This year, I have been cooking more than I have in years.  For some reason, I had gotten lazy, and so the kids and I had been eating out way too much.  It got to the point that they wouldn’t touch food unless it was made from a restaurant.  Last week, I made this Shepherd’s Pie with potatoes and sweet potatoes. I got it out of this book, Healthy Cooking for Your Kids.  It has great recipes that help you make yummy food that your kids will actually eat.  It worked! My kids couldn’t stop eating it.

After that, I decided that I wanted to create this Coconut Chicken that I saw in my The South Beach Diet book.  It didn’t stop there.  I wanted to continue cooking, so I made two Spinach and Mushroom quiches, one for tomorrow and one for later.  It makes me feel good when I cook.  I am taking different ingredients, and using my hand to create something that others will savor.  It’s something that I love to do.

Cooking and food is a way to bond families. If you talk to people, you will usually get a story about how a certain recipe reminds them of a beautiful memory that they had with their family.  It’s one of the other reasons that I love food so much.  It’s something that I want to pass my love for cooking on to my  kids.  Whenever they have a chance, I have them in the kitchen with me stirring something on the oven (while I supervise, of course).

What food makes you think about family?

Dear Slow Cooker,

I don’t know why it took me so long to understand how wonderful you are.  You have helped me save money, time, and lose weight.  This project I’m on is tiring, and I now don’t have any excuses to head to a restaurant 5 days a week because I am too tired and didn’t have time to cook anything.  All I do is cut a few things, plop them in, and you do the rest. 

I don’t have any reason to snack anymore while I wait for the food to cook because you are ready and waiting to serve.  You know what I really love about you?  The aromatics that float out of you and reach my nose right when I enter the house.  We quickly eat and can move on to other things.

The time I save is crazy.  You have given me back a few minutes to almost of hour of night left, so I can spend more time with the kids.  There are always leftovers, so I can take food to work.  You should see the envious looks I get when I am in the kitchen, while everyone else has frozen meals.  I smile because they could have just as good and easy. 

You make me feel like I’m one of the Jetsons cause I just press button and POOF, the food is ready.

Thank you and love always,

Shevonne

Yesterday I went to the VA Wine Festival with one of my best friends S. I hadn’t been to one in a long time, so I was pretty excited to go again. Before the event, I printed out the tickets for us to go. If you ever have the chance to buy tickets before an event, do it. The lines to buy tickets was ridiculous, and we were able to bypass them by pre-purchasing our tickets.

We had some good, bad, and ugly wines. Our favorites was from Villa Appalaccia called “Allegra.” It was this sparkling white wine with a crisp taste. We couldn’t get enough of it. We then loved “Noche” from Cooper Vineyards. It is a dessert wine with the smell and taste of chocolate. After that, we headed to Virginia Mountain Vineyards and tasted this wine called “Holiday Spice.” It reminded me of the holidays. Of course, I bought one of each. I also bought and extra of the “Holiday Spice” for my parents.

During the festival, I got reacquainted with someone from my past. This can be a good or a bad thing. This time it was good. He is still as cool and fun as ever. S. even liked him, so I was happy with that. After tasting way too many wines, S. and I ate crab-cake sandwiches. I don’t know if it was because I was hungry or not, but they were damn good. They also had Lobster Mac & Cheese, but we didn’t eat any of it. Overall, I had a wonderful time. S. and I talked about our lives, I saw my old friend, and I got some tasty wines.

I hope that I am able to hang out with S. more because I hate how I never get to see my friends anymore.  Let’s hope that I get to see her and my old friend more than a few times a year.

Photo Details: Posted via email from Tantalizing Tidbits

McDonald’s has gotten a bad rep in the last decade, or two, on how unhealthy their fast food is.  Many people, including me, have seen the documentary “Super Size Me“, or have read the many lawsuits from obese people saying that McDonald’s is to blame for their obesity.

McDonald’s responded to these claims by offering healthy options, like salads, yogurts, apple dippers (for the children), and soda alternatives.  I was impressed when I heard that McDonald’s has “Mom Quality Correspondents” in several cities, who serve as the voice of parents worried about the health and nutrition of their children.  There is a group right here in Washington, D.C. I found out that last month, the Mom Quality Correspondents visited a McDonald’s beef supplier in Ohio and talk about the Angus Third Pounder.

I talked Monica Raugitinane, a McDonald’s representative, to find out how these mothers were chosen and about the trip.

1. How did you find these four mothers? The McDonald’s Family Restaurants of Greater Washington, D.C., and Baltimore worked with a third party to recruit local mothers that had three things in common: at least one child under the age of 18, an interest in safe and healthy food options for their families, and women that at least occasionally dine at McDonald’s. We reached out to women through TV commercials and Internet advertising and received about 50 applications. The four women that were chosen represent different backgrounds and geographic areas.

2. Will there be videos made on their trip? Yes. On www.McDonaldsCorrespondents.com, we post online journals, photos and videos showcasing the Moms Quality Correspondents exploring McDonald’s from the inside out.

3. What about a transcript of the questions and answers? This may be possible, but we will get back to you on this upon their return. The women do journal many of their questions in writing as well as in the video, which will all be posted on the Web site in the near future.

4. Do you have any information you can give me about the new Angus Third Pounder? Please see the attached fact sheet on the Angus Third Pounder.   http://bit.ly/2a6w2R

5. Can I have a followup interview with the mothers after they tour the beef supplier? Absolutely!

I found out that this is the DC Mom’s fourth time meeting with McDonald’s suppliers, having already met with baked goods, poultry, and coffee suppliers. The women have also met with their local franchisees and have toured behind-the-counter at local restaurants.

I wished I would have known about this program, but I would have loved to be part of the group.  In the next weeks, I hope to get interviews with the moms, so be on the lookout for a follow-up of this story.

Photo Details: vintage McDonald’s sign, originally uploaded by lalajean_g.

Barbeque 007

Everything and anything having to do with barbeque and grilling. I want big, messy hamburgers; beer-boiled hot dogs with sauerkraut; beer-can chicken; pulled pork; brisket; kabobs of all kinds; grilled corn on the cob; shrimp and lobster; and most of all SAUCY RIBS!

Summer time is the best because you are able to relax while eating delicious food and drinking the day away. It doesn’t have to be alcoholic, but it has to be able to cool you down. Even though I am not a beer drinker, you have to have at least one cold one. Martinis, mojitos, lemonade, ice tea, and anything else that you savor along with the amazing barbeque you do throughout the hot months.

With that, I am officially hungry.

What foods make you think of summer?