Archive for the ‘Family Fun’ Category

YRG Guacamole Dip

Compliments of Chef Jennifer Hill Booker

Yields  2-4 servings

Ingredients:

3 ripe avocados

1/2 red onion, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1-2 jalapeno or Serrano chili,  minced

1/4 cilantro leaves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice

1firm- ripe tomato, diced

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

A dash of freshly grated black pepper

Directions:

• Cut avocados in half. Remove seed. Scoop out avocado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl.
• Using a fork, mash the avocado. Add the chopped onion, garlic, cilantro, lime, salt and pepper and mash some more. Chili peppers vary in their hotness.
• Start with a half of the chili peppers and gradually add more to your desired degree of hotness.
• Add the diced tomatoes. Serve immediately with tortilla or pita chips
• Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to slow down oxidation and discoloration of the YRG Guacamole Dip.

Enjoy!

Photo credit: puregoodness com

Chef Jennifer Hill Booker
Your Resident Gourmet
Host-Basil MAGAZINE Radio Show
www.YourResidentGourmet.com 
www.blogtalkradio.com/BasilMagazineRadio

Fore more great recipes,  log onto http://www.basilmagazine.com/recipies/

Crumbs

Crumbs Bake Shop first opened its doors in March of 2003 on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The menu is an irresistible blend of comfort-oriented classics and elegant baked goods, but the specialty of the house is the Crumbs Signature size cupcakes!

With our more than 50 varieties baked fresh daily and a new cupcake of the week every Monday, each Crumbs Bake Shop is an oasis of wall to wall deliciousness.

And now you can enjoy your favorite Crumbs treats in the comfort of your own home – just like Mom used to bake.

Delivered straight to your front door, perfect for a cupcake party, or without needing any occasion at all.

Cupcakes

Cupcakes delight both the eyes and the soul.

Made with the finest ingredients, they remind us that the best things in life are simple. We offer a selection in our Signature and Taste size cupcakes.

Signature cupcakes are ordered in increments of six. You can create your own individual six packs or choose a pre-selected assortment. Our Classic size and Taste size cupcakes are offered by the dozen in pre-selected favorite assortments.

Cakes

Nothing says I love you like a Crumbs Cake. For your next celebration let us add some happiness with the homemade goodness in our special cakes. It’s easy to personalize and we’ll make it just like mom did. You can build it from the table up or let us help find the perfect cake for you.

From Red Velvet to Vanilla Cake and Chocolate and everything in between. We put a little love into every cake. That is why we’ve become a part of our friends celebrations everyday. Call your nearest Crumbs location for more information. Let’s celebrate.

For more information on Crumbs Bake shop, log onto: http://www.crumbs.com/

On October 25, all guests who present a World Pasta Day coupon (available at www.bucadibeppo.com/world-pasta-day) and purchase any Buca Small® or Buca Large®, Pasta, Baked Pasta or Entree will receive a FREE side serving of Spaghetti with choice of meat sauce or marinara sauce, plus guests will also receive a one-pound package of uncooked Rummo-brand Italian Pasta to take home and prepare at their leisure.

In addition to the special offer on World Pasta Day, now through November 11, Buca di Beppo is also offering a family-style feast for four people for $40. Dine-in only, guests who opt for this feast will enjoy great value and indulge in a variety of Buca specialties that include a Salad, Garlic Bread and choice of Spaghetti Marinara, Fettuccine Alfredo, Baked Ziti or Ravioli al Pomodoro all in a Buca Large size, all for a price of $40 for a party of four.

World Pasta Day has been observed since 1995 as an international celebration of pasta. Celebrated annually on October 25, the chief purpose of World Pasta Day is to encourage the nutritional and culinary advantages of all types of pasta, a globally popular food that is eaten on all five populated continents. World Pasta Day was started in 1995 in Rome, Italy.

Buca di Beppo is famous for its homemade marinara and meat sauces served over a bed of imported Rummo Italian Spaghetti. The casual Italian eatery also offers a variety of budget-friendly pastas and entrées including Lasagna, Fettuccine Alfredo and Chicken Parmigiana.

