February 2019 - CraftEaze

I found this show on Netflix during the coldest part of January. It all started when my fiancé and I entered another dreaded Netflix show hole. We had finished Arrested Development and didn’t want to start The Office or Parks and Rec for the hundredth time. It also happened to be freezing and the ground was covered in 6″ of snow. Because it was so cold and snowy, the preview captured my attention right away.

Now this preview looked so warm. Like there was green plants in the preview and even a pool that looked so inviting. So I started the first episode. I was immediately drawn in.

So this is a reality show from Australia. There are ten couples who all rent their houses as Airbnb. They travel all around Australia to visit each other’s houses and they rate their experience. Some of the houses are near the beach, one is in the Australian wine country, and a couple of other houses were inland but had cool experiences.

The ten couples are broken into two groups. The first group of 5 couples travel to each others house and vote on the best house. The second group also consists of 5 couples who vote on the best house in their group. The two winners then compete in a grand finale which consists of two other couples from each group. So the couples who been to the house before can see if they made any changes to improve, which is balanced out with two couple (+ the other winner) who is seeing the house for the first time.

Each episode focus on a house. Each couple also leaves a welcome pack that contains activities in the area. Some of these activities include going to the beach, a crocodile watching trip, wine tasting, and a visit to a sewer treatment plant. Obviously, some activities are more appealing than others.

One of the coolest aspects of the show is that they are actual vacation rentals. Some of the houses have their own websites, others are on Airbnb or Bookings.com. This Distracify post contians information about all of the houses featured in the show.

My favorite couple was the couple whose house was the focus of the first episode. I like how the outdoor area of their house was set up with an awesome pool and seemed very relaxing. My fiancé and I felt like we had the most in common with them and they were fairly kind to the other contestants. Like they would have been a great couple to go on a wine tasting adventure with. You can find their rental here.

There were two houses that really stood out for me. The first was the home in Barossa Valley. It was in the heart of wine country and was decorated in 1950s Americana decor. The second home was a houseboat. A brother and sister own and operate this houseboat. What is really cool is you can request wakeboarding lessons during your stay from the sister. She is a professional wakeboarder. You can also take the houseboat up and down the river during your stay.

Unfortunately, since this is a reality show some of the contestants are a kind of mean toward each other. Some of the couples are more villain like then a friendly travel companion. But this isn’t a huge deal breaker for me since it was so cool seeing a place I have never visited.

I noticed that they are currently working on a second season according to the Australian press. Hopefully, we will be seeing more episodes in the future!

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Valentine’s Day will be here before you know it. If you normally go out for Valentine’s Day, but this year you aren’t really feeling the crowds why not make a special dinner for your loved one at home. Or better yet, cook the meal together! This is a list of my favorite 8 romantic dinner ideas that will be perfect for Valentine’s Day.

Ribeye Steak and Shrimp with Parmesan Sauce

Surf and turf is the perfect Valentine’s Day meal and this meal is no exception. The ribeye and shrimp can either be grilled outside or cooked in a frying pan (like this one) on the stove. The parmesan sauce is savory and adds a great flavor to the meal. My favorite part about this meal is that it can be made in less than 45 minutes. You can check out the recipe here.

Chicken Parmesan

One of my fiancé’s favorite meals is chicken parmesan. It was one of hte first meals he ever cooked for me. We haven’t had it a lot recently since we are trying to eat healthier, but anytime we go out for Italian it is his go to order. This is also a great Valentine’s Day dinner idea because you can drink a bottle of wine together as you cook and eat. It is also a meal that is kid-friendly. One thing I like about this recipe is that it can be made in less than 45 minutes.

Bang Bang Chicken

So this is a meal I make a lot, but it would also be a great Valentine’s Day dinner. This meal is savory and slightly spicy. If you are feeling really adventurous, you can replace the chicken with shrimp. It also only use a handful of dishes, so there isn’t much cleanup. You can find our recipe for Bang Bang Chicken here.

Shrimp Scampi

If you are looking for a quick seafood meal to make for Valentine’s Day, then you should make shrimp scampi. This is a Red Lobster shrimp scampi recipe. You can serve the scampi with linguine and a glass of chardonnay. I normally use stemless wine glasses like these so I don’t break the glass when I am washing it. I was anti-stemless wine glasses when my fiancé first bought a set, but now I’m a convert!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Corbon blue — Image from: comfortablefood.com

One meal I made several times in college was chicken cordon bleu. I made it several times to thank a couple of my friends for being my test audience when I was practicing for presentations. Public speaking is something that I struggle with, so I would have to practice several times. I felt listening to me talk about removing residuals from scrap used for steelmaking deserved a nice dinner.

Chicken cordon bleu is the perfect Valentine’s Day dinner because it looks fancy and difficult to make. Even though it looks like it was difficult to make, it is fairly simple. You can find the recipe here.

Pecan Crusted Salmon

Maybe you and your loved one are trying to eat healthier this year. If so, this pecan crusted salmon will be perfect for your Valentine’s Day dinner. It uses pecans as the crust, so it is low carb and perfect for the keto diet. The recipe is also very easy and quick to make. So you will spend less time in the kitchen preparing this meal, and so you can spend more time with your loved one.

Brownie Truffle-Stuffed Brownies

Ok, so I know that this isn’t really a meal recipe, but it is perfect for Valentine’s Day. These strawberries could be made with any of the previously mentioned meals as dessert with a glass of champagne. And since it is made of strawberries, they can be considered healthy, right?

Dominos

So according to my fiancé’s, this is the perfect Valentine’s Day dinner and I have to agree. One of the first years we were dating, we ordered Dominos for Valentine’s Day and watched the newest season of House of Cards (I think it was season 3). What’s great about ordering Dominos is you don’t have to cook, clean, or leave your house!

What are your plans for this Valentine’s Day?

<3 Jamie

Month: February 2019

Binge Worthy Netflix – Instant Hotel

8 Romantic Dinner Ideas Perfect for Valentine’s Day