Holiday Appetizers

Beverly McLaughlin of Beverly’s Foods showed us some easy ways to wow your guests at your next holiday parties (and maybe even keep them healthy). A vegetarian, Beverly is a 4^th generation vendor at the Mecklenburg County Market who uses local produce to create her products. She showed us how to make Lentil Walnut Pate on Puffed Pastry, Kalamata Olive Pinwheels, and Tofu Lettuce Wraps.

Lentil Walnut Pate on Puffed Pastry

Ingredients:

Puffed pastry dough (look for it in the freezer section)

Lentil Walnut Pate (made by Beverly, but you can use any topping)Cherry TomatoesParsley

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet and line with parchment paper. Unroll the slightly thawed puffed pastry dough. Using a cookie cutter (she used the lid of a spice jar), cut the dough into round pieces about the size of a large cracker. Put the round pieces on the cookie sheet. Spray a second piece of parchment paper and put it on top of the pastry circles and then put another cookie sheet on top of the second piece of parchment paper, sandwiching the dough between two cookie sheets. The weight of the second cookie sheet prevents the puffed pastry from puffing too high. Bake for 10-15 minutes (8 minutes if you are using a convection oven) until slightly golden. Allow to cool and then top with pate and quartered cherry tomatoes.

Kalamata Olive Pinwheels

Kalamata Olive Spread (made by Beverly, or use another filling that doesn’t use mayonnaise) Puffed pastry dough

Unroll the slightly thawed pastry dough and trim about a strip of dough about an inch wide from the sheet. Spread the kalamata olive spread in a thin layer on the dough. Roll the dough back into a log and wrap it with the parchment paper it was packaged in, and place it in the freezer for a couple of hours (you can also make this up to a month in advance and keep it in the freezer; let it rest for an hour on the counter until it is soft enough to slice). When you are ready to cook the pinwheels, preheat the oven at 350 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with not stick spray and line with parchment paper. Cut ¼ of an inch slices and put the slices on the cookie sheet, making up to 20 per log. Bake the pinwheels for 10 minutes or until slightly golden. Serve warm.

Tofu Lettuce Wraps

Bibb lettuce (leaves about the size of your palm are perfect for individually-sized wraps)Extra firm tofu roasted in hoisin sauce (coat tofu in hoisin and toast in oven at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes)Cooked rice noodles, choppedCarmelized onions (onions sautéed to a darker complexion)Fresh red peppers, choppedFlat leaf parsley or cilantro

Combine the tofu, rice noodles, onions, red peppers, and parsley into a bowl. Fill the lettuce leaf with a couple of tablespoons of filling and plate on a large, flat platter so that the wraps can lie side by side. Serve with a vinaigrette, soy sauce, or hoisin sauce.

Halloween at Ethan Court

Thank you to Halloween Committee and all those who helped with our Halloween party this year. We all had a great time and really appreciate your efforts.

Atherton Mill

Lynn Caldwell, manager of Atherton Mill, shared with us the ins and outs of finding local produce and bringing it to your table. A native of Charlotte, she found her green Zen in Seattle where she apprenticed at a farm. Bringing her fresh ideas back to Charlotte, Lynn started a “tailgate market”, selling fresh produce from the back of a truck. The concept eventually turned into Atherton Mill, a Charlotte market dedicated to the idea of selling locally produced products. Most of the products sold at Atherton Mill are “producer only” in that they are sold by the people who grew/made them. The Mill offers a variety of products with the intent of giving the shopper a market-like selection of the essentials and more.

What are the advantages of eating local? Reduced carbon foot print, having a relationship with the people who produce what you eat, and supporting the local economy are nice ideas, but amazingly fresh produce is the real bonus. Even though the market sells what is in season, there is always food available at the Mill. Poultry, seafood, sweets, chocolates, bread, cheese, grains, rice, pancake mixes, and of course fresh fruits and veggies are just a small selection of what is available. Lynn’s definition of a local producer is someone who can have a relationship with their customer and uses a product that is created locally.  Lynn challenged us to be aware of where our food comes from, how it is produced, who is affected by the way it is produced, and in general be more conscious about what we put in our bodies.

Looking for a place to let someone else cook “local” for you? Check out Halycon, Savor on Morehead, Fern, Bistro La Bon, Carpe Diem, Zada Jane’s, Passion 8 Bistro, Barrington’s, and Good Food on Montford. You can also check out Lynn on WFAE’s WFAEats blog.

Real local produce: tomatoes from Erin's garden. Thanks Erin for hosting!

