entertaining

Grilling For Easy Entertaining

February 14, 2019 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

Hosting a dinner party should be a pleasant experience, but too often it can turn into a stressful ordeal instead. It can be daunting to divide your attention between meal preparation and your guests’ conversations.

Then, there is also the challenge of figuring out in what order to cook foods so that everything turns out just right.

But what if there was something that could help you breeze through all this mayhem? Well, there is, and it’s likely right there in your back yard: your grill!

Here are three reasons you should be firing up your grill and using your favourite BBQ party menu ideas when entertaining guests:

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Host a Gourmet Holiday Lunch with Open-Faced Apple and Gruyere Sandwiches and Happy Planet Soup

December 10, 2015 by Kathryn 18 Comments

Holiday entertaining often means evening parties with plates of appetizers, huge turkey dinners with all the fixings and a large variety of sweets and treats. But what if you want to do something a little more low key for your holiday event, yet still just as classy? A gourmet luncheon may be just the holiday event you’ve been looking for!

I decided to throw a little lunch party recently for a few friends, and I knew just where to start when it came to planning the menu. Happy Planet Fresh Soups are the perfect gourmet addition to any meal, and I decided that a simple menu of the new West African Squash and Cashew Soup with Open-Faced Apple and Gruyere Sandwiches would be the perfect way to impress guests without too much effort!

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Add Convenience To Your Kitchen with the Luma Comfort IM200SS Stainless Steel Clear Ice Maker-Giveaway

February 15, 2014 by Kathryn 366 Comments

There are some small appliances that I’ve considered adding to my home in the past, but decided against. Usually I just feel like the appliance won’t provide enough benefit to offset the space the device would take up, since my kitchen is quite small. But every once in a while I discover a new kitchen accessory that becomes an essential in my home so quickly that I wonder how I ever lived without it.

That’s what happened when Luma Comfort sent me its IM200SS Stainless Steel Portable Clear Ice Maker. I’ve always thought ice makers were such neat appliances, but buying one seemed like a needless expense when I can make ice in a tray in the deep freeze. Boy, was I wrong! I cannot believe how handy it is to have this compact little countertop appliance in my home and I would never want to be without one again. [Read more…]

Take Entertainment on the Road with the New Shaw Go YTV and Shaw Go Treehouse Apps

December 20, 2013 by Kathryn 89 Comments

With my boys officially off school today, I know that I need to have plenty of entertainment lined up for them. At home they have toys, games and crafts to keep them occupied. But when we’re out and about visiting and running errands, the travel can start to take its toll. That’s why I was so excited to learn about the new Shaw Go apps that have just been released for Shaw Cable and Shaw Direct subscribers.

Shaw Go Treehouse and Shaw Go YTV apps are extensions of the company’s TV Anywhere content. The apps allow me to access top-quality children’s programming including Toopy & Binoo, The Backyardigans and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles while out and about anytime! I couldn’t wait to download the apps and see how they worked for us.

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Holiday Entertaining Just Got Easier with New Black Diamond Cheese Spread

December 5, 2013 by Kathryn 151 Comments

With Christmas less than a month away, holiday entertaining is on my mind. I’ve been spending the last week baking up some tasty goodies for the freezer, but I like having savoury snacks to offer as well as sweets. I adore using appetizers for entertaining and cheese is one of my top choices, simply because I love it so much. Recently Black Diamond asked me to create a few recipes perfect for holiday entertaining using its new Black Diamond Cheese Spread and I couldn’t resist the chance to test out the cheesy goodness for myself.

I decided to make the Bacon Cheddar Salsa Dip featured on the Black Diamond website. My boys and I are huge fans of Mexican food and this looked like a great easy way to enjoy our favourite cuisine. I made the recipe even easier by substituting our favourite store-bought salsa for the freshly made version and the results were perfect. [Read more…]

Ring in the Holidays with Festive New SodaStream Ocean Spray Flavours-Giveaway

November 21, 2013 by Kathryn 155 Comments

I love making tasty, healthier sparkling beverages with my Soda Stream machine and because I have it, I don’t buy soda very often. There’s just no need when I can enjoy all different types of beverages right at home that taste better and have less sugar than anything I can buy in a store. Now, SodaStream has introduced a brand new set of cranberry flavours from Ocean Spray just in time for the holidays!

I am absolutely giddy about trying these new flavours, but I can already tell that they’re going to be perfect to have on hand for whipping up fun and festive cocktails. To help you treat your guests to tasty beverages too, SodaStream is very generously offering one lucky Mommy Kat and Kids reader a fabulous prize pack containing a SodaStream Source Plastic Black and the new Sodastream Ocean Spray flavours, a $150 value! To enter to win, just leave a blog comment about which of the three new Ocean Spray flavours you would most like to try. [Read more…]

Join in the @RaisinBreadCA #SunMaidBrunch Twitter Party November 20 at 9pm EST

November 16, 2013 by Kathryn 4 Comments

Is there anybody that doesn’t love brunch? Breakfast is my very favourite meal, so when I get the chance to sit down and feast on an assortment of tasty breakfast foods during a family brunch, I am about as happy as can be! And I’m not alone; a recent study of Canadian families that eat brunch found that 80% of those polled would consider a festive brunch instead of the standard dinner this holiday season. And brunch can be a fun and easy meal choice too with great recipes from Sun-Maid! This year, the company has created four signature brunch recipes using Sun Maid Raisin Cinnamon Swirl Bread that will have everyone in the family excited to eat!

To celebrate all the ways you can create a fun and festive brunch this holiday season, Sun-Maid is hosting a fabulous Twitter party that you won’t want to miss! Come join us on November 20th, 2013 from 9 pm to 10 pm EST for the #SunMaidBrunch Twitter party to chat about your favourite brunch tips and ideas. The hilarious Kathy Buckworth will be joining us as a special guest to share her thoughts on making holiday brunch easy! [Read more…]

This Quick Mexican Toss Pasta Salad Recipe Makes Entertaining Easy

May 24, 2013 by Kathryn 9 Comments

One of the things I love about summer is how much easier it is to entertain. We live in a fairly small house so hosting gatherings in the colder months can be tricky simply because we don’t have a lot of room for people to circulate. But our yard is huge, green and perfect for relaxing outside with family and friends. Even the party food is often as easy as lighting up the barbeque or pulling out a hearty cold salad made earlier in the day!

Recently I was browsing the Life Made Delicious website for new fresh ideas for summer entertaining and the Zesty Corn and Pasta Salad recipe reminded me of one of my own favourite summer pasta salad recipes: Mexican Toss Pasta Salad. This easy salad is hearty enough to act as a main dish on a warm summer day, but it’s also a fabulous party side dish or potluck contribution!

mexican toss pasta salad recipe [Read more…]