4 AirFryer Desserts to Make For Valentine’s Day

February 10, 2020 by Beeb 1 Comment

All images and recipes provided courtesy Emeril Everyday. Product samples also provided.

They say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, so what better way to say “I Love You” this Valentine’s Day than with the gift of an amazing dessert created with the The Emeril Lagasse Power AirFryer 360? I have been wanting to try an AirFryer for some time, so when I had the chance to check out the Power AirFryer 360, I knew I had to feature it in our Valen-Tech Gift Guide 2020. This is so much more than an AirFryer – it has 12 different cooking modes, allowing you to do everything from baking to using it as a rotisserie and even as a dehydrator! I really appreciate a versatile appliance – and the counter space it gives me in the kitchen – so I’ve been just blown away by the Power AirFryer 360.

A dehydrator has been on my list along with an AirFryer, so this was the ideal solution, and the fact that it is a fully functional mini oven is amazing. I hosted Thanksgiving for the first time last year and let me tell you, I ran out of oven space fast – this is going to be a lifesaver next year! So far, I’ve used my Power AirFryer 360 to make banana chips as a treat for my pet bunny, and made several amazing dinners – on tonight’s menu is what I’m calling “Keto Fried Chicken”, a new favorite of ours since getting this amazing appliance! The Power AirFryer 360 is quickly gaining fans – when it was delivered, the FedEx man actually said that he has one and loved it so much, he bought a second! It would make an amazing gift for any home chef on your list – or if your sweetie isn’t much of a cook, treat yourself and then surprise them with one of these four delicious desserts:

Emeril Lagasse’s Layer Cake with Seven-Minute Frosting

SERVES 8 –10

INGREDIENTS

pan spray

flour, for dusting

1 box chocolate cake mix

Seven-Minute Frosting

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp. light corn syrup

tsp. cream of tartar

1 pinch salt

1⁄3 cup water

3 large egg whites, room

temperature

1 tsp. almond or vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Grease and flour two cake pans. Prepare the cake mix according to its packaging’s instructions and then pour the batter into the prepared pans.

Select the Bake setting (325° F/165° C). Set the cooking time to 35 mins. Press the Start Button and let the Power AirFryer 360 preheat.

When the Power AirFryer 360 has preheated, slide the Pizza Rack into Shelf Position 5. Place one of the cake pans on the Pizza Rack. Cook until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. When the cake is done, repeat the process with the second cake.

Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for at least 10 mins. Before inverting on a wire rack to cool completely.

Place a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan on the stove top. Add the sugar, corn syrup, cream of tartar, salt, and water and whisk together. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and cook, undisturbed (do not stir the mixture; stirring can cause the sugar to crystallize), until a candy thermometer inserted into the mixture reads 240° F/116° C (about 2 mins.).

While the mixture heats up, add the egg whites to a medium-size bowl. Use an electric mixer on high speed to beat the egg whites until foamy.

Once the sugar syrup reaches 240° F/116° C, immediately and carefully pour the syrup into the egg whites with the mixer running on high speed away from the beaters to prevent splattering and possible burns. Continue to beat until the frosting is glossy and fluffy (about 5 mins.). Then, beat in the almond or vanilla extract.

Frost the top of one cake half. Place the other cake half on top of the frosting and then frost the top of the cake.

Molten Chocolate Cakes

Recipe Type: Emeril Power AirFryer 360

Servings: 6

Ingredients

25 cup Heavy Cream

8 ounce semi-sweet chocolate, chopped, divided

5 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided

5 tablespoon sugar, divided

2 large eggs, separated, divided

5 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 pinch salt

3 tablespoon all-purpose flour

powdered sugar, for serving

Raspberries

mint leaves, for serving

vanilla ice cream, for serving

whipped cream, for serving

Directions

To make the Ganache:

Place a saucepan on the stove top. Bring the cream to a simmer in the saucepan over low heat.

Place 2 oz chocolate in a small bowl. Pour the cream over the chocolate, let sit for 2–3 mins., and then whisk to combine.

