Ummmm well the least I can do is say Hi and welcome back to what I would call a fun 48-72 hours.  I have officially upgraded servers and moved to a different hosting company due to “my” issues that I have been dealing with due to the excessive growth with Zesty…ya right.  Anyway moving on and I am happy so far with the new host provider, Media Temple, and I look forward to growing with them and hopefully not having any major issues.  With that said, my next tasks are going to be focusing on the outstanding work on the blog consulting side of things, growing Open Sky which I have terribly neglected lately as well as revamp Zesty’s approach and look moving forward.

Some things will never change.  I will continue to cook fun, easy and idiot proof recipes for you to “hopefully” enjoy and document them along the way with pictures to aide in your at home preparation.  I think today will not disappoint.  What do you get when you take roasted mushrooms with Parmesan cheese, pan seared chicken breasts with balsamic and orange reduction, fresh spinach and some whole wheat pasta?

Answer = YUM

This dish was actually quite tasty and as I was evaluating it last night – the one thing I would alter was the amount of sauce.  I had very little as it reduced so much so in the ingredients below I will display what I did but you may want to increase the amounts if you are a sauce lover.

Ingredients

• 2 Boneless Chicken breasts ( sliced)
• 2 Cups Whole button mushrooms
• 2 Large handfuls of spinach
• 1/4 Cup Orange Juice
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
• Parmesan Cheese
• 2 Cups Whole Wheat Penne Pasta

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Cook pasta according to directions
3. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange mushrooms on sheet



4. Coat with one tablespoon of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and some Parmesan cheese; toss to coat evenly
5. Roast for 20 minutes turning occasionally





6. In a saute pan, turn to medium heat and begin to cook the chicken with the remaining tablespoon of oil.  Once the chicken begins to brown toss in the roasted mushrooms, orange juice, remaining balsamic and let reduce for 4 minutes



7. Add spinach and cook until spinach is wilted





8. Add noodles, mix thoroughly and dress with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.





9. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: For me this tip is all about balance.  Use the balsamic and orange juice to balance themselves but be sure you have enough sauce.  This was my only mistake in this dish.  I feel it would have been even better with more sauce.

OK  – so here we go.  Finally I feel like zesty is back to normal.  Get ready for some exciting stuff to come and I want to hear from you.  Tell me what you think of the recipes, what recipes you would like to see, whether you would like to participate by doing a zesty post or if you just like stopping in here each day to check things out.

I am wide open and very flexible and there is nothing I will not answer.  Have yourself a great Wednesday!

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Welcome Back and A Spinach Mushroom Pasta

Related posts:

1. Pesto Pasta For You!
2. Baked Pasta Casserole w/ Bacon
3. Kitchen Game: Kale, Clams and Linguine
4. Macaroni and ummmm Bacon!
5. Pungent Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe

Let me start off by saying that viewer discretion is advised for today’s post.  OK now with the story that preludes possibly the greatest brownie I have ever sunk my teeth in thus far in my life.  Last Saturday Mrs. Zesty had a baby shower to attend and she was designated for a dessert/sweet treat for the girls.  Last week was a bit of a zoo and I think I forgot about prepping this dessert until Friday afternoon at work.  After work I did a quick scan for some ideas and came up with a chocolate caramel brownie.  I figured that would be a hit with a “bunch” of girls.

I knew time was tight and I didn’t want to spend all night Friday night to prep a dessert.  With that said, I counted on Google and did a quick chocolate caramel brownie search.  At that point you can say my life may have changed forever.  See below for all the details.

This recipe, I cannot take any credit for and nor will I try as it is compliments of Nestle Toll House and as you can see from the reviews…. I am not the only one that liked them.

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. (18.25 oz.) chocolate cake mix
• 1 cup chopped nuts ( Optional )
• 1 cup Evaporated Milk
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
• 35 (10-oz. pkg.) caramels, unwrapped
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Combine cake mix and nuts in large bowl. Stir in 2/3 cup evaporated milk and butter (batter will be thick). Spread half of batter into ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.



3. Bake for 15 minutes.
4. Heat caramels and remaining evaporated milk in small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until caramels are melted. Sprinkle morsels over brownie; drizzle with caramel mixture.







5. Drop remaining batter by heaping teaspoon over caramel mixture.





6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until center is set.
7. Cool in pan on wire rack.



8. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: The only tip I could recommend for this recipe is too make it at least in double batch form.  It is absolutely amazing.

