Let's Review

Since we moved, I've really been on the fence about whether or not I wanted to try and continue with The Playful Table in a new city.  It can be a lot of work to try and market yourself in a new area and I've had a tough time trying to decide if I could start from scratch again.  But, the one thing I know for sure is that I've missed all the cooking.  I just can't help it .. it's the southern girl in me.
So, I've decided to put out a few feelers here in Columbus.  I'll test the waters to gauge the amount of interest and take it from there.
That said, I thought it would be a good idea to make a quick post with a few easy click links and explanations for what The Playful Table is all about.

The Main Idea ... Freezer Meals.  These are meals that come prepared and ready to be cooked.  Great for busy families, parents who both work or moms who prefer not to cook.  You take it out of your freezer the night before and it's ready to cook for dinner the next day.  There are also side items that can be purchased separately to add to any meal.

The Extras.  These are customer favorites that can be purchased on their own without the purchase of a freezer meal option.  You can choose to have them frozen or fresh.







Make A Meal.  This started as a service for people wanting to take a meal to friends/family at special or needed times in their lives (ie. new baby, sick family member etc).  It's still great for that but quickly became an option for planning ahead when you know a busy night or week is coming.  Orders for Make A Meal need to be placed at least 3 days ahead of time.  Pick up times are arranged and you have a hot, fresh meal ready for you when you need it.




Boxed Lunches.  One of my favorites!  Boxed lunches came about from my catering jobs.  Sometimes you don't have time for a hot catered meal at a meeting and a boxed lunch works great.  Perfect for offices, teachers and anyone planning for lunch.  It's easy to order online and orders should be placed at least 3 days ahead of time.

Sweets.  It doesn't all have to be savory.  Orders should be placed as ahead of time as possible.

Catering and Appetizers.  Last but certainly not least.  Catering is where it all started for me.  From cooking in your home for dinner parties to prepping a few appetizers for you to pick up, the sky is the limit here.

Have questions?  Email me at theplayfultable@yahoo.com

Quick Cheesy Salsa Chicken

Most of you know but for those of you that don't .. my husband is allergic to CHICKEN.  This definitely narrows the meal selection in our home but when he's away it's always a chicken day.   Usually the boys and I plan out what kind of yummy chicken meals we're going to have when he's not home but sometimes the day just gets away from us and when they're starving, the only requirement for our chicken is that it's ready QUICK.  Enter Cheesy Salsa Chicken.  It's not fancy but it's quick and delicious~

What you'll need:
4 Boneless Chicken Breast (cut into cubes)
Seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic to taste or Silly Salt if you have it)
1 cup chicken stock (or water in a pinch)
1-2 cups salsa (start with 1 and add more if necessary)
1/2 cup sour cream

Cut your chicken into bite size pieces

 

Season as you like.  A sweet friend gave us a bottle of this silly salt and I love it!

Throw the chicken into a hot pan and cook until nice and brown and cooked through.  Add a bit of oil before if you like but it cooks just fine without it!

Remove the chicken to a plate and add your stock or water to the pan.  Let it bubble until it reduces by about half and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the yummy bits in the pan.

 

 

 

Mix together the salsa and sour cream.

 

 

 Add the chicken back to the pan then add the salsa mixture.

 Add a little shredded cheese if you like :)

 

 Stir it really good and serve over a bed of lettuce.  For your super hungry kids I'd suggest adding some yellow rice and black beans .. yum!

 And for your Alabama fans, serve on their favorite Bama plate.

 And then annoy them by taking pictures while they eat!

 And snap a few pics of the little bit of Halloween decorations you have out.

Happy Halloween friends!

WOW .. what a whirlwind of a summer. I'm still adjusting to the fact that we actually moved.
We are finally starting to feel settled here in Columbus and I hope that means I'll have time to get back to this blog. For the moment I'm not sure how The Playful Table is going to fit into this new life here but in the meantime I thought it would be fun to post here with new recipes, what we're eating and links to my favorite foodie websites.

