Turkey Divan

Got Turkey?  Need a last minute turkey leftovers idea?  I know Thanksgiving was only a mere 2 days ago, & you might be sick of turkey by now, but let's get to using those leftovers!  I made this last night for dinner & posted a quick pic to instagram & my personal facebook page.  Apparently people thought it was a good idea, so I hurried & snapped a picture.  I don't have a white box for taking pictures after it gets dark, & this picture is less than perfect, but you get the idea.  Creamy turkey, broccoli, & rice casserole dish!  Delish!

Chicken Divan

Recipe altered from Betty Crocker by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 2 Tbsp butter, unsalted
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 2 tsp chicken bouillon
• 2 cups skim milk
• 1/2 cup light miracle whip, (or mayo, but I prefer the tangy zip of miracle whip)
• 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 cups cooked white or brown rice (I use minute/instant rice)
• 1/2 (12-14oz) bag frozen broccoli florets thawed/drained of any liquid
• 2 cups shredded/cubed turkey
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar)
• 1/3 cup Progresso Italian bread crumbs
• 1 Tbsp butter, melted

1. Heat oven to 350˚F.  Spray a 9x13-inch rectangular baking dish with pan spray & place thawed broccoli florets into the bottom of the dish.  You can take kitchen shears to trim any large pieces.
2. Sprinkle cubed turkey on top of the broccoli.  If you are cooking your instant rice, now is a good time to throw it in the microwave.
3. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  Add flour & bouillon till it comes together.  Gradually whisk in milk, cooking & stirring constantly until mixture boils & thickens (will happen suddenly when it does.)
4. Stir in miracle whip, mustard, brown sugar & remove from heat.  Add cooked rice & pour over turkey/broccoli mixture in the dish.  Top with shredded cheese.
5. Mix bread crumbs with 1 Tbsp melted butter, sprinkle the bread crumbs over the cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated & sauce bubbles.  

*Makes 4-6 servings.

Got Turkey?  Need a last minute turkey leftovers idea?  I know Thanksgiving was only a mere 2 days ago, & you might be sick of turkey by now, but let's get to using those leftovers!  I made this last night for dinner & posted a quick pic to instagram & my personal facebook page.  Apparently people thought it was a good idea, so I hurried & snapped a picture.  I don't have a white box for taking pictures after it gets dark, & this picture is less than perfect, but you get the idea.  Creamy turkey, broccoli, & rice casserole dish!  Delish!

Chicken Divan

Recipe altered from Betty Crocker by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 2 Tbsp butter, unsalted
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 2 tsp chicken bouillon
• 2 cups skim milk
• 1/2 cup light miracle whip, (or mayo, but I prefer the tangy zip of miracle whip)
• 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 cups cooked white or brown rice (I use minute/instant rice)
• 1/2 (12-14oz) bag frozen broccoli florets thawed/drained of any liquid
• 2 cups shredded/cubed turkey
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar)
• 1/3 cup Progresso Italian bread crumbs
• 1 Tbsp butter, melted

1. Heat oven to 350˚F.  Spray a 9x13-inch rectangular baking dish with pan spray & place thawed broccoli florets into the bottom of the dish.  You can take kitchen shears to trim any large pieces.
2. Sprinkle cubed turkey on top of the broccoli.  If you are cooking your instant rice, now is a good time to throw it in the microwave.
3. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  Add flour & bouillon till it comes together.  Gradually whisk in milk, cooking & stirring constantly until mixture boils & thickens (will happen suddenly when it does.)
4. Stir in miracle whip, mustard, brown sugar & remove from heat.  Add cooked rice & pour over turkey/broccoli mixture in the dish.  Top with shredded cheese.
5. Mix bread crumbs with 1 Tbsp melted butter, sprinkle the bread crumbs over the cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated & sauce bubbles.  

*Makes 4-6 servings.

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Mocha Eggnog

On this day after Thanksgiving, it's time to turn our thoughts to Christmas. And what better way to get the season started than with a mouthwatering mug of Mocha Eggnog? Make it in punch-sized batches or single mugs ... spiked or not ... served warm or chilled. It's the perfect holiday drink for one or a crowd!

It's 'Black Friday!' Can you guess where I'm not?? That's right! ... I'm absolutely not out in the throngs of holiday shopper crowds. My dad ventured out into the mall crowds this morning ... but mom and I decidedly did not. We chose instead, on this day after Thanksgiving, to turn our thoughts to Christmas in other ways ...

