Chef's Best and YOU

From  Food and Friends:

On Monday, June 15th, Food & Friends will celebrate our 25th Anniversary Chef's Best Dinner & Auction Presented by Friendship Hospital for Animals at the Marriott Marquis located at 901 Massachusetts Ave., NW. The hotel is just a short walk from the Mt. Vernon Square/Convention Center Metro stop and has available valet, street or garage parking. We have been so grateful for all of our volunteers past, present and future and would love to have YOU join us this year!

As a volunteer, you may be asked to assist with Will Call, greet attendees, sell exciting raffle prizes, serve as security in the Silent Auction or flag down bidders in the Live Auction. No matter your role, volunteers are critical to the success of this very important event. Shift times are as follows for the specific roles:

WILL CALL  4:30pm - 7:00pm OR 5:30pm - 10:00pm

You will help ensure a smooth check-in process for our guests as they receive their tickets, bidder numbers and make their way into the event. We will have two different Will Call areas starting at two different times.

HOST  5:00pm - 10:00pm (breaks will be provided)

You will greet guests upon arrival and be in place at the end of the evening to thank them for attending.

RAFFLE TICKET SALES  5:00pm - 8:30pm

Volunteers will work in pairs and assist in the sale of raffle tickets throughout the Ballroom and Silent Auction areas.

SILENT AUCTION  5:00pm - 10:00pm (breaks will be provided)

In addition to monitoring the Silent Auction, volunteers will help answer bidders' questions and assist in the closing and check-out of the Auction.

LIVE AUCTION  7:30pm - 10:00pm

Volunteers will serve as helpers identifying bidders in our Live Auction and ensuring proper payment is received from each winning bidder.

Sign-Up to Volunteer

We ask that you also try to attend one of our pre-event orientations being held on Tuesday, June 9th. This is a great opportunity for us to go through your role and the event before arriving on the 15th.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Lisa Jourdan at ljourdan@foodandfriends.org or (202) 269-6826.

December 2014 Technicolor News!



Welcome to December!

The end of the year is fast approaching and the holiday season is upon us. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hannukah, Yule, Kwanzaa or another holiday the celebration involves gathering with
others and food.

This time of year our thoughts also draws our attention to the those who are less fortunate. In November, I had the honor of being one of 1,300 volunteers that delivered meals to Food & Friends clients. I spoke with a member of the Food & Friends team  who shared that volunteer support is needed all year round, but the holiday season is most critical, because the volunteer who delivers the meal may be the only visitor the client has.

 

Highlights of topics this month include:

• A closer look at my family's favorite Brussels Sprouts recipe
• Announcement of  the chef jacket poll results
• Completing wine school
• A great tool to help with describing wines
• Participating in a cookie bake 

And a few surprises along the way!

I'm also reminded of those who are no longer with us.  The holiday season at times feels bereft with presence of my dear friend and former coworker Bob (he was the number one fan of my bourbon balls) and my maternal grandmother (she made German chocolate cakes for me until she could no longer bake). While they may no longer be present in the body, their joy and love of the holiday season is still present. 

I invite you to join me on my Technicolor journey to close  2014.Grab  your cup, mug, or thermos of your favorite beverage - let's go!


Be well,

Technicolor girl

image created by Ink + LLC

A Day of Giving and Gratitude

Do you have traditions that you maintain on Thanksgiving Day? Watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade? Attend local high school football games? Gather at the home of family or friends for dinner or dessert?

Today is a day of giving and gratitude for me. I will spend Thanksgiving morning volunteering  with Food & Friends to deliver meals. Food & Friends has more than 800 turkeys and all the sides that need to be delivered. They estimate 3,500 people will sit down to give thanks and enjoy a meal from Food & Friends on Thanksgiving Day. Food & Friends states, "this is what Thanksgiving is all about – coming together as a community to care for our neighbors in need". I consider it an honor to serve as a volunteer.

A friend sent me a  text message yesterday: there is such joy in gratitude. On this Thanksgiving Day I am grateful for and am joyful about many things, including:

• Access to shelter, food, and water
• Family and dear friends
• Employment
• The many chefs, servers, greeters/hosts/hostesses and other staff who have made me feel welcome in their dining establishment.
• The business owners and vendors who have agreed  to be interviewed on the Technicolor dining  blog site.
• You, for supporting Technicolor dining by reading the blog posts and telling others about the blog site, Facebook page, and Twitter presence. Technicolor dining's continued growth is due largely to you. Thank you!

I am also blessed to spend part of my Thanksgiving Day with Bebe and her family. When I asked what I should bring,  Bebe told me to bring a healthy appetite and a good bottle of wine. Bebe's menu includes turkey,  duck and  at least three dessert options.. I'm hopeful that the weeks attending wine school  have helped me make acceptable wine choices. Stay tuned.

Yes, I have prepared a small meal as well.

On the menu:

roasted turkey breast (the turkey was submerged in a brine solution for several  hours)

herb stuffing with sausage and roasted chestnuts

homemade turkey gravy

cranberry, orange and walnut relish - see the Ocean Spray site for the recipe

brussel sprouts with apple and almond (this dish is a favorite with my immediate family)

Wishing you and yours a day filled with joy and gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving!


Be well,

Technicolor girl




image created by Ink+ LLC

 

Holiday Cheer

image courtesy of the internet

Marketing  about how to prepare for upcoming holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas) is beginning to flood the internet and media (television,  radio,  media and the internet).  The marketing presents lots of questions to muse and consider: Which style napkin rings to use? Which color tablecloth ? New flatware?  New stemware? And, especially important to me, what to serve?

When I lived in North Texas the question of what to serve not only applied to the guests at my dinner table, but how I served others during the holiday season. One Thanksgiving I served meals with other volunteers at the Salvation Army in Dallas.  For several years I collected items to be delivered to the homes of families in need.

image courtesy of Food and Friends

This year, for a few hours on Thanksgiving Day, I will deliver holiday meals on behalf of Food and Friends to its clients. Food and Friends' mission is " to foster a community caring for men, women, and children living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life-challenging illnesses by preparing and delivering specialized meals and
groceries in conjunction with nutrition counseling."

Registering to be a volunteer is straightforward. Prospective volunteers complete a form and must undergo a criminal background check. The Food and Friends staff will inform you the outcome of the background check. Once the background check is complete, prospective volunteers can sign up for shifts. For more details, see the Food and Friends site.

If your schedule permits, I invite you join me in delivering meals for a few hours on Thanksgiving Day. If that doesn't appeal to you, there are other volunteer opportunities available and other ways to bring holiday cheer to someone less fortunate.

If you volunteer your time in other ways, please share the details below in the comments section. You work may inspire someone else!



image courtesy of Pillsbury.com

By all means if you see me at Food and Friends, please say hello.


Be well,

Technicolor girl



image created by Ink+ LLC