So I have FINALLY had a few hours to sit and re-configure my photos, upload them, and save them. electronics do not like me. However, let's move on. We have encouraged all our guests this month to add honey to the Blackberry Balsamic Chicken if they would rather have a sweeter version. We would love to hear some feedback on that!
Here is a pic of the dish, served over jasmine rice with a side of veggies.
I also have here a pic of one of my favorite dishes EVER. We had Sonoma Grilled Steaks a bit back. The steaks were so good. Here is a pic of those. Wish a side of pearl couscous and grilled veggies (all sides are available at our store). I realize I need to buy some more interesting plates - sorry. But the food really should be the focus.
As we enter our last week in May, we have a few things going on. Tuesday night we have an Open House Fundraiser for Make a Wish. Creative Memories with be there with some door prizes too. And we have a delivery day for State Farm! so sign up and get your May dinners before they are gone!

Here it is, we are in May. Where did April go???
So, this month we have a couple of brand new meals. At least new to us. We've been open 1 1/2 years now so maybe they've been on the menu before. The meal I was most excited about is the Balsamic Blackberry Chicken. So we made it right away. The first time we followed the instructions and it was OK. But not exactly what we were expecting. Too balsamicy (is that a word?), so much soy taste. So the second time I added some honey. YUM!!! Adding honey to the berry sauce gave it more body and enhanced the berry flavor, without overwhelming the balsamic. To round it out I served it over Jasmine Rice. So the sauce soaked into the rice too. We decided to add honey as an option for this recipe, let our guests decide. You can add it at home too. I put in @ 2 TBSP honey for a 3-serving. I took pictures too, and I'll try to get it posted soon.
I also had the SW Chicken with Red Beans and Rice. I only used 1/2 of the seasonings and grilled them. Most of my family do not care for a lot of spice, so using half was perfect for us. We will use the rest another day. I really enjoyed the rice mixture. It had great flavor. I think it would be great next month with the Tex Mex Pork too. Perhaps we will offer it as a side option.
Coming soon, we'll try the Monte Cristo Chicken. Allergy info and side info will be posted tomorrow too.
Happy May!!!

Tomorrow we launch a 4-week fundraiser with the MOPS group from ECC. We are very excited about having another fundraiser - it's been a while. Which I think is rather silly, because we have awesome fundraisers. You get food. Good food. Not low-quality chocolate, pizzas, or wrapping paper. Thank goodness the ladies at ECC agree. So here is the scoop. You can come in anytime Tuesday, March 10th between 5 - 8 PM and make some meals. You do not need the minimum 36 servings. If you want to make 1, make 1. We are donating 10% of the proceeds to ECC MOPS. And this is just the beginning. If you come in anytime between March 10 & April 18 and let us know you are participating in the fundraiser, we will donate 10% of your total. Simple as that. Of course, we cannot combine this fundraiser with another offer. So if you are in Dream Rewards, use SCRIP, etc. where you already receive a discount or such, we cannot donate to another cause. Sorry. BUT, you can put off Dream Rewards for a month, or use those scrip certificates another time.
So, if you can, stop by Tuesday night. It's for a good cause and it's bound to be a fun time!

No new pics today, but here is the allergy info for the month of March. Please keep in that while we do our very best to note the major allergens, you still need to check ingredients as you prepare the meals.
Crispy French Onion Chicken ~ milk, soy
Sonoma Grilled Steaks ~ milk, pignoli nuts,
Yancey Pork Roast ~ soy
Asian Salmon with Jasmine Rice ~ milk
Pesto Cheese Ravioli with Chicken and Walnuts ~ milk, eggs, wheat
Peanut Crusted Fish Filet with Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce ~ milk, wheat, peanuts
Calzones ~ egg, milk, wheat, soy
Island Chicken with Coconut Rice ~ milk, soy, wheat, soy
Cheese Lover's Manicotti~ milk, wheat, eggs
Lemon Chicken Piccata ~ soy, milk, wheat
Beach Street Shrimp Scampi with Pasta ~ milk, shellfish
Chicken with Honey, Garlic & Orange ~ soy, wheat, milk
Arroz Con Pollo ~ milk, soy, wheat, cheese
Chicken Mirabella ~ OK

And there you have it. Many of these allergens can be omitted simply by leaving it out or using a substitute. We have a vegetable soup base on hand that is allergen-free! Just ask for it and we will be happy to bring it out for you. We also have vegetarian "chicken" available - FINALLY!! It's only taken us a year.(augh!!) Please let us know you would like to assemble vegetarian meals when you register so we can make sure to have enough on hand. If you have any specific questions or need more info please contact us at 26crossingin@dreamdinners.com.
Have a great day!