If you like gooey, chocolate, caramel and oh did I mention brownies…. if so you have to make these TODAY!  As I know a lot of people have great brownie recipes from scratch but too follow this recipe which literally takes 10 minutes to prep, the results are so satisfying.  Girls if you are reading from the shower, let me know what you thought of the brownie in the comments.

Have an awesome Wednesday and let me know if you have any questions concerning this recipe or any other recipe that you see here.

Thanks

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

The Brownie That Will Change Your Life

Related posts:

1. A Weekend Walnut Brownie!
2. A Chunk of a Chocolate Chip Muffin
3. Food Demo Recap and a Chocolate Turtle
4. Anyone Up For Some Mousse?
5. Warm Toasted Marshmallow S’more Bars

Happy Monday to you!  Let me first off say that I love Costco!  That was kind of random but I just needed to get that off my chest.  We were there yesterday and I was leaving I just said, the title of today’s post should be I LOVE COSTCO“.  It is such a great store and I had a great round of samples yesterday.

OK, the moment you have all been waiting for over the past couple of weeks.  I am about to announce the makeover winner but before I do  – I just wanted to go over some stats about the makeover.

Giveaway Stats

• Comments – 267
• Tweets – 99
• Trackbacks/Links – 41
• Blake Make Entries – 33

For a Grand Total of 440 Entries

And The Winner Is….

Kristen from IowaGirlEats.  Comment 177 and she wrote:

Here is a look at what her current blog looks like.

Kristin, contact me anytime and we can get started on your blog makeover.  I look forward to working with you.  For all of you that entered I want to thank you – it was a lot of fun.  If you still want a makeover feel free to check out Zesty Blog Consulting for more details.

Slice It Up

Ever spend a lot of time making a gorgeous dessert and then when you go to cut it… it looks like poo.  It has happened to me and if it happened to you, your not alone.  The key to rectifying this problem is using the proper style knife for the job.  Below I will go ahead and try to explain a few tips so that your desserts slice as good as they taste.

Slice cakes, tarts and pies like a pro.

1. For cheesecake and squares, keep a glass of hot water and a clean dish towel handy.  Before cutting each slice, dip the knife into the water and wipe clean.  The hot knife will slide right through the cake.
2. For pound or sponge cakes, use a serrated knife and a sawing motion to cut through without squishing or tearing the cake.
3. Use un-waxed dental floss to slice through the cake (great for the gooey or sticky cakes)
4. Lining your baking dish or spring form pan with parchment paper before baking squares and cheesecakes will help you pick up each slice cleanly.

So there you have it, a few cake slicing techniques and a fun makeover winner.  I hope you have a fabulous Monday where ever you may be today and I will talk to you on Wednesday.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Blog Makeover Winner and Slicing Dessert Tips

Related posts:

1. And the Winner is…
2. Reminder Zesty Blog Makeover Giveaway
3. Makeover Giveaway Winner Is…..
4. Zesty Giveaway: Blog Makeover
5. Zesty Makeover: Thinspiredblog.com Complete

PHEW what a week!  Happy Friday to you and thanks for stopping in again for another food filled post.  I was unsure as to what to have for dinner on Wednesday night as I was getting ready for work in the morning – when I remembered that I had some lean ground beef in the freezer.  Every time I would open the freezer it would make a little chirp to me that it was too cold and wanted to be cooked.  I could only take that for so long so finally I took it out to thaw and here we are today.

I was kind of in the mood for a cheeseburger but was unsure because we had no whole wheat buns to go with it and really any toppings outside of mustard and ketchup but I convinced myself…. GO FOR IT!

What a reward…. take a look at this.  I topped a few with cheese and left a few without for a leftover treat that you will see next week.  I may have even impressed Mrs. Zesty to a whole new level.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs Lean ground beef
• 2 Cloves garlic ( chopped)
• 1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp. Dried/frozen basil
• Cheddar/marble cheese
• 1 Tsp. Chili powder
• 1 Tsp. Dried Thyme
• 1 Tsp. Salt
• 1 Tsp. Black pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a large bowl, add ground beef and all the dry ingredients and mix well together.











Have you ever tried this frozen basil before. It is amazing. So fresh and so convenient especially in the off season.



3. Form patties and place on roasting rack.





4. Bake for 35-40 minutes until no longer pink inside the meat ( you can peek if you need to)





5. Remove from oven and top with cheese; place back in the oven until melted.
6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When baking ground beef, I like to use the roasting pan with slats in it to allow the grease to follow away from the meat.  This ensures you are getting the leanest most healthy form of that particular meat.

