Hip Foodie Mom

Toast with Honey Mascarpone and Nutella

OK, I admit it. I love going to Costco. Yeah, you heard me right.

I know it’s absolute craziness if you go on the weekends but if you go during the week like I do, it’s not that bad. And yes, I know most of you work so you can’t go during the week . . so if you want to hit the big warehouse for some much needed toilet paper or buy that extra large, humongous bag of tortilla chips, you gotta go on the weekends.

And what do you have to look forward to? Other than having to park 3 miles away because everyone and their brother has also decided to brave Costco the same day as you, the hundreds of people who are there with you inside shopping and the longggg lines you have to wait in once you’re finished?

The food samples.

This and the extra large, humongous bag of tortilla chips. These things make Costco okay for me. Yes, I know sometimes you’re waiting in a line to get a sample and there are sometimes unsupervised children running up to the table and grabbing food. But sometimes. . sometimes you get to try something pretty great and you go home happy.

I love this bread. Squirrelly Bread from Silver Hills Sprouted Bakery. I’m not gonna say how many food samples I ate. This bread is seriously delicious. And because they were at Costco, I walked away with 2 loaves.

So, I’ve been eating this bread non-stop. It’s great, obviously, as a sandwich. But I needed something fabulous. . and I had some mascarpone in my fridge. One should never be left alone with mascarpone, honey, strawberries and Nutella. You might eat the entire loaf.

Just sayin’.

This recipe is so simple and freaking delicious. You simply must give this one a try. Go ahead and indulge. I hope you enjoy!

Toast with Honey Mascarpone and Nutella

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Recipe type: Breakfast or Snack

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

6 slices of your favorite bread; toasted
½ cup mascarpone
1 heaping tablespoon of honey
fresh strawberries; sliced
Nutella; slightly melted in microwave (helps to drizzle on easier)
sliced almonds or hazelnuts (or both!)

Instructions

Mix the mascarpone and honey in a small bowl. Spread on your slice of toasted bread, then arrange the strawberries on top, drizzle on the Nutella and sprinkle on the nuts.

And if you can’t get your hands on some fresh, sweet strawberries. . don’t fret.

Broiled Salmon with Sweet and Spicy Pineapple Slaw

Hello Everyone!

I’m so thrilled to announce that I am now a contributing cook over at Cooks and Books and Recipes!

What is Cooks&Books&Recipes?

Cooks&Books&Recipes is a site that helps cookbook publishers publicize their work and also helps cookbook readers find out about new cookbooks that have been published recently or that will be available soon — and, of course, also to offer some great recipes! By highlighting selected recipes from current cookbooks, Cooks&Books&Recipes helps readers and home cooks discover and get a feel for the cookbooks.

The Cookbook: The Recipe Girl Cookbook

The Recipe: Broiled Salmon with Sweet and Spicy Pineapple Slaw

Salmon might be my favorite cooked fish. Not only is it packed with Omega-3′s, but it has loads of vitamins and protein too. We don’t eat it as often as I’d like because my husband spent a summer (while he was in college) in Alaska working on a salmon fishing boat. I think he said he wanted something fun to do . . anyway, now he still can’t even look at a salmon with a straight face. Now that we have the girls and they like salmon too, he’s out numbered.

I like that Lori uses canned pineapple mixed with fresh cabbage, carrots and bell pepper for the slaw; all simple ingredients that work really well together. And I really love the sauce mixture for the salmon. I found the pineapple slaw to be really tasty and perfect with the salmon. The two paired very nicely together and this recipe is so extremely easy and quick to make! It’s perfect for a week night dinner. My only tips for this recipe: definitely try to use a pyrex baking dish or roasting pan for this because the salmon sauce will drip and you don’t want to end up with a big mess and check on your salmon! You don’t want to burn it.

The next time I make this, I’m going to double the dressing. It was wonderful and I wish I had even more to drizzle on my salmon. If you are looking for a quick, light and healthy recipe, this is it. And I am really enjoying the Recipe Girl cookbook. This really is a great one for home cooks at all levels with recipes you’ll probably see yourself cooking over and over again.

