Anything mini is cute ain’t it? Especially food like mini pies, cupcakes, and bundt cakes. I loved making mini banana loaves during the holidays and give them as gifts but I have to say, my new food gift will probably be mini pies!  I was given this Breville Pie Maker a while back to review and oh.my.gosh.  It’s the cutest thing ever!  It makes 4 pies and it can’t get any easier. I had so much and have thought of so many things to make in it.

I started with apple pie because it’s the first thing that comes to my mind when I think pie.  You simple need Pillsbury’s Roll Out Pie Crust Dough and whatever filling you want.     Always read the directions guys….I did not and my first set of pies slightly burned.  If I had read the instructions, I would have seen that it takes 2-3 full heating cycles before the unit cooks evenly.  Here’s what the Breville Pie Maker looks like.  You get the unit itself, along with the pie cutter (one side cuts the bottom of the pie, and the other cuts the top of the pie out), and one more piece that helps you seal the pie’s top to the bottom crust.

I was able to cut out top and bottom crusts for two pies with one Pillsbury Pie Crust.

I brushed the pie maker with olive oil.  I prefer to NEVER use nonstick spray unless it’s Wilton’s.  I think the others leave a residue over time which ends up making it stick.    With the one attachment, after you lay the bottom crust in the pie spot, you use that piece to push it down into the bottom.  You then fill it with your pie filling, being careful not to overfill so that it doesn’t leak out everywhere.  Once you lay the top pie crust, you seal them together using the attachment.

Bake until the light changes and viola!

TIP: It’s recommended to use crescent dough for the top of the pie crust.  I didn’t but next time will try it.  What a great Mother’s Day gift this Breville Pie Maker would make huh!   You can make so many other things like chicken pot pie too!  I’d love to know what you’d make.

Do y’all remember when I talked about New West KnifeWorks last?  I was making my MIL’s squash goulash and slicing up the squash with them.  Let me tell you, these are beautiful knives and MAN are super sharp!!  And if the title didn’t get your attention, I want to stress “Made in the USA” because I know that sustainability and buying things made here in our homeland is very important to many of you.

New West KnifeWorks recently moved manufacturing from Japan to Shelburne Falls, Massachussetts. Prior to the move, the handle materials were produced in Vermont, shipped to Japan, and the finished product shipped to Wyoming. Now, the ‘Fusionwood’ is sustainably harvested and crafted in Vermont, then shipped 103 miles to Shelburne Falls. The move has reduced New West’s carbon footprint by 90%.

I personally think it’s an awesome move for New West KnifeWorks and I don’t know about you, but I love buying things that are made here in our great USA!  If you wanna a chance at winning a knife, scroll on down for my giveaway or sign up for the New West KnifeWorks newsletter before May 25th and you’ll be entered.

You know what I love about this Santoku knife?  First of all, the craftsmanship of the handle is just beautiful.  I love seeing all the rich colors blend together to make this gorgeous “rainbow” colored handle.  And talk about sharp….good lord these knives are sharp.  I always find slicing rings of onions difficult because no knife is ever sharp enough but all my New West KnifeWorks knives have handled the task extremely well. Truett wanted an orange so I cut up one for him.  That was like slicing butter.

Since my husband often builds bits, buckles, and spurs with steel, I’ve learned the differences between good and great steel.  These are outstanding.  You can see obvious visual differences when comparing the blade of this knife to other brands and there is absolutely no contest.   New West KnifeWorks wins hands down.

WIN YOUR OWN CHOPPER KNIFE!

Required Entry: Visit the New West KnifeWorks website, come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me which knife tickles your fancy.

Additional, optional entries, leaving each one in a separate comment:

• Answer this question:  Does the “Made in the USA” and sustainable factors matter to you? Why or why not? Leave your answer in a comment.
• “Like” New West KnifeWorks on Facebook. Come back here and tell me that you did (and your username).
• If you signed up for their newsletter, let me know what name you signed up under.
• Share via social networks like Twitter and Facebook.  Come back here and share your username.  You can do this DAILY PER SOCIAL NETWORK.

