I got over my fear of Asian food thanks to this campaign from SocialMoms. I am usually not the type to seek out Asian style entrees, but I am trying to be more adventurous with my food choices, and I am also trying to not eat out at lunch as much. I got some coupons to try out Tai Pei entrees, and at only $2.18 each, they are a bargain lunch for the working woman (and man!).

My lunch hour consists of about a 5 minute drive home, so I like to maximize my 50 minutes at home by trying to prepare lunch in under 10 minutes. The Tai Pei entrees I tried are ready in about 6 minutes, plus 2 minutes of cooling time. So, in those 8 minutes, I wash dishes, let the dog out, check my email, and then I’m ready to enjoy my lunch. My fave was definitely the beef & broccoli.

I loved that there are actual broccoli florets. and not just a bunch of stems. There was also a good amount of meat, but as always, I wish there was a tad more. The great thing is that you can just heat it up and eat—no plate required! I will note that you do not take off the plastic wrapper before you microwave it, so just a tip about that. My instinct was to remove the wrapper. The portion is great (not too much, not too little), and even my hubby loved the entrees. We both work at the same employer, so we come home for lunch together and Tai Pei Asian Foods provide quick, affordable, tasty meals for anyone that is on the go.

I know a lot of my readers are calorie/portion conscious, and these entrees come in at under 450 calories, plus you can always add more veggies. The sodium is a smidge high, so drink lots of water when you have these meals. Overall, I highly recommend the Tai Pei line of foods, and you should check your local grocery store to see if they have the Asian Garden entrees which are geared a little more towards health conscious folks like me. They also have appetizers that look really good, too. I’ll definitely be adding Tai Pei meals to my lunch meal options.

If you’d like to give them a try, you can print out a buy one, get one free (BOGO Free) coupon right over here: http://bit.ly/1aLwKkF

You can also view all the Tai Pei line of food products at www.taipeifood.com

What are your favorite Asian/frozen meals? What do you do for quick lunches during the work week when you’re busy?

My husband and I are sort of thrilled I was chosen for this sponsored Collective Bias campaign with #KraftRecipeMakers because we are always so short on time and stressed from work to cook. Sometimes we come home to quickly eat dinner and then have to go back to work. I know…no fun!

We use that as a constant excuse to eat out, and it doesn’t do our waist lines and bank account any favors. The new Kraft Recipe Makers line (seen below) takes the guess work out of “What to make?” or “What’s a good, quick meal?” I loved how affordable the product was, and it’s definitely something I’ll be adding to my Walmart shopping list from now on. The meal starter kit was about $3, and there’s several recipes on the box to help you get inspired or creative. Overall, this recipe can feed a family of four for about $20. Try doing that at a restaurant!

Personally, I like using meal helpers like this because they take the fuss out of a home cooked meal. I love, love, love pot roast, but I hate all the prep and stuff that can go with it. These open faced pot roast sandwiches are super easy, there’s literally under 15 minutes of prep, and it is delicious. My house smelled like heaven while this roast was cooking. Pairing simple, fresh ingredients with the Kraft Recipe Makers can make any night, even a tiresome weeknight, a special occasion. Quick, easy family meals don’t have to be a chore.

I made this as a crockpot recipe, because it’s super quick to get this going in the morning as I head out, and when I come home after work dinner is literally ready to be served. It simply doesn’t get any easier than that, folks.

The recipe is at the end of this blog post, but I do want to highlight a few things I did to put this recipe over the top.  I whipped out my trusty cast iron skillet to give my chuck roast a crispy, peppery crust. Any pan can work; I just happen to be kind of obsessed with my cast iron skillet right now.

This herb sauce? Oh. Em. Gee. It’s so tasty, and it really brings out the savory, mouthwatering flavors of pot roast. Bravo, Kraft!

When picking out a bread for your sandwiches, try to pick something like a garlic herb loaf. It’ll make your entire recipe/dish a bit more flavorful, and who doesn’t love tasty, crusty bread? Yum.

And finally, it really is super simple to start with this…

And end up with this. Yes, those are homemade mashed potatoes, and no it didn’t take me more than 10 minutes. Pinky promise!