Please visit Cooks and Books and Recipes for this wonderful RECIPE!

Quick and Easy Vegetable Lo Mein

Asian food. I am obsessed. And I’m so glad my kids like and eat it too.

If they didn’t, we’d have serious problems in this house.

If you have children, you know some can be finicky eaters which makes for some stressed out parents. But let me share this: if the kids are hungry, they will eat. If they refuse to eat and want to sit there, let them.. because when they get hungry, they will eat. And if they stage a hunger strike or throw a fit, ground rules need to be set and established. In order to teach her kids not to waste food and that they can’t always get what they want, a friend of mine will sometimes make her kids eat what they did not eat for lunch, for dinner.

I wanted to make sure my kids knew I wasn’t their short order cook so I set some ground rules early on. They eat what I give them. Sometimes, I will give them two choices and will let them (ie: Phoebe) choose. If she could, this little kid would eat corn dogs, mashed potatoes and udon noodles everyday. And sometimes, like tonight, I give them a slight variation of what my husband and I are eating. They love veggie lo mein but don’t like green onions or bell peppers so I pick out the bell peppers and don’t put green onions on theirs. Easy peasy. And please don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying to be the Kitchen Nazi when it comes to dinner and cooking for your children. . but just remember, you are the parent. Eating habits are established early and hey, there’s no harm in presenting new foods and vegetables and laying down the ground rules for your kids. Meal time should be enjoyable but they also need to be getting a good balance of fruits and vegetables. When we introduce new foods, we always make our kids take at least one or two bites. After that, if they don’t want to eat it, it’s fine. And then, later, we try to introduce it again. I’ve heard to try three times and then if they don’t like it after the third time, there’s a good chance they will never like or eat it.

But who really knows with kids right? I say, just keep trying.

This recipe is simple, quick and delicious. You can use whatever vegetables you have in the fridge. . if I had broccoli, I would have added it. Prepare the noodles, cook up the vegetables, toss everything up and you are done. This one is perfect for a week night dinner and will hopefully be quickly slurped up, even by your little picky eaters!

I hope you enjoy!

Quick and Easy Vegetable Lo Mein

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Chinese-ish

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2-3 tablespoons sesame oil + more if needed
a variety of vegetables; chopped. I added about 1-2 cups of EACH veggie (carrots, sugar snap peas, cremini and/or shiitake mushrooms, onions, red bell peppers, shredded cabbage)
1-2 cloves garlic; minced
salt
12 ounces linguine noodles
½ cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3-4 tablespoons Chinese oyster sauce
green onions; diced for garnish

Instructions

In a large wok or non-stick skillet, heat your sesame oil. (At the same time, prepare your boiling water for the pasta.) After a minute or 2, add all of your chopped vegetables and garlic into the wok or skillet and saute for a few minutes. Season with salt and continue tossing for a few minutes longer until the vegetables are tender but not too soft.
While you are cooking your vegetables, boil your linguine noodles as well. Cook to al dente, according to package directions (about 7-9 minutes). Drain and set aside.
When the vegetables and noodles are ready, add the noodles into the wok. Add the chicken broth, soy sauce and oyster sauce. Toss for a few minutes or until well combined. Taste and season with more soy sauce and/or oyster sauce as needed. Garnish with the green onions and serve immediately.

This recipe is meant to be easier and quick. This is why I threw in all of the veggies at once; ideal for a weeknight dinner. Adapted from Food and Wine.

The Ultimate Waffle Sundae.

I have birthdays and desserts on the brain this week. This was bound to happen.

It came to me in a dream. For reals.

When I was living in Los Angeles, years ago, I started this thing where I baked cakes for my friends’ birthdays. And we’re not talking beautiful, elegant, professional frosting job cakes here. We’re talking “it’s totally obvious this is from a cake mix and homemade birthday cake; but made from love cake.” And these were round cakes so I couldn’t fit the entire “Happy Birthday Joyce” on the cake, so I would just write “Happy” and then the person’s name. “Happy Joyce.” It became my thing.

