Recipes featuring Polaner Fruit and Maple Premium Fruit Spread

Disclosure: I received product at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

Just in time for the holidays, Polaner Fruit and Maple Premium Fruit Spread makes its debut! It's perfect as a host or hostess gift, a stocking stuffer, on holiday croissants and muffins, and in recipes (see below). Polaner Fruit and Maple is so delicious, it's the best thing on sliced bread. Polaner Fruit and Maple premium fruit spread is sweetened with golden delicate Maple Grove Farms pure maple syrup and is available in four luscious flavors: Strawberry, Raspberry, Peach, and Blueberry.

Polaner Fruit and Maple pairs the fresh taste of fruit with the delicate sweetness of pure maple syrup and each variety contains four ingredients or less (except for peach, which has five ingredients), the first two of which are fruit and pure maple syrup. Polaner Fruit and Maple has no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial flavors, and no artificial colors. This premium line of fruit and maple spreads is also gluten free, non GMO project verified, and kosher. It's absolutely delicious and I love it!

Raspberry Baked Brie
1 8 oz. wheel of brie cheese
2 tbsp Fruit and Maple Raspberry Spread
1 tbsp toasted walnuts
Fried rosemary sprigs for garnish
Toasted bread for serving

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place the brie on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Top the brie with Fruit and Maple Raspberry Spread, spread to edges and bake for 12 minutes. Garnish with rosemary and walnuts. Serve with toasted bread.

Blueberry and Cheese Tart
1/2 cup Fruit and Maple Blueberry Spread, warmed
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
1 large egg yolk
1 tbsp water
mint and basil leaves, for garnish
olive oil for drizzling

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly flour your work surface and unfold your thawed puff pastry. Roll out the dough into a 12”x10” rectangle and transfer to a baking sheet. Brush the edges with water and fold the edges over about a 1”. Pinch the dough to form a crust. In a small bowl whisk egg yolk and water. Brush this mixture over the crust. Using a fork, poke holes in the bottom of the dough. Spread the ricotta cheese evenly over the dough, then the Blueberry Fruit and Maple and top with sprinkled goat cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool before serving. Garnish with mint leaves and drizzle with olive oil and cracked pepper just before serving.

For more recipes, and to locate Polaner Fruit and Maple Premium Fruit Spread near you, visit www.polanerspreads.com.

White Bread #Recipe for the Bread Machine

#Contains Amazon affiliate links

This is my favorite White Bread recipe for my bread machine! It has a soft, dense texture with just a bit of crunch to the edges. It works great for sandwiches when sliced thin, and works great for a dinner bread when sliced thick. I use a Westbend Bread Maker on Setting 1: Basic. I love making bread at home because the whole house smells amazing and it's cheaper than buying it at the store!

White Bread Recipe
for the bread machine

Ingredients:
1 cup water (warm)
4 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 egg (beaten)
3 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp active yeast

1/4 cup melted butter (to brush over loaf after baking)

Directions:
Add the ingredients above (except butter) into the bread machine, in the order listed. Be sure to put the yeast in a shallow well in the center. Do not lift the bread machine lid during baking. When the bread is done, remove the pan from the bread maker immediately, allow pan to cool 15 minutes, then remove bread by turning pan upside down. Set bread upright and brush with melted butter. Allow to cool a few more minutes before slicing with a bread knife. Serve thick slices warm as a side dish. Delicious with jam or honey! Slice thin slices for sandwiches and allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container or plastic bag.

Print this recipe HERE.
Check out my other recipes HERE.

Ground Pork Fiesta #Recipe

#affiliate links

Ground pork is so much cheaper than ground beef, but I've had a hard time coming up with recipes that really use it well. I finally came up with Ground Pork Fiesta and it's amazing! My husband insisted I write this one down and share it on my blog so I never lose (or forget) the recipe. The links in the directions are the products I actually used. Enjoy!

