Home Maid Simple

Category: Entrees

  • Disney’s BRAVE – Scotch Eggs Recipe

    Disney’s BRAVE – Scotch Eggs Recipe

    Make it a movie night with Brave and these Scotch Eggs! 
    Make it a family movie night. Watch Brave and enjoy Scotch Eggs.
    We love the movie Brave. It was one we were truly excited for from the first preview we saw over 6 years ago. When Brave came out we were in the middle of the Princess craze with our little girls.  They loved Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and the Little Mermaid. It was also during a time where there seemed to be a lot of backlash on Princesses in general.
     


    Why did Princesses always need a Prince? Couldn’t they take care of themselves? They’re always so helpless – well except Belle. I think people often overlooked her in their generalizations of the helpless Princesses. Actually, I could give a good argument on why every single one of the Disney Princesses was not helpless, and actually quite brave in their own individual stories. 
     
    That should probably be its own post. Instead, let’s talk about Brave and the strong-willed red-headed Scottish Princess. Merida. She is a spitfire! And one of my favorite princesses to watch. I’m raising my own little spitfire, and while she and I have way too many head-butting moments like Merida and her mother – I am actually grateful for that determination. 
    Make it a movie night with BRAVE and this recipe for Scotch Eggs.
     
    When I first watched Brave, I thought it was how Merida was brave enough to stand up for herself against family. She was brave to be herself, and live her own life. The more I watch it, the more I love the ending. Merida was brave for doing those things, but she became braver when she admited she was wrong, took ownership of her choices, and apologized to those she hurt. Saying sorry and meaning it, is the bravest thing any of us can do, and too few of us choose to do. 
     
    I’ve made it a personal goal to always apologize to my children when I’m wrong, or when I let my inner bear come out. I want them to know that I’m human, and that apologizing is a good thing. The first few times were not easy, but it’s become a natural habit, and has allowed a lot of trust between us all. 
     
    Check out these other family movie night recipes:
     
    For a fun family movie night, I would highly suggest making these Scotch Eggs! They were a lot of fun to make, and they tasted fantastic! Granted my kids hate eggs…but they all gave the scotch eggs a try, and some really liked them. Some just enjoyed the sausage casing, but that’s ok too. They showed me they were brave enough to give something new a try. 
    Make it a family movie night with this recipe for Scotch Eggs and the movie Brave.
    I knew the kids would be hesitant to try the eggs, and I wasn’t sure just how filling they would be so I paired it with a side of sauteed root veggies. A couple of chopped potatoes and some rainbow carrots from our backyard garden were just screaming to me for a hearty Scottish side. Toss them in a little oil, add some garlic and salt and cook up until fork tender. You’ll love it with the Scotch Eggs!
    Scotch Eggs
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    Ingredients
    1. 8 large eggs, hard boiled, chilled, and shelled
    2. 16oz pork sausage
    3. 2 raw egg
    4. 1/2 cup milk
    5. 1 cup flour
    6. 2 cups panko bread crumbs
    7. dash of thyme, basil, and chives
    8. oil for frying
    9. salt and pepper
    Set up a breading station using separate bowls
    1. 1. Flour, salt, and pepper
    2. 2.Egg Wash – raw eggs and milk, whisked to mix well.
    3. 3. Panko Bread crumbs and herbs
    4. Portion the sausage into 8 balls. Flatten each ball into a thin round disc.
    5. Encase each boiled egg evenly in the sausage, making sure it closes well all around.
    6. Coat with flour, egg wash, then panko bread crumbs.
    7. Preheat oil to 350F.
    8. Cook meat encased eggs for 5 minutes until golden brown.
    9. Drain on a paper towel, and season with salt.
    10. Serve warm.
    Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/


  • Braised Pork Chops with Garlic Butter and Basil

    Braised Pork Chops with Garlic Butter and Basil

    These braised pork chops will be the last way you cook your pork chops ever again!

