Love in the Kitchen - making fast, healthy, homegrown meals you'll enjoy

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Craft Dictator Blogiversary Giveaway!


Welcome to the $450 Craft Dictator Blogiversary Cash Giveaway!

My friends over at Craft Dictator are so excited to be celebrating their One Year Blogiversary!  And I am excited to join them in giving away $450 in PayPal Cash to celebrate.  All you have to do is enter to win below and follow all of our bloggy friends here.  We also have some amazing co-host so make sure you go by their blogs and check them out!

Craft Dictator was started a year ago by Cara and her mom Rhonda as a way for them to show off their craft and diy projects.   From Cara and Rhonda:  "We would have never guessed how much fun it would be and what a supportive blogging community we would be a part of!  So this giveaway is a THANK YOU to all of you!"


Now onto the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We'd love for you to Pin or Share our Giveaway with your friends!

zentMRS - Love in the Kitchen
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Monday, April 28, 2014

Tuesday's Table for April 29, 2014

We're back from our amazing Mediterranean vacation, more or less rested and full of new ideas.  And we're back just in time to celebrate Cinco de Mayo - a switch to spicy Mexican flavors from the delicious Greek and Italian flavors.








This week's feature is Ma Niche's Italian Walnut Black Pepper Cookies! My goodness these look delicious. Just the thing to keep my vacation fresh in my mind!   You need to head over and see her site.





Please grab a button  - and thanks so much for sharing!

And now it's time to fill Tuesday's Table.  Are you planning for your Easter celebration and have some great recipes to share? I can always use some great inspiration, and y'all always come through with it!

For this week's party, only a few guidelines:
  • Please share as many links as you like, but only if you haven't shared them here before
  • Add a link back to Tuesday's Table (or grab a button above!) so others can join in the fun
  • Follow me via Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Google+, RSS or Bloglovin (see my sidebar!)
No other requirements, but visit the other links here, and I'd love for you to sign up for my email reminder here!

And now, for this week's link party!




zentMRS - Love in the Kitchen
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Friday, April 11, 2014

From Our Kitchens to Yours Giveaway!


You know I love to be in the kitchen, and today I am so excited to bring you all this giveaway!  I've joined a few of my favorite bloggers (and one very awesome Pixie & Pirate Destinations vacation planner) to open up our kitchens & share with you all our favorite gadgets & gizmos from our cabinets, pantries, and drawers.

Not only are we sharing with you all why we love those kitchen goodies, but we want to give one lucky winner every single one of these things in our From Our Kitchens to Yours giveaway!

Yep. One of you all will win this awesome kitchen prize package worth over $110!

But first let's meet the bloggers behind the giveaway & find out why they think you all need these items in your kitchens... ;)

Deb from Cooking on the Front Burner is giving one of you all a Wilton Dessert Decorator Pro...
"I really love this Dessert Decorator Pro!  It's great for decorating cupcakes, making fancy swirls on deviled eggs and filling creme puffs or donuts.  Perfect for savory and sweet dishes.  I also like the quality and has a great grip handle.  I find myself reaching for it often. Hope you would like it as well!"
Use your Wilton Dessert Decorator Pro to make Deb's Limoncello Cupcakes. :)

Cindy from Little Miss Celebration is giving one of you all a Microplane Premium Zester/Grater...
"I love the Microplane Grater! It makes quick and easy work of grating citrus peel, parmesan cheese or fresh spices and since I'm a lemon lover extraordinaire, it seems like I'm always grating lemon. You'll reach for this tool time and again! It's a must for all lemon lovers!"
Use your Microplane Premium Zester/Grater to make Cindy's Lemon-Lime Curd in Sugared Wonton Cups. :)

Melanie from Melanie Makes is giving one of you all a Oxo Good Grips Cookie Scoop...
"In my kitchen, there's one tool that I reach for again and again, almost on a daily basis.  I absolutely love my cookie scoop!  Sure, I use it for cookies, but I've also used it to add filling to mini loaves of bread and even to fill my Four Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Shells!  It just makes my time in the kitchen easier and a whole lot cleaner!"

