My 'Recipe to Riches Season 2' Journey... so far.

The infamous Golden Ticket!

I wanted to share with you my recent experience of submitting a recipe for Recipe to Riches Season 2. My best friend and I really wanted to enter the second season after we watched the first. Soon as we found out a second season was announced back in December/January, we both were scrounging for recipes and creations we could do. My first initial thought was to create a frozen souffle but changed my mind after talking with my hubby and my mom. They both suggested something easy and my mom reminded me of some homemade soft pretzels she once had at our house while babysitting one night. She said she could have eaten the whole bag! I decided to play with that idea and my hubby also suggested doing them 'bite size'.

Before tackling the challenge, I scoured the grocery store to see if there were any soft pretzels to be found. You have to be able to market your product if it were to become a grocery item. I didn't see anything except for the hard pretzel type of snacks. Now, my planning and creating can begin. I picked up some thick cut bacon, fresh rosemary, thyme, sharp cheddar cheese, and Parmesan. I should also note that the category I chose to enter was for the 'savoury snacks'.

With some tweaking and measurement fixing, I came up with the perfect combo of herbs to bacon and cheese. I decided to call them 'Canadian Bacon Bites'. Here is the YouTube video I submitted along with my application.

By looking and reading through my food blog 'Meals with Michelle', you'll notice that I am always trying to come up with new creations 'in my own kitchen' either through tweaking current favourites or by using up leftovers. Being a stay at home mom has allowed my creative juices to flow since I enjoy feeding my family and trying out new things. Grocery shopping and menu planning are hobbies of mine and I can literally relax while shopping on a tight budget. I enjoy the thrill of couponing and finding great deals and always want to share my finds on my facebook page called Maritime Couponing. It's great to be able to share with others whether it's recipes, coupons, great sales, or free samples.

So after my best friend and I submitted our applications, we waited patiently. We found out the auditions for our area would be in Halifax on Feb. 11th. This was perfect because my best friend lives in Halifax, but I live about 4.5 hours away and knew we were going to have a great 'girls weekend' if we happened to get an audition. We both ended up getting 'over the phone' interviews from the Recipe to Riches reps but they still informed us we would get another call telling us whether or not we'd get audition times.

As life would have it, we had an unexpected death in our family. My hubby's twin brother Steve suddenly passed away from a gas leak in his apartment where he lived while serving as a missionary in Central Asia. He had only been in that country for a little over a month and had been raising his support funds so he could go the past few years. There is always a risk involved when going into another country, this was an environmental risk due to the frigid cold temperatures in that country which normally do not occur and caused people to turn their heat source on which is 'odourless' gas. His passing has been a shock to the whole family, but in our Faith we have been able to be strong and many people have prayed for us and still are. We know that Steve is in a much better place than we can ever imagine, even though we miss him terribly.

My brother in law and I, rest in peace Steve. xo

A few days after finding out about the death, I got a phone call. It was a phone call that I had totally forgotten about. The lady on the phone congratulated me for getting an audition for my recipe to present to the celebrity judges in Halifax. I was a bit confused and unexcited because I wasn't sure how to feel. A part of me felt guilty over being excited for such an opportunity and the other part was still very upset and I knew my family needed me here. The lady on the phone was super nice after I had told her a bit of my situation, she said she would email me all the information and if I decided to come that would be great. All I have to say is that I have one amazing family because after calling and talking to them they encouraged me to go and have a good time and that it would be a good distraction since the funeral was still days away (due to getting all the flight arrangements to get Steve back on Canadian soil). My hubby and my boys stayed the weekend with my brother and sister in law while I stayed with my best friend in Halifax.

Somer and I heading to the Delta Halifax for our auditions.

I was able to make my 'Canadian Bacon Bites' fresh that morning before we went. I had some red Chinese take out boxes done up for each judge knowing presentation was key. We arrived and waited patiently in the 'Quiet Zone' before getting to see the judges. We both made some friends and laughed lots which I think put us all at ease. I got to meet (and get my picture) with Chef Dave Burnett. He was all embarrassed to get his picture done which was so funny cause in my eyes he's a celebrity!

Hangin' with Chef Dave Burnett!

