When you think about classic American foods, the cheeseburger definitely ranks among the top of the list. There’s something so satisfying about biting into a juicy, perfectly cooked burger on a toasted bun.
Even plain, a burger is delicious. But with a bun in hand, everybody can be a Picasso and ‘paint the canvas’ with the perfect combination of toppings. For most, that includes cheese, cheese and more cheese, please!
The patty melt is deceptively simple. Aside from the seasonings and butter, there are only about four ingredients: meat, onion, cheese and bread. It’s the preparation and how these ingredients are combined that give the patty melt its sizzle.
Sometimes a patty melt will be served with only sautéed onions and sometimes with a “secret sauce” – which is usually Thousand Island dressing. That tangy, creamy flavor is a great pairing with the sautéed onions.
For my Ranch Patty Melt recipe, I’m substituting the Thousand Island dressing with Kraft Classic Ranch dressing as a topping and with extra on the side for dipping.
During a trip to my local Walmart, I picked up all of the ingredients – including Kraft Natural Swiss Cheese (the BIG slices!) and Kraft Classic Ranch Dressing. I prefer ground turkey for my burgers, but you could also easily use lean hamburger.
Ranch Patty Melt
After getting my ingredients in place, I mixed together the ground turkey, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Don’t skimp on the Worcestershire!
Form four oval patties with the meat, matching the relative shape of the crusty rye bread. Set the patties aside as we prepare the onions.
Slice up a yellow onion and sauté it in a skillet with butter over medium-low heat. It takes about 25 minutes to properly brown the onions, but be patient. If you rush the process, the onions could easily burn.
Can you see the buttery steam rising from the pan in the photo below? It smells sooooo goooood.
Next up, cook the patties in a skillet over medium heat until done in the middle and browned on the outside. When the patties are cooked, you’re ready to start the final assembly.
In another skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. You’re going to assemble each Ranch Patty Melt as follows:
slice of crusty rye bread
slice of Kraft Swiss cheese
turkey burger patty
one-fourth of the sautéed onions
two tablespoons Kraft Classic Ranch dressing
another slice of Kraft Swiss cheese
another slice of crusty rye bread
Grill the sandwiches in the skillet until golden brown on one side. Add the remaining butter to the skillet and flip the Ranch Patty Melt sandwiches over. Cook until golden brown and crisp.
The cheese should be all melted and gooey. Cut in half and serve immediately.
Doesn’t this look like absolute burger perfection? After you bite into it, you’ll think you went to burger heaven. How can it get any better?
When you serve it with your favorite chips or fries and – most importantly – a side of Kraft Classic Ranch dressing for dipping!
With the summer grilling season in full swing, you’ve got to try creating your own version of a cheeseburger classic.
How do you #SayCheeseburger? What are your favorite toppings for crafting the ultimate classic cheeseburger?
Organize your ingredients and cooking instruments. You'll need a medium bowl and three skillets (one small, one medium and one large) to prepare the onions, burgers and the completed patty melts.
In a medium bowl, mix together ground turkey, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Form into 4 oval-shaped patties, similar to the size of the rye bread slices. Put patties on a plate; set aside.
In a small skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Toss in the onions and cook for 25 to 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Onions are done when they are golden brown and soft. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Cook the turkey burger patties on both sides, until done in the middle and browned on the outside. Set aside.
In the medium skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Assemble the patty melts first with a slice of rye bread topped with a slice of Swiss cheese. Add the turkey burger patty and one-fourth of the cooked onions. Cover the patty with 2 tablespoons ranch dressing followed by another slice of Swiss cheese. Top with another slice of rye bread, and grill the sandwiches until golden brown.
Repeat until all 4 sandwiches are in the skillet. When browned on one side, add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet. Carefully flip each sandwich over, and cook until golden brown, crisp and cheese has melted.
Cut in half and serve immediately. Serve with additional ranch dressing on the side for dipping.
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PowerfulProtein #CollectiveBias
I’m a planner. When it comes to meal options, I have to plan ahead. My schedule is too hectic to leave what’s for lunch or dinner up to chance. And it’s usually when I don’t know what is on the menu and I’m too tired to think that I can make poor choices.
That’s especially true when faced with the question of “what’s for lunch?” at the office. I hate the wasted time of running out of the building, and I definitely don’t have time to sit down in a restaurant. So the outcome is usually finding whatever fast food restaurant is closest to the office that will get me back to my desk pronto. That’s not very satisfying and I usually find I’m hungry again late in the afternoon.
So instead, I like to take my lunch with me to work. Often that means leftovers from the night before or a sandwich I’ve made with ingredients I’ve personally put together. Not only is that a big time- and money-saver, it’s also usually better for me.
But sometimes there’s just isn’t time to make either of those things happen. And that’s where my advanced planning saves the day and satisfies my hunger. You see I actively plan for those days where I don’t have time to make a homemade lunch or snack from scratch by making sure my freezer is stocked with high-protein meal options like the new STOUFFER’S® Fit Kitchen.
Just how high is the protein? Each STOUFFER’S® Fit Kitchen meal option is packed with 25 grams of protein or more. The STOUFFER’S® Fit Kitchen Steak Fajita smells intoxicating coming out of the microwave – and it’s ready in under 10 minutes. Close your eyes, breathe in deep and take a bite. You’re tastebuds will think they’re in Mexico! It’s a tender prime steak in a smoked red chile sauce (see the green and red peppers!) and it comes with a side of brown rice (my fave!) that is seasoned with black beans and corn.
The steak fajita was deliciously satisfying and quite good. But I think my favorite is the Cilantro Lime Chicken. The white meat chicken mixed in with the brown rice in a verde tomatillo sauce was protein perfection. The red bell peppers gave it a pop of color and a sweet simmering heat.
Like I said, I have to plan for those days when I don’t have time to make lunch. So whenever I need to stock up the freezer or fridge, I go to my local Walmart and hang a left down the single serve entrees aisle in the frozen foods section.
I found all of the STOUFFER’S® Fit Kitchen meals in a special high-protein section of the freezer.
