I know your first thought is do the the words Entertaining and Vacation even belong in the same sentence? I believe that they can go hand in hand with a little thought, planning and a fun attitude.

I am blessed that each year my parents rent a fabulous beach house for our extended family in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Just a few weeks ago 12 of us {8 adults and 4 children} gathered together to share a week together. One of my gifts each year is that I cook a few nights for my family. Besides being expensive, going out to dinner involves long lines, cranky children, and often noisy restaurants. We much prefer to stay at home and enjoy our beach view with some good home made food.

Often times rental homes can be lacking in dishes and decor.  I scour the house, use what they have and make it work.  Here you can see I have used the lighthouse cookie jar and matching salt and pepper shakers as my centerpiece.  I dug up some hidden away place mats and set the mood to dine at the table.

Bring what you can from home.

I shopped for most of what I needed at Trader Joe’s the day before leaving. Great food at a great budget! I have to drive an hour to get to the one closest to me and I find  it is well worth it. {Dear Trader Joe’s please open a store in Greensboro soon!} Bring some friends like I did and make it fun!

I also bring cooking staples from my own kitchen.  Essential condiments like olive oil, seasonings, salt and pepper are easy to pack and save you money by not having to repurchase.  {I always bring coffee from The Extra Ingredient!}

Keep the food simple!

This year I decided to go with roasted whole organic chickens.  Whole chickens are cheaper and very easy to prepare thanks to my friend Kendra at My First Kitchen! I was blessed to attend one of her recent cooking classes were I learned how super easy it is to roast a perfectly succulent chicken each time.  The leftovers are perfect for sandwiches too!

Here I am demonstrating the fine art of trussing a chicken!  {Again, thanks Kendra for teaching me!} Note the only scissors available were from my kids craft supplies we brought!  I should have added cooking twine to my bring from home list! No twine to be found in the near vicinity and I had to improvise with some kite string!

I also like to stop at Farm Stands on the way in to the beach. The best place to pick up fresh local produce.

Use all available help

While the chickens were in the oven roasting we took some time to chop our local produce and enjoy a drink together.  I love when others get involved with the meal!

Keep it FUN!

It does not have to be perfect to be fun and enjoyable.  If you need to just plop the pan on the table and serve from it….then go for it!

Wear a Cute Dress!

I got this one at Splurges!

Oh and my motto while on vacation…..The head cook does not clean up!

Today’s article was written by MJ and featured on the popular blog The Reluctant Entertainer….who by the way just published her first book! It is now available on Amazon.

Join me in wishing my oh so fabulous friend Trish
a Big Fat Triad Happy Birthday!

I heart you!

MJ

Today I’m going to share with you some “Super Foods” that I have been eating on a regular basis. The first one is becoming quite popular. Have you heard about Quinoa {pronounced keen-wah}? This nutty flavored, high protein grain has become a staple at our house. It is a great alternative to rice or couscous. Easy to toss in salads and soups too!

Quinoa Salad

The best way to prepare it is to follow the instructions on the box and to use vegetable stock or chicken broth in place of water for extra flavor. There are lots of great recipes using quinoa all over the internet.

Variety of Beans

We all know what they say about beans right? Well, besides that…they really are good for your heart! Black beans are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber, as are most other legumes. The high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making these beans an especially good choice for individuals with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia. When combined with whole grains such as brown rice, black beans provide virtually fat-free high quality protein. They are packed with antioxidants too!

Avocados

Another one of my kitchen staples are avocados. If there ever was a food who had an unjustly bad reputation, it’s the poor avocado. All we have heard in the past is that they are high in fat. Guess what a little fat never hurt anyone. In fact, our body NEEDS fat. Yep. That’s right. You need to eat fat in order for your body to absorb fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin E and other nutrients. And the sweet old avocado, while high in total fat, is high in the fat that your body wants and needs. It is extremely low in cholesterol and sodium and is packed with a whopping 13 grams of dietary fiber! It is a great source of Vitamin K, Vitamin C, and Folate, and well… my goodness, it is pretty darn hard to get so many nutrients packed into one food that needs NO work at all to taste good. Plus it helps keep you skin soft and your hair shiny. It’s a flat out superfood here to save the diet.

