What a great way to come back to my blog after such a long absence. Yesterday I helped make and serve dinner at the Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia!

I recently was hired by a a local firm in Doylestown after nine months on unemployment; Furia Rubel Communications. The company is celebrating their 10th Anniversary in a very special way. Instead of throwing a big party, they've gone one step further and have decided this year to give back to the community where they do business.

The interesting thing is, both of the projects I've been involved with since starting have to do with food!

While I started part way through the year, the first project I was sort of involved with was a food drive for our local food pantry through the Bucks County Housing Group. Through the efforts of Furia Rubel, the community gave over one ton of food to the organization!

Yesterday, we closed the office early and drive down to Front and Erie in Philadelphia, to one of the RMH locations. This one is connected to St. Christopher's Hospital and houses 18 families. Each family that stays here has to have a child in active treatment during their stay. They come from all over the country for treatment at Philadelphia's world-renowned hospitals for children with a plethora of diseases most of us have never heard of!

We planned our meal of chicken Parmesan, roasted red-skinned potatoes, green beans with toasted almonds, meatless meatballs, sauteed zucchini, cucumber salad, peanut butter pie and apple crisp and brought much of it cooked, needing to be warmed up for dinner service.

It wasn't really much to make or even that special of a meal. Familiar and healthy was more our goal and it seemed to be well received by the compliments and the many thank you's we heard.

What was special was how we felt after we were done. One of our team was a bit depressed, but glad she participated. Easy to feel that way, especially if you have a young child. Several members of the team interacted directly with families and the children, clearly the maternal instincts coming out and sharing what only a Mom can share with another Mom.

Then there was me.

You don't have to have children to feel, "There but for the grace of God, go I."

I've been a caretaker for loved ones contending with a life-threatening illness. You put all your life's energy into taking care of them, trying to get them better and keep there there. It's not easy.

Several times I became choked up when a parent was sharing their story with us. They are brave and I commend their strength.

Helping to nourish these families by supplying a good meal, some smiles and kindness is the least I could do. The simple act of bringing someone food during times of struggle...it isn't just for them. It's for me, too.

Wegman's Recall of Prepared Foods!

Well I'm back and with this not-so-nice food news! http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?categoryId=256558&storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&langId=-1 If you're shopping a Wegman's, please steer clear for now of any prepared foods, its in your best interest! Also, there's a product recall on this page for a recall in pet food as well!

I'm Back!

Yes, I know the last time I posted was 20 months ago, but a lot has happened in that time. I've been through the chopper, so to speak and took on a few other projects, gave up a few and lost a job.

Did some part-time work, took a class, started a small business, did some culinary arts substitute teaching at a local tech school, got a full-time job and now here I am! BACK!

In the next post you'll get to see some serious canning taking place in my kitchen!

Stay tuned!

Can't We Just Send This To Them?

You know, when I was a kid and didn’t want to finish what was on my dinner plate I was told, “There are little boys and girls in China who don’t have any food to eat, so finish your dinner!”

It took me a few years to come back with the line, “Can’t we just send this to them?” as I looked down at my Brussels sprouts. If you’ve read this blog before, you know how I feel about those little-green-baby-heads.

I had visions of putting my food into a container and then boxing it up and taking it to the post office and mailing it off to China. Once there, some little Chinese girl or boy about my age would open it up and be grateful for the Brussels sprouts that they’d grow up, come to America, find me to say thank you and we’d become the bestest of friends. Yeah, wild imagination, I know. It’s what gets me through.

When my nephew was little and didn’t want to eat his chicken nuggets, I told him, “There are little kids in Boznia that don’t have enough to eat, so finish up!” Part of it was because it was true at the time, but it was just a way of getting back at some poor, little kid for what my own mother had said to me. Yeah, I know there’s something wrong with that, but Tyler’s ok today at nearly 19 years old. I didn’t do any permanent damage.

Today, when I think about kids not having enough to eat, it now comes closer to home. Those kids without enough food to eat are right here in the United States. Some are probably right in my own neighborhood. How is it that the richest, most powerful country in the world can have its children going to bed without dinner or wondering where their next meal is going to come from? It confounds me.

