Value Meals

There are lots of benefits to hiring me as a personal chef. 

There's all the time you save since I do the meal planning, shopping and cooking.  Clean-up is a breeze. 

There's the ability to eat healthy, delicious meals with the effort of popping a frozen dinner from the grocery store in the microwave (without all those ingredients that you can't pronounce).

But my favorite benefit that I can give to families is the ability to eat a good meal together.  It's the way dinner is supposed to be eaten.

A great shirt from Life is Good.

Growing up, it was rare if our family didn't eat dinner together.  I know times have changed, but my family still tries to eat together as much as we can--actually sitting down at the dinner table and sharing a meal together.  We talk about our days, listen to music and talk about food (you can teach kids a lot about food and cooking at dinnertime).  We go through Jake's folder from school to see what he did that day. 

Some people feel that they just don't have the time to prepare a family dinner so they go out to eat.  But as someone in an article I once read said:

If you think about it, if you count packing the family into the car, driving to the Applebee's, standing in line for 20 minutes, getting to your table, waiting for your food, checking out, paying the bill of 40-50 dollars, and then driving back home, have you saved any time at all?  No, definitely not.  And you've probably spent four times the money you would have at home.
 

I have no problem with going out to eat--I enjoy it.  But when families make it the norm, it just doesn't make sense.  It not only can be more expensive, but less nutritious. 

But families are constantly on the move--running kids to rehearsal, running to meetings, running home from work.  A recent study shows that 19% of American meals are eaten in the car.  I don't know if that's true or not, but if it is, that's freakin' scary.  There's just something wrong with that.

So eating meals at home saves money, is more nutritious and allows us to just settle down--even for a short time.  There are even more important reasons, however, for families to eat meals together.

Check out these statistics (from a few years ago):

• 75% of teens say that they talk to their parents about what's going on in their lives at the dinner table.  79% of parents say that's where they find out what's going on in their kids' lives.
• Of those kids who eat less than 5 family dinners a week, 60% say they wish they did more often (Not what you'd expect, huh?).
• Teens who eat 5-7 family meals per week are almost 3 times more likely to say they have an excellent relationship with their parents when compared to those who eat less than 3 family meals per week.
• Compared to teens who eat 5-7 family meals a week, those who eat less than 3 per week are nearly 2 times as likely to get mostly C's or lower in school; 2 times as likely to have used tobacco; nearly 2 times as likely to use alcohol; and 1.5 times more likely to smoke pot.

Clearly, the social aspects of eating as a family are major.  Meals have always been central to who we are and who we become. 

Sit down.  Enjoy your food and each other.  Build relationships.  When Dinner's Done can do that for a family, I feel great.  And so do they. 

MOO

MB & Jake enjoying their yummy burgers and soup.

There's a new burger place in Ottsville that we tried out for dinner on Saturday night.  It's called MOO.

It's not just your typical burger joint, however.  They use organic and locally produced ingredients in all their offerings.  The place is decorated with big portraits of some of the farmers that produce their ingredients. 

MOO started as a food truck in Wrightstown and has branched out with the restaurant that opened on January 23.  You can read more about how MOO came about in this article from Bucks County Taste.

They offer a somewhat limited, but tasty-sounding menu--burgers, hot dogs, fries, salads, grilled cheese sandwiches, chili, soups, birch beer floats, locally-made (NJ) sodas, etc.  The prices aren't the cheapest, but considering what you pay in a McDonald's or Burger King, it's well worth it.

Mary Beth ordered the Moo Burger--a cheese burger that comes with lettuce, onion, pickles and "moo-goo" (their version of special sauce).  Jake ordered just a plain burger.  I went with the Moink--the same as a Moo Burger, but with bacon.  (Get it?  Moink?)  MB also got some homemade butternut-apple soup.  Jake and I got fries, too.

I wish I could report that everything was wonderful.  Nothing was bad, but, for example, the fries were a little limp and could have (should have) been more crispy.  They made a mistake on our order--brought Jake's burger with cheese when it was supposed to be plain.  I chalked these problems up to simply being new.  I look forward to tyring it again in a month or so once they get their "restaurant-legs" under them.

As for the burgers, they were delicious.  The meat is ground on-site and you can tell.  The patties are hand-formed and have a nice crust on the outside.  They are incredibly tender and flavorful.  Mine was a little on the rare side, but I didn't mind since it was freshly ground.  So if burgers are what they're known for, then they're on the right track. 

When we got there, we were the only ones in the place.  But soon, it filled up--good to see for another local business promoting good, local food.

MOO is located at 4010 Durham Rd, Ottsville (right where 412 and 611 intersect).  Hours are 11AM-7PM, Monday-Saturday (closed Sundays at least during the winter).  You can find them on Facebook or call 215-317-3317.  Cash only (although there is an ATM on the premises). 

Comparison Shopping

One of the biggest reasons I hear for people not to try a Dinner's Done service is the price.  "I can go out to dinner if I want someone to cook for me."  Here's my response to that excuse.

First, let me say that I have nothing against going out to eat.  I love going out.  However, there are those who do it as a way of life.  Wouldn't it save loads of time and money to feel like you're eating out without the long waits, noisy dining rooms and gas expense?  It would be you and your family enjoying fine food and quality time together in the comfort of your own home.

