Huevos Rancheros Tacos Recipe and a Giveaway

Do you love having Breakfast for Dinner?  I’m definitely a huge fan on that.  I would be a happy camper if I can have breakfast for breakfast, obviously, for lunch, and/or for dinner!  Recently, I had the pleasure to review Lindsay Landis & Taylor Hackbarth’s recipe book, Breakfast for Dinner.  To me, it’s a very successful book because as I was going through each page, I wanted to prepare every single one of the recipe in the book.  That doesn’t happen very often, and Landis & Hackbarth did it!



It was a tough job for me to pick one recipe to prepare and share with you on my blog.  You’ve got to pick up a copy for yourself, drool over all the wonderful recipes, get your ingredients ready and start cooking right the way.  I love the wide range of recipes that are included in this Breakfast for Dinner recipe book.  This  Huevos Rancheros Tacos recipe is nothing less than scrumptious.  Imagine this, crunchy corn tortillas, topped with hearty re fried beans and melted mozzarella cheese; then topped all off with a sunny side up egg that’s fried to perfection with the egg whites all set and a gorgeous runny yolk.  Drizzle with Ranchero Sauce that’s smoky and spicy, then sprinkle on with some refreshing and earthy cilantro.  Now, tell me you didn’t drool a little, that would be quite impossible.  I’m not even a big fan of Mexican cuisine, but these Huevos Rancheros Tacos were to die for. 



For entrée, there are many options.  Check out this vegetarian friendly recipe of Savory Lentil & Carrot Stuffed Crepes.  Easy on the stomach, packed with flavors and nutrients.  And of course, beautiful to look at as well.



Another entrée recipe I can’t wait to try are these Sunny-Side Up Burgers, that are also on the book’s cover page!  Look at those beautiful burgers, I can’t wait to sink my teeth into one.



Then, you get the recipes and instructions to make your own Homemade Pasta Dough!  You can turn the dough into ravioli, linguine, tagliatelle, or pappardelle.  I just can’t wait to get my hands on making some homemade pasta.



Breakfast for Dinner got you covered not only on entrées, but also appetizers, such as these mini BLT Biscuits.  They are perfect for gathering and parties as well.



Breakfast for Dinner also includes recipe for condiment such as this scrumptious Bacon Jam!  Oh…my heart skipped a beat when I saw this.



Of course, a meal won’t be completed without desserts, right?  Check out these Doughnut Fudge Sundaes.   Breakfast for Dinner also includes recipes for side dishes and drinks.  Any category that you can think of, Landis & Hackbarth got you covered.



You can get your own copy of Breakfast for Dinner here.  Or try your luck with my giveaway today!  Yes, you’ve heard me right.  I’m giving away a copy of Breakfast for Dinner to one uTry.it reader, courtesy of Quirk Books and Landis & Hackbarth.

Here are the details on how to enter.

One lucky uTry.it reader (with an U.S., Canada or U.K. mailing address) will win a copy of “Breakfast for Dinner”.

This giveaway is now closed.  Winner will be announced shortly and contacted.  Thank you everyone who participated.

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post and tell me if you are a fan to eat Breakfast for Dinner.  Deadline to enter is April 14th, 2013 by mid-night PST.  Winner will be selected through Random.org and announce shortly after the giveaway is closed.

For extra entries, do any or all of the following (leave a separate comment for each extra entry):
1)  Add me to your Google+ circle here
2) "Like" uTry.it's Facebook Page, click here.
3) Pin a picture from this post onto Pinterest.
4) Share this giveaway on Facebook (with a link back to this post please)
5) Share this giveaway on Twitter (with a link back to this post please)

That’s all and Good Luck everyone!




Disclaimer:  I received a copy of “Breakfast for Dinner” for the purpose of this review and I was not compensated in any way to write this post.  All comments and opinions are 100% my own.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Photography Backdrops

Are you ready for summer?  No?  But it certainly feels like summer here in Los Angeles!  arh….so, I prepared some ice cream to cool things off.  This is one of my favorite ice cream to make, besides the Dark Chocolate, French Roasted Coffee, Coconut, and Roasted Strawberry ones.  Boy, I do have quite a few favorites and I think that shouldn’t surprise you when it comes to ice creams. 



