Dad of Divas' Reviews: The Holiday's - with a Twist!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

The Holiday's - with a Twist!

Fresh cranberries and canned pumpkin will be on everyone’s shopping lists – and as always, at an unbeatable price at ALDI – but how ‘bout surprising guests with a cranberry/blueberry gratinĂ© or mouthwatering pumpkin chocolate pancakes? Find ingredients to avoid the holiday recipe rut…and the season’s must-have toys in ALDI’s Gift Book.

Pumpkin Chocolate Pancakes
·         1 ¼ cups Baker’s Corner flour
·         2 tablespoons sugar
·         2 teaspoons Baker’s Corner baking powder
·         ½ teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg
·         Pinch of salt and Stonemill ground cloves
·         Mix all ingredients
·         In another bowl, mix
·         1 cup Friendly Farms whole milk
·         ½ cup Baker’s Corner canned pumpkin
·         1 large Goldhen egg
·         2 tablespoons of melted Imperial unsalted butter
·         Fold mixture into dry ingredients
·         Add 1 ½ cups of Baker’s Corner chocolate chips
·         In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter; pour in ¼ cup increments of batter, heating on each side for approximately three minutes
·         Serve with butter Berryhill syrup and powder sugar


Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies (makes 2 dozen cookies)
·         2 ¼ cup of Baker’s Corner flour
·         ½ teaspoon Baker’s Corner baking soda
·         ¼ teaspoon Stonemill salt
·         1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
·         ½ cup white sugar
·         ¾ cup of Countryside Creamery salted butter – at room temperature
·         2 large Goldhen eggs
·         2 teaspoons Stonemill vanilla extract
·         1 cup Fit & Active dried cranberries
·         1 ½ cups of Baker’s Corner white chocolate chips (or use bar and break up)
·         Combine first three ingredients
·         Beat butter with sugars
·         Slowly add in egg and vanilla
·         Beat until light and fluffy
·         Add in flour mixture, cranberries and chocolate
·         Drop by tablespoons (2 inches apart from each other)
·         Bake at 300 degrees for 15-20 min

Cranberry Blueberry Granite ́
·         I cup Nature’s Nectar cranberry juice
·         ½ cup sugar
·         1 ¼  cup of frozen blueberries
·         Juice from two lemons
·         Blend all ingredients together in blender
·         Strain mixture into medium sized pot
·         Heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves
·         Pour mixture into 13x9” glass baking dish
·         Cool to room temperature
·         Freeze for 3 -4 hours
·         Remove from freezer, using a fork run long strokes to create a snow-like texture;  repeat process (may have to freeze in between)
·         Distribute granite ́ into desert glasses; garnish with fresh cranberries

Chocolate Marinated Steak (serves 4)
·         1 large onion, finely chopped
·         1 glove of garlic, finely chopped
·         ½ cup vegetable oil
·         ¼ cup unsweetened Baker’s Corner cocoa powder
·         ¼ cup Tate’s steak sauce
·         Combine ingredients into sealed plastic bag
·         Add 2 pounds Cattlemen’s Ranch steak
·         Marinate in refrigerator for at least 3 hours
·         Remove steak from marinade, reserve liquid
·         Grill steak for approximately 4 min per side for medium; let steak rest for approximately 5 minutes
·         Put reserved marinade into small pot over medium high heat; bring to a boil
·         Top each steak serving with marinade 

My Take on ALDI
I was given the opportunity to try out some of the amazing products that ALDI provides its' customers. What I was surprised about was the high quality that ALDI provides at such reasonable process. I have shopped at ALDI in the past and have enjoyed the prices that they provide, but always found it harder to shop at ALDI because I couldn't use my credit card, so we always either needed cash or checks to pay. This was not a problem, we just needed to make sure that we carried the checkbook with us.


Anyway, I was impressed with my experience with Aldi and the quality of products that they had, dispelling the myth that you can have high quality for a reasonable price!


All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Terms of Use  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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