Holiday Meal Planning

November 21, 2012 By Anne

Do you make the same old meal every year? Why not get creative and make something new?

I had the opportunity to interview Chef David Eisel, renowned chef and brains behind Bob Evans.

I was able to send in my questions and I have a video for you to watch of my interview!

Here are my questions:

We make the same old dinner every year. What can we do to make interesting?

My husband loves sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top. Are there other ways to make them just as tasty?

What’s a great new side dish this year?

How can I make great gravy?

This interview opportunity is sponsored by Bob Evans Farms

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

The California Wine Club

November 15, 2012 By Anne

I’m not a huge wine drinker, but I do like a glass once and awhile. My parents both drink wine and I’ve tasted many different ones from them.

My favorite wine would be a Merlot. I like it at room temperature. I remember my brother introduced me to Merlot….

I was able to review two bottle from The California Wine Club. One red and one white. They are from the Robledo Family Winery.

The red is Tempranillo, 2009. My father and stepmom were down to visit when we opened the red wine. They buy wine by the cases and have belonged to several wine clubs. They really enjoyed the Tempranillo. I enjoyed it with my Italian dinner. They had a bottle they brought along and said they liked mine better.

The white wine was a Sauvignan Blanc, 2008. I tried it and was not pleased with it. However white wine is not my favorite. I did take it along to my mother’s house and she and my uncle did enjoy the Sauvignan Blanc. They said is was slightly dry, not too tart and smooth.

I think I will stick with reds!

So wine choose a wine club? It’s really a great way to try new wines and if you find one you like you can re-order! The California Wine Club lets you choose red or white or both! You can order as gift for someone or yourself!

What makes www.cawineclub.com different than all the other clubs? They hand-pick every wine featured. Each winery is visited in person and two bottles are selected of their very best! No bulk or discounted wines here!

I will be getting another shipment next month and look forward to sharing with you! There will be a giveaway as well!

Make sure to then out on Twitter and Facebook too.

This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own. I received a 2 month Membership to the California Wine Club for the purpose of this review.

Anne

Get Ready for Unexpected Guests #blastorchill

November 11, 2012 By Anne

<!—LG Logo Tag for: Mommy Has To Work – Affiliate ID – 1647650462 –>

Tis the season for company and guests!

What do you do when your husband calls and says I’m bring friends home for dinner? Or how about if your friends from out of town call and say we are just a couple hours away and want to come visit?

My dad used to do this to my mom all the time back in the day. My mom would look through the house and pull together a quick dinner and/or several appetisers to serve.

I thought about what I would do in this situation and scoured through my cabinets to see what was on hand. I always have pasta and sauce on hand, as I stock up on these when they are on sale. I usually have a bag of salad in the fridge. Peanuts and popcorn are usually in the pantry. Cheese and crackers are most often found in my home. And wine is the cabinet.

Some tips to keep in mind if this happens to you….

* Keep some staples stocked, nuts, popcorn, cheese and crackers. These are all great appetizers.

* Making a great dish doesn’t have to be hard. Zita takes about 15 minutes to make and another 15 to bake. It’s always been a crowd pleaser in my house. Keep sauce and noodles on hand. You can even make one and freeze.

* Keep candles handy. About an hour before company, I light a few cinnamon candles.

* Wine is great to keep on hand. We don’t drink often, but wine is good for any occasion. If you have the The LG Blast Chiller, available in the 3-Door Super Capacity French-Door refrigerator (LFX31935), can chill a room temperature, 12oz beverage in five minutes or a bottle of wine in just eight minutes. By comparison, a typical refrigerator takes about 40 minutes to accomplish this task – even in the freezer. This refrigerator is also among the largest capacity 36-inch refrigerators currently on the market, offering almost 20 percent more space and the ability to store over 50 gallons of milk.

* Cleaning? I throw all the clutter in my room and shut the door!

I did a mock get together with only what I had in my kitchen and here is what I came up with…

Ziti

Cheese and crackers

Peanuts and popcorn

Wine

For more great ideas check out : https://www.facebook.com/LGUSA/blastchiller

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What do you do when unexpected company comes over?

The LG Blast Chiller, available in the 3-Door Super Capacity French-Door refrigerator (LFX31935), can chill a room temperature, 12oz beverage in five minutes or a bottle of wine in just eight minutes. By comparison, a typical refrigerator takes about 40 minutes to accomplish this task – even in the freezer. This refrigerator is also among the largest capacity 36-inch refrigerators currently on the market, offering almost 20 percent more space and the ability to store over 50 gallons of milk.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by LG via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of LG.

Anne

Pre-Theatre Meal Options

October 25, 2012 By Anne

This is a partnered guest post.

A night out to the theatre is an exhilarating experience, and a wonderful way to start your evening is with a pre-theatre meal. Many people decide to turn a trip to the theatre into a whole weekend away, and companies such as Show and Stay provide theatre and hotel packages for a huge range of West End shows. Why not add to your experience with some fine dining after seeing a spectacular show? In the London area there are a fantastic array of great eateries serving a wide variety of cuisines, which cater to almost any budget.