Birthdays are a special occasion no matter what your age. Even though these weren’t beautiful cakes, everyone loved them and it made the birthday guest of honor feel special. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

My daughter, Phoebe, like most kids I know, LOVES ice cream. As you might have guessed, her favorite flavor is Mint Chocolate Chip.

I really did dream this up in my head. And this might look insane . . just crazy to you. . I did feel a little crazy indulgent as I was slathering on the creamy peanut butter and globs of Nutella over each waffle.

And then as I was scooping out the ice cream. I think there are 8 or 10 scoops on this thing, I did think, Whoa. This is a little crazy. It did get a little DMX crazy up in here. And here’s the thing with taking photos and working with ice cream and whipped cream. You need to work fast. Or this is what starts to happen.

Still, if you make this for that special someone on their birthday, something amazing will happen. And I’m not talking about sugar coma because there is no way one, single person can eat this thing alone. No, No. This Waffle Sundae is meant to be shared.

Everyone will be happy.

At least that’s how it works here. Ice cream makes everyone smile. So, if you’re looking for a little over-the-top, a little crazy, a little, well ok A LOT of ice cream and decadence, give this a try. . and hey, I added fruit. And there’s waffles so it’s not completely bad for you. There is no shame in using a box waffle mix for this one. No shame at all. However, if you want to make them yourself, here’s a recipe for waffles.

I hope you enjoy!

The Ultimate Waffle Sundae.

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 Waffles; prepared and cooked
Creamy peanut butter
Nutella
Several scoops of your favorite ice cream
Hot fudge
Whipped cream
Nuts of any kind
Sprinkles
Cherries
Bananas
chocolate wafer sticks or any cookie

Instructions

Prepare your waffles according to box directions or make them homemade from the link provided. Allow to cool.
To assemble: plate your first waffle. Slather on peanut butter and then some Nutella. Repeat with second waffle. Add the ice cream scoops and then go crazy with all of the toppings. Place additional fruit on the side if desired. Enjoy.

Little Toasts with Braised Beef and Chimichurri Sauce

I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to make chimichurri sauce!! Where have I been?

The last time I had homemade chimichurri sauce, we were at a friend’s house a few years ago and they were grilling meat. And lots of it. They made some chimichurri sauce to accompany the meat but had to whip up some more because we devoured everything in record time. It was oh so good!

If you’ve never had it, Chimichurri, originally from Argentina, “is made from finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano, and white or red wine vinegar. Additional flavorings such as coriander, paprika, cumin, thyme, lemon, and bay leaf may also be included. In its red version, tomato and red bell pepper may also be added. Chimichurri can also be used as a marinade for grilled meat or, as people are most familiar with, as a sauce for grilled meat.”

If you ever need a delicious appetizer that will wow and impress your guests or family, this is it. From the braised beef to the flavorful chimichurri sauce, these little toasts are absolutely wonderful. Only note: you may need to be ready to make some more because these will go fast! I hope you enjoy!

Little Toasts with Braised Beef and Chimichurri Sauce

For the chimichurri sauce: You can either serve immediately or refrigerate it; will keep for a couple days. If refrigerated, you will need to let sit for at least 30 minutes in order to return to room temp before serving. This recipe should give you enough chimichurri sauce for 15-20 little toasts.

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Recipe type: Appetizer or Main

Ingredients

For the chimichurri sauce:

1 cup firmly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, trimmed with the stems cut off
½ cup fresh cilantro
3-4 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves (OR 2 teaspoons dried oregano)
½ cup good quality olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

For the toasts:

bread or a baguette; sliced and toasted
olive oil
braised beef

Instructions

For the chimichurri sauce:

Combine everything from the parsley to the oregano in a food processor. Pulse until desired consistency is reached; after several pulses. Place in a small bowl and set aside.
In a separate bowl, mix and combine the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Pour over the parsley mixture and mix well. Taste and adjust any seasonings as needed.

To assemble:

To plate: drizzle a dash of olive oil on your little toasts (only if you didn’t use any olive oil to toast the bread), place on some braised beef and then top with the chimichurri sauce. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Braised Beef

I suggest using stew beef (+ anything else you can get) because I think it’s the most widely available at the best price for most people. But beef with more fat will give you meat that is more flavorful.

