CityMama™

Ranch Chicken Salad with Fresh Summer Fruits

One of my favorite ways to do chicken salad with a "secret" ingredient.

• 1 cup chopped cooked chicken
• 1 small apple, cored and chopped
• 8-10 seedless grapes, halved
• 1/4 of a sweet onion, minced
• palmful of cashews, rough-chopped
• palmful of fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsps of mayo (I like Vegenaise) or Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsps light Hidden Valley Ranch dressing (the secret—it adds a nice herbal kick!)
• fresh ground pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Allow flavors to mingle at least one hour in the fridge. Garnish with fresh summer fruits—I used apricots and raspberries, but peaches or strawberries would also be yummy. You can serve on a bed of baby lettuces if you like. Makes about two cups.

I am compensated for being a member of Hidden Valley Ranch's "Love Your Veggies" Parent Panel. Click "Parent Wisdom" for more tips.

Camps that provide lunch FTW!

One of the things I look forward to about summer vacation, besides not having to set an alarm clock*, is not having to pack lunches. Except, oh wait, if your kids are in all-day camps, guess what? You still have to pack lunches. ...but not at Camp Galileo!

Camp Galileo partners with Choice Lunch to provide, healthy, yummy, and customizable lunches for all of their campers. Cost is $30 per week, or, another way to put it—not having to think about packing lunches? Priceless.

They even have an app so you can order lunches on the go. My girls (ages 7 and 9) sat down this week to order lunches for their upcoming camp and they chose items like:

• Soft Tacos
• Spaghetti and Meatballs
• California Roll Sushi
• Chicken Caesar Salads
• Annie's Mac and Cheese
• Cheeseburgers with Roasted Potatoes

These are familiar hot lunch favorites with a new twist—more veggies and fruit (on the side), boosted nutrition, no chocolate milk—and they are sustaining enough to get them through a long day of activities. Like most kids, my girls tend to get hungry in the late afternoon and I want them to make sure they don't run out of steam before Camp Galileo is over.

The lunch option is just one of the reasons why we love Camp Galileo and we're delighted to be invited back this summer.

Disclosure: Camp Galileo offered my girls free camp attendance in exchange for my thoughts about their camp experience. Camp is a personal experience—all opinions expressed here are my own.

 

*I have a 16-month-old alarm clock.

Camp Galileo Is Repeat-Worthy According to My Kids

Nothing strikes fear into the hearts of working parents more than the words, "Summer Vacation." As I mentioned in a previous post about Camp Galileo, I'm not one of those parents who scrambles to sign-up for camps in January for several reasons:

• I'm pretty laid back about these things. I've never not been able to find a nice summer camp for my kids to attend.
• I'm never sure about our summer travel plans—we tend to do things last minute so my camp plans need to be flexible.
• I can't afford to spend thousands of dollars at one time (because it is thousands of dollars for two girls to spend their summers attending camps) to sign up for all our camps at once.

Parents, how 'bout this? Let's stop buying into and perpetuating the hype that if we don't sign up for everything (camps, preschools, afterschool programs) RIGHTNOW, "all the good ones" will be taken. "Good" according to whom? Let's stop being sheep. Signing up for camps at your leisure allows you to discover wonderful camps you never knew existed, like hair accessory-making and braiding your local kids salon, art camps in an artist neighbor's backyard, or reading and story play camps at the local independent bookstore. (All actual camps in my community.)

Ranting aside, there is nothing worse than plopping down $250 for a week-long camp that your kids hate and complain about attending. When I brought up the subject of summer camps with my girls, they rattled off their lists of camps that they'd rather not attend but also shared their lists of favorites. At the top of both of their lists: Camp Galileo.

Trust me, the moms in your life want to go to Burke-Williams for Mother's Day

I'm not what you would call a regular spa-goer. Whenever I get a fancy-pants facial or (more infrequently) massage at a real spa, I'm always a little unsteady when entering those quiet and serene spaces (Am I going to do it wrong?) and I never remember to plan enough time to use the "extra amenities" like hot or cold whirpool baths, steam rooms, saunas, or even the showers and free toiletries. (Which Burke-Williams offers.) I have to admit, it is kinda awesome to slather on as much lotion as you like, use all the Q-tips you want, and then follow it all up with a swish of free mouthwash. If I do get facials, they tend to be in more "casual" places, like at my gym or where I get my nails done. Not always ideal, but I admit—it's less intimidating.

