 4, but will only have them in for a short amount of time.

With cream cheese and the rich taste of red velvet sandwiched in two chocolate wafers, I knew exactly why people were looking for these like buried treasure. In a way, they kinda are…

While already perfect as an Oreo, once you add cream cheese and cover it in chocolate, it is almost overwhelming. So my suggestion is buy two packages…one to eat while you make the truffles with the other bag. Then eat five truffles, box them up and give them to someone else you never see or talk to. If you don’t heed my advice, you’ll eat them all right then and there. And there’s no need to gain a few pounds in one sitting of Red Velvet Oreos.

This recipe is PERFECT for a last-minute Valentine’s Day gift from the kids or something festive to do on Valentine’s Day. So make sure you snag those Red Velvet Oreos at Market Street and while you’re there, you can also snag what you need for a Heart Day dinner with prime rib, chocolate covered strawberries as well as a bottle wine to enjoy after the kids go to bed!

Red Velvet Oreo Truffles

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Description

Adapted from the original Nabisco Oreo Cookie Ball recipe, MamaChallenge makes them even better with the limited-edition Red Vevet cake balls.

Ingredients

Scale

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
40 Red Velvet OREO Cookies, finely crushed, divided
1 pkg. candy melts – Red, White or Chocolate

Instructions

MIX cream cheese and 3 cups cookie crumbs until blended.
SHAPE into 48 (1-inch) balls. Freeze 10 min. Dip balls in melted chocolate; place in single layer in shallow waxed paper-lined pan. Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.
REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Apple Dijon Vinaigrette {Recipe}

February 10, 2015 By Autumn Rose Reo Leave a Comment

While Hidden Valley Ranch makes a bottle of creamy bliss that gets my kids excited to eat any vegetable, I prefer something a little simplier, healthier, tastier and fresher.

I’ve discovered if you make a delicious dressing for your greens, you actually MIGHT like eating your salad without a hundred other ingredients. And since it doesn’t require much more than about 1 minute and five ingredients in your pantry to create this Apple Dijon Vinaigrette, after one bite you’ll have this on your salad, your roasted veggies and even your grilled chicken. Just don’t let your kids see you swipe their applesauce since that’s the main ingredient!

Apple Dijon Vinaigrette

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (1 pouch of squeezable sauce)
2 tablespoons of water
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey (option)
½ teaspoon of salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

Instructions

Mix all the ingredients in a blender, food processor, or emulsifier for 30 seconds – 1 minute or until smooth. Chill for at least 30 minutes. Serve with greens or over roasted vegetables.

Nothing pairs better than fresh vegetables and you can get them straight to your door! Check out this TV segment on Good Morning Texas I did about fresh food delivery.

Hello Fresh! Fresh Food Delivery

February 9, 2015 By Autumn Rose Reo 18 Comments

While people are more busy than ever, we are also much more cognizant of what we are putting in their bodies AND our children’s.

Thankfully, there’s been a resurgence in the concept of farmer’s markets; consumers demanding for fresh and organic groceries. However, with a little help from technology we now can have our veggies and eat ’em, too with fresh food delivery.

Hello Fresh, Plated and others have made it so easy to create delicious meals with fresh ingredients by not only setting your menu, preparing all the ingredients and then sending it straight to your door. All you have left to do is to put it in a pan and in about 20 minutes, dinner is served.

But here in DFW, an organization called the Cold Springs Farm isn’t just sending it to your door, but are bringing the farmer’s market directly to you – giving you the choice to purchase exactly what you want by picking your fruits and veggies right off their mobile market.

Photo: Cold Springs Farm

The Veggie Van (#TheFarmacy) offers organic, SEASONAL, local veggies and fruits! Delivery is included in the price. You can order one time, or you can set up automatic weekly, bi-weekly or monthly delivery. In order to shop from the Veggie Van you must be at home, however the Veggie Van driver will also select produce and leave it for you if you’re not available for delivery. The Veggie Van happily delivers to your office if that is better for you…

If someone wants to “shop” the Veggie Van, they place an order using this link: https://squareup.com/market/cold-springs-farm and then they’ll coordinate a delivery location!

