This post was sponsored by Shaws and Star Market. All opinions are my own.
Hi, there!
Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to spend the day with 25 other bloggers, celebrating the launch of the Albertsons Companies Signature family of brands. During the event, we tasted, experienced, and enjoyed various Signature products firsthand in a relaxing and fun (!!) setting.
The Signature line includes more than 4,000 items- from coffee and juice, soup to cereal, fresh produce to fried chicken, and delicious prepared foods to paper towels among other home staples. Signature products are exclusive to and carried by all banners of the Albertsons stores at an exceptional value. (FYI: I buy my Signature products at my local Shaws and Star Market stores, and you can also find them at all Albertsons Companies grocery stores, including Albertsons, Safeway, Jewel-Osco, ACME, Vons, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb, United Express and United.) The Signature brand includes products across six sectors: Signature Select, Signature Kitchens, Signature Farms, Signature Cafe, Signature Home, and Signature Care.
The event was held at a beautiful private residence of a well-known photographer in the Hollywood Hills.
And, oh my gosh, the house was gorgeous, both inside and out!
The day kicked off with a coffee bar featuring Kona Blend coffee from the Signature Select line.
I added a little sugar-free caramel flavoring (a single drop went a long way), which gave my coffee just the right amount of sweetness.
Of course, I made an iced version!
Breakfast was an avocado toast bar, complete with freshly grilled French bread, bacon, honey, red pepper flakes, and other tasty toppings, all from the Signature line.
Isn’t an avocado toast bar such a great idea?!
Hazelnut spread + bacon? I didn’t think of that combo until right now, but I wish I had tried it.
After breakfast, we enjoyed a cooking demonstration and culinary trends discussion with Executive Chef Jeff Anderson of Albertsons Companies Culinary Kitchens and Technical Center. (He’s also a fellow pug lover.) Chef Jeff showed us how to make his Signature Chicken Marinade (recipe below) and shared a number of delicious ways to make it your own with regard to ingredients (i.e. raspberry jam, honey mustard) and how you use it (i.e. glaze on fish).
Chef Jeff’s Signature Chicken Marinade
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Signature Kitchens Orange Marmalade
- 1-3 tablespoons Sriracha sauce (to taste)
- 1/2 cup Signature Kitchens Soy Sauce
- 1 cup Signature Farms 100% Orange Juice
- 2 tablespoons Signature Kitchens Dijon Mustard
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
Directions: Whisk ingredients together and use immediately or refrigerate for later use.
Tip: Chef Jeff says he’ll marinate 15 chicken breasts overnight at once and then pop them in the freezer for future use.
Next up was making our own flatbread pizzas from dough made from Signature ingredients (i.e. flour, sugar, salt).
Hanging out with other bloggers is truly the best. We get each other.
Grilled flatbread pizza? Yes, please!
Then, we topped our crusts with tasty ingredients from the Signature line.
I went with pesto, butternut squash, arugula, bacon, mozzarella, and balsamic vinegar. Yummmm!
Lunch al fresco!
After lunch, Tiffani Thiessen arrived and chatted with us about her cooking show, motherhood, and her Saved by the Bell days.
Some highlights:
- She brought her 9-month old son to the event because she’s breast feeding. She actually stepped away mid-event to feed her little guy.
- She’s still friends with Mark-Paul Gosselaar (aka Zack Morris) and recently had him as a guest on her cooking show.
- The food served at The Max on Saved by the Bell was from a random 24-hour restaurant around the corner from the studio.
- Her family owns 6 rescue chickens.
- She has a cookbook coming out soon.
- She was a vegetarian for 15 years before she got pregnant. She told us a story about being in a prenatal yoga class one day and the smell of In ‘N’ Out burger nearby made her crave a burger in a major way. After that, she started eating meat on the regular. That was 6 years ago and she hasn’t looked back.
- She loves cooking, but she doesn’t cook for her family every night.
- She learned how to cook from her mom. One of Tiffani’s favorite recipes is her mom’s Cream Cheese Pie.
- Her favorite quickie meals to cook for her family are pasta and BLTs.
- One of her favorite cooking tips is preheating her baking sheets before using them. That way, the food doesn’t stick.
After chatting for quite awhile, we moved to the kitchen and Tiffani made us all dessert. (I totally snapped the photo below to show you guys her shoes. Aren’t they amazing?! And within minutes of the event wrapping up, she changed into flip flops. Love that. It’s something I would totally do!)
I love this ice cream sandwich hack from Tiffani and just had to share: Buy a container of ice cream and then slice it into pieces for the perfect size cookie filling.
Tiffani made each one of us an ice cream sandwich using different flavors and (incredible) chocolate chip cookies from the Signature Select line.
She also rolled each one in chopped nuts for an extra special touch.
Mine had butter pecan ice cream inside. OMG, it was heavenly.
I am totally making these soon. They are so easy!
Tiffani also shared another dessert favorite: Signature Affogato (aka ice cream with freshly brewed coffee poured over the top). Mmm… love this idea too!
The event concluded with a goodbye toast and photos with Tiffani.
She snapped a photo (or two) with every blogger and even stayed after the event to chat some more. Even though she’s a famous celebrity, Tiffani seemed very down-to-earth as both a mom and home cook.
Thank you, Albertsons, for such an amazing experience. I absolutely loved the event and Signature products, and I can’t wait to explore them some more in the future!
Questions of the Day
Who’s your favorite celebrity chef/host?
Who’s your favorite celebrity mom?
Have you seen the Signature line at your local grocery store?
