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Pecan Pork Tenderloin with KRAFT Fresh Take {Recipe}

January 25, 2012 By 2 Comments

A few months ago, I was fortunate enough to visit the KRAFT kitchens as part of the BlogEats Blogger Conference.  One of the products we learned about, Fresh Take, was top secret…until NOW!  This January, KRAFT Fresh Take will make it’s way to your local grocery store and you do NOT want to miss it!

As a busy Mom, I tend to get stuck in the same meal plan week after week (the kids even know to look for Red Beans and Rice on Mondays).  So, I was excited to have KRAFT show me a Fresh Take on dinner.  The mix can be found in the refrigerated dairy section of your grocery store because it consists of one resealable plastic pouch separated into two compartmentalized sections (seasoned breadcrumbs on one side, blend of natural cheese on the other).

I had the opportunity to try the Italian Parmesan variety with my family tonight.  Before starting, you simply open the pouch and mix the breadcrumbs and cheese.  The pouch serves as the mixing bowl….no extra dishes to clean up!  Then you are ready to coat chicken, pork, fish or beef and bake.  Under five minutes of prep time! After baking for about 25 minutes, my Italian Parmesan chicken was ready which I decided to serve over pasta.  I have to say, I was pretty impressed with myself!  The chicken was crunchy, delicious and perfectly seasoned!  In fact, BOTH of my girls asked for seconds…that’s a first!

The KRAFT Fresh Take meal kit come in six varieties: Southwest Three Cheese, Italian Parmesan (delicious!), Rosemary & Roasted Garlic, Cheddar Jack & Bacon, Chili Lime & Panko and Savory Four Cheese.  The suggested retail price is $2.99.

Need some inspiration before you try the new KRAFT Fresh Take?  Check out the recipe below:

Pecan Pork Tenderloin

Print recipe
Pecan Pork Tenderloin
Serves: 8
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Allergy: Tree Nuts
Meal type: Main Dish
Region: Worldwide
Website: Kraft Recipes

Ingredients

  • 1 packet fresh take rosemary & roasted garlic recipe cheese breadcrumb mix ((pre-mixed))
  • 1/2 cup planters pecans ((finely chopped))
  • 2lb pork tenderloin ((trimmed))
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil

Directions

Step 1 HEAT oven to 400°F.
Step 2 COMBINE cheese mixture and nuts. Brush meat with oil; coat evenly with nut mixture.
Step 3 PLACE tenderloins, side-by-side, in foil-lined 13x9-inch pan.
Step 4 BAKE 25 to 30 min. or until done (145ºF). Let stand 3 min. before slicing.
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This post is the opinion of Experimental Mommy.  Others may have a differing opinion of the product.  While I received product in order to facilitate this review, all opinions remain 100% mine.

 

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Top 6 “Mom-umental” Moments of 2011

January 1, 2012 By 5 Comments

As I counted down the seconds until the year 2012 arrived, I became reflective on all that 2011 brought to Experimental Mommy.  There certainly were some Mom-umental Moments and I thought I would share them with you!

6.  Attending KRAFT’s BlogEats Conference:  Even though I can’t successfully boil water or make an ice cube, I found myself standing in the world famous KRAFT kitchen attempting to make recipes from delicious KRAFT products.  It was so much fun and I even got to ride in the Wienermobile!

5.  Meeting Drew Brees:  In November, I was invited to attend a press event to unveil the new Vick’s VapoRub commercial starring Drew Brees and his son, Baylon.  Putting my arm around him and taking a picture was definitely a “pinch me” moment for this Saints fan!

4.  Networking at BlogHer San Diego:  This was my first trip to San Diego and I fell in love with the City.  Simply gorgeous.  On top of the scenery, BlogHer was spent networking with blogger buddies and brands I love.

3.  Helping St. Michael’s Special School with my Pampers Miracle Mission:  I am honored to be on the Pampers Baby Board and was even more thrilled to be given $1,000 to help a charity in my own hometown.  Purchasing supplies needed by the school and delivering to the students was an experience I will never forget.

2.  Rediscovering myself at Callaway Gardens:  This was a family vacation that will live in infamy!  From ziplining to doing a backflip on a trapeze, I conquered many of my fears and learned to believe in myself.

