Recipe: Sweet Corn Casserole

Ingredients1/4 cup butter or margarine (1/2 stick)
2 Tbs vegetable shortening
1/2 cup masa harina flour (Mexican corn masa mix)
2 cups loose-pack frozen whole-kernel corn, partially thawed
3 Tbs cold water
3 Tbs Yellow Corn Meal
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbs NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk (optional)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder (optional)

DirectionsPREHEAT oven to 350° F. Lightly grease 9-inch pie plate.

PLACE butter, vegetable shortening and flour in food processor; cover. Process until creamy. Add water and corn; process until corn is coarsely chopped. Combine corn meal, sugar, evaporated milk, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Stir in corn mixture until combined. Spread into prepared pie plate. Sprinkle with chili powder.

BAKE for 40 to 45 minutes or until firm and lightly browned around edge. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes before serving. Scoop or cut into wedges to serve.

Give Massey Creek Farms a Great Big Shout Out!

My friend Michele from StreetWatch connected with the folks at Massey Creek Farm and they are providing fresh eggs to help feed the homeless.  Everyone please give them a Great BIG Shout Out and say "Thanks" .  We need need more folks like this and before long there would be no hunger.

Bistro 150 8.28.09

Bistro 150 Tonight!

Great selection of wine, beer and food.
Tonight's entertainment is Mood Swings (Oldies, beach, swing and big band)

Join me there tonight.

Honeybee Harvest

Naturally Pure Honey and Beeswax:
Creating the highest quality handmade products for you to enjoy from NC certified beekeeping family since 1998.

We practice sustainable beekeeping and integrate community agriculture through pollination supporting the entire food chain.

We specialize in varietal honey; locally from Guilford County, NC & VA mountains on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Honeybee Harvest is also at the Farmer's Market on Sandy Ridge Road.  Please check out their website for dates and times.

http://honeybeeharvest.com

E-mail: honeybeeharvest@yahoo.com

Mail: Honeybee Harvest Inc.
Kurt & Natalie Bower
5430 Amick Rd.
Julian, NC 27283

Phone: (336) 697-2811

Joseph's House Needs Your Help

Joseph’s House, Inc., is a faith-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in June 2004 to serve homeless young adults between the ages of 18 and 21.  Joseph's House provides shelter, food, clothing, and other supportive services for homeless young adults in Guilford County, North Carolina.

Joseph's House is currently in need of your help.  If you can provide any of the following items it will be greatly appreciated and you will be helping the awesome young men that currently call Joseph's House home.

Items needed:

1. Can food items


2. Meats


3. Fresh fruits and vegetables


4. Paper products
   
   
   
   1. Toilet Tissue
   
   
   2. Paper Towels
   
   
   3. Napkins
   
   
   4. Foil
   
   
   5. Trash Bags
   
   
   6. Kleenex
   
   
   7. Paper Cups
   
   
   8. Plastic Silverware
   
   
   
   


5. Laundry Detergent


6. Cleaning supplies


7. Individual packs of Tylenol


8. First aid supplies


9. Crackers and snack foods


10. Bottled water


11. Light Bulbs


12. AA Batteries


13. Emergency Flash Lights


14. Air Freshener


15. Bleach or Clorox Wipes


16. Office Supplies
    
    
    
    1. Ink Pens
    
    
    2. Paper
    
    
    3. Sticky Notes
    
    
    4. File Folders
    
    
    5. Paper Clips
    
    
    
    


17. Back Packs


18. Deodorant


19. Hand Sanitizer

Donations can be dropped of at
Joseph's House
2703 E. Bessemer Ave.
Greensboro, NC
Or Call 336-389-9880

Cash donations are always welcome.
Click on DONATE NOW image below to make an online donation
or mail check (made out to Joseph's House) to:
Joseph's House
PO Box 13241
Greensboro, NC 27405

Taste of the Town 2009

Last night's Taste of the Town was a wonderful event.  It was an evening of food (so much food), music, dancing, there was a silent auction and lots of good conversations with friends.  All of this to support Hospice.

As you walked through the downstairs area of Showplace there were food stations by  Bimini's Oyster Bar, Blue Water Grille, Dan Thai Jazz Bistro, Liberty Steakhouse, and Peppermoon Catering just to name a few.  It was only $5 to gain entrance into the event and the food tickets were $1 each.  We ended up purchasing chocolate to bring home with the tickets we had left over because there was no way we could eat one more bite.

Event goers were having fun sampling the many food options and dancing to the tunes of Timeless and MTP DJ Productions.  It was definitely an evening worth attending.

A special "Thank You" goes out to Hospice for all the wonderful work they do and to everyone who attended last night event.

Fidscapes

I had the priviledge this past weekend to hang out with Philip Fidler. Just to be in his company is a true blessing with his very easy going demeanor, pleasant personality and gentle spirit. Philip has seen and experienced much in his life and has now decided to become more grounded and by that I really do mean grounded. Philip has decided to start his very own landscaping company. Fidscapes is Philip's creation and he wishes to share his love for nature and landscape restoration with everyone.

I asked Philip to tell me why he decided to start such a back breaking business and this is what he says: "I need to earn an income and why not do something that I enjoy doing.  I also wanted to be able to help people out in these hard times by offering top quality work at a fraction of the cost of hiring a larger company. When you hire Fidscapes to do a job you get me, therefore I can quote you a price that works for everyone. I enjoy helping others and this company gives me the chance to do just that, help. I also enjoy being able to see the finished product of my work and know that I have created something that my customers will enjoy."

