How to Make a Perfect Pork Top Loin Roast With MEATER: Review & Recipe

December 23, 2017 by Beeb 7 Comments

Sample provided.

I’ve always had the tendency to overcook meat, “Just to be sure it’s done”. When I was 19 and first living on my own, I distinctly remember making a chicken stir fry for dinner that ended up being raw in the middle due to my lack of experience, and from then on I’ve always been paranoid about repeating that mistake. A mouthful of raw chicken really leaves an impression…

I’ve used meat thermometers in the past and was in need of a new one, so when I had the opportunity to try out a MEATER Probe, I thought it sounded like the perfect thing to add to my kitchen. Unlike traditional meat thermometers that rely on long wires hanging out of the oven, MEATER is a wireless meat thermometer that pairs with an app on your phone. Simply place the probe in your piece of meat, and it will “Meter” the temperature and alert your phone as soon as the food is done. Check out my video below to see a demo of my first time using MEATER:

I am so impressed with this product! It was easy to set up and use, and works exactly as promised. To use it, simply open the MEATER app to start cooking, and select the type of meat and how you’d like to cook it – rare, medium, well done, etc. For my first test making this roast, I just selected the USDA standard doneness of 63 degrees, which the default; this resulted in a roast that was crisp on the outside, but still tender inside. Next time, I’m going to try cooking to medium doneness to make it even more tender!

Once you’ve selected your cooking setting, inserted the thermometer, and placed it in the oven, the MEATER app will take a little bit to estimate the cooking time, so just let the app do its thing. After maybe 6, 10 minutes, the app will show the time remaining until the meat is done, with a real-time readout of the temperature. It’s really cool! I was able to cook my roast without any guessing – I knew exactly how hot it was, how long it needed to cook for, and when I pulled it out of the oven, it was cooked to perfection.

You can still use your phone while the app runs in the background – when I returned to the app from using Twitter or another application, sometimes the progress of my current dish didn’t show up right away and I was worried that it might have reset, but it popped up again after a moment. The app pairs with the thermometer over Bluetooth and has a range of 30 feet, so I needed to leave my phone in the kitchen while it cooked, but the app makes a loud sound to notify you when the meat is finished so you don’t have to worry about missing it; and the MEATER Block, which is currently available to pre-order, will extend the range of your MEATER as well as having its own readout and the ability to cook multiple cuts of meat at the same time. Ooh, I can’t wait until that product comes out!

When you’re done using your MEATER probe, simply stick it back into its wooden charging block to prepare it for the next use. The charger runs off of a rechargeable AAA battery and has a magnetic backing, so you can hang it off the fridge for ease of access instead of digging through your kitchen drawers going, “I know it’s in here somewhere!”.

The MEATER is an amazing gift for any grillmaster dad or foodie friend; it would also be a perfect wedding or housewarming gift. It’s available for $69 on Meater.com and I definitely recommend picking one up for yourself or a loved one!

And to help you through this hectic holiday season, I’d like to share my recipe for making an effortlessly perfect pork roast using MEATER:

How to Make a Perfect Pork Top Loin Roast

Ingredients:

1 pork top loin roast
Bella Sun Luci Korean BBQ Marinade
Cooking spray

Directions:

Line a baking dish with foil and spritz with cooking spray. Place the roast in the dish and cover with the marinade, turning the roast a few times to coat all sides. Insert the MEATER probe and cook at 400 degrees until the MEATER app alerts you that it has cooked to your desired doneness. Serve with rice or your favorite side dish. Eat, and enjoy!!

Come To The Dark Side Sith Juice Recipe

December 20, 2017 by Momstart 3 Comments

With Star Wars out in theaters, we wanted to celebrate the dark side with this new recipe. The Star Wars the Last Jedi was all about the end of everything. This marked the end of the Jedi, the end of the Skywalkers, the end of Sith. It’s time for Star Wars to travel in a different direction and with Rey and Kylo Ren there is a chance we can find a new path for Star Wars. You’ll also notice how dark the movie is as everyone has the darkness within them, well except Leia. She seems to be pretty innocent. Anyway, since there is darkness, we want to celebrate with our Come to the Dark Side Sith Juice Recipe.