They’re easy to spot. And they come in some great meal options, like STOUFFER’S® Fit Kitchen Steak Fajita, Cilantro Lime Chicken, Rotisserie Seasoned Turkey, Bourbon Steak, Oven Roasted Chicken and Monterey Chicken.
I’ve found that STOUFFER’S® Fit Kitchen meals are also great for satisfying late night snack cravings. With summer schedules, I might miss a meal or eat earlier than usual to enjoy the great weather outside. Sometimes I get a strong hunger pang about 10 pm, which is too late to eat something big but also too early to go to bed and wait until morning for breakfast. I feel better choosing something packed with lean protein instead of, say, chips or popcorn.
Try STOUFFER’S® Fit Kitchen for yourself. You’ll find that the protein definitely leaves you satisfied.
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FuelTheLove #CollectiveBias
When summer arrives, I get very excited. Excited because summer means fresh fruits and vegetables. And summer also means it’s time to jump in the car with my four pugs to take a road trip. When I can combine the two – like a road trip that ends in a fresh foods-filled picnic – I’m in heaven.
But before I head out on any road trip, I’ve got to gas up the car and have the oil levels checked. I mean who wants to break down on the side of the road in the summer heat? Just like your body needs water to hydrate and run properly, your car needs quality gas and oil to perform its best. [On the night of my high school graduation, my car broke down after midnight in the middle of the country with no houses in site. I was stuck for hours – this was before cell phones were invented – and I promised myself that would never happen again. So I always make sure my car is serviced and ready to roll before heading out of town.]
So I drove to my local Walmart Super Store and dropped off my Nissan Rogue (The best car ever! And the first car I’ve ever really loved.) at the Auto Center for an oil change and to get all the fixings for a picnic.
I learned that Pennzoil was offering a Rollback price at Walmart Automotive Care Center Stores until September 9, 2015. I always get the Platinum Full Synthetic motor oil because it provides the best protection and cleanliness among all Pennzoil oils.
I trust Pennzoil and have used it in my cars for years. It helps clean out the sludge that other oils can leave behind, which keeps my car in top performance. And I like that Pennzoil provides a free warranty for its products.
I dropped my car off with the friendly Automotive Care Center Department Manager, and I was on my way to get the ingredients for a fresh tomato and cantaloupe salad. [Spoiler Alert: They were done with my oil change before I was done grabbing my grocery goodies. How convenient is that!]
There’s a lot to love about this recipe. It has only four ingredients. And the key to its refreshing, sophisticated taste is quality extra virgin olive oil and fresh mint. Seriously. A quality olive oil can make all the ingredients of a dish work together beautifully, much like how a quality automotive oil can help your car’s engine work more smoothly.
Now I’m ready (as is my car) for a summer filled with road trips, picnics and fun. If you could go anywhere on a road trip picnic, where would you go and what would you bring in your picnic basket?
Gather your ingredients. Slice the tomatoes. Cut the cantaloupe. Chop the mint.
Put the tomatoes and cantaloupe in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil, add chopped mint and gently toss to coat. Serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container.
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Quaker®. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias #LoveMyCereal #QuakerUp
I am a crunchy snack addict. There’s no denying it. And I’m not ashamed to admit it.
But this self-diagnosed ‘crunchy snack addiction’ can sometimes lead me down the wrong snacking path. When left to act on impulse alone, I can make poor choices by reaching for the nearest salty chip or candy bar. You’ve been there, right?
When you’re running around all day taking care of four hyper pugs (like I do), it can be exhausting. Sometimes feeding and caring for them means I’m too tired to cook (or think!)…so I reach for whatever snack is closest at hand. To help avoid acting on impulse and to make better snacking choices, I like to have readily on hand in my pantry some home-blended crunchy snacks that can satisfy my deep desire for crunchy goodness.
One of my go-to crunchy snacks is my “American Pie” Trail Mix. It’s got only four ingredients and you won’t believe how easy it is to make (in under 2 minutes!). I call it “American Pie” Trail Mix because it beautifully blends the flavors of warm cinnamon, tart apples, tangy cherries, and sweet maple-brown sugar.
Pour ingredients into a resealable plastic food bag.
Seal the bag and – to paraphrase from a popular song – “Shake It Off” for a few seconds until all the ingredients are blended. This can also be a great burst of cardio activity and a stress release!
Then I put some of the trail mix in two smaller snack-sized bags for the car, and keep the remaining trail mix sealed in the bag in a cool, dry place. I commute about 3 hours a day, on average, and the drive home during rush hour can be brutal. Not only am I fighting the traffic but I’m fighting the hunger beast. Having a small nosh in the car that’s a better alternative to chips or chocolate means I can tame the hunger beast and avoid over-indulging when I get home.
I wanted to share another quick trail mix recipe that is great for a tropical taste escape on a cold wintry day. It’s my Tropical Trail Mix snack.
Gather and measure your ingredients; pour into the plastic food bag. Shake until blended and you’re ready to snack like you’re on vacation in the Caribbean!
I love the versatility of cereal, especially Quaker® Oatmeal Squares which I first came to appreciate when I was making a savory holiday snack mix for my family. You could make your own favorite trail mix blend with your favorite dried fruits. Or add some savory flavors with cashews, almonds or whatever nut you love the most.
While my trail mix recipes have focused on using cold cereal as a base for a delicious crunchy snack, I’m also a fan of the easy breakfast. And Quaker® Real Medleys® Multigrain Cereal fills that bill to a tee! My favorite flavor is Peach Apple Walnut.
I wake up at 5:30 am to get ready for work. At that early hour, the last thing you want is a complicated breakfast. While it can be tempting to skip breakfast in favor of 15 minutes more of sleep, that’s not a solution to keep me fueled for the day. So I will sleep in for 10 minutes more of sleep and have a quick bowl of delicious (and crunchy!) multigrain flakes and granola clusters.
You’ve probably guessed that there’s no meal where I can’t make cereal the star of the bowl. I do #LoveMyCereal! Even all by itself – no milk needed – cereal right from the box can be downright delicious! I especially love Quaker® Oatmeal Squares (with a hint of cinnamon). The crunch is deeply satisfying and perfect to pair with a Honeycrisp apple for a portable afternoon snack at the office.
