Light Up the Holidays -- Make a Lantern for Needham Lights

Come join Parent Talk and friends this Sunday and create lanterns for Needham Lights!  A lantern-making workshop will be held in the Dover Caryl Community Center on November 15, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., and again on Saturday, December 5, 2015, at one of Parent Talk's craft tables inside Needham Town Hall.  

Child at Parent Talk's craft table during last year's Needham Lights lantern-making event.

Light is something we cherish in the winter and something we use in our holiday celebrations, so it is only appropriate we come together in early December for the annual Needham Lights event.  Many of us are trying to create holiday traditions for our children -- not only to give them something to look forward to, but also to imbue the season with meaning.  

Needham Lights offers us an opportunity to provide our children with both a fun and entertaining activity and a symbolic one.  By coming together as a community, we are showing our children that they belong to something greater.  By taking part in the Luminary Stroll, they can see for themselves the beauty of many lights joined together in one effort.  This may seem abstract for little ones, but let's not forget how impressionable and perceptive they are!

Crowd gathers outside Needham Town Hall for 2014 Needham Lights.

We hope you will include Needham Lights in your holiday tradition this year.  The multi-faceted event takes place on Saturday, December 5, from noon through 8 p.m.  Parent Talk will have craft tables inside Needham Town Hall from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and there will be live entertainment and a fire show outside.  There will also be promotions at local shops around the town center, and finally, the chance to light up the town during the luminary stroll!  

About the Author
Liza D'Hemecourt is the Community Relations Chair for Parent Talk, following her previous role as Blog Coordinator.  She taught kindergarten and first grade before becoming a stay-at-home mom in Needham to her two children.  

Yummy Red Sangria Recipe

Written by Joy Errico Seusing

Who doesn’t love sangria? I am usually a straight up wine drinker but when I have guests over or host a party, I like to do something more festive. This recipe hits the spot. I include all the fruits I like in my sangria, but feel free to switch out with what you like best. Other substitutes--- you can use any fruit juice that you like best in place of pomegranate and you can also change the kind of soda, as long as it is fruit-flavored, ginger ale or Sprite. I hope you love this!

Ingredients

• 3 cups ice cubes
• 1/4 cup lemon slices
• 1/4 cup lime slices
• 1/4 cup orange slices
• 1/4 cup strawberries, cut in fourths
• 1/4 cup seedless grapes, green or red
• 2 cups red wine of your choice (I like Pinot Noir or Malbec)
• 1/2 cup peach brandy
• 1 cup pomegranate juice
• 1 cup orange soda

Directions

This couldn’t be simpler. Put all the ingredients together in a pitcher or punch bowl. Stir and wait 1-2 hours before serving for best results. You can drink it right away if you don’t have time (or don’t want) to wait! Enjoy! 

About the Author

Joy Errico Seusing lives in Needham with her husband and two young children. She is the Vice President for External Relations at Jumpstart, a national early education organization headquartered in Boston. In addition to being a happily busy working mom, Joy loves traveling to new places, reading on her Kindle, interior design, power yoga, and of course, cooking!  Joy is a monthly contributor for the Parent Talk blog so be sure to check back for new recipe ideas each month.

photo credit: Peter Jan Haas via photopin cc

Recipe Spotlight: Wheat Pasta with Spinach and Feta

This is a go-to midweek recipe for me. It is so quick, easy, filling and healthy! I basically just combined three things I love—spinach, feta cheese and chickpeas and added it to pasta. You can substitute broccoli for spinach if you prefer. This recipe is enough for four people with leftover for lunch. Delicious!

 Ingredients

• 1 lb. wheat pasta
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• ½ bag frozen or fresh spinach (if frozen, defrost first and squeeze as much water out of it as possible)
• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
• 1 tbsp. salt (more to taste if needed)
• 1 tsp. pepper

Directions

Boil the pasta per the package directions. While boiling, put olive oil in a sauté pan on medium heat. Add garlic and stir. Add chickpeas and let sauté for 5 minutes. Add spinach and stir until wilted if fresh; if frozen, cook for approximately 3 minutes while stirring occasionally. Add Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Drain pasta and combine with ingredients in sauté pan. Sprinkle with feta and parmesan and mix to evenly combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired. Serve hot!