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Recipe type: Main

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 lbs stew beef or any beef cut OR a mixture of stew beef + short ribs or other fatty beef
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
½ large onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2-3 celery ribs, chopped
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
One 750-milliliter bottle dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
4 thyme sprigs
3 cups chicken stock

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large skillet or dutch oven, heat the oil. Season your beef with salt and pepper on both sides. Add beef to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, turning only once or twice, until browned and crusty, about 12-15 minutes. Transfer the beef to a separate dish and set aside.
Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic to the skillet (with all the lovely browned bits) and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft and lightly browned, about 15-20 minutes. Add the wine and thyme sprigs and bring to a boil over high heat.
Add the beef back in and transfer to a large, enameled cast-iron casserole or dutch oven (if you are not cooking in it already). Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover and cook in the lower third of the oven for about 1½ hours, or until the meat is tender but not falling apart. Remove from oven and shred.

Recipe adapted from Food and Wine. To get your beef even more tender and flavorful, follow the Food and Wine recipe and refrigerate your meat in the marinade overnight. It’s delicious!

Chocolate Banana Cupcakes!

My oldest daughter, Phoebe, turns 6 on Friday. SIX. I can’t believe it. Where did the time go? I feel like it was yesterday when I was holding her for the first time. . or feeding her. . or taking her to daycare or tying her hair in a ponytail.

She’s growing up.

Now, I’m lucky if she even lets me brush her hair. Yeah. She’s 6. Six and she knows what she wants and can be very particular about certain things. I’ve watched her grow over the years and have probably seen the most growth this past year, after we moved to Washington. This once extremely shy kid, now runs outside to call out all of her neighborhood friends to come out and play. She still has training wheels (which we hope to take off this summer) but she rides her bike with a lot of joy and excitement. Her new bike, which we got for her birthday, has a basket so she totes around this little stuffed teddy bear. I hope it stays in there for a while. I’m not ready for her to grow up and grow out of certain things yet.

Phoebe will always be my big girl. My first daughter. The oldest.

The one who used to cling to my leg when I dropped her off at pre-school. The one who was always scared to try anything new. Always. The one who was always very timid and shy. And even though she’s growing out of this, there are still times when she gets scared or doesn’t like too much attention or just plain and simple: needs her mommy. I will be here for her forever. And each day, I will strive to be a better mother. . because God knows sometimes I suck at it. And sometimes I am selfish and sometimes I lose my temper. On those days when I screw up, Phoebe always seems to be more loving and gives me more hugs. She’s awesome. She gets her awesomeness from her loving father.

To celebrate this week (because she is also the STAR of the week at school) and because I get to bring in homemade cupcakes to her class on Friday, and Phoebe has selected about 5 recipes for me to experiment with. . First up. . . We bring you these Chocolate Banana Cupcakes from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook. Phoebe and I – of course- embellished our cupcakes. That’s how we roll.

If you are a baker, you need this cookbook. I have also baked their Chocolate Cheesecake, where my chocolate curls first made their debut . . . and I just discovered a blogger who is baking her way through the entire cookbook! These cupcakes are legit. Everything you want in a cupcake and more. Moist, flavorful and delicious! If you like chocolate + bananas, you must try these!

I hope you enjoy!

Chocolate Banana Cupcakes!

Author: Hip Foodie Mom, from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Cupcakes

Serves: 12

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

1 cup all-purpose flour
about ¾ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
a pinch of salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (cut into cubes)
½ cup whole (or 2%) milk
2 eggs
1-2 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed

For the chocolate frosting + curls:

2⅓ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
6½ tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
2 tablespoons whole milk
2 oz. good quality semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate bar for the curls
swirled chocolate wafer sticks; optional
Special equipment: a vegetable peeler

