Elegant Salad Cups

I'm in NYC for a few days, I can't wait to share the details with you when I get back!
The Holiday Season is upon us, can you believe it? I want to share with you one of my favorite "tricks" for elegant entertaining...Salad Cups! They are SO EASY and gorgeous on the table!

The truth is, you could fill these cups with anything! Also, you could use large cookie cutters for a more shaped look (check out our pomegranate mousse in snowflake cups from last year)

Elegant Salad Cups
Makes 6
Shell Ingredients:
1 can Pillsbury Refrigerated Pizza Crust
Nonstick cooking spray
Extra large cupcake or muffin tin
fresh herbs or parmesan, optional

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Open pizza crust and unroll on cutting board. Cut into 6 rectangles. Pick up one rectangle, flatten slightly in hand, and press into muffin tin, letting edges come up over the sides. Remember, this is a rustic cup, so don't worry about making it look perfect! The charm is in it's funky shape.:) Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes until browned. Let cool completely and fill with favorite salad.
Notes: You could sprinkle fresh herbs or parmesan on the dough before baking for extra flavor or color. Also, you can use ANY size muffin tin to fit your needs. For example, if you want to put a chicken salad in the cups, I'd use a regular size muffin tin. For a leafy green salad, use the extra large muffin tins. For mousse or small savory bites, use a mini muffin tin.

Our Favorite Salad Ingredients:
1 apple, diced
2 green scallions, chopped fine
½ c. slivered almonds (or candied pecans, yum!)
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 Head romaine lettuce, torn into pieces
1 pear, diced
1 c. fresh raspberries

Directions: Mix all salad ingredients and toss with dressing just before serving.

Dressing:
1 c. canola oil

½ c. sugar or Splenda
1/3 c. apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 T. poppy seeds
2 T. red onion, chopped fine
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard

Directions: Mix all except oil and poppy seeds in blender. Blend on medium speed while slowly adding oil. Add poppy seeds and pulse a few times. Chill at least 2 hours or overnight.

Help us play Secret Santa!

Our fun Sunflower Sandwich Snackers Recipe is in the finals for the California Raisins "Let's Re-do Lunch" Contest! I hate asking you all for votes, but we decided that if my recipe wins, we're going to donate the entire $5,000 prize to local families in need this Holiday season...I am double crossing my fingers that we can win and have some serious fun playing Santa to families in need!!!

So, PLEASE click below and vote for Sunflower Sandwich Snackers in the California Raisins Facebook contest! Voting Ends 11/29 and you can vote every day!!:)

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

On Monday I've got a GORGEOUS (and quick!) entertaining idea coming your way! I'll be in NYC for most of the week with the fabulous Paula Deen doing some press and hopefully an appearance on Rachael Ray! I'll keep you posted!

Double Rainbow Cupcakes

Tablespoon is having Double Rainbow Week and we contributed some Double Rainbow Cupcakes! I was so surprised to open my Tablespoon Newsletter to see them front and center, what an honor! Thank you!

Click here for recipe or click on the photo below.

My kids loved these cupcakes so much that we made 72 of them to take to school and share. They were a huge hit and definitely something we’ll be making often. My favorite part is that the kids get to help mix, mash and drizzle the colored batter. There’s something for everyone to do and a great way to make some fun kitchen memories. First, gather up your ingredients, prepare the cake mix according to package directions and divide into 6 quart-sized freezer bags.

