Tobins' Tastes: November 2013

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Feel Better Crock Pot Mac & Cheese {Combating Cold & Flu Season With Kleenex}

 This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Kleenex but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #KleenexTarget  http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO


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I am a high school teacher married to a firefighter paramedic which means in our house cold and flu season can take on a whole new meaning. Justin and I do our best to load up on vitamin C, wash our hands religiously and in general try to stay as far away from sick people as we can. Given our jobs, that last one can be impossible.


And while we are both very lucky (knock on wood, fingers crossed) to have avoided any major illness so far this flu season, I have had a few days where I have woken up just feeling crummy: headache, cough, sore throat, the works. This past Sunday was one of those days.


Personally when I am sick all I want to do is lay on the couch with movies, books, lots of fluids and a huge box of Kleenex. One thing I never want to do when I am sick is cook or drive to pick something up. But I still want something hearty and warming to eat. I usually end up grabbing a can of soup or a box of pasta but lately those just haven't been cutting it for me. I wanted something homemade, something warming, and something easy. Cue: my crock pot.


I have heard about people making Mac & Cheese in a crock pot forever but I never believed it was true. I felt like there was no way it could work. But it does. And it is so easy. Lay on the couch and read half of the Hunger Games while it's cooking easy. After the initial prep work, all I had to do was get up twice to stir it and then a few hours later get up and serve myself a bowl of warm, cheesy goodness. Which can make anyone feel better.


So don't wait until you are too sick to run out to the store, stock up on the needed ingredients now and brush off your crock pot so that you will be ready just in case you need a day on the couch with blanket, Kleenex, a book and bowl of Mac & Cheese. And before you make sure you print out this $1 off any Kleenex 4 Pack Target coupon so you can stock up for the cold and flu season. This is a store coupon so be sure to stack it with a manufacturer coupon like this one from Kleenex's website. Target Cartwheel also has a 5% off Kleenex offer going on right now too so you can save even more!

Crock Pot Mac & Cheese adapted from Paula Deen

  • 1 box of pasta shells (8oz)
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
  • 2 grated Cheddar cheese
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 cup light sour cream
  • 1 can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • Panko bread crumbs for topping
1.) Boil the pasta for 7 minutes or until just barely tender. Strain and set aside.

2.) While pasta is boiling, melt and combine butter and cheese.

3.) In the crock pot, combine all of the ingredients except the pasta and stir to combine. Add in the pasta shells and stir to completely coat the pasta in the sauce.

4.) Cook on low for 3 hours, stirring every hour or so. Serve warm and top with panko bread crumbs for a little crunch on top. 

Feel better & enjoy!

Monday, November 25, 2013

Over 125 Dessert Recipes For Thanksgiving


Are you ready for Thanksgiving? As this busy week kicks off, here are over 125 recipes for sweet treats and desserts for the perfect ending to your Thanksgiving meal! 

Click on each image to take you to the full round up post. 










Make sure to visit my Fall Flavors Pinterest board for over 250 more delicious recipe ideas!

Friday, November 22, 2013

Weekly Shopping Totals Link Up: Spent $19.63 OOP for $178 Worth




Once again life got the best of me and I never got around to shopping last week's sale ad at Publix. Once I saw how HUGE this week's ad was I decided to save my grocery cash and plan a big trip for yesterday. This was definitely my biggest trip in quite awhile and it was the first of my big holiday ad shopping trips of the year.

Between now and the first few weeks of January are when I buy almost all of our butter, flour, sugar, baking products and lots of other staple items for the year. Check out my Stalk My Stockpile Series for more on that. I was happy to get lots of items this week for free, better than free, and under $1.

This week was quite a shopping trip/planned list because I wanted to use two of the $10/$50 Target coupons (I had a printed one and one from the in paper flyer) Since those coupons only worked on purchases of food and drink I had to split my trip into three transactions. Two totaling $50 of only food and drink and then one of my remaining food items that one only totaled about $20 before coupons and I just didn't need anything else to reach the $30 for the $5/$30 Winn Dixie coupon. Oh well.


