A Blending of Bittersweet Memories

The Daytona Beach News-Journal

2012-01-05T09:40:00.000-08:00

The Daytona Beach News-Journal published an article about A Blending of Bittersweet Memories. One of the newspapers assistant managing editors submitted a story to the book and it was included. It was a lovely story about her mother's famous red velvet cake. To read more about it, click here.
Also, if you would like to purchase the book, you can do so at www.lulu.com.

Losing Your Parents

2011-12-12T19:47:00.000-08:00

Lisa Snyder lost both of her parents to cancer while she was in her 20s. I thought losing my mother was the hardest thing I will ever go through but I can't even imagine losing my father as well. Lisa has a website (www.losingyourparents.org) that she has devoted to those who have lost their parents. It is an excellent site that I recommend you check out! She has recently written a blog post about A Blending of Bittersweet Memories. You can read the full article here.
Enjoy!

BOOK IS NOW AVAILABLE!

2011-11-28T11:01:00.000-08:00

The time has finally come! A Blending of Bittersweet Memories is on sale, beginning today!
You can purchase the book by going to this link: http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/a-blending-of-bittersweet-memories/18684893
Today only, the book is being offered at 30% off with the code CYBERMONDAY305.
From November 29th - December 14th, the book is available at 25% with the code BUYMYBOOK305.
The book will be available on amazon.com in February 2012.
Happy Holidays and thank you again to all of those who submitted and helped to make the book a success!

The Happiness Project

2010-10-14T10:18:00.000-07:00

Vs.

(Photos from www.alisamlibby.wordpress.com and www.cltblog.wordpress.com)

Are you struggling to be happy? Do you have days where you can't get out of a funk? Well, I have found a brilliant book and blog for you! Gretchen Rubin, #1 New York Times bestselling author, has written a book called, The Happiness Project. The book is a memoir of the how to be happy. Some of the tips she offers are so basic and easy to follow that you will feel better in no time!

One of Gretchen's recent blog entries discusses comfort food for your mind. She explains how doing activities can make one feel better. When one is sad and having a rough day, people often turn to comfort food. We all try and eat healthy as much as we can, but every now and then you just want that something special that soothes your tastebuds and warms your heart. Comfort food can be a hearty stew on a frigid winter night or a carton of cookie dough ice cream at 2 in the morning when you are upset about a breakup. The problem with emotional eating is that after you try eating your problems away, you develop new problems and the old ones are still there. I know that when I am stressed and have a piece of chocolate cake, I not only still feel anxious about the thing that was stressing me out but also about the calories that I just put into my body. Instead of always turning to emotional eating, why not try comfort food for your mind? Atleast, after you try some of Gretchen's tips, you won't feel even worse than you did before you ate the maccoroni and cheese.

Comfort food for the mind is a mental break that you allow yourself from whatever is stressing you out or making you feel sad. Gretchen suggests cooking, exercise, playing with your kids, reading a good book, or seeing a funny movie. After you take a "mental vacation", you may feel better and be able to deal with your situation in a new manor. Occasionally, when I have writer's block, I will take a break and go for a run. When I run, I clear my mind, listen to music, breathe fresh air and release endorphines. When I get back to the computer, I feel more focused and new ideas will pop into my mind. The next time that you have a stressful day at work, a disheartening personal situation or are just feeling down, try nourishing yourself with comfort food - for your mind, that is!

How are you healing your wound?

2010-10-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

The grieving process is so difficult and never goes away.

Like a wound to the skin, the pain is unbearable when it occurs. The wound is raw and bleeding. The body is in shock, thinking, "Did this really just happen?" You are in pain but can't really feel the magnitude of the pain at the moment the wound occurs. You know something horrible has happened. You quickly hold a tissue over it, put some neosporin and a band-aid on. There, that stops the bleeding, for now.

Eventually, you take the band-aid off and expose the wound to the world. The wound gets some fresh air and decides its time to start the healing process; it turns into a scab. A scab is a hard coating on the skin formed during the wound healing reconstruction phase. The scab shows physically- it is dark, dry and discolored. It shows the outside world that something is wrong. It protects the wound. When the scab is comfortable that the wound can handle life without the protecting walls, it falls off and leaves raw and new skin, that will heal and turn into a scar. That scar is very visible at first and then over time it fades, but it is ingrained in you for life.

Everyone has scars, whether they be physical and/or emotional. While a skin gash is physical and outside of the body, the emotional body does the exact same thing, internally. It's nature. The body learns how to recover from tragedy. When you lose a loved one, you need to teach yourself how to recover and reconstruct your life. In a sense, bandage and tend to the wound, then, let it heal. Rituals can help by doing your normal routines (showering, going to work, making dinner) but what helps you have life and passion again? How do you get through the days? What heals your wounds?

In writing this book, I am looking for tips on what will help others with the grieving process. Those who have experienced grief can offer the best advice and tips. Please share them to help others!

S'mores... S'nuff Said

2010-09-27T07:16:00.000-07:00

Did you go to camp and make s'mores with all of your friends? I did and I just loved them. My parents also would let us make them in the winter time. They would light a fire in our fireplace and bring out the HERSHEY's chocolate candy bars with Graham Crackers and marshmallows. My sisters, cousins and I would take the sticks, sit on the freezing cold floor and warm ourselves up by toasting the marshmallows. My middle sister liked hers golden brown but my mom and I made ours burnt. Anyways, I digress.
I found this delicious recipe for S'mores Sandwich Bar Cookies off of the HERSHEY's website. They can be made ahead of time and served for dessert. I love them because you get the same great taste without all of the mess. One of my friend's mothers made these for a summer BBQ dessert and everyone went wild for them. I hope you like them as much as I do!

S'mores Sandwich Bar Cookies
1/2 C. (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 C. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/3 C. flour
3/4 C. graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
5 HERSHEY's Milk Chocolate Bars (1.55 oz each)
3 C. miniature marshmallows

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8 inch square baking pan (I doubled the recipe and made it in a bigger pan).
Beat butter and sugar until well blended in large bowl. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture until blended.

Press half of dough in prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes.

Place chocolate bars over baked layer, breaking as needed to fit.

Sprinkle with marshmallows; scatter bits of remaining dough over marshmallows, forming top layer.

Bake 10 to 15 minutes or just until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.
Makes 16 bars.

Printer Friendly Version:

S'mores Sandwich Bar Cookies

1/2 C. (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened

3/4 C. sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/3 C. flour

3/4 C. graham cracker crumbs

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

5 HERSHEY's Milk Chocolate Bars (1.55 oz each)

3 C. miniature marshmallows

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8 inch square baking pan (I doubled the recipe and made it in a bigger pan).

Beat butter and sugar until well blended in large bowl. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture until blended. Press half of dough in prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes.

Place chocolate bars over baked layer, breaking as needed to fit. Sprinkle with marshmallows; scatter bits of remaining dough over marshmallows, forming top layer. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or just until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Makes 16 bars.

Storecipe of the Week: Ruth's Sweet and Sour Meatballs

2010-09-20T11:39:00.000-07:00

When a majority of people think about meatballs, they think of spaghetti and meatballs, with the traditional Italian flair. I have noticed that many Jewish recipe are very similar to Italian recipe but with added sweetness. For example, Jew's always joke that Kugel is really Jewish Lasagna. Sweet and sour meatballs are very similar to Italian meatballs but with a sweet and sour tomato sauce. Most Italian grandmothers would roll off their rockers if they tasted them as they would probably feel that the sauce has been ruined! With that being said, they really are surprisingly delicious. They are best served over rice or noodles for an entree or as an appetizer, they can be made into smaller balls and served with bread.

Belinda, from Highland Park, Illinois, put it best when she said that her "bittersweet memory is actually sweet and sour". Here is Belinda's story and her mother, Ruth's recipe, which my family raved about. Thanks, Belinda!

Ruth's Sweet and Sour Meatballs
I guess my bittersweet memories are actually sweet and sour. Most of my mom's recipes I've had to approximate, because I don't remember exactly how she made them, and there are no written recipes as far as I know. In fact, I can't remember there ever having been a cookbook in our home. She had her recipes committed to memory and cooked in that intuitive, non-scientific way that many good cooks of an earlier era did. Her sweet and sour meatballs were my absolute favorite dish and one day, many, many years ago, I followed Mom around the kitchen taking notes while she prepared them.
Mom's meatballs are delicious and smell great while cooking. In fact, the aroma is intoxicating and takes me back to my childhood and my mom's kitchen. Moreover, this is a pretty healthful recipe, calling for all natural ingredients and no fillers. My daughter, Laura (Loritchka), makes them using ground turkey with much success. It works as either an appetizer or an entree, depending on how generous you are with the meatballs. Best to have fresh challah bread on hand for dunking in the sauce!

Thoughts
1 C. diced carrots
1 C. diced onions
2 T. olive oil
2 (14 1/2 oz.) cans stewed tomatoes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 lb. ground beef
1 egg
1/2 tsp dried onion flakes
1 onion, grated
1/2 C. diced celery
1/2 C. sugar
1/4 C. lemon juice

Putting the Memory Together
Place oil in a large pan over medium heat. Saute carrots and onions until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add 2 cans of stewed tomatoes with juice. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder; you can add more or less according to taste. Let simmer.

To ground beef, add egg, dried onion flakes, grated onion and celery. Wet hands and form small meatballs (about 1 inch balls) and drop in simmering sauce. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Then add sugar and lemon juice. Stir and taste the sauce. You may add more sugar or lemon juice to adjust the sweet/sour flavor to your taste. Cook for another 15 - 20 minutes.

Storecipe of the Week: Jewish Biscotti aka Mandel Bread

2010-09-13T07:07:00.000-07:00

Mandelbrot, which literally means almond (mandel) bread (brot), is a twice-baked hard bread similar to Italian biscotti. According to Jewish Cooking in America, "With a large Jewish population in Piedmont, Italy may have been the place where Jews first tasted biscotti and later brought them to Eastern Europe. In Italy they are often eaten as a dessert dipped into wine or grappa. In Eastern Europe, Jews dipped them into a glass of tea, and because they include no butter and are easily kept they became a good Sabbath dessert" (Jewish Cooking in America, Joan Nathan [Alfred A. Knopf:New York] 1998 p. 354).

Growing up, mandel bread was a staple in our house, especially around the Jewish Holidays. My mother's friend, Paula always made the best kind with chocolate chips and a ton of cinnamon and sugar. Paula would bring over a HUGE batch and we would eat some and then freeze the rest. We wanted to have it for as long as possible, so we would just take out a few pieces at a time to enjoy it throughout the next few months. Today, I make Paula's mandel bread every year for the holidays. When I bake it, my house smells like the good old days when my mother and I would be preparing for our own holiday dinners together. I just love it.

