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October 2018

Culinary Tales/ Sweet Things

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I have a confession…I love pumpkin, but I am far from obsessed. So, when the “all pumpkin spice, all the time” season rolls around, I cringe a little. Only because I prefer my pumpkin a little more subtle. Maybe even balanced out with a little chocolate! These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins are sweet with a little cinnamon and spice!

I’m using both milk chocolate chips and white chocolate chips along with my pumpkin puree!

I’m also using Sugar 2.0 in these. It’s made from 50% real cane sugar and 50% Probiotic Fiber. Which is awesome because that means we can easily cut our sugar intake in half! Perfect for us, since my son loves to eat muffins before school in the morning!

In addition to some bigger muffins, I’m making some minis as well. This recipe works well for either 12 regular muffins or 24 minis!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Preheat oven to 375. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.

In a large bowl mix your dry ingredients (Sugar 2.0, flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, & nutmeg).

Next, mix in your eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree. Finally, add the majority of your chocolate chips. Saving some to place on top of your muffins.

Using an ice cream scoop divide your muffin mixture in to your liners. Make sure to evenly distribute. Add the rest of the chocolate chips to the tops.Bake regular muffins for about 22 minutes, check with a toothpick to see if they are thoroughly cooked in the center. Mini muffins can be cooked for about 12-15 minutes before checking. Cool before serving!

 

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Sugar 2.0
  • 1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips
  • 1/2 cup White Chocolate Chips
  • 1/4 Tsp Salt
  • 1 Tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 Tsp Nutmeg
  • 1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 Tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 1/2 Cups Flour
  • 3/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
  • 1 Cup Pumpkin Puree

Instructions

1

Preheat oven to 375.

2

Mix your dry ingredients together in a large bowl (Sugar 2.0, flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, & nutmeg).

3

Add the rest of the ingredients: eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree! Finally, add the majority of your chocolate chips, leaving some for the top.

4

Place cupcake liners in a muffin pan.

5

Evenly distribute your muffin mixture in to your liners.

6

Place the last of your chips on the tops of the muffins.

7

Bake in oven for about 22 minutes. Check with a toothpick, add additional time if necessary.

 

Sugar 2.0 was provided to me complimentary, but as always all opinions are authentic and my own!
Culinary Tales/ Meats

Coca-Cola Brown Sugar Bacon Glazed Chicken Wings

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and The Coca-Cola Company. All opinions are mine alone. #HomeGatingHacks #CollectiveBias

With football season upon us, I simply can’t pass up an opportunity to make delicious little finger foods and a spread of apps. And it goes without saying that chicken wings and football go hand in hand.

Today, I’m making my famous Crispy Baked Chicken Wings and I’m tossing them in a sweet & sticky sauce starring Coca-Cola. This sauce compliments the crisp chicken perfectly. Plus, it’s a nice alternative to traditional “hot wings”. Coca-Cola is our go to beverage in this house. I mean who doesn’t want to kick back and relax with an ice cold Coca-Cola. We may root for different teams, but at the end of the day that’s one thing we can all agree on. So, it seemed only natural to me that I incorporate it in my sauce as well.

This recipe doesn’t require a lot of ingredients and the sauce can easily be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge. That way when those crispy wings come out of the oven they’ll be ready to toss right before the big game!

Shopping For The Essentials

First, you’ll need some game day essentials! By starting at Food Lion you can find everything you need and save money doing it! I love that Shop & Earn – Food Lion’s MVP Rewards Program goes a step above. You actually get more savings by buying the things you love! Getting credit for something I’m already going to buy anyway is amazing! Visit the Food Lion Home Page to sign up (if you haven’t yet!) and check out any weekly specials! Next, check out your Shop & Earn page to activate your personalized monthly offers. Then shop, get all of the essentials you need and love, make sure to scan your MVP Card with each purchase you make. Finally, redeem! All earned rewards get added to your MVP wallet and automatically redeemed on your next purchase. It’s as easy as that.

Let’s get to it! For our game day wings I’m purchasing:

  • Coca-Cola
  • Coke Zero Sugar
  • Food Lion Frozen Chicken Wings
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Food Lion Ranch Dip Mix
  • Food Lion Plain Greek Yogurt

I already had a few of the ingredients at home like: milk, bacon, brown sugar, ketchup, garlic ..etc. (The full list of ingredients you’ll need is below in the recipe card, so be sure to check it before you head to the store.) I’m getting everything I need to make the wings, as well as ingredients for a Garlic Ranch Dipping Sauce. Plus, I’m grabbing celery & carrots because if we’re going to have wings, I definitely want fresh, crisp veggies to balance them out!

