Where Is Your Heart Today? - Why I am co-chairing the Ronald McDonald House Character Breakfast

You may be wondering why I have been a little MIA lately. Well, let me tell you...a big part of it is because I am co-chairing the Ronald McDonald House Character Breakfast that is taking place here in Winston-Salem, NC next Saturday, October 4th at Bridger Field House (WFU Football Field House at the stadium).

In addition to the Fall frenzy that starts up with school getting back in session, sports ramping up, activities at church, school, and beyond that are now on our calendar after a break for the summer, I have been pouring my heart and time into this wonderful event that benefits an amazing charity. I am working with an incredible group of women to pull off what is no small feat. It goes well beyond event planning...we are all tapping into our friends, family, and resources to get amazing sponsors, characters that the kids will love, fun decorations, adorable t-shirts, delicious food, cute invitations & flyers printed, an incredible space, and fantastic raffle prizes & giveaways...and doing all of it on a budget that is minimal at best so that we can maximize our proceeds to the Ronald McDonald House of Winston-Salem.

What is the Ronald McDonald House of Winston-Salem? Well, I'm glad you asked:

"A "Home Away From Home"

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The Ronald McDonald House of Winston-Salem provides a “home away from home” for families with children receiving treatment in our community’s medical facilities.  Located steps away from Brenner Children’s Hospital, right down the road from Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center, and close to other medical facilities, the House allows quick accessibility a child’s bedside. " - RMHWS.org

My family and I have been so very fortunate to live near the hospital in each city that we have called home. (This is mostly due to the fact that my husband is a physician and being near a hospital was critical if we ever wanted to lay eyes on him...especially during his residency years.) We have had five minor surgeries and one four-day hospitalization between our three children. We have never had to endure critical illnesses, life-changing diagnoses, or extended time spent in the hospital. I cannot even begin to imagine what those families go through...and for those who live far away, not having a "home" to go home to just to take a shower, take a break, get a warm homemade meal, and get a good night's sleep...or having to leave the city where their child is to go do those things, well, that would be devastating.

It is those families that make what we're doing so important and so worthwhile. I am not one to say "yes" to every volunteer opportunity that comes my way (although I still probably say it too much), and this call to co-chair the RMH Character Breakfast is one that my gut told me to immediately say "YES" to.

It is with a thankful and humble heart that I write this today because I sit here listening to all three of my children playing. They are healthy, happy, safe, and home. There are too many families who are not together today, and that gives me a physical ache in my chest. I cannot do much from where I sit right now to help make their pain any better and their struggle any easier, but I can do my part to support this "Home Away from Home."

I am asking now that you would do the same. Please consider attending the breakfast, purchasing a raffle ticket, or making a donation to the Ronald McDonald House and helping these families find a little piece of comfort here in Winston-Salem.

http://www.rmhws.org/event/character-breakfast/

Thank you.

Brown Rice Pilaf

I needed a hearty side dish to feed my hungry brood before/after baseball practice/games tonight. We had Marinated Pork Tenderloin and Roasted Asparagus, but I knew they needed a grain to fill their bellies. I wanted something other than plain rice, and I landed on this rice pilaf. It's super easy, but it does take a little time. It's one of those dishes that you can make ahead of time and reheat, and it is just as tasty. I added a couple of tablespoons of almonds for crunch as well. Yum, yum, yum!

Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup brown rice (not instant)
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted (or more if you'd like!)

Method:
Add olive oil, onion, and garlic to saute pan and cook until onions are golden brown. Add the rice and cook for about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 45 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and mix in almonds.

Happy Cooking

Baked Ziti for a Crowd

I needed something to feed seven people tonight that we could eat in shifts tonight as it's Curriculum Night at my son's elementary school. The kids were staying with my in-laws, and I wanted something that I could make ahead of time and pop in the oven when they were ready to eat. Baked pasta dishes are always great reheated, so I looked for a Baked Ziti recipe and found the one linked above on Allrecipes.com. I altered it using a different cheese and opting for organic and whole wheat products. I also skipped the layering process and just mixed all the ingredients together to make it super fast and easy. YUM YUM!

This would be great to make for a the night before Thanksgiving or during the Christmas holidays or on vacation to the mountains or beach when you're looking to feed a crowd. You can make it ahead of time and freeze it before you bake it. Or, make the whole recipe and divide it in half and stick half in the freezer. It may just take a little more baking time unless you thaw it the night before in the fridge, but it will be just as delicious!

Recipe adapted from recipe from Allrecipes.com found HERE.

Ingredients:
1 lb Whole Wheat Ziti
1 onion, chopped
1 lb ground beef (I used organic grass fed) - use ground turkey or ground chicken if you don't eat red meat.
2 (26oz) jars organic spaghetti sauce
6 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
6 oz Mozzarella cheese, shredded
8 oz sour cream
2 T grated Parmesan cheese

Method:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, brown onion and ground beef in large skillet over medium heat. Drain and return to skillet. Add spaghetti sauce, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine pasta, ground beef mixture, Monterey Jack, Mozzarella, and sour cream in a large bowl. Pour into greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until bubbly.

