Why is it that the more flavor a dish has the more we start to think that the recipe must be too difficult to make.  I used to think that way when it came to yellow rice among a whole lotta other recipes.  I used to wonder how so much flavor could get into one easy dish and pack such a beautiful color along with taste.  It wasn’t until I got older and realized how I couldn’t be more wrong.

That beautiful bright yellow color is due to wonderful turmeric and all of that flavor comes from the chicken stock, bay leaves, onion, garlic, and smoked paprika.  Trust me once you try this recipe and see how fast and easy it is your kids will be asking for it again and again.

Yellow Rice

Ingredients

2 cups long-grain rice

4 cups chicken stock

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1/4 cup onion, minced

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 bay leaf

Directions

Wash the rice in cold water and drain.

Put all the ingredients into a heavy bottomed pot, stir well, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook over low heat until the rice has absorbed the water, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes.

Discard the bay leaf, fluff with a fork, and sprinkle chopped scallions on top.

Serve and Enjoy!

Refried Beans is a traditional mexican dish of smashed cooked beans.  Because Cinco de Mayo was only a few days ago I made a classic feast of all things Mexican like, chicken fajitas, yellow rice, and refried beans.  Now even though these still use a can of pinto beans this recipe is so creamy and flavorful especially when combined with a few aromatics and bacon and bacon drippings.

Trust me the next time you want refried beans don’t go for the can stuff but just make your own you wont be sorry.

Refried Beans

(adapted from Annies Eats)

Ingredients

2 strips bacon, chopped
½ medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ tsp. ground cumin
Pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (or 1½ cups cooked pinto beans)
1 cup chicken broth
Shredded cheese and sliced scallions, for garnish

Directions

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook the bacon until crisp, being careful not to burn.  Remove the bacon pieces to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon, leaving the grease in the pan.

Add the onion to the pan with the bacon grease and cook until just tender, about 4-5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, cumin, cayenne, and cook until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Open your beans and wash them.

Add the beans to the pan and sautee for a few minutes.

Pour in about 2/3 cup of the broth, bring to a boil, and reduce to a light simmer.

Let simmer for about 10 minutes or until the beans are soft enough to mash easily.

Remove the pan from the heat and mash the bean mixture as desired.  (You can add the cooked bacon back in or leave it out…it’s up to you.)  For a chunkier texture, use a fork or potato masher.  For a smoother texture, pulse the mixture in a food processor.  Add up to 1/3 cup more broth for a lighter texture if needed.  Adjust seasonings to taste.  Top with shredded cheese and sliced scallions.

Serve and enjoy!

French toast sticks are always a huge hit with kids.  Big or small doesn’t matter your age, we all love to dunk french toast sticks in warm delicious maple syrup.  The best part of this recipe is that you can make it anytime of the day and with any kind of leftover bread you have on hand.  I love challah plus thats what I had on hand so that’s what I used but… you can use thick sliced bread or yummy texas toast (will use texas toast next time I make them).  Serve them with powdered sugar sprinkled on top, fresh berries and warm maple syrup.

Try making these the next time your lil ones are asking for French Toast.  I promise you, you wont be wrong!

Enjoy!

French Toast Sticks

Ingredients

6 eggs, large

1 1/2 cups half-and-half or milk

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 large loaf challah or texas toast

powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Slice challah bread into 1-1 1/2 inch slices…

then into sticks.

In a large shallow dish, whisk together the eggs, milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar.  Soak all of the challah sticks in the egg mixture for 5 minutes, turning once.

Place the French toast sticks on a sheet pan and let it sit and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes on one side then turn them over and cook the other side for another 10-15 minutes… or until golden brown.

Serve hot with maple syrup, raspberry preserves, and sprinkled powdered sugar on top.

Enjoy!

Freezing Directions:

Allow to cool on cooling rack completely or place on a cool cookie sheet and place in freezer for 10-15 minutes or until partially frozen (flash freezing). Place in Ziploc freezer bag and place in freezer until ready to use.

Children hold a very special meaning to me.  ALL children are important and seeing one hurting or in pain because of hunger breaks my heart in half.  For the past few years I have had the extreme pleasure of participating in a Nationwide Great American Bake Sale that benefits the ending of childhood hunger!

Did you know that more than 16 million children go to bed hungry and go to school without breakfast.  That’s ONE in FIVE who are without regular nutritious meals and are unable to thrive in school.  This being America one of the richest nations in the world and our children are starving… I don’t know about any of you but One of any is too many for me.