Cecelia, Stacey (Mom Central) and I

1.  Successfully planning and hosting Reviewers Retreat 2011:  Easily one of my best accomplishments to date!  My business partner (and friend), Cecelia and I began the first and only blog conference geared specifically towards building mutually beneficial relationships between product review bloggers and brands.  It went so well, that we are holding Reviewer’s Retreat 2012 in Charlotte, NC on June 3-5th!  Early bird tickets will be on sale through February 29th.  Join us!

 

 

What were your “Mom-umental” Moments of 2011?

Filed Under: Blog Conferences/Brand Events, My So-Called Life Tagged With: , , , , ,

Salty Marbled Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies Recipe

November 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

As you can imagine, visiting the Kraft Kitchens was incredible. Everywhere I turned, there was more food to sample but the below recipe for Salty Marbled Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies was one of my favorites. I can definitely make this for upcoming holiday parties! Enjoy!

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My Experience at the KRAFT BlogEats Conference {Giveaway}

November 10, 2011 By

Ok, let’s be real.  If you read this site, you know that I am not known for my cooking skills….or baking skills….or even boiling a good pot of water.  But this past June, KRAFT took a chance on me (it was a HUGE leap of Faith on their part) and asked me to create a regional sandwich to be featured in the KRAFT Outstandwich campaign.  I decided to go with a traditional New Orleans French Fry Po-boy…how can you mess that up, right?

Now, a few short months later, I found myself headed to the BlogEats conference at the KRAFT Kitchens in Chicago….O.M.G.  In fact, my husband laughed when he learned that I was invited.  I think his exact words were, “I hope then don’t expect you to cook something edible.“  Despite the lack of confidence on the homefront, I boarded a plane and left for BlogEats, a two day conference filled with cooking instruction, food photography tips, and product sampling.

The first night, I had a chance to meet up with the other 13 bloggers in attendance as well as the great people that made this event a reality.  We were treated to an excellent dinner at Maggiano’s which was wonderful (we even had chocolate covered bacon for dessert!) and then left to get some rest at the Doubletree.

After a delicious breakfast featuring Monkey Bread, the next day began with a recipe challenge in the KRAFT Kitchens.  My heart stopped instantly.  I have to create and make a dish right here in front of everyone?  I might die.  Thankfully, I learned that we would be broken into teams….AMEN!  My team was wonderful and I instantly volunteered to be the note-taker…I am good with a pencil.

While this challenge was a ton of fun (who knew?), my favorite part was learning about all of the new products coming down the line.  As a Mom who works outside of the home, I am all for easy meal solutions.  I was excited to learn about the KRAFT Sizzling Salads, a kit that comes with a sauce to cook your meat and a paired dressing for the salad.  We had the opportunity to try the Southwest Chicken variety and it was totally restaurant quality.  Delicious and Easy.

Another one of my favorite products is the Velveeta Cheesy Skillets.  We actually had the opportunity to make the Ultimate Cheeseburger Mac in the KRAFT Kitchens…and get this…..I did it (and yes, it was edible).  Four different varieties are available, but my kids’ favorite is the Nacho Supreme.  One meal, one skillet….what’s not to love?

I had an absolutely amazing time at the KRAFT BlogEats Conference.  I learned so much and walked away with a sense of kitchen confidence that I didn’t have before….and did I mention that I got to ride in the Weinermobile? SCORE!

GIVEAWAY

Want to try some of my favorite KRAFT products?  One winner will receive this HUGE prize pack:

Kraft Foods Food & Family Holiday 2011 Magazine, Chips Ahoy! Chewy Gooey fudge-filled cookies, Ritz Bits Kickin’ Cheddar sandwich crackers, Snackwell’s Fudge-drizzled Caramel Popcorn, Wheat Thins Smoky BBQ snacks, Wheat Thins Sweet Cinnamon snacks, VELVEETA Cheesy Skillets Dinner Kit, Kraft Sizzling Salads Chicken Caesar Dinner Kit, Planter’s Peanut Butter creamy and crunchy flavors, JELL-O Halloween Brain Mold, JELL-O Jigglers Halloween Mold, JELL-O Jigglers Holiday Mold, Assorted flavors of JELL-O gelatin dessert and JELL-O instant pudding including NEW Candy Cane and Gingerbread pudding flavors, JELL-O Halloween Recipe Booklet, JELL-O Holiday “Treat Explosion” Recipe Booklet, Holiday JELL-O Jigglers recipe, JELL-O Jiggle-It app download, Crystal Light mocktail drink mixes, Kool-Aid Scary Blackberry Ghoul-Aid drink mixes, Coupon for one (1) package of any OSCAR MAYER Selects Hot Dogs, Coupon for one (1) package of any OSCAR MAYER Carving Board Meats

Whoa….that’s a LOT!