About the Author

Joy Errico Seusing lives in Needham with her husband and two young children. She is the Vice President for External Relations at Jumpstart, a national early education organization headquartered in Boston. In addition to being a happily busy working mom, Joy loves traveling to new places, reading on her Kindle, interior design, power yoga, and of course, cooking!  Joy is a monthly contributor for the Parent Talk blog so be sure to check back for new recipe ideas each month.

Jumpstart's Read for the Record

Last fall, I left the retail industry after more than ten years to pursue a leadership opportunity at Jumpstart, a national non-profit organization focused on early childhood education. Having two preschool-aged children of my own and a passion for mission-driven work, I was humbled by the opportunity to join an organization that makes a profound difference in the lives of young children by helping them to develop the skills they need to enter kindergarten ready to succeed.
With the growing economic challenges in our country, there is increased disparity between the early education opportunities that children from underprivileged communities receive, as compared to those from more prosperous neighborhoods. In Needham and its surrounding communities, we are fortunate to have a first-rate public school system and a multitude of local enrichment opportunities for our children. But how can you help others who are not as fortunate?


One way is by participating in Jumpstart’s Read for the Record, a national campaign that brings millions of people together to celebrate literacy and participate in a shared reading experience. On October 4, 2012, individuals from across the country will read Ladybug Girl & the Bug Squad by David Soman and Jacky Davis in support of Jumpstart’s mission: to work toward the day every child in America enters school prepared to succeed. Joining the campaign is really easy and a lot of fun:
Pledge to read on October 4th: http://www.jstart.org/pledge. Go one step further and incorporate this into a playdate!

A girl named Lulu, otherwise known as Ladybug Girl, gathers her friends Bumblebee Boy, Dragonfly Girl, and Butterfly Girl for some imaginary fun. Lulu and her friends learn about friendship, feelings, and courage.

By participating, you’ll make a difference in the world to children in our country who need it most. Let’s be sure all children, regardless of the zip code they were born into, have the chance to realize their full potential!

About the Author
Joy Errico Seusing lives in Needham with her husband and two young children. She is the Vice President for External Relations at Jumpstart, a national early education organization headquartered in Boston. In addition to being a happily busy working mom, Joy loves traveling to new places, reading on her Kindle, interior design, power yoga, and of course, cooking!  Joy is a monthly contributor for the Parent Talk blog so be sure to check back for new recipe ideas each month.

September Recipe Spotlight: Blueberry Apple Crisp

When September hits, there is nothing like a warm fruit crisp for dessert. I like using blueberries and apples, but I have also made this with just apples, just blueberries, and peaches and blueberries…choose whatever fruits you like! This makes enough for 6-8 guests. 

Fruit Filling

3 cups blueberries

3 cups sliced, peeled apples (I like gala or macintosh)

½ cup sugar

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1 tbsp. orange or lemon juice

Pinch of salt

Crunchy topping

3/4 cup flour

½ cup old fashioned rolled oats 

½ tsp. baking powder

6 tbsp. unsalted butter

½  tsp. salt

1/3 cup sugar

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix the fruit filling. Pour it into an 8 inch square baking pan. Put sugar and butter in the bowl and mix on medium speed until fluffy. In a separate medium bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the sugar and butter mixture. Use a spoon or your hands to mush ingredients together into clumps. Place the topping equally over the fruit filling in the pan, forming an even layer. Bake for 1 hour. Be sure to cool a bit before serving as the fruit will be really hot!

photo credit: Elton Lin via photo pin cc

Balsamic Raspberry Chicken

Easy summer dinner!