Ground Pork Fiesta

Ingredients:
1 lb ground pork
8 oz tri-color rotini noodles
2 cans cheddar cheese soup
1 can petite diced tomatoes
2 tbsp jalepeno slices
salt and pepper

Directions:
In a large skillet, brown the ground pork, chopping it into little pieces as it cooks. At the same time, boil water in a saucepan for the tri-color rotini noodles. Add a few dashes of salt and pepper to the pork while it browns. Add a few dashes of salt to the noodle water. When the ground pork is cooked, do not drain it. Turn the heat down to low and add 2 cans of cheddar cheese soup to the skillet of pork and stir. About this time, the water will be ready for the noodles, so add them to the boiling water. Add 1 can petite diced tomatoes to the skillet and stir. Stir the noodles so they don't stick together and cook noodles until tender. Pull out 2 tbsp of jalapeno slices from a jar (the store-bought ones are already soft from sitting in the juice, so I use those) and add them to the skillet. As you stir the jalepenos into the mixture, chop them up a bit. When the noodles are tender, drain the water from the saucepan and add the noodles to the skillet gently so you don't break the noodles. Serve on plates. Serves 4 very hungry people.

Print this recipe HERE.
See my other recipes HERE.
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A Pumpkin Dessert Everyone Will Love #recipe

Disclosure: I received compensation in exchange for this guest post by Kristin Beischel.

For as much as I love sweets, pumpkin pie never really did it for me. As I was thinking about recipes for Thanksgiving, I said to myself, “why don’t we just skip pumpkin pie?” Pre-baking the pie crust, making the pumpkin custard, baking the pie… it seems like a lot of steps. Will anyone miss it? Probably not, once they try this Pumpkin Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting! At Bake Like A Champ, we like to make refined desserts in a really simple way. Who says you have to skimp on gourmet treats just because you don’t want to spend all day in the kitchen?

Here’s the other amazing part: the recipe makes enough for one cake and four cupcakes. It’s genius. I didn’t feel like doing all the math to cut the recipe by 2/3, so I realized no one is going to complain when they get a few cupcakes for themselves! Here’s how I made it…

We butter and flour our cake pan and line our cupcake pan with 4 liners. Don’t forget to line your cake pan with parchment. It will make it much easier to get out!

While the butter and sugars are mixing, we sift the dry ingredients together. If you don’t have a sifter, that’s okay. Just make sure there are no lumps in there.

The butter and sugars mix together for a few minutes until it looks light and fluffy like this:

We add the eggs so it gets even fluffier…

Then we mix in the dry ingredients…

And last in is the pumpkin before we spread into the pans. Into the oven they go!

How much do you love that we get to keep the cupcakes for ourselves?! I mean, I guess you could give them away, but who wants to do that? The big cake will go on the Thanksgiving dessert table for everyone to enjoy.

I don’t think anyone will miss pumpkin pie this year. Especially me, because this was so much easier!

If you’re interested, check out more recipes and tips at Bake Like A Champ. Kristin is giving away a Free Guide: 5 Baking Mistakes to Avoid just for signing up for the newsletter today.

Pumpkin Cake With Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted from David Leite
Yield: 1 9-inch cake AND 4 cupcakes

Cake
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing pan
1 cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 cups cake flour (or if you don’t have cake flour: 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour + ¼ cup cornstarch)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk mixed with 1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin

Frosting
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 9-inch circle, 8x8, or 9x9 cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Additionally, line a cupcake pan with 4 liners.
2. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, to the mixer, scraping down the sides after each addition.
5. Alternate adding the flour and milk mixtures, beginning and ending with the flour.
6. Beat in the pumpkin until smooth.
7. Scoop the batter into the 4 cupcake liners. I use a large ice cream scoop to make it easy, but you’re looking to get them 3/4 full. Scoop the rest of the batter into the cake pan.
8. Insert the cupcake pan and cake pans into the oven. Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. The cake will take a bit longer, 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. In a stand mixer beat all the ingredients on medium until fluffy. Frost the tops of each cupcake and the cake, swirling decoratively.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins #recipe

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:
1 yellow cake mix
1 can pumpkin
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 bag mini chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine 1 box of yellow cake mix and 1 can of pumpkin. Stir well, then stir in 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice and 1/2 bag of mini chocolate chips. Batter will be thick. Place cupcake papers into muffin tin, then spoon batter into cupcake papers. Fill to about 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 23 minutes. Make 2 dozen.

Notes:
Super easy to make. Delicious!

Print this recipe HERE.
See my other recipes HERE.

