This giveaway is now closed! The winners, chosen by Random.org, of the Cooking Light Magazines subscriptions were: Ria from Rias Collection, Megan from Megans Cookin‘, and Dana (Drsalbghir). Hilary Gercken won the Perfect Portions scale! Congrats everyone and thanks for participating!

The pumpkin biscuits with the orange-honey butter I made yesterday were certainly a big hit around my house. We gobbled them up in no time, and my kids were wondering “Pumpkin muffins one day, pumpkin biscuits after that…what’s next, mom?” Well, I couldn’t disappoint them. In fact, I had a half a can of pumpkin leftover because the biscuits only use 1/2 a can. What pumpkin treat could I make that would work with only a half a can of pumpkin?

Later in the day when I was thumbing through the November 2010 issue of Cooking Light magazine I happened across a recipe for Pumpkin Pie Pudding requiring only a 1/2 cup of pumpkin. I instantly knew what I would be making with my leftover pumpkin. Let me tell you, these little beauties did not disappoint. (Just found out that this recipe is from our very own food blogging friend, Susan from Food Blogga! I love seeing my blogging friends in print. Great recipe, Susan!)

Another thing that never disappoints me is Cooking Light magazine. As someone who writes for magazines, I know how hard it is to put a magazine full of great recipes together and they seem to hit the mark with each issue. Every time I open an issue of Cooking Light, I seem to run out of post-it note sticky flags because I have page after page after page marked with recipes that I want to add to my I Will Make This Someday List.

I’m giving 3 lucky readers the chance to win a 12 month subscription to Cooking Light Magazine. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post.

And, if you are into lighter cooking or just measuring out your food, I have a Perfect Portions Kitchen Scale to giveaway as well. I’ve been trying out the Perfect Portions scale for a couple of weeks now and I am a huge fan. If you are concerned about portion control, this handy scale needs to be a part of your kitchen. Read all about the Perfect Portions scale on their website. To win a Perfect Portions scale, leave a comment on this post as well.

So, my friends, you have the chance to win 1 of 3 Cooking Light 12-month magazines subscriptions and the chance to win 1 Perfect Portions kitchen scale. Leave a comment on this post by midnight CST next Friday, October 29th. Make sure to include a way for me to contact you. All invalid entries will be removed.

The folks at Perfect Portions have given me the opportunity to share their product with you since I love it so much. The Cooking Light magazine subscriptions are from me because I love their magazine so much!

Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Cooking Light & Perfect Portions Giveaway (Recipe: Pumpkin Pudding) appeared first on Dine and Dish.

Last night, I returned from a long weekend in San Francisco where I had attended the BlogHer 2010 Food Conference. I was overly exhausted, but perked up the second I saw my husband and four kids peeking through the airport gate, waving enthusiastically at me. I walked closer and when I was close enough I brought each of my kids in for a tight squeeze.

As I stepped away from them, I looked at their faces and noticed that things had changed. They each had grown…looked bigger and more mature, all in the matter of the 4 days while I was gone. Was that possible? Could my kids really had changed that much in the short amount of time I was away?

As I was collapsing into bed last night, I reflected on how crazy the past few weeks had been. On top of work and deadlines, I was helping to coordinate a lovely party I co-hosted at BlogHer Food and prepared to speak on the value of a blogging community at the conference. School was in full swing and life was back to its crazy nuttiness. It was then that it hit me. My kids hadn’t changed while I was away, I just hadn’t been clearly seeing them for the past several weeks. I was too caught up in the noise and the fog of everything else that I hadn’t been focused on what I should really be, which was my family. Sometimes, it takes stepping away for a bit to be able to see clearly again.

This is the same with anything you do…blogging, crafts, photography, painting, writing…it is easy to get caught up in all the noise, but to really see clearly when things get foggy, you sometimes need to step away for a bit. When you return, you’ll have a new perspective and will be able to see clearly again.

This is another post where the recipe has nothing to do with what I am writing about, and if I would listen to some of the talk I heard at the conference, it is perfectly unacceptable to have such disconnect. But, you know what? This is my blog, my space and I want to share this recipe for cast iron skillet potatoes with you because its a good one. So here you go!

Herbed Potatoes Recipe (From the September 2010 issue of Cooking Light Magazine)

• 1 1/2  pounds  Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 2  tablespoons  olive oil, divided
• 1  teaspoon  butter
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  tablespoons  small basil leaves
• 2  tablespoons  coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Place potatoes in a saucepan; cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes; drain and pat dry with paper towels.