This is really easy to make and one of my go-to recipes during the week. For the kids, I cut the chicken up and put the sauce separately on their plate and have them dip the chicken in, which seems to make it more appealing to them! Enjoy.

1 tsp. Vegetable oil

¼ cup chopped red onion

½ tsp. dried thyme

½ tsp. salt- divided

4 chicken breast halves

1/3 cup raspberry jam

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

¼ tsp. black pepper

Sauté the onion in the vegetable oil on medium high heat until soft, about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, season chicken with thyme and ¼ tsp. salt. Add chicken to the sauté pan with the onions and cook on each side until done, about 7 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the rest of the salt, jam, vinegar, and pepper. Stir constantly until the mixture melts into a sauce-like consistency. Spoon over chicken and serve!

About the Author

Joy Errico Seusing lives in Needham with her husband and two young children. She is the Vice President for External Relations at Jumpstart, a national early education organization headquartered in Boston. In addition to being a happily busy working mom, Joy loves traveling to new places, reading on her Kindle, interior design, power yoga, and of course, cooking!  Joy is a monthly contributor for the Parent Talk blog so be sure to check back for new recipe ideas each month.

Recipe Spotlight: Mussels with Tomatoes and Shallots

Written by Joy Errico Seusing

For the past few years, every time I went to a restaurant, I would find myself ordering the mussels appetizer if it was on the menu. I finally decided to try to make my own. The following recipe is the result of much experimentation. This is served best with crusty bread or toasted garlic bread and a green salad. This recipe serves 2-3 people as a full meal. Enjoy!

1 lb mussels 

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. minced garlic

2 shallots, diced

1 bulb fennel, sliced thin (optional)

1 tbsp. butter

2 medium-sized tomatoes, diced

Juice of ½ lemon

½ cup good white wine (if you wouldn’t drink it, don’t use it!)

1 cup vegetable broth

1 tbsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

½ tsp. thyme (dry)

4 tbsp. cream (use half and half, soy milk creamer, lite cream or heavy cream, depending on preference)

¼ tsp. red chili pepper flakes

Put mussels in a large bowl with cold water to clean them. Sit for 30 minutes and drain. You should sit dirt on the bottom of the bowl. Give the mussels another rinse.

In the meantime, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, fennel, and lemon juice. Heat for 5-7 minutes until shallots become translucent. Add the tomatoes, white wine, broth, salt, pepper, red chili pepper flakes, and thyme. Saute for another 7 minutes. 

Add water to the bottom inch of a large put. Put mussels in a steamer basket within the pot. Set on high heat and cook for 7-8 minutes until mussel shells open (that is how you know they are done!)

While mussels are cooking, add cream to the skillet and incorporate into the broth.

When mussels are done, sauté with the sauce for one minute. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Joy Errico Seusing lives in Needham with her husband and two young children. She is the Vice President for External Relations at Jumpstart, a national early education organization headquartered in Boston. In addition to being a happily busy working mom, Joy loves traveling to new places, reading on her Kindle, interior design, power yoga, and of course, cooking!  Joy is a monthly contributor for the Parent Talk blog so be sure to check back for new recipe ideas each month.

Recipe Spotlight: Veggie and Bean Soup

Written by Joy Errico Seusing

I make a version of this soup almost every week from fall through spring. It is great for dinner and even better as leftovers or a healthy, hearty lunch. As with many soups, the ingredients are pretty flexible (for instance, if you like a different kind of bean or vegetable, feel free to switch it out for the ones I have here). This feeds my family of four for dinner (though I admit, my four year old and two year old don’t eat a big portion!) with plenty of leftovers for at least two lunches or another dinner. It’s delicious on its own or with a loaf of crusty bread and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese on top. It also freezes very well.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon minced or crushed garlic

1 cup each finely diced carrot, onion and celery (please note Trader Joe’s sells something called Mirepoix in their vegetable section—it is in a clear plastic container. They do the work of dicing for you so I would suggest using this to save time!)