Continue Reading >>

On this day after Thanksgiving, it's time to turn our thoughts to Christmas. And what better way to get the season started than with a mouthwatering mug of Mocha Eggnog? Make it in punch-sized batches or single mugs ... spiked or not ... served warm or chilled. It's the perfect holiday drink for one or a crowd!

It's 'Black Friday!' Can you guess where I'm not?? That's right! ... I'm absolutely not out in the throngs of holiday shopper crowds. My dad ventured out into the mall crowds this morning ... but mom and I decidedly did not. We chose instead, on this day after Thanksgiving, to turn our thoughts to Christmas in other ways ...

Continue Reading >>

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Bloggers Night out with Lagrima Vanilla

If you follow me on Instagram (@amber_dessertnowdinnerlater) you might recognize most of these pics from earlier this month.  I just had to share this fun night with you guys & tell you about Lagrima vanilla.  So, this is kind of a sneak peak into some of the fun parts of being a blogger...like the events!  It's a super fun time when you get together with your blogging besties like mine above: Aimee (Like Mother Like Daughter), Alli (Cupcake Diaries), Me, & Yvonne (Tried and Tasty).  Good laughs & great fun is to be had by all.

Photo courtesy of Chelsea Peterson Photography

This particular event was one of my favorites because we actually got to get in the kitchen & make something!  Almond Biscotti using Lagrima vanilla.  Now, I am going to tell you about this product & it's not because I am being compensated for it.  I did get a sample bottle to take home, but I would not be telling you about it if I didn't like it, a lot!

Lagrima vanilla is different than other "pure" vanilla extracts out there.  It is made with single-source, organic vanilla beans & is extracted in top-shelf spirits for no less than 6 months.  There is also a handful of fresh, organic vanilla beans in every bottle.  The large bottle (200ml) contains 40+ teaspoons!  Plus, the vanilla is packaged in a tall, clear Italian glass bottle with a natural cork top.  I mean, look at how cute the bottles are!  Can you say classy?!

Neil is the creator behind Lagrima vanilla & he flew in to share with us his passion for bringing people together & sharing experiences that bring emotion.  Which is one of the meanings of Lagrima: A reason for emotion.  Their mission is to "craft & curate the best gourmet experiences available that will awaken both your emotions and your body.  Foods that propel you and motivate you to experience life in all it's fullness."  I mean, you had me at the fancy bottle with the high quality curated vanilla beans, but baking with my kids is creating memories, & I can see my kids asking lots of questions about the vanilla beans inside this bottle of vanilla.  Just one more reason to get in the kitchen with my cute kids!

Photo courtesy of Chelsea Peterson Photography

I know I had a fun night creating memories with my friends!  Here are a few more shots from the evening:

Alli & Aimee making biscotti batter.

Of course a party isn't a party without food.  We had an incredible build your own grilled cheese/panini sandwich bar.  I had roast beef, with onions, peppers & melty Tillamook monterey jack cheese, on some delicious Kneaders french bread.  It was delightful to dip into some amazing tomato soup, that our hostess, Jesseca from One Sweet Appetite, cooked up.

Photo courtesy of Chelsea Peterson Photography

Photo courtesy of Chelsea Peterson Photography

Photo courtesy of Chelsea Peterson Photography

Yvonne, Kami & Holly posing for a pic!  This is what you see on instagram...

This is what we are really doing...instagram-ing, tweet-ing, facebook-ing...being "social."

More Pictures...

Photo courtesy of Chelsea Peterson Photography

This is me with Jesseca, our hostess :)

More "socializing"

Photo courtesy of Chelsea Peterson Photography

Photo courtesy of Chelsea Peterson Photography

And of course an event isn't an event without some swag bags & prizes!  What a great night!  Thanks to Jesseca from One Sweet Appetite!

Okay, back to Lagrima....

Do you want a fancy pants gift to give to your friends for the holidays??? Remember how cute the bottles are:

Photo courtesy of Chelsea Peterson Photography

Well, imagine sending your friend a bottle of Lagrima & it gets shipped to them like this:

...in a cute little tube with confetti that pops out!