This is not just any ordinary bake sale though, it is a Food Blogger Bake Sale where food bloggers all over the United States come together on one day in the whole entire year bake up some delicious out of this world goodies and sell them to friends, families, and friendly hungry faces all over.  All of the amazing proceeds go to Share Our Strength, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to end childhood hunger.

This year the Central Florida Food Blogger Bake Sale is being organized by the lovely Julie, from The Little Kitchen and Katie, from Katie’s Cucina.  These women are really making it happen in sunny Orlando and I am honored to be asked again to help.  Of course we have to give great thanks to Gaby Dalkin, from What’s Gaby Cooking for beginning this amazing bake sale years ago.

This year’s bake sale is this Saturday, April 28th from 10am-1pm outside of the Winter Park Harvest Festival offices at 427 S. New York Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789.

There will be so many amazing tasty treats from cupcakes to cake pops, the list goes on and on and for all to eat plus some amazing raffles and giveaways.  To see more of who and what are being donated check here.

Last year they raised over $1,300 in the bake sale and this year we are hoping to raise even more!!!!!

Now for the really really good part…

I am giving away a dozen delicious Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes for the first who donates $100.

Of course for the cupcakes being local is the best option but for those who are not local I will give away one of my delicious dozen pack of Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies and I will ship them to you if $100 is donated as well.

So you see there are TWO different ways you can win yummy treats.  I would truly love to raise as much as possible virtually because I know that coming in person to our bake sale may not be possible.  If so you can donate through our fundraiser page

Help us reach our goal of $2,000 and that’s just here in Central Florida!

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart…

We love pancakes but sometimes I don’t have time in the mornings to stand over the stove and wait for the to cook…. That’s why when I made these Mini Maple Chocolate Chip Pancake Muffins from Bakerella I knew I needed to share them.  Now we shared this recipe on ThatsSoyummy a while back but Kayla and I wanted to make a video showing you guys how to make them.

For the recipe make sure to check back to our past post…

Pasta is my go to meal any day of the week.  Honestly whenever I need to make dinner quickly I know I always have a box of pasta and tomato sauce, heavy cream and herbs.  I know I will always have bacon, eggs, and a big momma wedge of fresh Parmigiano Reggiano sitting in my fridge.  On this one particular day I was so busy and rushing to get home to get homework done with the kids and get my son ready for soccer practice that I almost forgot to make dinner.  As I was rummaging through the fridge and pantry I saw  my handful of ingredients screaming at me…. Spaghetti Carbonara.

This pasta dish is simple, easy and absolutely delicious.  You can practically make it in your sleep… well at least with one eye open…

Maybe next time I will add some shrimp, Italian sausage  or maybe even some veggies… YUMMY!!!!

Spaghetti Carbonara

serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound dry spaghetti
• 1 pound bacon, cubed
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup white wine
• 4 tablespoons butter, unsalted
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Red pepper flakes, if desired
• 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions

First chop garlic, onion and bacon.  Then crack 3 large eggs into a bowl.

Once the bacon is sliced then start cooking them in a large non-stick skillet.

While the bacon is cooking start boiling a large pot of water.  Once it starts boiling add a handful of salt and then cook the pasta before it turns al dente.

Remove the cooked bacon pieces but reserve a tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pan and add the onions and garlic.  Saute until the onions are translucent but not burned.  Then add the chicken stock and wine.  Allow the wine to simmer and reduce for a few minutes.

Combine in the bowl with the cracked eggs, the grated parmigiano and chopped parsley.

Then mix it all up really good.

Add the pasta with the egg and cheese mix.

Stir it up all together well.

Add the cooked bacon pieces to the pasta mixture.

The mix it up again with the bacon and add butter, black pepper, and red pepper flakes… you know we love a little heat.

Serve with additional parmigiano and parsley sprinkled on top…. Yummy!!!!!!

Friends…

Friends are people who support and share their inner most secrets with one another.

To me friends are some of the closest people in my lives, they are like family.  With my friends I like to stay connected with one another.  Even though there may be days that we don’t talk or even see one other  we know that no matter what our friendship is still there.

I like to think that you and I are friends…

Friends that stay connected to each other through recipes of delicious food.  You see, although, we can’t see each other… we cam still stay connected through you visiting this little blog of mine.