Fashion Night: September 2011 Meeting

Karen Bailey (Customer Relations Manager), L. Jackson (Personal Stylist/ Certified Lingerie Fitter) and Arden Wilkinson (Salesperson), all from Nordstrom’s, gave us the latest in women’s fall fashion and general fashion tips. The fall trends for 2011 are:

• ·        Longer Lengths (skirts that hit in the mid calf area)
• ·        Retro 70’s Separates
• ·        Exotic Skins
• ·        Bold Color Mixes (colored jeans)
• ·        Leather Sportswear
• ·        Shift Dresses
• ·        Capes
• ·        Faux Fur
• ·        Anything Animal
• ·        Heritage Plaids

L. and Arden used three models, Michelle Smolowitz, Harriet Gatter, and Leslie Lowery, to demonstrate a few of these looks.

To start, the Nordstrom ladies said that there are two things women wear incorrectly: jeans and bras. Jeans should be tight, tighter than you would expect as they will relax after you wear and wash them (if they fit, try the next size down). Arden recommended doing lunges and squats while wearing the jeans to get them to that perfect fit. 

In general jeans have a higher rise this season and “flares” are in. If you have awkward bulges coming out of your jeans, chances are you are not wearing the right rise. L. showed her Cookie Johnson jeans that were designed for a curvier shape. 

If you have a shorter stride, go with a low rise; a longer torso should wear a higher rise. As for the jean’s wash, if you have larger thighs, go with a clean wash as textured wash and/or “whiskers” (lines where the jeans crease) will accentuate thighs. 

Picking the right shoe is an important part of wearing jeans. If you are wearing flares, go with a heel particularly if you are short. Boot cut and Flare jeans generally need to be hemmed to fit you, so pick your shoe’s height when you have it hemmed (the hem should skim the floor, and make sure the tailor pays attention to any detailing in the hem). A straight or skinny jean looks great cuffed and worn with a flat shoe, or you can tuck skinny jeans into a rider (knee length) boot (don’t wear anything but a skinny with boots as it will bulge awkwardly). As for washing jeans, use something similar to Drift- a petroleum free detergent. Hang jeans to dry and wash them inside out.

As for tops, look for silky blouses with scarves, boxy tops (something your husband might wear) with an added belt at the waist for a feminine touch. 

Belts are generally specific to whether they are worn on the pants or around the waist on a shirt (this variety usually has elastic banding and can be tailored); if you don’t know the difference, make sure to ask! Tan belts are versatile and belts don’t necessarily need to match shoes. Belts can make the difference between a tailored, feminine look and a pregnancy top. 

Go the extra mile with accessories, details like faux fur, jewelery, and scarves, and don’t be afraid of a little color.

As for outer ware, capes are a lovely choice this season, just make sure they fit and they are the right color. 

The Nordstrom ladies also highly recommended a bra fitting session. Women often buy band sizes that are too big and cup sizes that are too small. Bra fittings and sessions with personal stylists are free.

Contact information:

L. Jackson: 704-442-6000 ext 1451, lanaysha.b.jackson@nordstrom.com

Arden Wilkinson: 704-442-6000 ext 1320, arden.e.wilkinson@nordstrom.com

April Meeting: Benefits of Raw Honey

Randall York of Cloister Honey joined us for a fascinating evening on the benefits of honey and the practice of bee keeping. A native of Wilkesboro, Randall owns Southern Moving Co., which is he started in 2001. His first beehive was a Christmas gift which included a class at the Mecklenburg Bee Keeping Society. What started as a hobby soon became a business. Cloister Honey has beehives in several locations such as Southpark, Mint Hill, and the Ritz Hotel in Uptown. They offer several types of honey and flavored honeys.

The life of the bee
Have you ever seen a swarm of bees hanging like a ball from a tree? They really are! On a bee's legs, there are tiny hooks and she uses these hooks to connect to other bees; thus they are able to form a ball and hang from a tree. I say "she" because 97% of bees are worker bees, and worker bees are all female. The male bees are called drones; their job is to beg food off of the females and wait to procreate with a virgin queen bee (typical male!), an event that leads to the male's death (literally he explodes!). The virgin queen bee will have 6 to 25 drones during her mating session (keeping the gene pool deep) and then never look for a mate again. From this episode, the queen is able to lay 2,000 eggs a day from the end of January (when the maples start to bud) until June; queens can live up to eight years!