Now if the bottle wasn't cute enough, & the vanilla wasn't more organic or high quality enough, the shipping tube should have you ready to order about now & Lagrima has a deal going on right now!

Use the code CHEER2013 to receive a 10% discount off your entire order (Expires 12/31/13)

Happy Holidays!  Celebrate with Lagrima & make some memories!

If you follow me on Instagram (@amber_dessertnowdinnerlater) you might recognize most of these pics from earlier this month.  I just had to share this fun night with you guys & tell you about Lagrima vanilla.  So, this is kind of a sneak peak into some of the fun parts of being a blogger...like the events!  It's a super fun time when you get together with your blogging besties like mine above: Aimee (Like Mother Like Daughter), Alli (Cupcake Diaries), Me, & Yvonne (Tried and Tasty).  Good laughs & great fun is to be had by all.

Photo courtesy of Chelsea Peterson Photography

This particular event was one of my favorites because we actually got to get in the kitchen & make something!  Almond Biscotti using Lagrima vanilla.  Now, I am going to tell you about this product & it's not because I am being compensated for it.  I did get a sample bottle to take home, but I would not be telling you about it if I didn't like it, a lot!

Lagrima vanilla is different than other "pure" vanilla extracts out there.  It is made with single-source, organic vanilla beans & is extracted in top-shelf spirits for no less than 6 months.  There is also a handful of fresh, organic vanilla beans in every bottle.  The large bottle (200ml) contains 40+ teaspoons!  Plus, the vanilla is packaged in a tall, clear Italian glass bottle with a natural cork top.  I mean, look at how cute the bottles are!  Can you say classy?!

Neil is the creator behind Lagrima vanilla & he flew in to share with us his passion for bringing people together & sharing experiences that bring emotion.  Which is one of the meanings of Lagrima: A reason for emotion.  Their mission is to "craft & curate the best gourmet experiences available that will awaken both your emotions and your body.  Foods that propel you and motivate you to experience life in all it's fullness."  I mean, you had me at the fancy bottle with the high quality curated vanilla beans, but baking with my kids is creating memories, & I can see my kids asking lots of questions about the vanilla beans inside this bottle of vanilla.  Just one more reason to get in the kitchen with my cute kids!

Photo courtesy of Chelsea Peterson Photography

I know I had a fun night creating memories with my friends!  Here are a few more shots from the evening:

Alli & Aimee making biscotti batter.

Of course a party isn't a party without food.  We had an incredible build your own grilled cheese/panini sandwich bar.  I had roast beef, with onions, peppers & melty Tillamook monterey jack cheese, on some delicious Kneaders french bread.  It was delightful to dip into some amazing tomato soup, that our hostess, Jesseca from One Sweet Appetite, cooked up.

Photo courtesy of Chelsea Peterson Photography

Photo courtesy of Chelsea Peterson Photography

Photo courtesy of Chelsea Peterson Photography

Yvonne, Kami & Holly posing for a pic!  This is what you see on instagram...

This is what we are really doing...instagram-ing, tweet-ing, facebook-ing...being "social."

More Pictures...

Photo courtesy of Chelsea Peterson Photography

This is me with Jesseca, our hostess :)

More "socializing"

Photo courtesy of Chelsea Peterson Photography

Photo courtesy of Chelsea Peterson Photography

And of course an event isn't an event without some swag bags & prizes!  What a great night!  Thanks to Jesseca from One Sweet Appetite!

Okay, back to Lagrima....

Do you want a fancy pants gift to give to your friends for the holidays??? Remember how cute the bottles are:

Photo courtesy of Chelsea Peterson Photography

Well, imagine sending your friend a bottle of Lagrima & it gets shipped to them like this:

...in a cute little tube with confetti that pops out!

Now if the bottle wasn't cute enough, & the vanilla wasn't more organic or high quality enough, the shipping tube should have you ready to order about now & Lagrima has a deal going on right now!

Use the code CHEER2013 to receive a 10% discount off your entire order (Expires 12/31/13)

Happy Holidays!  Celebrate with Lagrima & make some memories!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Second Day Beef Pot Pie

Happy Thanksgiving!  I know most of us are eating Turkey today & you are going to want recipes for those leftovers by tomorrow, which you are in luck!  I did a Leftover Thanksgiving Food Recipes Round-Up last week, so check it out if you need some ideas.  Today is a second day, or leftovers recipe for Beef Pot Pie.  Pot pie is one of those dishes that are so good in the cold fall & winter months!  So comforting & warm, with chunks of hearty vegetables & beef to fill you up.  

