Remember when I wrote about S’mores recently and shared a recipe for s’mores made in the oven? Well, I was also supposed to have a s’mores giveaway for a s’mores kit from Hershey’s. I didn’t then, but I am now.
Since this is a last minute thing, the giveaway is only open to entries for today, so enter quick.
Good luck!
Hershey’s S’mores Giveaway
Hershey’s has provided me with a S’mores Kit to giveaway to one lucky reader. The contest closes at 11:59 p.m. on July 28. One winner will be selected via Random.org on July 29 and will be notified via email. The winner must reply within 72 hours or another winner will be chosen. Contest open to U.S. residents only.
To Enter: Leave a comment on this post about your favorite s’mores memory.
Extra Entries:
This post is part of my participation in the Hershey’s “Say S’mores” Promotion. All opinions expressed are mine.
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When you mention radishes, a lot of people grimace. And really, I can’t blame them. I’m not a big fan of raw radishes myself. They aren’t the natural perfection of a farm-grown tomato in summer or an ear of just picked sweet corn. They’re hard, dirty and often ugly (especially from a farmers market). And then there is the taste. Their peppery flavor doesn’t rank high on many people’s enjoyment scale. But like many things, it’s all in preparation.
Cooked radishes are a whole new ballgame. From sauteed radishes to grilled radishes, the peppery flavor is tamed and a musky sweetness emerges. They’re tender, more delicate versions of raw radishes. Love it. Like really, truly love it.
This simple recipe is a good go-to for preparing radishes as a side dish or for using them in salads. I like them drizzled with some balsamic glaze, but they’re good without it too.
And if you read the title and scrunched your nose … give ‘em another chance cooked.
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One of my favorite parts of belonging to a CSA program (that’s Community Supported Agriculture, or a farm share program where you prepay at the beginning of the season for a weekly basket of veggies and/fruit), is that I am challenged to cook with ingredients I might otherwise overlook in favor of mainstays like broccoli and green beans. Kale and even scallions fall into that category. But I am always happy with the results of cooking with them.
When our first CSA box arrived a few weeks ago, it was stuffed with greens and scallions. And as I struggled to decide on a cost-effect and easy dinner to make, I decided to skip the grocery store in favor of cooking from the basket and freezer. I always keep bags of raw shrimp in the freezer and it’s a cinch to defrost them under cool running water in the sink. It only takes about 10 minutes.
As far as easiness goes, well, I would be lying if I called this completely easy. The ingredients list for this Summer Pasta with Shrimp and Kale is a bit too long for that. It’s so worth it though. Fresh scallions, garlic, kale, white wine, a little butter. Just try it. The reality is that it really doesn’t take long to whip up. It’s just hands on. And a few more ingredients than easy.
When I made this, I expected there to be plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day. No such luck. Instead, the two teens joining us went back for heaping seconds. I am so not complaining though. I love feeding people, and having them take full-sized seconds portions is the most humongous compliment.
What’s your favorite summer food?
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Note: This will be the last weekly Eat. Live. Be. post. Beginning next week, we will update once a month on our progress. But don’t worry! I will still be here blogging about food 4-5 days a week.
It doesn’t matter how much you like to cook or how much you enjoy feeding people. Sometimes, you just don’t want to make dinner. We’ve all been there, haven’t we?
Inevitably she advises me to cooking something. And almost always, that something is carbonara. Carbonara is one of the world’s easiest rich pasta dish to make. It’s pasta tossed with bacon, cheese and egg yolks and it’s so delicious. And overall, it takes about 20 minutes total to make. Including boiling the water.
Doesn’t get much easier. Read the rest of this entry…
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This salad is a cool, refreshing and easy dish to throw together — which couldn’t be more perfect for days like today (and tomorrow and Saturday), when the temperature soars well into the 90s or higher, with humidity to make it all the worse.
Preparing it is as simple as rinsing and chopping three veggies … and then tossing it all together with vinaigrette. Let it sit for about 15 minutes before you serve it. That lets the vinaigrette really soak into the cabbage.
The best thing about this salad? Leftovers can be saved. Yes, with the dressing. Cabbage stands up better to the vinaigrette than lettuce does, so it won’t get wimpy if you tuck some into a container and save it for tomorrow. Heck, it kind of gets better with age. Like a fine wine or good cheese. Sort of.
Anyway, if you are looking for an easy, low-prep recipe, this is perfect.
How do you serve napa cabbage?
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Have you been impacted by breast cancer? I have. In 1994, I lost my grandmother to the horrific disease. A coworker battled it in 2003. Another coworker is waging her own war against it now. So, when it comes to organizations that support breast cancer research, I am all for it.
I was recently contacted by Del Webb, an active adult community builder, about the Cook for the Cure events they are hosting across the country to benefit the Susan G. Komen For the Cure foundation. The Susan G. Komen For the Cure foundation is dedicated to education and research in the search for a breast cancer cure.
The folks at Del Webb asked me to share some information about the Cook for the Cure events, which are happening through the 24th (see the Del Webb Facebook page for a full list of events). If you are in the neighborhood, drop by one!
