Ham Secret Ingredient

For Easter I usually bake my ham with sweetness.  I like mine sweet rather than salty.  So, here's what I do.
My secret ingredient is Coke.  Yep!  I go ahead and let my ham sit in Coke over night to soak up some of the sweet flavor.  I basically put it in the pan that I will be cooking it in flat side down.  I pour about a couple of inches of Coke over the top, cover and stick in the refrigerator overnight. 

The next day before I cook it (leaving the Coke in the pan) I add some maple syrup to the top so that my brown sugar sticks well on the sides of the ham.  I then add sliced pinapple to the top of that and attach those with tooth picks.  I cover and start baking.  I use a pre cooked ham so that it doesn't take as long (a few hours or so probably).  Meanwhile every 30 minutes I baste my ham with the following mixture that I heat on low in a pot on the stove:  brown sugar(yes I know more brown sugar..!!lol), mustard, and pineapple juice.   Once that mixture is gone I simply start using the juices I already have in the pan.  I eventually take off the cover to allow my ham to brown nicely.  I usually pick somewhat fatty hams because I love the flavor that fat provides.  If all goes well you should have a nicely sweet, juicy ham. 

Enjoy!
PS  I don't generally measure the ingredients.  It's really not a big deal if you have a little more of this and a little less of that.  And why you might ask, do I use the different variations.....well, over the years I came across great ideas from wonderful cooks that I personally knew and looked up to and decided to incorporate all the tricks that I liked.

Read More

Slow Cooked Pork Roast

MUST TRY RECIPE!

Some of you may remember my post about the upcoming Easter holiday.  Well, today I'm going to share with you a recipe that I am going to make on the Saturday before.  Basically I have family coming in probably around Thursday through Tuesday.  So, for Saturday dinner I have a fantastic Pork Roast planned.  This is not my recipe initially but it was such a huge hit the first time I made it my family has requested it again.  This is a must try recipe!!!  It's so good and deliciously juicy.   What's even better is it only has 5 ingredients!!!!

Ingredients
Pork Butt Roast
Apple Juice
Brown Sugar
Worchestershire Sauce
Salt

You can find the full directions by going over HERE.  It's fantastic.  If you make it come back and tell me what you thought. 

I plan on serving this with corn-on-the-cob, rolls, and probably some other side..........still thinking on that one.  It's such a cook on it's own kind of deal it will allow me to visit with everyone and not slave in the kitchen all day.

The leftovers work great in sandwichs ;)

After the holidays I will come back and show you more pics of the feasts we will be devouring!

Read More

Organizing Recipes

How many of you have and use a recipe box?!  Recipe boxes have been a staple for years.  This isn't fit for someone like me.   I like to find something right away and not search.  So, even though I've never been the most organized person,  I have found a way to keep them organized that works for me. 
What I use is a photo album as you can see below.   
It's easier to browse through and find a recipe as needed.  Otherwise they would end up here, there and possibly in the junk drawer too!

It's a great way to keep them organized and clean.  I group mine by genre ex.  appetizers, entees, breakfast, etc. (Using stickers..lol)  It makes me feel like it's the rough draft of my very own cookbook..lol.
Anyways, if your old system isn't exactly working for you, give this one a try!

Yes, there are clearly loose recipes floating around in the book, but hey...I never claimed to be perfect.:)

Read More

Good Ole Sweet Tea

There are many different variations to the Southern favorite sweet tea.  My grandma used to make the best sweet tea ever.  This isn't her recipe though. I actually found this while rummaging threw my mother-in-laws recipe box.  I instantly fell in love.  The date on the recipe card was 1979 - and I believe she said it was from a friend out of Kentucky at the time.   I figured it was made for me since that's the year I was born...hehe!   The first time I made it my family crew said it was actually too sweet whereas I thought I had just stepped into a country family reunion.  I'm serious, until I moved up North I could literally drink sweet tea at breakfast, lunch, dinner and inbetween.  But, you can't find it up here at your fingertips.  Anyways with warm weather either approaching or for some of you who already have warm weather I've decided to share this recipe with you.  Not much goes into it, so give it a whirl when you have a few minutes and let me know what you think or share with me your recipe for sweet tea or plain tea for that matter. 
I have cut back slightly on the sugar as suggested by the homely crew and omitted 1 other ingredient and am going to share it with you! 

