Alabama Tornado Assistance: Scouts for Schools

If you're local and looking for a way to help with tornado disaster assistance, consider helping our Girl Scout Troops with their Scouts for Schools effort.

The school in Hackleburg, AL, was demolished (like most of the town - see photos here) by last week's tornado.

Classes are going to resume Monday morning at a local church that wasn't destroyed, but they have no supplies. The list of things they need is below. Supplies can be new or used (as long as they're in good condition).

NEEDS
Plastic tubs with lids (i.e. Rubbermaid, etc) -- medium and large
loose leaf lined paper
notebooks/binders
Pens - red, blue and black
pencils
pencil sharpeners
staplers
staples
colored pencils
pencil cases
erasers
calculators
rulers, compasses, protractors
backpacks
tape
printer paper
rubber bands
post it notes
paper clips / binder clips
glue sticks
composition notebooks
tissues
wipes
crayons
markers
books for the younger classes to read
backpacks
Lunch boxes
sharpie pens
Hand Sanitizer
Play equipment (balls, jump ropes, hula hoops, etc.)
White boards/flip charts and markers or Black boards and chalk
Musical instruments or sheet music for singing
Bottled Water
Snacks

Drop-off is at (NEW LOCATION) Vestavia Hills Elementary West from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. this Saturday (May 7). We'll be in front of the school (the carpool area).

Details for out of town donations of supplies and money:

Make checks payable to One Vestavia, in the memo put Scouts for Schools. This is very important because the memo is how we will be able to keep track of donations specifically for our cause. Checks and supplies can be sent to:

Scouts for Schools
2461 Rocky Ridge Rd
Vestavia Hills, AL 35243

Questions? Leave a comment here or join our Facebook group.

My Husband Rocks! (or how a little portobello lasagna roll-up soothes the soul)

On April 27th, NOAA tracked a total of 312 tornadoes across the Southeastern U.S. My home, Alabama, got the brunt of it.

• More than 200 deaths
• Thousands of homes, businesses and government buildings destroyed
• Billions of dollars in damage

Today, I traveled up to Hackleburg,  population 1420. So far they've confirmed 35 dead, though that number is expected to rise as crews continue to pick their way through the rubble.

The Red Cross says the town was 75% destroyed. Seventy-five percent.

Let that sink in for a moment. It will take years for this community to rebuild. And for many people (like the woman I talked to today whose neighbors all died), Hackleburg will never be the same.

Ask any journalist. Covering a disaster like this is exhausting. Emotionally. Physically. But for reporters who also have families at home (and, yes, I'm gonna say it -- especially female journalists with families at home) it's even more demanding because we can't just come home, eat a bowl of cereal, and crawl into bed.

No. We still have to think about helping with homework, driving to sports practices, and feeding the kids.

And that is why I have the best husband ever! Today, I got back into town after a particularly grueling day, to find the homework all done and this...

Portobello Lasagna Roll-Ups courtesy Food Network's Ellie Krieger.

Ingredients:

• 12 whole-wheat lasagna noodles (about 3/4 pound) 
• 2 teaspoons olive oil 
• 12 ounces portobello mushrooms, chopped 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups store bought marinara sauce 
• 1 (15-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese 
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (we used fresh)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten 
• Freshly ground black pepper 
• Pinch ground nutmeg 
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan 
• 3 ounces grated part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 2/3 cup)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cook the noodles al dente according to the directions on the package. Drain them well and spread them out onto aluminum foil or waxed paper to prevent them from sticking.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and all the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the tomato sauce and simmer for 2 minutes.

In a medium bowl combine the ricotta cheese, spinach, egg, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, a few turns of pepper, and nutmeg.

Spread 1 cup of tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9 by 12-inch baking dish. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture onto a lasagna noodle. Top with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the mushroom mixture, roll the noodle and place it into the baking dish.

Repeat with the remaining noodles. Spread the remaining 1 1/2 cups of sauce over the lasagna rolls. Top with grated cheeses, cover loosely with foil, and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more.

And voila!  Instant comfort food from a wonderful man.

Super Simple Meal for a Very Busy Night

As some of you know, I'm a journalist. A journalist based in Birmingham, Alabama. Which means this week I've been "in the field" 12-14 hours a day covering the destructive tornadoes that flattened much of our region.

For international readers who haven't followed the story, this is the tornado that tore through Tuscaloosa, just 60 miles southwest of Birmingham (warning: the people who recorded this video are crazy. Seriously, people, what were you thinking?!?)



And here is video of that same twister skirting just north of downtown Birmingham (I was huddled under my desk on the southside of downtown, filing stories for NPR when the tornado passed.)



To get an idea of the destruction and hear from some of the survivors you can listen to the feature story I produced for my local station (and NPR national).

All this to say that just when I was getting back into the kitchen after two weeks of being sick, I was suddenly thrust into the field reporting a devastating story that is such a huge reminder to hold dear all we have.

And by "have" I don't mean houses, clothes, or cars. It seems obvious, but a reminder like this really drives it home. As one survivor told me, "You can replace the stuff. But your family and friends? You can't replace them. Hold them close to your heart every day and thank God they're here."

That's what I'm doing this week. I hope you'll take a moment to do the same.

And when you're done hugging, do what you can fill their bellies with something yummy. Maybe something super simple like my friend Helen Todd's Make-It-Up-As-You-Go Pasta.

Ingredients:

• Pasta (we used linguine)
• bacon
• green onions (chopped)
• mushrooms (quartered)
• spinach
• brie

Helen's version doesn't call for tomatoes, but remember -- it's "make it up as you go", and I like tomatoes, so I added some (the cherry version).

Directions:

Boil pasta according to directions

Meanwhile, cook the bacon.

