Quote of the Week

"Remember happiness is a way of travel not a destination" - Roy Goodman
available from vol25 on etsy via pinterest

Strawberry Shortcake

For Valentine's, we made heart-shaped  shortcakes. 

T and I are big fans of strawberry shortcake. It's easy to make and a great dessert for kids as they can assemble their bowls themselves. The first baking T did, as a toddler, was biscuits. I'd put a big beach towel on the floor, set him and the bowl of flour on the towel and let him cut the butter into the flour. Messy but fun. At fourteen, he is still a fan of making biscuits. We like shortcakes with all kinds of fruit - peaches, blueberries, or red raspberries can all be substituted for the strawberries. 

Strawberry Shortcakes

For the strawberries:

1 quart strawberries, as ripe as you can get, hulled and quartered

1 Tablespoon sugar

Mix the strawberries and sugar together in a bowl and set aside to let the berries macerate. Feel free to adjust the amount of sugar depending on your taste and the sweetness of the berries. 

For the biscuits (adapted from Betty Crocker's iconic recipe here)

2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, cold
1/2 to 3/4 cup milk
Preheat oven to 450 F. Combine the first four ingredients in a big bowl and mix well. Cut the butter into small chunks and add to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter (example here) or two knives, cut the butter into the flour until the butter is worked in fairly well and the butter is no larger than a small pea. Add the milk and mix it in with a wooden spoon just until dough forms. If you add too much milk, the dough will be really sticky, so go easy on it. Once the dough comes together, dump it out onto a floured surface and knead it together a few times. Then roll the dough out to about 1/2-inch thick and cut into shapes for baking. Place on a cookie sheet and bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. [Feel free to adjust the sugar in this recipe as well, we like ours a little less sweet so we only use a 1/2 Tablespoon of sugar.]

For the whipped cream
1 cup heavy cream, cold
1 Tablespoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Whisk or beat together all ingredients until soft peaks form. Or use your favorite store bought whipped cream (my nephews love Reddi-Whip).

Assemble the shortcakes by splitting a biscuit in half (or breaking it into pieces), covering it with strawberries and then heaping whipped cream on top.

Inspired by Convention: Melissa d'Arabian

Welcome to the fourth post in the "Inspired by Alpha Chi Omega Convention" series! Thank you, Kelly Kilgour, for sharing what most inspired you in this guest post!

I love going to Convention. I love seeing my Twitter sisters in real life, meeting my team of specialists face to face, and reconnecting with my favorite Texans. Each Convention is different but still a wonderful experience. If I had only known what the weekend in St. Louis was to bring, I don't think I could have ever prepared for it. I laughed, cried, and reflected more in those 96 hours than I probably had my entire life. This Convention was the absolute best I have attended, in so many ways. Because it would turn into a novel if I tried to write about everything that inspired me, I'm just going to focus on the one person who inspired me the most: Melissa d'Arabian.

Melissa first spoke to us during her acceptance of the Award of Achievement, given to outstanding alumnae who have made significant contributions in their field or profession. It was a teaser speech of what was about to come later at the National Housing Corporation (NHC) lunch, but I didn't know it yet. She spoke fondly of Alpha Chi Omega at Vermont and the support she received when she lost her mother at only 20 years old.

I'll admit, I hadn't watched her season of Food Network Star. After she won, I heard that she is an Alpha Chi Omega. I watched her show a few times, but I didn't know much more about her than that she was a stay at home mom who won a reality TV show with a prize of a show on the Food Network.

During her speech at the NHC lunch, I learned about Melissa's life and why she does the things she does. She grew up with a sister and her single mother, and watched as her mother put herself through medical school to give her daughters a better life. Melissa then lost her mom to suicide. Before marrying her husband and having four children, Melissa earned her MBA and worked in consulting and finance. There was so much more to this woman than I had ever imagined.

Through what seemed like years of deep introspection, Melissa was able to articulate beautifully how to live each day to the fullest. Her goal was to give us one lesson and two challenges, but I instead gained a longer list of wisdom from her:

• Lesson: You take you with you wherever you go. Happiness is an inside job.
• Challenge: Take 3 minutes and develop your personal life mission. Then, don't do anything that doesn't further your personal life mission.
• Challenge: Know what's really important to you, then allocate your resources to that.
• Life is easier when you sit in the front row.
• I want to raise women who know that it's okay to say "no" to people and still love them.
• We don't need to be afraid of failure; we need to be afraid of success at the wrong thing.

