Entertaining Archives - Kitchen Meets Girl

15 Cinco de Mayo Recipes

May 3, 2013 By Ashley | Leave a Comment

I feel like Cinco de Mayo is holiday just made for me. I mean, do you know how much Mexican food we inhale at our house on the weekly?

Hint: a lot.

And any excuse to stuff tortillas chips and salsa into my mouth and follow ‘em with a generous slug of frozen margarita or a fruity sangria is right up my alley. In fact, we started off the weekend doing just that. I’m celebrating early, with the party going through the weekend!

Just in case you’re looking for a few last minute recipes for a Cinco de Mayo celebration of your own, I threw together a list of a few of my favorites.

Easy as Tamale Pie

Slow-Cooker Pork Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Salsa

$Tex-Mex Sloppy Joes at www.kitchenmeetsgirl.com - if you like bacon, jalapenos, and the smoky flavors of chili powder, cumin and coriander, this version is for you! #recipes #dinner$

Tex-Mex Sloppy Joes

Lightened Up Beef and Black Bean Enchiladas

Two-Ingredient Chicken Tacos

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Cilantro-Lime Mexi-Corn Dip

5-Minute Salsa

Jalapeño Popper Dip

Hot Mexican Style Spinach Dip

So Easy Sopapillas

Peach Sangria

Chocolate Margarita

Key-Lime Pie Margarita

Strawberry-Orange Margarita

XO, Ashley

Filed Under: Entertaining, Holidays, Main Dishes

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So Easy Sopapillas

April 21, 2013 By Ashley | 26 Comments

Anyone else but me go wild for sopapillas?

To be honest, I haven’t had a real one in years. I usually eat tortilla chips and salsa for dessert when we go out for Mexican food.

As a kid, my favorite Mexican restaurant was a little hole in the wall place that was as authentic as you could get. It’s a family owned restaurant named Connie’s, and they just celebrated their 50th anniversary. Clearly, they know how to do Mexican food right! Since we’d just made our own easy sopapillas at home, we decided to order fried ice cream.

Well, I decided to order fried ice cream, with Doodle declaring it “gross” and asking to go to Braum’s instead. He changed his mind when he saw this:

Even with three of us eating, we couldn’t finish this monstrosity!

But back to the sopapillas. These are a super easy version, one that you can quickly throw together for a Cinco de Mayo celebration, and something the kiddos can help with.

These take only three ingredients {four with the honey}, and about 12 minutes in the oven. Done and done.

So Easy Sopapillas

25 pastries

So Easy Sopapillas

Ingredients

1 sheet of Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry, thawed
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
honey, for drizzling

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400°F.
After thawing your pastry sheet, unfold it on a lightly floured surface. Cut the pastry sheet into 25 (2-inch) squares.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes on a silpat lined baking sheet until the pastries are golden brown.
Meanwhile, combine cinnamon and sugar in a large bowl. Add your hot pastries in batches to the bowl and coat with the sugar mixture.
Drizzle the pastries with the honey before serving.

from Pepperidge Farm

http://kitchenmeetsgirl.com/desserts-2/so-easy-sopapillas/

XO, Ashley

Filed Under: Desserts, Entertaining

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Celebrate Spring with The Home Depot Garden Club: #DigIn

April 1, 2013 By Ashley | 2 Comments

So, I bet you’re wondering why a food blogger is talking to you about The Home Depot today.

Make no mistake, I’m not a gardener. I don’t even really have a green thumb. But when it comes to springtime, my absolute number one thing to do is entertain outside. As soon as the weather starts warming up, we’re sweeping away the dirt and debris from the patio doors, lighting up the charcoal grill, and relaxing under our pergola with friends and family and watching the kiddos run around the yard.

And I want that yard to look good. Lush. Welcoming. Relaxing.

As you can see, we haven’t yet started our spring lawn clean-up. While we were blessed with gorgeous weather for Easter, our temperatures are supposed to drop down again during the beginning of the week, with some light snow in the forecast. Isn’t that crazy? My grandfather, a Kansas farmer, advised never to plant here before April 15–and that’s the rule I’ve always followed.

Right now, this lone bloom on my Purple Plum tree is about the only sign of spring in our yard.

