When I came across this recipe, I just knew it was meant to be shared on Bellaziza’s Favorite Things!  I mean, we just love SWAG around here!  With all of the Holiday get-togethers, I’m always in need of a tasty new treat to show off.  You could also package these up in a pretty tin and it would make a lovely homemade gift!

SWAG BARS

Ingredients: 1 3/4  cups  creamy peanut butter, 3/4  cup  sugar, 3/4  cup  light-colored corn syrup, 1 1/2  cups  (6 ounces) chopped lightly salted, dry-roasted peanuts, 3 1/2  cups  (4 ounces) whole-grain flaked cereal (such as Total), finely crushed, Cooking spray, 1/3  cup  (2 ounces) chopped dark chocolate

Combine first 3 ingredients in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook 4 minutes or just until mixture begins to boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in peanuts and cereal. Spread mixture evenly into a 13 x 9–inch baking pan coated with cooking spray.

Place the dark chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until chocolate melts, stirring every 20 seconds. Drizzle chocolate evenly over peanut mixture. Score into 36 bars while warm.

Delicious and easy!  Hope you enjoy this delicious SWAG BAR ALERT!

Tasha

Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light January 2009. Photo courtesy
of www.foodphotoblog.com.

The hustle and bustle of the Holidays is enough to make you want to spike your eggnog.  Actually, I want to spike my eggnog even on a calm day, but that’s not important right now.  What is however, is getting through this season with our heads on straight!  Possible?  Of course!  You can always count on us at Bellazizas Favorites to provide you with the Best of the Best for the Holidays or otherwise.  We have shared some of our favorite “stuff” for the 2009 season already, but now let’s turn our focus off of stuff and onto more simple things, shall we?  Here is how we are going to simplify the holidays.

A Homemade Christmas!

So in the coming weeks, watch for some of our Favorite handmade crafts, delicious recipes and simple pleasures to indulge in this upcoming Christmas Season!  Until then, enjoy this spiked eggnog recipe I found at The Food Network.

Kahlua Eggnog

-2 parts Kahlua

-1 part vodka

-Prepared Eggnog

Pour ingredients over ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick, and/or mint sprig.

You’re welcome.

Tasha

I am still washing dirt crusted clothes from our four day camping trip with the boys and all I can think about is the s’mores we devoured every night.  You know, that ooey, gooey wonderful mess that personifies camping?  Well, I can’t just do plain ol’ anything, so we kicked s’mores up a few notches this weekend!  I thought I’d pass it along since the season of warm outdoor fun is upon us!

So here is what we did!  Forget the Hershey’s bar, although we enjoyed the classic s’more as well, we tried changing up the chocolate a bit!  My favorite, using a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup instead of the Hershey’s bar…OMG…I can’t even tell you how YUM that was!  (wipes drool from chin)  Then, I tried the fun size of several other candy bars like Caramello, Snickers and Butterfinger… yeah, I tried several, so sue me!

Another fun thing to try?  Think outside of the box, the graham cracker box, that is!  Instead of buying the traditional graham cracker base, try using a cookie!  Chocolate chip, peanut butter, mix it up!  You won’t disappoint a Smores fan, I promise!  Also, we used fudge coated graham cookies like these and it was equally as yummy as the classic Smore with less to buy and pack up for the camping trip because the graham cracker and chocolate are all in one!

Lastly, if you are not the camping type, (I barely am, mostly I am forced to because I live in the world of all boys!) you can makes Smores at home using this recipe from the Food Network!  You can use my Smores Gone Wild tips with that recipe too!!

Enjoy!    Tasha

Need a great way to serve up Dad a special Father’s Day breakfast?  How about his face in a pancake!  Or maybe his favorite team’s logo!  Or…wait…YOUR face!!

The pros over at The Food Network have put together a step-by-step slideshow of how to turn your flapjacks into fine art!  It’s a super fun way for the whole family to have fun in the kitchen, Father’s Day or not!  So check it out, and have fun with your flapjacks!

Father’s Day is upon us and the grills are getting warmed up for their annual Dad’s Day steak dinner!  Want to impress the grill master in your house?  Check out www.BobbyFlay.com for some awesome recipes like the  Grilled Rib Eye Steak with Chipotle Honey Glaze and Roasted Pepper Relish…it sounds soooo yummy!!

He also provides some great grilling tips like how to tell when your meat is done!  I learned a lot reading that one!!

If you need a gift idea, you can shop for the latest and greatest from Bobby Flay!  From cookbooks to sauces and rubs, Bobby’s gotcha covered!

