Tag Archives: AP

Westchester Au Pairs Celebrate Thanksgiving

On November 20th, the Westchester Clusters of Au Pair in America gathered to share an International Thanksgiving dinner. Counselors provided four large roasted turkeys and a variety of beverages and Au Pairs contributed side dishes and desserts for all to share. Working together, we created an amazing feast for the eyes and taste buds in keeping with the tradition of an American Thanksgiving. Everyone there agreed that it was a most delicious dinner and a wonderful way to start off the this year’s Holiday Season. Come share the evening with us…Thanksgiving 2013-2

Here’s the link to the library of photos from the 2013 International Thanksgiving Dinner. All the photos are of high quality for printing:

http://s791.photobucket.com/user/MS-APIA/library/2013%20November%20-%20International%20Thanksgiving%20Dinner

For easy viewing, here’s the link to a slideshow of all the photos from the evening:

http://s791.photobucket.com/user/MS-APIA/slideshow/2013%20November%20-%20International%20Thanksgiving%20Dinner

Westchester Au Pairs Enjoy a Delicious Holiday Dessert Party

Every December, local au pairs put on their baking caps and create wonderful treats to contribute to the dessert table at the annual Holiday Dessert Party for the Westchester clusters of Au Pair in America. This year, the variety of desserts was extraordinary and it was impossible to choose a favorite. Not that that was necessary as everyone wanted to taste everything!

Here’s the link to the Holiday Dessert Party photo album: http://s791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/MS-APIA/2012%20December%20-%20Holiday%20Dessert%20Party/

Westchester Au Pairs Enjoy an American Thanksgiving

On November 14th, the Westchester Clusters of Au Pair in America gathered for an American-style Thanksgiving Dinner that everyone helped to prepare. Counselors provided four very large roast turkeys (excellently carved by Jim) and lots of Apple Cider, and Au Pairs brought an amazing variety of side dishes. The bountiful and delicious feast was enjoyed by eveyone present as witnessed by the following photos:

 

And here’s the link to all the photos from our Thanksgiving dinner: http://s791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/MS-APIA/2012%20November%20-%20International%20Thanksgiving%20Dinner/?albumview=slideshow

Luncheon Get Together at Maralyn's

An important part of the Au Pair experience is getting to make friends from around the world, and informal cluster get togethers play an vital role in making it possible for Au Pairs to meet one another. With more than 30 new summer arrivals, Maralyn hosted a welcome lunch at her home. The weather was perfect as everyone gathered in the backyard for a group photo…

Lunch Bunch 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here are two of the recipes we enjoyed:

South-of-the-Border Rice and Bean Pie (8 servings)

2 medium or 1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1-2 peppers (red and or green), chopped
Several stalks celery, chopped
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1- 2 tablespoons chili powder (sweet or hot or combination – adjust to your taste)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt
2-10 ounce cans beans (I used combination of red kidney and black beans), rinsed and drained
4 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar, Colby, Jack or “Mexican” combination
1 ½ cups milk
4 beaten eggs
¼ cup cilantro, chopped (optional)

In a saucepan, sauté the onion, garlic, peppers and celery in the olive oil until tender, but not brown. Stir in chili powder, cumin and salt. Cook for a minute more. Cool.

Stir in beans, cooked rice, cilantro, cheese, milk, and beaten eggs.

Put a little oil in a 9″X13″ baking dish or spray with a non-stick cooking spray. Spoon mixture into the pan and bake, uncovered, in a 350° oven until the center is set, about 35-45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Can be made ahead and reheated. Can also be frozen.

Chocolate Biscotti

3 Eggs
1 Cup sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
3 Cups flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¾ Cup Oil
Chopped nuts (optional)
Handful (about 1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted.
1 cup chocolate chips (whole, not melted) 

Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla till well blended.

Sift flour and baking powder and add to egg mixture, alternating with oil.

Stir in whole chocolate chips and nuts, if desired, and then cut in melted chocolate with a knife.

Form two loaves on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350° for ½ hour.

Cool 10 minutes.

Cut loaves into slices slightly less than 1/2 inch thick. Lay slices on cookies sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Return to ovenand bake for 10-15 minutes.

Blogger's family finds their APIA Au Pair…

At the beginning of the month, Wall Street Journal reporter/blogger, John J. Edwards, and his family began their search with APIA for an au pair. The story has a very happy ending…here’s the link to the rest of the story:

Au Pair Search: We’ve Found the One!

blogs.wsj.com

The process is moving forward: We’ve made a match with a young woman from South Africa, who’ll be join…

Au Pairs Enjoy an Indian Buffet Lunch

On January 29th many members of our cluster and some friends got together at the Royal Palace Restaurant to enjoy their amazing buffet. There were so many choices and it seemed that most in attendance wanted to taste everything. Some actually managed to do that!

Between lots of good food and ongoing conversation, it was a most delightful afternoon. See for yourself – here’s the link to  more photos:http://s791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/MS-APIA/2012%20January%20Indian%20Buffet%20Luncheon/

Au Pairs enjoy a Gala Holiday Dessert Party

On 21 December several Au Pair in America’s Westchester clusters gathered for an amazing dessert buffet to celebrate the holiday season. The delicious diversity of international creations was a testament to the culinary skills of the au pairs who prepared their favorite treats to share. Everyone ate too much because there were simply too many temptations and so many interesting new desserts to taste!

Here’s the link to photos from this evening: http://s791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/MS-APIA/Gala%20Holiday%20Dessert%20Party%20-%202011/?albumview=slideshow

2011 International Thanksgiving Dinner

This year’s Thanksgiving dinner was amazing. Au Pair in America counsleors provided the turkeys, that were skillfully carved by Jim Hamlin, and lots of apple cider. Au Pairs, who were asked to bring side dishes and desserts, outdid themselves with a wonderful array of treats from around the world. We all ate well, some discovered new foods, and everyone agreed that it was a most enjoyable evening.

Here’s the link to the 2011 International Thanksgiving Photo Album: http://s791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/MS-APIA/2011%20International%20Thanksgiving%20Dinner/?albumview=slideshow

September 28 – Rosh Hashanah

Shofar 1Rosh Hashanah starts at sundown and is a solemn celebration of the beginning of the Jewish year. Synagogue services are held on Rosh Hashanah. During the services, the shofar (a ram’s horn) is sounded.

applesandhoneyLike most Jewish holidays there are food customs associated with Rosh Hashanah. One of the most popular and well-known food customs on Rosh HaShanah has to do with dipping apple slices into honey. This sweet combination stems from an age-old Jewish tradition of eating sweet foods to express the hope for a sweet new year.