Yoplait Review and Recipe

Yogurt and I had a love hate relationship. I loved the flavors but could not stand the texture of fruit chunks in the cup. For this reason I used to pass up on yogurt. That is until I discovered Yoplaits dessert flavored yogurt. No need for me to worry about the fruit chunks here and I get to enjoy the flavors of my favorite desserts at a fraction of the calories. There are so many flavors to choose from like: Apple Turnover, Red Velvet Cake, Boston Cream Pie, Bannana Cream Pie, Black Forest Cake, Lemon Cream Pie,Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Raspberry Cheesecake, Strawberry Shortcake, White Chocolate Strawberry, and my favorite Key Lime Pie.

Since March is National Nutrition Month I encourage you to snack on your favorite Yoplait yogurt instead of cakes and cookies. Maybe you aren't as interested in the dessert flavors as I am. Well, with varieties like Yoplait Light, Yoplait Original, Yoplait Fiber One, Yoplait Kids and Yoplait Delight Parfaits. Each product offers different benefits, and loads of variety, to make eating well a no-brainer. Here are five great ways to ‘get your snack on’ with Yoplait this March!


Start spring off right with Yoplait Light’s Two Week Tune Up Plan – Replace breakfast and lunch with a cup of your favorite flavor of Yoplait Light, a whole grain and a piece of fruit and you could lose 5 pounds in two weeks. Go to Yoplait.com for full diet details.

Get more calcium with Yoplait Original style yogurt - Now with two times the calcium of the leading yogurt (50 percent of the Recommended Daily Value) in one convenient 6-ounce cup*, Yoplait Original style yogurt is committed to women’s health, offering a product that has even more of the calcium women need for strong, healthy bodies. Grab a free cup while supplies last during the Million Cup Giveaway on Yoplait on Facebook!

Try the newest flavor from Yoplait Fiber One – Yoplait Fiber One’s new Blueberry flavor yogurt is packed with filling fiber, calcium, vitamins A and D, real fruit and the great taste of blueberries. With only 50 calories, 5 grams of fiber and 0 grams of fat, this deliciously creamy yogurt won’t break your calorie bank.

Stress less over snack time with Yoplait Kids yogurt – With a wholesome and fun snack like Yoplait Kids yogurt in the fridge, you can feel good about what your children are eating at snack time. Yoplait Kids provides an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D, and has 25% less sugar than the leading kids’ yogurt**. With yummy flavors, and favorite friends like Dora and Lightning McQueen on the packages, Yoplait Kids is a hit with moms and children alike.



End the day with a Delight Parfait from Yoplait – Even with two luscious layers providing a double shot of rich and creamy yogurt, these 100 calorie indulgences from Yoplait contain only 1.5 grams of fat per serving. Now available in two new flavors, Chocolate Éclair and Cherry Cheesecake, you can enjoy a dessert that’s 100 percent guilt-free.

*Leading yogurt has less than 25% Daily Value calcium per 6 oz.
**Yoplait kids has 9 grams of sugar per 3oz. the leading kids' yogurt has 13 grams of sugar per 3oz.

As is the case with most things these days, Yoplait is on Facebook. If you "Like" Yoplait on Facebook you can keep up with the latest news and great opportunities to save on your favorite Yoplait products.***Coupon offers for Yoplait yogurt are not valid in all states.

I am a fan of Yoplait both in life and on Facebook however, by posting the above information I have a chance to win a prize provided by Yoplait through MyBlogSpark.

You don't just have to eat Yoplait yogurt from a cup. You can incorporate it into your recipes to make some delicious food for your family and friends. I was browsing through the recipes at Yoplait.com and came across this recipe for Layered Caribbean Chicken Salad. My mouth started watering when I saw it.

Layered Caribbean Chicken Salad

Ingredients

Dressing

1 (6-oz.) container Yoplait® Original 99% Fat Free Piña Colada Yogurt

1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon Caribbean jerk seasoning

Salad

3 cups shredded romaine lettuce

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

4 oz. (1 cup) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 (15-oz.) can Progresso® Black Beans, drained, rinsed

1 1/2 cups diced peeled ripe fresh mango

1/2 cup chopped seeded Italian plum tomatoes (1 to 2 medium)

4 oz. (1 cup) shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions (8 medium)

1/2 cup cashews

Fresh edible flowers, if desired

Directions
1. In small bowl, mix all dressing ingredients until well blended.