Terms of the Free Pasta program:
Valid at any Buca di Beppo location throughout the country, the free pasta offer is valid for dine-in only customers on October 25, 2012. To receive the free side serving of Spaghetti and package of Rummo pasta, guests must purchase any Buca Small® or Buca Large®, Pasta, Baked Pasta or Entree. Not valid with any other offers or discounts. Unauthorized internet distribution, replication or resale is strictly prohibited. Not refundable or redeemable for cash. Not valid on banquet and group menus, alcohol, merchandise and purchase of gift cards. Offer must be surrendered upon redemption. The free offer is not valid on Buca To Go orders, but may be boxed and taken home by dine-in guests. For more information, please visit www.bucadibeppo.com.

With Halloween just around the corner, why not give your guests something to howl about?  We’ve found the perfect thing to spice up your Halloween party and have your guest talking for days after.  It’s the Frightful Freeze Ice Trays!

Add a gnash of Transylvanian teeth to your next Bloody Mary with the fangtastic Frightful Freeze Ice Tray or chill your favorite drinks – cold to the bone with the Skull and Crossbones Ice Cube Tray.

Easy to use, just fill with water or fruit juice and put them in the freezer for a bit. Then, pop them out to create an icy array of terrifying refreshment chillers. Flexible and almost indestructible, these food-grade silicone ice trays are simply immortal…in that they can be used over and over again. For extra fun, try Jell-O!

These Frightful Freeze Ice Trays are sure to keep you guests in a ghoulish spirit!  They are also great for any kids parties that you may be having…  And at only $6.49 each, you can’t go wrong in treating yourself to this great little find, or give it as a gift to someone else as it’s the gift that keeps on giving as you can use it for years to come.  For more information, please log onto: www.HomeWetBar.com.

We have two of these for the taking…  If you would like to sample one of these neat ice trays, simply fill out this entry form for your chance to win.

Good luck!

Maureen

Writer who best captures the sensation of biting into a superior SweeTango apple wins $5,000 prize!

Apple lovers are raving about SweeTango, calling the new variety the “BEST APPLE EVER!” and telling friends: “Yum!!! You’ve got to try SweeTango!”

The growers behind this highly anticipated apple know their fans can do better than capital letters and exclamation points. That’s why Next Big Thing, A Growers Cooperative is launching the “Juicy Details” writing contest.

The rules are simple: Describe the sensation of biting into a SweeTango apple in 50 words or fewer. Whoever best captures SweeTango’s superior eating experience wins $5,000 and gets their description featured in stores for all the world to see.

Celebrity Chef Art Smith, who knows a thing or two about taste, will help pick the winner.

“I often find that preparing a dish is the easy part. Describing the flavors and textures is the real challenge,” Smith said. “SweeTango is a superior apple that deserves the perfect description. Who better to create that description than SweeTango’s biggest fans?”

Smith is a restaurateur, author, philanthropist, activist and reality show contestant. He will pour over all the entries, looking for the one that best evokes the distinct flavor, texture and overall joy that is SweeTango. The winning writer will receive a grand prize of $5,000 and a box of SweeTango apples. The winner also will have their delicious description featured in stores during the 2013 season.

“Chef Smith is a true arbitrator of taste and we’re excited to have him help select the winner of the Juicy Details contest,” said Tim Bryne, president of Next Big Thing, A Growers Cooperative. “We can’t wait to see how our fans describe the experience of biting into a delicious SweeTango apple.”

Three runners-up also will receive a 12-pack of SweeTango apples. The Juicy Details contest will be open through October 12, 2012 to residents of the United States and Canada over the age of 18, excluding the province of Quebec.

SweeTango, the most celebrated apple variety in years, has won over sophisticated foodies and casual fans alike. SweeTango is crisp and juicy with a smooth texture. The flavor is rich and vibrant. Sweet notes framed by bright acidity gratify with every crisp bite.

Introduced in limited quantities in 2009, SweeTango is a cross between the Honeycrisp and Zestar! varieties. SweeTango, an early season variety, is available in stores nationwide this fall. The apple’s flavor is nurtured by the finest apple growers in the world. Featured in the 2011 food issue of The New Yorker magazine, SweeTango was developed by expert apple breeders and is grown by committed family-run orchards.

For more information on how to enter and win the Juicy Details contest, please visit http://www.sweetango.com

Wanted: Kids aged 3 to 7 to Test Our New Virtual Learning World! Families and Early Educators Get Complimentary Access Plus a Free Kindle Book

Cackleberries.com is offering families and early educators a chance to test and explore the most recent additions to the Oville, an Internet-safe, commercial-free virtual world for children ages 3 to 7. Cackleberries seeks innovative ideas for creating future reading, numeracy, and life skills activities and games.

