ShopRite Potluck Blog: Spinach Pie

One of our favorite dishes to serve at nearly every holiday is Spinach Pie.  So, when this month's assignment for the Potluck Bloggers arrived, I knew exactly what I was going to share!  It's so simple to prepare and ingredients are very accessible.  Check out my latest post at the ShopRite Potluck Blog today!

Note:  ShopRite provided a gift card to help with the cost of preparing a couple of my favorite holiday dishes. 


Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.
 

Eat.Live.Be. - Catching Up!

My posting has been a bit sporadic lately... between the start of baseball season and Passover, I've been a bit busier and the time keeps slipping away before I realize it.  So, it's Monday again and it means it's time to share with the Eat.Live.Be. bloggers how things are going.  I'm also going to touch on the previous topics that I missed.

Two weeks ago, our healthy living group discussed supplements and why we take them.  I only take a couple of vitamins - a multi-vitamin, calcium and B-12.  The reason? Well, in spite of working on getting all my "colors" in each day, I imagine I might be missing some nutrients somewhere along the way so, a multi-vitamin should cover most of what is missing.  I take calcium because I have a small frame and am not a huge fan of drinking milk, and imagine that my yogurt and cheese intake is not quite enough to ensure my bones are strong.  Finally, B-12 because I discovered last year that I was slightly deficient in that vitamin through routine bloodwork.  After getting injections for a few months, I am now just taking supplements.

Happy Passover! Decadence in a Flourless Chocolate Cake

Happy Passover, to everyone celebrating!  We had Seder at our house last night and it was a night filled with tradition and delicious food.  We tend to stick to the same menu each year, and you can take a peek at what that has been like in last year's post HERE.

One of the things I enjoy about the holidays is having all of our N.J. family together.  It would be even better to have some of our family that lives farther away with us as well.  What warms my heart even more is that My Boys look forward to our family gatherings as much as I do.  My Youngest was very happy about having everyone over last night and said "I love all the holidays because that means we get to spend more time with our family."  Makes me want to give him a bigger hug just thinking about that sweet thought.  My Oldest was very excited to read the 4 questions in Hebrew.  Overall, it was a fantastic evening spent with family.

Cooking Challenge: Shrimp and Crab Souffles

It's been awhile since my last Cooking Challenge post and I'm so glad that My Husbad encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone again.  I had gotten into a cooking rut... yes, even food bloggers get into cooking ruts.  You know what happens, life gets busy so you keep going back to your quickest and simplest dinner plans.  We were all getting bored and I wasn't inspired to cook much anymore.

One of the things I love about My Husband is that he really "gets" that I enjoy cooking and need to challenge myself with new recipes and techniques.  I've had a stressful few weeks at work and when you throw the kids Spring baseball schedule into the mix and it was clear I needed something to help me wind down.  Those of you who enjoy cooking know what I am talking about.  Time in the kitchen, reading a recipe and pulling it all together to make a delicious meal. 

Sausage Gravy - Comfort Food

Last week, I was really not inspired to cook.  Which is why you didn't see many posts here.  One night last week when My Husband got home, I was still trying to figure out dinner... I had some sausage in the fridge that I needed to use and was going to do something simple like toss it after cooking it with some pasta.  Since that wasn't a terribly interesting idea, he suggested we try to figure something else out.

A Taste of ... Some Fabulous Food!

Last week, My Husband and I had the pleasure of attending a local "taste" event.  We were invited by the lovely owners of our local ShopRite store, the Gladstein family.  It was an opportunity to meet them and sample some of the fabulous food that ShopRite Sunrise Kitchens prepares through their catering service.  My post all about ShopRite's offerings that night can be found HERE.



Once we enjoyed the creations by ShopRite's chefs, we were encouraged to go see what other restaurants were there.  Of course, we were thrilled to find that there was a varied selection of food and wine to sample.

One of our favorite dishes was a Lobster Mac and Cheese that was from Vitanzo Caterers.  I didn't manage to get a photo of the dish, however I have to tell you that the creamy combination of 3 cheeses with the added decadence of lobster... let's just say that there wasn't a single bite left!

Another absolutely irresistable dish that sampled was an Oyster Po'Boy from Costanera Cocina Peruana.  After one bite, I was asking them if it was on the menu.  Sometimes the items served at events like this are not necessarily on the menu, and I didn't want to be disappointed when we make it to the restaurant.  Fortunately, they serve it both at lunch and at dinner.  Yes, this one is on our list for a date night very soon!

Next, I waited patiently while the chef from Toscania Trattoria seared diver scallops.  When I fond out the polenta had gorgonzola cheese in it, there was no way I was going to pass up an opportunity to taste this dish.  It was well worth the wait and I think I may have finally convinced My Husband that he likes polenta. 

There were so many fabulous restaurants, caterers and wine/beer vendors there!  If you have never been to a "taste" event, I highly recommend that you go check one out!  Some are based on a specific local town - like many in Morris County, NJ... while, others are more national such as the Taste of the Nation which is hosted in many different cities to benefit the Share our Strength charity.  While enjoying some incredible food and finding new favorite restaurants you can also help raise money for some amazing charities.

Note:  I was not compensated in anyway for this post.  The wonderful owners of my local ShopRite provided complimentary entrance to the event.



Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.
 

Potluck Blog: Nuts for Crunchy Chicken

Have you gotten home and wondered what you will make for dinner?  Then, you will want to check out my post at the ShopRite Potluck Blog!

With some simple ingredients I had in my pantry plus the addition of ShopRite nuts, I made one of our favorite weeknight meals!  So, head on over and check out my post and leave a comment to let me know what you would do with a container of nuts - besides nibble them as a snack.
Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.