It's really more affordable than you might think.  Here's what a family of four would spend at a mid-level restaurant like Olive Garden.  These prices are from Olive Garden's website for the North Wales, PA location.

Lasagna and Side Salad                                            $19.45
Spaghetti with Meat Sauce and Side Salad              $16.90
Grilled Pork Veneto and Side Salad                         $20.70
Crispy Parmesan Shrimp and Side Salad                 $22.70
15% Tip                                                                    $11.96
TOTAL DINNER FOR 4                                        $91.71
 

And that doesn't include the drinks, appetizers and desserts that often accompany eating out.  If this family got meals of comparable prices just 5 times, they would spend $458.55.

With Dinner's Done Personal Chef Service, you'll get delicious, customs-made meals that you will love--because they're made especially for you!  Now, what if this same family hired me to make them 4 servings of 5 different entrees and side dishes (a "5x4" service)?  Perhaps their first service would be:

Crab Lasagna with Garlic Italian Bread
BBQ Turkey Meatloaf with Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Marinated Steak with Alabama Baked Beans
Salmon in Potatoes Beurre Blanc with Roasted Asparagus
Baked Chinese Spring Rolls with Vegetable Rice Pilaf
 

They would pay:

Fee                                           $350.00
First-time Client Discount     -$   25.00
Estimated Grocery Costs         $110.00
TOTAL                                   $435.00
 

That's $23.55 less than going out to Olive Garden (again, not including drinks, appetziers and dessert).  Isn't that worth it?

Having Dinner's Done make your family's meals can be affordable for you!  It's perfect for busy families who want to put delicious, nutritious meals on the table.  (And who want the added benefit of all the extra time they had been spending on planning and making meals or going out.)  There are service sizes that will meet your needs and budget.  So check out my website for more information and then contact me!

 

Tasty Diabetes Prevention?

From the results of a recent study out of Great Britain, I've been lowering my chances of getting Type 2 Diabetes for a long time.  And it might not be for the reasons you think.

I eat a yogurt pretty much every day.  It's good for digestion, good source of calcium and, most of all, I like the taste of it.  I enjoy ending my lunch with a nice yogurt.  According to the study, eating 55g of yogurt each day can lower your chances of getting Type 2 Diabetes by 12%. 

But even better, is the finding in the study that eating 55g of cheese each day (the equivalent of 2 slices) can do the same thing.  I LOVE cheese--and try to find any excuse to eat it.  Thank you British study!

Now, this seems to fly in the face of the usual suggestion of staying away from dairy in order to avoid such diseases.  So why the results of this study?

You can read more about it in a Daily Mail article, but in a nutshell, it might have something to do with the probiotic bacteria in these foods.  They have been found to lower cholesterol and create vitamins that help to prevent diabetes.  Cheese and yogurt are also both high in Vitamin D, calcium and magnesium--all of which may help to prevent diabetes as well.

Of course, the folks running the study say that the results shouldn't give folks free reign to eat a wedge of Asiago each day.  A balanced diet that is high in fruits and veggies and low in fat, is always a good idea.  It's just that you may not be feeling so guilty when having a taste of dairy.

Miracle Berries

Happy New Year!  I hope everyone had a great holiday!

Over the holiday, my son, Jake, watched Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the original with Gene Wilder) for the first time.  He thought it was good--if not a bit confusing at times. 

On Christmas Day, I experienced something that seemed like it came from the Wonka factory.  My brother-in-law, Bake, saw something on TV about Miracle Berries.  They are berries that are native to Western Africa and have a strange effect on your taste buds.

The claim is that these berries take away your ability to taste sour and bitter.  So Bake went on line and bought these pills that are made from the berries.  You suck on them and for about a half-hour, you can't taste sour or bitter.

I was the guinea pig, I guess.  No one else tried it, but I was game.  I just prayed that it wasn't half a year instead of a half and hour.

Miracle Berries in their raw form.

So I sucked on this little pill until it dissolved and then they started feeding me stuff.

The first thing was to try sour citrus (Bake came prepared).  I was skeptical--until I put the lemon in my mouth.  A very bizarre experience.  The lemon tasted like extremely sweet lemonade.  Not a trace of sour.  It was a little too sweet for me, but didn't taste too bad.  The lime was next and I didn't care for that very much--although lime is one of my favorite flavors.  It was sweet, but not as much as the lemon.  And the actual flavor of the lime seemed to be changed for the worse.  The grapefruit tasted like grapefruit that had a pile of sugar sprinkled on top of it. 

Next it was on to various things in my parents' fridge.

The pickle tasted very sweet--not sure I would have guessed it was a pickle if I didn't know it.  I don't like coffee at all, but I tried it for the sake of science.  I could handle that coffee since it basically tasted like water with the slightest coffee flavor at the end.  Dijon mustard tasted a little spicy and quite sweet.  Not too bad.  Ketchup was like licking a mouthful of red sugar.  Blech.