We also got our biweekly veggie share this week and it was a really good one. It had lots of stuff we use on a regular basis so I skipped a few of the Thanksgiving produce deals at Publix. We are going to Friendsgiving this week so I may have to stop in and make another trip depending on what we decide to bring and if I forgot anything.

My three transactions would have totaled up to $44 all together but I had a $25 Publix gift card from winning a giveaway on another blog a few weeks ago so I only spent $19 out of pocket. Which even factoring in our veggie share means that in the last two weeks we have only spent $64 for all our food and household items. Which leaves me with almost $100 of our cash grocery budget to roll into the next two weeks budget for upcoming holiday sales and parties.

Breakdown of yesterday's Publix trip:
Total retail value: $178.35
Total spent OOP: $19.63 (after factoring in $25 gift card)
Total saved: $133.72 (does not count gift card as savings)
Percent saved: 75%

What I got with sale/coupon match up:
  • 2 International Delights Coffee Creamers, retails for $2.29 each, on sale BOGO ($1.14 each)
  • 2 boxes of Duncan Hines Decadent Brownie Mix, retails for $2.79 each, on sale BOGO ($1.39 each)
  • 1 Chavarie Goat Cheese, retails for $4.19, on sale for $2.69
  • 1 roll of Glad Cling Wrap, retails for $1.69
  • 2 Tresemme Hair Products, retails for $4.49 each
    • Used two $2 off printable coupons (not sure if they are still available)
    • Stacked with a $3/2 Publix Purple Advantage Flyer coupon
    • Made them .99 cents each
  • 1 package of Twelve Count Double Rolls Charmin Toliet Paper, retails for $9.99, on sale for $6.99
  • 1 tub of Charmin Freshmates, retails for $2.69
  • 2 boxes of Rice Thin Crackers, retails for $3.69 each, on sale for $2.50 each
  • 1 bag of Gold Medal Flour, retails for $3.19, on sale for $1.99
  • 2 bags of Domino Sugar, retails for $2.79, on sale for $1.99
  • 4 bags of Sargento Shredded Cheese, retails for $4.19 a bag, on sale BOGO ($2.09 a bag)
    • Used two $1/2 coupons from the 11/3 SS
    • Made them $1.69 a bag
  • 2 dozen Publix eggs, retails for $2.09 each
  • 2 tubs of Sabra Hummus, retails for $3.99 each, on sale BOGO ($1.99 each)
  • 5 Dannon Greek Yogurts, retails for $1.20 each, on sale for $1 each
    • Used a $1/5 tearpad coupon from in store
    • Stacked with a $1/5 Publix coupon from the Green Advantage Flyer (in stores)
    • Made them .60 cents each
  • 4 Stoneyfield Organics Greek Yogurts, retails for $1.50 each, on sale for $1 each
    • Used a $1/4 Publix digital coupon
    • Made them .75 cents each
  • 4 Philidelphia Cream Cheese Spreads, retails for $2.79 each, on sale for $1.50 each
    • Used two $1/2 peelie coupons found on product
    • Stacked with a $1/4 Publix Green Advantage Flyer coupon
    • Earned .50 cents cash back with ibotta
    • Made them .63 cents each
  • 4 one pound packages of Publix butter, retails for $3.15 each, on sale BOGO made them $1.57 each
  • 1 Marzetti Caramel Apple Dip, $3.49
  • 2 bottles of Wesson Oil, retails for $4.35 each, on sale BOGO made them $2.17 each
  • 2 Kraft Recipe Makers, retails for $3.49
    • Used a BOGO coupon from the Publix Green Ad. Flyer
    • Made them $1.75 each
  • 2 packages of Immaculate Baking Company Cookie Dough, retails for $3.29 each, on sale for $1.64 each
  • 1 half gallon of Silk Almond Milk, retails for $3.35, on sale for $2.50
    • Used a $1 off printable from doing a man. email survey
    • Stacked with a .75 cents off Target Breakfast Insert coupon from 11/3
    • Made it .75 cents
  • 2 blocks of Cracker Barrel Cheese, retails for $4.39 each, on sale for $3.00 each
    • Used two $2 off coupons from a Kraft First Taste email
    • Made them $1 each
  • 1 box of Bigelow Tea, retails for $2.79, on sale for $2.39
  • 2 Pam Cooking Sprays, retails for $3.25 each, on sale BOGO ($1.62 each)
    • Used two $1 off coupons (have to tell a story with a new email each time)
    • Or you could use the .30 off coupons from the 10/13 SS
    • Made it .62 cents each
  • Publix Whipping Cream, $3.15
  • Reynolds Foil Wrap, retails for $4.15, on sale for $2.99
    • Used a .75 cents off coupon from the 9/15 SS
    • Made it $2.24
How did you do this week? Inspire me (and everyone else) with your amazing savings and deals this week. Please link up directly to your specific post. Do not link up to your blog's home page, giveaways, or etsy shops please. You can also "like" Couponing & Cooking on Facebook too! I would love it if you would link back to this post or grab my button from the sidebar : )