I love this Vanilla Bean ice cream recipe because it’s pretty much the base for all great ice cream before you can add any other of your favorite ingredient to turn it into flavored ice cream such as those I mentioned above. 



Many years ago when I was still living and working in Santa Monica, my Hubby, then boyfriend, and I loved to visit this Italian restaurant near the 3nd Street Promenade, called Lacanda Del Lago.  One of the items on the dessert menu was Affogato al Caffè Espresso (translated as Drowned in Espresso).  It’s basically vanilla bean ice cream drowned in espresso.  As simply as it sounds, it’s totally decadent.  It’s a dessert, and it’s also your after dinner coffee at the same time.



Of course, you know I always like to recreate restaurant favorites in my own kitchen.  It’s very simple to prepare, just scoop a couple of vanilla ice cream in a glass, and pour a shot or two of freshly brewed and slightly cooled espresso over the ice cream and enjoy.  As always (with my clumsy self), I pour the espresso with my left hand and tried to capture a shot with the heavy camera on my right hand.  So…as you can guess, this is what happened….espresso everywhere!



By now, I would have been in “panic" mode!  Because coffee would stain my photography backdrops!  And that had happened numerous time in the past.



No, that’s not a pretty sight!  But wait!  I’m so happy that it happened today.  No, I’m not kidding!  But why am I so happy?  Because this is not my usual real wood photography backdrops!  Check this out.



Use a damp paper towel and simply give it a wipe.



The espresso is gone and the backdrop is like brand new again!  Yay!  Magical?  I certainly think so.  Some of you had asked me in messages and emails in the past on how I made my photography backdrops.  I was going to do a post with pictorial along with the steps by steps instructions, blah blah blah; until one day, I discovered Swanky Prints. 



It was like a photographer’s dream came true.  Because Swanky Prints carry these vinyl photography backdrops.  Realistic, light weight and waterproof! 



It was shipped to me rolled up as show in the picture below and all ready to use!  No sanding, gluing, staining, painting, and waiting (for the paint to dry) compared to making my own wood backdrops.



The one I got from Swanky Prints was a 2 x 2 ft.  Same as the black and white real wood one I made long time ago.  And I also have a bigger one in blue (as shown in the picture below).  See the difference?  Not only the vinyl one is light weight, easy to carry, it’s also a space saver!!! 



And guess what, you’re in luck today.  Swanky Prints is kindly offering all uTry.it readers a 25% off on your orders!  Simply use the code UTRY25 at check out to receive the discount.  Thank you Swanky Prints!



So, while I’m enjoying my Affogato al Caffè Espresso, I’ll be very busy browsing through Swanky Prints’ Etsy store and decide what to order next!  See, told you I have a tough job to do here! 




Disclaimer: I receive a 2 x 2 vinyl backdrop free of charge for the purpose of this review.  I occasionally do reviews and share with you on brands/products that I've tried and love.  It was a pleasure to have the chance to work with Swanky Prints on this review.  However, I am NOT affiliate with Swanky Prints in any way.  All opinions are 100% my own.

Vanilla Bean Dutch Baby Recipe and a Giveaway

Oh Boy!  Or should I say, Oh Baby!?  I can’t believe it’s my first time making a Dutch Baby.  And I can certainly assure you that I’ll be making it again and again.  A Dutch Baby pancake, sometimes called a German pancake, is a sweet popover that is normally served for breakfast.  It’s made with a light batter using just a few simple ingredients, such as milk, eggs, flour, vanilla, sugar and baked in a pre-heated cast iron pan.  As you can see from my pictures, the edges of the Dutch Baby popped up quite a bit and were super light and crispy.  The center is tender, slightly flaky and moist.  



