FREE Cooking Essentials Cookbook!

Ovens are the busiest appliance during the Holiday Season and what's better than to get a new FREE Cookbook that's packed full with recipes, tips, techniques, and advice to help you have more fun with your cooking, be more successful, and really enjoy the results!

This blog accepts compensation in the form of products and/or monetary for some posts which will be labeled as sponsored reviews & sponsored posts. No matter the compensation, I only write about items and/or services that I have personal experience with and believe my readers will enjoy and benefit from. All opinions are my own.

This post may contain affiliate links.

Easy Baby Back Ribs Recipe

Easy & Delicious Dinner Ideas For Busy Families on a Budget

Do you have a family cook-out planned for this afternoon? Still clueless on what to serve up?

I've found a couple yummy recipes at emeals to help out with your 4th of July plans, I hope your not hungry right now.... these recipes are sure to make your tummy talk!

With emails you get healthy meal plans sent to your email each month! The recipes are delicious and I'm so glad that become a member of emeals a few months ago! They's made my supper planning alot easier!

The Fourth of July menu includes:

• Easy Baby Back Ribs
• Potato Salad with Bacon
• Marinated Slaw
• Crunchy-Topped Squash Casserole
• Watermelon Salad
• Berry-Topped Thunder Cake

Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients

• 51/2 lb baby back pork ribs (3 slabs)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 11/2 teaspoons pepper
• 18 oz bottle favorite barbecue sauce

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Remove thin membrane from back of ribs by slicing into ribs with a knife and pulling membrane off with paper towels.
• Combine salt, garlic powder and pepper; rub all over meaty side of ribs. Cut racks in half, if desired. Arrange ribs in a large roasting pan. - Cover tightly with foil.
• Bake 3 hours or until very tender.
• Uncover and cool 15 minutes.
• Drain.
• Preheat grill to medium-high. Place ribs, meaty side up, on grill rack rubbed with oil.
• Baste generously with barbecue sauce.
• Grill, covered with grill lid, 10 minutes.
• Baste and grill 5 to 10 minutes longer or until sauce clings to ribs.

If you would like to view more recipes from emeals click the banner below. Your sure enjoy the meal plans that you'll receive each month!!

The Orgreenic - The Perfect Non-Stick Green Pan

I recently started a promotion where other bloggers and/or my readers (Meaning YOU!) can write up posts about things that you believe need to be talked about. I will be posting these Guest Posts throughout the next few weeks. The topics will vary. I have received a WONDERFUL review on a n Eco-Friendly Fry Pan that a good friend recently got as a gift and I would like to share it to you.
Enjoy!

I am still accepting Guest Posts from Readers and Other Bloggers! If your interested: Contact me
via Email - AutoFaerie@gmail.com
Via Twitter - @AutoFaerie
Via Facebook - The Realm Of Freebies, Deals & Fun
Or Comment below

The Orgreenic - Non-Stick Green Pan

Written By - Christina Petersen of FL

If you are like me, you have your favorite frying pan. The one you always call on for a perfect omelette or eggs. Mine is as old as I am, but I've been hesitant to get rid of it because they just don't make pans like they use to.

Recently, my fiance's coworker told him about the Orgreenic perfect green pan. He told him that it was sold at CVS and other retailers for $19.99 plus tax.

After some convincing he got one for me, and I tried it out.

I instantly fell in love.

The directions are simple and straight forward. Before your first use, you "season" the pan. *For anyone who doesn't know - seasoning is simply applying butter or Crisco to the surface, heating it till it is hot enough to slightly smoke, then letting it cool, and washing with warm soapy water.

The pan does everything the packaging says it does. NOTHING sticks to it (Not even melted caramel or burnt chocolate!!), and you don't even have to use butter! Perfect for healthier cooking! The price is very reasonable and worth every penny. My very first omelette out of my Orgreenic pan was 5 star perfection! Cleanup is amazingly easy. Since nothing sticks, washing is a snap.

The pan is not only for stove top cooking. It can be used in the oven and broiler as well! The handle is metal and never gets hot while on the stove. I got this pan over a week ago, and I have been telling everyone I know about it. The Orgreenic green line also features a griddle pan and a perfect flip pancake pan. Those two will be in my kitchen inventory very soon. This pan has NO downfalls! You will not be disappointed with your purchase, I guarantee it!

