Laura Tucker

How to Plan a “Goal Worthy” Soccer Themed Party

April 8, 2021 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

This shop has been compensated by Inmar Intelligence and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ItsThePerfectMatch #PerfectSnackMatch

I’ll never forget the chills I felt and the excitement that filled the air as I walked down the street just hours before the huge soccer match took place. I was a young teenager on a European tour and was doing a homestay with a family at the time. The country I was visiting had their country’s flags pridefully hanging from every possible place they could. Chit chat on the street was only about futbol, or soccer as we know it here in the states. That evening the family tuned in to the match on TV, and our eyeballs didn’t move off of that television for one second.

The place I was staying was in the countryside. There were other houses nearby, but they were still a good distance off. The moment the announcer declared our team the winner, that entire countryside came alive. I could hear families erupting with joy, excitement, and overwhelming pride for their country and the men on the field who led their team to victory. It was such a cool experience to be able to share those moments in another country, and from that moment on my love for soccer became very real.

I love to catch soccer matches on TV as often as I can, and my oldest daughter has begun to take a serious interest in the sport. To help cultivate her budding interest, I decided to host a little soccer soirée for my family to enjoy while we catch UEFA Champions League matches on TV. I decorated a dedicated area in our home with a few decorations and a variety of game day snacks and treats that my daughter emphatically said were #goalworthy. To kick off our snack station on a winning note, I stopped at my local Publix to grab a few must-haves to make our soccer party a success.

Make sure you take advantage of the exclusive Pepsi offer at Publix to kick off your winning game day celebration!

Currently you can find specially marked Pepsi products with UEFA Champions League packaging stocked at your local Publix, and it was the first thing to go into my shopping cart as I was picking out our snacks. Pepsi has also released a fantastic new flavor, Pepsi Mango that’s a fun addition to kick up your game day a few notches. Pepsi and mango paired together is a winning match, and my family loves to treat ourselves to it while we watch the game!

When planning a soccer themed party, I kept the menu pretty basic, but made sure to elevate the snacks a little by using black and white colors to match traditional soccer balls. A simple boxed cake mix became the cutest little soccer themed cupcakes with icing piped on to look like grass, and a bag of pretzel rods were transformed into party pretzels using a little white melting chocolate with black sprinkles and chocolate drizzled on top!

My children have a set of small practice goals they love to play with outside, and much to my delight they were small enough to use as a tabletop decoration. I stationed the potato chips and dip inside the goal, and I layered a strip of artificial turf underneath like a table runner to give the table a simple soccer field feel. You can typically find artificial turf in rolls for cheap at your local hardware store! For savory snacks, I sliced rounds of summer sausage, cheese and pepperoni and arranged them on a tray with a few crackers. Pro tip: If you have any older trophies from years past, dust them off and use them as serving bowls!

While shopping at Publix I also spotted a few chocolate cream cookie sandwiches that had a green filling in the middle. I knew these would be perfect for a soccer themed party. I used some of the leftover melting chocolate from the pretzel rods and dipped the cookies in to give them a soccer-feel.

I also spotted square shaped pretzels, which look like miniature soccer nets to me. I drizzled a little bit of melted chocolate on them, too, and they were a total hit with all of the soccer-loving fans in our house! I lined the corner of the serving table with chilled Pepsi cans, a bucket of ice and party straws. I also cut a small section of artificial turf and used a little bit of craft paint to make a soccer field! I love the idea of doing something similar to make placemats for a soccer-themed tablescape!

I also sprinkled the table with specially marked UEFA Champions League Pepsi cans for extra decoration. My family has always loved drinking Pepsi, and I especially love that as a proud partner of the UEFA Champions League, Pepsi aims to enable fans to get closer to the sport of soccer, the tournaments and the players. In 2021, Pepsi is also continuing to empower the Hispanic community to unapologetically enjoy futbol by bringing fans closer to the most exciting matches, teams and players.