By the way I may not say this enough, but Thanks!  Thanks for the taking time out of your day to spend time with me… It truly means the world to me.

Sometimes I wish I could see all of your faces… especially when you make one of my recipes or watch me and my little princess share our special cooking time with you all.

I like to stay connected with my friends…

I like to be able to talk with you all and see you all.

Did you know that there are a number of ways to stay connected with me?

Yep! There are a few and let me let you in on a little secret, these are only for you… so sshhhhh don’t tell everyone.

1.)  I think we all know or have heard of this one “LIKE” ThatsSoYummy on Facebook.

2.) Follow me and my tweets on Twitter… I love my twitterbugs!

3.) Stumble on me on StumblUpon

4.)Pin me on Pinterest

5.) Watch me on YouTube

6.) Catch me on Instagram

If we aren’t yet friends, can we be???????

I am always looking for bite-size treats to make with and for my kids. With Easter around the corner I knew that breaking in Kayla’s christmas gift, which was a mini doughnut pan, would make the perfect little treats. These doughnuts are so yummy especially with fresh lemon zest and juice, it truly kicks us into Spring time here in sunny Florida.

Mini Lemon Cake Doughnuts

Ingredients

Why are grilled cheese sandwiches so delicious?  Make your favorite grilled cheese sandwich right here and kick it up a notch with our favorite compound herb butter spread. So easy kids can make it with you… Absolute Yumminess!

Don’t forget to enter our Land O’ Lakes Giveaway as well and you could win your own panini maker.

{This giveaway has now closed, thank you for visiting!}

Winner announced below….

What is it about a delicious ooey gooey cheesy grilled cheese sandwich?  As a child grilled cheese sandwiches used to be one of my most favorite sandwiches in the whole world, and now as a mother I make them for my kids as well.  Especially my daughter Kayla, if she could she would eat a grilled cheese sandwich everyday.   Now you may ask yourself what makes this grilled cheese so great… Well… It’s the butter spread I make to spread on the outside of the bread.  Combining fresh garlic, unsalted butter, fresh parsley, and Italian seasonings, and a some red pepper flakes for a lil kick makes this the best grilled cheese ever, and we actually make our grilled cheeses in our panini maker… LOVE that thing!

For me I always like to add different ingredients into my grilled cheeses, like prosciutto and spinach, and lots of yummy cheeses. YUM!

Because making sandwiches are so much fun such a great way to get in the kitchen with your family I am so happy to share with you a great giveaway from Land O’Lakes.

This premium gift package includes:

• Hamilton Beach® Panini Press
• $25 VISA® gift card
• Free product coupon redeemable for any LAND O LAKES® Deli Cheese product

 ***GIVEAWAY IS NOW OVER***

To enter in this Land O’Lakes giveaway:

1) Leave a comment below telling me your favorite grilled cheese sandwich pairings.

2) For an extra entry, share this post on FACEBOOK, and leave a comment below saying you did.

3) For one more entry, retweet this giveaway on TWITTER, and leave a comment below telling me you did.

Tweet the following phrase:

Enter to win an Ooey Gooey Prize Package from @LandoLakesKtchn & @thatssoyummy! http://bit.ly/H6nKMw #giveaway

 Friend Land O’Lakes on Facebook

 Follow Land O’Lakes on Twitter

Good Luck!

OTHER RULES:

Each entry must be a separate comment and not a reply to a comment. You must be 18 years or older and a United States Resident to enter. Prizes will be mailed to U.S. addresses only and can not be mailed to P.O. Boxes. Contest is void where prohibited by law. Giveaway is free to enter and no purchase is necessary. Your name and contact information will be given to Land O’Lakes so they can distribute the prize.

WINNER SELECTION:

Winner will be chosen using Random.org based on the number of valid entries on April 7th, 2012 at 11:59pm EST. One prize per person. Winner will be notified by email and have 2 days to respond with their address before an alternate winner will be chosen and notified.  Prize will be sent by Land O’Lakes.

DISCLOSURE:

This giveaway is provided to you by  Land O’Lakes The views and opinions expressed by Natasha Kennedy on ThatsSoYummy are my own, and based upon my experiences with Land o’ Lakes. I received the giveaway items for review free of charge.

and our winner is……..

Comment # 21 ~ Judy R.

A BIG Thanks to Land O’ Lakes for supplying our giveaway!

Thanks for visiting all and please come back again!