I was one of the bloggers selected by T. Marzetti Company and Clever Girls Collective to host a Marzetti Otria Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip review. They provided me with product to test and compensation for my time. However, my opinions are entirely my own.

Greek yogurt in a dip? Um … That’s exactly what I thought when I first heard about Marzetti Otria Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip. While lots of people have fallen in love with tangy Greek yogurt, I haven’t. It’s just not something I enjoy.

Still, when I was a to review this new veggie dip from T. Marzetti Company, makers of those jars of salad dressing found near the lettuce at the grocery store, I was intrigued. The company happens to make my husband’s favorite blue cheese dressing and the Otria Greek Yogurt Spinach Artichoke Dip sounded like something I might actually enjoy, so I said yes. Honestly, since I always tell my kids that they can’t judge a food until they’ve tried it, I had to give it a shot.

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When Will and Paige tried these cookies, it was supposed to be a single cookie for dessert one evening. But then Will finished his and looked wistfully at the other cookies sitting on the table. I saw him, but didn’t let on. Then he made his eyes big as saucers and wildly licked his lips. When neither wistful nor obviously wanting worked, he finally said,”Mommy, can I have one more?”

I said yes. It was just so cute.

These Chocolate Pretzel Cookies are crisp rounds of sugar cookie, dusted with pretzels and drizzled with sweet milk chocolate. It ends up with this amazing texture.  And the flavor? It’s divine — a little savory, a hint of salty and perfectly sweet. No wonder Will wanted seconds so much.

General Mills recently contacted me about creating a holiday cookie recipe using their chubs cookie dough (apparently the official name for the rolls of dough is “chub” – who knew?). This idea came to me right away since it combines some favorites: chocolate covered pretzels and cookies in an all-new and delicious way. Also, this is a super easy recipe that only requires three ingredients — perfect for whipping up at the last minute, or just because.

To make these cookies, you start by scooping out balls of dough using a medium cookie scoop. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, I highly recommend getting one. It makes cookie making a breeze.

Once you have your dough balls, you roll them in crushed pretzels, coating them all over.

Then you arrange the cookies on a baking sheet, leaving at least two inches between them. This is important because these cookies will spread a lot as they cook. Bake ‘em up and let them cool on a wire rack.

Set the wire rack on a baking sheet lined with something like waxed paper or aluminum foil. This will make cleanup so simple.

Drizzle the cookies with melted milk chocolate. I use a spoon and carefully drizzle it onto all the cookies. Once the chocolate hardens, they are ready to devour.

See, I told you! Ultra simple.

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When I look at this photo, all I can think is good morning. It’s so inviting. All the contrasting textures and flavors … Wait. Let me tell you about it. Looking is one thing, but hearing is a whole other.

The simple roasted potatoes — both russet and sweet varieties — seasoned only with a little salt and pepper have a slightly crispy outside and silky inside. They’re mixed with rounds of sweet-slightly savory chicken apple sausage, which has such a warm flavor. Then it’s all bound together by the perfect runny poached egg — the kind that has a velvety ooze of yolk that spills out when you dig your fork into it.

I love poached eggs. They are blissful, compact, perfect lumps of egg that spill over so willingly when you dig in. Oh, the joy.

And it was the thought of poached eggs and roasted potatoes – no two kinds of roasted potatoes – and chicken sausage that got me so excited to get to work. In fact, I was so busy mentally calculating the recipe that I nearly missed the exit I needed to take on the highway. Yes, really. But it was totally worth it. It’s the kind of dish that wraps its arms around you and makes everything okay again.

This dish seemed perfect for a blogging gig I was recently given. My friends at Betty Crocker asked me to create an eggy recipe using Land O’Lakes eggs, and I jumped at it. Eggs are huge in our house — a favorite of my breakfast-devoted daughter. We go through about two dozen eggs every week in my house.

Breakfast in our house is kind of a big deal. I mean it should be, being the most important meal of the day and all. But it is really something in our house. Epic, at times, which is surprising since I was a reluctant breakfast convert. Will started the breakfast change in our house — but it was Paige who brought a deep breakfast devotion to the house.