It's March! Spring is just around the corner and we can shed our heavy coats - at least for right now. Yesterday we participated in the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce Business Expo. We decided food was a must, after all, we ARE Dream Dinners. We served up Grilled Sonoma Steaks and Chicken Mirabella. Both meals were a big hit. It was interesting to see how, as soon as Amy fired up the little grill, people came out of nowhere! I forgot to take a pic of the steaks, sorry. I will another day. but let me tell you, they are AWESOME! Tender steak, tomato pesto, goat cheese. Melt in your mouth. I DID remember to take a pic of the chicken mirabella. I must confess, I am a bit partial to the mirabella. And yesterday we cooked it in a crock pot. I'd never tried that before, but it came out just as tender and yummy as in the oven. We always serve this over rice or couscous so we can soak up as much juice as possible.
We enjoyed meeting so many people yesterday. And we look forward to an exciting March!

allergies and such

a new month, a new menu. Within the next few days I'll be posting some pics of meals for this month. But until I re-download all my camera info, I'll post the allergy info.
Please remember that this list is what we have found. When you assemble your meals please be aware of all ingredients and possible substitutions.
Pork Burritos - wheat, soybean oil (tortillas)
Meatloaf Milano with Mashed Potatoes - soy, milk, eggs
California Chicken - wheat, milk, soy
Aztec Steaks with black bean rice - soy (in the worcestershire sauce)
Chicken & White Bean Chili - OK
with corn fritters - cheese, milk, eggs, soy, wheat
Parmesan Crusted chicken - eggs, wheat, milk
Saucy Beef Tips - soy, wheat
with egg noodles - egg, wheat
Caribbean Pork Roast - soy (worchestershire sauce)
French Country Chx - soy, wheat
Blackened Salmon with Pineapple Salsa - milk (butter)
Classic chicken & Dumplings - milk, soybean oil, wheat
Seafood Cioppino - shellfish
Cream Chicken risotto - wheat, soy, milk

Many of these meals can be made by omitting certain ingredients, or adding "safe" substitutions at home. If you have any questions or concerns do not hesitate to contact us. We try to keep all labels for future reference, and if we do not know we will find out.
This is the beauty of making them yourself, you have control over what you use!

family meals

In the Sunday Life section of the paper there is an article written by Doreen Nagle. She writes about different parenting issues and offers solutions or ideas. This past Sunday the headline was "Family meals lead to healthier, happier kids" In this article she mentions several studies that we have used in various Sneak Peeks and Lunch & Learns. These studies conclude that teens who eat with their family on a regular basis have a lower than average chance of smoking, drinking, and substance abuse compared to those teens who do not. Children who eat regular meals with their family have better relationships with their parents and have a higher level of language development. They also have a lower risk of eating disorders, obesity, and depression.
The article goes on to give suggestions on how to make mealtime fun and how to make the most of this time together. She had several pointers that I plan on using too.
I'm sure you can access this on the journal & courier website. (Sunday, Jan. 18, 2009)
The bottom line is that eating family meals together around the dinner table is vital in how our children grow and develop.
As our economy makes everything more expensive, our habits tend to change. Last week on the news they talked how cobblers are busier than ever, clothing/resale is seeing a surge, and things that are considered a luxury are being cut. Instead of going out to eat, more people opt for the lesser expense of fast food. This is not what I'm saying, this is what THEY said, at noon, 5:30, 6:30 and 11. Really, fast food is less expensive?? Well, yes. Compared to a sit down restaurant. But.... how about staying home and eating?
It is cheaper. And healthier. And better for you all around.
So eat at home 3 times a week and see what a difference it makes. And let us help. Every month we provide many wonderful healthy meals. You can assemble them for your family in less than 2 hours and be ready for the month. Let us help you with the planning, prep, stress, and clean-up. Give us a call and let us make your life easier and healthier!!
Tomorrow - more dinner pics

Tuesday evening we had the pleasure of meeting a wonderful family. Joe & Cindy Haan, their children, and a large extended family. In fact, we liked them so much we decided to adopt them as our own. Let me explain.
Cindy has Pulmonary Hypertension and Limited Scleroderma (or CREST) syndrome. PH is a very rare disorder where the vessels in the lungs are restricted, causing the heart to work overtime pushing blood through the lungs. This causes the right side of her heart to be enlarged from working so hard. Simple things can totally wear her out.
Limited Scleroderma affects the skin. It slowly hardens your skin. Cindy has a lot of trouble with her hands and fingers. She is also having a lot of trouble with her esophagus. She's had multiple surgeries, and will have more.
One of these on its own is enough to slow down or even stop many people. Cindy has both. Neither one of these has a known cure, and Cindy takes @ 20 meds every day. She has 3 wonderful children, ages 5, 7 & 9. This does not give her the luxury to slow down. Clothes get dirty, homework needs to be done, and they need to eat. This is where her family and friends come in.
Tuesday almost 20 of her nearest and dearest came together and made meals for them. Not just a few to get them thru the week, but a LOT. A FREEZER FULL!! These meals will allow Cindy to stop worrying about feeding her family and concentrate on spending quality time with them.
The sight of so many coming together to help someone they care for brought tears to my eyes. And it reinforced the whole reason why I love what I do. THIS is why we are here. To help families. To get to know our community. To make a difference. And Tuesday we did. How cool is that?
So we adopted her. And her family. Anytime someone comes in to make meals for the Haans, we will take 10% off those meals. And anytime someone wants to donate a meal or contribute to their meal fund, we will take 10% off.
To learn more about Cindy's condition phassociation.org is a good start.