Easy Salsa Chicken #Recipe

#affiliate link

Easy Salsa Chicken

Ingredients:
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can corn 15oz
1 can black beans 15oz
1 can Rotel Original, Tomato and Green Chilies, Diced, 10oz Can

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain liquid from corn. Drain liquid from black beans and rinse beans. Do NOT drain Rotel can. In a large bowl, mix together corn, black beans, and Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies. In a 9x13 metal baking pan, even spread almost the entire salsa mixture from bowl. Hold back enough salsa mixture to top each chicken breast. Place chicken breasts on top of the salsa in the baking pan, then top each chicken breast with the remaining salsa mixture. Cover pan with aluminum foil. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

My notes:
This is SO easy and incredibly delicious. It's a household favorite here!

Print this recipe HERE.
See my other recipes HERE.

Easy Taco Dip #Recipe for Game Day

Here is my super-easy go-to recipe for delicious Taco Dip!

Ingredients:
16oz Daisy Sour Cream
1 pkg McCormick Taco Seasoning

Directions:
In a bowl, stir sour cream and taco seasoning packet until combined. Chill in fridge for an hour. Enjoy with chips or crackers!

See more of my recipes HERE.

Easy Chocolate Cola Cake #Recipe and Glaze #Recipe

#affiliate links enclosed

Did you know there's an even easier way to use a cake mix? Replacing the eggs, oil and butter with a can of cola makes the cake moister and more delicious! You can use any kind of cake mix and any kind of cola to create an endless combination of cake tastes. Today I used a chocolate cake mix and Coca Cola in a bundt pan. I also made a vanilla glaze to go over the top of it. Below is the recipe for both!

Cola Cake - Chocolate Bundt Recipe

1 chocolate cake mix (18oz package)
1.5 cups Coca Cola
(you can also add an egg white to make the cake fluffier in appearance)

In a large bowl, mix cake mix and cola. Spray bundt pan with cooking oil and pour batter into bundt pan. Preheat oven to 350. Bake cake for 40 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, then turn bundt cake over onto large plate and let cool completely.

Vanilla Glaze Recipe

1.5 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, pour powdered sugar. Add the water and vanilla extract a bit at a time while stirring slowly, until sugar becomes a glaze. Pour glaze over top of bundt cake so that it runs over the sides and down onto the plate. Slice this delicious cake and serve!

Print this recipe HERE.
See my other recipes HERE.

Cheeseburger Mac-O-Lantern #Halloween #Recipe plus a Wilton Armetale Giveaway

Disclosure: I received product at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

There are many recipes for sweet things on Halloween, but don't forget that you still have to cook dinner before trick-or-treating begins! My Cheeseburger Mac-O-Lantern recipe can be prepared ahead of time if you prepare it in a Wilton Armetale Viceroy Oval Bowl, which can go from freezer to oven to table.

This bowl is even grill safe because it's made from an aluminum-based alloy. Designed by renowned artist Juan Vela, the Viceroy collection is vintage chic with soft sculptural scroll elements cast in highly polished Armetale metal and is at home in casual to formal settings and can be used every day. I found it easy to use, very lightweight, and easy to handwash (even with baked-on cheese).

Your kids will want to get started on their candy hunt, but this delicious happy-faced dinner will get some good food into their bellies. They'll be thrilled to sit down to eat before trick-or-treating! Ready to make Cheeseburger Mac-O-Lantern? Let's get started!

Cheeseburger Mac-O-Lantern Recipe

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
2 cans Fiesta Nacho Cheese Soup
(you can use 2 cans Cheddar Cheese Soup if your kids prefer non-spicy)
1 small can sliced black olives
8 oz big macaroni noodles
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a saucepan, prepare noodles according to package. At the same time, brown ground beef in a skillet and drain. Pour prepared noodles into a bowl and mix with one can of cheese soup. Pour browned ground beef in another bowl and mix with other can of cheese soup. Pour half of the cheesy beef into the bowl with the cheesy noodles and gently combine. Save aside 2 of the sliced olives for the eyes, then pour the rest of the olives into the cheesy beef mixture and gently combine. Pour the cheesy beef mixture into your baking bowl, then top with the shredded cheese. Shape the remaining cheesy beef into a happy jack-o-lantern face on top of the shredded cheese, placing the olives on the eyes. (If you're preparing ahead of time, cover and place in freezer). Place bowl, uncovered, into oven and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F. (If frozen, cook at least 45 minutes). Enjoy your Halloween dinner! Serves 4.