    Braised pork chops with garlic butter and basil You may also like this recipe for Cinnamon and Sugar Sweet Potatoes

    A couple weeks ago I picked up the last pork chops I’d ever get from Zaycon Fresh. If you were one of their customers you probably have had some strong emotions over the past 2 weeks as they suddenly closed their doors and left us all hanging. Thankfully I had received my 25lbs of Pork Chops before the crazy closing. Unfortunately, I did not receive my 40lbs of chicken. <Sad Face>

    I digress a bit there. I ordered the pork because it’s Mark’s favorite type of meat, and one we don’t always grab due to tight budgets. That first night after filling our freezer, I walked out of the kids’ bedroom to the most delicious aroma filling our house. 

    Braised pork chops in garlic butter and basil Mark was in the kitchen cooking us up a late night adult dinner of braised pork chops. That first bite – oh my word! I was ruined for any other meat flavor. 25lbs of pork chops were going to be cooked just like this because there was a celebration going on on my taste buds. 

    You know in the movie Ratatouille when Remi is trying to refine his brothers taste buds? If you haven’t seen it, well just watch this. Then get ready for a pork chop that will bring all that action to your mouth. 

     A few days later I just had to have more of that pork! So I called up Mark at work and asked him to send me the directions so I could get it on the table before he got home. 

    Now, this may not be traditional braising, or correct braising, but it’s pretty close, and the final result is a tender piece of pork chop that even kids can enjoy. I paired our braised pork chops with mashed sweet potatoes and a side salad for a balanced plate. 

    Braised Pork Chops with Garlic Butter and Basil
    Serves 4
    The only braised pork chops recipe you’ll ever need.
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    Cook Time
    40 min
    Cook Time
    40 min
    Ingredients
    1. 4 boneless Pork Chops
    2. 8 TBS Butter
    3. 3 TBS minced garlic
    4. 3 TBS fresh basil
    5. lime juice
    Instructions
    1. In a large frying pan, melt 2 TBS butter.
    2. Sear both sides of the pork chops over high heat. Remove pork from pan.
    3. Add the rest of the butter, garlic, and basil. Turn heat to low, and melt the rest of the butter.
    4. Return the pork to the pan. Cook over medium-low heat for approximately 30 minutes, periodically basting the pork with the butter and herbs. Turn the pork over halfway through cooking.
    5. With 5 minutes left of cooking, splash the pork with lime juice.
    Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/
    We used the Dorot Gardens garlic and basil that you can find in the freezer section of your grocery store. I love how convenient these are, but they are by no means necessary for this recipe. 


  • Slow Cooker Kung Pao Lettuce Wraps with Turkey

    Slow Cooker Kung Pao Lettuce Wraps with Turkey

    This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Conagra Brands. All opinions are mine alone. #RecipesThatCrock #SeasonalSolutions #CollectiveBias

    Enjoy Asian cuisine at home without slaving over the stove. This recipe for Kung Pao Lettuce Wraps with Turkey is simmered in your slow cooker all day, blending the flavors to perfection.

    Slow Cooker Kung Pao Lettuce Wraps with Turkey are a delicious family recipe. ad One of the first things Mark and I enjoyed when we got married 12 years ago, was a Lettuce Wrap appetizer. I had never heard of food being wrapped in just lettuce before, but I was hooked!

    I’ve been slightly obsessed with lettuce wraps ever since. Well about a month ago, I decided I wanted some Lettuce Wraps again for our Sunday dinner. But I really didn’t want to be in the kitchen a lot either, so I decided to toss it in the slow cooker in the morning. By the time we got home in the evening, our house was smelling fantastic, and all I had to do was pull out the lettuce.

    Slow cooker Kung Pao Lettuce Wraps with Turkey recipe. ad Mark loved them! The kids loved them. It was a fantastic meal all around. Fast forward, and I wanted to make some lettuce wraps again this last week. I’ve been eyeing the P.F. Chang’s® Home Menu Sauces for quite some time, and finally decided they needed to make an appearance in our dinner. I headed out to Meijer where I knew I could find all my ingredients. Since we’re cooking easy, I also picked up a can of RO*TEL® Tomatoes with Green Chilies. When I’m simmering in the slow cooker, I find a can of RO*TEL is easier to use and provides the same flavors as if I went through all the work of chopping and dicing fresh.