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 (F).
Combine all of your dry ingredients in a bowl, mix slightly and pour into your stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and beat on slow speed until you get the consistency of sand and everything is well combined.
Slowly add the milk into the flour mixture, mixing well until all the ingredients are combined. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well, scraping any unmixed ingredients from the side and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Lastly, mix in the mashed banana by hand. I left some of my banana somewhat chunky so there would be lovely banana pieces in my cake.
Spoon the cake batter into cupcake liners in your muffin tin until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 – 22 minutes, or until light golden and the cake bounces back when touched. Let the cupcakes cool slightly in the pan before placing onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Beat the confectioners’ sugar, butter, and cocoa powder together in your mixer on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together. Turn the mixer down to a slower speed, and add in the milk, a couple of teaspoons at a time.
Once all the milk has been incorporated, turn the mixer up to high speed and continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy (for about 5 minutes).
Frost your cooled cupcakes and, when ready to serve, if decorating with the chocolate curls: microwave your chocolate for 10-15 seconds and simply use your vegetable peeler to shave and create chocolate curls. You can do this right over the cupcakes so the curls just land on top. Insert a chocolate wafer stick if adding and enjoy!!

Fresh Asian Noodle Bowl for #WeekdaySupper

I love Asian food. Depending on what it is, there’s something so fresh, vibrant and flavorful about it. Spring Rolls, Kim bap, soba noodles or this lovely bowl of brown rice noodles with fresh vegetables. Eating Asian food like this doesn’t leave me feeling full and heavy but comfortable and satisfied. And because I ate a healthy meal, I feel like I can reward myself with a little something sweet for dessert.

Makes perfect sense to me.

I recently got a garden plot in my community garden and will be planting and growing my own fruits and vegetables this summer. I am so excited. So, the plan is obviously to eat more veggies and to try a variety of things. I absolutely love recipes where you are eating raw vegetables with it. To me, that’s about as healthy as healthy gets. And you get your meal on the table in under 25 minutes. You can’t beat that.

If you enjoy Asian food, give this one a try. . it’s quick, light, refreshing and flavorful! I hope you enjoy!

Fresh Asian Noodle Bowl

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

You can easily add chicken breast or rotisserie chicken if a different protein is desired.

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Asian; Healthy

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 English cucumbers, julienned
1 cup carrots, peeled and julienned; or you can simply use your vegetable peeler to create carrot curls like I did
2 cups variety of bell peppers (orange, yellow and red); thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 package of regular firm tofu; sliced into thin strips (try to let tofu rest on paper towels beforehand so as to remove/drain some of the water. Pat down thoroughly with the paper towels.)
salt and pepper to taste
1 – 8 oz pack of brown rice noodles; like pad thai noodles or you can use vermicelli noodles
⅓ cup sweet red chili sauce (like the Thai Kitchen brand)
⅓ cup brown rice vinegar
⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce + more if needed

Toppings:

peanuts, chopped (you can place peanuts in a plastic bag and smash with a rolling pin)
green onion, sliced
fresh cilantro
sriracha sauce
lime wedges

Instructions

Over medium-high heat, add the sesame oil to a non-stick pan and heat for about 2 minutes. Add the sliced, somewhat dry tofu and fry until golden brown, flipping as you are cooking them. Season with salt and pepper. When finished, set aside on a paper towel lined plate.
In a large pot of boiling water, cook the noodles according to package directions. Most brown rice noodles only need to be cooked for 4-5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
In a large bowl, toss together all of your cut veggies, the tofu and noodles.
In a small bowl or mason jar, mix together the sweet red chili sauce, brown rice vinegar and soy sauce. Shake and drizzle over the noodles and toss together. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. (For my photo, I added the soy sauce later)
Sprinkle on chopped peanuts, green onions, fresh cilantro, sriracha and add a little lime juice. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Flourishing Foodie. If you have not seen/read Heather’s blog. You simply must. It’s absolutely gorgeous and stunning. I am inspired by her blog all the time.

I’m participating in WeekDay Supper again! Need some ideas for dinner this week? Please be sure to check out the rest of these lovely meals starting Tuesday. . have a good one!

05/14/13 – Tuesday – Sue’s Nutrition Buzz – Easy Individual Chicken Pot Pies with a Cauliflower Crust
05/15/13 – Wednesday – No One Likes Crumbley Cookies – Grilled Ginger Pork with Asian Slaw
05/16/13 – Thursday – Noshing With The Nolands – Paprika Chicken
05/17/13 – Friday – Family Foodie – Avocado Hummus

Albion Fit Swimsuit Giveaway!!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.

