McCormick recently launched their Pinterest page with a variety of inspired Spring recipes that look as good as they taste.  Spices and extracts have a way of bringing foods to life without the need for things like fat and salt to create flavor.  For example, you can add lemon, almond, or orange extract to sugar cookie batter or vanilla frosting.  Since I’ve been wanting to experiment with lemon, I decided to make my son a batch of Vegan Lemon Cupcakes.

I adapted this recipe from Swans Down:

Vegan Lemon Cupcakes

Yields: 1 dozen cupcakes

1/2 cup Vegan Butter
1 cups Raw Organic sugar
1 1/2 cups sifted Cake Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3  teaspoons of Ener-G Egg Replacer mixed with 4 tablespoons of warm water
1/2 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract

Frosting

Cherrybrook Kitchen Vanilla Frosting
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract

• Cream butter with sugar (I like to use a stand mixer)
• Sift flower, baking powder and salt together
• Add egg replacer to butter and sugar
• Add vanilla and lemon extracts
• Alternate flour and milk and mix until smooth
• Line cupcake pan or spray with non-stick cooking spray
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean
• Cool before frosting

These cupcakes are moist, delicious, and easy to make.

If you’re looking for recipe inspiration this Spring, visit McCormick.

Win It!  One of you will win a Spring Baking Kit from McCormick! Here is what the kit will include:

• CorningWare 3 quart Stoneware Pan
• Spring Cookie Cutters
• Wilton Ultra Bake 12 cup Muffin Pan
• Mini Whisk
• Meri Meri Cupcake liners (48 count)
• McCormick Food Coloring (assorted colors)
• McCormick Ground Cinnamon
• McCormick Ground Ginger
• McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract
• McCormick Pure Lemon Extract

Simply leave me a comment with your favorite Spring Recipe from McCormick.

Comments will close on May 25th, 2012 at 11:59 PM PST.

US Residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one. Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

Follow me on Pinterest

Follow me on Twitter and tweet the following (or something like it) “ I just entered a #giveaway to win a #McCormick spring baking kit @rockinmama ”

Rockin’ Mama Facebook fans automatically receive an extra entry

Subscribe to my feed via email or reader.

Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.

Click on one of the very cute buttons below and digg, stumble, fav, etc. Just let me know what you did in the comments

No compensation was received for this post.  Products for review and giveaway supplied by McCormick.

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and I’m always dreaming up new ways to incorporate my favorite breakfast foods.  Since eggs are incredibly versatile, I decided to experiment with a quick, easy, and flavorful egg frittata.  But my foodie side wouldn’t let me just add eggs, cheese, and veggies. I wanted an ethnic spin on this dish so I whipped up a very simple Mediterranean Egg Frittata.  Like most egg dishes, I encourage you to add your own variations.

Mediterranean Egg Frittata

4 eggs

Dash of salt, pepper, and oregano

1/4 each Green and Red Bell Peppers, chopped

1/4 to 1/2 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup Goat or Feta Cheese

1/4 cup Sun Dried Tomatoes, drained

1-2 tablespoons of Olive Oil

1. In a medium sized bowl, use a fork to beat eggs. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano.

2.  Sauté onions and bell peppers until soft, but not brown. (be sure to use an oven-proof skillet)

3. Add eggs over the vegetables and cook until almost set (be sure the top still looks a bit moist before removing from the heat).

4.  Sprinkle with cheese and place in broiler for approximately 5 minutes, making sure to keep a close eye on the frittata.  When the cheese has melted, and the top is slightly browned and set, remove from broiler and serve.

Serve with fresh fruit, toast, coffee, and juice.

How are you celebrating Mother’s Day this weekend?

Lazy days by the pool…and at the beach

Ice scream sundaes…and milkshakes…and sorbet

Picnics at the park

Grilling and grubbing with friends and family

Last week, my husband and I created this amazing Greek-Style Burger Stuffed With Feta Cheese and I’m STILL thinking about it.  Since I don’t eat red meat and I don’t consume other types of animal protein in large quantities, my husband and I had to brainstorm to take something like ground turkey breast and turn it into something I could serve guests (and something I’d actually eat).

The recipe we created was for a Cooking Connections class I co-hosted last week with The Motherhood and a handful of food bloggers.  Celebrity Chef George Duran, shared his favorite grilling tips and demonstrated Mom Spotted’s recipe for Cheddar Jalapeno Bacon Burgers.

Here is the video from our class:

For grilling tips and a full recap of the class, just visit The Motherhood.

The class is sponsored by ReadySetEat.com and ConAgra Foods, and it is hosted by TheMotherhood.

Confession: I have a sweet tooth.  But like most of my tastes in food, I don’t just like any sweet dessert. It has to be rich and decadent…Chocolate is just the icing on the cake and definitely a bonus.