2. In 3- or 4-quart clear glass serving bowl, layer all salad ingredients in order listed, except cashews and flowers. Spoon dressing evenly over salad; sprinkle cashews over top. Garnish with flowers.

Yoplait Save Lids to Save Lives

You may have noticed various items in your grocery store are going pink. It is Breast Cancer awareness month and everywhere I look I see pink. I never really thought much about breast cancer. I know that since I am a woman I am at risk (yes I know men can get it too) but I know that some women are more at risk than others. I think my daughters are more at risk than I am because there are several people on my husbands maternal side that have suffered with breast cancer. It is because of this that I am trying to get more information and help out where I can. I can not give a large or even small donation at this time to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation but, I can change my shopping list a little here and there.

If you look in your yogurt section you can see that Yoplait yogurt has pink lids. Yoplait has agreed to donate $0.10 per lid that is turned in. They have guaranteed that they will donate at least $500,000 and up to $1.6 million the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. This is Yoplait's 12th year doing this and over the past years they have contributed $25 million as a result of Save Lids to Save lives. While I may not have the money now to make a donation I can help out one lid at a time.

I know there are some of you out there who do not like to eat yogurt straight up. Well, there are many recipes that include yogurt as an ingredient. Check out Yoplait's website for some great ones. Last week I hosted a My Get Together for Yoplait Save Lids to Save Lives. I invited several of my friends and everyone brought a different dish made from yogurt. I made the Key Lime Yogurt Pie which was lite and fresh. Another guest brought this very rich and oh so yummy Creamy Vanilla-Caramel Cheesecake. We also had a pasta salad, muffins, and cookies all made using yogurt.

If you would like to participate in Yopait Save Lids to Save Lives here is what you can do. Purchase Yoplait products that have pink lids. I noticed the Yoplait frozen smoothie mixes have a "lid" you can cut out. Clean the lids and place them in an envelope addressed to:

Save Lids to Save Lives^©
P.O. Box 420704
El Paso, TX 88542-0704

These products are on the shelf for October only and all lids need to be mailed in by December 31, 2010.

Chicken Monterey

I got this recipe from a lady I went to church with as a kid. I made it for my husband when we were first married and it was a hit. Super easy to make and it tastes great.

Chicken Monterey
6 chicken breasts, boned and skinned
2 cans cream of chicken soup
12 slices Monterey Jack cheese
2-3 C. Stove Top stuffing
1/2 C. butter, melted

Place chicken in lightly oiled baking dish. I cut my chicken into bite size pieces so I don't have to cut it up later for my kids. Plus, by cutting it up I use less meat.
Top each breast with a slice of cheese.

Pour soup over chicken and cheese sprinkle with stuffing mix. Drizzle melted butter over stuffing.

Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.

Cool Idea

The other day my kids wanted popsicles and *gasp* I didn't have any. So, we cut a slit in the top of the yogurt lid and stuck a popsicle stick inside. Two hours later they had yogurt pops. I'm sure someone else has done this before. The best part for me, my kids thought I was so smart....at least for that day.

Homemade Play Dough

What do you do if it's raining outside and your kids need something to keep their hands busy? Have them play with play dough. You don't have any on hand? Not a problem. Make this homemade play dough in as little as 10 minutes. My children love to play with play dough. They will sit for hours creating snakes and cookies. It's fun for them too because I let them help add the ingredients.

Play Dough
1 C. flour

1 C. water
1/2 C. salt

1 Tbsp. oil
2 tsp. cream of tartar

Mix together in 2 quart pan. Add food color if desired.
Stir constantly over medium heat until the entire contents form a ball around the fork or whatever you stir with.

Take off stove; pour out to floured surface. Carefully knead to smooth texture. Kids love to watch and play with it warm.

Keep it in airtight container and it will last longer than the store bought kind.

I have my children play with the dough on plastic place mats for easy clean up. I don't have the mess on the table and all I need to do is wipe down the place mat.

