Newtons Fruit Thins

Earlier this month, I received a complimentary package of Newtons Fruit Thins as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program. 

I've been eyeing this package of cookies in my pantry for the past few weeks but I felt bad snacking on them while Bret was still recovering from his surgery and could only eat soft foods for the first few days.  But now that Bret is almost completely better, I finally dug into them this past weekend.

I really loved these Cranberry Citrus Oat cookies.  These cookies are so crispy that they are almost like a hybrid of a chewy cracker or a really crispy cookie.  I also loved that the cookies were made with whole grains and had a nice balance of cranberry and citrus flavors.  I'm definitely going to pick some more of these out the next time I'm at the grocery store!

Tell me, what have you been snacking on lately?

Full disclosure: The Newtons Fruit Thins cookies were completely complimentary, but as always, my opinion is honest and completely my own.

Slow Cooker Pulled Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

When I recently received a complimentary bottle of KC Masterpiece's Buffalo Marinade as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I immediately knew that I wanted to make pulled buffalo chicken.

I didn't have an exact recipe so I just pulled some ingredients from the pantry and the freezer:

• 3 large boneless chicken breasts
• 1 bottle of KC Masterpiece's Buffalo Marinade
• 1 package of Lay's Dip Creation Garden Onion mix
• 3 tablespoons of vinegar
• 3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tablespoons Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Sauce
• 1 cup water

 I took the chicken breasts out of the freezer and put them straight in the slow cooker.

I poured half the bottle of buffalo marinade, along with the other remaining ingredients, in the slow cooker. 

I covered the slow cooker and allowed it to cook on low for about six hours before I pulled the chicken in the slow cooker.  Once the chicken was pulled, I added the rest of the marinade to the slow cooker and gave it all a mix.

I served the pulled buffalo chicken on an Iggy's Bread brioche burger bun with a side salad and some bread and butter pickles.

The pulled buffalo chicken was really moist and super spicy.  I was actually surprised how spicy the marinade was and I think it would be great as a marinade for baked marinated tofu.

With the recent cold weather we've been having lately, I reluctantly pulled out my slow cooker, which I usually use during the colder months.  But the sun seems to be here today in Boston and I'm looking to forward to cooking lighter dishes this weekend.  Tell me, what are you looking forward to this weekend?

Country Ranch-Seasoned Popcorn

Last month, I received some free samples of Tostitos and Lay's Dip Creations seasoning mixes courtesy of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program. 

We used the Garden Onion seasoning mix right away to make a flavorful veggie dip, which wasn't the most creative way to use the seasoning mix but pretty tasty.  While chips are hard to find in our pantry, Bret and I are seriously addicted to popcorn.  We've started making popcorn on the stovetop regularly for a great snack during all of these Celtics and Bruins playoff games and Bret came up with the great idea to toss the popcorn with half a packet of the Country Ranch seasoning mix.

This was definitely a great call because we got to add a lot of flavor to our popcorn without having to add lots of butter or salt.

What are you snacking on these days?

Spinach and Cheddar Wheat Strata

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I recently received a complimentary loaf of Nature's Pride Hearty Wheat with Flax bread. 

Since Bret and I don't eat a lot of sandwiches or toast, I wanted to find a creative way to use the bread.  I went through my recipe book and found a recipe that I previously tore out from Everyday Food for a Spinach and Cheddar Strata.  I modified this recipe a bit by adding some leftover yellow onion, sliced baby bella mushrooms, garlic and yellow pepper.

First, I gathered my ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 10 ounces spinach
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 package of sliced baby bella mushrooms
• 1/2 yellow pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 cups day-old bread cubes (1 inch)
• 5 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 1/4 cup grated sharp white cheddar (3 ounces)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

I cubed three cups of the Nature's Pride Hearty Wheat with Flax bread.  Since the bread was fresh, I staled them by putting the pieces on an aluminum foil-lined baking tray and putting them in the oven at 250 degrees.  I baked the cubed bread in the oven for about ten minutes until they had the texture of day-old bread.

While the bread was baking, I chopped up the onion and pepper.

After I removed the bread from the oven, I sprayed a casserole dish with baking spray.  I warmed my Dutch oven on the stove and added the olive oil.  I added the onion, yellow pepper and mushrooms to the pan and cooked them until the onions began to soften.

Using a garlic press, I added four minced cloves of garlic to the pan and cooked about a minute longer.  I then removed the vegetables from the pan with a slotted spoon and set it aside.

I then added the spinach to the Dutch oven and cooked the spinach until it wilted.  You can add more olive oil if it is needed. 

When the spinach was wilted, I transferred it to a colander and pressed the spinach with a spatula to get out as much excess liquid and moisture as possible.

I added the bread, mixed vegetables and spinach to the casserole dish and made sure to mix everything up in the casserole dish.

In a medium bowl, I lightly beat the five eggs.  I then whisked in the eggs and 3/4 cup cheese.  I also seasoned the the mixture with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

I poured the dairy mixture on top of the bread and vegetable mixture in the casserole dish.  I sprinkled the top of the strata with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. 

The strata can be assembled and refrigerated for up to six hours before baking.  I prepared this a few hours before dinner so about a half hour before dinner, I preheated the oven to 400 degrees.  I baked the strata for about thirty minutes until the strata was set in the middle and golden brown on top. 

When I cut into the strata, I was surprised to find that there was some liquid at the bottom of the casserole dish.  Since I strained the spinach well, I'd have to guess that the excess moisture came from the mushrooms, which can retain a lot of liquid.  All that being said, the strata was still delicious and so filling between the bread and vegetables.  Of course, what I really enjoyed most was the cheese in the strata.  I would even consider using a cheese blend instead of just cheddar in the future.

We ate the spinach and cheddar wheat strata with a side salad for dinner, but this is obviously more traditionally served for breakfast.  I think this strata would be a great dish for brunch and I especially like that is a vegetarian dish so that everyone can enjoy it.

Today is the last day to enter my West Bend Versatility Cooker giveaway!  Don't forget to enter before 11:59 PM EST tonight!