Food Archives - Page 14 of 17 - Over The Top Mommy

Food

Granny’s Apple Fries at LEGOLAND Are Delicious

January 1, 2015 / Food, Legoland, Let's Eat!, Travel

If you know me, you know that my love for food is not something I’m shy about! If I see something posted on social media that looks yummy, it sometimes gets stuck in my head until I finally just have to try it. I recently saw someone tweeting about Granny’s Apple Fries from LEGOLAND California and I knew that I needed to try some for myself. The problem is that I don’t get to visit very often. So, when I had the opportunity to go to LEGOLAND for Holiday Snow Days, I was determined to try them!

Granny’s Apple Fries is located on Castle Hill and we hit it up after coming off of The Dragon! (that’s a super fun roller coaster). My mouth was watering as we approached the window to order and I could see the apples! Luckily there was a short line that day.

They’re made with Granny Smith apples, lightly fried, dusted with cinnamon sugar, and served with vanilla cream dipping sauce! We shared one but I can’t tell you how badly I wanted to take the whole thing, run away, and eat them in a corner all by myself! That would make me a bad mom though, right?

I miss LEGOLAND’s apple fries every single day (that’s not too big of an exaggeration either). I got really excited when my friend, Wendy (Yep, we have the same name!), posted her own copycat recipe for homemade apple fries a few weeks ago! They look really easy to prepare and yummy too! I’m going to be making them soon!

So tell me…have YOU had the chance to try Granny’s Apple Fries at LEGOLAND? If not, you need to try them one day! Trust me, you’ll be hooked!

Disney’s “Frozen” Popcorn Snack Recipe

December 30, 2014 / Food, Recipes

If your children are anything like my daughter, they probably can’t get enough of all things Frozen! After getting the Frozen Sing-Along Edition for Christmas, Emi was anxious to watch it with me. I suggested that we make a fun snack to go along with it. I also sang to her when I asked her, “Do you wanna make some popcorn?“!

The word “popcorn” gets any kid excited but when I pulled out the bag of Wilton’s blue melts, white M&M’s, and 2 kinds of Wilton’s sprinkles, she got even more excited! (If possible) I’ve think I’ve come up with a popcorn snack recipe for most holidays and now one for this movie! I’m calling this one “Frozen Popcorn“! It’s simple to throw together.

Here’s what you’ll need:

A giant bowl of popcorn. I say giant because you will end up eating a bunch before you’ve even made your recipe. For this concoction, I popped 2 bags of microwave popcorn and separated the unpopped kernels out before putting it all into a big bowl.

I bought a bag of blue Wilton candy melts, 2 different kinds of Wilton sprinkles, and then also some white M&Ms. You need some type of candy to mix in with it all. Peanuts or chocolate chips could also work well with this. I was trying to stick with blue and white to match my “Frozen” theme.

Preparation:

To prepare the candy melts, you’ll want to place them into a microwave-safe bowl. Have some vegetable available on your counter to use. Microwave the melts for 30 seconds, remove, and stir. They won’t be that melted the first time.

They’ll look like this after you’ve microwaved the first 30 seconds. (not very melted yet)

Do this once more for 30 seconds and again remove and stir. My melts are usually pretty melted by this time. Keep stirring so they’re all blended together, unless you think yours need a little more heat. It’s very important that you don’t overcook them. Add a little bit of vegetable oil to your melts and stir well. Allow to cool for about a minute and you’ll notice the mixture gets a little bit thicker.

Now it’s ready to spoon over the popcorn bowl. Use wooden spoons (or your hands if you’re brave) to mix the melt mixture together with the popcorn.

It might look as blue as a Smurf but the kids will just be excited that they’re getting blue popcorn. After it’s mixed up, add the sprinkles and the M&Ms, again mixing together really well. Now it’s ready to serve!

To make it extra fun, serve your “Frozen” snack in fun cups or bowls! Keep some hand wipes nearby!

But be careful…because if you turn your back, THIS is what can happen! I ate a bunch when she wasn’t watching though, so we’re kind of even!

What’s your favorite “go-to snack” for family movie nights at your house?

It’s Comfort Food Time With Marie Callender’s Pot Pies & Cornucopia Salad!