I love vanilla bean, it’s probably one of the spices that I use most often in baking and desserts.  Even when I’m making chocolate or lemon cakes, a little dash of vanilla adds depth to the flavor and enhances the whole flavor profile of the dessert.  This Vanilla Bean Dutch Baby Recipe is adopted from the recipe book Pure Vanilla by Shauna Sever.  In addition to the 80 recipes accompanied by dozens of mouthwatering full-color photos, Pure Vanilla also explores the history of vanilla from orchid to extract and provides the fascinating origins and helpful tasting notes for all of today’s varieties.  Before I read through Shauna’s book, I didn’t know the seeds from the vanilla beans don’t impart lots of flavor, but it’s the pod that carries most of the flavor and fragrance.  It’s always awesome to learn something new while drooling over some delectable recipes at the same time.  Don’t you agree?



Shauna’s recipe suggested to serve this Dutch Baby with Crème Anglaise, which I know it’s going to be awesome.  Since I already have some Homemade Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream in the fridge from the day before, I used that instead and added a ton of fresh berries as well.  Oh baby, it’s heavenly!  Another change that I’ve made to the recipe was the amount of salt used.  Since my family is on a low-sodium diet, I cut down on the salt in the recipe by quite a bit.  I’ll clarify the amount in the recipe below. 



This wonderful breakfast recipe is perfect when you have companies over.  It’s so gorgeous and with such a “Wow factor” that your guests are going to be really impressed when you bring this baby to the table! 



Of course, my kids were excited to see this for breakfast.  It’s so good that you can even have this as dessert.  No one is going to complain, for sure! 



Are you interested to win a copy of Pure Vanilla and learn everything about Vanilla?  I’m giving away a copy of the book Pure Vanilla, courtesy of Quirk Books and Shauna.  Here are the details:

One lucky uTry.it reader (with an U.S. or Canada mailing address) will win a copy of “Pure Vanilla”.

This giveaway is now closed.  Winner has been announced and contacted.  

To enter, simply leave a comment and tell me what’s your favorite recipe using vanilla.  Deadline to enter is February 2nd, 2013 by mid-night PST.  Winner will be selected through Random.org and announce shortly after the giveaway is closed.

For extra entries, do any or all of the following (leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

1)  Add me to your Google+ circle here
2) "Like" uTry.it's Facebook Page, click here.
3) Share this giveaway on Facebook (with a link back to this post please)
4) Pin a picture from this post onto Pinterest.

That’s all and Good Luck everyone!



 
Disclaimer: I received a copy of “Pure Vanilla” free of charge for the purpose of this review. I was not compensated in any other way.  All opinions are 100% my own and always will be.
 

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Pomegranate Lemon Gelée and a Giveaway

It’s only a few more weeks from Valentine’s Day.  If you do celebrate, I have a fabulous dessert recipe for you today.  Okay, even if you don’t celebrate, you can still make this gorgeous desserts, right?  Who knows, if you make this dessert for that special someone, after just one bite (of the dessert of course), that person could be falling in love with you.  Worse case scenario, that person only falls in love with this dessert.



After tasting this Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Pomegranate Lemon Jelly, my Little Boy named it “Bouncy Jelly with Cream”.  Very descriptive and to the point!  My Little Girl was too busy eating and she didn’t even say a word until the whole cup disappeared in less than a few minutes.



Just like how my Little Boy described it, the Pomegranate Lemon Gelée was quite bouncy, yet tender and smooth.  The perfect texture for Gelée.  It’s sweet and tart at the same time.  Super refreshing and packed with fresh lemon scent because of the NuNaturals Lemon NuStevia that I used as the sweetener.  The Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta was creamy and decadent.  The vanilla aroma was wonderful.  Please note that I don’t normally use sweeteners because of the after-taste that is often associated with most of them.  I have to say, I was very surprised there’s no after taste from these natural liquid sweeteners at all.   I also love the fact that these sweeteners are made with natural ingredients, alcohol free and gluten free.  It’s a great way to reduce or eliminate refined sugar from my diet, yet still satisfy my sweet tooth cravings.
      