How to Enter:

1. Tell me which KRAFT product in this prize pack you are most looking forward to receiving!

Additional entries:

1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog (10 extra entries).

2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Limited to 10 a day, please. (You must have over 50 Twitter followers to qualify for unlimited entries!)

3. Subscribe to my blog.

4. Become a Fan of The Not-So-Blog on Facebook.

5. Place my blog button on your sidebar.

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on November 25th. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.

This post is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy.  Others may have a differing opinion of the product.  While a sample was received to facilitate this review, all opinions remain 100% honest. Travel and hotel accommodations were provided by KRAFT but no additional compensation was received.
Filed Under: Blog Conferences/Brand Events, Featured Tagged With: , , ,

Chocolate Covered Bacon? Oh yeah! {Recipe}

October 23, 2011 By 5 Comments

Last week, I was fortunate enough to travel to the Kraft Kitchens in Glendale, Illinois to learn about their new products and initiatives.  I am looking  forward to sharing all the details (I even got to ride in the Oscar Mayer Weiner Mobile!), but there was one recipe that I knew I needed to share immediately.  For those times when you are craving sweet AND salty, this is totally for YOU!

Chocolate-Bacon Crunch

Prep Time: 10 min. | Total Time: 40 min. (incl. cooling) | Makes: 12 servings.

What You Need:

1 pkg. (12 oz.) OSCAR MAYER Thick Sliced Center Cut Bacon
2 squares BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Chocolate
2 Tbsp. chopped PLANTERS Pecans

How you Make It:

  • Heat oven to 400ºF.
  • Place bacon in single layer in foil-lined 15x10x1-inch pan. Bake 15 to 20 min. or until crisp. Drain on paper towels; place on waxed paper.
  • Melt chocolate as directed on package; brush on 1 side of bacon. Sprinkle with nuts.
  • Refrigerate 10 min. or until chocolate is firm. Cut each slice into 4 pieces with kitchen shears.

Nutrition Information Per Serving: 70 calories, 5g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 10mg cholesterol, 160mg sodium, 3g carbohydrate, 0g dietary fiber, 2g sugars, 4g protein, 0%DV vitamin A, 4%DV vitamin C, 0%DV calcium, 0%DV iron.

I know it sounds odd, but give it a chance!  It was honestly very delicious!

This post is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy.  While my hotel and travel expenses were paid for by Kraft, all opinions remain 100% mine.
Filed Under: Blog Conferences/Brand Events, My So-Called Life Tagged With: , ,

Take a Virtual Sandwich Road Trip with KRAFT!

July 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Last month, I shared with you my recipe for the New Orleans French Fry Po-boy and also selected the Chicken Dance Sandwich as the winner from Experimental Mommy.  Now, you can take a virtual sandwich road trip and see our recipes as well as several others to find ways to make your sandwich extraordinary!

Chicken Dance Sandwich

While you are checking out the mouth watering recipes, make sure your enter to win one of four $3,750 cash prizes to take a road trip of your very own!  Enter daily and receive a bonus entry for telling a friend about the contest.  One winner will be chosen weekly from July 18-August 14, 2011.

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KRAFT Macaroni and Cheese Veggie Pasta: Review and Giveaway

July 9, 2011 By

I would love to tell you that both of my children are fabulous, healthy eaters.  Unfortunately, dinnertime can be a battle.  As any good Mom, I want to make sure that my children are offered whole grains, vegetables and fruits several times throughout the day.  While they love most fruits, I have been unsuccessful in getting them to eat most vegetables.  Spinach, celery and corn is about the extent of their repetoire so I am constantly trying to find ways to introduce more vitamins into their diets.

