Food Tidings Blog

We've moved...

2010-12-21T14:52:00.002-07:00

Hi there everyone- just wanted to let you know that our blog address has changed. We're now located at http://www.foodtidings.wordpress.com/ So come check us out there!

Football, Family, and Amil's Chili

2010-12-16T10:17:00.001-07:00

When my husband Zach was younger, he has fond memories of getting together with family during football season. He's from Colorado, and the Denver Broncos have been his team since he can remember. He even remembers where he was, and how sad he was when John Elway announced his retirement.

There was one meal that he had often when his family got together to watch the Broncos... chili. It was a recipe from his Grandpa Amil, and it brings back memories when we have it today. I was so grateful when he shared this with me, and excited when I got the recipe from his mom several years back.

Now I'm excited to get to share it with you all! I'm actually making some today, and plan to bring half of the recipe to a fellow teacher that my husband works with. The great thing about this chili is that it freezes really well! It makes a great big batch, so it would be plenty to make one batch for both your family and the family you're bringing a meal to. Plus, it's the perfect time of year for some hearty, yummy chili!

AMIL'S CHILI
4 regular cans of chili beans (or 2 big cans)
4 regular sized cans of diced tomatoes (or 2 big cans)
1 white onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork (I just usually use 1lb of whatever I have on hand- beef or turkey, and skip the pork)
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 cup (plus 1/8 cup more if you want it spicier) chili powder
Garnishes:
lettuce chopped
tomatoes chopped
sour cream
shredded cheese
extra onions, chopped
flour tortillas, buttered, warmed

-Brown beef and pork with the onions and green peppers, drain
-Add salt and pepper to taste
-In a big pot, add the beans and tomatoes with the beef mixture
-Add chili pepper (I usually just do the 1/8 cup first, then let others make it spicier in their own bowl if they want)
-Let simmer until green peppers are soft- 1hr or longer

Note: I'm using my crock pot with it today, and I will have it on low all day long to let the spices really get into the whole batch....

This is really, really yummy served with warm buttered flour tortillas to dip into the chili. We also serve it with lettuce, tomato, and cheese on top, plus a little dallop of sour cream. YUMMY, I can't wait for dinner!

Behind The Scenes: Our Story

2010-12-08T13:21:00.001-07:00

My name is Lisa, and I'm one of the co-founders of Food Tidings. I wanted to share our story with you of how Food Tidings came to be.

In early 2006, we had so many friends having babies around the same time. We enjoyed bringing meals to them, and inviting friends and family to do the same. BUT, and this is a huge but, it was SO frustrating trying to do it through email! I felt like I was spending way too much time trying to send out an eamil, asking everyone to hit "reply all" when they sign up for a day, and inevitably someone would just reply to me. Then, I'd have to send an email to everyone on the list with the newest schedule, clogging up everyone's inbox.
One night before bed, I was sharing my "woes" with my husband, Zach, and I told him I wished there were a website out there that could help me do this... thus, the beginning of Food Tidings...He responded to me with an optimistic, "Well, let's make one!"

I am the personality type that tends to see all the set backs and pit falls of ideas, and my husband is just the opposite (we're made for each other!) I answered his idea of creating a website with something to the effect of, "I was just sharing with you how frustrated I am, not that I think we should make a website. That would be way too involved, and we don't even know how to!" His mind started going 100 miles per hour with ideas, and one of the first things he did was call up some of our close friends, Jeff and Leanne.

He shared the idea with them, and they were excited to get started on it. Jeff is a very talented web designer, and he helped our idea become reality. Once the site was up and running, I was so excited to see that I could create a meal schedule so easily! I was thankful for it, and really thought that if anything, it would be awesome for just us and our friends to be able to use it. Word spread, and continues to spread about it, and it's been so awesome to watch Food Tidings help SO many people. Not just in the US, but in other countries as well!
It's made it so simple to "do something." When you don't know what to do, and how to help someone you love who is going through either a transitional time in their life or a difficult time, bringing them a meal is a great way to show you care.

My husband Zach and I have 4 kids, and having meals brought to us after the births of each one was just amazing. I loved knowing that I didn't have to worry about making dinners for a while. And to be honest, making meals was one of the furthest things from my mind at that time! It was also a great way for us to get to see friends and family, and for them to see the newest additions to our family.
Likewise, it's really cool to get to bring a meal to someone. It's a way for me that I feel like I can be a help to them, and I know it's a great way to show I care.

We would love to see Food Tidings to be shared all throughout the world, and that it can be used as a tool to help millions of people get meals delivered to them. More than that though, for those millions to know that they're loved and thought of. We are of the mindset that giving and serving is such a huge and important aspect in this life. This is just one of the many ways to serve others and give of yourself.

So, that's our story of how Food Tidings came to be. We're looking forward to the future, and can't wait to see and hear about the wonderful ways you're helping others. Thanks for using Food Tidings!

It's Better To Give Than To Receive...

2010-12-07T06:00:00.004-07:00

I have to be honest. This is a tough time of year for my husband and I. We struggle with how much to give our kids for Christmas. We don't want to "spoil" them with so many gifts that they lose the true meaning of why we celebrate Christmas. We know they will get many gifts from family members, and that is wonderful. We want to make sure that we as a family remember that Christmas is more about giving than it is receiving. Here are a few things we've started doing together...

*We go out and do angel tree together. We'll go to somewhere like Wal-mart, and pick an angel off the tree at the front of the store. Then we shop to find a gift that fits that description. It's fun for the kids, and they know they're helping a child get a gift that would not have otherwise gotten one.

*We send money to our Compassion Child- we sponsor a little boy through Compassion International who lives in the Dominican Republic. It's been three years now, and we get letters from him from time to time. We also write letters to him. It's neat to see him grow too- Compassion sends updated pictures of him. The money we send goes for the organization to purchase something for him that he needs. If you have ever considered sponsoring a child, I would highly encourage you to do so! It's only $38/month, and it provides food, clothing, and school for a child. It's awesome.

I'm sure as the years go on, we will add to and/or change the things we do for Christmas. Here are some other ideas that help us to remember it's about giving more than receiving....
*World Vision- this one is way cool. You can actually purchase things like goats, chickens, trees, mosquito nets and even water wells for people across the world. How cool is that to know you could provide food and shelter for the needy! You can also sponsor children through this organization.
*Angel Tree
*Operation Ensuring Christmas - this is really neat too. Here is this organization's mission statement: "Operation Ensuring Christmas provides financial, moral and rehabilitative support to the Children of Fallen American Troops by providing them Christmas Gift Cards at Christmas and a 'Christmas in July', VIP theme park trip to Orlando Florida. This support is to help them recover from the grief and trauma caused by the ultimate sacrifice a child can make for their country... the loss of a parent in war."
*Toys For Tots- this is similar to Angel Tree- they collect new, unwrapped toys for needy children in the community
*There are many homeless shelters that are always in need of things. Contact your local homeless shelter and see how you can help.
*Have your little ones make some Christmas cards, and go as a family to a local nursing home. I'll bet you would really make their Christmas special this year by showing you care.
*Oxfam America Unwrapped- this is similar to World Vision. Here's what the website says: "Looking for unique holiday gift ideas? Consider the unusual: plant a vegetable garden for a friend or a set of building tools for dad. Browse our charitable gifts and select a unique gift for your friend or loved ones. Your friends get a card, and the money goes to those who need it most."
"We are an international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and injustice. We are part of Oxfam International, a confederation of 14 Oxfams working in more than 90 countries. Together with individuals and local groups in these countries, we save lives, help people overcome poverty, and fight for social justice. "
*Feed My Starving Children- this organization is awesome. We've had the privelage of helping pack meals with our church for them, as well as raise money for the meals. Did you know that one meal for a starving child costs only 19 cents? You can feed 6 children for a month for only $35.00. Wow.
*Volunteer at your local food bank.
*Network For Good- this is a way you can donate online to many many different charities.

These are just some of the ways you can give of your time and resources this Christmas. We'd love to hear if anyone has any other ideas!

