2014 is through. It’s so hard to believe, isn’t it? I don’t think I’ve ever remembered a year going by quicker than this one.

This past January, I  learned from my friend Pam about the importance of giving yourself a performance review at the end of each month. This is a time of reflection and enrichment… a time to give extra thanks for all the blessings and reflect on things that made us stronger.  I’m going to be sharing my monthly “performance reviews” going forward here on the blog, but I thought it would be a great way to wrap up 2014 on Dine & Dish as well. Inspired by this post on the Victoria McGinley blog, I’ve decided to share my 2014 year in review in a similar format as Victoria. I hope you’ll reflect along with me!

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The post 2014 Year in Review – A Month by Month Look Back appeared first on Dine and Dish.

Can you believe Halloween is right around the corner? It is just a few weeks away, which means it’s almost time for our annual Halloween party we host in our neighborhood!

Every year before the kids get down to business with Trick-or-Treating, we invite all of our neighbors over for a big soup supper. Everyone puts a sign on their door that the candy is at our house, and we all hang out by the fire pit in our driveway and pass out Halloween candy. It’s a really fun time to hang out with our friends! This year will be no exception, I’m sure. …

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The post Huge Kraft Foods Halloween Goodies Giveaway appeared first on Dine and Dish.

Some of the recipes I can’t wait to try are:

Chicken and Avocado Enchiladas from Gimme Some Oven

Baja Shrimp Burger with Avocado Jalapeno Aoili from Everyday Southwest

Sunny Citrus Shrimp and Avocado Salad From The Little Yellow Kitchen

And a special note of congrats to the Random.org prize winners:

• The Texas Peach won the $500 American Express Gift Card
• Amy from uTryIt won the $250 American Express Gift Card
• Liz from The Lemon Bowl won the California Avocado Gift Basket

Thanks again to all who shared their fabulous recipes and to the California Avocado Commission for sponsoring such a fun event! We had a blast!

Disclosure: This post and the party are sponsored by the good people at the California Avocado Commission.

The post California Avocado 4th of July Blast Recipe Roundup appeared first on Dine and Dish.

Dara from Cookin’ Canuck and I are so excited to announce that the California Avocado 4th of July Blast recipe linkup is finally open! We can’t wait to see what you’ve created with delicious California Avocados.

We know how much everyone loves avocados, so we are certain this is going to be one heck of an awesome party!

Remember… when you follow the instructions to share your avocado recipes with us, you will be eligible to win over $1600 in giveaways!

The giveaways include:

• Two separate $500 American Express Gift Cards
• Two separate $250 American Express Gift Cards
• Two separate California Avocado Gift Baskets, valued at $75 each

Participating in the California Avocado 4th of July Blast is simple! Here’s what you need to do…

Required:

1. Write and post a recipe on your blog featuring delicious California Avocados. (Your post can be an old post…just PLEASE be sure to link back AND follow #2 below).
2. Somewhere in your post, we ask that you include the following “Join Dine & Dish and Cookin’ Canuck for the California Avocado 4th of July Blast, sponsored by the California Avocado Commission.” This, including the links, must be included in your post to be eligible for the prizes.
3. Your recipe MUST have fresh California Avocados listed as an ingredient
4. Add your link to the California Avocado 4th of July Blast linkup widget on either Cookin’ Canuck or Dine and Dish (Dara and I have the same widget code, so only add it on one site) and leave a comment letting us know you linked up. The great news is you can link up to THREE avocado recipes! Add your avocado recipe anytime between June 27th and July 4th!
5. Don’t have a blog? No problem! Simply leave your recipe or a link to your favorite California Avocado recipe in the comments section of either Dine & Dish or Cookin’ Canuck during the week the #CaAvoBlast wideget is open (June 27th – July 4th , 2012).

For additional entries:

Become a Fan of the California Avocado Commission on Facebook. Leave a separate comment on this post indicating you completed this.

1. Follow the California Avocado Commission on Twitter. Leave a separate comment on this post indicating you did this.
2. Tweet the following –> Join @cookincanuck & @dineanddish now for #CaAvoBlast. Share your @Ca_Avocados recipes. $1600 in prizes. http://bit.ly/Owb30V <– Leave a separate comment on this post indicating you’ve completed this.