Come To The Dark Side Sith Juice Recipe

Ingredients:

· 12 Ounces Lemon Lime Soda

· 6 Ounces Cranberry Juice Cocktail

· 3 Tablespoons Lime Juice

· 1/3 Cup Sugar

· Grenadine

· Red Food Coloring

· Black Food Coloring

· Ice

Directions:

1. Begin by place your sugar and about 5 drops of red food coloring into a bowl. Mix together well until all the sugar is red.

2. Place some water in a small bowl and dip the mouth of your cups into the water then directly into the sugar, rubbing it around a bit until you get the coverage desired around the rim of the glass. Set aside.

3. In a pourable container, combine your soda, cranberry juice, lime juice, 2 drops of red food coloring, and 5 drops of black food coloring. Mix slowly as to not flatten the soda.

4. Carefully fill your glasses to the rim with ice. Pour your grenadine over the ice and let it settle at the bottom. Be sure you have a nice layer at the bottom so it’s noticeable.

5. Pour your soda mixture over the ice carefully by using the back of a spoon. Hold the spoon upside down over the glass and let the liquid hit the spoon as it falls into the glass. This will ensure the grenadine doesn’t get mixed in to the drink.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Coconut Balls Recipe

December 18, 2017 by Momstart 16 Comments

This post is sponsored by Safeway and Albertsons.

My daughter loves to get creative in the kitchen. And when I recently visited with Safeway and Albertsons at their Culinary Kitchens and Technical Center, I was inspired to get creative with her in the kitchen. For one, I learned that things don’t have to be complicated to be amazing. With simple, quality ingredients combined you can make magic. And Safeway and Albertsons have an amazing array of items in the O Organics® brand and the Open Nature® brands of products. Really they have anything and everything you could need this holiday season. They can easily be your one stop for all holiday needs including gifts!

So my daughter and I decided to make Peanut Butter Coconut Balls and we found almost all the ingredients we needed in the O Organics line. I couldn’t find the coconut flakes at my local store but I do believe that they make them. So we picked up the Signature brand instead and what we made became magic. I have a feeling we will be making these often.

These products are available in my area exclusively at Albertsons and Safeway. If you do not have an Albertsons or Safeway near you, you can find O Organics and Open Nature products at any of the Albertsons Companies family of stores including ACME Markets, Jewel Osco, Vons Pavilions, Tom Thumb, Randalls, Shaw’s, Star Market, United, United Express and Carrs/Safeway.

Peanut Butter Coconut Balls Recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups crushed O Organics cookies

2 cups coconut flakes (unsweetened preferred)

2 Tablespoons O Organics Maple Syrup

1 cup O Organics old fashioned peanut butter (unsweetened preferred)

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients except the Bittersweet chocolate chunks

Form balls and place on a tray

Chill for at least 30 minutes

Then melt the chocolate

Drizzle

Optional ( chill a little bit)

Then enjoy

Just watch how easy it is to put these together.

Insert Video:

Foster Farms Chicken Cheese & Spinach Dip: A Game Day Recipe #FosterFarmsBowl Giveaway

December 13, 2017 by Momstart 40 Comments

This post is sponsored by Foster Farms.

College football bowl season is almost here and starting December 16th through the early part of January there are many great opportunities to Feed Your Fandom with Foster Farms while watching the bowl games. Including the Foster Farms Bowl and the exciting matchup between the Pac-12 and the Big Ten, airing on Fox Sports on December 27th at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. How exciting is that? Food and Football that’s always been a family favorite in my house. Our family is also a big fan of the Rose Bowl and the Rose Bowl parade. I’m also a big fan of entertaining and with the help of Foster Farms I came up with a great recipe.

How To Feed Your Fandom?

ONE: Find The Food

Foster Farms has a great line of products for all of your game day needs. Whether it’s a platter filled with wings, nuggets and corn dogs, Foster Farms has you covered. Foster Farms chicken breasts and legs marinated in your favorite sauce and grilled to perfection. Or Foster Farms sliced turkey that goes great for those game time hoagies and sandwiches.

TWO: Find Some Recipes

Also on the packages and at this Foster Farms website you will find great game day recipes like Buffalo Blue Cheese Roll-Up Sandwiches, Easy Chicken Party Poppers, Chicken White Bean Chili and other game day recipe ideas as well as savings to Feed Your Fandom during the college football bowl season.

