The menu.

Follow these easy 10 tips and send guests home raving about the cause, the event, and of course, the food.

What is Hearts in Unity?? What is unique about your organization?

Hearts in Unity is a USA based non-profit organization dedicated to a mission to feed, clothe and educate the orphan and at risk children in two Tanzanian villages – in the village of Seela located on Mt. Meru, and in the village of Mwika, located on Mt. Kilimanjaro.

We are a volunteer-run, grass-roots organization addressing the immediate needs for food and clothing of the children in our villages. We also nurture a long term mission to support the education of the children through on-site sustainable projects which are ultimately managed by the people of the Tanzanian village.

How and when was it inspired and created?

I first traveled to Tanzania in 2006 to begin a partnership with my church in the USA, and a church located in the village of Seela, high on Mt. Meru in northern Tanzania. It was nearly dark when I was dropped off at the house of my host family in this remote African village. The only Swahili I knew was the little bit I was able to teach to myself in the months before my travel to Tanzania. Match this to the limited English that my host family knew, and I really began to wonder what I had gotten myself into. But Tanzanian people in this village — “my family” — were more hospitable and welcoming than I could have imagined. From the very beginning, I felt like my arrival was a return “home”.

After spending a few weeks with the village, living with the people, and learning about their lives, I knew this was where I was supposed to be. I felt especially connected with the orphans, as an orphan myself.

I knew before my visit was over that I was destined to return to Tanzania. However, looking at the 100 or so children at our new partner church, and then looking at the village elementary school just down the dirt road where there are more than 1,000 students and just 17 teachers, I asked myself, “How can I work to help just these 100 children at the church, when there are 1,000 children just down the road who need just as much help?”

With that thought, the mission of Hearts in Unity was born – to bring support to the orphans and at-risk in the greater village of Seela beyond the church to church partnership that has been established.

What was the inspiration/ meaning behind the name: ‘Hearts in Unity’?

Shortly after returning to the states, I began an intensive self-study of the language of Swahili again, and became involved as a collaborator with the Kamusi Project which was then part of the African Studies Program at Yale University. Through this collaboration, I met Roland Maanga, a Tanzanian who offered to help me with my Swahili studies. As we communicated online, it quickly became clear that we were traveling down parallel paths to give voice to the needs of the most at-risk children of Tanzania who had no advocate. He was doing his best, without any real support or resources, to try to help care for and feed orphans living in Mwika, his Tanzanian village.

It was clear that he was already living the mission on which I was ready to embark. It was only natural for the two of us to join together, with our “Hearts in Unity” to help the children in both Tanzanian villages. And it is with “Hearts in Unity” that our supporters have joined us in this mission. It is also with a message of “Hearts in Unity” that we reach out to others to open their heart to our precious Tanzanian children.

What is the overall goal of Hearts In Unity?

The overall goal of Hearts in Unity is to feed, clothe and educate the children In Seela and Mwika. Material gifts of food and clothing are certainly an important part of our mission. But we also recognize that aid solely in the form of material gifts such as these will not bring about the foundational change needed to help these children rise out of the poverty of countless generations before them.

Yes, a child who is fed a school lunch will do better in school. And a child who has a proper school uniform and shoes will not be denied access to the Tanzanian educational system. So while it is important meet immediate needs to nourish and clothe these children, it is even more important to establish and maintain sustainable projects and programs that both directly and indirectly support our longer term goals of the education of the children in our villages.

For example, the gift of a cow, goat or chicken will give a family not only a supplemental food source for their children (protein rich milk and eggs), but with breeding, the additional livestock can be sold as an income source for a family to help pay a child’s school tuition and fees. The building of livestock barns in the villages ensures that the livestock will be protected from disease and theft, and these structures reinforce the long term focus of and commitment of Hearts in Unity and the villagers to our livestock project.

The sewing and knitting coops we have established in Tanzania will not only help us to provide school uniforms to the orphans in our villages, but wages earned by women who sew and knit is an income they can use in supporting the educational expenses of their own children. In addition, the women in the sewing coop teach tailoring and knitting to young people – teaching the students a trade to aid them in the child’s future self-sufficiency when other educational opportunities are not available.