    Tuesday, November 19, 2013

    50+ Peppermint Desserts

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    Nothing gets me in the mood for Christmas like peppermint. Here are more than 50 peppermint and candy cane recipes to get you ready for the holiday season!

    Many of these photos are not mine but I have rounded them up for you to enjoy. If you want to pin an individual recipe or specific photo please click through to the original post and share from there. If you want to pin this post and the entire collection just pin the collage above!

    Want even more peppermint and candy cane desserts? Check out my Peppermint Pinterest Board!


    Sunday, November 17, 2013

    Peanut Butter Buckeyes {Holiday Desserts With Land O' Lakes Butter}

     I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.


    I come from a family of what my mom lovingly refers to as "food vultures". What she means by that is that there is always someone waiting to swoop in and snatch up whatever food is being prepared or put out. My siblings and cousins (and maybe even a few dads and uncles) have been known to hang around the perimeter of my grandmother's kitchen just waiting for our favorite dish or dessert to finished and uncovered. Never is this negative family trait more prominent than during the holidays.

    My grandparents have a 10+ foot counter in the back of their kitchen and during the holidays it is covered with treats: butter cookies, sugar cookies, chocolate kiss cookies, fudge, almond rocca and so much more. All laid out in holiday tins, cellophane and Tupperware containers. As kids, we would wait patiently for the time of day when the adults would let us each pick one treat and then we would haggle over who got the biggest piece or the most sprinkles. As adults, we sneak what we can when we can when our mothers are in the other room getting ready or setting the table.


    And as adults, we discovered something more than our autonomous ability to decide when and what we eat. We discovered that the adults had been keeping one of the best treats hidden for themselves in the back of the refrigerator; the Buckeyes.  Where had these been all our of early lives? How had they not been shared with us? Why had we been fighting over who would get one of the thousands of cookies and other treats when there was only a limited supply of chocolate covered peanut butter goodness hiding in the fridge?

    Now that there are 18 adult family members vying for Buckeyes and other desserts in my grandparents' house we have all resorted to some pretty embarrassing sneaky tactics when it comes to making we get our fair share of holiday treats.


    It is not uncommon for cookies to be hidden on shelves or in pantry cabinets. Buckeyes have been wrapped in cellophane and hid in the back of the veggie drawer to make sure that there would be some saved for later. One year, my cousin Rob even hid his favorite type of cookies in the laundry room. And it's not just the grandchildren who are guilty. I am 99% sure that my mom and my aunt Maria had a secret bin of my grandmother's chocolate kiss cookies in one of their rooms last year.


    So in an attempt to alleviated some of the food vulture tendencies in our family, I decided to whip up a batch of my Aunt Jenny's family famous Buckeyes to give everyone an early taste of the holidays. The recipe is simple (peanut butter, powdered sugar and Land O' Lakes Butter) but the process takes a little bit of time so these are very much a labor of love in the world of holiday baking.


