***This blog post went way way bad yesterday and many of you missed it – and it is such a fab give away I didn’t want any of you to miss out – so here is a repost and another chance to win!***

Win today’s giveaway! Just tell us what you did (or are going to do!) for today’s Project by 5:00 PST on Thursday and you will be entered into the drawing for today’s prize:

Monday’s winner? Kim
(E-mail my assistant kimber@kathilipp.com with your mailing address to get your goodie!)

And today’s giveaway?

open space meats

I am so excited about this giveaway! One of my favorite blog readers, Mica, and her husband are the owners of Open Space Meats and they have graciously donated 2 New York Steaks and 2 Fillet Mignon! These steaks are from their own farm and they deliver all over California (if you are outside of CA you can have them sent to someone you love in CA!!!)

We are customers of Open Space Meats and LOVE them – in fact – here is Roger’s famous Roger’s Burger Recipe (I pried it out of him for the sake of everyone’s marriage…) that we just made Sunday night with Open Space – SOOOO GOOOOOD.

Roger Burgers (We really do need a new name!  )

2 pounds ground beef

1 packet of dry Lipton onion soup mix

½ cup barbecue sauce

¼ cup course-ground mustard

Mix all ingredients well by hand.  (watch out for wedding rings!)

Patty the burgers a little bigger than normal to bring out the bold flavors, and to help them stay together on the grill.

Grill as usual.

After the last flip, coat top of burgers with a generous amount of barbeque sauce.

Top with cheese.

Wait for cheese to melt, remove from grill.

Serve Immediately.

Project #18

Dinner’s On Me

Take Him Out for His Favorite Meal

Your Project:

Take him out to his favorite restaurant. Or make him something FAB at home.

I know why you like to eat in restaurants. Half of the struggle of cooking dinner is coming up with a plan to feed the two of you (made even more complex if you’re feeding additional, and sometimes picky, members of the family) then shopping for it, cooking it, and possibly, occasionally, not even being thanked for it. A trip to the Olive Garden would be so much easier.

But why does your husband like to go out to eat so much?

I asked a couple of friends to talk with their husbands about the appeal of eating dinner in someone else’s kitchen: Here is what they had to say:

“My husband’s response was ‘a break in the routine or depending on the movie … to romance’ (me). My thought was ‘to get out of doing the dishes!’” ~ Sherry

“My husband said, ’Because it’s relaxing, we get to focus on each other and it’s a special time.’ I asked if it had anything to do with being able to get meals that he doesn’t get at home.  He said NO.  It has to do with being with me.  ‘We could go out to McDonald’s and have a good time, I don’t care.’” ~ Angela

“My husband travels frequently, so he eats many meals in restaurants. Despite that, we still dine out without the kids a couple of times a month. He says the appeal for him is to escape from our crazy schedule and have some quiet time together. More often that not, we combine dinner out with a movie, so in his mind, it’s a good date night event. He noted that since we also truly enjoy the art of food and savoring spectacular meals, that dining out and sharing meals and desserts (which are usually not eaten at our house outside of holidays or dinner parties) is more like an event than just a meal.”     ~ Teresa

I have found a great place to find those favorite restaurant recipes that you can re-create at home. Go to www.copycat.com to find all those recipes that make eating out such a treat. With a little patience (and a lot less money) you’ll be able to have your man’s favorites waiting for him as he walks through the front door. (And no credit card aftertaste to regret your choice at the end of the month.)

Prayer for Today

Dear God, it’s my deepest desire that my husband knows he is loved and cherished. Let my words, planning and actions reflect that everyday.

Getting Creative

  • If you don’t know whether your husband will be in the kind of mood that an ambush dinner requires, present him with the gift card to be used that night, or on the night of his choice.
  • Steaks on the BBQ when he gets home may be just the thing your man would love. See if you can duplicate the steak rub used at your favorite restaurant.

Project Reports

“It’s easy, I just have Chinese ready for him! He’ll love it!”

Stephanie

“We don’t seem to be able to squeeze in the ambush meal these days, so on a Thursday at noon, right before he was getting ready to go out of town, I made his favorite lunch and lit candles and placed an orchid on the table. He looked at the table, smiled with a twinkle in his eye and said: What is this for? He was totally surprised and very pleased!”

Elaine