Making Blueberry Bread Pudding With Delicious Silk Soy Milk #rethinkwhatyoudrink #Cbias

By Patricia

I love making and eating desserts. It is hard for me to stop craving dessert after dinner or while watching TV in the evening.

So, I decided that if I didn't want to stop making and eating desserts, at least I can make them healthier. A dessert my family and I really love is bread pudding. But instead of making it with chocolate and whole milk like the recipe calls for, I made it with blueberries and the new great tasting Silk Vanilla Soy Milk. I have been drinking Silk Soy Milk for about a year now, and the main reason is the wonderful health benefits it gives me.

Silk Soy Milk is a natural source of vitamins, heart healthy Omega-3s, and important protective antioxidants. I love the fact that every serving contains 50% more calcium than dairy milk.
So you can see why I have made Silk products an everyday part of my efforts to remain healthy and vibrant.

One of the things I love about bread pudding is how easy it is to make. Any bread product will do in a pinch, and if bread has gone stale, making bread pudding is a great way to keep it from going to waste. I once used croissants that were stale, and it turned out to be one of the best bread puddings I had ever made.

I chose the Vanilla Silk Soy Milk instead of the regular kind because I thought it would bring out the vanilla and cinnamon flavors of the pudding. I already know the vanilla milk is delicious because I have been drinking it like mad. I sometimes add a little cinnamon to my glass, and cinnamon is actually very good for you, too.

 Another great thing about Silk Soy Milk is that it is 100% lactose and dairy free. If you have dairy allergies or find digesting dairy products difficult, then Silk really is a great dairy alternative.
I've assembled all my ingredients to make Blueberry Bread Pudding, and I'm excited to start my recipe.

I just put in the vanilla soy milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt, and whisk them all together.
You can use other kinds of berries in this recipe, but I'm using blueberries because they are so delicious, healthy, and packed with antioxidants.

The next step is to take the bread that has been torn into bite-size pieces and push them down into the milk and egg mixture. Let this set for 30 minutes. Some cooks recommend letting it set much longer so that the bread really absorbs the mixture better, but I think that 30 minutes is long enough.

After 30 minutes, just add the blueberries, mix together, and put in the oven to bake.
So delicious, and so easy!!!

While the bread pudding was baking, the kitchen filled up with the heavenly scent of vanilla and cinnamon. My Mom always made bread puddings, so this always makes me nostalgic whenever I smell bread pudding baking.

But she used a lot more eggs and whole milk, and didn't have the option of using a healthy and great tasting milk alternative like Silk Soy Milk.

Their soy milk is made with no artificial flavors, colors, or high fructose corn syrup. It is also made without genetically modified ingredients (non-GMO) and produced responsibly, which is good for your health, and the planet's.

My bread pudding turned out beautifully, and I'm sure my Mom would have approved.

When I was at Walmart buying my groceries, I noticed how many products Silk offers, including the new Silk Soy Latte.

There are so many ways to use Silk Soy Milk products for cooking, baking and making delicious and healthy smoothies. You can go to the Silk Soy Facebook Recipe page for lots of great ideas.

My Blueberry Bread Pudding was a complete hit with my family and didn't last long. I'm excited to try more recipes using Silk Soy Milk and enjoying its great new taste and healthy benefits.


Recipe for Blueberry Bread Pudding

Ingredients:
2 cups Silk Soy Milk, Vanilla flavor
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups of sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 cups of bread with crusts on, torn into bite size pieces
1 1/2 cups of fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons of butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the inside of a ceramic baking dish.
In a large bowl, whisk together vanilla soy milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Add bread, mixing to moisten all the pieces. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Mix in blueberries. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until custard is set. Let cool 20 minutes.
Serve warm or cold, top with whipped cream if desired.
Serves 6.

If you would like to see my shopping trip at Walmart for Silk Soy Milk you can go take a look at my Google+ photo album.

You can also connect with Silk products on their website, find them on Twitter, and follow them on Pinterest.



*I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®  and WhiteWave #cbias #SocialFabric All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

I Always Love Trader Joe's

By Patricia

I love to shop and I have my favorite stores that I always go back to again and again. I don't always need everything I buy, but thankfully one of my favorite stores, Trader Joe's, has fantastic prices that lets me buy items that I normally wouldn't try.

From their delicious sushi to their yummy carrot cake cupcakes, and everything else in-between, Trader Joe's is the place to go for foodies that don't want to pay sky high prices.
I recently bought a bottle of vanilla there that was wonderful, much better than the big brands, and practically double the amount for the same price as other brands. And I think it is super important to use quality ingredients in your baking, and Trader Joe's lets me buy so many great products for that at a great price.