When my young family has a pot roast for Sunday dinner, there is no way we can eat a three pound roast all to ourselves.  We always have leftovers.  So this time, I planned ahead, bought that bigger roast (3-4lbs), got lots of carrots, & cut up extra potatoes, just so we could have a nice meal the next day.  We actually skipped a day between making the Sunday Roast & the Pot Pie, but "second day" sounds better than leftovers.  We'll start with my pot roast recipe.

Simple Sunday Pot Roast

Recipe from Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 3-4lbs beef roast/chuck, trimmed of most of the fat
• 1lb baby carrots
• 5 medium red potatoes, scrubbed, & cut into 1" cubes
• 1 packet brown gravy
• 1 packet onion soup mix
• 1 Tbsp Weber Chicago Steak Seasoning
• 1 cup water
• salt & pepper as needed
• cornstarch & water to thicken juices for gravy

1. Place the majority of the cubed potatoes & baby carrots in the bottom of an 8QT slow cooker.  Sprinkle brown gravy packet over the top.  Pour 1 cup of water on top of the veggies.
2. Salt & pepper roast & place it on top of the veggies.  Place any remaining vegetables on the sides of the roast.  Sprinkle the top with an onion soup mix & steak seasoning.
3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until vegetables are done.  Remove meat & let rest on a cutting board before slicing & serving.  Scoop out vegetables into a serving bowl.  
4. Drain liquid through a mesh strainer into a saucepan.  Heat mixture on the stovetop until boiling.  Make a cornstarch slurry (about 3 Tbsp cornstarch to about 1 1/2 Tbsp COLD water) and whisk it into the boiling liquid.  Stir until thickened.  Season with additional salt & pepper or steak seasoning.  Serve over beef & veggies.

If you want to make pot pie from the leftovers, you need to cut up about 1 1/2 cups of beef chunks, & have 3 cups of the potato/carrot mixture leftover.  Also if you have 1 cup of gravy leftover that's fabulous too.  Put all of the beef chunks, potatoes, carrots, & gravy into a container in the fridge until you are ready to make your pie.  And this is how you make the pot pie:

Second Day Beef Pot Pie

Recipe from Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 1 1/2 cups cooked beef roast, cut into 1" or smaller chunks
• 3 cups of cooked red potatoes & baby carrots
• 1 brown gravy packet (double this if there was no leftover gravy)
• 1 cup water (double this if there was no leftover gravy)
• 1 tsp Weber Chicago Steak Seasoning (double this if there was no leftover gravy)
• Pie Crust (enough for 1 bottom & 1 top crust)

1. Heat brown gravy packet & water in a small saucepan.  Add steak seasoning & heat until it comes to a boil.  Set aside. 
2. Roll out pie crust & fit it into a 9" or 10" pie dish.  Trim excess crust.  Fill the center of the pie crust with the leftover beef, potatoes, & carrots.
3. Pour the gravy on top.  Roll out the second pie crust & lay it over the top.  Trim excess crust.  Pinch & crimp edges.  And cut a couple slits into the top for ventilation.
4. Bake at 350˚F for a minimum of 1 hour.  Use a thermometer to check if the filling has reached 165˚F.  If the crust is getting too done, cover it with foil as it finishes baking.  

*It's IMPORTANT that the mixture is re-heated to 165˚F.  And everything needs to be consumed in one sitting, since this is a leftovers dish.  Having been ServSafe Certified, I know the importance of reheating food ONLY ONCE.  If you can't eat the whole pie, bring dinner to your neighbors while it's hot.

**If you have extra pie crust, cut out fun shapes like leaves to decorate the top.  Just rub the bottom of the shape with water so it adheres to the top of the pie crust.  Make sure you still have slits for ventilation as well.

Happy Thanksgiving!  I know most of us are eating Turkey today & you are going to want recipes for those leftovers by tomorrow, which you are in luck!  I did a Leftover Thanksgiving Food Recipes Round-Up last week, so check it out if you need some ideas.  Today is a second day, or leftovers recipe for Beef Pot Pie.  Pot pie is one of those dishes that are so good in the cold fall & winter months!  So comforting & warm, with chunks of hearty vegetables & beef to fill you up.  

