What's for lunch - remote test

Leftover Monday - pork chops, mashed cauliflower, steamed broccoli and mustard caper sauce. /courtney

Fourth Annual cityMamas/Faith & Friends Sponsor a Family

It is the time of year when we come together and provide for others. This year we have two families and are again partnering with Friends & Faith. As in the past, after we have bought the requested items, we can supplement with new or gently used items (esp., books, toys, clothes, and jackets).

Please let me know what you are able to donate this year. (Email or phone call). If you would like to give cash, check or gift card to purchase a specific item or for the general shopping fund, that works too. Just be clear what you would like the money to be spent on.

I could use a co-chair for this effort. Please let me know if you can help. Shopping would be the weekend of December 16-18. Drop off is Monday, December 19.

Please have all items/money/gift cards to Courtney (9th floor, NE Corner, Portland Bldg.) or Mindy (7th floor, 1900 Bldg) by the end of the day on Wednesday, December 14.

Contact me directly and I can send you the spreadsheet with requested items. It was also sent out via email.

Thank you in advance for your time and generosity.

Courtney
Courtney Duke
cityMamas, co-chair
Bureau of Transportation
503/823-7265
courtney.duke@portlandoregon.gov

Working Mom's Recipe of the Week

Buttermilk Chicken, Couscous and Green Beans

Time = 30 min

Servings = 4

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 c low-fat buttermilk

1/2 c low-fat mayo

1/4 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1 T olive oil

1 lb green beans, trimmed

2 c water

1 T lemon juice

1 1/2 c chicken broth

1 T butter

1/2 t salt

1/2 t dried thyme

1 c whole wheat couscous

Directions

Place chicken between to pieces of heavy plastic wrap. Pound with mallet to 1/2 inch thick. Mix buttermilk, mayo 1/4 t salt and 1/4 t pepper in a bowl. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Coat the chicken in the buttermilk mixture and place chicken in skillet. Cook 6-8 minutes, flip and finish cooking until done through.

Meanwhile, bring water and lemon juice to boil. Steam green beans over lemon water until fork tender. In a second pot, bring chicken broth, butter, remaining salt and thyme to boil. When the broth is boiling, stir in couscous, then cover and remove from heat. Allow couscous to sit 5 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed, then fluff with fork.

Notes - You can add any dried herbs to the couscous - rosemary, oregano, parsley are all good. You can also dice a 1/4 c of onion, mince a garlic and add both to the broth.

November 17 Meeting: Future of cityMama + Book Sale, Book Drive(s) & Lunch

November 17 Meeting

Future of cityMama + Book Sale, Book Drive(s) & Lunch

Don’t forget we are meeting Thursday, November 17.

We will review the survey and talk about what you want out of cityMamas. Will also have a book sale and book drives. There will be food! We will provide hearty snacks and treats – maybe even enough for your lunch. Details on that next week.

Hope to see you there.

Courtney, Lora and Darcy

Books, Books, Books!

We have a lot of book related things this month.

1) Books Make it Better – a book drive.
Jen Barth – who spoke to our group in September, started a national book drive.

http://www.1oregonmom.org/2011/10/18/books-make-it-better-is-here/

http://www.parenting.com/blogs/mom-congress/jen-barth/books-make-it-better-six-simple-ways-you-can-help

Bring kids books (new or used – purge the bookshelf!) to donate to the November 17 meeting. We might do a larger/city-wide effort as well.

2) Book Sale
Have a bunch of your books to purge? Let’s have a book sale! $2 for paperbacks, $5 for hardbacks. All proceeds split between Books Make it Better and our Sponsor a Family effort. Also at November 17 meeting.

Preview from my purge: Freedom, The Corrections, Committed, Eat Pray Love, Swamplandia, Away, Friday Night Knitting Club, Olive Kittredge, and more. Holiday gift giving made easy.

3) cityMamas Library
Bring your funny mama books, parenting tomes, advice books, whatever you think another mama might enjoy and donate to our library. Inter office one at a time to Darcy Cronin or bring to the November 17 meeting.

Thanks.

What's For Lunch?

Welcome to What's For Lunch?

We all need inspiration, so we let’s share lunches. Not everyday, but at least once a week. Want more ideas? Check out One Hungry Mama facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/onehungrymama She posts everyday. She has a blog too: http://onehungrymama.com/ Locally, Feed Our Families on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/FeedOurFamilies or blog: http://www.feedourfamilies.com/ also great resource.



Courtney Snack
Chocolate soy milk, homemade snack mix (raw sunflower seeds, dried
cranberries, dark choc chips), banana

Owen Lunch
'snacky lunch' - trader joes multi grain crackers, turkey, cheese, baby carrots, grapes, watered down orange juice. Not pictured: Halloween size kitkat

Owen Snack (can have at recess)
Not pictured: pumpkin choc chip mini muffins; trader joes apple/carrot sauce tube





Courtney Lunch
'hummus lunch' - 1/4 cup Barbur World Foods hummus, Kashi whole grain pita chips, cucumber, grape tomatoes, pear, bubble water

What did you have?

Working Mom's Recipe of the Week

Guacamole

Servings: 25

Prep and cook: 15 min

Ingredients

1 c frozen peas, thawed

1-2 T olive oil

1 tomato, diced

2 T onion, minced

¼ c fresh cilantro, minced

3 small ripe avocados

1-2 T lemon juice

Salt and pepper

Directions: Place peas and olive oil in blender and puree until smooth. Scoop into a bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well using a fork to mash up the avocado. Taste and adjust lemon juice, salt and pepper. Scoop into the serving bowl. Place a pieces of plastic wrap over the top, pressing it down against the guacamole and removing all air pockets. Place in fridge until time to serve. Best to make at least 1 hour in advance to allow the flavors to blend.

Notes: The magic ingredient in this recipe is the peas. The peas and lemon juice help keep the green color for a long time. The peas also add a touch of sweet flavor, but no one will guess that there are peas in the guacamole. I made this last night for a party and it was a huge hit. I caught someone using a spoon to get the very last tidbit out.