Remember the end of a bowl of Fruity Pebbles cereal? When the milk would turn that pastel shade of pinky delish? And it was like drinking liquid heaven? This is the recreation of that in popsicle form! Meet Strawberry Yogurt Fruity Pebbles pops… you’re welcome!
Strawberry Yogurt Fruity Pebbles Pops
2016-06-06 17:53:08
Refreshing yogurt treat with crunchy fruity Pebbles
Mix yogurt and whipped topping until well blended; stir in strawberries.
Spoon 1 Tb of cereal into 9oz paper cup; cover with half the yogurt mixture. Repeat latyers. Top with remaining 1 Tb of cereal. Insert popsicle stick halfway into center of cup.
Freeze 4 hours or until firm. Peel off paper cup to serve.
What's on Parker's Plate? http://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/
Another fun summer favorite with either Fruity Pebbles or Cocoa Pebbles is to make chipwiches studded with Pebbles!
I mean, look at that melty delish! I had the chance to include my favorite kiddos in this particular segment– I consider them my niece and nephew, but they’re the children of my best friend from high school. Ethan and Gabby were EXPERT chipwhich builders! See for yourself below…
These cuties made their debut on Fox 45’s Good Day Baltimore….I think they’re naturals, don’t you?
The chipwhich recipe couldn’t be simpler. If you have time to make your own cookies, even better, but in a pinch, grab some store bought cookies in flavors you love. For this segment I used classic chocolate chip cookies with chocolate ice cream studded with Cocoa Pebbles and lemon cookies with vanilla ice cream and Fruity Pebbles. For a fun and easy trick to get the ice cream to fit perfectly, check out my video on Craft Box Girls TV.
Pebbles Chipwiches
2016-06-06 18:14:20
Homemade chipwiches studded with Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles.
A Star Studded Memorial Day is pretty awesome. But a BACON and CHEDDAR studded Memorial Day is even better. Better with cheddar…. see what I did there? Of course you did, because resident Burger Bacon Babe is here with the delish! Introducing bacon cheddar burgers…
Just look at those beefy nooks and crannies with cheese and bacon! OMG.
Just look at that cheese crust that forms on the burger patty! ^^^^^ Aw, yeah, baby, that’s my kinda burger!
Fold cheddar and bacon pieces into ground beef. Do not over work or the meat will get tough. Form into patties and sprinkle salt and pepper on each one.
Grill until cooked through to desire temperature.
By Parker Wallace
What's on Parker's Plate? http://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/
Seriously, you can mix up the flavors and do any kind of cheese your little heart desires– swap up with blue cheese and mushrooms, or a spicy havarti with jalapeno– the options are endless. I found these adorable star ramekins at Target and created a little burger bar on set when I was doing my segment at NBC in Macon.
What a perfect way to wrap up my tour with the Georgia Beef Board and to pay tribute to the 15,000 beef cattle operations in Georgia– there are cattle in every single one of Georgia’s 159 counties, believe it or not!
And don’t forget the health benefits of beef…(OK, so bacon and cheddar aren’t exactly a health benefit– I consider them an accessory to the healthy part!) But the stats are legit: There are 29 lean cuts of beef and only 160 calories in 3 oz of beef. Plus, it’s loaded with protein, iron and Vitamin B12.
B also stands for Burger. And Bacon. And the next letter is C. Which stands for Cheddar. You see where I’m going with this, right?
I love an excuse to fire up the grill and entertain friends– and Memorial Day is the perfect holiday– it’s got an awesome theme (Thank you to the men and women who have sacrificed for our country!) and with a few simple recipes, you can really take your party to the next level!
Let’s start with the must-have accessories and then we’ll get to the delish….
I partnered with Lowe’s to showcase their Char-Broil Advantage 4 Burner Stainless Steel Gas Grill. What I like about this grill is that it is reasonably priced at $269 (and the purchase earns you a $50 gift card, so SCORE!) But it’s also a great size– not so monstrous that it’s intimidating– and it fits on patios or decks easily without taking up too much room. But there’s plenty of room to fit all of your favorite grilling items with those 4 burners, baby! While you’re shopping, check out these gas grills ratings and recommendations to get helpful advice.
Now that you have your grill ready to go, let’s talk patio accessories…. This is my new favorite patio set! It’s the Garden Treasures 3 Piece Lunburg Balcony-Height Patio set, on sale TODAY, but not later this weekend, so hurry up and pick it up with the discount!
The set works beautifully on my patio (my pitbull Tom thinks so too!) but it is also the perfect size for balconies in high rise condos. A lot of my friends have spectacular skyline views, and the raised height of this set is a must so you can take in the scenery! Plus, Lowe’s has a huge selection of patio pillows to dress up the chairs. I picked out these blue flower patio pillows that work perfectly with the burnt orange cushions.