Our Recipe:

Chicken Cheese & Spinach Dip Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pound cooked Foster Farms Chicken Breast

1 8 ounce cream cheese softened

3 cups raw baby spinach

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp hot sauce

1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

1. preheat the oven to 350 degree F

2. Chop up the cooked Foster Farms Chicken Breast ( I boiled the chicken in chicken broth and hot sauce)

3. Combine the cheeses

4. Sautee the spinach in butter and garlic salt then combine with cheese and stir.

5. Then fold in the chicken. Place in a baking dish and cook for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

For this project we used some fresh Foster Farms chicken. However, what I love about Foster Farms is how you could easily use some of their frozen chicken in any recipe. In fact, using their frozen chicken is my preferred method because it saves me so much time. With the variety too, it makes it easy to cook up a few different types of chicken> Make three different kinds of frozen chicken and throw in some Foster Farms corn dogs and you’ve easily got a party platter. I’m planning on making a full size party platter after our house is over this nasty flu bug.

Three: Find some Savings:

At participating supermarkets you will find a code to scan on specially-marked Foster Farms packages of fresh chicken and also on signs in the frozen food aisle that will connect to up to $7.50 in coupon savings when buying participating Foster Farms products. Safeway always makes it easy for me to find the products I love and save.

Enter to Win:

(US Only) $75 worth of Foster Farms Coupons

To Enter:

Tell us what Foster Farms products you prefer to use for a game day spread

Extra Entries:

Use the rafflecopter a Rafflecopter giveaway

Feed Your Fandom by stocking up on Foster Farms during the college football bowl season and head to Foster Farms for great game day recipe ideas and savings. Don’t forget to watch the exciting year-end action when the Pac-12 battles the Big Ten in the Foster Farms Bowl airing on Fox Sports on December 27th at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA.

Coconut Milk Vegetable Curry Recipe

November 13, 2017 by Beeb 3 Comments

Product provided.

In January, Jai and I did a month-long vegetarian eating challenge. It was a cool learning experience! I would like to reduce the amount of meat that I consume, so I love the idea behind Meatless Mondays. Consciously choosing a specific time period to make only vegetarian dishes gives me a goal and a fun challenge to try new recipes.

Of course, I’m very fortunate to not only to have the luxury of choice in what I eat, but food to eat, period; far too many families in this country struggle with food insecurity. So when I learned that the Meatless Monday campaign was teaming up with Goya to donate items to Feeding America, I thought it was awesome. As part of their “Can Do” initiative, Goya will donate products for every can of Goya Coconut Milk or Cream of Coconut purchased in November and December, and will donate at least 600,000 pounds of food by the end of this year.

To help inspire your next Meatless Monday dish and give back at the same time, Goya challenged me to come up with a tasty vegetarian recipe using Goya Coconut Milk. I decided to modify my go-to curry recipe to remove the meat and incorporate the coconut milk instead:

Yum

Coconut Milk Vegetable Curry Recipe

Ingredients

18 creamer potatoes
2 C baby carrots
1/2 of a sweet onion, chopped into wedges
1 TBSP Goya Minced Garlic
1 can Goya Coconut Milk
2 TBSP yellow curry powder

Instructions

Add all ingredients to slow cooker and cook on low heat for 9 to 11 hours. Serve on a bed of Goya Organic Brown Rice or cauliflower rice and garnish with chopped green onions.

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This vegetable curry is super easy to make in the slow cooker, so if one of your motivations for cooking with meat is because it is sometimes easier than making a vegetarian dish, then this is right up your alley! My version of this curry is extremely mild – so much so that kids could eat it easily – so if you prefer more heat, just add more seasoning to your personal preference. You’re sure to curry favor with this recipe! 😉

The Star Movie Recipe: Holiday Star Chips

November 8, 2017 by Momstart 3 Comments

So our amazing team member Beeb is going to cover the new movie The Star this weekend in LA. I’m super excited that she is going to be covering this movie. She will be interviewing:

Gina Rodriguez
Zachary Levi
Kristin Chenowith
Patricia Heaton (TBD)

In Sony Pictures Animation’s THE STAR, a small but brave donkey named Bo yearns for a life beyond his daily grind at the village mill. One day he finds the courage to break free, and finally goes on the adventure of his dreams. On his journey, he teams up with Ruth, a lovable sheep who has lost her flock and Dave, a dove with lofty aspirations. Along with three wisecracking camels and some eccentric stable animals, Bo and his new friends follow the Star and become unlikely heroes in the greatest story ever told – the first Christmas.