Bees are called "busy" for a reason. One bee makes 1/12 of 1 tsp of honey during her lifetime (which is about 6 weeks for a worker bee). It takes 1 million flower visits to make 1 lb of honey. The bee collects nectar, combines it with honey making enzymes in her stomach, and then returns to the hive where she returns the nectar. The bees blow bubbles into the nectar to dehydrate it (it takes 1 gallon of nectar to make 1 lb of honey). The bees also make beeswax, which is vegetable lard made of honey (it takes 8lbs of honey to make 1 lb of beeswax).

Safety Tips:

• Don't eat bananas if you are visiting bees. Bananas make you smell like the bees' attack pheromone.
• If you are stung, scrape the sting with a credit card instead of trying to pinch it out. Pinching it will break the poison sac attached to the barb. BTW, the bee does die when she stings. 
• If you find a swarm or hive, call a professional. Don't try to remove it yourself.   
• 
  

Raw. Wild. Honey.
Honey is the flavor of the land. Randall's bees make three honeys orginiating from three different blossoms: wildflower, tupelo, and sourwood. So what is the difference between "raw honey" and the honey sold in the grocery stores? Mass produced honey is collected from all over the country, boiled and pressure cooked, which removes the natural enzymes but creates a consistent color and flavor. Raw honey comes from the comb, the wax is strained, and it goes into the jar. Every honey is different because it comes from different nectar sources, making it interesting and yummy! Raw local honey has many benefits; it is rumored to help with hay fever and works better than cough medicine for stopping a cough. It is 3x's sweeter than sugar and only 20 calories per teaspoon; in other words, a little goes a long way!

In addition to their three types of honey (wild flower, tupelo, and sourwood), Cloister Honey also carry vanilla and chili infused honey and whipped honey (plain, pumpkin spice, chocolate, lemon zest, and cinnamon). Randall also sells grits, cornmeal, steel cut oatmeal, and bee keeping equipment (in case you want to start your own hive). You can buy find their products around town at various markets including Renfrow's, Atherton Market, and Green with Envy, or you can order from their website. Randall will even deliver for free!

Looking for something to do with all of that mass produced honey? Honey is a great ingredient for a facial. Check out this recipe!

Announcements from the April 5th Meeting

• May meeting: Our last meeting of the year will be a social meeting at the home of Frances Clark on Tuesday, May 3. (Thank you, Frances!) We'll play LCR, a dice game that Frances will teach us that allows a lot of time for socializing! Everyone will be asked to bring six $1 bills as well as a small appetizer or dessert. Look for the Evite to come out soon. 
• Philanthropy project: Our project this spring will benefit Charlotte’s new Ronald McDonald House, which provides a “home-away-from-home” for families so they can stay close by their hospitalized child at little or no cost. We’ll be collecting toiletries, office supplies, kitchen items, cleaning supplies and more to help open the house and make it feel more like home! More information will come soon from our philanthropy chair Vicki Burger.  
• Spring party: Party planning is underway and it’s going to be a fantastic evening! If you haven’t already, please RSVP on the Evite AND by leaving a $35 check on the doorstep of Megan Louis’ home, 3724 Chevington Road, by April 23. 
• Dues: It’s that time again! To rejoin the club for next year, please leave a $30 check ($40 for sustainers) in the box on the porch of treasurer Leslie Lowery, 2526 Valencia Terrace.
• New officers and committees: The nomination committee has completed its work. Please see the attached Word document to check your assignment. (Please let us know if there’s anything we missed.) We tried to give as many people as possible their first choices. Hopefully, there are no big surprises. Your officers for 2011/2012, voted in last Tuesday, are: 
• Natalie Pulver and Michelle Crouch Smolowitz, co-presidents 
• Alicia Thrasher and Ellen Yingling, 1st VPs 
• Heidi Bass, 2nd VP 
• Katie Rees, secretary/communications 
• Leslie Lowery, treasurer

Please welcome our new neighbors (and new Garden Club members) Harriet Gatter (2401 Valencia) and Jill Jones (2545 Ainsdale, on the corner of Chevington).

February Meeting: Organize!

We were joined this month by Lori Martin of Purple Martin and Co., and Laurie Martin of Simplicity who shared with us great tips for organizing ourselves and our homes.

Lori Martin, Purple Martin and Co.

