Crushing On Lauren Brennan of Lauren’s Latest, a Giveaway and Chocolate Cream Pie

I’m so happy to share Everyday Ingredients, Extraordinary Meals: 30 Ridiculously Simple Family Favorite Recipes with you, and the chance to win a copy of your own. But first a love letter to it’s author, Lauren of Lauren’s Latest.

When bloggers connect with their readers by sharing their life through cooking, magic happens. For Lauren Brennan of the food blog Lauren’s Latest, that recipe for success is one that’s propelled her to the top of the foodie blogosphere.

Lauren has a talent not all of us possess by making what she does look effortless. But I know the real deal, what’s behind her rosey glow and beautiful smile that creates an immediate, friend for life connection. I know the real secret to her success: Good, old fashioned, hard work is what’s behind this young wife as one of the web’s most creative content creators and comfort cooking powerhouse.

Like many bloggers, Lauren originally had a different career path in mind. She graduated from college with a Health Science degree and was a Developmental Specialist working with adults and children with developmental delays before becoming a stay at home mom to her newborn, now 4-year-old daughter.

And then the blog was born.

“In 2009, my husband needed to start an online business for a college class and couldn’t think of anything, so he made me a food blog,” Lauren explains. “I had mentioned it to him previously, but never thought he’d get me up and running, but he did.”

After starting her blog as her husband’s class assignment, Lauren posted random recipes when she found time in between taking care of her newborn daughter. She soon realized there were cooking contests that awarded great prizes to their winners and began entering and winning small prizes. Then in December 2010, she won a cooking contest that landed her on a Good Morning America cooking segment with Sandra Lee. After that, her blog grew by leaps and bounds.

I recently had the opportunity of working with Lauren one-on-one when she asked me to help bring her vision for an eCookbook to life, a trove of family treasures she hasn’t really shared on her blog because they are the recipes of her everyday family cooking. Simple recipes for simply extraordinary meals is how she described the idea. And that’s what the title of her book became. Sometimes you just don’t mess with a good thing.

The kicker to this whole plan to launch an eCookbook was that she hatched this idea with an entirely different bun in the oven that had a due date that wouldn’t wait for any delays thanks to an eCookbook. Lauren was set to deliver her second child at the end of April, and actually delivered baby Blake the same day we launched her eCookbook. How’s that for divinity?

All of this could have made the experience of writing and photographing an ebook a bit more harried, a bit more scattered. But for Lauren it simply brought focus to her mission to deliver an ebook that reflected her love for inspiring others to cook simple, healthy meals for their families.

Not only does Everyday Ingredients, Extraordinary Meals: 30 Ridiculously Simple Family Favorite Recipes showcase great recipes but it also gives solid advice on which staples to keep handy in the pantry to create her family favorites, quick weeknight eats and heartier weekend wonders.

When I asked her which are her favorite recipes from Everyday Ingredients, Extraordinary Meals, Lauren replied as any mother would about her beloved children. “Do I only have to pick one? I had a hard time narrowing it down to 30,” Lauren exclaimed. ”I’m really proud of my Cinnabon knockoff recipe. I also really love my pizza dough recipe because it’s so versatile. And, my lemon cream tart because it’s so freakin’ delicious. And I’m OBSESSED with lemon.”

Choosing a recipe to feature from her gorgeously photographed ebook was a challenge, especially since I’ve been drooling over them for 2 months. But since I had never made pudding from scratch, and Smudge is always begging for pie, Lauren’s eCookbook-only recipe for Chocolate Cream Pie was beckoning me to fall victim to its chocolateness. 

And I was happy to do so. I only hope I do it it justice.

While I was prepping to make the recipe, of course I ran out of milk so I substituted half of the milk for cream since I had that on hand, ready to whip for the topping. It was perfect and heartily Smudge approved and I hope Lauren will be impressed with my substitution.

But before we get to the creamy center, first, a few words from Lauren who I thank for being a verified foodie crush.

1. Describe your blog in 3 words:

Happy, creative, fun

2. If you could be one food blogger other than yourself, who would you be?
Probably Ree Drummond! I’ve always wanted to be on the Food Network, plus she lives with real life cowboys! Hellllloooooo chaps.

