October 24, 2016

Fall Dinner Party

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Fall Dinner Party. Each Fall we host an informal dinner party for friends and family. I truly believe that it is so important to connect with the ones you love in person. Texts and emails are great, but in person connections are so much better. This past weekend we invited a few people over for some a delicious Italian dinner, a movie for the kids, and time for the adults to chat and catch up.

Once I knew how many guests we would have, I ran to my local Walmart for some ingredients and supplies. Semi-homade is a lifesaver for me, so I picked up a few jars of Prego Farmers’ Market® sauce. I like to mix my flavors, so I bought the Classic Marinara and the Roasted Garlic varieties. I really like the Prego Farmers’ Market® sauces (grab a coupon here), “Picked at the peak”, and always made with the kind of ingredients that you would find at your local farmers’ market, like vine-ripened tomatoes, garlic, and basil. The sauces are as good as the sauce my mom used to make, and are so much easier! While I was at Walmart, I also purchased some EVOO, eggplant, chicken breasts, caesar salad mix, fresh breads, and mini cannoli for our party. Finally, I purchased some gourds, small pumpkins, and fresh flowers for the table.

On the day of the party, I placed an old wool scarf on our table as a table runner, and set each place setting around the table. Then, I added all the gourds, flowers, and serving dishes.

My husband fried the chicken breasts and egg plant while I set the table and dressed up the kitchen bar. He is a master chicken fryer, so I don’t even try anymore. He whisks two eggs in a 1/2 a cup of whole milk and 1/2 a cup of heavy cream, he dunks the chicken breast into the egg wash, and then into a breadcrumb mixture. (1 cup of Italian seasoned bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of parmesan and asiago cheese, with a pinch of pink salt and fresh pepper) Then, he fries it to perfection in a heavy frying pan with vegetable oil over medium heat. He fried the egg plant the same way. We boiled fresh pasta (a family friend makes it for us, I have been too nervous to try it myself), and placed it in a ceramic serving dishes. Then, we topped the pasta with our Prego Farmers’ Market® sauces. I added the chicken to one dish, and the eggplant to another. We topped each dish with fresh shredded mozzarella cheese and put them in oven for 15-20 minutes.

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We turned on some Frank Sinatra music for dinner, and lit candles throughout the kitchen and dining room, and you could have easily thought you were at a nice Italian restaurant for dinner.

Everyone enjoyed a fresh salad, warm bread with dipping seasoning and EVOO, and a delicious meal that my hubby and I didn’t have to slave over a hot stove for thanks to Prego Farmers’ Market® sauces. We ended the evening with yummy and mini eclairs, cannoli, and a fun family movie. It was so great to reconnect with the ones we love, especially before the busy holiday season begins.