I got all of the ingredients for my special trail mix blends recipes at Walmart. The variety of Quaker® hot and cold cereals available at Walmart (in the cereal aisle) is amazing. Be sure to try them all:
I’ve shared a few of my favorite trail mix recipes featuring Quaker® Life and Oatmeal Squares cereals. What ingredients do you love most in a trail mix? Share your suggestions in the comments below. And kudos if you also come up with a fun, funky name for your special trail mix blend.
Chores are defined as unpleasant but necessary routine tasks. Well, my weekends are full of them! Chores, routines, and tasks. So I’m always looking for new ways to add sparkle to my weekend routine by removing the “bore” from the chore.
Add Sparkle To Cooking For The Masses
Like most people, I find it challenging to find the time to cook every night of the week. So I spend Sunday afternoon cooking up two or three recipes in large batches…enough that I’ve got three or four lunches and as many dinners that I can quickly reheat as the week goes along. And as much pleasure as I get from cooking, when you cook in such large quantities it’s not really relaxing – and it’s easy to fall into a rut.
Spending so much time around the stove and kitchen island prepping and cooking food, I like to make sure I have some fresh cut flowers in my line of sight. They really do add something almost magically beautiful to the kitchen landscape.
Did you know that adding a 1/4 cup of seltzer water will help keep your flowers fresh? It works on plants, too. Carbonated water can provide macronutrients, such as potassium, phosphorous, sodium, hydrogen and oxygen. All are essential ingredients, absorbed by the roots of the plant, that will speed the plant’s overall growth.
Add Sparkle To Running Errands
Running around in the car on a hot summer day is tiring and dehydrating. I like to put a bottle of sparkling seltzer water in the freezer for 15 minutes before I head out the door. Then I grab my keys, seltzer and I’m ready to hit the road.
In between my errands to the dry cleaners, grocery store and pharmacy, I find that drinking ‘deep-chilled’ seltzer water keeps me hydrated, refreshed and less likely to be tempted for a fast food snack. It doesn’t weigh me down the way colas can in oppressive heat – and I’m able to stay focused (and safe) with my full attention on the road.
I’m a nerd for new products. So it’s easy to get me distracted at the grocery store or to lose track of time by going leisurely from aisle to aisle. To make sure I don’t waste time, I make a list BEFORE heading out to the store. I organize the items on my list in the order I’ll find the products INSIDE the store. That way as I go from Produce to Bakery to Meats to Frozen, I have everything grouped for easy access. And if I don’t have any items on my list for, say, the Bakery Department, I skip it altogether. Less temptation, more time for something else.
But I’m not totally inflexible. I do allow myself ONE purchase of an item not on my list. That way I can indulge in moderation, while still staying on track for time and budget.
Add Sparkle To The Never Ending Laundry Pile
With four dogs, it feels like the laundry is never done. And while I’ve successfully avoided using the washer and dryer for up to 10 days (my personal record – so far), letting the laundry pile up makes doing the laundry even worse when I finally face it head on.
So I’ve learned the best way is to keep at it throughout the week – just like doing dishes – so you never have more than 2 or 3 loads TOPS to wash, dry and fold. And as much as I’m tempted to drink while doing laundry, I don’t. You see my washer and dryer are in the basement of my 120-year old house. I have to go down very deep and crooked steps to get to the basement. If I had more than a small alcoholic drink, I’d surely tumble to a fate full of pain.
Instead, I opt for virgin mimosas. I can imagine I’m on a tropical vacation in my mind, while still folding sober.
I found Canada Dry Sparkling Seltzer Water in the Flavored Water aisle at my local Walmart store on this #shop for #Collective Bias. Before you head to your Walmart store, click here to save $1.75 off when you share this page.
I’ve always had sensitive skin. So I tend to avoid shaving until the very last possible moment. And during the summer, I get even lazier – only shaving when I’ve got an important event like a family wedding, a business meeting with a new client or when I’m meeting someone for the very first time. But truth be told, for me the best way to make a solid first impression is always a clean shave.
Being part Native American, my facial hair doesn’t grow in thick. So I could not shave for five years and never look like anything close to Grizzly Adams. But my face and neck do get fuzzy. And now that I’ve passed middle age, some of that is growing in as gray fuzz. Not pretty. Not sexy.
I also work from a home office on most days, so my interaction with clients is often limited to telephone or email. Even when I Skype, I don’t use the video feature. So when I finally do have an important face-to-face meeting to prepare for, I rely on my Gillette Fusion ProGlide. I’ve been a loyal customer for decades; I like how close a shave I can get with the five stacked blades. And it’s a huge time saver!
When #CollectiveBias asked me to participate in this #SmoothSummer campaign, I was excited to try the new FlexBall Technology that’s built into the handle. I ran over to my neighborhood Walmart and easily found it in the RAZORS aisle.
I tend to work with clients on multi-month engagements, so I only do about half a dozen new client pitches each year. So when I do have a meeting with a potential new client, it’s important. I don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression. And a fuzzy face just won’t cut it.
I was curious just “how different” this new Gillette razor would be compared to the previous ProGlide razor I’d been using. I was honestly surprised just how much the FlexBall hugs the curves and contours of my face. [When you have a ‘fat face’ like me, there are lots of curves and contours!] And on those mornings when it’s a little harder to wake up, my eyes just follow the “bouncing” orange ball!
That “baby smooth face guy” is about to make an appearance in the mirror.
Ouch! My face feels like a porcupine! Thankfully this new Gillette ProGlide Razor with FlexBall Technology is tough enough to tame my face and nimble enough to handle the curves.
As much as I like not having to shave in the summer, when it counts you’ve got to go smooth to put your best face forward. I’d hire me!
I’m always on the lookout for new ways to use pantry staples. When you use the same brands year after year, you can take for granted all its uses. Specifically, I was looking for a salad dressing recipe that would bring a bold and zesty flavor – yet creamy texture – to my Mediterranean-inspired Fish Tacos. My #FoodDeservesDelicious, so I was prepared to find just the right salad dressing that would inspire a Mediterranean flavor. After lots of tasty trials, the answer wasn’t a single salad dressing but a mash-up of Kraft’s Classic Ranch and Zesty Italian dressings.
