"Every Little Bit" Hack Video!

Here's a fantastic hack video...it's short, but there's a couple great hacks for using that last bit of random foods. In case the video fails, you can check out the website here: So Yummy!

Wewalka Party!!!

Wewalka Party!

Our most recent party included pastry and pizza dough from Wewalka!  

Wewalka was created by a European baker named Johann Wewalka, back in 1994. Now, the company provides fresh dough for more than 30 countries in Europe and Asia -- and is now here in America! A focus on high quality ingredients is evident in the products' before and after baking. 

The best ingredients have NO artificial flavors or colors, no high frutose corn syrup, no hydrogenated oils and no bleached flour. Suitable for vegetarians, and packaging that aids in freshness (one way valvue that vents CO2!). 

Links to ALL the recipes we tried are at the bottom of this post! 

Wewalka offers ready-to-use pastry, flatbread, pizza, and pie crusts. Available in various locations (click here to find a local store here you), I found it in the refrigerated section at Wal-Mart!

 

The products we tried were the Bistro Pizza, Classic Pizza and Puff Pastry doughs. The pizza doughs' were both fantastic, easy to use and baked up perfectly! Our recipes with the Puff Pasty dough also turned out fantastic, even though it was the first time using Puff Pastry for many of us. 

 

Above you can see the Classic Pizza crust, (left) it is the perfect rectangle shape for a regular sized cookie sheet pan. On the right is a finished pizza, YUMMY! The crust is about a medium thickness, and could be stretched out to a thinner crust, or doubled over for an double thickness. 

The crust above is the Bistro Pizza (Round and Thin Crust). This was my favorite of the two pizza crusts, it baked up great and had crisp edges and just enough crust to hold all my toppings. 

My Recipes! Click the pictures below to view the recipe and see more pictures of Wewalka products in use!

@Wewalka on Twitter

#wewalkaparty

#tryazon

Recipe: Quinoa Fritters with Garlic Lemon Aoili

Quinoa Fritters with Garlic Lemon Aoili 

This recipe is an adaptation of a zucchini fritter I made last year, but never posted a recipe. It's fairly basic and easily customizable. Adding dry ingredients will mean you can use less flour, and wet ingredients will need more flour for the  mixture to hold together while being cooked. 

Quinoa is a great product to use for people with sensitive tummies, it's gluten free and as grains go - gentle on the digestive system. The Quinoa I am using for this recipe is a boil-in-bag from Success, which is one of the products given in the #momlife VoxBox from Influenster. 

Success Boil-in-Bag Quinoa!

If you have never cooked Quinoa before, the boil-in-bag option from Success is a great way to cook it without worry of over/under cooking, and less mess! The raw/dry form of Quinoa are very small, and light (airy) - so the potential for  mess is eliminated when they are sealed up in bags!

Coooked, in bags. 

Cooked quinoa.

   

After the bags boil in water for just 10 minutes remove and let drain for about 5 minutes. For my recipe you can leave them to drain and cool longer, if you'd like; and even refrigerate for later (or use leftovers!). 

  

Recipe

Fritters

2c       cooked quinoa
2/3c    shredded cheese (I used pepper jack)
2-3tbs  flour
1         green onion (sliced thin)
1         egg (beaten)
1tsp    black pepper
1tsp    garlic salt
1tsp    salt
1/4c    oil (any kind, for frying)


Aoili

1/2c   prepared mayo
2-3     cloves garlic (roasted or fried, and chopped finely)
1        juice and zest of one lemon
1tsp    hot sauce (optional)

*Note: In the photos I have doubled the recipe for the fritters.

Directions

Simply mix all fritter ingredients in medium bowl thoroughly. 

Pro Tip 1: The amount of flour used depends on the moisture level of the mix, I used an ice cream scoop (because the quinoa sticks to hands), and pressed the mix into the scoop fairly firmly. If the mix comes out easily and stays in the scoop shape - it's ready to cook. If it falls apart - add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it keeps it shape. 

Add half of the oil to frying pan, and heat to medium-high (should only take a minute or two to get the oil hot). As you cook, you may need to add more oil to the pan because the fritters do absorb the oil a bit. 

Cook until light brown (or a bit darker brown if you prefer), about 2-4 minutes on each side. 

Pro Tip 2: Cooking time depends on fritter size, the number of fritters in the pan and temperature you cook them at. Since all ingredients are cooked except for the egg, you are simply frying them until the egg is cooked and forms the patty. 

Once they are brown enough, remove from pan and allow to drain on a rack. I do not recommend using paper towels, as the fritters hold a bit of moisture inside and the bottom would get soggy. 

Serve these warm, with the garlic lemon aoili (recipe below)!

 Lemon Garlic Aoili Recipe is at the top, the directions are simple - mix it all up! 

Pro Tip 3: Roasting or frying garlic simply brings out a nice mellow flavor. I fried mine in the pan with the fritters (see below) until golden brown - DO NOT OVER-COOK! Burned garlic is very bitter and does not taste good! 

Frying garlic

  

Raw garlic at the top, fried at the bottom

Once the garlic is cooled a bit, slice it up and smoosh it with the flat part of a knife, then chop it into tiny bits before adding to the mixture. 