Hello!

Summer is right around the corner! Can you believe it?

Summer for me means school’s out so the kids’ schedule is a bit more relaxed. The weather is beautiful, gorgeous and sunny and we’ll be hitting the pool. And this year. . we’re going on a family vacation to Puerto Vallarta baby! I can hardly wait. But let’s talk swimsuits for a second here because I will obviously be wearing one poolside on vacation. It’s the summer time. It’s inevitable. Maybe you’ve had kids and don’t have the bikini bod you once had? or maybe you wouldn’t be caught dead in the old swimsuit you have tucked away in your closet somewhere.

Good news. There’s Albion Fit.

So, I’ve been scouring the internet doing massive online swimsuit shopping. I’m not bold enough to wear my bikini anymore. After the first kid, sure. After this second kid, even though I’m back to my pre-baby body, I just don’t want to do it. My body has changed and there’s no shame in that. The tummy isn’t as toned as it used to be and frankly. . .

One pieces are making a comeback, yo.

When I saw the one piece swimwear at Albion Fit, I immediately fell in love. And one pieces can still be stylish and cute!!

But Albion Fit has more than just swimwear . . they also have women’s fitness clothes and workout clothing. Albion’s mission is to provide women with the most luxurious, flattering, and hassle-free fitness and leisure apparel on the market.

I think all of their women’s fitness, swimwear and workout clothing is so cute and I am so thrilled to say – because SUMMER is right around the corner, we’re giving away ONE GOWN swimsuit from Albion Fit!

Giveaway Details. . .

Now please read carefully because this giveaway is going to work a little differently (and you must have a Pinterest account to enter).

To be eligible to participate in the giveaway:

MANDATORY: You must first LIKE Albion Fit on Facebook AND you must also PIN your favorite item from Albion Fit to one of your Pinterest boards and leave a comment down below with the link to that specific pin.

FOR EXTRA ENTRIES:

You can do the following but you must leave a comment in the comments section of this post telling me what you have done, and each one will count as an additional entry.

Like Hip Foodie Mom on Facebook.
Follow Hip Foodie Mom on Twitter (@HipFoodieMom1).
Follow Hip Foodie Mom on Instagram.
Follow Hip Foodie Mom on Pinterest.
Follow Albion Fit on Twitter.
SHARE this giveaway on 1) Facebook, 2) tweet on Twitter or 3) pin on Pinterest and leave the specific corresponding URL in the comments section below. If you do this for all 3, you can earn 3 additional entries!

Here’s a promo code for anyone who doesn’t want to wait for the giveaway and is ready to buy one today!! “hipfoodie15″ ($15 off any albionfit.com purchase of $50 or more, exp. 5/14/13).

More Giveaway Details:

One entry per person, PLUS additional qualified bonus entries (as mentioned above).
Giveaway only eligible for residents within the United States.
This giveaway ends on Thursday, May 16, 2013.
ONE winner will be chosen at random from all of the comments/entries listed here on this post. Be sure to do the mandatory entry by LIKING Albion Fit on Facebook AND PINNING your favorite item from Albion Fit to one of your Pinterest boards and leave a comment with the link to that specific pin.
ONE winner will be announced on Friday, May 17, 2013. The winner will be notified via the email supplied in the entry. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by Albion fit. As always, all opinions expressed here are my own.

Sangria, Drinks, Beverages and Good Vibrations

I’m a wine drinker. Never acquired the taste for beer. I know. I know. But give me a glass of red or white and I am a very happy girl. In my early 20′s, I was a cheap date. One glass (maybe even half a glass) and I was tipsy. Now, I can hold my own. Word.

I decided to have a little fun and wanted to test out my new Primula Flavor It Pitcher 3-in-1 Beverage System. From iced coffee to iced tea to sangria. This baby does it all. I really love the sleek design of the pitcher and the flavor infuser is great! With my sangria, I actually like also having all the fruit in my glass so I simply poured some out from the infuser. For other drinks, like teas or iced coffee, the Stainless Steel Tea Infuser is designed to brew loose tea or ground coffee, either hot or cold. How awesome is this?