Open Faced Pot Roast Sandwiches
MonicaWantsIt.com
Servings: 4
Ingredients:

• 1 Kraft Recipe Makers Kit (New England Pot Roast Kit)
• 2.5 lbs. beef chuck roast
• 1 bag of baby carrots (1 lb.)
• 1 white onion, sliced
• 16 oz. bag of microwaveable baby reds (found in produce section)
• 1/2 stick of butter
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 2 oz. light cream cheese
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 loaf/8 slices of bread (I used garlic herb from Walmart)
• Cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Sear your chuck roast in a cast iron skillet on both sides. Coat chuck roast with pepper before searing each side (no salt!).
2. Throw your baby carrots, sliced onion, and chuck roast into a slow cooker/crockpot. Pour the Kraft Recipe Makers Classic Herb Simmer Sauce all over the roast. Set your slow cooker to cook on high for about 7-8 hours. A slightly larger roast will yield a longer cooking time.
3. When there’s 15 minutes of cooking time left (or when you come home from work/shopping/etc.) pour the finishing sauce over the roast and allow to cook for 15 more minutes. In the meantime…
4. Warm-up or lightly toast your slices of bread with some butter. I threw my slices in a 350 degree oven for about 7 minutes while I made the mashed potatoes.
5. Throw your microwaveable baby reds in the microwave for 6-7 minutes. Once they’re cooked, toss in a bowl and mash with milk, cream cheese, butter, and salt/pepper to taste.
6. Grab a plate, arrange 2 slices of bread, top with about 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes, and a hearty serving of pot roast. A dash of cheddar cheese adds gooey awesomeness.

That’s it! Maybe 10 minutes of prep before tossing it into the slow cooker, and maybe another 15 minutes to prep to serve and you have a tasty, semi-homemade meal that your entire family can quickly enjoy. And if you want to be extra fabulous, you can arrange your bread so that you end up with a heart shaped sandwich.

Awww. :)

Every bite is better than the previous one. I love the buttery bread, the creamy mashed potatoes, and the salty, savory pot roast in each bite. These sorts of recipes make me want to eat at home rather than eat out. Am I right?! Daniel and I could eat this once a week and not get bored. No more stress eating out for us!

You can find out more about the awesome products by Kraft Foods over on their Facebook page.

What are your favorite pot roast recipes? Do you enjoy cooking with a slow cooker in your home? Let’s talk about it in the comments section (please!)

Breakfast is my most favorite meal of the day, especially on weekends. As with all my cooking, I hate making anything that takes a long time and/or requires 5 different pots or pans.

No thank you.

This dish is the anti-thesis to all of that. It’s all made in one cast iron skillet…and a small saucepan if you opt for gravy. It’s simple, delicious, filling and QUICK. You can have this from kitchen to table in under half an hour. I made this for Sunday breakfast, and then we ate the leftovers for Sunday lunch. This dish is perfect for brunch or breakfast, or heck, why not dinner? You likely have most of the ingredients on hand.

I use a cast iron skillet for this recipe because I am obsessed with the great crust and flavors that develop when cooking with cast iron. If you don’t have one, and don’t want to buy one, a 9x13 Pyrex dish will work, too.

Rustic Cast Iron Breakfast
MonicaWantsIt.com
Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 can of jumbo buttermilk biscuits (8 count)
• 4 large eggs
• 1/3 cup of milk
• Salt/Pepper
• 6 strips of cooked bacon
• 1 tsbp butter

Gravy Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 1/4 cup of milk
• 1/2 cup shredded gruyere cheese
• Salt/Pepper to taste

Pizza Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cook up 6 strips of bacon and drain excess fat onto paper towel. In a bowl, whisk together salt, pepper, milk and eggs until well mixed. Crumble the 6 strips of bacon into bite sized pieces and toss into egg mixture.

Open can of biscuits and form a crust on bottom of greased cast iron pan. Pour egg/bacon mixture over the biscuits and bake for about 15-17 minutes.

Cut into 4-6 servings using a pizza cutter and enjoy!

Gravy Directions:

Melt butter in small saucepan, add in flour to make a roux, then mix in milk. Bring up to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat, add in cheese until melted, and add in salt and pepper to taste. I like my country gravy with a lot of pepper—I probably used 2 tbsp worth. The gruyere cheese adds a smoky flavor, but feel free to omit it or add in your fave cheese.

