Category Archives: Food Bloggers

Tommy Bahama Flavors of Aloha

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One of my favorite things about dining at Tommy Bahama is their cool, Hawaiian vibe.  So when I was invited to attend the Tommy Bahama Flavors of Aloha event to celebrate chef Rick Rodgers’ new cookbook, I jumped at the chance to attend.

Flavors of Aloha is a cookbook exclusive to Tommy Bahama, and the recipes are all traditional Hawaiian-inspired dishes with a few unique twists here and there.  I’m personally a big fan of traditional Hawaiian cuisine, and loved how this cookbook paid homage to some of the islands’ signature flavors.

tommy bahama flavors of alohaOur evening started with a cocktail hour complete with leis, mai tais, and passed appetizers from the book.  My favorite appetizer by far was the Maui onion dip which was made with fresh onion, bacon and chives and served with taro root chips.

tommy bahama flavors of alohaSome of the other appetizers that were served included ahi poke in little cones, spam musubi (think spam sushi) and coconut shrimp.  I should also note that all these appetizers are in the Flavors of Aloha cookbook and can be found at Tommy Bahama restaurants.

Then it was time for dinner.  I had already informed the team of my food allergies so my meal was slightly different from everyone else but still quite delicious (also huge thank you to Orisi PR for helping me out!).

The first course that was served was a raw shaved papaya salad with chilled shrimp on top.  My lovely date for the evening Joelle was kind enough to give me her shrimp so I could taste part of the dish.

tommy bahama flavors of alohaI had a wedge salad with blue cheese and fresh tomatoes which was also quite delicious.

tommy bahama flavors of aloha For our main course, we were served two proteins: Kona coffee rubbed steak and grilled salmon.  I was served two pieces of salmon (minus the soy glaze) which ended up being quite fortuitous for this salmon lover.

tommy bahama flavors of alohaFor the grand dessert finale we were served either pina colada cake or my personal favorite, the vanilla creme brulee in a PINEAPPLE.  I packed up the pina colada cake for the Englishman, but the creme brulee was all mine.

tommy bahama flavors of alohaA big thank you to Chef Rick Rodgers and Orisi PR for hosting such a wonderful event!  I can’t wait to dig into the Flavors of Aloha cookbook and create some of the recipes for myself.  And make a return trip to Tommy Bahama for some more creme brulee.

Peanut Butter Goji Berry Brownies

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**giveaway is officially closed.  thanks to all for entering!**

Imagine rich cocoa powder + Peanut Butter and Co.’s Dark Chocolate Dreams baked into gooey perfection and topped with dried goji berries.  It may sound like a strange combo, but believe me, it works.  The Yum Squad was tasked to participate in a #mysteryingredient challenge in honor of National Peanut Month, and so Peanut Butter Goji Berry Brownies were born.

YumSquad-Banner-MysteryIngredient-Goji-SquareWhen I found out the dried goji berries were my mystery ingredient, I was beyond excited.  I happen to LOVE goji berries and use them in smoothies, granola, healthy cookies and even just eat them out of the bag as a snack.  I knew I wanted to do something sweet with the goji berries since they are on the tart side, and decided peanut butter brownies was the way to go.

goji berry brownies PINI made these peanut butter goji berry brownies for our family’s annual Academy Awards viewing party and they were a huge hit!  Even with my grandmother, who asked what “those red things were.”  The key to this recipe is to add the goji berries when the brownies are practically done baking and on the gooey side, otherwise they will turn brown and don’t look nearly as appetizing.

peanut butter and co and goji berriesI used Dark Chocolate Dreams as my base peanut butter for these brownies, but you could also use Smooth Operator, White Chocolate Wonderful, The Bee’s Knees or even Crunch Time for some added texture.  The possibilities are endless.

Peanut Butter Goji Berry Brownies (adapted from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients:

  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, chopped into pieces
  • 2 additional tablespoons of butter (to be used for the filling)
  • 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Guittard)
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup dark chocolate dreams peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup goji berries

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350F.  Line an 8 inch square baking pan with either parchment paper or grease with butter.

Take your 2 tablespoons of butter, chocolate chips and peanut butter and melt in a saucepan over low heat.  Once the mixture has melted, set aside to cool

In a large mixing bowl whisk your flour, salt, baking powder, unsweetened cocoa powder and sugar together.  Add your eggs and vanilla and continue to whisk until the batter is well blended.

In a separate saucepan, melt your 8 tablespoons of butter and pour into the dry mixture.  Gently fold in your peanut butter mixture and continue to mix until the batter is nice and thick.

goji berry brownie mixPour your batter into your baking dish and place in the oven for 40 minutes.  At the 40 minute mark, sprinkle your goji berries on top and continue to bake for another 5 minutes, or until the brownies are nice and gooey in the center.

Remove from the oven and let cool before slicing into squares.  Eat and enjoy!

peanut butter goji berry brownies closeOk now onto the fun stuff.  One lucky winner will win their own Peanut Butter and Co. Prize Pack to create their own delicious pb creation!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 *Open to U.S. residents only.  Contest ends 3/22/15 at 12:00 AM PT.

Thanks to the team at Peanut Butter and Co. for sponsoring this giveaway!