3. Which 3 blogs do you follow/are obsessed with/can’t live a day without?
Spoon Fork Bacon–I silently drool over all the recipes and photos!
Edible Perspective- I love Ashley’s photography and her recipe ideas are fantastic.
Kevin and Amanda- Since I’ve gotten to know Kevin and Amanda as friends, I love following their lives! Does that sound stalker-ish? Oh well!! Plus, I love ALL the recipes Amanda posts.

4. What is the one kitchen tool you could never give up?
My really sharp chef’s knife. It cuts like buttuh!

5. What dish are you obsessed with mastering that you just can’t get quite right?
Right now, I’m working on falafels! I’ve gotten them good, but not great. Still figuring it out…

6. What did you have for dinner last night?
Tacos!

7. What’s one secret talent outside of the kitchen nobody knows about you:
I can play the piano.

8. You’re happiest when cooking/eating:
Really, really good salad. Or warm brownies and ice cream. Or anything involving whipped cream.

9. You new eCookbook shares family favorite recipes that form the base of your weekly menus. Where else do you find your cooking inspiration?
Other blogs, Pinterest, pictures in magazines, new products featured at the grocery store….pretty much anywhere! Sometimes, I dream recipes too. The recipe that landed me on Good Morning America was a recipe I came up with in a dream! Weird, and kind of awesome.

10. The one secret ingredient to your success is:
Doing what I feel like doing and not caring what other people think. It’s taken me a while to get to this point, but now that I’ve had a second baby, I do what works for me. I’m not always on twitter or Facebook and I post two recipes a week. That’s what works for me. If people want to come along for the ride, then great! I’d love to have ya!

Follow Lauren on > her blog Lauren’s Latest  >  Facebook  >  Twitter > Pinterest

To celebrate the release of Lauren’s eCookbook, I’m happy to share a giveaway with you to win your own copy, just check out the widget below for more info on how to enter/rules/all the gist.

Or better yet, buy yourself and your mom your own copies for Mother’s Day, and if you’re a winner, I’ll reimburse you for both copies making mothers everywhere very happy. Please read the complete rules found on the widget. Valid worldwide.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And now for that recipe you’ve been waiting for.

Featured from Lauren's Latest's eCookbook, Everyday Ingredients, Extraordinary Meals: 30 Ridiculously Simple Family Favorite Recipes, this creamy chocolate pie is easy enough to make any day of the week.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 2 oz. chopped bittersweet chocolate 1 9-inch pie shell, cooked and cooled Instructions

In a small pot, stir sugar, cornstarch and cocoa powder together. Whisk in milk and place over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil and starts to thicken. Once hot and thick remove from heat and stir in chopped chocolate and vanilla. Pour into pie plate and cover with plastic wrap. Be sure to place the plastic wrap directly on the filling. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until completely chilled and plastic wrap comes off clean. Cut pie into 8 pieces and top with dollops of cream and chocolate shavings and serve. http://www.foodiecrush.com/2013/05/laurens-latest-chocolate-cream-pie/

Thanks for reading and please keep in touch by subscribing to FoodieCrush and follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest. This site includes affiliate shopping links of which I receive a small percentage of sales to allow me to create new and special content like this for my readers, so thank you for your support. All opinions are my own.

Tagged as: chocolate, chocolate pie, desserts and sweets, food blogger interview, pie

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Crushing on Muy Bueno Cookbook and Stacked Breakfast Enchiladas Recipe

The phrase, “too many cooks in the kitchen,” need not apply to the Soza family, who’s motto rings, “Pásale, Pásale, vengan a comer,” (Come in, come in. Come in and eat).

Since 2010, Evangelina (Vangie) Soza and daughters Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack and Veronica Gonzalez-Smith have preserved three generations of family recipes and memories, celebrating their Mexican heritage in their well-followed blog, Muy Bueno.

I first discovered the cooking threesome when I featured Muy Bueno in the first issue of FoodieCrush magazine, where they shared their Christmas family traditions handed down from one generation and now to another. The role of family and tradition is the centerpiece of their brand, and it all started with their grandmother who they pay homage to in each word written and recipe created.