    Make recipes that crock with Meijer. ad

    You know we love Asian cuisines around here, and P.F. Chang’s knows how to create the perfect sauces. Do you know their secret? It’s cornstarch! No crazy chemicals, just good old-fashioned, found in every home cooks pantry – cornstarch. This helps the sauce stick right to your food, so you don’t lose any of the flavors. Reading the label – because I read labels like crazy these days – and I know every ingredient on their list. 

    Slow Cooker Kung Pao Lettuce Wraps with Turkey recipe. ad 8 Ingredients is all it takes for these Slow Cooker Kung Pao Lettuce Wraps. I like to use turkey as it is a bit healthier for you, and I kind of have a freezer full of it – another post for another day. All you have to do is toss everything in your slow cooker, set it to low, and then go enjoy your family for the day. Then come home in the evening, and sit down to a delicious Asian meal that you barely lifted a finger for.

    Kung Pao Lettuce Wraps
    Serves 6
    Enjoy Asian Cuisine at home without all the work!
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    Prep Time
    10 min
    Cook Time
    6 hr
    Prep Time
    10 min
    Cook Time
    6 hr
    Ingredients
    1. 2lbs Ground Turkey, cooked and drained
    2. P.F. Chang’s® Kung Pao Home Menu Sauce
    3. 12oz RO*TEL® Tomatoes & Green Chilies
    4. 12oz Baby Corn
    5. 1 cup sweet onion, chopped
    6. 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
    7. Salt and Pepper to taste
    8. 1tsp Lime Juice
    9. Lettuce
    Instructions
    1. Combine all ingredients, except the lettuce, in your slow cooker.
    2. Cook on low for 6 hours, or high for 3.
    3. Serve on Lettuce
    Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/

    Looking for more slow cooker recipes? Grab more Recipes and Inspiration here. 

    Slow Cooker Kung Pao Lettuce Wraps with Turkey recipe is a meal your family will love. ad

     

  • Montel Williams Steak Fajitas Recipe

    Montel Williams Steak Fajitas Recipe

    Cinco De Mayo is around the corner, so we’re headed a little south for some Steak Fajitas – Montel Williams style. Whether you have Mexican heritage, ties to the Mexican-American War, or just love a good reason to celebrate with one of the most flavorful cuisines around, this is the day for you. I received product to review, however, all thoughts are my own. 

    Enjoy some Steak Fajitas with Montel Williams Marinade recipe. ad

    Similar to the Mexican’s defeat over the French Army, Montel Williams has been fighting, if you will, for better health for himself. Now he wants to share the knowledge he’s gained through his first-ever line of products – Living Well with Montel.

    Designed to help everyone live a healthier lifestyle at an affordable cost. Compared to other high-end blenders, Montel’s is about half the cost and from my experience works just as well. 

    I’ve been making smoothies for the past month in it, and have been highly impressed. This week, however, we wanted to branch out to something different. Something I’ve never attempted to do in my last blenders – a marinade. Until opening Montel’s Secret Family Recipe book, I didn’t even know I could make a marinade in the blender. Besides soups and smoothies, my blender usually just sits looking pretty on the counter.

    Living Well with Montel blender review. ad

    In honor of Cinco de Mayo, we started with the recipe for Steak Fajitas. They turned out so delicious we almost skipped the extras and just ate the steak! These pretty colors couldn’t be set aside, though. I just love a good mix of peppers and onions in my fajitas, don’t you?

    It's not a fajita without a colorful mix of peppers and onion.

     

    Steak Fajitas
    So full of flavor, celebrate Cinco De Mayo with these Steak Fajitas
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    Ingredients
    1. 2lb Flank Steak
    2. 1 1/4 cup Olive Oil
    3. 1 1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
    4. 1 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
    5. 5 pinches Dried Oregano
    6. 1 1/4 tsp Hot Sauce
    7. 5 Garlic cloves, peeled
    8. 5 Limes, peeled and halved
    9. 1 each – yellow, red, and green bell pepper – sliced
    10. 1 yellow onion, sliced.
    Instructions
    1. Place olive oil, worcestershire suace, soy sauce, oregano, hot sauce, garlic, and limes in blender.
    2. Blend on low speed about 45-60 seconds.
    3. Place steak in a deep pan and cover with marinade.
    4. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 12-24 hours.
    5. Heat oven to 350° F.
    6. In a frying pan, sear steak for 30 seconds on both sides.
    7. Remove to a baking sheet, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice into strips.
    8. Stir fry peppers and onions together in a large frying pan. Add steak to warm.
    9. Serve with guacamole, sour cream, and shredded cheese on a tortilla.
    Adapted from Montel Williams
    Adapted from Montel Williams
    Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/
  • Stove Top Shepherds Pie using only Food Storage

    Stove Top Shepherds Pie using only Food Storage

    This Stove Top Shepherds Pie was made possible by Keystone Meats. All opinions are my honest thoughts. 

