Join Us For Dinner At My Place And WIN!

***THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED***

THANK YOU FOR ENTERING AND A HUGE CONGRATS TO; KezUnprepared

This post is brought to you by Coles

For far too long, Carl and I have put weeknight entertaining into the too hard basket.

I mean, most of us are knackered once we get home from work and all the after school activities

right?

And let’s not even talk about the homework that needs to be done, the fact that the house could use a really good magician to tidy it up and Mt Washmore is looming insidiously in the corner threatening to swallow a whole room.

I couldn't possibly invite anyone around on a weeknight… could I?

Problem is, when there are kids in the family, weekends can be just as busy as the week days, and if you wait for the right time to invite friends or family to join you for a meal, you could be waiting as long as it takes for the stars and planets to align or my kids to tidy their bedrooms.

Ummmm that would be like forever!

Dinner is a daily battle in many households, and ours is no exception. As if finding meal solutions that the kids will eat and meals that fit within my weekly grocery budget isn’t enough, throw a couple of extra dinner guests into the mix, kids with questionable table manners (that would be MY kids), and my stress levels would be starting to rise and I’d have that really obnoxious twitch I get in my left eye going on.

But it doesn't need to be that hard. In fact, it doesn't need to be hard at all.

Surely I jest?

Honestly, I love it when we are invited to family’s home for dinner on a weeknight, especially if it is a casual and relaxed affair. I truly enjoy seeing how other families do their evenings and I love soaking up the atmosphere and feeling like I am a part of their family, for just a night.

I don't care if their house is messy and noisy, that the toilet hasn't been cleaned or that the meal is super simple. It makes me feel ... more normal and I enjoy being a part of someone else's chaos for a while.

I have a thing for communal meals. You know, plates of food passed from one person to the next and the lively chatter as everyone speaks over the top of each other. It always looked so appealing on the Brady Bunch and in the pages of Kinfolk magazine.

OK, so if it doesn't have to be perfect at anyone else's house, then why the hell have I wasted so long thinking that my friends and family wouldn't feel the same way about joining the chaos at our house for a weeknight meal?

Dinner needn’t be fussy and time consuming. haha I hear you laugh. The truth is the toughest critics are usually the kids, so focusing on making something easy that they will actually makes a whole load of sense to me.

Whilst we are on the subject of easy, in my humble opinion, there is nothing better than an all hands on deck kind of approach to making dinner, where friends and family feel right at home and work side by side with you in the kitchen, having a laugh and preparing the meal together.

There I go with the romanticism again!

Anyway, I was cooking with my Dad yesterday so come and join my family (all be it virtually) for an easy week day meal at our house. We’re having Roasted Pork Belly, Peri Peri Chicken portions and our fave Karen Martini Cous Cous Salad.

And whilst you are at it - enter at the end of this post to win a $50 Coles voucher so that you can invite some friends around to your joint for dinner!

Coles are all about making weekday meals easy and affordable and with their Down Down pricing on your every day meat cuts like Chicken Thighs, Chicken Breast, Beef mince and Sausages, and their new Grill range like Moroccan Spiced Butterflied Chicken - shopping for your family and sticking to your budget has never been easier.

Chicken that is pre cut and marinated, pork that you can basically whack in a pan and roast - Hell Yes! I will ALWAYS take the easy option.

There is no need to shop for meat at your local Coles just for convenience sake, because Coles are all about quality, pricing and convenience. Did you know that at Coles, the quality is guaranteed or you get your money back? Yep, it’s all about better quality, better value and better availability.

Coles is still the only National Australian Supermarket that provides the highest standards on it own brand meat including no added hormones beef, RSPCA Approved chicken and Sow stall free pork.

Over at the Coles website and taste.com there are literally thousands of recipes to help you take advantage of the weekly meat and veg specials, and plan meals that come with a clean plate stamp of approval from your whole family.

Take advantage of some of these popular products this October;

Coles Finest Sausages (Angus Beef Parsley), RSPCA Approved Chicken, Scotch Fillet Steak, Pork and the New Cole Grill Products.

Here’s five meals I have bookmarked for next time I have guests on a weeknight for dinner.. because I am you know. I’m not wasting any more time when it comes to catching up with friends and family.