But recently I was invited by the Ace Agency to check out my local Burke-Williams spa as part of a pre-Mother's Day experience (two locations in the Bay Area), and I can say, without reservations, that any woman, mom or no, would love to receive the gift of a relaxing spa treatment, or better, an entire spa day.

One thing I am big on is customer service, and one thing that turns me off about some spas, (especially the fancy spa chain where I live in Silicon Valley) is that when you call to make a appointment, the people on the phone act like they can't be bothered. When you arrive, it's more of the same. It's haughty with a side of serious 'tude. No, thank you. At Burke-Williams (San Francisco location), everyone I spoke with—from the appointment schedulers to the staff in person—was warm and welcoming. This alone ensures that I will be a repeat customer.

Ranch Dressing: Not Just For Kids!

Check out this luscious concoction (and the very luscious Rookie Heather in the background!). It's a martini made from fresh pressed carrot juice, gin, applejack, and absinthe (yes, potent!) and rimmed with Hidden Valley Ranch powder. (Want to make it? Recipe over at Bonggamom!) It's just one of the items that Lafitte had on its menu during the fundraiser I previously blogged about. (Note: I am compensated for being a member of Hidden Valley Ranch's "Love Your Veggies" Parent Panel.)

I'm definitely going to be making ranch-rimmed cocktails this summer, but I think I'm going to try Bloody Marys and Cheladas for a spicier kick. I like my savory cocktails to have heat!

For the fundraiser, Chef Russell Jackson, created an entire menu using Hidden Valley Ranch in some very innovative ways, and I'm delighted to share some photos of those dishes with you. This is not your kids' ranch dressing (although my own kids would have gobbled up all of these dishes!).

Lafitte's kitchen was cleaner than mine!

 

Our starter—ranch panna cotta with carrot sauce. Delightful!

Calling all San Francisco Bay Area Friends: Dine for a great cause at Lafitte, March 1!

As I've mentioned previously, I am part of Hidden Valley's Parent Panel where I love sharing tips on how to get kids to eat more vegetables. (I am compensated for my participation.)

I'm delighted to share that Hidden Valley is partnering with Celebrity Chef Cat Cora and now over 70 other chefs across the country to raise money to support the American Culinary Foundation's Chefs Move to Schools program and healthy eating among kids. It's called the Love Your Veggies Lunch Break for Schools program.

Other participating chefs include Chef Geoffrey Zakarian (New York), Chef Suzanne Goin (Los Angeles), Chef Michelle Bernstein (Miami), Chef Stephan Pyles (Dallas) and Chef Michael Kornick(Chicago), among others. See more info here.

Inspired by Michelle Obama's Let's Move program, which aims to raise a healthier generation of kids, the Chefs Move to Schools program promotes healthy eating among kids, especially at schools. Who wouldn't want to see fries and ketchup out and replaced by veggies and, for example, a (light) ranch dip? (My kids' previous school offered cucumbers and hummus as a lunch option. Score!)

San Francisco! Come on out to our Love Your Veggies Lunch Break for Schools event at Lafitte!

In the San Francisco area, Hidden Valley is partnered with Chef Russell Jackson of Lafitte on Pier 5. Chef Jackson has created a special menu (as the other 70 chefs are going) using Hidden Valley Ranch as his inspiration. Please join us for lunch tomorrow, March 1, and order his special menu, available for one day only. All items will be priced separately, with all proceeds going to the American Culinary Federation’s non-profit Chef & Child to support the Chefs Move to Schools initiative.

Sample from the following tasty items:

• HVR Leopold Navy Strength Gin Cocktail
• HVR Ice Cream in cold Carrot Broth
• HVR Crusted Local Fish with Sautéed Little Gems and HVR "Bread Sauce"
• HVR Savory Panna Cotta with Shaved Fennel Salad
• Cassolet of Duck, Sausage and Brioche HVR Crumbs
• Cauliflower Frito with poached Farmers Egg and Spicy HVR Dressing
• HVR Spiced Potato Crusted Tuna Nicoise Sandwich
• HVR Rubbed Roast Pork Loin Sandwich with Spicy HVR "Russian dressing", pickled HVR carrots and cabbage.
• HVR Potato chips

 Yum!!

What: Love Your Veggies Lunch Break for Schools Event with Chef Russell Jackson

Where: Lafitte, Pier 5 San Francisco

Why: To raise money for an amazing program—do good while eating good!

Follow Chef Jackson on Twitter!