The Primula Flavor It Pitcher 3-in-1 Beverage System

Brew it, flavor it, or chill it in the new Flavor It Pitcher from Primula. Whether you’re brewing hot or cold coffee or tea, infusing fresh fruit flavors into water, infusing mint or lavender into lemonade, or chilling mojitos for entertaining – Flavor It is an eco-friendly alternative to infused bottled beverages. The perfect pitcher, along with trend-forward accessories, makes beverage preparation easy. The pitcher, tea infuser, flavor infuser, lid, and top are dishwasher safe.

The beverage system includes:

Flavor Infuser - can be filled with fresh fruit, herbs, or spices to lend intriguing flavor notes to water, tea, punch, and more. Creating a multitude of beverage options from cucumber lime drinks to blueberry iced tea, to sangria and more.
Stainless Steel Tea Infuser – designed to brew loose tea or ground coffee, either hot or cold. The infuser’s filter sits low in the pitcher, accommodating small quantities as well as a full pitcher.
Chill Core – filled with non-toxic gel, it is better than ice because it keeps the beverage cool without diluting the flavor.

Features and Benefits:

BPA-free Tritan material
2.9 quart pitcher
dishwasher safe
scratch resistant
shatter proof
stain resistant
fits into a standard refrigerator door
no-spill locking lid

So, if you are looking for a Mother’s Day gift or just something for yourself, take a look at this. . I am so using this (+ my Zoku Quick Pop Maker) all summer long! So, I will leave you with that thought and this recipe! (A friend of mine told me he adds Fanta Orange in his sangria .. how awesome and brilliant is that?! Definitely going to be trying this soon!)

Very Berry Sangria!!

If serving for a party, double the recipe. If using the Primula Flavor It Pitcher 3-in-1 Beverage System, you will need to use 2 bottles of wine.

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Recipe type: Cocktails

Ingredients

1 Bottle of red wine (I suggest a good table red wine)
1-2 oranges; halved and sliced with rind left on
½ cup blueberries
½ cup strawberries; sliced
½ cup blackberries or raspberries
¼ cup brandy
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups ginger ale (to be added right before serving); optional

Instructions

Place all of the ingredients into a large pitcher except the ginger ale. Mix and refrigerate overnight. About 30 minutes before you are ready to serve, pour in the ginger ale if using and mix. The best Sangrias are chilled for about 24 hours in the refrigerator, really allowing the flavors to marinate into each other.

Disclosure: I was given a Primula Flavor It Pitcher 3-in-1 Beverage System for product review and recipe development purposes. As always, all opinions expressed here are my own.

Strawberry and Orange Bundt Cake

If you told me 3 years ago that I would have a food blog and would be head over heels in love with baking and cooking, I would have laughed in your face. Back then, I only knew of one food blog. One. That was it. And the only reason I knew of it was because a lot of my friends were following her . . I think mainly because of her Korean dishes and beautiful cupcakes.

Back then, I had no idea this entire blogging universe or blogosphere really even existed.

Fast forward almost 3 years . . because Madeline will be 3 years old in November and I fell in love with cooking again while on maternity leave after I had her. Oh how life has changed since this little firecracker came into my life. I now probably follow 20 or 30 food blogs. . more if you count the fabulous ones that I stumble upon once or twice on FoodGawker.

Sometimes people ask me how I got into blogging and why I do it, especially now that there are so many food blogs out there. You can read my About Page or the short answer is this: I enjoy it. I’m doing this for me. I love telling stories and cooking and baking. If someone actually tries one of my recipes and enjoys it or tells me how it worked for them, I am over the moon. This is all I need. And I can’t let the numbers get to me. In fact, I don’t check any stats. Unless I absolutely have to. My husband checks from time to time . . so I’ll leave that part of this to him.

And because I have a food blog, I get to buy and taste different kinds of chocolate for research. I eat out occasionally for ideas. I sometimes sample various types of desserts or cupcakes. Again for important research purposes only. I flip through cookbooks and magazines and other food blogs for inspiration. I get to meet new bloggers and read their stories. And, best of all, I get to bring you fabulous treats like this one today.