    The recipe makes between 6-8 dozen so I actually froze some of the peanut butter mixture and will bring it out and dip some right before Christmas to surprise everyone when the original batch has been quickly eaten by my dessert crazy family. Or maybe I will hid them in the deli meat drawer and keep them all to myself.

    Aunt Jenny's Famous Buckeyes
    • 6 cups powdered sugar (1 1/2 pounds)
    • 16oz jar of peanut butter (about 1 pound)
    • 1/2 pound (2 sticks) of Land O' Lakes Butter
    • 16 oz melting chocolate
      1.) Mix first 3 ingredients together and form into balls the size of a large nut. I mixed these by hand with a wooden spoon since a hand mixer made them a little too crumbly.

      2.) Place on wax paper on cookie sheet and chill. 
      3.) Melt chocolate according to instructions. 
      4.) Using a toothpick in center of peanut butter balls, dip them in chocolate leaving a small circle not covered in chocolate to resemble a buckeye.  
      5.) Place on wax paper. When cool, refrigerate.

      Looking for more holiday baking recipes? Check out the Land O' Lakes holiday baking guide for more inspiration. Also, be on the look out for these double packs for Land O' Lakes Butter Sticks at Walmart to make sure that you don't run out of butter during all your holiday baking this season!  


      Connect with Land O' Lakes

      Friday, November 15, 2013

      Quick & Easy Homemade Garlic Knots {Star Butter Flavored Olive Oil}

       I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and its client.

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      I would consider myself a garlic knot connoisseur. At least 50% of my motivation in going out to get pizza would have to be the fact that I get to order garlic knots before hand. Justin and I have quite a few places where we enjoy the knots but our favorite place by far has to be a little pizza place in town called Pizzoodles.


      Unlike most garlic knots, theirs are not drowned in butter (not that there is anything wrong with that...) but they are coated in an olive oil that has a rich, buttery quality. I have tried to recreate those knots many times but I can never get them to taste just right. Until now.


      These garlic knots are so easy to make, you will wonder why you ever went out for them before. Made using refrigerated bread stick dough, all you have to do is tie them, bake them and drench them in Star Butter Flavored Olive Oil sauteed with garlic.


      The oil gave them the buttery taste that I love without the heaviness of melted butter. And since Start Butter Oil has no cholesterol and no trans fats, I can feel a little bit better about pairing these garlic knots with my salad for dinner.


      Quick & Easy Homemade Garlic Knots
      • 1 tube of refridgerated bread stick dough
      • 1/2 cup of Star Butter Flavored Olive Oil
      • 2 teaspoons of minced garlic (I used jarred)
      • Italian seasoning (I used the type in the grinder)
      • Grated Parmesan Cheese for topping
      1.) Unroll bread stick dough and tie each piece of dough into a small knot.

      2.) Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until fully baked.

      3.) In a small sauce pan, saute the minced garlic in the oil until garlic is slightly browned.

      4.) Top hot knots with the garlic and oil mixture and sprinkle on Italian seasoning and Parmesan Cheese to your preference.


      Best enjoyed fresh!

      Want to try Star Butter Oil for yourself? I found mine at Walmart but you can also enter to win a bottle for FREE by liking Star Fine Food's Facebook page.  If you are heading to the store to grab some, be sure to print out a $1 off coupon.

      Thursday, November 14, 2013

      A Peak In{stagram} My Life- Beaches, Holiday Foods, Penguins & More


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      It's no secret to those who know me that I love instagram. I probably abuse use it way more than I should but I just can't help it. I love seeing snapshots of other people's lives and I love how it lets me share snippets of my life with those who follow me. 

      As a way to share a peak into the non couponing and cooking aspects of my life (and despite what this blog may imply there are lots), I am going to be doing occasional posts with images from my instagram account to let you all in on what I have been up to. 