Giveaway ends on March 27th at about 10pm CST.  Good luck!

I’m actually not a big fan of cookbooks so when I got a new one in the mail the other day, I was hesitant that I’d like it, as I am with other cookbooks.  But then,  I opened it up and saw that it was a recipe collection from KitchenAid and was immediately interested.

It’s hard to find a cookbook that is special.  One that has ‘features’ and doesn’t put me to sleep or cost me an arm & a leg to buy the ingredients.  Thank goodness KitchenAid didn’t let me down.  Here’s what I love about the cookbook.

1) It’s a binder cookbook. I LOVE that I can take the pages out of the cookbook vs having to sit the cookbook upright wherever I’m cooking.  This means I can move the recipe around from station to station if I need to. It also means that I can laminate the pages if I wanted too!!!!  It’s a fun tip I learned way back then and it’s awesome.  You don’t have to worry about getting food all over the page and messing it off. You’ll be able to wipe it right off, so I highly recommend you do that.

2) Speaking of lamination, there’s a front plastic page that helps protect the start of the cookbook.  I like the simple things, what can I say.

3) TABS! LOVE LOVE LOVE the tabs. There’s 19 food tab categories which covers everything.  There’s a few additional tabs for the Glossary/Cooking Terms, Index, and ‘My Recipes’. I love the Cooking terms section and at the back you have your measurement conversions.  I just love the tabs because you can find the specific category you’re after super quick.  And to make it even easier, on the back of the tab page, there’s a list of recipes that are in that section, and their page  number.  VERY USER FRIENDLY!

4) Simple but delicious recipes. One of the things I hate about cookbooks is the fact that so many of them call for such special, high end ingredients that I either can’t find or can’t afford.  That is NOT the case with this cookbook.  I browsed the entire recipe collection of over 400 and was extremely pleased with the ingredient list with pretty much all of them.  That, my friends, is a rare thing.   Each recipe has a photo and clear recipe instructions.

As I mentioned earlier, in the very back of the book, you are able to write your own recipes on the pages.  What I’d like to know though, is if additional ‘my recipe’ pages can be bought to add to the collection, since they only give you three.  I think they should!

What recipe do I want to try?  The Rustic Plum Tart.  YUM!!! We love plums but I’ve never made anything with plums.  Totally gonna though when they are back in season.

You can buy the book at Amazon – KitchenAid Recipe Collection Cookbook

BHG (Better Homes & Gardens) now offer a line of non-stick hard anodized cookware, priced at the affordable $149 for a 13 piece set.

I’ve owned a few sets of hard anodized and was happy to review.  It felt weighty but not so heavy that your wrists are about to break from lifting a pan (and I’ve had those sets before).  All the handles on the pans and lids are covered with the silicon grips to avoid the heat and easier gripping.  It’s oven safe up to 400′ and has glass lids to see how your food is cooking.  Cleanup is a breeze and while you can put them in the dishwasher, I always recommend hand washing.

This set includes:

• 1 covered saucepan with lid 1.5-qt.
• 1 covered saucepan with lid and steamer insert 2.5-qt.
• 1 covered Dutch oven with lid 4-qt.
• 1 covered stock pot with lid 8-qt.
• 1 skillet 8.5″
• 1 skillet 10″
• 1 covered deep skillet with lid 4-qt.

See the video for a closer look at the set.

I cooked a few things with the set and felt that everything cooked evenly and I was able to clean it up easily.  For the price and the amount of pieces, I definitely recommend the set.

What type of cookware do you use?  Do you find that some sets cook better than others?

