December Date Night: Frisky Fortune Cookies + Cashew Chicken Recipe

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Momma Told Me: Life can get in the way.

The holidays are in full swing (Tell me something I don't know Jenna, right?) Okay, did you know our family celebrates Christmas twice? Because half of the family lives on the East Coast, and the other half here in Southern California, we are always sure to have the tree trimmed and decorated for Thanksgiving. Since my grandparents can't take an entire month off to visit, we cram all of the Winter holidays into one in November, then do it again with local family in December. Sure, after a 'dry run' on turkey day, the real thing goes off without a hitch- but it's still a heck of a lot of planning. After all, half of our shopping and gifts have to be done before Black Friday!

I'm quite fortunate though, Jay doesn't mind hauling out boxes of decorations, assisting in the wrapping of piles of gifts, or the residual glitter from having to hang my favorite pink zebra sequined globe at the top of the tree. He's a trooper. In fact, this will be our 4th holiday season together, and we are constantly creating new traditions, while celebrating the old. However, it can be quite hard to find time for just the two of us in between his full time job, and holiday overtime, and my schedule with the blog, daycare, and holiday event planning. So, this year, I'm instituting a new tradition; December Date Night.

Few people know this, but our first official date was over lunch at a Chinese restaurant- He'll say our first date was over frozen yogurt at 11pm at night after bowling league, but I call that an impromptu hang out. So, for me, there has always been something special about returning to that ritual of sharing a good conversation, in great company, over some cashew chicken and fortune cookies. It may sound silly, and even a bit childish, but we always wrap the meal up by playing the humorous 'in bed' game with our fortunes. It's simple, add the words 'in bed' to your actual fortune cookie fortune, and see who has the more amusing twist! I don't think we haven't gotten a gem yet- and it's a great way to start a flirty dialogue with your other half over a few smiles!

This year, I'm taking time out of our busy holiday season to schedule date nights- Scheduling time with your significant other may not be the most optimal scenario, but sometimes it's a necessity. If we didn't make time to reconnect with one another an entire season would go by lacking that intimacy healthy relationships require. So, inspired by our first date, I decided to make date night more memorable with homemade slow cooker cashew chicken and Frisky Fortune Cookies.

Homemade fortune cookies may seem a bit overwhelming, but they're actually quite fun to make, and really easy to get the hang of. Best of all, they can be made with basic baking ingredients you already have on hand! 

1. Simply prepare the recipe at the bottom of this post and place the batter into a piping bag with a small corner snipped.

2. Pipe tight spiral circles onto a well greased cookie sheet to about 2"- Only pipe 2-3 cookies at a time, as the cookies will set quickly upon removal from the oven and you will need time to fold them.

3. Next, tilt the tray left right, up, and down, to coax the batter to spread and thin in a round circular shape. Once your batter circles are near 2.5-3" place the cookie sheet in a pre-heated oven and bake for 4-5MIN, or until the outer edges are golden brown (the center will remain light.)

4. Immediately move from the oven and carefully remove the cookies with a spatula. The cookies will be hot so be mindful of temperature! Place one of our Frisky Fortune strips (FREE Printable here,) in the center of the cookie and fold loosely in half.

5.Grabbing the two creased edges pull down on the corners alongside the rim of a glass to create a crescent shape. Place folded cookies in a muffin tin to cool and set.

Of course there are a few other things you will want to have on hand and prepared for a December Date Night- you can grab our Cashew Chicken recipe below too, it slow cooks in 3-4 hours so there's little fuss there. You'll also want to have a few other things sorted out, like who will be watching the kids (if you have them,) what you'll be wearing (or not wearing), and how you'll continue the mood after dinner. Since this date night is in your home, you're free to really reconnect with your partner- I've given you some breadcrumbs with my Frisky Fortunes, it's up to you to determine where they'll lead. Perhaps a pampering massage or something a little more intimate?

For us, date night is all about reconnecting and nurturing the emotional and physical bond we share so I also did a little exploring at Walmart while shopping for my date night essentials. Armed with this $2 off one K-Y® product printable coupon I made a beeline to the personal hygiene and wellness aisle where I discovered K-Y® TOUCH® 2-In-1 Massage Creme and Pleasure Gel. It's a whole new way for couples to connect and explore through touch-based connections. The non-greasy gel magnifies skin's sensetivity in a very subtle, building effect that truly enhances the sensations of massage and other passionate activities.

Half the fun in a date night is the unwinding and reconnecting that goes on between two people so committed to one another. Sometimes our commitment can be taken for granted when we get comfortable and feel as though our significant other will 'always' be there- but it's especially important during busy and hectic times such as the holiday season to make time to engage one another without all of the distractions of busy lives. We've survived our 'pre-holiday' holiday, but still have one coming up; I think another date night is in order! For more tips on increasing intimacy, no matter the time of year, check out these Intimacy Tips with Dr. Laura Berman. How do you plan on making time for romance with your partner this holiday season?