When my young family has a pot roast for Sunday dinner, there is no way we can eat a three pound roast all to ourselves.  We always have leftovers.  So this time, I planned ahead, bought that bigger roast (3-4lbs), got lots of carrots, & cut up extra potatoes, just so we could have a nice meal the next day.  We actually skipped a day between making the Sunday Roast & the Pot Pie, but "second day" sounds better than leftovers.  We'll start with my pot roast recipe.

Simple Sunday Pot Roast

Recipe from Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 3-4lbs beef roast/chuck, trimmed of most of the fat
• 1lb baby carrots
• 5 medium red potatoes, scrubbed, & cut into 1" cubes
• 1 packet brown gravy
• 1 packet onion soup mix
• 1 Tbsp Weber Chicago Steak Seasoning
• 1 cup water
• salt & pepper as needed
• cornstarch & water to thicken juices for gravy

1. Place the majority of the cubed potatoes & baby carrots in the bottom of an 8QT slow cooker.  Sprinkle brown gravy packet over the top.  Pour 1 cup of water on top of the veggies.
2. Salt & pepper roast & place it on top of the veggies.  Place any remaining vegetables on the sides of the roast.  Sprinkle the top with an onion soup mix & steak seasoning.
3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until vegetables are done.  Remove meat & let rest on a cutting board before slicing & serving.  Scoop out vegetables into a serving bowl.  
4. Drain liquid through a mesh strainer into a saucepan.  Heat mixture on the stovetop until boiling.  Make a cornstarch slurry (about 3 Tbsp cornstarch to about 1 1/2 Tbsp COLD water) and whisk it into the boiling liquid.  Stir until thickened.  Season with additional salt & pepper or steak seasoning.  Serve over beef & veggies.

If you want to make pot pie from the leftovers, you need to cut up about 1 1/2 cups of beef chunks, & have 3 cups of the potato/carrot mixture leftover.  Also if you have 1 cup of gravy leftover that's fabulous too.  Put all of the beef chunks, potatoes, carrots, & gravy into a container in the fridge until you are ready to make your pie.  And this is how you make the pot pie:

Second Day Beef Pot Pie

Recipe from Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 1 1/2 cups cooked beef roast, cut into 1" or smaller chunks
• 3 cups of cooked red potatoes & baby carrots
• 1 brown gravy packet (double this if there was no leftover gravy)
• 1 cup water (double this if there was no leftover gravy)
• 1 tsp Weber Chicago Steak Seasoning (double this if there was no leftover gravy)
• Pie Crust (enough for 1 bottom & 1 top crust)

1. Heat brown gravy packet & water in a small saucepan.  Add steak seasoning & heat until it comes to a boil.  Set aside. 
2. Roll out pie crust & fit it into a 9" or 10" pie dish.  Trim excess crust.  Fill the center of the pie crust with the leftover beef, potatoes, & carrots.
3. Pour the gravy on top.  Roll out the second pie crust & lay it over the top.  Trim excess crust.  Pinch & crimp edges.  And cut a couple slits into the top for ventilation.
4. Bake at 350˚F for a minimum of 1 hour.  Use a thermometer to check if the filling has reached 165˚F.  If the crust is getting too done, cover it with foil as it finishes baking.  

*It's IMPORTANT that the mixture is re-heated to 165˚F.  And everything needs to be consumed in one sitting, since this is a leftovers dish.  Having been ServSafe Certified, I know the importance of reheating food ONLY ONCE.  If you can't eat the whole pie, bring dinner to your neighbors while it's hot.

**If you have extra pie crust, cut out fun shapes like leaves to decorate the top.  Just rub the bottom of the shape with water so it adheres to the top of the pie crust.  Make sure you still have slits for ventilation as well.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Molasses Crinkles

Molasses Crinkles ~ our family-favorite classic molasses cookies. Who needs those ginger snaps from a box when you can whip up your very own ginger & molasses beauties at home?

Do you have some family favorites that seem to fall off your baking or cooking radar screen for a while? I'm not sure why it happens, but at times I seem to forget about some of our favorites. And that's exactly what happened with these beautiful and delicious Molasses Crinkles. I have no idea why ... but I hadn't made these in years. And I'm so glad I finally remembered them. It's fun when you rediscover an ol' favorite classic!
Continue Reading >>

Molasses Crinkles ~ our family-favorite classic molasses cookies. Who needs those ginger snaps from a box when you can whip up your very own ginger & molasses beauties at home?

