Napoleons in Salem Oregon

   Napoleon's Creperie and Gelateria, my new place of employment, is a wonderful place to stop by for lunch, dinner, or even just to indulge your sweet tooth.

   This amazing restaurant is located at 189 Liberty St, downtown Salem, inside the Reed Opera House. I had the pleasure of trying the Ratatouille Panini. The marriage of flavors melted in my mouth as my eyes rolled back in delight. Every bite was a delicate balance of sweet and savory that sent my taste buds to heaven and back. Now, I get to make dishes like that for you!

   There are several Salads, Paninis, Crepes, Gelato and more to choose from. The Gelato is incredible! It is sweet and delicate, creamy and smooth, a must try. The menu is a well balanced blend of French and Italian delicacies. The only hard choice will be what on the menu to try first!

   The ambiance is just as lovely as the food. Each server you see always has a warm and welcoming smile. The wait staff is quick to seat you and attentive to your needs. There is not a thing about this wonderful restaurant that will disappoint you. 


   Please come by Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 11am-9pm, Saturday from 11am-10pm or Sunday from 10am-5pm for a delicious meal or tasty treat that will keep you coming back for more.


 Contact : (503) 581-4560 for more information

Awesome Meals Under $10 Fettuccine!

Welcome back to another fabulous week of delicious meals for under $10.00! I am so excited to share this week’s recipe with you. I have found this dish to be a real crowd pleaser and it is fun and simple to make. This week our star dish is Fettuccine Alfredo!  Since this is a favorite in my house hold I normally have all of the ingredients I need for this dish, so I did all of my costing online to find you the best prices. Here is what we need:

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound dry fettuccine pasta-Great Value Fettuccine Noodles $1.08(Wal-Mart)
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil-Gem Cold 8.5oz $2.00(Wal-Mart)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream-1qrt $2.50(Costco)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 garlic clove minced-$.50(Farmer’s Market)
• 1TB onion minced-$.69/lb(Safeway)
• 6 oz Romano/Parmesan cheese blend-4C Home-style $2.66(Wal-Mart)
• Total cost=$9.43

1.      Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add fettuccine and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

2.      While the noodles are cooking mince your garlic and onion.

3.      Put 2TB of your oil in a sauté pan over medium heat, once warm add garlic and onion. Remove once onion is translucent. Save.

4.      In a large saucepan, heat the remainder of the oil over low heat. Add salt, pepper, garlic, and onion. Slowly poor in heavy cream. Stir in cheese over medium heat until melted; this will thicken the sauce.

5.      Add pasta to sauce. Use enough of the pasta so that all of the sauce is used and the pasta is thoroughly coated. Serve immediately.

I took a food and wine pairing class last year and was able to apply that knowledge to pair this wonderful dish with a wine that would enhance the flavors. I recommend a Riesling, a sharp Chardonnay, or a Pinot Noir. Sit back, relax and enjoy!

Website links: Wal-Mart, Farmers Market, Costco

Awesome Meals for Under $10 Enchilladas for four

 Hello again. Welcome to another fun week of good eats at affordable costs. I hope you like Mexican food because, this week, I made green sauce enchiladas.
 I did all of my shopping at Safeway this time. Wal-Mart sometimes offers even better pricing, but I personally feel that Safeway has better product.
Ingredients:
Yellow Onion . . . . . $.69/lb  We use one onion which is about half a pound. You will spend $.35
Green Bell pepper. . . $.89each We use one.
Green Enchilada Sauce. . .$1.19 for a 28oz can, Las Palmas brand, on sale. We use one can.
Corn Tortillas . . . . .  . .$1.49 for an 18 pack, Safeway brand, on sale, ($1.99 for flour tortillas).  We use 12.
Cheese. . . . . . . . . . . .$4.99 for a one pound block, Lucerne brand. We use 4 cups.
Re fried Beans. . . . . . . . $1.00 for a 16 oz can, Safeway brand. We use one can.

1. Preheat the oven to 335 degrees
2. Chop the onion and bell pepper into a small dice. (1/4x1/4x1/4)
3. Heat a saute pan on medium high heat. Once the pan is warmed up add enough oil to coat it.
4. Toss in your chopped onion and pepper. While peppers heat, grate your cheese.
5. Once the cheese is grated, add your can of re fried beans to the onion/pepper mix. I also like to add salt, pepper and garlic powder here. This is optional upon taste. Also if you like it spicy you can cut jalapeno peppers and/or serrano peppers and add them to the onion/pepper mix from step 2.
6. Once the peppers and onion are cooked aldente, about 10 min, remove from heat. Get out a baking dish.
7. Warm your corn tortillas in the oven for about 30 seconds. This makes them easier to handle.
8. Open your can of enchilada sauce. Pour some on the bottom of your baking dish and some on a separate plate.
9. Remove the tortillas. I use corn and flour tortillas. You can use whatever suites your taste. Take one and dip it in the sauce that is on the separate plate. Turn it and dip the other side in the sauce.
10. Fill your tortillas with some of the bean and onion/pepper mix and a handful of cheese. Place them in the baking dish. Repeat this step until all 12 tortillas are filled.
11. Pour excess sauce over tortillas then excess cheese over the top.
12. Bake for 15 min.

