The Cozy Cookbook from Berkley Prime Crime

You all know I love cozies! Cozy mysteries, for anyone who might not be familiar, are a special type of murder mystery that doesn't dwell so much on the gruesome aspects of the murder but more so on the characters and settings. Reading them leaves you with a cozy sort of welcome home feeling. And some also leave you with some sort of fun crafts or recipes in the back of the book depending on which series you are reading. 

I am always amused when my husband asks if my newest book has anything tasty for him, since he does have a sweet tooth that can’t be denied. With that said, as soon he saw my copy of The Cozy Cookbook he hijacked it and started making a grocery list! I’ll come back to that in a moment…

This fabulous cookbook has more than 100 recipes from some of my favorite authors and, even more exciting, it has some from authors I hadn't read yet, so I made my own shopping list of sorts using the handy list in the back which includes the full series titles for the tasty series used in the creation of the awesome cookbook. 

The contents page makes it so easy to find the right recipe, as it is broken into meal type categories and when you flip to that page you will find another content page that has all the recipes for that section. I love the variety! You will find all the meals represented a few vegetarian options and even breads, drinks and desserts. 

Back to my husband’s shopping list. He loves trying new things and he is a vegan leaning vegetarian so when he saw the vegan vanilla cupcakes from Jenn McKinlay he started making a list. It was a fun recipe to cook for me because I got to use things I have never cooked with before, like agave. I also loved that he could freely lick the bowl without my "that has eggs in it" disapproving glance. These were such a big hit the only picture I managed was one tray before it was iced. After icing they vanished before I even knew what was happening! It was also really fun to make something I had read about as the Cupcake Bakery Mystery Series is one of my favorites! 

In addition to the cupcakes, we also tried Parmesan Crisps. This was exciting for two reasons. One is that since I have several dietary restrictions, there is no real crispy chip like items left in my diet. I was tickled to no end to see something with no flour or any other ingredient I can’t have. They were so simple to make that I can toss in a batch anytime with ease. Plus, now my crispy cravings are being met. I cannot thank Laura Childs enough! The second reason I was so excited was that I have not read Laura Childs before so now I have the excitement of finding a new author to read! 

As you might imagine this is a resource I will use both in the kitchen and on my reading table. This was just released on the 7th and is sure to be a huge hit so you’ll want to order your copy from your favorite book seller today. 

Take some time to browse the other great mysteries available from Berkley Prime Crime. While you are there, you can sign up for the newsletter so you never miss a new release. I must warn you though, after browsing my wish list is longer than I could probably read. You can also connect with them on Twitter where can happen across a fun giveaway as well. 

Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers.

Clebrate Cinco de Mayo With BrylaneHome

What are you doing for Cinco de Mayo? Cinco de Mayo traditions include parades, mariachi music performances and street festivals in cities and towns across Mexico and the United States. I am really looking forward to it because we will be having a quiet celebration with friends and family.

As part of the celebration we like to have our favorite Mexican and Mexican American foods. If you are like me, you also like to present your guests their meals on dishes that go with the theme of the party, which means it’s time to do some shopping! Thankfully there is BrylaneHome, who, as you know from my previous posts, has awesome products for you and every room of your house.

I was able to find the perfect set of dishes in the Santa Fe Hand-Painted Striped Stoneware Dinnerware, which is lovely and festive. The matching set has green, blue, red, and yellow stripes that are going to liven up your meals. They really are gorgeous and will make any meal more beautiful. I really love that they are hand-painted making each set one of a kind.

The 16 piece set includes: 4 10¼'' dinner plates, 4 7¼'' salad/dessert plates, 4 20-oz. bowls, 4 10-oz. mugs. They are microwave and dishwasher safe and if you love them as much as I do you can get the extra parts to complete the Santa Fe collection with matching flatware, canisters and much more right at BrylaneHome.com.

Now on to the party and the delicious food! I have no idea what this should be called we usually call it Mexican layer cake: 6 - small wheat tortillas, 1 can refried beans, ½ onion chopped, ½ jar of your favorite salsa, 8 oz cheddar cheese. Warm the beans and onions together. Layer six alternating tiers of refried beans with onion and salsa with cheese, ending with salsa and cheese on the top. Bake at 350 until the cheese has melted. It couldn’t be easier and is very tasty.

We also like to have some Mexican Hot Chocolate with this: 1 1/2 cups cold water, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 6 cups whole milk, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. Whisk cold water, sugar, cocoa powder, flour, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a saucepan until smooth. Place over low heat; bring to a simmer, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened and hot, about 4 minutes. Stir in milk; heat until hot chocolate just forms bubbles around the edge. Mix vanilla extract into hot chocolate. Blend until smooth with an immersion blender to make the drink slightly frothy.

Follow the link below so you can browse around and see all of the great products BrylaneHome has to make your next party beautiful and easier. You can also connect with BrylaneHome on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date with new items and special offers.

Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers. 

Earnest Eats Review & Giveaway

With 2014 being only 2 weeks old, a lot of us may be thinking of our new year's resolutions. Resolutions can have us looking at habits, fitness, and the food we put into our body. Earnest Eats is a company that makes delicious AND healthy food that can help you achieve your new year's goals. Their food is minimally processed, contains NO preservatives or artificial yuckiness, and are made in small batches in actual kitchens. Their foods also don't contain spray-on vitamins or protein powders. All of the nutrients are derived from the actual ingredients in the food! Also, all of their snacks are 100% wheat-free and vegan! It is so wonderful to read an ingredients list and not only be able to pronounce everything on it, but know what everything is!

The first snack I tried was the Hot & Fit Cereals. The American Blend has cranberries, almonds, sunflower seeds, and pepitas in it and the Mayan Blend contains cocoa, pepitas, cashews, almonds, and sunflower seeds. I really enjoyed both of these. There is a unique nutty flavor to both. The cereal is chewy, crunchy, and earthy. The nuts and seeds added a lot of texture that other oatmeals just don't have. I loved this cereal. It is so much more enjoyable than regular oatmeal and provides much more nutritional value. I liked adding a little maple syrup to the American Blend and a little scoop of peanut butter made the Mayan Blend out of this world. These are delicious and taste like you are cheating but you aren't! 

Next, I dug into the energy bars. Most energy and protein bars taste chalky because they use spray-on vitamins and protein powders but these don't contain either! These are wonderfully chewy, moist, and flavorful. My favorite ended up being one I was a little iffy on; Cran Lemon Zest. Oh my goodness! Get up and go get one now! It is lemony and sweet and absolutely amazing. I can't even put into words how much I enjoyed it! I will definitely be keeping these on hand from now on. Choco Peanut Butter was awesome as well. Have you noticed a peanut butter and chocolate trend here? You can't go wrong with it. I am not the biggest fan of dark chocolate due to its tendency to be bitter, but my husband absolutely adored the Dark Choco Espresso bar. The first words out of his mouth were, "Where can we get more?"

Last but certainly not least, we have the granola planks. I tried all three; Blueberry Vanilla Crackle, Maple Almond Crunch, Pomegranate Walnut Crisp. These bars are so versatile! They can be eaten right out of the package (which is what we did), crumbled over yogurt, ice cream, and frozen yogurt, or even toasted! My favorite was the Blueberry Vanilla Crackle. It was sweet, nutty, and a little tart from the blueberries. My husband stole the rest of the Maple Almond Crunch after I took a bite. That bar was fabulous. The maple was the main star and it shined! Pomegranate Walnut Crisp was also stolen from me, but this time by my daughter and son. We all really enjoy these bars. Another positive, they keep you feeling full for a very long time!

Bonus time! Earnest Eats also sent a cookie recipe for me to try. I did change a few things because I didn't have all of the ingredients on hand, but they turned out so fabulous! Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup agave syrup (or maple syrup)

2 tbsp almond milk 

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 1/2 tbsp oil 

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 cups Mayan blend oats, or other Earnest Eats oatmeal blend

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Put all ingredients in a food processor and whiz until just blended, or mix by hand if you don't have a processor.  Add oats a cup at a time and mix until just blended.  Dough should stick together enough to form a ball the size of a ping-pong ball, and it will be very sticky in your hands.  Place on a greased cookie sheet or baking stone and flatten into a 1/3" thick round.  Bake for 10-15 minutes and remove from oven.  Let cool for 5 minutes on the pan/stone and then transfer to a wire cooling rack.

