#shop Archives - The Midnight Baker

Back To School Savings Begin At Price Chopper

Judith Hannemann — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 04:00:00 +0000

This shop has been compensated by #CollectiveBias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

Yoplait Greek Yogurt Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Great recipes for back-to-school start at Price Chopper Supermarket. Win an iPad mini too–read the rest of the post to see how!

It’s been a long LONG time since I fed children! However, I never forgot how big a little one’s appetite can be.

I feel it’s very important to give kids a high percentage of whole foods in their diets. Snacks present an excellent opportunity to pack in some of those most-needed fruits and veggies. If you have a veggie hater or a picky eater, the best way to disguise a serving of veggies or fruit is to put it in a smoothie. A serving size of spinach added to my recipe below for the strawberry banana smoothie will go unnoticed. Trust me. Kids think the green color is funky anyway, and I’d suggest calling it a Ninja Turtle Shake!

I figured I’d take this snack challenge, even though there’s no younguns in the house. So when I went shopping this past week at my local Price Chopper, I paid close attention to what was on sale in the #PriceChopperBTS specials. Many were in special displays around the store so finding them was pretty easy.

Sale items in Price Chopper are conveniently placed throughout the store

Keeping in mind that I have to like the items because it’s only me eating them, I chose Honey Nut Cheerios, Yoplait Greek yogurt and some Lunchables. I’d never tried Lunchables, but decided to give them a try because it’s the perfect size snack for when you feel peckish mid-afternoon and want something savory instead of sweet. Grownups need an “after-school snack” sometimes too!

You can’t get more convenient than Lunchables. Open the package, and it’s a mini complete meal. The way they are packaged, they stack nicely in the fridge and the kiddos can help themselves. Same goes for the yogurt, but I’d like to do something special for a child, especially when they’re easing into the first couple of weeks back to school.

Turkey and American Lunchable

That’s where the smoothie comes in. It’s easy to make, as I said before. Throw it in, zap and go. An older child can even do that themselves. Although I wouldn’t trust a child younger than around 7 handling razor-sharp blades like my Ninja has.

Satisfying yet healthy snacks

While that smoothie might satisfy a little girl, if you have a dude, you better have something else besides that smoothie! And what I made to serve along with it is some no-bake cookies packed with the Cheerios! Having had experience feeding boys, he’ll probably eat the cookies and the Lunchables and drink the smoothie (and have room for dinner too–don’t worry!!)

Honey Nut Chocolate Beehives

Did you also know that Price Chopper has a contest going where you can win a mini iPad?

All you have to do is post a “first-day-of-school” pic on their contest page. Timeframe for entries is 8/17-9/20/14. Voting begins 9/21 and ends 9/27. Five lucky winners will be chosen.

Visit Price Chopper on their Back-To-School Pinterest board for more ideas and even more ideas on their Facebook page.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

1 ripe banana, sliced
1 tub (5.3 oz) Yoplait strawberry Greek yogurt
1/4 cup sliced strawberries (optional)
1/2 cup milk

Add all ingredients to a blender and process until smooth. You may use an immersion blender or standard blender. I use a Ninja.

Honey Nut Chocolate Beehives

1 cup chocolate chips (dark or milk)
1 tbs cream
1 1/2 cups Honey Nut Cheerios

Line baking sheet with waxed paper.

Place chocolate chips and cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HI for 30 seconds. Stir. Microwave an additional 10-20 second if lumps still remain after the last stirring.

When mixture is smooth, add the Cheerios and stir until well coated.

Drop by heaping tablespoonfulls onto prepared pan. Chill for about 15 minutes or until firm.

Makes about 12 beehives.

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The post Back To School Savings Begin At Price Chopper appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Get Grilling with Certified Angus Beef

Judith Hannemann — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 05:00:00 +0000

I am a member of the #Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for #Collective Bias and its advertiser
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Neil’s Special Angus Steak

Nothing says summer like meat cooked on the BBQ! Make Price Chopper your headquarters for tasty Certified Angus beef and summertime savings!

Thinking about summer and getting outside and grilling has often gotten me through many northeast winters. Especially this past winter which seemed as if it would never quit!