Approximately 2 months ago, Walmart introduced a new product called Biscoff Spread, and for someone who lived in Europe for nearly 8 months, I can’t believe I had yet to try it.  The original Biscoff Cookie has a long history which originates in Belgium.  These “caramelized biscuits” were first baked delivered door-to-door in 1932.  Many years later a mom who enjoyed the cookie invented a spread that has come to be known as the European alternative to peanut butter.

Available in creamy and crunchy varieties, Biscoff Spread resembles peanut butter in consistency and appearance, only sweeter and richer.  Both spreads are a nut-free blend of Biscoff Cookies with the same caramel-like flavor.  Like peanut butter, Biscoff Spread can be used on toast, bagels, pancakes, waffles, fruit and more.  I appreciate the fact that the spread is vegan which means my son can enjoy it.  At 88 calories a serving, the spread is made with natural ingredients and free from artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, trans fats, and cholesterol.

You can simply enjoy Biscoff Spread and Cookies for breakfast or a snack as I recommended above.

Or, you can make this rich, decadent Biscoff-Inspired Layered Dessert!

Ingredients

Crust:

Biscoff Cookies

Unsalted Butter

Dessert:

Marscapone Cheese

Chocolate Pudding

Freshly brewed coffee, cooled

Chocolate Shavings

Fresh Whipped Cream (Whip heavy whipping cream with powdered sugar)

Begin by crushing approximately 3 packages of Biscoff Cookies (there are 2 in each package). I like to use our mini food processor.  Melt butter.  Combine crushed cookies and melted butter and press into the bottom of a dish. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes.  Cool.

Begin layering the dish by first adding a layer of Marscapone Cheese and Biscoff Cookies.  Drizzle chilled coffee over cookies being certain not to soak the dessert (see note below).

Cover with chocolate pudding.

Repeat layering process a second time, topping with a layer of fresh whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Chill until firm.

Drizzle with chocolate syrup and serve with fresh strawberries, if  desired.

In many ways this dessert resembles Tiramisu, however I don’t recommend soaking the Biscoff Cookies in coffee as one might do with Lady Fingers because these cookies tend to fall apart when soaked with liquid.

Biscoff Spread and Cookies are currently available on Walmart store shelves across the country.

 Disclosure: I participate in the Walmart Moms program and am compensated for my time and honest opinions.

Photos: Rockin’ Mama

We’re entering grilling season and for many, hamburgers and hot dogs are staple foods, because they’re easy to prepare and typically enjoyed by most.  Because I don’t eat a lot of meat, and tend to be quite the foodie, it takes a lot to get me excited about hamburgers and hot dogs.

In preparation for a virtual cooking class I’ll be co hosting with several bloggers and The Motherhood this coming Thursday, April 5th,  the hubby and I brainstormed yet again to come up with our version of the ultimate gourmet hamburger.  We both love ethnic food so we decided to take a Greek twist on America’s favorite food.

Greek-Style Burgers Stuffed With Feta Cheese

1/2 pound of ground turkey breast
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Feta Cheese, crumbled
Annie’s Goddess Dressing
Lettuce
Tomato
Cucumber
Pita Pockets

1. Combine ground turkey breast with onion, salt, and pepper.
2. Flatten out a single person portion and add feta cheese crumbles to the center.
3. Fold into a ball and then re-shape into a patty
4. Grill until done
5. Spread a layer of dressing, then fill Pita Pocket with burger.
6. Top with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onions and Feta Cheese crumbles

Baked French Fries

1 large Russet Potato
Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder to taste
Olive Oil
Hunt’s Ketchup

1. Scrub the potato, then slice thinly leaving the skin intact.
2. Toss potatoes in oil and season to taste.
3. Bake on a greased baking sheet at 450 degrees for 45 minutes or until done (Be sure to turn the potatoes at least once or twice during baking).
4. Serve with Ketchup

This weeks Cooking Connections class is titled Firing Up the Grill: New Recipes, Flavors and Ingredients to Kick-Start Barbeque Season.  During the virtual cooking class, celebrity chef George Duran will share his top grilling techniques via live video feed.  He’ll also discuss how he’s using new flavors to spice up classic favorites. If you’d like to check out easy grilling recipes before the class, just visit their website.

The class is sponsored by ReadySetEat.com and ConAgra Foods, and it is hosted by TheMotherhood.

If I’m looking to change it up, sometimes I’ll simply take a unique twist on a classic favorite.  This is a great way to introduce a new dish without having to dream up a brand new recipe.