      Side note: My instagram account is set to private which means you do have to request to follow me. This is only because I am a high school teacher who cannot have any students following me on social media. Since this is my personal instagram account I just have to keep myself protected. So as long as you aren't a high school student, feel free to request to follow me and I will gladly approve you!

      Over the last few weeks I : 

      Organized my nailpolish:

      Tried Serendipity's Frozen Hot Chocolate for the first time (wow!):

      Went to the Gulf Coast:

      Went camping complete with a champagne breakfast:

      Bought way too much holiday stuff at Walmart:

      Became obsessed with these:

      Walked the beach a few times:

      Visited the penguins at Sea World:

      Penguin obsession continues:

      After 3 years of going to Sea World regularly, we finally saw Tilikum preforming for the first time:

      What have you been up to lately?

      Ibotta New User $10 Welcome Bonus

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      Have you downloaded the new ibotta 2.0 yet? All in all, I am really liking the new version. My favorite new feature has to be that you can earn $10 cash back once you upload $100 worth of receipts from Home Depot and Lowes (can be from multiple trips!). 

      If you aren't an ibotta user yet, now is the time to join. Once again, ibotta is offering up to a $10 Welcome Bonus for new users. Want to know more about earning cash back on your normal grocery and household product purchases? Check out my ibotta posts HERE.


      Already an ibotta user? Make sure to check out the newest offers and be sure to redeem at least one offer in the next week to be entered into the $250 Thanksgiving Dinner Sweepstakes


       From now through November 30th, you can also earn $2 per friend referral so sign up and share with friends!


      What has been your favorite ibotta offer or deal so far? How much have you earned?

      Wednesday, November 13, 2013

      Saved 62% At Publix


      Sorry to have been slacking on getting my weekly shopping posts up lately. Life has been very busy and I meant to get this shopping trip up on Sunday but Justin surprised with me with a little day trip to Sea World. If you didn't know yet, I am a Sea World freak and I would spend all day in the penguin exhibit if Justin would let me.

      Anyways, I had a pretty good trip to Publix on Saturday. The Publix right next to my house has been under renovations so it took me forever to find everything and a few of the deals I was hoping to get weren't in stock but oh well.

      I did start to grab some of the great baking product deals we see during the holidays. Those sales should pick up in the next few weeks but I figured I would get a few things while the prices were decent. This trip was a little higher than usual since it had been over a week since I shopped and since I grabbed a few higher priced "treat" items. I used two $5/$30 Winn Dixie coupons in two transactions as usual.

      We also picked up our biweekly produce share last Tuesday so I was able to not have to buy anything in that department. Our share was huge so we will be set for this week as well. Here's what we got this week: Red Bell Peppers, Green Beans, Garnett Sweet Potatoes, Green Kale, Hass Avocados, White Mushrooms, Red Butter Lettuce, Cucumbers, Red Radishes, Mini Roma Tomatoes on the Vine, Green Onions, Tiny Crimson Gold Apples (so cute!), Bartlett Pears, Gala Apples and Bananas.


      Breakdown of Saturday's trip:
      Total retail value: $134.37
      Total spent: $50.97
      Total saved: $83.40
      Percent saved: 62%