Meal Idea Monday: Yummly

2010-12-06T06:00:00.002-07:00

I just stumbled across an incredible recipe site! It's called Yummly, and it's awesome. They have over 500,000 recipes to check out, and you can even search by ingredient, allergy, price, type, and much more. They have a facebook page too- with cool little tips given each day. The Wonderful Waldorf Salad looks yummly! Ha ha, get it- yummly? :) It says to use a red delicious apple, but I think I'd use a honeycrisp apple. Those apples are heaven sent. If you've never had a honeycrisp apple, you should go to the grocery store today and get one...

Have a fabulous day!!!

Thankfulness in the midst of the craziness...

2010-12-01T15:09:00.000-07:00

Life as a mommy of 4 kids under the age of 5, and wife to one wonderful man is no easy task- as I'm sure MANY of you reading this well know. It is hard work! Driving kids to and from school, to and from extra curricular activities, keeping up with the finances, keeping the house clean (sorry to say, that one really hardly gets done in my house...), the laundry, meals, grocery shopping, keeping up relationships, and the list goes on.

And once you think you're done for the day, kids in bed, lunches packed for the next day, house straightened.... you get into some comfy jammies and either sit or lay to relax and catch up on that magazine you've been meaning to flip through for over a month when.........."Mommy? Can I have a drink of water?" or you remember that you have that last load of laundry still sitting in the washer and if you leave it, you know what will happen. The dreaded mildew. I'm almost embarrassed to say that mildew is a common occurrence in our house. I stock up on vinegar because I just can't seem to remember that last load that I was sure I'd remember when I put it in. Anyone else know what I'm talking about? Sheesh!

But when all is said and done, would I have it any other way? Well, except to add maybe a bit more time to the day to get more done and more energy into my body in order to get those things done (wait, do those two just cancel each other out? I'd say they would)- no I totally wouldn't change things. I love being a wife, mother, sister, daughter, grand daughter, friend, and neighbor. What a huge blessing these things are.

The fact that I have mildewey laundry just means I have 5 others in my family who are active and that I get to help keep their clothes clean. It means there's life in my home. Cleaning my house means I get to have 4 wonderful children that leave their sweet handprints and trails wherever they go- and that really is a blessing. And when my son is sick with an ear infection, and is crying so hard from the pain- that means God created his body to know when he's in pain, he has a voice to communicate that to us, and the fever means God created his body to know how to fight off this infection. So I can even rejoice in that. It truly is all in how I look at things.

Yes, life is hard. Super hard. And I have to be okay with knowing it can't all get done when I want, and how I want. But in the midst of it all the craziness, there is much to be thankful for. How can I take what I'm thankful for, and share that with others around me? It can take on many shapes and forms.

*Maybe it's bringing cookies to your neighbor that just moved in, or some pumpkin bread to a neighbor that has lived on your street for a long time and you still don't really know them.
*Maybe it's calling a fellow mommy and letting her know you're coming over to watch her kids for her. Give her a few hours to herself, to do whatever she'd like.
*Or maybe come to her house and pick up her laundry, take it home, and bring it back later all clean and folded. (You may have to pry it out of her hands because she'll probably say she's fine and she can do it, and she doesn't need help- but she'll be grateful once it comes back clean and folded! Just kidding- don't pry, but for those of you who don't like to accept help- this is a time when it's okay to accept it! Some people want to help, and would be blessed to do it, so saying no just denies them of that. Know what I mean? I'm saying this to myself as I type!)
*Bring over some chicken noodle soup, saltine crackers, gatorade, a pretty yellow flower of some kind, and a movie to someone you know who is sick.
*Double the batch of dinner you're making tonight for your family, and bring the other half over to an older neighbor you have that lives alone.

How will you show someone you care today?

Meal Idea Monday- Make it Kid Friendly

2010-11-22T12:18:00.000-07:00

Many times, when we bring meals to our friends and family, they have little children. And if their kids are anything like mine, they have likes and dislikes. I don't blame them- I have likes and dislikes too! I'm always thinking about what I can bring that the kids would enjoy as well.

I was checking out What's Cookin In Mama Jan's Kitchen, and found these great bbq chicken tenders. From what she said, they were a hit with her family, and I think kids would love these! Click here for the recipe.

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Enjoy the many blessings you have in your life. God is so good!

Meal Idea Monday- Java Roast

2010-11-15T14:12:00.000-07:00

I know- coffee in a roast? But it actually turned out great! This would be a great meal to bring to a friend. I got it from A Year of Slowcooking Blog... enjoy!

Java Roast In Crock Pot

Meal Idea Monday: Bring them breakfast too!

2010-11-08T08:00:00.003-07:00

Gillian has graciously shared her recipes via facebook for her cream scones with lemon curd. She enjoys bringing friends and family dinners, and she brings them breakfast for the next day as well. Isn't that a great idea?! I love it. So here are the yummy recipes for you to try. Thank you, Gillian!!

Cream Scones

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup dried fruit, chopped ( I use sweetened dried cranberries)
1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream (CANNOT be substituted!)

For tops of scones:
3 Tbsps. melted butter
Sugar for sprinkling

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, and dried fruit in a mixing bowl. Pour in heavy cream. Stir until just combined. Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead lightly about 7-8 times-do not overwork the dough. Shape into a round about 1 inch thick and cut into 8 wedges. Place on a foil covered baking sheet. Brush tops of scones with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 12-15 minutes until just lightly golden brown.

I like to use a course ground sugar for sprinkling as it looks really pretty! You can also do a scented sugar. You can change up the flavor of the scones as well, here are a few ideas:

Cranberry Orange: Add 1 Tbsp. of orange zest to the batter. Sprinkle scones with an orange scented sugar or glaze them with an orange glaze.

Chocolate Chip: Add 1/2 cup chips...any kind to the batter

Chocolate Cherry: Add 1/2 cup chips and 1/2 dried cherries

Lemon: Add 1 Tbsp. lemon zest. Do a lemon glaze or sprinkle with a lemon sugar.

Lemon Curd

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
8 large egg yolks
1/4 tsp. coarse salt
1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 pieces

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, off heat, whisk together sugar, zest, and egg yolks; whisk in lemon juice and salt. Add butter and place pan over medium-high heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until butter has melted, mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, and small bubbles form around the edge of pan, about 5 minutes (do not boil). Remove pan from heat while continuing to to whisk. Pour curd through a fine mesh sieve into a glass bowl. Press plastic wrap against the surface of curd and refrigerate until cool.

Once cooled, you can spoon into small mason jars. I like to make pretty labels and wrap up in pretty papers and ribbon. Enjoy!

Meal Idea Monday: Inspired2Cook Blog

2010-11-01T08:00:00.003-07:00

Hey y'all! It's Monday again, and that means it's time for some Meal Ideas... :) Lori, a member of our Food Tidings community, has shared an incredible website with us called Inspired2Cook.

I checked it out, and it's AWESOME! Lori's good friend and neighbor Andrea is the author of Inspired2Cook. I was reading a little about her on her site, and she says her hope is that people will leave her site inspired to get in the kitchen and cook. It was certainly true for me! This site looks perfect for those of us who are wanting to find great recipe ideas to bring to our friends and family!

There are tons of recipe ideas on the site, and I cannot wait to try some of them out. Thanks for the tip, Lori. And a double thanks to Andrea for creating Inspired2Cook. Check out her site today for some of Andrea's favorite recipes that she likes to take to friends and family. Thank you for using your talent in the kitchen, and putting it out there to share with all of us!

Meal Idea Monday- Cheese Enchiladas, Salad, and Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-10-25T08:00:00.002-07:00

Debbie and her daughter Jenna brought my family and I dinner after we had our fourth child, and it was delicious. Upon my request, they have shared the recipes with you all!

They brought us cheese enchiladas (served in a disposable container), a green salad (lettuce in a big ziploc bag, and all veggies cut up to go on it in their own separate snack size baggies- great idea!), homemade strawberry dressing for the salad (the most amazing dressing ever- my husband said he wanted to just drink it straight up!), and chocolate chip cookies for dessert. :)

Cheese Enchiladas

2 ¼ lbs. grated Cheddar or Monterrey Jack Cheese

1 28 oz. can of Macayo Enchilada Sauce (Use only Macayo brand)

12 medium Corn Tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat enchilada sauce on low.