    Storing food I have always found to be extremely important for those out of the blue emergencies. Learning to cook with the food you store is equally, if not more, important. This Shepherds Pie is made entirely from the food I’ve stored for those crazy emergencies. 

    Learning to cook with your food storage - Shepherds Pie Recipe.

    So what foods should you store? Well, you want to start with your basics – flour, sugar, oats, spices. These are easy to come by, and can be stored, and rotated in a fairly decent time period. From there you want to make sure you have items for a healthy diet – fruit, vegetable, protein, and grains. Of course, the other big key to storing food is to make sure it’s food you will eat. When we’re hungry, we probably won’t care too much as long as it’s edible, but having food that your family will eat makes any emergency more pleasant. 

    I recently found out about Keystone Meats and thought it was a fantastic item to add to our food storage. While canned chicken is pretty common, I had never seen shelf-stable beef that wasn’t freeze-dried or jerky. Along with the beef and chicken, Keystone makes canned pork and turkey as well. 

    Food Storage Shepherds Pie is made completely with items from your food storage.

    As I looked at the Keystone Beef, I wanted to make sure it was something we could add to our food storage and actually want to eat should the occasion arise. So I came up with this recipe for Stove Top Shepherds Pie, made completely with items from our food storage. It contains servings of vegetable, protein, and starch. 

    Food storage Shepherds Pie Recipe.

    While normally Shepherds Pie is baked in the oven, this one is made on the stove top. I did it this way specifically because a stove top is similar to cooking over a fire or portable burner – another item that should be kept with your food storage. 

    Food Storage Shepherds Pie
    Serves 8
    Made completely from food storage, this Shepherds Pie will feed your family when an emergency strikes.
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    Prep Time
    5 min
    Cook Time
    25 min
    Total Time
    30 min
    Prep Time
    5 min
    Cook Time
    25 min
    Total Time
    30 min
    Ingredients
    1. 2 cans Keystone Beef
    2. 1 can Sweet Corn
    3. 1 can Green Beans
    4. Salt and Pepper to Taste
    5. 4 cups Mashed Potatoes – from potato flakes or pearls.
    6. Cheese (optional)
    Instructions
    1. Combine beef, corn and green beans in a skillet over medium heat.
    2. Salt and pepper the meat mixture to taste.
    3. Heat for 15 minutes.
    4. Mix up mashed potatoes according to package directions. Spread on top of meat mixture.
    5. Top with cheese, and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
    Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/

     Now, I know I said I made this entirely with Food Storage, but I did add cheese. We picked up cheese for 10cents at Aldi one day, so it was part of our refrigerated food storage – not our long term storage. There is freeze dried cheese out there, as well as powdered cheese that may also work on this dish.  

  • Pork and Egg Hash

    Pork and Egg Hash

    Yesterday was pi-day – did anyone eat some pie?  I thought it would be fun to make some mini pies with the girls, and then share the recipe here. Sadly, they didn’t turn out so great, so I’ll refrain from sharing it this week. A little tweaking, though, and I think I’ll have a new dessert to share with you.
     
    Instead, try this one pot dish of Pork and Egg Hash! 

    I’ve been going through my Taste of Home magazines, trying to pare them down a bit. It’s not often I find a keeper, but this one I’ve already made at least once a week for a month. We love it! Pork and Egg Hash can be made with any of your favorite meat, we just have preferred it with pork.Oh, did I ever tell you about my pan?  It was a Christmas present from Mark, and I just love it!  BEST PAN E.V.E.R.  It’s huge, with nice tall sides, but not tall enough to make it a pot. Oh I just love this thing.  It’s so pretty. 

