Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Whole Foods Market. The recipe and opinions are 100% my own.

 My Mom is one of these strange creatures that says “regular chocolate chip cookies are boring.” I don’t know what planet she comes from, but that’s where we part ways. This Mother’s Day she said she wanted a “nice cookie.” I asked “what does that mean exactly?” She said “I don’t know, maybe something with peanut butter and chocolate chips.”

Oh boy…

Recently Whole Foods Market sent me a gift card to spend in store.  I thought why not get something for my Momma? There are soooo many options to choose from and I can make her those cookies she’s requesting (Whole Foods Markets have really yummy Whole Trade 365 Everyday Value^® Milk Chocolate Chips).  I could also boost her morning buzz with Whole Trade Organic Café la Dueña.  This balanced, sweet and chocolaty blend is made with beans harvested by an all-female coffee co-op in Peru, supporting equal employment opportunities for women.  Then there is the wonderful selection of *Whole Trade^®  flowers all Whole Foods carry.  I think I’ll personalize a bouquet for her. Here is a little chart on what each flower means.  I always get confused.  Happy Mother’s Day to my Mom and yours or you!

• Light red carnation – admiration
• Alstoemeria – aspirational
• Calla Lilies – regal
• Gerbera daisies – cheerful
• Pink Roses – appreciation

Ingredients for Chocolate Chip peanut butter cookies:

• 1/2 – cup creamy peanut butter
• 8 – tablespoons butter (room temperature)
• 1/2 – cup sugar
• 1 – cup DARK brown sugar (packed)
• 2 – extra large eggs
• 3 – teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 – teaspoon almond extract
• 2 1/2 – cups flour
• 1 – teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 – teaspoon salt
• 12 – ounces semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a mixer add in peanut butter, butter, sugar and brown sugar. Mix on medium speed until creamy and smooth.
2. Add in eggs and continue mixing until combined.
3. Next add in both vanilla and almond extract. Mix to combine.
4. In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.
5. Then gradually pour the flour mixture into the creamy butter/sugar mixture while the mixer is running on low.
6. Add in chocolate chips. Mix until completely combined.
7. Scoop out a heaping 1/8 cup and slightly mold in your hands.
8. Then place each molded cookie on a cookie sheet lined with a baking mat.
9. Place the cookie sheet in the fridge for 30 minutes.
10. Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
11. Remove cookie sheet from fridge and place in the oven
12. Bake cookies for 15 to 16 minutes or until edges are golden.
13. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
14. Enjoy!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Whole Foods Market. The recipe and opinions are 100% my own. 

There is no other way to describe this drink other than “Mmmmm, that’s good.” Those were the first words out of my fiances mouth as I poured him a tall sip. Let me rewind a little and tell you the back story. It starts with Muscat grapes. Have you ever tried a Muscat grape? The Muscat Grape is a pink seedless grape, with a very sweet and rich flavor. These grapes come all the way from Chile and range in color from light green to deeply blushed with pink (the ripest and best), with a softer succulent texture. Basically they are a dreamy grape that need to be adored. The tricky part is they are only available for a short time at Whole Foods Market in my lovely California, from now thru late mid-April. Okay, with those facts in mind I know that I am only able to appreciate their beautiful-ness for a short period of time. SO, the other day I was at Whole Foods Market buying some mangos and a pile of cheese when I spotted the muscat grapes. I made a serious bee-line for them and started to stock up. My fiance says “What? Why are you buying so many grapes?” I come back at him with “Well my Tia Brilla is in town and what if she wants grapes, and maybe we can freeze some and have as a healthy late night snack, and they taste great in salads, and I’ve been wanting to make agua de uvas.” He shook his head, and gave me a look like I was CRAZY! Until he tried them himself of course. Isn’t it always like that? I definitely threw some in the freezer, add a few to a salad I made over the weekend, served my Tia Brilla some during her visit, and made a big jug of agua de uvas y sandía. YUM! I highly suggest you stock up now, before it’s way too late.