Canadian Bacon Bites

Once I was all mic'ed up and ready to go see the judges, my nerves started to kick in a little. I'm really a quiet type of person but the director told me before heading out to be 'compassionate about your product, really show them you believe in it and give them some excitement'. Ha! Well, I certainly didn't travel all the way there to say nothing and get rejected. I had seen four other people before me get a golden ticket and I surely wanted one too! I stepped out into the bright white lights and stood on a sticker and was spitting distance from the three beautiful judges. Dana asked me a bit about myself and I jabbered on a bit about being a busy mom and then Laura asked me what was in the 'cute little boxes' and from there my confidence grew. I explained in every detail exactly what I had made. Then some a bit of critisim came as Dana said she could probably 'find these in a local bakery' in which I explained to her that there was nothing like this on the groceries shelves. Then Laura had some issues with the texture perhaps being a bit on the chewy side (although I did make them in the morning and they weren't eaten till the afternoon which would explain that). I told her about how I enjoy to dip my pretzel bites and that they might pair up great with the winner of the condiment/dip category offered this season. But Tony surprised me. He said he saw potential and that they were a unique creation and could see them being marketed. Then all three of them talked amongst themselves and came to a final conclusion when Laura whipped out and handed me a golden ticket! It happened all so fast and it felt amazing. I was so excited to make that phone call home to my family and tell I had gotten the golden ticket! Although it means I can still be eliminated after all the rest of the other city audition are done, I can be proud of what I did and someday get to share this experience with my two boys! My bestie came out empty handed but we both had a great time meeting new people and sharing our love of cooking together. I wouldn't want to have done it with anyone else.

So now more waiting will happen. But I am alright with that. I have been at home enjoying my hubby on his time off and we have been keeping busy with the boys. Hopefully soon I may have more news, but right now I am the biggest winner of all because I have been able to share this with my family and their support has been incredible. For now, I will keep spoiling them all with all kinds of yummy meals and desserts. Canadian Bacon Bites will be a hit in my kitchen and that's the only place that matters to me!

Baked Ravioli Bites

Baked Ravioli Bites

Boston Pizza used to carry 'baked ravioli' on their appetizer menu back many moons ago and they were my favourite! But now, I found a way to make my own and they are just as delicious! All you need is some prepared ravioli, Parmesan, Italian breadcrumbs, Panko crumbs, flour, an egg, baking sheet lined with some tin foil, and a wire rack. Here's the recipe:

Preheat oven to 375 - 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with tin foil and place a wire rack on top. Spray the wire rack with cooking oil. 

Combine in a bowl - 1/2 cup of Italian bread crumbs, 1 cup of Panko, 2 TB of flour.

With a fork whisk 1 egg in another bowl.

Dip ravioli into egg mixture then into bread crumbs and place on the wire rack.

Grate or sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. 

Bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. 

The best part about these crispy beauties is dipping them into a sauce! We had ours with some pasta sauce heated up but they would be great with ranch dressing, hot sauce, salsa, the options are endless. They make a great appetizer when you are expecting some company. They'll think you slaved in the kitchen all day. Enjoy! 

Chili topped w/ Cornbread in a Mason Jar

Chili & Cornbread

Here is a fantastic Pinterest idea which I was really excited to try for my family that was coming over for dinner. I made my chili up ahead of time then made the cornbread batter. I put in the chili in the mason jars about halfway up and then topped it off with the cornbread batter. The more cornbread on top the better. The presentation of these little jars made it so fun and the cornbread on the top was by far the icing on the cake. Bake these in the oven on a baking sheet for 20-25 minutes at 350-375 degrees. Here is the recipe for the cornbread:

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
Mix until combined. 

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

I've always wanted to make my own bread. Now that I have a Kitchen Aid mixer, it makes everything just seem easy! I found a recipe to make some pita bread, but the recipe was actually made for a bread machine. I always like to read the reviews and the first one I read was about someone who made theirs in a mixer so I am going to share their comments on how to make the dough using the mixer. As far as any tweaking, I did one cup of whole wheat flour and two cups of white flour to make whole wheat pita bread. It made about 8-10 pieces and I served it with a side of hummus. Delicious...

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/peppys-pita-bread/detail.aspx
"For those of you without a bread machine, put dry yeast in warm water with the sugar. When foamy add oil and pour into the flour that has already been mixed with salt. Knead by hand or machine until it's smooth and elastic. You should have a moderate dough (not soft and not firm, in the middle). Don't worry if it's a little sticky. You'll need to roll it out with a little flour."

