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What's the best dish you would be able to put together if you only had the food currently found in your home to use for the task? In the fourth season premiere of Worst Cooks in America the fourteen recruits have exactly this task to prove themselves to their future masters. After the creation and brutal first tasting of their best dish the cooking competition for the cooking-challenged can begin.
Above: Marinelli's True Italian Pasta Sauce Cuisine Diva Tries a New Tomato Sauce I recently had a chance to test out Marinelli's Classic Marinara pasta sauce. The tomato sauce is certified gluten-free, kosher, non GMO project verified, vegan and free from cholesterol and artificial flavors and colors. The all-natural line of pasta sauce's are made in small batches of only 950 jars at a time. The
Today's sponsored post is from one of my favorite places - Dunkin' Donuts! I could totally eat like a half dozen of their donuts right now, to go along with a giant cup of their coffee. :) The holidays are closing in fast and if your Christmas shopping isn't done yet, it's the last moment to start thinking about it, if you want to shop almost as a normal person, without the last-minute shopping cr
Are you a fan of food? Do you love cooking and trying out new recipes? Checkout Foodie Blogroll for a variety of food related blogs, sure to get your taste buds watering! Related articles Gifts for Foodies
Last year I wrote an article; Healthier Eating with Weekly Food Preparation, that featured a fennel and kumquat salad. On a recent trip to Lowe's, right before my 49th birthday, I found and purchased a variegated kumquat tree. My boyfriend had just bought me a variegated pink lemon tree, as one of my birthday presents, so I thought the addition of the kumquat tree to his yard would be pretty nifty
Did you know that Bike Diva has their own fan page on Facebook? Pop on over to http://www.facebook.com/CuisineDiva and Like our page to follow along all our Facebook updates! Take care Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva
Christmas is just around the corner. Are you looking for a great gift idea the entire family can enjoy? Consider putting together a gift basket filled with gourmet delights. Today's article is a sponsored post brought to you by Clearwater Hampers, located in Great Britain. They can put together a gift basket for any occasion and ship it to almost any place in the world. It’s (Almost!) Beginning to
Above: Jif's chocolate flavored hazelnut spread. On a recent trip to the grocery store, I discovered Jif's Chocolate Flavored Hazelnut Spread. It's one of those evil, addictive, chocolate foods that you can eat directly from the jar with a spoon. I suppose you could try and fool yourself into thinking it was a healthy snack by substituting a stalk of celery for the spoon. Celery doesn't even have
Enjoy Feasting on Thanksgiving Day ABOVE: I don't think we have enough pies. Chocolate silk and pumpkin pies in the freezer, chocolate mint pie in the fridge and I just made 2 pecan pies today. I get to celebrate Thanksgiving two times this year. My children are 17 and 21, I recently got divorced, and this is my first year celebrating the holidays since being single. My son and daughter all alread
Above: The Healthy Green Drink Diet Green Equals Healthy I recently had a chance to review the book The Healthy Green Drink Diet by Jason Manheim. I have a contact at Skyhorse Publishing who sends me books to review for my various blogs from time-to-time. The Healthy Green Drink Diet was in a package of books I just received from the publisher. I've been wanting to lose a few pounds, so receiving
Above: marinated steak, roasted squash, kumquat/fennel salad Prepare Foods in Advance I am trying to eat healthier these days. I participate in 15-20+ races per year; triathlon, 5k, half marathons and time trial bike races. I'm often so busy training and racing, that I sometimes forget all about meal planning and preparation until I am absolutely starving. Then it just seems easier to grab a bag o
Above: quinoa burger with all the trimmings. What is Quinoa? Quinoa is a wheat-free, gluten-free grain and can be consumed by anyone that suffers from celiac disease. Although I don't have a gluten sensitivity, I know I feel a lot better and have fewer digestive complaints when I limit the amount of wheat products in my diet. I have a box of Ancient Harvest brand quinoa pasta in my pantry. Accordi
Above: pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese frosting. Delicious Dessert Recipe Here is a recipe for a pumpkin spice sponge cake with cream cheese frosting. The recipe can be found on the inside label of most canned pumpkin pie filling. The recipe was originally meant to be made as a pumpkin roll, but I've had problems in the past with the filling oozing out and making a big mess. So I prefer to ma
Above: a whole and cut in half spaghetti squash in it's raw state. Vegetarian Side Dish My daughter decided to become a vegetarian two years ago. I am always looking for vegetarian recipes that I think she will enjoy. Our local grocery stores carry spaghetti squash, so I decided to purchase one a few months ago and now make this dish quite often. Above: spaghetti squash waiting to go in the oven.