If you’re a fan of soccer and tune in to UEFA Champions League matches, grab a case of specially marked Pepsi products and game day snacks from your local Publix! Making a #goalworthy snack bar or tablescape is very easy to do, and it adds a layer of excitement to the viewing party while watching the game at home! When my daughter walked in the room and saw the soccer decorations, I could see excitement light up her eyes, just like it did when I was a teenager visiting Europe.

Corned Beef Patty Melt on King’s Hawaiian Bread

March 22, 2021 by Laura Tucker 1 Comment

This post was sponsored by King’s Hawaiian as a part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

What makes a sandwich a truly good sandwich? Is it the quality of the ingredients? The combination of ingredients? Perhaps it’s sticking to the basics and not veering too far from the way it’s always been made, or maybe it’s adding a twist to a classic dish to elevate it and make it feel new. For me, the answer to that question lies somewhere in between all of those notions, but one thing is for certain; it always starts with the bread.

Corned Beef Patty Melt on King's Hawaiian Bread

I’ve been a huge fan of KING’S HAWAIIAN® Bread since the moment I first sank in teeth into one of their delicious sweet rolls many years ago. If I’m being honest, I could eat half a pack of sweet rolls for a meal. That’s how good they are! So when I spotted their Original Sliced Hawaiian Sweet Bread on the shelves at my local Target, I filled my shopping bag with multiple loaves. Previously I had only had KING’S HAWAIIAN® rolls and slider buns, so the idea of making one of my favorite sandwiches and enjoying it between two beautiful pillows of sliced Hawaiian Bread sounded pretty amazing to me.

The panini press in our house gets a lot of love. There are few things I find quite as comforting as a hot sandwich filled with tender meat, gooey cheese and toasted buttered bread. With St. Patrick’s Day fresh on the brain this month, I whipped up these Corned Beef Patty Melts with a little bit of a twist. Traditional corned beef patty melts, or Reuben sandwiches are made with sauerkraut, but I love to add a fresh element to mine by using angel hair cabbage for an added crunch. Rye bread is also typically used when making Reubens, but making them with KING’S HAWAIIAN® Bread really took this sandwich to a whole new level!

Making hot sandwiches using KING’S HAWAIIAN® Bread has been a great way to warm up as the cold of winter begins to exit out area and spring arrives. It’s absolutely irresistible any way you slice it, and I truly believe every sandwich is better when you make it with KING’S HAWAIIAN® Bread!

If you’re looking for a simple and satisfying sandwich melt to sink your teeth into, here’s a printable version of my recipe if you’d like to give it a try!

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Ingredients

For the Corned Beef

3-4 lb corned beef brisket with seasoning packet
1/2 medium onion quartered
2 cups water

For the Sandwiches

1 loaf KING'S HAWAIIAN® Original Sliced Sweet Bread
Corned Beef Brisket - cooked and sliced
1 package sliced swiss cheese
fresh angel hair cabbage or sauerkraut if preferred
Russian or Thousand Island for serving

Instructions

For Corned Beef Brisket:

Using a pressure cooker, add corned beef, onion, seasoning packet and 2 cups water to pressure cooker, seal properly and cook on high pressure for 1 hr 30 minutes
Allow pressure to release naturally, then remove corned beef brisket onto a serving plate and allow to rest before cutting. Be sure to cut the brisket diagonally against the grain to avoid the meat becoming stringy.

For the Sandwich:

On a slice of Sliced Hawaiian Bread, smear a thin layer of either Russian or Thousand Island dressing, followed by a slice of swiss cheese, corned beef, cabbage (or sauerkraut) and another piece of bread.
Lightly butter the outside of the bread and place in a panini press or cook in a pan on the stove until the bread is golden and toasted and the cheese is melted
Serve immediately with chips, a pickle and a little extra dressing for dipping

Tried this recipe?

Tag me on Instagram: @SouthernMadeSimple or use the hashtag #SouthernMadeSimple and share your love of southern cuisine!

What makes a sandwich truly great in your eyes? Is it the ingredients? Is it the bread? Maybe it’s somewhere in between. Next time you’re at Target, swing by the bread aisle and grab a loaf or two of KING’S HAWAIIAN® Original Sliced Hawaiian Sweet Bread to elevate all of your sandwiches to a new level! Also be on the lookout for new Honey Wheat Sliced Bread when it launches at Target this coming April!