Prepare 13x9 oven baking pan by spraying with Pam and placing a ladle full of sauce on the bottom.

Heat 3 tortillas at a time in microwave for 30 seconds (repeating until all 12 heated).

Dip each tortilla in the warmed sauce, place in pan add desired amount of cheese, roll and place seam side down. Repeat this step with each tortilla.

Bake 15-20 minutes.

Strawberry Salad Dressing

2/3 c. sugar

1 tsp. dry mustard

pinch of salt

1/3 c. honey

5 tbsp. cider vinegar

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. grated onion (this will make you cry :))

1 tsp. celery seed

**1 cup oil….to be added later

** strawberries

Combine all but oil in blender & whirl until smooth. Gradually add oil with blender running. Add a few strawberries for color.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

¾ stick Crisco Butter Flavor shortening

1 ¼ cups firmly packed light brown sugar

2 tbsp. milk

1 tbsp. vanilla

1 large egg

1 ¾ cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

¾ tsp. baking soda

1 6 oz. package of semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 cup)

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Beat shortening and brown sugar in large bowl with mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add milk, vanilla and egg. Mix well. Stir in flour, salt and baking soda. Mix well. You will need to stir the chocolate chips in by hand.

Drop rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes. Makes 3 dozen.

Meal Idea Monday- Make Ahead Freezer Meals

2010-10-18T08:00:00.001-07:00

How is it Monday again already? Time flies when you're having fun I guess! And the weather is getting cooler, how nice is that? For us here in AZ, it's AMAZING. :)

One of our blog readers, Renee, suggested a great resource for make ahead freezer meals. I've come across a few Food Tidings schedules that ask for freezer meals. I've even seen in the notes section that a cooler will be left out front, and to put the meal in there. These meal ideas could be perfect for that. Or maybe you signed up for a day, then realized you have something else going that day as well. I'm totally guilty of doing that! If you needed to bring the meal a day or two before your scheduled date, bring them a freezer meal.

Here's another great resource for make ahead freezer meals. I've blogged about Once A Month Mom before, but this site is worthy of getting another mention! :)

Meal Idea Monday- Apple Cinnamon Pull Apart Rolls

2010-10-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

These apple cinnamon pull apart rolls from Once A Month Mom look AMAZING. This could be a wonderful dessert to bring with a meal, OR a yummy breakfast to bring for the next morning to someone!

Meal Idea Monday- Spaghetti and Cupcakes

2010-10-04T08:00:00.002-07:00

Christina sent us a message via facebook about a meal she brought to someone...

"We did spaghetti for dinner and dessert one time... seemed to be a big hit! We made normal spaghetti (easy and inexpensive) and for dessert we made spaghetti cupcakes... the kids loved them. Yellow cupcakes with white frosting tinted yellow, drizzled over the cupcakes that were all very close together. The sauce was sugar free strawberry jam with Ferrero Rocher candies as the meatballs and shaved white chocolate as the cheese. Fun fun and easy. Got the idea out of the Hello Cupcake book by Karen Tack & Alan Richardson"

What a creative idea, Christina! Thanks for sharing. Enjoy your Monday, everyone!

ManageCancer.org

2010-09-29T14:11:00.004-07:00

We want to let you all know about an incredible resource that will be very beneficial to those who have cancer, or for someone who has a family member or friend has cancer. It's called ManageCancer.org.

Here's what the site says:
"ManageCancer.org is a service provided by Christina’s Garden, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created to assist those battling cancer. Our free cancer resource website provides cancer patients and their loved ones with information and links to valuable resources to assist with finances, medication and doctor schedules, communication, support, assistance, education, travel, housing and more. We also provide suggestions on ways that loved ones can help. There are many resources available, however, they are sometimes difficult to find as we have found out through personal experience. We have worked very hard to provide the best resources and will continually add resources as our research progresses. We have also strived to create a site that is easy to follow and navigate, a site that will not overwhelm users."

The creator of ManageCancer.org knows first hand what it's like to have a loved one with cancer, and has experienced the trials of trying to find the right resources. His wife, Christina, passed away at age 31 from cancer on January 27, 2009 after a courageous 10 year battle. In May of 2009, he left his career as an attorney to start Christina's Garden, and now ManageCancer.org. What a wonderful way to honor and remember his beloved wife, and to provide much needed guidance for others facing cancer.

This looks like the perfect go to website for those courageously battling cancer, as well as for their friends and family. There are many resources out there for those with cancer, and ManageCancer.org has succeeded in putting them into one easy to use website. They've included Food Tidings on their list of resources, and we're grateful to be included as a resourece for helping others during the trials they face. Check out ManageCancer.org, and visit their facebook page.

Meal Idea Monday- Asian Noodle Salad

2010-09-27T08:00:00.001-07:00

Jackie writes us via facebook about a meal she enjoys bringing to her friends and family.

"I like to bring Pioneer Woman's Asian Noodle Salad. Nice and healthy and crunchy! People tend to get a lot of casseroles so it seems to be a welcome change. :)"

Thanks for the recipe idea, Jackie!

UPDATE: Ok, so it turns out there are more than one Asian Noodle Salads on The Pioneer Woman's website. This is the one that Jackie loves to bring- but I'm sure the other one is delicious too! :)

Meal Idea Monday- Macaroni and Cheese

2010-09-20T08:00:00.002-07:00

Diana sent us a great recipe idea via facebook. She makes Macaroni and Cheese from The Pioneer Woman's website. Along with it, she brings green beans, salad and cheesecake (store bought). That meal sounds incredible. Thanks for sharing it with us, Diana!

Feel free to send in your tried and true recipes that you bring to your family and friends. Email us at lisa@foodtidings.com or write us on our facebook page. Enjoy your Monday!

Adding That Special "Something"

2010-09-18T07:58:00.004-07:00

A few weeks ago, I blogged about our friend Julie at Come Have a Peace. She had some amazing ideas for how to add that extra "something" to make the dinner you bring that much more special. It got me thinking, what can I do to make the meal I bring super fun and special? So, the last meal I brought to our friends was my test run.

I used one of Julie's ideas- bringing fun plates and napkins. I decided on the color yellow because when I think of yellow, I think of sunshine, happiness, and cheer. And that's what I wanted our friends to feel when they were eating. I think that changes everything about bringing dinner- fun plates and napkins just really change the "feel" of the dinner.

Then I had found some really awesome things at Michael's on sale. It was a plastic popcorn bowl, matching napkins, and matching coasters.... movie night! So I got some candy, some microwave popcorn, and put it all together nicely. I added this "movie night" with the dinner I brought. I think it all turned out so great! I really enjoyed putting it all together, and I couldn't wait for our friends to receive it.

I hope this helps spark your creativity when thinking of what to bring your friend for dinner that much more special! I loved how Julie from Come Have a Peace said it- it helps to "take a meal from delivering help to delivering help AND happiness." So true!

Here are the fun yellow plates and napkins, wrapped with a beautiful red bow

Here's the "movie night" package I brought along with dinner...

This is what the popcorn bowl looked like from the front...

If you have any ideas, please share with us- you can leave a comment here or you can stop by and visit our facebook page. We'd love to hear from you!

Meal Idea Monday- Pulled Pork Sandwiches

2010-09-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Here's our recipe for today's Meal Idea Monday...

Laura from our facebook page gave us a great idea for BBQ pulled pork sandwiches in the slow cooker. These look really yummy!

Thanks for sharing, Laura!

Meal Idea Monday- Easy Potato Soup

2010-09-06T08:00:00.001-07:00

Wow, it's Monday again- how do the weeks go by so fast?! :) Here's our recipe for Meal Idea Monday... it's from Cary. Enjoy!