Before grandmother Jesusita Mendias-Soza’s passing, Veronica carefully studied her in the kitchen as she made her homemade flour tortillas. Now, Veronica makes them with the very rolling pin Jesusita had used—weathered and loved from decades of rolling out countless tortillas and empanadas for family and friends. Another of her rolling pins was passed down to Yvette and she too treasures the family heirloom, which serves as a fond reminder of their grandmother and her cooking.

The mother-daughter trio sought to keep Jesusita’s memory alive and her presence near by commemorating their family’s recipes so they may be passed down to their own children and to future generations. In October of 2012, their collaborative efforts expanded beyond the blogosphere and into the publishing realm, with the release of their first cookbook, Muy Bueno: Three Generations of Authentic Mexican Flavor.

The vibrantly colorful book features over 100 fresh, authentic Mexican recipes, from green enchiladas and tamales to hibiscus popsicles and pumpkin turnovers. Each recipe is labeled with a specially designed silhouette by Yvette—who also designed the logo and layout of the cookbook—to portray which of the three authors created the specific recipe.

“Being that we are three authors we wanted the reader to really get to know us by noting who the story/memory is from. We have heard lots of great feedback and people really love it,” Yvette explains.

The collection of recipes incorporates old and new, with dishes from grandma Jesusita’s kitchen (traditional northern Mexico cuisine), Vangie’s south of the border comfort food—like the Pork in Red Chile—and creative Latin-fusion from Veronica, whose favorites include Green Enchiladas and Tres Leches, and Yvette’s remake of Mango Upside Down Cake.

And although geography keeps them apart more often than they’d like—Yvette lives in Colorado, Veronica in Germany and Vangie in Texas—it is not an obstacle, as the gang  remains dedicated to maintaining their blog and striving to preserve tradition. Near or far, nothing brings them back to their roots or makes them happier than when they’re in the kitchen with the ones they love. Grandma Jesusita would be proud.

1. Describe your blog in 3 words:
Veronica: Heartfelt, Cultural, Delicious
Yvette: Mexican, Family, Love
Vangie: Informative, Easy, Delicious

2. If you could be one food blogger other than yourself, who would you be?
Veronica: White on Rice
Yvette: Roost Blog. Her blog, photography, design, and videos are spectacular.

3.Which 3 blogs do you follow/are obsessed with/can’t live a day without?
Veronica: Katie Pies,  White on Rice, Matt Bites
Yvette:  White on Rice, Roost Blog, and Matt Bites

4. What is the one kitchen tool you could never give up?
Veronica: Lime squeezer
Yvette: Rollin pin. It was one of the two rolling pins I inherited from our grandma. Veronica has the other one.
Vangie: Conical sieve to make red chile sauce

5.  What dish are you obsessed with mastering that you just can’t get quite right?
Veronica: Soufflé
Vangie: Yeast bread

6. What did you have for dinner last night?
Veronica: BBQ Pork sandwiches….ooo they were good!
Yvette: Molotes stuffed with veal and pickled red onions. It was a test day in the kitchen and recipe will be on our blog soon.

7. What’s one secret talent outside of the kitchen nobody knows about you.
Veronica: LOL…not anything I can admit to here
Yvette: I’m double jointed and I can rotate my shoulders and twirl my arms around holding my hands and not letting go. It’s a fun party trick. LOL!

8. You’re happiest when cooking/eating:
Veronica: Surrounded by family and friends
Yvette: Ditto
Vangie: Baking

9. The three of you all live in different places, even countries. You recently debuted your Mexican cookbook, Muy Bueno Cookbook. What roles did the three of you take to complete the project and what challenges did you overcome with three authors in three different areas?
We all worked voraciously to complete the project and meet self-imposed continual deadlines. Our biggest challenge was waiting for edits from each other because of the eight-hour time difference. There are times that emailing wasn’t enough, lucky for us we now have SKYPE…we did a lot of skyping.