Chill the mixture until firm and then form it into six 1-in. balls. Reserve the ganache in the refrigerator.

To make the Cakes:

Butter six 6-oz ramekins with 1 tsp. butter in each ramekin. Pour 1 tsp. sugar into each ramekin, turn to coat, and tap out any excess sugar.

Melt 6 oz chocolate and add it to a bowl with 4 tbsp. butter. Set the bowl over simmering water and stir to combine. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly and then stir in the egg yolks, vanilla, and flour.

Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and whip until thickened and foamy. Gradually beat in 3 tbsp. sugar and continue beating just until stiff peaks form.

Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture until combined.

Evenly divide the batter between the prepared ramekins. Press a ganache ball into each ramekin and cover with the batter.

Slide the Pizza Rack into Shelf Position 5. Place the ramekins on the Pizza Rack.

Select the Bake setting (325° F/165° C). Set the cooking time to 15 mins. Press the Start Button to begin the cooking cycle. Bake until the top of the cakes are puffed and slightly firmed but not browned.

When the cakes are done cooking, remove them and let rest for 3 mins. Then, top with the powdered sugar, raspberries, and mint leaves and serve with the vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.

White Chocolate Macadamia Bread Pudding

Recipe Type: Emeril Power AirFryer 360

Servings: 6

Ingredients

25 cup water

33333 cup cups sugar, divided

25 cup plus 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces

666667 cup Heavy Cream

25 teaspoon Sea Salt

5 teaspoon Vanilla

75 cup Heavy Cream

75 cup whole milk

9 ounce White Chocolate Chips

4 Large eggs

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

25 teaspoon salt

5 load day-old French bread, torn into rough pieces

5 cup chopped toasted macadamia nuts

25 cup unsalted butter, melted

whipped cream, for serving

Directions

To make the Caramel Sauce:

Place a pot on the stove top. Bring the water and 1 cup sugar to a boil over medium-high heat until amber colored. Then, remove the pot from the heat and let cool briefly.

Carefully whisk the butter and cream into the caramel. Then, add the salt and vanilla and stir.

To make the Bread Pudding:

Place a large pan on the stove top. Add the cream and milk and bring to a bare simmer over low heat.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the chocolate chips. Leave the saucepan undisturbed for 1–2 mins. and then whisk until the chocolate is completely melted.

Combine the eggs, vanilla, salt, and ⅓ cup sugar in a large bowl and whisk. Add the chocolate mixture and stir until incorporated. Soak the bread and macadamia nuts in the mixture for 15 mins.

Butter a 1.5-qt. round baking dish with the melted butter. Spoon the mixture into the dish and drizzle the remaining butter over the mixture.

Slide the Pizza Rack into Shelf Position 5. Tightly cover the dish with foil and place the dish on the Pizza Rack.

Select the Bake setting. Set the cooking temperature to 335° F/168° Cand set the cooking time to 1 hr. Press the Start Button to begin the cooking cycle. When the cooking timer has 15 mins. remaining, uncover the bread pudding.

When the pudding is done cooking, remove the dish. Cool the bread pudding briefly and then serve in small bowls. Drizzle the caramel sauce over the pudding and top with a dollop of whipped cream.

Granola with Dried Blueberries

INGREDIENTS

Dehydrated Blueberries

4 cups blueberries, rinsed

Granola

2 cups oats

1/2 cup sunflower seeds,

walnuts & almonds

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

4 tbsp. wheat germ

6 tbsp. butter, melted

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Dehydrated Blueberries:

Place the blueberries on the Crisper Tray. Slide the Crisper Tray into Shelf Position 2.

Select the Dehydrate setting. Set the cooking temperature to 120° F/49° C and set the cooking time to 20 hrs. Press the Start Button to begin the cooking cycle.

Granola:

Combine the granola ingredients in a bowl and mix.

