Its a Wienervention!

Hot dogs are a summer staple in our household. We love to get together with friends, hang out in the backyard chatting and playing games and fire up the grill to roast some hot dogs. Good fun and delicious summer food.

I never really worried about what was actually in a hot dog, I knew it wasn't great stuff but it tasted good and that was enough for me. Then we had Molly and when she started eating real food I was definitely weary of giving her hot dogs. Too many fillers and mystery ingredients. It just didn't sit well with me as a good food item for her. But of course she loved them...

So it was time for a Wienervention!

Courtesy of Applegate hot dogs! Cue the hallelujahs! And put hot dogs back on the summer menu.

Applegate was kind enough to send us a package full of delicious, healthy, organic, no filler hot dogs. I wasn't the only one that was excited when we opened up the box.



Applegate generously sent us a variety of dogs to try, both organic and natural.



I knew from the research I had done into Applegate's products and the ingridients listed on the packaging that these were definitely the best possible hot dogs you can eat. No guilty feeling for gobbling these up or giving them to Molly. I think this little quote from the CEO sums it up nicely,

"So…What if you weren’t afraid to read the ingredients on a hot dog package? Like me, you’d feel better about eating them, and serving them to your family. That simple idea has always been, and will continue to be, what drives Applegate."

But the true test would come when we tasted them. They have to taste good to make their way on our menu. So we grilled em up.



And served them to our prestigious taste testers...





Approved! These two tots practically licked their plates. That is a win for me! Us adults enjoyed them too. We slapped in some buns with mustard, ketchup, cheese, relish and avocado and devoured them. Our self proclaimed hot dog guru friend also gave them the seal of approval.

And it gets better! One of my hot dog lovin readers will get to experience this Wienervention first hand! The great people at Applegate have offered to send the same package full of dogs to one reader. 

Giveaway Details:

To win, simply comment on my post (be sure to include your email) with the words "Wienervention" and tell me what your favorite thing to throw on the grill is.

Giveaway closes Friday August  9th at 12pm CST.

Check out the Applegate Wienervention Facebook page for coupons and recipes. And visit Applegate.com for more information on the company's story and their products. They make lots of great stuff besides hot dogs.

And in the meantime, don't be afraid to spread the word about the Wienervention happening!!

When She Won't Eat Her Veggies

It finally happened, as I secretly knew it would, she stopped eating her vegetables. Our once great eater, who we could count on to down anything we put in front of her, has become a tad picky. Some days she won't eat anything but bread, cheese and fruit and other days she is a little more willing to go for a few veggies, and some meat. But lately veggies are on her do not eat list. Great.

With a growing toddler we know, as parents, that vegetables are very important. And since Molly seems to be a "runt" we want her to eat lots of veggies to grow big and strong. While we aren't to terribly worried because she does eat a lot of the super foods that are good for babies/toddlers we do want some veggies in her diet.

So, what to do?

We get sneaky. : )

Our latest trick uses apple sauce as the disguise. We make our own apple sauce and infuse it with kale or spinach. It turns an awesome green color but mostly keeps the taste of apple sauce. Molly loves it and most importantly eats it!

Green Apple Sauce

by Hallie Vincent

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 0

---

Apple Sauce w/hidden vegetables

Ingredients (1 small batch)

• 1 apple (we prefer gala)
• 2 ounces water (alter for desired consistency)
• 1 bunch Kale or Spinach

Instructions

• Cut the apple into small squares and add to blender
• Pour in water
• Chop up Kale and add to blender
• Mix all together until reaches desired consistency

So for all those Moms with kiddos on veggie strike, give her a try.

And here is to hoping she starts eating the green beans, brocoli, and peas again.

Now Eat This

As I am picking up steam in the cooking department and trying to be healthier while still eating good food I HAD to get Rocco Dispirito's new book, Now Eat This.

The cook book is all about taking really yummy traditional dishes and then reformatting them in a way that cuts the calories and fat in half. Yes, in half!