Above: Bowl full of mashed cauliflower. I've been trying to eat healthier during the past few years. I do a lot of swim-bike-run workouts but still have a tendency to eat too much. I've seen a few websites posting up mashed cauliflower recipes as a healthier alternative to mashed potatoes, so I decided to make my own version and post the recipe to the Cuisine Diva blog. Mashed cauliflower makes a
Happy party guests at our coffee house fundraiser. My husband and I do a lot of fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through our local Team in Training chapter. We recently hosted a Coffee House at our house, to help us with our fundraising goals as we train for the 2010 winter season's century bike ride with TNT. My husband is one of the cycle team coaches, and I am training for the Co
January is National Hot Tea month. I was recently contact by Copco, a Wilton Products Company, that designs and manufactures a variety of tea kettles, kitchen products and food preparation tools. They wanted to know if I would be interested in receiving a sample of one of their Total Tea Products to test and review for the Cuisne Diva blog. I have a large collection of loose leaf teas, so I'm alwa
My husband and I are true coffee aficionados. We have a coffee grinder, to grind whole bean coffee, a coffee machine, an espresso machine and a French press pot. French Press Coffee When my husband is traveling out of town, on business, I still like to have a cup or two of coffee. I am a freelance writer, and work out of my house, so I usually have a couple of cups of coffee almost everyday. When
My daughter and I have hosted a number of tea parties at our house over the years. Last year we held a tea party, called the Girl's Club Tea Party, for mom's and their daughters. I used the tea party as a way to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Societies Team in Training program. Lemon ricotta cheesecake I am always looking for unique and delicious treats to serve at the tea party. These re
Basic Tea Brewing Methods For each serving of tea you want to make, bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a non-metallic pan. An enameled, non-stick or glass pan works well. Remove the pan from the heat and add 1 teaspoon of dried or 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs to the pan. Let this mixture steep for between 3 and 4 minutes. This shorter infusion time yields a refreshing beverage, letting the mixture s
Above: Plate full of blueberry muffins. How to Make Blueberry Muffins Here's a recipe for an easy to make blueberry muffin, with a streusel topping. I used vanilla soy milk in place of the milk. The oil, egg and milk mixture should equal one cup of liquid. I used a 2 cup glass measuring cup and added the egg and oil, then added enough milk to equal one cup. Then I used a small whisk to mix everyth
Above: Single serving of potato gratin casserole. Delicious Potato Side Dish Here is a recipe for a side dish featuring potatoes, which I served as part of our Thanksgiving Day menu. I was trying to serve some different dishes this year, that were a bit of a change from what I normally serve. I didn't want to make mashed potatoes this year, but knew my family would freak if the only potato dish I
The Cuisine Diva just received an email from the PR department of Mindy's Meals on Heels. They wanted to know if I would be interested in posting a Hanukkah recipe from site founder Mindy Korbrin on the Cuisine Diva site.It looked like an interesting idea, so here it is, enjoy! Here's a new spin on a traditional Hanukkah activity that the whole family can enjoy! Celebrations and entertaining exper
Above: Sauteed Brussels sprouts with parsnips. Vegetarian Side Dish I love Brussels sprouts and cook with them quite frequently. On Monday I posted about my recent purchase of an entire stalk of Brussels sprouts at a local farmer's market: Buy a Stalk of Brussels Sprouts. Sauteed Brussels sprouts with parsnips is a delicious vegetarian side dish, which would make a interesting addition to your hol
Above: Sauteed mushrooms with fresh herbs. I am a huge fan of sauteed mushrooms. Unfortunately I am the only one in my family that enjoys mushrooms. I wanted to make a brown mushroom gravy, to serve along with the chicken saltimbocca I made as part of our Thanksgiving Day meal, but had to settle for plain brown gravy. Since I was still craving mushrooms, I made a small side dish of sauteed mushroo
Above: Sweet potatoes. Sweet Potato Side Dish Instead of mashed, overly sweetened sweet potatoes, I decided to serve roasted sweet potatoes as part of our Thanksgiving Day meal this year. The sweet potatoes are peeled, tossed with olive oil and spices, then roasted in the oven. See the recipe I posted up in July of 2009 for Herb Roasted Sweet Potatoes. For anyone that wants a sweeter tasting side
