Tag: Food

5 Tips for Hosting a Great Friendsgiving

Posted on by Shannon Rooks

Hosting a separate Thanksgiving with friends is a tradition that is gaining popularity over the last several years. Whether you host yours before the big day or serve leftovers after it, here are some tips to make your Friendsgiving fun and memorable!

 

1 – Make it an annual thing. Create some invitations (paper or use online sites like evite.com) and let your friends know they can look forward to Friendsgiving every year.

 

2 – Serve options other than turkey. Some people are “turkeyed-out” by the time Thanksgiving is over. Try serving some dishes that you wouldn’t see at a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

 

3 – Ask your guests to bring something. If everyone pitches in and brings a casserole or finger food appetizer the work-load will be easier and less stressful.

 

4 – Start some unique traditions. Play board games, toast with a special drink, create a photo album of photos from every year. Traditions are fun (especially around the holidays). Your guests will know what to look forward to next year.

 

5 – Don’t force a timeline. Let your friends pop in and visit for as long as they’d like. If you have a strict dinner time set some people may not be able to attend.

Summer Recipe Contest – Winner #3

Posted on by Shannon Rooks

Congratulations, Michele Coffey!

Grilled Honey Lime Cilantro Chicken with Homemade Mango Salsa

Ingredients for Chicken:
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¼ cup lime juice
½ cup honey
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Ingredients for Mango Salsa:
a bag of frozen mangoes diced
1 small red onion diced
1 fresh lime
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Put chicken in a ziplock bag. In a small bowl combine lime juice, honey, soy sauce, olive oil, garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken and seal the bag and let marinade for 3 hours or overnight.

Preheat your grill to medium high heat. Grill each side of the chicken for about 3-4 minutes or until cooked throughout and no longer pink.

Meanwhile, to make the mango salsa,  mix all the ingredients together and top with fresh squeezed lime juice. Top each chicken breast with a generous scoop of salsa and serve with a side of rice or a side salad!

 

Summer Recipe Contest – Winner #2

Posted on by Shannon Rooks

Congratulations, Lisa Brock!

Strawberry Trifle

Cake:
1 box butter cake mix
1/2 cup butter
3 large eggs
1 cup milk

Pudding:
2 (3.4 oz) boxes vanilla pudding
4 cups milk
16 oz container sour cream
2 (8 oz) containers whipped topping

2 lbs of fresh strawberries
Mix cake mix, butter, eggs, and 1 cup milk and bake according to package directions in 13x9 inch pan. Cool completely for at least 1 hour.

Mix pudding, 4 cups milk, sour cream, and whipped topping. Reserve 1-1/2 cups whipped topping for top of trifle.

Remove tops from strawberries and slice strawberries into thin slices.

Using 3-1/2 quart trifle bowl. Tear cake into medium pieces. Begin layering cake, strawberries, and then pudding into the trifle bowl. Continue the layers, filling the bowl. Top entire dessert with the reserved layer of whipped topping. Slice a few strawberries for garnish. Refrigerate overnight (best results) or at least 4 hours before serving.

Summer Recipe Contest – Winner #1

Posted on by Shannon Rooks

Congratulations, Vijitha Regatti!

Spicy Garlic Barbecued Chicken

Ingredients:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup tomato paste
6 garlic cloves – finely chopped
1 tbsp red chili powder
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp salt
1 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
2 finely chopped small jalapeños
3 lbs of chicken thighs – bone in
2 cups water

BBQ Sauce preparation:
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add tomato paste, garlic, cilantro, chili powder, & chopped jalapeños. Cook for about 5 min and then add black peppers, soy sauce, salt, and 2 cups of water. Stir occasionally until reduced by half, 10-20 min. Marinate chicken thighs with sauce 30 min before grilling.

Chicken preparation: Prepare grill on medium heat. Season chicken with homemade barbecue sauce and grill, turning occasionally for 15-20 min. Continue grilling, turning and basting with barbecue sauce, until chicken is cooked.

7 Tips For Packing Lunch for the Beach

Posted on by Shannon Rooks

We’re in the dog days of summer and that means we’re smack dab in the middle of beach season. Planning a trip this weekend? Try these tips for packing the best foods to enjoy while you’re sitting in the sand.

  1. Bring low maintenance fruits. Don’t bring anything that needs to be peeled as it leaves a mess and might leave you with sticky hands.
  2. If you’re packing a sandwich, think about making it a wrap. Wraps are easier to eat with one hand and can easily be kept in foil to avoid a mess.
  3. Bring a separate bag for your trash to avoid having wrappers blow away on the beach.
  4. Use ice packs instead of ice in your cooler to avoid a soggy mess at lunch time.
  5. Bring plenty of wet wipes for your hands to avoid getting sand on your finger foods.
  6. Prefer not to eat with your hands? Pack something in a plastic container that you can eat with a fork (think salads or burrito bowls – yum!)
  7. Make sure to have plenty of water to stay hydrated while you soak up the sun!