But I’m chomping at the bit to get going – this has been the longest winter ever! We have about a million landscaping projects on our list for spring, and one of the top is getting our outdoor seating area ready for entertaining.

Yikes, we have a loooooong way to go:

And that’s where The Home Depot’s Garden Club comes in. They make it easy for non-outdoorsy people like me to tackle gardening and landscaping projects. This world’s largest garden community will send me advice and reminders, including to-do lists focusing on specific regions. As I mentioned, I’m not planting here in Kansas (yet!), but I bet many of you in warmer climates are already well on your way.

Plus, the Garden Club offers sneak peeks and reviews to help you plan your garden purchases in advance. This is perfect for a planner like me!

With the Garden Club Membership you can get $5 off your next purchase of $50 when you sign up and they’ll provide you with 8 project ideas to help you #DigIn to spring, as well as monthly to do lists, expert advice, and how to videos.

Cool, right?

And even better? It’s free!

Tell me this Flower Tower isn’t one of the prettiest things you’ve seen! I think I could sit outside and admire a backyard like this all day long.

image courtesy Home Depot

Join me as I work on my spring outdoor DIY home improvement and together, with The Home Depot, we can each create a beautiful outdoor living space.

What projects do you have planned for Spring?

It’s home improvement time, and The Home Depot has everything you need for spring. No matter what projects you want to tackle, The Home Depot has you covered.

Spring is the perfect time for all your outdoor home renovations. Shop The Home Depot for terrific values on new patio furniture, landscape supplies such as fertilizer and potting soil and outdoor grills. Keep your lawn and garden looking great, too, with the huge selection of lawn mowers, edgers and trimmers, and garden tools.

Visit The Home Depot Garden Club for product ideas from kick-starting your Spring with seed starter kits to building a window birdfeeder.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Home Depot. All opinions are my own.

XO, Ashley

Filed Under: Entertaining, Miscellaneous

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20 Awesome Dips for Superbowl

January 24, 2013 By Ashley | 10 Comments

Personally, I think dips should be their own food group. Who’s with me on this?

Years ago, I used to make actual food for Superbowl parties, until I realized most of my friends/family ate so much of the appetizer stuff that we never really made it to the main course. Since I’m of the opinion that I’m covering all the food groups with fruit dips, hummus, and dairy-based dips, I don’t see a thing wrong with serving only dips at my game-watching parties.

Here are some of my favorites from around the web that you may want to make for your own party. Even if football isn’t your thing, no one can resist an awesome dip, right?

Hot Mexican-Style Spinach Dip

Jalapeno Popper Dip

5-Minute Salsa

Jalapeno Hummus

{Cilantro-Lime} Mexi-Corn Dip

7-Layer Mexi-Dip {Individual-Sized}

Guacamole Hummus with Football Chips from Inside BruCrew Life

Creamy White Queso Dip from Buns in My Oven

Roasted Chile con Queso from A Kitchen Addiction

Crock Pot Hamburger Dip from Chef In Training

Pizza Dip from Closet Cooking

BBQ Chicken Dip from How Sweet It Is

Reduced-Guilt Parmesan Caramelized Onion Spinach Dip from Bake Your Day

Mom’s Cheesy Beef Taco Dip from A Farmgirl’s Dabbles

Skinny Funfetti Dip from The Domestic Rebel

Peanut Butter Football Dip from Crazy for Crust

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Dip from Shugary Sweets

Skinny Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough Dip from Sally’s Baking Addiction

Skinny Cannoli Dip from Back for Seconds

Monster Cookie Dough Dip from Something Swanky

XO, Ashley

Filed Under: Appetizers, Entertaining, Miscellaneous

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Jalapeno Popper Dip

January 14, 2013 By Ashley | 46 Comments

I know. I just posted a dip last week.

A Mexican-inspired one, even. So you’re probably thinking, Enough with the Mexican dips, already.

But I can’t help it. It’s football playoff season, which equates to party-food in my book. Actually, I can pretty much justify eating warm and creamy dips any day of the week:

Bad day? Console yourself with chips and dip.

Too tired to do any real cooking? Don’t worry, just use some veggies as your dip vessel and call it dinner.