And a helpful hint… since most of us can not eat a whole avocado in one sitting, keep the pit in the half that you do not eat to keep the rest of the avocado from turning brown!

Pecans

Anyone who know me, aka One Nutty Girl {shamless plug!}, knows that I’m totally nuts about nuts! I live on them. They are every where in my life, in my pantry, my car, my purse. They are my go to food when I need a snack. I love them all…almonds, pecans, cashews, and walnuts are my favorites. I make my own trail mix by buying raw nuts in bulk and mixing them up with dried fruit and seeds, like pumpkin.

The best for last1

Have you heard? Dark chocolate {60% cocoa or more…the darker the better!} is good for your heart!! A small bar {3.2 ounces} of it everyday can help keep your heart and cardiovascular system running well. It is also loaded with antioxidants. My recommendation…enjoy a little everyday…I do!

So there you have it, some great foods to pack into your menu’s for 2010! Enjoy!

{Please Note: All the information provided is from research and found information by Seek. We want this to be a FUN outlook on food, not a diet consultation. We are in no way experts, but know some good stuff to share with you. Please check with your doctor and/or dietitian to determine what foods and amounts are right for you}

Brrrrrr is all I have to say! Yes, I lived four years in Chicago, but that was 10 years ago. I have North Carolina blood now and I am COLD! It is the perfect time to comfort the chill with some of my Minestrone Soup. It is super easy! Just throw it all in the crock pot in the morning and have a hot meal in the evening.

Crock Pot Minestrone Soup

3/4 to 1 lb. of browned ground meat {ground beef, turkey or chicken cooked, drained and rinsed}
2 16 oz. cans of diced tomatoes
1 16 oz. can of tomato sauce
7 cups of water
4 large beef bouillon cubes
1/2 onion chopped
2 teaspoons of minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp. italian seasoning
1 small package of frozen veggies
1 15 oz. can of navy or cannelini beans
1 c. of pasta {I like to use the cheese filled tortellini, in a black box in the pasta aisle}

Dump everything except the pasta in the crockpot and simmer on low all day, 6 to 8 hours. Thirty minutes before eating, turn to high and add the pasta. You may need to add a little bit more water. Sometimes I make the pasta separately and just add it when serving, this way the pasta does not get too overcooked.

Super easy and you have a warm full meal, complete with meat, veggies and pasta!

photo's by southern living

I love to compliment meals with a fresh salad and/or a bowl of fruit with some vanilla yogurt!

Enjoy Triad and please share any of your super easy comfort soups or stews in the comment section of this post!

Spiced Caramel Apple Bread Pudding

Recipe found by MJ @ Southern Living Magazine, December 2008:

As we all know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We are planning to make a difference by promoting, participating, and even hosting our own event this month.

It is a cause that is very near and dear to our hearts. MJ’s grandmother and mother are both breast cancer survivors , and Trish’s aunt had breast cancer before passing away almost a year ago. Since one in eight women or 12.6% of all women will get breast cancer in her lifetime, chances are you know someone who is affected too!!!

One of the first events in Greensboro is the Women’s Only 5K Walk and Run hosted by Women’s Hospital of Greensboro.

Women's Only 5K & Walk for Breast Cancer

Race Day – Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009

The Women’s Education Center at The Women’s Hospital of Greensboro
801 Green Valley Road, Greensboro, NC

Onsite registration – 7:30-8:30 a.m.

Girls’ Only Mini-Walk & Run – 8:15 a.m.

Women’s Only Warm-ups with Jazzercise – 8:30 a.m.

Women’s Only 5K Walk & Run – 9:30 a.m.

Awards Ceremony – 10:30 a.m.

MJ is all registered and ready to walk with her sweet mommy. They will be walking for their dear friend Joy, who is a two time survivor of breast cancer. Join her and register online here!

