There are rice vinegar, cider vinegar,  wine vinegar, 5% vinegar and 9 % vinegar, etc. in the market.  Do you know which one to use when?

In my opinion, many times they are interchangeable, just with a slightly different sharpness in taste, so unless you are very precise in the dish you prepare, I would say experiment with what you have before you store up 5 + different types of vinegar in the cupboard.  Life is complicated enough, this is one area I would go easy with.

One easy, classic Chinese cucumber salad I make is with (rice or any kind) vinegar.  Chop up Asian cucumber in thin sticks about 1 inch tall and half inch wide, marinade them in vinegar, tons of garlic, and season it with sugar and hot pepper oil.  It is an amazing appetizer.

Balsamic vinegar, on the other hand, is a must have in your kitchen.  It is a great flavor enhancer for a variety of foods.  The Garlic and Balsamic Marinated Flank Steak is sweet and tart, one of our favorite prepared frozen meals from Dream Dinners this month.

By the way, Heloise has a tip of using vinegar to keep car window frost and ice free.  Coat all the windows with a solution of 3 parts white vinegar mixed with 1 part water.  However, I am hoping for the nice weather to continue so this particular useful tip will not be used.

Have a great long weekend!

It seems like we just packed away the last of the holiday decorations and now it’s time to focus on Valentines Day! The good news? This is the time when you can use your imagination to make this special day fun for your family and one that they will remember for a long time. Creating simple traditions doesn’t have to be expensive, it just has to be thoughtful and serve as a gentle reminder to your family that they are loved and appreciated. From adding a bit of red food coloring to their milk, to baking their favorite cake in a heart shaped springform pan, or maybe giving “coupons” to your family for either “one day off of chores” or “you pick a movie night” are all easy, simple and memorable traditions that your family will remember, and maybe pass on to their own one day.

One of our favorite traditions is to create an evening picnic! Light the fireplace, place candles on the mantle and spread a blanket on the floor. Serve your family’s favorite dinner and presto! A romantic dinner is served!

Other simple treats for your family can include sneaking in chocolate kisses and special notes into your children’s cereal. Or what about starting a Valentine’s Day Scavenger Hunt, where you leave cute, funny poems with clues for the next location? At the end of the hunt, your children will find their special Valentine’s Day treats! Look online to find festive crafts you can make with your children, including jewelry, picture frames and fun cards. These homemade gifts beat store bought purchases any day!

And don’t forget your spouse as hopefully, he or she won’t forget about you! Plan a night around Valentines Day where it is just the two of you. Take the children to Grandma’s house and spend some time by either going for a long drive, recreating your first date, sharing a bottle of your favorite wine with chocolates or dining at your favorite restaurant. This is the perfect time to reconnect after the busy holidays. Make it a priority.

At Dream Dinners, we also cater to everything representing the “heart.” Every month our menus feature heart healthy entrees that the whole family will love and devour. This Valentines Day, just some of our classic healthy menu items include, Oven Baked Almond Chicken, Slow Cooked BBQ Beef with Baby Bakers and Chicken with Honey, Garlic and Orange. Also perfect for your Valentine’s Day menu is our Choice Cut Raspberry XOXO Chicken over Rice. These delicious choice cut chicken breasts are marinated in a beautiful chipotle raspberry sauce. Sprinkled with whole raspberries on top, this menu just shouts: “Happy Valentine’s Day!”

This has been a party month!  We hosted a Chinese New Year Party at home, hosted a Birthday Party and a MS DreamMakerS party at the store, attended International Night party at the kid’s school, and many other functions.

Being the food lady, I cannot disappoint any guest even if I am dead-tired.  I am very thankful to our signature party food: Sesame Teriyaki Meatballs.  The bite size meatballs are marinated in the savory, tangy sauce, perfect as appetizer or served on rice for a full meal.

The other amazingly popular dish we served?  Spinach Mushroom Lasagna.  Even kids who normally turn their little noses away from green veggie would love this one.  So when you come in for the February recipes (the Romantic Raspberry XOXO Chicken over Rice!), pick these perfect party food up from our Grab & Go freezer!  You will be a successful host(ess) EVEN if you are dead-tired :>

With love,

Yihung

It is hard to believe that we are coming up for our 6th anniversary.  It will be Saturday, April 14, from 2 – 4 pm.  We are planning an open house and will give away another energy – efficient chest freezer.  Please save the day.  To qualify, simply attend a session between now and then.  Each time you attend a session, your name is entered automatically.  So,k if you come every month, you will have 4 chances to win.

We will also use this opportunity to set up Fundraiser program for your school and organization; as well as Timesaver program for your office and clubs.  So please spread the word

An

But with some pre-planning and getting your family on board to make healthy and tasty meals, you will be surprised that your New Year’s resolution is really not so difficult.