Do you have some family favorites that seem to fall off your baking or cooking radar screen for a while? I'm not sure why it happens, but at times I seem to forget about some of our favorites. And that's exactly what happened with these beautiful and delicious Molasses Crinkles. I have no idea why ... but I hadn't made these in years. And I'm so glad I finally remembered them. It's fun when you rediscover an ol' favorite classic!
Continue Reading >>

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

White Grape Sparkler

This drink brings back really fond memories for me.  I actually first tried it at my friend's wedding.  I did her wedding cake.  It was my first "real" wedding cake I had ever done.  I spent all day doing her cake & couldn't wait to see the final look after the florist had added the flowers.  I came back that night for the reception, & found a freaking fingerprint in one of the dot decorations of my precious wedding cake.  Stupid florist!  Haha.  Anyway, they served this drink at the reception & I thought it was so good, that I asked for the recipe.  It's two ingredients.  This drink is a no brainer.  Simple, delicious & family friendly.  Nothing is better than a fun fizzing drink for the kids, but this one is white too, so it's not going to stain any clothes!  Win-win!  I liked this drink so much that I served it at my own wedding reception.  :)  It's perfect for any special occasion & the simplicity of it just can't be beat!

White Grape Sparkler

Recipe courtesy of Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 1 (2 QT) bottle of White Grape Juice
• 1 (2 liter) bottle of Fresca (or citrus or grapefruit soda)

1. Pour white grape juice into a large punch bowl.  Add ice if desired.  Slowly add soda to keep the fizz.  Spoon into cups & serve.

This drink brings back really fond memories for me.  I actually first tried it at my friend's wedding.  I did her wedding cake.  It was my first "real" wedding cake I had ever done.  I spent all day doing her cake & couldn't wait to see the final look after the florist had added the flowers.  I came back that night for the reception, & found a freaking fingerprint in one of the dot decorations of my precious wedding cake.  Stupid florist!  Haha.  Anyway, they served this drink at the reception & I thought it was so good, that I asked for the recipe.  It's two ingredients.  This drink is a no brainer.  Simple, delicious & family friendly.  Nothing is better than a fun fizzing drink for the kids, but this one is white too, so it's not going to stain any clothes!  Win-win!  I liked this drink so much that I served it at my own wedding reception.  :)  It's perfect for any special occasion & the simplicity of it just can't be beat!

White Grape Sparkler

Recipe courtesy of Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 1 (2 QT) bottle of White Grape Juice
• 1 (2 liter) bottle of Fresca (or citrus or grapefruit soda)

1. Pour white grape juice into a large punch bowl.  Add ice if desired.  Slowly add soda to keep the fizz.  Spoon into cups & serve.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Give the Gift of P.F. Chang's for the Holidays!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of P.F. Changs. All opinions are 100% mine.

I love Chinese food & my favorite time of year to get it, is during the holidays.  More especially when it's the night before Thanksgiving or Christmas.  I am not kidding!  Who wants to cook the night before Thanksgiving when you have been baking pies all day & prepping everything for the big meal?!  Same deal for Christmas...it's just a great time to grab some non-American food before eating that traditional ham, turkey, or prime rib dinner.

P.F. Chang’s has some incredible Chinese food!  My favorite entrees are the Beef a la Sichuan & Orange Peel Chicken.  I don't know why, but when it comes to Chinese, I can handle the heat a lot more than usual, which is why I love the spice in the sichuan beef & even the orange chicken has a light heat to it.  Of course you can't get P.F. Chang's without getting their delicious Spring Rolls!  I could eat those for my whole meal!  The crisp on the deep fried egg roll wrappers filled with fresh vegetables, served alongside P.F. Chang's sweet & sour dipping sauce has me sold!  Oh, and the Fried Rice is fabulous too!  Just sayin'....  I could keep going, but I will stop now.

Okay, now that I am drooling just thinking of P.F. Chang’s menu, let's talk Christmas gifts.  I for one, love to get restaurant gift cards.  If I am not the one cooking, I want it to be somewhere good like P.F. Chang's, and guess what?!  Right now, when you purchase $100 in gift cards, you receive a bonus $20 gift card for yourself!  Um, yes please!  That is a great deal!