The gravy adds a salty, decadent touch. Plus, who doesn’t like biscuits and gravy…WITH BACON?!

It’s kind of funny how this totally does look like a pizza! The biscuits puff up and form a crust that is reminiscent of a pan pizza crust. Nom nom nom.

You can really get creative with this recipe and use turkey bacon, or use pepperoni, or add in veggies like spinach and tomatoes. The possibilities are endless. This recipe is sure to please even the pickiest eaters, and I think it’d be fun for kiddos to eat.

What are your favorite Sunday morning foods?

Today’s Friday Lust post is all about dining tables and chairs. Ooh la la.

In my post earlier this week, I told you all about how much I hate our dining set. It was absolutely perfect for our apartment that we lived in from 2007-2010, but now it’s just not what I envision for my home. It’s also hard to scoot the stools/benches in once you sit down, and it’s just…not me.

It’s got 2 stools + 2 benches (and a wedge we’re not using that connects the 2 benches to form a L shape), so it sits about 6 people. It’s counter height and nearly impossible to find a table cover for. Sad face.

Here’s what I’d rather have:

Traditional Dining Room by Burnsville Design-Build Firms Highmark Builders

Contemporary Dining Room by Lewis Center Interior Designers & Decorators Instyle Interiors

Traditional Dining Room by Centreville Photographers Buchanan Photography

Traditional Dining Room by Vancouver Architects & Designers Kerrisdale Design Inc

I want a gorgeous, weathered pedestal or trestle table with really beautiful chairs that have tufting or nailhead accents. The overall vibe I am wanting is sort of like if Restoration Hardware and ZGallerie hooked up for a one-night stand and had a baby. I WANT THAT BABY. Rustic, glamorous, classy and timeless. I also love the weathered, hand scraped table look because if a friend slams a glass on the table, or I drop a fork onto it, it just adds to the character. I don’t want a normal, super smooth finish, cherry or espresso dining set.

And that may be why I can’t find anything I can friggin afford. Here’s what I have found so far. In a perfect world, I’d buy this table:

$1295 from Restoration Hardware

And then I’d buy 6 of these chairs:

$449 each from Restoration Hardware

And then I’d move on with my life. But unfortunately, I don’t have thousands to spend on this endeavor, so onto the copycat versions of these pieces. This table from World Market is a strong contender, but the finish is too dark…

On sale for $499 through 9/30/13 @ World Market.

Then there’s the Cane Dining Table from Home Decorator’s Collection- I called to get the specs, and it seems like it will only seat 4 because the overhang at the edges is only 9 inches. Although, in a pinch, I don’t think it’s awful…but then again I wouldn’t be the one sitting at the edge. I’m also iffy on the color since it looks gray washed in one photo and really dark in another. On sale through 9/30/13- $599.

And another potential table from Home Decorator’s, but I wonder if the 48” size would be too small for my space? I’d like to be able to fit 6 people, so this may not work. I’m also not 100% on board with a circular table.

On sale through 9/30/19 for $359.

 

However, I’m about to contradict myself because I LOVE this round table from Ballard Designs:

$1199 at BD.

 

Chairs are easy enough to find, and although they’re cheaper than RH’s version, they’re not that cheap, KWIM?

 

$301 for a pair at Overstock.

 

Sigh. I don’t know what to do. I want what I want, and I know this is not a project I’d ever want to DIY, so do I just save up for my dream dining set? I’ve thought about freshening up my current set with some slipcovers or something, but finding slipcovers for the 2 benches is proving to be quite a task.

 

Advice, thoughts? If anyone cares to sponsor my entire dining set, please let me know. (Hey, it never hurts to ask) :)

This post is going to have a ton of pictures, so I totally apologize in advance if I cause you to go over your data plan for you mobile users.

My dining room has kind of stayed as is, plus or minus seasonal décor, ever since I did this reveal post last year. Well, the hubster and I have been lusting after a new dining table, so we rearranged the space a bit to see what it’d feel like in a different configuration. Ok, and I sort of lied…I’ve been lusting after a new dining table while my husband is 100% OK with the set we have.

