Amazing Deals on Kansas Pork at Costco Wichita

Last week, the butchers at work ground, stuffed, and linked half a ton of pork into sausages for the King Wiener contest at Bloktoberfest. It was a veritable pig-apalooza, which seems fitting since October is National Pork Month. In fact, we should all be celebrating Porktoberfest!

Pork has always been a family favorite. My mother is from Okinawa, where pork is a staple protein. She prefers the stewed, braised pork dishes, but the thin-pounded crispy tonkatsu cutlet – similar to the German schnitzel – still tops my last meal wishlist. On the other side of the family, my Alabaman grandmother taught me the ways of spicy vinegar-sauced pulled pork BBQ when I was little. Add in Chinese char siu, European charcuterie, and Peter Brady's pork chops and applesauce and it's clear that pork holds a special place on our family table.

What I didn't grow up with, oddly, is the simple and delicious pork loin. This incredibly versatile and affordable cut is very lean and can be used for just about anything. Pork tenderloin is tender and mild in flavor, lending itself well to marinades and sauces. Even better, it can be cooked quickly – ready in just about 20 minutes on the grill and just a bit longer roasted in the oven. It makes a satisfying and nutritious weeknight supper without too much fuss.

Kansas Pork has worked with Kansas Corn, and the National Pork Board to offer some amazing  sale prices on pork at Costco in Wichita to celebrate Porktober! During the week of October 16-22, Wichita Costco shoppers will enjoy a instant redeemable coupon (IRC) good for $2.50 off per package of pork. With regular prices already very competitive on the twin packs of pork tenderloins, this is a remarkable value. If you have a Costco membership, it's time to stock up your freezer!

"If you cook it just right, it cuts like butter" - @HogFarmerMom Saucy Bacon-Wrapped Pork Loin
INGREDIENTS
4 pound pork loin center roast boneless, (untied), fat and silver skin trimmed
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 to 9 slices bacon
1 cup barbecue sauce purchased PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 450ºF. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer to plate and cool for 10 minutes. Wrap bacon slices vertically around pork roast; do not overlap bacon. Tie lengthwise and crosswise with kitchen string to hold bacon in place; tuck loose ends of bacon under string. Place on a rack in a roasting pan, tucked-bacon side down. Roast on rack for 15 minutes. Turn pork over and reduce temperature to 350ºF and roast for 15 minutes. Remove rack and return pork to pan, tucked-end side up. Roast, turning occasionally until bacon is browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the roast reads 145ºF, about 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Skim fat from pan juices, leaving browned juices in pan.Add barbecue sauce and preferred ingredient (*see below) and bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring to loosen browned bits in pan; simmer 2 minutes.Remove strings, carve pork, and serve with sauce portions *Preferred Ingredient • Savory: Whisk 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard into the sauce. • Spicy: Stir in 2 tablespoons pickled jalapenos chilies (nacho slices), drained and finely chopped, into the sauce. • Fruity: Stir one 8.25-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained, into the sauce. • Smoky: Stir in 1 or 2 minced canned chipotle chilies in adobo into the sauce. #eatpork #eater #huffposttaste #buzzfeast #buzzfeedtasty #tastingtable #forkyeah #carnivore #foodandwine #mycommontable #eeeeeats #yahoofood #bacon #foodgawker #meatcraft#f52grams #beautifulcuisines #thekitchn #buzzfeedfood

A post shared by Kansas Pork Association (@kansaspork) on Oct 6, 2017 at 2:02pm PDT

Costco Wichita will feature pork tenderloin sampling on October 21st.

For other recipe ideas, be sure to check Pork Be Inspired and EatPork.org.


Disclaimer: I have been lucky enough to work with the kind folks at Kansas Pork in the past and I probably will in the future, although I declined to be compensated for this post.

Get It Together With Prep & Serve

The best ideas are always the ones leaving you wondering why you never thought of it first. Prep & Serve is one of those. Anyone who has worked in food service knows how much faster and easier it is to cook and plate food when everything is prepped and ready for you. Prep & Serve brings that concept to the home cook: it's basically a multi-container system that can be closed all at once. Sure, you might still have to be your own sous chef, but it is awfully convenient to be able to snap a lid on your ingredients and shove them into the fridge for whenever you're ready to use them.


