Good Food
Philadelphia Cream Cheese has long been a favorite in our house -- I even remember this brand being a staple at my own family's table when I was a kid. So, when Kraft selected us and agreed to sponsor a party for our family and friends to help launch their new product line called Philadelphia Cooking Creme in conjunction with House Party, we were thrilled.
Party Favors!
These practical wooden kitchen utensils doubled as a festive centerpiece for our game table
This is the first of many House Party projects we hope to participate in. In fact, for about the last six months I applied for numerous other parties without success. Finally, several months ago, we received the news that our family was chosen for this Philadelphia brand-sponsored event that was held at our house on Saturday night, March 12th.
At the same time our celebration was going on, there were hundreds of others hosting their own Philadelphia Cooking Creme activities elsewhere in California and across the U.S. It will be fun, for sure, in the months ahead to exchange notes, blogs, and comments with others who help parties like we did.
At the same time our celebration was going on, there were hundreds of others hosting their own Philadelphia Cooking Creme activities elsewhere in California and across the U.S. It will be fun, for sure, in the months ahead to exchange notes, blogs, and comments with others who help parties like we did.
My daughter baked Creamy Philly Marbelized Brownies
By the end of the party these were all gone...
Planning & Preparation
By the end of the party these were all gone...
Planning & Preparation
After we got our acceptance email from House Party we were given access to the official Cooking Creme Party page to exchange ideas and brainstorm with others who were picked for this dubious (and yummy) honor.
So, before the event, we posted on the Philly House Party Page, as well here on Mommy Blog Expert. I also Tweeted and put messages on MommyBlogExpert's Facebook page to spread the word about all our excitement leading up to the big Philly Dilly Elspas Family Bash. If you're wondering how we came up with the name of our event -- "Philly" is short for Philadelphia, while we nicknamed our cooking dilemna "Dilly."
So, before the event, we posted on the Philly House Party Page, as well here on Mommy Blog Expert. I also Tweeted and put messages on MommyBlogExpert's Facebook page to spread the word about all our excitement leading up to the big Philly Dilly Elspas Family Bash. If you're wondering how we came up with the name of our event -- "Philly" is short for Philadelphia, while we nicknamed our cooking dilemna "Dilly."
My Daughters & a Friend Enjoy the Philly Fun Sheet
Mini MommyBlogExpert Created Just for Our Party
Mini MommyBlogExpert Created Just for Our Party
Entertainment
Our party was both for adults and kids so everyone was invited to bring their favorite board game to the event. Electronics were banned from the festivities -- to maximize quality time together. I'm happy to say that I didn't catch anyone looking at the hand-held or chatting on their cell phone because they were too busy either playing games, conversing, and/or eating all the delicious food we made.
Hitting Gold & Finally Finding all 4 Philadelphia Cooking Cremes at Albertson's
Shopping for the Party
I assumed the newest Kraft product would be easy to find since I've never had problems finding their Philadelphia Cream Cheese in just about any market. I was wrong.
Broccoli-Lemon Tofu Stir Fry With Santa Fe Blend Cooking Creme
As I prepared for the party, I had to go to three separate stores in my neighborhood, Ralphs (the store I usually shop at, but they only carry the Santa Fe flavor) and Pavilions (which does not currently sell any Philadelphia Cooking Creme products--at least at my local store), before I finally went to Albertson's and found all FOUR flavors of this new item at one supermarket, priced at $2.99/each. If a store does have it, it should be easy to locate, though. All you have to do is visit the refrigerated section where they sell cream cheese to find this.
The lesson learned here was that next time, I'm buying a new product that I haven't tried before, I should check the brand's product finder first, prior to driving all over town so as not to waste gas and time. When you search online, BTW, you may find that certain stores only have one of the four types, for example, which is what happened to me initially. So, it's a good idea to know which type you are going to use in advance, that way you can confirm that the market you are going to has the exact flavor you want to buy.
As I prepared for the party, I had to go to three separate stores in my neighborhood, Ralphs (the store I usually shop at, but they only carry the Santa Fe flavor) and Pavilions (which does not currently sell any Philadelphia Cooking Creme products--at least at my local store), before I finally went to Albertson's and found all FOUR flavors of this new item at one supermarket, priced at $2.99/each. If a store does have it, it should be easy to locate, though. All you have to do is visit the refrigerated section where they sell cream cheese to find this.
