Sunday, May 29, 2011

Was it stepping out of our comfort zone?

Every year for Memorial Day weekend, a branch of the Armenian Youth Federation arrive for a weekend full of fun. This year our numbers topped 275 people in attendance!
We try to organize menus that meet the needs of each group individually. Remember, not everyone is the same! For the last four years... I have made typical everyday food... grilled cheese w/ tomato soup, fried chicken w/ pilaf, spaghetti & meatballs. Every year I get more and more frustrated at either how much food was not taken or the amount of food wasted.
Well, NOT this year! This year I organized a menu that catered to this group specifically! So, the question is did we have to step out of our comfort zone to prepare meals for this group...?????
After researching Armenian recipes, I visited The Armenian Kitchen. Robyn was a tremendous help. She has an extensive list of recipes, many with how to videos! Overall, I was concerned as to which recipes to choose. Imparticularly, I needed an inside scoop as to what Armenian children would eat. Robyn came through! A list of menu selections arrived via email.
Robyn passed on several ideas and recipes to help us on our way. What could have been a difficult menu to put together, was essentially simple. I encourage you to check out Robyn's blog. She really has put together a a great resource. I was able to adapt several of our current recipes to work with our menu selections.






Bokon bread






Zucchini &Eggplant Bake







Oregano & Coriander Roast Beef







Parsley & Oregano Potatoes w/ Lemon

By far this was a success. As each meal went out, my nerves calmed.
One thought I had over and over again was that some of our everyday foods are very similar to Armenian foods. I had to tweak a few of my own recipes / formulas, but overall everything that we incorporated into the menu were simple things.
Stop by http://thearmeniankitchen.com some time. Try something new!

So, the question remains... Did we have to step out of our comfort zone? Not at all! Because we strive to make home cooked meals (from scratch) everyday... this simply was just another day! With one main difference... We made a difference! What do you do to make a difference?

In my many thank you's to Robyn for her help on this project I let her know she made a difference for us. She did not have to. But she did! So, out there in this blogosphere world... we have a new friend. Stop on by and say hello!
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Enjoy!