Mix it all up!

Serve the aoili with your fritters for a nice refreshing sauce, as the fritters can be "heavy". 

 #EasySuccessQuinoa  #gotitfree  #contest

I recieved Success Quinoa free to try from Influenster for testing purposes. 

Recipe! Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers!

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers!

(recipe found on Pinterest, but I edited it to make it mine)

I came across this recipe on Pinterest months ago, and wanted to try it. Thanks to our lovely garden this year - we had copious amounts of jalapeno to use. I didn't use a actual recipe for mine, I simply re-used the idea of wrapping them in bacon and baking in the oven. I guessed at ratios and measurements, so of course they can always be changed to your own tastes. 

Please note my notes at the end!

My Recipe: 

1 block of cream cheese (room temp, softened)

1/2-1 lb. Bacon 

10-15 Fresh Jalapenos

1/4 cup Finely minced onion (I used white)

1 banana pepper, minced (optional)

1tsp garlic salt

1tsp black pepper

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

(hot sauce can be added for extra kick)

Directions:

Prep jalapenos, first by cutting the ends off, then cutting in half. Scoop out and discard the inside membrane and seeds. 

Mix together all other ingredients (minus the bacon), folding in the shredded cheese last. 

Stuff the jalapeno halves with the mixture, only SLIGHTLY overfilling them. 

Seperate bacon slices and cut into 2 or 3 pieces. Wrap pieces around the stuffed jalapeno halves and place on a cookie sheet. 

Bake for about 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. This will vary depending on size of jalapenos and thickness of the bacon. 

Allow to cool only long enough to prevent 3rd degree burns. 

NOTES! These tasted fine, in fact the kids even loved them. The bacon looks uncooked, I realize; and the cheese mix looks a bit like scrambled eggs. So, when making these again I would probably change the following things -- I would pre-cook the bacon, so that it will become crispy after baked, and I would use a white cheese such as a colby jack or even provolone instead of the cheddar. 

Product Review: Le Gusto Kitchen Shears

Product Review: Le Gusto's Heavy Duty Kitchen Utility Shears

Product Link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N6DYYRL

My product test video: HERE

These shears...or scissors, as they could be called - have various uses. Firstly, the micro serrated edge gives you a textured "blade" to scale fish, which will come in handy while using the scissors to cut off the fins and whatnot. Also, a bottle opener is built into the non-serrated blade (see below photo). 

On the handles you can find a nut cracker/bottle opener, as well (see photo below). 

I tried these shears on everything I had in my kitchen...and some stuff laying around my house. Check out my VIDEO for more of that.  They work great at cutting items you would normal not want to touch - like raw meats and chicken - and hot peppers! 

I also used them on cardboard (opened the evil packing tape on a package), I cut plastic bottles, used them on various other tasks around the house. Then, I went back and cut more veggies -- and they are still just as sharp! 

*photo above*...how annoying is it to open the bacon packages!?!? These shears win just for that one purpose, honestly! Haha!

Everything in the baggy in the above picture was cut with Le Gusto's Shears. It's a snack size ziplock back - and its the veggie filling for a calzone! 

Be sure to check out my video for 'show and tell' of these great utility shears!  Then run over to Amazon HERE, and get yourself a pair...or two! They aren't just for the kitchen - use them everywhere - even in the garden!

*Also, stay tuned for a recipe using these shears, coming soon!*

Cherry Dr. Pepper Devils Food Cake RECIPE!

Today is my oldest daughters birthday, and while I am in still in a bit a denial about her age (and my own), I will still make her one of her faves. This cake is made with Cherry Dr. Pepper and that is her absolute favorite soda of all time, ever. I made this recipe up, but its based off several ones I randomly found last year online. This is a more simple version, with less butter and not 7 cups of powdered sugar. Anyway, this is a real "loosey-goosey" recipe. 

Cherry Dr.Pepper Devils Food Cake Recipe 

Recipe-ish: 

You will need -

• 1 box devils food cake mix (eggs and oil per box directions)
• Cherry Dr. Pepper or soda of the generic nature
• A jar of maraschino cherries 
• Frosting (I used a simple white frosting, but it can be any kind)
• 1 box instant pudding mix (again, your choice)
• Ice cream (optional, but you know you want it)

Directions-ish

Mix up 1 box devils food cake mix (I used Betty Crocker), like the directions - except add one box of instant devils food pudding mix, and replace the water with 1c Dr. Pepper, and 1/4c cherry juice (the liquid from those maraschino cherries). 

Bake for however long it takes for it to get done, this cake will be a bit taller than average. It will also take a few more minutes to bake (or it won't, I don't know for sure honestly)! 

Let cook for an hour or so, then frost (I used Betty Crocker "whipped white"). At time of serving- top with some cherries and more of the juice, if you want! 

Enjoy the nomnomnom. 

Cute & Awesome Christmas Recipe Ideas!

Olive Penguins at Once Upon A Plate

Brownie Batter Dip, oh yes...You DID read that right....at Life In the Lofthouse 

And finally....

Grinch..snacks? I dunno what to call them, but they are cute. This is a Pinterest find.