I have been taking potato soup for years. This is an easy and delicious meal.
-Cary

Easy Potato Soup

4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
2 oz blocks cream cheese-I usually do the 1/3 less fat.
1 small white onion chopped
30 oz package frozen cubed hash brown potatoes (plain)
1-2 packages cubed ham
1/2 tsp dill weed-I use the McCormick with the red top. You may have to play with this depending on what type you have.
1/4 tsp black pepper
French bread-topping
sour cream-topping
shredded cheese-topping
green onion chopped-topping

Heat water and broth to just boiling. Add cream cheese in chunks, pepper and dill weed. Heat until cream cheese is mixed. Add onion, potatoes, and ham. Cook for 30 min on med-low. Add toppings as desired and serve.

Getting Creative

2010-09-02T14:01:00.007-07:00

We'd like to thank Julie at Come Have A Peace for writing a wonderful post on her blog about Foodtidings. She even had some very creative ideas for making the meal you bring even more special. She writes:

Start the trend where you live. Someone is sure to be expecting, starting to feel lousy, packing boxes, or having their kitchen remodeled ... or you could be next and benefit from your organized "Food Tidings" friends. Great things to add to a meal you deliver to a friend:

a package of fun napkins to make tired, ill, or new people feel better
a package of paper plates to spare friends some clean up
a card with the "menu" written on it
a package of coffee for a single pot
a box of tissues or tea, if you're reaching out to a friend with a cold

I LOVE those ideas! Thanks, Julie, for sharing your ideas and blogging about us!

I was inspired last night as I was at Michael's, looking in their $1 bins for fun things. They had these cute movie night themed napkins and a matching plastic popcorn bowl...wouldn't it be fun to bring a box of candy, a package of microwave popcorn, fun napkins, and a fun bowl for the popcorn? Put that altogether and you have given your friend a movie night along with dinner.

I hope some of these ideas are helpful to you, and make bringing meals to loved ones even more enjoyable. Get creative, and have fun with it! If you come up with any great ideas, please share them with us on our facebook page. We'd love to hear from you!

Meal Idea Monday- from Mama Jan's Kitchen

2010-08-30T08:00:00.002-07:00

Good morning everyone! It's Meal Idea Monday, and I've gotten some great recipe ideas from some wonderful people in our foodtidings community. I'll be featuring a recipe idea each Monday that you can use to take to your friends and family. So if you ever feel stuck, like you can't seem to think of what to make after you've signed up to bring a meal, click "recipe ideas" on the right hand side of our blog to find some great ideas!

Our first recipe to be featured is from Janet at What's Cooking in Mama Jan's Kitchen. She has a food blog with lots of amazing looking recipes! Here's what she wrote to us on our facebook page...
I brought dinner to two families with new babies last night. I don't often do casseroles but found a recipe for a delicious, no-cans casserole with shredded chicken, mushrooms, peas and homemade stuffing. Sides of rosemary olive oil bread and a green salad with mandarin oranges and homemade vinaigrette. For dessert? Chocolate caramel meltaway brownies....

It was definitely a lot of work, esp. with two toddlers underfoot! But so worth it... and my boys love to bring meals to friends. The other day, my 2 1/2 year old even said to me "Mama, that was awesome" after we brought a meal to a new family. :D

How delicious does that sound?! And how awesome that she's showing her little ones the importance of helping others. Here are the links for these recipes. Enjoy!
Chicken, Mushroom, Pea, & Stuffing Casserole
Mandarin Tossed Salad
Chocolate Caramel Meltaways

Thanks for sharing, Janet! And as always, we would love to hear from you- send your recipes to lisa@foodtidings.com.

Awesome Crockpot Recipe Blog

2010-08-29T15:08:00.004-07:00

Have you ever signed up for a meal, then immediately started to stress about what you were going to bring? I totally do that all the time! I want it to be just the right meal, and if we're being honest, one of the favorites that is remembered. I know that shouldn't matter, but I want it to be really, really yummy!

Well, here's a great resource for you to check out- it's an awesome blog called A Year Of Slowcooking. The author, Stephanie O'Dea, decided that she would use her crock pot every single day of the year 2008, and she did! It resulted in her being on Rachel Ray, The Today Show twice, and she now has 2 cookbooks out. She seems very down to earth, a family girl, and very funny too. I've found many great recipes for my crock pot using her blog, and I know you will too- ones you can easily bring to friends and family. Enjoy!

Sharing Her Story

2010-08-25T08:00:00.001-07:00

Patti from Colorado recently shared her foodtidings story with us, and we wanted to share it with you...

"Your website was an amazing support for us! Our daughter is developmentally disabled. In March, she had major surgery on both legs. A friend set up the Food Tidings website for us and we didn't prepare a meal for a full 5 weeks. It was an amazing lifesaver not to have to think about dinner! Thank you so much for providing this service!"

Thanks for sharing, Patti! And we welcome any of your stories- we'd love to hear from you! You can email them to us at lisa@foodtidings.com.

Meal Idea Monday

2010-08-23T15:51:00.002-07:00

Hello to our Foodtidings family! We're currently working on adding to the recipe ideas section of our blog, and we need your help!!! We're officially calling this day "Meal Idea Monday." :) We're looking for recipes that have worked well for you when bringing them to someone- and feel free to even include the sides you brought with the main dish. You can email the recipes to us at lisa@foodtidings.com, you can leave a comment on here, or you can find our facebook page and comment with it. Thank you so much!

A New Arrival!!

2010-08-01T14:15:00.006-07:00

Hi there everyone! A few new exciting things happening here...
First, our 4th child was born on July 20th- he's just precious! His name is Deklan Eugene, and he weighed in at 6lb and was 20.5 inches long. Welcome to the world, little Deklan!

We have amazing friends and family who are bringing us dinners, and they've been so wonderful! We've gotten mexican stuffed shells with salad and muffins, bbq sandwiches with cheesy potatoes and brownies, tater tot casserole with ice cream and homemade fudge (yummy!), spaghetti and salad with these amazing raspberry shortbread cookies, lasagna with bread, and we even had pizza delivered to us! We just feel so blessed to have such great support around us, and we're being fed VERY well. There's just not much better than having meals brought during a time like this. The last thing I'm thinking about is making dinners- really, I'm just trying to stay awake enough to take care of my 4 kids! This is quite the transition time, and I know these sleepless nights and raging hormones are only temporary (thank goodness, for my sake and my families sake!) So yes, Zach and I are super tired, but more than that we're just amazed that God could create such a beautiful baby and thankful for our friends and family!!

Also, I just came across a column that was written on azfamily.com (one of our local news stations), and it featured foodtidings in the article! Click here for the link if you want to check it out (it's about 3/4 of the way down the article.)

Keep on helping others by bringing them meals, and in any other way you can- you are making a difference!!!

Once A Month Mom Rocks!

2010-07-14T19:58:00.005-07:00

Hey there! One of our wonderful facebook fans has shared with us an AWESOME new site. It's called Once A Month Mom, and it is all about once a month cooking. The author, Tricia, has even expanded it to making baby meals once a month too. I just checked the site out (it is SO gorgeous- and SO well put together,) and I can't wait to just dig into it and try this once a month cooking out. It is free to use, and she has a monthly menu with breakfasts lunches, and dinners that you can download and print. Get this- she even has customized labels that you can download and print for each meal, complete with the name of the meal and serving instructions!

Once I have a whole freezer full of meals, it will be that much easier to sign up to bring someone a meal when I get a foodtidings invite to make a meal for someone. Then I can take my pick as to what I'd like to bring them, and it's already put together. I'm super excited about Once A Month Mom! Thanks, Tricia for helping to make our lives easier with once a month cooking.

Oh, and there is a link at the top for just recipes if you're not interested in the cooking for a month part, and just want ideas for great meals.

New Recipe Sharing Site

2010-07-12T12:42:00.003-07:00

Hi there everyone! One of our fans from our facebook page, Heather, just shared with me her new recipe sharing blog. It looks like it's going to be very cool. There are only a few recipes on it so far, but it has great potential to be a wonderful resource for finding great recipes to bring to our friends and family. Feel free to check it out, and even share a favorite recipe or two! Click here for the link. Have a wonderful week!