How can you and I, besides collecting non-perishable foods, make a difference in this calamity? Any ideas?

Here’s one place in the U.S. that’s doing something…
You know, when I was a kid and didn’t want to finish what was on my dinner plate I was told, “There are little boys and girls in China who don’t have any food to eat, so finish your dinner!”

It took me a few years to come back with the line, “Can’t we just send this to them?” as I looked down at my Brussels sprouts. If you’ve read this blog before, you know how I feel about those little-green-baby-heads.

I had visions of putting my food into a container and then boxing it up and taking it to the post office and mailing it off to China. Once there, some little Chinese girl or boy about my age would open it up and be grateful for the Brussels sprouts that they’d grow up, come to America, find me to say thank you and we’d become the bestest of friends. Yeah, wild imagination, I know. It’s what gets me through.

When my nephew was little and didn’t want to eat his chicken nuggets, I told him, “There are little kids in Boznia that don’t have enough to eat, so finish up!” Part of it was because it was true at the time, but it was just a way of getting back at some poor, little kid for what my own mother had said to me. Yeah, I know there’s something wrong with that, but Tyler’s ok today at nearly 19 years old. I didn’t do any permanent damage.

Today, when I think about kids not having enough to eat, it now comes closer to home. Those kids without enough food to eat are right here in the United States. Some are probably right in my own neighborhood. How is it that the richest, most powerful country in the world can have its children going to bed without dinner or wondering where their next meal is going to come from? It confounds me.

How can you and I, besides collecting non-perishable foods, make a difference in this calamity? Any ideas?

Here’s one place in the U.S. that’s doing something…

http://www.npr.org/2011/01/06/132705940/l-a-effort-matches-leftover-food-with-the-hungry?utm_source=streamsend&utm_medium=email&utm_content=13208969&utm_campaign=Food%20News%20Friday%2C%20January%207

A Letter of Apology

Dear Take Out Restaurant Cashier:

I would like to apologize in advance for the misery I’m going to cause you.

It’s Friday night. The end of the work week and those of us at home are ready to relax with a few good eats and some lively spirits. My order was called in about 30 minutes ago and its for a group of five adults who are ravenous.

We know Fridays are busy for your restaurant, but it’s when we like to do take out; go figure.

Now, I don’t live a hop, skip and a jump away. I live in what is often referred to as B.F.E., the boonies, the country, the piney woods, the boondocks and a plethora of other names for my out-of-the-way location. So, when I order take out, it’s usually a 20 minute drive to the restaurant. Then a 20 minute drive home. A 40 minute drive round trip, you see. Not the most convenient, but one has to do, what one has to do, right?

When I first moved to my house, we’d do take out and get home to find that there was one meal missing. Living where I do, makes it most inconvenient to drive all the way back here to get that meal, so here’s what I’ve learned to do:

1. Come in and greet you with a smile and give you my name, phone number, order number or whatever I can to identify what was called in for you to make us for dinner.
2. Next, I pay you for that order. For five people, we often order sandwiches or platters, quarts or pints with all the sides and fixin’s to go with. This can add up to a substantial amount of cash or plastic, of which I am happy to give you, as your food will make my night extremely pleasant.
3. Finally, after years of screwed up orders, I am going to take each item out of the bag you carefully packed. Remember, I apologized up front for causing you misery. I know this is tremendously inconvenient with a line of others waiting to pay for and receive their sacks of take out goodies, but if I go home without the right stuff, you have no idea what wrath I’ll receive.

Thank you for your time and patience and I’ll be back soon!

Horse meat? I don't think so!

Vegas Summit Advocates Return to Horses as Food
BLM chief attends Las Vegas horse summit organized by euthanasia supporters
The Associated Press
Post a Comment By CRISTINA SILVA Associated Press
LAS VEGAS January 4, 2011 (AP)



http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=12538943&utm_source=streamsend&utm_medium=email&utm_content=13196523&utm_campaign=Food%20News%20Wednesday%2C%20January%205

This is Cantastic!

This is just the thing to get people to donate food for the hungry! Check out this website!

http://www.canstruction.org/