Celebrating with Friends Good Food in Kansas City

I've mentioned this more than once here, but I'm very lucky to have My Friends!  We've known each other for more years than I will admit to the world.  We've been through the good, the bad and the ugly - with regard to hair, fashion and even boyfriends. We've watched each other get married and gotten excited over pregnancies and an adoption.  We love watching each others kids get bigger and bigger.

So, with a "milestone" birthday coming for most of us this summer, we decided it would be necessary to have a weekend together.  With one friend coming in all the way from Germany to be with her family, we decided it would be easiest to gather in our home town, Kansas City.  With that being our destination for the weekend, we were able to include a few friends who we haven't seen much since high school. 

Friday night six of us gathered at a friend's house to catch up and enjoy some munchies.  I made two different dips once I got into KC - Pottery Barn Dip and Italian Spinach Dip.  Overall, the Pottery Barn Dip was hardest to resist with My Friends, while My Family in KC preferred the Spinach Dip.  You can find the Pottery Barn Dip recipe at Sweetnick's HERE and the Italian Spinach Dip at the Kraft website HERE. 

What would 10 women who have known each for many years do to celebrate their birthdays?  Go out and experience the night life in their home town!  We started the evening with a limo ride to The Plaza.  One area that is so beautiful with historical architecture which is a "must see" when you visit.  We had dinner at reVerse which is this trendy looking restaurant in The Plaza.  We started with martinis and appetizers before moving on to the main course.  I had the Almond Crusted Tilapia and it was cooked perfectly and served with scalloped potatoes that had bacon hidden in between the layers. 

After a walk around the area to let dinner settle, we decided to try some adult shakes at Blanc Burgers and Bottles.  Since we were still in the early hours of the evening, most of us opted to share the $11 shakes that were spiked with alcohol.  I had the Key Lime Pie shake and it was amazing!  So creamy and the hit of alcohol was not too strong, so drinking a shake like this could be dangerous!  Even though we had already eaten dinner, we couldn't resist sampling the hand cut french fries.  They were so perfect and they even make their own ketchup and spicy dipping sauce.  And, how cute is it that they are served in a mini shopping cart?

The Kansas City nightlife has changed a bit since were going out and enjoying it.  Some areas are no longer the place to hang out for various reasons, while KC has added a new area called the Power & Light District in downtown.  Huge area dedicated to restaurants, bars and overall nightlife.  It was complete madness when we arrived due to an event that had been going on all day. 

Overall, it was a blast getting together with friends that I've known so long!  I am so happy that we were able to celebrate together and I imagine we will try to do it again - without so much time in between! 



Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.

Review: WW Eat! Move! Play! (Recipe: Fusilli with Broccoli, Beans & Walnuts

There's been a lot of talk in the media the last few years about childhood obesity.  It has become a nationwide problem, which sparked Jamie Oliver's quest to bring his Food Revolution to the U.S.  I agree with his ideas that school lunches need to be improved.  Kids will eat healthy food when it's offered to them regularly.  But, the other piece of what he's been trying to change is that healthy eating needs to start at home.  So, when the opportunity to review a new cookbook from Weight Watchers that focuses on this theme was presented, I knew it would be something I should share with readers of Family, Friends and Food.

This cookbook is not just a book with recipes, it also has some no nonsense guidelines on raising healthy kids.  The tips in the book can be applied to any family, whether there is an existing weight problem or not.  Simply put, keep the kids moving - limit screen time - healthy food applies to all members of the family! 

The recipes are simple to follow and are wide-ranging in flavor and cuisine.  They are geared toward getting kids to enjoy healthy foods in a variety of ways.  The first recipe I made was the Fusilli with Broccoli, Beans and Walnuts.  I did end up leaving out the walnuts- mostly by accident since I made it ahead of time and forgot to add them later.  I do think the additional crunch would add a nice contrast in texture to the dish.