Ingredients for grape and watermelon water:

• 2 – pounds muscat grapes (seedless) (stem removed)
• 8 – cups of chopped up watermelon (peeling removed)
• 6 – cups water
• 1/2 – cup sugar
• 2 – limes (juiced)

Directions:

1. Place grapes in blender with 1 cup water. You may have to do this step several times depending on the size of your blender.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Pour grape blend through sieve and allow all liquid to pass through and fall into a pitcher. This step will collect all the skin from the grapes. You may have to scrape the inside of the sieve with a spoon to allow any remaining liquid to pass through. 
4. Next blend all the watermelon. Again add a cup of water to the blender and this time add in the sugar. Blend till smooth.
5. Pour watermelon blend through the sieve and allow it to fall into the same pitcher as the grape blend.
6. Add in remaining water and lime juice. Mix to combine.
7. Chill in fridge until super cold.
8. Serve and enjoy!

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post for Whole Foods Market Long Beach.

It’s absolutely NO secret that I am a serious cheese lover. If you read my blog religiously or even follow halfheartedly then you know. Come on people…. my logo is a little mouse…. that’s because I love cheese. I’m getting ahead of myself, let me start where I received an email from one of my contacts over at Whole Foods Market asking if I would be interested in giving away a $50.oo dollar gift card to WFM on my blog to one of my readers. Of course I said yes…. Who doesn’t love Whole Foods?

It’s funny, cuz the second I think of Whole Foods Market, I think of their cheese selection.   The mountains of formage that pile neatly in the corner of the store. It’s like a little hide away where one can run and drool. I also instantly think of making cheese platters for holiday parties or parties in front of the TV or maybe Santa needs a cheese plate instead of cookies this year. Today while I was at Whole Foods buying some cheese to make a party platter, I ran across a new little sign that read “Grab N Go Cheese $5.00 or less!” Can you believe? I bought a few chunks of cheese from the bargain basket, but then with all the savings I did splurged on nuts and olives. I’ll go over some tips for cheese making in a minute, but what I really want to share is this awesome event that is taking place on Monday Dec. 16th from 6p.m. to 8p.m. at Whole Foods Market in Long Beach. It’s called the Dressing Rehearsal….  It’s a free in-store holiday tasting event with chef demos, sampling of delicious holiday dishes and special holiday offerings. Pssst… here are the features of the event, don’t say I never shared anything with you:

• Beer & Wine – Holiday favorites, pairings and sampling
• Holiday Cheese Board – How to create
• Premier Party Dips sampling
• Coffee and seasonal treats
• Alternative Holiday Dishes

It’s super exciting, and a great place to pick up a few tips! Not to mention snack on some yummy munchies.   Here’s the address:

6550 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach, California 90803

Here are some tips for BYOBrie: Start with your favorite brie like Isigny Sainte-Mère French Brie (exclusive to Whole Foods Market) and then grab pre-portioned toppers to mix and match, like dried cranberries or apricots, candied pecans, marcona almonds, honey, fig jam and more to suit a variety of palates. I sometimes add a bowl of olives. Or wrap the whole thing in pastry and add some jam to it, then pop it in the oven.

Would you like to enter for a  chance toWIN a $50.00 gift card to Whole Foods Market? 

Up to 4 chances to win:

1. Please tell me in a comment below what appetizer you serve for a holiday party. 

2. Subscribe to Presley’s Pantry You Tube Channel, by clicking here.

3. Follow Whole Foods Market Long Beach on Twitter, by clicking here.

4. Tweet “Enter for a chance to win a $50.00 gift card to Whole Foods Market! Via @PresleysPantry https://presleyspantry.com/2013/12/13/how-to-make-a-cheese-plate/ #‎AD @WholeFoodsLBC ”

Leave a message below with each action you took, so I can keep track! Good Luck!

Open to U.S. Residents only. No PO Boxes, please. Must be 18 years or older to enter. Contest ends December 18th, 2013 at 9:00 PM, PST and one (1) winner will be randomly chosen from all entries through random.org, and contacted by email. The winner will have 24 hours to respond with a mailing address, or the next winner up will be chosen. Good Luck!