And that’s it! Pretty simple, right? We’ll keep the linkup open through July 4th. Winners will be announced the following week .  All winners with a valid entry will be selected at random using random.org. Winners will be emailed and they will have 48 hours to claim their prize.   Giveaways  available to U.S. residents only. Thanks for participating!

Disclosure: A special thanks to the California Avocado Commission for hosting this great event. I have been compensated for my time but all opinions are my own.

The post California Avocado 4th of July Blast Recipe Linkup and Giveaways! appeared first on Dine and Dish.

It’s getting California Avocado crazy around here as Dara and I prepare for the biggest avocado party of the year! We’re both happily knee deep in avocado recipes, trying to come up with some of the best avocado recipes to tempt your tastebuds.  The California Avocado 4th of July Blast  is right around the corner and we can’t wait to see your recipes!

Remember to come back for our recipe link up party June 27th through July 4th. Share your favorite California avocado recipes for a chance to win over $1600 in prizes! (Complete details can be found on this post).

In the meantime, Dara and I are whipping up some recipes highlighting the freshness and delicious flavor of California Avocados. The Avocado Smoothie I made last week was incredible and it has made multiple appearances at our house since trying it the first time.

For this go around, I wanted to whip up something that would be a great addition to our upcoming July 4th festivities. Everyone knows you can’t have a great cookout without burgers, right? I decided to take a twist on the traditional burger and created a seafood version – Salmon Sliders with a Tangy Avocado Sauce. This is one recipe that explodes with fresh flavor and is perfect for your next gathering or for a quick, weeknight dinner.

Dara’s Chilled California Avocado Soup with Coconut Milk is another wonderful recipe for the summer months. Talk about avocado nirvana. Yum!

We hope you’ll join us starting June 27th for the California Avocado 4th of July Blast! I can’t wait to celebrate together!

PS… thanks, Mom, for the inspiration for this recipe!

Disclosure: A special thanks to the California Avocado Commission for hosting this great event. I have been compensated for my time but all opinions are my own.

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Salmon Sliders with Tangy Avocado Sauce

Salmon Sliders with Tangy Avocado Sauce are a great alternative to your traditional burger.

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh salmon filet skin removed, and thinly sliced
• 1/2 red bell pepper sliced
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper sliced
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1 egg
• For the Sauce
• 1 ripe California avocado peeled and sliced
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 12 Savory Butter King's Hawaiian Rolls
• Additional sliced California avocados for garnish

Instructions

• For the sliders:
• Place sliced salmon and bell pepper into a food processor. Pulse 2-3 times until mixture is coarsely chopped.
• Remove mixture and place in a medium bowl. Add Panko bread crumbs, Kosher salt, pepper and egg and mix with a spoon until well incorporated. If mixture is not holding together, add additional Panko bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Shape salmon mixture into 12, small patties.
• Heat an electric skillet to medium-high. Cook patties for 3-4 minutes on each side until completely cooked through.
• Remove and place on individual King's Hawaiian Dinner Rolls
• For the Avocado Sauce
• In a medium sized bowl, mash the avocado.
• Stir in mayonnaise, sour cream, milk and vinegar until smooth. Add Kosher salt and cracked black pepper and stir until incorporated.
• Spoon Tangy Avocado Sauce over cooked salmon sliders. Top with a slice of fresh Avocado and the bun. Serve warm.

The post #CaAvoBlast Recipe: Salmon Sliders with Tangy Avocado Sauce appeared first on Dine and Dish.

If you follow me on Instagram, then you may have noticed I have been a little obsessed with California Avocados lately. It’s prime season for this beautiful, fleshy green, antioxidant packed food and I am taking full advantage of it by eating as many as I can!

Do you love California Avocados as much as I do? Great! My friend Dara, from Cookin’ Canuck, and I want you to join us for some California Avocado recipe fun! We’re having a California Avocado 4th of July Blast and think it’s only fitting we turn this thing into the biggest and best avocado party around! Won’t you join us?

How to Participate in the California Avocado 4th of July Blast:

1. First things first. Get in your kitchen and start creating with California Avocados. Then, share your avocado recipes on your blog in advance of our party starting on June 27th. You can enter up to 3 recipes! If you have favorite recipes to share that you’ve posted on your site in the past, that’s great too, as long as you add the info in #3 to be eligible. Don’t have a blog? No problem! You’ll have the opportunity to leave your recipe(s) in the comments section of our blog posts on Cookin’ Canuck or Dine & Dish when the party goes live.
2. During the link-up week (June 27 – July 4, 2012), add the blog post link of each of your California Avocado post(s) to the widget on either Cookin’ Canuck or Dine & Dish. You only need to add it on one site, but it will show up on both.
3. Somewhere in your post, we ask that you include the following “Join Dine & Dish and Cookin’ Canuck for the California Avocado 4th of July Blast, sponsored by the California Avocado Commission.” This must be included in your post to be eligible for the awesome prizes.