Disclosure: This cookware set was sent to me for review as part of my participation in the Walmart Mom program. All opinions are my own, always have been, always will be…..surely you guys know that by now;)

The KitchenAid Refrigerator is Ah-MAZING!   I have always wanted one with the freezer on bottom and am in awe of how much it holds.  KitchenAid sent me French Door Bottom Mount Interior Dispensing, Architect Series II.   Just the beauty of it breathtaking but the features and knowing it’s a brand I can trust is what really counts in my book.

The first thing we noticed was how tall and wide it was, way different than our previous. It’s also not as a deep as a standard fridge but the width and height makes up for it.  It holds a massive amount of food people. I immediately unpacked it, removing all the wrap and putting the shelves up, which was super easy!  The door shelves are removable and very easy to move up and down.  The front of them are clear so that you can see through and quickly grab the item of choice.  The inside shelves are adjustable as well.  There are three total drawers; two standard drawers for veges and such and one long deli drawer.  LOVE that deli drawer!

You can easily adjust the temp and we especially love the door alarm.  It beeps when the doors are left open too long.  The freezer rocks!  It’s ice making mean machine, with a scoop!  LOTS of storage in the freezer. MUCH more storage than a regular fridge freezer.   I wish I would have just bought one a long time ago.  It really is worth the extra money in my opinion.  The features are great, the storage is big, and the overall design is sleek.

Watch the video for a personal tour!

I have to say, this would make ANYONE happy. My husband loves this thing so much so I think it would make a great family gift!

more to come…….

Disclosure: KitchenAid provided the product free of cost. In return, I am sharing my honest opinions of it.  My opinions are my own, always have been, always will be.  It’s a freakin’ awesome fridge!

I know you guys have been waiting forever for the final results. You were probably able to tell a few things from the previous post but I wanted to share the final photos here with you all of the beautiful countertops.  I love them so much. I can take a photo anywhere on my counter and it turns out beautiful.  Before, not only did I have such an ugly baby blue thing going, there were also stains in them that were there before I ever moved in.  I had to carefully pick ‘the best’ spot on my counter to take a food photo. Now I’m comfortable with the entire kitchen that I can take photos anywhere and not worry about the ugly background.

Another thing I love about the hd laminate countertops is the cleanup.  There was some mustard by our toaster that I guess I didn’t see, and clearly dried.  I didn’t have to spray it with cleaner or anything, just used a warm damp cloth and viola, it came off.  I’m finding that all the messes we are making are coming off that easy.   Honestly, there’s just something about the beauty in them that makes me enjoy being the kitchen now. I feel so grownup in a sense, and just happy and even sophisticated.  Who would have thought that something like that would make such a difference?  Mind you, the new cabinets are absolutely fabulous of course. It’s so nice to have working drawers, and more than the previous 4 I had but I try to imagine my kitchen with JUST new countertops and while it may not have been this pretty, it would have indeed made a huge difference in the look and feel of the kitchen.

As you can see, the beveled edging turned out beautiful and each and every spot of the countertop is just beautiful.  I feel like it my kitchen looks much lighter and brighter now vs dark and gloomy.  And thank gawd I don’t have to look at that ugly blue anymore that was full of stains before we moved in.

So here’s the final before and after photos you’ve been waiting for.  There’s still a few more things we want to do but you can the differences.

In full disclosure, Wilsonart provided and paid for the cabinets, countertops, sink, and installation.  I’m just not even sure how to thank them properly.  I feel like hugs are in order.  It’s such a wonderful gift to me and my family and our home.  I plan to follow up with updates on the coutertops as to how they are holding up and if whether or not I’ve come across any stains that I couldn’t get out.  Just remember that every time you see a food photo or kitchen gadget photo here at mywoodenspoon.com, chances are, the beautiful background will be the countertops that Wilsonart made possible.   They are affordable, beautiful, durable, and truly give you a feeling of happiness………..