Ready for Memorial Day eats? Let’s kick it off with sausage, y’all! I’m a huge fan of Johnsonville and have worked with them on a number of yummy segments over the last year. If you thought regular old burgers were good enough for your cook out, then hold the phone, y’all. Can we talk about bacon and cheddar IN the sausage? Um, yeah. Johnsonville’s got these new Grillers in the flavors you would normally have to make as a side dish or topping on the sausages….like Swiss Cheese and Onion and Buffalo Bleu. Hello, delicious! In full disclosure, I was grilling these up for my Atlanta & Company segment and I had to keep adding to the grill pan because, uh, I was eating them. More like CRUSHING them. Alone. In my kitchen at 2am. Yeah, that’s how I roll. So swap out the burgers for sausage– you won’t be sorry! A fun thing to do when serving your sausages is to set up a “Brat Bar” and have all the toppings your guests will love with their bratwursts and grillers….But honestly, you really don’t need anything else to top them with because the flavor of these new sausages is so freaking good!
This adorable family watched my segment live and tried the sausages for the first time….their reactions are priceless!
My go-to “grilling wine” is Wines of Sicilia DOC, which bring out the smoky, spicy flavors in the sausage. Sicily’s signature grape, Nero d’Avola is the perfect match for grilling season — as soon as you feel that smokiness with a hint of spice, there’s a surprising fruitiness that hits your palate. It’s divine and it transports me back to my travels through Italy when I was in college!
Now let’s get back to that cheesecake. One of my most pinned recipes is the Guilt Free Lemon Cheesecake. I decided to take it up a notch and do a layer of peanut butter cheesecake and strawberry cheesecake and make it “no bake,” because let’s be honest. Who has time for baking on a holiday weekend? It’s basically the love child of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and cheesecake! Look at those layers….OMG.
Peanut Butter and Jelly No Bake Cheesecake
2016-05-27 16:53:50
The love child of cheesecake and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Cut out a circle of parchment paper and put it on the bottom of a springform pan.
Spoon out the graham cracker crust on top of the parchment and press down (I use the bottom of a mug or measuring cup)
For the Peanut Butter Layer
Mix ingredients in food processor with paddle attachment until smooth. Pour over graham cracker crust.
Freeze for 30 minutes before adding strawberry layer.
For the strawberry layer
Pulverize frozen strawberries in food processor until they are a puree consistency and set aside.
Mix the rest of ingredients in food processor until smooth.
Scoop out 1 1/2 cups of batter and put in fridge (this will be the top layer of the cheesecake.)
Add frozen strawberry puree to batter and mix until smooth.
Pour strawberry layer on top of peanut butter layer and wrap entire springform pan in tin foil.
Put in freezer for at least 2 hours.
When ready to serve
Take cheesecake out of freezer 30-45 minutes before you want to serve it. Spread the 1 1/2 cups of topping on top of strawberry layer and decorate with strawberries and blueberries.
Notes
Freezing the peanut butter layer is not totally necessary, but it helps keep the layers separate.
By Parker Wallace
What's on Parker's Plate? http://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/
Now let’s talk about appetizers, because chips are not the answer! This peanut curry dip is another recipe I worked with the Georgia Peanut Commission on and I am so excited about it. Everyone on set who tried this was blown away! Peanuts are a great way to power your day, keep your energy levels up (and your hunger levels down.) Peanut butter is easy and fun to incorporate into recipes because it’s “eat it out of the jar with a spoon) kinda good!
Can we talk for a minute about meat on a stick? This is not the carnival style version or boring old shish kebabs. These are meatball lollipops, people! And they will make everyone at your party come back for seconds– including the kiddos.
My grandma Ronnie taught me the best trick for tender meatballs while avoiding those chunks of onion and garlic and parsley that can sometimes ruin the mouth feel of the best bite. Instead of doing the work to chop and dice, simply pop the onion, garlic and the parsley together into the food processor (or blender) and pulverize it. You get a savory puree that gives the ground beef all of the flavor without all the chunks. Brilliant! Granda Ronnie was a baller in the kitchen– she LOVED making Italian food and I’m still working to replicate her sauce recipe.
You can sear off the meatballs in a fry pan before putting them in the oven, but I’ve found baking them is easiest and super low maintenance. You can also make a larger portion of the meatball batter and freeze it for a later date. Or add some variety to the menu and pop the meatballs into slider rolls to serve at your next party. They’re always a hit!
Meatball Lollipops
2016-05-21 15:31:25
Tender, savory meatballs dressed up with sauce and lollipop sticks for easy eating.
