A good way to view it, isn't it!?
Well I better get to finishing all the Easter dinner goodies. Have a wonderful day :)
And Happy Easter from my family to yours!
Sunday, March 31, 2013
He is Risen!!
Happy Easter to all!! I hope everyone is enjoying this day with their family and friends, be sure to keep in mind the real reason for today! On facebook I saw a wonderful post a friend put up, a great way to help explain the holiday to younger children. I am going to use it myself to help explain to my children. Here it is:
A good way to view it, isn't it!?
Well I better get to finishing all the Easter dinner goodies. Have a wonderful day :)
And Happy Easter from my family to yours!
A good way to view it, isn't it!?
Well I better get to finishing all the Easter dinner goodies. Have a wonderful day :)
And Happy Easter from my family to yours!
Friday, March 29, 2013
Pictures & Ramblings :)
Shew man oh man I am one tired momma tonight. As I've mentioned in other posts I had ten Easter orders to fill for Country Mom Chef, that actually turned into 12! I started on orders Wednesday night I started most truffle orders, Thursday I had class but after class I baked the cupcakes and did more truffles so I was up pretty late, this morning before delivering everything I iced the cupcakes and put the garnishes on them! So I have been nonstop all week pretty much. But I am glad :) it feels amazing to be making something of Country Mom Chef. I played with the carrot cupcake frosting today and it actually turned out better than the original maple cream cheese frosting I used. I added cinnamon used less cream cheese and of course used maple. Very good! I will post pictures of them shortly and all orders completed. This evening my kids and I dyed Easter eggs! I used a new kind of dye, the box said "Candy Apple" so they were supposed to be shiny I thought that looked kinda cool so I bought them without really paying attention to anything else. In the kit there were 4 little pouches that had the dye in them so you just empty them into the dye "bucket" and the kids painted them. Needless to say we ruined a pair of pants, shirt, and my fingers will be pink and blue for the next few days! But they loved it and I adore these rituals with them.
Yesterday was my second day of my Kitchen Fundamentals class, we had lecture a little bit of the first half then we went to the kitchen and went over different dices and cuts for vegetables. That was pretty cool! We used potatoes so that was a little difficult with the white cutting board behind the potato, but our teacher taught us a neat little trick. To help with that problem and better visualize the item we are cutting you can take a spice and rub it over it just enough to have a tint to the potato. That did help a lot. The brunoise cut is super tiny, so getting the dimensions on that just right was hard. I had issues with most of my cuts getting them to the right size and more of a cube than a rectangle. I blame it on the potato being bumpy ;)
I hope everyone has had a chance to view my Easter Dinner Menu and maybe get a couple of new recipes to try out for their family! This year seems to be going by fast doesn't it. Already Easter, that's crazy to me! Oh before I forget, I had submitted a recipe to Incredible Recipes on facebook, it is another foodie "like" page, and they published it since that happened Country Mom Chef facebook has reached 109 likes!!!! That is huge to me! I am so excited to have everyone follow me along on my journey! I hope everyone is able to find something in my recipes and please if you ever any any requests or questions feel free to email me at CountryMomChefHeather@hotmail.com. I will answer any questions to the best of my knowledge, or try to find out from another Chef! And I am always taking requests for new recipes, I love making new things. This past week was supposed to be a lot of new recipes being made here at my house but we had a lot come up and things just got crazy. They will be posted soon though! Well I am going to get settled for the evening and relax a little while my babies sleep snuggled up in bed! Everyone have a wonderful weekend and enjoy Easter with your loved ones! :)
Here are the finished Country Mom Chef Easter orders:
Yesterday was my second day of my Kitchen Fundamentals class, we had lecture a little bit of the first half then we went to the kitchen and went over different dices and cuts for vegetables. That was pretty cool! We used potatoes so that was a little difficult with the white cutting board behind the potato, but our teacher taught us a neat little trick. To help with that problem and better visualize the item we are cutting you can take a spice and rub it over it just enough to have a tint to the potato. That did help a lot. The brunoise cut is super tiny, so getting the dimensions on that just right was hard. I had issues with most of my cuts getting them to the right size and more of a cube than a rectangle. I blame it on the potato being bumpy ;)
I hope everyone has had a chance to view my Easter Dinner Menu and maybe get a couple of new recipes to try out for their family! This year seems to be going by fast doesn't it. Already Easter, that's crazy to me! Oh before I forget, I had submitted a recipe to Incredible Recipes on facebook, it is another foodie "like" page, and they published it since that happened Country Mom Chef facebook has reached 109 likes!!!! That is huge to me! I am so excited to have everyone follow me along on my journey! I hope everyone is able to find something in my recipes and please if you ever any any requests or questions feel free to email me at CountryMomChefHeather@hotmail.com. I will answer any questions to the best of my knowledge, or try to find out from another Chef! And I am always taking requests for new recipes, I love making new things. This past week was supposed to be a lot of new recipes being made here at my house but we had a lot come up and things just got crazy. They will be posted soon though! Well I am going to get settled for the evening and relax a little while my babies sleep snuggled up in bed! Everyone have a wonderful weekend and enjoy Easter with your loved ones! :)
Here are the finished Country Mom Chef Easter orders:
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Our Easter Dinner (with recipes)
I am finishing up on my Easter Country Mom Chef orders today, and wanted to be sure to post my personal Easter dinner menu along with recipes in case anyone was looking for a new side or something to make for their family! I adore holidays, I love being in the kitchen baking and cooking for my family making special rituals just over all memories with them. Easter is probably my favorite holiday besides Christmas. Easter represents a beautiful thing the resurrection of our savior Jesus Christ! That alone makes the holiday a very special thing, but when you add in spring with beautiful weather (hopefully!), dying eggs with your children, leaving bunny tracks out for them to find their baskets and goodies from the Easter Bunny himself it is just a very special family day. In my house our traditional dinner includes a crunchy glazed sweet ham, anywhere from 3-4 sides, rolls, and a dessert or two. This year our menu is as follows: crunchy glazed ham, honey roasted carrots, bacon sauteed brussel sprouts, green bean casserole, rolls, and for dessert a delicious fruit tart! Oh and let's not forget the deviled eggs! :)
If we were not going out of town the next morning I would be adding my nana's 7 layer salad to this spread and shoe peg sweet corn but we will be leaving to visit family the next day so I'm keeping it smaller. My favorite side out of the ones listed would definitely be the bacon sauteed brussel sprouts. I could eat those alone for a snack they are so tasty full of so much flavor! Brussel sprouts and bacon go hand in hand with each other and pair together wonderfully. Below is the recipes for each side and the tart. I will be sure to post pictures of everything on Sunday :) I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter with their family.