What Daughter Says: There may be a lot of awesome things going on this holiday season, but it's important that you take time out to ensure your relationship is one of them!

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken Recipe

***Click here for printable Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken recipe

#ShareWhatsGood For A Chance At $5k, + Special Welch's Moments Inside #MC

***I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Welch's. I received product samples to facilitate my review, and a promotional item as a thank you for participating. All photos below are copyright Momma Told Me Blog 2013.

Momma Told Me: A smile is the most important thing you'll ever wear.

Not too far away- Okay, years back, amidst the flurry of my childhood, Momma and I ruled the kitchen together. I remember the first time I discovered Bagel Bites, somewhere around 1995- I didn't stop singing that darn jingle for months. And, just when I was certain mom would ban the word 'pizza' from our home, all-together, she surprised me with a stroke of culinary genius. With a firm hand on her hip, floral print maxi dress, and a look of determination, she smacked the frozen food box on the counter and looked intently in my eyes, "We can make these! And we can make them any way we want to- and they'll be much better!" she declared.

I was a bit afraid, and a bit excited, all at once. Momma's culinary creations were usually hit or miss- and I didn't want to have to choke down any more misses with a pained grin. But, as it turns out, this tale marked the beginning of a weekly tradition Momma and I kept for several summers. We'd begin our week with a trip to the local bagel shop, then stock up on ingredients during the mid-week grocery trips. And every Friday would be Bagel Pizza lunch day- a magical event of olive fingers and sassy saucing that still brings a smile to my face today. These were kitchen table moments elevated only by the slow sipping of ice cold grape juice; Welch's a staple in our household.

So, it's no surprise that Welch's has recently launched a #ShareWhatsGood campaign and photo contest to help capture and share those very treasured kitchen table moments. Of course, 'what's good' doesn't have to happen around the kitchen table, Welch's knows these moments can happen on the go, and with friends too. So, in addition to the exciting Share What's Good contest, they've worked tirelessly to bring you a collection of recipes and family activities to spark your next 'what's good' moment. Log on to Welch's Share What's Good page today to find out how to get entered to win $5000! Our family jumped at the chance to create some of our own special moments with a little Welch's inspiration.

Armed with Welch's 100% Grape Juice, we created some instant memories, and I even got to 'steal' come precious family time without them noticing! In fact, we used the Grape Fortune Cookie recipe fround on the Welch's website to create the header photo for this post, my very first entry into the #ShareWhat'sGood contest. I'd made fortune cookies years ago, but was inspired by the thought of adding a touch of grape juice to enhance the cookie's flavor. This was the most hands on project, and Sabrina (11) quickly became engulfed in the task of rolling out the 'dough,' and learning how to fold the hot cookies. This time, however, writing the fortunes was left to me; imagine Sabrina's delight when she pulled a cartoon mustache out of her first one!

Because part of 'what's good' to our family is classic comforts, filled with childhood memories, we immediately wanted to make Welch's Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookie Sammies. With a simple recipe, that includes a bagged sugar cookie base, even the most amateur of home bakers can pull this one off. Not intended for the faint of heart, or those with white carpeting, these peanut butter cookies wedged a hefty helping of Welch's Concord Grape Jelly between them for a new twist on a classic childhood favorite. Both Jay and Sabrina gulped these down with a tall glass of milk. Not only were these creations perfectly messy, but the jam smeared smiled of my loved ones made for yet another 'what's good' moment. Honestly, anytime the family comes together in the kitchen, it's magical.

I was further browsing the Welch's website last week when I came across yet another, simple, Welch's twist on a classic treat. Ever since our Fortune Cookie endeavor Sabrina (11) had been requesting Welch's juice after school. I decided I would surprise her with a Purple Cow Float- Okay, a what? That's right, chilled grape juice poured directly over 2 heaping scoops of vanilla bean ice cream for a creamy, yet slightly tangy, float that is free of carbonation mishaps, and resembles a Purple Cow. This got giggles right from the get go, as purple beverages, let alone desserts aren't very common! With a hesitant sip, Sabrina nodded in approval, a frothy smile clinging to her upper lip, 'That's good! What's in it?' Here she was thinking I'd crafted some fancy new drink, and I'd only used two ingredients. Two simple ingredients for yet another What's Good moment.

Log onto the Share What's Good website, or follow the brand on their official Facebook page for more great family time inspiration, and delicious Welch's recipes. Entering the contest is as simple as adding the #ShareWhatsGood hashtag to your photo upload on Twitter or Instagram, and be sure to follow @Welchs on both channels to stay on top of all the adorable submissions. For me, the small moments are often the best, and they're the easiest to overlook. Spend some time to pause and reflect on the 'what's good' moments of your life this week, then remember to open your eyes- the list of moments should always be growing! What is one of your favorite 'What's good' moments?

What Daughter Says: Share what's good in your life, and brighten someone else's day. Smile's are contagious.