When it's done, pour off the grease, add the onions and mushrooms and saute.

Once onions/mushrooms/tomatoes are tender, add the spinach.

Drain pasta, add to veggie mixture, stir in brie and serve over pasta.

Quick, simple and delicious. A way to honor your loved ones without spending all of your time in the kitchen.

What to do with ALL THIS HAM!?!

If you're like us, you've got a ton of ham left over in your fridge. Jason's mother gifted us a school fundraiser ham last week and it seems like we've been eating ham, ham and more ham! OINK!

Day One: Straight Up Ham...

Day Two: Ham Sandwiches...

Day Three: Ham Scramble...

Day Four: ay, ay, ay! What to eat on Day Four?!?

Answer: Mexican Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup

Ingredients:

1 can black beans
2 cups chopped ham
4 cups water
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon Adobo spice
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Dump it all in a crockpot. Cook on low for 3-4 hours.


There are more suggestions for dealing with leftover ham on our Facebook Page. Check it out and join the conversation!


(Photo Credits: Straight Up Ham, Ham Sandwich, Ham Scramble, and Crockpot.

Martha's Peanut Chicken & Michael's Tzimmis

Finally... I'm back in the land of the living, for realz this time (unlike this time and this time).

And that means back into the kitchen, full boar (or is it bore?). Tonight's menu comes to us courtesy Garden & Gun Magazine (yes, there really is such a thing... only in the south, right?!?) and my friend Michael Krall.

Martha Hall Foose's Peanut Chicken

Garden & Gun bills her as "the other Martha", but gotta tell you this one speaks to my soul a bit more than that other Martha. I mean, c'mon -- she's got a super simple yet elegant phyllo-tomato appetizer...

and who wouldn't feel right at home here?

Oh yeah, and Martha Hall Foose is also 2009 Winner of the James Beard Award for American Cooking and the Southern Independent Booksellers Award.

So. On to the chicken.


Ingredients:

• 5 tbsp. creamy peanut butter
• 3 green onions, white & green parts, chopped
• 3 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 3-to-4 pound chicken (we used a Springer Mountain chicken -- semi-local and humanely raised)
• 1 one-inch piece of peeled fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves
• handful of fresh cilantro (we used cilantro paste, since we haven't yet planted the cilantro)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Remove the necks and innards from your chicken ... yes, that instruction is for you chicken virgins ;-)

2. In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, 1/2 of the green onions, the soy sauce, vinegar and cayenne.

3. Gently loosen the skin of the chicken and spread half of the paste between the skin and the meat.

(If you're a germ-phobe who refuses to touch raw chicken -- like I used to be -- just get over it because this step is really crucial to getting a flavorful bird.)

4. Rub the rest of the paste all over the outside of the chicken. Put the remaining green onions, ginger, garlic and cilantro into the chicken cavity.

5. Roast the chicken, breast side down, in a roasting pan for about 20 minutes. (Don't know which side is the breast? If the wing tips are facing down, you've got your chicken breast side down)

6. Reduce the temperature to 325 degrees and flip the chicken to breast side up (wings at attention) and baste with any juices that have accumulated in the pan. Roast for another 30 - 40 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 160 degrees and juices run clear.

7. Let your birdie rest for 10 minutes before carving. This step seals in the juices.


Michael's Tzimmis

How do you say it? I'm still not sure, but boy is it good!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of carrots
• 5-6 sweet potatoes
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1. Peel and chop carrots into small pieces.

Chop, chop, chop some more because this is the most labor-intensive part of the process.

2. Put carrots in a large pot, cover with water, bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, peel and dice up the sweet potatoes. Add to the boiling water and cook for 10 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.

4. Drain cooked veggies, empty into a very large mixing bowl, and mash. Put into a lightly oiled baking dish.

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

6. Whisk together orange juice, honey, salt and cinnamon. Pour mixture over veggies in baking dish. Allow a few minutes for some liquid to absorb into the dish. (There will be some liquid on top. That's okay)

7. Drizzle no more than a tablespoon of canola oil on top of the veggies. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.


Reviews:

Chef Tanya -- The chicken was good. Slightly peanuty, but not too much. I don't think we let it cook long enough to crisp up. Consequently, the skin pulled off the chicken when we were cutting it. I would have liked it more were it crispier. The tzimmis is really good: flavorful, but not too sweet. A nice alternative to the marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes of Thanksgivings past.

Jason -- It was good. The chicken wasn't as peanuty as I expected, which is fine by me. The potatoes had a good flavor.

Miranda -- (ate dinner earlier with a friend, so wasn't hungry.)

Olivia -- The chicken was okay. I didn't really like the potatoes. I like them with marshmallows on top, like at Thanksgiving.

Hannah -- (no response, but basically a "meh" expression. She ate up the chicken, but didn't touch the veggies)

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Crazy day?!? Little time to cook? Try this simple, customizable recipe that won't break the bank.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound chicken (we use boneless, skinless breast)
• 16 ounces pasta (try corkscrew. it's fun!)
• sliced & diced veggies (we've used green onions, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, carrots)
• 1.5 cups of Caesar Salad dressing
• croutons
• grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions on the package. Drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, cut chicken into bite-size bits. Saute in olive oil over medium-high heat until cooked through.

3. Combine drained pasta, chicken, veggies in large bowl. Mix in dressing. Put in fridge to cool.

4. Top with croutons and grated parmesan cheese.

5. Enjoy!

Photo Credit

Same Kind of Different As Me

Seems appropriate that our 100th post on this blog would belong not to a recipe, but to a story that feeds the soul. I just finished reading one of the best books I've ever picked up: Same Kind of Different As Me.

I'll let this video speak for the book:



Highly, highly recommended!