This little treat goes well with a side of salad or just on it’s own between your favorite whole grain bun.  Heck I just eat them by itself.  Sometimes you can’t just beat a homemade cheeseburger.  What is your little trick you put in your ground beef/turkey/chicken before cooking it to add that flavor you love?

Around the Blogsphere

Well as I have been wandering around the blogsphere this week…. I have bumped into a couple of wicked recipes that are must try’s in my books.  Take a look over here and let me know what you think.

• A recipe for stove-top granola by the Hungry Yogini.  This will knock your socks off for sure and I cannot wait to try it.
• A somewhat genius idea for salad dressings can be found over at Choosing Raw.  This I have to sink my gums into.
• And last but not least… I found two things I love wrapped into one over at Joy’s site – Can you believe an Avocado Pound Cake?  YUM!

That is all I have for this week.  I hope everyone has a decent fun filled friday and a great weekend.  Today is the last day you can tell all your friends about the Blog Makeover giveaway so “Let it out” and I will be announcing the poor soul that has to work with me for a makeover on MONDAY!

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Just Another Garlic Basil Cheeseburger!

Related posts:

1. Zesty’s Ultimate Cheeseburger
2. What A Roasted Garlic Lemon Chicken
3. How About a Slice of this Garlic Bread?
4. Oh Yum… Basil Beef Pesto Fettucine
5. Beans, Basil and Balsamic!

SORRY for the last 13 hours of NO Zesty.  My hosting account was suspended due to excessive usage!!!  GRRR anyway we are backup and running and I have a post for you.

Happy Wednesday to you!

Before we get on to the most exciting part of your day ( I mean you reading this post) let me mention that Blake from Blake Makes is doing something really cool today.  He is hosting a giveaway but guess what, the giveaway is for a chance to win Zesty’s Blog makeover.  How cool is that?  So everyone that votes enters over at Blake makes will also be entered into the blog makeover contest.  As i write this post, we are so close to getting 200 comments – not too mention all the blog mentions and tweets.  When all is said and done we will be well over 300 entries… so exciting.

On to the Food

What do you get when you have one piece of boneless chicken left, a cup of Jasmine rice, a head of broccoli on it’s last leg, a carrot and one can of Wolfgang Puck’s Organic Vegetable soup on hand?

I give you Zesty’s All in the Pot Goulash.  It tasted quite good actually.  It was not something I h ave ever whipped up before I can honestly admit that.  I used the soup as a sauce almost and added it early after the carrot and chicken sauteed so that it would reduce and thicken without the lid.  It worked like a charm.  I cooked the rice separately to avoid to much complication with measurements and liquid balance ratios.

In the end you have something that looks like this…

Ingredients

• 1 Carrot ( chopped)
• 1 Chicken Breast
• 1 Cup rice
• 1 Head of broccoli
• 1 Can of Wolfgang Puck’s Organic Vegetable soup
• 1/2 can of water
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 1 Tsp. red pepper flakes
• Dash of chili powder

Method

1. Preheat pot to medium heat; add olive oil.
2. Toss in carrot, garlic and chicken and let brown about 5-7 minutes
3. Cook rice in a separate pot according to directions
4. Add soup, water, chili powder and red pepper flakes; let simmer for 10 minutes while rice cooks.
5. Toss in broccoli for final 3 minutes; add salt and pepper
6. Once rice is cooked, add rice to the mixture and stir.
7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Keep the heat up to medium when you add the soup and the lid off.  This will allow the soup to thicken.  Add your seasonings once the soup has been added.  Do note, add whatever flavors you like…. curry would work well in here as well.

Again – sorry for the delay in posting and all the hiccups I have caused.  Hopefully the issue is solved and we can move on as per usual.  Have a great Wednesday and don’t forget to enter in the makeover.  The final day is Friday.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Chicken, Broccoli, Rice and Soup?

Related posts:

1. Curried Red Lentil Soup with Chickpeas and Quinoa
2. Another Almost… Chicken Korma
3. Veggies, Lamb and Rice
4. Curried Pumpkin and Apple Soup
5. Molasses Glazed Carrots and Chicken

OH CANADA!  Where do I start with today’s post.  Let’s just say yesterday was a pretty exciting day for Canadians.  Not only did we win the Men’s Hockey Gold medal in an exciting game but we won the most gold medals in Olympic history.  All I can say is WOW and now I am not sure what I am going to do without any Olympics on for another couple of years.