We provide much needed textbooks, school supplies and teaching materials to the schools as an investment into the children’s future. Complimenting these material gifts, our school “store” at Seela Primary school is another example of a sustainable project. This store is run by the students, and draws customers and students from neighboring villages looking to purchase school supplies and other items close by instead of walking 2 hours to the nearest market. The income from our school “store” can be used both purchase additional items sell at the store, in addition to purchasing additional books and teaching materials for the school.

How do you quantify the impact your organization has?

For the material gifts/donations, we quantify impact by the number of individual children that we are able to help:

o The number of fabric school bags sewn by our volunteers and given to Tanzanian students (2,000 + to date)
o The number of knit hats made by our volunteers (1,100+ to date)
o The number of pounds of books, school supplies, and clothing items donated and shipped to Tanzania (over 2 tons to date)
o The number of Swahili/English phrasebooks made by our volunteers and given to Tanzanian students. (1,100+ to date)
o The number of postcards/letters of encouragement written by our volunteers, and shared with the Tanzanian children is an indirect measure of the number of people with a heart for our mission (over 4,300 to date).

What has been your organization’s biggest accomplishment to date?

The establishment of our sewing/knitting coop in the village of Mwika is probably our biggest accomplishment to date. We initially started with 4 sewing machines and 4 women in the coop in 2008 with an initial focus on sewing school uniforms and other clothing items for people in the village. The women have since expanded the coop to a second location, they are also now knitting school uniform sweaters and other knitted clothing items with new knitting machines. At last check, there were 16 women involved in the sewing/knitting coop, plus 14 students at various stages of tailoring/knitting education.

How much of your success do you accredit to volunteer work?

Our entire organization is based on the work of volunteers. We give our humble credited to volunteers who spend hours to knit hats for us, sew school bags, make Swahili/English textbooks, write letters and draw pictures. All positions within our organization are volunteer, and all travel costs to/from Tanzania are on the traveler’s individual, personal budgets. Volunteers who help find and make arrangements for presentation opportunities are invaluable, as is their role in coordinating and related fundraisers.

Lend your Support to Children around the world by contributing to Hearts in Unity.

What has been your biggest challenge in developing and growing a new non profit organization?

The biggest initial challenge was connecting with the right people who were willing to selflessly put the best interests o f the children and the best interest of the mission first and foremost – ahead of their own self-promotion and self-interests.

Who are your partners or sponsors? Do you work with any other volunteer groups or non-profit organizations?

• Just Between Friends

• Cards for Kids

• Color a Smile

• Friends of the Germantown Community Library

• Postcrossing.com

• Holy Cross Lutheran Church

• Germantown and Menomonee Falls Village Recreation Department

Additionally, I visit local schools regularly as a “guest teacher” teaching about “Life in Tanzania” for social studies and world culture classes. Also, many people from different communities and church/sewing/quilting groups/clubs across the USA have made fabric school bags for our Tanzanian students and have knit hats for the children. And lastly, we partner with many women’s groups in Tanzania, supporting them through the purchase of their handicrafts (jewelry, baskets, purses, wooden and beaded items, etc.) and selling these items in the USA.

What is the most effective fundraiser, event, or Hearts in Unity has ever been a part of?

We are most effective in raising awareness of our mission and in raising funds when doing in-person presentations with stories, photos and video of life in Tanzania at local schools, churches and for local community groups.

Sharing through first-hand experience is a powerful motivator. As examples:

o After teaching 6th grade World Cultures classes about Tanzania at a local school, the students had a fundraiser which helped Hearts in Unity purchase hundreds of textbooks for our Tanzanian schools.
o The student from five middle school cooking classes raised enough money through a coin collection last year to purchase a cow.
o The kindergarten students from another local school also raised enough money to purchase a cow through a bake sale and a used book sale at their school following my presentation about “Life in Tanzania”.

We have found that the most successful events and fundraisers happen when children and youth are involved.

And truly, it is the real-life stories and the photos that are most effective in raising funds for this mission.

What external resources do you use in your marketing, fundraising and outreach efforts ?

