Open Your Heart

And feed these sweet little ones ...

My good friend, Aimee, and her husband, Tim, are currently in Haiti serving these sweet children. Read a little more below... 

Poverty is certainly a complex issue and there are many big questions to ask about how to do things best for the long term, but there are also weeks like this when we have heard of 2 orphanages who have children going without food for several days.  It’s difficult to imagine basic needs being so unreachable when we come from places where we’ve probably never questioned how we will get the next meal. Sadly, here and so many other places it’s the daily reality. 

In an effort to be prepared for situations like these, we are starting the Haiti Food Pantry Fund.  This will allow us to have funds available to quickly purchase food for orphanages that are in a crisis. The food will be provided to them while a more long-term plan can be put in place to ensure that the children’s needs are being met.

Just to give you an idea of how the money will be used, these are items I purchased in bulk today:

Rice $25…Corn Meal $25…Oil $8…Spaghetti $9…Fruit $25…96 eggs $18…Beans $22…powdered milk $20…

If you'd like to donate to the Haiti Food Pantry fund, please go to www.awaa.org and click on "Give" on the top right of the page. Then click on "donate." Choose "General Fund" under the "designated fund" drop down menu. Be sure to write in the "notes" section that the donation is for the Haiti Food Pantry fund.  Any amount is helpful and 100% of your donation will go directly to buy food and all donations are tax deductible. If you have any questions, feel free to email at aimee.wilson@awaa.org 

 

If you prefer to send a check, please make the check out to AWAA and include a note that it is for the Haiti Food Pantry fund.

AWAA

Attn: Michelle Reed

6723 Whittler Ave.

McLean, VA 22101

I have been at both orphanages this week and can tell you that precious lives will be impacted by your gifts! Both orphanages have food for the immediate future, but as you can imagine, food goes quickly when there are 40+ mouths to feed.

Thank you seems inadequate, but I am truly grateful for your desire to help and be a part of the work God is doing.

Sincerely, 

Aimee

Menu Planning . . . .

Some of you asked how I plan my meals and make them with a newborn. First of all, I LOVE to cook and bake. It is therapy for me, so I actually don't mind making dinner at the end of the day (most of the time...).

I go through my cook books and recipe binder (yes, there is a binder - it is great for recipes from magazines or passed down from friends and family). Then, I pick about 8 meals to make, which is about two weeks for us (I am a huge fan of leftovers). We will fill in those meals with sandwiches and salad (and my husband normally chooses cereal over both of those). We only eat out once a week on average for either a lunch or a dinner.

Once I plan my meals for those two weeks, I go grocery shopping and then put the meals up on my chalkboard in the kitchen. I used to assign meals to each day, but life doesn't work that way anymore. :) I just make a giant list and we pick things, as we crave them. 

Another note - I try to only spend $300 a month on groceries, plus $100 - $150 at Costco every two months. We buy most of our meat and snacks at Costco (chicken, hamburger, granola bars).

What's cooking . . .

If I haven't said so already, have your friends set up takethemameal.com. It was awesome! The meals came for about 3 1/2 weeks after Baby B was born. It was incredible helpful to not worry about cooking and not ordering out every night.

Now the meals have stopped (insert tear drop and pout face here). I LOVE cooking and baking, but figuring out the right time to do it can be challenging, as Baby B isn't exactly on a schedule. I have, however, started my meal planning again. This stops us from eating out during the week for lunch or dinner. We are big on leftovers in this house. :) So, what did I cook this past week as we settled into a schedule?

Creamy Chicken Casserole

This is one of my favorite recipes, which  my cousin Susan introduced me to about 10 years ago when I was living with her and Michael and teaching intersession. I double it for left overs (or to feed 4 - 6 people). It is super yummy warmed up and so easy to make. It has become one of my hubby's favorite meals!

Ingredients:

• 1 roasted chicken (the bigger the better - I cheat and buy mine already roasted from Costco or Giant - they have the best sizes)
• 16 oz of sour cream
• 2 cans of cream of chicken soup
• 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds
• 2 rolls of Ritz crackers (crushed)
• 1/3 cup butter (melted)

What to do. . .

1. Chop up the chicken into chunks
2. mix sour cream, chicken, cream of chicken soup, and poppy seeds
3. Pour mixture into 9 x 13 pan  
4. Combine crushed Ritz crackers and butter in a large Ziplock bag until all pieces are moistened
5. Pour cracker combination over mixture already in baking dish
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes 

I serve it with brown rice and rolls. Delicious! 

