Tie It with a Bow

Spring brings travel, special events and celebrations like spring break, Mother’s Day, bridal showers, and graduations to name a few. Being ever the thoughtful Southerner, you know not to show up empty-handed!

This past week at Americas Mart, Steve showed a group of dedicated retail buyers several new ways to put together “The Ultimate Hostess Gift”, including a Holiday Jingle cocktail!

Tito's, sugar
Holiday Jingle Crush Cocktail

As a bonus, our fellow Butler University classmate and Delta Gamma sorority sister, Jill Miner, joined us.  Be sure to check out her award-winning bookstore in picturesque Gaylord, Michigan, Saturn Booksellers.

Back to the hostess gift!  Let’s deconstruct it and learn some tips.

pizza, salad, bowl, blue, towel, salt, cellar
Ingredients for a food lovers gift

Steve says to think about your host.  Do they have any hobbies?  This gracious host has discovered cooking and frequently entertains friends and family.

Next, let’s find an unusual container instead of the standard gift bag.  We love this vivid blue melamine (unbreakable!) salad bowl.  Then we filled it with delicious pesto, gourmet salt and a pizza kit from Atlanta-based Bella Cucina.  Tuck in a matching blue tea towel for some extra love.  Now, let’s look at it all put together.

pizza, food, salt, blue, salad, bowl
Food Lovers Basket

Twirl some cellophane around it and tie it with a bow.  Now you’re ready to say Thank You and enjoy your time together.  Shop the look here.

blue, pizza, salad, salt, gift, basket, kitchen, food
Tie it with a bow!

We’re going to share these ideas throughout the spring, so stay tuned for more wonderful ideas to wow your host.  Of course, if you’re pressed for time, our team at steve mckenzie’s is ready to prepare your hostess gifts for you.

Missed this seminar?  Keep track of our whereabouts, classes and events by following our  Facebook page and Instagram.

The McKenzie’s Gluten-Free Family Favorites

If you’ve been reading the blog for steve mckenzie’s for any amount of time, you’ve probably come to learn Steve and Jill love entertaining. But, you may not know that they also have a passion for cooking.

While our Pinterest boards for steve mckenzie’s are chock full of fabulous design ideas, our most referenced-to board would be “Recipes for Worknights;” and it’s just as it sounds – a board full of ideas and inspiration for quick and easy dinners. Most of the recipes are gluten free, or can be easily adapted for those who are striving to live a gluten-free life, as Steve and Jill are.

*Note – You can now find many gluten-free products at Aldi, for a fraction of the price as other grocery stores. It’s become a regular stop for us!

Just the other night, a new gluten free recipe graced the McKenzie table to rave reviews… Mushroom and Chicken Marsala Bowls from the pages of the January 2016 issue of Cooking Light magazine. Here’s the full recipe, as well as links (click on photos) to some of the McKenzie’s other gluten-free favorites, which will hopefully entice you to get more creative and healthful with your weeknight meals…

CL Jan/Feb 16: SYYOL

Mushroom and Chicken Marsala Bowls

2 1/2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock, divided
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
1 pound mushrooms, quartered
8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup minced shallots
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry Marsala wine
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Melt 1 1/2 teaspoons butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add quinoa to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until toasted and fragrant. Add 1 1/4 cups stock; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 12 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add spinach; cook 1 1/2 minutes or until beginning to wilt. Remove spinach from pan.

3. Melt 1 1/2 teaspoons butter in pan. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil; swirl to coat. Add mushrooms; cook 8 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove mushroom mixture from pan.

4. Add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 4 minutes, browning on all sides. Add shallots, thyme, and garlic; sauté 1 1/2 minutes. Add wine and remaining 1/4 cup stock, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 2 minutes or until liquid is reduced by two-thirds and becomes slightly syrupy. Remove from heat. Add remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, mustard, pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, stirring constantly until butter melts. Stir in mushrooms and spinach. Serve over quinoa.

honey-chipotle-chicken-bowls-I-howsweeteats.com-5
Honey Chipolte Chicken Bowls
pork-cutlets_300
Port Cutlets with Sauteed Peppers and Beans
aEasy-BeefTex-Mex-Skillet-Casserole2
Skillet Beef Tex-Mex Casserole
roasted-veggie-quinoa-salad-1
Roasted Veggie Quinoa Salad

Mmm… Our mouths are watering remembering these tasty meals! We hope you enjoy these gluten-free favorites as much as we have, and follow along with our Pinterest boards for more inspiration… If you’re looking for some pretty serving pieces to place your new dinner creations on, then stop in to steve mckenzie’s today – after all, you do eat with your eyes first!