Although the Olympics are over, the food lives on forever.  Today I want to share with you another spin on some sweet potatoes.  If you don’t know, I am a large lover of sweet potatoes and I will eat them in any way shape or form.  Here is a few of the ways I have featured them on zesty in the past:

• Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
• Sizzling Sweet Potato Skins
• Grilled Sweet Potatoes
• Baked Sweet Potato Fries
• Garlic Mashed Sweet Potatoes

It is hard to believe how many times I have feature sweet potatoes but as I am sure you will agree with me…. these little orange babies are tough to beat.  Below is the simple instructions I used to create the Sweet Potato Stack.

Ingredients

• 2 Large sweet potatoes
• 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Method

1. Preheat Oven to 400 degrees and line baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Toss sweet potatoes in olive oil
3. Add salt and pepper
4. Bake for 20-30 minutes  – watching the sweet potatoes caramelize on the top.  Turn the potatoes over and continue cooking for another 10 minutes.



5. Move the sweet potatoes to the top rack and turn the heat down to 250 to let the sweet potatoes dry a little bit and become even crispier.
6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: The huge tip here is the thickness that you cut the sweet potatoes.  Cutting them too thin will cause them to burn and become inedible and cutting them too thick will almost cause them to be baked.  About an inch thick is the ideal thickness to get the amazing caramelized crust and the soft marshmallow like texture on the inside.

Zesty’s House Cleaning

1. Please Vote for me and Campbell’s.
2. Enter to win the free blog makeover giveaway

Alright Monday is in full wing and things are happening and back to “normal“.  I want everyone to have a great Monday and start the week off with a bang.  How is the weather in your region of the world?  I woke up to heavy rains and high winds… is spring on the way?  Let me know your thoughts on mother nature and I will talk to you soon.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

An Oh Canada Sweet Potato Stack!

Related posts:

1. Guest Post: Sweet Potato and Goat Cheese Gratin
2. Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
3. Labor Day Potato Salad
4. Grilled Beef and Sweet Potatoes
5. Simple Lamb and Potato Stew

Well Surprise Surprise and Happy Friday!  I was thinking Wednesday night as I watched Team Canada wipe out Russia in Men’s hockey and now last night the Woman’s hockey Team capturing Gold that a fun post would be to chatter about TV snacks – specifically Olympic TV snacks.

For me TV snacks are what I think about the whole day.  Lately I have been devouring chips into as if I had just heard a break news story on CNN that come the end of February all potato chips will be ceased and no longer allowed to be sold.  Enough of me and the chips…. Here are some other tasty snacks I really enjoy while sitting in front of the Olympics.

1. Cashews - I love the crunch and I find these way to addictive.  I can quickly find myself at the bottom of the bag or tin before I even realize.  These are dangerous!



2. Licorice Babies – Anything black licorice I am all over like a plump kid on a rolo bar.  I cannot get enough of these.  And lately Ganong has not been letting me down.  The bags are super fresh and almost melt in your mouth like.  I also love the black Ju Jubes as well.



3. Chicken Wings ( I know not technically a snack but it is for me ) – One of my all time fav foods.  Chicken wings RULE!  Love Love Love them.



4. Ice Cream Sandwiches – Me and ice cream are not super close friends but sometimes we have little sessions where we feel inseparable.  I definitely go through phases with Ice cream.  Lately I just love these Ice cream sandwiches



5. Chocolate - Enough said!

Open Sky Exclusive: An Open Sky Dinner Party

Two weeks ago I was contacted by the great folks at Open Sky to be part of the 8 person team assembled to pull off a Dinner Party Exclusive: The expert guide to throwing a dinner party.  Of course I jumped at the opportunity because it involved food.  They asked me to come up with a salad course for the dinner party – I was happy to oblige.

So you may ask yourself, What the heck is he talking about.  It’s OK – sometimes I struggle at explaining stuff in full detail just ask Mrs. Zesty.

Throwing a successful and memorable dinner party is no easy undertaking. Table settings, recipes, food prep and more…Where does one even begin?

OpenSky has assembled a team of experts who know just how to throw the perfect dinner event. We’re calling them the Dinner Party Dream Team!

With combined knowledge and experience, we guarantee your next party is a success. Whether you’re entertaining close family or greeting new friends, this is your ultimate dinner party guide!

So, how do you join the party!?

• Check out the promo page

• Buy ANY product featured below from their OpenSky Shop and you will receive “Dinner Parties: The Complete Expert Guide for FREE.

