GIVING THANKS: MEMORIES OF HAITI

This morning, I intended to share this delicious Giada DeLaurentiis Eggplant Capanata recipe and sort of brag about the fact that I am "woman hear me roar" because I'm making an Thanksgiving appetizer that will also double as a fantastic leftover dish to add to pasta (okay, so I still kind of roared). But right as I started to craft the post and upload my ever so stylized and glamorous iPhone -push the mess aside so it looks just like Pinterest minus the blur photos, I remembered the date:  

Exactly one year ago today, I went to Haiti.

One year ago today, (which happened to be the week after Thanksgiving), I went to Haiti with Ladies' Home Journal and Crocs Cares to deliver 5000 shoes to school children. While a bountiful recipe can be a great reminder to give thanks for the luxuries in life we often take for granted, I have so much to be thankful for and my journey to Haiti is one of those blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving and Much love and peace.
xo
JB

*****

Day 1

When I was first contacted by Susan Pocharski, Entertainment Director at Ladies' Home Journal, asking me if I’d like to join them, CrocsCares, and Feed the Children for a trip to Haiti to deliver shoes to school children, I was beyond honored and thrilled. Opportunities like these are rare and there wasn’t an ounce of hesitation when I leaped back with YES! In addition, I was going to be traveling with Real Housewife of New York, Countess LuAnn de Lesseps and mom bloggers, Nicole Feliciano and Catherine Connors, both whom I look up to and admire greatly. I could hardly contain my excitement.

Minutes later, of course, (being me), I was scouring the CDC and US Embassy websites for up-to-date info on all the shots I may need and the security precautions I should take.  After all, I thought, Haiti is the most impoverished country in the Western Hemisphere. Surely, there’s a lot to take into consideration. But in reality… there’s not much disease or security measures to take into consideration anymore than any other poverty-stricken and under-developed country.  A country lacking infrastructure means more than unsettled financials, it means unsettled people… and therefore, I’m assuming, unsettled tourists…

Once we got through customs and outside of the airport, it seemed like instant mayhem. While I certainly wasn’t expecting a JFK type arrival with a Carmel Car & Limo to greet me in a luxury sedan, I wasn’t necessarily expecting a mob, of what I think was mostly men, covering the walkway in which we had to walk through to get to our cars that would caravan us through Port Au Prince to our hotel. People were shoving, grabbing bags, even yanking us here and there to come with them. My travel companions, including the lovely Sally Lee, Editor in Chief of LHJ, however, seemed unfazed.  Though I did my best to cover it up, I knew she could tell I was nervous, and I definitely was embarrassed. Buck up, Jenny, buck up.  But, I felt so far from home… already. Perhaps it’s because Sally had visited Haiti before, I thought… and as an activist, many other third world countries, that this sort of chaos doesn’t penetrate anymore… This is Haiti, everyone kept saying. It’s just chaos. 

And it was. During the nearly 2.5 hour drive to our hotel in Petionville (which is approximately 5 miles away from the airport), it was instantly obvious that the devastation from the earthquake in 2010 is ever-present. Tents on the sides of the road, a completely non-existent National Palace and rubble… still… rubble and crumbled facades. What kind of state will these schools be in that we’re visiting? What kinds of needs will these children have that we’ll be delivering shoes to?

Oh, how I couldn’t wait to see the children. I realize it sounds dramatic and maybe a little cheesy, but truly: I needed to touch a child. I needed to see the one thing that I knew would calm me. Of course I was missing my son, but it wasn’t a homesickness that made me ache to get to these schools… It was a need to find a commonality. A need, for even if only an instant, to connect with a group of people whose lives are so different from mine, simply from a survival standpoint. The love of a child though, that binds us together. It really makes us the same. I’m not here to see the devastation and report back. I’m here to give something.

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THE GO TO: SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH MEAT SAUCE

Is this fancy iPhone work, or what?!

As if life isn’t hectic enough, (and that doesn’t include wedding planning), I’m hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year for 23 people. Thankfully, everyone is bringing a dish, so all I have to do is cook the turkey (hi, mom), and make the table look pretty (hi, Pinterest). Needless to say, this past week has been a little crazy.

In an effort to stay sane (and healthy) during “go, go, go time,” I’ve been leaning on some “go to” recipes that I know I can whip up easily.  Some of my go-tos are meatloaf, crockpot turkey chili, shredded chicken tacos and takeout (hey, if we’re being honest).  Another Fall favorite is Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce.

There are two things, okay, actually three things, I can do well: 1) Roast Squash, 2) Make Turkey Bolognese, and 3) Remember lines from “Friends.” (That has absolutely nothing to do with cooking. But it’s just a great trait that I thought you should know about).

Here’s how to make this super simple, go-to meal.

This serves about 3 (that is 2 adults and 1 child. Make 2 squashes if you’ve got a bigger brood).