    Pork and Egg Hash
    Serves 4
    One pot meal makes this Pork and Egg Hash a family favorite
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    Ingredients
    1. 4 slices bacon
    2. 1/2 onion, chopped
    3. 1 lb bulk pork sausage*
    4. 2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
    5. 1 TBS vegetable oil
    6. 1/2 cup frozen peas
    7. 1/2 cup frozen corn
    8. salt and pepper to taste
    9. 4 eggs
    Instructions
    1. In a large skillet, cook bacon until crispy.
    2. Remove from pan and let drain on paper towels.
    3. Saute the onion in the bacon drippings until tender.
    4. Add the sausage, potatoes, and oil. Cover and cook on medium heat until sausage is cooked through, and potatoes are tender.
    5. Add the peas, corn, salt and pepper.
    6. Make 4 wells in the hash, and add an egg into each.
    7. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, or until eggs are firm
    8. While the hash is cooking, crumble the bacon.
    9. Top hash with crumbled bacon and serve.
    Notes
    1. Also good with chicken and beef in place of the pork sausage.
    Adapted from Taste of Home
    Adapted from Taste of Home
    Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/
     
     
    Thank you for visiting Foodie Friday! Don’t forget to visit my co-host Diane at Simple Living and Eating.
     
    ~FEATURES~
     
    Italian Breakfast Strata - Love Bakes Good Cakes
    from Love Bakes Good Cakes
    I’ve been looking for new breakfast ideas, and this looks great!
     
     
     
     
     
    Buffalo Chicken Qunia Salad-9
    Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad
    from Half Baked Harvest
    I don’t think I can say anything here. Just yummy looking at it.
     
    lucky leprechaun cookie bark - Page 451
    Lucky Leprechaun Cookie Bark
    from Your Home Based Mom
    St. Patty’s Day is almost here. This would be a fun treat to make with kids.
     

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  • Yellow Sticky Rice for a Minions Movie Night

    Yellow Sticky Rice for a Minions Movie Night

    This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MinionsMovieNight #CollectiveBias

    The Minions movie is here! We didn’t have a chance to see it in theater so we were counting down the days to it’s DVD release. I surprised the kids with Minion Yellow Sticky Rice for our pre-movie dinner excitement, and Donut Goggles to eat during the movie. 

    Minions movie night with Minion Yellow Sticky Rice and Donut Goggles #ad #MinionsMovieNight

    The day had come. I sent the girls off to school, and Lincoln and I ran over to Target to pick up the Metalpak Minions© 2015 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. With 40 minutes of extra Target exclusive content!, movie night was about to get serious! Since we had the day, we did a little browsing and found a load of other minion inspired products to add to the excitement. Minion bowls, a Minion card game, Minion Imagine Ink (love that Dollar Spot!) and Lincoln’s favorite, Archer Farms Donuts to act as Minion Goggles. 

    Everything you need for a Minions Movie Night at Target #ad #MinionsMovieNight

    We headed home to start prepping for our movie night. Lincoln had a hard time waiting for sisters to get home, so he may have gotten his own little pre-screening of the movie before anyone else – but shh, don’t tell the girls! 

    Fried rice is one of our favorite meals. It has a little bit of something all my kids will eat. I wanted to shape the rice to look like our little minion friends though, so I slightly changed our recipe to sticky rice, but with the fried rice components. Yellow Sticky Rice is surprisingly easy to make. All you have to do is combine all your ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil, then let simmer covered until the rice is cooked. 

    Cooking Yellow Sticky Rice #ad #MinionsMovieNight

    While the rice cooked, I whipped up some Minion Goggles with eggs and a purple onion. To do this slice your onion 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Fry in a little butter on a non-stick cooking pan, on both sides for about 30 seconds per side. You still want them stiff, but not raw. Crack an egg into each onion slice, cover, and cook through. 

    Sliced Onion #ad #MinionsMovieNight

    Minion Goggles aka Fried Eggs in an onion #ad #MinionsMovieNight

    It’s perfectly OK if some of the egg spills out the onion, just try to keep the yolk intact for an eyeball effect. Once the rice and eggs are done cooking, it’s time to start assembling. The kids were all surrounding me, telling me just how to shape a minion. “MOM, it needs arms! Where are the feet? Wait, it’s NAKED!”

