Cause Worthy Archives - 2 Cats and Chloe

Progressive Potluck and Paleo Maple Glazed Salmon

December 16, 2014 by Susan 8 Comments

This weekend was an AWESOME weekend. Not only did I get to have breakfast with a long lost friend on Saturday, but I got to have dinner with another friend in DC on Saturday night! You see, Saturday after breakfast, my husband and I hit the road for Washington DC. Our anniversary was last month… and for the one year anniversary, “paper” is the traditional gift. So I gave him tickets to the Caps game {because even though they are almost always digital these days, you can still print tickets on PAPER!} While my lack of knowledge wouldn’t allow me to see much of a difference between the professional Washington Capitals and our local Admirals hockey {other than the cost of the ticket and the size of the arena} apparently my husband can… so this was a very special gift.

Sunday was just as awesome. I spent most of the day cleaning the house and prepping for my family’s “Progressive Potluck.” You see, for many years we would do a Christmas Progressive Dinner. We would eat one course of dinner at each house. It was a really fun way to see everyone’s holiday decorations and eat a ton of food. But as we have gotten older and I have moved an hour from my family - this tradition has died out. So this year, I decided to invite everyone {spur of the moment} to our house, but they still had to prepare one course of the meal. Instead of a traditional potluck where people bring whatever they want, I assigned courses to each couple coming. {Quite frankly, why haven’t I thought about doing that for all potlucks? That way you don’t end up with 15 servings of cole slaw…}

My husband and I {read: Suz} were in charge of the main entree. I decided that this would be the perfect time to make a dish from my new Southern Living Christmas Cookbook, that the Ronald McDonald House Charity of Richmond gave me. While searching through this amazing cookbook, I was drooling over so many beautiful dishes. While not all of them are 100% clean eating, there are several in there that are easily adaptable to fit my gluten-free, sugar-free, and practically dairy-free lifestyle.

There was one dish in particular that jumped right out at me: The Caramelized Maple-and-Garlic Glazed Salmon (page 87). I have been wanting to create a dish that used pure maple syrup as a sweetener, rather than sugar… and this was perfect! My family of picky eaters loved it, and as an entertainer, who was creating this dish on the spot with a house full of guests, I loved that it only took me 20 minutes to make!

If you are looking for a great, clean, and easy holiday dish - I would highly recommend this one. I paired it with sautéed zoodles, roasted garlic mini-potatoes, and roasted veggies. Again, you can find it in this cookbook.

Caramelized Maple-and-Garlic Glazed Salmon

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

Author: Southern Living Christmas Cookbook - shared by Susan {2 cats & chloe.}

Recipe type: Dinner, Fish

Cuisine: Fish

Serves: 8

Ingredients

8 (2-inch-thick) salmon fillets (about 2.5 pounds)
¼ tsp. table salt
¾ tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. butter (i used ghee)
⅓ cup maple syrup, divided (to keep it clean be sure to use 100% pure maple)
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives

Instructions

Preheat broiler with oven rack 5½ inches from heat. Sprinkle salmon with salt and garlic powder.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add salmon, skin side up; cook 2 minutes. Place salmon, skin, side down, on a lightly greased rack in a broiler pan; brush with half of syrup.
Broil salmon for 5 to 7 minutes or until fish reaches desired degree of doneness and syrup begins to caramelize. Brush with remaining syrup; sprinkle with chives.

A little bit about the Ronald McDonald House of Richmond, VA before I continue on with our family “Potluck Progressive!” This is such a great organization that helps families who have sick children in the hospital. I have done some volunteer work for our local Norfolk Ronald McDonald House in the past: cleaning, cooking and things of that sort. It is so nice to know that by volunteering, or by simply purchasing this cookbook online or from your local Dillard’s that you are helping families stay together and stay strong during one of the scariest times of their lives. The Ronald McDonald House of Richmond provides families with comfy beds, hot showers, homemade meals prepared by volunteers, a place to do laundry, a fully stocked playroom, and a shuttle to take them to and from the hospital. This charity takes care of the family’s basic needs so that they can focus on what matters most: their child’s well being.

Not only are you helping families, but you are getting one heck of a holiday cookbook for just $10. I was so impressed by this cookbook because it definitely makes entertaining easy. It breaks up every single holiday course you can possibly imagine eating. But then, when you flip it over, it has awesome ideas, tablescapes and menus for almost every other holiday on the calendar year! Seriously - they even give you celebration ideas for Memorial Day, Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby!

Like I said, I used this cookbook for our family’s holiday potluck and the Maple Glazed Salmon was a huge hit. Then, after eating several courses {pictures below} we partied like rockstars. Here’s your photo dump:

Gluten free crackers for this girl! Thanks mother for thinking about me!

2 cats & chloe: christmas cake

Red {and green} velvet for everyone else - and a gluten free cuppie for me! Again, thanks to my awesome family for going above and beyond to meet my newly found gluten free needs. Y’all rock.

Then, while we did a wicked gift exchange - Olivia passed out under my butcher block while Chloe helped me get drunk and eat cheese…

2 cats & chloe: Christmas gift exchange winners

Yup, I scored a box of wine. Not too shabby for a gift exchange!

So there ya have it guys! This was one heck of a weekend. I find myself truly blessed to have spent 48 hours with my husband, great friends, and family. Tis the season!

If you’re looking for one last Christmas gift - I highly recommend you check out this awesome, charitable, Southern Living Christmas Cookbook. When you give someone this cookbook, you are giving another family a huge gift as well. Many thanks to the Ronald McDonald House of Richmond for gifting me this cookbook. {The recipe in this blog post is straight from the cookbook, page 87.}

2 cats & chloe: Southern living Christmas cookbook, ronald mcdonald house charity

Now time for the linkup! You know the drill!