Honey Roasted Carrots
Gather ingredients before beginning
Makes 4 servings (to make larger just add a cup for each guest)
*4 cups of baby carrots or carrots cut into french fry like spears
*1 tbsp honey
*Sea Salt
*Fresh Ground pepper
*Olive oil
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place carrots into a shallow bowl and generously coat with cooking spray, sea salt, and fresh ground pepper. Arrange carrots on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes. Shake carrots around about half way through so they roast and get crispy on all sides. Return carrots to bowl and add the honey. Stir to coat well. Taste to see if they need any additional salt and pepper.
Bacon Sauteed Brussel Sprouts
Gather ingredients before beginning
*3 slices bacon, chopped
*1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
*1 shallot, chopped
*1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed, small spouts left whole, larger spouts halved
*Salt and pepper, to your taste
*1 cup chicken broth
Brown bacon in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Add extra-virgin olive oil to the pan, 1 turn. Add shallots to the pan and saute 1 to 2 minutes. Add Brussels spouts and coat in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook Brussels sprouts 2 to 3 minutes to begin to soften, then add broth. Bring broth to a bubble, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook 10 minutes, until tender. Transfer sprouts to a serving dish with a slotted spoon and top with cooked bacon bits.
Green Bean Casserole
Gather ingredients before beginning
*1/3 stick butter
*1/2 cup diced onions
*1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
*2 cups sliced green beans
*3 cups chicken broth
*1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
*1 (2.8-ounce) can French-fried onion rings
*1 cup grated Cheddar
*pinch garlic powder
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a large skillet. Saute the onions and mushrooms in the butter. Boil green beans in chicken broth for 10 minutes and drain. Add the green beans, mushroom soup, onion rings, and House Seasoning, to taste, to the onion mixture. Stir well. Pour into a greased 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, then top the casserole with the Cheddar and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the casserole is hot and cheese is melted.
Deviled Eggs
*6 hard-boiled eggs
*3 slices crisp cooked bacon, crumbled
*1 tablespoon butter, softened
*3 tablespoons onions, chopped finely
*3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish, drained well
*1 teaspoon yellow mustard
*salt and pepper
*1/4-1/3 cup mayonnaise (half this if you want to use ranch, so do half ranch half mayo)
*Half olive for topping
Cut eggs in halves lengthwise. Remove yolks. Mash yolks in medium bowl. Add relish, onion and bacon. Add butter, salt, pepper, and mustard. Mix thoroughly.Add mayonnaise to bind. Refill egg whites. Sprinkle with Paprika.Refrigerate to meld flavors.Top with halved olives to add more flavor!
Fruit Tart
Gather ingredients before beginning
*1 package (18 ounces) refrigerated sugar cookie dough
*1 package (8 ounces) fat-free cream cheese, softened
*1/4 cup orange marmalade
*1 teaspoon vanilla
*2 4 teaspoons sugar, divided
*1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained
*16 strawberries, halved
*1 kiwi, peeled, sliced and halved
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 12-inch pizza pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Slice dough into 16 slices. Arrange cookie slices 1/2 inch apart on prepared pan. Press cookie dough to cover bottom and sides of pizza pan evenly. Spray fingertips with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking if needed. Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Beat cream cheese, marmalade, vanilla and 1 teaspoon sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer at high speed until well blended; refrigerate. To assemble, spread cream cheese mixture on top of cooled cookie crust. Mix fruit with remaining sugar. Arrange fruit on top of cream cheese mixture. Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Cut into 12 slices before serving.
If we were not going out of town the next morning I would be adding my nana's 7 layer salad to this spread and shoe peg sweet corn but we will be leaving to visit family the next day so I'm keeping it smaller. My favorite side out of the ones listed would definitely be the bacon sauteed brussel sprouts. I could eat those alone for a snack they are so tasty full of so much flavor! Brussel sprouts and bacon go hand in hand with each other and pair together wonderfully. Below is the recipes for each side and the tart. I will be sure to post pictures of everything on Sunday :) I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter with their family.
Honey Roasted Carrots
Gather ingredients before beginning
Makes 4 servings (to make larger just add a cup for each guest)
*4 cups of baby carrots or carrots cut into french fry like spears
*1 tbsp honey
*Sea Salt
*Fresh Ground pepper
*Olive oil
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place carrots into a shallow bowl and generously coat with cooking spray, sea salt, and fresh ground pepper. Arrange carrots on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes. Shake carrots around about half way through so they roast and get crispy on all sides. Return carrots to bowl and add the honey. Stir to coat well. Taste to see if they need any additional salt and pepper.
Bacon Sauteed Brussel Sprouts
Gather ingredients before beginning
*3 slices bacon, chopped
*1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
*1 shallot, chopped
*1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed, small spouts left whole, larger spouts halved
*Salt and pepper, to your taste
*1 cup chicken broth
Brown bacon in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Add extra-virgin olive oil to the pan, 1 turn. Add shallots to the pan and saute 1 to 2 minutes. Add Brussels spouts and coat in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook Brussels sprouts 2 to 3 minutes to begin to soften, then add broth. Bring broth to a bubble, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook 10 minutes, until tender. Transfer sprouts to a serving dish with a slotted spoon and top with cooked bacon bits.
Green Bean Casserole
Gather ingredients before beginning
*1/3 stick butter
*1/2 cup diced onions
*1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
*2 cups sliced green beans
*3 cups chicken broth
*1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
*1 (2.8-ounce) can French-fried onion rings
*1 cup grated Cheddar
*pinch garlic powder
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a large skillet. Saute the onions and mushrooms in the butter. Boil green beans in chicken broth for 10 minutes and drain. Add the green beans, mushroom soup, onion rings, and House Seasoning, to taste, to the onion mixture. Stir well. Pour into a greased 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, then top the casserole with the Cheddar and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the casserole is hot and cheese is melted.
Deviled Eggs
*6 hard-boiled eggs
*3 slices crisp cooked bacon, crumbled
*1 tablespoon butter, softened
*3 tablespoons onions, chopped finely
*3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish, drained well
*1 teaspoon yellow mustard
*salt and pepper
*1/4-1/3 cup mayonnaise (half this if you want to use ranch, so do half ranch half mayo)
*Half olive for topping
Cut eggs in halves lengthwise. Remove yolks. Mash yolks in medium bowl. Add relish, onion and bacon. Add butter, salt, pepper, and mustard. Mix thoroughly.Add mayonnaise to bind. Refill egg whites. Sprinkle with Paprika.Refrigerate to meld flavors.Top with halved olives to add more flavor!