Add food coloring to each bag (one for each color of the rainbow), seal tightly and let your little helpers mix and mash until combined. After all your colors are mixed, you’re ready to pipe out your cupcake batter!
Cut a small piece of the corner of each bag and squeeze about 2 tsp into each cupcake wrapper. Don’t worry about covering the entire surface with each color, just make sure they get added in “rainbow order”. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes, until done. While your cupcakes are baking, melt each color of chocolate and spoon each into quart freezer bags. Tape down some wax paper and draw rainbows! If you’re like me and need some guidelines, you can download this rainbow template and place underneath your wax paper. Let set completely, about 15 minutes. Don’t worry if they look messy on the back, when you peel them off, the smooth side will be gorgeous!
Frost the cooled cupcakes with white icing and place a chocolate rainbow on top. Now if there were only a pot of gold included! ;)

A Touch of Giving

I feel so lucky to be a part of the Real Women of Philadelphia, being one of their hosts was a dream come true for me and today I feel PROUD as well as lucky.
This weekend, Kraft Foods just announced a new program called
"Touch of Giving"

They've teamed up with Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. And, WE (yes, all of us!) can all get involved to help provide meals for hungry Americans this Holiday season! Here's Adam Butler to tell you all about it:

What a great project to do with your kids! We already have several meals in the works! Sometimes it's hard to find ways that small children can help in the community, this is a great way to spend some quality time in the kitchen as well as helping those in need.

What you need to do is grab some of the new Kraft Natural Shredded Cheese with a touch of Philly (you can download a $1 off coupon here), and simply snap a photo of you making a dish, giving the dish away, etc.. If you upload it onto the Real Women of Philadelphia (you need to create a profile, it's free and guys are welcome to join, too!:)) Kraft will donate 20 meals to Feeding America for each photo. If you make a video, Kraft will donate 40 meals!

So, grab your kids, grab some cheese, and make something to share! Let's kick of the Holiday Season by sharing with others!

Candy Corn Coolers

We're having a big family Thanksgiving this year and I've been thinking about a fun and easy drink to serve. So, I created these "Candy Corn Coolers" and they were a hit with everyone I tried them on! They're definitely going on our Thanksgiving menu!I'm still working on other dishes to make--do you have some family favorites? Let me know, I'd love to try them! The recipe below is obviously estimates--you'll want to adjust depending on the size of your glasses. Basically, fill your glass half full with orange juice then add syrup and whipped cream. :)

Candy Corn Coolers
Ingredients
24 ounces orange juice or lemonade
18 ounces Torani orange syrup
refrigerated aerosol whipped cream

Directions
1. Fill six 8 oz. glasses half full with orange juice or lemonade.

2. Carefully pour 3 oz. orange syrup into each glass.
3. Top with whipped cream and serve!

Havin' Fun & Giveaways!

I'm in Minnesota for a few days at the General Mills headquarters to meet some of the fantastic team at Tablespoon, work on some recipes, and to learn (hopefully!) how to actually use my camera.:) I'll have plenty to share when I get back but in the meantime, I have TWO fun giveaways for you!

Go here & leave a comment to win our Egg-celent Prize Pack! Ends 11/9

Go here & leave a comment to win a Lawry's Complete Meal Ideas Prize Pack! Ends 11/8
I'll be back later in the week with some yummy Orange Creme Cupcakes! Hope you all had a great Halloween!

Rat Infested Cupcakes

Need a Halloween treat in a snap?
How about some Rat-Infested Cupcakes?
Ewwww....and kind of cool...

I was making cupcakes last week and a couple of them got crumbly. Since I've had spooky ideas on the brain, I thought, "they look like they've been nibbled on by rats!"...Then I realized that it's actually a pretty good idea for Halloween!:)
This one is really enjoying his special treat!! :)
You can buy packages of small rats for $1 or so at Wal-Mart or Target in the Halloween section. The larger rats I got at our local party store.

Rat Infested Cupcakes
Ingredients:
Your favorite cupcakes
Icing
Sprinkles (optional)
Cupcake picks (optional, download here from Pumpkin Petunia)
Toy rats

Directions:
Quicky frost cupcakes and add sprinkles if desired. Using a fork, pick out a piece from the top and add a toy rat to look like it's nibbling the cupcake.

Print and cute out these cute cupcake picks from Pumpkin Petunia. BTW, she has GREAT party ideas if you're ever looking for inspiration. Tape or glue the circles to toothpicks. Thanks for sharing, Jo-Ann!

Add a pick to each of your cupcakes and you're done! So easy and super gross!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!