This will make about a half gallon so you can easily double it to make a gallon if you wish. 

Ingredients
Water
6 Tea Bags
1 Cup Sugar
Juice of 2 Lemons or about 2 1/2 Tbs of lemon juice

Directions
Pour 1 pint (2cups) of boiling water over 6 tea bags and let stand for 5 minutes.   Afterwards, while it is still HOT add 1 cup of sugar and lemon juice to your tea in a jug or pitcher.  Stir this until your sugar dissolves.  Fill remainder 2 quart container with cold water stirring the whole time.  Chill.  I recommend serving with ice cubes.

You must keep your tea refrigerated or it will spoil sitting out.  Also, if by the end of a week you don't drink it all I suggest getting rid of it.  The taste of it will certainly change and you won't like it.  I actually give mine about 4 days max.  For me personally I can't stand it when it's not fresh.

Read More

Garlicy Beef Chuck Roast

I am a huge garlic fan.  Not only that but I use Worchestershire sauce on just about anything I can!  Today I'm going to share with you how I sometimes do my roast.  Nothing at all fancy about this recipe nor is it anything to write home about.  We all get busy from time to time and it's really convenient to just throw something together and toss it in the oven.  That's exactly what I did.  Although some of you may gasp at the amount of garlic I use, but I used jar minced garlic and in my opinion it has less flavor than fresh.  So, that's why it may appear that I used a whole darn jar!
Furthermore, my mother-in -law brought over earlier in the week a huge pot of homemade chicken and dumplings and corned beef and cabbage for St Patty's Day so I've had not much reason to cook this week with all these leftovers flooding my refrigerator. 

One thing about beef is it's hard to mess up the flavor.   I just throw on some of my favorites and don't bother measuring.
Ingredients
Beef Roast (I used chuck) room temperature
Worchestershire Sauce Thick or regular
Balsamic Vinegar (not a ton optional)
Steak Seasoning
Onions Chopped
Mushrooms
Carrots
Potatoes Diced
Garlic minced or fresh
1 can beef consomme or beef broth
Water

Directions
First and foremost I cut slits into my meat and insert the garlic into them.  I love fatty roasts as you can see ;)  Then I season my meat.  I put my roast in a big cassarole dish and added my other ingredients.  I layed on the Worchestershire Sauce generously.  Finally before placing in the oven I add water, just enough to cover the tops of the veggies and meat. 

Bake at 325 until done.  Use a meat thermometer to determine if yours is done or not.  Everyone likes there's different.  I am a big red meat lover however, my family perfers medium to well done.  So, I have to compromise somewhere.  After you take it out of the oven let it sit for about 15 minutes before cutting into it.  I suggest taking it out a few minutes before it gets to the temperature you want it as it will continue cooking a tad once you take it out.
I didn't cover mine but you can if you prefer.  You can take it off towards the end to brown the top if you like.  Also, you can use the juices to make a gravy if you want.
If you really want a tender fall apart meat roast throw it all in a crock pot.  I would have done this but, I didn't feel like hauling it out and waiting all day to eat it.

Read More

Wedded to Perfection

Wedded to Perfection

Content by Sol Rosales

When I started planning my wedding, I literally became almost obsessed with wedding shows. I would watch almost any show that had a wedding featured on it, mainly to try and steal ideas for my own nuptials. One of my favorite shows that I always got sucked into was the show Wedded to Perfection. This show was my favorite for so many different reasons. The outlandish, over the top and perfect weddings that these wedding planners put together are always breathtaking. Every detail of the weddings featured on this show are planned to perfection and put together in the most elegant and beautiful ways. Seeing an event like this come together is amazing.

The wedding planners on this show run a high profile business that put together amazing weddings on equally amazing budgets. The couples that come to these planners are ready and willing to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on their dream day. I would often watch this show on my www.BestChoiceTV.com and try to figure out ways to pull off details I loved without spending my entire budget on flowers. While I couldn't always take these ideas and place them into my own ceremony, the show always left me feeling inspired.

Read More

Fairytale Brownie Review/Giveaway!!

I recently stumbled across a company called Fairytale Brownies.   All I can say is that I'm a sucker for chocolate!  So when I was given the opportunity to review their brownies, I was on it!!
I was sent the Easter Medley.  This cutie box was filled with 12 "Magic Morsels", 6 Brownie Bites, and 6 "Sprites".  First thing I'm going to say is get yourself a big tall glass of milk and endulge!  These are soft, rich, and scrumptous brownies.

