Bates Blog

(ARA) - The end of summer doesn't mean you need to head indoors to cook your meals. The ease of operating gas grills ensures that grilling is a great way to prepare a meal any time of year, and seasonal food can inspire grillers to try new recipes.

"Each grilling season offers new ingredients to incorporate in dishes," says award-winning chef, restaurateur, and "My New Orleans: The Cookbook" author John Besh, adding that outdoor meal preparation is one way to keep busy families connected even as school and activities fill the family calendar.

Get the whole family involved

"Memories are made in the kitchen, whether it's indoors or outdoors," says Besh, a father of four. "Mealtime is family time, and I love cooking with my wife and sons. It's something we do together year-round."

Involving younger family members in menu planning and grocery shopping gives parents the opportunity to spend time with their children, while teaching them proper food preparation. Kids who usually avoid domestic chores may even find that chopping vegetables, mixing marinades and assembling toppings is more fun when the "kitchen" is outdoors.

Put safety first

Besh proudly passes down family recipes while teaching his sons the importance of safety in the kitchen - and in the backyard. "Cooking with my sons enables me to demonstrate proper food preparation and grill safety," he says.

Parents who involve children in outdoor meal preparation can become role models themselves by brushing up on the steps to safe grilling. Tips from the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) on using gas grills include the following:

* Read all the grill manufacturer's instructions before turning on and lighting the grill. * Keep the top of the grill open until you are sure the grill is lit, even if you have an electronic ignition. * Make sure the area around the grill is free of leaves or anything else that could ignite and keep the grill at least 10 feet away from your house or any structure.

Experiment with seasonal ingredients

One of Besh's favorite ways to entertain family and friends is preparing homemade pizzas on the grill. "It's a delicious way to experiment with seasonal ingredients, and grilling allows even novice cooks to achieve the crisp crust and smoky flavor of gourmet pizza at home," he says.

To celebrate the fall harvest, Besh offers his signature grilled pizza recipe: acorn squash, pear and bacon with fontina cheese. Home cooks can start with ready-made pizza dough or visit www.usepropane.com for Besh's easy homemade dough recipe. Besh also invites parents to substitute the family's favorite ingredients or local in-season varieties.

For additional safe grilling tips, family activity checklists, recipes and more, visit www.usepropane.com.

John Besh's Grilled Fall Harvest Pizza Serves four to six

Ingredients:

12 ounces pizza dough
1/2 acorn squash, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/4 pound grated fontina cheese
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 sprig rosemary, chopped
1 ripe pear, cored and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/4 pound sliced bacon, cooked until crisp
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

While waiting for the pizza dough to rise, rub the acorn squash slices with 1 tablespoon olive oil and grill over medium heat for five minutes on each side or until the squash has softened. Season with salt and pepper and let cool. Spread dough over oiled sheet tray or pizza pan. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary and crushed red pepper flakes. Crumble bacon over dough, then add grilled squash, fontina cheese and sliced pears. Place onto grill rack, close lid and cook for a few minutes, then reduce heat to low flame and cook for another three to five minutes until cheese has melted and crust is crisp and golden.

(ARA) - A family reunion can be one of your extended family's most memorable shared experiences, providing new family stories and deepening bonds for years to come. If you are in the coordinator's seat, it can also be a daunting amount of work.

With advice from the experts on planning, delegation and -- the centerpiece of any family gathering -- food and drink, it can be easier. Here are some tips to help make your reunion a family affair to remember -- fondly.

21st century planning aids

While you should still plan to use snail mail and phone for invitations and follow-up, especially for family members who aren't online, the Internet provides a wealth of resources to make planning a family reunion easier and more interactive. Edith Wagner, founder and editor of Reunions magazine, recommends taking advantage of online tools. "Reunion websites can keep everyone posted with dates, photos, updates and more. These are a great way to get everyone excited and anticipating the big day, as well as to organize folks to help with planning," says Wagner. Many sites are free. A few options to check out are familyreunion.com, familydetails.com, and myevent.com.

Food: delegate, delegate, delegate

Potlucks are a wonderful and cost-effective way to engage guests, divide the work load and make your reunion a true bonding experience. Organize the potluck menu by category (appetizers, main courses, sides and desserts) and delegate preparation, encouraging guests to make recipes from popular family recipes where possible.