So take a break from all that holiday hustle & bustle, grab some dinner, & pick up those gift cards while you're at it.  

Follow @pfchangs on Twitter or Follow P.F. Chang’s on Pinterest to keep up with special deals like this one!

Who in your inner circle is most deserving of a P.F Chang's gift card?

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of P.F. Changs. All opinions are 100% mine.

I love Chinese food & my favorite time of year to get it, is during the holidays.  More especially when it's the night before Thanksgiving or Christmas.  I am not kidding!  Who wants to cook the night before Thanksgiving when you have been baking pies all day & prepping everything for the big meal?!  Same deal for Christmas...it's just a great time to grab some non-American food before eating that traditional ham, turkey, or prime rib dinner.

P.F. Chang’s has some incredible Chinese food!  My favorite entrees are the Beef a la Sichuan & Orange Peel Chicken.  I don't know why, but when it comes to Chinese, I can handle the heat a lot more than usual, which is why I love the spice in the sichuan beef & even the orange chicken has a light heat to it.  Of course you can't get P.F. Chang's without getting their delicious Spring Rolls!  I could eat those for my whole meal!  The crisp on the deep fried egg roll wrappers filled with fresh vegetables, served alongside P.F. Chang's sweet & sour dipping sauce has me sold!  Oh, and the Fried Rice is fabulous too!  Just sayin'....  I could keep going, but I will stop now.

Okay, now that I am drooling just thinking of P.F. Chang’s menu, let's talk Christmas gifts.  I for one, love to get restaurant gift cards.  If I am not the one cooking, I want it to be somewhere good like P.F. Chang's, and guess what?!  Right now, when you purchase $100 in gift cards, you receive a bonus $20 gift card for yourself!  Um, yes please!  That is a great deal!

So take a break from all that holiday hustle & bustle, grab some dinner, & pick up those gift cards while you're at it.  

Follow @pfchangs on Twitter or Follow P.F. Chang’s on Pinterest to keep up with special deals like this one!

Who in your inner circle is most deserving of a P.F Chang's gift card?

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Freezing Cheese

Today's post is another educational post about how to save money on buying in bulk & freezing your food.  This time I am talking all about CHEESE!  We love cheese, but it's expensive, so I buy it in bulk & freeze mine.  Or anytime I see a deal, like a 2lb block of cheese for $5 or less, it's stock up time!  This is how I freeze my cheese to use later. 

Basically, you need to get your cheese in the form you will be using it before you freeze it.  Freezing the whole block of cheese won't work because the structure of the cheese changes when it freezes.  So shredding & slicing cheese after it has been frozen, turns the cheese into a crumbly mess.  

I have frozen mozzarella, cheddar, colby jack & parmesan cheese with success, so I am fairly confident this works with any cheese.  Here is how you do it:

I buy some of my cheese already shredded.  I actually prefer it that way because they put some kind of coating on the cheese so it doesn't stick.  I buy the big 5lb bag at Sam's club for about $13.  Then I use my trusty quart size baggies that have been labeled with that days date & the name of the cheese if I think I will forget.  I don't use freezer bags, but I rotate the bags of cheese well.  Then I scale each bag to weigh 1lb, squeeze as much air out as possible & then zip it shut.  Weighing the bags is optional, you can eyeball it pretty easily.  Just squeeze as much air out as you can before you zip it shut.  

If you buy a block of cheese, which I like to buy the 2lb blocks when they go on sale for $5 or less, then you can shred that yourself as well.  Just cut the block into manageable pieces, then shred it in a food processor or by hand if you don't have one.  Don't shred it all at once or it will get packed into your machine & it will stick together.  I will put a 2lb block into 3 quart sized bags.  This also helps the cheese from getting packed down & stuck together.  Stack bags of prepared shredded cheese flat on top of each other to freeze.

To slice the cheese for sandwiches, I absolutely LOVE my marble cheese slicer.  It cuts so smooth & straight & I can get a lot more slices than any other knives or hand held slicers I have tried.  Colby Jack comes apart the easiest, but the harder cheeses like cheddar do okay as well.  When I stack mine, I stagger them.  You might need the assistance of a butter knife to peel it apart when you go to use it, but it should stay in tact pretty well.  You can also choose to cut little pieces of wax paper to place between the slices.  To me that is more work & more stuff to buy, so I just stagger mine & use a butter knife to separate my slice from the stack.  Again you will want to label your bags before filling them.  I use plain old sandwich bags & I like to store the cheese slices in the side door of the freezer.