There’s nothing like a meat pie for breakfast…I mean, hello delicious! I’m on a “small bites” kick lately because, well, frankly, I want a taste of everything, and the smaller portions make it easier to do just that. These mini beef and spinach quiches are perfect for entertaining and also for breakfast on the go. You can make them ahead of time and freeze them– then pop them into the oven when you need breakfast on the run. And, you can swap out whatever kinds of veggies or cheese you want– I personally am a fan of ground beef and sharp cheddar, but brie is rich and fabulous– or swiss cheese, or a combination that suits your fancy.
What’s also great about these is that because the little pie shells are pre-made and frozen, you can make individual quiches or an entire party portion!
Feel free to change up the seasoning of the ground beef as well– for a Mexican twist, add taco seasoning to the beef and swap out the spinach for roasted chiles, or if you’ve got Greek on the brain, keep the Spinach and add feta. The options are limitless! This is another one of the recipes I’ve developed while on my tour with The Georgia Beef Board. Stay tuned for more delish while I’m on the road for National (and Georgia) Beef Month!
Ground Beef and Spinach Quiches
2016-05-16 14:41:08
Serves 12
A perfect "small bite" breakfast on the go or a no-hassle dish for easy entertaining.
Get out of the taco box and INTO THE BURRITO BOWL, y’all!
These are my new favorite dish because they’re simple, but the homemade burrito bowls make your guests feel special– and you can eat the whole thing without a fork, a knife or a plate!
This month is National Beef Month and Georgia Beef Month, and I’ve partnered with the Georgia Beef Board and the North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association to create some outstanding beef recipes in May. Twist my arm, why don’t you….you know I’m a low-carb lover and beef is something I crave for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Believe it or not, 3oz of lean beef only has 160 calories so you can power your day with protein and won’t get that dreaded snack attack mid-morning.
For the burrito bowl, mix and match your favorite toppings– from sour cream to guacamole and black beans. If you have a crowd coming over, it’s awesome to set up a “burrito bar” and let people help themselves and build their own bowls. I cooked New York strip medium rare and then diced it up into bite size pieces for the mini burrito bowls, but feel free to change it up with another cut of steak– or even ground beef with taco seasoning.
taco size flour tortillas (corn tortillas don't hold their shape as well)
sliced New York strip steak, cooked medium rare
Mexican rice
black beans
guacamole
roasted corn
chopped cherry tomatoes
chopped jalpenos (seeds removed)
cotija cheese (or Mexican crumbling cheese)
Hellman's Chipotle mayo
For the bowls
Preheat oven to 375. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray and press tortillas into tins. Sides of the tortillas will fold inward a little-- just press them to the side and they'll end up in a cool shape.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until hardened and slightly browned.
To build the bowls
Layer with rice, beans, corn, guacamole and assorted toppings in whatever order you prefer.
Drizzle with chipotle mayo.
*To make your own chipotle mayo, mix 2 Tb adobo sauce from a can of chipotles into 3/4 cup mayo. Add 1 Tb honey and stir to combine.
By Parker Wallace
What's on Parker's Plate? http://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/
You know you want to dive into this, don’t you? Which part of the description got you? Peanut Butter Oreos? Cheesecake? Or “No Bake?” How about a combination of all of them?!!
I don’t always see Peanut Butter Oreos at the store– the ones I picked up were from Walmart and they were the minis. You could of course, swap out any type of Oreos– I recently spotted the new Red Velvet flavor and I’m curious how that would taste! If you want a thicker more “authentic” looking cheesecake, triple the recipe and put it in a springform pan. You can get the Oreo crumbs and make the crust yourself. In this version though, I used the ready-made Oreo crust and it was super easy. And beyond yum! Plus, it looks so purty when you put the Oreos around the edge of the cheesecake!
If you’re like me, when it hits 2pm, I’m dying for something crunchy, salty and satisfying. I love taking something that basically can’t be improved upon and then you do just that. With the addition of a few simple ingredients, salty roasted peanuts are taken to Flavor Town, y’all! I’m a huge fan of spicy, so adding in the chipotle chili powder gives the peanuts a kick without blowing your sinuses out, LOL.
A new study shows that kids who snack on peanuts and peanut butter at least 4 times a week are less likely to be at risk for obesity. So this is a game changer when you pack it in their lunches!
Ladies and gentlemen…Elvis has left the building. With this Peanut Butter, Banana and Bacon Monte Cristo.
Let’s talk peanut butter, banana and bacon, y’all. It was Elvis’ favorite combination, and I assure you, once you taste this show stopper sandwich, it’ll be yours too!
I’ve been having so much fun coming up with peanut recipes during my month long tour with The Georgia Peanut Commission! And, any excuse I have to combine bacon and peanut butter— I mean, hello! Adding peanut butter to your morning routine is an awesome way to get your day started because it’s packed with protein and fiber, which means you’ll stay fuller longer and won’t be as inclined to hit the vending machine mid-morning! If you want to reduce the calorie count, substitute turkey bacon and don’t sprinkle the powdered sugar. A little drizzle of honey would be sublime. Just sayin’.