This Easter, Kellogg’s has done just that. They’ve taken their classic Rice Krispie Treat recipe and evolved it into a festive Easter treat.  We decided to recreate the recipe using my son’s Vegan Butter.  Here is the recipe, courtesy of Kellogg’s:

Hidden Surprise Easter Egg Treats
12 Plastic snap-apart 3 x 2-in Easter eggs
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows OR 4 cups miniature marshmallows
6 cups Kellogg’s Rice Krispies® cereal
1/2 cup M&M’S Brand Chocolate Candies
Canned frosting or decorating gel (optional)

1. Clean, then coat inside of plastic eggs with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
3. Add Kellog’s Rice Krispies cereal. Stir until well coated.
4. Using greased hands, firmly press 1/4 cup of the cereal mixture into each plastic egg half. Use fingers to make hollow center in each half. Remove from molds. Place on wax paper. Cool slightly.
5. Place about 6 M&M’S Brand Chocolate Candies in one half of each egg. Gently press two halves of each egg together until they stick. Cool completely.
6. Decorate with frosting and additional M&M’S Brand Chocolate Candies (if desired).

*Best if served the same day*

Not only were these quick and easy to make, they were fun for my children and I.  We had to substitute the M&Ms for my son’s treats, but he still enjoyed opening the eggs to find the dark chocolate chips I hid inside.

To jazz them up a bit, you can decorate with colored M&Ms, frosting or anything else you can dream up.  You can actually make these in the microwave as well. Instructions can be found on the website.

This is part of a compensated campaign with Kellogg’s.

Recipe courtesy of Kellogg’s.

Images: Rockin’ Mama

This year, I’m working with Hellmann’s once again as part of their blog ambassador team.  We’re called Real Foodies and the name totally fits my personality, so I’m excited to share some of their upcoming campaigns.  If you struggle with creativity or simply getting something on the table, you’ll love their chicken recipes. Not only are they affordable, easy, and practically effortless, they’re DELICIOUS!

Hellmann’s Chicken Change-Up puts a creative, flavorful twist on classic favorites.  For example, you could brush a bit of egg over cut up chicken strips, coat them with bread crumbs and bake or fry them.  Or…you could try these amazing Honey Mustard Chicken Fingers!

Honey Mustard Chicken Fingers (courtesy of Hellmann’s)

Ingredients:

6 T. Hellmann’s or Best Foods Light Mayonnaise
1 T. Honey Mustard
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1-1/2 cups finely crushed corn flakes
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°.

Combine Mayonnaise and Dijon Mustard in a medium bowl.  Reserve 1/2 of the mixture for dipping.

Add chicken to remaining mayonnaise mixture; stir to coat.

Mix corn flakes with Parmesan Cheese, then roll chicken in crumbs.

Arrange chicken strips on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 10 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Serve with reserved honey mustard sauce.

*Note* Be sure to toss out the mixtures you used for dipping the uncooked chicken.

This gourmet twist on the kid-friendly favorite has the crunch you would expect on the outside, while the chicken remains moist and tender on the inside. You could serve it as an appetizer with adults or to kids for a meal (don’t forget the veggies!).  It takes practically no time at all to prepare and is ready in about 10 minutes (I cooked them for 12 because I wanted to be sure the chicken was cooked well).  Here is the official Hellmann’s video, detailing how to recreate this dish:

Right now, you can visit the Hellmann’s Facebook page to glean inspiration on keepin’ it real and changin’ it up with their Chicken Change-Up promotion.  Through April 30th, you can enter to win a $50 grocery gift card daily and the grand prize of a $5000 grocery gift card.

Disclosure: This post was created in connection with my appointment as an Ambassador in Hellmann’s Real Foodies Program. For more great ideas, go to www.facebook.com/hellmanns.

Recipe: Hellmann’s

Photos: Rockin’ Mama

I absolutely love the Pain Perdu dish at Mimi’s Cafe, so the hubby and I decided to recreate it this morning…to practice for the upcoming holiday (of course).  I gave him the recipe, he executed it!  After all, this mama deserves a little weekend break, right?

Initially, I wanted to use Brioche because it’s a bread that’s made with eggs and butter and has a rich, full flavor.  But for some reason everyone here in the county had the same idea, so I opted for a sweet Hawaiian bread.

Stuffed French Toast

8 slices Brioche, Challah, or your favorite sweet bread
3 Eggs
3/4 cup half and half
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt
Fresh Strawberries, sliced
Mascarpone Cream Cheese
Powdered Sugar

1. Whisk together eggs, half and half, vanilla, and spices until combined. Dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture and coat each side thoroughly.
2. Cook over medium heat on an oiled skillet until lightly browned.
3. Spread a layer of Mascarpone on the inside of two cooked slices of bread and add fresh strawberry slices to make a “sandwich.”
4. Cut in triangles, garnish with fresh sliced strawberries and powdered sugar.

This recipe is incredibly easy and doesn’t take a lot of time.  After my husband and I inhaled them, we talked about how perhaps it might even be that much better if the Marscapone was just a bit sweet. So…you could add a bit of sugar to the Marscapone before spreading it on the bread.  Either way, the finished creation was incredible…it literally melted in our mouths.