      What I got with sale/coupon match ups:
      • 1 bag of Airborne Lozenges, retails for $5.99
      • 2 ThinkThin Crunch Bars, retails for $1.66 each, on sale for $1 each
        • Used two .50 cents off coupons from the 10/6 RP
        • Made them .50 cents each
      • 2 jars of Kraft Mayo, retails for $5.31 each, on sale BOGO ($2.65 each)
      • 2 Lindt Chocolate Bars, retails for $2.59 each, on sale for $2.00 each
        • Used two $2 off printable coupons
        • Made them both FREE
      • 1 Cottonelle Upright Cleansing Clothes Dispenser, retails for $4.99
        • Used a $2 off peelie coupon (or you could use a $1 off from the 10/13 SS)
        • Stacked with a $1 off Publix Advantage Flyer coupon (found in front of store)
        • Earned $1.50 back with ibotta
        • Made it .49 cents
      • 2 Ile De France Mini Bries, retails for $6.39 each, on sale BOGO ($3.19 each)
      • 2 boxes of Cascadian Farms Organic Granola Bars, retails for $3.99 each
        • Used a $1/2 peelie coupon found on product
        • Made them $3.49 a box  (pricey but we LOVE them)
      • 1 bottle of All Laundry Detergent, retails for $5.99, on sale for $3.50
      • 2 Bags (4 pounds) of Dixie Crystals Sugar, retails for $3.09 a bag, on sale for $1.99 a bag
      • 4 bottles of Sunlight Dish Soap, retails for $1.39 each, on sale for $1 each
      • 2 bags of Ritz Chips, retails for $3.69 each, on sale BOGO ($1.84 each)
        • Used a $1/2 tearpad coupon found in store
        • Made them $1.34 a bag
      • 2 Glad Cling Wraps, retails for $1.69 each
      • 2 Dannon Okios Yogurt Dips, retails for $3.00 each, on sale for $2.50 each
      • 2 boxes (1 pound) of Domino Brown or Powdered Sugar, retails for $1.29 each, on sale for .99 cents each
        • Used a .50/2 coupon from the 11/3 RP
        • Made them .74 cents each
      • 2 Muller Greek Yogurts, retails for $1.25, on sale for $1 each
        • Used a $1/2 Target.com printable coupon (for Quaker products which these are)
        • Made them .50 cents each
      • 5 Dannon Okios Greek Yogurts, retails for $1.20 each, on sale for $1 each
        • Used a $1/5 in store tearpad coupon
        • Made them .80 cents each
      • 4 Fage Greek Yogurts, retails for $1.39 each, on sale for $1 each
      • 2 Smart Balance Spreads, retails for $3.69 each, on sale BOGO ($1.84 each)
        • Used a $1/2 coupon from the 10/13 SS
        • Made them $1.34 each
      • 2 bags of Nestle Morsels, retails for $2.85 a bag, on sale BOGO ($1.43 each)
      • 2 cans of Eagle Condensed Milk, retails for $2.19 each, on sale for $2 each
        • Used $1/2 Target.com printable coupon
        • Used two .25 cents off coupons from the 11/3 RP
        • Made them $1.25 each
      • 2 tubs of Athenos Feta Cheese, retails for $3.09 each, on sale BOGO ($1.54 each)
        • Used a $1/2 peelie coupon found on product
        • Made them $1.04 each
      • 1 half gallon of Silk Almond Milk, retails for $3.35
        • Used a .75 cents off Publix Ad. Flyer coupon (found in front of store)
        • Stacked with a $1 off printable coupon
        • Made it $1.60
      • 18 count carton of Egglands Best Eggs, retails for $3.99, on sale for $3.50
        • Used a .50 cents off coupon from the 11/3 SS
        • Made them $3.00 
      New to couponing? Check out my Couponing 101 series for information on how to get started, where to find coupons, couponing lingo and so much more! 

      Tuesday, November 12, 2013

      Florida Grouper Coconut Florentine {Fresh From Florida}

      This post brought to you by Fresh From Florida. All opinions are 100% mine.

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      You're probably expecting another seasonal recipe today. Maybe some pumpkin, or something covered in red and green sprinkles. But while most of America thinks of turkeys and presents when they think of seasonal, living in South Florida can give that term a whole new meaning.

      Living where I do comes with lots of perks but one that I often take for granted is that while much of the country is dealing with snow and ice, we can be enjoying fresh local seafood anytime we want.


      Being someone who fishes himself, Justin is pretty picky about what kind of fish is served to him in restaurants. That is why if he didn't catch it himself, he likes to buy our fish at local fish markets that feature seafood fresh from Florida. He specially looks for the Fresh From Florida seal so that there can be no question about where our seafood came from.


      Once we got our grouper home, the Fresh from Florida website had tons of recipes and ideas for ways to prepare our fish using wholesome ingredients to create a restaurant worthy dish at home. This Coconut Florentine Grouper was the perfect Floridian dish exactly like something you would find on the menu at your favorite waterfront tiki bar.