Above: Whole stalk of Brussels sprouts. Stalk of Brussels Sprouts I am a huge fan of Brussels sprouts. They look like miniature cabbages, but if cooked correctly, have a nice, slightly sweet and nutty taste. Unfortunately, many people over cook Brussels sprouts, by boiling them to death, and then they take on a nasty, bitter cabbage flavor. Above: Benders Farmer's Market is selling whole stalks of
Above: Homemade pecan pie. Thanksgiving Desserts A holiday meal at our house is not complete without one or more types of pie. I usually make a pumpkin and/or a pecan pie as part of our Thanksgiving Day meal. This year I decided to make 2 pecan pies. It's just as easy to make 2 pies, as it is to make 1 pie. I made the pies 2 days before Thanksgiving, so we had an extra pie to snack on. I wouldn't
Above: Homemade cranberry pear sauce Delicious Holiday Side Dish Here is a recipe for an easy to prepare cranberry sauce, which can be made in a slow cooker. It will keep in the refrigerator, for up to one week, and can be prepared a day or two before Thanksgiving Day. I got the idea for this recipe in the Slow Cooker Ready & Waiting Cookbook, written by Rick Rodgers. On page 185 of that cookbook,
Above: Nutella hazel nut spread and Mara Natural all natural dark chocolate almond spread. Yesterday, my daughter and I made a trip to our local Super Walmart. While she was picking out art supplies, I decided to pick up a few groceries. I was looking for a jar of Mara Natha's all natural, no stir almond butter but I could only find the crunchy variety, not the smooth. Much to my delight, I spotte
I looked through a couple of my cookbooks to find some unique dishes to serve at our house on Thanksgiving Day. I found 2 recipes from my slow cooker cookbook, and 4 recipes from The Culinary Institute of America cookbook, that I will prepare as part of our Thanksgiving meal. I also will add a couple of family favorites, which I have made so many times, I no longer need an exact recipe to follow.
Above: Jazzed up Spanish rice. Jazzed Up Instant Spanish Rice I was looking for a quick and easy to prepare meal last night. I found a package of Knorr Spanish Rice in the pantry. It looked rather bland on its own, so I looked in the refridgerator to see what I could add to the rice to make it a bit more interesting. Above: Spanish Rice flavor of Knorr Fiesta Sides. Gourmet Ingredients I found a j
PRESS RELEASE The Culinary Institute of America Dedicates the First Dunkin' Donuts Bakeshop on San Antonio Campus Facility Encourages Baking and Pastry Arts Students to Explore Latin Flavors and Cuisines PR Newswire SAN ANTONIO and CANTON, Mass., Oct. 18 SAN ANTONIO and CANTON, Mass., Oct. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and Dunkin' Donuts, America's all-day, everyday st
2 Chef's Souparee My husband, Rob, and I recently had a chance to have dinner at 2 Chef's Souparee in Lanatana. A member of our Palm Beach Team in Training cycle team, Conni, is friends with Chef Tom Mazzocchi and suggested we try out his restaurant sometime. 2 Chef's business card describes the restaurant as follows: soup market, fine provisions and catering. Above: Chef Thomas O. Mazzocchi of 2
GetRestaurantCoupons.com Officially Launches New Restaurant Coupons Website to Public PR Newswire ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., Oct. 5 ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- GetRestaurantCoupons.com, the largest restaurant coupons website online, is pleased to announce the official grand opening of their website to the public, with a wide variety of restaurant listings to search for coupons and sp
Above: Single serving of corn pudding. Recipe for Corn Bread Pudding This recipe for corn bread pudding makes a moist and delicious quick bread which has a consistency similar to corn soufflé or custard. Use either canned corn, which has been drained, or frozen corn which has been cooked according to package directions. If you are lactose intolerant, substitute plain rice, soy or almond milk for t
PRESS RELEASE Fall Flavors Spice Up the Season at Dunkin' Donuts Dunkin' Donuts brings back seasonal pumpkin favorites and introduces new apple flavors to keep people running with the tastes of fall CANTON, Mass., Sept. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- With Labor Day now behind us and summer nearing its end, Dunkin' Donuts, America's all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods, gives people a delicious rea
Above: Individual, whole wheat pizza crusts by Boboli. Fun With Cheese Yesterday I wrote a review of Alouette's Soft Spreadable Cheese. Here is an idea for an easy to prepare, gourmet pizza, featuring the sundried tomato with basil flavor of their spreadable cheese. Above: A variety of toppings to add to gourmet pizzas. Gourmet Pizza Ingredients Boboli, or other premade, individual pizza crust Alo