Help for Moms with Post Partum Depression

2010-07-07T20:45:00.001-07:00

We wanted to send a shout and prayers out to Katherine Stone. I came across her blog today, www.postpartumprogress.com. I read some of the posts and was pretty moved by the reality of the depression some women deal during and after pregnancy. Food Tidings is a resource to help support families and moms when baby arrives so Katherine's blog is a resource we want to make the FT community aware of. Thanks for the service and hope you provide Katherine!

Order Take Out for Cheap

2010-07-05T14:09:00.002-07:00

I just got $100 in gift certificates to some awesome restaurants in AZ for $20.00 on www.restaurant.com. This site is awesome! When you go there and find the restaurants you like, they have $25.00 gift certificates for $10.00 which is awesome itself, then you put in the promo code FREEDOM and it gives you a 50% discount. That deal is going on until tomorrow (Tuesday, July 6th). ENJOY!

Exciting News!

2010-06-23T15:25:00.002-07:00

Jeff and Leanne (co-founders of foodtidings) are expecting baby #6!!!! My bet is that it's a girl- they have 5 girls right now, all under the age of 7! They're such awesome parents, and we're super excited for them. Congratulations you guys!

Fruit Kabobs!

2010-05-05T14:06:00.004-07:00

I took my daughter to a birthday tea party for one of her friends, and they had these great fruit kabobs there. They were so good, looked so easy to make, and it made the table look so much more colorful and fun. I thought these would be a great side to take with a meal that you're bringing to someone. If you're anything like me, I'm always trying to find an easy and simple side to bring- and usually end up doing something like brownies. Well, these are much healthier and more fun!

Makes about 15 kabobs (so adjust amounts if you don't need that many):
-Kabob Sticks (I found these at Walmart- I'm sure you can find them anywhere)
-2 pints of strawberries, washed and tops cut off (but keep them whole)
-1 can of cut up pineapple (or you can just get fresh pineapple- I'm all about easiest, so guess which one I got?!) :)
-1 bunch of red grapes, washed
-about 4 or 5 Kiwi- peeled, cut into chunks

Then comes the fun- you just alternate each piece of fruit on the kabob until it's filled. I'm so bummed I didn't take a picture of the ones I made this past Sunday- sorry about that!

I'd love to hear from any of you in the foodtidings community who have some great recipes or tips you'd like to share with us- really anything you'd like to share, we'd love to hear! You can email me at lisa@foodtidings.com, and I'd love to post recipes, tips, or stories onto our blog for all to see! We appreciate you all, and are so grateful that foodtidings can be used to help you!

Buy Them A Giftcard

2010-04-18T13:34:00.007-07:00

I came across a cool idea today while I was RSVPing on Evite for my 3 year old son, who was invited to his friends' birthday party. It's the idea of buying a giftcard online for someone. I'm sure this idea has been around for a long time, but I think it fits perfect for foodtidings.

I thought of foodtidings because sometimes when I get an invitation to sign up to bring someone dinner, it just seems like a crazy busy time for us. And the thought of trying to work out bringing a meal (although I totally want to), just overwhelms me. But I could always order a gift card, and have it sent to that persons address or email. Or for friends who just had a baby, and I didn't attend the baby shower, I could send them a gift card and bring a meal if I wanted to. Or for friends or family members who are going through treatment for cancer, or any other kind of illness, gift cards are so helpful for the families. The possibilities are endless.

So I did some research for you all, and here's what I came up with:

gift card mall. This site was cool too. I counted 37 food places you could choose from when purchasing gift cards, as well as many many other merchants. I liked that this site broke the merchants down in categories for you, so it wasn't so overwhelming when looking at it all. I liked that this site allowed me to either have the actual gift card sent to the address of the recipient (free shipping too) or I could do an e-gift card and have it sent to their email address.

Friendgiftr. This site is really well put together and seemed very user friendly. They have over 140 merchants to choose from, and you simply pick the giftcard you want, choose the denomination, and have it sent to the recipient's email address (for an e-gift card). There is only a 99 cent delivery charge. There didn't seem to be too many restaraunts to choose from, but there were many other things. I liked also that the recipient has the option of changing the merchant that was purchased for them- so if someone bought me a Red Robin gift card, I could switch it out for Applebee's. I thought that was cool.

Amazon also sells gift cards. They didn't have as many restaraunt options, but still a great site.

I'm finding that there are restaraunts out there that even allow you to purchase their gift cards from their website, and have them mailed or emailed directly to the recipient. Technology is really changing right before our very eyes. Here's who I found that does this (although I'm sure I've missed some): Disclaimer- sorry these aren't in alphabetical order, I didn't realize how many I would find! Also, some of these have a charge or fee attached to ordering them- be sure to read all that before purchasing!
Red Lobster
Rubio's
Applebee's
Brinker- good for On The Border, Chili's, Macaroni Grill, and Maggiano's
Baja Fresh
Starbucks- not a meal, but nice for some who LOVE coffee! :)
Subway
Quiznos
In N Out- my husband will be excited I found this one out! :)
Chipotle
Wendys
Bucca Di Beppo
Rock Bottom Brewery
Paradise Bakery
McDonalds
Pizza Hut
Papa John's Pizza
Domino's Pizza
Panera Bread
Walmart- lots of options to order different types of cards
Fry's (or kroger)- can purchase grocery store gift card, for groceries, or the recipient can then purchase restaraunt gift card

Gas Cards are always helpful, especially to families that are doing a lot of traveling to and from hospitals and dr's offices. I'm sure they'd be extremely grateful to receive a gas card. Here's a few places that allow you to order gas cards online:
Exxon Mobil
Circle K
Chevron
Texaco
Conoco

If anyone finds or knows of other places that you can either purchase e-gift cards or have gift cards sent to the recipient, let me know in a comment! I'd be happy to add it to our list. Thanks!

How to Help Single Moms with Cancer?

2010-03-26T16:10:00.010-07:00

Wow,
I just got off the phone with a woman named Jody Berens...and I need to compose myself. Jody and her dear friend Andy are the founders of an organization called Singleton Moms that exists to help provide care for single moms who have cancer. The story of where their inspiration and passion came from (and believe me there's passion) is heartbreaking and unfortunately a more common story than you might know, however, it's remarkable. Their friend Michelle Singleton was a single mother of four with a generous and caring spirit, who did a lot to help others. She was diagnosed with cancer at 31 years old. Michelle's life ended after 15 months of treatment to battle it. During the course of Michelle's treatment she was unable to work and really needed support for the day-to-day things and Jody and Andy were there to help as much as they could. When Michelle passed, they wanted to honor her memory and reach out to those whose situation was like Michelle's...Singleton Moms is the result...

Simply put, Singleton Moms started as a group of Michelle's family and friends who wished to honor a brave woman and carry on in her giving footsteps. By allowing single mothers with cancer the time to focus more on their family and recovery rather than their normal daily responsibilities, we feel we are fulfilling a legacy Michelle would be very proud to have been responsible for. Michelle was very blessed to have a lot of friends and family, she knew this. Singleton Moms looks forward to continuing to pay tribute to her memory while helping other strong mothers charge into a healthy and bright future.

As I asked Jody more about how they help these moms, I heard about the journey so far and where they are currently at with needs. This undertaking has required incredible faith and the resources of time, energy and finances. The more word gets out about SM's, the more need has surfaced. If you want to be involved and do something, you can contribute in two main ways:
1) Financially - Sign up for "Gimme Five" on the site.
2) Volunteer - Help a single mom with cancer by being a "Care Coordinator."

Visit Singleton Moms and witness how something wonderful has been birthed from something tragic and how you can be a part of it. Thanks to you Jody and Amy (and your families) for giving of yourselves.
God bless you.

Be A Neighbor

2010-03-11T15:12:00.005-07:00

My family and I recently moved into a new home at the end of January. It was sort of bitter sweet, to be honest. We had been at our previous rental home for 4 years, and had created some great relationships with our neighbors there. We were sad to leave them, and at the same time excited for this new opportunity to own a home, and make some new friendships with our new neighbors.