 

 

About Lunch Break for Schools
Lunch Break for Schools is a fundraising event involving the generous participation of chefs, restaurants, volunteers and the American Culinary Foundation. Chefs from around the U.S. will prepare and sell healthy lunches that follow the White House-recommended school lunch guidelines, with proceeds going to support nutrition education and outreach for kids. The guidelines encourage healthy eating by promoting vegetables and healthy ingredients such as whole grains, low-fat dairy products, low salt, low sugar and fresh produce.

Inspired by a study that found that children consume more vegetables when paired with a moderate amount of ranch dressing, the makers of Hidden Valley Salad Dressings, as part of their Love Your Veggies program, have made a $150,000 donation to underwrite the fundraiser and support American Culinary Foundation’s work with the Chefs Move to Schools program.

 

Camp Galileo Rocks!

I'm not one of those parents who starts signing up for summer camps in January. I also wasn't one of those parents who stressed out about finding the right preschool or nanny for my kids. I'm pretty relaxed about those matters and believe that things will fall into place as necessary. As a result, we've had great camp and preschool experiences and I've never been stuck scrambling for spots for my kids.

One of the most talked-about camps in my area (the San Francisco Bay Area) is Camp Galileo. They are known for their emphasis on science and for running their camps like week-long schools. Activities are programmed around a theme and you receive feedback about your child at the end of every day, almost like a mini-report card. Counselors who didn't really know my girls gushed about their friendliness and helpfulness.

Most parents would view this as a positive, but at times, it seemed like overkill, especially having to show my ID upon checking my child out everyday. Perhaps this was only an inconvenience to me (albeit a slight one) because I also had to juggle a wiggly baby in one arm while digging in my purse for my wallet. If you are concerned about safety, however, this is no small thing. I've heard plenty of horror stories about teen camp counselors not being the most "aware" when it comes to kids and I felt my kids were safe at all times.

 
Counselors at Camp Galileo seemed to be college-aged and many had been counselors for years. I really appreciated that stability and the fact that older means (a little) wiser) When Wallie forgot her lunch in the car (I didn't realize it until I picked her up), they took care of it and she was given a sandwich and fruit.

The girls (ages almost 7 and 9) loved their Camp Galileo experience. Wallie is artistic and loved being able to spend days "creating" even though she was also learning about ancient civilizations. Bunny is athletic and the fact that there were lots of opportunities for movement (including water play on a hot day) appealed to her.

What I liked best about their camp experience, though, was that having just moved from one city to another, it was an opportunity for them to make new friends. Thankfully there is a Camp Galileo program in our new town. Counselors made efforts to connect the girls with kids from their new community and that has helped to ease their transition tremendously. Instead of heading into this new school year full of anxiety, they are excited to see their new friends again.

Back to my original point about not scrambling for camps, surprisingly, at least in our Camp Galileo program, there seemed to be plenty of spots available. My gals were able to attend camp for free (see disclosure below), but even if they hadn't, when I registered my girls there were plenty of spots available in the week we wanted, and counselors were great about letting parents know that spots were available in the coming weeks. (See? Don't stress! It always works out.) If you've been hesitant to sign up for Camp Galileo because you thought you couldn't get in, check their website. There may even be spots left for the last weeks of August before school starts. Camps also have before and after care--perfect for working parents.

Over all, our experience with the camp was positive. The girls had a wonderful time and have been bugging me weekly to go back. Isn't that the best recommendation of all?

Disclosure: Camp Galileo offered my girls free camp attendance in exchange for my thoughts about their camp experience. Camp is a personal experience—all opinions expressed here are my own.

 

Have you been to a Buca di Beppo lately?

Recently the wonderful folks at Buca di Beppo's PR agency helped me to coordinate a fun blogger bash (#bucadibloggers on Twitter) to celebrate my 41st birthday, and generously sponsored drinks and dinner. Mostly, though, I just wanted to get some friends together to have a relaxing and delicious meal.

The coveted "Pope's Table."

Buca di Beppo is one of those restaurants that is great for a celebratory crowd—portions are big and perfect for sharing. As someone who loves food an eating and dining out, I admit that in recent years, Buca di Beppo has fallen off my radar. It's not fancy, and they are a chain that serves Italian-American fare. As someone who is half-Italian, Buca doesn't serve the kind of Italian food I grew up eating (which focused on lighter pastas, salads, and grilled meats and fish rather than fried and breaded items doused in cheese and sauce), but isn't there always a time and a place for this kind of comfort food? (Especially their thin, cracker-crust pizza?!)

