Pampered Chef Snacks & Raffle, Friday morning!

This Friday at 11:30am in the Birch Room at Campbell Church, MOPS mom Danielle Humphreys is hosting a Pampered Chef show. There will be a very short demo making salsa fresca as well as snacks and shopping (and if your children are signed up for Parents' Time Out, you will be done in time to pick up your children). With Mother's Day coming up, this is a good time to see what's available.

Danielle is also raffling away all of her host benefits at this event to four lucky winners, who will receive everything from free merchandise to deep discounts! You don't need to be present at the event to enter. E-mail Danielle for the full details about the raffle at this "Mystery Host Show"! Don't have her e-mail address? E-mail campbellmops@gmail.com and we'll help get you in touch!

If you're interested in checking out the products but can't make it to the show, you can also order from Danielle here http://www.pamperedchef.biz/dhumphreys. Be sure to enter her name as the host if you order online to earn your raffle ticket(s), and again Danielle would be happy to answer any questions.

Monthly Playdate: THURSDAY 9:30-11:30!

Remember that this month's end-of-month playdate is not on Wednesday, but it will be on Thursday, April 28, from 9:30-11:30 am! Please bring 6 filled Easter eggs and we'll have a mini egg hunt for the kids! Thanks to MOPS mom Kara Rocha for offering to host this event at her home! For directions, please e-mail campbellmops@gmail.com and we'll send her address along!

Quick Recipe: Shrimp Pasta

Here's another of the yummmy recipes that Chef Gini prepared for us on Saturday!

Shrimp in Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce with Angel Hair Pasta
From Mentor Mom and Personal Chef Gini Bortz

Servings: 6

8 oz angel hair pasta
12 oz roasted red peppers, jarred, drained
8 oz cream cheese, light, softened
1/2 c chicken broth, fat free
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 t red pepper, ground
2 lbs shrimp, frozen, uncooked (31-40)
1/4 c basil, fresh, chopped

Directions:
In a blender or food procesor, blend red peppers, cream cheese, broth and garlic until smooth, scraping the sides.

Pour mixture into a large skillet and bring to a simmer, about 5 minutes. Add raw shrimp and cook just until done,about 3-5 minutes.

Remove from heat and blend in chopped basil and serve.

Quick Recipe: Spinach and Sausage Pizza

From Mentor Mom Gini Bortz:

Spinach and Sausage Pizza
Healthy and fast - and a great way to sneak green veggies into your kids' diet!

3 oz. baby spinach
1 14 1/2 oz can tomatoes in juice, drained
1 pizza crust, 12 inch
1 lb. Italian sausage, browned
3 oz. Mozzarella cheese, grated

Place tomatoes in a fine-mesh strainer and press out as much liquid as possible. Spread spinach onto pizza crust. Top with tomatoes, sausage and mozzarella.

Preheat oven to 450. Bake 10 minutes until cheese is melted.

Quick Recipe: Pulled Pork Sandwiches

From Wendy: This recipe is so easy, according to Wendy "You almost can't call it a recipe!"

Prep time: 5 minutes
Six to eight servings, depending on how hungry you are!

2 jars Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce (you can find this at Safeway)

4-6 country style spareribs (boneless) OR 4 lbs (or so) pork shoulder

Place ribs, fat side up in crock pot and pour one jar of sauce over.
Cook on low for 8 hours.

Remove meant and discard sauce from pot. Shred and serve on rolls with fresh sauce from the second jar. For traditional style sandwiches, serve with cole slaw (Wendy says that KFC's slaw is the best - pick up a container on the way home).

Quick Recipe: Low-Fat Crock-Pot Chicken

Renee's Crock-Pot Spicy Chicken

Prep time: 10 minutes
About 8 servings

4 large chicken breasts (can be frozen still)
1 can black beans, rinsed
2 cans corn, drained
1 jar of salsa
1 package of shredded cheese

In crock pot layer one can of corn, then beans, then corn, then half jar of salsa, then all chicken, then last half of salsa. Cook 6-8 hours.

Serve on top of brown rice and sprinkle cheese on top.

For extra heat, we like medium salsa!

Easter is April 24!

If you're trying to decide what to do for Easter this year, why not consider spending the morning with other MOPS moms and families at the Campbell Church! There will be lots of fun activities for kids and meaningful devotions for parents. During both worship services there's fun Children's Church for kids age 3 through 3rd grade.

Sunday, April 24
Worship 8:30 and 11:15
Brunch, Kids' Crafts and Easter Egg Hunt 10am

And it's free!

Campbell Church is a GREAT place for kids (and families)!

Quick Recipe: Poppy Seed Chicken

Tara's Poppy Seed Chicken

6 chicken breasts (cubed and boiled)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
2 tubes Ritz crackers
2 T. poppy seed
2 sticks margarine, melted

Crumble 1 1/2 tubes of ritz crackers and mix with margarine and poppy seeds. Use mixture to cover bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Combine chicken, cream of chicken soup, and sour cream. Pour mixture over cracker mixture and spread evenly. Crumble remaining 1/2 tube of Ritz over the top of the dish and a little bit of poppy seeds. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Quick Recipe: Tortilla Soup

Blog Mama Monica is taking a break while they move across town. In the meantime, here is the first Quick Recipe in our series.

From Adelle: Super easy, healthy, flavorful (not spicy) and kid-friendly!
Prep time: 30 minutes

1 Rotisserie Chicken (from the grocery store) with bones removed.
Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, or just shred with your fingers.
1 T. olive oil
1 t. chopped garlic
1/2 yellow onion, diced fine
1 can Bush's Seasoned Black Beans, drained
1 can Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic
1 c. Trader Joe's frozen Roasted Corn*
2 cups chicken stock
1 tsp ground cumin

Saute onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil in the bottom of a 2 quart pan till translucent. Add beans, tomatoes (and juice), chicken stock, corn, cumin and shredded/chopped chicken.

Bring to a simmer. Serve whenever you're ready! This tastes even better the next day. Let your kids choose their own garnishes - we like fresh cilantro, a bit of sour cream or cheese (Cotija or Monterey Jack), sliced fresh avocado and/or tortilla chips.

*This is what makes this soup taste fabulous - plain frozen corn just doesn't bring the same flavor!

Saturday, April 9: Cooking Demonstration

Please join us on Saturday, April 9 for a cooking demonstration by Mentor Mom and Personal Chef Gini Bortz!

Chef Gini Bortz has been the owner of A La Carte Personal Chef Service for the last five years. She has been passionate about food and cooking since she was a young girl. She loves to curl up on the sofa with a hot cup of tea and a good cookbook! She also enjoys surfing the net for new recipes to try.

Having grown up in Texas, Gini enjoys preparing Southern "comfort" foods. And, having lived in California for 18 years, she enjoys preparing "California cuisine" as well as experimenting with the variety of ethnic and organic ingredients available in the Bay Area.

Chef Gini will be showing us some great time-saving methods for getting yummy dinners on the table in a flash. Moms are invited to share a favorite "quick" recipe that will be posted here on the website, as well as their favorite time-saving tips for the kitchen.

All are welcome - feel free to bring a friend!

Saturday, April 9 9:30-11:30am Free childcare provided!