Danielle from Busy Mom's Helper is giving one of you all a 4-inch Pizza Cutter Wheel...
"Our family loves pizza nights, so having a good, long-lasting Pizza Cutter is essential! Whether you slice your pizza in squares like my kids prefer, or slices like us 'big kids' enjoy, it works fabulously!"
Use your pizza cutter to make Danielle's Homemade Chicken Alfredo Pizza.

Erica from Pixie & Pirate Destinations, LLC is giving one of you all a Disney's Mickey Mouse Measuring Cup Set...
"This is the perfect way to add a little Mickey to your every day life!"

Carrie from Frugal Foodie Mama is giving one of you all a copy of the Budget Bytes Cookbook...
"The Budget Bytes cookbook is one my absolute faves at the moment! Beth breaks down each recipe according to price point and has delicious recipes to fit any budget.  You must try her Homemade Naan Bread, the Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup, & The One Chocolate Mug Cake- my 3 favorites!"

                                                 
"I use these silicone spatulas and tongs (though mine are red!) in my kitchen every day.  They are super-versatile - and safe for my nonstick cookware.  I love the control that the tongs give, and the three different sizes of spatulas gives you a tool for every use.  These are my favorite kitchen tools - I know you will love them too!"
Use your tongs & spatula set to make my Lemon Coconut Ice Cream. :)


Are you all ready to get entered?? Be sure to read the terms & conditions and then use the Rafflecopter below to get entered! :) You can't win if you don't enter!

*This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.  All entries for the winner will be checked and verified, so please make sure you are doing what you are claiming in the Rafflecopter or all your entries will be voided.  No funny business, folks. ;)By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. Number of entries received determines the odds of winning. One winner will be selected. The winner will be notified via the email they provide, and will have 48 hours to reply to the email.  If the winner does not reply back within the 48 hours, they forfeit the prize and a new winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter.  This is a giveaway sponsored as a group buy, which means the bloggers pooled their money together to purchase these products for you.  The prize package will be sent via Amazon directly from Carrie of Frugal Foodie Mama. Entries must come from your MAIN social media accounts, not accounts that have been set up separately just for entering giveaways.  Entries from these types of accounts will be disqualified.  Protected tweets do not count as an entry method for tweeting. Tweets must come from a public account. Bloggers in this group giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.
**Please note if an item listed above is no longer available at the close of the giveaway, a like item of equal value from Amazon will be substituted.
Good luck, all! 

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zentMRS - Love in the Kitchen
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Monday, April 07, 2014

Tuesday's Table for April 8, 2014

We had a wonderful party last week. Thanks to all of you who stopped by to add your links to last week's party, and a "Welcome New Friends" to all of our new followers.








This week's feature is Once Upon a Time in a Bed of WIldflowers' Turkish Rice Pudding! I am a sucker for rice pudding - AND we are going to be visiting Turkey on our cruise (we leave Friday!)  This is just the perfect feature for this week.  Delicious and getting me excited for my vacation!   You need to head over and see her site.





Please grab a button  - and thanks so much for sharing!

And now it's time to fill Tuesday's Table.  Are you planning for your Easter celebration and have some great recipes to share? I can always use some great inspiration, and y'all always come through with it!

For this week's party, only a few guidelines:
  • Please share as many links as you like, but only if you haven't shared them here before
  • Add a link back to Tuesday's Table (or grab a button above!) so others can join in the fun
  • Follow me via Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Google+, RSS or Bloglovin (see my sidebar!)
No other requirements, but visit the other links here, and I'd love for you to sign up for my email reminder here!

And now, for this week's link party!



zentMRS - Love in the Kitchen
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Thursday, April 03, 2014

Water Lily Cupcakes



A friend of mine posted this on Facebook yesterday:
From NOAA- "BEGINNING AS A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW...WILL TURN TO ALL SNOW THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY. SNOW WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY WITH 1 TO 2 INCH PER HOUR RATES POSSIBLE. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES ARE EXPECTED... WITH THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS FROM SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA ACROSS THE TWIN CITIES TO NORTHERN WISCONSIN." Sweet! I was getting sick of this slow melt and starting to see grass again. 12" of wet heavy snow will be nice on top of the concrete snow and ice we have on the ground now.
I'm pretty sure he wasn't really getting sick of the melting snow.  This winter has been just awful for so much of the country.  I'm feeling like everyone needs a taste of spring!