2. Heat a large cast-iron or stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add half of potatoes; sauté 8 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and potatoes. Add butter and garlic to pan. Stir in reserved potato mixture, salt, and pepper; sauté 1 minute or until mixture is thoroughly heated and golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; sprinkle with herbs.

Want more recipes for your Cast Iron Skillet? These bloggers have some great recipes for you to try:

• Apple Cake in an Iron Skillet from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
• Brownies in a Cast Iron Skillet from Amanda’s Cookin’
• Spicy Pinto Bean Ravioli from The Perfect Pantry
• Cast Iron Skillet Pineapple Upsidedown Cake from A Bloggable Life / Inn Cuisine

The post Seeing Clearly (Recipe: Cast Iron Skillet Potatoes) appeared first on Dine and Dish.

Blanket and Talktus… my 8 year olds “comfort” items. The blanket I made for Jacob was the first quilt I had ever sewn (and those of you who know me know that the words Kristen and sewing do not typically go hand in hand) . Talktus is a sweet little stuffed dog Jacob grew attached to soon after his 1st birthday. My children never sucked their thumbs. They never used pacifiers. Instead, all 4 of them have attached themselves to a special blanket or stuffed animal. In Jacob’s case, he dearly loves one of each.

Jacob does not take his blanket anywhere with him, except when we go out of town to relatives houses for a weekend. Both blanket and Talktus are simply there to provide comfort to him when he sleeps. He’s never really dragged them around everywhere, but if they are missing when bedtime hits, he can’t, or will not, go to sleep.

Jacob is now 8. 8 years old and still sleeps with his stuffed animal and blanket. He’s had a couple of sleep overs, and much to my relief, the boys have brought their own stuffed animals as well. So, my parenting question of the moment… at what age should you try to wean your kid off of their nighttime comfort items? At what age are you too old for comfort? Jacob does not at all seem like he has any interest in giving them up. Right now, it doesn’t seem to be hurting anything, but I know a day will come when he will be made to feel embarrassed for still sleeping with a blanket and stuffed dog. I would love to hear your opinions on this one!

Speaking of comfort.. how about comfort food? As much as meat loaf happens to not be one of my favorite things, it always makes me think of home. I don’t even remember mom making meatloaf all that often, but for some reason eating it today still transports me back to the dinner table

This recipe for Diner Meat Loaf Muffins from Cooking Light is just about one of the best meat loaf variations I’ve tried. I substituted Panko Breadcrumbs for the crackers, but that was the only change I made. I hope you enjoy and I hope, no matter what your age, it makes you think back to home… a place where you were never too old for comfort.

Diner Meat Loaf Muffins (from Cooking Light)

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup ketchup, divided
1 1/2 pounds ground beef, extra lean (raw)
1 cup finely crushed fat-free saltine crackers (about 20)
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, chopped carrot, dried oregano, and minced garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Cool.

Combine onion mixture, 1/2 cup ketchup, and the remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl.

Spoon the meat mixture into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Top each with 2 teaspoons ketchup. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand for 5 minutes.
CALORIES 276 (28% from fat); FAT 8.6g (sat 3g,mono 4g,poly 0.8g); IRON 3.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 131mg; CALCIUM 48mg; CARBOHYDRATE 21.7g; SODIUM 759mg; PROTEIN 28.7g; FIBER 1.8g

The post Too Old for Comfort? (Recipe – Diner Meat Loaf Muffins) appeared first on Dine and Dish.

Tonight was Jacob’s meltdown night. He wanted to take a bath instead of a shower and completely lost it when my husband said that he had to take a shower. He lost it with a capital L, in a extreme way. He screamed and he cried and like always, nothing we tried would calm him down.

As you can imagine, when Jacob gets this way, my husband and I are on the verge of losing it ourselves. As the crying gets louder, our nerves get more and more shot. Typically we just leave him alone in his room and let him calm down on his own. Tonight, though, I decided to try something that I learned from Grey’s Anatomy, of all places.  Did any of you catch the episode towards the beginning of the season where Dr Yang and Dr Bailey were instructed by Dr Dixon (the character with Aspergers) to hug from the side to her to help calm her nervous system down? Apparently it is related to a technique called “Brushing” and it is supposed to work at making people calm. (You can watch the hugging scene from Grey’s Anatomy on YouTube here).