10. The one secret ingredient to your success is:
Love!!! Love for the recipes grandma and mom made for us as kids…love for our delicious cultural recipes, love for each other’s differences and accepting of those differences…love is all you need!

Now that you’ve heard what their tasty favorites are, the gals would like one FoodieCrush reader to win a copy of Muy Bueno Cookbook for themselves.

To enter to win, leave a comment below telling us what your favorite Mexican dish is.

To give you a taste of what’s deliciousness lies within, I’m sharing their recipe for Stacked Red Enchiladas, or as I’ve remade them into Stacked Breakfast Enchiladas, a recipe my husband has deemed a new favorite. I couldn’t agree more.

Ingredients

2 cups red chile sauce or enchilada sauce 1/2 cup canola oil for frying tortillas Instructions

Pour red chile sauce or enchilada sauce into a skillet over medium heat until warm then lower heat to simmer. In a non-stick skillet, heat canola oil. Drop one tortilla at a time into hot oil and fry until softened, turning once while frying, then drain on paper towels. To assemble the enchiladas: Place a fried tortilla into the skillet of warm red sauce, coating it on both sides. Place on a plate then layer with some cheese and a sprinkle of green onion. Place another tortilla on top and repeat until you have a stack of three or four tortillas. Continue to make stacks until all ingredients are used. Heat a small non-stick fry pan over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Fry the eggs and place one on each stack. Add another egg if you're extra hungry. Top with more cotija, more green onion and cilantro leaves if desired.http://www.foodiecrush.com/2013/02/crushing-on-muy-bueno-cookbook-and-stacked-breakfast-enchiladas-recipe/

The cookbook giveaway is open until Sunday, March 3, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. MST. The cookbook giveaway is only open to U.S. residents. Be sure a valid email address is included with your comment. Winner will be chosen randomly and announced on this post. I will email the winner and if the winner doesn’t respond in 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen.

Additional reporting by Hayley Teater

Thanks for reading and please keep in touch. Subscribe to FoodieCrush and follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and check out FoodieCrush magazine.

Pin It Tagged as: breakfast, craving, eggs, enchiladas, mexican, recipe, spicy

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Crushing On Sodium Girl’s Jessica Goldman Foung, a Giveaway and a Sweet & Spicy Popcorn Recipe

Before making the change to a low-sodium diet, Jess Goldman Foung, the author of the popular blog Sodium Girl, was like a lot of Americans who ate fried chicken and macaroni and cheese, not nearly enough servings of vegetables and rarely strayed from her comfort zone of basic food groups.

With a degree from Stanford and a budding career as a Development Manager, Jess was becoming an expert at fundraising and grant writing, and loved it. Her body, however, did not.

“The autoimmune disease, Lupus, was aggresively attacking my brain and my kidneys and after three months of chemo, dialysis, and amazing medical care, I survived. My kidneys didn’t, ” she says.

After researching and educating herself, Jess realized she needed to take her health into her own hands, and she started with nutrition. “I swore I would do what I could with my own two hands to help stay strong and live a full life and that meant going on a strict low-sodium diet. But I also happened to be an extremely stubborn person, who refused to eat dull food or miss out on anything life had to offer. So that meant rewriting the low-sodium rules.”

“After a tough-love session with my mother, who asked, ‘Do you want to live five years or fifty years?” I realized I needed to quit my job and find a career that let me take care of myself,” Jess acknowledges. “It wasn’t until a fateful day when I watched two movies back-to-back —Julie and Julia and then Food, Inc.—that I realized what I should do: 1) blog and 2) write about the power of food.”

And that she does with the release of her new book Sodium Girl’s Limitless Low-Sodium Cookbook.

Jess and her husband Alejandro

Jess hasn’t let the banished flavor of salt restrain her love of cooking and creating. It’s simply defined it. Through her tips, tricks and recipes, Jess has taken control of her own health and now is helping others do the same. Whole foods play a major part of her diet, with sodium-packed, pre-packaged foods getting the heave-ho.

As Jess states in her new book, according to Malcolm Gladwell‘s calculations it takes about 10,000 hours to become an expert in any given field. Given those stats and the fact that Jess has logged more than eight years and over 70,000 hours creating, eating and enjoying a low-sodium diet, she certainly could be called an expert when it comes to de-saltifying your meals but keeping them full of flavor.