Fruit Tart
Gather ingredients before beginning
*1 package (18 ounces) refrigerated sugar cookie dough
*1 package (8 ounces) fat-free cream cheese, softened
*1/4 cup orange marmalade
*1 teaspoon vanilla
*2 4 teaspoons sugar, divided
*1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained
*16 strawberries, halved
*1 kiwi, peeled, sliced and halved
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 12-inch pizza pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Slice dough into 16 slices. Arrange cookie slices 1/2 inch apart on prepared pan. Press cookie dough to cover bottom and sides of pizza pan evenly. Spray fingertips with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking if needed. Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Beat cream cheese, marmalade, vanilla and 1 teaspoon sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer at high speed until well blended; refrigerate. To assemble, spread cream cheese mixture on top of cooled cookie crust. Mix fruit with remaining sugar. Arrange fruit on top of cream cheese mixture. Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Cut into 12 slices before serving.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Easter Orders Rollin in!
I am so excited I posted my Easter menu on the 20th and have had orders start coming in! So far I am up to 8 Easter orders! I am pretty excited about that :) I took time yesterday to come up with my Mother's Day Menu. I am going to be making it on PSP and posting it mid April! I tried to think along the lines of a mom, our favorite things what we enjoy etc. I do think I have come up with something pretty good! I am also offering things that are not on my menu, if people ask I am always willing to accommodate. I am also going to start working on small catering packages I know I want to do a birthday package, office party package, baby shower, and holidays. I will also offer a summer package once it warms up for parties held outside such as picnics. I am so very proud of Country Mom chef and how we are growing! I can't wait to start on Easter orders this Wednesday. All the orders I have so far are due Friday so I will be busy in the kitchen Wednesday-Friday morning! I will post lots of pictures of products as they are made and before delivery :)
Have a wonderful day everyone and stay warm! I cant believe we had snow last night and it's spring! Bring on the warm weather!!
Have a wonderful day everyone and stay warm! I cant believe we had snow last night and it's spring! Bring on the warm weather!!
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Updates Updates Updates!
Hello all! Where to begin with updates, I have been on busy lady! I worked a couple of days this week and also had my first kitchen class this evening! I was so excited to have my first class get my uniform and knife kit. The kit has so much in it, a lot more than I had expected to receive. In class tonight we chopped 60 lbs of tomatoes, cucumbers, and onion for a salad to be served at a school event this Saturday. It was a lot of fun to go into our first night of class and get straight to hands on work. My class this quarter is very small, only 5 people and I love it. I learn so much more in small classes. I feel our instructor can give us more attention and make sure we are doing things the correct way. I think I caught on to the chopping techniques pretty fast. The only thing I will have to practice is curving my fingers inward when chopping to keep my knuckles being closest to the knife, and not my finger tips. I'm going in this class with all 10 fingers I want to come out the same way!! :)
Here is my uniform!
I am missing my apron & hat in this picture, but you get an idea for the uniform! It's comfortable so I don't mind it. And I love how they have our names embroidered on them. Very cool
I have mentioned on a previous post how CMC has a lot of things coming up, we have even more now. I am working out a schedule for all things now and will hopefully have everything posted next week with all announcements. I am very excited, and of course proud of how well things are going (and growing!!) for country mom chef. I am actually going to have to reach out for more hands here before long. I can do a lot by myself, but I cant do everything and will be needing help! I know with my faith everything will turn out just as it should.
I finally figured out Photoshop Pro with the help of a friend, and came up with a simple but cute flyer for our Easter menu! Orders are rolling in so I am very excited to get everything going with that! Of course I will be posting pictures as orders are filled. Here is the flyer:
If anyone (locally) would like to place an order for Easter, please be sure to inbox me via Country Mom chef facebook! Or you can email me at Hregan9698@hotmail.com with subject line "EASTER ORDER". :)
We took our kiddos to see the Easter Bunny yesterday! I was a little nervous about this because Mason (the youngest), refused Santa. So I knew this was going to be a challenge! We got there waited in line for a few minutes and then it was our turn. Daddy was holding Mason and he was fine I placed the older two next to the bunny and they were a little skeptical, daddy tried to place Mason on his lap and he freaked out. So we tried to just have him stand in front of the bunny hoping he would be okay with that. No. Lol the picture we got was very much our family. It's cute and will be a great picture to show off to girlfriends and kids one day. I knew I wanted Mason in it though so this is what we ended up with.
I will admit the bunny does look a little creepy, haha I guess that's why they are all like "ehh no thanks mom". It's a good family memory though! Well I am one tired momma and need to get to sleep. Good night to all :)
Here is my uniform!
I am missing my apron & hat in this picture, but you get an idea for the uniform! It's comfortable so I don't mind it. And I love how they have our names embroidered on them. Very cool
I have mentioned on a previous post how CMC has a lot of things coming up, we have even more now. I am working out a schedule for all things now and will hopefully have everything posted next week with all announcements. I am very excited, and of course proud of how well things are going (and growing!!) for country mom chef. I am actually going to have to reach out for more hands here before long. I can do a lot by myself, but I cant do everything and will be needing help! I know with my faith everything will turn out just as it should.
I finally figured out Photoshop Pro with the help of a friend, and came up with a simple but cute flyer for our Easter menu! Orders are rolling in so I am very excited to get everything going with that! Of course I will be posting pictures as orders are filled. Here is the flyer:
If anyone (locally) would like to place an order for Easter, please be sure to inbox me via Country Mom chef facebook! Or you can email me at Hregan9698@hotmail.com with subject line "EASTER ORDER". :)
We took our kiddos to see the Easter Bunny yesterday! I was a little nervous about this because Mason (the youngest), refused Santa. So I knew this was going to be a challenge! We got there waited in line for a few minutes and then it was our turn. Daddy was holding Mason and he was fine I placed the older two next to the bunny and they were a little skeptical, daddy tried to place Mason on his lap and he freaked out. So we tried to just have him stand in front of the bunny hoping he would be okay with that. No. Lol the picture we got was very much our family. It's cute and will be a great picture to show off to girlfriends and kids one day. I knew I wanted Mason in it though so this is what we ended up with.
I will admit the bunny does look a little creepy, haha I guess that's why they are all like "ehh no thanks mom". It's a good family memory though! Well I am one tired momma and need to get to sleep. Good night to all :)
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Easter Menu Flyer!
I have been playing around on PSP and came up with this menu! :) Hopefully over time I will get better at this and have better flyers, but for now this is what I have and I think it's pretty darn good for my first flyer I have made myself! Let's get those orders in :) I am always willing to work with pricing on larger orders. If you would like to place an order above one dozen, please message me on facebook or email and we will discuss pricing!