The Fairytale Brownies are made with Belgian dark chocolate.  They come individually wrapped in cute packaging for ultra freshness that you can even have a personalized message added to.  Not only that but they also add photos or logos to the boxes if wanted.  All their brownies are certified Kosher.  They have a fancy assortment of flavors offered: 
Original
Caramel (my favorite)
Chocolate Chip
Cream Cheee
Expresso Nib
Mint Chocolate
Peanut Butter
Pecan
Raspberry Swirl
Toffee Crunch
Walnut
White Chocolate

They come with a care card in case you resist the temptation to eat them all at once.  After a week refrigerating or freezing is recommended.  Whats nice is they will last up to 30 days in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer!!  Just nuke in the microwave and you can treat yourself whenever you want!  Just take note to remove the wrapper first before microwaving!  I made this mistake with mine and had to run and grab it out after I heard strange noises...oops!

Fun Facts!!
*Fairytale Brownies have been featured in media such as The New York Times, USA Today, The Wine Spectator, and The Food Network.

*Fairytale Brownies began in a friend's catering kitchen using a 50-year-old secret family brownie recipe.

*Fairytale Brownies are partnered with KaBoom - a non-profit organization creating a place to play within walking distance for every child in America.

Buy It!!
Go on over to Fairytale Brownies and treat yourself or give as a gift!  The Easter Medley is perfect and just in time for Easter!  Shipped Worldwide!!

Win It!! GIVEAWAY CLOSED
Want to win the Easter Medley?  Of course you do, who can resist! 
Mandatory Entry - Visit Fairytale Brownies and tell me one flavor you'd like to try!

Leave your email with you entry ex. time2eatyall at gmail dot com

*Bonus Entries*
--Follow Fairytale Brownies on Facebook
--Follow Time2EatYall via Google Friend Connect
--Subscribe to Time2EatYall via email
--Blog or Tweet about this giveaway

Giveaway ends Wednesday, March  24, 2010, 11:59 PM EST
Winners will be chosen via random.org and will have 48 hours to respond.

GOOD LUCK!!!

Read More

Giveaway!! Carolyn West - Black Sweeheart Apron

Calling all ladies and gentlemen who want to add a little spice in the kitchen!  Carolyn West from Carolyn's Kitchen is offering to giveaway a HOT vintage inspired Black Sweetheart Apron to one lucky reader from Time 2 Eat Yall.

Carolyn West's vintage-inspired aprons and dish gloves enhance the merriment of playing whimsical dress-up combined with the indulgent delights of naughty pin-ups. This range of appeal makes Carolyn's designs perfect for gifts for all occasions.

These sets are also sweet treats for yourself and fun gifts for mothers, sisters, daughters, and brides. Carolyn mixes the domesticity of past decades with the working world of the 21st century woman by creating a business focusing on feminine domestic designs.

Inspired by a gorgeous apron and glove set from Paris, Carolyn began by discovering 1940's patterns and bringing them to life with her modern interpretive designs. "I wanted to bring back the glamour, sexiness, and cuteness of a bygone innocent era. The gloves and fabrics are new and nicer - it's a new and improved version of the '40's."

*Mandatory Entry* --- US ONLY  GIVEAWAY CLOSED
You must visit Carolyn's Kitchen and tell me what apron catches your eye most! 

Leave your email with your comment ex. time2eatyall at gmail dot com

*Bonus Entries*
--Follow Time 2 Eat Yall via Google Friend Connect
--Subscribe to Time 2 Eat Yall via email
--Blog or Tweet about this giveaway

Giveaway ends Monday, March 22, 2010, 11:59 PM EST
The winner will be chosen via random.org and have 48 hours to respond.

GOOD LUCK!!!!



This is simply a fun giveaway for my readers.  I received no compensation and the opinions expressed here are my own.

Read More

Creamiest Broccoli and Rice Casserole

I really love this dish!  It's so simple to make and it's quite comforting ;)

I originally got this from my aunt.  She used to make this at family gatherings when I was a kid so I have no idea where it came from before her.  Hope you all enjoy!