Our website, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Blogs, and  Youtube, as well as referencing articles and information in church newsletter and other communications, Reporter written newspaper articles about events, s elf-published newspaper articles in online newspapers, Craigslist to seek volunteers to knit hats, sew school supplies and make the Swahili/English phrasebooks, and Referrals/invitations to do presentations in schools and churches, and for community groups.

At San Francisco’s premier tasting event dedicated to ending childhood hunger, Guests will mix and mingle with the Bay Area’s top chefs and mixologists in the opulent setting of the historic Bently Reserve, located in the heart of the Financial District. They will get a chance to savor signature dishes and sip specialty cocktails while taking in live entertainment by the Comstock Trio.

How many years has the event been in existence? What makes the event a success each year, and how you’ve changed it up to keep it fresh?

This is San Francisco’s 22nd annual Taste of the Nation event. We have the Bay Area’s hottest chefs and mixologists donate their time, talent, and passion, with one goal in mind: to raise the critical funds needed to end childhood hunger here in our community. This year we are lucky to have over 70 participants!

Proceeds of the Evening will support Children of Shelters, Food Runners, and Fresh Approach. Can you tell us why they were chosen as the beneficiary, and how they contribute to the community?

Children of Shelters provides children living in San Francisco’s five family shelters with empowerment and inspiration. The organization is 100 percent volunteer-based, with no overhead. Money gathered through fundraising efforts goes toward educational scholarships, counseling, and school supplies.

Food Runners picks up excess perishable and prepared food from businesses such as restaurants, caterers, bakeries, hospitals, event planners, corporate cafeterias, and hotels and delivers it directly to shelters and neighborhood programs that feed the hungry.

Fresh Approach runs the Share Our Strength’s Bay Area Cooking Matters program, which is a cooking-based, nutrition education program that empowers low-income families by teaching them how to prepare healthy, tasty meals on a limited budget.

How many participants are you expecting? Will there be any surprise guests?

We are expecting over 500 attendees!

The evening will be an evening of tastings from San Francisco’s Top chefs and Mixologists. Can you tell us who will be participating in this?

We are lucky to have over 70 of the Bay Area’s best participating this year: Atelier Crenn, Beretta, Boulevard, H.M.S. Cocktails, Perbacco, RN74, Smuggler’s Cove, Spruce, VeeV Acai Liqeuer, and 15 Romolo to name a few! The full list can be found at www.tasteofthenationsf.org

Is this an open event? If so, how much are tickets, and what percentage of proceeds will go to the grant recipients?

Yes, tickets are $95 for General Admission, $165 for VIP, and $500 for Executive Level. 100% of ticket sales will locally support our three grant recipients that are dedicated to fighting childhood hunger.

Who are your event sponsors? How will they add value to the event?

Taste of the Nation San Francisco is nationally sponsored by American Express, Sysco, Food Network and San Pellegrino, and locally sponsored by Fenwick & West, Silicon Valley Bank, and PG&E as well as additional contributing partners.

Will there be a live auction/raffle? If so, what prizes can attendees expect?

Guests will have the chance to partake in a wine cellar raffle and a silent auction featuring lifestyle, epicurean, and travel packages.

Will there be any surprises?

You’ll have to join us to find out!

What has been one of the biggest challenges in planning the event so far?

Not a challenge, but a blessing to be able to work with such talented committee members all sharing their strengths to join this fight to end childhood hunger in our community.

What external resources have you used in your fundraising/outreach efforts (i.e. websites, mentors, social networks etc.)?

You can find Taste of the Nation San Francisco online:

• Buy tickets: tasteofthenation.org

• Follow us on Twitter: @SFTaste

• Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/SFTaste

• Visit our blog for participating restaurant updates and chef profiles: tasteofthenationsf.org

What characteristics do you think make an event chair successful?

Resourcefulness, organization, positive thinking

What is your fundraising motto?