The flowers are pretty fabulous too, and these pretty bouquets were only $5.99, which is a bargain for sure. I picked some up yesterday when I went shopping there with my daughters.
We had fun sampling the delicious spaghetti they were giving out (you bet we ate more than one plate!!) and walking around looking and seeing what was new.

I almost forgot to mention the wine!!! Trader Joe's has fantastic wine, and so reasonably priced, too.
If you are really on a budget, try the $2.50 red or white wine, which isn't bad at all.
Just pour it into a pretty wine carafe, and there you go, and unless you and your friends are really into wine, you can get away with serving wine on a budget.

So, these are a few of the reasons why I love Trader Joe's. Have you been to their stores?
They also have lots of great recipes on their website, that I cook from occasionally.

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

You Have My Heart Collective Bias!!!

 

This is from the Walmart Bakery, of course!!


By Patricia


Since this is very close to Valentine's Day, I thought that it was time for me to start spreading some love around. It goes without saying that I adore my family, they are my rock, my foundation for everything I do.
But there is also another family that I am now lucky enough to belong to called Collective Bias.

Collective Bias/Social Fabric is the company that I work for on my blog. I don't think a lot of people call the company they work for a family, but that is exactly why this company is so fabulous. Why are they so fabulous??
Well, since day one, they are the nicest bunch of people you will ever meet. From the head honchos to the newest intern, everyone is incredibly nice. I think that is a job requirement, actually!!
They have supported me, encouraged me, helped me grow as a blogger, and a photographer, and compensated me well for the work I do. And in fact, this very blog, Popcorn and Pearls was a direct result of me being involved with Collective Bias and Social Fabric. I was blogging with my two daughters on another blog, which I loved, but it was time to strike out on my own, as scary as that was to me. Popcorn and Pearls has received  support, compliments, and praise, which I can't even express how much that means to me.
Thanks guys.

Anyhow, the people there rock, the opportunities are endless, you will have some laughs, and grow as a blogger and a person. Yes, I have grown as a person as a direct result of my relationship with Collective Bias and Social fabric.
So as you can see, Collective Bias really does have my heart, and I want to congratulate them on their amazing growth and success, and say I can't wait to see what is next for all of us.
I'm sure it will be amazingly awesome!

And Happy Valentine's Day to you all :)

Simple Suppers - Creamy Pesto Chicken and Bow Ties

By Patricia

This Simple Supper really is just that, simple. So simple in fact that it is made with Campbell's soup. Why do I always feel like I am cheating when I make a recipe that calls for a can of soup?

Why do I think that a good meal must be time consuming and a challenge to make? Maybe it's because I read too many foodie magazines and adore Alice Waters.
But who does have the time to leisurely cook all day in the kitchen? No one I know, and certainly not me. This easy and delicious Creamy Pesto Chicken and Bow Ties makes a great family night dinner, but can also be dressed up with a delicious salad and be served to your friends at Saturday night dinner.

I served this with a yummy (and easy!!) spinach salad with dried cherries and almonds. It was a salad kit, and I really like salad kits for their convenience and savings.
This dish takes about 30 minutes, start to finish, and I sprinkled on just a little bit of crushed red pepper flakes to give it a little extra zip.


Ingredients:

2 tbsp. of butter
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into cubes
1 can (10 3/4oz.) Campbell's condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 cup pesto sauce
1/2 cup of milk
3 1/2 of bow tie pasta, cooked and drained


1. Heat butter in 10" skillet over medium heat.  Add chicken and cook until browned, stirring often.

2. Stir soup, pesto sauce and milk in a bowl, stirring together until mixed. Pour over chicken in skillet and heat just to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes. Stir in pasta, cook over medium heat until mixture is hot.

Makes 4 servings.

Pretzel Sensations Review and Giveaway Valentine's Day Gift Guide

When Valentine's Day rolls around every year, I always start thinking about the candy and treats we all love to give and get.

My family and I recently tried Pretzel Sensations Gourmet Toffee Pretzels, and we all loved them. These delicious truffle-inspired pretzels are dipped in luscious Belgian chocolate and hand rolled in English toffee.

They are the perfect indulgence for a snack, or make a wonderful pairing with coffee or wine. They would also make a great holiday party snack.

These Gourmet Toffee Pretzels are made with the finest ingredients and are made in small batches to ensure they are always at the peak of freshness.



Giveaway

Popcorn and Pearls is happy to be hosting a giveaway of two 12oz. Toffee Flavored Bite Size Gourmet Pretzels to one of our readers.

Enter in the Rafflecopter giveaway form:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

 *Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts Feb. 5, 2013 and ends on Feb. 12, 2013 at 12:01 am EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. I was sent products to review for my post.