If you would like to learn more about Orgreenic Nonstick Ceramic Frypans line you can visit them on their website at https://www.orgreenicskillet.com

Also available at Kohl's



Disclaimer: The review above is an honest opinion from a non-blogger who purchased the product herself or had it purchased for her. No compensation was given or received. I only post information and products on My Kind Of Introduction that I believe in and that I think will benefit my readers since they are top priority. We are in no way affiliated with the brand and/or company mentioned.

FREE Recipe ebooks

Need some new recipes?

These FREE ebooks are FULL of yummy recipes that are sure to put a smile on your family's face!

The Taste on ABC - Can you Master the Art of the Sandwich?

Who's ready for some more of The Taste?!

~My thoughts on Week 5 of 'The Taste'~

Last weeks episode of 'The Taste' was all about Sandwiches.

If you can't make a good sandwich... How can you be a good chef?

If you missed last weeks episode you can catch it HERE.

 

Anthony Bourdain was the only one who still had a full team of 4 chefs while Nigella Lawson had 2 remaining cooks and the remaining 2 chefs Ludo Lefebvre and Brian Malarkey had 3 chefs left on their team. At the end of the show, 2 more cooks would be eliminated.

I love the way that Malarkey jokes and dances around his kitchen. He's very fun to watch and his cooks are pretty good in the kitchen. My favorite contestant off his team has to be Chef Khristianne. I like her attitude she seems to cook things that I would actually eat (I'm somewhat of a picky eater). Her chicken curry sandwich sounded and looked so yummy that I wanted to reach into my TV and take a bite! To bad I couldn't because I would skip dinner every Tuesday just so I could taste test all the food before the judges got a chance!! WOULDN'T YOU??

I love Ludo's accent but he seems to be a bit of a butt. He has a few funny moments but during the Team Challenge he could of been a bit nicer to Paul and actually let him do the dish he wanted to make. I thought the turkey sounded like a great idea but it seems like Ludo had other plans. Isn't the contestants in control of their fate? How are they suppose to win if their team leader won't let them make the food that they want to make? And of course the sandwich that is chosen to go up after the 1st challenge was Gregg's........ Noone wants to hear his arrogance. He's a good cook but would be more likeable if he would calm his "I'm good and I know it" attitude. It's just not a good look on him and EVERYONE is noticing it.

I didn't know much about Nigella before I started watching 'The Taste' but I believe she may be my favorite chef on the show. She actually has a heart and shows compassion to her team. Lauren is my favorite contestant on the show.She's a home-cook who lives in a trailor and that relates to so many of the viewer of The Taste. Not everyone is able to cook in a fancy kitchen and it's nice to see an everyday girl getting the chance of a lifetime! Seeing Lauren on The taste warms my heart and I hope she makes it to the end. I'll be rooting for her every Tuesday!

Anthony's team is really confident and they should be. Noone has been sent home off his team yet but his time is coming... sooner than later. One of my least favorite contestants is Diane from Team Bourdain. She's too confident and comes off a bit rude at times. I don't really know what else it is about her but she's just not one of my favorite people to watch. I will admit that she can cook and her sandwich looked good enough that I would of grabbed me a bite of her food through my TV as well, if I could. Anthony's team also likes to drink a beer while they cook..... Is that safe?

Noone is happy when Gregg, from Team Ludo, gets immunity after the Team Challenge. He already won a team challenge before, someone else could of got it but I guess it's the taste of the food that matters.

At the end of the Solo Taste Challenge, I was looking forward to seeing what the judges, the Pro-Chefs, were going to say about Chef Sarah's taco style sandwich. Guests Judges Rich Torrsi and Mario Carbone wasn't sure if a taco was a sandwich but what do you call a wrap? I worked at Blimpie's Subs and Salads for 3 years and made wraps all the time! Just because Sara didn't roll it up like a wrap or use bread, don't mean that she didn't make a sandwich. I thought Adam's pork sandwich was going to be more popular with the judges than it was. But I got a big smile on my face when I saw the reaction they had when they tasted Greggs sandwich.... Was it even a sandwich? The look on Nigella's face when she put the bite in her mouth was priceless! Gregg's ego got stomped! Yes Gregg, if you wouldn't of had immunity, I believe you would of went home last week. Maybe we'll have better luck this week.

After Ludo and Malarkey get done bickering back and forth they finally decide their choices for best and worse sandwiches. I was happy to see that both Diane and Gregg got Red Stars and Lauren with a Gold Star.