I left that room of 900 people feeling like she and I had just had an intimate one-on-one conversation. I could relate to her and everything that she was saying. Thanks to the recent lengthy Atlantic article, there's been much debate lately on whether or not women can "have it all" and how to make it happen. As women, I feel that we constantly try to please and care for others long before we care for ourselves. We feel pressure to do it all and be everything to everyone, and we feel guilty if we try to sneak in some "me" time or do something that solely benefits ourselves. We find it hard to say "no" to people, and it all keeps piling higher on our plates. Millennial women are burning out before 30, before adding marriage and children into the mix. While it may seem that Melissa "has it all," she is actually just focusing on allocating her resources to what's most important to her and only saying "yes" to things that further her personal life mission.

Melissa inspired me to really think about my personal life mission and what's important to me, which is exactly what she hoped we would all do. So now I challenge all of you to do the same things. What is your personal life mission? What is important to you? How can you further your personal life mission by allocating by allocating your resources to what's most important to you?

Photo credit: Iota Psi chapter of Alpha Chi Omega, Elon University

Kelly Kilgour is an initiate of the Kappa Nu chapter (Carnegie Mellon University). She currently volunteers as the Lead Technology Specialist, helping alumnae chapters to utilize technology in new ways. She is also the president of the Chi Chi (Pittsburgh, PA) alumnae chapter and the finance advisor for both Kappa Nu and Delta (Allegheny College). Follow her on twitter at @QueenKellyLynn.

Quote of the Week

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Planning Our Genealogy Field Trip (Part 2)

Last week, I outlined the beginning of a field trip with cousins to explore our shared history (see that post here). This week, a few more stops we may make.

Theodore's two eldest sons (our great uncles) are also buried in the same general neighborhood as their father: Alfred, a physician who died in 1919, at Lakewood Park Cemetery in Rocky River; and Victor, a merchandiser/salesman who died in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1939, is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Brooklyn Centre.

Alfred William Anderson

source

source

Victor Magnus Anderson

Riverside Cemetery Gatehouse

source

source

Lakewood Park Cemetery
22025 Detroit Road
Rocky River, Ohio 44116
(440) 333-1922

Riverside Cemetery

3607 Pearl Road

Cleveland, Ohio 44109

(216) 351-4800

http://www.riversidecemeterycleveland.org/

Inspired by Alpha Chi Omega Convention: Alumnae Initiation

Leslie and Jennifer both chose the Alumnae Initiation ceremony Friday evening as their most inspirational event of the 2012 Alpha Chi Omega Convention.

The new initiates.

{Kelly, Pilar, Jamila}

"Seeing the joy on the faces of these three women made me realize what an incredible experience it has been for them already - and just how much more joy they will get out of Alpha Chi Omega. I actually was so moved that I cried." - Leslie

Through the Alumna Initiate program, women who have not had a sorority experience during their college years can apply or be recommended for membership in Alpha Chi Omega. Once accepted for membership, each candidate receives an Alumna Educator who works with her to prepare her for the Initiation Ceremony, sharing our history and heritage as well as our values and expectations. [Read more about the experience of being an Alumna Educator in this post.] Alumnae chapters and collegiate chapters both initiate alumnae members; at Convention, Sigma Sigma alumnae chapter hosted the ceremony.

Leslie reflects on her experience:

As Alumna Educator Coordinator, I've worked with the Alumna Educators to provide the Prospective Alumna Members with a consistent and quality education program. It's been a great experience. I've had the opportunity to witness one of my closest friends initiated by the Beta Rho (American) chapter as an Alumna Initiate. 

Every time I participate in or observe initiation, I have the opportunity to focus on a different part of the ritual. But there was something about experiencing the Alumna Initiation ceremony that really spoke to me. 

Given my work with the Alumna Initate program, this was one of the most inspiring parts of the weekend for me - seeing the education of these women culminate in their initiation, and getting to be a part of it by attending the ceremony. 

I was particularly moved to see Kelly Kirchoff receive her pin from her daughter. One of the successes of the program has been the reverse legacy - daughters sponsoring their mothers or even grandmothers.