      Grouper cooks pretty quickly so make sure you have all your prep work done before you get started with the recipe. Be sure to visit Fresh from Florida's website for more seasonal seafood recipes!

      Florida Grouper Coconut Florentine recipe from Fresh From Florida
      • 2 tablespoons olive oil
      • 4  6-ounce grouper fillets
      • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
      • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
      • 1/2 cup red onion, diced and divided
      • 1 1/2 cups canned light coconut milk
      • 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
      • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
      • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
      • 1 splash hot pepper sauce
      • 4 plum tomatoes, diced
      • 1 red bell pepper, diced
      • 1 green bell pepper, diced
      • 1  10-ounce bag spinach, washed
      • - See more at: http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Recipes/Entrees/Florida-Grouper-Coconut-Florentine#sthash.0XdKpQ0l.dpuf
      • 2 tablespoons olive oil
      • 4  6-ounce grouper fillets
      • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
      • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
      • 1/2 cup red onion, diced and divided
      • 1 1/2 cups canned light coconut milk
      • 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
      • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
      • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
      • 1 splash hot pepper sauce
      • 4 plum tomatoes, diced
      • 1 red bell pepper, diced
      • 1 green bell pepper, diced
      • 1  10-ounce bag spinach, washed
      • - See more at: http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Recipes/Entrees/Florida-Grouper-Coconut-Florentine#sthash.0XdKpQ0l.dpuf
      • 2 tablespoons olive oil
      • 4  6-ounce grouper fillets
      • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
      • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
      • 1/2 cup red onion, diced and divided
      • 1 1/2 cups canned light coconut milk
      • 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
      • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
      • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
      • 1 splash hot pepper sauce
      • 4 plum tomatoes, diced
      • 1 red bell pepper, diced
      • 1 green bell pepper, diced
      • 1  10-ounce bag spinach, washed
      • - See more at: http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Recipes/Entrees/Florida-Grouper-Coconut-Florentine#sthash.0XdKpQ0l.dpuf
      • 2 tablespoons olive oil
      • 4  6-ounce grouper fillets
      • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
      • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
      • 1/2 cup red onion, diced and divided
      • 1 1/2 cups canned light coconut milk
      • 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
      • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
      • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
      • 1 splash hot pepper sauce
      • 4 plum tomatoes, diced
      • 1 red bell pepper, diced
      • 1 green bell pepper, diced
      • 1  10-ounce bag spinach, washed
      • - See more at: http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Recipes/Entrees/Florida-Grouper-Coconut-Florentine#sthash.0XdKpQ0l.dpuf
      • 2 tablespoons olive oil
      • 4  6-ounce grouper fillets
      • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
      • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
      • 1/2 cup red onion, diced and divided
      • 1 1/2 cups canned light coconut milk
      • 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
      • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
      • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
      • 1 splash hot pepper sauce
      • 4 plum tomatoes, diced
      • 1 red bell pepper, diced
      • 1 green bell pepper, diced
      • 1  10-ounce bag spinach, washed
      • - See more at: http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Recipes/Entrees/Florida-Grouper-Coconut-Florentine#sthash.0XdKpQ0l.dpuf
      • 2 tablespoons olive oil
      • 4  6-ounce grouper fillets
      • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
      • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
      • 1/2 cup red onion, diced and divided
      • 1 1/2 cups canned light coconut milk
      • 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
      • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
      • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
      • 1 splash hot pepper sauce
      • 4 plum tomatoes, diced
      • 1 red bell pepper, diced
      • 1 green bell pepper, diced
      • 1  10-ounce bag spinach, washed
      • - See more at: http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Recipes/Entrees/Florida-Grouper-Coconut-Florentine#sthash.0XdKpQ0l.dpuf
      • 2 tablespoons olive oil
      • 4  6-ounce grouper fillets
      • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
      • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
      • 1/2 cup red onion, diced and divided
      • 1 1/2 cups canned light coconut milk
      • 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
      • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
      • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
      • 1 splash hot pepper sauce
      • 4 plum tomatoes, diced
      • 1 red bell pepper, diced
      • 1 green bell pepper, diced
      • 1  10-ounce bag spinach, washed
      1.) In large saute pan over medium-high heat, saute fillets in 1 tablespoon olive oil 2-3 minutes per side until browned. Remove fillets and set aside.