The new Kraft Pourables have been reinvented with a new, better taste. This blend definitely gives an extra zing to my fish tacos. Kraft’s Classic Ranch is creamier, with more buttermilk (yum!) and savory herbs. On this #shop for #CollectiveBias, I discovered that it blends extremely well with sour cream to balance with Kraft’s Zesty Italian dressing, which has even more herbs and spices. I found Kraft Zesty Italian and Classic Ranch dressings in the Salad Dressings Aisle at my local Walmart.
The key to Mediterranean food is fresh ingredients. And these Fish Tacos are filled to the gills with fresh veggies, like baby spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet peppers, red onion and black olives. It’s like a mini farmer’s market in every flour tortilla!
After getting all of my ingredients mise en place, I combined the Kraft Classic Ranch dressing and some sour cream. It goes in the fridge until we’re ready to eat.
In a mixing bowl, combine all the prepared fresh vegetables. Drizzle generously with Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing, and gently toss to coat. You want the onions, sweet peppers, cucumber, black olives, and tomatoes to absorb all the savory herbs while you prepare the fish tenders. Cover the vegetable mixture with plastic wrap or put in a resealable container and refrigerate.
Then bake your fish tenders (I like to use tilapia, but any white fish would be equally delish) according to package directions. About 5 minutes before the fish is done, start warming your flour tortillas according to package directions.
Now you’re ready to assemble. This is an easy weeknight dinner that allows everybody to customize their own fish tacos (make mine with extra Kraft cheese, please!).
Place a fish tender in the center of the tortilla. Pile on heaping spoonfuls of veggies with Zesty Italian dressing. Sprinkle with cheese. And top it with a dollop of Classic Ranch-sour cream.
Most of the ingredients in this recipe are plug-and-play, which means use whatever fresh vegetables you’ve got in stock and your favorite shredded cheese blend.
And I highly recommend trying your hand at mashing up your favorite Kraft Pourables to create your own custom salad dressing recipe. What Kraft dressing flavors would you choose to mash-up?
14 ounces frozen breaded white fish tenders, about 6 servings (e.g. tilapia or cod)
8 8-inch flour tortillas
Instructions
Mix together ranch dressing and sour cream in a resealable container. Refrigerate while preparing remaining ingredients.
In a mixing bowl, combine cucumber, black olives, sweet peppers, red onion, baby spinach, and tomatoes. Drizzle with Italian dressing and gently toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let vegetables marinate in the refrigerator while cooking fish tenders, according to package directions.
Heat six flour tortillas, according to package directions. Place one fish tender on each tortilla and top with Zesty Italian vegetable mixture and a generous dollop of the Ranch dressing-sour cream mixture. Serve immediately.
Summer movie night at home means dinner and a movie – with snacks! Dinner needs to be simple, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring. So I decided to give my go-to recipes for turkey meatloaf and popcorn a new twist with habanero hot sauce from El Yucateco. These hot sauce recipes add bold flavor and heat.
At my house, summer movie night is all about catching up on movies I never got around to seeing at the theater. And there are A LOT of them! It’s also about binge watching the latest seasons of “Orange is the New Black,” “Veep,” and “House of Cards.” [I think Netflix wins the award for best TV network this season!]
So I headed over to my neighborhood Target store on this shop for #CollectiveBias to pick up some El Yucateco Habanero Hot Sauce – which I found in the ethnic foods aisle. I got Red Habanero Hot Sauce and Green Habanero Hot Sauce to bring some excitement to these comfort food staples.
This turkey meatloaf recipe is MEGA because it has twice the meat, twice the spice and twice the cheese! It stands tall on the plate – and it’s a hearty mouthful of cheesy, spicy goodness!
If you think this meatloaf recipe is a twist on a patty melt because of the buttery grilled onions, you have read my mind! That was definitely my inspiration for stuffing the meatloaf with cheese and grilled onions.
To get started, you need to slowly cook a large yellow onion in butter on medium-low heat. The key to perfect grilled onions is slow cooking – with an occasional stir – until the onions turn lightly golden brown and translucent.
While the onions cook, mix together the ground turkey with sea salt, ground black pepper and Worcestershire sauce. These are very simple ingredients. But they season the ground turkey well to balance the spicy grilled onions. Put half of the turkey mix in the bottom of a standard loaf pan. Then layer two slices of Swiss cheese; set aside.
When the onions are fully cooked, add the red habanero hot sauce and gently stir. Then spoon the onion mixture on top of the cheese. Layer two more slices of cheese, then top with the remaining ground turkey mixture. Pop it in the oven for about 50 minutes and you’ve got a hearty dinner filled with bubbling cheese and steamy, spicy onions. Now that’s BIG FLAVOR!
This mega cheesy spicy stuffed turkey meatloaf also is great the next day. Slice it up for an out-of-the-ordinary meatloaf sandwich. [I recommend a crusty rye or sourdough bread.]
In a small skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat. Toss in onions and cook for 20 to 25 minutes. Stir occasionally. Onions are done when they are lightly golden brown and soft. They will continue to cook inside the meatloaf.
While the onions are cooking, preheat your oven to 375 F degrees. Spray a standard 9x5 loaf pan with non-stick spray; set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the ground turkey, Worcestershire sauce, sea salt and black pepper.
Place half of the ground turkey mixture in the prepared loaf pan. Use a spatula or tablespoon to evenly spread the mixture. Lay two of the Swiss cheese slices on the ground turkey. Set aside.
Returning to the onions, remove from heat and stir in the red habanero hot sauce.Spoon the onion mixture on top of the first layer of cheese. Spread evenly and then top with the remaining cheese slices. Top with the remaining ground turkey meatload. Spreading the mixture evenly.
Bake for 50 minutes or until done. Remove from oven and let set for a few minutes before removing from pan. Slice and serve immediately.
For more spicy and flavorful hot sauce recipes, visit El Yucateco Recipes and get your #SauceOn.
Popcorn Makes Movies Better
There must be some scientific research somewhere to prove this point: movies are just better with hot popcorn! And while I love the convenience of microwavable popcorn, it’s not the same as movie theater popcorn…until I add my special ingredients: grated Parmesan cheese and green habanero hot sauce.