Ingredients

2 boxes frozen chopped broccoli (thawed)

2 cups cooked rice

1 onion chopped and sauteed in 1 stick of butter

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 jar of cheese dip (like cheese whiz or velveeta- I used Walmarts brand)

Italian bread crumbs optional (or any style)

Directions

Mix all of the above in a large bowl

and place in a casserole dish.  

Top with bread crumbs

and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or so.  It should start getting nice and bubbly.  

 Enjoy!

Read More

Cowgirl Chocolate Review/Giveaway

Cowgirl Chocolates give the old term "sugar and spice" something to reckon with.  Specializing in high quality chocolate, Cowgirl Chocolates add a unique twist to an old favorite.  This sixteen time award winning chocolate bridges the gap between sweet and a little hint of heat.  No worries if you are not a spice fan, Cowgirl Chocolates come equiped with a flavor guide ranging from mild to spicy.  

I recently stumbled across this unique company and was graciously given an opportunity to review their product.  I was sent the Fancy Pants Gift Box which includes 1/4 pound of nine Fancy Handmade Truffles. This gift box is a set of spicy and mild truffles including flavors: Raspberry Dark Chocolate, Double Dark Chocolate-spicy, Hazelnut Milk Chocolate, Cappuccino, Double Dark Chocolate-mild, Milk Chocolate, Ivory Orange, Raspberry Lemon, and last but not least Habanero Caramel!
These delicates came specially wrapped in a red tissue and the trademark sticker.

Upon opening the Cowgirl Chocolates I was pleasantly surprised to see the extra care that had gone into the presentation of the chocolates.  You see after I unraveled the tissue I unveiled a beautifully decorated box complete with a bow, gift tag and charm.  Perfect for gift giving! 

Being a whimp, the first set of chocolates I tried was the mild ones.  I figured I would ease my way into the transitition in case the spicy ones were indeed hot.  They were delicious!  I let my husband try half of the Milk Chocolate piece (these are nice size pieces) and had to keep his hands off the rest of them, as he kept saying "give me another one".  If you are a chocolate lover like myself you must try these.  It's even husband approved! 

The spicy truffles have a hint of spice but still just as delicious as the mild!  The Cowgirl Chocolate's bring incredible flavor.  I am totally in love!  The hot one in the box was the Habanero Caramel!  There was definitely heat in this one.  If you are a fan of hot then this is a must have for you to try!!  I can't imagine sweet and heat in any better combination than I've found in the Cowgirl Chocolates. 

Cowgirl Chocolates have been featured in popular media such as Food Network, Cottage Living, CNBC, The New York Times and tons more!  To check out this amazing chocolate, treat yourself or give as a gift visit the Cowgirl Chocolate website.


Win It!!!!    GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Enter to win a 1/3 lb sampler pack from Cowgirl Chocolates!

US Only

Mandatory entry:  Visit Cowgirl Chocolates and tell me one flavor you'd like to try. 

* Leave your email with your comment ex.  time2eatyall at gmail dot com*

Bonus Entries:
*Subscribe to Cowgirl Chocolate's Specials and Updates
*Follow Time 2 Eat Yall via Google Friend Connect
*Blog or Tweet about this giveaway
*Subscribe to Time 2 Eat Yall via Email

Winner will be chosen via random.org March 17, 2010 11:59 pm EST - St. Patrick's Day and will have 48 hours to respond!! 

Good Luck!!!


There was no compensation for this review.  The opinions expressed are my own and I was not swayed by the items mentioned above.

Read More

Mixes From The Heartland Review

Have you ever heard of Mixes from the Hearland?  It's an awesome company out of the USA specializing in gluten free mixes.  Gluten is basically a protein found in rye, wheat and barley.  Which ends up meaning that it is in just about anything you can imagine from cereal to breads.  There are many people around the world who have to be on a gluten free diet.   Celiac disease is one of them.  My father in law recently discovered he has this and is now on a strict gluten free diet.  He is Italian so I'm sure you can imagine how he must feel to not be able to eat pasta! 

For all of you who like him are on a gluten free diet I have some great news.  I had the opportunity to review Mixes from the Heartland .  The mixes I graciously received were: Chocolate Pound Cake Mix, Raspberry Dip, Chocolate Angel Food Cake, Mexican Chicken-n-Rice Bake, Texas Sausage-n-Bean Soup, and Mexican Style Casserole Meal.  I was blown away at how tasty their products were.   They even have gluten free pasta!   I  literally could not tell a difference what so ever in "real" pasta versus gluten free. 

