Fall River & Surrounding Residents, join me and other football fans at the LWF Fire Hall on Fall River Road (that would be the Old Fire Hall next to Robertson Drive) for a Superbowl Extravaganza! Kickoff time is 5 pm on February 7th, 2010 and if you want a great seat in front of the large screen, come in early for a pre-dinner drink and chat.

This is an open event with a cover charge of $5 which includes a free drink ticket and donation to Haiti Relief Funds. (Really, its almost free!). Wings, nachos, skins and chili are on the menu and portions of the money spent from  food sales that night will be put towards kitchen renovations in the days ahead.

It’s guaranteed to be a great community event and watch out for my table girls! Remember, they have names…. See you there!

After catching up with family and friends over the last few days, I realized how difficult & challenging this past year has been at times for all of us. In my conversations, I listened to stories of illnesss, bad news and struggles that were dealt with in the Year of the Ox. I am not the kind of gal that strictly adheres to astrology, mysticism or voodoo, but I still believe that there are forces, spiritual or otherwise that occur which are simply beyond my human understanding. Simply put, this was a tough year and should we wish to blame it on the ox, well, so be it!

For all of the struggles I had this year starting my own business, dealing with my broken dream home and keeping up with my own family, there were many wonderful opportunities that came my way and super people that came into my life as well. I am so incredibly thankful to everyone who supported my business this year and thus supported me and my family.

From the business education I received through SEB, to the neighbors who hosted cocktail parties, the families who have welcomed me into their homes for Weekday Meals, to the outstanding coordinators at the Superstore that I have had the pleasure of working with and the loving support I have been given from my husband and family…. I have been truly blessed. Thank you, thank you, thank you for being a part of my life and with you, my year was a lot less tough than it could have been.

This got me thinking about what the Chinese New Year will bring as well as our own big day on January 1st. So for those of you who get a kick out of trying to predict what 2010 will be like. Here is a rundown of what to expect in the year of the Tiger:

The Year of The Tiger begins on February 14th 2010. Drama, intensity, change and travel will be the keywords for 2010. Unfortunately, world conflicts and disasters tend to feature during Tiger years also, so it won’t be a dull 12 months for anyone. The Year of the Tiger will bring far reaching changes for everyone. New inventions and incredible technological advances have a good chance of occurring.

For all of the Chinese horoscope signs, this year is one to be active – seizing opportunities and making the most of our personal and very individual talents. Everything happens quickly and dramatically in a Tiger year – blink and you could miss an important chance of a lifetime!

Keep in mind that I was born in the Year of the Rabbit, which is why this could be the year that I might dine or be dinner as the Year of the Tiger is a tricky one for us to navigate. I believe in the power of community and loved ones, there’s power also in numbers, so for us rabbits, if we stick together this year, it should be a good one!

Wishing everyone all the best for a wonderful 2010! Rabbits & all!

Cheers from Mandy!

What I love most about this fridge it the layout. I had looked at many different designs from LG to Whirlpool, and what surprised me was how few fridges were organized well, and how many had drawers that were not adjustable, or spaces that seemed awkward or useless.

Ice makers as well take up a horrible amount of useful space for food, which seems rather sad when I would much rather have food than ice! This fridge does have an ice maker that is the first that I have seen that is compact and can be optionally hooked up. The way that it is organized in the freezer seems as though it doesn’t have one at all, which I like very much.

We, like every one else, tend to buy some of the same groceries from week to week. Things like orange juice, lots of cheeses, a variety of meats, and since I like to make my own salad dressings, dips, and sauces, we tend to have a lot of jarred items like soy sauce, worchestershire sauce, lemon juice, fish sauce, tobasco, and chutneys. Also, because we have three kids, we have  lots of ketchup, mustard, relish and grandma’s jam. This fridge has rather large storage for all of these items by having large pocket door shelving and best of all, a deli drawer that divides to fit both meats and cheeses.

The freezer drawer on the bottom is a feature that I could never do without since I purchased my first fridge with it over eight years ago when I was pregnant with my first daughter and thought it would be great to be able to reach the fruits and veggies drawer at a height that I could bend to.

In addition to the two pull out drawers in the freezer, there is also a pizza door to organize your frozen pizza, a feature that my husband was excited about. Obviously men and women have different priorities!

The fridge itself is energy efficient and also comes with an additional energy saving feature and since the controls can be managed by temperature rather than by dial, you can set the fridge to whatever temperature you need. This is a great way to save on energy when traveling since the fridge is often empty and not being opened and closed on a daily basis.

Our previous Amana fridge died on us after only four years of use, so having to splurge on something we hadn’t expected or saved for was frustrating and disappointing. In having to make a large purchase quickly, I really felt that in comparison to the other fridges on the market, the Samsung far out featured them for a price that was substantially less.It always feels good to get a deal even when you are spending money you really don’t have!

If you happen to be looking at purchasing a new fridge, you should really check this one out, but don’t get too excited!!

Cheers,

Mandy

Run, Run, Rudolf, by Chuck Berry

When you give a Mandy’s gift certificate, you give the gift of time and great dinners enjoyed at home. Contact Mandy today by phone or email to purchase one in time for Christmas!

I love the Tupperware can opener because of its ability to open a can without leaving a sharp edge. It actually works by separating the glue between the two lids and leaves a clean, safe edge that it so valuable when you have small children and you happen to open a lot of cans.

Imagine my surprise when I found the Cusipro can opener at the Cilantro’s Cook Shop in Lunenburg and brought it home. Not only does it do everything that my Tupperware can opener does but it makes for even easier handsfree lid disposal!

Hooray, I am in love and wish that I had bought two! If you are looking for a great gift for someone who has everything, this would be a great choice. You could even jazz up the gift with a basket and some awesome canned yummies to open! Happy Shopping!

The difficult side of the mobile kitchen has obviously been the need for it to be constantly mobile and while I am getting a good workout hauling six heavy container in and out of houses, I have been envisioning myself at 50, hunched over and using a cane after I blow out my back.

The kids hate when the van is loaded, not only because my van is starting to smell like a kitchen, but because all three of them have to sit in the same row which lends itself to ridiculous fights over who is crossing the line between one seat and another and who is sitting in the middle. This is when I wish threatening them with my honing steel wasn’t a bad idea since it seems sometimes the easier route to take rather than having to diplomatically and calmly diffuse the situation which rarely ever works.

I have a fantastic friend who was kind enough to notice that I was looking rather exhausted when we got together last. She has a super restaurant, called Emma’s Eatery, out on Cow Bay Road. She is known for her fantastic fish cakes and for championing the cause of eating real food, real fresh. They serve Breakfast, Lunch and All Day Brunch, which means her restaurant is closed from 3 pm and onward. Eureaka! My fantastic friend has offered to let me use her kitchen in the evenings!

What this means for Mandy’s is that I now have a certified kitchen to prepare all of my weekday meals, home dining and cooking class preparations. What is means for my day to day life is that I can get my kitchen out of my van and spend less time on loading and unloading materials, including my van hopefully smelling more like kids and turtle wax and less like vidala onions and vinegar.

It also is leading me to streamline some of my day to day activities in an effort to improve my services for Mandy’s clients. Starting in November, I will be offering a Weekday Feature Menu which is delivered to your door for a Package Price. Check out the latest menu for November and feel free to let me know what you would like to see on the menu for December! Cheers!

Grocery Store Wars