December 22, 2014 / Food, Let's Eat!, Recipes

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #EasyAsPotPie #CollectiveBias

I’m always excited when it starts to feel like winter outside! There’s just something about the cooler temperatures that gets me excited to pull out my winter sweaters and fuzzy socks and start cooking up comfort foods!

One of my favorite comfort foods are Marie Callender’s pot pies, specifically the chicken ones, which I actually grew up eating as a kid. They’re made with tender white-meat chicken, carrots, celery, and peas and prepared in a golden, flaky crust made from scratch, that tastes like homemade. Just writing about them makes me want one right now! The pot pies are also available in turkey, beef & a few different kinds of chicken flavors and are sold in a variety of sizes, to fit the needs of your own family. Although they’re available in Family Size, our family prefers the smaller individual ones. I think it has do with us each getting our own full crust!

As a busy mom, who’s always on the go, I appreciate a meal I can make for my family, that not only tastes good but is quick and easy to prepare. With our schedules, it’s sometimes hard to find very much “together time” at home. To prepare a Marie Callender’s pot pie, you just pop it into the oven. (They can be prepared in the microwave, too). While they’re cooking in the oven, I’m then able to spend some quality time in the kitchen with my daughter, making a side dish to complete the meal. My daughter loves to cook and bake so any time that we can carve out time to spend together in the kitchen is a plus. For me, it’s so important to make that connection with family.

One of our favorite side dishes is the “Cornucopia Salad“. This salad combines baby lettuce, green apple, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, feta cheese crumbles, and candied almonds. It’s tossed in a delicious olive oil-based dressing and just goes really well with just about any meal! It’s very simple to throw together too!

Ingredients for salad

6 cups lettuce of your choice, washed. (I sometimes use bagged lettuce to save time.)
1 large Granny Smith apple
1 11 ounce can mandarin oranges
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup raw almonds, sliced
1/2 cup Feta cheese crumbles (blue cheese also works with this recipe)
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
3 tablespoons sugar
the juice from 1 lemon

Ingredients for dressing

2 tablespoons sugar
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Instructions

Candied Almond Preparation

In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and almonds and put over medium heat.
Continue to stir the mixture every couple of minutes until the sugar starts to melt.
Once this happens, continue stirring evenly to sugar coat all of the almonds evenly and then transfer from the pan to some foil, allowing the almonds to cool down and solidify a little bit.

Dressing Preparation

Whisk together salt, pepper, sugar, and olive oil in a small bowl.
Finely chop up parsley and add to the mixture.
Set dressing aside and shake well before tossing onto Cornucopia Salad.

Salad Preparation

Add lettuce to salad bowl.
Cut and core apple and either cut into large apple slices or dice it up. Next, add to salad bowl. If you don’t plan on serving right away, squeeze lemon juice onto apple to prevent browning.
Drain mandarin oranges and add to salad.
Add dried cranberries, feta cheese crumbles, and candied almonds to the bowl and mix everything together.
Set salad aside until you’re ready to toss with dressing and serve.

For me, a Marie Callender’s Chicken Pot Pie served with Cornucopia Salad IS the ultimate comfort meal that my family and I can all sit around the table and enjoy, as we chat about each others’ days. Family time together is the most important time!

This fall, Marie Callender’s launched the Comforts From Home Project, a program dedicated to bringing the heartwarming feelings, flavors, and favorites of home to those who miss it most…. those who protect America’s homes every day: the brave men and women of the U.S. Military. Every time you enter a code from a specially marked package of Marie Callender’s meals or desserts, Marie Callender’s will make a donation to USO2GO, a USO program that brings electronics, sports gear, books, games, and more to troops stationed in remote locations. Look for the code on participating products.

You can find Marie Callender’s pot pies in the frozen meals section of the grocery area in your local Walmart! Visit here to learn more about Marie Callender’s pot pies and here for more great recipes!

What’s YOUR family’s favorite comfort food to enjoy together?

Why Did I Wait So Long To Get SMASHed at SMASHburger?