Strawberry Cheesecake Brownie Trifles

March 18, 2021 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

This shop has been compensated by Inmar Intelligence and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #sweetnessrevolution

We’re finally rounding the corner on our final weeks of winter, and each day when I go outside I can feel the warmth and promise of spring on my skin. Spring is such a glorious season filled with growth and newness, and one of my favorite ways to celebrate the arrival of spring is to support local farmers as they bring out their bundles of fresh produce grown in our area.

There is something so euphoric about sinking your teeth into a fresh, plump, and juicy strawberry. One bite sends me daydreaming of all the glorious fruits my family will be enjoying as we march onward into spring and summer. This weekend when I was reaching for my carton of strawberries in the refrigerator for a little pick-me-up snack, I had a pretty sweet idea for a way to “level-up” my love for strawberries with simple and decadent dessert – these no-bake Strawberry Cheesecake Brownie Trifles!

No-bake cheesecake trifles are a simple dessert that requires minimal effort, so they’re easy to whip up, easy to serve, and fun to eat! I start with a bottom layer of cubed brownies, followed by a layer of cheesecake filling, topped with fresh strawberries, a simple strawberry compote, and a smidge of whipped cream on top! My not-so-secret weapon to making this dessert extra delicious is Truvia® Sweet Complete® Granulated All-Purpose Sweetener in the brownies and strawberry compote, and Truvia® Sweet Complete® Confectioner’s Sweetener in the cream cheese filling. You can find both of these products online or in-store at your local Publix!

Perhaps one of my favorite things about using Truvia® Sweet Complete® Granulated Sweetener in my baking is that it measures cup-for-cup with sugar for replacement in any recipe. It’s sweetened with stevia, is Keto-friendly, and contains zero calories per serving, making it a perfect option for sweetening your coffee, tea, or baking and browning in your favorite treats!

For the base of these Strawberry Cheesecake Brownie Trifles, I started with making a delicious brownie sweetened with Truvia® Sweet Complete® Granulated Sweetener and just 1/2 cup of milk chocolate chips to keep the sugar content of the brownies relatively low. I love using this brownie recipe when creating layered desserts because they make a firmer brownie instead of one that is super gooey and fudgy, making them perfect for dicing into cubes and maintaining their structure when layering cream cheese on top!

Once the brownies were out of the oven, I allowed them to cool before cubing. I then added a small handful of cubed brownie pieces into the bottom of a small serving jar. To make the cream cheese filling, I combined two 8 oz packages of softened cream cheese, 1 1/2 cup Truvia® Sweet Complete® Confectioner’s Sweetener and 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extra and blended until smooth and creamy.

Truvia® Sweet Complete® Confectioner’s Sweetener also measures and sweetens just like regular confectioners sugar in all of your favorite recipes, making it a perfect option if you’re looking to reduce the amount of traditional sugar used in your recipes. Once the cream cheese mixture was complete, I added it into a piping bag and piped a thick layer on top of the brownie pieces in the serving jar.

Next, I diced a small handful of fresh strawberries to add on top of the layer of cheesecake filling. The “icing on the cake” is this simple strawberry compote I whipped up to pour on top of the fresh strawberries. I make this same strawberry compote frequently on the weekends to serve on top of pancakes, waffles, and fresh pound cake!

To make the compote, simply add 2 cups fresh diced strawberries into a saucepan, followed by 1/2 cup Truvia® Sweet Complete® Granulated Sweetener, 1/4 cup water, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 tsp cinnamon. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and allow it to simmer for 12-14 minutes, making sure to stir frequently. This process will break down the sugars in the strawberries, making a thick syrup-like concoction that pairs perfectly with these Strawberry Cheesecake Brownie Trifles!

Once you layer a little strawberry compote on top, you can garnish the dessert with a little whipped topping if you like! Here’s a full version of the recipe if you’d like to give it a try:

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