I love this idea for finicky kids to participate in their meal-making. Who doesn't love feeling like they get to have their own custom ingredients? The Prep & Serve would also be great for potluck dishes that require some on-site assembly. I can even see this being useful for crafters who don't want to have to put everything away and get it all back out again. Smart.
Prep & Serve just launched a Kickstarter campaign today to raise funds to go into mass production. What do you think? Is this something you would use?

Good Cook Build Your Kitchen Drawer Sweepstakes

Between June 2th and July 14th, visit goodcook.com to virtually "build" your ideal Kitchen Drawer with up to 15 items from selected Good Cook products. Choose your favorite tools and gadgets to fill your drawer with, then enter for a chance to win them all!

Have no fear– even if you're kitchen-challenged and can’t decide what should be in your drawer, you may choose one of the drawers built by Kitchen Expert Blogger and submit it for a chance to win.

Each drawer entered has a chance to win an instant prize. You can submit a new drawer daily for a new chance to win. Here are some useful things to consider:

As an added bonus, during the week of June 2nd-7th, visit Good Cook's Facebook page to enter the first 5-day Kitchen Gadget Giveaway. 

Spice Up Your Memorial Day with Tandoori Chicken Wings from The Hundred-Foot Journey

There is no way this movie can be bad. I've loved Helen Mirren since I saw her as Morgana LeFay in Excalibur when I was way too young to be watching such things. I love director Lasse Hallström (My Life As A Dog is one of my all-time favorites.) I love Indian and French cuisine. I love comedies about cantankerous people and crossing racial boundaries. Mmm.

If you're planning a cookout this holiday weekend, try substituting this Tandoori chicken recipe for your usual wings. Spice things up a little with the unexpected! 

The Hundred-Foot Journey will be released in theaters on August 8, 2014.

Get social with THE HUNDRED FOOT JOURNEY:

• Facebook: http://facebook.com/100footjourneymovie 
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/the100ftJourney  
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/thehundredfootjourney 
• Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/100FtJourney 

Good Cook's Ultimate Thanksgiving Twitter Party

Join Good Cook, TheFrugalMom and other Good Cook Kitchen Experts

at

The Ultimate Thanksgiving Twitter Party

Monday, November 25, 2013 at 6:00 pm to 7:00pm EST 

On Twitter with hashtag #Thanksgivingtips

Join in as we talk about everything Thanksgiving from turkey prep to decorating the table. Plus, get a chance to win a special gift and one of three $200 Thanksgiving Baskets that will arrive in time for your dinner!

Click here to RSVP. 

Be among the first 500 to RSVP by November 23, 2013 
and receive a free set of Turkey Lifters!

Cooking for Kids With Kansas Beef

I recently went back to work full-time and it's been quite a shock to our household. I've never been the most strategic of housekeepers or recipe planners, so making sure the kids have something good to eat at a reasonable hour has been a bit of a struggle for me as the school year progresses.

Roo and Jasper are not super picky eaters and, luckily, have no food allergies but they are also woefully unadventurous. (Unless they're with their grandmother, who can apparently get them to try anything, much to my chagrin and her delight.) Let's see, they like grilled cheese, chicken nuggets and cheeseburgers. Anything else is met with some skepticism. I can't wait until they grow out of this particular stage.

Since I am personally out of ideas at the end of the day, it's great that the Kansas Beef Council sent me a bunch of family-friendly recipes to liven up not only family dinnertime but also the fear-inducing school lunch repertoire. Here's a sample of the kid-friendly recipes you'll find on the Beef, It's What's For Dinner website:

Easy-to-pack Lunch Collection:

·         Sweet Potato Beef Mash Up: Ground Beef and sweet potato chunks get wrapped up in a whole-wheat tortilla.*

·         Rock and Roll Beef Wrap: A colorful way to introduce quinoa to your kids with ranch-seasoned Ground Beef and slaw.*

·         Mu Shu Steak & Apple Wraps: Hand-held and perfectly portable, these Steak, apple and slaw wraps are great on the go.

Nutritious Dinner Collection:

·         Spy Thai Beef: Peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger and garlic introduce ethnic flavors to picky palates.*

·         Sweet and Sloppy Joe: This recipe incorporates lots of veggies for a nutritious take on a kid favorite.*

·         Hoisin BBQ Steak-On-A-Stick with Pineapple Salsa: Little and big hands alike can enjoy bite-sized beef cubes, topped with a colorful four ingredient salsa.

