What Happened to Jingles?

This is a great article from WNYmediaabout what happened to the original Jingles cookies that used to be produced by Salerno, bought out by Keebler. (and how they destroyed the best taste of christmas)

Check it out here:
Salerno Jingles Cookies

Posted using ShareThis

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The Haynes Black Bean Soup Recipe

So I was at a friends house recently when they served me this beauty of a meal. Im all for great tasting and cheap delicious eats. Let me tell you, this fits right into my budget and delights my taste buds. Ive made 2 pots in the past two weeks and both my roommate and I have taken  it to work for lunch  multiple times. It would also be a great main course for a family!

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp olive oil
½ c. chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
¾ c. chopped celery
¾ c. chopped carrot
4 c. chicken or vegetable stock
3 (15.5 oz. each) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
juice from 1 lime
1 T. tomato paste

In large stockpot heat oil, onion, and garlic. Cook until tender. Stir in cumin and cook 1 minute. Add celery, carrots, stock, and beans. Heat to boiling. Cook on low, covered for 15-20 minutes. Stir in lime juice and tomato paste. To thicken, puree beans and return to pot. (I used a potato masher and just mashed the beans in the soup while still in the stockpot).

Variations on how you can enjoy this dish:

• with cheese and sour cream on top
• with smooth guacamole, sour cream, and cheese mixed in
• over a bed of rice
• next to or mixed with seasoned diced tomatoes 
• add diced tomatoes and create a dip for tortilla chips   
• all of the above? haha 

Note: At first I had no idea what Cumin was, and didnt even have any. But I found it at my local market and as soon as I smelled it I knew exactly what it was! I recommend buying this spice for future dishes. Its very popular in many ethnic cuisines and makes beans, rice, and meat stand out. Dont be afraid of picking some up!

I already had all of the ingredients, but per serving I would say about $1.50. 

Enjoy! 

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A Delightful Thanksgiving Recipe

Hey yo! This is cross posted with my other blog, Shoot Son. Dang Girl, so fee free o head over there if you for some reason want to see the exact same post.
I figured that I would share with you a recipe that I have made countless times, and each time the pot is completely wiped clean by the end of the meal. (Great for potlucks or big gatherings of people.)

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE: Crock pot style.

I originally found this recipe from Crockpot365 but since she isnt personally fond of her own recipe, Ive decided to not copy and paste her words, but instead give you my interpretation, because I mix it up a little bit. I use my crock pot because I like how easy it is, just set it and forget it. It gives you more time and freedom to do other things through the day and not worry about baking time or whatever.

Ingredients
4 cups green beans (however you like them- canned, fresh, french cut, etc)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can French's French fried onions
1 Table spoon of Parmesan Cheese (or parm/ramano mix)
1 dash of garlic powder
1 dash of onion powder
1 dash of pepper

  So get out your crock pot. Pour in the green beans. I try to drain them first. Now pour in the cream of mushroom soup and mix it up. You can slosh around a bit of water in the soup can to get it all out, and then pour all of that in. Add the table spoon of parmesan cheese, and the dash of garlic powder, dash of onion powder, pepper, mix it up.

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or on high for 2-3.

***In the middle of your cook time, pour the onions evenly over the top and continue cooking.***

Then serve and enjoy.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone=)

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Quick and Cheap Cous Cous

Ok yall. Im back with a better recipe than ever before. I got this recipe from a variation of a meal I had with my friend Matt. I dont know if it has a name other than "freaking delicious."

Ingredients:
1 cup dry cous cous                     $0.50
1 (14oz) can of diced tomatoes    $1.00
1 cup of water                             Free
2 tblspoons of butter                    $0.20

In a medium sized sauce pan, bring 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons of butter to a boil. Remove from heat and add 1 cup of cous cous, stirring well. Let sit for 5 minutes, covered.
After 5 minutes, fluff with a fork and mix in 1 can of diced tomatoes.

 So this meal all together costs about $1.70. If used in main course portions, you can get 3 servings. If used as a side dish about 4 servings. That means that if you eat this as a main dish, its less than $0.60 for a meal. You can use whatever brands you have available to you, but I use whole grain couscous from Trader Joes and Del Monte Tomatoes Diced with Basil, Garlic & Oregano from your local super market. I take this to work sometimes as is, just heat up in the micro. Its delicious, cheap, and absolutely a great idea!

Variations:
-Use fresh tomatoes, chop up fresh basil

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90% Off Restaurant Gift Cards

Hey out there.
I was scouting online for some free deals and whatnot, and I came across this promo that www.restaurant.com is having right now. Seriously.. every single giftcard is 90% off, read that again: NINETY PERCENT OFF. I was like what is the catch, no way. This is ridiculous. But my coworker was like, yeah I get those all the time.