I was so excited when I received a submission from Skokie, Illinois native, Charlotte, about her mother's mandel bread. Charlotte shares a very sweet story with an incredible recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Many, many years ago just before my Mom died, my mother-in-law wanted me to get her my mother's recipe for mandel bread. Well, everyone feels that they make the BEST mandel bread, but I have to say our entire family always thought that my Mom beat everyone else's by a mile. At this point, in 1975, I was married with one son and did some baking but I had never tried to make my mom's recipe. So I asked her for it and wrote it down for my mother-in-law. Well, of course she nor anyone else with the recipe could make it the way my mom did. Shortly thereafter, on May 18, 1976 my mom died. My daughter was born 8 days later and was named after my beloved mother. The mandel bread was the last thing on my mind at that time. A few years later I finally decided to give the recipe a try so I had to ask my mother-in-law for the recipe since I hadn't kept it for myself. Well, I guess there is something to be said for passing things down, because to this day I have been told by many, many people that I am the only one that can make the mandel bread the way my mom did and this is a very treasured memory for me.

Thoughts:
3 Eggs
1 C. Sugar
3/4 C. Vegetable Oil
3 C. Flour
1 Tsp. vanilla
2 Tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Cinnamon
6 oz. of Chopped Walnuts or Chocolate Chips
Extra Cinnamon and Sugar to dust

Putting the Memory Together:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat togther (by hand) the eggs and sugar. Then add the oil. Next add the flour 1 cup at a time, reserving a little to use to sprinkle on the baking sheets. Add the vanilla, baking powder and a dash of cinnamon after the first cup of flour. Stir until well mixed.

Then add the nuts and/or chocolate chips.

Butter and flour two cookie sheets. You make four rows of dough - 2 on each sheet.

Sprinkle the dough with cinnamon and sugar.

Bake for 20 minutes until lightly browned.

Cut each loaf into single pieces, about 3/4" thick, and turn each one on its side. Bake for 15 minutes. Flip the cookie on its other side and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar again. Bake for another 5 minutes. Watch closely to make sure not to overcook.

Storecipe of the Week: Jill's Sugar Cookies

2010-09-06T10:30:00.000-07:00

As I have said before, cookies are my most favorite dessert in the world! Whether they are oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip, peanut butter, Oreo's or the classic sugar cookies, I just melt when I have them. Every night before I go to bed, I need a cookie. I know what all of you health nuts out there are thinking, "sugar before bed? She must be kidding"! I know it's not recommended but I just can't help myself. I am not fully satisfied, no matter how great my day was or how satisfying dinner was, until I get my cookie! When I received this submission for sugar cookies, I was so excited! Since I make everything that is submitted, I was thrilled to bake the cookies and have them for a few nights! While I love Oreo's, there is nothing like a homemade cookie, or anything for that matter. With that being said, I present to you, Erin Waitz's beautiful story and yummy sugar cookies.

Story:
The taste was familiar, more familiar than I thought it would be. The memory of making sugar cookies with my mom, once a distant memory of the past, is now part of the present. As I took a bite of cookie dough I was surprised at the rush of memories. Even as a young child I would have to try the cookie dough, just to make sure my mom and I had really included all the ingredients (at least that’s what I told her).

I asked my dad for the recipe that I had made with my mom during our short decade together, I could almost visualize the two of us sitting at the kitchen table mixing in the eggs and measuring out the flour before getting our hands messy when we balled up the dough. On special occasions I remembered my mom and I would use cookie cutters and sprinkles. Now, the smell of the baking cookies brings me back to my time with my mom. I anxiously await the 12 minutes to taste the final result, bracing for the memories that would flow over me when taking the first bite. As soon as the timer buzzed, I couldn’t wait to let a cookie cool, I immediately tried it and felt instant happiness. I successfully made my mom’s sugar cookies. For the first time I realized a memory of my past could create memories for my future.

Jill's Sugar Cookies
The Thoughts:
1 cup sugar plus some extra to sprinkle on top of cookies before serving
2 sticks butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. light brown sugar
2 cups flour

Putting the Memory Together:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl.

In a separate bowl, cream sugar, brown sugar and butter together with an electric mixer. Add the egg and vanilla until well mixed and fluffy.

Slowly add in the dry ingredients until well combined.

Shape spoonfuls of dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place about 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet.

Using a drinking glass floured in the bottom, press down on dough to flatten fairly thin.

Bake in 375 degree oven, on middle racks, for 12 minutes or until done. Dust with sugar if desired.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Printable version

Jill's Sugar Cookies

The Thoughts:

1 cup sugar plus some extra to sprinkle on top of cookies before serving

2 sticks butter, softened

1 egg

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. light brown sugar

2 cups flour

Putting the Memory Together:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl. In a separate bowl, cream sugar, brown sugar and butter together with an electric mixer. Add the egg and vanilla until well mixed and fluffy. Slowly add in the dry ingredients until well combined.
Shape spoonfuls of dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place about 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet. Using a drinking glass floured in the bottom, press down on dough to flatten fairly thin.
Bake in 375 degree oven for 12 minutes or until done. Dust with sugar if desired.
Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Storecipe of the Week: Mom's Chicken Soup

2010-08-30T06:09:00.000-07:00

"Worries go down better with soup" -Jewish Proverb

Could what our mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers been telling us for centuries really be true? Does Chicken soup really make you feel better? According to the journal, Chest, researchers say "Chicken soup may contain a number of substances with beneficial medicinal activity." (CNN.com) So, I guess our mother's really do know what they are talking about!

Could what our mother, grandmother's, and great grandmother's have been telling us for centuries really be true? Does chicken soup really make you feel better? According to the journal, Chest, researchers say "Chicken soup may contain a number of substances with beneficial medicinal activity." (CNN.com) So, I guess, our mother's really do know what they are talking about!

Growing up, my mother would make Chicken soup when I was sick. Whether I had a cold, sore throat, the flu, or just having a bad day, she made soup. Chicken soup heals us in more ways than one. According to Elizabeth Somer's, Eat Your Way to Happiness, "Eating 'mood foods' 75% of the time will help you find more energy, think more clearly and drop additional pounds - with more 'joie de vivre' in your attitude" (iVillages, 9 Foods to Boost Your Mood). It's the ultimate comfort food with all of the veggies and chicken. Somer says, "The protein and vegetables gives you a helping of happiness since they are full of vitamins that improve your mood, brainpower and immunity."

In the Jewish tradition, Chicken soup is made for holidays. With the Jewish New Year right around the corner, I decided to make my mother's recipe for my family. Whenever she made the soup, the aroma would take all of your worries away. The smell is so comforting and homey to me. I remember sitting in the kitchen with my mom while she would hover over the huge pot, which seemed bigger than me. I just loved those days and the traditions of holidays. When serving the soup, she would make matzoh balls or serve with egg noodles.

Thoughts:
1 chicken, cut up into 1/8ths, with skin on (I usually have the butcher do this)
3 chicken thighs, with skin on
2 chicken legs, with skin on
2 large parsnips, peeled
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces
4 celery stalks, washed and cut into large pieces
2 large leeks, sliced in half and cleaned thoroughly
1 onion, skin removed
1 turnip, peeled and quartered
1 bay leaf
1 T. Kosher salt
2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 T. Better Than Boullian chicken base

Putting the Memory Together:
Rinse the chicken pieces with cold water and put into large pot. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the chicken and add additional 5 inches of water. Leave about 3 inches of space from water to the top of the pot. Bring water to a boil. Using a small strainer, skim the fat off the top of the soup as it rises.

Add the parsnips, carrots, celery, leeks, onion, turnip, salt and pepper. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours. Strain the foam and impurities off as needed. Add the Better Than Boullion base. Let simmer for another 15 minutes. Taste the soup and if needed add more Better Than Boullion or salt and pepper to taste.

Turn off heat and take vegetables and chicken out of the pot.

Let soup cool to room temperature. When soup is cook, pour it through a strainer to sift out any chicken bones or stray skin. Place the chicken soup in air tight containers and put in refrigerator overnight. The next day, take the layer of fat off of the top and reheat soup.

Put back in carrots, celery, chicken pieces, matzoh balls or egg noodles and enjoy!!

Printable Version

Thoughts:

1 chicken, cut up into 1/8ths, with skin on

3 chicken thighs, with skin on

2 chicken legs, with skin on

2 large parsnips, peeled

4 large carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces

4 celery stalks, washed and cut into large pieces

2 large leeks, sliced in half and cleaned thoroughly

1 onion, skin removed

1 turnip, peeled and quartered

1 bay leaf

1 T. Kosher salt

2 tsp. ground black pepper

2 T. Better Than Boullian chicken base

Putting the Memory Together:

Rinse the chicken pieces with cold water and put into large pot. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the chicken and add additional 5 inches of water. Leave about 3 inches of space from water to the top of the pot. Bring water to a boil. Using a small strainer, skim the fat off the top of the soup as it rises.

Turn off heat and take vegetables and chicken out of the pot.

Put back in carrots, celery, chicken pieces, matzoh balls or egg noodles and enjoy!!

Storecipe of the Week: Rhubarb Crunch

2010-08-22T17:37:00.000-07:00

Rhubarb is a vegetable that, unfortunately, I am not too familiar with. I have never baked with it or eaten it. When I received a submission for Rhubarb Crunch, I was so excited to learn about it, cook with it, and taste it.

I started off by doing some research about the plant. The first important thing that I learned was that the stalks are the edible parts, not the leaf. The leaf is supposed to be toxic, so stay away! The fresh crispy stalks are similar to celery and have a tart taste. Sugar usually off balances the tartness when baking.

Nutritionally, the root is 95% water and is rich in calcium, vitamin C and dietary fiber. Rhubarb root has been used for medicinal purposes, especially in traditional Chinese medicine. The roots can be used to help the digestive system as a laxative and, therefore, the fruit is known as a slimming agent. The roots, also, seem to lower blood glucose levels.

Peaking in the Spring months, rhubarb is popular ingredient in summer dishes. People commonly use it in pies, jams, sauces, jellies, and juices. Before summer is over, go out and get some rhubarb and make a pie, crunch or jam to have for the winter. With that being said, I am so excited to present Linda Pfeifer Basham's story and recipe of Rhubarb Crunch.

Story:

My grandmother Aleila Isabelle Pfeifer lived to be 101 years old. She passed a few years ago, but will long be remembered and missed by me. She was the one who taught me to cook and bake. We lived on a dairy farm, that she and my grandpa had lived on when they were raising their three sons, one of them being my dad. When I was 5 years old, my grandparents moved into town to retire, so, my family moved into the farm. Even though they moved to town, you would find them back in the barn at 5 o'clock, every morning, helping my dad milk the cows.