Apparently, the rage is to buy these pills and have tasting parties--where you get together with friends and just taste all sorts of things while under the spell of the Miracle Berry.  After trying it, I must admit that I'm kind of intrigued about what other things might taste like--beer, hot sauce, radish, horseradish, onion, etc.  So when's the party, Bake? 

There is a lot on line about this strange fruit--just search "Miracle Berry" and read more about it.  Then see if you can resist ordering some!

Good King Wenceslas

I've always enjoyed the carol about Good King Wenceslas.  It's a nice tune with a good message.  My son has a collection of Christmas stories and the legend of GKW was one of them.

It's a powerful story--it should be something we aspire to all year, not just at the holidays.  In this country--even with the economic problems we've had recently, many of us live like kings compared to those who have no home, no job, no food. 

So I thought I'd pass on the legend of this king--maybe inspiring us to help those in need. 

King Wenceslas (we'll call him Wennie) ruled in Bohemia (part of present-day Czechoslovakia).  On St. Stephen's Day (the day after Christmas) in 928, he was holding his typical celebration--a feast for the lords and ladies of his kingdom.  The feast continued through the night.

At one point Wennie took a walk around and looked out the window at the snowy scene.  He reflected on how lucky he was to have food and warmth and wealth.  When suddenly, he noticed what he thought was some sort of animal digging in the snow for food.  Looking more carefully, he saw that it was a man gathering sticks.

He called his page, Darius, and asked him if he knew the man.  Darius told him of the hermit who wanders the forest for food.  He explained how the hermit lived quite a distance from the castle. 

Immediately the king called for meat, bread, wine and logs.  He wanted to help this poor soul.  And instead of having servants take it all out in the cold, he decided to let the servants continue to party and do it himself (with Darius close behind). 

By the time Wennie and Darry (as his friends called him) got to where they saw the hermit, he was no longer there.  The king decided to trudge on through the storm and find the poor man's dwelling.  Darius started falling behind and was close to collapse, but the king took him by the hand and encouraged him to continue.  He told Darry to walk in the king's footsteps to make the traveling easier on the tired page. 

All night they walked--the strong king in the lead, the page following loyally behind.  Finally, they found the hermit's cave.

The hermit was ashamed of his meager home, but the king assured him that there was no need to be ashamed.  The joy that the hermit got from the visit matched that of the king and page helping him.  They built a fire and enjoyed the meal together.  In the morning, the king brought the hermit (let's call him Larry) back to the palace where they continued their celebration. 

Let us, like Wennie, realize how lucky we are--and attempt to share that with others--now and all year.

Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the Feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about,
Deep and crisp and even;
Brightly shone the moon that night,
Though the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight,
Gathering winter fuel.

"Hither, page, and stand by me,
If though know'st it, telling,
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence,
Underneath the mountain.
Right against the forest fence,
By Saint Agnes' fountain."

"Bring me flesh and bring me wine,
Bring me pine logs hither;
Thou and I will see him dine,
When we bear them thither."
Page and monarch forth they went,
Forth they went together,
Through the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather.

"Sire, the night is darker now,
And the wind blows stronger;
Fails my heart, I know not how,
I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps, my good page!
Tread thou in them boldly;
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly."

In his master's steps he trod,
Where the snow lay dinted;
Heat was in the very sod
Which the saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure,
Wealth or rank possessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor,
Shall yourselves find blessing.

 

Cheese Balls

Thanks a lot to everyone who stopped by my table on Friday night at Seylar Elementary's Tinsel Town.  I met a lot of nice people--many of whom enjoyed the two cheese balls that I made to taste.

OK, cheese balls can be a bit less than elegant.  They make you think of those port wine-flavored cheese balls, rolled in soggy nuts that your grandmother used to serve at her get-togethers. 

Well, the cheese balls I made, from Cook's Country magazine, are quite different.  They're flavorful, full of real cheese and other tasty ingredients.  Best of all, they're so simple to make, that they're perfect for any holiday gathering.

So as I promised my visitors on Friday night, here are the recipes.  Cook's Country has a number of variations, but these are the two that I made.  You really should try them!

CLASSIC CHEDDAR CHEESE BALL
Serves 15-20

You'll need 8 oz of block cheddar to yield 2 cups of shredded cheese.  I highly recommend you grate your own instead of using pre-shredded cheese.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

1. Process cheddar, cream cheese, mayo, Worcestershire, garlic and cayenne in food processor until smooth.
2. Transfer cheese mixture to center of large sheet of plastic wrap and tightly wrap, shaping cheese into a rough ball.  (Holding the four corners of the plastic in one hand, twist the cheese with the other hand to seal the plastic and shape into a ball.  See photo.)  Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hrs (or up to 2 days).
3. Once the cheese ball is firm, reshape as necessary to form a smooth ball.  Unwrap and roll in the almonds to coat.  Let sit at room temperature for 15 min.  Serve.

BACON-RANCH CHEESE BALL

Prepare Classic Cheddar Cheese Ball, omitting Worcestershire and cayenne.  Add 3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley, 3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or dill, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp onion powder and a pinch sugar to food processor in Stop 1.  Replace almonds with 6 slices of cooked an crumbled bacon in Step 3.