The Soup Is Falling … The Bag Holder Review

Posted on June 23, 2011 by kitchenandkids

It seems like whenever I need to put away leftover stew, chili, soup, spaghetti sauce, etc… I spill it all over my counters. I have tried it all and it seems the most successful thing is to have my son hold a bag while I pour, but not anymore … thanks to The Bag Holder.

As a personal chef there are times I have to bag up foods for my clients and it is one sloppy job. A few years ago I resorted to using a pink pitcher with pour spout to hold my gallon size Ziploc bags when I needed to put things in it, however there were drawbacks to this method. One was the fact I could not use the pitcher for juice because if it is full with something else I can’t very easily add a gallon size bag and more liquid – Nope, that wouldn’t do. And, two the spout was a pain to get the bag over – wrestling match, and more times than not the pitcher won.So imagine my delight with The Bag Holder.

The Bag Holder is a wonderfully crafted acrylic holder that has many uses, but I have enjoyed it most for its ability to hold my gallon size Ziploc bags easily. Instead of dirtying up an array of bowls while cooking I have mixed up things in a Ziploc bag that is placed in the holder. The other day I used it for chicken pot pie – put my chicken, veggies and sauce in the bag, sealed the bag, mixed up the ingredients opened the bag and put in the pie crust. The only dirty dishes I had were the measuring cups, measuring spoons and pie plate. Talk about easy!!!

They have a lot of uses for The Bag Holder and the one I am excited to try is cupcakes. Mix up the batter in a gallon size bag in the holder, snip a corner and fill your cupcake liners. Wow, no more batter all over the counters and muffin pans!

Another thing I really enjoyed about The Bag Holder were the cookbooks I got with it. I am a cookbook addict, so I love ’em, no matter how big or small they are. Now, I will admit I did not get to try too many recipes but the one I did try was a hit with the family. It was the Paradise Chicken, and it was easy and tasty.

Here are a few pictures of the Paradise Chicken.

We also used the bag holder when marinating our Pepsi BBQ Chicken, and when I had to batter my Crispy Chicken. It made clean up a breeze.


If you would like a bag holder of your own go here and get one now.

Be on the look out for other recipes that use The Bag Holder at Kitchen and Kids, it is an invaluable tool. I have really enjoyed my bag holder and I am so glad I don’t have to worry about using my pink pitcher anymore. Happy cooking!!!

FTC Disclaimer-
In accordance with FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements: I have received a sample product for the purposes of the review. Receiving this product will in no way effect my review as they are my own opinions and experiences from using said product.
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Wordless Wednesday – My Drummer Boy

Posted on June 22, 2011 by kitchenandkids

My little drummer boy has been playing the drums for 10 years +. He loves the things his daddy loves. He plays the drums and percussion for our children’s ministry and can’t wait to start playing for the junior high group. He tells my husband that one day he will take his job, which is as one of the drummers at our church. It is a good thing I don’t mind loud noises (unless they are fireworks.)

The Past:

Playing Drums – 3 years old

3 years old

4 years old with his daddy and Memaw

The Present:

First time playing for Children’s Ministry

His inspiration – his daddy!

Concentrating

He really wants to be like his daddy!

And she wants to be like her brother!

5 Minutes for Mom Live and Love...Out Loud The Paper Mama
Better in Bulk Wordish Wednesday

Please link up your Wordless Wednesday below and please leave a comment.


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This Week In Our Kitchen – Week of June 19th

Posted on June 19, 2011 by kitchenandkids

Happy Father’s Day! I hope you guys are doing something special for the dads in your life. For my sweet husband I am making him one of his favorite dishes – his mom’s lasagna. I wanted to stay away from something that would require him to work. We are also going to have Ceaser salad, garlic bread and blueberry pudding pie for dessert. I think it will be a special dinner for him.

