Tasty Treats Archives

Popcorn Flavors Galore: Pickle Popcorn Taste Test

October 1, 2017 by Momstart 4 Comments

We received samples:

Popcorn is my favorite snack to give my kids. It’s such a healthy low calorie snack. When hunger strikes, popcorn is one of the best bites to have on hand (or in your hand!) to satisfy tasty cravings. It’s good whether you’re in the mood for salty, sweet, or even a summertime staple like dill pickle, which happens to be our favorite flavor. But honestly it’s hard to choose a favorite because we love all of them. G.H. Cretors Popped Corn rises above the competition in its commitment to quality ingredients and artisanal craftsmanship, which is why its popped corn is nothing short of incredible.

Obsessively delicious flavors include:

The Mix
Just the Cheese Corn
Organic White Cheddar
Organic Salted Butter Kettle Corn
Organic Salted Butter
Organic Dill Pickle

You see why it’s so hard to pick, look at all those amazing flavors. And watch as Zoe does a taste test of the Dill Pickle.

We have popcorn for family movie night, midnight snacks and for after school snacks. It’s a fantastic snack. I think we’ll have to even use it to make a popcorn ball.

The ingredients they use today are all natural: basically popcorn, sugar and sunflower oil – free of GMO’s, artificial colors and flavors. Bonus for me and my family is that there are no gluten ingredients either. And made by hand in copper kettles!

Tasty Treat: All Recipes.com Beth’s Spicy Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe

July 12, 2012 by Momstart 11 Comments

Sometime you just need an “old reliable” so today I’m giving you the top-rated cookie recipe from allrecipes.com. I simply typed cookies into their search tool and selected top rated and the winner of this title is …. Beth’s Spicy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies by Beth Sigworth.

With a little experimenting, I came up with these chewy, spicy, oatmeal raisin cookies. They make your kitchen smell wonderful while they are baking. They almost remind me of Christmas because the spices smell so good. ~Beth Sigworth

When I’m writing this the rating is 5 stars with 3,200 reviews. There are 173 photos for you to look at if you wish.

All Recipes.com Beth’s Spicy Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
½ cup butter flavored shortening
1 cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350^oF.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, sugars, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Stir in the oats and raisins.

3. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 12 minutes until golden. Do not over bake. Let cool for 2 minites before removing from cookie sheet to cool completely. Store in airtight container. Make sure you get some, because they don’t last long!

So I have a hard time leaving recipes alone even my first time around. I thought about messing with the sugar but didn’t. In my opinion, too much sugar is used in most sweets. I did use double the butter and no shortening. I also love to mess around with flour, but I played “light” this time and only fuddled the recipe by using 1 cup all-purpose and ½ cup whole wheat. I’d also love to add some walnuts! Lastly, I’m a one bowl kind of girl; I added everything into my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer in this order: sugars, butter, vanilla, baking soda, sinnamon, cloves, salt, eggs, flour, raisins, oats.

My thoughts: “Yum! Could I eat this for breakfast and call it good?”
My DH: “Hum … I think there’s something wrong; I’ll eat these, you make another batch!”

About Summer:

Summer is very active in our Local MOMS Club chapter, she is the mother of two adorable active boys, and is always thinking of ways to help others. She is a friend, a wife, and always busy as all mommies are. She is very active on Facebook, addicted to Geocaching and very interested in organic and green living while cooking up a storm.

Tasty Treat: The Honey Sweetened Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe

May 24, 2012 by Momstart 25 Comments

By Summer:

I always make chocolate chip cookies, so I wanted to try something a little different when my 5YO requested cookies as dessert one evening. These are not particularly sweet, but we really enjoyed them.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

2 eggs
¾ cup honey
¼ cup butter
½ cup apple sauce
2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups oat flour
¼ cup ground flaxseed
1 cup quick oats
2 cups Sun-Maid raisins

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350^oF. Lightly butter a cookie sheet.