I’ve already started planning for my big BBQ for 4th of July. It’s something I always look forward to doing because I’m totally in love with my gas grill and cooking outdoors!

I’m also picky about my meat and want only the best quality beef to serve my guests. For this I trust the experts at #PriceChopperBBQ. I know I can get advice on selection and how to cook a particular cut from any of their butchers. When they say, “We Know Meat,” it’s an absolute fact and their meat is the main reason I’ve been a “Chopper Shopper” for close to 30 years.

With the help of one of Price Chopper’s service butchers, I chose a top round London broil for the party’s main event.

Price Chopper’s self-service meat counter (left), Service butcher (center), Neil’s Special Sauce Kiosk (right)

I had a dry run before my actual event since I wanted to try a marinade using some of Central Market Neil’s Special Meat Marinade and/or Central Market Neil’s Special Steak Sauce. Turns out I used both because they were so tasty! And just look at this gorgeous Certified Angus beef London broil~~

Certified Angus Top Round London Broil & Neil’s Special Sauces

This steak was excellent! I also grilled some mushrooms along with the steak–an excellent combination–and my taste-testing neighbors agreed!

Grilled to perfection with seasoned mushrooms

And just look how tender and juicy this is! Completely yummy!

Certified Angus Beef is tender and juicy

Neil’s Special Angus Steak

1 – 3lb Certified Angus Top Round London Broil (2-inches thick)
Marinade:
1/4 cup teryaki sauce
1/4 cup Central Market Classics Neil’s Favorite Steak & Meat Marinade
2 tbs Central Market Classics Neil’s Favorite Steak Sauce
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs dry white wine or sherry

Mix marinade ingredients and place in a large zipper-seal freezer or storage bag.

I used a commercial meat tenderizing tool to make holes across the steak so the marinade would infuse for better flavor, but it’s not absolutely necessary. If you don’t have one of these, an ice pick, or similar tool, may be used.

Place meat in the bag, seal and turn several times to distribute marinade.

Place in the refrigerator and marinate at least 8 hours–overnight is perfect.

Remove from refrigerator and let meat stand for about 30 minutes so the “chill” is off the meat. FYI, meat *should* be close to room temperature before cooking–no worries as bacteria will be killed by cooking heat.

Meanwhile, pre-heat grill to medium-high heat. Lightly oil grill surface. Remove meat from marinade and discard marinade.

Place meat on grill. For rare (as shown) grill one side 8 minutes (approximately–for accuracy, use an insta-read meat thermometer). Turn and grill for an additional 8 minutes, or until desired level of doneness is achieved (again, rely on a good meat thermometer). Remove from grill, tent with aluminum foil and let stand 10-15 minutes so juices redistribute–this is IMPORTANT).

FYI–the cross-hatch grill marks are achieved by giving the meat a quarter turn half way through the cooking time for each side.

Grilled Mushrooms–place mushrooms in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil to coat (about 2 tbs for 8 oz of mushrooms) . Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Grill over medium-high heat using a grill basket.

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While shopping, I noticed a new variety of Hillshire Farm’s sausage–American Craft.

Hillshire Farm’s America Craft Smoked Sausage

I also wanted to do a meat and veggie combo and thought the sausage would make great kabob. I used the Smoky Bourbon for a more “adult” taste, plus some Vidalia onion, bell peppers and mushrooms–just brush with olive oil and grill away! Try the Jalapeño & Cheddar variety in these Spanish Style Stuffed Peppers.

Smoky Bourbon Sausage Kabobs

Now let’s talk dessert–and especially let’s talk about a raspberry-marbled cheesecake brownie! There were so many Betty Crocker Supreme Brownie mixes to choose from, I was in the baking aisle for about 20 minutes trying to decide. I finally decided on chocolate chunk because one can NEVER have too much chocolate!

Betty Crocker Supreme Chocolate Chunk Brownie Mix

You only will need a couple of additional ingredients to make these delicious treats. You may not even have to buy anything since they are pretty standard pantry and dairy items!

Yummy brownies

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Brownies

1 box (18 oz) Betty Crocker Supreme Chocolate Chunk Brownie Mix (and necessary ingredients listed on box)
2 pkgs (8 oz each) cream cheese, at room temperature
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract (or vanilla if you prefer)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup raspberry preserves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray or grease the bottom of a 11 x 7-inch oblong baking pan.