Thanks so much to all of you for your support of the The Playful Table and your encouragement and well wishes during the move.

Coconut Almond Bars



Today I was really in the mood to bake something which is a good thing since I needed a dessert for a get together tonight!  I had a white cake mix in the pantry but wasn't really in the mood for cake and didn't want to have to go to the store for extra ingredients either.  So, I made cake bars!  They are so yummy, so easy and quick to make with items you probably already have at home.



Just a few ingredients needed and it's easy to substitute items to your liking.

Here's what you need:

1 pkg yellow or white cake mix

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/3 c. water

1 c. coconut

1/2 c. quick oats

2 eggs

1 tbsp. sugar

1/2 c. chopped almonds

1/2 c. chocolate chips

Here's what you do:

Mix together the sugar, nuts and chocolate chips.

Mix together the first 6 ingredients.  The batter will be much thicker than a regular cake batter so don't worry!

Spread the batter into a 9x13 pan for a thick cookie or a sheet pan for a thiner cookie.  I prefer the sheet pan but that's just me.  Sprinkle the nut/chocolate chip mixture evenly over the top and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.

** excuse that pan picture would you?  I find it hard to part with my well seasoned baking sheets.

Take them out and let them cool.  Cut into bars and serve to your friends/family.

Ordering for Teacher Appreciation Week

Order forms for Teacher Appreciation Week boxed lunches are ready!!  Be sure to place your order early.  Completed lunch forms will need to be turned in no later than April 30th.

Lunches are $10 each and will be packaged with a special 'thank you' note and dropped off at school on the requested day at the requested time.  Have questions?  Email me directly at theplayfultable@yahoo.com.

**Order Online**
Place your order below, leave a note at checkout with your childs name, school and the names/grades of the teachers you'd like to provide a lunch.  I'll drop off order forms to the teachers and provide a return envelope.  You'll receive an email confirmation when they've been returned to me.

Quantity

1 Lunch $10.00 USD 2 Lunches $20.00 USD 3 Lunches $30.00 USD 4 Lunches $40.00 USD 5 Lunches $50.00 USD 6 Lunches $60.00 USD 7 Lunches $70.00 USD 8 Lunches $80.00 USD 9 Lunches $90.00 USD 10 Lunches $100.00 USD

Student / Teacher Information

Weekly Dinner Menu

Planning a busy week?  Pick a day, or two or three to pick up dinner and mark that off your list.  Dinner orders are enough to feed 4-6 people ($40) but can be ordered in halves to feed 2-3 ($25) people if that fits your family better.  Listed below is the menu plan for the week of March 19th!  Orders should be placed no later than Sunday, March 18th by 2pm.  Email me at theplayfultable@yahoo.com with orders, questions and preferred pick up times.

Monday

Spaghetti & Meatballs

Green Salad

Garlic Bread

Tuesday

Apricot Glazed Chicken Tenders

Confetti Corn

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Wednesday

Asian BBQ Short Ribs

Roasted Carrots

Jasmine Rice

Thursday

Honey Pork Chops

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Parmesan Roasted Broccoli

Friday

Cheesy Chicken Bundles

Mashed Potatoes

Green Beans with Almonds

Teacher Appreciation Week!

Teacher Appreciation Week will be here in a flash and it's about time to start preparing.

Treat your favorite teachers to a delicious boxed lunch this year.  Order forms are being printed and will be available beginning the first week of April.

Ordering How-To's:

1.  Decide how many teachers you'd like to treat to lunch and on what day of the week (May 7th - 11th).

2.  Place your order with me.

3.  I'll provide you with order menus.

4.  Drop off the menu to your teachers.

5.  Menus will be returned to me.

6.  On your desired day each teachers lunch will be delivered to them at school.  You are also
     welcome to pick up thier lunch from me and drop it off personally if you'd like.