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A Serious Post.

August 12, 2014 by Susan 7 Comments

I don’t want to bring ya down, but I feel like I need to express my thoughts about the sadness and great loss that has hit the news.
With our extreme connection via facebook, twitter, instagram, television and the streaming of everything, you have to be living under a rock to have not heard the news of Robin Williams dying yesterday. My college roommate texted me last night while I was prepping dinner saying “My BF Robin Williams died!” {We had this long standing joke that she was the leader of the Unofficial JMU Chapter of the Robin Williams Fan Club and of course that he was her boyfriend…} I texted back with “Ha - you’re kidding.” I mean, I had just watched the NBC Nightly News and they didn’t mention a single thing and didn’t I just hear talks about a Mrs. Doubtfire 2? {Apparently the tragic news broke shortly after the Nightly News aired.}
I have become numb to the media constantly spouting out names of celebrities who have died {whether it’s via drugs, booze, or accidentally on purpose…} but to hear Robin Williams’ name added to this list has seriously stopped me in my tracks. He was such a brilliant talent. No, of course I didn’t know him, but he was an actor that I feel practically EVERYONE could connect with. {Forget Aladdin, I remember watching Mork and Mindy reruns as a kid and thinking he was the cutest guy ever!}
This is a tragic loss. One that if it was a handful of other celebrities, it wouldn’t hit home nearly as much. Why? Robin Williams was relatable. So many of his films are on worn out VHS tapes in drawers at my parents’ house. Cait and I watched Mrs. Doubtfire religiously, every day after school for a good couple of years. {“It was a run by fruiting!”} He could act in all types of flicks and was unbelievable across the board. I haven’t seen too many actors that can switch from slap stick comedy to drama to kid movies the way he did.
What really makes me sit back in awe is all the love and kind words you see about Robin Williams floating around the internet/media now. Don’t get me wrong, it’s absolutely wonderful. The man definitely made an impact on the world. But did he need to hear these words before? As such a happy-go-lucky, brilliant, talent - who had the world in the palm of his hand, but was secretly struggling with depression and demons… was there something that someone, anyone, could’ve done?
Everyone has a tipping point. Everyone has struggles. And almost everyone I know fights some sort of demon. Suicide is not the answer though. It’s a quick and easy “way out” that hurts everyone. Depression is a horrible illness that so many of us suffer from. But this gifted talent decided to take his life. He lived a life, making those around him laugh. He lived a life full of charity and comedy. He lived a life that many would love to experience. And then he fell to his demons and selfishly ended his own life. I cannot even begin to image the raw emotions his family must feel.
No, of course I didn’t know Robin Williams. But it’s still crushing. It’s crushing because we can all relate, whether it is through a loved one who left us too soon or the struggles we may be bearing. Hopefully something good can come out of this though. Like maybe, someone, anyone, will feel moved about sharing their struggles, because they are not alone.
Which is why I am here, writing the longest post ever. To tell you this:
I don’t care who you are. Depression hits all of us. It doesn’t discriminate against color, weight, industry, business, or family. You are loved. You are beautiful. You are amazing.
Maybe I know you from my past. Maybe we have lost touch in the years. Maybe you are a new friend, a blog friend, a family member, or one of my closest confidants. Or maybe we have never met. Let me stress: You are loved. You are amazing. Famous or not, you are important, you have value and you are worth fighting for.
If you are struggling, talk. Talk to the people around you. Ask for help. Don’t fight one single internal battle by yourself. Turn to friends, family, and Jesus. I urge everyone to please keep in mind, a lot of times we don’t really know the man behind the curtain. Greet every person {friend or stranger} without assumptions, but instead with care, sincere concern, and love. Some of us have become really good at using our PR face to hide the multitude of things that are dwelling in our deepest, darkest places.

Facebook is great. Blogs are wonderful. Texts are convenient. But take time to call or meet with your loved ones. Hug your family a little tighter. Make plans to spend quality time with your friends. Be sure to tell the ones you love, that you love them. One of my facebook friends said it best: “Pick up the phone & call someone. Maybe you speak to someone who just might REALLY need your call. Maybe you’re the one who needs a real conversation. We all know someone who might need to actually hear the words “Hey, how have you been…. no, really. How have you been?” So, how have you been?
“Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan and everything in between. But he was one of a kind.”

Thoughts, prayers and love go out to Robin Williams’ family. May we all remember him for his little spark of madness.

Cute and Cause Worthy!

March 17, 2011 by Susan 1 Comment

Have you seen the Poppie Lane Blog yet? If not, I totally recommend you check it out!

Back in the day, I went to high school with this lovely lady! After school we did not really keep up with each other, but through facebook and the blogging world we have some how reconnected a little bit. Recently I began to secretly follow her blog as she shared her story (and ups and downs of the long process) of adopting her son, Tucker. Long, and awesomely blessed, story short, Tucker is home from Ethiopia with his Mom and Dad!

Not only is this blog a great read, but it’s a super cute shop too! In an effort to raise funds for the adoption, Lauren got crafty! She began selling the cutest Poppy Headbands and other accessories! Now that her son is home, she is extending the cause of her site and helping other families that are going through the same adoption process. Read her Making a Difference page and meet the new family that Poppie Lane is helping now.

I have been admiring them for a long time, and finally caved this morning and ordered myself a green headband! (If only it was here this morning I could totally rock it for St Patties Day!) This is where we can all help and look super cute at the same time! 50% of the profits (between now and April 15) will be going to help the Ladd Family bring home their son. How awesome is this?!

That is the headband I just bought! Go get yourself one! (Or if you are one of my brides and you’re looking for a super cute bridesmaid gift/ accessory… think about this! She has a ton of color options!

So scoot on over there, check her stuff out, and help bring a sweet little boy home to his family!