Panera Bread–Soups for Cold Weather

Though I don’t typically eat at chain or fast food restaurants, I will make an exception if I’m super busy. During the holidays, things get a little crazy and cooking isn’t always the best option. When Food Buzz informed us that Panera Bread now offers a variety of soups in their café, I was intrigued.
In college, I was mildly obsessed with their bagels and breads. They’ve got some incredible sweets coming out of that bakery as well. Cookies? Yeah, tons of those. For meal options, they’ve got sandwiches, soups, and salads. The “You Pick 2” combination allows you to pick 1/2-size portions so you can try a couple things.
For a quick lunch the other day, I checked out Panera’s menu and found a bunch of great items. There were so many different sandwiches I would have liked, but I wanted a light meal and opted for soup and salad.
I ordered the Asian Sesame Chicken Salad (al-natural, antibiotic-free chicken, romaine lettuce, fresh cilantro, sliced almonds, sesame seeds, crispy wonton strips & reduced-sugar Asian sesame vinaigrette) and Low Fat Vegetarian Black Bean Soup (plump black beans simmered in a spicy vegetarian broth with onion, red bell pepper, garlic and cumin).
I was impressed.
Some of their other soups include:

• French Onion
• Broccoli Cheddar
• Baked Potato
• Clam Chowder
• Chicken Noodle
• Vegetarian Creamy Tomato
• Vegetarian Garden Vegetable with Pesto

Yay for all the vegetarian options!

Do you ever go to Panera Bread? What’s your favorite combination?

Caramelized Onion Rice with Tomatoes and Cucumber

At the end of the weekend, I find myself scrambling to use up the last of my CSA box. I pick my box up each Tuesday, so I try to eat the majority of the veggies from the previous week by Monday. Sometimes I end up eating the veggies raw, sometimes I end up throwing them all in a soup, and sometimes I end up roasting them and drizzling them with, you guessed it, Sriracha.

I was skimming through The Hadassah Everyday Cookbook, my newest favorite find at the library, when I noticed a recipe for Caramelized Onion Rice. I thought it sounded like a great side but could easily be amped up with a couple more vegetables.

FoodBuzz recently provided me with a tub of Texmati White Rice as part of the DailyBuzz Food Tastemaker program with RiceSelect. I cracked it open and started cooking!

Caramelized Onion Rice with Tomatoes and Cucumber

Serves 4-6, as a side

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Texmati white rice
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 2 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
• 2 small cucumbers, chopped
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta, optional, for topping

1. Cook rice according to package directions; remove from heat and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add onions and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook for an additional 2 minutes until fragrant; remove from heat.
3. Add onions, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Gently toss until combined. Top with feta, if desired.

This side dish is incredibly easy to make. The caramelized onions give it a sweet touch that balances out the saltiness of the feta. While the rice is fluffy and tender, the cucumbers give it a nice crunch. Serve with your favorite veggie burger and top with grilled shrimp for a light, Summery dish.

Yes, I’m still pretending it’s Summer. It’s 84* today, wouldn’t you?

This post is brought to you by Rice Select.

This post is brought to you by Rice Select.

Müller Yogurt Review & Giveaway!

As you may know, Müller Quaker Dairy, a joint venture between PepsiCo, Inc. and the Theo Müller Group, is bringing Europe’s beloved Müller™ yogurt to the U.S! Müller yogurt is made from reduced-fat, Grade A milk and is a good source of calcium and protein. It’s a delicious way to add delight to your day, with the nutritional benefits of yogurt.  

As a part of the DailyBuzz Food Tastemaker program, Müller™ provided me with a stipend and product for sampling. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Müller Corner Open Pour Shots – creamy low-fat yogurt paired with delicious fruit toppings as well as crunchy cereal mix-ins. Available in Strawberry, Greek Caramelized Almond, Greek Blackberry Raspberry, Greek Strawberry.

Müller Corner – with add-ins that you can flip, stir or dip into the creamy yogurt. Available in Blueberry, Choco Balls, Choco Flakes, Crispy Crunch, Granola, Strawberry.

Müller Greek Corner – low-fat, Greek-style yogurt with delicious fruit or nut mix-ins. Available in Caramelized Almonds, Blackberry Raspberry, Honeyed Apricot, Strawberry.

Müller Fruit Up – low-fat yogurt on the bottom with a vibrant layer of fruit
mousse on top. Available in Blueberry Bliss, Luscious Lemon, Peach Passion, Radiant Raspberry, Splendid Strawberry, Very Cherry.

I was recently sent a shipment of the different yogurts for review. After trying them all, I have to say that I’m a huge fan. My favorite, by far, was the Greek yogurt with caramelized almonds. I also really loved the Greek blueberry and Greek honeyed apricot. I highly recommend you try these!

For more information, check out their:

• facebook
• twitter

Want to win some Müller yogurt? Two of you will win five coupons for a free yogurt.

To enter: Tell me your favorite kind of yogurt! Giveaway ends Friday, September 28th.

The winners of  the Muller Yogurt Giveaway are: Cassandra Padgett and Vaughn. Please email your shipping information to me at christinaorso@gmail.com. : )

Memorial Day Weekend Cookout with Nestle Drumsticks

To celebrate Memorial Day weekend, a few of us friends got together for a cookout. What better way to celebrate a long weekend than a night full of good food and friends.

Whenever my friends and I have get togethers, I’m almost always in charge of dessert. I like to bring a seasonal cookie or cake, but when I’m short on time, a prepared dessert will do the trick. Rachel’s cookout was a perfect opportunity to share the new Nestlé pretzel dipped drumsticks that were provided to me through Food Buzz.

After devouring chips & dip, hummus, pulled pork, and mac & cheese, it was time for the sweet stuff! Dane was the first to dig into the pretzel dipped drumsticks. They’re pretty big!

Each cone is filled with with creamy vanilla ice cream then dipped in a chocolately pretzel crunch coating. Each cone is the perfect mix of sweet and salty.

We also tried Nestlé Lil’ Drums in two flavors: Cookie Dough and Chocolate Fudge Brownie. Both were delicious and only 120 calories a pop.

I had no idea that Nestlé drumsticks were available in so many different flavors. I’m interested in trying the Vanilla Caramel Crunch and Cookies & Cream. They also make sprinkled drumsticks! This Summer, I’ll definitely be picking up a couple boxes. To share with my friends, that is…

"Full disclosure: Nestlé has provided me with free product and other items in order to help with my review, but anything I receive from Nestle does not affect my thoughts on its company or their products."

Are you a fan of Nestlé Drumsticks? Which flavors?

When going to a cookout, what do you typically bring?