The adorable cupcakes are inspired by Monet's Water Lilies. They are perfect for Easter or just to bring a vision of springtime to your table!




Water Lily Cupcakes


Ingredients (about 16 cupcakes)
    For the Cupcakes
    • 2 2/3 cup all purpose flour
    • 1 1/2 cups sugar
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • 4 egg whites
    • 1 cup whole milk
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla
    • 2/3 cup salted butter, softened
    • green cupcake papers
    For the Frosting
    • 1 cup butter, softened
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 4 cups confectioner’s sugar
    • 4 teaspoons milk
    • green food coloring
    For the Flowers
    • 2 packages (3 ounces each) blue gelatin dessert (Jell-O)
    • 2 cups white candy melting wafers (Wilton)
    • Plastic spoons
    Instructions
    For the Cupcakes
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    Sift flour, sugar and baking powder into a large mixing bowl and then mix together on low.
    In another bowl, stir egg whites, milk and vanilla together. Add butter to the flour mixture and mix together. As it starts to combine, slowly pour the milk mixture in and mix until completely combined.
    Line a muffin tins with 16 baking cups. Fill baking cups a little more than halfway. Bake for about 15 minutes or until cupcakes bounce back when touched lightly. Remove and cool. Makes about 16 cupcakes.
    For the Frosting
    Beat butter and vanilla together. Add sugar slowly and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides and add milk. Mix until smooth and creamy. Add green food coloring a drop at a time to make a vibrant green frosting. Frost the cupcakes so that they have a more or less flat surface - they are the lily pads in your pond.







    For the Flowers
    Follow the package directions for the blue gelatin dessert. Pour the prepared gelatin into a large shallow serving dish that can hold 1 quart. Refrigerate until the gelatin is set, at least 3 hours. This will make a "pond" for your water lily cupcakes.

    For the petals, line 3 cookie sheets with waxed paper. Place the white candy melts in a glass bowl. Microwave for 10 seconds, stir, and repeat until the candies are melted and smooth, about 1 minute.



    Dip the back of a plastic spoon (this NEEDS to be plastic) into the melted candy to coat, making sure that the candy does NOT go over the edge of the spoon. Allow the excess candy to drip back into the bowl. Transfer the coated spoon, candy side up, to a cookie sheet. Repeat with more spoons. Refrigerate until set, about 5 minutes.




    Remove the spoons from the refrigerator and let stand for 1 minute. Carefully bend the backs of the spoons to release the candy. Transfer the candies to a cookie sheet. Any broken pieces can be melted again with the remaining candy. If the candy becomes too thick, return to the microwave and heat for 10 seconds, stirring frequently, until smooth. Repeat the dipping, chilling, and releasing steps to make about 80 petals. (The petals can be made up to 1 week in advance and stored in an airtight container.)  Don't worry too much if the petals are not perfect.  The flowers will be pretty even with some imperfections.

    Tint 1/4 cup of the vanilla frosting pale pink with the red food coloring. Spoon the pink frosting into a ziplock bag. Press out the excess air and seal the bag.

    Spoon any extra melted candy into a ziplock bag (do NOT seal the bag). Microwave for 5 seconds, massage the candy in the bag, return to the microwave and repeat the process until the candy is smooth, about 20 seconds. Press out the excess air and seal the bag.

    For the flower, snip a small (1/8-inch) corner from the bag with the melted candy. Pipe a dot of melted candy the size of a dime onto a cupcake. Arrange 3 to 5 of the candy petals, overlapping slightly, with the larger end of each petal in the melted candy, to make the flower shapes.  Repeat for most of the cupcakes (your pond will look nicer with some lily pads without flowers). Let the flowers rest until set, about 5 minutes.




    Snip a small (1/8-inch) corner from the bag with the pink frosting and pipe the centers of the flowers.




    Place the cupcakes on the blue "pond" to serve.



    Beautiful - and delicious!  And you can have springtime on your table if not in your backyard.



    zentMRS - Love in the Kitchen
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