Monday, March 18, 2013
Grades & More Deliveries
How is everyone? Good I hope! I haven't posted anything in a few days. I got a job at a local fine dining restaurant in Williamsburg, Opus9, it's a very nice place. I enjoy it! I sent my resume in about a week and a half two weeks ago for a hostess position. When I emailed it I did not realize I had sent in my culinary resume which had my blog address on it! The manager's actually looked at my blog and interviewed me and mentioned they wanted to double me for both hostessing and pastry chef! I trained over the last week for hostessing and work three days this week for that position. The kitchen position has been talked about a little bit we will see where it goes! I am excited to be working no matter what though. A lot of people say I have a full plate and think I'm taking on too much, but I feel awesome working, doing CMC, my blog, and school. Not to mention my three nuggets! I feel good when I'm busy. Speaking of school I received my grades Saturday for my first quarter! I am very happy with them, my GPA overall is 3.0 and I got a B+ in culinary sanitation and theory, and computer applications I got a B-! Cant complain about that! I start my new classes this week. I am not taking a basic math class, and my kitchen fundamentals. I am excited to attend my fundamentals class this week I get my chef uniforms and knife kit. I was suppose to get that last Monday at our induction ceremony but it was canceled last minute. I have the same instructor for kitchen fundamentals that I just had for theory! He's a really laid back nice guy so I'm happy with that too. Ready to be in the kitchen and working on my skills and learning new techniques and ways to do things. I will keep everyone updated as class goes!!!
We just had St. Patrick's Day! I made the usual corned beef, forgot to get cabbage so had carrots and red potatoes. It was good! It did turn out tough to eat though. Cant remember if it normally turns out like that or if it was just because I cooked it in the crock pot. I had my sister put it all in there for me and she put the veggies on bottom and meat on top cooking those kind of things in a crock pot you want to be sure to submerge the meat in the water and place the veggies, or most of them, on top of the meat. So it soaks in the juices. But it did turn out good! We didn't do anything special to celebrate the occasion, the kiddos just hung out around the house and after dinner we rented Wreck it Ralph to watch as a family. Very cute movie I recommend that for everyone with little ones!! Next to rent is Rise of the Guardians! I am in the midst of planning a mini trip to Tennessee to visit my family for a few days, and let them visit with the kiddos. I am looking forward to seeing everyone and also spending a day in Cades Cove. It is such a beautiful place tons of places to hike, old cabins with stories, wild life. It's just beautiful. I am going to be cooking a lot while I am visiting there. My dad called me the other day and asked if I would come over one night and cook dinner for everyone there. I'm sure that will be one of the first nights there! And of course I will cook for my gramma and grampa! It will be a nice visit I am looking forward to it.
I had more orders to fill over the weekend for CMC for the Building Bridges Benefit. That went nice, and much smoother than the first orders I placed. I think because I had already made everything at least once so I had a feel for how to do things better! That order total I filled was $156.00, so a total CMC has raised for the benefit is $281.00! I am very proud of that and glad I could take place and participate in the benefit to help the Bridges family! I will still be taking orders for that benefit, locally, for the rest of March. Hopefully I can get a couple more orders and round off the total raised to be $300.00 even.
I posted Country Mom chef's Easter menu! I haven't received any orders on it yet though. I need to figure out how to make a flyer so I can post it and people can share it. I have the menu posted but it's better to have a flyer with everything listed and can be shared as a photo. I am going to work on that tomorrow but here is the menu I have come up with!!:
Country Mom Chef’s Easter Menu
All Easter orders must be placed by Wednesday March 27th
*Fresh Orange Cupcakes with an Orange Cream Cheese Frosting: $1.50 per cupcake / $16.oo dozen
*Decorated Daisy Brownies: $1.00 each / $11.00 dozen
(Will be decorated with colored bright frosting to mimic spring color daisies)
*Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream cheese Frosting: $1.50 per cupcake / $16.oo dozen
*Carrot Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting: $ 1.50 per cupcake / $16.00 dozen
*Sweet Hummingbird Cupcakes with Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting: $ 1.50 per cupcake / $16.00 dozen
(Garnished with dried pineapple flower)
*Sweet Coconut Nest Cupcakes: $ 1.50 per cupcake / $16.00 dozen
(Garnished with chocolate coconut nest and chocolate eggs to mimic a bird’s nest)
I am also going to offer truffles like the oreo and mint ones I made for the benefit, I will offer those flavors as well as sandies & chocolate chocolate chip. Those will be dipped in white chocolate and decorated with spring theme sprinkles. They will be pretty! Hopefully I will have a pretty flyer up by tomorrow night and orders will start coming in! I am also working on a small catering menu for locals. I have ideas for a few packages but need to come up with a menu for each package. I have a lot to work on! But it's worth it! I received a personal invite to The Southern C (The Summit) conference that will be held this May in GA. Right down the road from where my house is that I own! I sure do miss the area. I'm hoping I can make it, just need to get my ducks in a row so I can! In the invite it was mentioned that I would be meeting the editors for Southern Living. That is such a huge a opportunity. I would be able to learn and absorb so much in that weekend at the conference. Fingers crossed all will work out!! :)
Well it is late and I work in the morning, I will be posting a recipe for Eclair cake tomorrow evening along with a flyer for Easter if I can figure out how to design that! Have a wonderful night everyone!
We just had St. Patrick's Day! I made the usual corned beef, forgot to get cabbage so had carrots and red potatoes. It was good! It did turn out tough to eat though. Cant remember if it normally turns out like that or if it was just because I cooked it in the crock pot. I had my sister put it all in there for me and she put the veggies on bottom and meat on top cooking those kind of things in a crock pot you want to be sure to submerge the meat in the water and place the veggies, or most of them, on top of the meat. So it soaks in the juices. But it did turn out good! We didn't do anything special to celebrate the occasion, the kiddos just hung out around the house and after dinner we rented Wreck it Ralph to watch as a family. Very cute movie I recommend that for everyone with little ones!! Next to rent is Rise of the Guardians! I am in the midst of planning a mini trip to Tennessee to visit my family for a few days, and let them visit with the kiddos. I am looking forward to seeing everyone and also spending a day in Cades Cove. It is such a beautiful place tons of places to hike, old cabins with stories, wild life. It's just beautiful. I am going to be cooking a lot while I am visiting there. My dad called me the other day and asked if I would come over one night and cook dinner for everyone there. I'm sure that will be one of the first nights there! And of course I will cook for my gramma and grampa! It will be a nice visit I am looking forward to it.
I had more orders to fill over the weekend for CMC for the Building Bridges Benefit. That went nice, and much smoother than the first orders I placed. I think because I had already made everything at least once so I had a feel for how to do things better! That order total I filled was $156.00, so a total CMC has raised for the benefit is $281.00! I am very proud of that and glad I could take place and participate in the benefit to help the Bridges family! I will still be taking orders for that benefit, locally, for the rest of March. Hopefully I can get a couple more orders and round off the total raised to be $300.00 even.