      2.) Add garlic, ginger and 1/4 cup onion to pan; cook until tender.

      3.) Add coconut milk, lime juice, cilantro, soy sauce, and hot pepper sauce. Bring to a boil and add fillets; simmer 1 minute until fillets are opaque in center.

      4.) In a separate large saute pan, heat remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat.
      Saute remaining 1/4 cup onion, tomatoes, bell peppers and spinach until greens are just wilted.

      Serve fillets on a bed of spinach mixture. And top with remaining sauce.

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      Monday, November 11, 2013

      Homemade Dipping Sauces With Tyson Spicy & Cheesy Chicken Nuggets

       I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client.


      You've probably heard me mention it a million times before but Notre Dame football is a huge part of my family's life. We are obsessed to the point of borderline insanity. When we have game watches, there are all kinds of obsessive compulsive behaviors we must engage in order for the "karma" to be just right. I won't embarrass myself or my family by giving you the details but lets just say the atmosphere can get pretty tense.
      Almost every Saturday during football season our entire extended family and friends get together at someone's house to watch the game. And while I love having people over when it is our turn, I hate that I usually end up missing most of the first half of the game because I am in the kitchen prepping food for our usual serving of dinner during halftime. 
      No matter how much prep work I try to do, I always end up having to marinade something, mix something, bread something or grill something instead of getting to focus on the game. When our turn to host came around a few weeks ago, I decided to try something different. 
      Thanks to Tyson's new Spicy and Cheesy varieties of Chicken Nuggets, I was able to serve a delicious dinner that had something for everyone without spending the entire first half of the game stuck in the kitchen. I did minimal prep work before the game and then all I had to do was pop a few trays of chicken nuggets in the oven during a second quarter commercial break and we had a quick and easy dinner ready to go in minutes. 
      Justin and I set up a Spicy and Cheesy Chicken Nugget Bar complete with two homemade dipping sauces, salad, wraps and a panini station with sliced chicken nuggets and everything our guests needed to make themselves Tyson nugget quesadillas. Some guests made salad bowls topped with nuggets, some people had wraps or quesadillas and pretty much everyone had quite a few of each kind of nugget paired with our dipping sauces. 
      We made two easy dips: a Chipotle Ranch and a Sweet Sriracha Yogurt dip. We mixed them up before the game and let them chill in the fridge until it was time for dinner. {Recipes below}


      A bag of each type of nugget easily fed our crowd of 10+ people and everyone loved trying both the Spicy and the Cheesy versions of the new Tyson nuggets. We even had a few friends ask if they could reheat some during the 4th quarter.

      Sweet Sriracha Yogurt Dip
      • 1 (6oz.) container of plain Greek yogurt
      • 1 teaspoon honey
      • 1 tablespoon of Sriracha sauce, more if you like it spicier
      Mix all ingrediants together. Refridgerate for at least an hour before serving.

       Chipotle Ranch Dipping Sauce
      • 3/4 cup of sour cream
      • 1-2 adobo chiles (canned), seeds removed
      • 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
      • 1 tablespoon powdered ranch mix
      • 1/2 tablespoon of adobo sauce (from the can with chilies) 
      Mix all ingrediants together. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

      Want to try out the new Tyson Cheesy Chicken Nuggets? Walmart stores will be doing in store demos the weekend of November 15th so be sure to stop by your local store and check them out!

      Looking for another quick and easy dinner solution from Tyson? Check out my Tangy Orange Cashew Chicken made the Mix & Match Meal Creations!


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