Bocca Di Lupo

Bocco Di Lupo is a chic restaurant in close proximity to many of Theatreland’s top shows. The restaurant, which is situated in the heart of Soho, specializes in Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. They serve dishes including tagliatelle with porcini, butter and sage, Artichoke alla giudia and fried squid, prawns, courgettes and lemon. Be prepared to spend a little extra for this delicious high-quality food, which makes a top choice for discerning guests not beholden to a budget.

Waterloo Bar and Grill

Just across the road from the esteemed Old Vic Theatre, the Waterloo Bar and Grill is a great pre-theatre eating spot for those who enjoy a good steak or wide selection of cuisines. The restaurant even boasts a special pre-theatre menu, with choices ranging from traditional English to international food. Tasty choices include grilled salmon fillet and squid, Waterloo nachos, meat plate and chicken Caesar salad. The restaurant is also reasonably priced.

Joe Allen

Joe Allen is particularly popular with theatre-goers and serves American cuisine, offers a fun atmosphere and all at a reasonable price. The restaurant, which offers an ambient, laid-back atmosphere, serves tantalizing dishes including baby leaf salad with tabbouleh, buffalo chicken wings with carrot sticks and blue cheese dip, and roasted leg of lamb with roasted vegetables and mint gravy.

Bentley’s Oyster Bar and Grill

Bentley’s Oyster Bar and Grill is the ideal place for seafood lovers. Nestled in London’s West End, its succulent dishes include Thai crab and mussel soup, butter poached smoked haddock with hens’ egg and buttered leeks, sea bass sashimi and lobster bisque. On the slightly pricier side, the restaurant is ideal for splashing out on a classy meal before your show..

Christopher’s — Covent Garden

This restaurant is in an ideal location for a pre-theatre meal. Christopher’s specializes in American cuisine, and it serves superb food. Dishes range from crab and shrimp louie, chilled andalucÍa gazpacho, roast rack of lamb and summer bean medley to ricotta and basil mousse, corn-fed breast of chicken and spinach salad with saffron dressing.

These ideas were brought to by Show and Stay, the UK’s providers of theatre breaks to the West End.

Anne

Get Creative with Nestle This Halloween

October 22, 2012 By Anne

Halloween is almost here and we have so many parties to go to!

Friday we have a Halloween party within our community, Saturday we are putting together a party in our neighborhood and Monday is my daughter’s party at school! Three parties in 4 days!!

What to bring? How about some fun treats made with Nestle candies!!

These Skull and Bones Cupcakes, pictures above, look adorable and yummy too! Plus they are super easy to make!

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (18.25 oz.) yellow or vanilla cake mix 6 individual boxes Orange NERDS from Spooky WONKA NERDS candy bag 1 container (16 oz.) prepared vanilla frosting 24 NESTLÉ CRUNCH Fun-Size Candy Bars 1 small tube decorator icing 4 individual boxes WONKA SweeTARTS Skulls N’ Bones from WONKA Monster MIX UPS assorted candy bag

Directions:

PREPARE cake mix batter according to package directions; add Nerds to batter. Bake according to directions for 24 cupcakes. Cool completely. Frost cupcakes, using a little more frosting than usual on top (“tombstones” will be pushed into frosting).
WRITE spooky words such as “RIP” or “BOO” on Crunch bars using decorator icing. Let sit for a few minutes to dry.
PRESS Crunch bars into cupcakes to create “tombstones.” Creatively place Skulls N’ Bones next to “tombstones

Or try these Butterfinger Carmel Apples!! Oh my goodness, I haven;t had a carmel apple in forever! Adding Butterfingers to the outside is like the icing on the cake!

Ingredients:

6 lollipop or wooden craft sticks (found in cake decorating or hobby shops) 6 tart apples (washed, dried and stems removed) 1 package (14 ounces) caramels 2 tablespoons water 2 (2.1 ounces each) NESTLÉ BUTTERFINGER Candy Bars (chopped)

Directions:

LINE tray or baking sheet with wax paper. Insert 1 stick into stem end of each apple.
MICROWAVE caramels and water in large, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 2 minutes; stir. Microwave at additional 10- to 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth.
DIP each apple in melted caramel; scrape excess caramel from bottoms. Quickly roll bottom half of apples in chopped Butterfinger, then place on prepared tray. Refrigerate for 45 minutes or until set. Store apples in refrigerator in airtight container. Apples are best if they are served the same day as they are prepared.
NOTE: If caramel becomes firm, return to microwave oven for 20 to 30 seconds or until dipping consistency. Two (1.5 ounces each) NESTLÉ CRUNCH Candy Bars may be used in place of NESTLÉ BUTTERFINGER Candy Bars.

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What special treats are you making this Halloween?

I received Nestle Candy to make some awesome treats. Opinions are my own.