Thursday, October 31, 2013


October’s Assignments with Ore-Ida®
Potatoes are pretty much a staple in this house.  And I have no problem using frozen potatoes, especially when I need a quick side for a lazy night.  So....this was an assignment that was NO problem for me!

I decided on a lazy Saturday to have chili cheese hot dogs for dinner.  When I say lazy, I mean it!!  Take a can of no-bean chili and a block of pepper jack cheese, cubed.  Throw it in the microwave for 1-minute intervals until hot and the cheese is melted.  It's great as a quick dip or....on hot dogs.  So why not go All-American and add Ore-Ida Crispers as a side?  We love how crisp they get in the oven, and they even stand up to sopping up the chili that drips from the hot dogs.  Two of my favorite foods.  Heaven!






While watching football on a Sunday afternoon, we needed a snack.  I love Ukranian Platski.  It's my mother's recipe and it's very similar to latkes.  I guess the biggest difference is these are fried in Crisco (gasp!) rather than oil.  To me, grating potatoes is the absolute worst part of making these.  Even though I have a food processor, I still hate it, and the peeling, too.  For my husband and me, I defrosted half a bag of Ore-Ida hash browns and used those.  We happily munched away on these crispy treats as the RAVENS won the game!
 




Yeah, we like Tater Tots, too.  But we especially like the crispy Tater Tot Crowns.  Top them with some of that easy leftover chili cheese, grab a fork, and dig in.  Need I say more?  The picture says it all.
 

So, Ore-Ida, thanks for making my life a little easier.  I believe your products are the best frozen potatoes on the market!!

#Allstarsoreida



Judy

 

Disclaimer:  Ore-Ida® sent me a gift card for their products to test..  I was not compensated in any other way nor was I required to blog about this product.  The opinions expressed here are solely mine.

 

Saturday, October 26, 2013

October’s Assignments with Johnsonville®

This has been a fun month in my home.  Two great products with which to experiment.  I'll begin with Johnsonville(R) Ground Italian Sausage.

The first recipe of three was their Bowties with Italian Sausage in a Cream Basil Sauce.  The day I made it, my husband said he wasn't very hungry.  No problem because I knew leftovers would be just as good the next day for lunch.  Well, he went back for seconds on this one, and no leftovers in this house!  It's not overly creamy...the sauce was just the right consistency.  Fresh basil is definitely a must in this dish.  I grow it in my garden because we love the taste.

 
 
 
Next up was Pizza Pasta by Johnsonville(R).  I don't know many people who don't love the taste of pizza.  This dish definitely delivered the flavor we all crave.  It uses pizza sauce, and that does make a difference.  I used Classico(R) Fire Roasted.  My only recommendation is to use freshly grated mozzarella cheese.  I only had the pre-shredded in the refrigerator and it didn't melt as smoothly as I'd like.  Still delicious, though, and one we both liked.   Our favorite pizza includes sausage, onions and black olives, so this was a no-brainer!  Because I find it difficult to cook without onions, I sautéed a small chopped onion with the sausage.  Yes, he went back for seconds!
 



 
 
Last up was Johnsonville(R) Italian Meatballs.  Oh, I was in heaven this month with all the pasta!!  I made the meatballs according to the recipe, but after they came out of the oven, I put them in a saucepan with Barilla Alfredo Sauce thinned with a little water and let it simmer for about an hour.  They were delicious straight out of the oven, but after adding to the sauce, they were even better.  And the sausage balls added another level of flavor to the sauce.  I have some meatballs left over, but I know hubby will take care of those. 
 

 
 

So, whew, I'm full!  Three terrific recipes of the many posted by Johnsonville at www.allrecipes.com.  Thanks, Johnsonville!!
 
#Jvillekitchens #AllstarsJville 

Disclaimer:  Johnsonville® sent me 3 free coupons for Italian ground sausage to test their recipes.  I was not compensated in any other way nor was I required to blog about this product.  The opinions expressed here are solely mine.


 
Judy
 

 



Saturday, October 19, 2013

An Introduction

Allrecipes Allstar Brand Ambassador

Hmmmmm.....sounds fancy, doesn't it?  Well, my goal here is to share my monthly experiences in the fun and instructive program.  I became an Allstar Brand Ambassador in February of 2013, so I'm still getting my feet wet.  I felt it's time to start experimenting with the blogging process, so here goes!

The program involves home cooks from all across the United States.  I believe there are about 120 of us.  I was so excited to be chosen for this program from all the many cooks that frequent the allrecipes.com site.  I've been a member of the site since 2000.  If you ever need to find a recipe published, prepared and reviewed by home cooks, the Allrecipes site is for you.

Each month the Brand Ambassadors receive assignments to prepare, photograph and review recipes using certain brands.  My goal with the blog is to report on each month's activities and relate information about recipes I've chosen to complete my assignments.

This month our sponsors are Johnsonville Italian Sausages and Ore-Ida potatoes.  That's a win-win for me, as I love both! 

The Brand Ambassador program is voluntary and involves no compensation from sponsors or Allrecipes.  It's such fun to try recipes the sponsors provide to the Allrecipes site.  Since being a part of the program beginning in February, I haven't been disappointed in any of the recipes I've made.

I love to cook.  I'm now retired from my job as a tax accountant, so have plenty of time to enjoy my passion.  My husband is enjoying it, too!  I look forward to our assignments every month, and look forward to sharing my experiences here.

So, this month, here's to Johnsonville #JvilleKitchens AND #AllstarsJville and Ore-Ida #AllstarsOreIda.  Stay tuned for results from my October assignments!!