House Party with Keurig

A few months ago I started seeing ads on TV that weren't ads.  "House Party with Keurig"...and there would be smiling women with a Keurig coffee maker in a random kitchen...then it was over and onto the next commercial.  "Wait...what the F was that??  That wasn't a commercial!"  I thought that I must have misunderstood.  So the next time it came on TV, I really paid attention.   Keurig...women...coffee...kitchen...W.T.F???  It still made no sense at all.  Then I started seeing the ads on my Facebook feed.  The non-ad was following me!!  The only logical conclusion was to click on it.

After filling out my address and a survey, I found out that House Party sends different products to a host's house for them to share with their friends.  I applied for the Keurig party, and a few weeks later was accepted to host!  The only rules were that I needed to invite 10 people via email, take a photo of the party, and agree to give away a Keurig...no problem.  I received two Keurigs in the mail and a huge box of coffee and Keurig swag.

Today a great group of friends came over to our house.  This was NOT your typical Tupperware party.  I couldn't decide what kind of scones to make, so I made raspberry with white chocolate chips, toffee and chocolate chips, and cinnamon chip.

 Al made a brilliant pyramid of Keurig iced coffee/tea sippy cups.

The big prize was set out in the center of the living room with a pretty red bow.

Super fast Guinness

Not only did the guests get free coffee, free scones, free swag, and a chance for a free Keurig, they also got a coupon for 50% off a Keurig brewer.  I of course created my own side by side comparison of each Keurig available with the features and price with discount.

It is normal to create product comparisons complete with logo...yes?

We all grabbed a coffee or tea (iced or hot...some with Bailey's or Kahlua).

Decisions...decisions...decisions...

Then we needed a way to give away the Keurig.  Al wanted to be sure that he had influence over the great power that we had of determining the lucky winner of the Keurig.  Clearly the only option was to play two rounds of Cards Against Humanity..."the card game for horrible people".  Everyone had a great time!

Ben was the big winner for the day.  He took an early lead, and nobody was able to catch up.  Congratulations Ben and Shanna on your new Keurig!!

The happy couple with their new Keurig!

It was a great afternoon with friends, coffee, and CAH...also not a bad day when you get a free Keurig!  I've applied to host a Yellow Tail Moscato party...how awesome would that be??  Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Irish Dumplings

Here's one of my favorites for a cool day.  I used Penzey's Spices "Mural of Flavor", but you can use any herb blend.

2 cans reduced fat condensed cream of chicken soup
3 cups water
3 medium onions
1 package carrots
1 package celery
salt and pepper
2 tbsp Penzey's Mural of Flavor (or other herb blend)
family pack of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
6 medium potatoes, peeled
1 package frozen peas
3 cups Bisquick
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/3 c fat-free half and half or low fat milk

Sprinkle boneless, skinless chicken breasts and/or thighs with the seasoning, salt, and pepper.  Bake at 350 for 15-25 minutes until the center is 165 degrees.

Chop carrots, celery, and onions into equal sized pieces.

Heat olive oil in a large pot.

Cook the veggies with salt and pepper for 10 minutes on medium high heat.

Remove chicken from the oven.

Chop potatoes into 1" pieces.

Add soup, water, potatoes, peas, and chicken to the pot and simmer for 30 minutes.

I noticed that the chicken pan had all sorts of tasty goodness stuck on it...and I want ALL of the tasty goodness!

I took two ladles of the broth, fired up two burners, and deglazed the pan.

Scrap the pan with a wooden spoon using the broth to clean off the cooked on pieces.

Drain the liquid into the pot, and now you've not only put all of that flavor into the stew, but you've cleaned most of the pan!

Mix up the Bisquick, buttermilk, and milk to create the dumplings.

Plop them into the pot in small batches turning after 2 minutes to cook all sides.

Enjoy!  This is a great meal to double and put half in the freezer.  You can also put it into small containers and make all of your coworkers jealous with your awesome leftovers.