LoveFeast Table

My grandmother, Betty, was always the foodie of our family!  She was a professional waitress for more years than I’ve been alive!  We’d drive to Jersey and visit her every Christmas.  She’s greet us and quickly make us feel at home, being the experienced hostess that she was!  I vividly remember a very seventies house decked out with shag carpet and wood paneling.  I don’t remember the presents.  I do remember the retro spread of food she laid out every year!  There were perfectly sectioned hors d’ ouerves plates, with mini gherkins, olives, deviled eggs and celery stuffed with cream cheese.  We’d sit down and pass around the mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, turkey, then came the classics…watergate salad (remember creamy lime green jello with fruit and marshmallows?!), ambrosia salad (loaded with fruit cocktail) and then the favorite…fresh fruit salad loaded with strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes then tossed with homemade whipped cream.

Fast forward many years.  I found myself having waited tables for 14 years, went to school, received a degree in hotel restaurant management and opened a coffeeshop/cafe with my husband.  I don’t know why it didn’t dawn on me until then, that I was following in the footsteps of my grandmother!

I can’t say that I’ve ever made watergate salad…or any kind of jello salad for that matter.  I have made jello jigglers for my kids when they were little.  They always make kids smile!  But, in honor of my grandmother, there is one 70′s inspired dish (I admit) I still make for my family.  It’s one my mom depended on weekly!  Every time I make it, it invokes childhood memories, it also fools the senses!  I once made it for Chris Ann right after her son Lars was born.  Her mom, who’s middle name is Organic, could not get over the “healthy” and delicious meal I had made!  I’m sorry to admit…the chicken was probably the healthiest thing, before it was bathed in Campbell’s goodness!

It really does taste good!  Devon and I have since recreated the meal to be much healthier by substituting real chopped celery, real chopped mushrooms, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and milk in place of the canned soups.  It’s up to you!! Just remember to keep the same amount of liquid so the rice cooks properly!

Original Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe:

6 chicken leg quarters

1 Can cream of mushroom soup

1 Can cream of celery soup

1/2 C. milk

1 C. rice

1 package of Lipton onion soup mix

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix together the soups, milk and rice and put in the bottom of a 9X11 baking dish.  Place the chicken legs on top.   Sprinkle the chicken with the package of Lipton soup.

Cover dish with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours.  Take foil off and bake for another 1/2 hour.

Healthier Version of Chicken and Rice Casserole:

6 Chicken leg quarters (you can use boneless chicken breast to make this even healthier!)

1/2 C finely chopped celery

1/2 C finely chopped mushrooms

1/2 C finely chopped onions

4 cloves of mince garlic (it is also really good if you use roasted garlic!)

2 Tbls.  fresh thyme

1 Tbls. fresh chopped parsley

1 tsp. salt

fresh cracked pepper

1 C rice

1 C whole milk

1 C skim milk (you could probably use 2 C skim milk, but I mixed them, not wanted to loose some of the creaminess

1/C water

1 package of Lipton onion soup mix (I thought about using different spices to do away with this step, but I have to tell you, there is something about this ingredient that does make the chicken taste good…I admit it, the one time I embrace msg…yikes!  It’s seriously the only time in my cooking arsenal I do!)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix together celery, mushrooms, onions, garlic, thyme, parsely, salt and pepper to taste.  Add milk, water and rice.  Place on the bottom of a 9×11 baking dish.

Place chicken on top and sprinkle with Lipton onion soup mix.

Cover with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours.  Take foil off and bake for another 1/2 hour.

Snow, snow, snow.  And, now you see just why I had to go on my little “research trip”.  What destination is on your mind?  Love snow? Or, gotta’ go!!  What’s your Fancy?

You could say that I was rescued.  My husband happened to have a business trip in Mexico last week and I had to go with him.  Had to.  Because my back yard looks like this.

And, actually I could be dying of low vitamin D or even C.  So, you could say that this trip was practically a need.

And, of course, being a mother of four and multitasking a kid in every stage of life (high school, middle school, elementary school and kindergarten… I could use a little R&R.

But really the true story is that I went for the sake of research, grueling tedious research.   Because I  wanted to share with you..our dear, dear readers, especially the ones who live in Minnesota or the Upper Midwest… especially those that are mothers, or married, or those of us who work too hard and too long, those whose fingers are tired from typing and twittering, or even those in need of a destination wedding.

To let you know….there is nothing here not to like.