What are your favorite Easter recipes?  I’d love to hear your fresh ideas!

 Disclosure: I participate in the Walmart Moms program and am compensated for my time and honest opinions.

Recipe, images Rockin’ Mama.

Ingredients can be found in the grocery section of  your local Walmart.

It was the summer of 2006 and my husband and I were in the midst of an 8 week long backpacking adventure through Europe.  We did things we never imagined we’d do, like sleeping in a church-turned hostel, driving through the English countryside (in a car with a manual transmission…on the opposite side of the road), and expanding our taste buds with a Tuna Nicoise Salad in Cannes.  It was exciting and scary.  Sometimes we desperately wanted to go home…other times we could not imagine ever leaving.  We learned a lot about ourselves…and about each other.  We learned to open our hearts and our minds to people regardless of what language they spoke or the color of their skin.  We were shocked and outraged…and pleasantly surprised.  We felt alone one moment…embraced the next.  Time seemed to fly and stand still.

I long to one day return to Europe with it’s rich history and picturesque landscape…to open up my children’s eyes to the world that expands far beyond our suburban city.

This recipe is inspired by our travels. My very first experience with a Niçoise Salad was in Cannes.  This isn’t a traditional recipe, since the French oppose the use of cooked vegetables in Niçoise.  But I rather like the addition of boiled potatoes and grilled asparagus. Bon Appétit!

Tuna Niçoise Salad

4. On a bed of lettuce or salad mix, add portions of asparagus, tomatoes, soybeans, onion, olives, capers, potatoes, boiled eggs and tuna. Drizzle with Lemon Vinaigrette. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

This post was created in conjunction with my involvement with Bumble Bee Foods, who is sponsoring my trip to BlogHer 2012.

One of my favorite foods to eat, cook, and bake with is butter. But it’s filled with cholesterol and saturated fat…2 cardiovascular no no’s. Neither of us are fans of margarine’s trans fats, which leaves us no choice but to use the lesser of two evils.  And then we discovered I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!

The set was bright!

A few weeks ago, a handful of food and lifestyle bloggers had an opportunity to meet with culinary and entertaining expert Katie Lee at Siren Studios, who talked about the inspiration behind her “award-winning” recipes, created specifically for the Academy Awards and inspired by the nominated films. I can’t even imagine how difficult it would be to take on the task of creating recipes like her Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes without a single pat of butter. I seriously couldn’t tell that there wasn’t an ounce of butter in them…or that her Unfried Chicken Skewers weren’t really fried : ) .

Since the team was preparing for their live, online pre-Oscar red carpet show, we didn’t have a lot of time to chat with the hosts. However, Brooke Burke, Carson Kressley and Molly Sims did manage to give us their fashion predictions and some of their top beauty tips.

Once we had finished at Siren Studios, we headed over to the W Hotel in Hollywood to watch Toast to the Red Carpet, glean some skin care and makeup tips from celebrity makeup artist Terri Apanasewicz, and sample Katie Lee’s incredible recipes.

Brie & Spicy Apple Chutney On Baguette Toasts Inspired by Midnight in Paris

Chili Parmesan Popcorn And Peanuts Inspired by Moneyball

Unfried Chicken Skewers & Homemade Bbq Sauce Inspired by The Help

Spotlight Cookies Inspired by The Artist

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes Inspired by The Descendants

 For more recaps, visit these fabulous LA and OC food and lifestyle bloggers

Fiona, Gourmet Pigs

Monica, Run Eat Repeat

Romy, Romy Raves

Erika, In Erika’s Kitchen

Chrystal, The Duo Dishes

Lindsay, Food Flirt http://foodflirt.com

Win It!  I have a fabulous red carpet-worthy prize pack to give away!  Here is what one of  you will win:

4 Crate and Barrel Champagne flutes

“Toast” coasters

1 Ralph Lauren silver serving tray

“Toast the Red Carpet” cocktail napkins

Katie Lee’s recipes

Hand-made wine glass charms by Winery Adventures

Simply leave me a comment with another recipe (not listed above) that you like from the site. Comments will close on March 28th, 2012 at 11:59 PM PST.

US Residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one. Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

Follow me on Pinterest (It’s the new thing to do!) : )

Follow me on Twitter and tweet the following (or something like it) “ I just entered a #giveaway to win an @icbinotbutter gift pack from  @rockinmama ” Daily tweets are allowed but please put the permalink so I can keep track.

Rockin’ Mama Facebook fans automatically receive an extra entry

Subscribe to my feed via email or reader.

Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.

Click on one of the very cute buttons below and digg, stumble, fav, etc. Just let me know what you did in the comments

 No compensation was received for this post.  I was invited as a guest of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter. Products for review/giveaway supplied.