Spread the granola on the Baking Pan. Slide the Pizza Rack into Shelf Position 1. Place the Baking Pan on top of the Pizza Rack. Select the Bake setting (30-min. cooking time). Set the cooking temperature to 300° F/149° C. Press the Start Button to begin the cooking cycle. Halfway through the cooking time (15 mins.), stir the granola.

When the cooking time is complete, remove the granola, let cool, and mix with the dried blueberries.

Serve with yogurt.

The Emeril Lagasse Power AirFryer 360 retails for $199.99 on EmerilEveryday.com, so get yours today!

Keto Lemon Garlic Turkey: Your Best Thanksgiving Bird Ever Thanks to Topsy Turkey (Plus Giveaway!)

November 8, 2019 by Beeb 22 Comments

Thanks to Topsy Turkey for sponsoring this post!

While I was making dinner last month, I made up a keto-friendly recipe for a lemon-garlic roasted chicken stuffed with veggies. It turned out so delicious that I knew right away that I wanted to replicate it on a turkey, since I’ll be cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the first time ever this year as a keto-friendly “Ketosgiving” feast! I’ve only made a turkey once before, for Christmas dinner last year – which is when us Brits eat our turkey dinners! – so I thought it would be wise to do a test run before the big day. So when Topsy Turkey reached out to be part of our Keto Christmas Gift Guide, it caught my attention right away. Topsy Turkey is a one-of-a-kind roasting rack that creates a moister, tastier turkey which also cooks faster. Now that I’ve tried it, I’m confident that my Thanksgiving meal will be a huge hit – and whether you follow a ketogenic diet or not, you are going to love this recipe! And three lucky MomStart readers will also win a Topsy Turkey for their own table, so make sure you read to the end of the post for your chance to enter!

Keto Lemon Garlic Turkey Recipe

Loosely inspired by this recipe and this post!

Ingredients:

12.5 lb whole turkey
2 sticks of butter
2 1/2 lemons, cleaned with fruit and veggie wash – I used this one
1 carrot, peeled & sliced thin
1 stalk of celery, chopped
6 halved Brussels sprouts
1/4 of an onion, chopped
4 whole cloves of garlic
Garlic salt
Black pepper
Paprika

Directions:

Step one:

In a medium bowl, combine the carrot, celery, Brussels sprouts, onion, and garlic. Toss with salad tongs to combine.

Step two:

Line a large roasting pan with foil and place the turkey in the pan, removing the neck and giblets. (I personally set these aside to use later for soup, but you can throw them away if you don’t want to use them.) Melt 1/2 stick of butter and use a basting brush to paint the cavity of the turkey with the butter. Take the vegetable mixture and stuff it into the cavity – protip: I use disposable plastic gloves when I handle turkey and stuffing! Take 1/2 of a lemon and chop it into quarters, placing it on top of the stuffing mixture inside the cavity. Use kitchen twine to truss the stuffed turkey – we referred to this video tutorial from Alton Brown when we trussed ours for this recipe.

Step three:

Once you have trussed the turkey, flip it breast side down in the pan. Melt 1 stick of butter and use your brush to generously coat the turkey with butter, taking care to work the brush into the various nooks and crannies on the bird. (You can use less or more butter depending on the size of the bird and your preference – just make sure you coat it generously!) Once the butter has been thoroughly worked into the side of the turkey that is facing up, take 1 lemon and use a zester to sprinkle the zest from the lemon rind all over the turkey. Cut the lemon in half and use a lemon squeezer to squeeze the juice from both halves over the turkey. Season with garlic salt, black pepper, and paprika.

Step four:

Flip the turkey again so the breast is facing up. Melt an additional 1/2 stick of butter and repeat the basting process on this side. Take 1 lemon and repeat the process of zesting and juicing on the breast, followed by seasoning.

Step five:

Place the pan in the oven on the lowest rack position and broil the turkey at 460 degrees for 20 minutes, or until the turkey is nicely browned.