Here’s some information about the events from Del Webb:
From July 15-24, 45 Del Webb communities across the nation will be hosting the events. They are free, open to the public and will feature:
Cooking demonstrations
- Food samplings
- Live entertainment
- Silent auctions
- Raffles, prizes and more
Attendees are invited to come eat, enjoy the Del Webb lifestyle and enter to win KitchenAid® small appliances. Those interested in attending can find a community nearby and RSVP on Del Webb’s website.
Cooks for the Cure challenges America to host 1,000 dinner parties to raise money for breast cancer research and community outreach programs. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the event has raised a collective $8 million for the foundation since 2001. Read the rest of this entry…
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Every so often, a new ingredient gains popularity and you wonder why no one was cooking with it sooner. That’s how I feel about pea shoots. They have that fresh, just-picked flavor and pleasant cool crunch — similar to bean sprouts. When I saw a package of them in Trader Joe’s I couldn’t wait to try them out.
I wasn’t disappointed. As a longtime fan of sprouts of all kinds, these are pea shoots are just up my alley. I think they would be awesome in sandwiches too. But, my first experiment with them was to make Grilled Quesadillas with Pea Shoots.
Grilling quesadillas is easy to do. You start with a hot grill. It should be well-preheated (I made mine after grilling chicken, so it had been on and heated for awhile). Then you toss the tortillas on, cover them with cheese and other toppings and close with another tortilla.Then, they just cook on the grill in about 5 minutes or so (yes, you have to flip them once).
It’s super easy, and since there is no butter or oil on the tortillas, they are a little better for you than the traditional pan-made ones. Serve them as an appetizer or side dish with dinner.
One more really fun idea for this: A grilled quesadilla party. Invite a bunch of friends over and offer a variety of fillings and cheeses. Everyone can design their own and grill it up in a few minutes. It would be a great summer gathering, and you could totally celebrate summer’s freshest bounty by offering a bunch of farmers market veggies to stuff the quesadillas with.
Have you had pea shoots? Did you like them?
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Have you ever had a wake-up call to change some aspect of your life? Wake-up calls come in all sorts of sizes and levels of seriousness. Sometimes they are major, other times they are subtle. But they happen all the time.
At the end of last year, when I realized I was at my highest weight in years, I had a wake-up call that led to this 29-week blogging project. It’s a blessing that it happened and I am so much happier to be lighter now.
One of my biggest wake-up calls was a few years ago when a report came out linking high-fat diets with worsened asthma. At the time, my diet was extremely high in fat. But that jolted me into a lower fat diet, and I haven’t looked back. My asthma responded amazingly to the changes, and now I rarely have to use medication at all. Another blessing.
Now I am facing another wake-up call. But I am not sure where it’s leading me. Read the rest of this entry…
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Ever since I made Balsamic Radishes using the recipe from Kalyn’s Kitchen a few years ago, I have been obsessed with cooked radishes. I cannot begin to express just how much I adore them. By cooking them, normally super peppery radishes are toned down, turned into milder, slightly sweet versions of their raw selves.
And when they are well-seasoned, like the balsamic ones, Grilled Radish Packets or these simple Asian-inspired Soy-Ginger Sauteed Radishes, they become this incredible veggie — firm but silky and practically screaming with flavor. This particular recipe has that sweet-saltiness thanks to the five second soy-ginger sauce that finishes these babies off. So good.
So you know, this dish serves two. Unless, of course, you love them like I do and you accidentally-purposely eat them all by yourself. Don’t worry, I won’t tell!
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S’mores are summertime. They speak of summer camp, bonfires and roasting marshmallows on actual sticks (you know, the kind from the woods!). And when I think of them, I think about the rustic conditions of the summer camps I went to and loved. Making s’mores was the highlight of every summer camp experience of my youth. And man, did I love summer camp: swimming in murky ponds, learning to sail and windsurf, sleeping in sleeping bags. But s’mores, and the bonfires that they accompanied? Those were the best.
I mean, what’s not to love? That melty chocolate, the soft puffed marshmallows with a crisp outside and two graham crackers holding it all in place combine to make something extraordinary. It’s just magic. And it’s pretty special how it can bring together campers of all backgrounds, bonding over a common love for burning marshmallows and squashing them into sandwiches.
I can remember many a summer evening spent shoulder to shoulder with my camp friends, sticking my marshmallow toward the fire, waiting for it to turn that deep brown.
Summer 2009 - Paige's First S'mores Experience
I’ve passed my s’mores love onto my kids. In fact, when they noticed me making Oven S’mores this afternoon, they were quick to ask who’d be eating them. They’ve been patiently waiting their first s’mores of the season. Usually, it’s had around a campfire while camping, but we haven’t been yet. Still, in the meantime, making these Oven S’mores is an easy, fast and simple way to fill the craving.
See also Chocolate Covered S’mores Grahams.
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Remember when I wrote about S’mores recently and shared a recipe for s’mores made in the oven? Well, I was also supposed to have a s’mores giveaway for a s’mores kit from Hershey’s. I didn’t then, but I am now.