Unless of course…you don’t like…relaxing poolside.

Or..the idea of stuffing yourself to the brim with all sorts of delish Mexican food and nonstop guacamole snacking….

and waiters who keep you happy with fresh fruity and frozen drinks like this-

or, if you don’t long to retire at night in a bed that looks like this-

after you’ve taken a dip in your own lovely private-ish pool.

Yes, after, much inspection and fearless research..I have discovered that this place is going to be OK for you to visit –safe, restful, beautiful, maybe even heavenly.   Yes, it’s true..that I knew it right off the bat that I was going to like it here.

This was nice.

But, this was a very very good sign.

So, if your not looking to relax and be pampered,

And, if you’re not wanting to indulge in any way,

Don’t bother going here-

you’ll just be disappointed.

I’ll just save you the trip, ’cause I’ve done the research….you just won’t like it.

*Where was I?  Secret’s Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun, in Playa del Carmen.  And, the honest truth is that it’s a perfect place for a haggard mother or a destination wedding.  Unfortunately, they didn’t pay me to say that.

You know you’re getting old when you can’t recall how you met a friend.  Yikes!  I’m not really sure how I met Brian or his band, Peyote but, somehow, about 17 years ago, I started hanging out with this talented group of guys!  I loved their music and their sound so much I began to act as “manager” (not really sure what that means!)  But, basically I began to make calls to local venues and get them booked.  I also began to compile a list of followers and notify them of upcoming shows.  I even got to hang with them in studio and witness the process of putting together a CD!  Honestly, as I look back, those were some of the best times of my pre-married/mommy, life!

Brian kept the beat!  The man really does have killer talent on the drums!

Just a few weeks ago, I found him and lead singer Michael on Facebook.  Gotta love Facebook!  I began to puruse his photos and found some simple yet beautiful pictures of food!  Turns out Brian has some skill with the camera and also in the kitchen!  I tried to recall any meals we shared when the band was together…I have a very clear memory of being in their kitchen and watching them whip up Top Ramen and stirring in some frozen corn!  (I’m glad you’ve grown in your culinary talents, Brian!)

Anyway, I sent him a message and asked  if he would guest blog some of his tips!  So, here’s Brian!

I’ve always been fascinated by mosaics.  So, this sunny afternoon, I grabbed my camera and toured my city!  I found…

a meadow of flowers on the side of a cafe,

a school building, created by Banner Neighborhood Arts Club,

a Bluebird of Happiness by Dick Brown,

even a school bus adorned with mirrors and cracked tiles,

a reflection of my city,

(not a mosaic) but a very cool stained glass window,

bottoms of bottles, china plates and mirrors covering the American Visionary Art Museum,

friendship,

a starry night,

an entire row house wall showing things that will help lead you to your dream,

turquoise and cobalt blues,

and a promise that with love, goals, determination, knowledge and will power, Dreams Do Come True!

Banana Cake  (adapted from the Chic Simple Cooking)

This cookbook is an oldie of mine.  I got it at a flea market in Maryland with Kristin and our families, when our kids were really little.  I always remember it as a  hot day, towing little ones, and Em got stung twice near her eye by a bee.  We had picnic and I think our boys got Star Wars coloring books.

Serves 16

2 Cups Sugar

1 Cup Canola or Vegetable Oil

3 Large Eggs

1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract

4 Overripe bananas, mashed with a fork

3 Cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 Tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder

1 Tsp. Salt

1/2 Tsp. Ground Cinnamon

1/2 Tsp. Ground Nutmeg

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Lightly grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.

2.  Beat the sugar, oil, and eggs together in a large bowl.  Add vanilla and bananas and mix until just combined.

3.  In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and add to banana mixture.

4.  Mix until just combined.  Pour into Bundt pan and cook 1 hour.

This bittersweet glaze is wonderful poured over top the warm Banana Cake.  I have made it tons of times..and of course you can always save a little for some ice cream.  But, for full disclosure….I’ll let you know the thicker sauce in the above picture is not this sauce….exactly.  It’s actually a very similar concoction my husband whipped together for our late night pajama fondue party with our kids.  We cut up the banana cake, along with some pretzels, marshmallows, Rice Krispie treats, strawberries, and oranges.

Silly us, what were we thinking?…get there pj’s on, get them ready for bed and then whip out every amount of sugar possible, fill there bodies to the brim with treats and then send them to bed.  Yeah, like that works out.

Chocolate Glaze  (The one that goes with the recipe – that I have actually made tons of times.)

