Heart-Healthy Mazola Corn Oil

2014 started off with a new addition to our family - the birth of our precious son!

Peyton was born on January 7th and has brought us so much joy. I want to be here as long as possible for my loved ones. Having a healthy heart is important. Sadly, my father passed away from a heart attack at the young age of 38. I was only 6 years old at the time and even now that I'm 33 (as of yesterday), I still miss him just as much as I did when I was 6. I don't want my children to have to deal with the pain that I went through at such a young age.

This month I was happy to learn that Mazola teamed up with Allrecipes.com and came up with a collection of heart-healthy recipes. Check them out!

The first recipe from the collection that I made was Sweet and Spicy Salmon with Grapefruit Salsa. I followed the recipe completely but I did change one thing. I subbed mandarin oranges for the grapefruit. To my surprise, my almost 9 year old son ate it quickly and didn't say it was too spicy (he has a low heat tolerance). He loved it! The flavors came together perfectly. Here's my snapshot of deliciousness:

The second recipe I made from the Mazola collection was Pork Carnitas with Cilantro Tomatillo Sauce. I made them last night for my birthday, and wow, they were awesome! The cilantro tomatillo salsa compliment the delicious pork carnitas to a tee. I changed up the salsa (the recipes calls it a sauce, but the the chunkiness of the ingredients scream salsa). I did add a bit of finely diced fresh jalapeno, sliced green onion, minced garlic, and a splash of lime juice to the rest of the ingredients. This really was fantastic and we enjoyed the carnitas. They were so delicious and I will definitely make them more often! See for yourself how yummy they look:

I cannot wait to try more Mazola Corn Oil heart-healthy recipes! For more information, check out their Mazola website and you can also check out the healthy benefits of cooking with Mazola Corn Oil. Happy cooking! :)

#AllstarsMazola

I am an Allrecipes Allstar Brand Ambassador and I'm not compensated for my work with Allrecipes.com. Products received from advertiser are only used for experience-based reviews on Daily Living. The reviews, content and opinions expressed in this blog are purely the sole opinions of Courtney Woods. To learn more about the Allrecipes Allstars program, visit Allrecipes Allstars.

Ore-Ida or else!!

I had the pleasure of working with Ore-Ida and using their products in/with my meals this month. They have a great range of french fries, tater tots, and hash browns. The first meal we had used Ore-Ida Zesties french fries, along with chicken strips, and gravy. It was a quick, tasty meal and easily came together.

Sundays are football days and I made chili cheese fries, which were perfect for game day. I cooked the Ore-Ida Zesties, then topped them with heated chili and melted cheese on the top. Of course, a few sprinkles of chopped onions were good too. These are a definite crowd pleaser!

Last night's meal was courtesy of a recipe from Ore-Ida's site called Sloppy Tots using Ore-Ida Tater Tots. It was so simple, yet tasted delicious. My 8 year old son reallllly enjoyed it, as he kept telling me while he happily ate. LOL If your family likes tater tots, sloppy joes, and cheese, then I highly recommend this easy, yet flavorful recipe. 

Ore-Ida has a big variety of products suitable to your needs. The next thing I'll make soon with their products? Country Style Hash Brown Casserole, of course! Happy cooking!! :)

#AllstarsOreIda

I am an Allrecipes Allstar Brand Ambassador (a voluntary position) and I'm not compensated for my work with Allrecipes.com.

A month of Johnsonville Italian...

This month was all about sausage. Johnsonville Italian Sausage to be specific. If your family is looking for something versatile and packed with flavor, this is it!! You can turn ordinary into Ooooh La La by subbing Johnsonville for ground beef to put a spin on your favorite dishes as well. 

After sorting through delicious Johnsonville recipes at Allecipes.com, I made three recipes from the collection this month. The first recipe I chose was Pizza Pasta by Johnsonville. My household approved of it! Yum! I added onions to it, along with extra cheese. Next time I will probably add in pepperoni and perhaps a bit more pizza sauce. The flavors came together so well. We served it with garlic bread and it was so quiet during dinner - they were too busy eating! Here it is:

Another night I was running behind and looking for a quick meal. I ended up making Johnsonville One-Pan Italian. With only 4 ingredients (one was water), it came together fast and effortlessly! That's my kind of meal. Doesn't it look yummy?! :)

The last recipe I chose was Italian Sausage Market Meatloaf. It has Johnsonville Italian sausage, ground beef, veggies, and seasoning and it is stuffed with Provolone cheese and baby spinach. It did need to be baked longer than the recipe stated (I baked mine over 20 minutes longer). It's different from traditional meatloaf recipes and great when you want to change things up. My guys enjoyed it, and that makes me happy! 

We really enjoy Johnsonville Italian sausage. This month may be over (almost), but my recipe adventures with this product have only just begun!

#JvilleKitchens #AllstarsJville

I am an Allrecipes Allstar Brand Ambassador (a voluntary position) and I'm not compensated for my work with Allrecipes.com.

Bison. Try it - you just might like it!!!

Being an Allstar is fun!!! I never know what each month will bring. This month, I was lucky enough to be able to try Bison. Yes, B-I-S-O-N. I know, it's not something that is common where I live, but let me just say, it is tasty!! I was suppose to make one recipe from a selected list of recipes. However, it was so good, that I made two recipes. YUM!! My family and I enjoyed it. 