*Watch for this item on your child’s school lunch menu! This recipe has been shared in its foodservice format with school districts across Kansas.

I decided to try the Spy Thai Beef recipe, which looked easy and delicious. In an ideal world, the plated dish would look like this:

My Spy Thai Beef ended up considerably less attractive but, hey, at least it tasted good. It started off, as so many yummy things do, with some ground beef:

You brown the beef and then add ginger, soy sauce, garlic and peanut butter for sort of an Asian-inflected sloppy joe.

Here's where I went wrong. I thought it would be novel to bake the won ton wrappers in muffin tins, to make little baskets for the filling, instead of baking simple triangles to scoop up the beef with. Hey, I saw it on Pinterest, so it looked doable. Except I didn't pull them out of the oven quickly enough and they ended up a bit darker than expected. Pinterest fail, yet again. Sigh.

Truth be told, the peanutty beef isn't the world's prettiest stuff either. It definitely needs the green onion garnish to boost its plate appeal. 

It wasn't a huge winner on looks but it did taste good. I served it with some stir fried veggies on the side and it was done in less than a half hour, so I considered it a success.

Since it's October, I'll share a recent beef adventure I undertook. Bob's always talking about this German dish, rouladen, that his mom used to make. I found a couple of recipes online and decided to try it out for a backyard Oktoberfest we hosted.

Ingredients: flank steak, bacon, pickles, stone ground mustard and onions.

I've never actually used our meat tenderizer before but it was strangely satisfying to pound the flank steak with a brutally spiked aluminum mallet. After that was accomplished, I cut the steak into strips and slathered them with mustard on one side. Then I layered each strip with sliced onions, bacon and a pickle and tried to roll them up daintily before skewering them with jumbo toothpicks. As you can imagine, my rolls were less than perfect. Martha I am not. You toss these rolls into a pan and brown them in butter. It smelled amazing.

After the rolls (rouladen, auf Deutsch) were browned, I put them into a casserole dish and topped them with some mushroom bouillion. I topped them with the extra onions I had cut up and sauteed in the pan drippings. Yeah, I know. This is not necessarily endorsed as a healthy beef dish although I think the Kansas Beef Council would be okay with  it, due to all the Mennonite and German heritage in our state…

Anyhow, once again I managed to make a dish that tastes WAY better than it looks! Accessorized with a ton of pickled cabbage-based sides, rouladen was a hit at our Oktoberfest. Prost!

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received a gift card to buy beef for this post. No additional compensation was provided. All opinions are, as usual, entirely my own. 

Set Your Table with eMeals

One of my constant struggles is meal planning. I'm just not very good at it. It's not that I'm a bad cook– I'm actually pretty good in the kitchen. I've just never established a system for cooking for a family, in a regular pattern. Stocking a pantry with essentials instead of random gourmet nonsense, for example. I tend to get bored of leftovers and eating the same stuff over and over, so I tend to wait until the last minute to decide what to make for dinner. 

It's not the healthiest way to do things, especially with kids. Too often I'm making one thing for Bob and myself and a plainer, more kid-friendly version alongside it. We use way too much bread, way too much cheese. And instead of concentrating on mealtime as a happy family occasion, I'm rushing to get something ready and getting cranky in the process.

I thought it might be a good idea to try something new in 2013, so I signed up for an eMeals meal plan subscription. There are ten different styles to choose from, ranging from low carb and low fat options to gluten-free and vegetarian and simple gourmet. Not all of the plans are specifically tailored for weight loss but quite a few are. My family has been wanting to eat healthier and leaner, so I signed up for the Paleo Meal Plan, which focuses on meats and fresh produce, eschewing grains and processed ingredients. 

Every week, I'll receive a meal plan via email that features seven dinner recipes, including entree and side dishes. What makes eMeals so cool is that along with the meal plan, you also receive an itemized grocery list that can be customized for sales at your local grocery store. You get more organized about shopping, cooking and feeding your family every week, while saving a little money and potentially losing a bit of weight in the process. 

Obviously, the easiest way to lose weight is to watch your calorie intake. Here are some handy tools from eMeals to help you think about what your body actually needs versus what you're actually consuming. 

