Be mine, Valentine?

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Kelly Diamond

Valentine’s Day is a week away!

Whether or not you’re romantically involved, Valentine’s Day is just an excuse to get overly lovey-dovey, crafty, cute, and (my favorite) eat deliciously fattening foods. Right? So right.

That’s why we have been hard at work building our Be Mine, Valentine? Pinterest board. We’re talking craft ideas, recipes, tips, how-to’s, gift ideas, and pretty much anything cute. It’s definitely worth a peek!

We’ll be adding more pins all week. Let us help you get into the spirit!

What’s your typical Valentine’s Day like?
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Float-a-licious!

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Kelly Diamond

Ice cream soda floats! Can you say delicious .. or FLOAT-a-licious?

These are such a perfect treat — they’re refreshing and satisfy your sweet tooth.

And the best part about ice cream floats is that you can create your own! There is no limit to the soda-ice cream combos. Go crazy!

Here are some combinations to noodle:

… and so many more!

What are your favorite combinations?
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* Sources: How Does She? //
Divine Caroline //
Personal experimentation

Time for BRINNER (that’s breakfast for dinner).

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Kelly Diamond

Maybe it’s the background on my phone that keeps flashing an amazing diner breakfast, my obsession for maple syrup, or the eggs sitting in my fridge — but let me tell you, I have a craving. And that craving is BREAKFAST FOOD. Might be an issue seeing as how “breakfast” is a good 15 or so hours away, right? Wrong. All wrong.

The solution?
BRINNER.
Yes. Breakfast + dinner.
Combined.
You like that?
You should.

Of course, this craving brings me to Google (the internet’s best friend). The first thing I find is that the geniuses behind theKitchn call breakfast for dinner “brinner” as well. GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE! Because they’re so great, they kick off my brinner must-try list:

BREAKFAST PIZZA by theKitchn

GREEN BEAN, HAM AND CHEESE FRITTATA by Martha Stewart

PEANUT BUTTER BACONWICH by Delish.com

Of course, all of these will be topped by some dark amber pure Vermont maple syrup. AS IF THERE IS ANY OTHER KIND OF SYRUP? Obviously not.

What is your favorite meal of the day?
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Get to poppin! It’s National Popcorn Day.

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Kelly Diamond

It’s National Popcorn Day!

Seriously, who doesn’t enjoy popcorn? It’s light, crunchy, and you can pretty much season it however your heart decides. Butter, cheese, cinnamon, caramel, kettle-cooked, salt, vinegar, etc. Popcorn is too delicious of a treat to pass up — especially on a day dedicated to NOMing it.

Whether you microwave it, cook it on the stove (delicious), or have a popcorn popping machine (lucky YOU), bust out the kernels today and have a bowlful!

If you have never tried making popcorn on the stove, I suggest you try it at LEAST once. It’s so easy to do and the resulting product is much tastier than anything you could ever get out of a microwavable packet. Here are two recipes for popcorn on-the-stove:

PERFECT POPCORN

HOMEMADE KETTLE CORN

If plain popcorn isn’t exactly your style, don’t you worry. These dressed up popcorn recipes will surely satisfy your cravings:

NACHO POPCORN

CARAMEL APPLE POPCORN

CHEERIOS CINNAMON-POPCORN SNACK

Do you make popcorn in the microwave, on the stove, or in a machine?
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SGFSC Day 2: Ramen gets creative

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Kelly Diamond

Welcome to day 2 of our Social Grocery Food Stamp Challenge!

This afternoon, Laura S. tweeted a picture of her SGFSC lunch:

Now I won”t lie to you, I love ramen. Chicken flavor Maruchan noodles have been a closeted favorite of mine since I was younger (despite my mother”s disapproval). I have come to learn that there are so many more closeted-ramen-lovers out there — and for all of you, I write this blog post.

Now when I saw Laura”s tweet this afternoon, I got to thinking. I have heard the many strange ways that people eat their ramen — without the broth (WHAT?!), without the seasoning (UNTHINKABLE), dry (okay, I do sometimes, too), dry with a seasoning sprinkle .. the list goes on and on. What I didn”t realize was just HOW MANY RECIPES there are to give your ramen a little jazz. There are a ton out there, but here are three I found pretty intriguing — brace yourself, because ramen just got a little creative:

EASY RAMEN STIR-FRY

Call me strange all you like, but this Easy Ramen Stir-Fry is a keeper. Look at it, it”s practically Japanese takeout worthy! Add some chicken or beef strips to really get a full meal out of this, or even shrimp if you”re feeling the need for seafood. Y-U-M. (Food.com)