    Once I had the Minion shaped, we added it’s Goggle eye, and then some clothes. For the overalls, we fried up a couple pieces of ham as the last component and added them on top. Voila! The kids were ready to dig in!

    Minion Yellow Sticky Rice #ad #MinionsMovieNight

    Minion Yellow Sticky Rice
    Make it a Minions Movie Night with Minion Yellow Sticky Rice.
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    Ingredients
    1. 2 cups Market Pantry Jasmine Rice
    2. 1 1/3 cups Water
    3. 1 1/3 cups Coconut Milk
    4. 1 Archer Farms Bay Leaf
    5. 1 tsp salt
    6. 3/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
    7. 1/2 tsp Lime Juice
    8. Purple Onion Sliced
    9. Eggs
    10. Sliced Ham
    Instructions
    1. Combine rice, water, coconut milk, bay leaf, salt, turmeric and lime juice in a medium pot.
    2. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low.
    3. Let simmer until rice has absorbed the water and milk.
    4. Shape rice like a Minion. A small slice on the sides for arms, and 2 little knobs for feet.
    5. For Goggles
    6. Fry onion slices in a little butter for 30 seconds each side.
    7. Break egg into each onion slice.
    8. Cover and cook until egg is done.
    9. Lay one egg on top of minion rice. Serve the rest on individual plates.
    10. Fry ham slices. Cut to form overalls and lay on top of minion rice. Serve extra slices with individual eggs.
    Notes
    1. Periodically stir the rice to keep it from sticking and burning on the bottom of pan.
    Adapted from WikiHow
    Adapted from WikiHow
    Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/

    After we finished our Minion Yellow Sticky Rice, we moved to the family room to watch the Minions movie, eat donut goggles, and have some good family fun with the extra goodies I picked up at Target – my one-stop-shop for the perfect Minions movie night.

    Find exclusive Minions metalpak at Target #ad #MinionsMovieNight

    The kids and I just adore the new Minions movie from Illumination Entertainment. They thought I had tricked them with the Metalpak from Target, because it looks like no other movie case in the house. At first glance, one of the girls gave me a look and said “That’s not a movie, it’s just the book”. Oh it was sweet when they finally figured out the case and their excitement just kept on growing. 

    Have you seen the Minions movie yet? Get more ideas for your watch party.

  • How to throw a Bruschetta Bar + a Bertolli Riserva Giveaway

    How to throw a Bruschetta Bar + a Bertolli Riserva Giveaway

    I received product in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own. 

    For a good while this year I was stuck on dinner ideas. I was sick of pasta, but it was also the only meal the kids all agreed on. While browsing Bertolli’s website for some pasta inspiration, I hit on the idea of Bruschetta. I love bruschetta, but never thought of it too much as a meal. For most people it actually probably wouldn’t be a meal, but for my kids, a Bruschetta Bar was the exact meal to break up the mundane. 

    How to throw a Bruschetta Bar

    I’m always game for an easy dinner that doesn’t sacrifice flavor, and gives the kids a taste of another country. That’s really exactly what we have here. To make your Bruschetta Bar you will need – 

    • 2 loaves french bread
    • Bertolli Riserva sauces
    • Parmesan and Mozzarella Cheese
    • Toppings – sliced chicken, olives, peppers, green onion

    How to throw a Bruschetta Bar

     

    Slice your bread into 1 inch thick slices. Serve the Bertolli sauces in bowls, either with the jar behind it, or labels letting dinner guests know which sauce is which. Next to the sauce lay out your toppings and cheeses. Feeling the Italian come out, I served up red grapes on the side. I don’t know any kid that doesn’t like grapes!

    With a Bruschetta Bar everyone gets what they want, and can have fun trying the new Riserva sauces from Bertolli. Celebrating 150 years of rich Italian heritage, Bertolli created these new sauces. I’m a big fan of the Asiago Cheese and Artichoke sauce. The kids also enjoyed it, because it didn’t picture any onions or mushrooms – silly kids.

    How to throw a Bruschetta Bar

    Who wants to win a pack with all 4 new Bertolli Riserva Sauces? Enter below!