“Stop acting like a hungry little monkey”, those words came spilling out of my mouth faster than I could catch them.  I didn’t say it in a mean way,  I just said it as a matter of fact.  You see my friend Karla was over and I had just come from buying a bunch of fruit to curb this Bionico craving that had been hankering at the back of my tongue for the last couple of days. When I mentioned in passing I was going to start working on a dish of bionico, she turned into a hyper, nagging, relentless little infected blister.  Saying to me every other minute “Are you going to make that bionico?”, “What time are you going to make the bionico?”, “How much bionico are you going to make?”,  “Can I take some home?”  I felt like her energy turned into a nervous twitch and if she could scratch the side of her ribcage and make ooooh and ahhhh sounds she would.  Don’t get me wrong, I understand the power of the bionico, but she was acting straight out grubby. I started to feel uneasy and wanted to protect and hover over my now sacred bionico…. thats when I just blurted it out,  “Stop acting like a hungry little monkey.” Her eyes grew wide, I don’t know if she was embarrassed or if she was just stunned by the reality of my words. It was too late, the truth was on the table.  I tried to glaze over what had just happened by abruptly shifting gears with a long,  sincere explanation of how September is National Organics Month, and Whole Foods Market is celebrating with an abundance of fresh, organic grapes in stores all month long.  This eased the blow, then I whipped up a big bowl of  bionico and forced myself to share half with her.

Ingredients for Bionico: 

1 1/2- cups organic red grapes (sliced in half)

1/2 – cup organic green grapes (sliced in half)

2 – sliced bananas

1 1/2 – cups peeled and chopped mango

1 1/2 – cups watermelon (cubed)

1 – cup green apple (cubed)

1 – cup pineapple (cubed)

1 – cup strawberries (sliced)

1/2 – cup sugar

3/4 – cup sour cream

1/2 – cup raisins

1/2 – cup chopped almonds

Mix all fruit in a big bowl.

Then in a small bowl mix sugar, and sour cream together until smooth. Then pour over mixed fruit and mix well.

Serve in a serving bowl and sprinkle with raisins and almonds. Enjoy!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Whole Foods Market, but the recipe and opinions are my own. 

I usually ride the craving wave of what my body wants to eat, and 50% of the time it yearns for salad. Sometimes as a main meal and sometimes as a side. Now the same can’t be said for my son, and I’m having a difficult time introducing salad into his diet. I keep trying and looking for new ways to make this introduction a lifelong habit of his. I want to teach him young to eat healthy. Do I mix more red ingredients in the salad? Should I start with just lettuce? What if I cut all the vegetables up into cute shapes? I tell you it’s been a struggle. Long story short, I was absolutely thrilled when I heard Whole Foods Market (Southern Pacific Region- Southern California, Hawaii, Arizona, and Las Vegas) are donating $$$$$ to help put in salad bars at local schools. My son’s school doesn’t have a salad bar, but if they did this would help with my salad training efforts, not just for my boy but for kids all over the district. Sign me up… What do I have to do? On Sunday Sept. 9th, 2012 Whole Foods Market will donate $1.00 for every pound of food purchased from the salad bar and hot food bars to move salad bars into local schools through The Whole Kids Foundation.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Whole Foods Market, but is a cause I truly stand behind and am proud to be a part of. 

Eating fruit at it’s peak in the season is the best gift Mother Nature provides.  This luxury of sweetness can only be found in a piece of fruit at the height of it’s ripe/maturity.  Right now the spotlight is shining brightly on Cherries! Whole Foods Markets are celebrating their 3rd Annual Cherry Fest by bringing the best cherries to their stores for us customers to sink our teeth into. When this type of opportunity is conveniently placed at your fingertips you take it and run.  I bought several bags, around 6 pounds worth.  I thought “I can eat them all by myself or I could be a friend and invite some pals over for a Cherry Social.”  I decided to do the latter.  We enjoyed some in their natural glory and with the other I created a few dishes to serve at my gathering of friends.  The Cherry Menu:  Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding, Chicken Cherry Salad Sandwiches and Cherry Watermelon Sangria!

Run over to Whole Foods Market, grab a few bags of cherries in their peak season sweetness and make these recipes.  I promise you won’t be disappointed.