* I made my own oat flour in my Vita-mix dry container. I used steal cut oats and ground them on speed 7 until the grains where powder.

2. In a stand mixer combine ingredients in order of appearance.

3. Spoon mixture onto cookie sheet and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool at least 3 minutes before serving.

About Summer:

Tasty Treat: Snack Happy Bars Recipe A Salty Sweet Snack

May 17, 2012 by Momstart 30 Comments

By Summer:

Who doesn’t love a salty sweet snack? That’s where this creation came from! I thought about adding other ingredients, but this is all I did. I was thinking of peanuts, peanut butter, white chocolate chips, or coconut; all of which I think would be nice additions.

Snack Happy Bars Recipe

Ingredients:

6 cups chocolate cereal*
2 cups crushed pretzels
20 (5.5 ounces) caramel cubes, chopped (or if you can find the bite size nibs)
¼ cup butter + extra to grease dishes
40 ounces marshmallows

1. In an extremely-large buttered bowl, combine cereal, pretzels, and caramel and mix.

2. Over medium-low heat melt butter and marshmallows together. When melted together and gooey pour into dry mixture.

3. Stir until dry mix is coated in marshmallow cream. Dump into buttered glassware to set. Firmly press into glassware to cohesive bars form. Allow to cool 30-minutes and cut into bars. Allow to continue to cool and harden together. Serve when desired.

* I used Three Sisters’ Cocoa-Snapz because I was shopping at Whole Foods and that’s what they had. Three Sisters does use corn syrup. Cocoa-Snapz is similar to Cocoa Pebbles, which to me looks like chocolate covered corn flakes.

About Summer:

Tasty Treat Copycat #Recipe Hardee’s Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits

May 10, 2012 by Momstart 23 Comments

By Summer

In my Kitchen Aid stand mixer with the dough blade I combines (in order) egg, almond extract, salt, honey, baking powder, and ¼ buttermilk. Add a cup of flour at a time alternating with buttermilk ¼ cup at a time: 1 cup APF, ¼ cup buttermilk, 1 cup WWF, ¼ cup buttermilk, 1 cup APF, ¼ cup buttermilk, 1 cup WWF. Cut in butter.

3. Turn dough out onto floured surface. Roll out (coat in butter if you wish, but I didn’t) and sprinkle half with cinnamon-sugar. Spread raisins onto cinnamon-sugar dough. Fold plain dough over onto the cinnamon-sugar-raisin coated dough. Cut into desired circle size (mine were mini and about 1” in diameter). With remaining dough roll into balls (or pancake or hand formed biscuit) and cook with form-cut biscuits.

4. Bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool while you clean your stand mixer equipment and you make the frosting.

5. In your clean stand mixer bowl combine all frosting ingredients with whisk attachment. When smooth check to be sure biscuits are cool and pour onto.

Copycat Recipe Hardee’s Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits

Ingredients:

DOUGH
1 egg
1 Tablespoon almond extract
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup honey
1 Tablespoon baking powder
½ cup butter, room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 cups whole wheat flour, divided
1 cup buttermilk, divided

FILLING
If you don’t have a cinnamon-sugar shaker (combine 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon & ¼ cup sugar)
¹/₃ cup raisins

FROSTING
3 cups powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla
¼ cup milk
¼ cup butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350^oF.

2. In my Kitchen Aid stand mixer with the dough blade I combines (in order) egg, almond extract, salt, honey, baking powder, and ¼ buttermilk. Add a cup of flour at a time alternating with buttermilk ¼ cup at a time: 1 cup APF, ¼ cup buttermilk, 1 cup WWF, ¼ cup buttermilk, 1 cup APF, ¼ cup buttermilk, 1 cup WWF. Cut in butter.

4. Bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool while you clean your stand mixer equipment and you make the frosting.

5. In your clean stand mixer bowl combine all frosting ingredients with whisk attachment. When smooth check to be sure biscuits are cool and pour onto.