This guide provides tips and recipes for a complete and impressive dinner party. A complete list of our experts, recipes, and featured products below:

1. Hors d’oeuvre – Hummus and Crudités Provided by Denise Hazime of Dede Med
2. Butternut Squash Soup From Alison and Shannon of Cooking With Friends
3. Whole Lotta Avocado and Orange Salad From Cory of Zesty Cook ( That’s Me)
4. Pinot Braised Short Ribs From Michael Ruhlman
5. Vegetarian Entrée – Sundried Tomato and Feta Frittata From Lori of Finding Radiance
6. Creamy Potato Mustard Gratin From Greg of Sippity Sup
7. Grapefruit Panna Cotta From Michael Laiskonis

I do not want to give away too many details as it is a MUST SEE!  Go check out the promo page, peek your interest and grab the dinner party exclusive.

Enjoy your weekend and have fun!

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Tell Zesty Your Favorite TV Snacks & A Dinner Party Exclusive!

Related posts:

1. Zesty’s 5 Favorite Thanksgiving Foods. Tell Me Yours!
2. Top 9 Party Planning Ideas
3. An Extended Zesty-In Law Party
4. What Food Fuels your Day? Tell Zesty!
5. What’s your Favorite Seasoning?

Happy Wednesday!  Let me first off say thank you for all the comments on my latest BLOG Makeover Giveaway.  It really is fun to give back to the blogging community and help friendly people out.  I am really impressed with the excitement level and I cannot wait to announce the winner next week.  So many people have tweeted about it and mentioned it on their blogs… so great.

On to the Food

Who loves vegetables?  Who loves simple, easy to make stews that require no really thought and monitoring at the stove?  Who like to eat?  I am hopeful you answered yes to at least two of those questions.  Neither here nor there – I have come up with a recipe that even kind of impressed Mrs. Zesty ( who is not a huge vegetable lover ) which to me means WHOOO HOOOO.

I have been really into lentils as of late and I wanted to come up with an easy way to put these babies to good use.  I had also found a couple of cans of tomatoes on sale.  Loving the sales and I will even use a coupon every now and again if I have them.  Want to see a cool site about cost saving ideas, coupons galore and wicked recipes?  If so check out 5 Dollar Dinners – Erin’s site is jam packed with cool information.

So with the tomatoes and the lentils I had built up an urge for a nice warming stew packed with flavor.  How do you pack it with flavor?  Low and slow and a few key spices.

Ingredients

• 2 15 Oz Cans of crushed tomatoes
• 1 Clove garlic
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 6 Cups water
• 1 Cup pearl barley
• 2 Cups lentils
• 2 Large carrots ( cubed)
• 8 baby Potatoes ( quartered )
• 1 Turnip ( cubed)
• 1 Cup frozen peas
• 1 Cup frozen corn
• 1 Tsp. Celery salt
• 2 Tsp. Chili powder
• 1/2 Tsp. Red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Preheat large sauce pan over medium heat.
2. Add olive oil, turnip and carrots and begin to brown for about 5-7 minutes



3. Toss in garlic, tomatoes, celery salt, chili powder and red pepper flakes;  let simmer for 5 minutes



4. Add lentils and water; let cook on low for 15 minutes
5. Add barley and cook for 10 more minutes; then toss in potatoes and let simmer for another 20 minutes
6. Remove the lid and check for consistency.  If you think it needs more water – feel free to add some.  if you find it is too runny keep simmering with the lid off for 15 minutes.



7. Once the consistency is right, add peas and corn and stri through for 3 minutes.
8. Serve it up with a nice piece of beer bread if you have an.
9. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: By sauteing the root vegetables before simmering the stew you are packing the base of the stew with flavor right out of the gate.  For a more traditional base you may use carrots, celery and onion but I didn’t have any celery and Mrs. Zesty is not a fan of onions at all.

This was a really fun post to write and an even funner stew to make.  I would love to hear your favorite stew ideas if you have any.  Feel free to post your all time fav stew ingredients in the comment section.

Around the Blogsphere

• I guess we better keep voting for me at Goodbite.com and my Campbell’s debut.  I can only assume I am not winning the contest so VOTE now!
• An unbelievable pancake over at Healthy Tipping Point.
• Like Omelets?  try this one from Jaden

I hope you have a great Wednesday and don’t forget to enter the makeover giveaway if you have not done so already.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Kicked Up Vegetable Stew Made Easy

Related posts:

1. Curried Red Lentil Soup with Chickpeas and Quinoa
2. Simple Lamb and Potato Stew
3. A Sassy Lentil Salad
4. Kicked Up Carrot Juice and a House Update
5. Shepherds Pie, House Work & Open Sky

Good morning to you!  I thought it would be fun to start off the week with a bang.  Well now not literally a bang but you know what I mean.  Do you remember my latest makeover giveaway not that long ago?  Well it turns out that the winner of the makeover has decided to take a break from blogging so she ended up not doing her makeover.

