Greek Tzatziki Sauce (Cucumber Dip) Recipe

Tzatziki-Recipe

Tzatziki is a delicious and fresh Greek sauce used in many Grecian dishes. It is also commonly known as cucumber sauce or cucumber yogurt dip. It is made from real Greek yogurt, cucumbers, and fresh dill. Greek yogurt is used because it is a thicker yogurt and doesn’t need to be strained like standard yogurt.

Greek Tzatziki Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes (+2 hours refrigerated)

Ingredients:

  • 3 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. vinegar
  • 1 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced finely
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. white pepper
  • 1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup full-fat sour cream
  • 2 cucumbers, peeled, seedless and finely diced
  • 1 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
  • Peel-remove-seeds-cucumber

Preparation:

Prepare cucumbers by first peeling the skin from the cucumbers. You can do this with a sharp knife or a vegetable peeler. (Why? Because you want the light fresh inside, not the harsh peel for this recipe!) Then cut the cucumber in half length-wise. Now holding one of the sides, use a spoon to scoop out the seed channel. Continue by dicing up the seedless, skinless cucumber!

Cucumber-Dip-Recipe

Prepare other ingredients in 3 separate bowls. Combine olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, and white pepper in a bowl. Mix until well combined. Using a whisk, blend the Greek yogurt with the sour cream. Add the olive oil mixture to the yogurt mixture and mix well. Finally, add the chopped cucumber and chopped dill. Chill in bowl for at least two hours before serving.

For presentation, garnish the dip with a spring of fresh dill before serving.

The Tzatziki sauce was cool, creamy and tangy.  With the fresh flavors from the cucumber and the zest of the garlic, the Tzatziki was a perfect compliment to grilled meats and vegetables. It makes a great light, summer dip or is delicious in a warm gyro pita or souvlaki.

We added it to our pita – just like we enjoyed in Athens!

Gyro-with-Pita-Sauce

Pure Leaf Tea–I Can Sip on That!

Pure-Leaf-Logo

I am from Seattle, Washington where our drink of choice is coffee. My husband on the other hand is from Dallas, Texas and they are big sweet tea drinkers. I had never even tried sweet tea before I met him! When we were dating though, he introduced me to the delicious flavors of iced tea. He even made his very own sun tea from the Colorado sun! Now, tea is one of my favorite summer drinks.

One of the best known brands for tea is Lipton. They have a wide variety of tea options including Lipton’s Pure Leaf Iced Tea – and this tea has it going on…

Pure Leaf & Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is this weekend, May 5th and Lipton’s Pure Leaf Iced Tea is joining in on the fun! This refreshing beverage (along with the help of Top Chef’s Gail Simmons) has created some delicious Derby-themed recipes! From beverages to food (I didn’t realize you could use iced tea in cooking recipes!) these recipes are sure to be a crowd pleaser. Cocktails-photos

Above, there is the Green Tea Combo, the Fruit-Tea Smoothie and the Basil Mo-Tea-Tos. But the beverage that caught my eye? The Derby Day Tea-Lep. This drink can be served with or without alcohol (a cocktail or a mocktail!) and looks like an overall delicious recipe! Check it out:

Derby-Day-Tea-Leaf

Beyond brewing up some tasty concoctions Lipton’s Pure Leaf iced Tea has been up to a lot more!

Pure Leaf, PET Packaging & Environment
The world is something we all must strive to maintain. From the individual household, to the large corporation. That is why I am happy to tell you that Pure Leaf has taken action to reduce the brand’s environmental impact with its new environmentally-friendly packaging. The bottle is now square shaped (more can fit together and ship together) and is made of PET plastic. It is lightweight – which means more bottles can be made from less material and in turn, is cheaper to transport (fuel costs).