Step six:

Flipping the bird into the Topsy Turkey frame

This is where Topsy Turkey comes in! Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Flip the turkey so that it is breast side down and place it on top of the Topsy Turkey rack, which should be positioned in the center of the roasting pan. Topsy Turkey is designed in a teardrop shape, and can be used in either direction – the smaller side works better for smaller turkeys, and the larger side is ideal for bigger birds. You’ll want to position the breast towards the larger end of the teardrop at a 20 degree angle. Most of the fat and juices are located in the lower back of a turkey or chicken, so by “Flipping the bird” and using this inverse cooking position, Topsy Turkey uses gravity to pull moisture down into the breast meat to saturate it, along with all the other benefits of using a rack to elevate the meat.

Step seven:

Once you have the bird situated in the Topsy Turkey frame, add 1 cup of water to the pan and cover the turkey with foil, leaving the sides slightly vented. Set the oven to 350 degrees and put the turkey back into the oven. Cook until both the turkey and center of the stuffing reach 165 degrees. Remove the foil during the last 45 minutes of cooking time in order to brown the entire bird – I used my MEATER meat thermometer on the turkey, and as soon as the app let me know there was 45 minutes remaining, I popped the foil off. Once the turkey is ready to remove from the oven, let it rest on the Topsy Turkey frame for 20 minutes.

Then you’re ready to serve and enjoy!

Bonus Thanksgiving life hack: After we finish eating, I like to carve the bird completely and package all of the leftover meat in freezer bags while putting the bones directly into my Instant Pot. I use bird bones to make a keto version of this turkey soup recipe, so I like to pressure cook them immediately to make the broth. Since the soup uses many of the same ingredients as this stuffing – celery, carrot, and onion – you could even chop extra ahead of time while making the stuffing, and you’ll be ready to roll with your soup. To do a keto version of his recipe, I just omit the egg noodles and corn starch; I also add garlic while sauteing the veggies, because if you couldn’t tell from this recipe, I really like garlic. 😉

This recipe turned out fantastic – my husband said “This is as good as turkey gets!” I’m so delighted to have found Topsy Turkey. I’ve only made two attempts at cooking a whole chicken or turkey before this, and any time I’ve looked up the best cooking practices, I inevitably find complicated directions about balancing the bird on top of multiple racks and trays in order to allow the air to circulate around it. This makes my eyes glaze over, so each time I’ve gone for the easier route of just placing my bird on a bed of chopped veggies to give it some elevation without the hassle. Now that I have Topsy Turkey – a small roasting rack that is easy to use AND store! – I save time on both the preparation and the actual cooking time of the bird, with the added bonus of making the most juicy and delicious turkey possible! If a Thanksgiving beginner like me can avoid dry turkey and knock it out of the park, you know that any kitchen can benefit – I highly recommend picking one up for Thanksgiving, and keeping Topsy Turkey in mind as a great wedding gift or Christmas present for the chef on your list!

Enter to Win a Topsy Turkey For Your Kitchen!

Three MomStart readers will win a Topsy Turkey, ARV $19.95! Giveaway is open to US residents, 18+ – sorry, no PO boxes – and ends on November 30th, 2019 at 11:00 PM PST. Please see the Rafflecopter widget below for full details, and click here to read our giveaway rules.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hotel Transylvania 3: Plan a Spook-Tacular Sleepover!

October 9, 2018 by Beeb 1 Comment

This post contains our Amazon Associates link.

Hotel Transylvania 3

The beginning of October signals the start of my favorite time of year: Halloween season! All Hallow’s Eve is my favorite holiday, and I love getting into the spooky spirit by decorating and hosting my famous Halloween parties. My taste is firmly on the “Cute and campy” side of spooky fun, so films like Hotel Transylvania 3 are much more up my alley than creepy horror movies. Just in time for Halloween, Hotel Transylvania 3 is coming to Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD TODAY, October 9th, and is packed with bonus features – such as a tutorial on how to plan a spook-tacular sleepover!

Hotel Transylvania 3 Bonus Clip: Plan a Spook-Tacular Sleepover!