It never hurts to ask :)

Chair Name: Stacy Chun- Event Chair

Event Name: Taste of the Nation San Francisco

Date of Event: April 7, 2011

[Feature photo taken by Tell Tale Preserve Company]

Since it’s opening, Rialto has received non-stop praise, and most recently was named “Best of Boston” Italian 2009 by Boston Magazine, which, as you can imagine, is pretty big deal. But this critical acclaim is really no surprise considering the substantially delicious menu options, such as lobster bucatini and slow roasted duck. However what makes it is a hit is the woman behind the dishes, Adams, a modern day superwoman in a chef coat and clogs. Name sound familiar? It might be due to the extensive praise that has been written about her and her restaurant, which Adams became the sole owner of three years back… or it could be the fact that she was a participant in Bravo TV’s latest season of Top Chef Masters… or, in my case, because her son, Oliver, is one of my best friends at college, and she once cooked me a spectacular meal of pasta with duck even after a long day of work, and let me crash on her couch with her pug Velma in her Brookline, MA home.

But in my opinion, its not just her success as “Jody Adams the chef” that makes her such an inspiration, it’s the way she’s managed to incorporate that with “Jody Adams the mom,” and “Jody Adams the philanthropist,” a role which can be exemplified simply by the fact that 100% of the proceeds from Rialto’s veggie side dishes go to the globally-focused nonprofit, Partners in Health, one of the three causes Adams has been dedicated to supporting for years now. Estimating that she spends a quarter of her time on non-profit work, Adams has organized her time, as well as financial management, so that what she gains is relatively proportionate to what she gives.

“I like the idea of my for-profit life having a parallel in my non-profit life,” explained Adams, who frequently cooks meals which are auctioned off to raise money for two of her favorite non-profits, Partners in Health and The Greater Boston Food Bank. She also is very philanthropically active with the national Share Our Strength non-profit.

“The purpose of all [these causes], at their core, is to address hunger and poverty,” explained Adams. As someone who, as a profession, “feeds people who never wonder where their next meal is coming from,” Adams finds it very important to concern herself with those who are struggling, because in reality there is “enough food in the country to feed everybody…it just isn’t being accessed.” These non-profits, specifically Share our Strength and The Greater Boston Food Bank, help to make food more accessible. In addition to supporting these three nonprofits, Adams is also one of the founding members of Chefs Collaborative, a nonprofit of chefs that “fosters a sustainable food system through advocacy, education, and collaboration with the broader food community,” an endeavor which has allowed her to travel the world talking to food producers.

One of Adams’ more unique and local philanthropic works is her educational program, Guerilla Grilling, a project she set up in 2008, created to familiarize her restaurant staff with the farmers and artisan producers who supply Rialto. Greeted with enthusiasm by her staff, Adams has planned out various journeys to the actual locations of the food’s production, not only to see the circumstances in which the food products are grown or raised, but also because she thoroughly enjoys getting to know the suppliers, who she says are some of the most interesting people she’s ever met. Documenting each experience on her blog, “In the Hands of a Chef,” Adams most recently led her staff to Wolfe’s Neck Farms in Maine, suppliers of Rialto’s organic beef, where she and twenty of her staff members spent the night and got to see that “the animals are actually roaming, and the cows are happy.”

As one of the contestants on the Bravo TV’s highly popular “Top Chef Masters” cooking competition show, Adams raised money for Partners in Health. Though she didn’t win overall, she considers the experience to be very unique compared to other television appearances she’s done, which had usually been demonstrative or talk shows, causing her to feel slightly unnatural in front of the cameras. But on Top Chef Masters, the competitive, and often time constrained, design of the show forced Adams to focus on what she was there to do, cook, and ignore the cameras. Despite how others might have reacted in those circumstances, keeping her cool during the high-tension competitions wasn’t anything new for Adams, who after many years in the kitchen has learned to “breathe and have a sense of humor” during times of culinary crises, a practice which is beneficial to both the chef and her staff.

While there were times during the show when Adams admits she was agitated and even in tears, “[the show] gave me a chance to see myself as myself on TV, a very eye-opening experience,” explained the chef. While Adams would definitely describe herself as being a competitive person, during the filming she always kept in mind that it was a game, and having fun was an objective. And, even more importantly, that all the money she was raising from the show would be going to a cause she truly cared about.