Bamya (meat and Okra Stew)

Last weekend Na had an event called Egypt Unwrapped. This was the end of year party for GT. She got to dress up like an Egyptian. We were supposed to make her costume but everything was too crazy around the house so I ended up making it by clicking "buy" on EBay. As part of the event the children were supposed to research Egyptian food and either create their very own recipe or find one they liked and bring it to the event to share for dinner. We found the recipe for Bamya and decided it was the winner. I think only 2 spoon fulls were taken at the event. The Okra on the top must have scared the kids off. My family however loved it. The recipe says to serve with rice but I decided to mix the rice in to make it easier to serve at the event. So, here is the recipe.

Bamya (Meat and Okra Stew)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
2 pounds (1 kg) stewing lamb or beef, cut into 1 in cubes
2 onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 cup (6 ounces /185 g) peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup stock (beef) or water, or as needed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint (optional)
salt and freshly ground pepper
1-1 1/2 pound (500-750 g) okra
Juice of 1 lemon

Preheat an oven to 325° F (165 C).
Heat 4 tablespoons butter or oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Working in small batches, brown meat, turning constantly, until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a baking dish or stew pot.
Over medium heat, sauté onions in fat remaining in frying pan until translucent, 8-10 minutes Add garlic, cumin, coriander, tomatoes, tomato paste, stock and optional mint. Stir well.
Pour over meat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover tightly and bake in preheated 325° until all liquid is absorbed, about 1 1/2 hours.
Taste and adjust the seasonings. Meanwhile, prepare the okra as directed in note below. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons butter or oil in skillet. Stir in okra. Sauté for 3 minutes, stirring gently.
When meat is finished, arrange cooked okra on top in a spoke pattern. Sprinkle lemon juice evenly over the surface. Re-cover the dish and return it to the oven. Bake for 35 minutes longer. Add stock or water if the mixture seems too dry. Serve very hot.
Serve with rice.

Tips: To cook okra so that it is not slimy, cut off the conical tip ,and soak in red wine-vinegar for 30 minutes, allowing 1/2 cup vinegar per pound. Drain, rinse and dry the okra and proceed with the recipe. Another method is to trim the tips, then put into water at a rapid boil for 2 minutes. Remove and rinse with very cold water, drain and pat dry.

I'm sure there is going to be a way to prepare this dish in the crock pot. I might need to experiment with that. I did cook it in the stoneware from my crock pot and used tin foil to cover it since my lid was not oven safe. Our favorite way to eat the left overs was warmed up and rolled in tortillas with salsa. I think the next time I'm going to slice the okra up and mix it into the stew as well.

No Knead Bread

I love to bake bread but sometimes I don't want to go through all of the work involved. A friend of mine sent me this and it looks like my type of bread. It looks like it would be something easy enough for kids to do alone.

No-Knead Bread

1/4 tsp active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting. You may use white, whole wheat or a combination of the two.

1 1/2 tsp salt Cornmeal or wheat bran for dusting

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the flour and salt, stirring until blended. The dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at least 8 hours, preferably 12 to 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it. Sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 15 minutes.

Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or to your fingers, gently shape it into a ball. Generously coat a clean dish towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal. Put the seam side of the dough down on the towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another towel and let rise for about 1 to 2 hours. When it’s ready, the dough will have doubled in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
At least 20 minutes before the dough is ready, heat oven to 475 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven and lift off the lid. Slide your hand under the towel and turn the dough over into the pot, seam side up. The dough will lose its shape a bit in the process, but that’s OK. Give the pan a firm shake or two to help distribute the dough evenly, but don’t worry if it’s not perfect; it will straighten out as it bakes.
Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until the loaf is beautifully browned. Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.

In a Cooking Rut

I'm getting tired of making the same recipes over and over. I'm on the hunt for some new ones and just know that those of you who read this blog have some great recipes. So, I'm asking you for your family's favorite recipe. I would love something easy but I'm willing to put in the work for the really good stuff.