November 11, 2014 / Food, Orange County, Restaurant Reviews

Have you gotten SMASHed yet? I hadn’t until recently and now I’m wondering why I waited so long? I noticed the sign in the food court of “my mall“, The Shops at Mission Viejo, but just hadn’t gotten a chance to try it.

I decided to start with one of their shakes while I checked out seriously extensive menu. There were a ton of shake flavors to choose from, but the manager suggested I try one of their specialty flavors, so I chose something you can’t get just anywhere…the Salted Caramel Shake! A shake is an appetizer, right?

Whoa! Look at all of that whipped cream and that caramel drizzled on top! Their shakes are all hand-scooped and made with Haagen Dazs ice cream! I was having hard time getting very much of it since Emi seemed to have fallen in love with it first and isn’t the best at sharing!

After I finally got my shake back from Emi, I stood there in front of the menu, drinking it, and feeling a bit overwhelmed, but in a good way. Their menu has A LOT to offer. I knew I at least needed to try a Classic Smash. In case you’ve never had one before, they’re “smashed”, seared and seasoned to order, using fresh, premium beef.

I opted for a Classic Smash with cheese. It has American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and plenty of Smash sauce, which is a blend of mayonnaise, yellow mustard, pickled relish and lemon juice, and is served on the yummiest egg bun ever! (they actually make all of their own buns, too!)

I was told that you really shouldn’t have a Smashburger without having an order of Smashfries to go with it! So, I did! Smashfries are shoestring fries tossed in rosemary, olive oil, and garlic! They are beyond addicting and although the menu also features regular fries on it, I have no idea why someone wouldn’t order Smash fries. They are just THAT good.

I also ended up with a Smashchicken, which is the chicken version of the Smashburger. It was the picture on the menu board that caught my eye and I KNEW I needed to try the Buffalo and Blue Cheese Smashchicken. You have a choice of a grilled or crispy chicken breast and it’s topped with Franks’s Redhot Buffalo Sauce, crumbled blue cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo, served on an egg bun.

I swear the minute I finished it, I wanted another one! The combo of the buffalo sauce and the blue cheese is crazy good! Some of the menu items (like this one) are considered “regional” and are only offered at certain locations. You can check that availability online.

Although I do love food and love to share about food, I think one of my other favorite parts about getting to write about places I visit, is making a connection with people. The afternoon that I visited SMASHburger, I got to chat a little bit with the store manager who figured out right away, that I was a “first-timer”. Jen was BEYOND knowledgeable about the menu, food preparation and even special menu items (I have friends who are gluten-free and vegan). Above all though, what really made the experience even more special was how genuine and nice Jen was. It truly makes all the difference when the person running the store is personable like that and is what will keep guests coming back again and again!

I cannot wait to go back to SMASHburger and try more items from their menu! I already know I’m going to have ANOTHER Buffalo and Blue Cheese SMASHchicken! Have YOU eaten at a SMASHburger yet? What is YOUR favorite menu item?

I Took Down a Frank N’ Burger AND a Sundae of the Dead at Farrell’s!

October 18, 2014 / Food, Let's Eat!, Restaurant Reviews

(photo credit: Farrell’s)

I am not ashamed to say that I ventured over to Farrell’s (again) on a specific mission….to destroy the Frank ‘N’ Burger AND a Sundae of the Dead! Yep! I sought out support from my mini-me, Emi, and a had a little cheering on from some of our favorite Farrell’s peeps over at the Farrell’s in The Shops at Mission Viejo! (aka “My Mall”!)

The Frank N’ Burger is a limited time menu item that’s available at all participating Farrell’s locations right now through the end of October. Farrell’s describes it as “a culinary monstrosity thought up and stitched together by a demented scientist”! Well THAT’S an understatement!

*They say if you drink a Diet Coke with it, the calories get cancelled out…so I did!

The Frank ‘N’ Burger is made with a 1/2lb fresh Angus patty, two beef franks, 2 strips of bacon, a fried egg, American cheese, onion strings, jalapeños, Farrell’s sauce, and a Jacobs Ladder pickle on top! I think I’d agree that is was”terrifyingly delicious”!

Emi may have abandoned me on this one for her yummy Mac n’ Cheese from the kids menu, but I didn’t give up! Clearly we know who the brave and gutsy one of our duo is……ME!