-1 Large Spaghetti Squash

-1.25- 1.5 lbs of Lean Ground Turkey

-Your Favorite Tomato Marina Sauce

-Fresh Mushrooms

-Fresh Basil

-Fresh Garlic

-Grated Parmesan Cheese

-Olive Oil

-Salt & Pepper

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2) Slice spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise. You can opt to drizzle insides with olive oil, salt andpepper, or just leave plain. (This time, I did the drizzle…)

3) Place squash, cut side down, on an oiled or olive oiled sprayed baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes until squash is tender. (For 2 squash, bake 1 – 1 ½ hours).

4) As the squash is cooking, heat two table spoons of olive oil in a sauté pan. Once heated, at crushed fresh garlic.

5) Add mushrooms and sauté until cooked. In a separate pan, brown your ground turkey. Once browned and cooked through, add to the mushrooms and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and 5-10 pieces of chopped up basil depending on your preference. Add the tomato sauce and simmer.

6) Once squash is done, remove it and let it cool.  Shred the inside of the squash with a fork to create a spaghetti type consistency.  You can add olive oil and Parmesan here... but I did not. Instead I served it with a big heap of the sauce and topped with more fresh basil and Parmesan.

What are your weeknight go-to meals?

BATCH COOKING: HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN TAGINE

It seems like every Monday, I'm on a hunt for a recipe that is sort of a one stop shop-- a recipe that I can get all the ingredients literally in one shop, put them all in one pot, and walk away. However, not only is this crock pot-codependent relationship hurting the feelings of my 5qt Le Creuset pot (I'm not bragging, I'm just saying it's really pretty), but it's starting to bore Jonah and Peter to tears: There's only so much shredded chicken tacos and turkey chili a man/boy can take.

Luckily, a few months ago, I went to New York and had the opportunity to cook with the very talented Tamara Reynolds for Lifetime Moms. One of the recipes we made was Chicken Tagine. This two-pot Mediterranean dish may sound challenging, but let me tell you it's super simple, flavorful, and is a perfect dish to satisfy my Le Creuset calling. The best part: it's a batch recipe. With batch recipes, you can make a large portion and save/freeze it for another meal or, as Tamara suggests, swap half with a neighbor or friend that is making another batch of something delicious. (Though, good luck trying to match my batch, she says mockingly).

Happy batch cooking!

SO GOOD MOMS' NIGHT: IT'S PARTY TIME!

Even with my busy schedule, I can always find a reason to throw a party and hang with the girls. In honor of the Season finale of "Project Runway," Sugar and Charm's Eden Passante and I, invited some friends over for a "So Good Moms' Night and served up some delicious treats inspired by Yoplait Frozen Yogurt.  Watch to see what we serve and (most importantly) what we wear !


"Project Runway" airs Thursdays at 9/8c. Don't miss the season finale on October 17.

Spice Things Up with a Game Night & California Pizza Kitchen Thai-Style Chicken Pizza!

This post is sponsored by Nestlé, which compensated me to partner with California Pizza Kitchen^® frozen pizza and share news about the “Adventures in Entertaining” campaign this summer.

As a person who likes to party and entertain, you can imagine how over the moon I am about the fact that I’m engaged (to the man of my dreams, no less), and get to plan THE party of a lifetime. Weddings are no easy feat. I realize this. However, thanks to Pinterest and all things bridal, I’ve gathered dozens of ideas, inspirations, and, of course, DIY projects that I’m bursting at the seams to do.

The summer is slowly winding down and Jonah is even back to school.  As things start to cool down and I start to dive into my world of all things wedding bells, my fiancé and I thought it would be fun to invite our closest group of friends over for a game night. With my birthday just around the corner, we thought it would be a perfect opportunity to celebrate (moi) and just have fun with some old school board games and delicious food. Can you say Park Avenue and pizza anyone???

To compliment a night of games and light-hearted competition (read: fire and spice. Hey, when I play, I play hard), I’m going to serve California Pizza Kitchen^® (CPK) Thai-Style Chicken pizza. I also plan to serve Asian Mojitos and keep dessert light with Coconut Ice Cream and fortune cookies.

Want to host a game night of your own? Check out my tips below:

1. Encourage guests to bring their favorite board games. Once guests arrive, you can even make a game out of choosing which one you'll play! 

2. On game night, there's always a winner! Award the winner(s) with take-home prizes…a gift card to purchase apps, or games for their phone, or even your favorite board game makes a great prize!

3. For fun tablescape decor, place your platters on old board games and stack boxes for food risers. You can glue Scrabble pieces on to note cards or write on playing cards to label food items.

4. "Infusing" your game night with Asian or spicy food? Serve small bites on wonton soup spoons, out of small Chinese food takeout boxes, or lettuce wraps! 

5. Serve spiced or Asian infused cocktails to keep game night spicy and serve with your CPK Thai-Style Chicken pizza!

6. Have an outdoor area? Keep it fun and colorful by filling a galvanized bucket with ice and loading it with your favorite beverages, wrapped with logos of iconic and lovable board games. You can really spice it up by having an area set up to play corn-hole. (Will be a nice break from buying property and "Going to Jail!")