Print this recipe HERE.
See my other recipes HERE.
Follow me on Facebook HERE.

Purchase this beautiful, versatile Viceroy Oval Bowl at www.armetale.com.

Enter to win!

Enter below to win a Wilton Armetale Collection, valued at $257.25. This prize package includes: Medium Bowl, Pitcher, Cracker Tray, and Handle Tray. Open to US residents, ages 18 and older. Giveaway ends November 8, 2014.

Entry-Form

One-Pan Taco Pasta #Recipe

One-Pan Taco Pasta

This is a delicious, fast dinner that only requires one pan - your favorite skillet with a lid!

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

4 cups water

1 pkg McCormick's taco seasoning

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can yellow corn, drained and rinsed

8 oz egg noodles

Directions:

In large skillet, brown ground beef, then drain and return to skillet. Add 4 cups water and 1 pkg taco seasoning. Stir well. Add 1 can black beans and 1 can yellow corn, stir again. Then stir in 8oz egg noodles. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

If desired, top with shredded cheese and/or sour cream. Serves 5.

Print this recipe HERE.

See my other recipes HERE.

Enter my giveaways HERE.

LEAF Vodka - Organic, Unique, Delicious

Disclosure: I received product at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

LEAF Vodka features two delicious varieties - one sourced from Alaskan Glacial waters and one sourced from Rocky Mountain mineral spring waters. Each one has a very distinct taste, since vodka is actually 60% water. The Alaskan Glacial has a pure, smooth taste, with a hint of sweetness and the Rocky Mountain has a rich, warm, savory taste. They are both delicious in different ways. My favorite way to enjoy vodka is in a fruit juice drink and the LEAF Vodka varieties are the perfect complement!

To make Alaskan Lemonade, pour 10oz of lemonade and 2oz of LEAF Vodka Alaskan Glacier into a shaker with ice, shake, then strain over ice in a glass. Garnish with a lemon or lime wedge, or one of each. The cool taste of Alaskan glacier water makes this lemonade cocktail intensely refreshing!

To make Rocky Mountain Cherry Limeade, pour 10oz of Cherry Limeaid and 2oz LEAF Vodka Rocky Mountain into a shaker of ice, shake, then strain over ice in a glass. Garnish with a slice of lemon or lime and a maraschino cherry. I love the rich taste of this cocktail!

Find out more about LEAF Vodka at www.leafvodka.com and get even more great cocktail recipes on their site. Please drink responsibly.

Chicken Meatloaf #Recipe

#affiliate link in post

Here's a fabulous twist on a long-time family favorite! Using ground chicken instead of ground beef can reduce some of the fat and calories in your dinner. With just a few ingredients, my Chicken Meatloaf recipe is a hit in this house!

Ingredients:
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 cup salsa, plus 2 tablespoons salsa for topping
20 Ritz Everything Crackers
1 Egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place 20 Ritz Everything Crackers into a zip-closure plastic bag and roll over with rolling pin to smash them to crumbs. Pour cracker crumbs into a large bowl and add 1 pound ground chicken, 1/2 cup salsa, and one egg. Mix ingredients by squishing together with your hand. Spray a loaf pan with a touch of cooking oil spray and shape chicken meatloaf into the loaf pan. Bake in oven at 350 degrees F for 1 hour. Remove loaf pan from oven and spread 2 tablespoons of salsa over the top of the loaf. Bake for another 10 minutes, Cut into slices and serve.

Notes:
Using 1 pound of ground chicken will feed 2-4 people. Recipe can be double for more people or to make a "taller" loaf.

Print this recipe HERE.
See my other recipes HERE.
Follow me on Facebook HERE.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies #Recipe featuring Norm's Farms Elderberry Jelly

Disclosure: I received product at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Norm's Farms Elderberry Jelly

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat one egg in mixer until foamy. Add 1 cup creamy peanut butter, 1 cup sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Mix well, then shape one-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Flatten slightly and using a tart press, make a small bowl in the center of each cookie. (If you don't have a tart press, you could use a spoon or your thumb.) Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet 5 minutes, then move cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Scoop about a teaspoon of Norm's Farms Elderberry Jelly onto the top of each cookie. Makes 2 dozen.

Print this recipe HERE.
See my other recipes HERE.

