Kitchen Runway http://kitchenrunway.com simple & easy recipes that look & taste delicious! Sun, 21 Aug 2016 07:56:59 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.28 Caramel Butter Pecan Affogato http://kitchenrunway.com/caramel-butter-pecan-affogato/ http://kitchenrunway.com/caramel-butter-pecan-affogato/#respond Sun, 21 Aug 2016 07:35:26 +0000 http://kitchenrunway.com/?p=4060

caramel butter pecan affogato

Affogato is a super easy Italian dessert that is traditionally made with a scoop of vanilla gelato and a shot of espresso.  It’s great for summer since the cold gelato cools the espresso and adds a rich creaminess to the drink.  It’s sweet, decadent and refreshing.   There are no hard rules though, I’ve seen affogatos made with chocolate or caramel ice cream with espresso or coffee.

This dessert is a bit nostalgic for me though.  Growing up, I remember my dad scooping his favorite ice cream, butter pecan, into a mug and topping it off with hot coffee.  It was his special treat.  When I was in high school I sometimes would indulge and put a couple of scoops of butter pecan ice cream in my morning coffee.  So bad, but oh, so good!

Affogato is also great for entertaining, so easy to throw together and no fuss.  It’s a  simple but satisfying way to end a dinner party.

caramel butter pecan affogato

Hello, beautiful! Chopped candied pecans and shaved chocolate makes this affogato a little more special!  Next time, I might even add a drizzle of caramel.

 

tillamook and gourmesso espresso

Rich, creamy Tillamook ice cream + Gourmesso Soffio Vaniglia espresso = a match made in heaven. The vanilla espresso is so fragrant and smooth.

 

nespresso espresso

I love that the Gourmesso coffee pods are compatible with the Nespresso machine and at a fraction of the price.  Do you get excited when the room fills with the intoxicating aroma of freshly brewed coffee?  I do!

ice cream scoop

 

 

affogato

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Easy Rocky Road Fudge http://kitchenrunway.com/easy-rocky-road-fudge/ http://kitchenrunway.com/easy-rocky-road-fudge/#respond Wed, 07 Oct 2015 06:21:06 +0000 http://kitchenrunway.com/?p=4042

easy rocky road fudge

This rocky road fudge is rich, decadent and so very easy to make.  All you need are 4 ingredients, melt, and stir.  That’s it.  The most time consuming part is waiting for the fudge to set.  I have a problem.  A serious problem.  If I don’t give it away I end up eating the whole tray in the course of 2-3 days.  I have no self control when it comes to rocky road anything.  Whether it’s rocky road ice cream or fudge I just can’t resist the combination of rich creamy chocolate laced with crunchy almonds and fluffy marshmallows.  I just can’t.  Anyhow, back to the recipe.  This one is a keeper and it’s perfect for gift giving.  In my book, you can’t go wrong with an edible gift.

 easy rocky road fudge

easy rocky road fudge

Rich, creamy and chock full of marshmallows and almonds! It’s dreamy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Caramel S’mores Cookie Cups http://kitchenrunway.com/caramel-smores-cookie-cups/ http://kitchenrunway.com/caramel-smores-cookie-cups/#comments Wed, 08 Oct 2014 06:13:24 +0000 http://kitchenrunway.com/?p=3989

caramel smores cookie cups

Chocolate chip cookie cups with a caramel center, topped with toasted marshmallow, and chocolate. It’s pure decadence neatly packaged in a mini cupcake liner.  These Caramel S’mores Cookie Cups are super easy to make and are always a favorite at parties. My friend Remil brought these bite size pieces of sweet goodness to my annual cookie exchange last year and I have been in love ever since.   With some trial and error I recreated these for Brandon’s 1st birthday and several times for potlucks.  They never disappoint.

caramel smores cookie cups

It’s pretty hard to resist warm caramel incased in chocolate chip cookie and topped with toasted marshmallow and chocolate.

 

 

caramel smore's cookie cups

 

 

 

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Can It Forward Day 2014 & Giveaway http://kitchenrunway.com/can-it-forward-day-2014-giveaway/ http://kitchenrunway.com/can-it-forward-day-2014-giveaway/#comments Sat, 16 Aug 2014 05:20:08 +0000 http://kitchenrunway.com/?p=3997

international can it forward day 2014

Saturday, August 16th is the 1st International Can It Forward Day with events taking place in the United States, Canada, Australia and South Africa.  Bravo’s Top Chef Hugh Acheson is the host this year and will be sharing his expertise with all of us during his live canning demonstration webcast.  Can It Forward Day is a great opportunity to learn about the art of canning and the experts really break down the process and make canning less daunting.