The website Epicurious.com offers a complete guide to hosting a family reunion including potluck planning and even allows you to create an online recipe box for sharing recipes with family and friends. Sample potluck tips include outlining a menu and assigning guests specific dishes and quantities; instead of asking for an appetizer, be specific: ask for 20 deviled eggs, for example. This prevents multiple people from bringing the same item or having too little or too much food.

Also, be sure to ask family members on special or restricted diets to prepare items they can eat. Take the event space into consideration, letting people know in advance if they will have access to a stove top or oven so they can plan accordingly.

Wine

How do you choose wines that pair with a wide variety of cuisines? John Concannon, fourth generation vintner, recommends medium to full-bodied, food-friendly wines like Concannon's Glen Ellen Petite Sirah.

"This is an elegant wine with aromas and flavors of black cherry and plum and a hint of spice with a smooth, silky finish," Concannon says. "It pairs well with beef, lamb, game, sausages or your favorite stew. The Ellen Rowe Concannon house pictured on the wine label honors my grandmother, who always welcomed family, friends and guests."

For large special occasion gatherings, magnums are a wise option -- the large format bottle makes a great centerpiece on the potluck table and serves about 10 glasses per bottle, about twice as much as a standard wine bottle.

You can hold a family reunion on almost any budget, but with a little extra help, you could create a truly memorable occasion that brings families together and appeals to all ages. The Concannon family is offering a $20,000 prize to help one lucky winner celebrate the people who matter most to all of us: family. Get more information and enter online for the family reunion of your dreams at www.concannonvineyard.com.

If you're looking for something to add to the potluck, Heartland Lamb Stew is a great option for pleasing a large group. Paired with Concannon's Glen Ellen Petite Sirah, it makes an elegant main dish at a reunion.

Heartland Lamb Stew Recipe credit: The American Lamb Board Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 to 1-1/2 pounds American lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 medium onions, quartered
1 can (16 ounces) whole tomatoes and juice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crushed
1 small bay leaf, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups water
2-3 tablespoons Glen Ellen Petite Sirah
6 medium potatoes, quartered
3 carrots, cut in thick slices
6 medium turnips, quartered
1 package (10 ounces) frozen green beans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. In ovenproof pan with cover, brown lamb cubes in oil. Drain drippings. In small bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and pepper. Sprinkle over lamb; mix well. Stir in onion, tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, bay leaf, cloves, wine and water. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Add potatoes, carrots and turnips. Bake,covered, another 30 minutes. Add beans and bake 30 minutes longer, or until meat and vegetables are tender.

Sauteed Mushrooms with Gremolata. Photo courtesy of Luca Trovato/ArtistRepInc.com

Click Illustration for Larger Image

Here's how:

Go native - Think peasant-style: bare wood table, homegrown or local ingredients, hearty simple fare, earthy wines, fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers. Crusty breads from local artisanal bakers, and for an extra treat - creamy cheeses, hand-crafted mustards, olives and olive oil from the delicatessen or specialty shop.

Invite - Go paperless with invitation Web sites like Evite and Paperless Post. You can create an event on Facebook or design your own invite to email to guests.

Wine and dine - Break the bottle habit. By choosing a premium wine cask such as the new Octavin Home Wine Bar three-liter package instead of four carbon-inefficient heavy glass bottles, you'll reduce packaging by at least 85 percent and carbon emissions by 55 percent, without any waste or sacrificing wine quality. Now even premium wines such as 2008 Monthaven Chardonnay come in new eco-friendly bag-in-box packaging because it's the right thing to do. Finally, artisan wines are available a glass at a time and they won't break the bank. For more information, go to www.octavinhomewinebar.com.

Strategize - Heirloom tomatoes and just-picked basil? For a fresh-from-farm-to-table meal, do some legwork. Visit your local farmers market and farm stands for what's in season. Join a CSA (community supported agriculture farms that provide subscribers with direct fresh produce) and have your own boxes of field-ripened produce delivered.

Click - With key ingredients as search terms, click online for recipes. Epicurious, SouthernLiving.com and Cooks.com are sites with healthy lifestyle recipes. Try the recipes included below.