Ok, part of my New Years Resolution was posting more pictures of the "finished product" so to speak. So far this month we have had the Baked Fish & Chips, Fireside Pork Roast, and the Tuscan Chicken. I remembered to take pics of the pork and the chicken. And now for my humble opinion.....
We all (my family of 4) have really enjoyed all 3 meals so far this month. My kids were VERY excited to learn that Dream Dinners has fries. Fries are a major food group in our house. The fish has a wonderful crunch to it, and the tartar sauce - yummy! It has capers in it, which gave the sauce an additional hit of vinegar.
The Pork Roast was very tender and moist. I really enjoyed the marinade with it. I would recommend to everyone that you keep the rest of the marinade and heat it up in a saucepan to serve on the side. My kids both thought it was a little (emphasis on little) spicy, but the spice was in the sauce, not the pork itself.
We had the Tuscan Chicken tonight, and as you can see by the photo, it was a full meal. We opted for the whole wheat pasta. Yes, we have whole wheat this month - yeah!! It cooked up in @ 25 min. and made the whole house smell wonderful. I must confess, I am not the most picky of eaters. However, my 7 year old IS. And even he admitted, somewhat grudgingly, that it was very good. I think the pasta helped him overlook the presence of artichoke hearts. I don't mind, I took the artichoke hearts.
Sooo, that's my 2 cents worth.
Every meal so far I plan to make again if possible. They were all very different from each other, that is nice.
Now, we always enjoy hearing your feedback. Whether you really enjoyed a meal and wish you had made more, or were disappointed in one and need a do-over. You can let us know in comments, by e-mail (26crossingin@dreamdinners.com) or in person when you come in for your next session.
Thanks!!

Community Food Drive

We have extended our Food Drive benefiting Faith Community Food Pantry. Please bring in your food donation to your next scheduled session. There are so many around us in need that we like to make sure ALL families were able to have a good meal together. Some ideas for donations are as follows:
Spaghetti Sauce~ Spaghetti Noodles~ Peanut Butter~ Jelly~ Cereal~ Pop Tarts~ Boxed Mashed Potatoes~ Cream of Mushroom Soup~ Cream of Chicken Soup~ Canned Chicken~ Canned Tuna~ Pancake Mix~ Syrup
Please visit their website, www.fcmlafayette.org, to view the complete list. We thank you for your involvement in helping further our mission!

Happy New Year!
Yes, I know I'm a few days late, but I still want to extend our best wishes to everyone.
It's a New Year and we are full of energy and enthusiasm. As always, new resolutions come to mind. Ours are very simple - to help more families eat healthy meals around the dinner table while saving money and time. I think this covers the majority of resolutions made. Did you know that almost 85% give up on their resolutions within 2 months? I think usually we set the bar too high. Change doesn't happen overnight. We need to give ourselves a little grace and patience while we learn new habits and unlearn the old.
With a New Year comes a new menu full of heart healthy dinners and sides to fill out your meal. As we expand our Chef Touched Menu we are looking at adding maybe a bread or two, and another vegetable. Many of our meals this month already have the potato or rice. So just add a veggie or salad and you're done! I look forward to having more soup as well. We have our wonderful Yellow Split Pea soup again! Add some Sour Dough Bread Bowls for a complete meal. It will be available starting Tuesday, Jan. 6 - while supplies last. And we are also offering a Super Bowl Party Pack. 6-servings each of the Canadian Bacon French Bread, Teriyaki Meatballs, and Almond Chicken. Add some chips, veggies & dip, and you have a party! The Party Pack is available for $65.00 and we encourage you to pre-order.
Our allergy info will be posted in a few days, and I have a new camera thanks to my wonderful Father-in-Law. Thanks Fred!! So one of my New Years Resolutions is to take pics of the various meals and post them for all to see, as well as more pictures in general.
We look forward to seeing you this month!!
Check our our menu - www.dreamdinners.com
sign up today!
Blessings~
Tammy