It is the bane of my existence. But more about that in a post later this week.

We flip flopped the layout and now it looks like this when you walk in:

Now the dining table is what greets you when you walk in (before it was the sofa), and I’ll admit I despised the layout the first few days…Now I LOVE IT! It flows nicely, the room feels more spacious—which is a challenge since the room is about 10 feet wide and 30 feet long. Yeah, seriously narrow and long.

The chandelier is centered beautifully over the table, and mercury and jewel tone accents add drama to the space.

The candlesticks and mercury glass pumpkin are from one of my top 5 favorite stores: ZGallerie. The blue and magenta pumpkins are from Hobby Lobby, and the flocked damask runner is a wedding leftover from Kohl’s holiday collection back in 2008. Silver chargers are 98-cents each at Walmart.

Past the dining table, is a comfy, luxe seating area perfect for cocktails with the gals. Plus, there’s a doorway that leads straight to the kitchen, so that it’s easy to get refills on drinks or check on the puffed pastry in the oven.

And if you haven’t noticed, I finally splurged on some curtains with COLOR. My other ones were 5 different shades of beige, and these are STUNNING. They are a gorgeous peacock blue color, but when the light hits them, they can morph into having more green or blue. I am in love! The price is oh so right—these gorgeous SIlkana Teal Curtains are only $52 for a pair, and they are worth every penny. They do not totally block out the light, but they do filter it so it just softly embraces a room. Highly recommend!

And now onto more pictures and less of me talking…

 

Pee Wee always comes into my blog photo shoots to give his approval.

Or to lounge.

That mirrored table off to the left developed a HUGE crack out of nowhere. Ugh. So now a nice serving tray from World Market covers that sucker up.

I’m still obsessed with my ghost chair. I’m writing this very sentence right now while sitting in my ghost chair from Overstock. It’s so comfy. I think my circa 2008 Dell PC is an eyesore. Maybe Santa will bring me a new all in one PC this year…or maybe a Mac? Hhmm.

This frame is one of those fugly gold frames you can find at garage sales. While the gold may be old/ugly, a coat of spray paint can work wonders! Plus, look at those gorgeous, ornate elements on the frame.

These flocked damask pillows were a great score at JCP a few years back. I got 4 of them for $6 each.

The mirrors are from Kirkland’s and were about $10 each. They always have sales and coupons (plus you can use coupons from your phone), so I always go to Kirkland’s for affordable home décor such as mirrors, vase filler, and pumpkins for fall.

There you have it! Again, the primary “makeover” aspect of this simply involved moving around furniture, and bringing in accents from other rooms, but in the interest of full disclosure, I did splurge on the following:

• New Silkana Teal Window Panels (4 panels, $100 total)
• New trellis patterned pillow ($15 at Ross)
• New magenta pumpkin ($4 at Hobby Lobby)
• New black lamp shade ($10 at Ross)
• New bright white bulbs ($12 at Walmart)

Total: About $150 for a whole new look!

I have this obsession for pumpkins, so I love being able to scatter them throughout my home. The dining room won’t get to enjoy the fall décor too much since I have been selected for a super awesome opportunity that I’ll tell you about later this week. IT IS EXCITING!! I am so over the moon about it and can’t wait to gush all the details to you lovely people.

There are a few things I want to change about the space, in addition to getting rid of the dining table. I’d love a luxe throw with a fun geometric or damask print, a bar cart, wine fridge, recessed lights, a tufted storage ottoman, more wall décor, mirrored/acrylic serving tray, metallic pillows, and a less “beige” wall color. Oh and a gorgeous arm chair! I’ll be working on those during the next phase of my dining room facelift. :)

What do you think of my “new” dining room? Like? Love? Want to come over and have drinks with me?

If you have any questions about anything in my dining/office/living room area, please feel free to leave a comment and I’ll reply to you in the comments as soon as I can.

But here are some questions I am anticipating and will just answer now:

• Where is the sofa from? Macy’s: Chloe Sofa in Granite
• What is the wall color? Sahara Desert Sand by Glidden
• Where are the chandeliers from? Home Depot: Maria Theresa Chandelier
• Where is the “C” table from? Pier 1’s Hayworth Collection