Decorate - Supplement your supply of utensils and service ware with a fun trawl through antique shops, flea markets, thrift shops and rummage sales. You'll be creatively reusing vintage items and you can brag to your friends about your finds. Look for earth-colored ceramic platters and crockery, checkered or coarsely-woven cloth napkins and heavy-handled flatware. Keep the items afterward for future use or donate them back.

Play - For an endless stream of mood-setting music, try the free custom radio site Pandora. Create a station to suit the occasion by artist or genre; get contemporary continental tunes flowing. Do a test run.

For a dish that is extremely versatile and works well with meaty wild mushrooms or cultivated ones, try the recipe below. Serve on bruschetta for dinner or use the mushrooms as a pizza topping. It pairs well with Monthaven 2008 Chardonnay now available in 3L premium wine cask. Recipe courtesy of Martha Rose Shulman, Mediterranean Harvest.

Sauteed Mushrooms Serves: two as a main course, four as a first course or side dish, or 12 as a topping for bruschetta

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound cultivated or wild mushrooms (shiitake, chanterelles or oyster mushrooms, or a combination) trimmed and quartered if small, thickly sliced if large
Salt
2 tablespoons Monthaven Chardonnay
Freshly ground black pepper
Gremolata (see recipe below)

Directions: Heat a large, heavy non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add one tablespoon of the olive oil, and when it's hot, add the mushrooms. Sear the mushrooms, stirring with a wooden spoon or tossing in the pan, until they are lightly browned and begin to exude their juices. Add salt to taste. Add the wine and continue to cook, stirring or tossing the mushrooms in the pan, until the wine has just about evaporated and the mushrooms are glazed, five to 10 minutes. Add the remaining oil, pepper to taste and the gremolata. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about one more minute. Taste and adjust salt. Serve hot.

Gremolata This classic Mediterranean seasoning - a mixture of minced garlic, parsley and lemon zest - is wonderful with pasta, with roasted and grilled vegetables, and especially with pan-cooked mushrooms.

Ingredients:
1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), finely minced
1/4 cup finely minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

Directions: Toss together all ingredients. Add to dishes shortly before serving.

(RVIA Photo)

(ARA) - With summer in full swing, many Americans are counting down the days until they can escape their daily routine for some much needed rest and relaxation.

Before you pack up the RV or hit the friendly blue skies for your vacation getaway, you may want to check out what some of the biggest U.S. cities have to offer.

MSN, America's leading online destination teamed up with Prevention magazine, America's leading Healthy Lifestyle magazine and asked Americans where their favorite summertime destinations are - and what kind of fun you can have right here in the U.S. Some of the answers might surprise you so take a look and see how your favorite cities fared. You never know - you might just switch up your travel plans for a destination that better fits you.

Night owl: If you enjoy the night life and staying up late then you might want to book a flight to the city that never sleeps, a.k.a New York City, ranking as the most tired city ahead of Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles. After a late night of Broadway shows, dancing and exploring the city, you might crave a hearty meal. You're in the right place in New York City - which ranks as the city with the best hangover grub with Chicago and Philadelphia nabbing second and third place.

On the go: If late nights aren't your cup of tea, but physically active vacations are more your speed, then you might want to visit San Francisco, ranking as the healthiest and happiest city. So, if you like to stay on the move, then San Fran is the ideal getaway where you can explore Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf and Lombard Street all while working up a sweat climbing the city's trademark hills.

Sports fanatic: If your dream vacation consists of visiting some of America's legendary sporting venues and rubbing elbows with fellow sports nuts, then New York City is the place to be, ranking as the city with the most passionate sports fans. But, if New York Yankees aren't your thing, you might want to hop on a flight to catch a Red Sox game at Fenway Park in Boston or a Cubs game at Wrigley field in Chicago, ranking No. 2 and No. 3 respectively when it comes to the most passionate sports fans. Let the games begin.

All about fashion: If shopping until you drop is your kind of sport, you might want to escape to Los Angeles where you can peruse Rodeo Drive or New York City where you can indulge yourself on Madison Avenue. Whether you're window shopping or buying, you can't go wrong with these two cities. While New York City and Los Angeles are the obvious destinations for fashion lovers, you'll be pleasantly surprised with Chicago ranking No. 3 as the city with the best airport shopping right behind No. 1 New York City and No. 2 Los Angeles - why not kick-start your shopping right when you land?