Chicken Club Braid 

This is Pampered Chef recipe and I love it!!!!!!!! Sometimes I substitute the tomatoes for bell peppers for something different. I also switch up the cheese. I like to use Monterey Jack.

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, snipped
1 tablespoon onion, finely chopped
1 (5 ounce) can chunk white chicken, drained and flaked
4 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
1 cup finely shredded Swiss cheese, divided
2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 medium red bell pepper - See more at: http://www.recipegoldmine.com/pamperedchef/chicken-club-brunch-ring.html#sthash.lr8mZ31Y.dpuf
Read more at http://www.recipegoldmine.com/pamperedchef/chicken-club-brunch-ring.html#8Bl3y9Y0juiBgo0Z.99

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, snipped
1 tablespoon onion, finely chopped
1 (5 ounce) can chunk white chicken, drained and flaked
4 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
1 cup finely shredded Swiss cheese, divided
2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 medium red bell pepper - See more at: http://www.recipegoldmine.com/pamperedchef/chicken-club-brunch-ring.html#sthash.lr8mZ31Y.dpuf
Read more at http://www.recipegoldmine.com/pamperedchef/chicken-club-brunch-ring.html#8Bl3y9Y0juiBgo0Z.99

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, snipped
1 tablespoon onion, finely chopped
1 (5 ounce) can chunk white chicken, drained and flaked
4 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
1 cup finely shredded Swiss cheese, divided
2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 medium red bell pepper

What to do....

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix mayonnaise and mustard; add parsley and onion and mix well.

Mix chicken, bacon and 3/4 cup cheese with 1/3 cup mayonnaise mixture.
 

Unroll 1 package of crescent dough; do not separate. Arrange longest sides of dough across width of 12" x 15" rectangle baking stone. Repeat with remaining package of dough. Using roller, roll dough to seal perforations. On longest sides of baking stone, cut dough into strips 1 1/2 inches apart, 3 inches deep using a pizza cutter (there will be 6 inches in the center for the filling). Spread filling evenly over middle of dough. To braid, lift strips of dough across mixture to meet in center, twisting each strip on turn. Continue alternating strips to form a braid. Tuck ends under to seal at end of braid. Brush egg white over dough using pastry brush.

 Bake 20 to 25 minutes.

I serve this with salad and it also makes great leftovers. When I heat it up at work everyone would ask for the recipe :)

Italian Slow Cooker Chicken

This makes the whole house smell delicious and is my friend, Tristan's, favorite :) It falls apart like pulled pork and is great with rice pilaf or Parmesan couscous.

Ingredients: 

•   1 can of stewed tomatoes (I use two because I love tomato sauce and it makes everything juicy)

• 1 can of tomato paste (six ounce can)

•  1 package of sliced baby bella mushrooms

• 3 chicken breasts (you can cram four in there, but then you need to add more tomato paste)

• 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning (I use the salad dressing dry packet mix)

• 1 clove of minced garlic

• - You can also dice an onion, but I'm not a big onion fan. 

   

  What to do . . . 

• 1. 1. Put chicken breasts in slow cooker 

     2. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl

     3. Pour mixture over chicken

     4. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours (I like how it turns out on low better)

      

      

   

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, snipped
1 tablespoon onion, finely chopped
1 (5 ounce) can chunk white chicken, drained and flaked
4 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
1 cup finely shredded Swiss cheese, divided
2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 medium red bell pepper - See more at: http://www.recipegoldmine.com/pamperedchef/chicken-club-brunch-ring.html#sthash.lr8mZ31Y.dpuf
Read more at http://www.recipegoldmine.com/pamperedchef/chicken-club-brunch-ring.html#8Bl3y9Y0juiBgo0Z.99

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, snipped
1 tablespoon onion, finely chopped
1 (5 ounce) can chunk white chicken, drained and flaked
4 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
1 cup finely shredded Swiss cheese, divided
2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 medium red bell pepper - See more at: http://www.recipegoldmine.com/pamperedchef/chicken-club-brunch-ring.html#sthash.lr8mZ31Y.dpuf
Read more at http://www.recipegoldmine.com/pamperedchef/chicken-club-brunch-ring.html#8Bl3y9Y0juiBgo0Z.99