Gayla's Magazine

The 'Lady Legends' Luncheon

Planning a luncheon for women in leadership while juggling various other functions became a joy to prepare for. How? By creating a big salad bar...... at the table! Talk abut fun.... it was! And it was interesting for each guest to enjoy as well. 

My daughter Angela and I came up with four great salads to serve for our guests.  They could choose either a Summer salad with all the mixes and tastes of an American style salad served  with ranch dressing.  Or a Greek salad with the spicy mingling of Italian condiments and dressing. There also was an Asian salad with the crunchy and sweet flavors, and last but not least was a Mexican salad complete with avocados, cheeses and taco touches. 

The ladies loved it.  Each lady had a big bowl of various lettuces at her setting, with grilled chicken on top.  Then she could choose the type of salad to enjoy.  I served each style of the salad toppings on long rectangle dishes. Each platter was self explanatory to each type of salad, and I labeled small creamers with the names of salad dressings on each one. 

Also at each place setting was placed this little dish with sugar cubes, mint leaves and a little kabob of blueberries and raspberries. A tall glass of lemonade was next to each place setting.  The ladies could add more sweetness or flavor as desired.  Every one enjoyed the details of something different at my Lady Legends Luncheon.  Looking forward to planning the next one soon!

Bake some joy with me!

 

Planning for the coming changing season?  Watch this! 

Low Carb Meals

  Looking for low carb meals that taste great?  Here's a day of meals that work well for diabetics (and non-diabetics too)

Breakfast is Shredded Wheat cereal (2 biscuits) with Stevia (Truvia) for sweetener, a handful of fresh raspberries and 1 cup of unsweetened Almond milk. (Almond milk is the lowest in carbs and tastes great)

I know .....I know... it looks like cereal for old folks but it's crunchy, high in fiber and all natural.  No added 'junk' that's called food, but is really just chemicals.

To break it up add blueberries, or strawberries. I've added walnuts with a sprinkling of cinnamon.  And it's all good!  

It's only 31 carbs - check that out against any other cold cereal.  It's  tops.... plus no salt or sugar! Cold cereals usually are ruined by tons of sugar, salt, all sorts of manufactured 'food grade' stuff that no one can pronounce.  Not this.... it's all natural and actually good for you to eat.  

 

Lunch is at a favorite chinese restaurant that does not add sugar or extra salt for us.  It's chicken with veggies and a side of stir fried fresh green beans.  No rice, but guess what .... you never even miss it!  It's spicy, tastes wonderful, and it's lots of food to fill you up. It's low carb with lots of fiber and safe for a diabetic (and not) to eat.

Dinner is a low carb delicious meal that we both enjoyed.  It's BBQ chicken with homemade spicy BBQ sauce (no sugar) fresh asparagus, stir fried zucchini with onions and fresh tomato's and a salad with walnuts and a few raspberries on top. No carb dressing and a tall glass of ice tea.  Perfect!  Oops not yet.... dessert is still to come. 

 

It's crystal goblet filled with pieces of low carb chocolate brownie, low carb ice cream, a few crumbles of a tiny piece of sugar free chocolate with walnuts on top.  The secret is a special small dessert in a elegant serving dish.

The perfect ending of a food diary day.  And yes all of this food was consumed on the same day!  You can cook and eat low carb....you are worth it, your spouse is worth it and your kids need to learn healthy eating habits.  Every diabetic I know would really have enjoyed this food today!

If you don't tell them it's 'low carb' whose going to guess?

Be smart my friends and eat well!

 

 

 

Easter Eggs

I intend to make memories of childhood joys as long as the Gkids will allow me to!!  It was another fun time together- cracked eggs and all! If one was messed up we just made it part of it's little face and laughed and laughed together!!

Cafe Geva at Christmastime

Cafe Geva is starting to put it's Christmas goodies out.  Mmmmm good stuff!  You have never had a drink as good as our secret recipe drink called...  Angel Kiss.  You can only get it here at Cafe Geva!!  "These are a few of my favorite things" (humming)

And the Peppermint Mocha is soooo good too!

And wow.... Cinnamon Hot Chocolate is a dessert in a cup!

 

Got Corn?

Learn Something New Every Day

I learned a new food source today! Get this!!  "The cattail is a close as you will get to a WILD SUPERMARKET.  It is easily harvested and highly nutritious.  The shoots are like tender zucchini and cucumbers, adding both flavor and texture to salads.  The immature male green flower head can be steamed or simmered.  Cattail pollen is high in energy and nutritious.  It can be used raw or sprinkled on yogurt, in fruit shakes oatmeal and salads. 

Cattail leaves can be twisted to make dolls, like corn husk dolls or used in thatching roofs making baskets and mats. 

The brown flower heads make good punks with a slow burning flame that drives insets away.

The Native Americans used cattails medicinally, applying the jelly of the young leaves to wounds, sores, and boils for external inflammations and to soothe pain."

I quote the 2010 Calendar for Otter Tail County.  Interesting!

Cafe Geva Christmas Drinks

The Christmas Season brings with it all sorts of special memory making events, surprises and delightful tastes and smells!  Cafe Geva is proud to show you the Christmas Specialty Drinks  offered for the season.  These are original recipes known only to a secret few - sorry no secrets will be told here..... but you can come by and get yourself a treat!!

 

 
 

 

 

 

It was fun creating them.... the staff and I had a good time!  What is the number one top seller?  The Angel Kiss. Don't you deserve one?

Too much food!

We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner with private friends in a beautiful setting.  Good friends.... great conversations... lots of laughter and fun together! With starters such as curried chicken salad with grapes, Thai salads, special cheese crepes, truly good turkey, and jalapeno cranberry sauce (ooo so good)  I thought you might like to see one of the desserts here....

 

The next day we enjoyed a private Thanksgiving dinner - just the two of us - at home.  With a meal we both enjoy.... Apricot Chipotle BBQ chicken on the grill with fresh veggies. And a warm fire in the fireplace... and the two of us just being together... there can be nothing better in our lives. 

 

And the next day.... after such fantastic food, it's time for something easier on the body.  We head to our favorite vegetarian Indian restaurant and enjoy a flavorful meal that makes our taste buds dance!   Tandoori carrots, cilantro dip, yogurt with cucumbers and tomatoes, spicy cauliflower bits, lentil soup and creamy spinach to name a few of the dishes that were so very good!  Add buttery rice, and curry potatoes with onions and garlic with a slice of Naan, and this meal is out of this world!!

Thanksgiving Day / weekend has been wonderful and full of bountiful food! I am thankful for all the many blessings this Thanksgiving brings to us.  I am truly grateful as there are many other holidays we have down through the years....some without family, some without good food, and some that were just plain old hard times.  But this year I am so thankful for each blessing and person in my life. 

Cafe Geva Fall Menu

It's going to be a wonderful season at Cafe Geva - the coffee shop at New Life. The Cafe staff has now begun their fall hot drinks menu and wow some really special drinks can be enjoyed now.  Like the drink of the week this week!  It's a hot sweet creamy 'pumpkiny' spicey with a touch of chocolate in it.  Mmmmmm so good - I tested one yesterday, you just gotta try this!

Download Symphony_No_3

Last week it was a Smores Latte.  Oh too good!!!

And next week?  It's gonna be another treat drink!

I'm thinking.... raspberries.... white chocolate.... marshmallows.... all swirled together in a fabulous concoction of rapturous delight!!!

Sweet! The best place to go before a full day of work is Cafe Geva for a treat!