This is a great meal for a small family. You can get the kids involved and have some messy fun in the kitchen together. Have fun and enjoy!

Women Ending Hunger

 Pirates, fairies, princesses and more waited in line to receive their information packets and complimentary trick-or-treat bags; cases of water and bags of oranges were being stacked high on the back benches; children were running and jumping about; energy and excitement filled the air, and it was not even 9a.m. yet!

 Women Ending Hunger, an auxiliary of the Marion-Polk Food Share, held its' first-ever 5K MONSTER DASH Fun Run/Walk on October 22nd at the River Front Park in Salem, to raise awareness of hunger relief efforts.

 Many people registered online. It was only a $15.00 donation. Others just showed up with canned food or monetary donations and joined the run.

  While the event was fun, the message is a serious one. Women Ending Hunger puts on several events and fundraisers every year in the efforts to end hunger. Over 6,500 families in Marion and Polk county receive a food box each month. The organization has a mission statement, Leading the fight to END hunger in Marion and Polk counties...because no one should be hungry. They want desperately to turn 5,200 families in need to 0 families in need.


 Kat Daniel is the Program Director for Women Ending Hunger. She has been with the non-profit organization for three years and said the run was a volunteer's idea. "Tawnya Russell came up with the idea. She is a runner. It seemed like it would be fun. With a turn out like this, and now that we know what we are doing, we will probably do it again."

 Over 150 men, women and children showed up for the event. Rita Conrad showed up to support the cause and was pleased with the turn out. Conrad thinks next year will be even better, "It's like a garden, the first year it's small, second year it grows a little, and the third year it explodes."

 Daniel's first inspiration to join the fight against hunger came when she was in high school. "I did a Freedom from Hunger hike in Denver. It was completely student run. We had over 10,000 people show up for the 30 mile hike. We raised over $75,000. Ever since then I have had this passion to end hunger."

 Daniel came to Salem and started looking for work and Marion/Polk Food Share hired her. She enjoys the work that she does and said that Women Ending Hunger is especially dear to her heart. She believes that women are the major nurturers and if we can lift up our women then we can lift everyone else.

 There was a 1K for children 12 and under held at 8:30am and the 5K was held at 9:00am for the adults. Everyone was encouraged to wear costumes and a vast number of the participants did dress-up.

 Annee Goodrich brought her four children, her younger kids, one dressed as Super Mario, one dressed as Toad, ran the 1K but her older two, ages 10 and 11 ran the 5K with the adults. Alice Brawley brought her 7 year old daughter, dressed as a cheerleader, to participate in the fun as well.

 The whole event was filled with smiling, happy faces. Who knew that raising awareness to end hunger could be so much fun? Nancy Hadley, a participant of the run and a MPFS staff member said, "I just think it is a fun thing to do, exercise for a good cause." Jennifer Halfman, another enthusiastic participant of the 5K run, dressed up as a bottle of mustard. She cleverly used a play on her last name saying, "I'm half-man, half mustard." It was a jovial sight seeing a bottle of mustard running down the street.

At A Glance:
Women Ending Hunger Awareness Event
5K Fun Run/Walk - A fun event planned as a fundraiser
Held at River Front Park in Salem Oregon at 9:00am, October 22nd.
Contact Kat Daniel at 503-581-3855 for more information on how to get involved
If you are in need visit Get Help

Edna Speech

 For those of you inspiring news reporters, journalists, or writers you probably have an idea of who Edna Buchanan is. For those of you who don't, she is an amazing author.

 Charlie Rose interviewed Buchanan, discussing her career as a journalist, news reporter and as a writer. The main topic of conversation however, was the book Buchanan was promoting, Act of Betrayal.

 Buchanan started off in a tiny Miami newspaper and worked her way up to the Miami Herald. She Became known as a top notch news reporter. Buchanan believes that a good reporter can be a victims best friend. She worked the crime beat and became very familiar with police reporting, and cops themselves. "There is no better creature on earth than a good cop, and nothing worse than a bad cop, they are the scum of the earth. That person can be the same person on the same day."

 There were not many female crime reporters during Buchanan's early career years, but this did not stop her. Buchanan was the first woman in Miami to cover homicide cases. She said she had a persistence of curiosity and, even though at first the cops teased her, she kept showing up to crime scene after crime scene until she was just like a piece of furniture. After being involved in over 5,000 cases, Buchanan used her knowledge of the crime world and the city of Miami to start writing novels.

 Buchanan's book, Act of Betrayal, is part of her Britt Montero series. "Britt is everything I wish I could be." Buchanan said that Britt is smart and courageous and in this book the reader really gets to know Britt's past. The book is set in Miami. Buchanan said that Miami is always the main character in her books. She loves the beauty of the city, how sultry and magical it is.

 Act of Betrayal,and the rest of her literature can be found at Buchanan's website. Give it a look, you wont be disappointed.

Awesome Meals for Under $10 Stir-Fry!

  If you are anything like me you want to eat great food but may not have the cash to back up your elegant taste. No worries, I am here to give you an idea on how to prepare a fancy meal for under $10.

