Del Monte Can Creations Gathering with Recipes and a Giveaway!

Hello foodies! I hope everyone is having a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend so far!

I am super excited to share this post with you today! I was recently contacted by Del Monte to host a gathering with my family and friends, creating recipes with some of their products, to share at this gathering. I immediately started brainstorming some awesome summer recipes that are easy to make, using everyday ingredients. My sisters and I got together, planned the menu, and spent the day making these wonderful recipes to share with our friends, families and you!

We made 5 Bean Salad, Grilled Basil and Tomato Turkey Burgers and Peach and Pear Sorbet! The best thing about these recipes? The ingredients are found either in your pantry or are easily found at the grocery store, making prep and cooking easy peasy! I love the ease of using canned fruits and veggies when fresh aren't available, or aren't in season. You can always keep them on hand and whip something up in a pinch!

We used Del Monte canned diced tomatoes, green beans, corn, lite peaches and lite pears in these recipes. Thanks to the wonderful people at Del Monte, you have a chance to win a can of each of these fruits and veggies, to try the recipes yourself! They are also including a Del Monte apron and a can strainer to the winner! How exciting, right??

Check out the lovely apron you have a chance at winning, modeled by yours truly! :)

Here are the wonderful recipes:

5 Bean Salad (click here for the recipe and details)

Grilled Basil and Tomato Turkey Burgers (click here for the recipe and details)

Peach and Pear Sorbet (click here for the recipe and details)

And now for the giveaway!!

One lucky winner will receive this amazing gift pack from Del Monte:

How to enter:

Entry-Form

Giveaway starts May 25th, 2013 and ends on June 1st, 2013. Giveaway is open to residents of the United States. The winner will be announced and contacted on June 2nd, 2013. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email, if I do not receive a reply within that time, another winner will be chosen. The winner is randomly chosen by Giveaway Tools. Del Monte will send the package to the winner. Thanks for entering!

You can visit Del Monte at these sites:

Website: http://bit.ly/8AMAmK
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/IYzXOV
Twitter:  http://bit.ly/147IvBV

*Del Monte provided these products to me, to try and create new recipes. This does not influence my opinion in any way*

Peach and Pear Sorbet Recipe

Summertime is almost here in Minnesota. I have an amazing, and reasonable to make, treat to cool you off on these hot days! This Peach and Pear Sorbet is absolutely wonderful! The flavors are delicious and the texture is so smooth! This takes a little time to make after you put it together, but it is so worth it!!  This recipe uses Del Monte canned peaches and pears. These ingredients make it a cheap homemade treat and the kiddos will love helping you make it! You can make this recipe two ways. We tested this recipe using both sparkling wine and sparkling grape juice and it turned out fantastic either way! You can make one batch for you, and one batch for the kids!

This recipe was created using ingredients from Del Monte, and you can find more info about that here!

Thanks to my sister, Shannon for taking the photo on this post! You can visit her blog Speaking in Plain Shamish here!

Peach and Pear Sorbet (print recipe)

What you need:
1- 15 ounce can Del Monte Lite peaches, drained
1- 15 ounce can Del Monte Lite pears, drained
2/3 cup Moscato d'asti or 2/3 cup sparkling white grape juice
1/2 cup sugar

Directions:
In a blender, puree peaches and pears.

In a small sauce pan, combine moscato or sparkling grape juice and sugar. Heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.

In a shallow plastic container, combine puree and  moscato or juice mixture. Cover and place in the freezer. Stir every 30 minutes for the first 4 hours to break up ice crystals. Freeze for another 1-2 hours until firm.

If you liked this recipe, follow the Hot Eats and Cool Reads board on Pinterest here!

This recipe may be shared at these fabulous blogs!

5 Bean Salad Recipe

As you may already know, I LOVE salads!! They are my favorite summertime side dish.

This 5 Bean Salad turned out especially good! I love the tartness of the vinegar based sauce. It goes perfectly with the rest of the ingredients. If you don't like some of the beans used in this recipe, you can definitely substitute with your favorite beans! This recipe is a winner. Both my sister and I ate a few servings of it with our meal! Yum!

This recipe was created using ingredients from Del Monte, and you can find more info about that here!

Thanks to my sister, Shannon for taking the photo for this post! You can visit her blog Speaking in Plain Shamish here!

5 Bean Salad (print recipe)

What you need:
1- 14.5 ounce can of Del Monte green beans
1- 15 1/4 ounce can of Del Monte whole kernel corn
1- 15 ounce can black beans
1- 15.5 ounce can of garbanzo beans
1- 15 ounce can dark red kidney beans
1- 14.5 ounce can yellow wax beans
1 red pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup sugar
4 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
salt and pepper, as desired

Directions:
Drain and rinse the cans of beans and corn. Combine all beans, corn, red pepper and onion in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, sugar, dill, salt and pepper. Add to veggie mixture and mix. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving to allow flavors to combine.