Rocco said he created this book because he had gained 30 pounds from being a chef and constantly being around really delicious but unhealthy food. The book has 150 favorite comfort foods that he compiled from Twitter followers. Some of the recipes include Fried Chicken, Mac n' Cheese, and brownies. Yum!

“Now Eat This” is as family-friendly as it is dinner party-friendly, making this an essential for any home cook who wants to enjoy and serve favorite comfort foods without sacrificing health, quality or flavor. You’re bound to find several of your personal favorites revamped in this colorful new cookbook.

Stay tuned for my posts on cooking some of these yummy meals.

Weekend Plans

Finally.  It feels like this week was SO long!  And we also finally have a weekend to ourselves at home.  No visitors, no trips.  What to do?

Weekend list:

1. Movie Night- relaxing Friday, cooking at home and watching a movie.  With wine of course.
2. Pedicure- I am in desperate need.  Just gross.
3. Spring cleaning- our garage is a mess.  Chase still has boxes he has not opened from the move.  And since neither of us has had a garage in awhile its become a catch all for things we don't know what to do with.
4. Date Night-heading out on the town to eat somewhere fabulous and have a few drinks.
5. Picnic at the Park- One of the perks of where we live is beautiful White Rock Lake less than a mile away.  We are going to go for a bike ride around the lake and then sit down for a nice picnic.
6. Borders- got a 40% off coupon burning a hole in my pocket!
7. Grilling out- Sunday we are making Greek Burgers!  Yum!

Sounds like the perfect weekend.  What are you plans?  Do share.

What's for Dinner?

In our second installation of What's for Dinner? we thought we would share the inaugural grill meal.

My dad was kind enough to buy us a fancy new grill for our housewarming present. We picked it up from Sears on Wednesday, put it together Saturday morning and cooked dinner on it that night.



The meal? Well steaks of course. What else would you cook on a grill for the first time?

The meal consisted of a 1.05lb New York Strip Steak, baked potatoes, green beans and onions + mushrooms sauteed in olive oil and red wine.

The most important ingredient is, of course, the meat. We swung by Central Market, spoke with the butcher and picked out this beauty.



A little salt and pepper on the steak. Two baked potatoes rubbed with olive oil and salt. Fresh cut mushrooms and onions sauteed in a pan with olive oil and red wine. Can of cut green beans. Voila!

His:


Hers:


Simply delicious.

What's for Dinner?

One of the things Chase and I were looking forward to when we moved in together was cooking.  Chase likes to cook and so do I (even though I don't really know how) so its a new adventure for us as a couple.  We are also trying to eat healthy and slim up for some springtime engagement pics.  So, a new blog subject is born...What's for Dinner?  I will try my best to remember to take pics when we cook and eat so I can document them for all to see.

First up, a recipe from Real Simple's Month of 400 Calorie Meals.  We are snatching meal #1 from January 1st: Turkey Meat Loaf With Mashed Potatoes.

 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bunch spinach, thick stems removed and leaves chopped (about 4 cups)
• 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 large egg white
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 pounds red potatoes, quartered
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup jarred marinara sauce, warmed (optional)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400° F. In a bowl, combine the turkey, onion, spinach, parsley, bread crumbs, mustard, egg white, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
2. Transfer the mixture to a baking sheet and form it into a 10-inch loaf. Spread with the ketchup. Bake until cooked through, 45 to 50 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a large pot of enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Mash with the buttermilk, oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
4. Serve the meat loaf with the potatoes and the marinara sauce, if using.
   

Nutritional Information

• Per Serving
• Calories 376
• Calories From Fat 25%
• Fat  11g
• Sat Fat  3g
• Cholesterol  67mg
• Sodium  700mg
• Protein  30g
• Carbohydrate  43g
• Fiber  5g
• Sugar  7g

And drumroll please.....

Our very own Turkey Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

It was delicious.