Cassie's off to College

Well, my baby's off to college. I'm so proud of her and very excited. I just know she is ready for this new challenge. As she meets new people and stretches her critical thinking, she will grow into a woman who will do wonderful things.

I know this, and yet I am sad that this person, who has been part of my daily life since I was younger than she is now, is not in that same place in my life any more. It is the end of an era for us and while I know that the next stage will bring wonderful new changes, I cried after dropping her off.

Chris and Ryan came with us. After a very confusing check-in process, we helped her move in and unpack a bit. Goodness, this child has a lot of clothes and as the picture shows, the dorm room is not especially big. Then, we went to lunch in the cafeteria. Talk about mediocre! Cassie had a beef and gravy thing over pasta, mac salad, mixed veggies and rice. I had a mostly iceberg lettuce salad and hummus with pita.

Ryan had to catch a train back and Chris and I went to a very long information session. After, there was a Convocation and the incoming class was welcomed. This is the largest and most diverse class. We were strongly encouraged to say good-bye shortly after the convocation. By the time we left, Cassie had already met a bunch of people and was socializing with them. I know she'll do great. . .

Here is a recipe for the cookies I made for Cassie. They are from "The Muffin Lady" cookbook:

Bakeless Cookies
Boil for 3 minutes:
2 C Sugar
1/2C Milk
3T Cocoa Powder
4T Butter

Remove from heat and stir in
1/2 C Peanut Butter
3C Oatmeal
1t Vanilla

Drop cookies on sheet and chill.

Mustard Seed School Retreat

Every year the Mustard Seed School staff retreats for a couple of days before school starts. It's a great time to bond, catch up after the summer and begin planning for the coming year. We also worship together and pray for each child by name.

For the past couple of years we have stayed in Ocean Grove, NJ. This year we had less than friendly beach weather, but we had a productive few days of work and fellowship.

DAYS is the ice cream parlor near the retreat hall. You must go there if you are ever in Ocean Grove.

The retreat hall has a commercial kitchen and with the help of my co-workers, we made a lot of really good, healthy food. On Wednesday, we finished off almost all of the leftovers. It is such a joy to work with such passionate, dedicated teachers and I was happy to be able to contribute to the retreat in this way.

To follow are the recipes. They are for a large group and can be scaled down as needed. Most of the recipes are adapted from Whole Foods Market or Moosewood cookbooks.

Retreat Lunch Tuesday - Sandwich Board

Sonoma Chicken Salad (serves 18)
From the Whole Foods Market Cookbook

Prepare Dressing
3 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/3 C honey
10 tsp poppy seeds
sea salt, to taste
ground pepper

Salad
Preheat oven to 375°F. Place
6 pounds boneless chicken breasts
in one layer in a baking dish with 1½ cup water. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes until completely cooked through. Remove cooked chicken breasts from baking pan, cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate.
When the breasts are completely chilled (at least 2 hours refrigerated), dice into bite-sized pieces and transfer to a large bowl.
Stir in Dressing and:
2 1/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted
6 cups red seedless grapes
9 stalks celery, thinly sliced

Mediterranean Tuna Salad (serves 16)
From the Whole Foods Market cookbook

Mix together
8 (6 ounce) cans chunk light tuna, drained well
28 ounces artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1 cup chopped red peppers
1 1/2 cup Greek olives, coarsely chopped
1 small red onion, minced
1/2 cup Italian parsley, minced
1/2 cup basil, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced (1 teaspoon)
2 teaspoon dried oregano or 2 tablespoon fresh oregano
2 cup mayonnaise
6 tablespoons lemon juice
fresh ground black pepper

Roasted Vegetables (18)
Toss veggies with dressing and roast for 20 until the caramelize at 500
3 Red Pepper
3 Green Pepper
2 1/2 Red Onion
3 Zucchini
3 Yellow Squash
3 T olive oil
3t lemon juice
6 t dried Italian herbs
Salt and pepper

Black Bean Hummus
4 cups cooked black beans, drained (or 2C Black and 2C Garbanzo)
4 tsp lemon juice (or to taste)
1/2 cup tahini
4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
2 tsp cumin
hot pepper sauce (to taste)
3 TB olive oil
6 tsp tamari
4 TB warm water
1 cup cilantro, chopped

Combine all ingredients except for cilantro in food processor. When combined, transfer to serving bowl. Fold in cilantro. Taste and adjust seasonings to taste

Retreat Lunch Tuesday - On the Side

Bistro Bow Tie Salad (serves 24)
From the Whole Foods Market cookbook (This made A LOT)

Mix together and serve
2 pund cooked bow tie pasta
4 small zucchini sliced
1 cup red onion, sliced
4 Cup pitted kalamata olives
4 Cup feta cheese
4 large tomato cut into wedges
2cup sun-dried tomatoes
20 Cups baby spinach
1 ¼ C Italian herb vinaigrette