Last week was a great week of eating. Having your meals planned out and your shopping done ahead of time you are sure to have great meals for you and your family. I know having our menu planned out has been great! I was able to let my brother-in-law know what was on the menu so if he wanted to come over and eat he could. He was here Saturday night for pork carnitas, homemade refried beans, homemade tortillas, cilantro lime rice and chocolate chip pretzel cookie bars for dessert. We were stuffed after dinner.

I only had one item on my menu last week that is getting carried over to this next week and that is because I had so many leftovers in the refrigerator

Here is what we will be eating at our house this week.

Sunday: Memaw’s Lasagna, Ceaser Salad, Garlic Bread and Blueberry Pudding Pie

Monday: Paradise Baked Chicken, Steamed Red Potatoes and Fresh Spinach.

Tuesday:  Asian Pork Chops, Sesame Asparagus and Pad Thai.

Wednesday: Chad’s Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, and Fried Zucchini.

Thursday: Chicken Pot Pie

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Cobb Salad from Nicole at Daily Dish Recipes

As recipes are posted on Kitchen and Kids, I will link them up to my menu plans, so if something interests you check back and see if I’ve posted a recipe.

Feel free to leave your ideas, too. Happy Cooking!

You can also find many other meal plans below

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Dill … So Many Uses, Potato Salad Is A Good One!

Posted on June 17, 2011 by kitchenandkids

Three years ago I brought home this amazing dill dip from the store thinking it would be great with veggies, but to my surprise I didn’t like it! I had just become pregnant with my daughter and that was one of the many things I could not stand. However, my husband loved it with everything, so every week I brought home more dill dip for my husband.

To my utter dismay after 2 years of bringing home the dip it was GONE! I went to the store and it wasn’t there! That was bad, bad, bad because I had gone to get it for my dill potato salad I was making for my clients. What now? What do I tell them? I can’t tell them anything! I have to fix this! So, I figured it out and the Dill Potato Salad became “the best potato salad in the world,” according to my husband. This is a slight bummer because I don’t think he will be happy if I try to play with different kinds of potato salad – I am stuck. But stuck as I am it doesn’t really bother me because I love the potato salad, too.

Before you can make the potato salad you need to make the dill dip, which I also use the dry mix as a dill sauce/dressing.

Dill Dip
Printable Recipe

Dry Mix:
1 tsp. dried dill weed
1 tsp. Beau Monde seasoning (by Spice Island)
1 Tbl. dried parsley
1/2 Tbl. onion powder
1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1.) Mix the spices together. I like to grind them up in my Bullet for a finer texture.

Dip:
mix from above
1 c. sour cream
2/3 c. mayonnaise with olive oil

1.) Mix the sour cream and mayonnaise together until well mixed; add in the dry dill mix and stir until well combined.

2.) Chill for at least 1 hour.

(In order to make a dressing you add 1 c. buttermilk, 1 c. mayonnaise and the dry mix and stir until well blended.)

Dill Potato Salad
yield – 12 servings
Printable Recipe

3 lb red potatoes
1 c. mayonnaise with  olive oil
1 c. dill dip (recipe above)
1 Tbl. dried dill weed (optional – we use because we want the additional dill flavor)
4 green onions, chopped
2 eggs, hard-boiled

1.) Wash and scrub the red potatoes and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Place potatoes in a large pan, cover with water, and boil for about 10 to 15 minutes until fork tender, but not mushy. Drain water from potatoes and place in a large mixing bowl. Cool for about 15 to 20 minutes.

2.) In a small mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, dill dip and additional dried dill weed, set aside.

3.) Chop the green onions.

4.) Chop the hard-boiled eggs.

5.) Combine the potatoes and dill mixture and stir until potatoes are well coated. Gently mix in the green onions and hard-boiled eggs.

6.) Serve warm or chilled.

This potato salad is great with burgers, ribs, smoked brisket, Pepsi BBQ Chicken and just about anything else you can think about. Enjoy!

I would love to hear about your potato salad recipes. Just post them in the comments below.

I shared my Dill Potato Salad at –
Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesday Blog Hop at WhoIsLaura.com Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays  

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Wordless Wednesday – Mommy’s Little Helper

Posted on June 15, 2011 by kitchenandkids

My Little Miss loves to be where I am, and to help out, too.