One of the best motivators for weight loss is supposedly keeping track of every calorie you ingest. I've never been very good about doing this but there are tons of free online calorie trackers and apps to make it easier. I like the My Fitness Pal app on the iPhone because it will calculate the calories in your personal recipes based on ingredients, which makes it very convenient. You could also start with a simple chart like this one:

Use code newyear to save 15% on your eMeals subscription! 

If you're a blogger and would like to try eMeals for yourself, apply for their Blogger Network. (Please mention Superdumb Supervillain in the "How Did You Hear About Us" field– I'll be eligible for a prize.)

Facebook: www.facebook.com/emealz

Twitter: www.twitter.com/emeals

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/Emealz/

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received a a complimentary subscription to the eMeals Paleo plan. No compensation was provided for this post. All opinions are, as usual, entirely my own.

Making Seasons Bright with Torani Syrup

Torani is a name synonymous with coffeehouse culture. I've bought other flavoring syrups before and been sorely disappointed. Torani syrups are always more flavorful than merely sweet. I'd compare the difference to that between real maple syrup and the cheap stuff you buy in plastic jugs. Not the same thing, at all! 

I usually use my Torani syrups to spike my coffee. I received a couple of bottles of the sugar-free Splenda-sweetened varieties to try and they are just as decadently delicious as their higher calorie peers. Hazelnut is a flavor I usually purchase to make lattes at home but there are plenty of other recipes you can use it for, like Brussel Sprouts with Hazelnuts. Can you imagine? I'm definitely going to have to start thinking out of the box with these syrups.

Torani Pumpkin Pie syrup is predictably delicious in lattes. It's an especially welcome flavor as the holidays approach, in coffee and even in mixed drinks. I like to make my own Bah Humbug Not-Nog Egg Cream with a shot of pumpkin pie syrup, a shot of cream and a cup of seltzer. I'm planning to submit it as my entry in the Torani Holiday Cheers Contest, what do you think? Enter your favorite Torani recipes and you could win special Mr. Coffee prizes along with your favorite Torani Syrups each week through December 9th.

When Torani started as a family business in1920s San Francisco, they offered five flavors, each meticulously formulated with the best quality ingredients. Since then, they have added a plethora of unusual varieties to their roster. Torani Chicken 'N Waffles just released a few days ago and I'm dying to try it. (They make Bacon syrup, too. Must try!)

What sorts of recipes do you like to use flavored syrups in?



Get 10% off your whole order at Torani.com through November 30 using code SHESPEAKS.

Follow Torani on Twitter and Like Torani on Facebook for more recipe ideas and new products.

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received samples from Torani andSheSpeaks to facilitate this review. No other compensation was provided. All opinions are, as usual, entirely my own.

My Plate, My Way with Kansas Beef

It's been so hot lately that my brain is totally frazzled by suppertime. I can use any help I can find to get dinner on the table in a timely manner. The Kansas Beef Council introduced me to a fun online assessment tool called My Plate, My Way that offers personalized recipe suggestions based on your answers to a few simple questions.

"Research shows that people who follow a personalized eating plan have greater success at meeting dietary goals than those following a standard diet. Therefore, personalized information and resources further aid in success to adopt healthy eating habits." Based on this assumption My Plate, My Way seeks to help individuals establish healthy eating habits that line up with the USDA dietary guidelines– using beef, of course!

Which of the 8 personalities is most like you? Will you be a Cost Slicer, Flavor Saveur or Lean Lover? I took the quiz and discovered my personality is, not surprisingly, Family Chef. It suggested two delicious-sounding recipes for me to try and I thought I would go with Beef Breakfast Pizza Olé:

When I went to the store to buy my ingredients, though, I saw some ribs in the beef case that changed my mind. The cut is referred to as "flanken" and it's unusual to see at most supermarkets unless you're shopping at an Asian grocery store. They are butchered differently than traditional American ribs, cut lengthwise across the bone. I decided to marinate them for my own interpretation of Kalbi, or Korean-style ribs. You can buy pre-made marinade or mix up your own. I like this Kalbi recipe from Maangchi, which also features some background history and cooking instructions. Anyway, I added a bunch of sriracha paste to one batch for grown-ups and then I marinated the ribs for about 3 days before making Bob cook them all up on our teeny tiny Smoky Joe (our big grill has rusted out, wah!). The end result was pretty spectacular:

I found a similar recipe to try on the Beef, It's What's For Dinner site, for Korean-style Beef and Rice Bowls.