Are these crafts adorable, or what?! If you’ve ever been to one of my Halloween parties, you’ll know that these are exactly the kind of Halloween crafts I make. I might need to pick up a copy of this DVD for some party inspiration!

Free Printable Activities: DracuStraws & Drac’s Spooky Smoothie

To get a head start on your spook-tacular party planning, click on the image above to download two fun, free, printable activity sheets: One is a craft instructional showing you how to make DracuStraws, and the other is a recipe for Drac’s Spooky Smoothie – the perfect Halloween party punch!

Scary-Oke Sing-Along “Oh, These Wolf Pups!”

I love doing karaoke at parties – so what better activity for a Halloween gathering than “Scary-oke”? The home edition of Hotel Transylvania 3 includes three different sing-alongs – check out the bonus clip above for a sampling what scary-oke you can expect!

Here’s the full list of the Hotel Transylvania 3 bonus materials you can look forward to:

Bonus Materials Include:
• Three All New Scary-Oke Sing Alongs: Sing along to three Hotel Transylvania 3 inspired songs with your favorite characters!
o “Dennis Had a Giant Dog” – Sung by Dennis & Winnie
o “Monsters Like to Party Down” – Sung by Johnny
o “Oh These Wolf Pups” – Sung by Wanda Werewolf
• Plan Your Own Spook-tacular Sleepover: This feature will give you all details on how to make your own sleepover spook-tacular! From snacks to crafts to games and more, follow these steps to create a Hotel T sleep-over with your friends and family, the perfect setting to binge watch all 3 Hotel Transylvania movies.
• Vampire Make Over: Mavis and Drac Tutorial: Learn how to turn yourself into your favorite Hotel Transylvania 3 characters.
• Behind the Screams – The Voices of Hotel Transylvania 3: Step behind the “screams” with the returning stars and hilarious new cast to see how these characters are brought to life in the recording booth.
• Johnny’s Home Movies (Franchise Recap): Johnny brings viewers up to speed on what’s happened in the Hotel Transylvania franchise so far.
• “I See Love” Monster Dance Party Dance Along: Get up and get moving to this haunting monster mash.
• Drac’s Zing-tastic Read Along: It’s storytime with your favorite characters have a silly tale about Drac’s search for a Zing! Read along or sit back and enjoy!
• Two Mini Movies (rated G): Two mini-features that will have you howling.
o Puppy
o Goodnight Mr. Foot

So what are you waiting for? Snag your copy of Hotel Transylvania 3 today on Amazon!

Ghostly Pumpkins Double Crusted Halloween Pizza Recipe

October 3, 2018 by Momstart 53 Comments

Did you know that October is National Pizza Month! First observed in the United States during 1984, October was designated as National Pizza Month by Gerry Durnell, the founder of Pizza Today magazine, who chose that month because the first issue of his magazine debuted in October of that year!

National Pizza Month

According to Pizza.com, people don’t really need a special month for pizza in a country where there are an estimated 63,000 pizzerias and 94% of Americans eat pizza at least once a month! Though there are pizza restaurants in almost every city across the country, National Pizza Month offers the perfect opportunity to get the family together and create your own homemade pizza dishes. Getting creative in the kitchen is a great way to bring together all members of the family and have a little bit of fun. So I did. We created a Halloween Pizza, it’s a regular pizza but a bit more fun.

Ghostly Pumpkins Double Crusted Halloween Pizza Recipe

(inspired by: Bewitched Double-Crust Cheese Pizza on Betty Crocker.com)

Ingredients:

3 cups Original Bisquick® mix
2/3 cup very hot water
1 can (8 oz) pizza sauce
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese blend (8 oz)
1/2 teaspoon garlic 1 can of diced black olives 2 cups Hormel Italian Sausage crumble

Directions:

Move oven rack to lowest position. Heat oven to 450°F. Spray 12-inch pizza pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl stir Bisquick mix and hot water with; beat vigorously. Divide dough in half. Press half of the dough in pizza pan, using fingers dipped in Bisquick mix; pinch edge to form 1/2-inch rim. Spread pizza sauce over dough. In medium bowl, mix cheese and garlic, olives, and sausage; sprinkle over pizza sauce.