Maybe it’s because I’m lazy but we try to have pizza once a week, usually during family movie night.  Because we are headed to graduation tomorrow and I didn’t want to make a mess in the kitchen, we had pizza today.  Now I’ve tried a lot of pizza from the freezer section but have never tried Freschetta Pizza.  They offer flatbread pizza and regular natural rising pizza.  We chose Freschetta FlatBread Pizzas in pepperoni & cheese today.  It’s kind of funny actually because while I was in the checkout, a man behind me said, “Are those pizzas good?”  I immediately said that I had no clue, I hadn’t tried them.  Then he said, “I’ve heard they are really good.  Maybe I should just buy one and find out for myself.”  I told him I thought that was a good idea but that if wanted to know what I thought, to check out mywoodenspoon.com *giggle*

Anyways, upon opening the package, I saw this label.  Can I just say that I truly love personality in a person and in a product.  I LOVE this label and it made me smile.  That’s bonus points already for Freschetta!  If you can’t read it, it says:

WARNING: MAY CAUSE A CROWDED KITCHEN

When you bake a Freschetta pizza, don’t be surprised if your family gravitates to the kitchen thanks to the delicious aromas pouring from your oven.

Companies that take a little time to add that extra bit of personality really make my day but was the taste as good as its label?  Oh my goodness, yes it was!  I was sooo pleased with the flavor of the flatbread pizza and my boys? Well Toby gave it an 8 1/2 and Tyler said, “Dang, that’s good pizza Mom”.  He even folded like a calzone or something. So yes, it was a hit and the flatbread style was easy on Truett’s mouth.

I’m normally not a fan of flatbread to be honest because I like the bread part but there was plenty of bread and the taste just really made you not even think about the style at all.  I was just tickled with it I tell ya.  It reminded me of an authentic pizzeria in fact.  Like homemade….absolutely delicious.  I am so glad I was introduced to it because I think that it’s our new pizza.  And I think the Freschetta Flatbread will be what I serve when some of girls get together for a fun evening in the house.  Flatbread Pizza, side salad and wine..YUM!

I give it 10 stars and highly recommend. Man it was good!!  If you haven’t tried it and want to, use this coupon to save you a $1 buck!

Freschetta on the web:

Freschetta Facebook | Freschetta Twitter

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Freschetta. All opinions are 100% mine. Always have been, always will be…duh!

I recently downloaded the Kraft iFood Assistant app because 1) I’m a foodie and 2) one of my biggest goals for 2010 is to be more organized.   I actually don’t have hardly any food apps on my iPhone so I was excited to try this out.

From the main menu, you can access a number of features immediately; recipe of the day, cooking videos, recipe box, shopping list, and recipe ideas for dinner or that are even budget friendly, although I found almost all the recipes to be pretty budget friendly.

(my iPhone screen is dirty…sorry ’bout that!)

There are gazillions of recipes to choose from but my favorite part, and the part that will help in my organization goal, is the nifty shopping list it creates from the recipes that I want to use. Not only that, it categorizes your ingredients by aisle or recipe and when you get the item, you can check the box to mark it off.   In my recipe box at this moment is Crisp and Creamy Baked Chicken.  I can see a beautiful, vibrant photo of the recipe dish with tabs to view ingredients, directions, and ideas.  There is also two spots to click on if you choose to that will add to your recipe box and/or your shopping list.  It tells you everything you need to know, including prep time and total cooking time.  You can even sync your recipe box to your recipe box on KraftFoods.com. THAT is very cool!

Another feature I loved was the “What’s on Hand” section. You can search for recipes with up to three ingredients that you currently have in your pantry.  It offers a store locator complete with map, reminders, and even comments and ratings of each recipe.

Overall, I LOVE this app and give it two thumbs up all around.  I found it useful while in the store and by searching recipes under the budget friendly section, I was able to add a couple of more meals for less than I thought while at the store.

I didn’t find any problems with the app, nor did I find anything that I didn’t like.  I’m a huge fan of Kraft already so I’m happy to see them step into the “now” with this application.