I was so fortunate to see my grandma every day. She was there when I left for school, in the morning, and then when I got home, until the cows were milked at 5 PM. When she wasn't teaching me how to cook and bake, her true love, we would have tea parties. One of my favorite recipes that we would make every spring was rhubarb crunch. Today, I still have some of the original rhubarb plants from my great-aunt's farm, which I use in my crunch.

Grandma was always out in the garden with her wide rimmed bonnet. Rhubarb Crunch was one of my favorite desserts and reminds me of her whenever I make and eat it. She tended to our garden and lives on in our hearts. She was always there to share my problems and joys and I miss her dearly.

Thoughts:

1 C. flour

1 C. brown sugar

3/4 C. oatmeal

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 C. butter, melted

4 C. rhubarb, diced

1 C. sugar

2 T. cornstarch

1 C. water

1 tsp. vanilla

Putting the Memory Together:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8" x 8" pan. Mix flour, brown sugar, oatmeal, cinnamon and melted butter until it forms a crumble mixture.

Pat half of the mixture in the pan, reserving the other half for the topping.

Dice rhubarb.

Top the mixture with rhubarb pieces.

In a saucepan over medium/low heat, combine sugar and cornstarch until mixed well. Add water and vanilla.

Cook in pan over medium/high heat until thick and clear, stirring occasionally.

Pour hot mixture, evenly, over rhubarb.

Top with remaining crumb mixture.

Place in oven and bake for 1 hour.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whip cream and think of grandma out in the garden with her wide rimmed bonnet.

Full Recipe (print version)

Thoughts:

1 C. flour

1 C. brown sugar

3/4 C. oatmeal

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 C. butter, melted

4 C. rhubarb, diced

1 C. sugar

2 T. cornstarch

1 C. water

1 tsp. vanilla

Putting the Memory Together:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8" x 8" pan. Mix flour, brown sugar, oatmeal, cinnamon and melted butter until it forms a crumble mixture. Pat half of the mixture in the pan, reserving the other half for the topping. Dice rhubarb. Top the mixture with rhubarb pieces. In a saucepan over medium/low heat, combine sugar and cornstarch until mixed well. Add water and vanilla. Cook in pan over medium/high heat until thick and clear, stirring occasionally. Pour hot mixture over rhubarb and top with remaining crumb mixture. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whip cream and think of grandma out in the garden with her wide rimmed bonnet.

The Pioneer Woman

2010-08-20T16:12:00.000-07:00

The Pioneer Woman is a fabulous blog that all of you foodies and homemakers must check out! Ree Drummond is a ranch wife and mother of four. She lives on a "cattle ranch", her words, and is married to a cowboy. She writes everyday and her post's range from recipes (my favorite) to photography tips to homeschooling four children and, finally, a home and gardening section.

Ree is not afraid of butter, fried foods or carbs. She is a breath of fresh air in my normal organic and clean diet! Her recipes range from homemade donuts, cinnamon buns from scratch, BBQ chicken pizza, macaroni and cheese along with pastas, chickens and beef galore!

She has a Tasty Kitchen section that everyday people can post their favorite recipes. Join her Facebook and Twitter pages to get daily updates!

Check out her site, and I promise, you will not be disappointed!

David Yurman Event benefitting Bright Pink

2010-08-18T05:56:00.000-07:00

In May, I hosted an exclusive shopping event at David Yurman on Oak Street in Chicago. A portion of the proceeds benefitted Bright Pink. Bright Pink is an organization that enlightens and empowers high-risk individuals to take control of the breast and ovarian health. The organization provides education, offers support and a sense of community for a better and brighter future.

The founder of Bright Pink, Lindsay Avner, tested positive for a mutation on the BRCA1 gene, indication she had a lifetime risk of up to 87 percent of developing breast cancer and 54 percent of developing ovarian cancer. Not wanting to become another victim of cancer, as it had three generations of women before her, she opted to have a bilateral prophylactic mastectomy. At the time, Lindsay was the youngest patient nationally to opt for the procedure. During her experience, Lindsay realized the lack of resources for women in her exact situation.

Bright Pink is the only national organization with an exclusive focus on prevention and early detection of breast and ovation cancer in high-risk young women. The organization has 10,000 members nationwide and continues to grow everyday.

I have been involved and supported Bright Pink since 2007. After losing my mother to breast cancer, I needed to find other young women who could help support me with questions I had about my health. With that being said, it was my pleasure to host the David Yurman shopping event. Below are some pictures courtesy of CS Magazine - Modern Luxury.

Storecipe of the Week: Grandma Shirley's Cuckoo Cookies

2010-08-15T11:26:00.000-07:00

There is something about marshmallows that just remind me of my delicious childhood. I used to love going to the grocery store with my mom. She would push me down the cookie aisle and I would want every kind of cookie I could get my hands on. She would always let me open one package and let me sneak a cookie before we got home. It was our little secret! Two of my favorite kinds of cookies where the Nabisco Mallomars and Pinwheels chocolate marshmallow cookies. I loved how the outside chocolate was hard and dark while the inside was filled was fluffy, soft and gooey marshmallows.

Regardless if you like s'mores, Peeps marshmallow bunnies for Easter, or Nabisco Pinwheels chocolate and marshmallow cookies, everyone loves marshmallows in something, if not everything! When I received this lovely story about a girl's grandma's cookies that contained marshmallows, I just melted. Marshmallows make me giddy and have a way of making heartache in the world go away; they are just a happy food! With that being said, I present to you Grandma Shirley's Cuckoo Cookies, submitted by Taylor Kutchin from Chicago, Illinois.

Story:
When I hear the word “Cuckoo”, I often think of something or someone as being “crazy” or “nuts”. So why call a cookie cuckoo? I’ll never know for sure. But what I do know for sure is that my Grandma Shirley liked to make these cookies, and she was anything but cuckoo. She had so many fine qualities that made being around her a real treat. She was comforting and sweet, just like her cookies. She was completely devoted to those she loved. She was “one of a kind” and truly had a heart of gold.

My fondest memories of Grandma Shirley often involve food, but more importantly, the food she prepared always brought the family together. I can still taste the yummy homemade tuna fish sandwiches she’d make for lunch for my cousins, siblings and I when we went to her house for a Saturday visit. I miss the magic of her big holiday dinners where sweet and sour meatballs, chicken noodle soup, and of course, cuckoo cookies could always be found. Indeed, she loved to bake and cook and above all, she loved to cook for her family. Bringing everyone together was important to her and it was through her strength, generosity, and kindness that we connected time after time to share, laugh, and of course, eat. Though she is no longer here, her spirit and memory live on in the family, which continues to grow and also stay close.

When we share stories about Grandma Shirley, her recipes often come up and preserving and continuing to prepare the delicious things she made is one way to pay homage to the incredible Grandmother she was. I will continue to make her recipes and more importantly, stay close to family. And years from now at a family gathering where cuckoo cookies have made their way into new family member’s mouths and hearts, I will always think of Grandma Shirley.

Thoughts:

Dry Mix

1 ¾ C. sifted flour

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

½ C. cocoa

Other Ingredients

½ C. chop walnuts

½ C. shortening or butter

1 C. sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 C. milk

Halved large marshmallows

Cocoa Glaze:

½ C. cocoa

1 ½ C. powder sugar

3 T. hot water

1/3 C. melted butter

Putting the Memory Together:

Combine the Dry Mix ingredients and set to the side. Cream shortening or butter in an electric mixer or mixing bowl. Add sugar, egg, and vanilla. Then add the dry mix alternating with the milk. Beat until smooth. Add nuts.

Drop a rounded Tablespoon of mixture onto greased cooking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

Remove and press a ½ half marshmallow into center of each cookie and bake 2 more minutes.

Mix glaze ingredients together in saucepan over medium/low heat.

When in sauce form, drizzle on top of each marshmallow cookie.

Refrigerate for 5 minutes. Makes 2 dozen cookies. Enjoy!

These cookies bring back the taste and fond memories of going to the grocery store with my mom as a child. They are a homemade version of Pinwheels! Thanks to Taylor for sharing this very special and delicious recipe!

Storecipe of the Week: Award Winning Red Velvet Cake

2010-08-10T12:19:00.000-07:00

Summer is the season for cupcakes! Scratch that, when is it not a time for cupcakes? I absolutely love desserts, especially cookies and cupcakes. In Chicago, we have a place called Sweet Mandy B's (1208 West Webster Avenue Chicago, IL 60614-3109 - #773-244-1174) and they have my favorite cupcakes. They are just perfect! Sprinkles Cupcakes just opened here too and everyone is going bananas for cupcakes!

Being Summer, we have so many BBQ's. Without fail, someone always brings cupcakes for dessert. My favorite are the red velvet with cream cheese frosting. I thought it would be fitting to feature a submission on the best red velvet cake. Here is a submission from Kathy Kelly who lives in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Story:
My mom, Mary Carter, and I were recipe scavengers. Once, we saw a new one, in a book or magazine, we rushed out to get the ingredients and make it. Some weren't so good but the red velvet cake was a gold ribbon winner. Cake layers soaked with hot, sweetened milk made this dessert a "die for" experience. At the newspaper where I work, my mom ran the cafeteria and quickly added the cake to her lineup of homemade desserts. The results were out of sight. It quickly became a best seller, one of her most requested ones. After retiring, she continued to make the cakes for the fans of this deep red confection. At her memorial service, I spoke of my love and respect for her, how much she had taught me, especially cooking. I made some red velvet cakes for the reception after the service. We had recipe cards printed up with her photo to hand out to friends and family. I have one framed in my kitchen to always remind me of where my inspiration for cooking and baking, especially desserts, came from. It's been four years now and I miss my mom every day. But when I put that big mixer on the counter and assemble the ingredients for a cake, I know she's always there with me.

Thoughts:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cocoa

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 (0.25 oz.) bottle red food coloring

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

Glaze:
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar

Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese
5 Tablespoons butter
2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla

Putting the Memory Together:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa into a bowl. In a separate bowl, cream oil and 1 1/2 cups of sugar.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add food coloring, mixing well at slow speed until blended.

Combine buttermilk and baking soda. Mix well; add to oil-sugar mixture alternately with dry ingredients. Add vanilla. Mix well.

Spoon into two prepared 9 inch round cake pans.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. After cooling, remove cake from pans and place on a baking rack. Place racks over dinner plate or tray to catch drips from glaze.

Glaze: Combine milk and sugar in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Spoon mixture evenly on each layer. After glazing, put one cake on top of the the other to make a 2 tiered cake.

To make frosting, combine cream cheese, butter, confectioner's sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Frost entire cake. Serve at room temperature. Keep refrigerated after serving.