I posted Country Mom chef's Easter menu! I haven't received any orders on it yet though. I need to figure out how to make a flyer so I can post it and people can share it. I have the menu posted but it's better to have a flyer with everything listed and can be shared as a photo. I am going to work on that tomorrow but here is the menu I have come up with!!:
Country Mom Chef’s Easter Menu
All Easter orders must be placed by Wednesday March 27th
*Fresh Orange Cupcakes with an Orange Cream Cheese Frosting: $1.50 per cupcake / $16.oo dozen
*Decorated Daisy Brownies: $1.00 each / $11.00 dozen
(Will be decorated with colored bright frosting to mimic spring color daisies)
*Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream cheese Frosting: $1.50 per cupcake / $16.oo dozen
*Carrot Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting: $ 1.50 per cupcake / $16.00 dozen
*Sweet Hummingbird Cupcakes with Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting: $ 1.50 per cupcake / $16.00 dozen
(Garnished with dried pineapple flower)
*Sweet Coconut Nest Cupcakes: $ 1.50 per cupcake / $16.00 dozen
(Garnished with chocolate coconut nest and chocolate eggs to mimic a bird’s nest)
I am also going to offer truffles like the oreo and mint ones I made for the benefit, I will offer those flavors as well as sandies & chocolate chocolate chip. Those will be dipped in white chocolate and decorated with spring theme sprinkles. They will be pretty! Hopefully I will have a pretty flyer up by tomorrow night and orders will start coming in! I am also working on a small catering menu for locals. I have ideas for a few packages but need to come up with a menu for each package. I have a lot to work on! But it's worth it! I received a personal invite to The Southern C (The Summit) conference that will be held this May in GA. Right down the road from where my house is that I own! I sure do miss the area. I'm hoping I can make it, just need to get my ducks in a row so I can! In the invite it was mentioned that I would be meeting the editors for Southern Living. That is such a huge a opportunity. I would be able to learn and absorb so much in that weekend at the conference. Fingers crossed all will work out!! :)
Well it is late and I work in the morning, I will be posting a recipe for Eclair cake tomorrow evening along with a flyer for Easter if I can figure out how to design that! Have a wonderful night everyone!
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Our Goodie Baskets!
I had baked, arranged, and delivered two of the goodie baskets we've had orders on for the Building Bridges Benefit! I am very happy with the way they turned out, but during baking and shipping I decided to no longer offer baskets long distance and that is only because shipping is $30.00 I sell the baskets for $30.00 so I will still offer individual sweets to people who do not live in town but I am only offering the baskets to locals. I have one more basket order to bake and arrange along with an office order of goodies to include a loaf of chocolate raspberry bread, 1 dozen oreo truffles, 1 dozen mint truffles, and 1 dozen brownies. Also 5 other individual orders! So far Country Mom Chef has raised just under $300.00 for this benefit! I am very excited! I love giving forward to helping others out! Here are the two baskets that were delivered this week.
Here is a peek at the oreo and mint truffles that were made for the baskets:
I will be sure to take more pictures as I complete these orders tomorrow so everyone can see individual items! I did have to change the contents of the baskets a little. I tried three different batches of white chocolate brownies and they just were not turning out the way I would like them to and I only give my customers the best so I had to change them to a milk chocolate with white chocolate chunks! Cant go wrong with those combinations and I know they were liked. I was disappointed that the original brownies did not turn out as planned but we always run into little issues sometimes we just need to step back collect ourselves and change the plan a little bit. I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the warm weather we have been having, even if it did rain here a little bit I will take the 60's with a little rain any day over 30's & 40's and snowy weather. Thank goodness it's almost spring! I mentioned in my last post that I will be putting up a menu for my locals to order from for Easter I will be doing that tonight I want orders to be in in time for people to have the chance to get something!
Here is a peek at the oreo and mint truffles that were made for the baskets:
I will be sure to take more pictures as I complete these orders tomorrow so everyone can see individual items! I did have to change the contents of the baskets a little. I tried three different batches of white chocolate brownies and they just were not turning out the way I would like them to and I only give my customers the best so I had to change them to a milk chocolate with white chocolate chunks! Cant go wrong with those combinations and I know they were liked. I was disappointed that the original brownies did not turn out as planned but we always run into little issues sometimes we just need to step back collect ourselves and change the plan a little bit. I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the warm weather we have been having, even if it did rain here a little bit I will take the 60's with a little rain any day over 30's & 40's and snowy weather. Thank goodness it's almost spring! I mentioned in my last post that I will be putting up a menu for my locals to order from for Easter I will be doing that tonight I want orders to be in in time for people to have the chance to get something!
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Big Dreams
How are my favorite foodies today!? Great I hope! Today I am in the kitchen baking and cooking away, arranging two goodie baskets. So far I have made two dozen truffles, one being thin mint and the other being oreo! Next I will be making dark chocolate raspberry banana loaf, two dozen smores cookies, & two dozen white chocolate brownies! A lot of goodies. As I am making these (and we all know I love to bake and cook), I am realizing that I need to cut the baskets to locally only. I have been lucky enough to have one basket auctioned off out of town, but that has been the only out of state order I have gotten so I am going to cut the baskets out and also limit any out of town orders to Dark Chocolate Raspberry Banana loaf, White Chocolate Brownies, and a cookie but not the smores cookie. I am going to revise the menu for out of town and post it later today. Locally will still be able to order baskets and any of the sweet treats already posted on the flyer. All proceeds will still go to the Building Bridges Benefit, just making a little more simple menu for out of town to make shipping easier. I will continue to take orders for this benefit until the end of the month. I am working on a new project for mid April, I am very excited to be apart of it and will post all information about it as it gets closer to April! I am also going to compose a great Easter menu for my local foodies to order from Country Mom Chef!