We’re so excited that we made some amazing cookies to get everyone in the mood for this movie!

Holiday Spice Star Chips

Ingredients:

· 1 Pack Tortillas

· ½ Cup Sugar

· 2 Tablespoons All Spice

· 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

Directions:

1. Using a star cookie cutter (you don’t want it to be too big) cut out as many star shapes as you can from each tortilla.

2. Heat up a deep fryer or fry them in a pan, whichever you prefer. Only do a few at a time so they don’t stick together. Fry on both side for only a few seconds.

3. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel to drain the grease. Pat down with a paper towel if need be so the grease is removed.

4. In a bowl with a lid, place your sugar, all spice, and cinnamon and mix well.

5. Place a handful of the stars in the sugar mixture and put the lid on the bowl. Give a slight shake and mix it around so the chips are coated.

6. Place in a bowl and enjoy!

The Star is in theaters November 17th.

Recipe: Zombie Cookies With Pumpkin Spice “Blood” Icing

October 30, 2017 by Beeb 1 Comment

Product & gift card provided.I love Halloween and pumpkins, so naturally, I’m a big pumpkin spice fan. As fate would have it this year, I even got a big box of pumpkin spice baking supplies in the mail the day before I made my annual pumpkin patch trip – is that good timing, or what?!

This package of goodies came from Krusteaz, makers of delicious baking mixes. I’m a big fan of their products, so when I found out that they had a nice line of pumpkin spice treats, I knew I had to try them out. The new PSL-inspired line includes Pumpkin Spice Muffins, Pumpkin Spice Cookies, and Pumpkin Spice Quick Bread. I have been enjoying these mixes all month, whipping up delicious seasonal treats in no time flat. The cookies, muffins and bread are all super fast and easy to make, and are incredibly delicious – these treats disappear fast around here!

Krusteaz challenged me to use one of the new pumpkin spice mixes to create a spooktacular Halloween recipe. If you’re as busy as I am this year, then you’re going to love what I came up with – adorable zombie cookies that you can make in a hurry!

Yum

Zombie Cookies With Pumpkin Spice “Blood” Icing

Ingredients

1 box Krusteaz Pumpkin Spice Cookies Mix
1 egg
1 stick butter or margarine
4 tsp. cold water
6 drops of red food coloring
Gummy zombie hand lollipops
Cooking spray

Instructions

In a large bowl, stir the cookie mix, butter, and egg together with a wooden spoon. Using butter gives the cookies a richer flavor, but margarine works also. You may need to use your hands to fully knead the butter into the mix.
Cover a baking sheet with foil and spritz with cooking spray. Use an ice cream scoop to measure out the dough onto the sheet - you want to make the cookies a little extra large to provide a deep base for the gummy hands, so you should end up with around 9 cookies total.
Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 16 minutes or until done. Remove from the tray and onto a cooking rack.
In a small bowl, whisk together the spiced vanilla glaze packet (included in the Krusteaz mix) with the water and food coloring. Drizzle the glaze over the cookies so that it resembles blood. (Tip: Place a cutting board or foil underneath the cooling rack to catch the drips from the glaze.) Allow the glaze to harden for a few minutes, then stick a gummy hand into each cookie to complete the look. These lollipops are specifically designed to decorate cupcakes and other baked goods - look for them in the Halloween display at your local grocery store, or online. Mine were by Candi-Fetti and came in a package of 8, but there seem to be a few brands in the gummy-zombie business these days!

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Zombie Cookies With Pumpkin Spice Blood Icing

If you’re looking for a frightfully easy dessert to whip up this Halloween, be sure to grab one of these delicious new pumpkin spice mixes from Krusteaz!

Jelly Bean Pumpkins Recipe

October 29, 2017 by Momstart 2 Comments

Jelly Bean Pumpkins

Items needed:

1 package of Gimbal’s Gourmet Jelly Beans
1 spool of orange or white tulle
1 package of green pipe cleaners
1 package of small rubber bands

Directions:

Cut a piece of tulle about 6 inches long (the bigger the tulle, the bigger the pumpkin)
Open up your back of Gimbal’s Gourmet Jelly Beans, and pick out all of the tangerine flavors (or whatever flavor you want your pumpkin to be)
Place your jelly beans on the tulle, wrap up the jelly beans, and tie up the top with the rubber band
Wrap up the top of the tulle starting at the rubber band with the pipe cleaner
Cut off any access tulle – you have your pumpkins!