About Summer:

Tasty Treat By Summer: Cherry Chip Muffins Recipe

April 19, 2012 by Momstart 22 Comments

By Summer:

I had some fruits I wanted to use and with summer coming on Washington is a great location for fresh local cherries! They’re great fresh, but you can also dehydrate them and use them later in desserts, such as these Cherry Chip Muffins:

Cherry Chip Muffins Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1 cup Coconut Blend flour
½ cup quick oats
½ cup ground flaxseed
2 Tablespoons shelled raw hemp seed
½ cup coconut flakes (I used sweetened because I ran out of unsweetened and I had this on hand.)
¼ cup honey
2 Tablespoons agave
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup white chocolate chips
¼ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup dried pitted cherries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350^oF and grease muffin pan.

2. In your stand up mixer add all ingredients except chocolate chips and cherries. Mix well.

3. Add in chocolate and cherries. Fold in by hand with a plastic spatula.

4. Fill cups ¾ full. For mini cupcakes bake for 12 minute and regular size cupcakes bake for 22 minutes. Tops should be golden brown and inserted toothpick should come out clean.

I made mini muffins because I send my creations to work with his husband. Mini muffins feed more people and are not as “scary” because there isn’t so much to eat if a person just wants a little bit of food. However, using a whole cherry in a mini-muffin (like I did) takes up a lot of “room” in the mini muffin form.

About Summer:

Tasty Treat: Skinny Jeans Blueberry Muffin Tops Recipe

March 22, 2012 by Momstart 19 Comments

By Summer:

This recipe will help you get into your skinny jeans while you eat muffin tops! Ironic! As always this is a one bowl recipe … why make more work?

If you’re about to start the recipe please know you’ll need a whoopie pie pan, a.k.a. muffin top pan. I didn’t have one, but a recipe I wanted to try called for one. I started looking at other recipes calling for this type of pan and decided I HAD to have one! I got mine on Zulily and it’s the Rachel Ray brand. If you like to experiment bake, do bake sales, or just need kitchen gadgets … get one!

This is also a gluten free recipe. You can make it Primal with using a coconut flour and not a blend (though you might need a stabilizer like xanthium gum); honestly I thought I was ordering coconut flour and didn’t realize it was actually a blend until I got it. But no worries, I’ll try and bake with anything. Just FYI.

How to make Skinny Jeans Blueberry Muffin Tops:

Skinny Jeans Blueberry Muffin Tops Recipe:
Ingredients:

1 cup almond flour
1 cup coconut blend flour
¼ cup apple sauce
3 eggs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 ripe banana
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ ground cloves
½ cup honey
2 cups whole, fresh blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350^oF. Butter/grease a muffin top pan.

2. Thoroughly combine ingredients except blueberries. Fold in blueberries.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

About Summer:

Tasty Treat Summertime Savory Veggie Muffins Recipe

March 15, 2012 by Momstart 22 Comments

By Summer:

I can’t make my own bread! I know bread sounds intimidating … but really if you make muffins, you’re making bread; the trick is it’s usually not so sweet. Today’s treat is a savory for a hearty snack or an addition to really with any mealtime.

Summertime Savory Veggie Muffins Recipe

Ingredients

2 handfuls of spinach – probably about 3 packed cups un-wilted or ½ cup wilted
½ cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¹/₈ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, finely grated
2 Tablespoons cottage cheese
1 teaspoon Basil, dried
½ teaspoon parsley, dried
¼ cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1½ cups flour – I used 1 cup whole wheat and ½ cup all-purpose
1 cup 2% milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350^oF. Line or grease a 12-cup muffin tin.

2. Place your spinach in a colander and pour a kettle of boiling water over top to wilt. Allow to sit so water drains out.

3. In your Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer bowl place butter, baking powder and soda, and salt. Turn to stir. Drop in eggs one at a time. Allow to combine on “stir” setting.