Pure Leaf is getting smarter about it’s packaging, and is being recognized for it’s commitments to the sustainability. Pure Leaf is proud to be Rainforest Alliance Certified™ for sourcing its tea. It’s resources and farms are built on three pillars: environmental protection, social equity and economic viability. Pure-Leaf-Tea-Flavors

Pure Leaf & A Taste For Everyone
Until reading the informational packet that Lipton sent over, I had no idea about the complexities of tea!

    Did you know that the complexities of tea can be compared to wine? Or did you know there are tea masters and specific teas tasters? That’s right tea testers judge the teas based on five senses: small, taste, sight and touch. John Cheetham is Pure Leaf tea master (he is one of less than 10 in the world!). Wow these folks make is so we at home are enjoying the best – from color, body and taste!

Pure Leaf Tea has been tested and tasted to become the best of the best, including the all-natural flavors: Unsweetened Iced Tea, Sweetened Iced Tea, Extra Sweet Iced Tea, Iced Tea with Raspberry, Iced Tea with Peach, iced Tea with Lemon and Green Tea with Honey. Real-Iced-Tea-Lipton-Pure-L

Pure Leaf & Me
Overall, I really enjoyed tasting the real brewed taste of Lipton’s Pure Leaf Iced Tea. While I loved the Sweet Tea, the hubby was a fan for the Unsweetened tea. (I guess that says something about us.. lol!) And after reading the blogger packet that Lipton sent over, I am also thrilled with what the company is doing. I will be sure to buy more of this all-natural tea, and think that it would make a great beverage to serve at any one of my summer shindigs – from the Kentucky Derby or Cinco De Mayo this weekend, to throwing a 4th of July bash!

Purchase Pure Leaf
Pure Leaf is now available in 18.5-ounce single-serve bottles (suggested retail price of $1.69-$1.79) and a new 59-oz. family size multi-serve carafe (suggested retail price of $2.49-$2.69). Made from all-natural ingredients and no preservatives

Learn More:

  • You can also find more recipes on the Pure Leaf Facebook recipe tab.
  • Follow on Twitter @PureLeaf

Disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Lipton Pure Leaf. I received product samples and a promotional item to thank me for participating. For full disclosure click here.

Gourmet Gift Baskets Brownie Sampler

GourmetGiftBaskets-Brownie-Um, Hello. My name’s Karissa, and I’m a chocolate addict.

It’s no joke, chocolate is my addiction. I’ve been saying it for years. Dark. Rich. Creamy. As a candy bar, cupcake, or truffle. It really doesn’t matter. I am not picky. With one small bite I am in heaven! Sound like someone else you know? Your spouse? Grandma? Maybe even yourself?

If you desire the richest, thickest, tastiest kind of brownie, you have to try the Bakery Sampler from Gourmet Gift Baskets. Literally, these are the most delicious brownies you can imagine!!

Flavors:

  • · Belgian Chocolate Chunk
  • · White Chocolate Macadamia Blonde
  • · Butterscotch Blonde
  • · Cheesecake
  • · Peanut Butter
  • · Fudge Walnut

I’ve told you about the company before, Gourmet Gift Baskets. They have great Gift Baskets and more. And the less known creations… are these delicious Baked Goods. Okay, I know what you are thinking. “These are perishable goods are sent through the mail? These brownies are going to be hard and stale.”

Cheesecake-BrownieAbsolutely NOT! The Brownie Sampler contained the best brownies to ever touch my tongue!

Gosh, I cannot tell you enough how amazing these specially made brownies were. Maybe if I tell you that two people finished them all in two-days that would explain something? We couldn’t stop. They are addicting and delicious.

Just to be fair, my husband and I split each of the flavors in half, so we could both taste test. He fell hard for the Blonde Brownies. He said he’s never had any brownie like these! As for me, I just can’t pick one favorite. They are all so incredible.

There is no doubt that we will be ordering many more of these for ourselves and our friends. In fact, my husband already ordered some for work! It’s been 2 days and he can’t get his mind off of these delicious baked goods!

The amazing brownies are a guaranteed hit. You really won’t go wrong if you get the gourmet brownie sampler for a gift… or for yourself! ;) Perfect for a family member, friend or that important client.

Join In!! Like them on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter @gmtgiftbaskets

Buy Up!! The brownie sampler ($34.99) and other goodies from Gourmet Gift Baskets they are great for co-workers, friends, relatives, anyone long distance!

Win It!! One lucky reader is going to win a sampler of their own containing one Brownie per flavor!

:: Giveaway ::

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Disclosure: No compensation was given for this review/giveaway. I did receive a sample product from the sponsor for the purpose of this honest review. This did not affect the outcome of this review. All opinions are 100% my own. For full disclosure click here.

Bacon, Sausage, Cheese & Egg Muffins

Bacon-Sausage-Cheese-Muffin

My hubby is the ULTIMATE breakfast master chef. He makes breakfast for us most weekends, and he knocks it out of the park EVERYTIME. Think I am exaggerating? Think again. (This is my open invitation for you to come to Denver for brunch at our house.) And then, you will see what I mean.

For once. Just for once, I wanted to impress him with my breakfast skills. But I didn’t know how. How do you make breakfast different and original? How can I take breakfast and rock it in my own unique way?

Bacon & Eggs… it’s been done. Quiches… been there, done that. Egg casserole… nothing new.

Then I had it. I saw it on pinterest (surprise, surprise). I took a simple recipe and added my own special touches to make it perfect for our meat-loving household. Behold… Bacon, Sausage, Cheese Muffins!Egg-Muffin-Scramble-Bake-Re

Bacon, Sausage, Cheese & Egg Muffins

 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cooked, chopped bacon
  • 1 cup cooked crumbled breakfast sausage
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 1 cup grated cheese of choice (we used cheddar)
  • 1/2 small yellow onion (diced)
  • 8 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • salt and pepper

Directions

- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

- In a large skillet, cook bacon. Chop into small-medium bits. Set aside. Using the same skillet, cook crumbled breakfast sausage. Set aside.

- Chop onion (other veggies if you choose). Grease tin cups in a 12 muffin tin pan with butter or shortening.

- Whisk together eggs and milk, a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in bread crumbs, cheese, sausage, onion and bacon, leaving just a handful of bacon and cheese for the topping. Fill the muffin tip cups evenly with the mixture. Sprinkle the remaining bacon and cheese atop of the egg mixture for presentation purposes!

- Bake 20 to 25 minutes, eggs should be completely cooked through (you can test with toothpick). To remove the muffins, run a small butter knife around the cups to loosen and pull up. Serve warm.

Cheesy-breakfast-bacon-muff

** This recipe is a winner! It can be reheated for breakfast, dinner or a quick snack! Not to mention, these are so versatile, you can add the veggies and cheese of your choice, ham and more!

Mini Pineapple Upside-Down Cakes Recipe with McCormick Vanilla

Mini-Pinappple-UpsideDown-CI am a pin-addict! Pinterest just may be my favorite website around! I pin everything!  My Pinterest page has over 1,222 pins! Crafts, blog stuff, to-do around the house, recipes and more. By far, my biggest pin board is my recipe board. I have a few of them for different specialties.

A new recipe resource, is the recently launched McCormick’s Pinterest page. The company, who is famous for their spices, displays everything from delicious, spring-infused recipe ideas, to fun DIY craft projects on their boards! Right now they’ve got a bunch of ideas for spring to help enhance those festive seasonal gatherings!

mccormick-easter-cookiesMcCormick took some of their best recipes from the ‘My Look Book’ section on the McCormick website, and added them to the popular social site. The ‘My Look Book’ is a cool digital scrapbook that allows you to search and bookmark your favorite recipes.

They have desserts, main dishes, appetizers… and it is easy to add it to “My Look Book” by clicking on the heart next to the recipe.

I added this (pictured) great recipe for spiced springtime sugar cookies to “My Look Book”.

Assorted-Mccormick-food-colAnd the coolest thing ever? McCormick has a food coloring guide on their site that tells you just how many drops of each color make the perfect color of your choice! That is so handy for frosting cakes and cookies this spring! I bookmarked that page for future reference!

Inspired by McCormick, I decided to try my hand at one of the recipes I’ve had pinned. I made Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes (based on the classic pan dessert) using the McCormick’s famous Vanilla Extract.

The recipe for the fruit-topped, topsy-turvy desserts is fairly simple: Muffin-Tin-Mini-Cakes

Mini Pineapple Upside-Down Cakes

mccormick-pure-vanilla-extrIngredients BATTER:

  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
  • 1/2 cup milk (can sub almond milk)
  • 1 cup flour (can sub coconut flour)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
    • 3/4 cup sugar
    • 1/2 teaspoon McCormick pure vanilla extract

Ingredients TOPPING:

    • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
    • 3/4 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
    • 6 maraschino cherries
    • 1 (20-ounce) can pineapple rings

    Mini-muffin-tin-cakes-pinea

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350º.

  2. Place the butter and milk (for batter) in a small saucepan over low-medium heat, stir until melted.  Once melted, set aside to cool.

  3. Prepare the pineapple cake topping. In a 12-cup muffin tin (cupcake pan), add 1/2 tablespoon of unmelted butter and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar in the bottom of each muffin tin. Place the pan in oven until the butter melts, about 4 minutes.

  4. Cut each maraschino cherry in half, cut the pineapple rings into quarters. Place a cherry half in the center of each cup and lay a pineapple quarter on each side (2 or 3 – depending on how it fits). Press the fruit into the muffin-tin mixture, and set tin aside.

  5. Finish the batter. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt, and stir the ingredients until evenly blended. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, and McCormick pure vanilla extract. Add the two mixtures and stir until blended. Add the milk-butter mixture and blend into a smooth batter.

  6. Pour the batter into each muffin tin, dividing evenly. Bake the cakes until lightly browned, fully cooked, about 20-25 minutes.

  7. Cool for 5-10 minutes. Use a butter knife to carefully loosen each cake from the edges of the pan.  Then place a cookie sheet over the top, invert the tin, turning the cakes out onto the cookie sheet. Then transfer to a cooling rack to fully cool. Makes 12 mini cakes.

**This is my new favorite way to cook Pineapple Upsidedown Cakes! Individual portions of tiny mini cakes! Everyone gets their own cake! ;)

Disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for McCormick. I received product samples and a promotional item to thank me for participating. For full disclosure click here.

Pillsbury Bake Off and $25 WalMart Gift Card

Bake-Off-PillsburyIf you are looking for a new recipe to spice up your cooking portfolio, look no further than the awesome recipes submitted by the constants of the Pillsbury Bake-Off.com! They now have 100+ new recipe creations from Pillsbury Bake-Off finalists across the country.

The Pillsbury Bake off only has the best of the best: Breakfast & Brunches, Appetizers, Dinner Made Easy™, or Sweet Treats! The Bake-Off.com has TONS of new recipes – many that are simple and quick!

I can’t wait to see which fabulous, mouth-watering recipe wins this 45th Bake-Off!

I replicated a bake-off recipe from Darlene Godschalx, (see recipe below) The Easy Bruschetta Snacks. First, I headed over to Wal-Mart and found the necessary items! They have great savings on refrigerated Pillsbury products – and they take manufactured coupons too! In fact, you can find printable coupons right on their website, have you seen that yet? Check the coupons out at Everyday Saver – Wal-mart!

Easy-Bruschetta-Snack

The Easy Bruschetta Snacks recipe was clear, simple and most importantly-delicious! I used the Pillsbury Crescent Rolls for this recipe instead of the Pillsbury Crescent Seamless Dough. It worked just fine! The recipe took less than 30 minutes… I love that! Here are mine:

Bruschetta-Recipe-easy

Once again, it is proof that Pillsbury has some great refrigerated products to get creative with. Actually…

Here are just a few more of the delicious BakeOff.com recipes:

Win It!! If you would like to make your own fun Pillsbury recipes, join us for the giveaway below! When you fill out the form below, you get a chance to win a $25 Gift Card to Wal-Mart!


:: Giveaway ::

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** Please leave your entries using the above Rafflecopter form. It might take a bit to load. **

Disclosure: The gift card, information, and giveaway have been provided by Walmart and General Mills, through MyBlogSpark. All opinions are 100% my own. For full disclosure click here.

I Tried Green Ketchup!

Do you take advantage of the freebies and coupons that are posted here at WithOurBest?

I really do try and pick out only the BEST of the BEST freebies and deals – I weed through a lot – there are so many lame ones out there! IMHO, some of the best are through Sams Club, Wal-Mart and Target…

Of course, it is my pleasure to bring them to you! Because I love freebies too! It is so much fun to have a mailbox filled with sample-size freebies and magazines!

On that note, I thought that I would post a couple of pictures of my hubby and I enjoying one of the latest freebies I posted about: Free BK French Fries! We took advantage of the salty fries (even though we almost NEVER eat fast food!) and we even tried the St. Patty’s GREEN ketchup! Ah!

Hubby-Heinz-green-ketchupPsycho-green-ketchup

Crazy, ketchup right?? Did you try it too??

St. Patrick’s Day Cocktails with Kanon Organic Vodka

St-Pattys-Beer

Are you looking for something other than green beer to celebrate St. Patty’s Day with?

Why not branch out from your normal Irish whiskey or green beer? (Lord knows it is not supposed to be green – speaking from experience, I can guarantee it will dye your entire mouth!)

Instead, how about a tasty cocktail using the supreme Kanon Organic Vodka!

These drink recipes are perfect for those of us who believe in leprechauns and are searching for our pot of gold… or heck, even for those of us who simply wear something green and celebrate March 17th with a drink in hand…green-cocktail

Lucky Charm

- 2 oz Melon Liqueur
- 1 oz Kanon Organic Vodka
- Top with orange juice

Serve in a rocks glass over ice.ginger-ale-cocktail-recipe

Lucky Clover Cooler

- 1 /12 oz Kanon Organic Vodka
- 1/2 oz Lime Juice
- Splash of Ginger Ale or Ginger Beer

Mix Vodka and Lime Juice in a shaker. Shake and strain into a highball glass with ice. Top with Ginger Ale.green-martini-recipe

Green Shamrock

- 1/2 oz Kanon Organic Vodka
- 1/2 oz Peppermint Schnapps
- Splash Melon Liqueur

Mix all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass.green-cocktail-st-patricks-

Irish Green-tini

- 2 oz Kanon Organic Vodka
- 1 1/2 oz Melon Liqueur

Shake well with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail (martini) glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

——

About: Kanon Organic Vodka – Kanon Organic Vodka is produced from the 16th century Gripsholm Distillery. The eco-friendly spirit has a unique distilling process in Sweden. It is made from locally grown organic wheat and doesn’t use genetically modified additives. Kanon’s brand is dedicated to organic, sustainable and localized production. The bottle is made of 60% recycled glass and its entire packaging is recyclable. The 750-ml bottle has a suggested retail price of $26.

Kanon Organic Vodka is smooth and delicious. We found we can sip on it, without having the burning sensation that we get from other vodkas. My husband describes it as to be almost “sweet”.Kanon-Vodka

Now go ahead! Grab a bottle of Kanon Organic Vodka from your local liquor store and paint the town green!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Disclosure: No compensation was given for this review. I did receive a sample product from the sponsor for the purpose of this honest review. This did not affect the outcome of this review. All opinions are 100% my own. For full disclosure click here.

Spicy Chorizo Cheese Dip Recipe #velveetarotel

 

Velvetta-Rotel So, I have made the delicious recipe, Spicy Cheeseburger Dip multiple times. It is a very good dip for parties and when friends come over. I decided to change this basic recipe a little – what I mean by that is – spice it up!

Chorizo-VELVEETA-recipe We had another couple over for dinner who also love spicy food, so I made this as a appetizer dip for all of us. I was a great snack before our Mexican meal. Great with chips!

It did turn out pretty spicy though – that is just your warning! ;)

VELVEETA-ROTEL-RECIPE-DIP

Prep Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 25 mins

Servings: 4-1/2 cups dip or 36 servings

Ingredients – What You Need

  • 1 lb. (16 oz.)  VELVEETA®, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

  • 2 can (10 oz.)  RO*TEL® Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies

  • 2 tablespoons Green Tabasco (depending on your spicy preference)

  • 1 lb.  chorizo (cooked & drained)

  • 2   green peppers, chopped

Directions – Make It

Cook chorizo. Cut and chop ingredients as needed. Mix all ingredients in a crock pot. Set on a medium setting and stir frequently. Cook until all ingredients are melted together. (You can also do a this on the stovetop – but watch it closely so you don’t burn the cheese). Done!Dip-Velveeta-Spicy-Recipe

VELVEETA® and RO*TEL® are hosting an amazing sweepstakes to encourage simple, easy weeknight family meals and entertainment ideas. Winners will be picked each week, and the more points you collect the more chances you have of winning! Grand prize winner will receive $15,000! 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of VELVEETA/RO*TEL. The opinions and text are all mine.

Beef Enchilada Bake #VelveetaRotel Quick Recipe

It is more important to me to spend time with my family than hours in the kitchen ignoring them. We’re all happier that way. That is why I like to bookmark and pin recipes that are not only delicious and healthy, but also simple and quick… so I ultimately have more time with them.

I don’t get down on myself for not spending hours fixing dishes. Dishes that will be eaten in a flash, and quite frankly, just as appreciated as a meal made in 20 minutes! I have found that Ro*Tel® and VELVEETA® make a great combination for quick and delicious meals! Like the Beef Enchilada Bake!

 

RECIPE: Beef Enchilada Bake

Prep time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Makes: 6 servings, 3/4 cup each

What You Need:

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup
1-1/4 cups (8 oz.) cubed VELVEETA®(1/2-inch cubes), divided
6 corn tortillas (6 inch), cut in half
1 can (10 oz.) Ro*Tel® Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained

Make It:

HEAT oven to 350°F.
BROWN meat in large skillet; drain. Stir in soup and 1 cup VELVEETA®.
SPOON 1/3 of the meat mixture into 8-inch square baking dish; cover with 6 tortilla halves and 1/4 cup Ro*Tel®. Repeat layers. Top with remaining meat mixture, Ro*Tel® and VELVEETA®.
BAKE 25 minutes or until heated through.

Nutrition Information Per Serving

290 calories, 13g total fat, 6g saturated fat, 0.5g trans fat, 70mg cholesterol, 840mg sodium, 21g carbohydrate, 2g dietary fiber, 4g sugars, 22g protein, 15%DV vitamin A, 4%DV vitamin C, 25%DV calcium, 15%DV iron.

 

I found the Beef Enchilada Bake to be a super easy recipe. Lots of varieties to this simple dish! You can make it more complex by adding shredded lettuce, fresh onion, olives and sour cream! Depending on your spicy factor, add the hot or medium can of Ro*Tel® or add peppers and jalepenos too! This recipe is delicious! Enjoy!

VELVEETA®  and Ro*Tel®  Weeknight Wow Sweepstakes - an amazing sweepstakes to encourage simple, easy weeknight family meals and entertainment ideas. Winners will be picked each week, and the more points you collect the more chances you have of winning! Grand prize winner will receive $15,000! 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of VELVEETA/RO*TEL. The opinions and text are all mine.