Enjoy! It is delicious, moist and a real crowd pleaser!!

Ay Mama!

2010-08-04T13:46:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a woman named, Nina Goyco, who is a Chicago Now blogger for Ay Mama! She wrote about "A Blending of Bittersweet Memories" on her blog today and shared her story and recipe. Her story is sweet, heartwarming and just makes you feel good! She shares about her Abuelo and his cookies. You must check this one out! The link is:

Aunt Bernice's Fudge

2010-08-02T07:11:00.000-07:00

Today is my first blog on a storecipe of the week! I have chosen Barbara Lawrence from Orlando, Florida to be the submission of the week. I love fudge, especially in the summers! I used to go to over night camp in Eagle River, Wisconsin and we would get to go into town for a treat only once every 2 weeks. I always went straight to Tremblay's Sweet Shop (www.tremblaysweetshop.com). They had the best homemade fudge that you could smell from a mile away and I just ate it up! Whenever I smell or taste fudge today, I think of my childhood. Here is Barbara's favorite story about fudge along with her Aunt Bernice's Recipe. I made it below for you to see. Enjoy!

FUDGE......Ahhhhhhthe memories! My Aunt Bernice, or affectionately called Auntie B-C, made the creamiest, most mouth watering, absolutely fantastic fudge that I have ever tasted in my entire life time. So good, in fact, that when we got the call that fudge was ready, my cousin Bud and I would always fight over who got the largest package to take home! The laughs were contagious and sometimes it was more a show of fighting to get my aunt and uncle laughing too. Auntie B-C measured and re-measured everything, then she got my uncle to stir, and stir and stir and stir. She didn't want a single granule of sugar undissolved. And when it came to cutting it into squares, she had my uncle use a ruler so it always looked perfect. But who spent time looking at it? Not me! My memories of this wonderful confectionery date back to the 50's and now my daughter makes this magical tasty treat and I do the cutting! And, I don't have to fight with my cousin over who has the most! He makes it himself too!

The Thoughts:
4 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/3 stick butter
12 oz. can evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
18 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
7 oz. jar Marshmellow Creme
2 cups chopped nuts (optional)

Putting the Memory Together:
Line a 13x9 pan w/ wax paper, extending the ends about 6". Generously butter and set aside. In a large pot with a heavy bottom, mix the butter, sugar, milk and vanilla. Bring to a full boil. Reduce heat and stir constantly, cook for 10 minutes (DO NOT LET IT SCORCH!) Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips to sugar mixture. Stir until melted. (DO NOT turn heat on) Add Marshmellow Creme and stir until melted. (DO NOT turn heat on) In the same pot, use an electric mixer and whip for 10 plus minutes (DO NOT turn heat on). Pour into prepared pan and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. At this time, you can add nuts to fudge before putting in the refrigerator. To serve, turn pan upside down onto a cutting board surface and remove wax paper. Cut into 1" squares. (Hint: keep dipping sharp knife into a glass of ice water) If fudge gets too warm, it will not cut well. Refrigerate and continue to cut after it hardens again. Place one or two cut pieces of fudge in individual small paper holders for storage and to serve.
The Ingrediants

The Sugar Mixture beginning to boil

Whip the sugar mixture, chocolate chips, and marshmallows

Putting it in the refrigerator for 6 hours

The Finished Product... Enjoy!

Storecipe of the Week

2010-07-26T13:05:00.001-07:00

Hi All! I hope you had a great weekend! I can't believe that it is the last week in July. This summer is going by way to fast. I have decided to feature a different storecipe (story and recipe) each week. These storecipes will consist of submissions for the book that have an easy and delicious recipe along with a touching story. I will also have photos for everyone to see each step of the cooking process. So, if you have any submissions and would like to be featured on the blog, please send them to contact@bittersweet-memories.com or submit through the website at www.bittersweet-memories.com. I can't wait to start a new branch of the Bittersweet Memories.
Just to keep everyone updated, we are still working on the book and doing a ton of editing on all of the touching submissions. We will be collecting submissions through the end of November. Please try and get them in sooner rather than later as we have a deadline to meet!

Chicago Now Ay Mama

2010-07-12T12:17:00.000-07:00

Today, I received an email from a woman named, Nina Goyco. Nina is a Chicago Now blogger for Ay Mama! She is interested in submitting to "A Blending of Bittersweet Memories" and will blog about it within the next few weeks so keep a look out! Her link is:

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/ay-mama

She writes fun and cute blogs that, like Bittersweet Memories, links recipes to personal stories. What I love about her recipes is that they are so easy to follow. Nina gives a step by step picture guide of how to make recipes. Her finished products are masterpieces, but what would normally seem difficult to make becomes very doable with her photos! Here are some that you should try!

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/ay-mama/2010/04/the-sound-of-music-obsession.html

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/ay-mama/2010/02/twilight-spell.html

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/ay-mama/2010/06/when-i-was-pregnant-i.html

Enjoy!

Who doesn't love to eat Organic, Healthy and Delicious?

2010-06-14T16:16:00.001-07:00

I have recently leaned of two great food websites that focus on healthy and organic eating. The first is Elana's Pantry. Elana is woman who formed ecosav, an environmental consulting firm, specializing in recycling. She studied ayurvedic cooking and decided to take her cooking to the next level when she and her son were diagnosed with celiac disease. Celiac disease is an inherited autoimmune disorder triggered by eating gluten. Elana's cooking took on an entirely new dimension as her family was now on a gluten-free diet. She needed to make gluten-free foods that tasted like regular food so that her family would enjoy it. Elana has developed a blog which then led her to publish a book called "The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook". It is fabulous and so is her website which sends out emails with new and creative gluten free, healthy recipes. Check it out! You will not be disappointed!

The second great website was just launched and is called Real Mom's Love to Eat. The Real Moms Love to Eat website is about foods that help real moms live and love life. Beth Aldrich, the founder of the site and soon to be book, says that Real Moms need to take good care of themselves if they want to take good care of their families, without sacrificing the joys of life. She founded this project to encourage moms to focus on their health and happiness, both equally important. The website shares great food ideas, recipes and tips.

Check out these two websites to help you become a stronger, happier, and healthier you!

Pioneer Press

2010-05-27T07:21:00.001-07:00

Check out the article on "A Blending of Bittersweet Memories" in Pioneer Press (North Shore Suburban Newspaper of Chicago): http://www.pioneerlocal.com/pioneerpress/2316438,pioneer-press-bittersweet-052710-s1.article

Bittersweet Memories: Cookbook to Memorialize Loved One's Cuisine
By Veronice Hinke

The perfect mix of ingredients might not win your lost loved one's recipe a page in Emily Israel Hoffman's cookbook. But telling a heart-tugging or uplifting story connected to the recipe might do the trick. "I'm not trying to make this a chef's cookbook," Hoffman said of her work-in-progress. It's titled A Blending of Bittersweet Memories.

The tale's the thing
Recipe submissions, all of which Hoffman will test prior to approval, can be as simple as one of the desserts she's already accepted. It requires only three ingredients: Whipped cream, cherry pie filling and chopped nuts.

In her quest for 100 suitable entries, Hoffman has already logged tales as colorful as a banana cream pie that ignited a family food fight.

Good writing skills aren't necessary for getting into her cookbook, either. Hoffman's tapped a ghost writer to accommodate prose-impaired foodies.

Anecdote worthy
Northbrook resident Leslie Kolber has already made it into the cookbook. Kolber heard about Hoffman's project through a friend, and immediately thought of her late grandmother-in-law, former Wilmette resident Rose Kolber. "She accepted me as one of her own granddaughters. She basically taught me how to cook," Kolber said. "She'd be over the moon to know that her recipe (for plumb chicken with dirty rice) will be in the cookbook."

Rose's story, of course, will also be told. "She cooked from instinct. She never had a recipe, she just had a list of ingredients in her head. When I'd want a recipe, and ask her for amounts, she'd say 'just a little,'" Kolber said. She resorted to following Rose around with a pen and paper -- jotting down amounts to record exactly how much "just a little" was. "I was always a recipe follower. Now I cook from instinct, just like she did."

Remembering mom
Like Kolber, Hoffman said the project has helped her grieve. The cookbook seemed a fitting way to memorialize her mother, Renee Israel, a cookbook author who passed away in January 2006 after a long battle with breast cancer. "She loved to cook," Hoffman said. "She was always cooking."

The book, which Hoffman expects to have completed by the beginning of next year, will be divided into four or five chapters based on phases of grieving, such as honoring rituals. "Cooking is very ritualistic," Hoffman said. "Traditions have a way of bringing memories back."

It was one of her mother's traditions, after all, that sparked inspiration for the cookbook. She thought of it while she was serving her new husband Monday night spaghetti last fall in their new home in Chicago's River North neighborhood. "It hit me like a ton of bricks," Hoffman said. The spaghetti Bolognese she had made was typical of Monday night dinners her mother prepared for Hoffman and her father and two siblings while she raised the family in Deerfield. Hoffman noted that her sauce, so close to her mother's in smell and taste, even contained her mother's secret tomato sauce enhancement: a dash of sugar to make it a little sweet.

Her mother also threw a shot of sugar (about two tablespoons) into tomato sauce when she made summer squash casserole. It's a simple, healthy recipe she paired with chicken, steak or fish. "It's an every night dish," Hoffman said. "It's a great way to get kids to eat vegetables, because it looks like pizza." Sometimes, the dish was awarded a spot on the family's Memorial Day picnic table.

Submit recipes
Recipes and stories may be submitted online at www.Bittersweet-Memories.com, or mailed to P.O. Box 10936 Chicago, IL 60610

Renee Israel's Summer Squash Casserole
8 summer squash, washed and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
3 C tomato sauce
3 onions, sliced
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 T sugar
1/4 C olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium sauce pan, saute onions in oil until translucent. Set aside.

Grease a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Lay squash in baking dish. Sprinkle onions on top of squash. Pour tomato sauce on top of onions. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Top with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Autumn Green Wright Campus - Chevy Equinox

2010-05-22T09:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I went to Autumn Green Wright Campus. It was a really nice afternoon. I had the chance to talk with many excited residents. They all had such incredible memories to share. Some of them had a hard time remembering the recipe that goes along with the memory. They said that since they don't cook anymore, they don't have all of their cookbooks. Also, a lot of the recipes were done by eyeballing and they can't remember exact amounts. That has been the tricky part about this project. It was so nice getting the chance to sit and just talk with the residents. I love what I do.

A girl named, Ashley, from Edelman (PR Firm representing Chevy) came yesterday too. She took lots of pictures and a video of me talking about my project and how Chevy has helped me to complete my mission. All of those pictures and comments will be on their twitter, facebook and blog, so check it out!!
Twitter: @ChevyMissions
Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/chevrolet.
Chevy's Blog: http://www.chevymissions.posterous.com.