However, Adams’ philanthropic endeavors stretch far beyond fundraising. A couple years back, she traveled to Rwanda with Oliver, her twenty-year-old son. Adams describes the experience as having been primarily to “bear witness,” as she and Oliver were invited to go on several home visits with nutritionists and doctors. There they met adults and children with various nutritional diseases, such as kwashiorkor, a form of malnutrition caused by a lack of protein. When discussing Rwanda, Adams pointed out that while many Americans are quick to judge parents in third world countries for their lack of knowledge about feeding their own children, in reality, “there are people in this country who also don’t know how to feed their kids, its just the other side of the spectrum.” Despite the obvious circumstantial differences, Adams was able to relate to the parents of these ill children, through the love they both share for their offspring.

“These parents love their children just as much as I love mine,” Adams explained. “But they can’t do anything about [the diseases], they don’t know what’s wrong.”

While Adams partially attributes her cooking skills to the fact that she always had a home cooked meal growing up, she even more strongly believes in the tradition of having a family dinner with everybody at the table together. Family dinners were a major way her family connected, and Adams made sure to pass this on to her own, which in addition to her son and my classmate, Oliver, includes her husband Ken Rivard, a writer, and teenage daughter Roxanne. Even when Adams couldn’t make it home in time for dinner, Rivard, who also played the role of stay-at-home dad in order to support and compliment Adams’ time-consuming career, always cooked and had dinner with the kids. The sacrifice Rivard has made for Adams’ career is something she describes as “pretty amazing.”

But despite the fact that both Adams and her husband enjoy cooking, and even published a cookbook together, In the Hands of a Chef: Cooking with Jody Adams of Rialto Restaurant, Adams has never forced the art of cooking onto her children.

“Cooking is what takes me away from them,” Adams said in reference to the time she has to spend running her restaurant. “[Ken and I] don’t drill them; I never said ‘lets cook together.’” Nevertheless, as a friend of Oliver’s, I personally know that all of my friends would agree he is hands-down the best chef amongst us, often whipping together chili or pasta from scratch for study breaks or post-party meals. These cooking skills, naturally, were greatly supported by the boxes of food that Adams and her husband periodically sent to our dorms, one of which included a copy of her cookbook. Although cooking was not pushed onto her children, Adams believes that Oliver picked up his knack for cuisine from family dinners, where flavors, ingredients and suggestions for the dishes were often casually discussed.

So what does Jody Adams do in her free time? Oh, just bike 15-20 miles a day. Or, most recently, she’s taken up a boxing class, which, she explains, is great for the growth of bones, especially for women. Staying in one place, as you can imagine, is not something Adams does.

“Some of us do better not sitting still,” the chef explained. “Sitting at a desk makes my body start to vibrate. The key [when cooking] is not to stand still; if you’re moving, you’re fine.” So, as I said before, Adams is a lot like superwoman. That is, if superwoman could cook, raise an awesome family, and donate a quarter of her time to helping others.

Jody Adams was also kind enough to send me one of her student-with-no-cooking-experience-friendly recipes.

Whole Grain Penne with Fontina, Parmesan and Autumn Vegetables

Melt the butter in a large oven-proof sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the squash, onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, cover with a round of parchment paper, and cook 7 minutes or until the vegetables are golden brown and tender. Add the sage and spinach and cook an additional minute. Remove the pan from the heat.

Preheat the broiler.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and potatoes and cook 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the pasta is al dente. Ladle 3 cups of pasta water into a container and reserve. Strain the pasta mixture through a colander and add to the pan with the squash. Add the fontina cheese, half of the parmesan and a few gratings of nutmeg and toss well over medium heat. Add the pasta water and continue to toss until the cheeses are melted and a creamy sauce results.

Top with the remaining parmesan cheese and the breadcrumbs cook under the broiler 5 minutes or until the top is toasty brown.

I have been wanting this recipe ever since my first experience, so, needless to say, I was beyond ecstatic to learn from one of the chefs that Giovanni and his wife Donna were preparing them live for ABC’s View from the Bay. You will never, I repeat NEVER, have meatballs as insanely to-die-for as these, and now you can try them for yourself!