ORIENTAL CHICKEN SALAD WITH CRUNCHY RAMEN NOODLES

I love chicken. I love chicken salad. I love ramen. I”m pretty sure that this Oriental Chicken Salad with Crunchy Ramen Noodles is a WIN WIN WIN. Maybe even worthy of another WIN, just for good measure. Add some sunflower seeds and slivered almonds? NOW YOU”RE TALKING. I”m making this ASAP. (Food.com)

RAMEN FRITTATA WITH HAM AND CHEESE

It”s like quiche meets noodle casserole. I have never had a frittata of any kind, but I can only imagine that this Ramen Frittata with Ham and Cheese is bursting with flavor. Chicken flavored ramen, with cheese and ham? There”s nothing wrong with that combination, in my opinion! (AllRecipes.com)

How do you like to eat your ramen? Share your creative recipes with us!

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Pass that DIP!

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Kelly Diamond

Never underestimate the power of a good dip. A good dip can bring friends together. It can increase your popularity. It can increase your caloric intake. A good dip can move mountains. It could probably change the world.

Kidding. (But not really.)

It”s September. The warm weather is coming to an end. Football is back. It”s time to plan your viewing parties — what are you going to serve alongside your chicken wings and mini pizzas? DIP. THAT”S WHAT.

Here are a few delicious, nomworthy options to amaze your friends — and perhaps even yourselves. Culinary skills FOR THE WIN!

FRENCH ONION DIP

I”m going to be completely honest — I don”t think I”ve ever had a french onion dip made from scratch. I”m a Lipton Onion Soup mix + sour cream kind of girl. But looking through recipes for this post, I now feel intrigued to try making one. Williams-Sonoma has a great recipe using carmelized onions — mmmmm. Sign me up, please!

You can also go for the store bought stuff. Heluva Good French Onion Dip is always a great choice! Not only for parties, you know .. just for your own snacking pleasure. Judgment free zone!

TACO DIP

There are so many taco dip recipes trolling the internet that you could literally follow any of them and end up with an amazing product. While many of them are “Seven Layer,” like this one from AllRecipes.com, you can do however many layers as you wish. For example, my friends and I aren”t exactly into refried beans — we cut out the beans and mix the taco seasoning mix with the sour cream and cream cheese. It tastes FANTASTIC. But however you want to do it, don”t forget that excessive amounts of cheese and freshly chopped veggies are essential keys to happiness and food comas.

If I have already gotten you hungry and you don”t have time to whip this up, grab some Tostitos Creamy Southwestern Ranch dip at the store. Top with fresh veggies from the salad bar and some cheese!

BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP

Buffalo chicken dip is a personal favorite of mine. I make it all the time for friends and it”s always a hit — yet a tad on the spicy side. Here”s a great recipe from Frank”s RedHot — a NECESSARY ingredient to any buffalo themed dish.

Now I know this is far from the same thing, but take Snyder”s of Hanover Hot Buffalo Wing Pretzel Pieces and dip in blue cheese dressing next time you”re feeling a snacky need for buffalo heat.

SWISS & BACON DIP

Okay, let”s be real. Bacon is a WIN in itself. Add cheese? That”s a golden taste bud explosion my brain just can”t handle. I”m sure you”ll agree — check out this swiss and bacon dip recipe from Let”s Dish. My mouth is watering to the point where it”s hard to look at. I might cry. (Just a warning.)

Not the same, but you could always try a bacon and cheddar dip from the dairy aisle — such as this one from Kraft.

GUACAMOLE

GUAC. “Pass the guac!” If we”re being completely honest, only recently did I introduce my mouth to this heavenly substance. Not sure what I was so afraid of — I love Mexican food and I love a good “chip and dip.” Basically I got over myself (with the extreme push of my friend) and tried guacamole. “HOLY MOLE” should be the actual name, let”s be real. Anyway, now I”m practically obsessed and want it everyday. Here”s a recipe from Alton Brown that I plan on trying as soon as possible.

If you”re less ambitious, store bought guacamole dips are in a huge abundance. Snack away!

SPINACH & ARTICHOKE DIP

I”m not the biggest spinach fan — or artichoke fan, for that matter. I”m not sure how this is even possible, but the mix of the two with cheese on top of a pita chip is literal heaven. There are many recipes for this popular dish, hot and cold alike. I enjoy the hot version, like this beautiful recipe from AllRecipes.com.

Luckily, Friday”s is well aware of the need for a great spinach and artichoke dip at all times. They love theirs so much they decided to make it available in your grocery store”s freezer section. Thank you, Friday”s!

Chips up!

Have a great dip you feel like sharing? Comment below or talk with us on Facebook and Twitter. Don”t forget to add your favorite ingredients to your Social Grocery pantry!

Fridge Notes

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