As I'm baking and cooking today I find myself wishing my kitchen was much much bigger. I cannot wait for the day I can design and build the kitchen of my dreams. It will be HUGE, I would like it to be an eat in kitchen. Granite counter tops, copper fixtures, distressed finished blue color cabinets. I want a big farm house style sink, a big kitchen island and big windows. I can picture it in my head. It will be beautiful with TONS of storage and counter space. A lot of people say I dream big I guess you can say I do, but I do everything in my power to reach my dreams. When I was younger my dream was to be a model. At age 12 I went to an open call audition and received a call back from there I partnered with a local modeling school to learn basic posing, runway, make-up, clothing, style, and hair tips. From there I did photo shoots in different areas of Tennessee, traveled to Atlanta GA. for a huge modeling open call. I also tried pageants. I had a blast with it. Occasionally I still do modeling I'm actually planning on having a photo shoot this summer for Country Mom Chef brand. My dreams just get bigger as I "grow up", but I am excited. It's amazing to be doing something you love, to be able to help people by doing what I love, and growing a brand and foundation for a business that will hopefully one day be my daughters. Alright I am going to stop babbling on for now and finish these baskets! I will post pictures of them tonight for all to see! :) I hope everyone has a blessed day! Sending lots of love from my kitchen <3
As I'm baking and cooking today I find myself wishing my kitchen was much much bigger. I cannot wait for the day I can design and build the kitchen of my dreams. It will be HUGE, I would like it to be an eat in kitchen. Granite counter tops, copper fixtures, distressed finished blue color cabinets. I want a big farm house style sink, a big kitchen island and big windows. I can picture it in my head. It will be beautiful with TONS of storage and counter space. A lot of people say I dream big I guess you can say I do, but I do everything in my power to reach my dreams. When I was younger my dream was to be a model. At age 12 I went to an open call audition and received a call back from there I partnered with a local modeling school to learn basic posing, runway, make-up, clothing, style, and hair tips. From there I did photo shoots in different areas of Tennessee, traveled to Atlanta GA. for a huge modeling open call. I also tried pageants. I had a blast with it. Occasionally I still do modeling I'm actually planning on having a photo shoot this summer for Country Mom Chef brand. My dreams just get bigger as I "grow up", but I am excited. It's amazing to be doing something you love, to be able to help people by doing what I love, and growing a brand and foundation for a business that will hopefully one day be my daughters. Alright I am going to stop babbling on for now and finish these baskets! I will post pictures of them tonight for all to see! :) I hope everyone has a blessed day! Sending lots of love from my kitchen <3
Saturday, March 9, 2013
St. Patrick's Day Menu
Irish runs in my blood so I love this holiday! Just recently while visiting DC they were celebrating the holiday early in Alexandria, VA. They had their biggest parade of the year just for this holiday. I thought that was pretty cool. Little Irish pubs lined Kings Street where the parade and celebration took place. I was very excited to see so many Irish restaurants. One night while we were there we ate at Daniel O'Connel's, I ordered the Shepard's pie it was okay just a little dry. I was hoping for more of an authentic Irish menu. This will be my St. Patrick's day menu I wanted to share early so people would have the chance to make it themselves if they wanted to.
Corned Beef and Cabbage
Gather all ingredients before starting:
This is for a serving of 6 people.
*3 1/2 lbs corned beef brisket with spice packet
*12 small red potatoes
*6 carrots, washed and peeled also cut
*1 LARGE head of cabbage, cut into wedges
Place corned beef in large pot or Dutch oven and cover with water. Add the spice packet that came with the corned beef. Cover pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer approximately 50 minutes per pound or until tender. Add whole potatoes and carrots, and cook until the vegetables are almost tender. Add cabbage and cook for 15 more minutes. Remove meat and let rest 15 minutes. Place vegetables in a bowl and cover. Add as much broth (cooking liquid reserved in the Dutch oven or large pot) as you want. Slice meat across the grain. Serve with horseradish sauce, or mustard.
Now we cant leave out dessert! This recipe is for an Irish Cream Cheesecake!! YUM! This recipe is out of my Irish Pub cook book.
Gather all ingredients before starting:
Crust
*Vegetable oil, for oiling the pan
*4 tblsp unsalted butter
*1 1/2c crushed chocolate chip cookies
*Creme Fraiche OR whipped cream and fresh strawberries, to serve
Filling
*8 oz. semisweet dark chocolate, broken into pieces
*8 oz. milk chocolate, broken into pieces
*1/4c sugar
*1 1/2c cream cheese
*2c heavy cream, lightly whipped
*3 tblsp Irish Cream Liquer
1. Line the bottom of an 8-inch round spring-form cake pan with parchment paper and brush sides with oil. Put the butter in saucepan and heat gently until melted. Stir in the crushed cookies. Press into the bottom of the prepared cake pan and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
2. To make the filling, put the dark and milk chocolates into a heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan of gently simmering water until melted. Let cool. Put the sugar and cream cheese in a bowl and beat together until smooth, then fold in the cream. Fold the melted chocolate into the cream cheese mixture, then stir in the liquer.
3. Spoon into the cake pan and smooth the surface. Let chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours, or until firm. Transfer to a serving plate and cut into slices. Serve with creme fraiche and strawberries.
Corned Beef and Cabbage
Gather all ingredients before starting:
This is for a serving of 6 people.
*3 1/2 lbs corned beef brisket with spice packet
*12 small red potatoes
*6 carrots, washed and peeled also cut
*1 LARGE head of cabbage, cut into wedges
Place corned beef in large pot or Dutch oven and cover with water. Add the spice packet that came with the corned beef. Cover pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer approximately 50 minutes per pound or until tender. Add whole potatoes and carrots, and cook until the vegetables are almost tender. Add cabbage and cook for 15 more minutes. Remove meat and let rest 15 minutes. Place vegetables in a bowl and cover. Add as much broth (cooking liquid reserved in the Dutch oven or large pot) as you want. Slice meat across the grain. Serve with horseradish sauce, or mustard.
Now we cant leave out dessert! This recipe is for an Irish Cream Cheesecake!! YUM! This recipe is out of my Irish Pub cook book.
Gather all ingredients before starting:
Crust
*Vegetable oil, for oiling the pan
*4 tblsp unsalted butter
*1 1/2c crushed chocolate chip cookies
*Creme Fraiche OR whipped cream and fresh strawberries, to serve
Filling
*8 oz. semisweet dark chocolate, broken into pieces
*8 oz. milk chocolate, broken into pieces
*1/4c sugar
*1 1/2c cream cheese
*2c heavy cream, lightly whipped
*3 tblsp Irish Cream Liquer
1. Line the bottom of an 8-inch round spring-form cake pan with parchment paper and brush sides with oil. Put the butter in saucepan and heat gently until melted. Stir in the crushed cookies. Press into the bottom of the prepared cake pan and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
2. To make the filling, put the dark and milk chocolates into a heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan of gently simmering water until melted. Let cool. Put the sugar and cream cheese in a bowl and beat together until smooth, then fold in the cream. Fold the melted chocolate into the cream cheese mixture, then stir in the liquer.
3. Spoon into the cake pan and smooth the surface. Let chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours, or until firm. Transfer to a serving plate and cut into slices. Serve with creme fraiche and strawberries.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Low Calorie Desserts
I have had a few people ask me about low calorie foods that they can make. I will be honest and say I don't watch what I eat like I should. I don't fry foods, we don't eat greasy things, we eat protein, veggies, and fruits like we should but when it comes to sweets that is my weakness without a doubt. This recipe is a low cal dessert it makes 8 servings each serving is 219 calories.
Gather all ingredients before starting:
*1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
*1/4 cup sugar
*1/2 cup dark brown sugar
*1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
*1/2 teaspoon baking soda
*1 egg
*1/2 cup 2% milk
*1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
*1/4 cup vegetable oil, 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1 teaspoon fine sea salt
*1 ounce bittersweet chocolate
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees . Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder and baking soda in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk together egg, milk, applesauce, vegetable oil, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract and sea salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and gradually whisk in egg mixture until smooth; divide batter among eight oven-safe mugs or ramekins. Break bittersweet chocolate into 8 pieces and press gently into the center of each mug. Bake 20 minutes or microwave one at a time until puffed and just set in the center, 35 to 40 seconds. Dust with powdered sugar if desired and serve warm.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Going Once, Going Twice, SOLD!