1 large zucchini or 2 small zucchinis, diced

1 can diced tomato

1 can cannellini beans (white kidney beans)

1 can chickpeas

2 containers of 32 ounce chicken broth (I use organic)

Salt, pepper and Italian seasoning to taste

Coat the bottom of a big soup pan with the olive oil. Heat on medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add diced carrot, onion and celery mixture, diced zucchini and crushed garlic. Saute for seven minutes or so. Add the canned tomato, beans, chickpeas and broth. Turn the heat to medium and let cook for 25-30 minutes. Taste the soup and add the seasonings to taste. Depending on what chicken broth you use, you may need more or less seasoning (especially salt), so it is important that you taste it until you get the flavor you want. Enjoy!

Joy Errico Seusing lives in Needham with her husband and two young children. She is the Vice President for External Relations at Jumpstart, a national early education organization headquartered in Boston. In addition to being a happily busy working mom, Joy loves traveling to new places, reading on her Kindle, interior design, power yoga, and of course, cooking!  Joy is a monthly contributor for the Parent Talk blog so be sure to check back for new recipe ideas each month.

Recipe Spotlight: Patti’s Sunday Gravy and Meatballs

Written by Joy Errico Seusing
If there was ever a meal that defined my childhood, this is the one. We had this for Sunday “dinner” (2pm) every single week and sometimes on Wednesday nights, too. This is my mom’s version---in my opinion, the very best! You can serve this with any type of pasta that you like. Just boil the pasta per usual and toss with the gravy. There will be enough for 1.5-2lbs pasta! The gravy and meatballs on their own freezes fantastically, too, so you can use it for one dinner and freeze the other half for a second dinner.
By the way, for those that aren’t Italian, gravy is marinara that is cooked with meat. If there is no meat in the sauce, then it is called marinara or “red sauce.”

Patti's Sunday Gravy and Meatballs
Gravy:
3 tablespoons olive oil or enough to coat the bottom of a large pan (5-8 quarts)
2 tablespoons minced or crushed garlic
1-2 sticks pepperoni (depending on how much you like and how big your pan is!)
2 large cans tomato puree (28 oz)
1 can tomato paste (14-15 oz)
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup of good red wine (if you wouldn’t drink it, don’t use it!)
Salt, pepper, oregano, basil to taste

Meatballs:
1 lb ground beef (93% lean)
1 egg
1 cup bread crumbs
1 ½ cups of warm water
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

Coat the bottom of a very big pan with the olive oil. Heat on medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Cut pepperoni into 1 inch chunks and add the oil with minced garlic. Saute for 5 minutes. Add the cans of tomato puree. Add the can of tomato paste. After emptying the tomato paste out of its can, fill it with water and add to the gravy. Add the wine and seasonings. Taste the gravy--- If it tastes too salty, add a pinch of sugar. If it tastes too sweet, add a little more salt until you get the flavor you want. Continue the gravy on medium-high heat---it should eventually be very hot and bubbling/starting to boil.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl using a spatula or large spoon, mix the ground hamburger, egg, breadcrumbs, water and seasonings until combined. Form into 2 inch balls. The balls should have a loose, moist texture from the water.

When the gravy starts bubbling and is really hot, add the meatballs. Place them carefully throughout the pan leaving about an inch between them (yes, raw!). Cover and lower the heat to medium for 30 minutes, stirring frequently and paying special attention to the bottom of the pan so it doesn’t burn. Be very careful when you stir so you don’t break up the meatballs. Turn the heat to low and simmer for at least another 30 minutes. The longer you simmer the gravy, the better it will taste. Serve with pasta and enjoy!!!!!!!

Joy Errico Seusing lives in Needham with her husband and two young children. She is the Vice President for External Relations at Jumpstart, a national early education organization headquartered in Boston. In addition to being a happily busy working mom, Joy loves traveling to new places, reading on her Kindle, interior design, power yoga, and of course, cooking!  Joy is a monthly contributor for the Parent Talk blog so be sure to check back for new recipe ideas each month.