Happy Cooking!

Goat Cheese Stuffed Figs

What a delicious treat! My friend Julia brought us some freshly picked figs from her fig tree, and I checked out her blog to find this yummy recipe. It made a special and unexpected dessert for me and my husband the other night. SO yummy and easy. I didn't have blue cheese, so I substituted goat cheese. You can't go wrong as a dessert, appetizer or even a side dish!

Recipe inspired by recipe from Julia's Take Away Gourmet found HERE. 

Ingredients:

Figs 

Goat Cheese

Honey

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut figs in half and arrange on a baking sheet. Top each fig with a dollop of goat cheese. Bake for 5 minutes. Drizzle with honey. Serve warm. 

Happy Cooking!

Chicken Stock in the Crockpot

I made this for the first time last week. I used it in some risotto, and it was awesome! I mean, this could not be easier! There are several things that I love about this recipe. One is that you are using every part of the bird in your cooking and not just throwing the bones away. The second is that you know what's going into this stock and you can adjust it to your liking. Along that same vein, you can season the stock as much or as little as you prefer, which is always a plus. I will say that this stock is stronger than store bought stock/broth, so you may want to take the suggestion to dilute it a little before you use it in your recipes. Use your creative license with this and just clean out your fridge. Use whatever you have even if you don't have all of the ingredients listed below.

Recipe inspired by 100 Days of Real Food's Chicken Stock in the Crock found HERE.

Ingredients:
Leftover skin and bones from roasted chicken
3 carrots, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 onion, quartered
3 celery stalks chopped into 1 inch pieces
2T salt
1T pepper
1 bay leaf
parsley, thyme, rosemary, (use whatever you have in your pantry/fridge)

Method:
Place all ingredients in large crockpot. Fill crockpot with water up to about an inch below the rim. Cook on low for 8 hours or overnight. Strain broth and store in airtight containers.

Happy Cooking!

Three Cheese Grits

I needed something quick to go with some salmon that I was making tonight, so I decided on a Crudite served with Ina Garten's Buttermilk Ranch Dressing. I also wanted something a little bit more substantial, and I had some leftover cheeses in the fridge, so I decided to give this a whirl. You can pretty much use any cheese that you like in grits...Monterrey Jack, white cheddar, gruyere are some of my other favorites. Anything too pungent such as Bleu, Parmesan or Romano should be used in moderation, in my opinion. These grits are best served as a savory side for grilled meats or fish to add a little Southern flare.
Ingredients:
4 cups milk
1 cup quick cook grits (not instant)
4 Tbsp butter - divided
4oz Brie cheese, cubed and rind removed
2oz shredded mozzarella cheese
2oz shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Method:
Bring milk to a boil over medium heat in large saucepan. Stir in grits and 2T butter. Continue to watch and stir until grits are about the consistency of oatmeal (7-10 minutes or so). Stir in cheeses, remaning 2T butter, salt & pepper. Stir until cheeses are thoroughly melted. Serve immediately.

Happy Cooking!

Whirlwind of a Day - How I Ended Up on Fox News

screenshot of video clip

For those of you who have asked how in the world I ended up on the news yesterday afternoon, here's the timeline:

6:30am - Wake up call
7:00am - All three kids wake up
7:35am - First child leaves for school with Daddy
8:00am - Breakfast for other two and a mad dash to get dressed and ready for the day (thank GOODNESS I opted for real clothes rather than workout attire)
8:30am - Out the door for Mama and the two littles
8:50am - Drop off youngest child at YMCA Parents' Morning Out
9:00am - Drop off middle child at preschool
9:15am - Pull into parking lot of Knollwood Baptist to catch up on Bible study & emails before Eat & Greet with Lisa Leake
9:20am - Read email from Lisa Leake (she sent it much earlier) asking if she could share my contact information with Fox News. NOTE: I did not know Lisa before yesterday, but we had been in contact about her cookbook ambassador program
9:22am - Call to my sister in a slight panic
9:30am - email Lisa Leake back with "Absolutely!"
10:00am - walk into the 100 Days of Real Food Eat & Greet with several friends and sample some awesome food from the cookbook (onion dip, peanut butter cookies, fruit salad, etc)
11:00am - Stand in line to meet Lisa and have cookbook signed
11:10am - Am approached by Fox 8 News reporter asking if they can take me to Whole Foods for an interview
11:11am - politely decline because I have to pick up my children
11:12am - Alternate course of action proposed
11:13am - Mentally go through all the reasons to say no
11:13.5am - Reply with, "Of course! Just let me know where and what time to meet you."
11:20am - Call my husband in a slight panic...he agrees that I am CRAZY and then follows up with a very encouraging and supportive pep talk
11:35am - Pick up youngest child
12:00noon - Pick up middle child
(no time for lunch!!)
12:14pm - Pull into Whole Foods parking lot and call one of my best friends asking for immediate prayers
12:15pm - Meet Fox 8 News team with my two kids in tow
12:20pm - Start interview and immediately open organic strawberries that were thankfully within arms reach for kids to munch on to attempt to prevent meltdown
12:25pm - Lisa Leake comes around the corner with her husband and takes me on a personal grocery shopping trip (all filmed)
12:30pm - Lisa is finishing up her interview while my one year old is going into complete meltdown mode two steps away.
12:35pm - Walk out of Whole Foods and start immediately sweating thinking of my children downing strawberries and apples in the middle of the store (we did pay for them after the fact) and the baby having a major meltdown at the end of it all.
4:00pm - My best friend in Winston shows up to watch the news with me
4:20pm - Watch the Fox 8 News clip...kudos to the fantastic editors & reporter...and to Lisa Leake who is a pro!
4:25pm - BREATHE!

