Beat the Heat with the Keurig® K75 Platinum Brewing System and Brew Over Ice K-Cups

Keurig and Brew Over Ice - perfect partners!

I don't know how it is in your neck of the woods, but in eastern Pennsylvania we've had some positively sweltering weather lately. There were days when food was the last thing on my mind, but I couldn't get enough cool drinks into everyone here.

While I love iced coffees I don't like the work to get them "just right". I could make coffee, cool it down and add ice, but around here we like our iced coffees creamy and sweet and when it's too hot to think, I don't want to have to bother with all that mixing and measuring.

This is where the  Keurig® K75 Platinum Brewing System and Brew Over Ice K-Cups come in so very handy. First of all, the Keurig® is so easy to use. I honestly had no idea. There's nothing like having hot water at the ready and a cup of coffee within 45 seconds whenever I'd like. While I love conventional coffee, most days I'm so busy I either don't have time to make a pot or I don't have time to remember to pour and drink!

With the Keurig® there's no more missing my morning coffee. But it's not just for morning coffee! With the Brew Over Ice K-Cups there's a multitude of sweet and chilled drinks to make with your Keurig®. We tried out the Green Mountain Naturals Lemonade and The Original Donut Shop Sweet and Creamy Regular Iced Coffee and both were hits here. But, don't miss out on the many other varieties of Iced Drinks at Keurig.

I do need to caution you to pay attention to the recommended brew sizes so the flavor and temperature of the drinks is correct when done. Fill the cup with ice, hit the right brew size and in just about 45 seconds, you're good to go!

The smaller kids kept asking for hot chocolate and although there are K-Cups for that, I didn't have any on-hand and didn't want to leave them out, so my littlest noseminer ran to the pantry and brought out a packet of hot chocolate mix. I started to tell her I couldn't put that in the Keurig. I realized, though, the water in the Keurig is steaming hot and all I needed to do was run a cycle without a K-Cup, add the mix and voila! Now everyone is happy with it.

I can't find a downside to this other than the fact that the K-Cups are a little pricey for such a large family. Mostly I and my oldest daughter are the only ones using this on a regular basis so it doesn't get too bad cost-wise.

I would highly recommend this to just about anyone. If you get the chance to pick one up or can ask for one as a gift, please do so, you won't be disappointed!

Frigidaire Professional Appliances: 5-in-1 Grill and Griddle

I have a thing for small kitchen appliances. Like many of you, though, I don't have space for all the "gadgets" I want. So, when I decide on an appliance, it has to meet some pretty high standards. I have a lot of people to cook for and my kitchen and all its wares can really take a beating. Between feeding so many and developing and testing recipes, my kitchen gets a real workout.

Frigidaire Professional Appliances really fill the bill. I've been given the chance to try the 5-in-1 Grill and Griddle and we put it to the real family test.

Here are the things I love about this:

1. It performs more than one function. This is SO important in my kitchen. With room at a premium, I need appliances that do more than just one thing. Not only is this a grill, it's also a sandwich press! There are smooth plates and ridged plates for grilling and griddling and everything in-between.
2. It's BIG. This is another must around here. The cooking surface on this is very large. So large, in fact, that I can make SIX grilled sandwiches at once! That's if I press them. If I simply want to grill and flip, I can make TWELVE! This means that this grill does something no single pan in my house can do: serve up grilled cheese for everyone at one time. 
3. It's easy to use. No muss, no fuss, clearly labeled knobs and dials make it easy to use without having to guess. Heat the top griddle or the bottom griddle or make them both different temperatures if you need. This grill LAYS FLAT so I can open it fully and use one side with the ridges to grill chicken and the flat side for roasting peppers. It's just so versatile I don't think I'll be able to think of everything it might do.
4. It's extra easy to clean. After cooking for so many people the last thing I want to to is CLEAN. The grill plates pop off easily and clean up fast. I haven't had anything stick to these and I love that part.

The absolute only thing I would change is the length of the cord. I had to rearrange a couple things in order to plug it in, but once that was settled I was good to go!

Here are photos of this fabulous appliance in use:

Grilling chicken and "roasting" jalapenos for a recipe. Not the two separate grill plates in use at once!

Sandwich being pressed.

Perfectly pressed sandwich.

Easy to use controls. Choose panini (which heats both plates simultaneously) or griddle (which heats plates independently).

Pancakes and sausage at the same time.

SIX at once!

Stay tuned for another appliance review very soon and a GIVEAWAY after that! Who wouldn't love to get their hands on a Frigidaire Professional Series appliance?

*Disclosure: The Frigidaire 5-in-1 Grill and Griddle was provided to me free of charge. All opinions expressed are wholly my own and not influenced in any way by free product.

Back to School with Bluebird by American Express

This is the first in a series of posts all about Bluebird by American Express. I've never used it, but I've been given the chance to try it out and see what I think.

I figured the perfect time for this would be back-to-school time. I've chosen one of the 7 kids to test it out with me and I'll have more details about that later, but in the meantime, check out Bluebird for yourself. Read up on it and see what you think.

I'm excited to give this a whirl and see how it will help manage not only the back-to-school budget, but the food budget as well. I'm also setting up a sub-account for one of the kids to see exactly how that works. Keep checking back for our findings!

Disclosure: This series of posts is sponsored by Bluebird by American Express.

Mezzetta Make That Sandwich Contest

Pesto-Roasted Vegetable Sandwich

Who doesn't love a good sandwich? We've been eating sandwiches since the late 1700's and haven't slowed down at all. In fact, there are so many different combinations of sandwiches that it's impossible to catalog them all. I even tried to list as many fillings and breads as I could in my Summer Cooking 101 Part IV; Sandwiches post!