No membership is required to shop the Veggie Van, it is a completely different entity than the farm’s CSA. The farm’s CSA is the best value, and membership is required. Cost is $335 for an 8-week session which meets in the cultural district of Fort Worth.

And soon they’ll also allow you to add Heritage poultry and pork from Cold Springs Farm, Grass-fed Natural beef from Grassy Ridge Natural Beef, and grass-fed lamb from Sterling Lamb to your order.

Now that you have all that delicious produce, you have tons of options for meals! I have a super easy and incredibly delicious dressing recipe that will pair well with your salad and roasted vegetables!

Valentine’s Day Crafts for the Kids

February 7, 2015 By Autumn Rose Reo 13 Comments

Valentine’s Day is supposed to be about love, not money or spending countless hours finding the perfect “thing.” Instead spend time together making these Valentine’s Day Crafts for the Kids something that you’ll enjoy creating as much as you will enjoying eating them!

I featured these make-and-dos on Fox Good Day Saturday.

Heart-Shaped Cake

Using two cake mixes and a cookie cutter, make a cake or bread that gets to the “heart” of the matter with a secret heart! What a great way to celebrate the holiday or to give as a gift.

Valentine’s Day Lunch Box

Making a healthy lunch together makes it fun to prepare for the next day’s meal OR you can make it a surprise when they open their lunch box. Best of all it only takes a few minutes to pack this V-day lunch box. Using strawberries, cheese sticks and toothpicks, we’ve created these Cupid’s heart and arrows.

An added bonus: Healthy Valentine’s Day pouches that double as a healthy Valentines for your kids!

Red Velvet Oreo Cake Balls

Red Velvet anything is a win, but when paired with an Oreo cookie, it’s downright heavenly. I may have lost some pounds with Jenny Craig, but these cookies I found at Market Street better find a new home because they aren’t going to last more than a day at the rate they are going right now. With only three ingredients and almost no cooking, your kids will love making these Oreo Cookie Balls with their hands. The most important thing to remember: Buy at least two bags of Red Velvet Oreos – one to make the cake balls and another bag to eat. (Just saying…)

Get the Recipe Here

Love-themed Art

I love any time you can take a memory or personalized moment like using your kid’s hand and foot prints. We’ve used them for all kinds of adorable crafts, but this time we’ve made artwork that you might actually put on your wall all year long using just canvas, paint and a little patience!

Coffee-Filter Flowers

A beautiful bouquet of flowers are normally a #1 choice at Valentine’s Day, but let’s be honest, they die after only a week. Using some left-over coffee filters (remember those things you have in the back of the cabinet after you got your Keurig) and some tape, you can make your own custom-made flowers and they last forever! Add a little food coloring and you can even change colors!

For more Valentine’s Day make and do including BACON ROSES, check out these treats including a free printable!

Or if you’re really out of time, but want to show you love them, you can always pick up a heart-shaped Papa Murphy’s HeartBaker Pizza (now until Feb. 14), stick it in the oven and claim it as your own.

The pizza is made from scratch with fresh dough in the shape of a heart and is topped with traditional red sauce, generous portions of 100 percent whole milk mozzarella cheese and premium pepperoni slices. It’s perfect for busy moms and those who want to celebrate the occasion without a lot of work, but with that ‘extra something’ that’s quick, easy and served fresh to your family. Priced at $7-$8 depending on your Papa Murphy’s location, it’s a steal. Many locations are also offering a ‘Sweetheart Deal’ for $11 which includes the HeartBaker and a S’Mores dessert pizza.

Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone.

Whatever you do, just remember to love it! After all, it’s Valentine’s Day!

Don’t miss this #mamachallenge moment:

Brinner Time? Perfect Pancake Recipes {Giveaway}

February 5, 2015 By Autumn Rose Reo 15 Comments

When breakfast is your favorite meal of the day, you don’t really need a reason to enjoy it any time of the day. However, pancakes, bacon, and all the really great parts of a big breakfast aren’t always possible on Monday mornings with only 20 minutes to get kids get dressed, fed, teeth brushed and out the door.