Need to celebrate? Start with tortilla chips and dip.

My assignment for this month’s Secret Recipe Club was Heather’s blog over at Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks. By day, Heather is an elementary school teacher who works with at-risk children as well as children with special needs. Can you say rock star?

Heather had so many great recipes to choose from: like garlic beef enchiladas and glazed apple cream pie and cafe au lait bars. But when I saw that she had a recipe for jalapeño popper dip, I knew right away that was what I had to make.

Had to.

I made only a few small adjustments to Heather’s recipe…I’m not a big mayonnaise/Miracle Whip fan, so I don’t typically keep any on hand. Instead, I swapped the mayo for Greek yogurt, which worked totally fine.

Also, I have this annoying habit of overbuying bags of shredded cheese. The cheese/deli drawer in my refrigerator is overflowing with almost empty bags of cheese, so I tried to use up what I had on hand.

And yes, it was all good.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Ingredients

3 slices bacon, diced (I used turkey bacon)
2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened (light or Neufchâtel will work just fine)
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
2 (4-ounce) cans green chilies
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon Frank's Red Hot

For the topping:

3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter, melted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375.
Cook bacon in a small saute pan until almost brown. Add in the diced jalapeno and cook until soft. Remove from heat and set aside. If using regular bacon, blot off grease with a paper towel.
In a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese, yogurt, 1/2 cup Mexican blend cheese, green chilies, garlic powder and Red Hot, stirring to combine. Add in the bacon and jalapenos. Spoon into an 8x8 baking dish.
In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and remaining seasonings. Pour melted butter over the top and mix well. Spread evenly over the dip. Bake for 20 minutes, or until brown and bubbly.

adapted from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks

http://kitchenmeetsgirl.com/entertaining-2/jalapeno-popper-dip/

XO, Ashley

I’m partying here!

Filed Under: Appetizers, Entertaining, Finger Foods, Miscellaneous, Side Dishes

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Hot Mexican-Style Spinach Dip

January 7, 2013 By Ashley | 22 Comments

I’ve made this dip twice in the last five days.

I originally made this hot, creamy, cheesy dip last week for our Fiesta Bowl party. As it turned out, this dip was the best part of the night. While I tried to remind myself that it was awesome that my team made it to the bowl game, I was still disappointed we didn’t win. Fortunately, I was able to cheer myself up by shoveling quite a bit of this not-so-low-calorie dip into my mouth.

Mexican style anything is my happy place.

Let me break this dip down for you:

It’s got your standard spinach dip ingredients–spinach, cream cheese, half-and-half, and Monterrey Jack cheese. But since we like it Mexican-style around our casa, we added in tomatoes, black olives, jalapeño, cumin, and some cayenne pepper.

This dip is a total crowd pleaser. It’s also guy approved. My dad and the Tall Boy completely devoured this stuff.

Looking for something to take to your next party? Planning ahead for the Superbowl? Make this dip. No, seriously.

Make this dip.

Thanks to the Tall Boy for serving as my hand-model.

Hot Mexican-Style Spinach Dip

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and well-drained
1/2 cup fat-free half and half (or milk)
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cute into 1/2 inch cubes (I used fat-free)
2 (2.2 ounce) cans sliced black olives, drained
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 dashes Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon cumin
dash cayenne pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400.
Cook onion in oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add tomato and jalapeno; cook another 2 minutes.
Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Add spinach and the remaining ingredients, stirring to combine. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish.
Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes, or until bubbly. Serve warm, with tortilla chips.

makes 6 cups - recipe from Southern Living Ultimate Book of Appetizers

http://kitchenmeetsgirl.com/entertaining-2/hot-mexican-style-spinach-dip/

XO, Ashley

Filed Under: Appetizers, Entertaining, Miscellaneous

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Rosemary Roasted Almonds

January 2, 2013 By Ashley | 21 Comments

I’m a snacker.

Snacking doesn’t really pose a problem for me on Thursdays and Fridays, when I’m in the office. I just don’t stock my desk drawers with anything that might be too tempting. However, I work from home the other three days of the week, sitting for 8+ hours in front of a computer screen. Do you know what I often do when I need a break?