Zesty Parmesan Popcorn with El Yucateco Green Habanero Hot Sauce Recipes
Pop a standard-sized bag of microwave popcorn according to package directions, yielding about 8 cups. Pour the popped corn in a large mixing bowl; set aside.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and hot sauce together (about 60 seconds). Cover bowl to avoid making a mess in your microwave. I use a glass measuring cup and cover it with a paper plate.
Drizzle about half of the butter-hot sauce mixture over the popped corn, followed by half the Parmesan cheese. Toss gently to combine and coat. Drizzle the remaining butter-hot sauce and cheese over the popped corn. Toss to coast evenly and serve immediately. [By drizzling half of the butter-hot sauce at a time, followed by half the cheese, the popcorn can absorb the liquid more slowly. If you put too much on at once, the popcorn will become clumpy and the cheese won’t blend well.
It’s Show Time
Spoiler Alert: I feel like season 2 of “House of Cards” is calling my name tonight. I watched each hour-long episode of season 1 last weekend, and I’m totally hooked. Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey’s character) is deliciously complex. He’s both evil and mesmerizing. You can’t help but root for him even though he does despicable things (like murder!).
When you think about classic American foods, the cheeseburger definitely ranks among the top of the list. There’s something so satisfying about biting into a juicy, perfectly cooked burger on a toasted bun.
Even plain, a burger is delicious. But with a bun in hand, everybody can be a Picasso and ‘paint the canvas’ with the perfect combination of toppings. For most, that includes cheese, cheese and more cheese, please!
On this #shop for #CollectiveBias, I was faced with the challenge of creating a new, unique spin on a classic cheeseburger. A challenge I was ready to take on at full speed.
What came to mind immediately was the patty melt, which is a cross between a grilled cheese sandwich and a burger. But the patty melt is so uniquely its own that it almost defies classification.
The patty melt is deceptively simple. Aside from the seasonings and butter, there are only about four ingredients: meat, onion, cheese and bread. It’s the preparation and how these ingredients are combined that give the patty melt its sizzle.
Sometimes a patty melt will be served with only sautéed onions and sometimes with a “secret sauce” – which is usually Thousand Island dressing. That tangy, creamy flavor is a great pairing with the sautéed onions.
For my Ranch Patty Melt recipe, I’m substituting the Thousand Island dressing with Kraft Classic Ranch dressing as a topping and with extra on the side for dipping.
During a trip to my local Walmart, I picked up all of the ingredients – including Kraft Natural Swiss Cheese (the BIG slices!) and Kraft Classic Ranch Dressing. I prefer ground turkey for my burgers, but you could also easily use lean hamburger.
Ranch Patty Melt
After getting my ingredients in place, I mixed together the ground turkey, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Don’t skimp on the Worcestershire!
Form four oval patties with the meat, matching the relative shape of the crusty rye bread. Set the patties aside as we prepare the onions.
Slice up a yellow onion and sauté it in a skillet with butter over medium-low heat. It takes about 25 minutes to properly brown the onions, but be patient. If you rush the process, the onions could easily burn.
Can you see the buttery steam rising from the pan in the photo below? It smells sooooo goooood.
Next up, cook the patties in a skillet over medium heat until done in the middle and browned on the outside. When the patties are cooked, you’re ready to start the final assembly.
In another skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. You’re going to assemble each Ranch Patty Melt as follows:
slice of crusty rye bread
slice of Kraft Swiss cheese
turkey burger patty
one-fourth of the sautéed onions
two tablespoons Kraft Classic Ranch dressing
another slice of Kraft Swiss cheese
another slice of crusty rye bread
Grill the sandwiches in the skillet until golden brown on one side. Add the remaining butter to the skillet and flip the Ranch Patty Melt sandwiches over. Cook until golden brown and crisp.
The cheese should be all melted and gooey. Cut in half and serve immediately.
Doesn’t this look like absolute burger perfection? After you bite into it, you’ll think you went to burger heaven. How can it get any better?
When you serve it with your favorite chips or fries and – most importantly – a side of Kraft Classic Ranch dressing for dipping!
With the summer grilling season in full swing, you’ve got to try creating your own version of a cheeseburger classic.
How do you #SayCheeseburger? What are your favorite toppings for crafting the ultimate classic cheeseburger?
Organize your ingredients and cooking instruments. You'll need a medium bowl and three skillets (one small, one medium and one large) to prepare the onions, burgers and the completed patty melts.
In a medium bowl, mix together ground turkey, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Form into 4 oval-shaped patties, similar to the size of the rye bread slices. Put patties on a plate; set aside.
In a small skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Toss in the onions and cook for 25 to 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Onions are done when they are golden brown and soft. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Cook the turkey burger patties on both sides, until done in the middle and browned on the outside. Set aside.
In the medium skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Assemble the patty melts first with a slice of rye bread topped with a slice of Swiss cheese. Add the turkey burger patty and one-fourth of the cooked onions. Cover the patty with 2 tablespoons ranch dressing followed by another slice of Swiss cheese. Top with another slice of rye bread, and grill the sandwiches until golden brown.
Repeat until all 4 sandwiches are in the skillet. When browned on one side, add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet. Carefully flip each sandwich over, and cook until golden brown, crisp and cheese has melted.
Cut in half and serve immediately. Serve with additional ranch dressing on the side for dipping.
I’ve been an Amazon.com customer since January, 2001. That’s more than 13 years – longer than a lot of other relationships in my life. I’ve never really enjoyed the ceremony of traditional shopping…the traffic…crowded parking lots…busy checkout lanes…and (usually my luck) the store being out of the one item I needed most. Amazon changed the ceremony of shopping for me and now I shop at Amazon.com at least once a week.
I’ve purchased nearly every kind of goods and services that Amazon offers, including a Herman Miller desk chair, an electric snow blower, a lawn mower, and countless grocery care packages to surprise my mom or nieces away at college. To say I was super excited when Collective Bias (#cbias) approached me to review the new #AmazonCart collaboration between Amazon and Twitter would be a serious understatement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAm6pa9hPKA
#AmazonCart
Getting started was easy. Once I connected my @BakedChicago Twitter account to my Amazon Prime membership, I was ready to go.