I used a full teaspoon of cinnamon, maple syrup, cow's milk, melted butter instead of oil, and all purpose flour. These turned out wonderfully chewy and moist. They really reminded me of the energy bars I mentioned earlier. These were super easy to make and all the different oats and nuts in the oatmeal gave these awesome texture. Crunchy, chewy, moist, AWESOME!

Be sure to follow Earnest Eats on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Also, browse their site and learn more about their great products and natural ingredients. Once you are done, come back because they have provided me with 12 single serving Hot and Fit Cereals (6 American Belnd, 6 Mayan) to giveaway to one lucky reader! Open to residents of the continental US, 18 and older.

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Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers. My Empty Nest is not responsible for lost or misdirected mail.

Homemade Veggie Burgers

I must honestly say this is the best tasting veggie burger I've ever had and I've certainly had a lot. I also really love how easy these are to make and that I typically have all of these ingredients on hand. 

To make these wonderful Carrot Burgers you will need:

1 1/2 cups shredded carrots

2 cups crushed cornflakes

1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs

2 eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon salt substitute (I used McCormick Perfect Pinch)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Olive Oil spray

Place carrots in a saucepan with a small amount of water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until tender; drain. In a bowl, combine everything (except the pan spray) Form into patties (we made four big ones at 220 calories each). Spray pan and cook patties for 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Serve on buns if desired, we felt these were filling enough to be eaten on their own. If I had to change anything I'd add more onions but really these are fantastic.

Chobani Greek Yogurt

Yogurt is a part of my day, every day. It is my go-to healthy snack option. I love to discover new things to make with yogurt too, and it’s more versatile than I ever imagined. For snacking and cooking you will want to start with a good high quality yogurt like Chobani Greek Yogurt.

When I’m in the mood for a sweeter snack, I tend to reach for one of the Chobani Champions flavors. I do realize they are geared toward children, but really they speak to my inner child who likes to have a snack in the afternoon. I have tried and can recommend all of the Champions flavors: Orange Vanilla, Very Berry, Banana Honey and Vanilla Chocolate Chunk. They are all a great source of protein, and a wonderful way to get your children to eat more healthily. My personal favorite is the Vanilla Chocolate Chunk, because I have a thing for chocolate and there is a perfect amount of chocolate bits mixed into the creamy delicious vanilla yogurt.

When I’m in the mood for a more grown-up yogurt I reach for one of the 6 ounce non-fat or low fat flavors. They are just as decadent as the Champions, but are a bigger size and make a more substantial snack. I often have one for breakfast with a little granola or a handful of nuts tossed in. My favorite is a tie between the non-fat vanilla and the low fat pineapple. Have a look at all of the great flavors they offer this creamy rich yogurt in.

For bigger cooking tasks they offer a 32 ounce container in four flavors. If you want a colder snack the Strawberry is perfect for making homemade frozen yogurt popsicles. The vanilla is perfect for adding to cakes and breads to give them a lovely moist consistency with a hint of extra vanilla. The non-fat and low-fat plain yogurts are perfect for savory recipes. Two of my favorite that I made this week are:


Yogurt Humus
1 (15.5oz) Can of garbanzo beans, drained
1 clove of garlic, peeled
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
2/3 cup plain non-fat or low fat Chobani Greek Yogurt


In a blender or food processor, blend beans until smooth. Mix in everything else, and blend until the desired consistency. We use this as a sandwich spread and it goes lovely with a plate of crackers and cheese.

Tzatziki
16oz plain non-fat or low fat Chobani Greek Yogurt
½ cucumber
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 tbsp vinegar
2oz oil

Peel, shred and squeeze water from the cucumber, and mix everything together! It’s that easy to have this wonderful spread which works well on sandwiches or as a dip.

As you can see there is really no end to the lovely ways you can enjoy Chobani Greek Yogurt. In addition to their website you can connect with them on facebook and twitter.

Disclosure: I was given the products I reviewed. No other compensation was received. My opinions are my own and may differ from yours.

Apple Sauce Bread

I always seem to have applesauce that needs using. Probably because it only lasts so long but it's always a better deal to buy it in bigger jars than you would typically use. At any rate here is a great recipe to use that apple sauce before it spoils. This was so good I'll be making it again for sure. Next time I'll also add raisins and walnuts. I may even make it into muffins because my husband loves to be able to grab something sweet and scurry off to munch. 