With the help of Can It Forward last year I made a delicious pear and vanilla bean jam.  I get a lot of requests for this jam.  I’m down to my very last jar, I will need to make a batch very soon.

Pear & Vanilla Bean Jam

You can learn more about the event at Fresh Preserving: International Can It Forward Day.

Here’s the schedule of events:

  • 10:00am – Pepper Jelly demonstration by Chef Sara featuring the FreshTECH Automatic Jam & Jelly Maker
  • 10:45am – Tips on urban gardening & herb preservation
  • 11:00am – Peach Siracha Jam demonstration by Marisa McClellan of Food in Jars
  • 11:30am – Crafting in Ball jars with staff from Martha Stewart Living
  • 11:45am – Hugh Acheson Preserving and Mixology demonstrations
  • 1:15pm – Special Mixology demonstration with local mixologists
  • 1:30pm – Salsa Verde demonstration by Chef Sarah featuring the FreshTECH Automatic Home Canning System

Share your favorite Can-It-Forward Day moments with friends via social media with the hashtag #canitforward.

 

To help celebrate International Can It Forward Day we are giving away a few wonderful Ball products:

Ball Green Heritage Jars

The New Limited Edition Spring Green Heritage Collection Jars (2 cases – pint and quart):  These beautiful green jars are a limited edition and are only being produced in 2014.  So get them while you can.  It a gorgeous shade of green and adds a vibrant pop of color.  It’s great for displaying flowers and canning.  I love these jars and used them at Brandon’s 1st Birthday Party.

blue green polka dot paper straws mason jars

Fresh Herb Keeper

Fresh Herb Keeper:  Keeps herbs fresh for up to two weeks in a container that is assessable on the counter.

Ball dried herb jars

Dry Herb Jars:  A beautiful and functional way to store dried herbs and seasonings.

Ball frozen herb cubes

Frozen Herb Starters:  A great day to preserve your herbs and seasonings by freezing it in cubes filled with butter or oil.  A great day to add flavor to dishes!

Ball 5 blade herb scissors

5 Blade Herb Scissors:  How cool are these. Chiffonade-ing basil will be a breeze!

Ball 2014 Blue Book

Ball Blue Book:  125 pages of all you need to know about preserving:  instructions, method and recipes!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can watch the live webcast here:

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I was sent a complimentary set of all the items in the giveaway. One random winner will also receive the same. No compensation was received for this post or review.  Affiliated links are included in the post.  The opinions are my own.   

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Brandon turns one! http://kitchenrunway.com/brandon-turns-one/ http://kitchenrunway.com/brandon-turns-one/#comments Fri, 09 May 2014 08:51:40 +0000 http://kitchenrunway.com/?p=3936

birthday smash cake
I can’t believe that a year has flown by and now my little baby is one! Brandon has grown and changed so much over the last year. He continues to amaze us with his warm smile, sweet hugs and his sense of wonder and curiosity. We threw a golf themed birthday party for Brandon. It was nice to celebrate this milestone with our friends and family.  A very special thank you to Cathy of Gastronomy Blog for capturing the day through her beautiful photography.  All the photos for this post are from the talented Cathy.

I made a vanilla smash cake for Brandon and topped it with Skip to My Lou’s birthday cake bunting printable. Brandon really enjoyed his cake.  He ate about a third of it.  I brought the rest to work and my co-workers devoured the rest.

timeline collage 2

I made a timeline of Brandon’s 1st year to display.  He’s changed and grown so much in the last twelve months.  This was a pretty easy project.  I printed 5×7 photos at Costco and then matted the photos on white cardstock and then on scrapbook paper.  The hard part was narrowing down the photos for the timeline.birthday timeline

I love the Ball Heritage Collection. These blue and green mason jars are so vibrant and fun.  I used these jar to hold pens, straws and utensils at Brandon’s party.  It’s the perfect size and the colors tied nicely to our blue and green golf theme.  We also had guests guess what item Brandon would select to predict his future.  The five items were:  ball (athletic),  string (long life), rice (abundance), book (scholar) and money (wealth).

ball heritage mason jars

Ball Heritage Mason Jarsdr. seuss guest bookblue green polka dot paper straws mason jarsbirthday bunting