Place remaining dough on surface dusted with Bisquick mix; roll in Bisquick mix to coat. Shape into a ball; knead 5 times. Roll dough into 14-inch circle. Use cookie cutters in Halloween shapes to cut shapes from dough (leave 1 inch of dough between cutouts and leave 1 inch of edge of dough uncut). Fold dough circle in half; place over pizza and unfold. Seal edges. Place dough cutouts on top of pizza if desired.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

I created this recipe as part of the Hormel Family ambassador program from 2012.

About National Pizza Month

Today, National Pizza Month is observed each October across the USA and in much of Canada too. The designation might be a bit redundant in this country though, as nearly every month could be considered Pizza Month in the United States these days. People don’t really need a special month for pizza in a country where there are an estimated 63,000 pizzerias and 94% of Americans eat pizza at least once a month. The figures equal the consumption of about 45 slices of pizza per person in the U.S. each year and show that Americans definitely love their pizza as evidenced by devouring 100 acres of pizza per day, or 350 slices per second.

Fancy Italian Coffee Recipe

October 2, 2018 by Momstart 1 Comment

I adore coffee, I’m drinking a latte right now. I almost think it’s more of a habit now than it is an addiction because I get up and get dressed, wake up one of the kids and then make my way down the stairs. From there I turn on the coffee pot and make myself a cup of coffee.

Since I like coffee so much I figure most of you must like coffee too right? My guess would be at least half of you. So here goes, here is a fun coffee recipe you can try.

Fancy Italian Coffee Recipe

3 cups strong black coffee

1 cup milk

1 tbsp. light brown sugar

Whipped cream

Ground cinnamon

Add coffee and milk to a large sauce pan, and bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Moisten just the top edges of four coffee mugs with water, and then dip into shallow dish of brown sugar. Pour coffee mixture into mugs. Place whipped cream on top with a dash of ground cinnamon to garnish, if desired.

26 Out-of-This World Star Wars Recipes

August 11, 2018 by Beeb 2 Comments

A long time ago, in a kitchen far, far away…came twenty-six of the most creative and delicious recipes ever inspired by Star Wars! We’ve scoured the galaxy to bring you the tastiest Tatooine treats that will have you chewing on a few gingerbread Chewbaccas while sipping on some Jyn and juice:

23 Out-of-This World Star Wars Recipes

Which one of these Star Wars treats are you going to try first?

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation Cocktails

July 7, 2018 by Momstart 2 Comments

We were invited to attend the Hotel Transylvania 2 Press Junket and while we were there we had a cocktail lesson from Snake Oil Cocktail Company. Sony provided hotel and transportation so we could attend this amazing event. We also had the opportunity to review the movie, learn about Amazon Echo, and interview the cast. All of which we will share with you this next week. For now, let’s talk Hotel Transylvania 2 themed cocktails.

Snake Oil Cocktail Company taught us how to make two different cocktails. One of them was a Mavis Margarita and the other was a Blobby.

Hotel Transylvania 3 Cocktails

The Mavis Margarita

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. Vodka or Tequila
.75 oz. Lime Juice
6 basil leaves
2-3 whole strawberries
.75 oz. simple syrup

Directions:

Muddle the basil and strawberries in a shaker then add all the ingredients. Shake well with a scoop of ice. Then strain over a glass of ice. If you so desire, salt the rim. To salt the rim, first take a lime and run it around the glass, then dip your glass in salt.

The Blobby Cocktail

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Vodka or Tequila
2 OX cucumber juice
.5 oz. lime juice
.5 oz. agave nectar
6-8 basil leaves

Directions:

In a shaker, muddle the basil leaves, then add the rest of the ingredients. Add a scoop of ice and then close the shaker and shake well.

Strain over a glass of ice and serve with a lime or a cucumber peel.