One of my favorite out of the dinner mixes was the Mexican Style Casserole Meal.   For starters this was too easy to make!  In no time you can have a fabulous dish whipped up and in no ways does it lack taste.  My whole family enjoyed it and had no idea that it was in fact gluten free.    Below is what it looked like straight out of the oven.  A little cheese and sour cream and you are good to go.  This is certainly worth ordering if you like Mexican dishes and a little bit of spicy.  I will be having this again!

Rolling on to deserts I'd have to say the Chocolate Pound Cake was a favorite.  I can certainly tell a difference when it came to the sweets.  It wasn't drastic but I could tell it wasn't the consistency that I was used to.  I also noticed that after a day or two with this cake in particular. it seemed to dry out a bit faster than traditional cakes.
Below is a photo of how nicely the cake turned out right out of the oven.

My family suggested I frost it.  I'm not sure if cherry frosting follows along with the gluten free part, but that made the cake!! Furthermore, I can honestly say that if I was required to be on a gluten free diet, I would be just fine eating from Mixes in the Heartland.   It's great to see how a lifestyle change doesn't have to be so drastic.  Below you can see how scrumptious the frosting looks on the cake.

Special Allergen Facts
•No eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, oats, barley, rye, or wheat in the factory.


•No bean flours are used in any products.


•Factory is allergen controlled.
 
Product Summary

•All natural, no preservatives, most products are low sodium, cholesterol-free, and low calorie.


•Beans and fruit are all freeze dried and contain no preservatives. Makes cooking soups and meals easier.
 
More educational facts can be found here.
 
Head on over to Mixes from the Heartland - they have a great special going on right now.  When you order $25.00 or more of product, you will reveive a FREE package!  (While supplies last)
 
Categories they carry : Biscuits, Breads, Brownies, Cakes, Coffee Bars, Dumplings ,Machine Breads, Meals, Meat Loaf Mixes, Muffins, Noodle Mixes, Pancake Mixes,Pie Crust and Pies, Puddings, Salads, Side Dishes, Soups and Stews, Sweet Breads, and Assortment Packages.

*There was no compensation for this review. The opinions expressed are my own and I was not swayed by the items mentioned above.*

Read More

Cilantro Sauce + Freezing Cilantro

I reviewed Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil and used a recipe from their site for the shrimp; a combination of cajon seasoning, cayenne pepper, salt and Virgin coconut oil.  Addtionally, I want to share with you the recipe I used for the Sauce that I put on the Shrimp Tacos. 

Ingredients
1/4 cup sour cream - (maybe even yogurt)
2 Tbs cilantro chopped
1/2 tsp chili powder
2-3 tsp lime juice

I mixed all these ingredients together and voila. 

Another thing I do is freeze my cilantro after I buy it and use it a couple times before it goes bad.  When I purchase it I chop it up and place it in ice cube trays.  I then fill them up with water and freeze.  Once they are frozen solid I take out the cubes and ziploc baggie them up.   This way I have serving type portions that I just need to defrost.  Also, it keeps the cilantro from turning black and nasty.  I did this over the summer and my cilantro is still looking good and here we are in winter.  The only downfall is it's not as strong as it was when it was once fresh.  So, if you have fresh, you may try just 1 Tbs in this recipe and taste it to see if it's up to your standards.  You can always add more.

Read More

Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil Review

First of all if you love to cook you've got to try this!  It was wonderful to cook with and makes your dishes taste amazing!  When I first received the Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil to review I admit I was a bit intimidated as I had no experience with oils other than the basic oils you find in a grocery store.  I found out after using the product that it is used in the essential ways you would normally use oil.   The difference is it's easy to fall in love with!  In addition after doing some research there seems to be endless ways to use coconut oil ex. hair, skin, etc. 
I'm going to share with you the dishes that I tried it on.  One is a dinner and one is a dessert.  They were both delicious.  I got the recipes off the Tropical Traditions website.
The first dish I cooked was Coconut-Cajun Shrimp.  I went one step farther with this and used the shrimp in shrimp tacos.   The oil is in a firmer mold kind of like Shortening would be.  Here's a picture of it melting in the pan while I got the shrimp ready.