When asked why the company has decided to go into beta-mode and open their virtual world for families and teachers, Cackleberries CEO, Eronne Foster, said, “We have a very successful virtual English Immersion School in Oville and we are currently building a virtual Math School as well. We want to make sure that the content in Oville—the games, books, activities, music, and such—are a good fit for the children who are going to our schools. After their lessons, we want them to have fun playing in Oville and keep learning.”

As an incentive, the company is now offering complete access to their virtual world at no cost. In addition, any families or teachers who sign up for Cackleberries.com between now and midnight September 30th will be gifted a free copy of Cackleberries five-star rated early reader Kindle picture book Different and the Same, which was produced in association with Variety International the Children’s Charity.

To sign up for your free Oville membership, please go to Cackleberries.com. Anyone signing up for Cackleberries by September 30th will receive their free Kindle picture book by email. To keep up with Oville’s latest educational games, books, music, and cartoons, follow Cackleberries’ Facebook page.

Zamzee, a social enterprise on a mission to help kids and families be more physically active, today announced that it will give away 1,000 Zamzee activity meters to kids at two upcoming Giants events, courtesy of the Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund. The Zamzee activity meter measures movement and connects to zamzee.com, where physical activity is translated into Pointz and rewards.

During the 2012 Giant Race on Sunday, September 16 in San Francisco, all kids ages 5-12 running in the FedEx Kids Race will receive a free Zamzee activity meter.  Featuring a half marathon, 10K, 5K and kid- and family-friendly races, 13,000 runners are expected to participate in the Giant Race, one of San Francisco’s premier road races.  The FedEx Kids Race will take place on the field at AT&T Park after the other races have concluded.  The Giant Race raises funds for Project Open Hand, which provides food, nourishment and emotional support to people facing life-threatening illnesses.

During the San Francisco Giants game on Saturday, September 23, against the San Diego Padres, starting at 1:05 p.m, the first 500 kids to visit Zamzee’s table in the Coca-Cola Fan Lot at AT&T Park also will receive a free Zamzee activity meter.  Staff from Zamzee will be available in the Fan Lot, located behind the bleachers, on the Promenade Level, to provide demos of the Zamzee activity meter and website and to answer questions.

“Zamzee’s mission is to use the power of technology and games to make physical activity a fun, rewarding part of daily life for families,” said Lance Henderson, CEO of Zamzee.  “We are pleased to be working with our hometown San Francisco Giants and the Giant Race to provide Zamzee to kids, thanks to the generosity of the Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund.”

Sedentary behavior and obesity are major problems of national importance.  There are approximately 20 million tweens and young teens in the U.S., and research shows that sedentary behavior is putting these young people at risk for serious and costly long-term health problems, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

To earn rewards, young teens wear the Zamzee meter, a three-axis accelerometer specially calibrated to record short bursts of movement as well as vigorous activity.  Physical activity recorded by the Zamzee meter powers a teen’s online account at www.zamzee.com.  Early research shows that the Zamzee experience increases physical activity in young teens by 30% or more – the equivalent of running nearly an extra marathon a month.

Zamzee has received numerous awards and recognitions, including:

• Named a Health Innovator by LAUNCH, a global initiative founded by NASA, USAID, the U.S. Department of State and Nike to identify and support the innovative work poised to contribute to a sustainable future and accelerate solutions to meet urgent challenges facing our society.
• Recognized by President Obama as a model social enterprise at the launch of the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation.
• Nominated for the “Most Innovative Game” award at the ninth annual Games for Change Festival.  Zamzee was chosen from 67 candidates by 35 experts from the gaming industry, media, education, philanthropy and other fields.
• Winner of 2012 G-Summit Award for “Best Use of Gamification in Health and Wellness.”
• Received the Aspiring Innovator Award from the San Mateo County Economic Development Association.

For more information, please visit www.zamzee.com.

Sirius XM Radio will launch World Playground with Putumayo, a weekly children’s music show, on SiriusXM’s Kids Place Live channel 78.