Ingredients

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups applesauce

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions 

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the egg, vanilla and applesauce; mix well. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg; gradually add to the creamed mixture just until combined. Pour into a greased 8-in. x 4-in. x 2-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

Easy Oatmeal Pie

I made this lovely for my husband because I read it was similar to pecan pie, which is his favorite. The difference is it’s made with oatmeal, which we always have on hand, rather than pecans, which we seldom have on hand. I’m not a fan of pecan pie but I did enjoy this, so I guess it’s not too samey. He said it was great and he would take a slice of it any day, or was that every day? 

You will need:

2 regular size pie crusts, I used the frozen in the pan because I was being lazy. 

I imagine you can half this if you only want to make one.

4 eggs

1/2c butter, melted

1c corn syrup

1/2c sugar

1/2c brown sugar

1tsp vanilla

Pinch of salt

1c rolled oats

Beat eggs; mix in butter, syrup, sugars, vanilla & salt. Stir in oats. Pour in shells and bake 40 min at 350.

As most of my recipes you will notice it is so very very easy. 

Del Monte Add Some Garden Contest

Most people I know could use a few more servings of fruits and vegetables in their day. I’m a vegetarian and still tend to come up heavy on the carbohydrates and low on the fruits and vegetables. In order to help encourage people and give some advice on how to get more vegetables in our diets, Del Monte is having an ‘Add Some Garden’ contest on Facebook. They are offering fantastic prizes throughout such as kitchen appliances, and $25 or $500 gift cards to Williams Sonoma.

Please visit the Del Monte Facebook page from November 5th through February 4th for full details and to enter!

There will be five phases during the contest in which Del Monte will feature a different canned variety every two weeks. Fans will have five days during each phase to submit their best tips, and consumers will be able to vote for their favorite tip during the second week of each phase

The five winning tips for each phase will then go head-to-head for a chance to win a Grand Prize culinary travel adventure, valued at $10,000, which will be announced February 15th

Week One was Green beans (November 5- November 18): My family really wanted to think outside the box for this one so we decided to make a green bean pizza! We took all the normal steps to make a regular cheese pizza and then drained a can of Del Monte green beans and pressed them between paper towels to remove any excess water. Added them and baked as instructed. We are huge fans of pizza and really enjoyed it with the subtle taste green beans offer.

Week Two is Corn (November 19- December 2): For this we decide to have another household favorite, spaghetti macaroni. We just use macaroni shells, which we cooked according to the instructions, and added our favorite tomato based pasta sauce. This time we also added a can of drained Del Monte whole kernel corn to the sauce. It really added a nice crunchy texture and the corn flavor complemented the pasta sauce quite well.

Week Three is Tomatoes (December 3- December 16): For this we made bean dip using refried beans, a can of Del Monte diced tomatoes, and just a dash of garlic. It was such a tasty treat and a perfect way to sneak some garden into your snacking!

Week Four is Peaches (January 7- January 20): For this I will make a regular boxed cake and add a drained can of Del Monte peaches after blending. Just drop them over the top of the cake once you have it in the pan, that way they are spread out - they will sink while it bakes. To really add to the taste replace some or all of the called for water on the cake instructions with the juice you drained off the fruit - that makes it extra sweet and moist. I love a recipe that is so much better than the effort you put into it!

Week Five is Pears (January 21- February 3) We love crumbles and I made an extra easy and extra tasty pear crumble. To make this spread a can of Del Monte pears in a baking dish and put in enough juice so that they don’t stick to the bottom.  Then spread a box of spice cake mix evenly over the pears. You will need 1/2 cup of margarine - closely space small dollops of the margarine evenly on top of cake mix. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. This was dead easy and very tasty.

Del Monte canned fruits, vegetables, and tomatoes contain the same essential nutrients as fresh varieties and Del Monte fruits and vegetables are grown in the best growing regions of the United States, providing you with a consistently quality product. The majority of Del Monte products are picked at the peak of ripeness and canned on the same day, to ensure nutrients and flavor are locked in. All this makes a difference you can taste!