Last year I typed up all my favorite recipes and compiled my own cookbook. I printed it out and put it in page protectors and a 3-ring binder. Now I no longer have to search through all of my cookbooks for the recipe I want to make. For everyone who shares a recipe with me, I will email you my recipe book that I use. Some of the recipes I have shared on this blog and others I haven't yet.

So, share a recipe with me and I will share a bunch with you. It's a win-win situation.

Please leave me a comment with your favorite recipe or a link to your favorite recipe and tell me why you love it.

Easy Meatballs

I came across a meatball recipe a month or so ago on a blog I was reading. I'm apologizing now because I can't find the blog again to give the blogger credit. I did however find the recipe at the Kraft foods website. My kids loved these meatballs and they are super easy to make. I served them over noodles with some brown gravy. I think next time I will serve them with marinara over spaghetti.

(before baking)

Meatballs

2 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1-1/4 cups water
2 eggs

HEAT oven to 400ºF.
LINE 2 (15x10x1-inch) pans with foil; spray with cooking spray. Mix ingredients until blended; shape into 32 (1-1/2-inch) balls, using 1/4 cup for each.
PLACE 16 meatballs in each prepared pan. Bake 16 to 18 min. or until done (160ºF).
COMBINE half the meatballs with Tomato-Basil Cream Sauce or Creamy Brown Gravy. Cool remaining meatballs; freeze for later use.

Bistro Twist

You can use whatever filling for a Bistro Twist that you desire. I recommend Italian Chicken Filling (pictured in recipe below). No matter which filling you choose, here is how you make the bistro twist.

Bistro Twist

You will need 2 packages (11 ounces each) refrigerated French bread dough,your desired filling, and one lightly beaten egg white.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place bread dough, seam sides up, on smooth side of cutting board. Using a bread knife, slice each loaf lengthwise, end to end, cutting halfway through to center of loaf; spread open flat. Lightly sprinkle flour evenly over dough.

Using a roller, roll dough crosswise to a 4-inch width, creating a well down center of each loaf.

Spoon half of your desired filling down center of each loaf. Gather up edges over filling, pinching firmly to seal.

Place loaves, seam sides down, in an "X" pattern on a large pan/stone. Crisscross ends of dough to form a large figure "8," keeping ends of dough 1 inch from edge of pan/stone and leaving 1 1/2-inch openings in center of twist.

Combine egg white and seasoning mix; lightly brush over dough. cut a 3-inch slit in each of the top sections of the twist to reveal filling. Sprinkle remaining 2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese over loaf. Bake 30-32 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes.

Yield :8 servings

Italian Chicken Filling

This recipe is so tasty. This filling can be used inside a Bistro twist or a crescent wreath.

Italian Chicken Filling

1 cup chopped cooked chicken
½ cup diced red bell pepper
¼ cup snipped fresh basil leaves
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
½ cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine chopped chicken, diced red bell pepper, snipped basil, ¼ cup of the parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, mayonnaise and pressed garlic in a bowl and mix well.


2. Now prepare your dough for a crescent wreath or bistro twist and fill the dough with filling.

3. Combine egg white and seasoning mix; lightly brush over dough. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese over the dough. Bake following the directions for the crescent wreath or Bistro Twist.
This is a finished Bistro Twist

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

My sister passed this recipe onto me. I'm sure there might be some other recipes that might be a little faster but this really is so flavorful and easy to make. It is semi made from scratch too which is always nice. It's a meal you'll be proud to make.

Chicken Pot Pie
1/3 C. butter or margarine
¼ C. chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp pepper
1/3 C. Flour
1 Can Chicken Broth
2/3 C. milk
16 oz bag of frozen mixed veggies
2 C. shredded cooked chicken
2 refrigerated pie crust rolls

Preheat oven to pie crust directions. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat and sauté onion until tender. Add flour, salt, pepper and stir until bubbly. Add one can chicken broth whisk together well then add milk. Bring to a rolling boil stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and add chicken and vegetables.

Place one pie crust in bottom of pie pan then fill with pie filling.

Place other crust on top and seal the edges. Cut 3 slits in the top and bake until crust is golden brown.

One day I was out of chicken but had some leftover ham. I used that instead of the chicken and my family actually prefers Ham Pot Pies now.