4. Pick up spinach in your fist and squeeze excess water out. Chop spinach. Stop mixer and add cheeses, spices, tomatoes, and spinach. Stir again.

5. Add half of flour to mixture. Combine. While stirring add in milk. Combine. Stop mixer and add in remaining flour. Combine.

6. Pour mixture equally into the 12 prepared muffin tin compartments. Place in preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes until tops are golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

About Summer:

Tasty Treat Thursday: Peaches and Cream Cobble Griddle Cakes Recipe

March 1, 2012 by Momstart 9 Comments

By Summer:

After making the Apple Ring recipe I was thinking about what else I would do. Peaches seemed logical! Peaches and cream are a favored treat. Making rings out peaches isn’t possible without fresh peaches, so I had to alter my thinking. From jarred peaches I diced to bit size and added a creamy cheese … YUM! Eat these as a breakfast or brunch item if you wish, but my children just love to munch on these finger food favorites (minus any sticky sauces of course!).

Peaches and Cream Cobble Griddle Cakes Recipe

Ingredients:

1 egg
½ cup milk
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon all spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup plain or vanilla yogurt
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
4 ounce block of cream or Neufchatel cheese
1 ripe peach, peeled and pitted

Directions:

1. Chop cheese into mini bites about pea sized. Separate each piece; make sure pieces aren’t touching. Place in the freezer to chill.

2. Mix together all ingredients except cheese and peach. Stir until combine. (I usually add all the ingredients except ½ cup of flour and add it as the last ingredient. I mix as I got to get a smooth batter.)

3. Warm griddle to pancake temperature. On my stove top gas griddle I use the 6 heat setting.

4. Chop peaches into small bites no bigger than a dime. Add peaches and cheese to mixture. Fold in.

5. Pour batter onto griddle into desired size griddle cakes. Batter will spread a bit. When bubbles appear and pop on top, flip and fry the other side. Allow to cook until second side is also golden brown (about 45 seconds).

6. Serve warm with honey.

About Summer:

Apple Ring Cakes Recipe

February 9, 2012 by Momstart 28 Comments

By Summer:

I’ve said it before, but in case you’re new to following me, my husband loves apples. So if I cook a fruit it tends to be apples (or bananas which my sons love). This week I was thinking about onion rings and I had to test the Baby Bullet, so I got the idea to make apple rings … a sweet dessert ring using apples. You’ll notice the batter typically filled in the circle, and made the creation look more like a pancake, but never the less this dessert is delish and can be used for a breakfast, brunch, or brinner too. YUM! And kind of a fancy spin on two loved culinary items – onion rings and pancakes. PLUS, you’re getting some added fruit in your diet; BONUS!

Gather the ingredients:

Combine all of the ingredients.

Drudge apple slices though batter. Fry on griddle.

Apple Ring Cakes Recipe

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons honey
1 egg
1 cup flour – I used ½ whole wheat and half all purpose.
½ teaspoon salt
½ Tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup milk
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
4 medium sized apples, skinned, cored and cut into ¼ inch slices

Directions:

1. Preheat griddle to “pancake” setting. On my gas stovetop griddle I heat it to 7 out of 10.

2. By hand with a whisk, in a blender, Magic Bullet or Baby Bullet combine all ingredients until thoroughly combined.

3. Drudge apple slices though batter. Fry on griddle. When bubble pop on surface, flip and fry other size. Both sides should be equally golden brown.

4. Remove and serve immediately OR cool on rack. Top with powdered sugar to serve. And if you’re in the mood for a caramel apple add a side for dipping.

I think having a “squirt bottle” to apply batter to the apples will earn a better ring whereas dredging my rings had a lot of batter and the holes were filled in with batter, but made for a good looking pancake.

There are other variations I’m going to try sometime … I’ll let you in on those adventures in my kitchen too! Stay posted …

About Summer: