**This conversation is brought to you by Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen. My experience and my opinion are my own.**

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How did I not know about Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen? Me, who is always out and about looking for new places for the kids and I to enjoy fresh, home-cooked meals? Well, this week I rectified the situation and took the kids to check out Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen! I have to say, I was impressed. The food, which clearly has been made from scratch, was a hit from appetizer to dessert and the ambiance was comfortable and accepting to three happy little girls! If you have not been to Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen lately then keep reading! You will be making plans to head there for dinner before this post is done!

The truth is that over the holidays, which I still seem to be recovering from, I am the hostest with the mostest. I am all year round, as well, for my kids, but over the holidays the task seems to become bigger and more important. With holiday meals, treats and regular meals on top of that, most hosts in the family don’t get much of a break. Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, formerly Cheddar’s Casual Cafe, wants to be the home-cooking feel restaurant Hosting the Hosts and Providing a Fresh Start to the New Year.

Every morning, the chefs at Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen painstakingly prepare ingredients and foods from scratch for the day. I talked to the manager at my location and she said that the work that goes into every dish they serve is, in fact, prepped daily for their scratch-cooking enjoyment. As a mom who is concerned about her kids getting to many ‘prepared’ foods and not enough fresh ones, this is music to my ears. As a hostess who deserves a break every once in a while with someone making meals from scratch for her, this is a win-win scenario.

With kids in tow and the excitement of trying a new place for dinner, we entered a large and warm feeling hostess area at Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen. We were seated immediately and our server could not have been nicer. Since it was the dinner hour, they dimmed the lights and we felt very comfy and warm. I tried like crazy to get the kids to agree to one of their amazing appetizers, like their Sante Fe Spinach Dip but they wanted the Chips and Queso. So we ordered that and took in the rest of the menu.

I had such a hard time deciding on what to eat. I wanted something on the lighter side for dinner but their Favorites section screamed ORDER ME! The New Orleans Pasta with shrimp and a kick of flavor was hard to pass up but when I saw the Citrus Miso Glazed Salmon that lays over a bed of rice with a side of fresh broccoli, I had to have it. Well aware that I was floundering between that and the Maple BACON Chicken Sandwich, I ordered one to go. After all, I deserve a fresh and delicious sandwich for lunch the next day, right?

The kids ordered macaroni and cheese, which I may have taken bites from and can totally tell is made from scratch, and we laughed and enjoyed our special family time with good food that I did not have to make!

Dessert time came around and I just could not resist! I wanted all three of their Dessert Minis. I mean, who would not want a little taste of Chocolate Trifle, Key Lime Pie, and Strawberry Cheesecake after a great meal? But we had heard so much about the Cheddar’s Legendary Monster Cookie with homemade hot fudge that we had to get both!

By the time we boxed up our leftovers and headed out, I was thoroughly happy with the experience. I got to spend the quality time with my girls that I crave with good, scratch cooking food in front of me that I would make at home but didn’t have to, at a price that did not break the bank at all. We will be heading back to Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen to enjoy more of their amazing menu soon!

When was the last time you dined at a Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen? Did you know that they prepared everything from scratch every day? How would you like to try it out on me? FOUR of my readers will WIN a $25 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen gift card! Just enter below and GOOD LUCK!

Giveaway open to US Residents only, 18+. Giveaway ends 2/28/2016

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