Flavor. And personality. Jess has plenty of both.

Jess and her husband Alejandro as their future selves

So what do you eat when you’re cooking the low-sodium way? Jess’s favorites include some of the obvious like fruit, baked potatoes, yogurt and steamed rice. But she also sheds light on great low-sodium options like Frosted Mini-Wheats, baby food (!) and canned fish that are all within the salt-free eating options.

Jess snuggles with her new baby  

Instead of bottled teriyaki sauce try a combination of molasses and rice wine vinegar and instead of using high-sodium hard cheeses for white sauce, try blended cauliflower, a low-sodium ricotta or coconut milk.

And her best salt substitutes? Try salt-free garlic powder, a squeeze of citrus, and chili pepper all help enhance and brighten the other ingredients, just like salt.

Jess challenged a few bloggers to recreate a recipe from their blog that is heavy in salt, converting it to a low-sodium option. I gladly adorned my Wonder Woman bracelets and accepted her challenge.

I didn’t have to think twice of which recipe that would be part of Sodium Girl’s for FoodieCrush: Truffle Bacon Popcorn: a salt lover’s dream and healthy artery’s nightmare. So how did I make it over? Here’s the nuts and bolts.

The basic premise of air-popped popcorn stayed. But out went the sodium laden bacon and farewell to my tastey truffle salt. Hello to sweet brown sugar and hot mama spices to replace the salt and kick up the flavor. Sweet and spicy made a great substitution including Jess’s suggestions of chili pepper, plus dry roasted, unsalted Marcona almonds offered an added bit of protein and heartiness to the snack.

Sweet and Spicy Popcorn with Marcona Almonds

Ingredients

3/4 cup dry roasted, unsalted Marcona almonds Instructions

Mix brown sugar, chili powder, cinnamon and cayenne pepper in a small bowl and set aside. Combine popcorn and almonds in a large bowl. Place butter in a small bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and then microwave for another 30 seconds. Pour over popcorn and almonds, stir and then toss with half of brown sugar mixture. Stir, taste and add more of the brown sugar mixture to taste. http://www.foodiecrush.com/2013/02/sodium-girl-jessica-goldman-foung-sweet-spicy-popcorn/

I asked Jess which recipes from the book were some of her favorites? “The salt-free pickle recipes (there are several ideas for everything from cumin scented carrots to kimchi) and my Salt-Free Bloody Marys. They’re my favorites because I think they tend to make converts out of the most skeptical people.”

After perusing her cookbook, I wanted to know more about the low-sodium girl behind the pages, and offer you the chance to enter to win a Vitamix blender and also win a copy of your own (check out the end of this post to enter.)

Congrats on your book debut Jess, and thanks for being our foodie crush.

1. Describe your blog in 3 words:

Colorful, playful, informative. (Hopefully that whole salt-free thing is just an afterthought.)

2. If you could be one food blogger other than yourself, who would you be?

Not to be creepy, but I just adore Joy the Baker. Of course, because she has such a killer sense of humor and a killer sense of style. I mean, she wears blazers. But I think I’d be Joy for a day mostly because that girl can bake. And I, my friend, am not a baker. As I say in the book, I’m an adder, a thrower-inner, an improviser. Not a measurer or ingredient-reader. Which is why all my baking projects usually end up in the compost or sprinkled on ice cream. So I would be her because then I’d have beautiful cookies and cakes to eat all the time. 

3. Which 3 blogs do you follow/are obsessed with/can’t live a day without?

Joy the Baker (see number 2), 101 Cookbooks because when I don’t know what to cook for dinner I look to her recipe log, and Cheryl Sternman Rule who makes me laugh out loud all the time. There’s also Hogwash by Jess Thomson who’s my doppleganger in life, so I can’t leave her out. And of course you, how can I not write you! Oh, and Spoon Fork Bacon. I love those girls and their website is just so beautiful. Clearly I’m bad at this whole three blog thing. 

?4. What is the one kitchen tool you could never give up?