    GIVEAWAY

    Open to US residents 18+ Ends 11/19

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

  • Chicken and Broccoli Curry

    Chicken and Broccoli Curry

    Chicken and Broccoli Curry
     
    We’re headed to southeast Asia this Food of the World party, and down to Indonesia. As always, I came across a number of recipes I’d love to try, but life is too busy! So I went with the simplest dish I could find, and made it my own. Curry is a common food in Indonesian culture, and as it happens, a dish I’ve never actually made before. 
     
    My mother in law had the chance to visit Cambodia recently, and sent me a number of their spices, like Lemongrass, Turmeric, saffron, and red and green curry’s to name a few. Along with the spices she also sent a Cambodian cookbook – but I’ll save that for another Food of the World party! Cambodia does sit close to Indonesia so I would venture to guess they use many of the same spices in their cuisine.  

     

    Chicken and Broccoli Curry Ingredients from Cambodia
     
    Aren’t those fun! I can’t wait to give more of them a try. For this recipe, I wanted to keep it simple, with ingredients we had on hand, and a mild flavor for the kids. So we went with the green curry powder. I found it a little lacking in flavor, and wish I’d added another layer, or used coconut milk. Alas, maybe next time.

     

    Chicken and Broccoli Curry Recipe
    Chicken and Broccoli Curry
    Taste the flavors of Indonesia in this Chicken and Broccoli Curry
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    Ingredients
    1. 1 broccoli floret, chopped in bite size pieces
    2. 2 chicken breasts, cut in 1″ pieces
    3. 6 pearl onions, quartered
    4. 2 cups milk
    5. 2 TBS Green Curry Powder
    6. 2 TBS flour
    7. 2 TBS Butter
    8. dash of salt
    9. 4 cups rice, cooked
    Instructions
    1. Begin melting butter in a medium sauce pan.
    2. Add flour, and curry powder. Mix.
    3. Add milk and whisk until smooth.
    4. Bring to a simmering boil.
    5. Add chicken and cook until done.
    6. Stir in broccoli and onions.
    7. Simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
    8. Serve over rice.
    Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/

     

    Join us next month when we visit Madagascar on June 9th. 
     

    Share any Indonesian Recipes below!

  • 3 tips for a Perfect Date Night at Home

    3 tips for a Perfect Date Night at Home

    I received product for review. All opinions are my own.
     


    When you are short on time, money, or just looking to mix things up a bit – having a date night at home is the perfect way to go! Recently I made our night a little extra special instead of our normal couch cuddling with a movie. Here are 3 steps to take to ensure you have a perfect date night at home.

    Dress Up

    Just because you’re not going out on the town, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look nice for your partner. I tossed on my custom fit dress from eshakti (affiliate) for this date, and really felt like I was on the town!

     

     

    Date Night at home doesn't mean you don't dress up

     

    Fancy Dinner

    Who says gourmet can only be found at high end expensive restaurants? I whipped up these Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignons over a bed of pan fried potatoes in 30 minutes! When you have kids at home, and try to have a home date night, quick meals are key, but you don’t want to skimp on taste or presentation either.

    Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon

     

    Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon
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    Ingredients
    1. 2 Filet Mignons
    2. 2 thick slices bacon
    3. 2 red potatoes
    4. 1-2 TBS Butter
    Instructions
    1. Peel and dice the potatoes.
    2. Toss them in a frying pan with a little butter over medium heat.
    3. Next prep your filets. Pat them dry, then wrap each with a slice of bacon.
    4. Add to a frying pan over medium/low heat.
    5. Cook for about 10minutes per side, or until done through.
    Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/
    Bacon Wraped Filet Mignon Medallions

    Do Something Fun

    We picked up this Dance Lessons Starter Kit from Amazon (affiliate). I personally love to dance, and Mark will go along with me. We both took ballroom in high school, so it was a way we could reconnect to our past, and share it with each other. Men – ladies want you to dance with them at home! If dancing isn’t either of your thing though, find something that is. It could be a movie one or both have been wanting to watch, or a book read out loud. Maybe your husband wants to teach you how to play Zelda or Mario. Pick something that one or the other enjoys, and get to know them better doing it with them!

    Date Night at Home