If you liked this recipe, follow the Hot Eats and Cool Reads board on Pinterest here!

This recipe may be shared at these fabulous blogs!

Grilled Basil and Tomato Turkey Burgers Recipe

Basil, tomato and garlic are one of my favorite flavor combos. These 3 ingredients are used in alot of the recipes I cook, so I knew they would be fantastic added into a burger!

I prefer using ground turkey for burgers, over ground beef. The addition of the basil, diced tomatoes and garlic was phenomenal. It was one of the MOST flavorful burgers I've ever eaten and I will most definitely prepare them again. They were juicy and all I topped it with was a light smear of mayo. Delish!

This recipe was created using ingredients from Del Monte, and you can find more info about that here!

Thanks to my sister, Shannon for taking the photo in this post. You can visit her blog Speaking in Plain Shamish here!

Grilled Basil and Tomato Turkey Burgers (print recipe)

What you need:
2 pounds ground turkey
1- 14.5 ounce can Del Monte diced tomatoes
1/3 cup fresh basil, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper, as desired
mayo
hamburger buns

Directions:
Drain diced tomatoes in a strainer. Make sure to squeeze any excess juice from the tomatoes, while straining.

In a bowl, combine ground turkey, drained tomatoes, basil, garlic, salt and pepper. Shape into 6-8 burger patties, depending on what size burger you prefer.

Let the burgers set for 15-20 minutes while preparing the grill.

When the grill is ready, place burgers on the grill. Cook for 20 minutes, flipping once, halfway through.

Serve topped with mayo, or your favorite burger sauce.

If you liked this recipe, follow the Hot Eats and Cool Reads board on Pinterest here!

This recipe may be shared at these fabulous blogs!

Apple, Peach and Rhubarb Crisp Recipe

Woo-hoo! So excited rhubarb is finally ready in Minnesota. It was later this year than last, because of all the snow we had in April. My Dad gave me some last weekend and I knew I had to use it right away!

This crisp recipe originally came from my Mom and she always used it with apples. I've made it a few different ways using different fruits, and it always turns out so good with rhubarb. The fruit combo of apple, peach and rhubarb is pretty incredible! It was gone in no time at all. We loved it! Enjoy!!

Apple, Peach and Rhubarb Crisp (print recipe)

What you need:

3 cups apples, peeled and sliced

3 cups peaches, peeled and sliced

2 cups fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces or 1 cup frozen rhubarb, thawed and excess liquid drained

1 cup sugar

Topping:

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

6 tablespoons butter, softened

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 glass baking dish. Place fruit in the baking dish and cover evenly with sugar.

In a bowl, combine cinnamon, flour, sugar and butter with your fingers until mixed. Evenly sprinkle crisp topping over fruit. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until the crisp is lightly browned.

If you liked this recipe, follow the Hot Eats and Cool Reads board on Pinterest here!

On the blog... one year ago: Ham & Broccoli Mac & Cheese

This recipe was shared at these fabulous blogs!

20 Sweet and Savory Salad Recipes! Perfect for Memorial Day!

Happy Tuesday everyone! 

Anytime I think of Memorial Day, I think of having a BBQ with my family and friends. What does every BBQ need?? Salads!

Today I have 20 wonderful salads to share with you from some of my favorite bloggers, as well as Hot Eats and Cool Reads! These salads are both savory and sweet, which would be perfect for both the meal and dessert! Just click on the name of the salad and it will bring you right to the recipe! 

I hope you check out some other great recipes these blogs have to offer while you're there visiting!

Thanks so much for stopping by and enjoy! :)

Savory:

Tomato, Strawberry, Cucumber, Mozzarella Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette from Hot Eats and Cool Reads

Barbecue Chopped Chicken Salad from The Best Blog Recipes

BLT Ranch Pasta Salad from The Fountain Ave Kitchen

Cheddar Broccoli Slaw from ChinDeep

Asparagus Salad from Everyday Mom's Meals

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Poppyseed Dressing 

Crunchy Broccoli and Bacon Salad from Hot Eats and Cool Reads

Fresh Corn and Tomato Salad from A Bountiful Kitchen

Kansas Cornbread Salad from A Better Baker

Zesty Lime Shrimp and Avocado Salad from Skinny Taste

Creole Potato Salad from Creole Contessa

Crunchy Chicken Poppyseed Salad from Hot Eats and Cool Reads

Tex Mex Cornbread Salad from Juanita's Cocina

Roasted Garlic Pasta Salad from Budget Bytes

Sweet:

Ambrosia Salad from Michelle's Tasty Creations

Poppyseed Fruit Salad with Citrus Honey Glaze from Domestic Superhero

Sweet Grape Salad from Jam Hands

Peachy Fruit Salad from Hot Eats and Cool Reads

Orange Fluff Jello Salad from Six Sister's Stuff

Strawberries with Grapes, Mint and Vanilla from Rufus Food and Spirits Guide

Cherry Limeade Recipe... Surprise Recipe Swap

Hello foodies! It's once again the 20th of the month and time for the Surprise Recipe Swap! Thanks to Jutta from Hungry Little Girl for hosting every month!