After dinner, we had to stay brave for our ghoulishly good Sundae of the Dead. Made with 3 scoops of chocolate “haunted” crunch and vanilla ice cream, buried under oozing strawberry goo, hot “sludge”, with gummy worms squirming through a mound of whipped mud and Oreo® dirt and a big shiny cherry of doom on top, the Sundae of the Dead is one monster you’ll never want to run away from.

It’s as yummy as it looks! I don’t even know what else to say about it except that I want another one now!

I think the picture says it all, don’t you? Nailed it!

Every visit to Farrell’s is a fun experience! (and we’ve visited A LOT!) It’s people like “Max” who make it extra fun!

So…I think YOU should hurry over to Farrell’s and dare to try a Frank ‘N’ Burger and Sundae of the Dead for yourself. They’re only around for the month of October though so you might want to get there today! You can even make your reservations online before heading in so you can avoid the most terrifying thing of all… waiting in line!

Are YOU brave enough to try them? Or have you already? What is YOUR favorite Farrell’s location to visit?

Happy 100th Birthday, Morton Salt Girl! #MortonSaltGirl100

September 29, 2014 / Celebrations, Food, Parties, Product Reviews

Disclosure: I received a free party pack of products from MomSelect and Morton to host a MommyParty! No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own. I grew up with Morton Salt in our house. My mom used it for cooking and baking and the Morton Salt Girl was just an American Icon that I always recognized. Now that I’m a mom, I love sharing things from my childhood with my own daughter. Everytime we bake or make a recipe for a meal, we use Morton Salt. She even knows which salt to grab when we’re at the store doing grocery shopping. She’ll even say “the salt with the girl on it”, reach for the Morton Salt, and toss it into our shopping cart.

Did you know that the Morton Salt Girl turned 100 this year? Yep, she first appeared on the Morton’s Salt package back in 1914. (The company actually established itself in Chicago in 1848.) She sure does look good for being 100 years old, don’t you think?

When I was presented with an opportunity to throw a “Morton Salt Girl 100th Birthday” Celebration MommyParty, I was excited! I’m always up for a party and celebrating something like that is so much fun. My own daughter also gets really into it. She loves a fun theme. So, I decided to invite over a couple of my girlfriends for a casual girls’ night one weekend. One of them brought her daughter over to hang out with mine. I let my daughter plan some fun activities to do at the party with her friend. While we relaxed on the patio with some drinks and appetizers, the little girls had some birthday celebration fun of their own.

I set out some special snacks for the girls to munch on, which included these adorable, personalized M&Ms and some (salted) popcorn. The little girls ended up combining the 2 to make one of my most favorite mixes…popcorn and M&Ms! It’s like my movie theater go-to! They brought us each our own little bowl to enjoy.

The girls loved drawing and painting that night and were even drawing the Morton Salt Girl. Although I grabbed a snapshot of this “works in progress”, she didn’t want me to post pictures of the finished products because she didn’t like how it turned out. Honestly, it was adorable!

They used the die cuts included in my Morton Salt party kit as game pieces and played quite a few games of “Morton Salt Girl Tic Tac Toe” outside in the front yard, on their big, giant pillows. I love their creativity!

Later on, the girls informed us that they had plans to dress up like the Morton Salt Girl and wanted me to take their pictures. It was their Morton Salt Girl Photo Booth. Looking at these pictures makes me giggle because both of the girls have pretty long hair and they worked really hard to make it look short, just like the picture of the Morton Salt Girl. Their favorite part about the photo booth setup was getting to use the special Morton Salt Umbrella! What do you think? I’d say they “Nailed it!”, wouldn’t you?

We had such a fun time getting together for a little “girl time” and watching our girls be creative while we “big girls” caught up with each others’ hectic lives. Happy 100th Birthday, Morton Salt Girl! I only hope I look as good as you do when I’M 100!

To learn more about Morton and The Morton Salt girl, click here.

I Got My Brunch On at Michael’s Pizzeria in the Long Beach Downtown Promenade!

September 17, 2014 / Food, Lifestyle, Los Angeles, Restaurant Reviews

One of my most favorite things about living in Southern California is the fact that there is SO much to see and do here! We recently decided to take a short drive down to Long Beach. The Downtown Promenade area of Long Beach is so cool.