I am so excited! Last night one of my goodie baskets were auctioned off for $95.00! Of course all proceeds go to the Building Bridges Benefit but I am so excited to be apart of that! I also have two other basket orders to put together over the next week, so a total of three baskets to go to the benefit. Amazing. I have a wonderful friend, who is also my marketing adviser for CMC who is going to advertise for me in the Baltimore area so I can hopefully get more orders in for the benefit. This morning I sat down and worked on a plan for CMC, so far I have a few different events I will be apart of spanning over the next few months. I am keeping them on the low for now while I work out details and such but be on the look out for those announcements in the coming weeks! I will be continuing the Building Bridges Benefit throughout the month of March so my focus is mainly on that at the moment, but after I have finished with that I will post about the next project! :) A hint for the next project I will be reaching out to other at home local bakers, as well as other areas I am familiar with (Tennessee that means you, possibly Baltimore and a couple of other areas)!
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Soup Weather
Today has been a yucky cold rainy day. Perfect weather for soup. I put on my Country Mom Chef facebook earlier in the week that I would be making an Italian White-Bean Soup so I made that tonight! It turned out perfect. Flavorful, warm, and light so it doesn't make you feel weighed down. I also posted that I want to make a bread pudding this weekend with a creme Anglaise. I have only had bread pudding one time, it was sweet and served with vanilla ice cream. I did enjoy it. The recipes I have found call for a loaf of white bread ripped into pieces, instead of using a store bought loaf I am going to try my hand at making a homemade loaf and using that in the recipe for the pudding! I will update everyone when I make that this weekend and of course I will post pictures and the recipe!
I joined a new online community some bloggers may be familiar with, The Southern C. It is an online community where southerners (or just those who love the South!) can connect, and collaborate about different things such as food, favorite areas of the south, magazines, and everything in between. They are located in south GA. Reading through the website makes me homesick for my southern roots. Before I moved back to Tennessee in November 2011 I lived in South GA. for 4 years. It quickly became my home, my first real home of my own. We had two of our children there, bought our first house, and grew our roots. I adore that small town area and miss it dearly. I miss the warmth, the beautiful landscapes of southern sunset and mossy draped trees. Not to mention the sweet tea! Boy you never know the things you take for granted until you no longer have them anymore! I moved here to Virginia November 1st of 2012 I instantly noticed the difference in everything but it really hit me when I ordered my first sweet tea and it was anything but sweet. My southern foodies can vouch for me when I say McDonald's is the HOME of the SWEETEST sweet tea, you can guarantee it will be sweet enough for you if you get it from them. Not the case in this area that's where I ordered the "sweet tea" from and it was just terrible. Actually, I have tried to order sweet tea since at different places when we are out to dinner or lunch, and have been told they do not have it! That is just crazy to me lol. I do hope to go back to that area one day and call it home again, the south is my home and my roots.
Good news is I have had TWO goodie basket orders for the Building Bridges Benefit! I know that isn't a lot of orders to many people, but for me to just be starting out I'm thankful to have them. I'm running the menu's for the benefit through out the month of March so I'm hoping to have more in that time. Be sure to check out those menu's on my country mom chef facebook page and be apart of helping that family!
Well! Here is the recipe for the soup, I hope you all have the chance to make it. To round out this meal serve with cheese and a crusty bread!
Creamy Italian White-Bean Soup
Makes about 6 cups or 4 main dish servings
Be sure to gather all your ingredients:
1 tblsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium celery stalk, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cans white kidney beans (cannelloni), rinsed and drained
1 can (13 3/4 to 14.5 oz.) chicken broth
1/4 teasp coarsely ground black pepper
1/8 teasp fried thyme leaves
1 bunch (10-12 oz) spinach
1 tblsp fresh lemon juice
freshly grated parm cheese (optional)
1. In a 3-qt saucepan, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add onion and celery and cook 5-8 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds stirring. Add beans, chicken broth, pepper, thyme, and 2 cups water; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhite, discard tough stems from spinach; thinly slice leaves.
3. With slotted spoon, remove 2 cups bean and vegetable mixture from soup; set aside. In blender at low speed, with center part of cover removed to allow steam to escape, blend remaining soup in small batches until smooth. Pour pureed into large bowl after each batch.
4. Return soup to sauce pan stir in reserved beans and vegetables. Heat to boiling over high heat. Sitting occasionally. Stir in spinach and cook 1 minute or until wilted. Stir in lemon juice and remove from heat. Serve with parm cheese garnish if you would like.
I joined a new online community some bloggers may be familiar with, The Southern C. It is an online community where southerners (or just those who love the South!) can connect, and collaborate about different things such as food, favorite areas of the south, magazines, and everything in between. They are located in south GA. Reading through the website makes me homesick for my southern roots. Before I moved back to Tennessee in November 2011 I lived in South GA. for 4 years. It quickly became my home, my first real home of my own. We had two of our children there, bought our first house, and grew our roots. I adore that small town area and miss it dearly. I miss the warmth, the beautiful landscapes of southern sunset and mossy draped trees. Not to mention the sweet tea! Boy you never know the things you take for granted until you no longer have them anymore! I moved here to Virginia November 1st of 2012 I instantly noticed the difference in everything but it really hit me when I ordered my first sweet tea and it was anything but sweet. My southern foodies can vouch for me when I say McDonald's is the HOME of the SWEETEST sweet tea, you can guarantee it will be sweet enough for you if you get it from them. Not the case in this area that's where I ordered the "sweet tea" from and it was just terrible. Actually, I have tried to order sweet tea since at different places when we are out to dinner or lunch, and have been told they do not have it! That is just crazy to me lol. I do hope to go back to that area one day and call it home again, the south is my home and my roots.
Good news is I have had TWO goodie basket orders for the Building Bridges Benefit! I know that isn't a lot of orders to many people, but for me to just be starting out I'm thankful to have them. I'm running the menu's for the benefit through out the month of March so I'm hoping to have more in that time. Be sure to check out those menu's on my country mom chef facebook page and be apart of helping that family!
Well! Here is the recipe for the soup, I hope you all have the chance to make it. To round out this meal serve with cheese and a crusty bread!
Creamy Italian White-Bean Soup
Makes about 6 cups or 4 main dish servings
Be sure to gather all your ingredients:
1 tblsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium celery stalk, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cans white kidney beans (cannelloni), rinsed and drained
1 can (13 3/4 to 14.5 oz.) chicken broth
1/4 teasp coarsely ground black pepper
1/8 teasp fried thyme leaves
1 bunch (10-12 oz) spinach
1 tblsp fresh lemon juice
freshly grated parm cheese (optional)
1. In a 3-qt saucepan, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add onion and celery and cook 5-8 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds stirring. Add beans, chicken broth, pepper, thyme, and 2 cups water; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhite, discard tough stems from spinach; thinly slice leaves.
3. With slotted spoon, remove 2 cups bean and vegetable mixture from soup; set aside. In blender at low speed, with center part of cover removed to allow steam to escape, blend remaining soup in small batches until smooth. Pour pureed into large bowl after each batch.
4. Return soup to sauce pan stir in reserved beans and vegetables. Heat to boiling over high heat. Sitting occasionally. Stir in spinach and cook 1 minute or until wilted. Stir in lemon juice and remove from heat. Serve with parm cheese garnish if you would like.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Servsafe Qualified
Yesterday was a big day for me at school.. I have been studying the Servsafe book at school in my Culinary class since January 7th. I went to school early yesterday to do a cram study session before the test I felt very confident while practicing for the test then 6:00pm rolled around and it was time to sit down and take the actual exam. I have terrible test anxiety but kept praying and telling myself I was going to do fine, I sat down at the computer and began the test as it started I was being asked questions that I honestly couldn't remember even studying. I panicked! I made myself so nervous. The exam is a 90 question test, you have to make at least a 75% to PASS. At the very end of the exam you find out if you passed or failed just not the score you made, thankfully I passed! I still doubted how well I did but kept telling myself at least I passed and could move on to the kitchen portion of my Culinary Arts degree. This morning I got up and had an email from Servsafe and was able to log on and view my actual score, I really must have just freaked myself out and doubted how well I really studied for this test because I made an 87%!!!! Scores do not lie so I really did know the material I just scared myself into believing I didn't. I am so proud of myself. I put my all into studying, attending class, and learning everything I needed to know to be a food handler hard work really does pay off. Of course I couldn't have done so without God's will. I am so thankful to be so blessed with many different things in my life. I have a beautiful healthy family, we have a great life, great family, great friends, and God working in our lives every single day. I couldn't be happier. Below is the results from my exam!!
Test
Form Pass
Percent
Score 75%
Your
Percent 87%
Score
10310
Domain % Score
Implement Food Safety SOPs 94%
Employee Hygiene and Health 92%
Receipt, Storage, Transport 92%
Food Prep, Display and Service 82%
Compliance with Regulatory 82%
Another good thing happened! I have been thinking about getting a part time job for a couple of months now but with all the traveling I had going on I knew I would have to wait until things settled down. I have put in a couple of applications at local restaurants, this morning I had a phone call from a steakhouse in Williamsburg who is interested in interviewing me! I go in this afternoon to meet them and have an interview. I am interviewing for a front house job as a hostess, but hopefully with the company I will have plenty of potential to grow and end up in the kitchen. Fingers crossed for this one. I was speaking to the lady this morning and she asked me how do I have time for my blog, up and coming CMC catering, kids, and a job. I actually get asked this a lot which got me thinking. I believe the reason I enjoy doing so much is because I've been doing everything on my own since I was 16 so very young I was attending high school, living basically on my own (with the loving help of Jme's family), and working a full time job at all times. Once we graduated I became a mother and wife, but not just a typical house wife I was a NAVY Wife my duties included (and certainly were not limited to) being both mother and father to our new baby girl, handling all duties of the home plus financial and everything in-between while my husband deployed very often. Then we welcomed two other children into the world. I also attended school on and off during those times. In 2012 my kids and I moved to Tennessee where I am from and I worked a full-time job and took care of the three of them. Thankfully things have settled down a bit now though with Jaymie being on shore duty, he will not deploy over the next 3 1/2 years. My goals for this time are to finish my associates in Culinary Arts and begin my bachelors, work for a company where I have the potential to grow into more, launch Country Mom Chef catering (small catering at first), and of course grow my children into wonderful happy loving members of society. I guess you can say I get bored easily if I do not keep busy LOL. But I honestly enjoy doing everything I do, I put my all into it. My supporting family and friends help me a lot if I ever start to doubt myself, they remind me how blessed I am and how much God works in my life daily. Not to mention the wonderful followers I have who help feed my dreams. I have been called "SUPER MOM/WOMAN" I do not wear that name though, if it wasn't for God's will I wouldn't be doing everything I do. He really does work in such wonderful ways in our life, maybe not at the exact moment we want him to but do not get discouraged because he has a plan for you, for all of us, and he makes only wonderful things. I want to say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has believed in me, followed me, and helped me along my journey. Without each and every one of you I would not be able to do the things I do. I truly love you all!
Test
Form Pass
Percent
Score 75%
Your
Percent 87%
Score
10310
Domain % Score
Implement Food Safety SOPs 94%
Employee Hygiene and Health 92%
Receipt, Storage, Transport 92%
Food Prep, Display and Service 82%
Compliance with Regulatory 82%
Another good thing happened! I have been thinking about getting a part time job for a couple of months now but with all the traveling I had going on I knew I would have to wait until things settled down. I have put in a couple of applications at local restaurants, this morning I had a phone call from a steakhouse in Williamsburg who is interested in interviewing me! I go in this afternoon to meet them and have an interview. I am interviewing for a front house job as a hostess, but hopefully with the company I will have plenty of potential to grow and end up in the kitchen. Fingers crossed for this one. I was speaking to the lady this morning and she asked me how do I have time for my blog, up and coming CMC catering, kids, and a job. I actually get asked this a lot which got me thinking. I believe the reason I enjoy doing so much is because I've been doing everything on my own since I was 16 so very young I was attending high school, living basically on my own (with the loving help of Jme's family), and working a full time job at all times. Once we graduated I became a mother and wife, but not just a typical house wife I was a NAVY Wife my duties included (and certainly were not limited to) being both mother and father to our new baby girl, handling all duties of the home plus financial and everything in-between while my husband deployed very often. Then we welcomed two other children into the world. I also attended school on and off during those times. In 2012 my kids and I moved to Tennessee where I am from and I worked a full-time job and took care of the three of them. Thankfully things have settled down a bit now though with Jaymie being on shore duty, he will not deploy over the next 3 1/2 years. My goals for this time are to finish my associates in Culinary Arts and begin my bachelors, work for a company where I have the potential to grow into more, launch Country Mom Chef catering (small catering at first), and of course grow my children into wonderful happy loving members of society. I guess you can say I get bored easily if I do not keep busy LOL. But I honestly enjoy doing everything I do, I put my all into it. My supporting family and friends help me a lot if I ever start to doubt myself, they remind me how blessed I am and how much God works in my life daily. Not to mention the wonderful followers I have who help feed my dreams. I have been called "SUPER MOM/WOMAN" I do not wear that name though, if it wasn't for God's will I wouldn't be doing everything I do. He really does work in such wonderful ways in our life, maybe not at the exact moment we want him to but do not get discouraged because he has a plan for you, for all of us, and he makes only wonderful things. I want to say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has believed in me, followed me, and helped me along my journey. Without each and every one of you I would not be able to do the things I do. I truly love you all!
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