The Kraft iFood Assistant app is available for download on iTunes for $.99 cents.  You can read more about all the features at the official iFood Assistant website but if you’re a foodie who loves recipes and lists, you’ll love this!

Oh, and that Crisp and Creamy Baked Chicken…….Keep your eyes peeled out for that recipe coming soon here at My Wooden Spoon!

SOMETHING FOR YOU

Up for grabs today for one lucky winner is a $50 American Express gift card to hopefully buy you some tasty ingredients for some Kraft recipes and a $25 iTunes gift card which is more than enough to buy this fun foodie app!

TO ENTER

Check out the Kraft iFood Assistant app website and tell me what feature appeals to you most or what feature you’d like to see added to it that it doesn’t currently offer.  Leave your comment on this post please.

Additional ways to enter, leaving each one in a separate comment, include:

• Sign up for my monthly newsletter.
• Share this giveaway on a social networking site like twitter, facebook or forum.
• Browse my recipes and find one that uses Kraft ingredients, come back to THIS post and tell me the name of the recipe.

Giveaway ends on Jan 3rd, 2010 and general giveaway rules can be found here.

Compensation for this post has been provided by Kraft Foods for ingredients to make recipes from the app, downloading the app, and conducting this giveaway. As always, opinions are of my own and always will be. Read my disclosure for my blogging ethics;)

These Kupcake Konz have to be one of the most nifty ideas ever! I can’t even count how many times I could have used this over the years especially when my little ones were in school!

Basically you get these pans that have holes in them. They come in a couple of sizes, regular and mini. Now when my husband first saw the mine one, the first thing he thought of was jalapeno poppers! I had to explain that while that would work great, it was for something even cooler. You know the ice cream cones you buy right? You simply place a cone the hole where it sits securely. You make your batter and pour into the handy squeeze bottle that comes with the set and fill your cones with cake batter! You can also use brownie batter which sounds heavenly!

What a great idea for toddlers and young kiddos! It can be so hard for a small child to eat a regular cupcake, trying to peel off the paper and then it breaking apart and falling everywhere. These Kupcake Konz are just the perfect size and the mini ones are awesome for small hands!!

Great for parties, great for school functions, great for fundraisers and great to eat!

These are the mini cones and it holds 24.

This is the cake batter which does well over 50 mini cones! This squeeze bottle is an excellent idea and made it so easy to fill the cones.

Squeeeeeeeeze into the cones.

Kupcake Konz all filled with cake batter…..Mmmmmm Don’t overfill!!!

All baked and ready to ice!

TADA!

Oh my gosh, now tell me that ain’t cute!! You know that is the most adorable cupcake ever!!

Kupcake Konz did send me the kit to try out and I freakin’ LOVE it! If you want to win a kit, head on over to my giveaway page and enter!

One of the things I struggle with during my Operation Fatty, is having food that is more healthy than what I eat now.  It’s a pain to cook separate dinners for me and my family so I’m on the prowl for diet food delivery style!  Living way out here in the middle of nowhere means I can’t just run to town to pick up some healthy dinners or grab some fruits and vegetables.  Often times I run out of the “good stuff” and have to make do until I can get to town.

This is where a delivery service would be helpful.  Some places that deliver diet food include Medifast, Nutristystem, and even the Zone.  Now trying to decide if any of these systems fit my needs is a different story.

I’ve tried Nutrisystem and to be honest, the food is not so great in my opinion. Maybe I didn’t get enough variety in there?  I’ve done Medifast and must say, this worked but the portions are very small.  The flavor is much better though and the shakes are filling.  I have had some zone bars before and found them to be very filling.  I haven’t tried anything else from them. Have you?

I think that if I had prepared meals, I would do much better on my weight loss journey. It’s real hard to cook for the cowboys and control myself from eating that food I cook for them.  If I have prepared meals, I can simply grab one to eat while they are eating theirs.

So, what I want to know is if you have had diet food delivered to you?  What program? How was the taste? Etc…….