Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Waiting for Superman
I would like to bring up a cause near and dear to my heart, education. If you hadn’t heard the latest statistics, out of 30 comparable countries the United States ranks 25th in math and 21st in Science even though we rank number one in spending per student at just over $129,000. As schools continue to fail, parents sometimes feel trapped by the public school system in which they are forced to send their children to the neighborhood school unless they have the financial resources to send them to private schools. I love the fact that Colorado Springs has Open Enrolment which allows you to place your child in the school of your choice, but I know that many places around the United States do not have as many options. A documentary was recently made showcasing these issues in education called Waiting for Superman. One of the most poignant stories from of one of the film’s trailers is how the title is derived from the childhood experiences of Geoffrey Canada, the president and CEO of the Harlem Children’s Zone in Central Harlem NY, in a segment where he explains how when he was a little boy in Harlem he held onto the belief that any day Superman would show up to save him. As the mother of a child in a charter school, where I too waited for the results of a lottery to find out my child’s future, I can’t help but become emotional watching the preview for this movie.
I am planning on seeing it this weekend and wanted to invite anyone who was interested to go with me. Check out trailers for the movie and read more of a synopsis at http://film.waitingforsuperman.com/
I am planning on seeing it this weekend and wanted to invite anyone who was interested to go with me. Check out trailers for the movie and read more of a synopsis at http://film.waitingforsuperman.com/
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Sausage and Pumpkin Lasagna
Ingredients:
2 pounds butternut squash or pumpkin, halved and seeded
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for liberal drizzling
Salt and pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
3 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons honey
2 pounds sweet Italian sausage
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 quart whole milk
10-12 leaves fresh sage, very thinly sliced
2 boxes no boil, flat-edged lasagna sheets
2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
Preparation:
Pre-heat the oven to 400ºF.Drizzle the squash with a little EVOO and season with salt, pepper and a little freshly grated nutmeg. Roast cut-side down until tender, about 40 minutes. Let cool until it's cool enough to handle, then scoop the flesh out of the skin and add to a food processor. Puree the squash with the stock and honey, in two batches if necessary, and reserve.Heat a drizzle of EVOO in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and brown the sausage, crumbling it into very small bits as it cooks, about 7-8 minutes.While the sausage cooks, heat a pot over medium heat. Add the butter and melt, then whisk in the flour, cook for 1 minute and then whisk in the milk. Season with salt, pepper, a little freshly grated nutmeg and sage. Cook until thickened, about 7-8 minutes, whisking occasionally.Dot some pumpkin puree in the bottom of a casserole dish, then add a layer of pasta. Top with a third of the cooked sausage and cover lightly with pumpkin puree. Cover with another layer of pasta, a third of the béchamel sauce and 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Repeat with two more layers, ending each with béchamel sauce and using all of the remaining cheese for the top layer. Sprinkle parsley across the top, cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook 15 minutes more to brown the top.Serve with a spinach salad alongside.
2 pounds butternut squash or pumpkin, halved and seeded
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for liberal drizzling
Salt and pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
3 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons honey
2 pounds sweet Italian sausage
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 quart whole milk
10-12 leaves fresh sage, very thinly sliced
2 boxes no boil, flat-edged lasagna sheets
2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
Preparation:
Pre-heat the oven to 400ºF.Drizzle the squash with a little EVOO and season with salt, pepper and a little freshly grated nutmeg. Roast cut-side down until tender, about 40 minutes. Let cool until it's cool enough to handle, then scoop the flesh out of the skin and add to a food processor. Puree the squash with the stock and honey, in two batches if necessary, and reserve.Heat a drizzle of EVOO in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and brown the sausage, crumbling it into very small bits as it cooks, about 7-8 minutes.While the sausage cooks, heat a pot over medium heat. Add the butter and melt, then whisk in the flour, cook for 1 minute and then whisk in the milk. Season with salt, pepper, a little freshly grated nutmeg and sage. Cook until thickened, about 7-8 minutes, whisking occasionally.Dot some pumpkin puree in the bottom of a casserole dish, then add a layer of pasta. Top with a third of the cooked sausage and cover lightly with pumpkin puree. Cover with another layer of pasta, a third of the béchamel sauce and 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Repeat with two more layers, ending each with béchamel sauce and using all of the remaining cheese for the top layer. Sprinkle parsley across the top, cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook 15 minutes more to brown the top.Serve with a spinach salad alongside.
Big Thanks To Our Host Dorothy!
Thank you Dorothy for an amazing evening. You were a fabulous hostess. Having Charlotte there to speak with us was extremely entertaining as well as insightful. I am so glad we got to meet her and speak with her. The book is amazing and such a perfect present. If you were unable to pick up all the copies you need, visit The Boulder Book Store. And don't forget to contact Charlotte to get an autographed plate to put in your additional copies. On a final note, the pumpkin lasagna was amazing. I will have to post the recipe.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Meeting On The 19th
Can you feel the weather changing?
So as fall rolls in it is time for another book club meeting. We will be meeting this month at Dorothy’s home. Please check your email for the address and all the details. We will be discussing Waiting for Autumn, but we also have a special guest speaker! Charlotte S. Waisman, Ph.D., the author of the book; Her Story: A Timeline of the Women Who Change America will be joining us.
She will be discussing aspects of her book and will bring copies to sign. Please try to arrive early or right on time as Charlotte will be speaking near the beginning at our meeting.
We will be gathering donations for Urban Peak this month. Please check their web site for sugested donation items on their Colorado Springs wish list. Group A is up for food and Dorothy has asked us to bring a couple of appetizers and wine as she will be providing the main dish and dessert. Please let her know in advance what you plan to bring so she can coordinate.
Can’t wait to meet Charlotte and discuss both books! See you there!
So as fall rolls in it is time for another book club meeting. We will be meeting this month at Dorothy’s home. Please check your email for the address and all the details. We will be discussing Waiting for Autumn, but we also have a special guest speaker! Charlotte S. Waisman, Ph.D., the author of the book; Her Story: A Timeline of the Women Who Change America will be joining us.
She will be discussing aspects of her book and will bring copies to sign. Please try to arrive early or right on time as Charlotte will be speaking near the beginning at our meeting.
We will be gathering donations for Urban Peak this month. Please check their web site for sugested donation items on their Colorado Springs wish list. Group A is up for food and Dorothy has asked us to bring a couple of appetizers and wine as she will be providing the main dish and dessert. Please let her know in advance what you plan to bring so she can coordinate.
Can’t wait to meet Charlotte and discuss both books! See you there!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Harvest Time
So I have really wanted to go to a farm recently, especially one where I can take my daughter to pick out a pumpkin. We were able to go to Venetucci Farms last year with her school, but that isn’t an option this year. I know they have had trouble with having enough pumpkins to go around for the last few years so I was looking for somewhere else to go. Has anyone been to a farm to pick pumpkins in Colorado? I have been reading about Miller Farms Northeast of Denver and Anderson Farms just a little Northwest of Denver in Erie. Has anyone been to either of these farms?
Right now Anderson farms is doing a deal for 50% off the cost of a family of 4 to visit the farm and they have a Fall Festival which includes tractor rides and pumpkin chucking so that sounds the most promising. If anyone is interested in going with me let me know. The 50% off deal is only good for a couple more days. Go here to get the discount.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Shout out to Lisa
This past weeks book club meeting was wonderful! Thank you to Lisa for hosting us all in your beautiful home and being such a fabulous hostess! We all had a wonderful evening.
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