Along the promenade, you can find this adorable little Italian restaurant called Michael’s Pizzeria. It has a charming outside patio area (as well as inside seating) and even an area to park your bike!

I had seen pictures of Michael’s delicious pizzas before on their Instagram page, but we specifically made the trip on this particular day to try out some of their brunch menu.

The brunch menu is served on Saturdays and Sundays and features several wood-fired cast iron frittatas, as well as sweet items such as cinnamon rolls, french brioche french toast, and pancakes. Other items available during brunch hours include wood-fired organic eggs, fennel sausage, smoked bacon, and garlic-roasted new potatoes. I also need to mention that they have NUTELLA to put on your toast and your french toast! Wow!

So let’s talk about what I got to sample that day. It’s a lot, so I hope you’re ready for the pictures and the descriptions. (I just hope you’re not reading this while you’re hungry!)

I’d already seen a picture of Michael’s homemade cinnamon rolls on Instagram, so I knew I was destined to have some of my own. We started out with an order of the cinnamon rolls.

They’re cast-iron baked and topped with a rosemary syrup. They were amazing and I had to fight over the last one with Emi. (we halved it)

Next, a Salsiccia E Funghi frittata arrived at the table. It’s made with 2 organic eggs, fennel sausage, and mushrooms and wood-fired in the oven.

I love the presentation of the cast iron skillet. All of the frittatas are served with a side of brioche toast and house-made jam, which was strawberry. Yum!

We were just getting the party started when a Carbonara Pizze Bianca showed up at the table. This pizza is like a foodie’s dream. It’s made with provolone, mozzarella, and pancetta….and then topped with 2 eggs!

Breaking the egg yolk on top of the pizza just brought out even more flavor! This pizza is actually part of the regular menu and not specific to the brunch menu so you can order it anytime!

We slowed down a little bit with some light, refreshing Prosciutto and Melone. The cantaloupe and honeydew served with Parma ham was so pretty to look on the plate. It was especially delicious and tasted so fresh when it was combined with the arugula and balsamic. You can tell something is great if a kid will eat it and Emi was doing just that.

We then ventured back to meet a couple more pizzas. The first one was a Margherita Pizza. Tomato, mozzarella, basil, and extra virgin olive oil.

The second one was something featured on the special chalkboard menu that sits above the wood-fire oven. It was called the Porchetta Pizza and was made with pesto, porchetta (slow-roasted pork belly), smoked mozzarella, peppadews, and garlic spinach. It was loaded up with so much flavor!

Even though we were getting pretty full from all of the delicious food, we knew we still HAD TO have dessert! From the start, Emi had been eyeing the gelato she’d seen on the menu. There are about 8 different flavors of gelato to choose from each day at Michael’s. We finally decided to try the Salted Caramel and the Mint Chocolate gelatos. They were so light and flavorful and were just enough to top off our great brunch!

I especially enjoyed getting to chat with the manager, that day. He is so passionate about what they’re doing over there and talked extensively about the way the foods are all prepared fresh daily and how they only use the freshest ingredients. They really pride themselves on bringing the best foods to the table for their customers. He explained each and every detail about the items we were sampling that day.

I learned something about pizza slicing too. The pizzas arrive at your table unsliced. Michael’s Pizzeria follows what the natives in Naples do, by serving pizzas unsliced because they believe that slicing a pie immediately after it comes out of the oven, causes moisture to form beneath it. They want to make sure your pizza does not end up soggy and suggest cutting it with a knife and fork as you enjoy it, but will slice it for you upon request. I love this!

Michael’s Pizzeria is definitely somewhere I’d recommend to others. They have 2 locations in Long Beach, on 2nd street and on the Downtown Promenade, as well as a location in Rancho Mirage. (I know where we’re going the next time we visit Palm Desert). The restaurant is family friendly and has something for everyone on it. Kids will love hearing the kitchen staff shout “Pizza!” every time they take another pizza out of the wood-fire oven. (Ok I’ll admit I loved that part too and may have joined in too) I cannot wait to go back and try more items from their menu. I know you’ll love it too!