Here are some pictures:

Doing the cooking demonstration

Talking and taking pictures with some of the residents

Me in front of the Chevy Equinox

Autumn Green Midway Village & Chevy Equinox

2010-05-19T15:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to Autumn Green at Midway Village (Senior Lifestyle Corporation) for another cooking demonstration and to get stories/recipes from the residents. It was so much fun! We heard lovely stories. I got great recipes on how to dress a turkey with corn bread and how to make oysters! The staff and residents were so nice and friendly.

Chevy switched cars with me yesterday. They took the Traverse back and gave me and Equinox for the next week to do some more of the demonstrations. I am obsessed with their cars!!! The Equinox has real time traffic information. I was on the highway and it said "In 1.5 miles, there is stop and go traffic for 3/4 miles". It was exactly right! I am loving Chevy's Your Mission, Our Drive promotion!

Pictures from yesterday are below!

Me in the Chevy Equinox

Some of the residents who attended the cooking demonstration

Talking with the residents and doing to demonstration

Lake Barrington Woods Assisted Living Home

2010-05-17T14:31:00.000-07:00

Today, I drove in the Chevy Traverse to Lake Barrington Woods Assisted Living Home. It was absolutely amazing. The staff and residents were so attentive and so excited to share their favorite memories and recipes from their lost loved ones. I made the berry crisp (recipe in past blogs) and then had a chance to sit down and get everyone else's stories. The stories keep on getting better and better!!

I would like to thank Chevy for letting me drive the amazing Traverse. It is an incredible car with OnStar navigation, hands free phones, and a back up camera in the rear view mirror. It has been a pleasure driving it and I would definitely recommend buying one!

Also, I would like to thank the staff at Lake Barrington Woods (22320 Classic Court in Lake Barrington, IL) for allowing me and my publicist's, Annie and Kassy, to come and talk with their residents. To see pictures from today's event, see below.

On Wednesday (May 19th), we are going to
Autumn Green at Midway Village
6700 S. Keating Ave. in Chicago, IL at 2 pm

On Friday (May 21st), we are going to
Autumn Green at Wright Campus
4239 N. Oak Park Ave. in Chicago, IL at 2 pm

On Tuesday (May 25th), we are going to
The Breakers at Edgewater Beach
5333 N. Sheridan Road in Chicago, IL at 1 pm

You are all welcome to come out and see the cooking demonstrations!!

Taking and performing the cooking demonstration

The residents of Lake Barrington Woods

Me in front of the amazing display that they set up for the demonstration

Lincolnwood Place and Chevy Traverse

2010-05-11T13:36:00.000-07:00

Today, I went to Lincolnwood Place which is located at 7000 N. McCormick Blvd. in Lincolnwood, IL. Lincolnwood Place is a part of Senior Lifestyle Corporation.

Since 1985 Senior Lifestyle Corporation has created premier residential communities with innovative programs that help seniors enjoy healthier, more fulfilling lives. Today, they are one of the nation's leading senior living specialists – and one of the only companies offering independent living for every economic level, from luxury to mid-market to affordable. To learn more about Senior Lifestyle Corporation, go to: http://www.seniorlifestyle.com.

I was fortunate enough to have been able to drive the Chevy Traverse, given to me by Chevy for their Your Mission, Our Drive Project. To view photos from today's event, see below.

I had so much fun driving the awesome Chevy Traverse, performing the cooking demonstration, and talking with the residents and getting their stories and recipes for the book! All in all, it was a wonderful day!

Chevy Traverse

Cooking Demo at Lincolnwood Place

Chevrolet Your Mission. Our Drive. "Do Good" Project

2010-05-10T14:04:00.000-07:00

Illinois Chevy has a new philanthropic project called: Your Mission. Our Drive. The idea is simple: If you have a volunteer project that requires wheels to complete your mission, Chevy would like to loan you some.

Chevrolet will support 25 local missions through short-term vehicle loans. Chevy will work with you to identify resources to "drive" your Mission forward. Bittersweet Memories was selected to drive Chevy's cars to assisted living homes and perform cooking demonstrations as well as getting submissions for the book! I am so honored to have been picked and to be partnering with such an incredible company.

I will post pictures tomorrow of me, in my Chevy Traverse, on my way to Lincolnwood Place. Lincolnwood Place, a part of Senior Lifestyle Corporation, is located at 7000 N. McCormick Boulevard in Lincolnwood, IL. 60712. The demonstration begins at 1 pm and is open to the public! I hope to see you all there!!

Follow @ChevyMissions on Twitter (twitter.com/chevymissions): Be the first to get the latest news about statewide volunteer opportunities, Mission launches and more.

Illinois residents can learn more about Chevy Missions and apply for their own Mission on the Chevrolet Fan Page on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/chevrolet.

To read a recap of each Mission on Chevy's blog, go to http://www.chevymissions.posterous.com.

Join the conversation at http://bit.ly/ILChevyMissions. Get ideas, peer support and more at the Illinois Chevy Missions wall. Find mission applications and program details.

Thanks, Chevy!!!

Orlando Sun Sentinel, Chicago Tribune & Zion News

2010-05-07T06:56:00.001-07:00

Heidi Stevens, from the Chicago Tribune, has written an article about me and "A Blending of Bittersweet Memories". To view the article, please click on the link below. The article will be out on Mother's Day in the Chicago Tribune as well as in a bunch of other papers that the Tribune owns around the country! Be sure to get a copy and submit your bittersweet memory at www.bittersweet-memories.com.

Also, I would like to thank Terry Petrani, Kaija DeWitt, and Laurie Loef for their comments and participating in my project and the newspaper! It's people, like the 3 of you, that make this project so special.

Below are two additional links to the Lake County News Sun and ZB Guide. These articles are from the cooking demo that I did on Tuesday May 4th at Barton Healthcare.

Happy Mother's Day weekend!

Web site collects recipes and memories - OrlandoSentinel.com

Posted using ShareThis

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/family/sc-fam-0429-recipe-honor-20100429,0,1083026.story

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/lifestyles/2241126,5_1_WA06_BITTERSW_S1-100506.article

http://www.zbguide.com/

Cooking Demo at Barton Healthcare

2010-05-04T08:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I went to Barton Healthcare in Zion, Illinois. I made a triple berry crisp prepared 3 different ways for entertaining! After I prepare the demo, my ghost writer, Molly, publicist, Annie, and I are going to be sitting and talking with each of the residents to get their favorite memory/story and recipe from their lost loved ones. We each heard some beautiful and incredible stories. We met one woman who was 100 years old and her parents were Polish Royalty. Another woman, who was 92 years old, used to pick mangos off of her mango tree in Cuba and bring them in the house for her mother to make fresh desserts with. Then there was a woman, who lived through the depression, whose family owned goats and the kids would milk the goats for the mother to make homemade ice-cream. And finally, we met a woman who grew up on a farm and her mother would make homemade pasta by laying sheets of pasta on the backs of chairs to let the pasta dry out.

All of the stories were filled with so much detail and history. Getting these stories made me so proud of what I am doing. If we don't write these stories and recipes down, the will inevitably, be forgotten when our loved ones pass away. Also, I have really believe that food tastes so much different when there is history behind it. For example, when I make my mother's spaghetti bolognese, it reminds me of her and the times that we shared together. I can visually see her making the sauce and working hard to make the pasta delicious. That always made it taste amazing because it was made with love. I remember grocery shopping, sitting in the kitchen and talking while cooking, setting the table, and having dinner with the whole family. When you go to a restaurant and order spaghetti bolognese, it usually tastes delicious too but you don't know the history of the food and how the recipe came about. These stories have changed the way that I view food.

I would like to say a special thanks to Molly, Annie and Sarah from Zapwater and the whole community at Barton Senior Residences of Zion. Barton offers individuals 65+ an affordable assisted living option that promotes a lifestyle of active independence. With unsurpassed services and amenities including private apartments, restaurant-style dining for three meals a day and full activity program to engage each resident and their individual interests, Barton Senior Residences of Zion provides seniors with a comfortable and secure place to call home. Barton Senior Residences of Zion is located at 3500 Sheridan Road in Zion, Illinois.

Pictures:

Ingredients for Topping

Mixed Berries

Pretty ways to serve at a summer BBQ

Residents at Barton who attended the demo

87 Year Old Woman Named Rose

2010-04-30T16:36:00.000-07:00

My cousin just sent me a link to an article written about an 87 year old woman named Rose. Rose went back to college at 87 years old to learn, have fun, and meet new people. She had some great advice that I thought I would share. As we know too well, life is short!

"We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.

There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.

We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!

There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.

If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.

Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets".

The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with

regrets."

Thanks Rose for making me realize that I shouldn't take life for granted. Everyone, have FUN this weekend and do something different!!

Do you have an aha moment?

2010-04-23T09:27:00.000-07:00

Mutual of Omaha is the proud sponsor of life's aha moments. They are looking for people to submit their aha moments at: http://www.ahamoment.com/

What is an aha moment?
"A moment of clarity, the aha moment is a defining moment where you gain real wisdom - wisdom you can use to change your life." (www.ahamoment.com)

What is your aha moment?

I submited my aha moment to the website at: http://www.ahamoment.com/pg/moments/view/9906
To read my aha moment, see below.

Food is often said to be “the way to a man’s stomach,” but for me, Emily, food is a way to celebrate life. On January 23, 2006, my mother, Renee (56), lost her life to a long, hard-fought battle against breast cancer. In addition to being the life of the party, whose smile, laughter, and joy spread sunshine to all those she met, she was also a fabulous cook. During her lifetime, my mom created two cookbooks titled “Whip Me, Beat Me, Eat Me.” The origin of the books started in my mother's kitchen where she would cook dinner Monday through Thursday for our family. Every Sunday night, she would prepare a multiple course home cooked meal for the family, often leading to many guests, friends, and neighbors coming to share in the meal. She also looked at food as a way to share community, and spread comfort and joy to others.

With my mom gone, I've struggled like so many others to move on from losing a loved one. But, in the darkest hours, I found comfort in her food. After meeting so many others that have lost loved ones, and while cooking dinner one night for my husband, I realized that so many people have found comfort through food. The sense of smell, memories and feelings that come back bring up so many emotions, and I wanted to do something with that.

With that said, I decided to walk in my mother’s footsteps by creating a cookbook (but not just any cookbook). One that honors memories and recipes of lost loved ones. I decided that if this helped me, it had to have helped a lot more people and I wanted to hear their stories. I am in the process of putting together a book filled with stories and recipes from people all across the country and of every race, gender, culture and age. These recipes will then be turned into a cookbook titled, “A Blending of Bittersweet Memories.”