Mangia!

I recently had the pleasure of getting to know one of the Bay Area’s most talented personal chefs who, it just so happens, cut her teeth at the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas.

KM: When did you realize you wanted to pursue a career as a chef?

CT: Strong family influence. I was definitely pushed toward having a deep love for food and wine. My family is mostly from France. We always pulled out our best china and made different dishes. We would have things like venison and leg of lamb for Thanksgiving. My grandmother always encouraged me and I was about 20 when I realized I was going to make a career out of this. I was interested before becoming a chef was trendy and de rigueur.

KM: What was the best meal you ever had?

CT: The best was a last-minute reservation at Michael Mina in San Francisco. We came in as the restaurant was closing and were the only table in the restaurant and they treated us like we were royalty.

KM: What is your secret ingredient?

CT: Hot sauce and lemon juice. Lemon juice brightens things and lighten things like sauces and salads.

KM: Who has been the greatest inspiration in your life?

CT: My grandmother and Dean Fearing who was the former chef who helmed the kitchen at the Mansion on Turtle Creek for years and left to open his eponymous restaurant at the Ritz in Dallas. He hired me at Mansion. I had no kitchen experience. He gave me my chance. He’s regarded as THE chef of the southwest and is incredibly creative with things like venison and quail. He would season sauces with maple, jalapeno, cilantro. Growing up through the ranks of his restaurant was so memorable. He would go around to every single person in the kitchen and shake their hand or give them a hug no matter who it was – from the sous chef to the dishwasher – every single day. There was this ever-present camaradery.

KM: How did you end up on Top Chef?

CT: I had never seen the show. A lot of the servers had seen it. There was a rumor going around that they were in town auditioning chefs for the third season and everyone thought I should do it. I had no interest and they came to me and convinced me. I put up a fight but am glad I gave in.

KM: If you could have created a challenge on Top Chef, what would it have been?

CT: For season three we were only allowed to bring 12 pieces of things which included your knives. The chefs should be able to plan the best meal of their lives with their own ingredients. You should have access to any equipment and have access to all the resources you need – that would be the ultimate challenge. No restraints whatsoever and have more than just 3 hours.

KM: What was your greatest fear while on the show?

CT: Perception by my peers. The worst is being completely humiliated at the hands of a production crew. That was one of the major reasons I didn’t want to do the show.

KM: How much of the drama on the show was real and how much was scripted?

CT: After my season, they began feeding the chefs a lot of booze to get them to create “drama”. My season wasn’t so much scripted but a lot is dictated.

KM: What was a piece of wisdom you took away from the show?

CT: That you can really work under pressure and deliver more than you thought and you have more patience than you thought you had. You can get through it. I can get through any cooking situation and that is when  you know you’ve got what it takes.

KM: Who is your favorite chef?

CT: Marco Pierre White.

KM: Are you currently aligned with any causes/charities?

CT: Much of my career has been charity-oriented. I’m doing True Child, I’ve done things for the Red Cross, March of Dimes.

KM: What was your favorite experience as a volunteer/fundraiser?

CT: Cooking to feed the hungry and witnessing it first-hand – those are the most profound.

KM: What is your favorite comfort food?

CT: My absolute favorite thing to eat in the world is a cheeseburger. It’s total perfection.

Book Casey for your next event.

Preferred Morsel:  the Butterscotch Square

Year and Location of Discovery: 1999 (estimated), downtown Santa Barbara with great friend (Maya). We loved taking long walks from our apartment, especially ending with a little, sweet destination. One day the See’s Candies store attendant handed us this sample…. the taste mesmerized me. This dessert undoubtedly belongs with the best of them. And, as far as I am concerned, they don’t need an entire store of diversified chocolates….they simply need a stand of butterscotch squares.

Allow me to explain my weakness.

Of course, the majority of milk chocolate truffles with fillings (aside from the ever-present fruit/nut ones) are obvious contenders for greatness. But, if this were poker, See’s milk chocolate (coating) would be an ace and the butterscotch filling would give you a top pocket pair.