Want to check out how to make these Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Pomegranate Lemon Gelée?  Please follow me to the kitchen.

1)  In a medium saucepan, heat the cream, vanilla seeds and pod on medium-low heat until simmer. Cover, remove from heat and let mixture steep for an hour.

2) Sprinkle the gelatin over the milk in a bowl and let stand for 5 minutes, or until the gelatin softens. Reheat the vanilla cream mixture and add the gelatin mixture into the hot cream, stir to dissolve. (sorry, I forgot to take a picture of that) Add the Vanilla Sweetener, taste and add more if needed.

3) Strain mixture into a measuring cup with beaker.

4) Equally divided the mixture into 10 3-ounce ramekins or glasses, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferable overnight or until set.



5) In a small heat proofed bowl, place 1/2 cup pomegranate juice and powdered gelatin and mix well. Let it sit for 5 minutes.

6) Place the remaining 1/2 cup of pomegranate juice in a measuring cup. Heat the gelatin mixture in the microwave for 30 to 45 second, or until gelatin dissolved. Add gelatin mixture to the measuring cup, add Lemon Sweetener and adjust to your own taste.

7) Evenly divided the pomegranate mixture over the panna cottas and refrigerate for at least two hours, or until set.

8) Garnish with fresh pomegranate seeds and mint leaves when ready to serve.



Simple enough, right?  I hope you’re convinced to give this dessert a try.



Here’s a closer look of that perfect bite.  The fresh pomegranate seeds on top add a little crunch and the juice will burst in your mouth when you bite into one. 
 

Great news for you, my friends!  Here’s a chance to win some of these NuNaturals products of your own to create this wonderful dessert, courtesy of NuNaturals. 


This giveaway is now closed.  Winners were announced on this post.

Giveaway Details:
1) NuNaturals generously offered 4 uTry.it readers a bottle of each of their new all-natural sweeteners (as shown in the picture below):

• Chocolate NuStevia Liquid, Alcohol-Free, 2 oz. Bottle
• Lemon NuStevia Liquid, Alcohol-Free, 2 oz. Bottle
• Orange NuStevia Liquid, Alcohol-Free, 2 oz. Bottle
• Peppermint NuStevia Liquid, Alcohol-Free, 2 oz. Bottle

2) This giveaway is open worldwide

3) To enter, simply leave a comment on this post and tell me your favorite thing to make/cook for a special occasion.

4) Deadline to enter is January 28th, 2013 (my mid-night PST). Winners will be randomly selected and notify by email. So, please make sure to leave your email address in the comment so that I can contact you if you’re one of the lucky winners.

5) For extra entries, share this post (with a link back to this post) on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or any social media that you like.  Simply leave a separate comment for each action that you did to let me know you’ve shared.

NuNaturals is also offering a special discount for uTry.it’s readers as well.  At check out, enter the SPECIAL DISCOUNT CODE of  BLG0613 to receive a  -15% discount on your entire order. This Discount remains effective until  June, 30, 2013.

That’s all. Good Luck everyone.



Disclaimer: I received NuNaturals products free of charge to try.  I was not required to write a review at all, nor a positive one.  I was NOT compensated in any other way.  All opinions are 100% my own.

Holiday Shopping and Promotion from Fekkai

I can’t believe there are less than ten days before Christmas! It’s been busy and hectic for me in the last couple of weeks. With holiday shopping, baking orders, activities with kids, etc. I hardly get some time to rest and relax.

So the big question is. Are you almost done with your Holiday shopping? I guess I’m 80% done, but I still got a few online orders that I’ve placed and still waiting for them to arrive. If you are “still in progress” on your Holiday shopping, or have someone who has everything and you’re not too sure of what to get them, I have a great news for you and some suggestions.


 


Fekkai is having a wonderful Holiday Promotion. You’ll receive 10% off your total order and a complimentary exclusive holiday headband with $50 purchase (while supplies last) Use Promo Code: HEADBAND (please see picture below). Here’s the link to their site if you need more information.