The festive, weekly show, aimed at stirring young listeners’ imaginations, will feature music and cultural information from around the world including kid-oriented introductions to American genres such as jazz, folk and blues. World Playground with Putumayo will air weekly beginning Sunday, September 16, 2012 at 10:00 am ET on Sirius XM Kids Place Live channel 78.

Putumayo Kids is an award-winning children’s record label that introduces children to world through its best selling collections of CDs.

Visit www.siriusxm.com/kidsplacelive  and www.putumayokids.com  for more information.

It’s shocking how much blood-pressure-raising sodium and belly-bulging calories are in many restaurant quesadillas. Chili’s Bacon Ranch Chicken Quesadilla, for example, tallies up a whopping 1,650 calories and 3,450 milligrams of sodium (that’s double the sodium that most of us should have in an entire day, say the recently-released 2010 U.S. Dietary Guidelines. Our Pritikin Vegetable Quesadilla has just 100 calories and 95 milligrams of sodium.  With Pritikin cuisine, there’s a very good chance you’ll never need blood pressure medication, or extra-large clothes.

Vegetable Quesadillas

Compliments of Chef Anthony Stewart

Serves 2

Nutrition Information (per serving):  100 calories, 1g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 5mg cholesterol, 6g protein, 3g fiber, 95mg sodium.

Ingredients:

2 cups julienned (sliced in long, thin strips) fresh vegetables
1 whole-wheat, thin-thin (lavash) bread
3 tablespoons shredded fat-free mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream
¼ cup pico de gallo (no salt added) or no-salt-added salsa (such as Enrico’s brand)

Directions:

• In a nonstick skillet on medium-high heat, sauté vegetables until crisp tender, about three minutes.
• On a warm griddle or flat-top grill, place thin-thin bread and let the side facing the heat get hot.
• Turn the bread over on the griddle or grill, and sprinkle the cheese on top side.
• On half of the top side, spread the sautéed vegetables and cilantro.
• When the cheese begins to melt, fold the bread in half to cover the vegetables.
• Press firmly using a tool like a large firm spatula or bottom of a pan.
• Flip on the other side, grill for about 2 minutes, and press.
• Remove from heat.  Cut quesadilla into four pieces.
• Serve two pieces per person with fat-free sour cream and pico de gallo on the side.

The topic? “Why is ending childhood hunger in America important to you?”

Share Our Strength, the leading national nonprofit dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America is sponsoring an essay contest starting Sunday, September 9.

Topic:  Essays must answer the question, “Why is ending childhood hunger in America important to you?”

• Length: 500 words or less
• Prizes:  Each entrant will receive a prize
• Top three in two age categories (under 15 and 15-21) will win cash prizes of up to $500

The essay is part of Share Our Strength’s Go Orange for No Kid Hungry® drive, which encourages people to wear orange (the color of hunger awareness) September 6-9.

Why:

The month of September and the color orange are dedicated to the cause of hunger awareness. More than 16 million kids in America struggle with hunger. That’s 1 in 5 kids who face hunger in the U.S. America’s young people have the power and the passion to help change this, by learning the facts,  inspiring us with their stories, and joining No Kid Hungry with actions big or small.

Who:

• Participants must be no older than 21 years of age.
• Classrooms, sports teams, clubs, youth organizations and other types of youth groups can submit one essay as a group or one from each member of the group.

When:

• Essays must be submitted between Sunday September 9, 12:01 EST and Monday, September 24 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

How:

To submit an essay, participants must:

• Email the essay and a photo of themselves or their group wearing the color orange to NoKidHungry2@strength.org.  *Handwritten essays must be scanned and emailed.
• Make the subject line of the email “2012 Go Orange for No Kid Hungry Essay Contest.”
• Be sure to include their full name, age and contact phone number.

For more information, please visit www.nokidhungry2.org/goorange.

About Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign and No Kid Hungry 2

More than 16 million children in America struggle with hunger. Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry® campaign is ending childhood hunger by ensuring all children get the healthy food they need, every day. The No Kid Hungry campaign connects kids in need with nutritious food and teaches their families how to cook healthy, affordable meals. By doing this, we surround children in this nation with healthy food where they live, learn and play. Get involved at NoKidHungry.org. No Kid Hungry2 presents America’s youth with opportunities and ideas to become join the campaign through education and actions. See how at www.NoKidHungry2.org.