I used the Cricut to make the birthday banner and high chair banner.  I used the Cuttlebug to create the golf bag and club for the high chair banner.

dessert bar

The dessert bar consisted of chocolate cake pops, Oreo pops, Vietnamese sesame balls, cheesecake shots (from The Ravenous Couple), rice krispy treats,  cheesecake cups (from Remil aka @limer35), red velvet cupcakes and caramel s’more’s cookie cups (inspired by Remil). We are so lucky to have such kind, talented, and thoughtful friends.  Kim and Remil’s desserts were a hit!

golf center piece

This last year truly has been a blessing and we look forward to celebrating many more milestones with our little family.

 

 

 

 

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Twice Baked Potatoes with Philly Chive and Onion Cream Cheese http://kitchenrunway.com/chive-and-onion-twice-baked-potato/ http://kitchenrunway.com/chive-and-onion-twice-baked-potato/#comments Mon, 31 Mar 2014 07:12:51 +0000 http://kitchenrunway.com/?p=3909

This  recipe for Twice Baked Potatoes with Philly Chive and Onion Cream Cheese was developed as part of  a social shopper amplification for #CollectiveBias and its advertiser. I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community and I was compensated for this post.  All opinions are mine.

twice baked potato with philly chive & onion cream cheese

Twice baked potatoes are so easy to make especially with help from Philadelphia cream cheese spread. I salt and pepper the potato skins for extra flavor.  The filling is mixed with Philly chive and onion cream cheese spread, sharp cheddar cheese, a tad of butter and a bit of salt.  It’s fluffy and creamy with just the right amount of tang from the cream cheese.  It’s an easy side dish to put together that is full of flavor.  #spreadtheflavor

twice baked potato ingredients

 

twice baked potato step by step

 I found all of my ingredients at my local Walmart which was a huge time saver for me.

 walmart

I think I’ll use the remaining half of my cream cheese spread to make a cucumber sandwich for lunch.  A light smear of chive and onion cream cheese on two pieces of white bread (with the crust cut off) and a layer of thinly sliced cucumbers sounds refreshing light but flavorful.  Perfect for a lunch or a bridal shower or tea.

 

 

 

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Chocolate Wine Sangria with ChocolatRouge http://kitchenrunway.com/chocolate-wine-sangria-with-chocolatrouge/ http://kitchenrunway.com/chocolate-wine-sangria-with-chocolatrouge/#comments Tue, 17 Dec 2013 06:51:29 +0000 http://kitchenrunway.com/?p=3886

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client. The following content is intended for readers who are 21 or over.Chocolate Sangria #cheerstochocolate chocolatrouge sweet red wine #shop

chocolate wine sangria #cheerstochocolate #shop

There’s something fun and festive about a pitcher of ruby red sangria.  It’s the perfect drink for a holiday party or entertaining.  Fresh fruit makes sangria fragrant and adds another layer of flavor.  I used ChocolatRouge Sweet Red for this recipe.  The sweet red is a blend of decadent rich chocolate and fine red wine.  As soon as your open the bottle of ChocolatRouge you can smell the intense chocolate aroma.  It’s kinda intoxicating.  The great thing about sangria is that you can easily make it the night before and pull the pitcher out when the guest arrive.  This chocolate wine sangria would be great for a cookie exchange and would keep to the dessert or sweet theme!

chocolate wine sangria #shop #cheers2chocolate

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Butter Cookies http://kitchenrunway.com/chocolate-chip-cookie-butter-cookies/ http://kitchenrunway.com/chocolate-chip-cookie-butter-cookies/#respond Thu, 12 Dec 2013 06:42:17 +0000 http://kitchenrunway.com/?p=3867

chocolate chip cookie butter cookies

This is the first year that I participated in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap which helped raise $13,778.40 for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer.  It was fun to connect with other bloggers, send and receive cookies and especially being able to contribute to a great cause.

chocolate chip cookie butter cookies

I sent a dozen of these cookies to Karla of The Pie Less Traveled, Mary Ellen of Recipes, Food and Cooking and to Meriem of Culinary Couture.  I hope they enjoyed these delicate chocolate chip cookie butter cookies and that it made it there in one piece.  The cookies are made with Trader Joes’ Speculoos Cookie Butter and laced with chocolate chips and coarse sea salt.  If you haven’t had cookie butter you are missing out on something wonderfully decadent.  Imagine spreading a layer of creamy spread made from gingerbread cookies and crushed biscuits onto a warm piece of toast.   Actually, you don’t even need the toast it’s great straight out of the jar!    The cookie butter has hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and cardamom.  It’s warm, cozy and very addicting.

