Few things are as satisfying to me as helping kids explore the culinary world. You can see how excited they get when they learn they can make and bake things themselves and the more they learn, the more they want to try. I’ve seen it time and time again where a child will eat things that they made themselves but you couldn’t force them to try it if someone else was the chef.
I just got back from spending a wonderful weekend with my grandchildren and I was able to help Jenna plan her 8th birthday. She had very specific ideas about what she wanted to do, and my job was to execute all of the things that she imagined. Her brother decided he wanted chocolate instead of a white cake, so we compromised and had chocolate cupcakes and a white birthday cake. When I went to the grocery store to get the ingredients I realized it would be much less expensive and just as easy to make the cakes from scratch. If you are looking for a recipe for a specific ingredient, check out the package or their website -the company is only going to share recipes that put their products in the best light so this is a great place to start. I didn’t have recipes with me so I checked out the back of the Hershey’s Cocoa box and there were recipes for chocolate frosting and cakes. Their grandpa has always made a wonderful butter cream icing that is a family favorite so we went with that for the birthday cake. Jenna will also never let me live down the fact that I misspelled “birthday” – that’s a story she’ll be telling for a long time!
The kids were so proud of what they were able to accomplish, and the chocolate recipes were fantastic – I think some of the best I’ve ever had. Jenna wanted a pet themed party, and that’s what she got.
Don’t underestimate the skills and interest of your culinary kids. Even when things don’t turn out exactly as planned you can still create memories and recipes that can last a lifetime.
Shaw Carpets had a great event in Grapevine, TX yesterday. A pie fight that was the largest in the world with 1,200 pies and 434 participants took place on their Anso Nylon carpet to show how easily it could be cleaned. Shaw understands lifestyle, and this Lifestylist has seen firsthand how well their carpets not only hold up to pie, but to other challenges as well such as pets, toddlers, and wine dinners. The best part is that Shaw made donations to Dallas Animal Advocates and their volunteers got to do the throwing. Feeding America was also a benefactor, and Shaw’s donation to the organization will provide up to 70,000 meals to people in 13 Texas counties.
Thanks to Shaw for a fun event and your support of a great organization.
I love the holidays, and I’m always trying to think of unique hostess gifts and Christmas presents that are a reflection of my lifestyle as well as the hostess. One of my favorite things this year was giving rosemary Christmas trees. Fragrant and easy to take care of, this is a gift that can be enjoyed for years to come. I planted mine outside my mudroom door and I love just running my hands thru it to bring the wonderful fragrance out.
A mister is an eco-friendly gift that can be used with olive or cooking oil instead of using a spray that is an aerosol container. These can be found at Sur la Table or Williams Sonoma.
Builders, chefs, and community members teamed up today to start the “Home Sweet Gingerbread Home” competitions at NorthPark Center. Lifestylist® Suzanne chaired the event which looks like it will become an annual favorite.Chef and cookbook author Karel Ann Tieszen teamed up with Shared Housing board member Mona Lincoln and TX State Fair Celebri-chef Peter Clarac (he was a winner in the Oprah cook-off) to decide which of the houses would be awarded the coveted blue ribbon. Pastry Chef Instructor at the Art Institute of Dallas Nina Hunter amazed the judges with her beautiful victorian home complete with playful penguins enjoying the pool in the backyard and was awarded first place.
Thursday the “Builders and Bakers” competition will be taking place from 12pm to 4pm also at NorthPark. Teams comprised of members from the Home Builders Association of Greater Dallas will be creating homes on-site with celebrity chefs from Stephan Pyles, Sambuca, Old Hickory Steakhouse at the Gaylord Texan, DC’s Catering and The Cupcakery. They will then be judged and awarded various prizes in different categories.
The competitions will benefit two great organizations – Shared Housing Center and HomeAid / Homebuilders Care, both which break the cycle of homelessness and abuse in the Dallas area.
Touring New York City with a James Beard recognized chef is a treat in itself, but going to the Union Square Green Market with that chef and learning how to shop at a green market is the chance of a lifetime. One of the things that Chef Joanne got me excited about going home and experimenting with again is soups.
Our household meals are full of vegetables and we come close to living a vegetarian lifestyle. I tend to go back to the same favorites, but Chef Joanne showed us how many vegetables we typically wouldn’t try can be fantastic additions to our daily diets, especially when we buy from farmers at a green market and are able to take advantage of the fresh, seasonal offerings. Some of the vegetables she showed us how to use in the James Beard dinner she prepared were baby bok choy, tomatillos, and my new favorite brussel sprouts.