What's your favorite cut of beef? I'm a tenderloin girl, myself. Take the personality quiz at My Plate, My Way and let me know your results in the comments below!

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received a gift card to pay beef to facilitate this review. No other compensation was provided. All opinions are, as usual, entirely my own.

Easy Summer Gazpacho with Pomi

We didn't plant a garden this year. It's been so hot that even the trees in our yard are looking sunburned. The usually hardy and spreading basil plants are drying as they grow. The thing that depresses me most is not having fresh tomatoes to pick for suppertime. 

I received a big box of Pomi products just as I was bemoaning my tomato-lessness. I'd never tried the brand before and was anxious to see how the paperboard containers did with keeping them fresh tasting. The cartons are aseptic and BPA free, plus they're made from 75% renewable resources and are also recyclable in many areas. Oh, they also stack really well in the pantry. I put the Pomi Chopped Tomatoes to the ultimate summer taste test: Gazpacho!

 I love the way the veggies look in the blender. So colorful. One of my favorite movies of all time, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, has a fabulous blender gazpacho sequence. I decided against adding copious pills to mine, as they did in the movie, and opted instead for extra garlic because I like a spicy gazpacho. After I blended it, I added a dollop of Greek yogurt instead of the sour cream suggested.

It was definitely prettier before stirring the yogurt in…

I was impressed- there was no way to tell this gazpacho was not made with fresh tomatoes. It was delicious and refreshing. Perhaps that is why esteemed chefs and organizations such as the Viking Cooking School keep Pomi products on hand. Their tomatoes are packaged without preservatives or additives, hours after they are picked. It's a convenient way to have "fresh" tomatoes at your disposal for any kind of dish. These will definitely become pantry staples in our household.

There are many recipes to try on Pomi's website. Here is the one I used for the gazpacho, although I used an entire head of garlic. CAUTION: don't breathe on anyone after eating!

Pomi – Summer Gazpacho Recipe

This is a wonderfully refreshing soup for those hot summer days. Filled with fresh, exciting

flavors, chunky bits of garden vegetables, its more than a healthy soup, it’s a refreshing touch of

coolness. Serve it alone of as a great starter. Either way, it’s the perfect way to make the most

of summer and the great taste of Pomi Tomatoes.

Ingredients

• 2 medium sized cucumber

• 2 red bell peppers

• 26 oz container Pomi Chopped Tomatoes

• 1 red onion

• 2 – 3 garlic cloves – minced

• 1/2 teaspoon basil

• 1/4 cup champagne or white wine vinegar

• 1/4 cup good olive oil

• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

• 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Halve, seed and roughly chop the cucumber, but leave the peel on for the green color. Core,

seed and roughly chop the bell peppers and the onions chopped into a rough dice. Put all the

vegetables with the garlic, basil and a 26 oz container of Pomi Chopped Tomatoes into a food

process and pulse until it is chopped, but has plenty of texture to it. Do not over process the

vegetables.

Add the vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving.

We love to leave our in the refrigerator overnight to let the flavors develop.

Serve with a spoonful of sour cream or ricotta floating in the middle.

Like Pomi on Facebook

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that we received the Pomi products pictured in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was provided. All opinions are, as usual, entirely my own.

Live a Little - Master the Kitchen

When I was in high school, I had a boyfriend whose mother was a voracious shopper. She would spend hours scouring stores for the best bargains on designer clothes. Her closets were overflowing with gorgeous things, most of which still had the tags attached. 

I know where you think this is headed. We need to whittle down our bloated closets, blah, blah, blah. That's probably true but what I really wanted to share with you was Judy's advice on how to make it seem like you've been slaving away in the kitchen all day when you, uh, haven't been. 

"All you have to do," she said, sipping a glass of white wine, "is put a little olive oil in a skillet and fry up some garlic and onions. That's the way to start a quick meal but it makes the house smell like you've been cooking for hours."

I really hate cooking in summertime because it always seems to cramp your lifestyle. I always forget about meals until we're all hungry and cranky. Menu planning is not my forte. But my culinary laziness has made for a pretty decent arsenal of kitchen shortcuts and tricks. 

Yesterday, Bob and I went to go see Prometheus in IMAX 3D. It was totally awesome. My parents took the kids to see Madagascar 3 and go hit some tennis balls. When we got home, I vegged out for a while until I finally realized I should probably deal with making something for the hungry grandparents and kids who would be returning imminently. So I tossed the garlic and onion into a pot and started a quick turkey chili, largely with canned pantry staples: beans, corn, mushrooms, diced tomatoes. I served it over some Texmati rice, also from the pantry. 