Above: Alouette Sundried Tomato & Basil soft spreadable cheese. Alouette All Natural Cheese Spread I recently had a chance to try the sundried tomato and basil flavor of Alouette's soft spreadable cheese. The cheese is soft and spreadable directly from the refrigerator. The cheese can also be heated in the microwave, to make a hot cheese spread. The inner wrapper of the cheese package contains a r
Individual tortilla pizza. Here is an idea for making a quick and easy pizza. I usually keep a package of Boboli mini pizza crusts in my pantry, but the other day I was craving a pizza and didn't have any Boboli left. I took a quick look around my kitchen and found a package of flour tortillas in the bread drawer. I thought I could use the flour tortillas to make a thin crust, individual pizza. Pa
Close up of a delicious lemon bar. Lemon bars are a delicious and easy to make bakery treat. Serve lemon bars at your next luncheon, tea party or bridal shower. To make lemon bars, first make the shortbread crust, and pre-bake it in the oven before adding the lemon bar filling and returning to the oven. Fresh lemon juice tastes best, but in a pinch bottled lemon juice can be substituted. This reci
Above: celebrity Chef Ellie Krieger PRESS RELEASE Barilla® and Celebrity Chef Ellie Krieger Celebrate the Great Taste of Whole Grains CHICAGO, July 1 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second year in a row, the Barilla Whole Grain Taste Challenge is encouraging pasta lovers to discover the great taste of Barilla Whole Grain. Ellie Krieger, celebrity chef, New York Times bestselling author and registered diet
La Tortilla Factory I just received an email from the PR department of La Tortilla Factory. She thought I might be interested in posting the recipes to my Bike Diva blog, but I decided to post them up to my Cuisine Diva blog. Here are a few low calorie recipes featuring products from La Tortialla Factory. Energy-boosting meals are crucial for cyclists working to break away from the pack. Now that
Note From the Cuisine Diva I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant with my daughter. My doctors said I need to be careful about NOT gaining excess weight as I get older, as this could lead to my getting adult onset diabetes. I was recently contacted by Patricia Harris, founder of the Diabetic Menu Blog. She wanted to know if I would be interested in having her write an article for my Cuisin
Featured Author Lynn Smythe view my recipes Hello everyone, I've just registered the Cuisine Diva blog on the Cook Eat Share site. This should bring me additional traffic to the Cuisine Diva blog. I am also a featured author on the Cook Eat Share website. Here is the link to my Cook Eat Share profile page: Cuisine Diva on Cook Eat Share. I just started the Herbs & Spices group on Cook Eat Share. T
May 11, 2010. Technorati will need to verify that you are an author of the blog by looking for a unique code. Please put the following short code SXTW5K7PCBG7 within a new blog post and publish it. Once it is published, use the "Verify Claim Token" button to tell Technorati your blog is ready for verification.
Above: family style serving of pad thai My previous Cuisine Diva post provides details on how to prepare all the ingredients for pad thai ahead of time: How-to Prepare Recipe Ingredients for Pad Thai. This article describes how to cook pad thai. My recipe for pad thai serves 4-6 people, depending on how hungry you are. Above: prepared ingredients, ready to be made into pad thai Pad Thai Recipe Ing
Above: ingredients to make authentic Pad Thai Thai Style Cuisine I've been on a Thai cooking adventure for the past few weeks. I am the Herbs and Spices Feature Writer for Suite101.com and have posted up a few Thai recipes and cuisine articles to that site. I had Pad Thai on my list of Thai recipes to test and finally got around to making Pad Thai today. Above: tamarind paste concentrate, AKA sour
I'm wondering if instant oatmeal has an expiration date? I made a bowl of Quaker Weight Control instant oatmeal for breakfast this morning. It tastes a bit like stale cardboard. I added extra cinnamon and a bit of ground flax seeds, so now it tastes like really spicy, stale cardboard - not too appealing. Weight Control Oatmeal Quaker weight control oatmeal can be purchased in single flavor boxes,
My husband and I do a lot of bike riding, so as part of our Valentine's Day celebration we did a 25 mile road bike ride, along with a friend of ours that had just purchased her very first road bike. We were kind of tired after the ride, and I had gone for a 8 mile run the day before, so I was also pretty sore. Thai Food To Go The Olympics had started just a few days before, so we decided between b
