Today let's bring back Torani Friday! It's been a long time! With Valentine's day just around the corner, I thought it would be time for some Valentine fun! I have taken some inspiration from the Unicorn hot cocoa that I have seen floating around the internet and I have made Cupid's hot cocoa to warm your sweeties heart! This sweet drink is made with milk, cream and white chocolate. For good measure I have added both vanilla and strawberry Torani syrups, but that is only where the fun begins. In order for this to qualify as "fantasy" hot cocoa, we have to add some fun things to the top! Start off with a generous amount of fresh whipped cream then I added some fun, heart shaped, strawberry flavored marshmallows, then rained a fun combination of red, white and pink pearl sprinkles and red and white candy sugar over the top of the whole thing! So fun! Have your kids help you! They will love it! This brings me to another important point. Sometimes life gets super busy. We forget to have fun. The purpose of this cocoa is to have fun. With your significant other, with your kids or as a family, however you define family. We have to make an effort to make memories. They don't just happen. In the end, when your children get older, they are not going to remember the hours you spent making handmade valentines to give out to their class. They will remember that you sat down with them on Valentine's day and made a super special drink to share. Making memories is priceless and we need to take the time to make them! I hope you will take the time to throw together something fun for yourself and your loved ones this coming Valentine's day! This Cupid's hot cocoa could be the perfect choice! I hope you love it! Happy Eating and Happy Valentine's day! Business Inquiries can be sent to: info@noreenskitchen.com Sign up for my weekly newsletter and get exclusive recipes, video tutorials and articles! http://eepurl.com/TZCV5 Don't forget to subscribe! New videos Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday! http://bit.ly/17JVMTP Subscribe to Rick's Tips Channel for Home Improvement and DIY Tips! New videos every Saturday! http://bit.ly/1ixCK8W Check me out on social media! Facebook: http://on.fb.me/12bdibt Twitter: @noreenskitchen Instagram: http://bit.ly/12bdqrp Google + http://bit.ly/1o5GMYy Read my Blog: http://bit.ly/15R5GvV ***MAILING ADDRESS**** Noreen's Kitchen PO Box 14173 New Bern, NC 28561 Have a question for me? Send me an email: info@noreenskitchen.com Noreen's Kitchen Community Guidelines (The Rules) http://bit.ly/1gZcwJF Any links to Amazon are, in many cases, affiliate links. Produced by Noreen's Kitchen ©2008-2016 all rights reserved All embeds must live link to Noreen's Kitchen channel. No ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjccQ0MzS5g

Today I am sharing a quick and delicious side dish that goes perfectly with just about any type of grilled or roasted meat. Creamy tomato orzo with spinach! This is a delicious pasta side that will quickly become a family favorite. If you like rice, you are going to like orzo, which is a rice shaped pasta. Add a bit of tomatoey goodness and a bit of cheese along with a punch of nutrition from a couple good handfuls of fresh baby spinach and you have the perfect go along for any meal! We love orzo and if you saw my pantry organization video you know I discovered I had a bunch. We have been putting it to use making delicious sides for our meals. This creamy tomato orzo is a real favorite. This is super easy to throw together and you can use pantry staples that you already have on hand to whip this up in no time. I love this spin on a pasta side dish. The orzo cooks up quickly, much like rice and then you can add what you like to mix it up. I have added the remains of our favorite pasta sauce from a jar that was opened for a lunch by one of our girls. This is a great way to use up what you have in the fridge! I added a bit of fresh grated parmesan along with some butter and some herbs and spices to make this fantastic side. The first time I made this I stopped at the sauce, butter and cheese. The next time I added the spinach and it was the perfect, finishing touch. Not only is this delicious, but it is nutritious and beautiful. You could simply eat this for dinner if you were so inclined, but pairing this with a steamed, grilled or roasted vegetable and a delicious pan seared piece of chicken breast or perfectly cooked steak is as close to perfection as your dinner will come. I love to have orzo in my pantry because it is easy to toss into soups or make dishes such as this. It really is a great way to make a homemade chicken soup really hearty and thick. The texture is a favorite and it is super versatile. You can cook it as I have here with a 1 to 1/2 ratio of pasta to water or you can simply boil this up in a pot of salted water and drain then proceed with the remainder of the recipe. It may be a bit more watery but it will still be as delicious. In fact, the first time I made it, I did the cook and drain method and everyone loved it. I hope you give this creamy tomato orzo with spinach a try and I hope you love it! Happy Eating! Get a printable version of this recipe on my website here: http://bit.ly/2E5abAw Get my cookbooks here: http://bit.ly/1czqM5R Business Inquiries can be sent to: info@noreenskitchen.com Check me out on social media! Facebook: http://on.fb.me/12bdibt Twitter: @noreenskitchen Instagram: http://bit.ly/12bdqrp Google + http://bit.ly/1o5GMYy ***MAILING ADDRESS**** Noreen's Kitche ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itWGaFAnDFQ