Want more fabulous ideas for entertaining? Head to Pinterest and check out my CPK “Adventures inEntertaining” board! 

Wine-Tasting and Pizza-Pairing Party with CPK

This post is sponsored by Nestlé, which compensated me to partner with California Pizza Kitchen^® frozen pizza and share news about the “Adventures in Entertaining” campaign this summer.

If you asked most of my girlfriends what would be their idea of the “perfect night,” I think most of them would say, (in this order): “Babysitter or Husband puts kids to sleep, get together with best girlfriends, drink wine and eat delicious food… and someone else does the cleaning.”

Well lucky for them, I got to facilitate that night… And pretty much in that order.  I decided that hosting a girls’ night of wine tasting and pairings with gourmet pizzas and other delectable dishes at my place would be a perfect way to kick off the Adventures in Entertaining campaign with California Pizza Kitchen (CPK). As you probably already know, I’ve teamed up with CPK ready-to-bake pizzas to celebrate and explore the many ways CPK can make your entertaining more delicious.

All guests had to do was come hungry and thirsty… I would do the cookin’ and a sommelier would do the pouring. Yes, a real sommelier who had more than my “yep, that tastes good” knowledge about wines and could actually walk us through an evening of tasting and pairings. My plan was to make the party as comfortable, smooth, and fun as possible. To me, what makes a great party is, of course, the company, food, and drink, but also the décor. Décor sets the tone – and you can set that tone from the very beginning with a great invitation. (Like the one I custom built on Paperless Post, inviting everyone to “my vineyard.”).

Once party day came, it was time to execute all the DIY, “let’s throw a party!” ideas I’ve been storing for months and months. I started the morning by laying out all of the trays and dishes I’d be using to serve food. By placing them on the table and identifying which platter would be used for which food, I knew exactly where each item would go when it was time to serve.

Since this was a wine/food-pairing event, I wanted my guests to know what we were eating and what they should drink with it. (“Would you like wine or… more wine?”) Using chalkboard contact paper, and a chalk marker, I created a wall menu.

Underneath the wall menu, I set the party favors in a vintage wooden box next to succulents. For the thank you gifts, I bought inexpensive wine screws and tied them with twine, a little tag and stamped “thank you” on it.

At the wine counter, our sweet sommelier Joey lined up the wines in order of our tasting next to the sea of sparkly glasses. 

So that my guests could keep track of their wine glasses throughout the evening, I made wine glass charms out of cork. Simply cut them in into ¼ inch pieces, screwed in small eye hooks, stamped guests’ initials on each size, and attached with twine.

With the other recycled wine corks that I purchased online, I placed them around a thick white candle in hurricane vases. 

Most of my serving pieces were white, with a few green pieces and green flowers for my arrangements. As one not to shy away from detail, wherever there was food or beverage set up, I made sure that the colors were carried out onto beverage napkins that I stamped with cute “Eat and drink” type designs. (Btw, stamping your own napkins is not only extremely easy, but it’s very budget friendly and again, just adds another layer of detail and décor).

But the piece (or shall I say, pieces) de resistance for the entire evening were the pizzas. For my main course, I served the CPK limited edition varieties  of Roasted Vegetables Pizza with Chardonnay Sauce and Grilled Chicken Pizza with Cabernet Sauce, which celebrate the delicious flavors of California vineyards.

As soon as I placed these freshly baked pizzas out on to my chalkboard painted platters, they were gone! I loved the lightness of chardonnay crème sauce topped with roasted red and yellow peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, red onions, garlic, basil, and mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. After a few bites, Joey handed me a tasting of the most delicious Chardonnay from Santa Barbara that really complimented the freshness of the vegetables.  

I loved learning about the different grapes and regions and why wines like the ones we were drinking were so perfect for the food we were eating (and eating, and eating, and eating…) We drank a lot of Cabernet Sauvignon (I definitely had a favorite!) but the ones that Joey chose to pair with the Grilled Chicken Pizza were off-the-charts amazing. This crispy thin pizza topped with a cabernet marina sauce, grilled white-meat chicken, spinach, roma tomatoes, rosemary, black pepper, and mozzarella, parmesan and gouda cheeses was served hot and bubbly and was delicious. 

To make it extra special (and girly), I had my dear friend and jewelry designer Christine McCrudden (pictured above) bring samples of her line Q Handmade for us all to shop. (I’m sorry, nothing really goes better with food than shopping. Actually, everything is better with shopping. And jewels). 

Of course, no meal is complete without something sweet. To make dessert easy (can’t interrupt the flow of shopping and gossiping), I served balsamic drizzled berries with a champagne wafer in individual bowls with mini spoons. 

The best part of the party was not only getting to host my friends to an evening of food and drink, BUT getting to enjoy said food and drink for the days that follow. If you think pizza makes a great leftover, you haven’t tasted some of this wine.

Cheers!

For more entertaining ideas and inspirations, check out my tips on CPK's Facebook and Pinterest pages!