Best Recipe for Meatloaf

I've tried many recipes for meatloaf. Some are too spicy while others are too dry and bland. My sister in law gave me a cookbook for Christmas one year and in it was her father's recipe for the meatloaf he used to cook for the firehouse when he was a fireman. This recipe makes a lot so I freeze half of it to bake at another time.

Firehouse Meatloaf

2 lb. lean hamburger

1 (4 oz) can tomato sauce
1 lb. pork sausage

1 green pepper, chopped
4 eggs

2 small cans mushrooms
1 onion chopped

1 C. Italian bread Crumbs

Blend ingredients together with your hands; form into loaf shape on wax paper. Move to a cooking rack and bake open at 350 for 1 1/2 hours or until done.
Or, take half of mixture and freeze it. Place the other half in the shape of a ring in a 9x13 inch pan and bake 45-60 minutes until done.
I sometimes chop up whatever veggies I have and add them too.

(This picture is pre-baked)

Cake Mix Cookies

Here is an easy recipe for making cookies from a cake mix. Think Valentine's and use a Strawberry cake mix and pink frosting. Or a Chocolate cake mix and Pink frosting.

Cake Mix Cookies
Favorite cake mix
1/2 C. vegetable oil
2 eggs
Raisins, nuts, chocolate chips (your choice)

Mix. Drop by teaspoon on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

My Favorite Grill Seasoning

I did it. Last night my husband was working late and I wanted a steak. I have only cooked on the grill once before and that was hamburgers several months ago. I have always been afraid of turning on the grill. I guess I have this idea that when I turn the knob and there is a spark a big flame is going to jump out of the grill right at me. Well, I'm happy to report that didn't happen the first time and it didn't happen last night either.

My husband likes his steak still mooing. I on the other hand prefer mine well done. However, not as well as I got it done last night. I don't know what I'm doing but I really cooked them too long. They were on the verge of being burnt but they were not. They were dry and tough to chew. I still ate it and my kids ate it. The flavour was still there. Perhaps not as much as what would have been if there was a bit of juice left in them. I firmly believe the reason for such good flavor was the seasoning I put on the steaks. It is the same seasoning I use for everything that goes on the grill. So what is this seasoning extraordinaire you ask? It's Crushed Peppercorn and Garlic rub put out by the Pampered Chef. It does cost a bit more than what I like spending on seasoning but, I love it so I stocked up and got 4 bottles the last time I had the opportunity to.

I am open to change so I want to know, what is your favorite grill seasoning?

Three-Cheese Garden Pizza

I used to be a Pampered Chef consultant and this was one of my favorite recipes I used to demo. I am not a big vegetable eater but I love this pizza. The flavor is amazing. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Three-Cheese Garden Pizza

1 pkg. (10 oz) refrigerated pizza crust
1 small onion, sliced into rings
1 med. Zucchini, sliced
1 C. mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 Cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 C. shredded cheddar cheese
¼ C. grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. Italian seasoning.

Preheat oven to 400. Using lightly floured roller, roll pizza crust into pan. Bake crust 7 min. Remove from oven; place on cooling rack. Slice onion, zucchini, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Press garlic over crust. Spread evenly. Sprinkle cheeses evenly over crust; top evenly with onion, zucchini, mushrooms and tomatoes in this order. Grate parmesan cheese over vegetables. Sprinkle with seasoning. Bake 15-18 min. or until crust is golden brown.

You can also use homemade pizza crust. Try out my recipe for homemade pizza dough.

Homemade Pizza Crust

Here are two recipes for homemade pizza crust.

4-H Pizza Dough

1 Tbsp. dry yeast
1 C. warm water
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 C. vegetable oil
3 C. sifted flour
1 C. or more of flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water with sugar added Measure salt and oil in mixer and add yeast mixture. Add 1/2 of flour and begin mixing. Gradually add the rest of the four while mixing. Divide dough into number of pizzas to be made and shape on greased pizza pans or cookie sheets. Let rise 20-30 minutes. Top with desired ingredients and bake at 450 for 15 minutes. Crust should be light golden brown and cheese melted on top.