Prepare mix as directed on box. Spread in prepared pan and set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the extract. Spread cheese mixture over brownie mixture.

Place preserves in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 20 seconds, stir–the preserves should start to look like sauce–this is the consistency you want. Drop preserves over top of cheesecake mixture. Using a knife, cut through the batters lightly to produce a marbled effect–be careful NOT to mix the 3 layers. It’s marbling we’re after here, not a mixture!

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and cheesecake is set.

Remove and cool completely on a rack. May be eaten at room temp, but I prefer the taste and texture if they are well chilled.

Makes about 12 bars, depending on how you cut.

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Brownies

Price Chopper has some pretty neat videos on their YouTube Channel, so make sure to take a look, and to keep abreast of specials and coupons, remember to “like” their Facebook page.

And last but not least, here’s some collages of the recipes on this page for your Pinterest pinning pleasure!

Neil’s Special Angus Steak

Betty Crocker Supreme Brownie Mix

Follow The’s board Hot Fun in the Summertime Blog Hop on Pinterest.

The post Get Grilling with Certified Angus Beef appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Ad: Tyson Grilled & Ready® Makes Mealtime Easy

Judith Hannemann — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 05:00:00 +0000

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.

Tyson Grilled & Ready® Chicken Salad with Orange-Cilantro Dressing

If eating well was on your list of New Years’ resolutions, you can do no better than Tyson’s easy and versatile Grilled & Ready® line.

Who has never made the New Years resolution to start living healthy and make smart food choices?

Of course, that’s all of us. Whether we stick to it is another story entirely LOL!.

But healthy eating doesn’t have to be dull and tasteless. The folks at Tyson have come up with some great products to help you keep that promise. Their line of Grilled & Ready will help you create meals that are not only tasty and healthy, but that can be made easily and quickly because they have done the cooking for you. All you do is reheat and add to your dish.

Simple yet tasty salad

The Tyson folks are prepared to help you out here through their Facebook page with versatile tips on their “Just Add This” tab. There, you’ll get ideas on simple additions that will make your every-day meals more interesting and have daily tips delivered to your inbox. This program will run from January 2014 through March 2014 and there will also be prizes offered throughout this promotional period.

If you are wondering where to buy Tyson Grilled & Ready® look no further than your local Walmart! In fact, Walmart is offering these great products on a Roll Back price of $5.87 which started December 31 of last year.

Tyson display at my local Walmart

I bought the Grilled & Ready chicken breast strips because they are versatile and can be used in a number of dishes. I decided to do a chicken salad with them.

Healthy Ingredients

No, not just another boring chicken salad–this one has character! What makes this special is the zingy dressing that the breast strips are marinated in and is used on the salad!

Delicious yet healthy Orange Cilantro Dressing

The earthy flavor of cilantro combines with the tanginess of oranges to produce a wonderful flavor which harmonizes so well with the slightly smoky grilled taste of the chicken breast strips.

Tyson Grilled & Ready® Chicken Breast Strips–no cooking, just reheat!

The dressing also contains fresh ginger and garlic, which are well-known healthy ingredients, honey to replace white sugar, as well as the smarter choice of olive oil instead of plain old vegetable oil.

Simple but healthy dressing ingredients

Dressing easily made in a blender or food processor

Spinach of course, for color and vitamins, but baby arugula’s robust flavor and chew factor bring all these elements together!

Tyson Grilled & Ready® Chicken Salad with Orange Cilantro Dressing

For more recipes for this and other varieties of Tyson Grilled & Ready® please visit the Tyson official website or follow Tyson on Twitter.

Grilled & Ready® Chicken Salad with Orange-Cilantro Dressing

Salad:
2 cups baby Arugula (aka Rocket)
2 cups baby spinach
2 green onions, sliced
10 grape tomatoes, sliced in half
8 oz Tyson Grilled & Ready® chicken breast strips
Dressing:
1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves
1 tbs diced jalapeno
2 tbs lime juice
2 tbs orange juice
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp orange zest
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 3/4 tsp fresh ginger, roughly chopped
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp dark sesame oil (optional)

Add all dressing ingredients, except oils, to blender or food processor. Pulse a few times to coarsely chop cilantro leaves. With blender or food processor running, slowly drizzle olive oil through the feeder tube of food processor or through hole in the top of a blender. Add optional sesame oil, if using. Reserve 1/4 cup of dressing for marinade.