The pièce de résistance, though, was using the over-ripe cherries that had been sitting in our fridge to make a pie. I pitted the cherries, which was arguably the most time-consuming thing about our meal (made easier with the help of the Cherry Chomper Cherry Pitter), mixed them with about a half cup each of agave syrup and dark chocolate chips and dumped it all into a refrigerated double crust. 

Everything tasted great, although chili is never much to look at, so I'll leave you with just a picture of the pie. 

Cooking from scratch doesn't have to be any more complicated than preparing frozen or boxed meals. Live a Little by mastering basic cooking skills and you'll get way more compliments!

Share your Live a Little suggestions with the Skimbaco every Monday by adding the link to your Live a Little blog post in the InLinkz widget below. Rules: Link either to Skimbacolifestyle.com OR grab the InLinkz code for your blog post – or do both! If you post the widget in your blog post, please add the rules as well.

Pinches and Dashes: Recipes & Life Measures from the Junior League of Wichita

Junior League cookbooks are almost always good. I say this not as a League member, although I am one, but as a long-time aficionado of thrift store cookbooks. The very best ones are usually food-stained and dog-eared, with pencilled-in additions and substitutions. They're usually a pretty good indicator of place, with regional ingredients and customs shining through every recipe. I'm particularly fond of the southern tomes, with their focus on entertaining elegantly, even at potlucks. In the old days, they were spiral-bound with mimeographed typewritten pages but today's JL cookbooks are as high tech and multifaceted as the League itself has become. 

There are now almost 300 chapters internationally and over 200 Junior League cookbooks in print currently. My chapter, Junior League of Wichita, just released its third cookbook Pinches and Dashes: Recipes & Life Measures from the Junior League of Wichita. It has already sold over 6000 copies since late November and I can vouch for its awesomeness. 

The women on the JLW cookbook committee worked for several years gathering thousands of submissions from our membership and local committee, then they meticulously tested each recipe, doctoring them to ensure that the final 180 compiled in Pinches & Dashes are not only tasty but that they are virtually mistake-proof. Each recipe is simple enough for even a novice cook to prepare with dramatically delicious results. P&D also looks amazing, with mouthwatering food photography and a sleek, contemporary design to rival those by your favorite celebrity chefs. Compare that to the homespun charm of  the Sunflower Sampler, JLW's first cookbook from 1973, and you'll have a visual reminder of just how far our League has come and where we are headed in the new century.

I would be hard-pressed to pick just one favorite recipe from Pinches & Dashes. There are quite a few that have already become part of my culinary repertoire. (And, of course, you can try and guess which one was I submitted. I have to admit, they doctored it and made it better!) The Bacon Cheddar Scones and Blue Cheese & Caramelized Walnut Soufflé are to die for and Cuban Pork Tenderloin Salad is amazing. The one that sells a couple of books every time I make it, without fail, however is on page 150: Cinnamon Chip Snickerdoodle Blondies. I am a total chocolate fiend and generally frown upon desserts that don't include it but these are UNBELIEVABLE. Trust me on this. They might not look like much but you will want to eat your weight in them. So good. 

I did make them with a handful of dark chocolate chunks and pecans tossed in for good measure and it was almost overkill. Not that we didn't eat the whole batch in a day. Crazy, crazy good and so easy to make!

CLICK HERE for an interactive flipbook preview of Pinches & Dashes. (Flash required.)

Pinches & Dashes is available in retail locations around Wichita and online.

Follow Pinches & Dashes on Twitter and Facebook, too!




In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I am a member of Junior League of Wichita. I didn't receive any compensation in exchange for writing this; in fact, I bought a case of cookbooks on my own volition to give to friends and family. All opinions are, as usual, strictly my own. 

Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels

I've been reading The Pioneer Woman for years, so I was excited when I was asked to review her new book, Black Heels to Tractor Wheels: A Love Story. I'd already read much of it as it was posted on the blog but it was a treat to have everything neatly printed and bound in a format I don't have to scroll down to read.

