Family Dinner at Sessions West Coast Deli: {Giveaway}

Disclosure: We were provided dinner for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Last week were squeezing every last bit out of our summer and I shared

with you about the fantastic dinner special Sessions West Coast Deli

was offering to help locals finish out their summer.

Since the waves were supposed to be HUGE down at "The Wedge" in

Newport beach, we packed up the family and headed down to check them out,

but first we stopped at Sessions to pick up the dinner they had prepared for us.

I think that everyone in Orange County had the same idea, 

so traffic down to the beach was CRAZY!

So, when we got to Sessions, we made a new game plan and

decided to dine al fresco outside Sessions.

It had such a cool, laid back vibe that we decided we wanted to enjoy

our delicious food instead of fighting the locals down to the beach.

The food was AMAZING!!!!!

JT had the Naked Dog and he dug right in.

He just went on and on about how delicious it was 

and he loved the poppyseed potato roll.
I liked this option because it meant he could have it his way - mustard and ketchup.

I think if I were to order a Sessions gourmet hot dog, I'd go with the Mad Dog,

because it's got guacamole.

Yum! 

Isabella went with the Pie Zano flatbread pizza.

It was like a flavor explosion in your mouth!

Isabella was so taken with the fresh potato chips that she 

couldn't even eat a quarter of the pizza,

but don't worry, daddy finished it off for her.

JJ and I went with one of Sessions gourmet sandwiches - the Sloppy Barney.

Totally delicious and I loved the So Cal Slaw and pickle.

Sessions is reasonably priced, provides a great SoCal atmosphere, inspired

by the local surf and skate culture, and offers amazing palate pleasing food.

Sessions West Coast deli features 20 hot and cold sandwiches, 

yummy housemade sauces and a variety of sides, salads, and soups prepared daily.

The bread is freshly baked and the veggies are locally grown - you can't beat it!

What's better than a cold Diet Coke and delicious pasta salad

on a warm California evening?

Not much.

So grab your beach blanket and the family and head to Sessions West Coast Deli

to squeeze out the last bit of summer that Southern California has left!

Sessions West Coast Deli

2823 Newport Blvd. in Newport Beach

and is open daily from 7AM to 10PM.

You can keep up with Sessions West Coast Deli on:

{FACEBOOK}

{TWITTER}

{INSTAGRAM}

GIVEAWAY!!!! The rad people at Sessions have given me a $25 gift certificate

to giveaway so you can enjoy their delicious menu for yourself!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Recipe: Quinoa Mac and Cheese {with kick!}

We have a brand new favorite dinner at our house - Quinoa Mac & Cheese!

My sister told me about quinoa a couple of years ago and we've used it

off and on since then, but when I heard Chef Brad talk about Grain Fusion Cooking

a couple of months ago, I decided to make a conscious effort to add in grains in

at least half of our meals during the week.

I also have another new favorite that goes perfectly with the Quinoa Mac & Cheese

 {CHOLULA!}

Seriously, have you tried it? 

It's addicting and delicious and gives the perfect punch to any meal.

My husband introduced to me a few weeks ago and now I put it on everything.

I had seen it on the table at restaurants for years, but I had never tried it myself.

I'm so glad I did!

So it seemed only logical to add Cholula to the quinoa mac & cheese.

Of course, I don't put it on top of the entire pan because then the kids wouldn't

touch it with a 10 foot pole, but you can bet I douse my piece with it.

Since quinoa doesn't have much a flavor on it's own,

as Isabella says, "I love quinoa because it tastes like nothing!!!",

it's great to serve with hot sauce or salsa because it punches it up and enhances

the flavors of the dish and makes it easier to add in grains to your favorite dishes.

You'll need:

1 ½ cups Quinoa

Chicken broth

Veggies (we love broccoli, but add whatever your family loves)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 large eggs

1 cup skim milk

2 cups shredded cheese

2 cups corn flakes, crushed

2 T. butter, melted

Cholula or salsa, optional

Directions:

1. Sautee the veggies and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook quinoa in 3 cups of chicken broth. I cook mine in my rice cooker.
3. Whisk the eggs and milk in a large bowl.
4. Fold in quinoa, veggies, cheese, garlic, salt & pepper.
5. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking pan.
6. Mix together the crushed corn flakes and melted butter and sprinkle on top of the quinoa mixture.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes and top with Cholula!

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
I made a recipe card for you to print off for quick reference.

Lean Cuisine Asian Flavor and Gyozas (Recipe!)

December is a busy month for us and my husband works long days,

so a lot of the time when dinner comes around it's just myself and the kids.

On especially busy nights - like Wednesdays - when we are running from one

activity to the next and it would be so easy to go through the drive-thru for dinner,

I'm always looking for quick & healthy meal options - enter Lean Cuisine!

The kids are happy with dino nuggets and fruit and veggies,

but let's just say we don't have the same taste and I want something more.

The other day I was shopping at Sam's Club and checked out the frozen foods section

to see if I could find the Lean Cuisine Asian Flavor 6-Pack.

The 6-pack was conveniently located in the frozen meals and I was super excited

to find this single-person serving meal that I could enjoy while the kids

enjoyed their meal.

(You can read about my shopping experience in my Google+ Story.)

This week Thursday was busy, but not as busy as Wednesday, so I had a little

extra time to prepare a yummy side dish to pair with my Lean Cuisine Sesame Chicken.

I chose to whip up gyozas - a family recipe from my sister-in-law.

They are a Japanese fried dumpling and super yummy!

You'll need:

1 lb. ground beef

1 c. cabbage

1 small onion

2 T. soy sauce

salt, pepper, garlic to taste

wonton papers

oil for frying

Brown your ground beef and drain.

Add cabbage and onion and cook until cabbage begins to turn translucent.

I was feeling adventurous Thursday so I used broccoli and shredded carrot instead.

Season with salt, pepper and garlic.

Add soy sauce.

Spoon into wontons and roll up.

To roll: fold the top corner over to the bottom corner - but just far enough to cover the filling.

Fold in the side corners one at a time and then fold the bottom corner up over

then all.

Your little gyoza will look like this!

Fry up by heating up some canola oil and frying each side for 5-10 seconds.

Watch them closely - they fry quickly.

While they cooled - because they are HOT! -  I popped my Lean Cuisine in the

microwave for 4 minutes and tidied up the kitchen while I waited.

While my Lean Cuisine cooled, I plated and served the kids.

They were excited for one of their favorite meals :)

My Sesame Chicken looked delicious and I was excited to try it with my gyoza

for a completely delicious meal!

I got fancy and put it all on a paper plate and was ready to enjoy!

I was grateful for a quick and easy meal that I would like, on an evening

when I did have time to prepare a big meal for the family.

If you're interested in making gyozas, I've got a cute little recipe card you can
print and use. Just right click and save!

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Nestle Lean Cuisine #CBias #SocialFabric. All opinions are my own.