I’m now determined to make a vegetable soup at least once a week from scratch with fresh vegetable from my local farmers market. This probably isn’t the way a true chef would do it, but I love using my Crock Pot and using just water, carrots, celery, potatoes, celery and corn. I let these cook on high for a few hours, then because we like things with a kick, I add Adobo seasonings that I get from Penzeys and a can or two of Rotel. Couldn’t be easier or healthier.
If you think you can’t cook, or that you don’t have the time to do a meal from scratch, give this a try. Just substitute whatever vegetables are in season for your region and you’ll be in for a great treat!
One of the most rewarding things that this Lifestylist® is a part of every year is Days of Taste which is sponsored by the American Institute of Food and Wine. Fourth and Fifth graders from local schools come down to the Dallas Farmers Market to learn about food and have a lot of fun! This year my group was the best I’ve ever had, and I think a lot of that can be because of a great teacher and the chef that taught the class – Chef Joanne Bondy from the Gaylord Texan. I always learn as much as they do, and after Chef Joanne teaches them about the senses, buying local produce from farmers and how to make a pasta salad from scratch the teams get to go down to the Farmers Market and buy the ingredients for their own salads.
My team (The Grinches since we were buying green and were at the green table) did a great job of negotiating with the farmers so that not only did they stay within their $5.00 budget, we actually had $1.00 to give back to the program! I think they were all amazed with how much food could be purchased for $4.00 that was healthy and delicious. Teaching kids about food and getting them to try new things isn’t a matter of tricking them – you just need to let them have fun and try things their way. Who would have thought a pasta salad with avocado, corn, green peppers and kiwi would taste as great as it did?
Congratulations to the AIWF Dallas chapter for another amazing event.Days of Taste
I learned a long time ago that one of the things I enjoy most is sharing my experiences and sources that have helped me along the way. Helping others grow and become successful is incredibly rewarding. After I was able to observe and play a small part in the James Beard dinner Joanne Bondy prepared a few weeks ago, I decided I wanted to spend more time in the kitchen and do more food styling work. Chef Joanne is such an amazing mentor – she is always going out of her way to help others achieve their dreams.
The internet is such an amazing source of information – good and bad. I did some research and found what were supposed to be the top 10 food stylists in Dallas and decided to contact them and see if I could shadow them and learn more about the business. I will be the first to say I am not a chef, but being able to work with the real pros and stylists would be my dream job.
When people contact me – even potential competitors – I always try to respond. I love to educate people about what I do, and the more true professionals are out there the more respect my field will receive. Amazingly, of everything I sent out only one person responded, but she is obviously is the best.
When you look at Paige Erin Fletcher’s website you immediately become hungry – hungry for things that tantalize all of the senses. Her images are a feast for the eyes and you can only wish that you could taste and smell the incredible dishes that are portrayed. She replied to my inquiry immediately and let me know she was on set but would reply in depth later, and she did. Her letter was very honest and forthcoming, and I really appreciated all of her insight.
Do I want to work with her? I would beg to! Would I refer her to people that I know that are looking for a food stylist? She would be at the top of my list.
Mentors are a very wonderful, rare species, and hearing from Paige has reminded me how important it is to share the gifts I have.
One of the things I love doing every year is entering the cooking contests at the State Fair of Texas. It’s truly a slice of Americana, and I’m also probably sentimental because I met my husband at the Erie County Fair in New York. There is something about local, county, and state fairs that just make you feel really good about America.
Today was cake day at the State Fair of Texas – there were 186 entries! I had four entries that I was very proud of, and have entered other categories in the past. What is really cool is if you get a first or second place ribbon you are included in the cookbook for the next year – I’ve been included the past two years so I’m hoping for a trifecta 
I got a third in the “Tricks with Mix” category, and got shut out today but I still have candy and cookies.
I’m not that familiar with other state fairs, but the people who are a part of the Texas State Fair are amazing. Many are volunteers, and I know some of them have been active for over 20 years and do it just because they love everything the fair is about.
But back to today. There are people you see all the time and hear their names when the winners are called and photographed. Then there are the rest of us – we may not have figured out “the formula” of what judges are looking for, but we just enjoy being a part of this great tradition and you just never know… some day they might be calling our name and our photo might be on next year’s cookbook as well. “The Others” were sitting together but I had the wonderful experience of sitting and talking to others that enter today. One woman I have seen and talked to a few times, and even though she hasn’t gotten a blue ribbon yet she still enters because she just enjoys it.
Then I met Lisa today, and realized there are others who “get it”. Lisa entered because she enjoys it, and she also brought plates and utensils so she could share her entries with the people who might not ever get a chance to taste a state fair entry or let’s face it – some great homemade, in my eyes award winning food as well. I was inspired – I’ve shared my fair entries with neighbors, but decided by Lisa’s example to share
There are a few things that I love and live for – my family, my animals,friends, the Great State Fair of Texas and food. When the great chef