Defrost Tyson Grilled & Ready® Chicken Breast Strips per package instructions. Place defrosted chicken strips in a non-reactive (stainless steel, ceramic, plastic) bowl. Pour the 1/4 cup of dressing over chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Mix all salad ingredients in a large bowl and distribute evenly between 2 plates. Top with marinated chicken. Serve with additional dressing.

Makes 2 servings.

Check out this other great and healthy recipe using Tyson Grilled & Ready®

Yummy Roasted Bok Choi with Mushrooms & Chicken

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The post Ad: Tyson Grilled & Ready® Makes Mealtime Easy appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Entertaining With Flair: Lindsay® Olive Mexican French Bread Pizza

Judith Hannemann — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 05:00:00 +0000

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and its client

Lindsay Olive Mexican French Bread Pizza

Nothing says entertaining in style with great holiday recipes more than this Lindsay® Olive Mexican French Bread Pizza appetizer!

There’s nothing I enjoy more than entertaining friends and neighbors, especially around the winter holidays!

I try to plan the food I serve around treasured holiday recipes and Christmas recipes. This Mexican French Bread Pizza is one of my go-to appetizer recipes. It’s rich and cheesy, packed with black and green olives and flavored with Mexican-style spices. If you like a little heat, there’s some jalapenos in it too. Feel free to use more if you like it a little more “zesty.”

This is just a wonderful snack for a tree trimming party or as an appetizer for a Christmas Eve cocktail party get-together.

So when I found out that my local Price Chopper Supermarket had a good deal on Lindsay® Olives this week with the AdvantEdge card, I decided to stock up when I was shopping for the week. I opted for convenience here by purchasing the pre-sliced variety, and I also liked that they come in a resealable container.

Lindsay Olives Displayed At Price Chopper Supermarkets

These are just some of the ingredients used in this French Bread Pizza. I used Italian bread, but that’s OK too!

Some Ingredients For Lindsay Olive Mexican French Bread Pizza

If there’s any topping left over, it can be refrigerated and used on any leftover bread or even used as a dip for crackers! Here they are ready to go in the oven–

French Bread Pizza Ready For Baking

This smells so good when baking! It’s ready in 30 minutes or less. This can be served as a main course if you cut each half in half crosswise as shown in the photo above. Adding a salad would make it a complete meal.

Easy To Make

You can slice this up in serving sizes to serve on a buffet–

Sliced And Ready To Serve

You may find Price Chopper Supermarkets on Facebook or follow them on Twitter for more great holiday recipes and special holiday offers.

Totally Yummy Lindsay Olive Mexican French Bread Pizza

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Mexican French Bread Pizza

This French bread pizza is packed with Mexican flavors. Easy to make and delicious too!

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Tex-Mex

Keyword: French bread, French bread pizza, Mexican pizza, olives

Servings: 4

Calories: 882kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 loaf French or Italian bread
6 tbsp butter very soft
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/2 cup Sliced Black Olives
1/2 cup Manzanilla Olives
1/2-1 tsp taco seasoning
2 green onions sliced
1 tbsp canned diced jalapenos
2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
Slice bread in half lengthwise. Slice green Manzanilla olives crosswise into approximately 1/8-inch slices.
In a large bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients. Spread desired amount of topping mixture over top of each half of bread.
Bake at 325 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly and just beginning to brown.
This may either be served as a main or appetizer. If serving as a main, cut each half of finished bread in half crosswise. If serving as an appetizer, cut each baked half loaf into 2-inch slices.
Garnish with additional sliced green onion if desired.
Serves 4 as a main course, and about 8 as an appetizer.

Nutrition

Follow Price Chopper Supermarkets Holiday Recipes & Inspirations on Pinterest

The post Entertaining With Flair: Lindsay® Olive Mexican French Bread Pizza appeared first on The Midnight Baker.