Let the Fun Begin!!!

...And the daunting task of selecting "the perfect" menu begins!! First of all, how formal are we talking here Britt?? I always feel as though, when coming up with a meal to feed groups at our place, my brain works better when I work with a specific theme.
Italian: Italian can always be a winner because you can dress it up or make a bit more casual depending on the occasion. One of the yummiest meals I remember growing up was delicious curry/seafood/chicken pasta. Other ideas can range from a good red sauce spaghetti, homemade lasagna, spinach lasagna roll-ups, an Alfredo, ect. Start with a nice big salad with all the works (too offset all those oh sooo good carbs haha) and add in some garlic bread!
Fiesta: Generally a bit more casual, but the possibilities are nearly endless and are usually very simple. Let everyone build their own taco salads, have a taco bar, enchiladas, chimichangas, or have a Cafe Rio night(always a hit!). Throw in some fresh homemade salsa (Chris' specialty) and chips and some Spanish rice and you're set!
Asian:  It's kind of fun to mix things up a little bit and try some Asian cuisine! Have a bunch of veggies and meats that people can choose from to make their own stir fry in different sauces. Serve with brown/white rice and throw in some chopsticks for fun! Lettuce wraps are always delicious and are very simple as well! Another thing we did growing up was what we called a "Japanese BBQ" night. Simply placing an electric griddle in the middle of the table with individual rice servings, we would have an array of vegetables and meats which we could individually cook up on the griddle in our own sauces.It's similar to an Asian version of a fondue, is a bit more interactive and fun, and everyone is happy!
Classic/Misc: Of course meat and potatoes is always a classic, but try spicing it up a little. Have a baked potato bar with a bunch of fun fixings, cook up some pork chops or chicken in some yummy marinade, steam up some fresh veggies and you're set! Another fun idea that is a little out of the box is to have a fondue night! It's fun, interactive and can create various courses all the way through dessert! We love this and I have a bunch of recipes from the Melting Pot that are delicious!
Don't even get me started on dessert! We could be here all day! haha
...And now on to chapter 4!...Sorry to write a novel! Those were just some thoughts off the top of my head! Let me know if you want any of these recipes and I'd love to share them! Good luck!!! xoxo
-Chynn

Question!

I am having some friends come to dinner Monday night-- these are friends that have moved away and are in town visiting College Station. What would you serve for dinner??! I have a few ideas, but I'm wondering if some of you have a favorite meal you like to eat when people come over. Share in new posts please!
-Brittany

White Chili

I know its getting out of soup season for us, but for some of you-- warm soup on a cold night still sounds good. This recipe is so good-- the flavor is amazing! We were recently invited to a "soup party" and everyone brought soup. After the party my friend commented out of the 5 soups that were brought she and her husband thought this one was the best. I hope that you get a chance to enjoy it before it gets too hot! Also-- eating the soup with chips is better than rolls-- since it has a more Mexican flavor.

White Chili
2-3 Chicken breasts
1 tbsp. Olive oil
1 to 1-1/2 onion chopped
4 garlic cloves
2 4oz cans of mild green chilies diced
2 tsp ground cumin
1-1/2 tsp oregano
dash of cayenne pepper (more if you really want a spicy kick-- but I did not)
3 16 oz cans white beans undrained (great northern beans are good-- I believe pinto would work too)
5 c. chicken broth
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (I don't believe I did this much--)
salt and pepper to taste (I wouldn't add anything until you've tasted it-- mine didn't need any extra seasoning.)
Sour Cream on the side

Boil and shred chicken. In large skillet heat oil over med/high and saute onions until translucent (8-10 min). Stir in garlic, chilies, cumin, oregano and cayenne pepper. Saute all together for 2 minutes. Prepare chicken broth. Add skillet mixture and beans to broth (undrained beans). Bring to boil. Reduce heat, add chicken and cheese. Stir until cheese melts.

Thai Peanut Chicken

Well hello everyone.  I'll post a recipe that we just tried for the first time last night.  It was a hit and pretty easy to make.  My friend had given it to me a few days ago.  If you're in the mood for something different, it's a good one to try.

Thai Peanut Chicken

White rice, chopped iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced carrots, cooked cubed chicken (I just cut mine up into little cubes and cooked it with a little olive oil, salt and pepper) - there are no measurements on these ingredients because it depends on what you like.  Layer your plate with these and then top with the following sauce.

6 Tbsp soy sauce (My friend told me Aloha brand is good because it's more mild, otherwise, I would use 4 Tbsp. of soy sauce + water)
1/4 C crunchy peanut butter (I just used creamy since that's what I had)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 Tbsp chili powder
3 Tbsp green onions
1/4 C oil (my friend used peanut oil but I just used veg. oil since I thought I had some but I didn't)
3 Tbsp lime juice
6 Tbsp sugar (My friend just used 3 so that's what I did.  You can try it with 3 and then test it and add more if you want)

Mix the measured ingredients and cook over medium heat until slightly thickened (5-8 min.)  We added chow mein noodles on it too which added a nice crunch.

FOOD, FOOD, FOOD!

Girls-- lets start sharing recipes that we've tried and loved! I know that we all love to cook for our families so I think this is a great way to share awesome recipes that have worked out well for us!
PLEASE POST some good recipes that you've loved and lets keep this going!
-Brittany

We need to get Rachael on here...

WE"RE GOING TO HAVE A BABY!!!!

Hey thanks for calling Todd, sorry I didn't call you back.
That was really nice. Anyway I just wanted to post that
I'm going to have a baby!!! YAYYYYY