  I spent one year majoring in the culinary arts department at LBCC and have loved food for as long as I can remember. It is my great pleasure to prepare some meals and ideals for you. I will be dishing up one meal a week that will keep you from dishing out more than $10 for the main ingredients.

  This week, Asian Stir Fry for two. This is a favorite of mine to make and my wife thinks it is delicious so it is a favorite of hers to eat!

Ingredients:

1 skinless boneless Chicken breast .5 lbs. [Safeway has a 3 pack of Foster Farms for only $4.55 use one and freeze the others for another meal.]  

1-12ounce bag of frozen vegetables [Asian Blend is available at Safeway for $2.00 or Fred Meyer for $2.19]

6 ounces spaghetti noodles [Both Safeway and Fred Meyer have their name brand noodles for only $0.99 for a one pound bag]

1/8 cup soy sauce [Safeway has their name brand for $1.79 La Chox brand for $1.99 and Fred Meyer has the popular Kikkoman brand for $2.19]

Salt, pepper and oil to taste if you have them around the house.

$4.55+$2.00+$0.99+$1.79=$9.33

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake your chicken for 20 minutes on one side. I like to bake it with a liquid so it stays nice and moist. Broth of any kind will work and water is fine if you have nothing else. Flip your chicken and bake for another 15 minutes. While your chicken is baking for the last 15 minutes, in a separate pot bring water to a boil. Cook your frozen vegetables until they are aldente(about 5 minutes). Strain them but keep the water you cooked them in to use for your noodles. Set aside. Now cook your noodles aldente(about 5 minutes). Strain and set aside. By this time your chicken should be ready, allow it to cool enough to handle. Cut your chicken into strips. Now heat your wok (any frying pan will do if you do not have a wok). Put a little oil in the pan and allow it to heat (no longer than one minute). Throw in the chicken, cook a few minutes and stir constantly then the vegetables, cook for a few minutes stir constantly, then the noodles. Add soy sauce and seasoning, stir constantly until done. Serve and Enjoy!

According to http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/02/stir-fry-cooking-tips-and-wine-pairing.html Fruity white wines like Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Sauvignon Blanc are great matches for a crisp, flavorful stir fry.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month Is Here Again!

   Gear up to show off ladies! Breast Cancer Awareness Month has arrived for another year, so wear some pink and support the cause.

   National Breast Cancer Awareness Association celebrates 25 years of awareness, education and empowerment this month. LBCC is showing support with the second annual "Wear Pink Day". The event will take place on Thursday, October 6th. There are no major happinings, other than a photo opportunity, planned for the day. All the students need to do to show their support, is show up wearing pink.

   Patti Ball, LBCC Production Coordinator, said she knew of a few people that had walked for the cure in Portland last year and it gave her an idea. Ball knows of several survivors that attend the college and felt wearing pink would be a nice thing to do to support awareness for the cause. 

   Many of us either know someone going through this or are dealing with it ourselves. According to the National Cancer Institute website, www.cancer.gov, in 2011 there were 230, 480 women and 2,140 men diagnosed with breast cancer and sadly 39,990 didn’t get checked in time and lost the battle.

   That is why this month is so important, education and prevention are what breast cancer awareness month is all about. Early detection can be the difference between life and death. Wearing pink is how LBCC will show support for the ones lost, the ones fighting and the ones who survived.

   Though Ball is not a survivor herself, she feels the cause is an important one to recognize. There are no words available to describe the emotions and fears that sweep over you when the doctor comes back with that awful news. Dee LoRocca is a retired nurse that worked with several breast cancer patients and is a lung cancer survivor herself. “First you go through denial, and then you just worry. I was a single mom, so my biggest fear was what would happen to my 13 year old son” said LaRocca.

   She stayed so positive through the whole mess and said that she really leaned on her faith for support. LaRocca tells us that she saw several women that didn’t have the support they needed and it was heart-breaking.

   One friend of LaRocca’s had her husband leave her after she had to have a breast removed, saying she wasn’t a whole woman any more.  These are the women we need to get behind the most, the ones that do not have family or friends to lean on.

   LaRocca feels that education and prevention are the best arsenal against the disease. The National Cancer Institute agrees. “Prevention-regular exercise and a healthy diet.” Instead of a New Year’s resolution to get healthy, make an October resolution to diet and exercise, and maybe even wear more pink, like this Thursday at LBCC!

   Pink is the national color that is synonymous with women. Since a vast majority of women are the ones that have to deal with breast cancer, pink was the chosen color to wear in honor of the fight.  Wearing pink is a lovely way to show your support. Just remember that breast cancer awareness month is a lot more than just wearing a color, it is a recognition that we will fight cancer and a hope that we will win.

At A Glance:
Wear Pink Day in support of breast cancer awareness month Thursday, October 6th
Prevention through proper diet, exercise and early detection are key factors in survival
Women, and men, really need support after detection and especially through the battle
Go to http://www.cancer.gov/ or LBCC  for more information on how to get involved
Ladies and Gentlemen, remember that the best fight against any illness, including breast cancer, is to eat a healthy, well balanced diet.