I was sitting at my kitchen table on a Sunday morning, reading the newspaper and drinking my coffee. It was a quiet morning, the kind I absolutely love. I felt happy and loved, but overshadowing this feeling was a simmering feeling of discontent. I couldn’t put my finger on where that feeling was coming from, because on the surface everything seemed perfectly fine.

A few minutes passed and I decided to pick up my phone and check Facebook. The first thing I noticed was a status update from my best childhood friend, Julie. She currently lives in Georgia, but I noticed that her update said she was driving home to visit her parents in our hometown. Our hometown of Altamont, KS was 2 1/2 hours from my house. I hadn’t been back since my high school reunion many years prior.

As I was sitting there, a sudden feeling washed over me…one I couldn’t ignore. I needed to go home, and I needed to visit Julie. My week ahead was a busy one, but I knew I had to find time to make the trip home, even if it was for just a quick lunch and hello. …

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This year, McCormick is hosting a multi-series barbecue competition sanctioned by the Kansas City BBQ Society (KCBS) to see who can master the flavor using Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning. At the event, we’ll be sampling burgers seasoned with Montreal Steak Seasoning and hosting a fun grilling-themed photo booth and custom grilling prize pack giveaway. We’ll also be awarding checks to the winners (1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place) of the Match-Up. Those of you who visit can have a lot of fun enjoying free food samples and entering to win the custom grilling prize pack giveaway! The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle is a super fun family event. I hope you can make it!

If you aren’t local, you can still get in on the action by:

• Checking out the online points chase to track team standings over the course of the competition at www.kcbs.us/grillmates
• Joining the Grillerhood on Facebook – the largest online grilling community – to view event highlights and share their own grilling wins.
• Visiting the Grilling Lookbook on McCormick.com or finding us on Pinterest.com to get sizzling recipe ideas, from mouthwatering mains to savory sides.

As always, you can also follow me on Instagram and Twitter where I’ll be capturing lots of action as it happens!

Just click here to follow along:

I look forward to seeing you all there!

The post Kansas City Local Scene – McCormick Grill Mates KCBS Match-Up appeared first on Dine and Dish.

Before I start my post, about how much I love Kansas Farmers and share this fabulous Bacon Cheddar Bay Beer Bread Biscuit recipe with you, I wanted to pass on this bit of news with you…

See that banner? Yes, the one that says you can win BACON for a year? Well click on it and find out how to enter the Show Us Your Bacon contest the Kansas Pork Association is hosting over on their facebook page. Can you imagine winning a years supply of bacon? Oh the goodness that will be coming from your kitchen with that much bacon is unimaginable! If you win, you’ll have to share with me, ok? 🙂

Now that you’ve entered the contest (right?), is it possible for me to wrangle you back in with some talk of bacon recipes and how blessed we are to have hard working farmers in our lives?…

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The post Recipe: Bacon Cheddar Bay Beer Bread Biscuits appeared first on Dine and Dish.

It was great while it lasted…

I know it was only yesterday that I was claiming my true love for all things snow. Yes, I threw around the word “Happiness” and how I was “present” with my kids. I even said “beautiful” and “Kansas” in the same sentence, which I believe is a first for me. Well happiness schmapiness…. that was yesterday and this is today and today, I am sick of the snow. I loved it for all of 24 hours and now I am 100% done with it, thank you very much. It can go back to Antartica, or where ever the heck it belongs because I am through.

Today, we were snowed in from school again, which is always great with me because I do love having my kids home. Instead of getting all sappy and all lovey dovey with the outdoors like I was yesterday, we stayed inside. We did not leave the house all day and today, we did what makes mama happy, which was spent time in the kitchen baking up yummy treats. I was still present with my kids, having fun, but I wasn’t out freezing my tail off in the process.

So yes, I am fickle and maybe a tad bit indecisive and lead by emotion sometimes, but as my daughter likes to say “That’s how God made me”. Maybe I’ll like the snow again tomorrow. Or maybe not. I do know one thing… these cookies using Hershey’s Toffee Bits will be on my love list for a long time to come!

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Hershey's Toffee Bit Cookies

Hershey's Toffee Bits Cookies (from the back of the Toffee Bits package)

Author Dine & Dish

Ingredients

• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup 1 stick butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/3 cups 8 oz. pkg. HEATH BITS 'O BRICKLE Toffee Bits

Instructions

• Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.
• Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended. Add eggs; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in toffee bits.
• Drop by rounded teaspoons onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

The post An Ended Love Affair (Recipe: Hershey’s Toffee Bit Cookies) appeared first on Dine and Dish.

It is no newsflash to Dine & Dish readers that I’m a little perturbed that I still live in Kansas. I always thought I would be out of this state at some point, but 37 years later, I am still about as firmly planted as one can be. It’s fine, really. I’m getting used to the idea (which is exactly what I tell myself so that I don’t fall into some deep stupor about my fate as a lifetime Kansan.)…

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The post Recipe: Simple Weeknight Ground Beef Chili appeared first on Dine and Dish.

Am I worried about the drivers? Yes. Am I concerned about people slipping and falling? Yes. However, the real reason my stomach is churning about the ice coming down is that you can bet that school will be cancelled.

Now, please don’t get me wrong… I love my son. I love his energy, his determination, his personality… but on some days I can only take all of that enthusiasm in small doses, and today is one of those days! He is driving me absolutely insane. He loves school…. he needs school and on the days that he doesn’t go to school he is an absolute beast of a kid. He runs around like a crazy guy, playing football, running into walls, waking up his sister’s from their naps, etc.

So yes, drivers, I’m praying that you make it home safely. I’m praying that there aren’t any accidents on the road and that shoppers have steady feet when out on the sidewalk. I am also praying that somehow a heat wave comes through between now and school time so that my cooped up son can get out of the house and share his energy and enthusiasm with someone else!

The post Ice Storm appeared first on Dine and Dish.