This book underscores my deep-seated need to be invited to stay at The Lodge. Seriously, it's only an hour or two down the highway from Wichita. I'll even bring our basset hound, Stella, since I know Ree's partial to her kind…

I hadn't picked up The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl when it came out last summer, so I decided to splurge and get a two-fer and try my hand at some of her vittles while I read the novel.

I decided to make the Perfect Enchiladas and I must admit, they were pretty much perfect. Bob is an avowed enchilada-hater and he couldn't stop eating the things. Seriously, we had them for days until they were completely gone. And they might even be more delicious as leftovers! Here's a Whrrl story about shopping for the ingredients and making the enchiladas:

More check-ins at Walmart Supercenter #1507

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Comfort food at it's finest, with plenty of great photos and backstories. The story of Ree's courtship with Marlboro Man is enough to make even the most hard-hearted cynic swoon– even if you don't like reading romances, her playful sense of humor and her brother Mike's antics will keep you amused. A must-have for ardent fans of The Pioneer Woman and a treat for newcomers.

Disclosure: In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I was compensated for my time and shopping expenses but all opinions here are decidedly my own.

Do You Like It Spicy?

I like spicy food. Yes, it's true.

I was recently sent on a mission to shop at Walmart for Frank's RedHot Sauce and come up with an original recipe using a Hamilton Beach slow cooker. I was intrigued by the variety of flavors available, so I thought I would use one of the less-familiar ones: Frank's RedHot Sweet Chili Sauce. It's actually very similar to the spring roll sauce we buy at the Asian market, sweet and tangy with a bit of a kick, but in a bottle that has a date stamp from this century. Small comforts really do matter. Anyway, I thought I would try and make a slow cooker version of a chicken satay. You can see how it went here:

More check-ins at Walmart Supercenter #1507

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Added 1/7: a pizza made with Frank's RedHot Sweet Chili Sauce and the leftover slow cooker peanut chicken. Delicious!

Disclosure: In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received a Hamilton Beach slow cooker and have been compensated for my shopping trip and cooking time. Recipe and opinions about them are entirely my own fault.

Donovan Duggins is the 2010 Red Robin Kids Cookoff Champion!

Last week, I had the honor of attending the fifth annual Red Robin Kids Cookoff in Denver. I was there as a blogger/correspondent in support of 12 year old Wichita seventh grader Donovan Duggins. Donovan ended up winning not only the juried Grand Prize (a trip to Universal Orlando and his winning Mt. Vesuvius burger featured on menus at Red Robin nationwide next summer, with all sales benefitting the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children), but also the Fan Favorite prize (Red Robin and Toys'R Us gift cards) which was decided by online voting.

It's never hard to back a winner and Donovan is a kid with a great heart, sharp mind and phenomenal sense of humor! He had a trial run of his burger preparation the day before the live-broadcast competition and he was already a total pro in the kitchen. He showed his sous chefs exactly how to assemble his Mt. Vesuvius burger, from arranging the crispy bacon strips and sprinkling blue cheese to bathing it in his secret recipe lava sauce and then wrapping it in paper or– as the Red Robin crew call it– putting on the diaper…

I truly enjoyed spending time with Donovan and with his family, including his two older sisters who are just as smart and funny, but also …babysitting age. (I am definitely keeping their number!) They're a tight knit clan and it was fun getting to see them support the baby brother of the Duggins family. I loved the matching shirts they wore on the day of the Cookoff. They said "Team Donovan" on the back, so cute!

In the end, to best express Donovan's charm and wit, you have to see him in motion. I dare you not to immediately fall in love with this kid! Here is a video recap of his performance in the 2010 Red Robin Kids Cookoff:



Here's an exclusive video interview that Red Robin arranged for me to do with Donovan right after he won. Bear in mind that he had already done about 10 interviews for mass media in the hour or so since his big win and that all of his answers are totally off the cuff. I am fairly certain Donovan needs his own talk show. He even made me moderately comfortable on camera, which is a rarity.



Did I mention the lovely and talented bloggers I was honored to be included among? No?

Top: Katie, Kim, me, Keilah, Kristi, Kristin

Bottom: Jacqueline, Danielle and Fiona

photo courtesy of Kristin

This year, for the first time, each Kids Cookoff finalist had a blogger from their local area reporting on their experience. How cool is that? Very cool for me, since I got to hang out with some lady friends, old and new.


Disclosure: In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that my travel and accommodations were provided by Red Robin but that my opinions as an event correspondent are entirely my own.