Now, milk chocolate is milk chocolate- it may not have the “flavonoids” or other “health benefits” of dark chocolate— but, what’s not to like, it’s the Tom Hanks of chocolate! That being said…it IS the butterscotch bite that takes this good-after-any-meal-treat to new heights. The butterscotch filling is rich and dense, sweet and powerful, creamy and sensational.

Warning: Consumption has been known to cause a state of euphoria.

No, I’m not talking about your Grandpa Harold. I am referring to one of the finest creations known to mankind: cheese!

Instead of serving the usual warm crab dip this Thanksgiving, why not spice things up with one of my favorite family recipes – my cousin’s Mexican queso dip. You put this winner into a silver chafing dish as a pre-feast appetizer and everyone will be begging for the recipe. Just don’t let them fill up before dinner! (It’s hard to stop once you start…)

Paige’s Warm Queso Dip
Serves Eight-Ten

Ingredients
1 lb. hamburger meat
1 lb. Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage
1 chopped yellow onion
1 lb. Velveeta (cut into cubes)
1 lb. American cheese (cut into cubes)
1 jar (small) Pace Picante Chunky Salsa (Spice: Medium)
1 can cream of mushroom soup

1. Brown hamburger and sausage meat over medium heat with onion; drain off fat.

2. In sauce pan, warm cream of mushroom soup with one can of water.

3. Add Velveeta and American cheese cubes to soup; stir until cubes are melted.

4. Add salsa, meats, and onions to melted cheese mix.

5. Serve in a chafing dish with tortilla chips. Enjoy!

6. Take two TUMS at bedtime.

(You’ll thank me in the morning.)

Perhaps you and yours could use some unusual turkey tips and good old family fun to turn dysfunction junction into a happy home.

Gobble It Up
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Turducken! Sometimes a threesome can be a good thing. (Stay with me.) Like when you take a Paula Deen recipe for Turducken also known as turkey, chicken and duck and dish it along with your favorite sides. Or, if you prefer some greasy gobbly goodness in the spirit of the south, opt for the Deep Fried Cajun bird. If you give a cluck and want to skip the turkey this year, The Buffalo Guys have gobs of red meat that make for a yummy alternative.

Game On
Don’t be predictable and turn the tables for Trivial Pursuit when you could engage your kin with a game of Oh Hell! which made for laugh-out-loud memories thanks to my aunt’s initiative last year. As the rules state, it’s best when played between 4-6 people but we played with about ten and it was equally as fun. If you can find a bowling alley open on the holiday, load up the family truckster and spare yourself (tsk, tsk).

Give It Away
The night before Thanksgiving, band together with your neighborhood to host a spaghetti feed and charge each attendee $20 for the all-you-can-eat-a-thon. Then donate the funds to your local food bank. When you’re shopping at the store, get a helium-filled solid color latex balloon for each member of your family (yourself included). Before or after dinner, give one to everyone along with a Sharpie pen. Tell them to write one thing they’re thankful for that happened this year on one side and something that they want to release on the other. Once everyone’s written on their balloon, release them together.

Cue the group hug.

But there’s a new kid in town, folks. And she’s a the best kept secret among those long, lean, and oh-so-perfect Brazilians. Think this could be some rare, never-before-discovered nectar from the Amazon? Think again. It’s water. As in, 100 percent pure coconut water. Or, as those in the southern hemisphere call it – agua de coco. Yep, that’s right. Not coconut milk but, rather, the water the fruit produces when it’s young.

Research shows that one coconut’s water serving has zero fat, no added sugar, and is only 60 calories. Not to mention, water from one baby coconut has more potassium than two bananas and is rich with electrolytes and minerals. In fact, this sweet stuff is so good for you, that they use it in hospital IV’s in countries that cannot afford saline.

The four chart-toppers available in the States are O.N.E. – notably Gisele’s personal fave, Harvest Bay – isotonic coconut and açai coconut waters from Brazil,  Zico – comes in various fruit flavors (some don’t love the mouthfeel of sweet flavorless water), and Vita Coco – the easiest to find due to its commercial success.

So stock up on this proven hangover cure and hydration sensation.

Just don’t go nuts.

Photos courtesy of Flickr and Zico.