She loved this one, by the way.

Having breakfast has become so important, so crafting balanced meals like this is a must for me. This one is best for weekends (it takes about 40 minutes), and is worth every cooking second.

Do you love breakfast? How do you take your eggs?

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This post was underwritten by BMO Harris Bank, which offers a matching $25 on a new savings account opened for your child through their Helpful Steps for Parents program. Learn more at bmoharris.com/parents.

Halloween is my favorite holiday. Always has been. It’s not just about the candy though. It’s about being able to assume another personality and dress in wacky, crazy ways that would otherwise be totally frowned upon. Oh yes, I have a deep infatuation with dressing up (yes, I was a drama kid in high school … or, as we called it, a thespian). Despite that, I don’t believe in spending a lot of money on costumes — especially not the cheaply made ones that are so prevalent these days.

In the past, I’ve steered Will and Paige towards inexpensive options and simply vetoed the ones that were beyond what I wanted to spend. But this year I took a different approach and set a costume budget for all: $15. Then I empowered them to decide for themselves.

It was a good teaching moment. Read the rest of this entry…

Family birthdays and Sunday dinners are sacred for our extended family. It’s a time when we all get together around the table and share food, laughter and smiles. And some of the best family conversations happen as we linger before dessert, after eating delicious foods.

But our dinners (and appetizers too) aren’t without some degree of restriction. To moderate our fat intake, we aim for more healthful versions of family favorites. So when I was asked to partake in the November 2011 SideCar Series, featuring Bush’s Beans, on Kitchen PLAY, I knew it was a good fit. Beans are good-for-you food.

My contribution is a Hot Spinach Artichoke White Bean Dip. Like many people, my family adores the traditional hot spinach artichoke dip. The cheese! The flavor! The dipping goodness! But it’s such a nutritional splurge that we almost never have it anymore.

Spinach Artichoke White Bean Dip waiting to be baked.

Now we can. I turned that creamy hot dip on its head, making it a way-less-guilt dip by trading cream cheese and other creamy (read: full-fat) ingredients for white cannellini beans pureed with garlic and vegetable stock.

The dip is still fabulously creamy with a mix of Romano and mozzarella cheese, chopped artichoke hearts and spinach. Oh, and the salt and pepper — which is a necessary addition to any savory recipe.

My family shared this dip at a recent family birthday dinner. I have to admit that as everyone went in for the first taste, I held my breath a little bit. Would they like it? Would they miss the decadent ingredients? Considering how fast the dip disappeared, it definitely didn’t disappoint.

Hot and bubbly from the oven ...

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Pillow-y gnocchi. Sweet roasted butternut squash. A buttery creamy sage sauce. We’ve been eating variations of this dish for weeks now, but tonight … tonight it was beyond perfect. It was blissful. The thing that made all the difference? Adding a ladle-full of gnocchi water to the sauce, something that I discovered after reading Aviva Goldfarb’s recipe for Gnocchi with Butternut Squash, Sage and Walnuts.

I love the way roasting the seasoned butternut squash brings out its inherent sweetness. It’s a nice contrast to the buttery sauce that turns downright creamy when you add a little of the starchy gnocchi water to it.

Well, Paige and I thought so at least … Will wasn’t a fan. I am not sure that he liked sage, which is fine since the boy eats just about everything. It’s okay if he doesn’t like one herb. Right?

In any case, if you like sage and you like butternut squash, you will love this dish. It’s quintessential fall.

Of course, we are hurtling towards winter now. As my kids and I were walking through Target the other day, I tsk tsk’d at the Christmas decorations infringing on the Halloween candy and costume space. I mean we are still a week away from Halloween. Then comes Thanksgiving. And only after that does Christmas arrive. Come on, people!

Except, in some ways, you kind of have to at least put a little thought into the holidays now … budgeting, for instance, is something I do at the end of October. Though I likely won’t shop until after Thanksgiving, I need to know what I am spending so that I save specifically for that. And yes, I know it’s crazy that I wait to shop. But it’s my tradition.