 

 


Isn’t the headband gorgeous? I’m sure that it would be a nice hair accessory when you attend your holiday party. ;) Or, it could be a wonderful stocking stuffer as well.

According to their website, Frédéric Fekkai collection was developed to meet the particular needs of different hair types.  In addition to providing exceptional professional results, Fekkai’s products feature luxurious textures and invigorating scents. The hair care line is divided into regimen “families”, including: Advanced Care, Color Care, Curl Care Glossing, Repair, Styling and Styling Tools. Before his products are marketed to the public, Frédéric and his staff personally test every formula in his world-renowned Frédéric Fekkai Salon to ensure the highest quality and performance.

That gorgeous headband and the discount definitely made my purchasing decision a lot easier. I hope you’ll give their products a try as well.

Stay tuned for a Holiday Cocktail recipe on my next post. Until then, Happy Shopping.

Looking Beautiful all Summer Long with Dove VisibleCare Toning Crème Body Wash

How’s your summer so far? I hope you’re enjoying yourself and having a blast with your family and friends. It’s only the beginning of the summer and my family schedule is all booked up and filled with fun activities. In between summer classes that my kids are having, they enjoy hanging out at the beach the most. Lately, they’re really into building sand castles. Well, I don’t have an “end product” to show you because as soon as my kids were done building it, they step on it right the way. I guess the joy is really in the process (of stepping onto it), not the end result.



Of course, we have tons of BBQ parties and gatherings. Last weekend, we had a party and we were (I meant, I was) cooking up a storm. I just realized that grilled romaine lettuces are so delicious and easy to make. If you haven’t tried that, you should.



On some days, we just stayed in, did driveway drawings; Biked around the neighborhood; Played bubble gun at the back yard; Or took out the collapsible play house and fill it with plastic balls.  My kids found that very entertaining. Yup, that’s really fun for toddlers.



Very often, this is the sight (see picture below) I’m greeted with after a long day. Don’t get me wrong, it’s all fun time that I had with the kids. But I do long for a relaxing spa treatment with my girlfriends every once in a while. Imagine spending a relaxing day at the spa; enjoy a body wrap or a body salt scrub, ended with a spa bath or a soak in the Jacuzzi tub; then catch up with my girlfriends and talk about anything and everything (=gossip). That would make me feel all brand new and rejuvenated. But before I can squeeze out a day to do all that, I have a better and more economical solution in between spa days.



BlogHer and Dove provided me with a free bottle of Dove VisibleCare Toning Crème Body Wash to try. I’ve been using it for more than a week now. I love the rich, pearlescent crème format with luxurious lather the most. It has a delicate wood fragrance along with robust citrus note of mandarin. The best part is that it leaves my skin nice and soft after each use. This body wash contains Vitamin E and helps my skin looks more beautiful, promotes skin’s elasticity and strength. I’m so glad it does what it says. So, my girlfriends, before I can meet you up for a spa treatment, go get yourself a bottle. You’ll be glad you did.




Don't forget to enter the sweepstakes for a chance to win a $500 Spafiner gift certificates.  Please read the sweepstakes rules below carefully.  So, tell me, what makes you feel beautiful?  Share your answer at the link below to enter.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post and I was provided with a bottle of Dove VisibleCare Toning Crème Body Wash free of charge for the purpose of this review.  All opinions are 100% my own and always will be.

Visit Dove^® VisibleCare^® to get a coupon for $1 off!


Enter to win one of two $500 Spafinder gift certificates!
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY
COMMENTS TO THIS POST ARE NOT SWEEPSTAKES ENTRIES. PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR ENTRY METHODS FOR THIS SWEEPSTAKES.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Follow this link, and provide your email address and your response to the Promotion prompt
b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: "#SweepstakesEntry"; and then visit this link to provide your email address and the URL to that Tweet.
c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and then visit this link to provide your email address and the URL to that post.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. Winners will have 72 hours to claim the prize, or an alternative winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 7/18/2012 - 8/22/2012
Be sure to visit the Dove^® VisibleCare™ Crème Body Wash brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!