For the Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding, I bought all the ingredients at Whole Foods Market.  WFM makes my all-time favorite store bought cookie sold in their amazing bulk section, Amaretti Cookie.  I love the flavor sooooo much I incorporated it into the bread pudding thinking Cherry and Amaretto work wonderfully together and boy was I right. Hee-hee!  I also used their chocolate pound cake and Greenlee’s Best Cinnamon Bread (also sold in store).  This Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding was made in a pyrex dish then spooned into cupcake holders to serve individually.  Topped with a fresh cherry.  Enjoy.

Ingredients for Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding:

1o – Amaretti cookies (crushed)

5 – cups chocolate pound cake (cut into 1 inch cubes)

5 – cups Greenlee’s Best Cinnamon Bread (cut into 1 inch cubes)

2 – cups semi sweet chocolate chips

1 – cup sliced almonds

2 – cups fresh cherries (pitted and cut into 4 pieces)

1 1/4 – cups sugar

4 – eggs

1 – teaspoon cinnamon

1 – teaspoon almond extract

1 – teaspoon vanilla

3 – cups half and half

1 – cup whole milk

5 – tablespoons unsalted butter (melted and brought back to room temperature) plus a little extra to butter your dish.

 All photos taken by Nicole Presley

Preheat oven to 300 degrees fahrenheit.

Crush Amaretti cookies and cut pound cake and cinnamon bread into cubes.  Combine all in a big mixing bowl.

Next add in chocolate chips and sliced almonds.  Mix well.  Set to the side.

Wash cherries and pitt them all.  Then slice each cherry into 4 pieces.  Set to the side.

Generously grease a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish, now take 6 cups of  bread cubes and place in baking dish, arrange neatly to make your first layer.  Then add all cherry slices.

Place remaining bread cubes mixture on top of cherries and press down to compact dish. Set to the side.

With a electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs together on high for 4 minutes.  Next add cinnamon, almond extract, vanilla, half and half, milk and butter.  Beat for 2 minutes.  Carefully ladle egg/half and half mixture over prepared bread cubes.

Once egg/half and half mixture is poured in, gently  press down on bread cubes with both hands to make sure they are soaked in egg/half and half mixture.

Now in a large baking dish or roasting pan (15 x 10 inches) fill 1 inch deep with hot water to create a water bath, then place the 9 x 13 inch prepared bread pudding dish in the middle of the 15 x 10 water bath (you want the bath to go halfway up the side of the 9 x 13 inch dish) and place in oven for 1 hour.

As soon as the bread pudding is ready, remove from water bath and and let it cool for 1 hour.

Spoon bread pudding into cupcake holders for individual servings.  Top with a cherry and sprinkle with Amaretti cookie crumbs if you have any left. 🙂  Place in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours or overnight.

Scroll down for the Chicken Cherry Salad Sandwiches!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by Whole Foods Market. However all opinions and recipes are my own. I genuinely love Whole Foods Market. 🙂

Summertime goes hand in hand with Sangria.  They meet up year after year like best friends on holiday.  A crony of mine told me Beringer White Zinfandel on ice was his favorite way to enjoy a summer night.  I invited him over for my Cherry Social, and wanted to make sure he really enjoyed his White Zinfandel that evening, so decided to take it up a notch and make it into a Sangria.  I might as well have served him liquid gold…. He loved it.  Everyone else at the gathering loved the Sangria as well.  The cherries sweet-tart flavor and the White Zinfandel blend together perfectly, and the candied sweetness of watermelon pushes this Sangria to a new height.  Enjoy it this evening for a taste of summer on holiday.

Ingredients for Cherry Watermelon Sangria:

3 – cups of chopped watermelon

2 – cups Whole Foods Market cherries (pitted and sliced in half)

2 – liters of lemon lime soda

4.5 – liters of Beringer White Zinfandel

In a large jug add watermelon and cherries.

Then pour in lemon lime soda.  Top with White Zinfandel.  Mix well.

Pour over ice and enjoy

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by Whole Foods Market. However all opinions and recipes are my own. I genuinely love Whole Foods Market. 🙂