Making The Big Game Day Delicious With Tyson Chicken Strips #MealsTogether #Cbias

In my family, we all love football. Some of us actually love watching the game, and the other half of us just like getting together to socialize and eat. Football has become a fun event for all of, and we are extra excited about the San Francisco 49ers playing in the biggest game of the year on Sunday afternoon. We are big 49er fans, so of course we had to have a party to cheer them on!!

So what does a football party need? Food, of course!! I went to my local Walmart to go shopping for groceries and snacks for the big game day. One of my family's favorite foods are chicken strips. Chicken strips are often part of a quick and delicious dinner, and they are always a favorite for snacking when paired with a sauce or dip.

I always buy my favorite brand, Tyson Chicken Strips because they are always high quality and delicious. And they offer so many great varieties, too. Tyson was definitely on my shopping list.

One of my daughters had told me how great the Tyson BBQ Chicken Strips were, so I really wanted to get them for our football party.

My Walmart didn't have them, so instead I bought Tyson Crispy Chicken Strips, which is a great family favorite of ours.  I also bought our favorite BBQ sauce, KC Masterpiece, for dipping and I knew everyone would love this.

My daughter and I were hosting the party together, so it really made it easier for me because we shared the cooking. I also love it when family or friends bring a dish they have cooked, too. I made as much of the food ahead of time as I could because I wanted to be able to enjoy the game and not be stuck in the kitchen. I also looked for easy to make dishes that I have cooked before. There is nothing worse than making a new recipe for a party or dinner and it doesn't turn out well. Believe me, that has happened more than once!!

I really appreciate how quick and easy Tyson Crispy Chicken Strips are to make. They make my party prep so simple because I only had to heat them up in the oven, and pour out the dipping sauce.
How easy!!

My six year old grandson and I made these cute 49er flags for the kids. We also made little football printouts for the kid's cups, and we wrote their names on them. When a party involves kids, it's always fun to have something special on hand for them. They loved using the flags when it was time to cheer our team on.

I also make sure I have kid friendly foods that they will enjoy. All the kids love the Tyson chicken strips, so I know they will be happy to see them on the table.

Pinterest is such a great source for cooking and entertaining now. My three daughters and I always look for ideas there.

We made yummy Pinterest inspired chocolate cupcakes and a chocolate sprinkled covered peanut butter football. We also had an Oreo chocolate pudding dessert. Do we love chocolate? Yes!!!

Game day is always about the food, and the more, the better! We all loved the Tyson Crispy Chicken Strips, but I wish I had bought more because they were all gone so quickly.

We also enjoyed enchiladas, BBQ little smokies, cheesy buffalo chicken dip, pasta salad, chips and dip, and more. Everyone loaded up their plates, and then came back for seconds.

My son-in-law is a die hard 49ers fan, even though he has lived up here in the Seattle area for twelve years. He was super excited that they were in the big game this year. I was too, but I was a little more excited about the food.

It's been a great football season this year, and I'm sad to see it come to an end. It's so much fun getting together for great food, family, and fun. I love how putting together a menu on game day is so easy and relaxed. When I was shopping at Walmart I saw lots of different kinds of Tyson chicken products that I haven't tried, but I think I will at our next family gathering.

My son-in-law was not happy here about how the 49ers were doing, and sad to say, they lost the game. It's tough to lose when you really love your team!!!

But we all still had a great time enjoying delicious food, and each others company. And there's always next year, San Francisco!!

If you are looking for quick and easy ways to feed your family or guests, put Tyson Crispy Chicken Strips on your menu.

You can see my complete shopping trip at Walmart by going to my Google+ album. To learn more about Tyson products and get recipe ideas you can follow them on Twitter and be a fan on Facebook.


*I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Tyson. #cbias #SocialFabric #MealsTogether All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

I Will Always Be A Chanel Girl

By Patricia

With Valentine's Day less than two weeks away, I was wondering if women still receive perfume as presents. Things seem to have changed so much between men and women, I guess I am not sure anymore about what is what.

What I do know is that I have always loved and worn Chanel No. 5 since I was twenty years old. It was a Valentine's Day gift, one I will always remember.
I was by no means a girl that would ever even think of wearing this perfume, it represented all the things that my hippie shirt, bell bottom jeans wearing self was not. It sat on my dresser for a long time before I even opened the bottle and used it. But once I did, I fell in love with the scent, and the way it made me feel when I dabbed it on my wrists. It made me feel like a woman who was perfectly entitled to wear this grownup, classic and beautiful scent.
It still makes me feel that way all these years later.

Am I unusual in that I have only worn one perfume in my entire life? Do most women wear different scents according to their moods or what they happen to like at the time?
I would love to know if you wear one perfume or many. Do tell...