Over all, it was a good show and I was very sad to see Huda go home but Mia got an attitude with Nigella about burnt bread so I think she deserved to go home. I can deal with Diane for another week. I just hope Lauren can hang in there and stand strong alone and WIN THIS COMPETITION!

This weeks episode looks interesting. I'm a bit grossed out by all the nasty gut looking things that I saw but I'm willing to see what the chefs come up with. Who knows... It might taste good. Lets hope the judges think so!

Make sure you catch The Taste on ABC this Tuesdays at their new time at 9|8c

Have you watched 'The Taste' on ABC yet?

The Taste: Tuesday at 8|7c on ABC

Four culinary masters get down to what really matters, The Taste! Starring Anthony Bourdain, Nigella Lawson, Ludo Lefebvre & Brian Malarkey

When it comes to watching TV, I pretty much stick to 2 main channels, ABC and PBS. SO when a new show Premiers on ABC, I always catch atleast one or two episodes throughout the season.

When I first saw the Preview of 'The Taste' I was very interested. Cooking shows have always been a favorite of mine and since I only have a few channels at home, I don't get to watch that many cooking shows anymore. I'd only heard of a couple of the pro-chefs in 'The Taste' but the ones that I didn't know still seemed entertaining. I liked how the cooks only get to serve up one spoon to each pro for the taste test. I don't cook often but I getting judged on just 1 single spoon full has to be challenging!

When the show Premiered on January 22, I made sure to be home to watch it. I enjoyed it alot. The pro-chefs got to taste alot of different types of food made from real chefs and home-cooks to see who they wanted on their cooking teams for the main competition. It was possible that more than one Pro chose the same person to be on their team... that's when things started getting heated! The chef or home-cook who cooked the spoon that was chosen by more than one pro, got to chose which team they wanted to be on. Brian Malarkey and Ludo Lefebvre seemed to chose the same people over and over again. Ludo ended up with all of his choices, Malarkey is out for revenge! You can tell that the tension between those two is going to cause some arguments and sometimes that can be very entertaining! I'm also very impressed with the way Nigella carries herself, she is very classy!

Now that 'The Taste' is up and running, I've caught a few of the episodes and I still enjoy it alot. The arguments are still flying and the anger keeps boiling. The teams get challenges throughout the show that are based on different themes. The pros walk around their kitchens giving tips and helping out a little bit. They don't want anyone from their team to go home. In the end, the chefs only get to serve up one spoon from their dish and the judges chose the spoons that go on the chopping block, someone always goes home. I like the concept of it being only one spoon and having a BLIND Taste Test! I understand that the cooks would love to serve more but that's the way of the game! These cooks are pretty good and their attitudes are starting to clash aswell so this show is sure to be full of tempers flying! I can't wait to see what else 'The Taste' has in store for us next!

I'm sure it's going to be great!

If you haven't watched 'The Taste' yet or you missed last weeks episode then you can watch it HERE.

If you enjoying cooking shows and challenges then I know you will enjoy 'The Taste'.

All you got to do is watch one episode and your sure to be hooked!

Tell me what you think.

Comment below and let me know if your enjoying ABC's new TV show 'The Taste' on Tuesday nights at 8|7c

20 Date Night Ideas

 Do you need Idea's for your Date Night plans?

While surfing the web, I happen to run across a post on All Things Katie Marie about date night. My fiance and I have been together for a long time, October 2 will make 9 years. Most couples plan their Valentine's Day to be a romantic fun day but not everyone has the time to plan out a big night. My fiance works 2 jobs and it just happens to be mandatory for him to be working at BOTH jobs so it was just me and my daughters this past Valentine's Day, but we had a nice little dinner a couple days after.

When I found this list, I got excited and then realized that I had mixed thoughts. There are some wonderful ideas on the list and I'm going to try them out but others just seem unreasonable for my lifestyle.

Some of the ideas are free and some will cost a bit, so pick the idea that's best for your family.

Below is the list... I also added my thoughts on some of the ideas at the bottom.