Cheese Board
3 Cheese Board, Wasa Crackers, Grapes, Olives

Don't Forget
Sliced Bread, Rolls and Wraps for Sandwiches

Retreat Lunch Tuesday - Dessert

Ginger Peach Crumble
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Evenly distribute
6 pounds peaches, peeled and sliced
Sprinkle with
12 tablespoons packed brown sugar
3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Lemon Juice

Top with:
3 cup crumbled gingersnaps (about 60 gingersnaps)

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the peaches are bubbling and tender when pierced with a fork. Serve warm or at room temperature topped with Reddi Whip

Retreat Dinner Tuesday -on the side: Corn on the Cob and Tangerine & Olive salad and Israeli CousCous Salad

MORROCAN TANGERINE AND OLIVE SALAD
Combine
12 large tangerines Segmented
6 cup halved pitted Kalamata olives

Whisk
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Add to tangerine mixture; toss to coat. Season tangerine mixture with salt and pepper and put on top of:

4 head of butter lettuce, torn into 1 1/2-inch pieces

Moroccan Toasted Couscous (serves 16)
This is from the Whole Foods Market Cookbook

The Dressing
Heat together:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs lemon zest

Whisk into:
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup orange juice
2 Tbs minced fresh ginger
2 Tbs honey
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

The Salad
Combine & simmer 10-15 min
3 cups Israeli couscous, toasted 10-15 min at 375
3 cups boiling water
1/2 tsp turmeric

Combine the couscous with (I chopped the following ingredients finely in the food processor)
2 small red pepper, seeded and chopped
2 small yellow pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small red onion, minced
20 dried figs, chopped
20 dried apricots, chopped
1 cup craisins
2 cup pecans
1 cup cashews, chopped
1 cup minced fresh cilantro
3 Tbs grated orange zest

Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well.

Retreat Dinner Tuesday - Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers and Moroccan Chicken

Roasted Chicken with Moroccan spices

Marinate for 4-6 hours
6 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breast in:
3 cup olive oil
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
9 tablespoons ground cumin
4 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
6 teaspoons ground cinnamon
6teaspoons salt
6 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Pre-heat broil. Broil chicken in marinade until just cooked through, occasionally brushing with any remaining marinade, about 10 minutes per side Transfer chicken to platter.

Sprinkle with
¾ C parsley (I didn't do this)

Makes 18 servings.

Middle Eastern Tofu Stuffed Peppers
This is from the Moosewood Low-Fat Cookbook

Saute 3 minutes:
8 Tblsp. Canola or other Vegetable Oil
8 large garlic cloves, minced
6 cups diced onions
1/4t cayenne
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Add, cover and cook 3 minutes:
6 cups peeled and diced carrots
dash of salt

Add and cook 2 minutes
4 cup diced tomatoes (I didn't do this)

Stir in and cook 2 minutes then cover and set aside 5 minutes:
6 cups tofu -45 ounces (Freeze tofu overnight, thaw all day, crumble)
¾ C soy sauce
4 Tblsp. chopped fresh dill (1 tsp. dried)
8 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 cup couscous, uncooked
1 cup hot water

Stir in:
¾ C currants or raisins

Preheat the oven to 375°.

Fill with ½ C filling:
16 large bell peppers, halved

Pour in bottom of glass baking dish:
8 cups tomato juice

Cover tightly, and bake for 45-50 minutes until the peppers are tender.
Serve Feta and chunky tomato sauce on side

Chunky Tomato Sauce
6 Cups

In a heavy, nonreactive pan, sauté 10 min
1C onions
6 cloves garlic
2t Olive Oil

Add:
56 oz Undrained Canned Tomatoes
Basil
Salt And Black Pepper

Staff Retreat Evening Dessert

BERRY TRIFLE (32) MAKES 2 TRIFLES

4 10oz frozen strawberries, thawed
4 10oz frozen blueberries, thawed
1 c Sugar
1/2 C Lemon Juice
6 C low-fat vanilla yogurt
1 1/4 low-fat sour cream
2t vanilla
2 fat-free pound cakes or angel food cakes
2C raspberry jam

Toss berries with sugar and lemon juice.

Combine yogurt, sour cream and vanilla

Cut cake in 4 lengthwise slices and layer with ¼ cup jam between slices ending with jam on top. Cut into 1/4” thick slices.
Line bottom and sides of large dish with cake slices. Spoon in ½ Fruit. Top with half of the yogurt. Layer with cake slices, fruit and yogurt mixtures. Cover and allow to set 4 hours.