 

I received some sweet surprises from some fellow bakers:

Marshmallow Chocolate Cookies from Mary of Newtonienne Noshes –  chewy and delicious!

chocolate marshmallow cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chips from Madeline of Munching in the Mittens – peanut butter and chocolate is always a winning combination!

peanut butter cookies with chocolate and peanut butter chips

Maple Oatmeal Cookies from Kristie of Kristie’s Creative Touch

The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2013

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Easy Bacon Chicken Mac & Cheese http://kitchenrunway.com/easy-bacon-chicken-mac-cheese/ http://kitchenrunway.com/easy-bacon-chicken-mac-cheese/#comments Thu, 14 Nov 2013 09:07:31 +0000 http://kitchenrunway.com/?p=3848

This post was made possible through the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client. All opinions are my own.

Easy Bacon Chicken Mac & Cheese #shop

The holidays are around the corner and it’s such a busy time for many people.  It’s nice to keep a few items on hand to make entertaining or feeding your family a bit easier during this hectic time of year.  Nestle family size frozen  foods make putting hot meals on the table super easy.  With a few mix ins or sides the entrees become a satisfying meal to gather around.  The best part that it takes very little effort or time.

This bacon chicken macaroni and cheese is so easy to make and is such a time saver.   Rotisserie chicken and crispy apple wood bacon add so much favor to the mac and cheese.   A few dashes of hot sauce and fresh tomatoes help balance the richness of the cheese and gives the dish a little kick and pop of freshness.  If you don’t have chicken on hand you can use canned tuna.

Easy Bacon Chicken Mac & Cheese #shop

 

Keeping a few frozen party size entrees, such as lasagna,  can make preparing dinner for your family or guests less stressful especially if you’re short on time.

Stouffer's Party Size Meals #shop

Here’s another quick meal idea that is perfect for game day.  Pair pizza with guacamole for an easy and fast meal.  Done!

Digiorno pizza served with guacamole and chips makes for an easy meal for Sunday football!  #shop

Digiorno pizza served with guacamole and chips makes for an easy meal for Sunday football!

Nestle is featured in the Live SoFab holiday digital magazine.  Check it out for some great ideas for the holidays!

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Korean BBQ Short Ribs #CampbellSauces http://kitchenrunway.com/korean-bbq-short-ribs-campbellsauces/ http://kitchenrunway.com/korean-bbq-short-ribs-campbellsauces/#respond Tue, 12 Nov 2013 07:24:42 +0000 http://kitchenrunway.com/?p=3832

Korean BBQ Short Ribs

Braised short ribs is one of my all time favorite restaurant meals.  If it’s on the menu chances are I’m going to order it.  The meat is fork tender and the favors are rich and intense.  This dish is easy to recreate at home with a little help from Campbell’s Sweet Korean BBQ Slow Cooker Sauce.  The roasted ginger and sesame adds a layer of flavor to this savory and slightly sweet sauce.

It’s fall season which makes it the perfect time to use the slow cooker.    It’s such a time saver to be able to prep dinner the night before and stick it in the fridge over night.  The next morning I plug it in and let dinner cook while I’m at work.  It definitely takes the stress out of weeknight cooking.

If you look in my pantry I current have a few of the Campbell’s Skillet Sauces and Campbell’s Slow Cooker Sauces handy for those nights that I need a little help to get a homemade meal on the table.  I can’t wait to try Scampi and Thai Green Curry Skillet Sauces.  I also have the Tavern Style Pot Roast and Hawaiian Luau Slow Cooker Sauces stocked in my pantry for another day.  I tried the Campbell’s Chicken Marsala Skillet Sauce recently and it was a quick and easy way to get dinner on the table in 15 minutes.  Gotta love that!

Campbell's Sweet Korean BBQ Slow Cooker Sauce

52699d3218af2Campbells 125x125CornerstoneLogo Sweet Korean BBQ Beef Tacos #CampbellSauces

This post brought to you by Campbell’s Dinner Sauces. Weekend-worthy dinners with only weekday-level effort needed! Learn more at http://www.campbellsauces.com/.

Disclaimer:  This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are mine.

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