And then there is the whole Christmas cards thing (or holiday cards — whatever you send). Personally, if I don’t order them early, then I won’t send them. I need time to write, address and stamp (the stamps are the biggest part for me) my cards to get them out in time.  That’s why I always try to order them in around the end of October or early November. It gives me that time.

Shutterfly recently contacted me, asking me to share their 2011 card collections with my readers … and how could I resist? This whole project means two things for me: I actually have my cards already created and ordered AND I get to help you do the same.

So, I’ve spent the past few days looking through the many styles of cards available. There are all varieties of cards: whimsical, religious, classic … and I found myself drawn to the simple classic ones with sweet sentiments like “Joy” or “Rejoice.” But with so many choices, it was so hard to choose one (thank goodness for the compare feature — I marked the ones that I liked and went back to decide which one was best). Finally, I decided to go ultra-simple “We Believe” design that I just loved. It reminds me of our favorite holiday movie, The Polar Express.

Now that I’ve ordered, all I need to do is get them addressed, stamped and mailed. With any luck, they will be on time this year.

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When you’ve spent your whole summer on a loose and open schedule like ours, it can be hard to get back into the groove of things when the school year comes along. We definitely felt this more this year than ever. Summer was long and blissful. I smile whenever I think of the long bike rides, days at the beach and evenings reading on the sun porch. Even with the start of school being delayed by a week (thank you, Irene), we just weren’t ready for the order and strict scheduling that comes with school starting.

And boy, did it start. This year, our schedule is more hectic than ever between the kids’ activities, my work and juggling a confusing schedule of school pick-ups. With Will in the first grade this year, there is also a constant stream of homework and studying (he averages 2-3 tests and quizzes per week). Even Paige, who is still in preschool, has had homework this year, thanks to a new and enhanced school curriculum.

Talk about going from zero to sixty, right?

Tonight it occurred to me that we’ve finally hit our stride in this whole school year business. The kids have their after school routine down. Homework gets done with minimal resistance, dinners are back to being eaten in the kitchen at our table and bedtime happens faster and easier. Sure, there are times when the kids want just a little more time to play before bed (and I have to say no). But overall, things are flowing now.

Even dinner prep, which was a challenge for me in post-summertime, is happening on time and without so much stress. I’m back in the routine of cooking earlier so that we eat earlier. In summer, a 6:30 or 7 p.m. dinner was fine for us. But during the school year, dinner needs to happen at 5:30 or 6 p.m. The key to making this happen was relying on easy, minimal prep dinners.

Of course, it hasn’t been without challenge. Earlier this week, I mentioned that I’ve been in a bit of a protein-rut lately and was hoping that an assignment I’ve been working on with Costco and the National Pork Board might help me break out of it. Thank goodness, it did.

This pork dish — Apricot-Glazed Sage and Garlic Pork Tenderloin — may sound complicated, but it’s actually really simple: Cut slits into tenderloin and stuff them with sage and garlic. Bake for 30 minutes. Glaze with apricot and bake a little more. (Ok, there are a few little steps I left out, but you have the idea.) It takes maybe 5 minutes to prep. Now, granted, it does take about an hour total — from prep to plate — to get on the table. But it’s so hands off that it’s a-ok. And the leftovers? Perfect for another night’s dinner … or packing for lunch.

But what about the flavor? The sage and garlic subtly flavors the pork, without being overwhelming. (Note: you will want to carefully fork out the garlic and sage leaves before eating.) And the apricot preserves gives the meat a pleasant sweet coating all over — and no, it’s not in-your-face apricot flavored. In fact, Will likened the flavor to a sweet barbecue sauce.

Worth. Every. Bite.

If you want to learn more about pork and how to cook the many cuts of it, check out the Pork, Be Inspired website. Also, you should know that back in May, the USDA lowered the temperature guideline for pork loins, chops and roasts from 160 degrees F to 145 degrees F with a three-minute rest. It will be pinker than you grew up with  — but it will also be juicier and so tender. Trust me, you’ll like it. Ground pork should still be cooked to 160 degrees F. For best results, use a meat thermometer to ensure that your meat is cooked to the right temperature.

