Amore' Tomato Paste

If you watch the food network I’m pretty sure you’ve watch your favorite chef/cook use tomato paste in a tube time and time again and have said to yourself, “that’s a great idea”. If you buy tomato paste in a can, you always find yourself having to throw some away; or it has become a permanent fixture in the back of your refrigerator, you swear you will use it, but you never do! This is a product I have been thinking about getting for some time now, but thought it would be hard to find and expensive. Last week while waiting for our cooking class to begin, we took a little stroll through Cost Plus World Market and I stumbled across Amore' Tomato Paste (in a tube) and to my surprise it was only about $2.00 for a 4.5 ounce tube. Ironically in our cooking class that night Chef Gilligan was using the same exact tomato paste in his sauce! So I put it to the test this week (making sauce for meatball sandwiches) and it works great, taste amazing and because it's double concentrated I only had to use about a tablespoon of it. Give it a try, you may never use canned tomato paste again!

TPPM: Trader Joe's Chocolate Dipped Frozen Bananas

On my latest trip to Trader Joe’s I stopped by the frozen

dessert aisle and was ecstatic to find TJ’s “Gone Bananas” (small frozen bananas on a stick dipped in chocolate). When we started planning JD’s Monkey Carnival Party, we thought it would be fitting to have frozen bananas, but had a really hard time finding them pre-made at a decent price, well until now ($1.99 box of 4 at Trader Joe's)! So, I bought a box and hurried home to share my find and everyone agreed they were delicious and perfect for the party, especially JD (even after I peeled most of the chocolate off before giving it to him)!

"Our Lil' Monkey"

He seems to be enjoying his banana!

"Messy Lil' Monkey"!

Trader Joe's "Gone Bananas" could not be simpler, bananas and chocolate (cocoa paste, cocoa butter, sugars and soy lecithin), there are no artificial ingredients or preservatives and each banana is 160 calories. Stop by Trader Joe’s before they’re all gone; they’re a perfect treat for little monkeys of all ages!

JD's First Easter

I hope everyone enjoyed their Easter Sunday, we sure did! This was JD's first Easter and I thank the Lord that he blessed us with such a beautiful day (earthquake and all). We started our day a little backwards (everyone woke up late), but everything turned out just wonderful; we had brunch, made it to one o'clock Mass, had an Easter egg hunt and even had time to relax and just enjoy the day. So here is a little peek at our day!

JD's Easter Card from Aba and Abu

(who are out of town and are missed very much)

Easter Sunday Brunch

JD waiting impatiently for brunch!

French Toast makes him happy!

 Grandpa and JD sharing

 Grandma and JD, off to church!

 Daddy and JD going to Easter Mass!

 

 Time to go home and start hunting

for Easter eggs!

 JD opening his Easter Baskets

(Thanks Nina Patty & Nino and Nina Lopez)

Yummy Easter Eggs!

Time to start hunting!

One for me and one for me!

Last Easter Egg!

(thanks for the help Aunties)

Tuesday Morning: Tramontina Cookware

Yesterday I received my Tuesday Morning mailer and I have great news for all you cooks; Tuesday Morning is having a sale on Tramontina Enameled Cast Iron Cookware starting on Tuesday April 6th (advertised items arrive at 8am, on April 6th). I personally own a 6.5 quart Tramontina Dutch Oven and I don’t know how I lived without one for so long, it really is a perfect addition to any kitchen!

TRAMONTINA ENAMELED CAST IRON COOKWARE

Tuesday Morning: $24.99 to $49.99

Original Retail: $69.99 to $129.99

Attractive hunter green pieces heat evenly and clean up easily. Use on all cooking surfaces, including induction. Hand wash.