One thing they love?  KRAFT macaroni and cheese.  Every time.  So, when I learned that KRAFT produced a Macaroni and Cheese Veggie Pasta, I couldn’t wait to make the switch!  About the product:

“New KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese Dinner Veggie Pasta has the great taste of KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese that kids and adults love, now with a half serving of vegetables* per one cup of product. KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese Dinner Veggie Pasta can be enjoyed in two flavors – Original and Three Cheese. Prepare creamy cheese sauce mix and pour over steaming noodles to experience the classic taste of original KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese the whole family will love.

*The equivalent of a 1/2 serving (1/4 cup) of cauliflower per cup of product. USDA MyPyramid.gov recommends 2 1/2 cups (5 servings) per day for a 2,000-calorie diet.”

Preparing the veggie pasta was no different and the finished product looked and smelled just like original version as well.  But would the kids be able to tell the difference?  Would they sniff out the hidden vegetables and reject the pasta?

No!

In fact, they loved it and requested seconds as per the usual reaction to KRAFT macaroni and cheese dinners.  I am so pleased that I can rest assured that my girls will get a 1/2 serving of veggies with no complaints and little effort on my part.  We will definitely be purchasing KRAFT Macaroni and Cheese Veggie Pasta again!

Want to try it?  Print a coupon!

GIVEAWAY

KRAFT would like to give FOUR boxes of KRAFT Macaroni and Cheese Veggie Pasta to one lucky winner!

How to Enter:

1. Tell me how you get your kids to eat their veggies!

Additional entries:

1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog (10 extra entries).

2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Limited to 10 a day, please. (You must have over 50 Twitter followers to qualify for unlimited entries!)

3. Subscribe to my blog.

4. Become a Fan of The Not-So-Blog and KRAFT Macaroni and Cheese on Facebook.

5. Place my blog button on your sidebar.

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on July 25th.  Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.

This review is the opinion The Experimental Mommy. Others may have a differing opinion of the product.  While a sample was received to facilitate this review, all opinions remain 100% honest.
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WINNERS!

July 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Are We There Yet by Aurora: Lisa C.

KRAFT Mac and Cheese:  Donna B.

Go Anywhere Booster Seat:  Jen H.

Aromatic Escape: Melissa N.

Channellock:  Wanda B.

Australian Gold Sunscreen: Kristy H.

Red Envelope: Tawnda M.

Congrats to all the winners!  You will all be emailed shortly.  Please see my Winner Policy Page.

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The Oklahoma Outstandwich!

June 26, 2011 By 3 Comments

Recently, I participated in a virtual sandwich road trip with KRAFT and shared with you my recipe for the New Orleans French Fry Po-Boy.  I invited you to share with me your favorite regional recipe for a chance to be featured on the new KRAFT Outstandwich site launching July 18th and a $100 AMEX gift card.  After the panel and I read through every single recipe (there were some incredible ones!) and making a few of them ourselves, we decided that the winning recipe was:

“The Chicken Dance Sandwich”

submitted by Cheryl Wilson of Coalgate, Oklahoma

What you Need:

1 to 2 lb package of fresh chicken tenders
1 box of Tabasco flavored cheese crackers
1 8oz of sour cream (or you could do yogurt)
1 packet of your favorite Taco Seasoning mix
1 package of sliced baby swiss cheese
slider buns or regular buns

dressing condiment
1/4 cup of ranch dressing with 2 tablespoons of salsa mix in

How to Make it:

Wash and pat dry the chicken tenders. In a food processor (or ziplock and heavy object) crush the Tabasco cheese crackers. Next mix the packet of taco seasoning into the 8oz of sour cream. Dredge the chicken tenders through the sour cream mixture and then roll in the crushed cheese it crackers. Place in a casserole dish and bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes. You are looking for a deep coppery color on the crust. Toast or steam the buns. Then place the chicken tenders on bottom bun and drizzle with the southwestern dressing. Place swiss cheese on top of chicken and cover with foil to melt cheese. Next dress with lettuce, onion or tomato or nothing else….it is up to you! Place the top bun on and chow down.

Thanks, Cheryl!  This is an amazing sandwich that appealed to my entire panel!  Look for Cheryl’s recipe which will represent Oklahoma beginning July 18th at Outstandwich.com!