Whatever your favorite may be, consider adding Mezzetta products to your next creation. Not only are there so many different and delicious varieties, but the quality is so much better than other jarred condiments that I've purchased.

Another reason to love Mezzetta? The Mezzetta Make That Sandwich Contest. Not only can you make fabulous sandwiches with Mezzetta, you can share your own idea with them for a chance to WIN $25,000! Really!

Check out the sandwich recipes at the Mezzetta site to whet your appetite and get your creative sandwich juices flowing. Then, CREATE! Once you've created an award-winning sandwich, go back to the site and enter the contest!

So, what do I think is an award winning sandwich? This is my creation using Mezzetta quality products that I think is completely delicious and was a winner in my own home.

While I'm an unapologetic meatatarian, I often choose the veggie option for health reasons providing the carb count isn't too high. I thought this would be an excellent combo. Rather than roast the veggies in a bit of olive oil, I tossed them with Mezetta Pesto. Wow. What a difference! My youngest kids got their hands on this and didn't want to let go. The combination of sweet roasted veggies, briny Kalamata olives and garlicky pesto with smooth and tangy Provolone is just perfect. Use a knife and fork or cut into quarters to pick up with your hands.

Mezzetta and the perfect Pesto-Roasted Vegetable Sandwich

Pesto-Roasted Vegetable Sandwich
Serves 2
Hands-On Time: 10 minutes
Ready In: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 small zucchini - sliced 1/4" thick
1 small yellow pepper cut into 1/2" strips
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1 small carrot - shredded - about 1/2 cup
2 whole wheat pitas
3 Tablespoons Mezzetta Homemade-Style Basil Pesto; divided
1/4 cup Mezzetta Deli-Sliced Roasted Bell Pepper Strips
2 Tablespoons Mezzetta Sliced Greek Kalamata Olives
2 slices (1 ounce each) Provolone cheese julienned

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Toss zucchini, yellow pepper, red onion and carrot with 1 tablespoon Mezzetta Homemade-Style Basil Pesto. Use your hands! This is the best way to be sure each vegetable slice is coated well.
3. Spread veggies in a single layer on a baking sheet or double-thick aluminum foil. Roast for 35 minutes.
4. Add Mezzetta Deli-Sliced Roasted Bell Pepper Strips to roasting veggies and cook for another 10 minutes.
5. Spread each pita with a Tablespoon of Mezzetta Homemade-Style Basil Pesto. Top with roasted veggies.
6. Turn oven to BROIL.
7. Sprinkle veggie topped pitas with Mezzetta Sliced Greek Kalamata Olives and cheese.
8. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly - about 5 minutes.
9. Enjoy!

*Disclosure: I received Mezzetta products for free. All opinions and views here are my own and are in no way influenced by Mezzetta.

Back Door Bakeshop

A few years ago I had the distinct pleasure of living just behind the Back Door bakeshop, the creation of Gail Lehman and Dina Hall. I'm not quite sure exactly how I learned of this wonderful little bakery, but I showed up (late!) on Grand Opening day in 2009 and snapped photos, sampled goods and wrote about it.

Now, nearly 4 years later, they've moved and expanded. The new bakeshop is located in downtown Bethlehem at 92 E. Broad St. In fact, yesterday was their Grand Opening and this time, I missed it. They now have al fresco seating when the weather is lovely and you can stop in and buy all kinds of yummy things directly from the shop. This is a big deal. Once upon a time the only way  to get these goodies was to be a neighbor (*wink*) or pick them up from local spots in the valley and at the Bethlehem Farmer's Market - which you can still do - check out the Grab-n-Go items page!

My youngest son, Ian, and Gail took an instant liking to one another and Ian often tells me that he misses her and having the shop nearby (he used to get to see her pull up to work in the old neighborhood).

Eating things we shouldn't ... we also had a chocolate salted brownie.

I stopped by recently with two of my girls and we feasted on things we shouldn't have: brownies and iced coffees laced with sugar and cream. We had I don't regret one bite or sip. The weather was beautiful and we sat outside and watched the cars go by and simply relaxed.

If we hadn't just eaten lunch I'm sure we would have grabbed one of the new menu items such as quiche, sandwiches, or salads. The menu changes often so it's always something new and delicious when you stop in. (Check out the weekly menu HERE)

See why he's so likable? How cute is that? Ian holding the Onion, Apple and Ale Relish

One of the best things sold at Back Door are the jams and jellies. They simply are not the norm and not what you'd expect. We took home the Onion, Apple and Ale Relish and talked about everything we wanted to use it for. While we really think it would be fabulous on grilled pork or chicken, Gail told us it's awesome in a grilled cheese.

Rye bread, Onion, Apple and Ale Relish, smoked turkey and Swiss cheese. So good.

We (my son, Ian and I) paired it with Swiss and smoked turkey on rye and the sweet tart flavor of the relish was the perfect foil for the nuttiness of the cheese and tang of the bread. We can't wait to get our hands on more and also pick up a few of the others especially Raspberry Jalapeno Jam and Roasted Garlic Jelly - yes, you read those right! Don't they sound divine? Who knows what we'll come up with for those two. The best part is, if we're stumped, Gail knows the perfect pairing for each - all you need to do is ask.

I'm sad that I no longer live so close, especially now that I can walk in and get whatever I'd like on any given day, but the trek isn't too far for me and I know i'll be stopping by soon as Ian is dying to see Gail and say hello!

Read the Back Door bakeshop blog here: http://backdoorbakeshop.wordpress.com/blog/
LIKE the Back Door bakeshop on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BackDoorBakeshop
Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/backdoorbakes