I walked in by Jacob in the heat of his meltdown, got down on my knees and held him from the side tightly. I spoke softly to him and within two minutes at the most, Jacob’s breathing was back to normal, his tears had stopped and he was calm. Just like that, his major meltdown ceased and he became completely cooperative again. Another benefit of this is that it calmed me down too! I tuned out his crying and just concentrated on keeping my voice soft and calming him down. I almost cannot wait for him to have another meltdown just to see if this technique works again!

It is amazing to me how the simple act of touch can work to completely change someone elses behavior. That feeling of comfort… of having someone hold you to soothe you is indeed remarkable.

The soup we had tonight did not calm Jacob down (it may have if I would have served it during the meltdown), but to me, a cup of soup is like a hug in a bowl. There is something about sitting down to the warm steam rising off the bowl, taking your first bite and having your whole body warmed by the contents that provides immediate comfort. This may not be the kind of hug that works to eliminate meltdowns, but you may want to be careful… running out of this soup may result in the kind of meltdown’s from your family that will require you to provide physical hugs for comfort. It is that good!

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Broccoli and Chicken Noodle Soup

Broccoli and Chicken Noodle Soup (Cooking Light, March 2009)

Author Dine & Dish

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup presliced mushrooms
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1.1 ounces all-purpose flour about 1/4 cup
• 4 cups 1% low-fat milk
• 1 14-ounce can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 4 ounces uncooked vermicelli broken into 2-inch pieces
• 2 cups 8 ounces shredded light processed cheese (such as Velveeta Light)
• 4 cups 1-inch cubed cooked chicken breast
• 3 cups small broccoli florets 8 ounces
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

• Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally.
• Reduce heat to medium; add butter to mushroom mixture, stirring until butter melts. Sprinkle mushroom mixture with flour; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Gradually add milk and broth, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 10 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Add pasta to pan; cook 10 minutes. Add cheese to pan, and stir until cheese melts. Add chicken and remaining ingredients to pan; cook 5 minutes or until broccoli is tender and soup is thoroughly heated.
• Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

CALORIES 317 ; FAT 12.3g (sat 6.8g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.9g); CHOLESTEROL 74mg; CALCIUM 179mg; CARBOHYDRATE 23.8g; SODIUM 723mg; PROTEIN 27.5g; FIBER 1.9g; IRON 1.6mg

The post Hugs for Comfort (Recipe: Broccoli and Chicken Noodle Soup) appeared first on Dine and Dish.

After trying to figure out why Facebook would make a change that obviously did not need to happen, it hit me… you know what this change is all about? It is about all of us “old farts” invading the space of the kids. I read an article recently about “Grandpa Browsing Your Facebook Page” and how the older generations invasion of Facebook is turning some kids off of the website. I think that Facebook up and changed everything to confuse those of us who are old and set in our ways and who don’t manage change too well. They are trying to force us out by creating a layout that is so completely un-user friendly and ugly with the hopes that we will go back to our Bingo and Crossword Puzzles and leave Facebook alone.

Could I live without Facebook? Of course! Do I want to? Not really as I’ve enjoyed the connections I have made, but if it stays the way it is, I’ll be using it less and less.

Needless to say,  I am one of those people who have a really difficult time with change. Certain things need to stay the same or it throws my world off kilter. There are some things, like this yummy recipe, that bring a welcome change… a small change from the ordinary that brings something tasty into your life. Switching out the pasta I normally use when I make shrimp scampi for Orzo was a very good change – gave this scampi a whole new dimension of texture and richness.

As far as Facebook and the changes they made, I wish they would leave the customizing up to the users. As far as switching up your Shrimp Scampi recipe, take it from me… Cooking Light had it right when they created this tasty dish!

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Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi

Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi (from the March 2009 issue of Cooking Light)

Author Dine & Dish

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked orzo
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt divided
• 7 teaspoons unsalted butter divided
• 1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp
• 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

• Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Place orzo in a medium bowl. Stir in parsley and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cover and keep warm.
• While orzo cooks, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add half of shrimp to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until almost done. Transfer shrimp to a plate. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in pan. Add remaining shrimp to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until almost done. Transfer to plate.
• Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in pan. Add garlic to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in shrimp, juice, and pepper; cook 1 minute or until shrimp are done

The post The Facebook Conspiracy (Recipe: Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi) appeared first on Dine and Dish.