A friend of mine started making these and bringing them over. They are the richest, most awful thing you could probably do to yourself, but man, do they taste good!

You can use any type of chocolate for the coating, I suggest white or dark.

Ingredients

• 1 package Oreo Cookies
• 1 package of Cream Cheese
• 1 bag of chocolate chips

Directions

Crush Oreos – This is actually what made us finally go out an buy a food processor. Please do yourself a favor and use one! Or, as one reader suggested (Thanks, Aura!), put the Oreos in a bag and let your kids stomp on them!

Using a blender or diligently smashing with a spoon (the hard way), mix Oreos and cream cheese together.

Roll into 1 inch (or smaller) balls. Melt chocolate.

Stick a toothpick in an Oreo ball and dip it in the chocolate. Set on wax paper and allow to harden.

Take to your next potluck!

Image by Rebekah Pavlovic

Every Mother should be served breakfast in bed for Mother’s Day!  (Did you hear that, Honey?)  With a little help from Emeril you can kick Mother’s Day up a notch too!

If you have someone in your life who is handy in the kitchen, pass on this recipe as a little inspiration!  Or if you are like me and you are the only one who can cook, forget the recipe and insist on being taken out for breakfast!!

The recipe for this delicious Mascarpone and Marmalade-Stuffed French Toast straight from Emeril’s Kitchen can be found at ABC.com where Emeril has known for surprising deserving moms around the country with breakfast in bed!  Now….how can I get him my address?

Tasha

Easter is coming and Spring is here!  Leave it to Martha to bring us the best desserts to celebrate this blossoming time of year!  Visit www.MarthaStewart.com for more lovely Easter food and decorating ideas!

Rich Chocolate Cake with Truffle-Egg Nest

Martha says, “Truffle eggs tinted robin’s-egg blue top this sumptuous cake that has been laced with espresso powder for a subtle mocha flavor, layered with whipped ganache, and topped with a shiny dark-chocolate glaze.”

Tasha says, “Espresso and Mocha and Chocolate…oh my!”

Chocolate Cake with Crepe Paper Flowers and a Phyllo Nest

Martha says, “Delicate crocuses seem to sprout forth from a rich chocolate cake — a sure sign that spring is here.”

Tasha says, “Pretty and yummy…can you go wrong?”

Carrot Cheesecake with Marzipan Carrots

Martha says, “Rich cheesecake topped with marzipan carrots takes warm spices and cream cheese icing (carrot cake’s best features) and reinvents them.”

Tasha says, “You had me at cheesecake, and have a very happy Easter!”

1 1/2 cup warm water

I love baking, especially when it’s a snack I know my kids will eat!  It seems like we are always running out the door with hungry tummys!  Here is the Granola Bar recipe that use for snack time for the kids (and myself!).  This is a great snack to have on hand and in mouth!

Tasha’s Chewy On The Go Granola Bars
3 cups Rolled Oats
1 1/2 cups Puffed Brown Rice Cereal (Or Rice Krispies Cereal)
1 cup wheat flour (or all purpose flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
1 cup honey
1/3 cup packed brown sugar (optional)
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips or dried fruit, nuts, etc

Directions:  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease one 9×13 inch pan. In a large mixing bowl combine the oats, cereal,  flour, cinnamon and baking soda.  In a separate bowl, melt the butter then add vanilla, honey and brown sugar and mix well. Mix together wet and dry ingredients.  Then stir in the assorted chocolate chips, raisins, nuts etc. Firmly press mixture into the prepared pan.  Bake at 325 degrees for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown (over cooking will result in crunchy bars!).  Let cool for 10 minutes then cut into bars.  Let bars cool completely in pan before removing or serving. Grab and Go!

Image courtesy of www.kingarthurflour.com

This week’s second SWAG ALERT is going to make you say Yummm AGAIN!!! We are giving TWO lucky readers a full 1-year subscriptions to Relish! sweetly packaged with a Crate and Barrel spatula!

To enter, visit www.relishrelish.com and comment on this post with what you think about their company/website/product for your chance to win!

This SWAG ALERT will be open for daily entry until Monday, January 19th at midnight PST.  Our same fabulous SWAG ALERT rules apply, including EXTRAS, but if you need a refresher on the details just CLICK HERE or visit our “SWAG INFO” page by clicking the tab at the top right of this page.

Thanks to Relish! for sharing their fabulous dinner saving ideas with us and, of course, to you for reading BellazizasFavorites.com!