The garlic flavor really comes through in each bite from the little bit of oil it was cooked in and then combined with the rest of the ingredients.  I don't think that's a bad thing at all, in fact I really loved that for a healthy dish it had so much flavor.  I think its best served warm, and it does make wonderful leftovers for lunch!  With the beans adding protein and the whole wheat pasta and broccoli packed with fiber this is a great dish for lunch or a meatless dinner.

The recipes all have full nutrition details, but the book is not focused on the WW Points plan - if you are counting points, there is enough nutrition information for you to calculate them yourself.  It's definitely geared toward making healthy food palatable for kids so that they grow up loving food that is good for them.  I have several more recipes marked to try and will share them as I make each one. 

Fusilli with Broccoli, Beans and Walnuts
Source:  Weight Watchers: Eat! Move! Play!

Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat fusilli pasta
1 head broccoli, florets halved and stems peeled and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
15 oz. can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
Cook the fusilli according to the package directions, omitting the salt if desired.  Four minutes before it's done, add the broccoli to the boiling water and cook until the pasta and broccoli are tender.  Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

Return the pot to medium heat.  Add the oil and garlic and cook until the garlic begins to turn golden, about 2 minutes.  Stir in the beans and pepper flakes.  Add the reserved pasta water, then the drained pasta and broccoli.  Add the cheese and walnuts and toss until combined.

Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.

Family Recipe: "Dump" Cake and "What can I do?"

This weekend was really beautiful outside... a little cool in the mornings and evenings, but sunny and warm during the best part of the day.  So, why do My Boys have to constantly ask "What can I do?"... hmmm, let me think - Go outside and play?  Wouldn't that be the logical choice?

This has been a fairly constant question since spring began.  The weather is nice enough to be outside pretty much all the time.  But, some days they need a bit of convincing.  I know sometimes the neighborhood kids aren't out, so there is less of a desire to go out and do something when no one else is around to play with them.  So, yesterday My Husband and I got them out to do a bit of bike riding in the neighborhood.  At least they got to enjoy some fresh air, right?

What do you do when your kids ask "What can I do?"... would love to hear the answers other parents give the kids.  I have heard other parents suggest they clean their rooms (love this one!) and I've been known to tell mine to grab a book and go read outside. 

When I was a kid, I know I used to pester My Mom asking what I could do... now I realize how annoying it was!  I don't remember how My Mom handled it, but I am sure she pointed me in the direction of something that I didn't think sounded fun... because that's apparently what I am doing now.

Now, on to a recipe!  When I posted the poll a month or so back, there was a good percentage of people wanting more Family Recipes to be shared here... so, while I know this recipe exists beyond My Family, it is one My Mom used to make when I was a kid.  I imagine that this was a great budget friendly recipe since the number of ingredients were minimal and could probably be purchased on sale.  Extremely simple to make, since you essentially "dump" each ingredient on top of the other in your baking pan then, put it in the oven until it's reached total "yumminess" (yes, that is a word!).

Dump Cake
Source: My Mom

Ingredients
1 large can crushed pineapple
1 can cherry pie filling
1 box of yellow cake mix (2 layer cake size)
1/2 cup nuts (I left these out)
1 or 2 cups butter (I only used 1 cup)

Directions
Grease a 9x13x2 inch pan with cooking spray.  Dump the can of crushed pineapple in the bottom, spread out with a spatula.  Then, dump the cherry pie filling on top of the pineapple and spread as best you can with a spatula.  Next add the cake mix, and spread evenly over the wet ingredients.  Add nuts, if using.  Finally, cut the sticks of butter into patties and place evenly over the top of the cake mix.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.

Review: Honest Tea - Organic Beverages

I do alot of reading between magazines, cookbooks, on-line news articles and various blogs.  I'm always amazed at the amount of information is out there waiting for us on a daily basis no matter what time of day you decide to search for it.  One subject that I am always interested in is eating more naturally.  There is definitely a move toward reducing some of the additives and such in the processed foods we buy.  And, I've always been honest about my use of boxed mixes and such... sometimes you just need a few shortcuts.  I'm all for doing as much from scratch though.  I like knowing each and every ingredient that goes into the food I serve my family and friends.