3 ounces Semisweet Chocolate

3 Tbsp. Heavy Cream

3 Tbsp. Water

1/2 Tsp. Vanilla

1.  Melt chocolate in microwave.

2.  Stir in heavy cream, water, and vanilla into melted chocolate.

Substitute dark rum for water and vanilla if you like.

Of course, you can always just eat it like this!

1.  This is my favorite picture this month because I got a new camera lens, and it makes even my dirty dishes beautiful.

2.  I love mornings in Minnesota when they are frosty, pink, and serene.  This is an untouched photo.  The little strings of red our my neighbors bird feeders.

3.  This is our silver chalkboard frame.  Kristin brought it over to me as our moving truck was loading up for our move to Minnesota.  You can read the back-story on all that here.  The chalk board use to be in their coffee shop.  It holds lots of memories for us all.

4.  When my husband and I were in college we took a swing dancing class.  This is our Wild Horse Experience.

5.  After many years, we finally bought furniture for our bedroom.  I tracked down the very last one of these Anthropologie dressers in the United States of America.  I almost gave up, but I made one last phone call and they had it.  I drove to Chicago 4 months later and picked it up.  It was a clearanced for 300 bucks.

6.  This is the first time I ever shot a gun.  I loved that I did it, but I didn’t love it.

7.  I love my dog.

This Random Sevens idea came from Ryan over at his blog, This is Reverb.  A while ago,  LoveFeast Table presented a  TakeOn Challenge with Ryan and he made this.  I’m sure his food was as tasty as ours.

Yes we’re bloggers but more importantly we’re moms of nine kids total.  On a daily basis we feed our kids, our friend’s kids and the kid’s in the neighborhood and sometimes even those we don’t know.  As we share meals around the table with our children in our homes, it is hard at a time like this not to think about other moms, children, and families in Haiti.  We would like to push up a few extra “virtual” chairs and “serve” some love and food to those who are now in such dire need.                                    

Recently we were invited to join a group of 40 other Minnesota bloggers gathered by Missy, The Marketing Mama, for a MN Blogger Volunteer Event at Feed My Starving Children.  Feed My Starving Children is a non profit organization based in Minnesota.  FMSC ships volunteer hand-packed nutritious meals formulated for starving children and has several distribution centers currently in Haiti with currently one million meals on the ground.  Their goal is to produce an additional three million.

We would like to invite you to add some “virtual” chairs to your table and “serve” some meals to the children and families who are struggling in Haiti, by donating through this link.  Thank you, in advance, for participating in this “love feast“.

Knit bombed by The Baltimore DIY Squad.

What meal brings you comfort and warmth?  Do you have your soup on?

What’s a Happy List?  A list of things that are putting a smile on our faces right now!  It can be anything that just makes us…happy!

Kristin’s List:

one:  Pink’s Funhouse CD, given to me by my killer daughter!

two:  My new red power bag (from Chris Ann).  Tag on this gift read “For the chic board member-business woman-entrepreneur-non-profit head-artist-blog-writer & mom on the go!”

three:  Smith’s Rosebud Salve…the fragrance and color make my day!

four:  This little coin purse my mom brought back from Spain.

five:  Kinerase…if you’ve never tried it, stop by Sephora and ask for a sample!

six:  This gorgeous hat my sister gave me!

seven:  My son’s drum sticks and new drum pad! (I really do love listening to him play!)

eight:  These bowls I laid my eyes on at In Watermelon Sugar in Hampden, Baltimore…to die for!

nine:  These nesting dolls my mom painted, representing my family…oldest to youngest.

ten:  Celebrity International’s goat cheese with cranberry and cinnamon crumbled in a baby green salad with toasted pecans, cucumbers, vadalia onions and pomegranate vinaigrette.

Chris Ann’s List:

one:  My Mom’s fresh homemade bread and chokecherry jelly my Dad hand delivered from five hours away.

two: My baskets and tags for my newly and extremely organized linen and bathroom closets.

three:  Bad Girl Lash in blue – the perfect amount of edginess for a metro mom.

four:  The artsy lamp I bought at Mudd Lake.

five:  My very fluffy reading list for my trip to Cancun next week.

six:  My new Mother Mac to run my world.

seven:  The fleece blanket my Dad made me for Christmas.

eight:  Bangles!  My Christmas gift from Suburbia Man.

nine:  My deck snowman.

ten:  My new camera lens.