With that said,  It’s makeover giveaway time again!  The latest makeover I have worked on was last week when Operation Beautiful received a face lift in anticipation of the “Book” launch that is coming out in August.

Now onto the details

I wanted to create a little more excitment on how to enter into this contest instead of just the traditional – sign up thru RSS.  I have come up with a number of ways you can enter into this contest in hope of winning the makeover.  The different ways are listed below.

How To Enter:

• Become a new email subscriber and automatically get an entry on draw date. Note that only verified subscribers count (you will receive a verification email). (+1 entry)
• Leave a comment listing your “FAVORITE” Olympic sport. (+1 entry)
• Post on your “FACEBOOK” page.
• Tweet about the giveaway and include @zestycook and the link to the giveaway in the tweet. (+1 entry)
• Earn an extra chance to win by linking back to this post on your own blog (if you have one). (+1 entry) (please email me if you link back)

The Rules:

• Please only 1 comment entry / person (please enter a valid email address). Your email will be kept private and never given/sold to third parties.
• The winners will receive 10 hours of Blog Consulting/Design Makeover.  ( It usually turns out to be a few more hours but I am more than happy to fulfill the obligation.

So let me know what you think and tell me your favorite Olympic sport in the comments below! A random generator will be used to pick the winner. Contest will end at 5pm EST March 5th, 2010.

Now I hope you have a great start to the week and get really excited about the giveaway.  Past makeover giveaways have a been a huge success so I would like to keep the tradition going.    I will be keeping tabs and dropping reminder hints over the next week or so to enter but until then have a fantastic Monday.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

It’s Makeover GIVEAWAY Time!

Related posts:

1. Reminder Zesty Blog Makeover Giveaway
2. Zesty Giveaway: Blog Makeover
3. You Got It…. Another Makeover Giveaway!
4. A POM Tea Giveaway
5. A Pom Giveaway

Hey Zesty Cook readers, it’s Jenny over at Picky Palate.  I am thrilled to be guest posting here at Zesty’s!  At Picky Palate, I create simple family friendly meals and desserts for even those picky little eaters, come on over for a visit sometime

I am sharing one of my all time favorite sinful desserts today that I think you will love!  Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Cookie Bars.  I was even lucky enough to be featured on Bettycrocker.com with these bad boys!

The best part of this recipe is that it’s a breeze to whip up, the kids can help and you can find all of the ingredients at any grocery store.  Hope you all enjoy!!

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons melted butter
• 3 Cups Golden Graham Cereal, ground in food processor
• 1 Roll Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough
• 8 oz softened cream cheese
• 1/4 Cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 21 oz can apple pie filling
• 1 -  5 oz package Nature Valley Oats N’ Honey Crunchy Granola Bars (2 count), crushed (I use a rolling pin to crush them right in the bag before opening)
• 9 -  5 oz Kraft Caramels
• 1/2 Cup half and half

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine melted butter and ground cereal into a large bowl; press into an 8×8 inch baking dish lined with foil that’s been sprayed with cooking spray.
3. Bake for 10 minutes then remove from oven.  Crumble half of the cookie dough over partially baked crust.
4. Place cream cheese, sugar and vanilla into a mixer; beat until smooth.  Pour over crumbled cookie dough layer.
5. Bake for 25 minutes then remove from over.  Top with 3/4 of the apple pie filling (I chose to just add part, but you can add the whole can if desired).
6. Next top with remaining cookie dough, breaking off into little pieces evenly over top.
7. Sprinkle with crushed granola bars and bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes clean from center.
8. Let cool completely then cut into squares.
9. Melt caramels and half and half according to package directions.
10. Drizzle over each bar.
11. ENJOY!

A special thanks to Jenny at the Picky Palate for a fun and amazing looking recipe.  Be sure to check out her site – you will find some amazing recipes!  I hope everyone has a great weekend and I will talk to you all on Monday.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Caramel Apple Creamcheese Cookie Bars

Related posts:

1. Guest Post: Magic Cookie Bars
2. Warm Toasted Marshmallow S’more Bars
3. Apple Orchard, Apple Pie and Half Marathon Results
4. An Amazing Cheese Puff!
5. A Big Rant and A Little Bit of Apple Crisp

Happy Wednesday!    We are snowed in today and everything is canceled.  As I look out the window this morning I just see “WHITE”.  Looks like I will be working from home.  The kids are home and I am getting geared up for a day of “racket”.

What better way to spend a SNOW Wednesday than giving a great discount on an awesome product in my shop.  Wait until you hear this deal…

Welcome to the Modern Main Street.