Having a pantry full of candy or a stockpile of baked goods from blogging is not a good thing in this case.

Since I’m trying to make better food choices, I decided to roast some almonds to keep handy during my work-at-home days.

Almonds are a superfood, you know.

Some studies have suggested that almonds may assist in weight reduction, cholesterol reduction, and lowering the glycemic response of a high-carbohydrate meal. Even better, a statement from the FDA indicated that eating 1.5 ounces per day of many types of nuts, including almonds, may reduce the risk of heart disease [source].

So let’s get snackin’!

Rosemary Roasted Almonds

Ingredients

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon chile powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Dash of cayenne pepper
1 (10-ounce) bag whole almonds (about 2 cups)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°.
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and toss to coat. Arrange nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly toasted. Cool to room temperature.

recipe from Cooking Light

http://kitchenmeetsgirl.com/entertaining-2/rosemary-roasted-almonds/

XO, Ashley

Filed Under: Appetizers, Cocktail Friday, Entertaining, Miscellaneous

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Honey-Chipotle Meatballs

December 31, 2012 By Ashley | 12 Comments

Here is the thing about me.

I don’t diet. At all.

I don’t work out, either. I actually got on my elliptical machine last Friday for 15 minutes and about died. Not pretty, you guys. Doodle and the Tall Boy were cheering me on and all I really wanted to do was jam a cupcake in my mouth.

I’m not one of those people who make resolutions at the beginning of the year about completely changing my eating habits or vow to work out a prescribed number of times per week. I can’t set myself up for failure like that. However, regardless of the sweets and goodies I tend to post here, most of the time, I do try to eat at least semi-healthy.

Not that meatballs are the epitome of health food, but if you make ‘em with ground turkey, they are at least a step in the right direction.

I have a love-hate affair with ground turkey. Early in my marriage, the Tall Boy and I attempted to make turkey burgers…and subsequently ended up ordering a pizza. While we now use ground turkey in many things (tacos, chili, etc), I haven’t yet been brave enough to try eating it again in patty-type form.

Until now.

When I found this recipe for honey-chipotle meatballs, I was intrigued. With a glaze using chipotle chilies and honey, certainly there was enough flavor in these to make these palatable for us! And as a bonus, I didn’t have to feel so guilty about eating a few of these meatball appetizers when the ingredient list was fairly short and healthy. :-)

What’s your favorite healthy appetizer?

Honey-Chipotle Meatballs

makes about 16 meatballs

Honey-Chipotle Meatballs

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey (or substitute ground beef, if you prefer)
1/3 cup yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
3-4 tablespoons honey, plus more for dipping
2-4 tablespoons chopped chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (we used 4 since we like it spicy; if you're not sure, start on the low end and add more if needed)
3 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375. In a medium bowl, mix together ground turkey, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper until just combined. Form into meatballs - I got about 16 meatballs when forming mine. In a separate bowl, stir together honey, chilies, and vinegar.
In an ovenproof skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add meatballs and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and bake about 5 minutes. Remove from oven, pour honey mixture over the top of the meatballs, and swirl to coat. Cook until liquid is reduced and meatballs are coated.
I do not have an ovenproof skillet, so I transferred mine to an 8x8 pan before placing in the oven. I kept my skillet warm, and then transferred the meatballs back to the skillet for glazing after removing from the oven.
Serve with additional honey for dipping, if desired.

just barely adapted from Martha Stewart

http://kitchenmeetsgirl.com/entertaining-2/honey-chipotle-meatballs-2/

XO, Ashley

Filed Under: Appetizers, Entertaining, Main Dishes, Miscellaneous, Side Dishes

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Peach Bellini Party Punch

December 30, 2012 By Ashley | 14 Comments

Holy smokes, how is it almost 2013?

You guys are all probably way cooler than I am and are either: (A) hosting a party; or (B) attending a party for New Year’s Eve. The Tall Boy and me? We’ll probably be chillin’ in the basement in front of the fireplace, watching football, and playing Battleship with Doodle. Yeah, we’re really party animals here.

Also? I might have a glass or two of this easy peach Bellini party punch.

Traditionally, Bellini’s are made with peach puree, and often contain quite a bit of sugar. I don’t know about you, but after the sugar-induced food coma I ate myself into over the holidays, I needed to tone the sugar intake down a bit.