Wendy's Pizza Dough

13 oz water
2 1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp yeast
4 Cups flour
2 T. cornmeal to sprinkle pans (opt)

Mix together water, oil, sugar, sat, and yeast. Gradually add flour. Divide dough and roll out on greased surface. Bake at 350 degrees for approx. 10 minutes. Cool and wrap in foil to freeze. Store the pizza crust in freezer until ready to eat. No need to thaw, just cove with sauce, cheese and other toppings as desired. Bake @ 420 until crust is golden brown. Or, after pre-baking the crust top with the toppings and cook at 425 degrees until done.

German Pancakes

I learned this recipe in 6th grade Home Economics. This was one of my favorites growing up. We have breakfast for dinner once a week and this is the breakfast dish most requested.

German Pancakes

1/2 C. flour
1/2 C. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
4 T. margarine
5 large eggs
Combine flour, salt and milk. Mix well.
Add eggs, one at a time whipping after each.
Melt margarine in pie pan. I do this by placing the pan with the butter in it in the oven while it is preheating.

Add batter to melted margarine. Do not stir.
Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Serve with powdered sugar, syrup, or jam.

The edges will rise up and the middle will stay down. This isn't the best picture but don't be alarmed if your edges get over 4" tall. I took the picture in the oven because it will go flat once you pull it out.

The next time you have extra eggs, give German Pancakes a try.

Beef Picadillo Tostadas

This is a new recipe I have added to my rotation. The adults loved it and 1 out of 4 kids liked it. The 3 that didn't like it ate the tostada shell and their fruit and picked at everything else. I think I'll keep it in the rotation for a little bit longer and change things up with the change of seasons. I got the recipe from one of the 29 Minutes to Dinner cookbooks Pampered Chef sells. It took me a little longer to make it but that was because it was the first time. I'm confident my next time I'll be right around 29 minutes to make it. I omitted the olives because Dad doesn't like them.

1 lb 90% lean ground beef

2 C. thinly sliced romaine lettuce
1 medium onion

1 ½ C. grape tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, pressed

½ C. snipped fresh cilantro
1 jar (16 oz) salsa

8 tostadas
1 Can (2.25 oz) sliced pitted ripe olives, drained

2 oz queso fresco cheese, crumbled
½ C. golden raisins

Add beef to 10-in skillet; cook over medium high heat 5-6 minutes or until beef is no longer pink, breaking into crumbles. Chop onion. Add onion and pressed garlic to skillet; cook 3-4 minutes or until onion is crisp-tender. Ad salsa, olives and raisins; cook 2-3 minutes or until heated through.
Meanwhile, thinly slice lettuce and cut tomatoes in half. Snip cilantro. Top tostada shells with lettuce, beef mixture, tomatoes, cheese and cilantro.

Thanksgiving Day Feast

(this is a re-post of a previous post)

We had an early Thanksgiving at my house this year. My parents were in town this last weekend and my husband will be working on Thanksgiving day so we figured we should have our feast early. Every family has their own traditions when it comes to what food is served. Some of these foods have been in the family for generations and others are some you create with your own family. Here is what we had:

The turkey is of course the staple, unless you are a vegetarian. Ours this year happened to be a wild turkey my husband managed to get for us. I have never prepared a turkey before and since my mother was in town, I still haven't. So, I unfortunately can't give you any tips or advice on this. You can however look here to find out how to cook a perfect turkey.

It just wouldn't be Thanksgiving for my family without the Stove Top Stuffing. My Dad has never liked the taste of cornbread stuffing so growing up we always had Stove Top. My Mom would even prepare it when we were together with extended family and serve it right next to my Aunts homemade stuffing. I too prefer Stove Top so that is what we had. If you want to make homemade stuffing give this Southern Cornbread Stuffing a try.

I am not a fan of cranberry sauce but for some reason it just doesn't seem like Thanksgiving without it. My Mom loves the jellied kind so preparing it was as simple as opening a can and slicing it up. You can see a recipe for fresh cranberry sauce here.

With this meal we also had mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potato casserole, rolls, fruit salad, and pumpkin pie. I will provide the recipes for these in the following posts.

What are your favorite Thanksgiving day foods?