The book will highlight the recipes and stories of people that have lost loved ones, the lessons they’ve learned, and the food and recipes of those that have passed on. I created a web site for people to visit www.bittersweet-memories.com to share their recipes and stories(stories just need to be 500 words, with recipe directions). A portion from the proceeds from the book will benefit a breast cancer charity.

In my aha moment, cooking a recipe of my moms for my new husband, I decided to dedicate my life to my mother's memory and help people grieve through smell and food. I honestly hope to give them comfort, as this whole process has given me some.

North Shore Magazine - May 2010

2010-04-20T11:22:00.000-07:00

North Shore Magazine did a feature on "A Blending of Bittersweet Memories" in their May 2010 issue. It is on page 10 and is a lovely article written by Jeff Cockrell. I would like to thank Jeff for the beautifully written piece.
Click on the above image to make it bigger to read.

20 Things To Know When Someone is Greiving

2010-04-20T11:09:00.000-07:00

"20 Things To Know When Someone is Greiving" is going to be a book by Alicia King. It is a book about grief. A collection of what to do and say when you don't know where to start. Full of beautiful ways to honor someone's memory or reach out to someone who is suffering a loss. The book shares ideas for what to say, how to help, ways to pay tribute, and what NEVER to say to someone who is grieving.
Alicia just got a book deal with Turner Publishing's Trade Paper Press. Her book will be part of their Good Things To Know series and will be out by Christmas 2010. She recently featured "A Blending of Bittersweet Memories" in her blog.
To learn more about Alicia and things to know when grieiving, check out her blog and twitter page at:

http://dosanddontsofgrief.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/thegrieflady

And, I may be quoted in the book ;)

Below is something that I shared with Alicia. It is an after loss credo that one of my mother's friends gave to me after she passed. It really hit me and I thought it explained perfectly how I felt. I pass it on when the devastating loss of a loved one occurs.

The After Loss Credo
I need to talk about my loss.
I may often need to tell you what happened
Or ask you why it happened
Each time I discuss my loss, I am helping myself face the reality of the death of my loved one.

I need to know that you care about me.
I need to feel your touch, your hugs.
I need you just to be with me.
(And I need to be with you.)
I need to know that you believe in me
And in my own ability to get through my grief
In my own way. (And in my own time.)

Please don’t judge me now-
Or think that I’m behaving strangely.
Remember I’m grieving.
I may even be in shock.
I may feel afraid. I may feel deep rage.
I may even feel guilty. But above all, I hurt.
I’m experiencing pain unlike any I’ve ever felt before.
Don’t worry if you think I’m getting better
And then suddenly I seem to slip backward.
Grief makes me behave this way at times.
And please don’t tell me you “know how I feel.”
Or that it’s time for me to get on with my life.
(I’m probably saying that to myself.)

What I need now is time to grieve and recover.
Most of all, thank you for being my friend.
Thank you for your patience.
Thank you for caring.
Thank you for helping, for understanding.
Thank you for praying for me.

And remember, in the days or years ahead,
After your loss – when you need me
As I have needed you – I will understand.
And then I will come and be with you.

Barbara Hills LesStrang

Senior Lifestyle Corporation & Barton Healthcare

2010-04-09T10:25:00.000-07:00

Great News!! I am going to do cooking demonstations at 6 senior assisted living homes in May. Five of them will be at Senior Lifestyle Corpoation communities and 1 will be at Barton Heathcare. At these events, I will be cooking one of my favorite dishes and then talking with the residents and getting their bittersweet memories of their lost loved ones! I am so excited to sit and and listen to their favorite stories and recipes. Here is the schedule:

Tuesday May 4th
Barton Healthcare in Zion, IL
*not open to public

Tuesday May 11th
Lincolnwood Place in Lincolnwood, IL

Monday May 17th
Lake Barrington Woods in Lake Barrington, IL

Wednesday May 19th
Autumn Green at Midway Village in Chicago, IL

Friday May 21st
Autumn Green at Wright Campus in Chicago, IL

Tuesday May 25th
The Breakers at Edgewater Beach in Chicago, IL

Some of these are opened to the public. Please feel free to come and watch me do a cooking demonstration. And remember, bring your favorite bittersweet memory and recipe!!!

Pioneer Press- North Shore Suburban Newspaper

2010-04-07T14:20:00.000-07:00

Today I had an interview and photo shoot with the Pioneer Press. The Pioneer Press is the newspaper for the North Shore suburbs of Chicago. I featured a dish called Summer Squash Casserole. The article will be availabe in print and online on Thursday May, 27th.
Here is the recipe for the dish! It is delicious, easy, and a great compliment to any summer BBQ entree.

Summer Squash
8 summer squash, washed and cut into 1/2 inch rounds
3 cups of tomato sauce
3 onions, sliced
Fresh grated parmesan cheese
2 T. sugar
1/4 c. olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In medium saucepan, saute onions in oil until translucent. Set aside.
Grease a 9" x 13" baking dish.
Lay squash in baking dish. Sprinkle onions on top of squash.
Pour tomato sauce on top of onions. Sprinkle with 2 Tablespoons of sugar.
Top off with parmesan cheese.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Serve and enjoy!

"View From The Bay" Video Clip

2010-04-02T18:21:00.000-07:00

The TV segment went great! Spencer and Lisa, the co-hosts of "View From The Bay" ABC-TV San Francisco, were a pleasure to meet and to host the segment. I had so much fun! Please watch the video link below!!

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=7364906§ion=view_from_the_bay

allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"
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San Francisco "The View From The Bay"

2010-04-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

I am in San Francisco and having the best time!! My sister, Jamie, is here with me and has been an incredible help. Along with Jamie, my publicist, Annie is helping out! Last night, we had dinner at Salt House (American cuisine). It was delicious and so adorable inside. Today, we went to the supermarket and bought all of the ingredients for tomorrows TV segment. We prepared the food and got completely organized. After we were all set up, we went and had lunch at Mocca. This restaurant was amazing!! It reminded me of a little place in Europe. They had tons of different kinds of salads, soups and sandwiches. It was delicious and I definitely recommend going there. Tonight, my husband, D.J., gets into town and we are all going to Paul K which is supposed to be fabulous mediterranean food. I am in love with this city and the Union Square area. The streets remind me of Soho in NY. They are unassuming streets with Chanel, Hermes, Ralph Lauren, Neiman Marcus, Barneys, Saks, etc. We are having the best time walking around and people watching.
Enough about the city and on to business! We are here because tomorrow, Friday, April 2nd I am going to be on TV doing a cooking segment from 3-4 pm on "The View From The Bay" -ABC TV. I am going to be asking people to send in their submissions and preparing 3 delicious dishes! The Plum Chicken and Rice and Bean Casserole were submitted to me from Leslie Kolber. Her story is absolutely adorable but you will have to buy the book to hear it! The Taffy Apple Salad was one of my mother's famous snacks for the summer.
Here are the recipes for tomorrow's dishes:

Plum Chicken

2 Chickens cut up into parts

1 tsp. Garlic Salt

¼ tsp. Pepper

1 (12 oz.) jar of Plum Jelly

1/3 C. Brown Sugar

1/3 C. Soy Sauce

2 T. Lemon Juice

1/3 C. Dry Sherry

1 Onion, sliced

Bring Pepper, Plum Jelly, Brown Sugar, Soy Sauce, Lemon Juice, and Dry Sherry to a boil. Season Chicken with Garlic Salt. Put sliced onions across the bottom of a large pan (9” x 13”), top with Chicken. Pour the boiled ingredients over the chicken and bake at 350˚ for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Baste Chicken frequently.

Serve with Bean and Rice Casserole

1 (16 oz.) package of fresh sliced mushrooms

1 large Onion

1 stick Butter

1 (15 oz.) can Black Beans

2 C. Chicken Broth
Chop mushrooms and onions into small pieces. Place the stick of butter in pan and saute onions until sweating and opaque. Add mushrooms and sauté until onions are brown and mushrooms are cooked through. Set aside.

Prepare rice according to package. Use chicken broth instead of water to cook the rice. Rinse and drain black beans. When rice is complete, add the black beans, onions, and mushrooms. Mix together and put into a dish. Let sit at room temperature. During the last 30 minutes that the chicken is cooking, put the rice dish in and reheat.

Taffy Apple Salad

1 lg. can Pineapple Chunks, drained, save juice

2 c. Mini Marshmallows

½ c. Sugar

1 T. Flour

1 ½ T. White Vinegar

1 (8 oz.) ctn. Cool Whip

2 c. chopped unpeeled Apples, green and red

1 Egg

Mix pineapple and marshmallows and refrigerate overnight. Mix juice from pineapple, flour, sugar, vinegar and egg. Cook in saucepan until thick. Refrigerate sauce overnight as well. The next day, mix in cool whip and apples. *Option – Can add 1 ½ c. of Planters Cocktail Peanuts. Mix well and enjoy!

As soon as I get the link from the station, I will post it.

Book Proposal

2010-03-23T18:27:00.001-07:00

It's been 3 long months of preparing the book proposal. After countless recipes cooked, tons of stories edited, writing a cover letter, table of contents, chapter by chapter summary, and completing a sample chapter, the 45 page proposals are in the mail! I sent out 10 today; 9 to literary agents and 1 to a publisher. I'm so excited to receive feedback and to hopefully have someone want to pitch the book!
Now, all I need are more fabulous submissions! Please forward www.bittersweet-memories.com onto your friends, family, and coworkers and ask them to submit their favorite storecipes of lost loved ones!

WTMJ-ABC Channel 4 Milwaukee Clip

2010-03-16T15:18:00.000-07:00

Hi! Below is a link to the Milwaukee morning show interview that I did on Sunday March 7th, 2010.
Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/zapwater#p/u/6/1e_nqc6aY_s

Cooking Recipes for the Book

2010-03-15T18:50:00.000-07:00

What an amazing weekend! When I receive submissions that have touching stories, I make the recipes to make sure that the directions are correct. This weekend I made potato salad, pecan sandies, carrot cake, donuts, taffy apple salad, brownies, chocolate snowballs, holiday cheese danishes, homemade chocolate pudding, three layer chili cheese dip, cherry cool whip dessert, and chili! WOW!! It was absolutely amazing! The recipes were delicious. The one that was the most fun for me to make were the donuts. I have never made them before and it was so cool to see the batter being deep fried. They were incredible!! I'm having a blast testing all of your recipes, so, keep them coming!