Today we are sharing a hearty pasta salad that is super customizeable to your taste. Ours is a hearty bacon, ranch pasta salad with lots of fresh veggies and homemade ranch dressing! Perfect for a side dish as we made it, or a light lunch. You can also bulk it up with more protien like some diced chicken, steak, salmon or tuna to make this a full on dinner. Filled with delicious fresh ingredients like bell peppers, green onions and sharp cheddar cheese not to mention the rich, smoky goodness of crumbled bacon, this salad is the perfect side dish for your grilled chicken dinner or the perfect light, packable lunch for the week. Just prep and go! I hope you give this delicious pasta salad a try sometime soon and I hope you love it! Happy Eating! Big batch ranch dressing. https://bit.ly/38aaOZo You can find a printable version of this recipe here: https://bit.ly/38WqWOw Get my cookbooks here: http://bit.ly/1czqM5R Business Inquiries can be sent to: info@noreenskitchen.com Check me out on social media! Facebook: http://on.fb.me/12bdibt Instagram: http://bit.ly/12bdqrp Have a question for me? Send me an email: info@noreenskitchen.com Noreen's Kitchen Community Guidelines (The Rules) http://bit.ly/2i7VocU Any links to Amazon are, in many cases, affiliate links. Produced by Noreen's Kitchen ©2008-2016 all rights reserved All embeds must live link to Noreen's Kitchen channel. No Editorial Excerpts without permission, Violators agree to pay royalties, all court costs, all collections & all lawyers fees. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BMQuC2YR2Q

Kicking off our Christmas in July celebration with a sweet treat! Candied pecans have long been a family favorite! An irresistible one at that! I get a lot of requests from people asking for sugar free version of their favorite treats and this one will not disappoint. Since we are still working hard to avoid extra sugar in our home these are the perfect way to enjoy a sweet snack without the sugar! These are actually packed with protein and still good for you. I dare you to tell the difference between these and some made with the real stuff! Candied pecans scream Merry Christmas no matter what time of year you make them! I have shared a more traditional version of candied pecans that are made on the stove top with regular sugar and we love those. Everyone I know loves candied nuts. Don't limit yourself to pecans here! But not everyone can enjoy real sugar for whatever reason. Some simply don't eat it. Some can't. I believe everyone should be able to enjoy things and these nuts are no exception. These are simple to make and use few ingredients. Most of which you probably have in your kitchen right now! They are also quick to whip up and enjoy, but be sure to make enough because they will disappear quickly. These start out with pecans or walnuts or raw cashews or even raw almonds. About 2 cups of nuts will do for a batch. Whip up one egg white with a bit of water until fluffy but not stiff. Add in those pecans and toss well to coat entirely. Next add in your vanilla extract and if you are a bit adventurous, a bit of maple extract as well. If you are using almonds add in a few drops of almond extract. Get the idea here? Stir the extract in to combine. Next I added some cinnamon to my sweetener. I am using a baking blend that will tolerate heat. You should use what you prefer, but make sure baking is acceptable, as not all artificial sweeteners can go in the oven. Rada Handi Stir whisk: https://amzn.to/3ey5gFo Add in the cinnamon and sweetener mixture and stir well. This is where the texture of the nuts will change as the ingredients all blend together and form a delicious outer shell on the pecans. Once you get this all well blended, pour the nuts out onto a baking sheet that is lined with either non stick foil or parchment or whatever you prefer. Using your spoon, spread the nuts out evenly. Even though they will break up after they cool, this makes it even easier to have nice looking product in the end. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes, removing to stir half way through the cooking time. Then remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to one week. I promise they will not last that long though! If you plan to use these as part of ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaFZrFQwrzI