Disclaimer: This is an honest review and not a sponsored post by So Delicious brand for any blog website or service.
I never ate a lot of whipped topping growing up, or even in recent years as an adult. I've used it a handful of times for desserts where convenience has been key and the extra stabilizers (or, as some people just put it, "chemicals") help whatever I'm making hold up to being stored in the fridge for a day or two, usually when I'm making a dessert in advance for a party. My family always gravitated towards the stuff in an aerosol can or opted to make "real" whipped cream, though, especially when it came to enjoying it with Thanksgiving pies and other special occasion desserts. When we did buy whipped topping, it was a treat that sometimes ended with me just eating the stuff right from the plastic tub, sometimes half-frozen (come on... you know you've done this at least once.)
Dave and I both like trying new things and have also been trying to balance how much dairy and sweets we eat for health reasons. We burnt ourselves out on Greek yogurt for a while (shocking, I know) and went back to both regular yogurt as well as some non-dairy options, just for some variety. When we went to the store a few months ago, we both had a craving for pudding and decided that, as a treat, we needed a little whipped cream to go with it. We saw and picked up a tub of So Delicious brand CocoWhip!™ Whipped Topping to give it a try.
These strudels are quick to make and are versatile: cut in small squares for hors d'oeuvres with cocktails before dinner, or cut in slices to serve with a simple green salad for a light lunch. If you can't find the Alouette garlic and herb cheese spread, Boursin cheese, herb goat cheese, or garlic and chive cream cheese would be similar alternatives to try.
Has anyone tried chia pudding? A healthful take on a pudding dessert that can also be eaten for breakfast, chia pudding is essentially chia seeds soaked in milk or nut milk overnight with additional flavoring, like maple syrup, and toppings, like granola and nuts, added. It has some similarities to overnight oats, and was high up there on my list of things to try for a long time after hearing about the many health benefits, including being high in fiber and low in sugar versus standard pudding recipes.
When I came across a recipe for apple pie chia pudding last year, I decided to finally try it. The pictures of the recipe looked wonderful and the mason jar preparation was brilliant; I love using mason jars to prep and store foods, and I have a lot leftover from my canning projects that I can use in a snap. I figured that the addition of the yogurt and fruit would make for an interesting texture along with the seed-like consistency of the pudding, but that was exactly what concerned me: the seed-like texture.
When soaked in liquid for a period of time, chia and flax seeds both soften and become jelly-like. In this case, I imagined that chilling the mixture would cause them to set-up into a semi-firm mass, just like a pudding. Food and beverage textures generally don't bother me, but something about this made me say to myself, I'm going to either grow to like this or it's going to be one of the worst things that I've put in my mouth.
These sweet and sour meatballs are better than take-out and can be made in less than 30 minutes -- talk about a fast dinner! I like adding extra Sriracha to mine and topping with some cilantro, but it's totally optional.
Quorn meatless meatballs are available in many of the grocery stores near me. If you can't find them, make these with frozen beef or pork meatballs for a non-vegetarian take on the recipe, or with another brand of vegetarian or vegan meatballs that you might prefer better or can find easier in your local stores. The sauce also works great with chicken or a chicken substitute, like Quorn chick'n products, which are vegan and I've used many times before.
Since I started eating meat again last year, I almost always keep a package of organic chicken thighs or breasts in my freezer for fresh, quick-to-assemble meals like curried chicken salad, chicken bacon ranch pasta—and this simple chicken soup.
Chicken or vegetable broth concentrate, like Better Than Bouillon
brand, is a staple that I like to keep in the fridge for soups, sauces, and any other recipes that require stock. This way, I can use as much or as little as I need, without opening a full box of stock. The broth concentrate paste just gets scooped out of the jar and added to whatever I'm cooking along with water or other liquid. And as a bonus, it dissolves quicker when compared to bouillon cubes. Low sodium and organic varieties are available, too, which I usually try to buy but sometimes they are hard to find in stores.
Other alternatives to the broth concentrate are a good quality organic vegetable or chicken stock (Wegmans house brand is fairly low sodium) or, of course, homemade stock.
brand, is a staple that I like to keep in the fridge for soups, sauces, and any other recipes that require stock. This way, I can use as much or as little as I need, without opening a full box of stock. The broth concentrate paste just gets scooped out of the jar and added to whatever I'm cooking along with water or other liquid. And as a bonus, it dissolves quicker when compared to bouillon cubes. Low sodium and organic varieties are available, too, which I usually try to buy but sometimes they are hard to find in stores.
Other alternatives to the broth concentrate are a good quality organic vegetable or chicken stock (Wegmans house brand is fairly low sodium) or, of course, homemade stock.
It’s #WorldVegetarianDay! In case you haven’t picked up on a theme, many of the recipes that I feature here are vegetarian. I was a vegetarian for the better part of 14 years and while I’m not as strict as I used to be, I still limit my intake of meat and encourage the benefits of following a plant-based diet. Get the facts about vegetarianism and “celebrate” #WorldVegetarianDay by upping your knowledge, getting to know a few famous veggies, and trying some new recipes. Know Your Terms Generally-speaking, a vegetarian doesn’t consume meat or meat products but instead follows a plant and…
A creamy, spicy take on the traditional Indian cucumber salad to accompany Eggplant and Red Lentil Daal—or you could eat it plain with naan bread or pita chips, too.
I added just a pinch of some really, really spicy dried and ground Jamaican chocolate pepper chilies. Dave has had these probably a few years now and I sincerely doubt they have lost any of their potency. Just a little bit packs serious heat. Fortunately, dairy helps to cool off spicy things, and I find as it sits over time the flavor develops nicely. Certainly, you can omit it for a more traditional taste; use cayenne pepper, which is more readily available; or use a fresh, seeded and diced Serrano pepper.