Keto Ricotta Pancake Recipe

May 31, 2018 by Momstart 6 Comments

So I discovered ricotta pancakes Mother’s Day weekend and now I am obsessed. I haven’t decided if I am naming these ‘Keto Mother’s Day pancakes’ or ‘Keto lemon ricotta pancakes with blueberry syrup’. I will probably go with just Keto Ricotta pancakes and likely start mixing up my flavor profile and fruit game. I have difficulty naming Keto recipes, as you might have noticed.

My husband and I are attempting to be on a keto diet and he is doing fairly well where I am crashing and burning hard. I am generally offended by the levels of carbs in kale ect, but I digress. I bought a bunch of different kids of cheeses, ricotta included in hopes to use them in keto friendly meals. I was thinking about using the ricotta in a frittata, but we discovered Mack hates frittatas.

So as I am laying in bed at night doing the mom thing (what is our schedule tomorrow? Oh I should add that to the grocery list….what are we making for breakfast and dinner?) I thought of ricotta pancakes. I had heard of these things before, surely they exist- to pinterest! Pretty soon I found a few recipes and was excited going to bed knowing a new culinary adventure awaited me at breakfast.

The morning of I started cross comparing the recipes and found that I was too lazy to separate eggs and was displeased at some of the levels of cheese in my chosen test recipes. Hungry and with a toddler waiting on me for his breakfast I decided to wing it. These may not be the fluffiest pancakes you have ever made but they definitely have just the right amount of decadence to comfort ratio, and lemon and blueberries only make everything better. The lemon in the cake itself is faint, and as with cream cheese it mostly just enhances the ricotta in that weird way coffee helps chocolate become more magical but not coffeeish. Usually I use a whisk with most pancakes once again out of laziness, but with this recipe it is really better with a hand mixer so you can get the eggs super mixed and the ricotta super smooth with no lumps.

I think the fresh blueberry syrup helps take these to the next level. I tried my first batch with regular syrup and the blueberries cooked in, and they were good but not crave worthy like these. And really, it is just a matter of throwing a few things in a small saucepan as you flip the cakes so not too much more labor intensive. I love using vanilla sugar on the fly from Nigella Lawson, my home cook soulmate (https://www.nigella.com/ask/vanilla-sugar), but regular sugar is just fine for the syrup as well. But seriously, make vanilla sugar, it is the gift that will keep on giving. I have even made variations of it for stocking stuffers- but that is another post.

Can you totally make this recipe with healthier swaps like swerve and coconut flour? Totally, and it will still be tasty. Am I going to do that? Never. Looks like I will start on my diet next week!

Keto Ricotta Pancake Recipe

Ingredients

¾ cup all-purpose flour
2.5 teaspoons baking powder
3-4 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup ricotta cheese
¾ cup milk
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Grated zest of 2 lemon, plus the juice of one

Mix eggs in the bowl with the hand mixer, add ricotta, sugar, salt, vanilla, lemon and mix till smooth. Add in milk, mix, then add in all dry ingredients. Cook on medium heat on your favorite griddle.

Blueberry syrup:

1 cup blueberries

2-3 tbs of vanilla sugar (or regular)

Juice of one lemon

1/4 tsp of vanilla extract

Whatever lemon zest bits may remain on your zester from the pancakes

Throw everything into a small sauce pot and cook/simmer on medium heat until the blueberries are partially cooked down. Remove from the heat and let cool and thicken for about 5 minutes before serving.

adapted from https://prettysimplesweet.com/ricotta-pancakes/

Pup Star World Tour Inspired Recipe

May 15, 2018 by Momstart 2 Comments

This is a partnered post and by posting I’m entering to win a family trip to Orlando.

Last week before I went on my Star Wars Press Trip, I received a surprise box from the people over at Pup Star World Tour. Miles and I did a box opening video of the Pup Star World Tour contents.

After making the video we realized we could enter to win a vacation for our family to go to Orlando, and noticed that there are a few ways you guys could win as well. But first, let me share this Pup Star World Tour inspired recipe that Zoe made with a tiny bit of unorganized help from her brother Miles.