Also, be sure to check out the Praline Pork Tenderoin recipe that they are sharing exclusively with you, our fabulous readers, that is posted below…

Now wouldn’t it be just fabulous if in the middle of your day as supermom, that FAQ ‘What’s for dinner?’ no longer left you stumped???  Relish! is an online weekly meal planner with a dash of style and a whole lot of flavor and is a very welcome addition to our Favorite Things!!  We just love it, and we know you will too!

What we love most about this hip new way to plan meals is how incredibly easy it is to use!  It’s as simple as picking your faves from the weekly selections and Relish! does the rest!  Instantly you have a meal list, recipe list and grocery list ready to print!  Relish! offers the solution and the tools to help families get back to the dinner table, establish healthy eating habits and save money at the same time.  With Relish! by your side you will avoid that last minute rushing to the grocery store to find dinner… and of course the fast-food drive thru!  Doesn’t Sauteed Pork Chops with Pomegranate and Fennel Relish or Pasta with Carmelized Onions and Arugula and Lemon Garlic Bread sound better than heart-stopper hamburgers!?!

For only $7 a month, Relish! will provide you with the following amazing services!!

• Five dinners and sides costing about$85-$95 a week!
• All Relish! recipes require only 30 minutes or less prep time!
• Monthly freezer menus are included for those nights when you need something fast!
• An easy to use Recipe Legend helps you easily choose meals in each category like Kid Friendly, Quick, Vegetarian and many more.
• Extra menus for seasonal dinner parties and other specialties like desserts and horsdoeuvres provide recipe ideas for every occasion!

We all know that there is nothing like a family dinner to bring us closer together.  Another one of the ways Relish! will help you make your Family Night the coolest on the block is with their Dinner and Movie menus.  A meal and dessert plan is made to go along with your family’s favorite movies!  We loved King Fu Panda night with Jack Black Punch, Kung Pao Chicken, Sugar Snap Peas with Lemon, Chinese Noodles and Panda Cake.  What a creative idea and so much fun!

Check out Relish! on your own at www.relishrelish.com and you will see why it’s one of our Favorite Things!  The Relish! slogan sure has it right…Time. Food. Life.  Need we say more?

In the spirit of helping you spend more time with our families around the dinner table in the new year, Relish! has shared one of their favorite recipes exclusively with you, our readers!

Praline Pork Tenderloin

Prep and Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients: 1 1/4 pounds pork tenderloin, 1/2 cup chopped pecans, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 1/2 cup maple syrup, 2 tablespoons butter, olive oil cooking spray

Instructions:  Preheat Oven to 350 degrees, Place pecans in a small skillet and toast for 3-4 minutes, until golden.  Pour pecans into a small bowl and set aside.  Spray an OVEN SAFE non-stick skillet with cooking spray and brown pork on all sides.  Transfer pan to oven and baked until cooked through, 20 minutes.  (Careful of the hot handle!)  Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest for a few minutes before slicing.  While meat is resting, pour off grease in skillet, then add sugar, syrup and butter.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, scraping up any brown bits.  Continue to cook, stirring until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in pecans.  Serve sliced tenderloin with pecan sauce.

Nutritional Information: per serving: 375 calories; 30 grams protein; 13 grams total fat; 1 gram fiber; 3 grams saturated fat; 35 grams carbohydrates; 96 mgs cholesterol: 77 mgs sodium

Who says a dessert can’t be healthy and delicious at the same time!  When we saw this recipe on epicurious.com, we knew it was one worth trying and sharing with you!  It is quick and easy too,  so you just can’t go wrong!  If plums aren’t available, pears are an easy alternative.  And with calories this low, go ahead—indulge in seconds!

Ingredients:

Parchment paper, 6 dark plums, halved and pitted, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 cup 2 percent Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons hazelnuts, toasted in the oven at 375°F for 7 minutes, chopped , 2 teaspoons honey

Directions:

Heat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place plums cut side up on sheet, brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until soft and some juices run off, about 15 minutes. Divide among 4 bowls, top each with 2 tablespoons yogurt, sprinkle with nuts and drizzle with honey.  Makes 4 servings.  Nutritional Information Per serving: 140 calories, 6.4 g fat (2.5 g saturated), 19 g carbs, 1.8 g fiber, 3.7 g protein

Celebrate the holidays with these tasty treats in hand and everyone will be giving you a kiss under the mistletoe and at midnight because they’re perfect for both Christmas and New Year’s Eve!

Ingredients:

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup butter, cut into small pieces (no substitutes)

3 tablespoons whipping cream

1 beaten egg yolk

3 tablespoons champagne or whipping cream

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted powdered sugar, small white decorative candies and/or melted white chocolate

Recipe and picture courtesy of BHG.com.