Prizes, you say? What’s this I hear about prizes?

Let’s be honest… parties are way more fun when the food is awesome and there are prizes being given away, right? Well, our friends at the California Avocado Commission are giving party participants the chance to win over $1600 in giveaway items! The giveaway items will include two $500 American Express gift cards, two $250 American Express gift cards and two avocado gift baskets valued at $75! Now, that’s a party, right?

We’d love your help in spreading the word, inviting all your friends to the party! The more the merrier! Here are a couple of ways to do so:

Sample tweet or Facebook share: Join @cookincanuck & @dineanddish for #CaAvoBlast. Share your @Ca_Avocados recipes. $1600 in prizes. Please RT http://bit.ly/MBgNPH

Add photos of your avocado recipes to your Instagram account, using the hashtag #CaAvoBlast.

All giveaway winners will be chosen through random.org.

Make sure to follow Dara and I over the next few weeks as we create and enjoy some wonderful California Avocado recipes. Then, please come back and join in the party for some great food and giveaway fun! See you then!

Disclosure: A special thanks to the California Avocado Commission for hosting this great event. I have been compensated for my time but all opinions are my own.

The post Save the Date for the California Avocado 4th of July Blast! appeared first on Dine and Dish.

I alluded to my Summer Bucket List in my last post. My Summer Bucket List is the list of things I hope to accomplish with the kids by the time school resumes in August. 99.9% of the time, I don’t accomplish most that’s on the list and then I feel really bad about it when they go back to school. (Well we do try to cram as much as possible into that week before school starts to ease a bit of my guilt :).)

This year, I decided to take things a bit more seriously and follow the lead of amazing blogger and mama, Amy Clark. Amy created a “100 Days of Summer” Pinterest board last year and I watched, enviously, as she checked the items off, one by one. She’s doing it again this year and I can’t wait to see all the fun she has with her kids.

I decided to make my own Summer of 2012 Pinterest board, thinking something more concrete might be exactly what we need to make the most of our time this year. My list is fairly large, and I can guarantee we won’t get everything done on the list, but I’m hoping we can cross a lot of the things off! So, without further ado, here is our Summer of Fun Bucket List for 2012.

• Go on a Nature Scavenger Hunt
• Go on a Family Moon Walk
• Make homemade Waffle Cones for Ice Cream
• Have a water balloon fight
• Watch the 4th of July Fireworks
• Make inexpensive chalkboard message boards for each kids room
• Have a neighborhood squirt bottle water fight
• Paint Rocks
• Teach the kids how to play tennis
• Go to a Kansas City T-Bones Game

• Make homemade pretzels
• Have a watermelon eating contest
• Have at least one date night with each kid individually
• Build an awesome indoor fort and live in it for the day
• Make artwork placemats
• Find a good book to read a chapter out loud of every day
• Make homemade Coke Icees
• Have an overnight staycation in our town
• Make homemade bagels using the bread machine

• Make funnel cakes
• Teach the kids to follow the FlyLady Daily Kids Challenges
• Decorate water bottles and drink lots of water all summer long
• Watch the sunset, preferably near the water
• Make and eat sno cones
• Make treats and take to the fire station
• Have an outdoor movie night
• Go to a production at Theater in the Park
• Make a PVC pipe sprinkler car wash
• Plan and do several Acts of Kindness for others

• Have a pajama day (at least one!)
• Take the kids to the Independence, KS park and zoo
• Make homemade musical instruments 
• Play flashlight tag
• Go on a road trip / day trip with no destination in mind
• Go to a small town festival in Kansas
• Visit the Omaha Zoo
• Go to the Tonganoxie Rodeo
• Go on a picnic in the park

• Go fishing in Iowa with the cousins
• Have a Shrimp Boil
• Go to Happy Valley Farm to pick berries
• Take the kids on an ABC Photo Walk
• Make a Cookie Cutter Bird Feeder
• Participate in the Great American Backyard Campout
• Play miniature golf in Parkville
• Make Flubber
• Make Glow Stick Lanterns