To get to the Promo Page follow the this link Special Coupon – Prepara Table Tongs for just $1.99 & 25% discount on ALL Prepara products in Zesty Cook’s Shop!

I am excited to offer an exclusive discount on the Prepara Table Tongs and on all my favorite Prepara products. Enter your email address and you’ll be eligible to receive a coupon redeemable for the Prepara Table Tongs. A product valued at $14.95 for only $1.99.

Yes that is right!  The first 20 people to purchase the Prepara Table Tongs get them for a price of $1.99.

I received all these products last week and I super impressed with the quality and the functionality.  Whether you are serving a simple sauce from the pan, picking out some tomatoes in a salad (this is how I used them the other night because I like to raid the garden salad for the grape tomatoes before anyone else gets to the table) or serving up the best darn pasta you ever made…. these table tongs are the answer.

I would like to thank the folks a Prepara and OpenSky for these great promotion.  Have a great Wednesday and wish me luck on the shoveling.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Special Discount Offer – Prepara Table Tongs

Related posts:

1. It’s an Open Sky!
2. A Whole Lotta Avocado and Orange Salad!
3. Tell Zesty Your Favorite TV Snacks & A Dinner Party Exclusive!
4. Back to Basics Egg-and-Muffin Toaster
5. Top 7 Ways to Use Tomatoes

Ok, so I have to confess a little bit here. I totally forgot to post yesterday being Monday and all do to the holiday. My apologies for that. To make it up to you I think I have a pretty tasty recipe that you can try at home and I think you even may be impressed at the fact it is “HEALTHY“. Whole grain oatmeal raisin cookies with a couple of unique ingredients that I have been dying to try for a while now.  Agave nectar and apple juice in cookies really keeps them on the healthy and lighter side by avoiding the heaviness of the oil and the sugar.

Let me know what you think of the recipe but I think they turned out quite good. They are chewy in texture as well as being soft. They are nice right out of the oven or slightly warmed in the microwave.  I like 18 seconds of warming time depending on your microwave of course.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 3/4 Cup organic whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 Cup organic unbleached white flour
• 2 Tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 Tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 Tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 Cup raisins
• 1/4 Cup flax seeds
• 1/2 Cup low Fat Plain Yogurt
• 1/2 Cup Apple Juice
• 1/4 Cup maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp. Agave Nectar
• 1 Tsp. pure vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400°.  Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, flours, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, raisins and nuts.
3. In another bowl or blender combine remaining liquid ingredients.
4. Mix together the wet and dry ingredients.
5. Drop batter by heaping tablespoons, about two inches apart, on to the baking sheets.
6. Press each cookie with moisten fingers or a spoon to flatten.
7. Bake 17 to 20 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom.
8. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool.



9. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: For an even softer cookie, I like to slightly under cook the cookie as it will continue to cook internally after you take them out.  The apple juice and yogurt will also aide in the moisture department.

So there you have it, a fun healthy recipe you can try at home.  I had to test the cookies out of course as I watched the Olympics.  They turned out just as I hoped.  Is anybody else following the Olympics closely?

Stay tuned for a post that you will not want to miss tomorrow.  It is all about Zesty and Opensky giving back to all of you.  Have a fantastic Monday Tuesday and I will talk to you bright and early in the morning.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Yummy Whole Grain Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Related posts:

1. Drop it Raisin Cookies
2. Super Star Sugar Cookies
3. Guest Post: Peanut Butter and Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
4. Soft Chewy Molasses Cookies with Travel
5. Crispy Peanut Butter Cookies

It’s Friday!!  Last night I was trying to think of what to make for supper and I remember picking up some green beans and I thought it would be a great side dish to go with some baked haddock.  It was so nice to have just a simple dinner after a long day.  I was really impressed with the flavor combination on the beans.  Balsamic vinegar is a great addition to any quick vegetable saute.

To finish off the beans, I topped them with Parmesan cheese and sliced almonds.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups of Green Beans
• 1 Tbsp. Water
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. Basil Paste
• Sea Salt
• Cracked Black Pepper
• Sliced almonds
• Parmesan Cheese

Method

1. Preheat saute pan on high and add the water and beans.







Kitty on the counter making sure everything is going according to plan.

2. Cook beans until the water dissolves about 3 minutes and then add balsamic vinegar, garlic and basil paste



3. Stir fry for another minute and add the pepper.
4. Top off with sliced almonds and Parmesan cheese
5. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: To make a garlic paste, slice the garlic finely and add a little bit of salt on the board and rub the garlic back and forth over it on the board.  The salt will break down the garlic and make a great paste for the beans.