Daily Kos' "The Grieving Room"

2010-03-08T18:06:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited, tonight I am being featured on Daily Kos' "The Grieving Room." Go to http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/3/8/844030/-Bittersweet-Memories to see the post live and make a comment.
If you cannot make it on tonight, here is what a copy of the blog:

As a kid, I used to love to watch my mom cook. I would bring my homework into the kitchen and work on my multiplication tables while watching her effortlessly chop vegetables, beat eggs, and scribble notes on scratch paper. Occasionally she’d ask for my help in a small task (adding a teaspoon of salt, or stirring in a cup of cream) and I would burst with excitement, thrilled to contribute to our family dinner. As I grew up, I became my mother’s sous chef, helping to create the menu, shop for groceries and assemble the dishes, all under the watchful eye of my mother. At an early age I discovered the joy of cooking, and learned to delight in feeding friends and family. Truthfully, I can credit my mother with every last bit of my cooking and hospitality knowledge.

While I helped my mom prepare dinner almost every night of the week, Sundays were my favorite. Every Sunday night she would cook dinner for up to 50 of our friends and family, who would gather around our large dining room table, filling our home with love and laughter. With the help of these beloved family and friends, my mother, Renée Israel, created two cookbooks, both entitled Whip Me, Beat Me, Eat Me, which were collections of favorite recipes, including many of her Sunday night staples.

In addition to her culinary skills, my mother was many other things: a loving mom, a devoted wife, a friend to everyone she met and a joy to be around. In short, she was my best friend, my hero.

Then in 2001, when I was a freshman in college, my mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer.

I left school, moving home to help my mother and quickly becoming her right hand. I slept in the hospital during visits, drove her to complete her errands. As the disease progressed, our roles flipped: I bathed my mother, dressed her, and stepped in to the kitchen to helm not only nightly family meals, but Sunday dinners as well. As I worked in the kitchen, churning out spinach pie and lasagna, my mom sat in her bed, instructing me and answering questions through the phone. Even at the end of her life, when she couldn’t leave her room to join the meal, just knowing that our home was full of love filled her with peace.

In January 2006, my mother lost her long hard fought battle with breast cancer.

While the day of her death was the single hardest day of my life, I’ve found that my grief has been a constantly evolving journey. Even now, four years later, in addition to missing her so much I can hardly breathe at times, I’m confronted with her absence on a daily basis. What does it mean not to have a mother in your life? Who helps plan your wedding? Who answers questions about raising kids? Who do you call for a cooking question, or when you’re having a dilemma, or when you just need to hear the right words? All of those questions continue to stump me.

There’s no emotion that rivals the intensity of grieving a loved one. It’s unfathomably depressing, and ebbs and flows from getting easier to being harder to handle, depending on the day. After losing my mother, I had to find a purpose, and a healthy way to handle my overwhelming grief. One day, craving her spaghetti, I pulled out her recipe box and began to cook. Instantly, I found the comforting smells, the familiar tastes and the almost routine movements intensely comforting, and I felt powerfully connected to her, as memories flooded my mind. I began to turn to cooking as a way to connect to my mother—and it’s not just me. Her recipes bring our family together, too. My sisters and I love to sit around the kitchen, eating our favorite foods and sharing our favorite memories—complete with tears of laughter, joy and sadness. My mother would have loved that.

In honor of my mother, and everyone who has lost someone near and dear to their heart, I am working on a cookbook of my own. Entitled A Blending of Bittersweet Memories, the book will focus on recipes that go hand in hand with a memory of a lost loved one. As grief is an emotion that unites us all, I’m asking people around the globe to send in their favorite recipes along with their “bittersweet memories.” My goal is a cookbook that preserves not only family recipes but remembers our departed loved ones indefinitely.

Please go to www.bittersweet-memories.com to share your favorite memories and recipes!

NBC Milwaukee

2010-03-08T18:01:00.000-08:00

Hi! Yesterday, Sunday March 7th, I was on NBC Milwaukee doing an interview about the book. I was talking about the book and telling people how they can submit. It was so much fun and the studio was really nice! As soon as I get the link to the video, I will post it!

WGN Midday News Clip

2010-02-24T13:03:00.000-08:00

WGN Midday News

2010-02-23T17:37:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow February 24th, during the 12 noon lunch hour, I will be featured on the WGN midday news. I will be doing another cooking segment and talking about the book. Tomorrow, I will be making an overnight omelet and a berry crisp. They are both delicious and great to serve at brunch! Please tune in! See you all tomorrow.... or actually you'll see me :)

Overnight Omelet
8 slices white bread without crusts
1 lb. grated cheddar cheese
8 eggs
1 tsp. salt
3 c. milk
¾ tsp. dry mustard
Dash cayenne pepper
Fresh sliced mushrooms, peppers, and green onions
OR you can use anything you want such as ham, bacon, sausage, or any vegetable

Butter each slice of bread and then cut into 1-inch cubes. Place in a 9 x 13-inch pan. Sprinkle cheese over bread. Top with layer of vegetables. Beat eggs, mil and spices together and then pour over pan. Refrigerate overnight or at least 6 hours. Bake, covered, at 350˚ for 1 hour. Uncover and bake until top is brown, about 5 minutes. Serves 8.

Triple Berry Crisp
2 baskets blueberries
2 baskets raspberries
2 baskets blackberries
½ C. sugar
2 T. tapioca, granulated

Topping:
2 sticks cold unsalted butter
½ C. light brown sugar
1 C. old-fashioned oatmeal
1 C. sugar
1 C. plus 2 T. flour
1 T. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350˚. Use a 9 x 13-inch pan. Mix berries, sugar and tapioca together and put into pan. Blend topping until it forms a crumble mixture. Spread over top. Bake 40 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

ABC 7 Morning News 2/21/10 with Stacey Baca

2010-02-21T08:33:00.000-08:00

Today was so much fun! I was featured on ABC 7 Chicago doing a cooking segment and promoting the book. I made turkey stuffed peppers. Here is the recipe and clip:

Stuffed Peppers
6 peppers, colors of your choice
1 lb. extra lean ground turkey
1 zucchini
8 oz. of mushrooms
½ yellow onion
1 clove of garlic
3 slices of potato bread
olive oil
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper

1. Cut tops off of peppers and set tops aside. Clean out seeds from inside of the peppers.
2. Chop in food processor: zucchini, mushrooms, onion, garlic, and potato bread.
3. Mix above mixture with ground turkey. Add salt and pepper.
4. Scoop complete mixture into peppers and drizzle olive oil on top of each pepper. Place tops back on the peppers.
5. Add ½ cup of water to bottom of baking dish.
6. Bake in oven at 350˚ for 1 hour.

Serve with rice and side salad.
Serves 6.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=resources&id=7285333

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Set Your TiVo's

2010-02-18T15:47:00.000-08:00

Set Your TiVo's! I am going to be on TV promoting A Blending of Bittersweet Memories. I am so excited. This is my first time being interviewed live! I hope that the segments will help to bring in many more recipe and story submissions. In order to go to publishing, we need to have at least 200 more recipes, so get writing! Please forward the website link to all of your family and friends.
TV Schedule:
Sunday, February 21st, at 8 am on ABC 7 Chicago - Interview and Cooking Segment
Wednesday, February 24th, at 12 noon on WGN 9 - Interview and Cooking Segment
Sunday, March 7th, at 8:50 am on NBC Milwaukee - Interview

Tune in and see what I am going to make!

Testing Your Recipes and Announcements

2010-02-12T17:24:00.000-08:00

I am having so much fun testing all of your recipes! I knew that when I started this project that I would have to make every recipe and make sure that they were edible and that the measurements were correct. I was so excited about the idea of getting to cook for my career. I have always loved cooking but it was always for pleasure, now I get to cook for "work" and pleasure. I absolutely LOVE my job!!
Last week, I made sugar cookies, banana bread, magic cookie bars, banana cream pie, stuffed peppers, plum chicken, and a kugel. Everything has been delicious and the recipe's are easy to understand and to follow. So far, my favorite things to make were the sugar cookies. I rarely ever pull out my rolling pin and use a cookie cutter to make the perfect cookie. I usually just make the "drop" cookies. This was a real treat and definitely worth it! They were pieces of heaven!

I have 2 announcements. First, I have switched PR companies and am now currently working with Zapwater Communications. They are wonderful and I think this will be a very exciting relationship! Second, Bittersweet Memories was featured in Chicago's Skyline. Please check it out, it's a lovely article. http://www.skylinenewspaper.com/News/In-The-Paper/02-10-2010/River_Norther_combines_memories_and_food

Submission Ideas and My First Video!

2010-02-03T20:15:00.000-08:00

Many people have told me that they would like some direction in what kind of memories to submit. We have decided to break the chapters down into positive things that happen when one is grieving. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross has created the 5 stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. They are stages that we all go through but they are so heavy. I have learned that while grieving is an intense subject, I feel that it can also have a positive effect on our lives. Send in your favorite bittersweet memories regarding family traditions and rituals, nurturing and comforting oneself along with others. If you have any questions or need help writing, please email me at emily@bittersweet-memories.com.

ALSO, my first video promoting the book is finally up for everyone to view!!! Please go to www.glossedandfound.com, click Chicago, then click on the video. Graham Kostic did a fantastic job of editing the video and getting the point across that we need submissions. So, get writing people!! :)

TOP CHEF

2010-01-26T18:58:00.001-08:00

Guess what? Today I received the wonderful news that Harold Dieterle, season 1 winner of Top Chef, has agreed to submit his bittersweet memory!! Not only has he won Top Chef, but, also has an amazing restaurant in New York's Greenwich Village called Perilla. I am so excited! Harold is the first celebrity chef to accept my invitation. Hopefully, there will be many more to come. I will keep you posted!

Glossed and Found

2010-01-22T14:39:00.000-08:00

Graham Kostic from Glossed and Found is absolutely amazing! Today, he came over to my house and we shot a video cooking segment! It was my first time doing a live interview and it went great. I was so nervous that I was literally shaking. He was so calming and fun to work with that he made me forget we were even on camera!
I decided to make something that would be fun to make and look pretty on TV. I will keep you posted on when the video is up on the internet!

Here is the recipe:
Breaded Chicken Breast in Garlic Wine Tomato Sauce
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Egg beaten
Bread Crumbs
Oil for frying
1 Cup White Cooking Wine
1 Cup Water
2 Large Tomatoes - chopped
1 Garlic Clove, crushed and chopped
1 Cup Chicken Broth
Several Sprigs of Fresh Parsley chopped
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Coat chicken with egg and then the bread crumbs. Heat oil in frying pan. Fry chicken until golden brown on both sides. Remove chicken from pan. Pour water and wine into pan and bring to a boil. Add tomatoes, garlic, broth, parsley, salt and pepper. Return chicken to sauce pan. Simmer until tender, about one hour.
Serve with rice or pasta and enjoy!