Happy National S’mores Day!

August 10, 2014 / Food, Recipes

Today is National S’mores Day! It’s one of my favorite food holidays of the year! I mean, in addition to National Popcorn Day (March 14), National Cupcake Day (August 18th) and, of course, National Pancake Day (September 26)! I love the fact that there is a National Food Holiday for every day of the year! (at least for the U.S. there is) It can also be a problem since most of us are trying NOT to eat these things on most days, but it still makes for something to be excited about on any given day, right?

For me, it’s important to choose the right product brands that will make quality s’mores. You don’t want a s’more that’s going to break when you’re making it! (I’ve tried store brand and I wasn’t a fan) I always use HoneyMaid graham crackers for mine. I also have to use Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallows! They have so many marshmallows to choose from, even Stackers, which are perfect for s’mores because they’re kind of flat and fit into a s’more! You know that any marshmallow with its own Facebook fan page has GOT to be good! I also insist on using Hershey’s chocolate bars for s’mores. I love using the baby ones because they’re the perfect size for a s’more.

This year, we decided to a add a little something extra to our s’mores…..mustaches!!!

These Wilton mustaches from Michael’s were WAY TOO CUTE to pass up!

It was so funny that she stuck the mustache on her own face here!

Did I mention that I just want to eat this girl up? She’s too cute!

I mustache you a question…how are YOU going to celebrate National S’mores Day?

The Day We Personally Welcomed Fresh Brothers Pizza to Orange County!

August 4, 2014 / Food, OC Events, Restaurant Reviews, SoCal Life

Disclosure: We were invited to Fresh Brothers to sample menu items in exchange for a review. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are my own.

When I heard that Fresh Brothers was coming to Orange County, I immediately did a Happy Dance and couldn’t wait for the grand opening celebration!

Our family enjoyed a sampling of some of their most popular menu items. I think it should be mandatory for every guest to start out with an order of Fresh Knots! Their menu describes Fresh Knots as “garlic bread tied in tasty knots, dusted with parmesan and served with a side of pizza sauce“. These were so amazing. Seriously!

We tried The Greek Town Special Salad next which is made with romaine, feta cheese, Kalamata olives, cucumber, pepperoncini, red onions and tomatoes.

I can never get enough feta cheese. I loved the light dressing on this salad too. All of the salads on their menu are handmade, hand chopped and hand tossed. They offer a ton of different ones on the menu and also give guests the option of creating their own salad.

An order of the Meatball Sliders arrived at our table next. They’re served on King’s Hawaiian rolls and topped with mozzarella cheese and pizza sauce. Emi especially LOVED these. If a kid likes something, you know it’s great!

Did I mention that all of the appetizers on their menu are baked and never fried? I like that. I especially liked knowing that the entire order of buffalo wings I devoured, weren’t fried. The sauce was Roasted Garlic BBQ and SO tasty! They have 6 different kinds of sauces to choose from for their buffalo wings, including traditional hot sauce.

I couldn’t stop dipping mine in the blue cheese dressing.

The grand finale of our meal was our delicious pizza! It was a delicious thin crust cheese and pepperoni pizza and it was beautiful. I say WAS because we ate the entire thing! By the way, they have gluten-free and vegan options!

The grand opening celebration of Fresh Brothers’ first Orange County location in Newport Beach had a bunch of fun activities for kids to do. There was face painting, temporary tattoos, pizza dough and cookie cutters to play with, and kids could even make their own pizzas!

It’s also fun just to play with pizza dough and cookie cutters!

Emi was so excited to make her own pizza. Being the artist that she is, she chose to make a perfectly symmetrical pizza with cheese, olives, and pineapple! She was so excited to see her pizza when it came out of the oven!

What a fun thing for kids to do!

Not only is the food at Fresh Brothers delicious, but I love the feeling you get when you’re there. It’s a family run business and you can chat with any of the family members that happen to be at the location and hear about the story of how Fresh Brothers came to be. I think the entire family was present at the grand opening celebration and just watching the way they worked together and reached out to every guest was heartwarming.

I’m so happy we have a Fresh Brothers Pizza near us now! If you haven’t checked them out yet, you need to.