Lori shared with us her story about a traumatic health experience that happened after the birth of her son (to read her story, click here). This experienced gave her the idea to organize her information so that it was more easily accessible, particularly in the case of an emergency and/or stressful event. Her Family Handbook is a command center of information for her family. A sample handbook index includes:

1.       Emergency Information

a.       Emergency #’s

b.      Insurance (Med, Dental, Homeowners)

c.       Map to Emergency Room

d.      Emergency Medical Facts

e.      Authorization to Consent to Healthcare

f.        Prescriptions and OTC Drug Dosing

g.       Estate Planning Contacts

h.      Safety Deposit Box

i.         Children’s Identifying Characteristics

2.       While I’m Away Instructions

a.       Martin Family Rules

b.      Children’s Likes and Dislikes

c.       Good Meal Ideas

d.      TV Shows Allowed for the Children

e.      How to Operate the Remote

3.       Family Contacts

4.       Neighbors and Friends Who Can Help

5.       Babysitter Contacts

6.       Pediatric Medical (all 3 Kids’ Shot Records)

7.       Adult Medical Contacts

8.       Pet Medical

9.       School Fast Fact Pages

a.       Preschool

b.      Elementary

10.   Activities and Team Rosters

a.       Activity Contacts

b.      Team Rosters

c.       Activity Schedule

11.   Summer Camps and Activities

12.   Misc. Family Facts

a.       Clothing Sizes

b.      Computer Passwords

c.       Birthdays and Occasions to Remember

13.   Travel

14.   Home Maintenance and Repair Service Providers

15.   Other Service Providers

In our discussion, Lori added some additional topic ideas for your book:

·    Keep a schedule/calendar in the book (her example was her husband’s travel schedule so that others would know where he was at any given time)

·    Lori mentioned that she had a page specifically for poison control that included her phone number, address, and her kids’ weight

·    Include instructions on what to do if the power goes out (which is great opportunity for you to think about what to do!)

·    Include a page about your child’s bus routine/ carpool routine

·    Include a page with all of the numbers to call if your wallet is stolen (however, don’t include the actual credit card number, see below)

When you are organizing your book, Lori suggested:

·    Put the most critical information on top

·    At a minimum, start by organizing your emergency information and then add as your need grows

·    Leave the book on the counter (or an accessible place in your home)

·    Train everyone to use the book

·    Maintain the book frequently; don’t make the book a project to do once a year, make it a living part of your activity

·    Use ribbons or other markers to help users quickly reference the information most pertinent to them

There are some dangers of having too much information in one place that is easily accessed. Lori gave some tips on how to protect potential identity theft:

·    Don’t put information such as your social security numbers, pass words, credit card numbers, bank numbers, etc, in the book

·    Lori includes her most vital and potentially damaging information in a zippered pouch that is removed from the book and put in a lock box. She takes this out when her parents are staying with her kids, etc.

Laurie Martin, Simplicity

Laurie’s forte is process organization for your home. She helps you to develop more efficient ways for functioning in your space.  When asked about the biggest mistakes others make when organizing their stuff, she gave the following suggestions:

·    Make your space work for you. For example, Laurie mentioned a client that has a formal living space that they never used. Laurie recommended that they change the formal living space into something that they would use. She also gave the example of not putting your socks in your sock drawer but instead put them by your shoes, which is where you need them to be.

·    Buy organizing supplies after you plan your organization strategy. Too many people buy an organizational tool because it looks nice and then they try to make it work but it may not be the right solution.

·    Remember: Function over beauty!

As a final tip, Laurie was asked about how to manage coupons. She recommended keeping them in your car where you are most likely to use them. Use a clear plastic folder to keep them in and use your driving down time (waiting in a carpool line or drive through line) to sort through the expired ones.

If you need a little extra help with your organization, contact either Laurie or Lori for help! Thank you Laurie and Lori for an informative evening!

January Meeting: Casserole Fund Raising Event

For our January meeting, we had our annual Casserole Fund Raising Event. This is a great opportunity to stock up your freezer with amazing meals and help to support Garden Club. We had a very successful year. Beth Bell, the Philanthropy Committee Chair, was happy to report that our total for the night was $757, which doesn't include members who opted to donate rather than contribute a frozen meal (if you haven't done this yet, please contact Beth Bell!).

Caroline Vaughn took home a manicure as her prize for the most creative display and Sarah Rowe won movie tickets for having the highest bid item. Congrats ladies!

Thank you to the Philanthropy Committee for a great event!

Holiday Party

The Holiday Party this year was hosted by the Clarks. Their home was beautifully decorated, the food was wonderful, and everyone had a great time, particularly during the white elephant gift exchange. Thank you to the Holiday Party committee and the Clarks for an amazing event.