When we moved into the house, it felt like a ghost town to me at times. It seemed like no one ever came out of their houses, and I really missed our old neighborhood. My husband, Zach, is so social and was very positive that we would eventually meet and get to know our neighbors.

And so far, we're having great success. We've met the neighbors on either side of us (and how funny is this- one of them I went to high school with and was good friends with!), and the other we met and they didn't seem super warm and friendly. We did find out that they have a little girl, and they were about to have a little boy any day.

One morning, I took the kids out front to play a bit, and I ran into the husband with his daughter. He let me know that his wife just had their baby a few days ago. I said congratulations, and decided that we should bring them dinner sometime. My husband thought it was a great idea, and he said we should do it sooner rather than later (I'll admit I have a tendency to procrastinate.) So we went over there to ask when a good day to bring dinner would be, and they seemed very pleasantly surprised. They said anytime, and I asked if they liked lasagna.

So that's what I brought over the next night- lasagna, a loaf of french bread, and some cupcakes. They were so warm and friendly, they invited the kids and I right in. They said we should have a play date sometime and get our kids together- awesome!

Now, each time we see them, they smile, wave, and look genuinely happy to see us. It's amazing to me what kindness and a meal can do. I love it. I didn't have to make a whole meal schedule- we didn't know anyone they know yet, or any of our neighbors really yet either. So that wouldn't have worked. But just us bringing that over opened up lines of communication, and now we aren't strangers anymore.

I just had to share that with you all- there is power in kindness and food! And if it's made with love, who can resist? Surely not me!

Tortilla Soup

2009-11-19T14:18:00.002-07:00

I recently had this soup at our neighborhood Bible Study, and it was AMAZING! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I will for sure be making this now that I have the recipe! This could be an awesome, and inexpensive meal to bring to someone. Give it a try!

TORTILLA SOUP
Serves: 6-8

1 lb ground beef
10 cups chicken broth
1 med onion, chopped
1 29 oz can Pinto Beans
1 28 oz can stewed tomatoes
2 cups Frozen Corn
2 pkgs Taco Seasoning
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
4 med potatoes, chopped
TORTILLA CHIPS

Garnish:
Cilantro, chopped
Shredded Cheese
Sour Cream

Brown Ground Beef, drain off fat. Add remaining ingredients, except tortilla chips and garnish, and simmer until potatoes are tender.

Crush several chips into each person's bowl, ladle in soup, and garnish with chopped cilantro, cheese, and/or sour cream. Serve with while tortilla chips on the side. ENJOY!!!

Easy Breezy Chicken Tacos

2009-10-30T10:23:00.003-07:00

Here's a recipe for the easiest tacos you may ever make! It's a crock pot recipe, and for me, that makes it that much better! (I LOVE my crock pot!)

3 chicken breasts (can even be frozen)
1 jar of salsa
flour tortillas or corn if you'd like
shredded lettucs
cut up tomatoes
shredded cheese
anything else you enjoy on your tacos

Directions:
-Place the chicken breasts in the crock pot
-Pour almost one jar of salsa over the top (save the rest for the tacos)
-Let it go on low all day long- about 8 hours or you could do high for 5 hours

And that's it! Once the chicken is done, you can make tacos out of the tortillas (the corn probably need to be hardened in some hot oil, or just buy the already made taco shells), put on the lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese. And wallah! That would be a great meal to bring to someone too!

I hope everyone is enjoying this wonderful Fall season, and have a safe and Happy Halloween! :)

Website to Help Make Healthier Food Choices

2009-10-17T14:35:00.005-07:00

Hi everyone! I hope you're all doing well on this wonderful weekend.

I wanted to share a favorite website of one of our Foodtidings friends, Andrea. It's called Family Food Experts, and it's filled with helpful information regarding healthy food choices. Their site says they "provide healthier food solutions kids love to eat", and it looks to be so true! There are some great recipes, they have a blog, and the two creators of the site are passionate about getting the word out to help others create healthier lifestyles for families in the food department.

They even created a "kid kritics approved" seal that can be found on healthy foods in your local grocery store. Here's what the site says about the seal:
"We created the Kid Kritics Seal in order to make your healthy food choices easier. When you see our seal it shows that the product meets all of our ingredient standards, and has been blind taste tested by at least 70% of our Kid Kritics (5-14 years.) Watch for this seal on products in your stores, so you know it's a good buy!"
Click here for the link for the current list of Kid Kritic approved foods. I think that is such a wonderful thing, and I'll be keeping my eye out in the grocery store for the seal!

There are so many wonderful things about this site, and I know each time I go to it, I'll find more to learn. I'm very interested in making healthy food choices for me and my family, and this site will help me in my journey. Thank you Andrea, for the site suggestion!

Pumpkin Pancakes

2009-09-26T09:54:00.003-07:00

My husband Zach and I are visiting some of our best friends in Seattle, Washington this weekend. And, we're kid-less! Although we miss our three little ones terribly, we're enjoying time together as a couple. And we are having a blast with our friends! Yesterday we got to take an incredible hike through a rainforest, and ended up on the shore line of this beautiful body of water called Puget Sound. If you're local, they call it the sound. Today we plan to head into Seattle to hang out for the day.

This morning, my friend Jackie (the most amazing cook) made some amazing pumpkin pancakes for breakfast, and I wanted to share the recipe with you. Eating them made me excited for the fall season- Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are right around the corner! The recipe came from allrecipes.com, a wonderful site. Click here for the recipe. Enjoy!!!

NICU family receives Food Tidings

2009-09-07T21:46:00.008-07:00

I received this email describing how Food Tidings was able to help make it easy to support a family in need.

"I just wanted to tell you that you are GENIUSES!!! :) We have used your site for a while for our hospitality ministry at church to supply meals to people in our church and community. But, this week, I was even MORE thankful for FoodTidings! A sweet family in our church welcomed their baby boy into the world at only 29 weeks. So, obviously, he is going to be in the NICU for quite sometime. Your site made it so easy for us to organize meals for two months! It is so easy to use and forward onto other people, I had almost all of the meals covered in a matter of hours! Just wanted to THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

Sincerely,Taber Crawford"

Any parent would be able to understand how difficult a situation this family is in right now, and we are humbled and honored that this site can be used to help in a small way. Thanks for letting us know Taber, and thank you for being generous and serving people in need. This is why we created the site. God Bless you and the families and people you are serving.

Schinella No. 5 is here

2009-09-03T21:11:00.002-07:00

Drumroll...The Schinella's had a beautiful baby...girl. Ava Grace Schinella, born appx. 7:30pm, 7lbs. 8oz. Mom and baby are both healthy. Thank You God for friends and family.

Schinella No. 5

2009-09-03T10:36:00.003-07:00

Jeff and Leanne (Co-founders of Foodtidings), went into the hospital this morning to be induced. Looks like their 5th child will be welcomed to earth some time today. We are praying for everything to go smooth, for Leanne and the baby to be healthy, and since Jeff is the only male in his house right now, we are praying that when the package is delivered...it has a package.

We are so excited for you guys and we have a Food Tidings schedule ready to start when you guys get home.

Cool New Recipe Site Discovered

2009-09-02T15:36:00.005-07:00

Hey everyone! I hope you're all having a great week so far.... I found this really cool recipe site, and I wanted to share it with you all. It's called Group Recipes, and it's very unique. It says they're all about food, friends and life.

It's so awesome- once you create an account for yourself, you can take a taste test, so it can remember your likes and dislikes, and show you matches of recipes that are to your liking. And it can keep track of the recipes you save to your account too. It's just neat!

You can search for recipes based on what types of food you like, or even the flavor of the food you'd like to make. For example, I could click on "creamy", and I get a whole list of creamy recipes... "chocolate", and I get lots of chocolate recipes, etc. Or I could even click on this link called "Go Stumble" (under the recipes tab at the top), and it will take me to a list of random, great recipes.

I think it's super cool! I'd highly recommend you go check it out. Whoever made this site is very creative!