My daytime schedule is quite hectic, so I usually grab my iPad after dinner to browse Twitter and other social networks while watching the evening news. I already follow @Amazon, so now when I see an interesting product featured in a Tweet with an Amazon product link – like the spiral vegetable cutter below – I can simply hit REPLY to that Tweet with the hashtag #AmazonCart.
Then just moments after, I receive an email confirmation that I’ve successfully put this product in my #AmazonCart. I can review my shopping cart at my leisure and finalize the purchase when I’m ready.
I have been known to sometimes forget if I’ve responded to a Tweet. I accidentally hit REPLY twice, but #AmazonCart caught that and sent me an email after the second Tweet letting me know that I had already put the item in my cart – and if I wanted two of product I could simply edit the quantity when I made the purchase.
I admit it. I’m a bit of a kitchen gadget-aholic. And there have been times when I’ll buy an item that looks cool, but that I really don’t need. You’ve been there, too, right!
What I really like about #AmazonCart is that I get the satisfaction (and convenience) of the impulse buy, but I’m not forced to make the final purchase right then and there.
I’ve gotten into the routine of shopping with #AmazonCart after dinner and then going online the next day to review the contents of my shopping cart. That gives me time to fully consider my purchase, as well as research other color options. The black spiral slicer featured in the Tweet was cool, but I opted for the ocean blue version to add a pop of color to my kitchen. Good call, don’t you think!
Because I don’t do much traditional window shopping, somtimes I don’t know a better product exists until I see it somewhere like an Amazon featured product Tweet. This “low-tech” banana slicer is a great example.
I buy about 8 bananas a week, minimum. I don’t eat bananas, but my four pugs – Bing, Baxter, Della and Marlo – eat them everyday with their breakfast. I slice up one banana and divide it among their dishes. At first I used a simple table knife to slice the bananas, but getting even slices that are divisible by four takes too much brain work and hand-eye coordination for first thing in the morning. Then I tried a banana slicer gadget that had very sharp blades. So sharp that even gently touching them with the back of my finger cut my skin and drew blood.
Then I saw this plastic banana slicer in an Amazon Tweet, so I hit REPLY with #AmazonCart and decided to check it out. I liked that it was dishwasher safe, but there were no sharp edges for me to cut myself. Now my pugs enjoy fresh sliced bananas on their breakfast and I don’t have to worry about slicing myself if I’m still not quite awake.
So far, I’m really enjoying the new #AmazonCart. I can’t wait to see how both Amazon and Twitter collaborate to expand this service and if they introduce others.
If you have a Twitter account and Amazon Prime, then all you have to do to get started with the new #AmazonCart service is connect them at Amazon.com.
Social shopping just got way easier and a lot more fun!
Finding the right gift for mom on any occasion can feel like an impossible mission for some guys (me included!). And when it comes to Mother’s Day, the pressure seems to grow exponentially.
How do you say a proper “thank you” to that person who changed your diapers, wiped your runny nose when you were sick and basically made sure that you and your siblings didn’t kill yourself or each other through the course of growing up?
A big bouquet of flowers or a huge box of chocolates? My mom would consider both extravagant. She’d eat one chocolate and share the rest, suggesting she has to watch her sugar and calorie intake.
Jewelry or a gift certificate for a massage? She usually only wears her wedding ring, and she’d much rather take a hot bath in her own tub than go to a stranger for a massage. Fancy perfume? Ivory soap is good enough for her.
On the surface, my mom might seem like a hard person to buy a present for. So what’s a son to do? The answer for me is NOT to buy a present, but rather to create the gift of an experience we can both enjoy.
I found my muse for the perfect Mother’s Day gift for my mom at Mariano’s on this #shop for #CollectiveBias. It hit me as I was exploring the delectable deli and bountiful bakery departments at the Jefferson Park #MyMarianos: a Mother’s Day picnic.
When Mariano’s asked me to share a story about what inspires me about my mom, I didn’t know where to begin because my mom is inspiring in many ways. But the thing that is most amazing is that she’s always giving of herself and her time to others, to the point where she rarely takes time just for herself. She’d rather spend her money and time on her grandchildren or to help others in greater need.
To understand my mom, it helps to know where she came from. She was the 2nd youngest of 11 kids, and grew up right after the Depression. Money was always tight for her family, and some of the simplest things today were considered great luxuries back then.
One of her fondest memories growing up was when she and her mom (my grandmother) would eat ice cream right out of the carton. Back then, ice cream was a rare treat if you were poor. And they didn’t have the kind of refrigerator-freezers we have today, so storing ice cream was a challenge.
But my mom and grandmother had a solution for that: grab a spoon and eat it quick. When you’re one of 11 kids, you share everything so you just grab a spoon and dig in until it’s gone!
Pulling together a picnic doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, a successful picnic menu should be simple. All the food and drink need to be portable, easy-to-consume. Where most guys get it wrong is either by over-thinking it, or not giving it any thought at all. Success lies somewhere in the middle, so I wanted to share my tips for The Guy’s Guide for the Perfect Mother’s Day Picnic.
The Guy’s Guide for the Perfect Mother’s Day Picnic
Tip #1: Show that you’ve been listening (at least some of the time).
Growing up, mom cooked for you. Now it’s your turn to make the meal. That doesn’t mean you have to make everything from scratch. Pick a menu from all the great prepared foods you can find in the deli and bakery aisles, and be sure to include your mom’s favorite foods. Show her that you’ve been paying attention all these years!
My mom absolutely L-O-V-E-S fresh tomatoes and cold vanilla milkshakes. [Hold the whipped cream and cherry so there’s room for more milkshake in the glass!]. For as long as I can remember, my mom has planted tomatoes and cantaloupe (and sometimes watermelon) in her garden. Some days, she’ll go out to her garden and pick a fresh tomato for her lunch or dinner. She cuts up the tomato and uses a little salt and pepper. Bam! She’s got a simple, yet satisfying, meal that she loves.