• Make Old Fashioned Egg Cream Floats
• Go to the Missouri State Fair
• Send handwritten notes to friends and loved ones
• Have the kids write in journals each day
• Create a summer music playlist and listen to songs from it each day
• Go hiking at Shawnee Mission Park
• Fly a kite
• Sharpie Dye T-Shirts

• Make and eat homemade ice cream for breakfast
• Ride in a canoe or pedal boat
• Make a jar and catch lightening bugs (then release)
• Have a summer solstice party
• Take a family vacation to Rocky Mountain National Park / Estes Park
• Visit my niece and Aunt and Uncle in Branson, MO… go to Silver Dollar City
• Have an old fashioned, outdoor play party – play Red Rover, Red Light Green Light
• Go on a photo scavenger hunt

• Make homemade, glazed yeast doughnuts
• Jump in puddles
• Make regular trips to the library and load up on great books for summer reading
• Play back yard frisbee golf
• Make word cloud about me portraits
• Find pictures in the clouds
• Paint with water
• Make Sidewalk Chalk Paint

• Make homemade bubbles
• Make water bottle bubble blowers
• Make and play Balloon Ping Pong
• Do glow stick lawn bowling, at night
• Make an outdoor Twister game
• Make homemade root beer
• Go bowling

• Make homemade popsicles
• Make Summer Sponge Bombs & play splash tag
• Do giant canvas finger painting
• Play hide and seek with glow sticks outside at night
• Go swimming at the pool as much as possible
• Go see a double feature at the Drive-In movie theater

and one final thing…

• Make an Instagram Photo Album at the end of the summer that captures all the fun we had, no matter what we end up doing!

Alright – that’s about it! There are some fun new ideas I’m excited to try and some tried and true fun summer favorites that we do each year. I hope you’ll stop by Pinterest and create a summer fun board of your own! Let me know what your plans are for the summer. Whatever you do, I hope it is a safe, happy and fun one!

The post Summer of Fun Bucket List for Kids 2012 appeared first on Dine and Dish.

Some of you really like things hot. I know my dad isn’t happy with the heat of something unless he has tears streaming down his face. His “hot” tolerance is off the charts. For most of us though, we may like a  little spice, but we don’t want the heat to take over the flavor of the food. Instead, we prefer for it to simply enhance what we are eating.

For that special kind of spicy zest, I always turn to TABASCO® Original Red to add a little extra flavor to what I’m cooking. In fact, when I was looking back over my soup recipes getting ready for Soup-a-Palooza, I realized that the majority of the recipes I love have a splash or two of TABASCO® sauce to give that extra element of flavor. Try it next time when you are making soup. Add a Tablespoon of TABASCO® to your pot and I promise you will love the subtle yet distinctive flavor it adds.

Since I love TABASCO® sauce in soup, I decided to head over to the TABASCO® website to see if there were any soup recipes there to try out. Not only did I find this great Spicy Sweet Potato Soup recipe, I also discovered a multitude of recipes I can’t wait to try out! (By the way if you are still trying to decide what to make for Soup-a-Palooza, they have so many delicious looking soup recipes on their website!)

The Spicy Sweet Potato Soup recipe is the perfect example of a medly of flavors blending together brilliantly. If you love sweet potatoes and the richness of a broth and cream based soup, you will really enjoy this soup recipe. With a touch of TABASCO® Original Red it has all of the elements of a perfect soup recipe!

If you’re still in need of ideas for all those sweet potatoes you have on hand, give this Sweet Potato Cake a try!

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Spicy Sweet Potato Soup with Tabasco Original Red

Spicy Sweet Potato Soup (slightly adapted from Tabasco.com)

Author Dine & Dish

Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups diced peeled sweet potatoes (about 1 pound)
• 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1/4 half and half cream
• 2 teaspoons Original TABASCO® brand Pepper Sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions

• Bring chicken broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Add sweet potatoes; cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
• Using a hand-held blender or food processor, puree sweet potatoes and chicken broth until smooth; stir in orange juice, zest, half and half, TABASCO® Sauce, and nutmeg. Place over low heat and heat through.
• Garnish each serving with cilantro.

The post Spicy Sweet Potato Soup with Tabasco Original Red appeared first on Dine and Dish.