This months blog is The Texan New Yorker! I was so excited to go snooping around Julie's blog and find a great recipe to make. She has so many great ice cream recipes that caught my eye. Definitely have to make one of those sometime soon. Finally after much debate, I chose to make her Cherry Limeade recipe. I am a sucker for fruity, yummy drinks and this one sounded perfect since I love cherries so much. Make sure you stop by and check out Julie's recipes!

My daughter and I both adored this limeade. It would be super refreshing on a hot summer day and I can't wait to make it for my next BBQ. The only change I made was increasing the amount of cherries and reducing the amount of sugar, since I bought a 10 ounce jar of cherries. There's never too many cherries in my opinion! :)

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Cherry Limeade (print recipe)

What you need:
1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup sugar
1- 2 liter bottle of lemon lime soda
1- 10 ounce jar of maraschino cherries, with juice
lime slices, for garnish

Directions: 
Chill all ingredients before using.

Combine lime juice, sugar and soda in a pitcher. Add cherries and lime slices, stir. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving!

If you'd like to join the Surprise Recipe Swap click here:

If you liked this recipe, follow the Hot Eats and Cool Reads board on Pinterest here!

On the blog... one year ago: Ham & Eggs Baked in Crispy Hashbrown Cups

This recipe may be shared at these fabulous blogs!

Weekly Favorites 5/11/13- 5/18/13

This is a weekly series highlighting my top 6 posts every week! They might be newer posts or oldies. Either way, you may discover something you've missed!

Top post of the week: Almond Cream Cheese Bars

#2 Tomato and Cucumber Orzo Salad

#3 Rhubarb Dump Cake

#4 Garlic Butter Baked Pollock Fillets

#5 Bacon Cheeseburger Roll

#6 Rhubarb Custard Dessert

If you liked these recipes, follow the Hot Eats and Cool Reads board on Pinterest here!

Tomato and Cucumber Orzo Salad Recipe

Have I ever mentioned how much I love salads?? They are one of my favorite side dishes, especially when grilling during the spring and summer! 

This recipe is so light and delicious! It's easy to put together and would be great for a BBQ since there is no mayo in this recipe. This recipe is the best eaten right after you make it, but it also tastes pretty good the next day if you have to make it ahead of time. I would recommend if you do need it for the next day, you could mix everything together in a bowl except the dressing the night before, and add the dressing right before serving. Enjoy!!

Tomato and Cucumber Orzo Salad (print recipe)

What you need:
4 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups orzo
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups baby heirloom tomatoes, halved
1 1/2 cups baby cucumbers, halved and sliced
salt and pepper as desired

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, cook the orzo in the vegetable broth according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.

In a blender or food processor, combine olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, basil and garlic until mixed well.

In a bowl, combine pasta, sauce mixture, tomatoes, cucumbers, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until serving!

If you liked this recipe, follow the Hot Eats and Cool Reads board on Pinterest here!

On the blog... one year ago: Save Your Scraps! How to Make Homemade Vegetable Stock

This recipe may be shared at these fabulous blogs!

Almond Cream Cheese Bars Recipe

I hope all you Mommy readers had a wonderful Mother's day yesterday! I spent the day with my little honey girl and loved every moment! She is my life!

Today's recipe is Almond Cream Cheese Bars! LOVE both almonds and cream cheese, so I knew this would be a fantastic recipe! It's very easy to make and the flavors are so delicious! I love the texture of the filling, and the frosting tops it off perfectly. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!

Almond Cream Cheese Bars (print recipe)

What you need:

Crust:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour

Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract

Frosting:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

Directions:

Crust:
Cut butter into dry ingredients and pat into a 9x13 glass baking dish. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. 

Filling:
Beat sugar and cream cheese with mixer until combined. Beat in eggs and almond extract until fluffy. Pour over hot crust. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely.

Frosting:
Cream sugar, milk, butter and almond extract until combined. Spread evenly on top of the cooled bars. Sprinkle with almonds. Cut and serve!

Recipe source: Cooking.com

If you liked this recipe, follow the Hot Eats and Cool Reads board on Pinterest here!

On the blog... one year ago: Rhubarb and Strawberry Crisp

This recipe may be shared at these fabulous blogs!

This recipe was featured at:
Mix it up Monday at Flour Me with Love
All My Bloggy Friends at Love Bakes Good Cakes
In and Out of the Kitchen at Feeding Big