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Shawn says that dinners in our house are completely unpredictable (he’s right).  Sometimes dinner is something simple — like Quick Chicken Parmesan. Other times it’s a step off the beaten trail like Bacon and Kale Fried Rice. I like variety … and so do the kids.

Still, despite loving variety, I’ve fallen into a slump with proteins. It’s been chicken or vegetarian (with an occasional fish thrown in now and again) for awhile now. We need a wee bit more protein variety in the rotation. So when I heard that October is National Pork Month, and Costco and the National Pork Board asked me to be part of a campaign where I’d develop and share a family favorite pork recipe, it was just the catalyst I needed to break free. Read the rest of this entry…

It struck me this weekend: we are a mere two weeks away from the end of summer vacation. It leaves me tempted to cry Where has the summer gone? But I already know. It’s gone to lazy days at the beach, long bike rides along the shore, swimming and day trips. It’s been a good summer. And even though I didn’t get around to making that summer bucket list like Cate, we’ve done a lot.

Of course, we do still have two weeks to do so much more.

One cool experience we had though didn’t require us to leave home or do much … other than eat. This past weekend, we had a mini cheese tasting with our extended family. Yes, a cheese tasting — complete with wine for the adults and dried fruit for all.

It was so much fun.

Though I always serve cheese plates at parties, I have never actually had a cheese tasting before. A few weeks ago, the fine folks at The Motherhood contacted to see if I was interested in host a cheese tasting with Sargento cheese and then blogging about it. I love cheese and new experiences, so of course I said yes.

We had to try Sargento Cheddar Cheese Slices alongside typical American Cheese slices, comparing their flavor, texture and more. It was a hard job, but someone had to do it (I jest … it wasn’t hard, it was fun!).

I set up our cheese tasting with slices of Sargento Cheddar Cheese, generic American cheese, crackers and dried fruit. We all sampled both slices of cheese and talked about them.

Sargento had sent along a card with info about what to look for, which I actually didn’t read until after the tasting. Ironically, we still touched on all four points of cheese tasting:

Look – It’s easy to tell the natural Sargento Cheese from the processed American cheese just by the appearance. While the American cheese was shiny and unnaturally smooth looking, the cheddar was matte.

Touch – There was a more substantial feel to the Sargento Cheddar Cheese. It was firmer too. Meanwhile, the American cheese feel plastic-y and flopped around.

Smell – Ok. We didn’t actually sniff our cheese, but I can tell you that even from far away you could smell the cheddar. Not so much with the American cheese.

Taste – When it comes to flavor, there is no contest. The natural Sargento Cheese was filled with nuanced flavor with we loved. But the processed American cheese? It was bland to the point of being almost flavorless.

And the verdict? The natural Sargento Cheddar Cheese slices were the clear favorite. Everyone was wishing we had more to enjoy.

Having a cheese tasting party on an overcast evening was a great way to end a beach day. I would love to do another cheese tasting sometime, pairing a variety of cheeses with a fine wine or two. I think it’d make a really fun girlfriend date.

What about you? Have you ever had or attended a cheese tasting?

Disclosure: Sargento and The Motherhood provided the food for sampling. They are also going to be compensating me for my time. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to Crocs for sponsoring this blog post. Please click here to learn more about Crocs’ new Back to School line. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

It’s been said that I go a little crazy around back to school shopping time. I buy a few more boxes of crayons than seem prudent. I stock up on paints, clay, glue sticks, paper and markers. And I tuck most of it away for later. They call it crazy, I call it smart. Why wouldn’t you stock up on crayons when they are a mere $0.40/box? (Actually I usually stock up when they are $0.25/box, but haven’t seen them that inexpensive yet.)

Besides. I just love the new supplies.

Of course, back to school isn’t just about the school supplies. There’s also the matter of food. School lunch food that is.

My son doesn’t buy lunch at school. Whenever I look at our school’s monthly lunch menu, I cringe at the sight of brownies dished up with pizza and chicken nuggets with tater tots. Haven’t we learned anything yet about serving our kids better food in schools? Why would I pay $3.50/day for that? So I choose to pack lunch for my son everyday. Read the rest of this entry…