Stay tuned because we will chat about one event per week to promote or participate in for the entire month of October! Go ahead and mark your calenders to “SAVE THE DATE” for Sunday, November 1st… Seek the Triad will be hosting our own Breast Cancer Awareness event with details to come very SOON!!! Trust us on this, you’re not gonna want to miss this one of a kind event!!!

All the festive, fun, and fabulous details to come soon…

I was so excited when I heard that one our featured sponsor’s Proehlific Park was offering FREE classes during the month of September beginning this week! I just checked out the link to the full schedule and class description and registered online {so easy!} for the Boot Camp class this Friday, September 18 @ 9:00 AM {a reasonable hour in the morning I must say}. I’d love to have some SEEKers join me!

The Park has lots of other classes to try out as well if Boot Camp is not your thing. Check out Total Body Conditioning or Strength and Conditioning led by Ricky Proehl! They also have several free conditioning classes for children ages 7 through 18, a children’s golf class and an art class called Young Rembrandt’s.

You must Pre Register to be included and save yourself or child a space.

Give me some comment love {in the box right under this post} and let me know what you think of this awesome opportunity. Don’t leave me hanging on Friday morning…I can be a little competitive, but don’t let that scare you away!

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11

This is the verse that gets me through life a lot of days. It is a reminder that God had plans for me before He even created me! How amazing!

After I saw MJ write our Sunday’s “Seek the Word”, I had to make an addition to the post. How ironic I had this exact verse on a piece of jewelry, God has such a sense of humor! I was struggling one day dealing with my youngest son, Drake and some of his issues (he is special needs). My friend C- gave me this bracelet as a gift and I have worn it almost everyday since.

Bangles from Heaven

If you are wondering where to find these beautiful “Bangles from Heaven”, they sell them at the Silver Gallery in Greensboro

Where can you go grab some local goods from the Northwest Greensboro/Summerfield area on a Saturday morning? Here at Dwelling located at highway 150 and Lake Brandt Rd. This is the new local “meeting place” to pick-up artisan breads, local honey, in-season/organic veggie’s, homemade pound-cakes, fresh nut spreads, local Greek baked pastries, artfully arranged flowers, and the list goes on and on!
Here at Dwelling, you can even pick-up a bottle of Organic wine brought in by owner Angie Besecker. Angie is also featuring a new item every week at the market to bring the creativity out in the vendors!( ie; blueberry, honey etc.)

We, here at Seek, truly feel you’re going to love a ride out in the “country” to pick up some local goods at the market, head across the street to check out some other fun shops, grab a cup of Joe at iCoffee and then drive over to the “NEW” Summerfield Town Park and enjoy the morning, walking, fishing or playing on the playground (even if you don’t have little kids)!!! DON’T FORGET to go inside the old Hillsdale Brick Building and see ALL the eco-friendly merchandise Dwelling has to offer!!! We promise, we will be posting again on the great things we SEEK here at Dwelling.

Location:
1000 N.C. 150 (Corner of Highway 150 and Lake Brandt Rd.)
Summerfield
336-298-4401
Hours for the Market:
Saturday 8-12 (don’t forget the “early bird gets the worm”!)
-through late October-

Back to school for me equals “Back to Packing Lunch”. This year I’m armed with a new and fresh approach to packing lunch thanks to Laptop Lunches.

Photo courtesy of Laptoplunches.com

I stumbled upon some Laptop Lunches lunch boxes in a store in Asheville North Carolina recently. I mentally noted the website and eagerly checked them out the first chance I had. Not only did I discover that the lunch boxes were free of phthalates, bi sphenol A (BPA) or lead, but the website was full of tips for packing healthy lunches, menus idea, and nutrition information.

Photo courtesy of Laptoplunches.com

This system includes a insulated carrying case, water bottle, Bento Box with inner container and utensils, plus a copy of Laptop Lunch: The Users Guide for $37.99.

Good news, the system is available at Earth Fare in Greensboro! Save shipping and shop local!

Photo courtesy of Laptoplunches.com

Another great feature on their website is the link to subscribe to a weekly lunch menu feed, complete with colorful lunch photos and preparation notes. I’m all signed up and ready to go!