20 Date Night Ideas 

Cook something together.
Go off the grid for the weekend- no cell phones, no tv, no computers. You'll be amazed at what you do for entertainment.
Go see a movie.
Go to a restaurant you both have never been to.
Hit up BevMo's five cent wine sale and have your own wine tasting at home.
Play a board game.
Go bowling.
Have a spa night. Take a relaxing bath then follow up by taking turns giving each other massages.
Movie or TV marathon.
Play some miniature golf.
Swing some golf balls at the driving range.
Be in control and go to a shooting range. Be careful!
Put together a puzzle.
Go on a food crawl. Go to a different restaurant for an appetizer, entrée, and dessert.
Go fishing.
Test drive a car you have no intention to buy.
Pack lots of blankets and drive out in the country to look at the starts.
Snuggle up by the fire and read a book.
Give yourself an imaginary budget. Then separately go online and pick out all the things you would buy for each other with the money.
 Get active! Go on a bike ride, hike, walk, etc.

My thoughts on the Date Night List

 1. Okay so to start things off, Cooking something together - my boyfriend and I - won't work. He's the main cook around here (I know, I know, Lots of people say it... Your a stay-at-home mom, why are you not the main cook in the house... Because we do things differently! That's why, his cooking is better than mine so he cooks... The End) Every-time Alan and I try to cook together, one of ends up leaving or doing something wrong and the other is stuck finishing the meal or fixing the meal.

 2. Going off the grid is just to good to be true. All alone in a small cabin, deep into the woods with no phone signal or internet, sounds of a small river flowing close by, laying under the starts all night and watching the sun set and rise..... Ahhhhhhhh...... Sounds so peaceful and romantic..... *Snapping back to reality!!* We have kids. If I happen to find a baby-sitter (extremely rare occasion when a baby-sitter is found), I would have to give the sitter a way to get intouch with me incase of an emergency. Along with my fiance's texting addiction, he wouldn't be able to focus on anything if his phone wasn't close by. His only thoughts would be "I wonder if I have any texts?"

3. Going to the movies is a wonderful Date Night idea. If you get a couple hours without the kiddos, either call your local movie theater or go online and check the theater's site and see whats playing. You can still have your phone in case something important comes up (phone on vibrate is best). You can sit back in a dark room and hold hands with your love while watching a nice movie. It's very relaxing and I've almost feel asleep in those dark chairs. We have a theater in town that has couches! HEAVEN!

4. A restaurant that neither my boyfriend or I have been to sound promising. The only problem with this is finding a restaurant that we can afford. With 4 kids to support along with the bills.... money for dates don't even make our saving list! A cheap restaurant with some class sounds like a great idea for us!

5. BevMo's?? What and Where is that? I live in a very small town in North Carolina named Candler. We don't have any store that you can buy wine for 5 cents at. Truthfully..... I don't really have the taste for wine and neither does my other half. The only kind of wine that I found that I like isn't really a wine to me... Boones Farm. Seems more like a malt to me.

6. Alan and I have played board games in the past. Every now and then, one of us decide to pull out a game and convince the other to play a time or two. It's really fun and I love it! GREAT Idea!

7. I wouldn't go bowling with out my girls. They love going bowling and we never go. A trip to the Bowling Ally would be more of a Family Night then a Date Nite.

8. This sounds so doable! I just may have to try this out! It can even happen without a baby-sitter. Just wait until your kids goto sleep and then RELAX!

9. A Movie or TV Marathon goes on in my house often since my fiance is a TV nerd so this wouldn't be any different than any normal day.

10. Playing Minuture Golf would be another thing I would want to bring my kids along to. They would have a blast!

11. I don't golf....... and neither does my man!
12. I am NOT a fan of guns

13. To me... Puzzles can be fun at times but get boring quickly

14. Going on a food crawl would be such a fun thing to do! I believe we may do this soon!

15. My kids love fishing, I couldn't go without them.

16. I don't believe I want to spend my Valentine's Day or Date Night riding around in a car..... New or not.

17. I would LOVE to drive out to the country and look at the stars..... Oh wait.... I live in the country! :-) I may have to talk my man into taking blankets to the field across the road and watch the stars with me!

18. I don't have a fire-place so I can't snuggle up by a fire and I'm the only one who likes to read in this relationship!

19. The fake budget sounds fun but not for a Date Night

20. I would LOVE to go on a hike on a warm summer day but that will have to wait a few months for that.

So I have LOTS of thinking to do! I'm not sure what my fiance and I are going to do for Valentine's Day but I'm sure we will enjoy every bit of it.

Do you have any Date-Night ideas to add to the list?