The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap

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Christmas is just a little over a week away, so obviously we need to talk cookies! This year I participated in the great food blogger cookie swap and not only was it a lot of fun, but by participating you helped raise money for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, which was the main reason I signed up for the swap.

The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2014

I’ve done a few cookie swaps already with some of my fellow blogger friends, but for this one we were assigned people based on our dietary needs which was awesome.  Since the bloggers I had couldn’t have nuts, I went with my favorite tried and true recipe: oatmeal chocolate chip cookies adapted from the Tartine cookbook (seriously, if you haven’t made these yet, DO IT).

Loaded Oatmeal Cookies Close UpMy first set of cookies I received came from Heather from Majorly Delicious.  She made salted caramel bars, and as expected, they were amazing.

My husband pretty much devoured two right on the spot, and we ended up freezing a couple to have as a frozen treat when the mood strikes as well.  Heather was also SO great in listing out all the ingredients she used as well as the brand so I could double-check to make sure there weren’t any hidden allergens in there.

Our next batch came from TammyJo from the Chocolate Cult, and they were chocolate banana cookies. Banana and chocolate are pretty much a harmonious combo (as is banana and pb) so these were great.  Loved the tin they came in as well!

Last but certainly not least, Betsy from Java Cupcake sent her easy chocolate chip cookies with holiday sprinkles!  And really, you can’t go wrong when sprinkles are involved.

I loved that the 3 batches of cookies I received were all so different and I felt really reflected each blogger’s personality.  The cookie swap definitely got me in the holiday spirit and I can’t wait to do some more holiday baking this month.

Chocolate Oatmeal Pecan Cookies (adapted from the Tartine Cookbook)

Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup coconut oil, softened
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp almond milk
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
¼ cup white chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Pre-heat your oven to 350F. Lightly grease two baking sheets with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl blend your flour, baking powder, baking soda and oats and set aside.
3. Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer (or you can whisk by hand) beat your coconut oil until creamy and begin to fold in your sugar. 4. Add your eggs one at a time and continue to mix until well blended.
5. Add your milk, vanilla and salt to your wet mixture and then slowly fold in your dry ingredients.
6. Lastly add your pecans and chocolate chips and continue to mix until everything is nicely combined.
7. Scoop spoonfuls of dough onto the baking sheet and flatten. You may need to wet your hands a bit since the dough will be sticky.
8. Place cookies in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned. Remove cookies from oven and let cool, then enjoy!

Chocolate Oatmeal Pecan CookiesInterested in participating in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap?  Learn more here.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Crepes (Giveaway)

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Growing up, I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich almost every day for lunch.  It was always the same: smooth peanut butter, grape jelly, and sourdough bread.  Even though I don’t eat a pb&j every day for lunch now (sad), it’s still one of my all time favorite sandwich combos.  So when the team at Peanut Butter and Co. challenged us to start a #PBJrevolution, I decided to get a little fancy and made peanut butter and jelly crepes.

peanut butter and jelly crepes Whenever I’m out for brunch I always think to order crepes just because they sound so much fancier than a plain ol’ pancake or piece of toast.  And while crepes require minimal ingredients, I never think to make them at home.  And then I received a shipment of these beauties.

peanut butter and co jarsMy Peanut Butter and Co. treats included Old Fashioned Crunchy, Smooth Operator, Seriously Strawberry Jam and Gorgeous Grape Jelly.  These ingredients were just begging to be made into a crepe, and thus peanut butter and jelly crepes was born.

I used spelt flour as the base for my crepes which was a nice change of pace from traditional wheat, and used honey in place of granulated sugar.  And let me tell you, there is nothing better than a spread of peanut butter and jelly on a warm, fresh crepe.

peanut butter and jelly crepes breakfastI recommend making a big batch of crepes and then heating them up on mornings you are just feeling a little fancy, or just have a hankering for a nice pb&j.  You won’t be disappointed!

Interested in starting your own #PBJrevolution?  Be sure to check the GIVEAWAY at the bottom of this post!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Crepes (crepes adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients:

2 cups spelt flour

1 tbsp honey

1/4 tsp salt

3 eggs

1 tbsp melted butter

2 cups almond milk

2 tbsp Smooth Operator Peanut Butter

1 tbsp Grape Jelly

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl add all of your ingredients and mix until well blended.  The crepe batter should be relatively thin.

Heat up a crepe pan or griddle pan on the stove and use some oil to coat the skillet.

Gently ladle your crepe mixture into the skillet and swirl around the pan until the skillet is coated.

spelt crepeLet your crepe cook for 1-2 minutes and then flip and cook for another 30-45 seconds.

peanut butter and jelly crepes spreadRemove your crepe from the pan and place on a plate.  Add a layer of peanut butter.

peanut butter jelly crepe spreadThen add your jelly – the more jelly the better!

Roll up your crepe and add more pb&j if you so choose.

Peanut Butter and Jelly crepes forkEat and enjoy!  I like to consider this a “grown up pb&j.”

Now to the fun stuff.  A giveaway!  One lucky winner will receive a prize pack with Old Fashioned Crunchy, Smooth Operator, Gorgeous Grape Jelly and Seriously Strawberry Jam.  You can enter through the rafflecopter widget below.  Open to U.S. Residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks Peanut Butter and Co. for sponsoring this giveaway!  What’s your favorite way to make pb&j?