So there you have it!  A quick and simple bean dish for absolutely everyone.  Try it and let me know what you think.  As I was eating it last night I thought that a nice addition would be a splash of some red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce to really quick it up.  Nonetheless I enjoyed it!

I hope you have an awesome Friday and a great Valentine’s day!  We have a busy weekend lined up with the Olympics, Jack Frost Winter Festival, and some music lessons.  Enjoy your weekend and we shall talk on Monday.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Beans, Basil and Balsamic!

Related posts:

1. True Comfort Food: String Beans w/ Lamb
2. Beans for Beantown and Some Beef
3. Oh Yum… Basil Beef Pesto Fettucine
4. No Sweat Balsamic Glazed Salmon
5. Grilled Orange Balsamic Pork and New PEI Potatoes

Hi all, I hope you are having a grand Wednesday. Before I start on today’s really fun post I just wanted to mention again that if you have not voted yet for my recipe on goodbite you can do so by going over here now.  You can only vote once per day but together I hope we can make a difference and donate a $1000 to Heifer International.

On to the Food

Who said chips had to be made with potatoes?  Not me that’s for sure.

Today I wanted to create something a little different and of course use one of my favorite kitchen products – my swissmar slicer.  If you have never tried this slicer – it is a must have in your kitchen.  You can pick one up at Opensky today.  Parsnips have a very unique flavor but there is something about them – that I just love.  For this recipe I thought I would kick them up and add a little cinnamon and honey.  They turned out almost candy like but were very yummy.

Let’s just say I probably should have peeled a few more parsnips into the mix but it was all I had left.  This is great for an appetizer or even a side dish with a nice piece of fish.

Ingredients

• 1 Large Parsnip
• 1 Tbsp. Honey
• 1 Tsp. Cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• Ground pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and peel the parsnip





2. Using your slicer, slice the parsnip into discs.
3. In a large bowl toss the parsnips slices with olive oil, pepper, cinnamon and honey







4. Arrange on a pre lined baking sheet and bake for about 25-30 minutes



5. Turn parsnips after 15 minutes and continue cooking
6. Remove when golden brown
7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Be careful not to burn this little chips.  Because of the high sugar content they will burn if left unattended.  I like to move them to the top rack after the first 15 minutes and turning once.  This will allow them to dry out and crisp up without burning.

Around the Blogsphere

• Janna over at Just Flourishing is having a fun Valentine’s giveaway.  You have to check this out and you may be just in time to be the lucky winner.
• Late last week Deb from smitten kitchen made one of my all time favorite dishes…. Ginger Fried Rice.  I would so eat the whole pot.

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Super Sweet Parsnip Chips

Related posts:

1. An Oh Canada Sweet Potato Stack!
2. Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
3. Super Simple Waffles with Raspberry Sauce
4. A Super Strawberry Puff
5. Guest Post: Sweet Potato and Goat Cheese Gratin

Hi all and Happy Tuesday!  Today is one of the “BIG” announcements that I had promised you from my super bowl wrap up post.  A few weeks ago Goodbite.com and Campbellskitchen.com asked 5 top food bloggers to come together and design an original “Sunday Supper” idea using Campbell’s Condensed Great for Cooking Soups.

See them all here and Vote – www.goodbite.com/campbells

I am still finding it hard to believe that I was one of the 5 chosen food bloggers to deliver my rendition of a “SIMPLE SUNDAY SUPPER”.  I went with a pretty traditional classic recipe that uses Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup as the cream sauce and chicken and broccoli as the substance over some delicious noodle.

Vote for my recipe at www.goodbite.com/Campbells and if I win, I’ll be able to donate $1,000 to Heifer International, a worthy food charity who are working with communities to end hunger and poverty and to care for the earth.

I think it would be pretty fun to win so I am asking all of my readers who have a blog to mention this contest on their blog(s) and give a shout out to zesty as well as for all my readers who do not have blogs… just to tell their family members and friends and have them vote for the Sunday Supper they think is the best.

I will be back tomorrow with an update on how things are going as well as a special valentine’s day idea for everyone.

Take care and have a great Tuesday.

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Zesty Teams Up With Campbell’s and Goodbite.com

Related posts:

1. Zesty…Goodbite.com…Quaker – VIDEO!!
2. Zesty Launches Blog Consulting
3. Zesty’s Video Debut: Plea for Votes
4. Zesty’s 1st Anniversary
5. Caramel Apple Creamcheese Cookie Bars