When the PR gal approached, she talked about Buca's refocusing on the fresh, simple ingredients they are known for (you enter through the kitchen so you can see that there's nothing to hide there), and wondered if we might want to come in and reaquaint ourselves with their food.

Awesome deal for CityMama San Francisco readers: $70 for 4 hours of green home cleaning

The holidays are coming so now is the perfect time to schedule that deep home cleaning. And San Francisco, this Green Box Top deal is amazing.

You pay $70 for 4 hours worth of work that normally costs $140. This means you save 50% on a cleaning that will leave your home sparkling without toxic chemicals or cleaners.

This offer is only good for a limited time so buy now!

The Green Story

Green Box Top selected Zen Home Cleaners for its feature because of their commitment to using non-toxic and organic cleaning products.  Zen Home Cleaners uses only non-toxic cleaning products that have never been tested on animals.

Zen Home is the leader in eco-friendly, luxury cleaning.  For people who are committed to the preservation of our planet and sustainable living, but who also enjoy luxurious touches, Zen Home provides high-end green cleaning, professional organizing services as well as green cleaning products. 

Known for its signature amenities such as its apartment aroma therapy and turn down service, Zen Home helps customers create a home that is healthy and calming to the soul.  Indulge your home to a spa like treatment with special touches that you would find in a 5 star hotel.  Enjoy a four hour cleaning at 50% off--a $140 value discounted to $70!

The Fine Print

1) New customers only.

2) Coupon expires January 31, 2011.

3) Valid for San Francisco addresses only. Additional fees may apply for non San Francisco locations.

4)  Some homes may require more than four hours to be completely cleaned. The amount of time required to completely clean a home depends on the square footage, number of room, and condition of the space. If your home is large or you think more than four hours may be required, please discuss with the booking agent when making the appointment. 

Read the Deal FAQ for the basics.

Note: This is a sponsored post. Green Box Top is a new CityMama advertiser. I am being compensated for sharing this deal which is for a business and service that I can feel good about supporting. I do not make any money off of individual sales.

Special Offer from Shutterfly: Hey, blog friends! Want 50 free holiday cards?

It's no secret that I love the holidays. Halloween (my least favorite holiday) doesn't signal dressing up and candy to me, it's a holiday to get past (soon, very soon) so we can get on with Thanksgiving and Christmas. It means that soon it'll be time to start planning my Thanksgiving menu and table settings (something I take very seriously) and to start crafting my holiday cards. And by crafting, I mean ordering.

Our newest Clever Girls Collective client, Shutterfly, has hundreds of beautiful cards from which to choose, and I've just spent the morning looking them over. I have two criteria that must be met when I order cards:

1. There has to be room for multiple pictures because, yes, my kids are just that cute.

2. It can't be too "Christmas-y." I like modern, "design-y" cards on quality card stock, not photo paper.

3.There has to be room for me to share a few sentences about what the girls have been up to this year. In this way, I can put my own personalized spin on the card making it even more a reflection of our family.

There are plenty of holiday photo cards on the site that meet my needs, and here are three of my favorites:

Love Hope Joy Christmas Card

I love that this card makes me happy when I first look at it. It has enough spots for all my photos and it has a place inside where I can write a personal message. The card stock looks nice, too.

***

Dazzle and Shine Christmas

The message is Christmasy but the ornaments make me smile. I love how the colors pop against the black background. Again, this folded card has a place inside for personal messages and it's just as cute on the inside as it is on the outside. A big plus!

***

Cool Blue Snowflake

Something about this card makes me want to sip cocoa.  Perhaps it's the light blue and white color scheme, one of my favorite winter color combinations. Does it meet all my criteria? Yes, and then some.

***

It took a long time just to narrow it down to three choices from all the available choices. How will I ever choose?

If you send out Thanksgiving cards, Hanukkah cards, New Year's cards, or Christmas invitations, be sure to check out Shutterfly's diverse selection.

Bloggers: Do you want 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly? Click here to go to Shutterfly for information on how you can get 50 free cards this holiday season, and make sure to select Clever 1000 as the referral source.

Disclosure Statement:

This post is part of a series sponsored by Shutterfly, a Clever Girls Collective (my company's) client. Participating bloggers are reviewing the new Shutterfly cards and sharing their faves, and have been compensated with coupon codes for 100 free cards. Clever Girls Collective endorses Blog with Integrity, blog transparency and full disclosure, as I do.