I know this looks like a big doughnut but I love doughnuts. This might be my favorite bundt cake I have baked so far. And I’ve baked a lot these past several months. After baking Dorie’s Orange Almond Tart, I became reacquainted with delicious navel oranges again. With kids, I always seem to buy the smaller mandarin oranges only. That tart changed everything.

I LOVE the combination of the navel oranges + strawberries in this bundt cake. The strawberry flavor is more subtle but you certainly taste it. Next time, I am definitely going to add more strawberries. And the aroma is amazing! The smell of this bundt cake alone will make you smile. Oh. So. Good.

And my 5 year old tells me that I must ALWAYS add the chocolate sprinkles. Always.

I hope you enjoy!

Strawberry and Orange Bundt Cake

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 10 mins

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Recipe type: Deseert

Cuisine: Bundt Cake

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients

For the Bundt Cake:

2 navel oranges; you will use the zest + the oranges
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1⅔ cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup strawberries; chopped into semi-small chunks. If you can, dry them on a paper towel for an hour or so beforehand.

For the Chocolate Ganache Glaze:

about 1 cup heavy cream
2 cups chocolate chips or your favorite chocolate, finely chopped. I recommend using a mixture of semi-sweet + bittersweet or bittersweet + dark chocolate

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Using non-stick cooking spray, generously grease and lightly flour a Bundt pan and set aside; I have had the most luck using non-stick cooking spray + flour to release perfect bundt cakes.
Zest both oranges and set aside. Peel the remaining white part and place the orange wedges into a food processor to puree (remove any seeds if there are any). Set aside.
Using an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachement, cream the butter and sugar together for about 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, waiting until each is fully incorporated. Add the orange puree, zest and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. While, your mixer is on low, add your flour mixture slowly into the wet ingredients until fully combined. Last, add the strawberries and gently mix into the batter.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan, spreading so that it is evenly distributed. Bake for about 60 minutes or until a tester inserted in the cake comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 15-20 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool.
Place the chocolate pieces in a small bowl and set aside. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until small bubbles appear on the outside edge of the cream. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate. Using a wire whisk, gently stir from the middle out, until all of the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
Pour the ganache on the cooled bundt cake, and top with the fresh strawberries if desired.

Adapted from Bake and Bait.

BundtaMonth for May

We’re celebrating berries! Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries. . whatever. . check out all of the fantastic bundt cakes below!

Blueberry Banana Bundt by Veronica at My Catholic Kitchen
Blueberry Buttermilk Cake by Lora at Cake Duchess
Blueberry Coconut Bundt by Jennie at The Messy Baker Blog
Blueberry Cream Cheese Bundt Cake by Anuradha atBaker Street
Blueberry Orange Baby Bundts by Anne at From My Sweet Heart
Lemon Berry Bundt Cake by Heather at Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks
Lemon Berry Bundt by Holly at A Baker’s House
Lemon Raspberry Bundlets by Kate at Food Babbles
Lemon Rhubarb Bundt Cake with Blueberries by Laura at The Spiced Life
Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Bundt Cake by Karen at In the Kitchen With KP
Orange Blueberry Yogurt Bundt Cake by Renee at Magnolia Days
Strawberry and Orange Bundt Cake by Alice at Hip Foodie Mom
Strawberry Sweetheart by Kim at Ninja Baking
Very Berry Streusel Bundt by Anita at Hungry Couple
Raspberry Wine Chocolate Bundt Cake by Paula at Vintage Kitchen

Here is how you can be a part of Bundt-a-Month:

Simple rule: Use your favorite berries or a combination of two and bake us a Bundt for May
Post it before May 31, 2013
Use the #BundtaMonth hashtag in your title. (For ex: title could read #BundtaMonth: Cherry Bundt)
Add your entry to the Linky tool below
Link back to our announcement posts

Even more bundt fun! Follow Bundt-a-Month on Facebook where we feature all our gorgeous bundt cakes. Or head over to our Pinterest board for inspiration and choose from hundreds of Bundt cake recipes.

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