This oil is a breeze to work with and adds a hint of coconut to your dishes.  After my oil melted I began making the shrimp.

My family enjoyed this recipe.  I let them taste the shrimp before I added it to the tacos and it passed their seal of approval.  Below is the final picture.  There was absolutely no shrimp leftover and this was a whole bag worth!

The dessert I used the Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil on was also found on their website called Coconut Balls.  This is definitely a must make dessert.  It has a similar taste to Mounds candy bars.  I was able to whip it up in no time!  The only substitute I made was I added honey instead of agave syrup.  Below is picture of them.

I really suggest checking out their site.  There is plenty more to offer like dish soap, laundry detergent, skin care products, organic food and more all in one shape or another based with coconut oil.  You can check out some fun facts about Tropical Traditions Oil here and a video about how they discovered Virgin Coconut Oil here.


Below is how you can get a complimentary Virgin Coconut Oil book:

By telling Tropical Traditions that I referred you, you will receive a complimentary copy of the book Virgin Coconut Oil: How it has changed people’s lives and how it can change yours! by Brian and Marianita Shilhavy with your first order! This book is filled with testimonies and research showing how healthy coconut oil is, and it also includes over 85 recipes showing how one can incorporate coconut into their diet.

1. Add the items you would like to purchase from the order form linked to Tropical Traditions. Visit Tropical Traditions/Healthy Buyers Club website.




2. You'll be directed to the Order Form at the Tropical Traditions/Healthy Buyers Club website. You do not have to be a member or purchase a membership to buy from Tropical Traditions. Membership in the Healthy Buyers Club allows you to purchase in bulk amount at club member discounts if you choose to join. If you choose not to purchase a membership to the Healthy Buyers Club please order under the heading “Retail Sale Items”. This will enable you to purchase less than case amounts of any of the individual items without a membership.

3. Select the items you would like to purchase.

4. When you are ready to check out please click on the "Continue'' link which will take you to your shopping cart.

5. Review your order and then click on the "Check Out" button from your shopping cart.

6. Fill in your account information as directed. In the box: "How did you hear of us?'' you must select: "Referred by a friend'' on the drop down arrow. When you make this selection, a box for your sponsor's User ID number should appear if you are a first time customer.

7. Enter my ID number: 5941537

8. To complete your order click on "Save and Proceed to Checkout" at the bottom of this page and follow the instructions through the checkout process. You will receive an order number when you have successfully placed your order.







Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Read More

Chunky Ranch Pasta Salad

I'm a big Ranch fanatic.  I eat it on a lot of things from chicken to even pizza at times!  Today I'm sharing a basic and simple way to throw a chunky ranch pasta salad together. This recipe is based on what I used, but like most of my recipes you can easily substitute and adjust according to your own taste! 

Ingredients
8 ounce box Rotini noodles cooked
8 ounce bag frozen cut broccoli cooked
1/2 pound fried bacon cut or crumbled into pieces
1/2 of a carrot shredded (I used a potato peeler)
Ranch Dressing

Directions
Once everthing above is prepped all you simply need to do is mix the remaining ingredients together and either refrigerate or eat warm.  Use whatever ranch you have on hand and add according to your own desired wetness for the pasta. 

Other addtitions you could use
Tomatoes
Cheese
Black Olives
Pine Nuts

Read More

Curious Chef Review And Giveaway CLOSED

Do you have curious little sprouts that love to lend a "helping hand" in the kitchen?  My daughter loves helping in the kitchen however I am always worried about her safety.  Not only that, adult sized utensils and oven mits are way too big for such small hands to handle. 

I recently discovered a wonderful site called Curious Chef.  My worries have been solved!  My daughter can now help in the kitchen with ease.  Thanks to the Curious Chef, I had the opportunity and pleasure of reviewing their 27-Piece Foundation Set.   Curious Chef caters to young ones that want to explore cooking with Mom, Dad or Grandparents with the aid of their child friendly products.

The 27-Piece Foundation Set Includes ($59.99):

Silicone Mixing Spatula

Silicone Pastry Brush

Poly Spoon

Whisk

Nylon Cookie Turner

Non-Stick Rolling Pin

Kitchen Timer

6-Piece Measuring Spoon Set

6-Piece Measuring Cup Set

3 Quart Mixing Bowl Set (Non skid bottom)

Bear Cookie Cutter

Butterfly Cookie Cutter

Flower Cookie Cutter

4-Piece Child Chef Textile Set (2 oven mits, chef hat, and apron)

When I recieved the set I was impressed with the quality of Curious Chef's products.  Not only are they durable but they are dishwasher safe.  Not only that, after overseeing my little one "baking" brownies,  I noticed some chocolate had gotten on the apron.  It washed up beautifully!