Chinese Not Almond Cookies Recipe:

So these cookies were supposed to be made with Almond Extract which we do have, but I was busy working so the kids made them with Vanilla instead. Then Zoe made RUM Buttercream icing, with Rum Extract.

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg, 1 egg white
1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup water
optional 1 cup sliced almonds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Beat egg white and water in a small bowl and set aside

Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy then beat in egg and almond extract

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a different bowl. Add to creamed mixture and beat until thoroughly combined.
Take a tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Gently flatten with the bottom of a drinking glass. Or roll them out and cut out different shapes

Sprinkle each cookie with almond slices gently pressing almonds into dough (We didn’t do this step Zoe has friends with nut allergies).
Gently brush egg white mixture over cookies
Bake 14-16 minutes or until edges and bottoms are lightly browned. Let sit for 2 minutes before placing on wire racks to cool completely.

Then she made an icing recipe we found of Food Network, but she added a teaspoon of rum extract.

Icing Ingredients:

4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup whole milk
2 egg whites

Directions:

In a large bowl, beat all of the ingredients in an electric mixture until thick and glossy. Add more powdered sugar if the icing seems to thin.

My kids have seen every Pup Star and Air Bud made movie. They love every one of them, I think they have seen them more than once even. So I know they will be watching Pup Star World Tour during their next sleep over.

How You Can Win:

Now, To share with you how you can win prizes thanks to Pup Star World Tour on Netflix. Pup Star World Tour has partnered with Extended Stay America Hotels to offer an awesome prize. The pet-friendly hotel chain is proud to always roll out the welcome mat for pets, and it is even more proud to roll out the red carpet for this exciting partnership! The spin on pup-ular TV singing competitions invites families on an action-packed adventure alongside the series’ beloved talking (and singing) dogs. ‘Tiny,’ the adorable singing Yorkie pup, packs her bags for an epic trip and Extended Stay America is along for the adventure as the hotel makes its on-screen debut in several scenes throughout the film, which you can see here. Proud pet parents can submit photos of their beloved pooch at www.ESA.com/pups.

The PUP STAR celebrity panel of judges will narrow down the entries to 26 finalists, with the grand prize winner to be decided by consumer vote. The grand prize winner will receive star treatment, including a trip and a walk on role in an upcoming Air Bud Entertainment movie where they will visit the set, meet the cast and enjoy a backstage tour. The contest’s 25 first prize winners will receive free hotel stays at Extended Stay America, and of course, their pups are invited too!

Pawsome Pet Photo Tips

Pet parents know it can be ruff capturing a pawsome photo of their four-legged family member. Extended Stay America has teamed up with Air Bud Entertainment and PUP STAR: WORLD TOUR on tips for capturing the perfect pup photo and avoiding any photo faux-paws:

Focus the eyeline: Can’t get your dog to look where you want? Hold up a treat to guide their focus while you take the shot.
Turn off your flash! The flash may alarm your pet, so try to use natural light. If you’re shooting in the middle of the day, look for a well-shaded area.
Let your pets get comfortable: Move slowly, give commands calmly, and don’t be afraid to get physically down on their level to make them feel safe. And if they’re curious about the camera, it never hurts to let them examine (smell) it for themselves.
Go for the eyes! You know how much emotion your dog can convey with just a glance, so get those expressions – and especially those eyes – front and center.
Auto focus: Set your auto-focus to servo mode if your pet is moving. And they probably are.
Relax: If you’re not relaxed, your dog won’t be either. This should be fun for both of you!
Pay your talent: Don’t be stingy with snacks! Reward your dogs for cooperation, and a photo shoot can be fun for both of you.
Tell a story: Is it a photo of a dog sitting next to a door, or a photo of a dog patiently waiting for their beloved owner to return? A good photo inspires a story in the viewer’s mind. Look for situations, actions, and compositions that accomplish this.

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Pawsome Pet Photo Tips