When you pull any of these cheeses from the freezer to use, you want to allow some time for it to thaw in the fridge for best food safety practices.  That's it!  Just remember to prepare your cheese, portion it out, & package it squeezing as much of the air out that you can!  My cheese slices last about 2-3 months without any freezer burn & the shredded usually does better, about 4 months.  You can try using freezer bags to help with freezer burn, but we usually use the cheese before it sees any effects from the freezer.  Happy Freezing!

Today's post is another educational post about how to save money on buying in bulk & freezing your food.  This time I am talking all about CHEESE!  We love cheese, but it's expensive, so I buy it in bulk & freeze mine.  Or anytime I see a deal, like a 2lb block of cheese for $5 or less, it's stock up time!  This is how I freeze my cheese to use later. 

Basically, you need to get your cheese in the form you will be using it before you freeze it.  Freezing the whole block of cheese won't work because the structure of the cheese changes when it freezes.  So shredding & slicing cheese after it has been frozen, turns the cheese into a crumbly mess.  

I have frozen mozzarella, cheddar, colby jack & parmesan cheese with success, so I am fairly confident this works with any cheese.  Here is how you do it:

I buy some of my cheese already shredded.  I actually prefer it that way because they put some kind of coating on the cheese so it doesn't stick.  I buy the big 5lb bag at Sam's club for about $13.  Then I use my trusty quart size baggies that have been labeled with that days date & the name of the cheese if I think I will forget.  I don't use freezer bags, but I rotate the bags of cheese well.  Then I scale each bag to weigh 1lb, squeeze as much air out as possible & then zip it shut.  Weighing the bags is optional, you can eyeball it pretty easily.  Just squeeze as much air out as you can before you zip it shut.  

If you buy a block of cheese, which I like to buy the 2lb blocks when they go on sale for $5 or less, then you can shred that yourself as well.  Just cut the block into manageable pieces, then shred it in a food processor or by hand if you don't have one.  Don't shred it all at once or it will get packed into your machine & it will stick together.  I will put a 2lb block into 3 quart sized bags.  This also helps the cheese from getting packed down & stuck together.  Stack bags of prepared shredded cheese flat on top of each other to freeze.

To slice the cheese for sandwiches, I absolutely LOVE my marble cheese slicer.  It cuts so smooth & straight & I can get a lot more slices than any other knives or hand held slicers I have tried.  Colby Jack comes apart the easiest, but the harder cheeses like cheddar do okay as well.  When I stack mine, I stagger them.  You might need the assistance of a butter knife to peel it apart when you go to use it, but it should stay in tact pretty well.  You can also choose to cut little pieces of wax paper to place between the slices.  To me that is more work & more stuff to buy, so I just stagger mine & use a butter knife to separate my slice from the stack.  Again you will want to label your bags before filling them.  I use plain old sandwich bags & I like to store the cheese slices in the side door of the freezer.

When you pull any of these cheeses from the freezer to use, you want to allow some time for it to thaw in the fridge for best food safety practices.  That's it!  Just remember to prepare your cheese, portion it out, & package it squeezing as much of the air out that you can!  My cheese slices last about 2-3 months without any freezer burn & the shredded usually does better, about 4 months.  You can try using freezer bags to help with freezer burn, but we usually use the cheese before it sees any effects from the freezer.  Happy Freezing!

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Mocha Cream Pie

Move over chocolate cream pie! Coffee's got you all jazzed up and turned you into ridiculously delicious Mocha Cream Pie ... with a coffee and chocolate custard filling, inside an Oreo crumb crust, all topped with coffee whipped cream. It'll make you kick plain chocolate cream pie to the curb, too.

Perhaps I should have used decaf to make this pie. Allow me to explain ...

Continue Reading >>

Move over chocolate cream pie! Coffee's got you all jazzed up and turned you into ridiculously delicious Mocha Cream Pie ... with a coffee and chocolate custard filling, inside an Oreo crumb crust, all topped with coffee whipped cream. It'll make you kick plain chocolate cream pie to the curb, too.

Perhaps I should have used decaf to make this pie. Allow me to explain ...

Continue Reading >>

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