This adorable set would make the perfect gift for any child that aspires to help in the kitchen.  With Curious Chef's products, young ones can experience and learn a "hands on" approach about kitchen basics and safety with Mom assisting headache free. 

Here is a list of some of their sets that I think are snazzy for "little helpers" in the kitchen:  Pizza Gift Kit, Cookie Gift Kit, Sundae Sleepover Kit, Pizza Party Kit, Fruit & Veggie Set, Dessert Set, and Cutlery & erving Set. 

To see the huge list of stores that carry Curious Chef's products simply visit their site here.

Giveaway!!  Enter to win Curious Chef's 17 Piece Measure and Prep Kit.

Open to US Only

Mandatory entry: 

Visit the Curious Chef and come back here leaving a comment telling me what your favorite item is other than the 27 or 17 piece kits. 

Leave your email with every entry.  Ex.  ---(at)gmail(dot)com

The winner will be selected at random via random.org. 

Giveaway ends March 8, 2010 11:59 PM EST. 

The winner will be emailed and have 48 hours to respond.

*Bonus Entries*  Leave a separate comment for each

* Follow Time 2 Eat Yall via Google friend connect

* Subscribe by email to Time 2 Eat Yall

* Blog or tweet about this Giveaway

Good Luck!

I was provided with a product for the purpose of this review. No compensation was received and the views here expressed are my own.

GIVEAWAY HAD ENDED

Read More

Boiling Snow Crab Legs

I grew up on the East Coast so I have had my fair share of seafood dishes growing up.  Seafood markets we're just about in every town on every corner.  My favorite remains to be crab, although I'd take a lobster any day!  I think this stems from having been taught at an early age how I could go out and catch blue crabs myself to devour!   All I needed was some string, a net and chicken legs/turkey necks....really, serious - they are bottom dwellers and eat Anything!
On the other hand I admit I don't have snow crab legs too often as they can run fairly expensive.  But, when they are on sale you can bet I'm getting them!  When you buy your crab legs it's good to make sure that there isn't a lot of broken pieces and that the clusters are pretty well in tact and not too small.

I think the first thing to know about crab legs is that the majority of the time they are already cooked when you buy them.  So, whether you buy them frozen or not, you simply just need to heat them up.  These cook super fast!  If you over cook them they will get rubbery and it's harder to get the meat out. 
There are many different ways to cook these whether you steam them or grill them.  My method is quite simple.  For starters you will need a big pot.  Preferably a big stew pot.  Also, you can't have crab legs without butter so go ahead and get some melted.  I add a few dashes of garlic powder to my butter for a nice extra flavor. 
Next I put the crab legs in first then add my water up to the top of the crab.  I do this because when they are frozen they often times do not want to fit well in the pot.  Next I add generous dashes of Old Bay to my water and also a few generous dashes of lemon juice.  Or you can just cut a lemon up and throw it in there.  I bring mine to a full boil then turn it down to a simmer for about 5-7 minutes.  (If yours are not frozen I would boil for a shorter time)  I always find a broken leg and pull it out to test it before serving.

Finally, I strain the legs in a strainer.  After, I place them on a cookie sheet for easy grabbing from the center of the table.  I line my table with newspaper for easy clean up and  I use my empty boiled pots for people to throw their shells in.  My family gobbled up our crab feast so fast that I wasn't able to snap a photo after I cooked these. 
It's pretty easy to crack these but if you've never had them and don't know how I'm sure you'll get the meat out, it just might not be too pretty.  I basically break mine at the joint looking parts on all ends.  Then snap in half the leg part and the meat should pull out easily.  Also, don't worry about if you don't have a shell cracker.  You could use a nut cracker, vice grips or just about anything.  Most of the time you won't need one.  The big claw normally comes with a slight crack in it which should aid you in cracking those. 

P.S. As with any seafood don't forget to take out your trash or the next day your kitchen will be rank ;)

Happy Crab Feasting!

Read More