But when it’s chilly outside and you just want to bundle up in blanket, breakfast, brinner or whatever you want to call it for breakfast at dinner is ideal – especially when you need to get a meal on the table stat.

[Tweet “Did You Know: 91%+ of Americans eat breakfast for dinner. @Krusteaz #BreakfastNight”]

Coinciding with “National Hot Breakfast Month” in February, Krusteaz has officially named every Wednesday night in February as #BreakfastNight.Never one to not celebrate a “holiday,” I embraced the concept and put together a quick and fun breakfast that we don’t get to have very often – pancakes.

PERFECT CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKES
Using Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake mix, water and a squirt bottle, I was armed to create perfect pancakes. However, my little short-order cooks (my son and daughter) really wanted chocolate chip pancakes. Rather than to mix in the chips, I waited until the batter had hit the pan and then sprinkled the chips lightly onto the pancakes. This way the chocolate wasn’t too melted, making a chocolaty, gooey mess, but just right that when you bit into them you got a pop of chocolate like a cookie!

[Tweet “Perfect Pancakes? Use a squirt or ketchup bottle to create easy pour perfect-sized pancakes every time. @Krusteaz #BreakfastNight #Wednesdays”]

BACON MAPLE PANCAKES
The kids may have been happy with chocolate chips, but daddy wanted something less sweet and more savory. You can never go wrong with a little bacon (or a lot) and the flavor of maple – so I combined them all into one pancake package! Following the Krusteauz directions, I added my batter to the pan and quickly added a little swirl (straight from the bottle of maple syrup) and sprinkled a pinch of chopped bacon. Quickly I turned them over to complete cooking. When the cakes were ready, I moved them to a plate, added butter, warm syrup and a little more crumbled bacon. I couldn’t help but immediately take a bite…there was just something amazing about having almost all the best flavors of breakfast in one bite. (I’m a #1 egg fan, but I couldn’t squeeze in another bite of anything after these perfect pancakes!)

For other great pancake recipes, check out these recipes for rainbow pancakes and healthy Apple Pie Pancakes made with applesauce I shared on Good Morning Texas in 2013.

Giveaway

To give your Wednesday night dinners a little update, Krusteaz is giving you a special #BreakfastNight Package!

Krusteaz mixes Buttermilk Pancakes, Blueberry Belgian Waffles, Chocolate Chunk Muffins and Honey Wheat Pancakes
Pancake spatula, one squeeze bottle for pancake art, and a Krusteaz-branded oven mitt.
Breakfast Night inspiration including sample Breakfast Night recipes

a Rafflecopter giveaway

« Previous Page

Best Guacamole Recipe Ever

Bleu Cheese Guacamole

Ingredients

Instructions

One Pot Wonder: Mexican Rigatoni

Mexican Rigatoni

Ingredients

Instructions

One Pot Wonder: Tuscan Pork Chops with Spinach and Cannellini Beans

Tuscan Pork Chops

Ingredients

Instructions

Zo Delicious: Zoes Kitchen Helps Families Serve Healthy Meals on the Go

20 Minute One Pot Wonder Meals

20-Minute One Pot Wonder Meals

Say I Love You with Red Velvet Oreo Truffles

The only better than Oreos? Red Velvet Oreos. Show your sweet side with these Red Velvet Oreo Truffles. EASY!

Red Velvet Oreo Truffles

Description

Ingredients

Instructions

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Apple Dijon Vinaigrette {Recipe}

Apple Dijon Vinaigrette

Ingredients

Instructions

Hello Fresh! Fresh Food Delivery

Valentine’s Day Crafts for the Kids

Valentine’s Day is supposed to be about love, not money or spending countless hours finding the perfect “thing.” Instead spend time together making these Valentine’s Day Crafts for the Kids something that you’ll enjoy creating as much as you will enjoying eating them!

Heart-Shaped Cake

Valentine’s Day Lunch Box

Red Velvet Oreo Cake Balls

Love-themed Art

Coffee-Filter Flowers

Whatever you do, just remember to love it! After all, it’s Valentine’s Day!

Brinner Time? Perfect Pancake Recipes {Giveaway}

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