Game Day Wings

Once you’ve gathered all of your ingredients, it’s time to get cooking! As I mentioned above you can definitely make your sauce ahead of time if need be, just store it in the fridge and reheat on low right before tossing. Today I’m going to get the wings in the oven and while they’re baking I’ll make the sauce! Because I’m taking them straight from freezer to oven they take a little longer, but this gives me plenty of time to work on my other appetizers before the guests arrive! Preheat your oven to 400°. Take out your frozen wings, place them in a large bowl, and evenly coat them with olive oil. Next, spray a shallow baking pan well with cooking spray. Sprinkle just a touch of salt & pepper over your wings. Place your wings on the pan, making sure they aren’t touching. As soon as the oven is preheated put your wings in and set the timer for about 50-55 minutes. Be sure to turn the pan around midway through cooking and flip the wings for even cooking & browning!

Garlic Ranch

  • One Pack Food Lion Ranch Dip Mix
  • One 1/2 cups Food Lion Plain Greek Yogurt
  • 3/4 cup Milk
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp Crushed Garlic

This is a super easy ranch dip you can make to accompany the wings and veggies! Simply mix all of the above ingredients in a bowl . Place in fridge to thicken up! And voila! Ranch kicked up a notch!

Coca-Cola Brown Sugar Bacon Glaze

It’s time to make the sauce! My favorite part, it’s sticky and sweet and perfectly balances out the crunch of the chicken! You can use either Coca-Cola or Coke Zero Sugar in this sauce. I purchased both mainly because I love them both and like to make sure my guests have options. As I said though, either work well in this sauce, so it really just comes down to personal preference! Since, Coke Zero Sugar has the same great Coca-Cola flavor just without any sugar, you will still add the same amount when substituting.  Place a small pot on the stove top and turn it up to med-heat. Add your ketchup, crushed garlic, dijon mustard, brown sugar, and Coca-Cola. Stirring often, bring it to a boil. Now you can immediately reduce it to low heat. Cook your bacon, and chop it into small pieces. Add your bacon to the sauce. Let the sauce simmer while your wings cook. This will give it a chance to thicken up a little bit. When the wings reach an internal temp of 165° they are fully cooked! Remove from the oven , let sit for a minute. Finally, place them in a clean bowl and “toss” them evenly with your sauce. Serve with your carrots, celery, and Garlic Ranch.

Coca-Cola Brown Sugar Bacon Glazed Chicken Wings

Print Recipe
Cooking Time: About 55 min

Ingredients

  • -Wings-
  • Food Lion Frozen Chicken Wings
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • Dash salt & black pepper
  • -Sauce-
  • 1 1/2 cup Coca-Cola
  • 1 cup Ketchup
  • 1 Tsp Course Ground Dijon Mustard
  • 1 Tsp Crushed Garlic
  • 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
  • 1 Cup Chopped Bacon

Instructions

1

Wings-

2

Preheat oven to 400°.

3

Place frozen wings in a large bowl, and evenly coat them with olive oil.

4

Spray a shallow baking pan well with cooking spray.

5

Sprinkle just a touch of salt & pepper over your wings.

6

Place your wings on the pan, making sure they aren't touching.

7

Bake for about 50-55 minutes. Be sure to turn the pan around midway through cooking and flip the wings for even cooking & browning

8

Chicken is done when it reaches an internal temp of 165°.

9

Sauce-

10

Place a small pot on the stove top and turn it up to med-heat.

11

Add your ketchup, crushed garlic, dijon mustard, brown sugar, and Coca-Cola.

12

Stirring often, bring it to a boil.

13

Reduce it to low heat. Cook your bacon, and chop it into small pieces. Add your bacon to the sauce.

14

Let the sauce simmer while your wings cook. This will give it a chance to thicken up a little bit.

15

Toss wings in sauce & enjoy!

These wings are the perfect addition to any game day spread! We might all have different teams and different tastes but, one thing is for sure nothing quite brings everyone together like Football, Food, and Coca-Cola!

Culinary Tales/ Sweet Things

Non-Dairy Coconut Cherry Ice Cream

I’m extremely fond of ice cream. I mean it really doesn’t phase me whether it’s Summer, Fall, Spring, or Winter. I will happily sit in my living room with a bowl of ice cream as I watch the snowflakes fall to the ground. Rocky Road, Cotton Candy, Strawberry, Chocolate, Peanut butter, Pistachio.. you name it, i love it….give me all the flavors! Ice cream is  always in season. So, today I’m sharing my Non-Dairy Coconut Cherry Ice Cream. It’s so easy! It only has two ingredients! Continue Reading…