The rice cooker. It’s my sous chef on nights when I’m starving and I don’t have the energy to cook.  I throw some green onion, shiitake, and rice in that ‘ol thing and let it rip. Saute some veggies while I wait, pour on the rice wine vinegar when it’s done, and sit down and eat. If you have no other room for anything else, this is your essential item. And it is really coming in handy now with this whole baby deal. You barely even need one hand to set it up. And when it comes to low-sodium food (and babies), quick meals, quick clean up, and convenience can’t be beat.

5. What dish are you obsessed with mastering that you just can’t get quite right?

Bacon. It’s pretty much the only salty food I haven’t been able to remix and remaster. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve tried. And it did not end up well. But with all those molecular gastronomists in the world, I have a feeling I might be able to make some sort of salt-free replica at some point!

6. What did you have for dinner last night?

Curried butternut squash and chickpea stew with cumin and smoked paprika spiced chicken thighs. Did I mention I’m having salt-free peking duck and plum sauce tonight? 

Jess keeps it fresh and spins to win

7. What’s one secret talent outside of the kitchen nobody knows about you?

Um, I love to dance. Like, dance when there’s no music. Especially when there’s lots of people around. And sometimes, I even have tap shoes in my purse, just in case.

8. You’re happiest when cooking/eating:

Jook. It is my absolute comfort food and the perfect way to use up leftover chicken parts (if you buy whole birds). I’d eat it morning, noon, and night. It contains luscious shiitake mushrooms, plump rice full of rich chicken broth, and steaming savory smells. I love putting in yuba skins (tofu), green onion, and fried garlic. Confession: sometimes I eat so much, I get the meat sweats. 

9. You share in your new book tons of tips on how to recreate favorite recipes the salt-free way. What are the three easiest ways to incorporate salt-free alternatives into family meals?

First, remember that whole foods contain their own natural flavors: raw radishes are peppery, mushrooms contain natural umami, beets and celery contain a high amount of natural sodium. Use them to boost the flavor in your meals.

Second, roasting, grilling, and reducing can add and enhance a lot of flavor to your food. So remember to see your oven, grill, and slow-cooker as flavor-enhancers as well.

And finally, EXPLORE! The more you try unfamiliar ingredients, meats, spices, and cuisines, the more surprised your palate will be and the less it will miss the salt.

10. The one secret ingredient to your success is:

Seeing obstacles and challenges as motivators. The best advice I got when I was in fundraising was that every no was just a 15% yes, and with charm, patience, and perseverance you could easily change things around. I’ve applied that to everything in my life, from Lupus to making salt-free pigs in a blanket. And so far, it’s serving me pretty well.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To celebrate the launch of Sodium Girl’s Limitless Low-Sodium Cookbook, Jess is giving away a Vitamix mixer to one lucky fan. Enter to win in the Rafflecopter widget above. To be entered to win answer the following question: “”Other than salt, what is your favorite way to flavor food?” The winner will be announced on Sodium Girl.

In addition, I’m giving away a copy of Jess’s new cookbook here at FoodieCrush. All comments in the comment section below will be entered to win.  

COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY The cookbook giveaway is open until Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. MST and is not associated with the Rafflecopter Vitamix giveaway. The cookbook giveaway is only open to U.S. residents. Be sure a valid email address is included with your comment. Winner will be chosen randomly and announced on this post. I will email the winner and if the winner doesn’t respond in 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen.

VITAMIX GIVEAWAY RULES NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. The Vitamix Giveaway is open until February 18, 2013, 12:00 am PST. Winner must be a US resident in order to win. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email to claim prize before another winner is chosen. The name of the winner will be announced on SodiumGirl.com and the Rafflecopter Widget once the giveaway has ended. In the event the Sponsor (Vitamix) fails to send the prize, the Host (SodiumGirl.com) and all Participating Hosts (Participating Bloggers) will not to be held responsible or liable in any way. 

Thanks for reading and please keep in touch. Subscribe to FoodieCrush and follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and check out FoodieCrush magazine.

Pin It Tagged as: appetizer, dessert, food blogger interview, popcorn, spicy, sweet

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