The lesson learned here was that next time, I'm buying a new product that I haven't tried before, I should check the brand's product finder first, prior to driving all over town so as not to waste gas and time. When you search online, BTW, you may find that certain stores only have one of the four types, for example, which is what happened to me initially. So, it's a good idea to know which type you are going to use in advance, that way you can confirm that the market you are going to has the exact flavor you want to buy.
While kids played, parents enjoyed visiting and eating together
Cooking With Philly Cooking Creme for the Big Event
Thanks to all the free product coupons we received from Kraft and an arduous search at the grocery store I was ready to start cooking. My kids all pitched in in various ways to make a huge spread for our 20 guests that incorporated each of the four flavors of Philadelphia Cooking Creme in different dishes. This product comes in Original, Italian Cheese & Herb, Savory Garlic, and Santa Fe Blend
These Nachos With Santa Fe Blend Cooking Creme Were the Belle of our Ball
Our party was kosher and so are the Philadelphia line of Cooking Cremes. That makes this a perfect product for us to cook with and serve at our party.
The challenge for me then became to substitute kosher vegetarian and dairy ingredients to add to Kraft's Cooking Cremes, all of which are certified kosher Circle-K D. Since cooking and eating kosher involves, among other things, not cooking or eating meat and milk together, I made several swap outs for ingredients.
Our party was kosher and so are the Philadelphia line of Cooking Cremes. That makes this a perfect product for us to cook with and serve at our party.
The challenge for me then became to substitute kosher vegetarian and dairy ingredients to add to Kraft's Cooking Cremes, all of which are certified kosher Circle-K D. Since cooking and eating kosher involves, among other things, not cooking or eating meat and milk together, I made several swap outs for ingredients.
Elspas Original Fettucine Philly-Freddo
For the broccoli-lemon stir fry that was dairy, so I used firm Tofu, instead of chicken, for the protein and everyone loved it. Since I put mozzarella cheese on the pizza, I used Yves Vegetarian Pepperoni (I bought at Ralphs Market). This veggie meat substitute is kosher certified so it's great to substitute for the pepperoni that is usually made from pork (a food category kosher consumers, like our family, do not eat).
Veggie Pepperoni Philly Pizza
Our Original Party
Delectable Circle KD - Kosher Dairy Menu
Using Philadelphia's 4 NEW Cooking Cremes
Delectable Circle KD - Kosher Dairy Menu
Using Philadelphia's 4 NEW Cooking Cremes
- Assorted Vegetable Crudites & Chips with Garlic-Onion Dip
- Nachos w/ Homemade Tortilla Chips, Cheese, Black Beans & Guacamole
- Philly-style Pizza w/ Spicy Veggie Pepperoni
- Scrumptious Philly-Freddo Fettucine
- Succulent Broccoli-Lemon Tofu Stir Fry
- Creamy Philly Marbelized Brownies
- Margaritas (With & Without Alcohol)*
Overall, I think party guests enjoyed everything we made and so did my own family. The only concern we all have is that while the Cooking Cremes are all very good tasting, they are also high in both cholesterol and sodium so this product shouldn't be consumed by people who might have health issues that could be adversely affected
by those facts. The product's calorie content is fairly high, too, but still appears to be less fattening than either heavy cream or sour cream as a food additive. See the store packaging or visit Philly's website for the full nutritional information.
In summary, I'd say that my family and I like all four flavors of Philadelphia Cooking Creme a lot. We'll probably cook with it in moderation to make these dishes again as well as new ones. Still, because our family focuses on healthy eating, we hope that the next new product in this Philadelphia line will be low sodium and low fat so we would be able to eat it even more often.
The Party's Over After our guests left around midnight, I had to face that "Party's over feeling." iPhone Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.comWhile everyone else slept soundly with visions of this Philly Dilly Cooking Creme Ball and Feast dancing in their heads, I happily cleaned up the mess and washed dishes alone. In case you're wondering: Yes, I was caught up in these moments of silence, reflecting upon the fun time everyone had at this gathering. It was a lot of work, but equally rewarding, too.
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FTC Disclosure: As stated above the party described in this post was sponsored by Kraft Philadelphia Cooking Creme and House Party. As host of this party, I received Philadelphia Cooking Creme vouchers to exchange for products at my local stores. I also received a GreenPan Signature Stainless Steel Skillet and a Philly Cooking Creme Oven Mitt. Guests attending my party received additional items provided by the brand including: Philly Cooking Creme coupons, recipe booklets, notepads, magnets, wooden cooking spoons, and Home Shopping Network coupons. MommyBlogExpert did not receive any other products or compensation related to this post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.