The first recipe I made was called Asian Noodle Bowl.

I have to admit, I'm not a fan of peanut sauce. I had to make my own, as it's not available in the town where I live. My boyfriend and my son both liked it. I however, would've preferred it without the peanut sauce. But the Bison was fantastic! To make it more to my liking, I served mine with extra sriracha and even *gasp* sweet and sour sauce. It sure does look yummy!

I had some skirt steak left and decided to also make Bison Fajitas with Guacamole Salad. The recipe calls for flank steak, but I used Bison skirt steak (that my boyfriend grilled) and it was oh so delicious!! We all loved this one!! Of course, we had to add cheese to our fajitas. The guacamole was perfect with the fajitas. I added some lime juice to the guacamole also. Mmm, I'm hungry just talking about it! :)

We had never had Bison before this month. I'm so glad we had the opportunity to try it. My household gives it two thumbs up!!! I would recommend it to anyone. It really is delicious. I hope that it becomes available where I live one day soon. If it doesn't sound like something you would eat, try it - you just might like it!!! We did! :)

I am an Allrecipes Allstar Brand Ambassador (a voluntary position) and I'm not compensated for my work with Allrecipes.com.

Goya, Goya, and Goya... :)

August was a busy month. Goya was another sponsor that I had the pleasure of choosing and cooking recipes for. I selected three Goya recipes.

 

The first recipe I chose to make was Cheesy Chicken and Yellow Rice.

 

It was so simple and yet so flavorful. All 3 of us loved it at my house. My 8 year old kept saying, "Mom, this is one of the best recipes ever!" :) I used more chicken than what it called for and extra cheese. Of course, my boyfriend and I added Sriracha, but it was great even as is.

 

The second recipe I made was Black Bean Salsa.

 

The longer this sits, the better the taste comes together. My boyfriend really enjoyed it with tortilla chips. I added in diced jalapenos instead of the slices and wish I would've added more. Really good though!

 

And my final recipe I made was Three Bean Salad.

 

I couldn't find the Goya Salad & Vegetable Seasoning, so I subbed a packet of Italian dressing mix instead. I also added a little extra Italian dressing once it sat for a while. It was a refreshing recipe. It would be fun to try mixing and matching other kinds of beans in as well. Some chopped onion would be a nice addition too.

 

I'm looking forward to making other recipes in the Goya collection. "If it's Goya, it has to be good."

 

I am an Allrecipes Allstar Brand Ambassador (a voluntary position) and
I’m not compensated for my work with Allrecipes.com.

Beef. It's what's for dinner (and breakfast too!).

The month of August was all about "Beef. It's What's For Dinner." This month I was able to choose from a selection of delicious recipes and ended up making two. I'm certain I will make more recipes from the collection in the future. The first recipe I made was Beef Breakfast Burrito.

 

My 8 year old son, my boyfriend and I all enjoyed them. The recipe left off the sour cream for the lime-cilantro cream, but after checking around, I found it was suppose to be 1/2 cup sour cream mixed with the cilantro and lime juice. I doubled the recipe and used extra cheese (we love cheese). This would be really good with potatoes added in as well. Overall, it was delicious!! :)

 

The second recipe I chose to make was Greek-Seasoned T-Bone Steaks with Cucumber and Tomato Salad.

 

We rubbed the steaks lightly with olive oil in addition to the Greek seasoning. I think they could've used a bit more flavor, or sat for a while before grilling to soak up the flavor. The salad was refreshing and I did drizzle it with Italian dressing. All in all, it was a great combination and went well together.

 

Did you know... Top sirloin contains 5 grams of fat, while skinless chicken thighs have 7 grams of total fat?! Take a look at other interesting facts and benefits:

http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/health.aspx 

 

We have always been fans of beef in my household and we will continue to be. Beef. It's What's For Dinner. (And breakfast too!)

I am an Allrecipes Allstar Brand Ambassador (a voluntary position) and
I’m not compensated for my work with Allrecipes.com.

 

Karo, Pillsbury, and Halloween - Oh my!!

 

October is one of my favorite months!! The weather gets a little cooler (much needed here in Texas), Halloween type movies are aired all month, and my favorite holiday happens - HALLOWEEN!! There's also trick-or-treating with my son, fun parties, costumes, and trying out new recipes of course. :)

I made caramel corn for the first time, and not just any caramel corn, it was Classic Caramel Corn. It was yummy! I had to take a pic of the the finished product:

I also made Sausage and Cheese Crescent Squares from Pillsbury. I followed the recipe, but I added in 6 eggs when the sausage was almost finished cooking along with a bit of salsa. Instead of sprinkling the sharp cheddar, I mixed it in with the other ingredients. It was fantastic! We all loved it! It is great any time of the day. My 7 year old son is still raving about it! :D Here's a pic of him enjoying a square, and of the finished product. Very easy to make!!

Of course, we had fun with costumes... Here is a picture of my boyfriend and I before a party. I was a midnite fairy, he was a rockstar. We had tons of fun!!

My boyfriend, son and I were prepared for trick-or-treating as well:

We had a blast! The month is over, but we have our memories...

I'm not great at decorating, but one thing I can do - have fun with my family! Good times and good food make us all happy. Wonder what November will hold in store... ;)

I am an Allrecipes Allstar Brand Ambassador (a voluntary position) and
I’m not compensated for my work with Allrecipes.com.