Philip loves the outdoors and that is evident in the company slogan "For the Love of Nature". Philip also takes pride in fine tuning the landscape through reducing, reusing and recycling, which contributes to nature and lowers the cost to the customer.

Philip enjoyes getting to know his customers. He enjoys getting to know the natural beauty that he is working with and he is satisfied when the customer is satisfied.

I highly recommend calling Philip today and getting that herb or vegetable garden started or reworking the old one into a productive and more beautiful space.

Please visit Fidscapes' website today for more information.

Enjoy and send pictures of your new Fidscapes garden.

Happy Anniversary from QDOBA!

Follow the link below for a coupon for FREE CHIPS & QUESO.
Enjoy!
Coupon

Taste of the Town 2009

Ok, let's all get out there and support the wonderful work that Hospice of the Triad does in our community.

Taste of the Town offers some amazing food and gives you the chance to sample some of the local fair for a very reasonable cost. Tickets to enter the event are only $5 and food tickets are $1 each. Samplings range from one to four tickets which is not bad considering all proceeds will help cover the cost of the amazing services offered by Hospice of the Triad.

In addition to the very tasty cuisine there will be two stages of entertainment and if this year follows past years plenty of opportunity to show off those dancing shoes.

For more information and to purchase your tickets click on the following link: Taste of the Town 2009

Taste of the Town
Tuesday, August 18
5:30PM - 8:30PM
at Showplace in Downtown High Point

Map to Showplace:
View Larger Map

Go Out for Art - August 20th

Something worth doing is worth doing again, so join us for the next Go Out For Art event on Thursday, August 20, at the new Dan Thai Jazz Bistro at 1116 Eastchester Drive in the Center Stage Shopping Center in High Point. Call 889-3896 to make dinner reservations. Come early and enjoy Thai Orchid Martini specials at the bar from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. or stay late to partake in champagne and dessert specials after 9:00 p.m.

Thank you to our Friends of the Arts who came out on July 16 to support the first Go Out for Art event in High Point at the Dan Thai Jazz Bistro ... the food, the jazz and the fellowship were great. Ten percent of that night's gross was contributed to the United Arts Fund Drive!

Restaurant owner, Dan Doby, is a performing artist himself having acted in movies, and on television and stage. We want to express a special thank you to Mr. Doby for partnering with the Arts Council to raise awareness of the arts and generate much needed revenue for arts programs in High Point!

So, meet up with friends and enjoy an evening of smooth jazz with like minded folks on August 20. Along with great food, there will be live jazz. The Dan Thai Jazz Bistro serves Thai, Japanese, French, and Fusion cuisine created by Chef "Jackie" Teatong of Bangkok. And the restaurant's décor complements the music and food for a dining experience that satisfies all of your appetites!

Arts Splash - August 16

August 16, 2009

6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

UBU ('70's-'80's Top Hits)

City Lake Park

602 W. Main Street , Jamestown

Arts Partner: 

American Red Cross

Concert-goers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets, and picnic dinners.  No alcoholic beverages are permitted at any of the concert locations.  If there is a threat of rain, call 336.889.ARTS after 4pm Sunday to get the latest update on the event.

http://highpointarts.org/ArtsSplash.asp

Cooking Tips for Greens

A few quick tips for Greens.   One thing to keep in mind when cooking greens is to steam them when ever possible - this helps to keep the nutrients in and they look much better when steamed rather than boiled.

• You'll need more greens per cooked serving than you might think.  Cooked greens freeze well and it is better to have more than enough than not enough.


• Cook greens in an enameled or stainless steel pot so their acidity doesn't react with the metal.


• Refrigerate and keep greens unwashed until just before cooking; if they're stored even slightly damp, they rot quickly.


• To wash, fill a sink with lukewarm -- not cold -- water. (Soil washes off more easily with lukewarm water.) Dunk the leaves into the water until all the grit is removed, or rinse under a gentle stream of water that won't bruise the tender leaves. Layer in paper towels in a salad spinner.


• Remove the stems from older Swiss chard, spinach, kale, or beet greens: Fold over each leaf lengthwise with the underside facing you. Grasp the leaf with one hand and pull off the stem with the other hand.

Pondering Food

I have always been interested in the kitchen.  As a young kid my Grandmother would show me how to cook and helped to instill a sense of wonderment.  My Grandmother never looked a recipe, she would just pour and dump the ingredients into a bowl, mix it all around and like magic, it would turn out perfect every time.

I can do that to some extent however, I still need the help of a recipe for some dishes.  Now, I might only use the recipe as a starter.  Those who know me well know that I change almost any recipe that I use.  The only problem with this is when it comes to sharing of recipes.  I do not write down the changes, they are all in my head.  So, when a friend asks for my recipe, which I keep them all in a black notebook or on my computer, I have to decide if I will include the alterations.  I guess it all depends on who asks as to whether or not I include the little changes that made my version just a little more special.

So, the next time you ask me for one of my recipes make sure you request the Travis version and not just the recipe.

Until next time.

Arts Splash August 9th

August 9, 2009

6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

Freeport (Jazzy/Blues)

Hartley Drive YMCA

150 W. Hartley Drive , High Point

Arts Partner: Hartley Drive YMCA

Concert-goers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets, and picnic dinners.  No alcoholic beverages are permitted at any of the concert locations.  If there is a threat of rain, call 336.889.ARTS after 4pm Sunday to get the latest update on the event.