Celebrating Chinese New Year…Ideas for FUN!

This post is sponsored by P.F. Chang’s Home Menu and Mom It Forward. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sometimes, things happen that you cannot predict. Take, for example, being asked to work yet again with P.F. Chang’s Home Menu, in JANUARY. Which, happens to be my BIRTHDAY, which happens to fall right on Chinese New Year.

Working with P.F.Chang’s Home Menu and celebrating Chinese New Year on my birthday?

So much fun.

As you know, I love to travel. I’ve been very fortunate…I have seen a lot of the world. I’ve knocked many things off of every traveler’s bucket list: The Eiffel Tower, The Golden Gate Bridge, The Coliseum, Big Ben, The Leaning Tower of Pisa, The Pyramids of Giza. I have several more to go, like Easter Island, Christ the Redeemer in Rio, Sydney Opera House, Stonehenge, and The Great Wall of China, but hopefully, I’ll get there eventually.

But…China.

We are headed to Asia, likely as you read this post, on the third leg of our honeymoon, but alas, it is to Cambodia and Bali, not China. We looked long and hard at a trip to see The Wall, but, we felt warm temps and beaches would be better for a honeymoon. China went back on the list for yet another day.

But…

We can celebrate China AT HOME. In fact, if you have a child, or you and your significant other long to travel but lack the funds or time, you too can celebrate just about ANYWHERE at HOME. To me, there is really nothing more fun and ultimately, beneficial, than opening yourself to other cultures. With the Chinese New Year upon us, beginning on January 28th, there’s no time like the present to celebrate and learn more about that wonderfully vast country.

What am I talking about? What do I mean by celebrate a country at HOME?

Immersion.

Get the family together and decide to make a day of it. Get the kids involved! Plan a menu, learn some of the language. Turn on a movie filmed in that country. Here are my ideas for China…

Learn To Speak A Few Phrases In Mandarin:

· Hello – nǐ hǎo
· Good Bye – zài jiàn
· Please – qǐng nǐ
· Thank you – ‘xiè xie nǐ

Use these phrases at dinner, practice all day. It never hurts to expose yourself to some culture!

Learn To Write Your Name In Chinese Characters:

You can get the symbols HERE. Make place cards, having everyone write their own name. Or, take it a step farther and paint your name on a plate or glass.

Decorate:

Use chopsticks. Find colorful table linens that put you in a celebratory mood. It doesn’t have to cost you money – use what you have! For my photos, I scavenged around my mom’s house and found colorful fabrics and some pottery that lended to the Chinese theme. If you WANT to spend a little money, try a store like World Market or other import store. Dishes and linens aren’t terribly pricy, and make the dinner even more fun!

Plan Your Meal:

This is where P.F. Chang’s Home Menu comes into play in a big way. I love being able to try new flavors, and not be under the pressure to choose from a Chinese Menu in front of a waitress that may or may not like how long it is taking me to decide. Now, P.F. Chang’s Home Menu offers a large variety of items, including new family sized meals, that you can pick and choose from. P.F. Chang’s Home Menu family size skillets launched in January 2017, giving larger households a convenient way to enjoy P.F Chang’s at home. New P.F. Chang’s Home Menu family size skillet varieties include Chicken Fried Rice, made with authentic Thai Jasmine Rice sourced from Thailand, Sambal, a traditional Asian ingredient that brings a little spice to the dish, white meat chicken, carrots and scrambled eggs; and Orange Chicken, made with real Orange Peel and other carefully selected ingredients that allow caramelization of the sauce, replicating the wok cooking process. Inspired by the P.F. Chang’s restaurant, the Home Menu features traditional flavors such as michu wine and oyster sauce, which are integral taste profiles in Asian meals. P.F Chang’s Home Menu makes their sauce from scratch so you can make the meals at home while keeping the authentic Asian flavors.

I chose to prepare the Orange Chicken, and as you can see, I paired it with white sticky rice. There were lots of other items I could have chosen, from Beef & Broccoli, to Chang’s Chicken, to General Tso’s Chicken, to even Shrimp Lo Mein. All would be great, and for a group, I think preparing 3 varieties, giving everyone the opportunity to sample things they may not have, is the way to go. Also, pair the meal up with the P.F. Chang’s Home Menu Chicken and Pork Dumplings. Inspired by P.F. Chang’s Bistro recipes and co-developed with P.F. Chang’s co-founder Philip Chiang, the all-new P.F. Chang’s Home Menu Signature Pork & Chicken Dumplings are made with quality ingredients and authentic, made-from-scratch sauces. Inspired by the traditional Chinese dumpling, the dumplings are made using customary pork shoulder, succulent dark meat chicken and offer a high meat-to-vegetable ratio.

I hope you’ll consider broadening your horizons and celebrating the Chinese New Year with me (and your family!), or, celebrating one fun mid-week night. #WokWednesday is a THING, folks! Stir up a little adventure on Hump Day, and make it super easy (and delicious) by incorporating P.F. Chang’s Home Menu into your meal plan. I think you’ll really enjoy it! For more Wok Wednesday inspiration, visit www.pinterest.com/pfchomemenu using #WokWednesday

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Need more #WokWednesday inspiration? Check these out!

• http://www.dinneratthezoo.com/asian-cucumber-salad/
• http://www.createcraftlove.com/diy-chinese-red-envelopes/

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by P.F. Chang’s Home Menu and Mom It Forward. All thoughts and opinions are my own.