January

2010-01-18T10:47:00.000-08:00

Things that happen in January:
The weather is cold.
It is dark and gloomy all of the time.
The holidays are over.
The gym's are packed with people who are working on their New Year's resolutions.
The Golden Globes and Superbowl are aired.
It is my mother's 4 year anniversary of her passing.

Ever since 2006, January has become the most difficult month of the year for me. The entire month has a dark cloud over it. My mother passed away January 23rd. The date makes me sick to my stomach. I remember vividly every detail of her final days. The date has always had this power over me.
Last week, I was watching Oprah. Nate Berkus did a segment on grief with Paula Dean. In the segment, he talks about how he has let the dates go. Nate lost his partner in the Tsunami 5 years ago. He discussed how the "dates" of his birthday, holidays, and day that his partner passed had a hold over him. He decided to let the dates go and to remember when he chose to remember. I wish that I could let the date of January 23rd go and remember my mother when I choose to not when the calendar tells me to. It is a great piece of advice and I hope it helps some of you!

Cold Winter Nights

2010-01-13T16:11:00.000-08:00

Nights like these are the perfect evenings to sit by the fire place, read a great book, and eat a yummy hearty stew. I am currently reading "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. It is amazing!! Sorry, I digress. Anyways, tonight I am making beef stew. I have been cooking it for 5 hours already and the house smells delicious.
I remember being a kid and coming home from school to this smell. It is rich, filled with garlic and tomatoes. You can smell the freshness of the vegetables and beef stewing. I remember being called down to dinner and taking the first bite! Mmmmmm! I love the way the meat just melts in my mouth and the vegetables are so soft they just slide down. My mother used to make warm biscuits to serve with dinner. There was nothing better to warm me up on a cold winter night.
What is your favorite stew? I want to hear all about it! Submit it today at www.bittersweet-memories.com

Best of the Best

2010-01-12T10:13:00.000-08:00

Great News!! We have been featured in Best of Best Dining Chicago and The Examiner. I am so excited. Check them out at:
http://www.bestofthebestdiningchicago.com/
and
http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-496-Chicago-Restaurant-Examiner~y2010m1d6-Author-honors-loved-one-with-a-Cookbook

Also, this Friday the 15th, we will be featured on Claire Bidwell Smith's Blog, "Life in Chicago". Look for my new bittersweet memory story and Pepper Steak recipe at:
http://lifeinla.typepad.com/
Claire is so interesting to me. We have very similar stories about our mothers. They both passed away from cancer and were both excellent cooks. Also, we are both featuring them in our work. Claire is a grief counselor and is going to be giving me some expert opinions for the book! She is also an amazing writer who has been praised with the honor of one of the best blogs in the world by the Sydney Morning Herald and featured as a blog of the week by the San Francisco Chronicle. I'm so excited about developing our relationship and working together.

Need help writing your story?

2010-01-12T10:04:00.000-08:00

I have been eagerly waiting to read all of your stories and recipes but they are coming in very slowly. In talking with a bunch of people, I have learned some reasons for why that may be the case. Many of you have expressed that you are having trouble sitting down to write your story because it brings up too many bittersweet memories and is difficult; or you think that the recipe is not good enough; or you think that your story is not going to be written that well since you aren't a writer. Well, I am here to help!
I am looking for a bunch of stories and old traditional recipes. I am not looking for the best written story or the best recipe. I am looking for your bittersweet memory! I want to help you write your story. Please email me and we can write it together. We can make your memory a masterpiece!

First Piece of Press!

2009-12-15T15:17:00.000-08:00

Today I received the wonderful news that the first piece of Bittersweet Memories press has been completed! This is so exciting for me! To see the article, please copy and paste the following link:
http://www.workingmother.com/web?service=direct/1/ViewBlogArchives/dlinkBlog&sp=S2091

I'm thrilled with the progress that the book is making. I learned today about the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC). This is one of the oldest organizations in the field of death, dying, and bereavement. There are close to 2,000 members who are educators and mental health professionals. I have been doing research on the site and I am trying to find the best thanatologist. A thanatologist is professional in death, dying, and bereavement whose professional responsibilities include working with the dying and the grieving process. I am looking for an expert to weigh in on what cooking and food can do to help the grieving process. If you can recommend anyone, please contact me at emily@bittersweet-memories.com.

Have a great week!

Donations

2009-12-10T12:03:00.000-08:00

Last night I went to an Advisory Board Meeting for the Robert H. Lurie Medical Research Center. The Center was established at Northwestern University in 1974. In 1991, it was dedicated as the Rovert H. Lurie Cancer Center of Northwestern University. This center is one of only 40 comprehensive cancer centers in the nation, as designated by the National Cancer Institute. Among the largest in the Midwest, the clinical enterprise treats more than 10,000 new cancer cases annually.
Dr. Steve Rosen, who is director of the center and was my mother's oncologist,is an incredible human being with the best bedside manner I have ever experienced. He is a brilliant doctor who treats his patients like the are family.
I have made a decision to give a portion of the proceeds from the book to Dr. Rosen and his team. I would also like to say something about the new Brain Tumor Institute that just opened at Northwestern. Dr. Jeffrey Raizer is the co-director of the center and was also my mom's doctor. He is a wonderful man who has dedicated his life to fighting this horrible disease. To learn more about Dr. Rosen, Dr. Raizer, and the cancer center, please go to the website at http://www.cancer.northwestern.edu/home/index.cfm
A Blending of Bittersweet Memories is for people who have lost loved ones due to all reasons, not just cancer. It is my personal preference to use the proceeds to fight cancer. Please help me fight one of the battles that affects so many people.

NEW WEBSITE

2009-12-06T10:32:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to announce that my website has been completely reconstructed!! Lisa Mollo has rebuilt the site within 2 weeks!! She is the absolute best and could not have done this without her. Lisa does not just work 9-5 and she doesn't take sick days. She works 24 hours a day no matter what and I need to thank her for all of her hard and beautiful work. Please check it out at www.bittersweet-memories.com. Please sign the guestbook and let me know what you think!
I can't wait to get everyones recipes and stories. The holidays are a great time to remember our loved ones and happy memories.
We have lots to do this week! We are working on celebrity mailings and hope to get submissions in as soon as possible.
REMINDER*- Due date for submissions in January 31st, 2010!

It's Holiday Time!

2009-12-02T14:27:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that it is already December. I hired a public relations company last month and since November 1st we have gotten so much accomplished! I took head shots, which was so much fun. I hired a website designer and she is absolutely incredible! She has completely transformed the site and it will be ready to launch by this weekend!! We have sent out mailings to grief groups, spoken to ghost writers, and come up with an adorable logo. Also, we are being featured in workingmother.com. The website reaches about 4.9 million people per month. Needless to say, all is going well on the PR side!
Now on the book side, I have spoken with a publisher and literary agent. They love the book idea and are so excited about moving forward. The literary agent says she wants the book to be more focussed on grief with a side bar on recipes. I need to do a lot more research on grief! It's so important to tell my story to publishers. I hope to have a proposal ready by January 1st.
That's all for now!

November 11 2009

2009-11-11T12:29:00.000-08:00

WOW!! It has been an intense 2 weeks! Last week I hired a publicist. I am using Skirt PR and they are wonderful!! They are all so nice and such hard workers. They move at a fast pace, which I love! In the past week, I have gotten so much done! I hired an attorney who is drafting up releases for my submitters. We have been working on logo to represent "A Blending of Bittersweet Memories." Also, we have been working on my bio and taking head shots! It was so much fun! I went to a bunch of local stores and brought home many options to chose from. I can't wait to see the pictures and share them with you!
For the remainder of this month, we are working really hard to put together lists of people that we want to solicit! This is all amazing and making great progress. Now, all I need are 1,000 recipes by January 2010!!!! Please help me by submitting your memories and recipes today on www.bittersweet-memories.com. Thanks!!

P.S. Follow us on twitter @btrswtmemories. Also, become a fan on Facebook @www.bittersweet-memories.com

Welcome!

2009-10-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome! This is my first blog. I am brand new to this so please try to be patient with me! ;)

A Blending of Bittersweet Memories is a book that is dedicated to all of those people that have lost their parent and/or loved one. For me, food is the trick for keeping their memory alive. This is a compilation of bittersweet memories in conjunction with a specific recipe. All of the traditional recipes that have departed with our loved ones, will now be remembered indefinitely.

Our Mission:

To give people a comforting way to manage the loss that is forever and keep memories/recipes alive. Please send us your stories and recipes today. Check out our website:

www.bittersweet-memories.com

Public Relations

2009-10-22T04:18:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, Friday October 23rd, I am meeting with two top Publicists. I am extremely excited to hear what they think of my idea and how they want to move it forward. I will keep you posted as to what happens. Wish me luck!

Submissions

2009-10-22T04:15:00.000-07:00

We have already received 3 submissions!!! I am so excited about them. They are exactly what we are looking for. I can't wait to share them with all of you; they will just melt your heart.

We need many more submissions from people of all different backgrounds including racial, religious, financial, age, gender, ethnic etc. Please help us by telling your friends, co-workers, families about us! Thanks!

Facebook

2009-10-22T04:09:00.000-07:00

We have just started a Facebook Fan Page. It is called www.bittersweet-memories.com.

Please go check it out and become a fan! Over the past 48 hours, we have grown from 1 fan (me :) to 190 fans! I am blown away by everyones extremely heartfelt comments. I am so excited about this book because I feel that it is so needed! Thank you to all of you who have been so supportive.

About why we are Writing this Tribute

2009-10-22T04:05:00.000-07:00

A Blending of Bittersweet Memories

On January 23, 2006 Renée Israel, my mother, lost her life to a long, hard-fought battle against breast cancer. She lived her life with such class and devotion to her family and friends that she left us with huge shoes to fill.

During her lifetime, my mother with the help of her beloved family and friends, created two cookbooks entitled "Whip Me, Beat Me, Eat Me". The origin of Whip Me, Beat Me, Eat Me started in my mother's kitchen. She would cook dinner Monday through Thursday for just her family.

Each and every Sunday night my mother would prepare a multiple course home cooked meal for our "family". While our immediate family only consisted of five people, the Sunday "family" included at least fifteen and sometimes up to fifty people on any random Sunday. After our constant requests for her recipes, she together with her friends, compiled recipes and created the two cookbooks.

Thankfully my mother wrote all of her recipes down and now I can pass them along from generation to generation. But what are recipes without the Bittersweet Memories behind them?

"I was serving my husband "Monday Night Spaghetti" when it hit me like a ton of bricks: the delicious smell of spaghetti bolognese with a hint of sugar, the taste of the crispy topping and the old dish that my mother used to serve it in. My mother's presence was so strong through her recipes. I tasted, smelled, and saw Monday Night dinners at my childhood home". This is in honor of our loved ones, especially my mother, Renée.

-Emily