Lisa is truly lovely, personable, and so much fun to meet. She is passionate about real food while at the same time being realistic and down-to-earth. What a treat to meet her and her family yesterday and to hear first hand what their transition to real food looked/looks like. I am inspired by her and her excitement, and I am humbled that I got to go along for the ride yesterday.

Here's the clip from yesterday's Fox 8 News broadcast:

http://myfox8.com/2014/09/05/lisa-leake-food-blogger-from-charlotte-publishes-new-book/

I was totally out of my element yesterday, but I find that it's ALWAYS good to step out of my comfort zone...especially when my gut is tellilng me yes despite my head reasoning through all of the reasons to say no.

Happy Cooking!

MOM! What's for DINNER????

School is officially in session! The third of my three had her first day of school today...I was excited to have a few hours (okay 1.5 because she's a toddler and only goes half days the first week) to myself, but it's also a bittersweet time.

Back to school means more hectic schedules, racing around in the morning, running to and fro getting children to activities, hoping you don't miss the bus, frantically packing lunches, and praying for early bedtimes. The lazy days of summer seem like a distant memory after just a week and half back in the action.

As my youngest is not even two, we are still very limited on extracurricular activities. This isn't because of lack of options...my boys (and even the toddler) could have activities every afternoon/evening, but I just don't have enough energy or patience (and neither does my one year old) in this season of life to do more than one sport and one artsy activity per child...so baseball and choir/kindermusik are what we've chosen for the Fall. This still puts us out of the house two or three nights during the week.

With these activities on the horizon, I am finding myself having to plan more intentionally for nightly meals. There's no throwing something together at the last minute or prepping something early to then cook for dinner. Activities are often right in the middle of dinnertime, which makes it very difficult to get kids healthy dinners to the table each night.

I have been asked a few times recently for suggestions on easy week night meals for on-the-go families. Here is what I have come up with:

Pork Cubanos

(1) Sandwiches don't have to be boring!!
No one ever said there was anything wrong with PB&J for dinner! Yes, this isn't super exciting, but sandwiches are always a great option. Turkey or PB&J are great for on the go, and there are lots of varieties of sandwiches that are a little more satisfying to my palate and just as easy to make. Two of my favorites are:
Tomato & Mozzarella with Pesto Mayo on Ciabatta and

Leftover Pork Cubanos.

(2) The crockpot is your friend. 
Gone are the days of the cream of whatever soup over chicken over rice in the crockpot...not that those recipes aren't delicious, but there is SO much more that you can do to make a yummy meal with this amazing machine doing the bulk of the work. Here are a couple of my Go-To Crockpot Meals:

Crockpot Chicken with White Wine Sauce (I made a very similar meal from 100 Days of Real Food last night that was enjoyed by all!)

Pork Verde Tacos (These are always a hit and super easy to throw together in a flash.)







(3) Soups are easy to make ahead of time and heat up right when you're ready to eat.
A couple of my stand-bys are:
Quinoa and Sweet Potato Turkey Chili (I still can't believe how my kids gobble this up each time I make it.)

Crockpot Chicken & Black Bean Soup:
Crockpot Black Bean and Chicken Soup: from my friend Stacey
4 chicken breasts
2 (15oz) cans black beans
2 (15oz) cans diced tomatoes
2 cans cream of chicken soup (or use this substitution)
1 can diced green chiles
1 cup salsa
Combine all ingredients in the crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours.
Serve atop tortilla chips and top with sour cream and shredded cheddar.

NOTES: If you have a crockpot, a can opener, and 5 minutes in the morning, you have time to make this delicious meal!  Honestly, it takes more time to clean out the cans for recycling than it does to prepare this dinner :)



(4) Pizza! 
You can certainly order a pizza, but it is really fun to keep ingredients on hand to throw together your favorite pies during the week. Two of my favorite alternatives to regular old pizza are:

Chicken Stromboli and

Mini Shrimp Calzones







I would LOVE to hear from you all to see what you're doing to make these school nights a little easier for everyone. Best of luck with getting back into the swing of things!!!

Happy Cooking!