Posts for November 8th 2011

fast and easy

Freezable Casseroles: Texan-Inspired King Ranch Chicken

Casseroles are the perfect, hearty meal for cold, dark winter nights.

Casseroles are the perfect, hearty meal for cold, dark winter nights. Especially during the crazy Holiday season, it's always good to have a casserole in the freezer for a homemade yet simple dinner option. King ranch chicken casseroles are a staple in Texan homes, so bring this tradition to your house as well. Feel free to double – or even triple! — this recipe to stock up your freezer. Serve this with a crunchy green salad, collard greens, or other favorite vegetable.

Keep reading for my favorite king ranch chicken casserole recipe and pics.

Know Your Ingredients

Know Your Ingredients: Chia Seeds

If you're all caught up on your healthy food trends, you're most likely aware of the chia seed revolution.

If you're all caught up on your healthy food trends, you're most likely aware of the chia seed revolution. The first question most people have is if the chia seeds we're supposed to eat are the same seeds we massaged into the heads of those kitschy Chia Pets. The answer? An enthusiastic "yes!" But the ingestion of these tiny black and white seeds predates the '80s Chia Pet craze; their benefits can be traced all the way back to Aztec and Mayan times. In fact, "chia" is actually the Mayan word for strength. Chock-full of omega-3s and fiber, these superfood seeds were used by ancient cultures to boost energy. Messengers from these civilizations sometimes carried a small pouch of chia seeds around with them, just to provide them with the extra push they needed during a strenuous day.

While chia seeds is actually part of the mint family, their flavor is very subtle. They can be seamlessly added into just about any recipe whether it's savory or sweet. I'm curious about your thoughts on these little guys. Are you seeing chia seeds readily available in your neighborhood? Have you tried incorporating them into recipes for a little extra crunch? Share below!

Source: Flickr User little blue hen

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Fit and Innovatively Fabulous

New Balance recognized a fit girl’s commitment to comfort, style, and the environment by creating the athletic shoe of our recycled dreams: newSKY.


New Balance recognized a fit girl’s commitment to comfort, style, and the environment by creating the athletic shoe of our recycled dreams: newSKY. Constructed out of fabric made from postconsumer PET plastic bottles (average eight 20-oz. bottles per shoe), the newSKY designers created a chic, stylish shoe that you can feel good about wearing and get pumped up for your workouts in! What’s their secret?

The designers utilized a more traditional stitching technique – allowing the recycled material to be soft, pliable, but, most importantly, very comfortable on your foot, making newSKY true to everything we already love about New Balance footwear.

Cuban

Havana Nights: A Cuban Food Primer

When you taste Cuban food for the first time, you'd swear that Spanish and Caribbean cuisines had a little love child — which isn't too far from the truth.


When you taste Cuban food for the first time, you'd swear that Spanish and Caribbean cuisines had a little love child — which isn't too far from the truth. The diversity of Cuban culture is indicative in the rich and varied flavors of the country's cuisine. One of the most thriving Cuban communities in the US is located in Miami, FL (and let me tell you, they've got the food to prove it!). Lucky for the rest of us, there are great Cuban restaurants all over the country that tantalize our taste buds with recipes that pack a powerful punch of flavor. Are you a fan of Latin American foods, but not sure where to start when it comes to comida Cubana? Continue reading to get to know a few staples of Cuban cuisine.

community

Savory Sight: Drunken Date Bread

Reader My Fare Foodie shows off a clever and delicious looking date bread in the Savory Sights group.

Reader My Fare Foodie shows off a clever and delicious looking date bread in the Savory Sights group.

Ah, the drunken date. We've all been there. Am I right? Thankfully, this is a different kind of drunken date. Medjool dates soaked in liquor are sure to flirt with your taste buds in this intoxicating quick bread. Check out the recipe on my blog.

Upload your food photos into the Savory Sights community group, and you could have them featured on YumSugar!