I was recently contacted about some new flavors coming from a company called Honest Tea, I was intriqued.  I've walked past their drinks at the grocery, but never picked any up to try myself.  Before saying yes, I browsed their website.  What I found there was really interesting.  The folks at Honest Tea focus on all natural organic ingredients and fair trade certified black tea.  With so many companies having to go back to using real ingredients, this one doesn't have to make any changes to please people who are looking for an all natural beverage choice.

I received two flavors to sample.  First I opened the Organic Half Tea Half Lemonade.  It has just a touch of sweetness and when poured over ice, will definitely quench your thirst on a warm spring or summer day.  I enjoyed the addition of the lemonade to the tea.  This may be because I remember ice tea always having lemon in it.  When I was much younger, I preferred sweet tea, but now I prefer a touch of sweetness.

Next, I sampled the Orange Mango with Mangosteen.  Yeah, I know... you are wondering the same thing I was... what is Mangosteen?  Its a fruit from Thailand that is full of anti-oxidents.  Mixed in with the orange and mango, this is a citrus drink that I would prefer over the usual orange juice.  It has a refreshing rather than "gack-inducing" flavor.  I find that plain orange juice can sometimes make my throat feel all gummed up.  Probably just me, but if orange juice is mixed with other fruit juices I can manage it a whole lot better.  And, this beverage has your full day's worth of vitamin C.  A very enjoyable way to fight off a cold if you ask me... I'm always reaching for a citrus juice when I get the sniffles. 

I really enjoyed these drinks most when they were super ice cold.   I noticed on their website that they also make organic, all-natural juice pouches for kids!  I'm going to be searching them out when I go to the grocery store. 

Photo courtesy of Honest Beverages.


Disclosure:  I received a sample of each beverage mentioned from Formula PR.  I was not advised on what to write or compensated in any way.

Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.

Crazy Busy Week and a Quick Italian Spinach Pie

This week has been beyond busy!  With both boys playing baseball, we've been lucky enough to have at least a couple of weeknights at home each week.  This week has not given us that luxury.  As I've said before, I really feel that eating dinner as a family each night is very important. 

We've had either practice or a game every night this week.  I even found out tonight that My Youngest had a Cub Scout Den Meeting that wasn't on the calendar.  I live by my calendar and it seems that a recent email change didn't get on to everyone's group list so we missed the actual rescheduling of last week's meeting. So, we jumped in the van and ran over to the meeting.  There went the one night I thought My Youngest and I would get to have a laid back evening. 

One thing we have managed to do is eat dinner at home each night whether it was super early or later when we got home.  This has meant later bedtimes for the boys as well.  I don't know about other people's kids, but ours need a certain amount of sleep in order to wake up somewhat happy in the morning.  So, let's just say that tonight when it was bedtime there weren't too many arguments because they were both too tired to bother. 

So, earlier today I was searching for some recipes on-line for this weekend.  While I was searching, I received an email from the gym at my office which included a healthy recipe idea.  I knew I had all the ingredients on hand and could have it bake up while we finished working on homework and studying for tests.  We love fritattas, so the Quick Italian Spinach Pie sounded like it would go over well with my family because it looks a lot like a fritatta or a crustless quiche.

The title is very accurate as far as prep time.  My Oldest and I put this together in probably 5 minutes (I had already thawed and drained the spinach).  The only adjustments I made were to leave out the roasted red peppers as My Boys don't really like them and it would have taken a few minutes longer to chop them up.  They would definitely add a nice touch of red to the finished dish.