Del Monte has generously offered one lucky My Empty Nest reader a Del Monte gift pack just like the one they provide me, which includes: Five (5) Del Monte canned varieties- Green Beans (1), Corn (1), Diced Tomatoes (1), Peaches (1), and Pears (1) and a $25 Visa gift card. Please use the rafflecopter below to enter. Open to US residents 18 and older. Winners have 48 hours to respond by email before another winner is chosen.
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Disclosure: The Del Monte product, information, and two gift packs have been provided by Del Monte. My opinions are my own and may differ from yours. My Empty Nest is not responsible for prize fulfillment. 

PB Crave

Peanut butter is a staple in my house; honestly we have it at least once a day. It’s such an easy and tasty protein source for vegetarians. I have just tried the best peanut butter ever! No exaggeration. This peanut butter takes the already fantastic idea of spreadable peanut goodness and adds to it some of my favorite complementing flavors to make one spectacular peanut butter experience.

PB Crave, aptly named because you will crave it, comes in four fantastic varieties:

Razzle Dazzle, which was my husbands favorite, has premium peanut butter, wild honey, dark chocolate, white cocoa butter drops and raspberry flavor.

Coco Bananas, my personal favorite, has premium peanut butter, wild honey, chocolate, and banana flavor.

Cookie Nookie, which is just magical, has premium peanut butter, wild honey, chocolate chips and cookie dough flavor.

Choco Choco, which is as decadent as it sounds, has premium peanut butter, wild honey and sweet & dark chocolates.

Each of the flavors was a perfect blend, with all of the tastes complementing each other perfectly, with no taste being drowned out by the other. They were awesome in all the ways I like peanut butter: on toast, as a sandwich, on pancakes, on crackers, with pretzels and in cookies.

I made these cookies with the Choco Choco but I will be trying the recipe with all of the varieties because PB Crave was an awesome addition to my favorite cookie!

Choco Choco PB Crave Cookies
1/2c Choco Choco PB Crave
1/2c unsalted butter
1/2c sugar
1/2c brown sugar
1 egg
1-1/4c flour
1/2tsp baking powder
1/4tsp salt
3/4tsp baking soda

Cream the peanut butter, butter and sugars, mix in egg. Mix everything else together and then stir into the creamed ingredients. Mix well and refrigerate an hour. Form into 1inch balls and flatten with a fork. Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes, just until it starts to brown - do not over cook.

In addtion to being able to purchase this fantastic peanut butter on their website  it is also available at The Fresh Market, Earth Fare and at some Whole Foods grocery stores.

I’m not the only one who loves PB Crave check out Celebrity Chef Andrew Zimmern's OpenSky Page and video review on PB Crave HERE.

PB Crave has generously offered one lucky My Empty Nest reader a Coco Bananas variety pack!

Please enter using the rafflecopter. Giveaway opened to those 18 and older who reside in the lower 48 states. You will have 48 hours to respond by email before another winner is drawn. Good Luck.

a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclosure: I was given the products I reviewed; no other compensation was received. My opinions are my own and may differ from yours. My Empty Nest is not responsible for prize fulfillment.

Oatmeal Cookies Recipe & a giveaway.

Oatmeal Cookies
This is the favorite cookie in my house!

You will need:
1 c Shortening
1 c Brown Sugar
¾ c Sugar
2 beaten Eggs
1 tbsp Vanilla
1-½ c Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Cinnamon
½ tsp Nutmeg
3 c Oats (old fashion not quick/instant)
½ c Raisins Optional

Beat Shortening and sugars about 3 minutes; beat in eggs & vanilla. Mix together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg; stir into sugar mixture. Stir in oats & raisins. Bake at 350 for 10-ish minutes. This makes a lot … 4-5 dozen. I can only guarantee the crispy chewy loveliness of the trans fat recipe; use margarine or butter at your own risk.

Dishin’ With Rebelle, Thoughts of a Mother, Wife, and Daughter, Dishin’ up Savings & Virtually Yours present our first annual Cookie Swap/Giveaway! Prizes are:

A Holiday Recipe Box

A Wilton Cookie Press

A Mix it Up Holiday Box from Kukees;
 
  A mix of 4 Fine Flavorings/Extracts and Cookbook from Nielsen-Massey;
   A mix of Cookies and Cookbook from Tate's Bake Shop
2 bags of oreos and 2 bags of chips ahoy cookies a Rafflecopter giveaway  My Empty Nest is not responsible for shipment of any prizes and did not receive any compensation for hosting this giveaway!