First, start slow and transform your habits over time. It’s unrealistic to change your family’s routine overnight. This can create an unhappy household, which could make it easier to give up your program before your new lifestyle even begins! Start by adding salads with colorful vegetables and substitute cooking with butter to olive oil. Eliminate sugary after dinner desserts and serve fresh fruit and a scoop of sherbet or frozen yogurt. These are simple yet subtle changes that can easily make a difference in your home.

Next, don’t take everything you love off the menu. Why is it when you ban certain foods, you crave them more? Moderation is the key. Start by reducing your portion sizes. Sometimes just a taste of something sweet or salty is really all you need.

Most importantly, enjoy your family mealtimes. When schedules get so busy that eating on the run happens more and more frequently, make it a priority to establish family dinners as often as you can. Savoring every bite, chewing slowly, finishing before you feel full and reconnecting with your family will not only change what you eat, but how you eat.

Finally, get organized. Create and shop for your meal during the weekends or reserve a few hours during your busy week. At Dream Dinners we have done much of the work for you. With classic good-for-you dinners, including healthier versions of Buffalo Ranch Chicken, Pesto Salmon with Cheese Crisps and Kentucky Pork Chops among a few, we provide everything you need, from fresh ingredients, to easy to follow instructions. Once you are home, you can freeze your uncooked dinners and use them to serve when needed.

Simple, positive steps are ready for you to take now. Every change you make matters. Make it a good year to embrace a healthier lifestyle!

“I’m out of time and good ideas!” is an understatement for this time of the year for most people.  I am sure if I didn’t have Dream Dinners, we would be eating badly, wasting a lot of money, and generally in a bad mood.

(It is a pretty stressful discussion in the car racing down the street, blindly: “So where do you want to eat?” dad glancing at the watch.  ”Mcdonald’s!” shout kids.   ”No!” shouts mom. ”How about the old faithful XXX?”  “But we ate there a million times!” “I don’t know what else is here.” “How about that one?  Let’s pull in and just give it a try.” ….20 minuets later…..  ”ugh, I will never come back here again!”  Sounds familiar? )

So, we have been down that road before, and I have learned my lesson.  Seriously, if I want to eat out, I want to enjoy a Washingtonian Top 100 or at least the Cheap Eats.  The rest of the times, my Dream Dinners served at home taste much better, more quickly, and no discussion is needed.  I simply informed everyone what’s being served, and that’s it.

Even for pot lucks.  45 minutes before my son’s school pot luck event, I put a pan of our Layered Ravioli Bake in the oven, went in the shower, put my make-up on, checked a few emails, then that was it.  I was the star of the buffet table!  This dinner is savory, with rich sauce and flavors.  Super kid-friendly and great looking to serve.

Dream Dinners is truly the rescuer of the holiday season when it comes to food.  We are having a FREE made for you service day on Friday, December 23rd.  Email us for details!

Top Dishes for Entertaining:

1. Fruit Stuffed Pork Roast
2. Italian Stuffed Shells
3. Lemon Chicken Piccata

Top 30 min or Less Meals:

1. Sesame Teriyaki Glazed Meatballs
2. Steak Gorgonzola
3. Chicken Marsala

PLUS These All Time Best Sellers:

1. Chicken Mirabella
2. Herb Crusted Flank Steak
3. Coconut Shrimp with Sweet & Sour Sauce

Pencil in your January reservation while in session and automatically entered to win a Chest Freezer.

Winner will be announced on Jan 3rd with freezer delivered upon the Jan session. 36-serving minimum per order.

Dear Yihung,

Thank you to you and your lovely staff for making Friday night such a huge success! We have received tremendous feedback from our participants, thanking us for such a terrific event. What a welcoming environment you provide. We cannot thank you enough for making your shop completely accessible to all of our participants and their families, regardless of age or ability. We are very grateful for all you did to make all of the dreamMakerS’ families feel at home, comfortable, and valued. You and your staff did a wonderful job– in preparing for and during the event– communicating with us. We look forward to working with Dream Dinners again in the future–

Thank you again,

Best,

Liza Levenson, M.Ed.

Executive Director, President

MS dreamMakerS, Inc.

http://msdreammakers.org/

Then I remembered this.  Mother Teresa said: “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.”

I know I don’t the power to change the world, but I can make at least one family happy every night.  Here is an email I received last night:

“I just had the Steak Caprese, and it was INCREDIBLE!  One of the best dream dinners I’ve ever had!” – James Perry

So, that’s what I intend to set out to do every day.  Make people in MY life happy, respected and loved.