If you enjoyed my Wordless Wednesday, head over and check out the ones below, and don’t forget to link up your own Wordless Wednesday posts and visit the ones on that list as well. I will be stopping by your blog soon. Have a fabulous Wordless Wednesday!

5 Minutes for Mom Live and Love...Out Loud The Paper Mama Better in Bulk Dear Crissy Wordish Wednesday

Please link your Wordless Wednesday posts here and leave a comment below.

 

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Pepsi BBQ Chicken

Posted on June 14, 2011 by kitchenandkids

Several months ago my husband gave up an addiction of …. Pepsi! And, he gave it up right after my weekly shopping trip in which I brought home about 6 2-liter bottles. Now, what to do with those? My son doesn’t drink soda, I don’t drink soda, and the baby most certainly does not drink soda, so they sat in the pantry waiting for a use.

So on a mission for a chicken marinade my husband pulled one out of the pantry and dumped it in on the chicken with a few other things, and voila! Pepsi BBQ Chicken – and it was delicious.

As I was planning our menu for this upcoming week I was looking for budget friendly meals and this one was right at the very top. I had absolutely everything in my freezer and pantry to make this wonderful chicken and with a few additional ingredients we were able to make a slammin’ good dinner. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as we did.

Pepsi Chicken
Printable Recipe

2 lbs chicken, we use boneless, skinless

Marinade:
3 c. Pepsi
2 tsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbl. smokey paprika
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. garlic
1 1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. sugar

1.) Mix spices together.

2.) Add chicken to a gallon size Ziploc bag, add in Pepsi, rice vinegar and spices. Make sure chicken is covered. You can add more Pepsi if necessary.

3.) Refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours, we prefer 24 hours. Turn chicken periodically to make sure it is completely coated.

4.) Bring chicken to room temperature and use the dry rub below on the chicken.

Dry Rub

1 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbl. Kosher salt
1 Tbl. garlic powder
1 Tbl. smokey paprika
1 Tbl. cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp. onion powder

1.) Mix the spices well. We use our Magic Bullet to blend our spices.

2.) Rub the spices on the chicken.

3.) Grill chicken for 6 to 8 minutes until the chicken is firm and the juices run clear, turning once.

This chicken is great with dill potato salad and marinated cucumbers. I will post those recipes later.

Check out other great recipes at the link below.
Cast Party Wednesday

Posted in In the Kitchen | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

This Week In Our Kitchen

Posted on June 12, 2011 by kitchenandkids

Welcome to This Week In Our Kitchen. I always get inspiration for my dinners from other blogs, cookbooks, magazines, All Recipes, and Tasty Kitchen, so I wanted to give you guys some inspiration. I am starting a weekly post of the menu plans for my family. Some weeks they will be fantastic, and some weeks they will just be, but regardless I hope you guys get a few new ideas.

This week my husband and I went through the freezer before planning and he roughly planned out dinners and I put the gourmet touches on them. He basically said “chicken, pork chops, pork loin, ground beef something or other, and more chicken.” You get the drift, he didn’t add in the creativity just a basic idea, but I am glad he took the time to help out.

Here is what we will be eating at our house this week.

Sunday: Pepsi BBQ Chicken, Dill Potato Salad, Marinated Cucumbers and Cole Slaw.

Monday: Marinated Flank Steak with Chimichurri, Refried Beans and fresh tortillas.

Tuesday:  Grandma’s Meatloaf, Cheddar-Bacon Scalloped Potatoes, Corn and the Cob.

Wednesday: Asian Pork Chops, Sesame Asparagus and Pad Thai.

Thursday: Parmesan Ranch Chicken, Rice Pilaf, and Brussels Sprouts.

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Pork Carnitas, Cilantro Lime Rice, and Refried Beans.

As recipes are posted on Kitchen and Kids, I will link them up to my menu plans, so if something interests you check back and see if I’ve posted a recipe.