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My Outstandwich: New Orleans French Fry Po-Boy ( and $100 AMEX Giveaway)

June 12, 2011 By

If you are looking for a healthy, low calorie sandwich idea….you are in the wrong place. In fact, avert your eyes and shut your browser because you may just become tempted to make this New Orleans staple.  For those of you here looking for a satisfying, scrumptious and inexpensive meal….look no further!

Recently, I was contacted by KRAFT foods to participate in a virtual sandwich road trip to share my favorite regional sandwich with my readers.  The recipe will be featured on their new site, Outstandwich, and will launch on July 18th.  Now, if you’re a NOLA native like myself, you know that Sandwich=Po-Boy here in New Orleans.  And one Po-Boy on every menu is the “French Fry Po-Boy” which I will share with you today.

Before I begin, what’s a New Orleans recipe without a little history, y’all?  I found this great explanation on FrenchQuarter.com:

“As with most elements of New Orleans history, the origin of the po-boy has competing versions flavored over the years by creative storytellers and self-appointed authorities of dubious veracity. But the most widely accepted story holds that the sandwich was invented by Clovis and Benjamin Martin, brothers and former streetcar drivers who opened a restaurant on St. Claude Avenue in the 1920s. When streetcar drivers went on strike in 1929, the brothers took up their cause and created an inexpensive sandwich of gravy and spare bits of roast beef on French bread they would serve the unemployed workers out of the rear of their restaurant. When a worker came to get one, the cry would go up in the kitchen that “here comes another poor boy!,” and the name was transferred to the sandwich, eventually becoming “po-boy” in common usage.”

The Po-Boy is a tradition and the French Fry version is no exception!  It is generally the most inexpensive po-boy on local menus, but don’t be deceived, it is excellent in taste!

What you Need to Make It:

One loaf of French Bread

Miracle Whip

Frozen French Fried Potatoes

1/4 cup beef drippings

3/4 cup water

Brown Gravy Mix

Shredded Cheddar Cheese (KRAFT Triple Cheddar Shredded Cheese)

How to Make It:

If you have the talent, feel free to steak cut potatoes and bake or fry them to your liking.  Or, if you are short on time, frying some frozen french fried potatoes (shoestring is my favorite) will work just fine.  While the potatoes are baking/frying, make the brown gravy according to the packaged directions.  For a beef flavoring add 3/4 cup of water and 1/4 cup of beef pan drippings from a previous meal.  Cut a 12″ piece of French Bread from the loaf and cut horizontally to open the bread.  Slather the bread with Miracle Whip, add french fries and pour on a hearty amount of the prepared brown gravy.  Add cheese.

If you are in New Orleans, you may have the option of ordering your sandwich “dressed.”  No, this doesn’t mean that your sandwich will arrive with a shirt and pants!  If you order your po-boy dressed, it will arrive at your table with mayo, lettuce and tomato.

Finally, press your sandwich closed, slice in half, and enjoy the yummy-ness!  HEAVEN!

Now, it’s your turn!!

Do you have a special “Outstandwich” that represents your Region or City?  Share it with me in the comments!  Make sure you leave the entire recipe so we can try it.  A panel of judges (namely, my two contributing editors Jennifer and Beth) will each select two of their favorite recipes giving us a top four recipe sandwich-off.  My husband and I will make each of the four sandwiches and select a final winner!

What do you win (besides bragging rights of course)?

The winning recipe will be featured on Experimental Mommy as well as the KRAFT Outstandwich website when it launches on July 18th!  And…..a $100 American Express Gift Card!!  If you are the chosen winner, I will need a picture of your homemade sandwich for display in a post on Experimental Mommy.

How to Enter:

1.  Submit your own regional/local recipe for your favorite “Outstandwich” in the comments below. It is not a requirement to use KRAFT products in your sandwich.

Additional Entries:

1.  Because this is not a random drawing, there are no additional entry options.  But, I would love it you would help me spread the word about the contest on Twitter and Facebook!

This post is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy. While I did receive the same prize pack offered here, all opinions remain 100% mine.  Entries must be submitted by June 18, 2011.  The winner will be announced on June 19 and will be notified by email.  A picture of the winning sandwich will be required no later than June 20, 2011.
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