Tracy and Ryan

Last night, Cassie's boyfriend, Ryan came to dinner with Ryan's mom, Tracy. They've been dating for two years but it's taken this long to get us all together. The kids are off to college in a few weeks so it was good to have another mom to commiserate/celebrate with.

The picture is Cassie and Ryan on Thanksgiving weekend.

Tracy mentioned she has a blog and it reminded me that a year ago I tried to start a blog and then didn't keep it up. But, here it is, just waiting for me.

It was a really enjoyable evening. I feel so blessed that we have a living room and a formal dining room. I love having a relaxing place to eat dinner and hang out after. Chris and I (and Cassie when she's around) sometimes spend hours at the table just talking, catching up and laughing a lot. It's usually my favorite time of day.

So, it was great to do the same with Ryan and Tracy.

Here was our menu with approximate WW points:
Mixed Greens with Buttermilk Dressing (1)
Corn on the Cob (1)
Pasta with Fresh mozzarella and Fresh Tomato Sauce (5)
Zucchini Cheddar Biscuits (3)
White Sangria (1) (but I had 3 glasses)
Juniors Cheesecake (7? Okay I know it's gotta be more. . . but can't deal with the reality today)

I'm am slowly perfecting my buttermilk dressing. The consistency was just right, but it was a little too garlicky. Maybe the garlic added some excitement to an otherwise boring salad. I bought the mixed "farm greens" salad in a bag and figured it had enough textures and I didn't need more veggies in the salad since they were in every other aspect of the meal. The dressing was made with:

Canola Oil
Basil
Garlic
Agave Nectar
Low Fat Buttermilk
Salt and Pepper

We also had corn on the cob. I picked some up on Tuesday at the farmers' market and it was the most awesome corn I have ever had. So I thought I would get some for dinner last night and picked some up at the supermarket. It was fine. . . Jersey corn in August is always going to be yummy but it just couldn't compare to what I had Tuesday.

I made "Vermont Summer Muffins" from Sundays at Moosewood which are really zucchini cheddar biscuits. http://www.greensgrow.org/recipes/3.2.html I don't think Ryan liked them, but this is the second time I've made them and I really enjoy them. . . They are a little different. The zucchini was from my co-op and I used a little more than the recipe called for. The cheese was low-fat and I used a little less.

The sangria was modified from a recipe I found in Vegetarian Times. I used
White Wine
Brandy
Peach Nectar (doubled the amount instead of using sugar)
nectarine and Lemons Sliced
I used a generous amount of Lemon Lime Seltzer to keep it light and refreshing

The pasta was a really flaverful taste of summer. We ate dinner at Tasha and Ed's last weekend and Tasha made a similar pasta dish that was really good (so I thought I'd copy her idea). I bought the tomatoes at the farmers' market - they were super ripe and I got them for $2 a quart since they were almost about to turn. . . . which made them perfect for the sauce. I pureed half of them with basil (also from the farmers market), garlic and olive oil. I used Barilla Plus penne because it has so much protein it's hard to justify buying regular nutrient-empty pasta. I tossed together more basil, salt and pepper, chopped tomatoes and diced fresh mozzarella. The "fresh mutz" was from Fiore's in Hoboken. http://www.fioresdeli.com/

Tracy brought over a cheesecake from "world famous" Junior's http://www.juniorscheesecake.com/. Oh my goodness. . . It was awesome. I've never had it before and I love cheesecake.

We don't have company as much as we used to so I put out the china and crystal with the blue and gold linen theme. We lit the candles in the mantel and kept the lights low (masks some of my poor housekeeping too LOL).

We had a nice time. It was good to get to know Tracy a little better. We all spend a lot of time in the same town at the shore (which is how Cassie and Ryan met many years ago). Tracy told us about Delicious Orchards which is near-by. It seems like such a cool place. I can't believe we didn't know about it (we try to stay very on top of good food options LOL). http://www.deliciousorchardsnj.com/. We are having our staff retreat down there and I'm preparing the menu. I LOVE Wegman's but I think I'll hit D.O. first and get all the fresh stuff I can before heading over to Wegmans for everything else.

I'm looking forward to seeing Tracy's blog and hopefully getting together again. Especially since between the shore, our kids and the fact that she works in mid-town near Chris, our worlds cross at a number of points.

So, I need to promise myself to keep up my blog this year and see how it might develop. Chris' brother is visiting tonight but I think it will be low-key and Chris will cook. I have a plum cake I made from Weight Watchers http://www.weightwatchers.com/food/rcp/index.aspx?recipeid=50384 but we still have leftover cheesecake so I imagine they'll go for the cheesecake.

The next "big" thing is the staff lunch and dinner at our retreat before school starts. I did it last year. It was a fun challenge to plan and cook for 30 people. It was great to have a lot of help with the prep work. I've posted last year's menu.

Peace,
Melissa