My mom is an excellent cook. She was when we were growing up and she is still today. Without trying too sound bratty, however, there were a few things my mom cooked when I was growing up that I just did not care for. One was Goulash… we seemed to have Goulash all the time and I could not stand it. I hated the big chunks of cooked or stewed tomatoes. She also made this nasty, nasty, nasty stuff – hamburger cream gravy on top of slices of bread. Just thinking about that meal today makes me want to gag….

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I was traveling in the car last week on the way to South Padre for vacation when when a message popped up on my Twitter account about the loss of wonderful food blogger. Sher, of the blog What Did You Eat? passed away suddenly from a heart attack last week and has since left huge void among her blogging friends.

I did not know Sher very well on a personal level, but at one point early on in my blogging life, she helped me immensely with answering some questions about growing an herb garden… how to do it, what herbs to include, etc. She was selfless with her time and I appreicated it greatly.

Upon returning from vacation, I discovered that my husband had forgotten to water my herb garden. My poor herbs were brown, crispy, and no longer viable. As I was digging them out, preparing the soil for some new plants, I couldn’t help but think of Sher and her lovely blog.

One thing that hit me as I read through some of Sher’s past posts, is that she has certainly left a wonderful gift to her family and friends through her blog posts. Through blogging, we have all been able to get a glimpse into Sher’s life that we would not have had otherwise. Through our blogs, we are all giving this gift to the current and future generations. A permanent place in the world where our “legacy”, of sorts, will live on.

My heart goes out to Sher’s family and friends. I am thankful to have known Sher through her blog and appreciate the opportunity to be inspired by such a kind, funny and remarkable woman.

The recipe I made tonight for Sher’s tribute (go to Glenna’s blog for more details) was not from Sher’s blog, but because of the herbs involved, it reminded me of Sher and her contribution to my herb garden.

Garlic-Thyme Foccaccia (from Cooking Light)

1 teaspoon sugar
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 1/3 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided (about 11 1/4 ounces)
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Dissolve sugar and yeast in 1 cup warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in fine sea salt. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups and spoons; level with a knife. Add 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour, stirring to form a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead dough until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining 1/3 cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands.Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.)

Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic; cook 5 minutes or until fragrant. Remove garlic from oil with a slotted spoon; discard garlic, and remove pan from heat.

Place dough on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; pat into a 12 x 8-inch rectangle. Brush garlic oil over dough; sprinkle with thyme. Cover and let rise 25 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 425°.

Make indentations in top of dough using the handle of a wooden spoon or your fingertips; sprinkle dough evenly with coarse sea salt. Bake at 425° for 14 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan; cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 piece)

The post A Foodie Friend Tribute appeared first on Dine and Dish.

I love making lists. I think that is one of the reasons 43 Things is one of my favorite websites. It is all about making lists and marking things off. Sometimes (ok…everyday), I’ll even add something to my daily sticky note lists, just so I can mark it off!

After finally finishing my “I Will Make This Someday – Magazine Version” list, which let me tell you… was quite the project… I felt like I needed to make something just so I could mark it off the list.

Out shopping for produce yesterday, I came across a stand that had fresh peaches. Juicy, ripe and delicious peaches. Peaches have never been my favorite fruit, but there was something about these peaches that were so tempting. I decided to pick up a few pounds to bring home, remembering that one of the recipes on my list was for a peach cobbler.

Texas Peach Cobbler is what I ended up making with the fresh peaches I brought home. This recipe was a perfect use of the peaches as the cobbler complemented the true flavors of the peaches well. If you, like me, enjoy making lists then make sure you add Texas Peach Cobbler to your list…even if it is just so you can mark it off the same day!

Texas Peach Cobbler, from Cooking Light Magazine

Filling:
4 cups sliced peeled ripe peaches (about 2 pounds)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Batter:
6 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 5 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
Dash of ground cinnamon
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 350°.To prepare filling, combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl; set aside.

To prepare batter, place butter in an 8-inch square baking dish. Place dish in oven 5 minutes or until butter melts. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through dash of cinnamon) in a medium bowl. Combine milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon batter over butter, spreading evenly (do not stir). Spoon peach mixture over batter, gently pressing peaches into batter. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar, and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until crust is golden.

Yield: 8 servings

CALORIES 294 (28% from fat); FAT 9.3g (sat 5.7g,mono 2.4g,poly 0.5g); IRON 1.3mg; CHOLESTEROL 24mg; CALCIUM 118mg; CARBOHYDRATE 51g; SODIUM 235mg; PROTEIN 4.2g; FIBER 2.2g

The post Lists appeared first on Dine and Dish.