Norm's Farms makes incredible jams, jellies, and preserves featuring the superfruit elderberry. The elderberry is delicious and is a wonderful source of antioxidants. It's packed with Vitamins A, B and C , iron, and potassium. Best of all, elderberries are scrumptious!

Norm's Farms is a small family-owned company based in Pittsboro, North Carolina that produces all-natural elderberry products. Check out my review of their Elderberry Supplements! I've been enjoying their jams, jellies and preserves on my waffles, toast, and bagels, but I think my Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies rock!

Check out www.normsfarms.com to see all the delicious ways you can incorporate their elderberry products into your kitchen. They even have recipes on their website. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest too!

8 Mouthwatering Chocolate and Wine Recipes

#sponsored

With our love for chocolate never ceasing, we thought we’d bring you a round-up of luxurious recipes that involve another decadent household favourite: wine. Why? Well, because this amazing taste combination isn’t baked enough! It also gives you a great excuse to knock back some Merlot while cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Think of all those antioxidants (that makes it healthy, right?)!

Bon Appétit’s Darkest Chocolate Cake With Red Wine Glaze

Why do things in halves when you can go the whole hog? Invite your friends over, crack open a few bottles of Pinot Noir, and dig into this beautiful beast. It would be selfish to keep it all to yourself (but we won’t tell).

Saveur’s Bittersweet Hot Chocolate With Red Wine

This is a beautiful winter beverage. If you haven’t tried it yet, you really should. Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Beaujolais, and Merlot are all great additions for this recipe (and are all wonderfully rich wines). This is hot chocolate the proper way, using melted bittersweet chocolate. None of that powdered stuff!

Taste’s Red Wine & Chocolate Tart

If you’re hosting a dinner party, this is the perfect piece de la resistance. After a delicious main meal, this tart sweetens the palette with rich chocolate and wine. This taste combination is no joke! Crack open some bottles of mellow Merlot for this recipe.

Food & Wine’s Chocolate Red Wine Bundt Cake

Adding wine to this delicious chocolate bundt cake gives it a gorgeous, boozy aftertaste. Choose a nice, dry red wine for this recipe and enjoy! (A bit for the cake, a bit for me, a bit for the cake, a bit for me…).

Table For Two’s Red Wine And Chocolate Cupcakes

Cupcakes are a great idea for bitesized heaven (without scoffing down a whole cake). Incredibly moist, these boozy mouthfuls are a wonderful treat for weekend relaxation. Pile that frosting high! Although you can get away with pretty much any red wine for this recipe, we love this Banyuls Reserva by Yapp Brothers, a specialist independent wine merchant.

Bake Noir’s Red Wine And Chocolate Truffles

A seriously adult indulgence, these posh Cabernet Sauvignon truffles are packed with sophisticated, intense flavours. Unwind with these sumptuous bites and a glass of your red wine. You should be able to taste the fruitiness of the vino through the powerful chocolate.

Delicious Everyday’s Chocolate Pots De Crème With Red Wine Poached Cherries

Moving onto fruitier options, this is a fantastic dessert for sharing (or not). Definitely one for chocolate-lovers, these delightful pots taste out of this world with vino-poached cherries. Of course, everyone’s glasses should be filled with wine too! We can see this being a firm favourite at barbeques this summer.

Poached Pears In Red Wine & Chocolate Glaze

Another dish that can wow dinner party guests, these wine poached pears look professional. We think it would be a gorgeous finish to a wonderful meal with friends.

Check out my giveaways HERE!

Zucchini Bread #Recipe {and recipe linkup}

Welcome to the LeahSay’s Views

and Planet Weidknecht Recipe Link Up!

~ My recipe this week is Zucchini Bread ~

This is my first attempt ever at making Zucchini Bread and it turned out fabulous! I found a recipe online and tweaked it a bit to make it my own. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 1/3 c sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 c fresh grated zucchini
1 stick melted butter
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 c flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, beat 2 eggs. Add sugar and vanilla, then stir. Add zucchini and melted butter, stir again. Add baking soda and salt, stir again. Add flour, stir again. Add cinnamon and nutmeg, stir again. (If you'd like to add some fruit, fold it in now.) Spray 2 bread baking pans with cooking spray and split the batter between the two pans. Bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees F. Cool pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove bread from pans. Slice and enjoy warm or allow to cool completely to wrap in foil and store.

Print this recipe HERE.
See my other recipes HERE.

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