Outrageous Pumpkin Spice Bar + Butterscotch + Salted Pretzel Recipe

October 22, 2017 by Momstart 2 Comments

Miami-based chef, television personality, and restaurateur Adrianne Calvo created this amazing recipe: Outrageous Pumpkin Spice Bar + Butterscotch + Salted Pretzel Recipe.

There is something absolutely, undeniably soul-warming about Fall desserts. Award-winning, Miami, Florida-based Chef Adrianne Calvo has decided to infuse her trademark Maximum Flavor into the Fall season by putting her own delicious twist on what is sure to be a seasonal favorite for years to come! Chef Adrianne’s Pumpkin Spice Bar with Butterscotch and Salted Pretzel is one of her very own easy to make and outrageously delicious Fall favorites that she hopes will be one of yours as well.

Outrageous Pumpkin Spice Bar + Butterscotch + Salted Pretzel

Serves: 9

Ingredients:

Crust:

2 cups graham cracker, ground

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

2 cups canned pumpkin

1 cup cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup cool whip topping

1/2 cup condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon pumpkin spice

Topping:

1/2 cup cream cheese, softened

2 cups cool whip topping

1/2 cup powder sugar

1 cup butterscotch chips

1/2 cup salted pretzels, chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all the ingredients for the crust in a bowl to combine well. Grease an 8×8 baking dish and press the crust ingredients onto the bottom of the baking dish. Bake for 5 minutes and then allow to cool. In a blender, whip all the filling ingredients together and pour onto crust. Freeze for 2 hours to set. In another blender, whip cream cheese, cool whip, and powdered sugar. Spread topping onto the top of set pumpkin. Sprinkle with butterscotch chips and pretzel. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Enjoy!

ABOUT CHEF ADRIANNE CALVO:

Adrianne Calvo is the Executive Chef and owner of Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Wine Bar, Host of Maximum Flavor Live on NBC’s 6 in the Mix, author of four cookbooks: Maximum Flavor (2005); Chef Adrianne: Driven by Flavor Fueled by Fire (2008); #MaximumFlavorSocial (2014); and Play with Fire (2015), and founder of the Make it Count Foundation. Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Wine Bar opened in 2007 and offers a varied and rotating menu with something for everyone. Monthly, the restaurant holds its signature event, Dark Dining, where guests are blindfolded for a sensual experience eliminating one sense to enhance another, providing maximum flavor.

HER SOCIAL MEDIA:

Social Media

www.instagram.com/chefadrianne

www.facebook.com/chefadriannecalvo

www.twitter.com/chefadrianne

Berry Cobbler Mug Cake

October 9, 2017 by Momstart 6 Comments

National Dessert Day on October 14 should be filled with decadent treats and ideally, a fuss-free kitchen. With the expertise and backing of Mars, THE COCOA EXCHANGE™, a marketplace for all things cocoa has compiled some fantastic dessert hacks to wow your friends and family on everyone’s favorite national holiday. We will be sharing those recipes with you this week. To start with here is a Berry Cobbler Mug Cake.

Berry Cobbler Mug Cake with Ginger Spice Granola

Ingredients:

1 egg

¼ cup half and half

½ cup apple sauce

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup DOVE SIGNATURE® WHITE CHOCOLATE BAKING MIX

10 raspberries

½ cup PURE DARK® GINGER SPICE GRANOLA

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, whisk egg, half and half, apple sauce, and vanilla until well incorporated.

Add DOVE SIGNATURE® WHITE CHOCOLATE BAKING MIX and combine until smooth.

In 2 large mugs, fill ½ full of batter. Add 5 raspberries and ¼ cup PURE DARK® GINGER SPICE GRANOLA.

Microwave for 45 seconds. Mix will begin to rise above the rim of mug. Allow contents to settle and microwave for an additional 30-45 seconds. Contents should be slightly moist but not runny.

Allow to cool for 1-2 minutes before consuming.

Check out the video:

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