Jennifer noted that being a part of the Initiation ceremony the first night set the perfect tone for the rest of Convention:

What an amazing event that encompasses all we are as Alpha Chi Omega women. It renews our bonds, extends the bonds to other Real. Strong. Women., allows us to sing (love that!) and gives you a happy glow.

It was especially exciting for me at the Reunion Night Dinner when I sat next to my chapter's assistant vice president for recruitment Arielle. She expressed that her interest and excitement in attending Clemson and joining a sorority stemmed from her aunt. I inquired about her aunt and Arielle told me she had graduated from Clemson (the same year as me!) and was the COO of a company and a practicing industrial engineer. I put down my fork right then and RAN to the table in the lobby with all the Alumnae Initiate material to share. Arielle texted her aunt after I returned and her aunt was both honored, thrilled and excited to start down the path of becoming an Alpha Chi Omega!

Those of you who know Jennifer well will be able to picture her running to the lobby full of excitement! She completed her thoughts by sharing:

I love the amazing, 'I'm bursting inside with WDA feeling!' that comes from Convention!

[Alpha Chi Omega is centered around wisdom, devotion, and achievement (WDA): three ideals our founders highly valued and that we strive toward in our daily lives.]

Learn more about the Alumna Initiate program here.

Thank you, Leslie, for the photo, which is courtesy of and was taken by Pat Logan, Chair of the National Alumna Initiate Panel. And thank you, sisters, for sharing your thoughts with us!

Leslie Abramsky Block is an initiate of Theta Tau chapter (Rutgers University) who serves as the Alumna Educator Coordinator for Alpha Chi Omega. A long-time member of the Alpha Epsilon Alpha alumnae chapter, she is currently working with other Rutgers sisters to form a virtual alumnae chapter for Theta Tau alumnae. Follow her on twitter @snaphappy.

Jennifer Sue Butler Harris is an initiate of Theta Lambda chapter (Clemson University). She gives generously of her time, serving on Epsilon Tau Epsilon alumnae chapter's Executive Board and advising Beta Eta (Florida State University) and Gamma Iota (University of Florida) chapters. Follow her on twitter @jennsueb.

Publix Cooking Class

Saturday, we enjoyed an evening at the cooking school at our local Publix grocery store, featuring Cigar City Brewing Company from Tampa. It was a demonstration class, with the staff chefs showing us how to prepare each course and the guys from the brewery telling us about the beers used in each of the recipes and the beers paired with each course.

A view of the classroom. It's on the second floor of the store; the stairs are right inside the entrance closest to the pharmacy. Note the televisions mounted up close to the ceiling - the camera zooms in on the action so you can see exactly what the chef is doing from your seat. 

The view from our table. We were seated with two lovely women who work together.

First course: Beer Battered Conch Salad with Guava Grove Vinaigrette

(made with the Guava Grove Farmhouse Ale)

paired with Florida Cracker Belgian White (which will be available soon in cans!)

The salad was delicious, the vinaigrette light and refreshing. It was fun to see how to prepare and cook conch too. (Conch is a shellfish from the Bahamas.)

Second course: Spicy Andouille Gumbo Pizza

(made with Jai Alai India Pale Ale in the sauce and in the crust)

paired with Jai Alai as well.

This pizza was unexpectedly delicious: the crust light and crisp, the sauce and sausage flavorful and the beer the perfect counterpoint to all the spiciness. See recipe at bottom. 

Third course: Braised Beef Short Ribs (made and paired with Ligero Black Lager) served over Parsnip Puree. 

Another great course though this one was a little rich for me as the ribs were rubbed with espresso powder and cocoa before cooking and the parsnip/potato was chock full of butter and heavy cream. Tasty nonetheless. 

Fourth course: Flourless Chocolate Cake with Caramel Maduro Sauce and Chocolate Ganache, made with and paired with Maduro Brown Ale.

Super rich and super delish. It was fun to see another way of making caramel too. 

One of the best parts of the evening (besides eating all this great food) was learning more about the brewery, what they have planned, and their commitment to sharing a bit of Florida and Tampa history by putting fun facts on their packaging (also see their website here for more on the history of brewing in Florida).

Class took just under three hours. Tickets were $45 apiece. Plans are underway to host a brewery once a month this fall; sounds good to us! Our new friends at our table have been to other classes and enjoyed them -  wine pairing classes in particular got high marks as did the hands on sessions. The schedule is here. 

As promised here are the recipes for Gumbo Pizza:

Enjoy!