Peanut Butter, Banana and Bacon Monte Cristo
2016-03-28 13:34:00
The Elvis Special! A melty, yummy mix of peanut butter, banana, bacon and french toast.
First of all, how awesome does this set look? Big shout out to Party City for the Egg-celent Easter decorations! Now, let’s talk about what I like to call “deceptively delicious” menu planning. I don’t have kids (yet!) but I do know from my experience with children that sometimes you have to get them to be creative when it comes to eating the “good for you” stuff. It’s as easy as swapping out milk for Premier Protein in this delicious recipe. They come out thin and crispy and super delish! I added just a touch of Grade B maple syrup.
Then, the whole family gets a boost of energy without all the sugar. The recipe calls for Premier Protein’s Vanilla Shake – which is packed with 30g of protein, only 1g of sugar and 160 calories. It’s a yummy and healthy option for your family’s Easter brunch.
In the mood for a smoothie instead? You can make a Carrot Cake smoothie that you, the kids (and the Easter Bunny) will rave about!
Carrot Cake Smoothie
2016-03-24 15:53:01
A healthy alternative to carrot cake all packed into a smoothie with 30 grams of protein
What's on Parker's Plate? http://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/
Filling the kiddos’ eggs with sweets? Swap out junk food for scrumptious, healthy Honey Bunches of Oats Crunch O’s. Fill your kids’ Easter basket with colorful eggs stuffed with the cereal. It makes the perfect snack — as well as traditional cereal.
New Honey Bunches of Oats Crunch O’s is made with the addition of whole grain O’s to to the traditional mix of flakes and bunches, which adds more crunch, texture and variety in every spoonful. My favorite is the Honey Crunch O’s! You know when you finish a bowl of cereal and then there’s milk left over that the cereal has been soaking in? OMG. Creamy, yummy sips of honey!
Hellmann’s just introduced 2 new products – the first-ever organic mayonnaise and plant-based, eggless spread – both of which make great bases for lighter twists on classic spring and summer recipes– from salads to dips. The organic mayo is USDA-certified with no artificial flavoring or preservatives and is available in 3 delicious flavors: Original, Roasted Garlic, and Spicy Chipotle. This creamy delish from Hellmann’s, free from cholesterol, eggs, and artificial colors and flavors.
This is going to be my new GO-TO entertaining appetizer– I was literally licking the melty mayo cheese off the toasts after the segment on Atlanta & Company!
Asiago & Prosciutto Toasts
2016-03-24 16:09:01
A creamy, melty, savory topping with asiago, prosciutto and garlic mayo on crostinis.
1/2 cup Hellmann's® or Best Foods Organic Original Mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely chopped cucumber
3 Tbsp. finely chopped red onion
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh herbs, (dill, tarragon or parsley)
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
4 slices pumpernickel bread, toasted
1 cup lightly packed arugula
4 slices beefsteak tomato
8 ounces salmon fillet, broiled or poached, cut into 4 pieces
Instructions
Combine Hellmann's® Organic Original, cucumber, onion, herbs and mustard in small bowl.
Spread 1 tablespoon cucumber relish on each toast slice. Evenly top with arugula, tomato, salmon, then remaining relish.
What's on Parker's Plate? http://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/
Now that the little ones have had their fill of the Easter candy, it’s time to get them to brush their teeth! The dreaded before bed task! Hello Toothpaste has flavors the kids will LOVE: choose from hello’s bubble gum, blue raspberry or fluoride free natural watermelon.
When I was a kid, my parents would always give us stockings filled with toiletries, like toothpaste, toothbrushes and shampoo. Easter is the perfect opportunity to do a “Clean and Healthy Teeth” basket! And, hello’s flavors not only get the kid’s teeth clean (after eating that chocolate Easter Bunny) the flavors tastes so good that they won’t argue with you!
Each toothpaste is as natural as can be with products free from dyes, parabens, microbeads or artificial sweeteners.
Just don’t be surprised when they start going through the tubes faster than normal! On that note, hello and Happy Easter!
*This is a sponsored post by Premier Protein, Honey Bunches Of Oats, Hellman’s and hello toothpaste, but all opinions are my own.
Get out of the taco box and INTO THE BURRITO BOWL, y’all! 
Ladies and gentlemen…Elvis has left the building. With this Peanut Butter, Banana and Bacon Monte Cristo.
Let’s talk peanut butter, banana and bacon, y’all. It was Elvis’ favorite combination, and I assure you, once you taste this show stopper sandwich, it’ll be yours too!