The verdict?  My Boys and I enjoyed it quite a lot!  My Husband is not a fan of these types of meals, so he foraged in the fridge and made a sandwich.  It took more than 40 minutes for the center to set up for me, so I would consider increasing the temperature slightly but, check frequently to make sure you don't overbake it either.

We have some leftover and I imagine that at least two of us will be reheating slices to eat for breakfast in the morning!  This would be a nice addition to a Mother's Day Brunch this weekend, too!

This recipe is actually from the Kraft Foods website and is an excellent source of protein (15 grams!) and only 150 calories per serving!  This would be a great way to "sneak" in just about any veggie.  I know My Youngest is more likely to eat certain one's if they are part of another dish and he doesn't really notice them.

You can find the full recipe HERE.

Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.

Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club - Triple Fruit Scones

I'm very excited to be joining the wonderful bloggers who have been sharing meals via a Virtual Supper Club that focuses on using recipes from Cooking Light this month!  I was thrilled when Shelby (aka: Grumpy's Honey Bunch) emailed and asked if I would like to join them as two of their original members were unable to continue participating at this time.  I would have loved to have shared a virtual meal with Aggie and Helene, and perhaps they will be able to rejoin us down the road.

This month's theme is Mother's Day Brunch!   I chose to make Triple-Fruit Scones as my part of the brunch.  I must say that I've probably only eaten a scone once before, so I can't compare them to much.  I did find the recipe very easy to follow and discovered that they were easier to make than I thought they would be. 

 The scones were perfect right out of the oven, not dry as I've heard scones can sometimes be.  If you don't finish them the morning of your brunch, I highly recommend toasting them slightly and adding a bit of apricot preserves.  My Oldest loved these so much that he took a few as his snack to school. 

You can find the recipe at Cooking Light right HERE.

For the rest of our Mother's Day Brunch, please visit the links below... it's a menu filled with amazing dishes you will want to include on your own Mother's Day Brunch this weekend!

Shelby, Grumpy's Honey Bunch, made Waffles wiith Two Berry Syrup

Jamie, Mom's Cooking Club, made a Mushroom Fritatta

Val, More than Burnt Toast , made Sweet Potato and Candadian Bacon Hash

Sandi, Whistle Stop Cafe Cooking, made Grits Casserole with Pesto


Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.

Planting Flowers & Monster Pops

Soon as we get to May, it's time to head to the garden center!  I really don't have much of a green thumb, but I do love having flowers in pots on my front porch.  Just makes the house look so much prettier in the summer months.  I remember shopping for flowers with my mom each spring, and I would point out anything that looked pretty.  I didn't take into account how the colors and heights should work together... nope, I was all about a rainbow of colors!  My Dad always had us plant marigolds along the both sides of the sidewalk leading to our house.  Seems like within a few weeks those flowers would overtake the sidewalk!

This year I opted for these super cute purple daisy like flowers.  I know, I should know the proper names, but once I pull out the plastic name tag, the name goes out of my head as well.  Guess I wasn't meant to go into horticulture, huh?  Anyway, these are the flowers I couldn't resist this year.

I also decided to purchase a few small herb plants which I planted in a hanging basket.  Right now, I don't have a fence to keep out the wildlife that wanders through our yard  - deer, raccoons and who knows what else each night.  I didn't want to leave the pots on the ground and find out that all my home grown herbs would be eaten!

We had a particularly warm day on Sunday, so I wanted to do something fun for My Boys.  I had gotten these fun popsicle holders from Home Goods - they look like monsters!   So, I made some lemonade and filled them up.  A few hours in the freezer and we had homemade popsicles!  I always loved the popsicles My Mom made with her old Tupperware popsicle molds.  It was always so fun to have that treat every summer.

Yep, it was pink lemonade!  One of their favorite summertime drinks.  I think next time I'm going to make smoothies and freeze them in these cool popsicle holders.  Just looking at them makes you smile!

I just love this toothless smile!  The second front tooth fell out right before the spring school photos, which he was thrilled about! 




Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.