MexAmerican Foods

I love to experiment with recipes and quality ingredients are a must if I want it turn out the best it can. I really like Mexican inspired dishes and find they are often very vegetarian friendly. I’ve been lucky to have three successes recently thanks to quality ingredients. I’ve centered my recipes around the awesome tortillas from MexAmerica Foods.

I found them very easy to work with. They are so fresh that I was able to use them straight from the refrigerator without having to steam them. That makes them extra convenient. They folded so nicely without tearing, even when I used them as full wraps! You can taste the difference in how fresh they are. It made every meal taste that much better.

First, I used the corn tortillas to make a sort of open-sided lasagna.

6 - small MexAmerica corn tortillas
1 can refried beans
½ onion chopped
½ jar of your favorite salsa
8 oz cheddar cheese

Warm the beans and onions together. Layer six alternating tiers of refried beans with onion and salsa with cheese, ending with salsa and cheese on the top. Bake at 350 until the cheese has melted. The corn flavor is lovely and not overpowered by the salsa at all.

Layered Awesome! 

Next I wanted something to satisfy my sweet tooth, so I made some peach enchiladas.

4 MexAmerica flour tortillas Fajita size
1 small can of peach pie filling
1/3 c margarine
½ c white sugar
½ c brown sugar
½ c water

Place ¼ of the peaches on each tortilla, and wrap, sealing both sides. Place them face down in a casserole dish. Bring the rest of the ingredients to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes while stirring. Pour over wraps and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

These were really unique for me because I have never tried any kind of desert enchiladas before. I loved the crispy tops and if you have leftovers the next day the sauce is much more condensed and they are even better- in fact my husband suggested they only be served cold!

Crispy Sweet! 

I used the bigger tortillas to make a modified quesadilla type meal. These were honey wheat and really something special flavor wise.

4 large honey wheat MexAmerica tortillas
1 can refried beans
½ onion
½ c shredded Colby jack cheese

Warm a frying pan coated with no stick spray over medium high heat. Place ¼ of your beans, onion and cheese in the center of the wrap and fold it in half. Cook until browned on each side. It’s really that easy to make a delicious meal!

The next time you need tortillas I highly recommend you try MexAmerica Foods and allow yourself to be impressed by the superior quality and ease of use.  Please visit their website HERE and see all of the great products they offer.

Disclosure: I was given the products I reviewed; no other compensation was received. My opinions are my own and may differ from yours. 

Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce Review

 I really love finding a good multi-use sauce. I also like taking a traditional meal and changing it up a little, to make it fresh again. Country Bob’s All purpose sauce filled both of those needs. I knew from the first taste it had an awesome and very unique flavor that would work well with a lot of things. I know what you are thinking: ‘But Diana you are a vegetarian! What on earth could you use an all purpose steak sauce for?’ Answer: Lots of things! I love food with a good flavor too and a lot of dishes need some help to get there.

First I wanted to be able to taste it all on it’s own so made a big plate of homefries and dipped them in a generous portion of sauce. It has a lovely spicy yet sweet flavor and was all that was needed to turn my fries into a special treat.

Country Bob's Bean Soup

As I was munching my fries my first thought was this was going to rock in bean soup! So I gathered up what I would need and it wasn’t much because you know I am all about easy!
One Can of Northern Beans ( I imagine any beans will work)
One Can of Diced Tomatoes
1/4c Chopped Onion
1/4c Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce
1 Chicken Flavored Vegetarian Bullion Cube
1/2c Water

I drained the beans and added everything together in a medium size pot them simmered for about 15 minutes. Leave the juice in the tomatoes. Easy, right? and oh so very delicious! The sauce adds a bit of spicy sweetness to the soup making it really something super special.  My husband raved about the unique flavor saying it reminded him of the brown sauce they have back home (England) but it had a bit more kick. It was him that suggested the next meal.

Pizza, Country Bob’s style. Another easy one, I made the crust in flash using a half a cup of milk and a cup of flour. You can use any crust you prefer. We topped it with a generous amount of Country Bob’s, cheddar cheese and some chopped onions & bell pepper. Toppings and cheese variety are up to you of course - we all have our favorites but don’t miss out the Country Bob’s it really makes it a whole other experience to traditional pizza.

Country Bob's Pizza

Disclaimer: I received the products necessary to facilitate this review; no other compensation was received. My opinions are my own and may differ from yours.