So I went through, found some rhode island place to eat, added them to my cart, and check out, and I seriously was only charged $6.40 for buying 7=SEVEN $25 gift cards for some AWESOME places to eat. The only catch with these, is that most of the $25 gift cards say that you have to atleast spend $35 all together in order for them to be valid. But that means, if you take 3 people out to eat, get 3 meals totalling $40, you only have to pay $5 each at the end. That is ridiculously cheap for a whole meal. In my opinion atleast. So I just wanted to let you know about it. All you do is type in the discount code "ninety" when you go to check out and it should take off the percent.

Make sure the discount came off before you send it all the way through to your credit card. And don take the survey at the end.

Let me know if you have any questions or if you partook in this glory.

Okey dokey.

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Mouth Watering

Dear Lordy in heaven. This week is Providence Restaurant Week, and there are some great specials going around. We all know the glorious and beautiful cuisine that Prov has to offer, my my taste buds are being tempted by reading the menus for the week. Oh my.

Choose from more than 75 Restaurants

$12.95 for a three-course lunch

$29.95 for a three-course dinner

Places that I will definitely NEED to check out:

(click links for menus)

Aspire for their lunch and their BLAST WRAP (bacon, lettuce, avocado, sprouts, and tomato)

Legal Seafood for their dinner selection, especially Crispy Montauk Calamariregular, Rhode Island style (hot peppers and garlic)or Thai style (pineapple and peanuts)

McCormick and Schmicks for the Asian Salmon Burgeron a Bulkie Roll with Shredded Cabbage and Wasabi Mayo &&& Chocolate CupFilled with Raspberry Mousse and Fresh Berries

Trinity Brewhouse for their dessert option of Banana Spring Rolls Cinnamon sugar dusted bananas, lightly fried and served over vanilla ice cream with our own porter chocolate sauce.

Holy moly. Seafood, rhode island cuisine GALORE. I cant handle myself. Thank goodness that my mom and sister are here this week, as it gives me an excuse to dine out =)

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Obsession Confession: Guacamole

This is the most amazing food that has entered my mouth in many a months.

Guacamole. who knew that it tastes amazing, and is EASY to make!

Ok, here's what to grab:
Ingredients:

3 soft avacados-skinned and mashed into chunky consistancy

(how to cut and peel avacado)

1 lime-juiced
garlic clove-diced

half of an onion- diced

1 large tomato-diced

hint of salt.

Now. Mush it all together. No special order. Just go for it.

And now eat.

Works great with tortilla chips, pita crisps, tacos, burrito's, wheat thins.

The only thing bad about guac- no matter how much you make, it ends up gone in five minutes or less by those ravenous guac lovers and there is never left overs. 

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Not Your Average Joes

Not Your Average Joe's, a restaurant with locations scattered across the Boston area as well as random Virginia locations, its a place that prides itself on cruisine that is budget minded, creative, and casual. But the food is fricken amazing. Let me just say. Its fricken amazing.

They start you out with Focacia bread and oil parmesan mixture. My favorite bread in the world is Focaccia bread people, and if its not yours, then you need to try some no joke. There is plenty to go around, and the cheesey mixture is a great dipper.

Dang then there is the food. They pride themselves on their pizzas, and they are also willing to take anything on the menu and alter it in anyway that you want. I would describe their food as Americana, but times one hundred in the taste department, made creatively. Crazy mac and cheese, intense sandwiches and salads. I personally had a spicy hawaiian chicken pizza that they turned into a calzone. Its huge too. And pretty reasonably priced. It was tasty and perfectly cooked.

I would recommend going there right now.

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Last Minute Game Food

REAL BUFFALO CHICKEN WING DIP

4 chicken breasts (or any kind of boneless chicken meat)
1 bottle blue cheese sauce
3 oz package cream cheese
1 small bottle Frank's hot sauce shredded cheddar cheese


Cook chicken until cooked. PreHeat oven to 425°F. In an oven safe dish, spread 1.5 packages of cream cheese along the bottom.
In a separate bowl, Add blue cheese sauce and Frank's hot sauce (depending on how hot you'd like it), and the other half of the cream cheese. Mix it up.
Shred Chicken and add to cheesy hot mixture.
Spread chicken mixture over the top and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

Cook for 20 minutes or until cheeses becomes bubbly.

Serve with Tortilla chips, celery, or crackers.
MAD GOOD SON.

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Obsession Confession: Hummousmous

Yeah you think I'm kidding but I'm really not. We have experimented with the recipe and it has been perfected and it has been tested and loved by multitudes. Hummus. Mixed with cous cous. Thus: Hummousmous. What else would it be called? Cummus? Hummous? Housous? Nothing else can be its title.
And for the recipe. Simple make the normal hummus recipe, spices and all, and then make plain cous cous. and stir in. add some salt and you have pure glory.
Yeah man.
And its soo cheap too. Go to PriceRite, find the "Wall of Goya" and buy those chickpeas like never before, then waltz over to their international aisle, and buy up that couscous. Its madd cheap and you wont regret it. I promise=)

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