For this Mother’s Day picnic menu, I’ve selected a few special items from Mariano’s bakery, deli and fresh produce section that make up the majority of the menu. I am going to make one simple dish that combines two fresh foods my mom loves: tomatoes and cantaloupe. I call the dish Canta-Mato Salad. The recipe (below) is so simple that anybody who can hold a knife and drizzle olive oil can make it. It’s deliciously simple and making at least one dish demonstrates an honest effort to give of yourself.
Picnic Menu
All-white meat chicken salad on buttery croissants
Crunchy home-style potato chips
Tomato-cantaloupe salad with fresh mint
Vanilla milkshakes
You can find chicken salad in the deli and croissants in the bakery. And select your favorite chips (for crunch) from the snack aisle.
Then pick three ingredients from the fresh product department: a pint of cherry tomatoes, a cantaloupe and some fresh mint.
That’s all I need for a perfect picnic lunch that my mom will love. [I’ll pick up the vanilla milkshakes from the drive-through down the street from mom’s house so they’re good and cold.]
Tip #2: Don’t forget the flowers!
You might be saying, “hey, wait a minute! You said she really didn’t care about flowers!” That’s true. You don’t have to buy a huge flower bouquet, but a simple corsage that she can wear to church is something that would make her feel extra special. When people comment on her flowers, she gets to “brag” that her son gave it to her.
Tip #3: Sometimes, it’s okay to lie.
I don’t mean that it’s alright to tell your mom you’re in Hong Kong on business if you can’t be with her in person on Mother’s Day. Unless you are. Let me explain what I mean with an example of how I sometimes “lie” to my mom about the gift I’m giving her.
My mom is always thinking of others, and I know she really enjoys helping others in thoughtful ways. So I’ll sometimes get her two of something, like two differently colored corsages. Then I’ll say something like “I couldn’t decide which you’d like more” [the lie!] and suggest she give the one she doesn’t wear to a friend or someone at church who’d appreciate it. That could be an aunt, the minister’s wife or the church organist. It’s a chance for me to help my mom spread a little sunshine, because that gives her such joy to help others.
Tip #4: Your Mother’s Day celebration doesn’t have to be on Sunday only.
I’m one of six kids and everyone wants to spend time with Mom on Mother’s Day. Sometimes that’s not logistically possible.
Pick a time when you don’t have to rush around or deal with competing family schedules. In our family, one of my younger brothers always takes our mom out for a Mother’s Day lunch fundraiser at the local fire station. So I’ve chosen to treat mom to a Mother’s Day picnic on Saturday, the day before Mother’s Day. That way mom gets to celebrate a Mother’s Day weekend and I can give her the corsage in time for her to wear on Sunday to church.
Tip #5: The “perfect Mother’s Day” isn’t really about being perfect.
The perfect Mother’s Day is more about being present, being real and spending time with Mom in an authentic way that you both enjoy. Rather than putting your energy into buying a gift, show mom how much you appreciate her by spending time together and making the shared experience the gift.
For my mom, the only thing better than a Mother’s Day picnic with her cutest kid (me!) would be a Mother’s Day picnic with a side of bingo!
How are you planning to make your mom’s Mother’s Day perfect for her? Share your ideas in the comments section below. For other inspiring ideas to help make your mom’s Mother’s Day as perfect as it can be, follow Mariano’s on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. And check out the Mariano’s TasteMaker series featuring some of Chicago’s most innovative chefs.
Everybunny needs a little extra help and a fresh take in the kitchen when it comes to getting ready for family holiday gatherings, like Easter.
Honestly, I get bored with “traditional Easter” menus. I don’t love ham and I prefer my eggs scrambled or omeletted (yes, that’s a word in my world). Many of the traditional Easter foods I grew up with I just don’t care for as an adult. But that’s not to say that I don’t like to cook with many of the ingredients found in these dishes. I’m simply challenged to find a way to incorporate those ingredients in ways that will excite my palate – and those of the 23 members of my immediate family when we get together for an Easter brunch. [Yes, when the ENTIRE family gets together we have that many in the immediate family, not counting pets!]
So I accepted a challenge to use three varieties of KRAFT #FreshTake Cheese & Breadcrumb mixes to create side dishes for Easter brunch on this #shop for #Collective Bias. But I knew I had to get some help from some bunnies (actually, they’re apricot-fawn pugs) named Baxter and Bing. They are rescues and the MOST FOOD OBSESSED DOGS my vet and dog trainer have ever seen! That’s probably why the universe put us together. Their help in deciding on what to make for an Easter brunch menu is (almost) always invaluable.
Now Baxter and Bing don’t actually help prep any food (I thought I should call that out, as I’ve been told I’m somewhat obsessive when it comes to my dogs). But Bing (the father) and Baxter (the son) may occasionally taste test an ingredient as I cook.
Bing and Baxter aren’t very vocal, unlike their constantly-barking-at-the-wind black pug sisters, Della and Marlo. [Della and Marlo aren’t yet 2 years old, so they’re too young to help out much in the kitchen for now.] But Bing and Baxter can communicate “the world” with a single look, so I pay close attention to their eyes when we “collaborate” on what to make. We “conferred” and decided on using three varieties of KRAFT Fresh Take Cheese & Breadcrumb mixes for our Easter brunch menu:
#FreshTake Italian Parmesan Hasselback Potatoes [Sweden’s version of baked potatoes]
#FreshTake Southwest Three Cheese Stuffed Peppers [hearty enough to be a satisfying entrée on its own]
#FreshTake Cheddar Jack with Bacon Deviled Egg Cups [a modern take on a traditional app]
So it was off to my local Walmart to get the ingredients. You’ll find KRAFT Fresh Take in the refrigerated cheese aisle.
For a limited time, you can save $1.00 on the purchase of any KRAFT Fresh Take Cheese & Breadcrumb Mix and fresh chicken at Walmart. Get your $1.00 coupon here.
Hasselback Potatoes
If you’ve read Baked Chicago before, you may know that I’ve never met a potato I didn’t like. And while I love a good baked potato, it can be kinda boring to serve for a special occasion. But not Hasselback Potatoes, which are Sweden’s version of baked potatoes. They were made popular by the restaurant inside the Hasselbacken Hotel in Stockholm that created the dish.