Sightseeing: Even if you don't count visiting Madison Avenue, Barney's or Rodeo Drive as your favorite sites to see, there is still lots to do in New York City, Los Angles and Washington, D.C., which all rank as the cities with the best tourist attractions. It's not just on TV, kids. History comes to life for the whole family in these cities. From the Statue Liberty, the Lincoln Memorial to the Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame - these famous places will not disappoint.

The full deal: If you're living on a shoe-string budget, who says you can't take a vacation? Atlanta bucks the notion with Americans ranking it No. 1 when it comes to offering the best quality of life on a tight budget, beating out Houston and Dallas. Discover all that Atlanta has to offer-at a reasonable price - from the Atlanta Botanical Gardens to The World of Coca-Cola to the incredible Georgia Aquarium.

Check out MSN Local Edition on MSN.com, to find restaurants, sports, weather, news and more info about these cities and others on your vacation destination list. To see how all the cities fared in the MSN and Prevention Magazine survey on everything from the city with the worst public restrooms to the smelliest city, visit MSN.com. Now, you can feel confident in knowing what your vacation destination has to offer.

In addition, check out Prevention.com to find tips on the 13 summer travel must have items that will keep your family happy, healthy and safe.

Here's to your next adventure.

Making changes that protect our water supply

By taking small steps in the right direction and making environmentally friendly choices, each of us has the power to positively impact freshwater conservation. Here are just a few ways you can start to make a big difference: 1. Reuse water you washed your fruits and vegetables with to water plants around your house. 2. Install a low-flow showerhead to limit the amount of water used in your daily shower. 3. Turn off the faucet as you soap your hands, wash your face and brush your teeth. 4. Make sure to check your plumbing frequently to ensure there are no leaks that waste water.

Do you ever think about how the water coming out of your faucet makes its way into your home? Or look out at the river as you're driving to work and expect it will always look the same? Though water is often perceived as an infinite resource that can't become endangered, by 2015, a majority of U.S. states may face water shortages. Some of those places may be right there in your backyard, and the loss of these ecosystems could affect your daily life.

Luckily, there are organizations that work to protect the water and the land around the world. The Nature Conservancy - a worldwide leader in freshwater protection - currently has hundreds of river and lake projects underway throughout the United States, positively impacting many of the areas where we live.

Freshwater conservation is important because, in addition to being the water we drink, it's used to water our crops, gives us fish to eat, powers our factories, lights our homes, transports goods and carries people back home. Freshwater conservation is an investment in our future.

The Nature Conservancy toils diligently to keep rivers and lakes that provide drinking water clean and healthy, but needs funds and volunteers for its efforts. That's why Crystal Light is collaborating with the Conservancy to support five local river and lake projects to help protect key sources of clean, fresh drinking water. For more information on the collaboration, visit the Crystal Light Facebook fan page at www.Facebook.com/CrystalLight. The site will be updated frequently to track the progress of the five projects Crystal Light is supporting around the United States:

Colorado River The river is the lifeblood of the intermountain West and touches seven states. It has been impacted by rapid population growth in the west.

Great Lakes Basin The Great Lakes Basin holds a fifth of the fresh surface water on Earth and impacts millions of Americans living along its shores. Even here, freshwater resources are in trouble as a result of climate change, water development and use.

Meramec River (Mississippi) The Meramec River, part of the Mississippi River, supplies drinking water to more than 15 million people and serves as a habitat for thousands of fish, birds and other wildlife. Over time, it has been threatened by excessive use, and is one of the Conservancy's highest priorities.

Potomac River The Potomac River provides drinking water to 4.3 million people living in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. It is being impacted by rapid population growth and land use change in the basin.

Southern Rivers Southern rivers and streams, such as the Pascagoula River in Mississippi and the Flint River in Georgia, span all 15 southern states. Recent droughts and increasing water demands have threatened these important bodies of water.

To learn more about the work The Nature Conservancy is doing across the country, visit its Web site, www.nature.org. To learn about how Crystal Light is supporting this important issue, visit www.Facebook.com/CrystalLight.