Ingredients

• 1 1/8 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in bread pan of your bread machine, select Dough setting and start. When dough has risen long enough, machine will beep.
2. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll and stretch dough into a 12 inch rope. With a sharp knife, divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll each into a smooth ball. With a rolling pin, roll each ball into a 6 to 7 inch circle. Set aside on a lightly floured countertop. cover with a towel. Let pitas rise about 30 minutes until slightly puffy.
3. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Place 2 or 3 pitas on a wire cake rack. Place cake rack directly on oven rack. Bake pitas 4 to 5 minutes until puffed and tops begin to brown. Remove from oven and immediately place pitas in a sealed brown paper bag or cover them with a damp kitchen towel until soft. Once pitas a softened, either cut in half or split top edge for half or whole pitas. They can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for 1 or 2 months.

Linguine Alfredo w/ Garlic Butter Salmon

Linguine Alfredo w/ Garlic Butter Salmon

My favourite fish is a nice fresh piece of Atlantic Salmon! Here is a super easy and fantastic way of preparing this Alfredo dish. First, pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and get some water boiling in your pot for the pasta. Put your salmon pieces in a glass baking dish and add some cracked pepper, dried dill (or fresh), a few squirts of lemon juice (or squeeze some from a fresh lemon) and then take a thin slice of garlic butter and put it on top and put in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Put on your pasta once your water is boiling and add some salt to the water too!

Now for the Alfredo sauce you use a package to go the easy way or you can make your own from scratch. For the twist, I added a tablespoon of the garlic butter (instead of just butter or margarine) along with the milk to make the sauce as directed on the package. This adds so much flavour! 

Enjoy this easy version of Linguine Alfredo and be sure to put on extra pasta because you will be wanting more!

Deep-Fried Oreos

Deep-fried Oreos

I had a request from a pregnant friend of mine asking me to make these deep-friend Oreos. She had them before while vacationing in Maine last summer and told me over and over how much they were to die for. Well, I decided to fulfill that request today and give them a try! It's true, they are to die for! Maybe not the best way to kick off the new year if you are watching your calorie intake, but they're fun to give away. If you want to give them a whirl, here's what you do!

Use either a boxed pancake mix or make your own... I made my own using this recipe:
PANCAKES:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Get your vegetable oil heated up either in a pot or a high sided frying pan. Coat the Oreo cookies in the prepared pancake batter and drop them slowly into the oil, flip them when browned on each side and then take them out and place them on paper towel. When they are cooled, you can dash them with some icing sugar. When they are fresh they will be crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. Enjoy!

New Year's Cupcakes!

Rainbow & Oreo Cupcakes

Happy 2012 everyone! My best friend and I kicked off the new year by making some amazing cupcakes. We were so involved in the whole process that we didn't take many pictures (our apologies!). But, they are very easy to make so let's start with the beautiful Rainbow Cupcake!

All you need is a box of white cake mix (prepared as directed on the box) and some neon food coloring. Grab 4 bowls and divide the prepared cake batter into the bowls then add the food coloring until you have a nice bright batter of colors! Add your cupcake paper liners and start with one color. Just add a small spoonful to cover the bottom layer, then then next color and etc. Have some fun with the colors! Bake as directed and cool. For garnish we used small colored candy dots.

For the frosting we used a pre-made buttercream frosting. There are different ways to make the neat effects when pipping the frosting. We took a few bowls with the white frosting and added the food coloring and then 'painted' the inside of the pipping bag with strips of the colored frosting and then filled up the rest of the bag with the white frosting.  Here is another site about doing this process you can check out: http://www.inkatrinaskitchen.com/2011/10/5-minute-fancy-frosting-giveaway.html

Onto the Oreo cupcakes! These were really easy and super yummy. All you need is a box of Oreos (or President Choice's Eat the Middle First), white cake mix, crushed Oreos or if you have some Oreo crumbs lingering in your pantry. Prepare your white cake mix batter. Add cupcake liners and place a whole Oreo cookie to the bottom of each liner. Pour in the batter (about 2/3 of the way up). Bake as directed and cool.

For the frosting. Again, we used the prepared buttercream icing from the grocery store bakery. We added some crushed up Oreos to the frosting and had some leftover for the garnish. When pipping the icing, be sure to use a round tip because the Oreo chunks need to make it through. For garnish add some Oreo crumbs and of course some more crushed Oreos! The best part of these cupcakes was the whole Oreo cookie at the bottom. I love cupcakes that have a little surprise with them!

I've also hit the 2 year blog-a-versary mark back in December and I'm super excited for some new foods, meals, and baked goods to share! A special thank you to my best friend Somer who is always sending me lots of fun recipes and to my hubby who is always showing his appreciation (I love my Kitchen Aid Pro 600 from you... always reminds me of how much you support and love me!) xoxo.

Happy 2012!