Sweet Loving Crockpot

2009-08-29T07:00:00.004-07:00

Alright, I'm gonna do a little bragging about my wife's cooking. Like most guys, I enjoy taking several items on my plate and mashing them together to create a hearty pile of goodness that I can essentially shovel into my mouth. I think that is why I love when Lisa uses the crockpot to cook. Just throw a bunch of stuff in there in the morning, add seasonings and spices, and in the words of the RonCo guy, "Set it and...Forget it." By early evening, there is an amazing aroma filling the house, and a wonderful dinner just sitting patiently in the pot ready to be served. Whether it's Sausage and Cabbage (trust me it's great), White Chili, or Beef Curry, it's pure satisfaction.
Lisa found an awesome blog a while back called, "A Year of Slow Cooking." A cool lady named Stephanie O'Dea decided to challenge herself, as her new year's resolution for 2008, to go the entire year using only her crockpot to cook. She dedicated herself to coming up with a new recipe every day for all of 2008. There are so many solid and simple recipes on there. She even got to be on the Rachel Ray show about it. Check it out; you will love what she has come up with.

How About A Pizza?

2009-08-28T15:34:00.000-07:00

When we had our third child, some friends of ours had signed up to bring us a meal. Well, they ended up being super busy on the day that they'd signed up for. So she called and asked if we would mind if she had a pizza delivered to us. She was sad that she couldn't come and see the new baby, but still really wanted us to get the meal that night. I said that would be great! So she called it in, paid for it over the phone, and it was delivered to us that evening. I thought that was a great idea for times when we're super busy, but we still want to help out. Call in a pizza from their favorite place, and have it delivered!

Yummy Mint Brownies

2009-08-27T15:11:00.002-07:00

I brought dinner to my little sister and her husband last night. She just had her first little baby 5 days ago, and he's just precious! I tried all new recipes for the dinner and dessert (crazy! I was in the kitchen way too long, but it was fun!). I made them Crispy Skinned Chicken a l'orange, Perfect Crispy Potatoes, and these amazing Mint Brownies. I wanted to share the recipe for the mint brownies. They really do taste just like jr. mints- and watch out- they're dangerous! Dangerous for me because, I made a batch for us to keep here at our house, and they've been calling my name all day long!!! A sliver here, a sliver there, that doesn't count for calories, right?! :)
Mint Brownies:

Mix:
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 can Hershey Syrup (I couldn't find the can, so I used it from a bottle of Hershey's syrup and I guessed about 8 oz, but I think it should've been more like 10 or 12 oz)
1 stick butter
4 eggs
Bake at 350 for 30 min (or until done) in 9x13 pan (or I made 2 batches in smaller pans). Let cool completely and refeigerate for 10 minutes.

Blend:
1 stick butter softened
4 tbsp milk or enough to make desired consistency (like the mint in jr. mints- I used about 7 or 8 tbsp)
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp peppermint extract
green food coloring, add one drop at a time (I don't do this)
Spread on top of cooled and chilled brownies and refrigerate 20 minutes

Melt:
1 stick butter
6 oz chocolate chips (Tollhouse are best)
Spread on top and refrigerate until hard

These taste the BEST if they're kept in the freezer. It's a mix between an ice cream cake and brownies, and candy. SO YUMMY!

If any of you out there have any recipes you'd like to share, please feel free to leave them in the comments section! I'd love to try them out!

The "Perfect Meal"

2009-08-15T22:50:00.003-07:00

I was thinking this afternoon about a meal that I brought to my good friend who is pregnant with triplets. (She's doing great by the way, but she can't do too much of anything so that she doesn't go into labor too early.) Anyways, when I signed up to bring them dinner, I immediately started trying to think of the "perfect" meal to bring to them. I was thinking today about how I do this every time I sign up to bring anyone a meal. I want it to be just the right meal, that tastes just perfect; something they will remember... why do I do that? I look at what everyone else is bringing, and I want people to see that I'm bringing "that" meal, you know what I mean? Silly, really.

Well, you know what I ended up bringing my friend? Plain old chicken and rice from the crock pot. I made a little extra, and that's what my family had that night for dinner as well. And as we were eating it, I told my husband, "I don't think I can bring this to them tonight..." He asked me why not? It's great, he said. Yes, but it's just so plain. I don't know why I feel the need to bring a meal to a family that I wouldn't make for my own family- you know, like this gourmet feast, complete with side dishes and all. I'm not sure if anyone else does this, but I just thought I'd post this to encourage anyone who ever struggles with feeling like what they may bring isn't good enough, that's just crazy talk! And I'm talking to myself as well when I type this. Anything that we end up bringing, if it is made (or bought) with love and care- that is the perfect meal. We are bringing so much more than food to people when we bring them meals during a time when it's needed... we're bringing them love, care, hope, help, rest, encouragement, a smile, and friendship. And those are things that are so awesome for the healing process- either of someone's physical body, or even of their spirit.

So the next time you're thinking of what to bring, don't over analyze. Whether you make it or buy it, just think about who you're making it for. Something I try and remember to do while I'm making it, is to pray for that person or family while I'm making it. And know that this small gesture of bringing a meal, is more helpful to them than you know!

Foodtidings Featured In Ladies Home Journal Magazine!

2009-08-11T23:19:00.002-07:00

We just found out that foodtidings was featured in an article in the Ladies Home Journal Magazine! It's from the May 2009 issue. We really had no idea that this site was going to be such a huge help to so many people- it started as my husband trying to help solve a problem I was having with trying to create meal schedules using email. And I was getting SO frustrated with it!I would say, hit "reply all" when you sign up for a day, so everyone knows what day you signed up for. And inevitably, someone wouldn't do it- and I would have to send out a mass email, letting those people know. It was such a mess! Anyways, he called up a couple that we're great friends with (and he's an amazing computer web designer), and together, they created Foodtidings. And I was just so excited that now I wouldn't have to deal with all the headaches that come with creating a schedule using email. Little did we know that word would spread so quickly, just how easy to use and helpful this site is!

Foodtidings Featured- Ladies Home Journal May 2009!

The Search Feature

2009-03-05T19:56:00.003-07:00

For a few weeks now we have been trying to figure out why some of your schedules didn't show up in the search results. That time is now over :-) I am sure you are just as glad as us, and we can officially declare the search feature "working".

Remember, searching for a schedule is not a way to have people sign up, but a way to get in touch with the coordinators and request a link be sent. We still feel the personal information contained within each schedule should not be made publicly accessible, in order to help maintain the privacy of the families involved and keep them safe.

Another Note About Groups...

2009-02-10T21:36:00.002-07:00

A few times we have been getting messages bounced back to our system from a Google group saying that "we" don't have permission to post. If you are sending an invite to a Google or Yahoo group, be sure to send it from your email account, and that you have permission to post. When you send invites from our system, they are sent as "info@foodtidings.com", and may not be accepted.

Are You Using A Yahoo Or Google Group To Distribute Your Schedule Links?

2009-02-04T23:13:00.005-07:00

A lot have people do. It's a great way to get the word out, especially if there is already a large community of people using the group. When using these services, you should be aware of the way they handle links in order to make sure everyone in the group can get to the schedule easily. Make sure you use the built in text editors when emailing/posting to the group.

Sometimes these services are not set up to allow linking text in the post/email. You will need to follow the instructions at whatever site you are on that will tell you how to insert a link in your post or email. Usually, this involves highlighting the pasted link from your foodtidings.com schedule, and clicking the "Link" icon (also called a URL)

If you have questions on how to insert links when posting to these types of services (or even in your email) consult their web sites help pages.

Don't forget to look at what other people are bringing to eat

2009-02-02T13:00:00.004-07:00

When signing up for your meal date, try to take a couple of minutes and look over the other meals being provided by people. Anything & everything you make will be appreciated, but sometimes getting a similar chicken dish 4 days out of the week can be a bit overwhelming :-)

Some people receiving meals do not wish to be disturbed

2009-01-30T09:20:00.008-07:00

Laura from Pennsylvania shared a great way to deliver meals when people aren't home or do not wish to be disturbed. Placing a small cooler in front of the house for people to place their meals in. As they leave they can flip up the mailbox flag. The people receiving the meal can then get it when they return or when they feel ready. This is a great way to keep the recipients comfortable if they do not know who will be providing the meals. Thanks Laura! Remember, if you have ideas or things to share, be sure to send them to us!

