Kikkoman House Party

I love hosting House Parties. You never quite know what to expect. Granted, this time around, my party was a bit farther delayed than we originally planned. My daughter decided to come when we least expected. So I took the turkey, brined in Teriyaki sauce instead of soy, to my future in-laws house for Thanksgiving.

I've never brined a turkey. I've always had the traditional kind. But I'm always up for trying something new. And that's what we did. Granted, with every new trial, comes the first time mistakes. My turkey came out a little dried.

And I suppose that with teriyaki sauce, you need more of it than the soy to truly taste it.
They sent recipes, shirts, coupons for free products, and an oven mitt.

The recipe they sent for the soy brined turkey is here.

As I mentioned, my turkey wasn't as beautiful or juicy. But you have to test it out differently to get it right. My suggestion if you decide to do something other than the recipe, go bigger.

We purchased a 9lb Butterball turkey. I got a 10 ounce bottle of Kikkoman Teriyaki sauce, and threw in the spices with water to my largest pot.

Granted I used half that amount of teriyaki sauce. And therein lies my mistake.

We could barely taste it. Scratch that, couldn't taste it at all.

We found that there are way more Kikkoman products than we originally thought.

More than just soy sauces.

I'm actually considering trying another recipe. I'll tweak it a bit. But I'd like to try a teriyaki turkey one day.

As for the party. I enjoyed the time we shared and the thoughts that were put into words about the turkey. Brining was nothing new to them. But soy and teriyaki was. Adding more flavor next time would be advisable to make this a more successful event. And having more options about shirt sizes wouldn't be a bad idea either. We only had large and extra large shirts, sadly. But the coupons I passed around were appreciated. Everyone got the chance to get their own Kikkoman products to try for free. What can be better than that?

My opinions voiced here are my own. I was sponsored in trying and hosting this party. I was not paid or otherwise told what to say.

Gooooing to the chapel and I'm gonna get marrrrieed!

Sorry, can't help myself with that title. Unless you remember the oldies song it went to, you probably think I've lost my mind and started writing like the idiot millennial youth of todays day and age. Yeah... no. I might be losing my mind, but I'm not reverting to stupidity with my English skills. I have dignity. They do not.
Anyhow.... moving on....
Normally, a couple decides to get married and THEN have kids. My fiancé and I went outside the box. We got knocked up and then agreed to get married. Neither of us are doing so because I had a baby though. Believe it or not, talk of such had occurred before we learned that 1+1 sometimes does equal 3. (Get the common core reference?) In addition to going about this step in the relationship backwards, we also took another step out of order. There was no ring involved when the question was posed. Heck, it wasn't even a question. More of a, "You know I plan on marrying you, right?"
I sit here laughing at the memory. Let's face it. I don't reside inside the box. I don't follow the crowds. I won't be a white sheep in the herd. I won't even settle to be the black sheep. More like a purple or a red sheep... The point is, I move to my own drumbeat. My decisions may not be what certain people want them to be. Maybe they aren't as well thought out as they should be. But they are my own. And my fiancé certainly rolls along with it. So the question wasn't, "Will you marry me?" Because I already knew that was the plan. I already knew there wasn't a doubt between us that that was the path we were on. There was no other answer than, yes. Followed by, "When are you planning this, by the way?" Because I promise you, I won't be having a shotgun wedding. I won't get married simply because I'm pregnant and its taboo. I won't do a justice of the peace ceremony thrown together in a couple months. My first wedding was in my parents living room and laughable all the way.
No, if I'm getting married again, it will have class. It will be done right. It will live up to the dreams I had of that happily ever after moment. Don't get me wrong, I'm no princess. I won't expect, or want, that Disney wedding fairy tale set up. I have every intention of nerding it up.
Fast forward to me being 9 1/2 months pregnant. We have now decided to start planning a wedding for next June. By then, I won't be pregnant. We will be moved into a better home/neighborhood. And I should be back to a much smaller size so that I can rock an elf-like or medieval style dress. The theme for our wedding? Star Trek marries Star Wars! He's the Trekkie and I'm all for SW. Granted I didn't fall in love with any of the dresses in the Star Wars movies. So that's why I'll be rocking another style. But close enough. I'm also a huge Lord of the Rings fan. It will work perfectly.
This month, we finally found the perfect venue. Its in an area we can enjoy, affordable (considering all that comes with the price and in comparison to others we looked at), fits our estimated guest list, and will add a great deal of class. Not to mention the staff is all for our theme! Vintage Villas in Austin is where we plan to go for our wedding.

I'm totally looking forward to it. And now that I know where, when and time... I can start putting together the more fun aspects of the wedding.
So from here on out, I'll post an update on the plans and things that are happening for the wedding. I'm sure it will be one to remember!

An Artistic review to organize the office desk with!

Shoplet.com has sent me something else of interest to review for your guys. They have some wonderful office supplies, that I love testing out and seeing where or how it will work for me. Organization is key for me, both at home and at work. Especially when it comes to office things. I do side jobs at home from time to time and need my work space to be clear and focused. That's why I love this Artistic Lift-Top Desk Pad.

 

It has a grip pattern underneath to help keep it in place on my desk. The top lifts up to allow me storage of documents or pictures.

There is a printed protractor and metric ruler in the top corner.

This pad will protect your desk from dust and scratches. It has a washable surface. And a great non-glare surface to reduce reflection.

The lift-top idea is great for reminders. Put an invitation card or to-do list under it and have it in view every time you are at your desk working on projects. Things like this will help keep you on task. More so than loose papers that get tossed into a stack and forgotten until you go searching.

This pad measures 19"x24". Something to keep in mind when you are thinking to pick one up. Shoplet.com is the largest e-tailer of office supplies. You can check out this Artistic lift-top desk pad, here, which runs for $36. Always watch for deals. If memory serves me right, the current promotion is free shipping on orders Shoplet offers such deals often. You can sign up for their newsletter and have them email you with current deals or offers. Look at other Artistic products as well.

Shoplet also provides cleaning supplies, medical supplies, and office furniture. The greatest thing about them? You can shop for all these things from the comfort of your home.

So I'm curious, what is your favorite thing about this product? Would it be useful to you? Leave me a comment below and tell me about it!

Kikkoman House Party review coming soon!

I was recently chosen by House Party to sponsor a Kikkoman review, giveaway and party! As such, they sent my party pack today. I received a bunch of shirts, an oven mitt, recipe books, and coupons for Kikkoman products. I'm quite thrilled to test this product out when making Thanksgiving dinner this year. Providing my baby is born early enough to allow me to do so...

I will say that I'm disappointed in the shirt sizes. All I have to offer my guests will be Large and Extra Large.

Aside from being pregnant, that's not even my size.
The recipe books have a variety of entrée and side dishes that I'm dying to try out. I just have to go get a turkey... So who else is hungry?! And who thinks a brined turkey in Kikkoman sauce sounds yummy?