Feel free to leave your ideas, too. Happy Cooking!

You can also find many other meal plans below

Posted in This Week In Our Kitchen | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Apple, Apple, Apple “Shawse”, Pease!!

Posted on June 10, 2011 by kitchenandkids

I hear these words on a daily basis, several times a day as a matter of fact, and … it is so stinkin’ cute! My little sugar bear loves apples and apple sauce, and will let everyone know this, including the refrigerator as she grabs hold of both handles and positions one foot on the door and the other on the floor and pulls with all her might – to no avail (thank goodness.) I do not know what I would do if my two-year old could actually get in the refrigerator by herself.

But, I prefer her to eat natural apple sauce with no preservatives and very little sugar, which can be purchased for a sometimes exorbitant price, so I decided to make our own apple sauce. My first attempt was not quite the success I would have hoped for, but it was okay and it did not dissuade me from trying again – you can read about my first attempt here – What Do You Get When …, however, if  you want the success story keep reading here.

Apple Sauce
yields quite a bit

3 lbs apples of your choice
1 to 2 c. water
agave nectar (or sweetener of choice)
1/2 tsp. to 1 tsp. cinnamon

1.) Peel apples.

2.) Core and slice apples.

3.) Steam apples in a steamer basket for approximately 10 minutes, until fork tender. Make sure you have plenty of water in the pan, so you do not burn the pan, which is why I recommend 1 to 2 c. water, minimum.

4.) Place steamed apples in a food processor and add in 1/4 c. cooking water and blend until pureed. You may need to add more water to suit your consistency.

5.) Add in cinnamon mix well.

6.) If desired, add in sweetener to taste, mix well. We like our apple sauce with a little agave nectar.

7.) Chill apple sauce for at least 1 hour.

Serve apple sauce to a well-deserving toddler or child, and they will love it. 🙂

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What is THAT on Your Little Face?

Posted on June 9, 2011 by kitchenandkids

My sweet two-year old loves sauces. Every time she sits down to eat, the first words out of her mouth are “shawse,” which translated from toddler-speak means sauce, of any kind and on everything!

However, there is one sauce, which is her favorite, that does not like her at all. Ranch Dressing! Her face turns bright red with a raised rash that will last for upwards of 24 hours. And ………. she wants it on everything (that I’ll let her put it on.) So in light of her love for ranch dressing I needed to find one she could eat without breaking her out, and that is where the recipe below came from.

I tried many bottled brands and recipes before I finally threw in the towel and decided to just make up my own. I hope you like it as much as we do. The baby loves it and her face looks just as lovely after she ate as before.

House Ranch Dressing

Dry Mix:
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried chives
1 tsp Accent Seasoning Salt
3/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried dill weed
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp dried thyme

Dressing:
1 c. mayonnaise with olive oil
1 c. buttermilk
dry mix from above

1) Blend the spices and seasonings together. (I like to throw them in my Magic Bullet and pulse them into a finer powder. However, I think this is simply a preference. )

2.) For dressing, mix 1 c. of mayonnaise and 1 c. of buttermilk until well blended and then add in the seasoning mix and stir until the mix is blended up in the mayo/buttermilk.

3.) For dip, mix 2 c. sour cream with the mix until well blended.

I hope you all thoroughly enjoy this dressing and find many uses it for it. I made it to go with my crispy chicken salad and it was wonderful!

If you think this salad dressing looks good you may like these as well –

Mangoes and Chutney – Balsamic Vingairette

Daily Dish Recipes – Cobb Salad with Dressing

Pioneer Woman – Aunt Trish’s Salad Dressing

Creative Mama – Homemade Salad Dressings

Posted in In the Kitchen | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Wordless Wednesday – Kite Day

Posted on June 8, 2011 by kitchenandkids

I am excited to start participating in Wordless Wednesday. I hope you guys will add your posts to my site as well.

We had a lot of fun flying kites. In fact, we got the baby one that she could easily fly. And my son helped other people with their kites. It was a beautiful day and beautiful time.


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