These Bellini’s are light, crisp, and cool–and a little more figure friendly as we head into the new year.

What are your plans?

Peach Bellini Party Punch

Ingredients

2 ripe peaches, halved, peeled and sliced
2 Sweet 'n Low packets
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1 bottle prosecco or other sparkling wine (I used a Moscato, since that is what I had on hand)
2 tablespoons peach schnapps

Instructions

In a blender, combine peaches, sweetener, and lemon juice. Puree until smooth. Pour into a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing against the surface of the puree to prevent browning. Refrigerate until cold, up to two days.
Combine puree, sparkling wine, and schnapps in pitcher and stir to combine. Fill champagne glasses with ice and pour mixture over ice.

for a non-alcoholic version, add two or three teaspoons peach puree to an ice-filled glass, and top with peach sparkling soda (such as Fresca)

from Weight Watchers Healthy and Happy Celebrations

http://kitchenmeetsgirl.com/entertaining-2/peach-bellini-party-punch/

P.S. – You might like these recipes, too:

Peach Pie Smoothie

Frozen Blueberry Lemonade

Coconut Mango Smoothie

XOXO, Ashley

Disclosure: This compensated post is part of a DailyBuzz Food Tastemaker program with Sweet’N Low. However, any thoughts and opinions I’ve shared here are my own.

Filed Under: Beverages, Cocktail Friday, Entertaining

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How to Host a Low-Stress Birthday Party {with Nestle TollHouse}

September 13, 2012 By Ashley | 3 Comments

So, I had this crazy notion that as Doodle got older, life would get a little less hectic.

You know, no changing diapers, burpings, late night feedings? But holy cow, I’ve traded those things for t-ball, book fairs, PTA meetings and a seemingly never-ending stream of classroom parties.

Is it just me, but do Pinterest and other various social media outlets ever make you feel like you’re a failure as a mom/wife/blogger/friend/woman if your pantry isn’t organized and color-coded Martha Stewart style or you haven’t managed to craft your own china hutch out of milk crates and recycled glass bottles in five easy steps? Really, I’m lucky to get us out of the house in the mornings wearing clean clothes and matching socks.

And don’t get me started on birthday parties. When I was a kid, I had perfectly nice parties–cake and ice cream with a few friends, and maybe a trip to the skating rink. There were no photo booths in the back yard, bouncy-houses, or customized cupcake pics and water bottle labels. While I might be guilty of going a little overboard for Doodle’s birthday parties, the truth of the matter is that kids really don’t care about color-coordinating or treat bag labeling, or any of those other little nitpicky details we often get stressed out over.

That’s why I like these Birthday Sugar Cookies from Nestle TollHouse. They’re completely hassle-proof, yummy, and baked with love. Not only will the kiddos love ‘em, but serving these will definitely free up some time for more important things–like hugs and kisses, and just spending good ol’ quality time together.

Here are some great tips I found over at Five J’s for some ~~stress-free~~ reduced-stress birthday party planning:

Forget the cake (kind of)! Make cupcakes instead, and let each child frost his or her own.
Scoop out the ice cream into individual cups before the party. Even easier? Fill a cupcake tin with foil cupcake liners, and then fill the liners with the scoop of ice cream. Leave ‘em in your freezer until party time.
Don’t make goody bags ahead of time. Purchase gift-sized brown bags and then let the kids decorate the bags with stickers and markers during the party.
Make a paper bag pinata from a large gift bag, decorate it with streamers, and then fill it with the candy and party favors. The kids can pick up the goodies and put ‘em in their treat bags.

And here is an awesome birthday party-planning checklist I discovered at Handmade Charlotte.

My goal for Doodle’s next birthday is to follow some of these tips myself (mom, don’t laugh).

What are your tips for easy party planning? I’d love to hear them!

This post is brought to you by Nestle Toll House Birthday Sugar Cookies. Bake some birthday love.

Disclosure: As part of the DailyBuzz Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received a stipend to taste Nestle Toll House Birthday Sugar Cookies. All opinions expressed are my own.

Filed Under: Entertaining, Miscellaneous

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