A Little Thing...

2009-01-02T15:18:00.007-07:00

A small but useful feature has finally been added. You can now delete contacts from your invite list! Simply select the email addresses as if you were inviting them, then click on the "Delete Selected" link above your contact list. If you should happen to accidentally delete a correct address, just re-type it as you did when you first entered the address. Oh, address are now alphabetized AND you can also select/deselect all addresses when sending your invites :-)

Meal Schedule Searching is now available

2008-12-30T15:04:00.002-07:00

As I mentioned in the previous post, we've released the search feature for the site. It's only been mildly tested, so please if you find any bugs just send us an email. This tool is meant to provide those of you who lost an invite link or heard about a schedule the ability to contact the coordinator and get what you need.

As of now, we aren't providing direct access to meal schedules because they contain personal information about the people and families they are for, and we want to make it a little bit harder for Spammers, lurkers and potential ID thieves to get your information.

You'll also notice this blog feed directly available on our home page. Those of you wanting updates to the site & service can subscribe to the blog using email or an RSS reader.

New Meal Schedule Quick Search

2008-12-19T06:07:00.000-07:00

A few people have asked about searching meal schedules. While we understand the need, especially since we all delete/lose emails easily, we still care about the privacy of the families/people whom the schedule is for. That said, we are going to be rolling out a new search tool that will allow you to have limited search for existing meal schedules based on the schedule title. Usually, the title has the families name included.

This new search feature does come with some limitations however. We are restricting the search results to include only the title of the schedule, the zip code of the drop-off address and the email contact for the coordinator. What this search tool allows is for people who heard about the schedule but didn't receive an invite, they can request the link from the coordinator. Also, people who lost their invite link can now search for the schedule and ask the coordinator to resend it.

We expect this feature to be rolled out in the next week or so! I will post to the blog announcing that it is ready.

Password Request Feature Added

2008-12-18T11:10:00.003-07:00

Sorry about the gap in new posts. As of a few weeks ago, a new password request tool has been added to the site. Now you can request & receive your password instantly, and I can have more time to add more important things to the site (like searching for Meal schedules...almost done!) If you find any issues, please let me know.

On The News!

2008-12-15T23:02:00.003-07:00

Hey everyone, foodtidings was just featured on the news in North Carolina! Click HERE to check it out! Exciting stuff!!!

Tupperware!

2008-06-23T15:48:00.002-07:00

I've brought meals to many friends, and one thing I'm learning is that it's best to bring everything in disposable tupperware or containers. For a few reasons: 1. Then you don't have to worry about getting your dish back from them- and they don't have to worry about getting it back to you. 2. It makes it easier for them too because they can just toss the container when they're done, not having to wash the dish, and put it somewhere for safekeeping until they can find the time to bring it back to you.
To be honest, I have gotten things from people in dishes that I still have their dishes! That's horrible to even admit, but it's true. It's family, and one is someone that I don't see very often. And the other I see pretty often, but each time I see them I forget! So I guess I'm just trying to say it's easier all around to do tupperware rather than dishes. :)

A Great Idea...

2008-06-23T15:37:00.002-07:00

I'm always trying to think of the "perfect" dinner to bring to someone when I sign up on foodtidings. And I seem to always come back to some sort of casserole or something that can all be in one pan (which is great, and is usually what I end up bringing). But we just recently had a little one 7 weeks ago, and had the privelage of receiving many meals from friends and family (which has been AMAZING!). One of the meals we received was salmon with glazed carrots and caramel brownies. It was yummy! Here's the thing- the salmon was in a big ziplock baggie in a great brown sugar type marinade. It had directions labeled on it: if you freeze this, thaw it out overnight; once thawed, broil it for 6-8 minutes. It was a great idea- I don't have to always bring a casserole or a one pan or pot meal. I could marinate meat and put it in a big ziplock baggie with directions on it (either bake, broil, or grill). And then I could have some sort of veggie to go with it, and even a dessert. So there you have it- our tip for the day.

What's In The Works for Foodtidings.com

2008-04-11T08:43:00.007-07:00

We have gotten a lot of great feedback recently from all of you on ideas & improvements to the foodtidings web site, and I just wanted to take a moment and let you know what to expect in the next few weeks. Here's the top 3 things on our to-do list:

Address book/contact management: yes, you will be able to edit, delete and add people into your invite list just like an address book.
Search for schedules: A simple search feature that will allow you to find the schedule for that friend who's email invitation you accidentally deleted :-)
Automated Forgotten Password System: Yes, I know you liked getting those personal emails from me telling you what your password was, but, so many of you are signed up now that it is taking forever to scroll through the list of accounts!

We hope to roll out these changes in the next few weeks, and I'll be sure to post an update to the blog for each one letting you know. Don't forget, if you have ideas on other ways we can help you send them to info[aT]foodtidings.com!

Take Out...

2008-04-10T13:07:00.003-07:00

On Tuesday this week I was scheduled to bring dinner to a family, and to be quite honest I didn't get to making the dinner I had planned on making. I thought, what am I going to do? Well, I went to get the mail and I had a coupon in there for a chinese restaraunt close to us for a 2 for 1- buy one entree and get one free. BINGO! So I called my friend and asked her what two items her and her family would like, and went and picked it up. It was awesome! And really, it was pretty comparable as far as how much it costs to make a meal myself. I was quite excited! So, if you're scheduled to bring dinner to someone someday and you either don't have the time to make a meal, didn't get to the store to get the correct ingredients, or just don't feel like you have the energy to make an extra meal- I have two words for you... take out. And if you have a coupon, even better! :)

Feeding a crowd?

2008-04-09T10:17:00.005-07:00

Well I have to ditto Lisa's sentiment on meals after a birth. I have four kids and received meals after the last three. When my first child came and I did not receive meals and we ate out a whole lot because I did not have the energy or time to cook. Now I love to make sure that people are getting meals because I know how much it helps.

One easy way to cut down on your cooking time if you are bringing someone a meal is to double or triple the batch of whatever you are cooking so you can just divide it up between your family and whoever else you are cooking for that evening. For example I am bringing 2 families meals on April 14 so I planned tacos with all the fixings. Now I just have to make a little extra and deliver them so it takes less time and my family gets fed too!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!!

2008-04-07T23:45:00.005-07:00

Here is an email we received from someone who is grateful for foodtidings...

I just wanted to let you know that this site is such a great idea and is going to be a life saver for me. I am in charge of coordinating meals for a family member that is having brain surgery in January and I have been thinking about how to keep everything straight so they don't end up with too much food at the same time. I did a search and your site popped up. I am so happy that you have taken the time to offer this. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!!

Warm regards,
Kaia Hoiseth

I am pumped that Kaia took the time to share this with us. People are in the position to serve and care for others all the time. It's pretty awesome to know that foodtidings was such a helpful resource when she took on the responsibility of making sure someone in her family was cared for during a difficult time.

Exciting!

2008-04-07T16:15:00.004-07:00

Well, all I can say is that I'm truly excited that foodtidings is up and running now! Zach and I have been married for almost 6 years, and we have two children (ages 3 and 1 1/2) with one coming next month. And after I had my first two, one of the coolest things was having meals brought to us during that transitional time of our lives. There are so many new things happening with a new baby, and making dinner was pretty close to the farthest thing from my mind at the time! And it was a great way for our friends and family to get to see the new baby too. I just felt so cared for and loved having meals brought to us. And I got some great ideas from others for new recipes too! Now that foodtidings is here, it makes it that much easier to organize meals for others who are in a transitional time in their lives as well. Yea!

Our First Post

2008-04-06T22:31:00.001-07:00

Well, we finally did it :-) We have decided to set up a blog to bring you ideas, tips & stories to help you. Zack, Lisa and myself will be posting here regularly, so subscribe with your favorite reader, or via email.