By using a simple cutting technique (which also helps the potatoes to cook faster) and adding some simple ingredients inside or atop the potatoes while they bake, you have a simply elegant – and unbelievably delicious – potato dish that everyone is going to gobble down at the Easter table. [I guess that’s a better description for the Thanksgiving table, but you know what I mean.]
This dish would also be something that you could cook to impress someone, like a first date, because they look like they would be difficult to make. But they’re not. It’s all in the presentation, and (from where I sit) there’s no need to let them know just how easy it was!
During the cooking process, the potato start to fan out – making for a beautiful presentation on the plate.
Hasselback Potatoes with KRAFT Fresh Take Cheese & Breadcrumb Mix
Rating: 51
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
18 small Yukon Gold potatoes (about 3 pounds), peeled
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 package KRAFT Fresh Take Cheese & Breadcrumb Mix, Italian Parmesan Recipe
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and ground black pepper, for seasoning
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400 F degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Place peeled potatoes on a cutting board. Cut a narrow slice from the bottom of each potato to help the potato lie flat; discard the slice.
Place one wooden chopstick (2 total) on each side of the potato, lengthwise. Use a knife to slice each potato crosswise making slices about 1/4-inch apart for the length of the potato. The chopsticks will prevent the knife from cutting through the bottom of the potato. You want to leave about 1/4-inch on the bottom of the potato intact.
After cutting the potatoes, gently rinse them to rid excess starch which can impede fanning. Carefully flex the potatoes while rinsing under cold running water. Dry the potatoes well before baking.
Place the contents of the entire KRAFT Fresh Take Italian Parmesan package in a food processor, along with olive oil. Pulse until well blended.
Brush the potatoes with melted butter. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Pat the prepared KRAFT Fresh Take cheese & breadcrumb mixture on top of each potato.
Place potatoes onto the prepared baking sheet. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until they turn crispy and are fork-tender.
Notes
Hasselback potatoes are also known as the Swedish version of baked potatoes, popularized by the restaurant at the Hasselbacken Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden. As the potatoes bake, the slices fan out slightly - making for an elegant presentation.
The next dish I made was a slow cooker version of stuffed peppers. Many cooks use green bell peppers, but I personally think the vibrant colors of the orange, yellow and red bell peppers are much more visually appealing. As a kid, I hated most green vegetables. While my palate grew up, my eyes still find the same green of most vegetables to be quite dull.
Go veggie! You can also turn this into a vegetarian dish by simply eliminating the ground turkey.
What I love best about this recipe is that it’s another slow cooker home run. I have [undiagnosed] adult ADD. So anytime I can put something into the slow cooker and forget it for a few hours, I am so HOPPY…I mean HAPPY!
Ingredients
6 large bell peppers, tops removed and seeded
1 pound ground turkey, browned and crumbled
10 ounces frozen kernel corn
15 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed
14.5 ounces diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chunky salsa
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 cup brown rice, cooked
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 package KRAFT Fresh Take Southwest Three Cheese & Breadcrumbs
Directions
In a skillet, cook the ground turkey until browned. Crumble it as you stir. Set aside. Cook the brown rice according to package directions. Set aside. Cut off the tops of each pepper, then core and remove seeds, membranes. Rinse out with cold water. If needed, slice off any uneven portion of the bottoms of each pepper in order for them to lie flat. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, corn, black beans, diced tomatoes, salsa, onions, brown rice and Worcestershire sauce until blended. Stuff peppers with mixture and top with KRAFT Fresh Take cheese & breadcrumbs. Stand peppers in a slow cooker. Add 1/2 cup water in the bottom and cover. Cook on low for 6 hours (or on HIGH for 3 hours), or until peppers are tender. Makes 6 servings.
Deviled Egg Cups
The final recipe for my Easter brunch is a twist on deviled eggs. I have always liked the taste of deviled eggs, but I’m not a fan of the rubbery texture that hard-boiled egg whites can sometimes have. Deviled egg cups use phyllo dough for the vessel, so it adds a nice crunchy texture that I find irresistible.
And the filling couldn’t be easier. You essentially puree the hard-boiled eggs (yolks and whites!) and mix in the rest of the ingredients. Then pipe the filling into the phyllo shells and you’ve got a somewhat fancy appetizer that is great for a large gathering.
But don’t forget to garnish with thick-cut bacon. That’s Bing and Baxter’s tip, because they love anything topped with bacon. And I concur.
Ingredients
30 (2 boxes) frozen mini phyllo shells
6 hard-boiled large eggs, peeled
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 package KRAFT Fresh Take Cheddar Jack with Bacon Cheese & Breadcrumbs
5 slices thick-cut bacon, crispy and chopped, for garnish
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the phyllo shells on baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Let cool.
In food processor, puree eggs, mayonnaise, lemon juice, pepper, salt and contents of Fresh Take Cheddar Jack with Bacon. Put egg mixture in a resealable plastic bag, cut off tip and pipe into shells.
Garnish with chopped bacon and serve at room temperature. Makes 30 deviled egg cups.
Finally, Some Fun For The Kids
I hope you found some inspiration in these recipes as you prepare your Easter menu. Whether you’re cooking for yourself or for a super-humongous group, make it easy on the chef! Simple can also be delicious and a crowd-pleaser. What’s going to be on your Easter menu this year? Share your comments below.
Dig out the plastic eggs from the basement or attic and get ready for some marathon Easter egg hunts! [For those with kids under age 6, you know what I mean. I have 13 nieces and nephews, of which 8 are under 10 years old. So I’ve hosted my share of egg-citing – and unending – egg hunts. Just don’t forget where you put the eggs. Seriously. Don’t forget.]
Many of my nieces and nephews have iPads and hand-held electronic games, so anything as “manual” as an Easter egg hunt may see alien to them as they get into their teens. I remember as a younger kid that I loved to color with crayons and do word games/puzzles, so I wanted to share with you an Easter coloring page and maze puzzle (both are downloadable PDFs) that you can share.
Who knows? It might just buy you 10 minutes of uninterrupted time in the kitchen. And for that, you’ll thank me!
I found Canada Dry Sparkling Seltzer Water in the Flavored Water aisle at my local Walmart store on this #shop for #Collective Bias. Before you head to your Walmart store, click here to 