Merry Christmas~
We hope you have had wonderful Christmas! It was so nice to be able to relax and enjoy a day with family. For Christmas Breakfast we had the Raspberry Stuffed French Toast. How many others had it? It was perfect to just pop in the oven and pull out 30 min.later. Yummy!!
I would post some pics but... I dropped my camera into my cup of coffee this morning. Yup, not working. So off to Berry's Camera Shop we will go tomorrow. Here's hoping that they can work some magic. Otherwise I guess I'm asking Santa for a camera next year :(
We are closed for the rest of this week, but look at our January menu and calender and start planning. We have a new menu, and many brand new entrees. We also have the Canadian Bacon Stuffed French Bread again in January!! Sessions start Friday, Jan. 2 and all sessions for the 2nd & 3rd are open for children 10 and up. So spend some quality time with the kids, get them out of the house doing something productive, and come in and make your January meals.
We are also continuing our Food Drive. We hope everyone will bring in a few cans or boxes to benefit the Faith Community Food Pantry.
Have a Blessed Christmas~
Tammy

Happy Anniversary to Us!!
Today we celebrate our 1 year anniversary. It's hard to believe it's been a year already, but at the same time I find myself wondering how it's only a year. We've learned A LOT this year, and we've met a lot of wonderful, fabulous people that we didn't know a year ago.
We've had so many people come into our store, and I hope, walk out having had a great time and taking home some great food. Now we just need to figure out how to get everyone to come back every month, or even every other month! So this is where you come in. We want to hear from you!! What are we doing right? And what are we doing wrong? How can we help you more? What could we improve? We believe there are many of you out there who plan on coming in, but for some reason or another don't. So we want to know.

We want to say THANK YOU! to everyone who has come in, made meals with us, supported us and encouraged us. We could not have done it without you. And THANK YOU to all of our fabulous and dedicated employees. We are so blessed to have such a great team.

For all you Dr. Phil watchers out there - Dream Dinners will be participating in the Tuesday, Dec. 16 show. So watch, or set your DVRs, and then let us know what you think!

Blessings~

Allergy info for December

We know that allergies are at the top of many minds. Every month we look at all our meals and their ingredients. We will post info regarding the 8 major food allergens on our blog for you to refer to. Please know that we take food allergies very seriously and will work with you if you have any concerns.
body & soul Mediterranean Cod ~ none
Thai Ginger Beef Kabobs ~ none
Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms & Mashed Potatoes ~ milk, soybean oil, wheat
Raspberry Stuffed French Toast ~ eggs, milk, almonds, wheat
Shrimp Scampi ~ shellfish, milk
Fruit Stuffed Pork Roast ~ wheat, treenuts
* still waiting on info re croutons
Pecan Crusted Pork Chops & Garlic Mashed Potatoes ~ milk, treenuts, wheat
Chicken Parmesan with Garlic Bread ~ wheat, milk
Lemon Chicken Piccata ~ in the soupbase - wheat, soy
Tuscan Steaks ~ pignoli nuts
Chicken Tetrazzini ~ milk, soy, wheat
Chicken Enchiladas ~ wheat, milk
Cheese Lover's Manicotti ~ wheat, milk
Chicken Paella ~ milk, soy, wheat
Turkey Medallions ~ milk


Many times these meals can be made with some simple substitutions to eliminate the allergens.
We are also learning more about Gluten/Celiac disease.
And as always, our nutritional information is available on dreamdinners.com

Hope to see you this month!

Our Gift to You

Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is just around the corner. That means we have 3 weeks to fit in parties, shopping, decorating, and various school and church shows. We don't want you to sacrifice family dinnertime, so we are offering FREE meal assembly this month. But did you know we are also offering delivery? We're starting with a few key spots, such as the Purdue Union and PEFCU Main Branch. If you would like to take advantage of this, simply register for that designated session. We look forward to expanding our delivery sites in 2009, so if you have an idea let us know! And remember, bring in canned or boxed goods when you come in, either to pick-up or assemble your meals, to register for a free session!

We're having a Baby Shower!

Last week we had our very first baby shower!
And we hope it's not our last. The staff at Wea Ridge decided to pitch in and purchase meals for one of their own. And instead of just giving her a gift certificate, they decided to come in with her and make a few meals for themselves. Some just made 1, others stocked up. But everyone had fun. The Guest of Honor was able to make a bunch of meals for her family too. Thank you Stefani for organizing this wonderful evening. And good luck Courtney! Thank you for allowing us to play a small part.

Fundraisers and Thankfulness

Wow! Where has the month gone? We started this blog at the end of October with plans, great plans, many plans, and here it is, the middle of November.
As we approach Thanksgiving we often get caught up in the busyness of the season. Dinners to plan, school functions to attend, activities to keep the kids busy, homework, housework.....
This past Monday evening we participated in a fundraiser to benefit Habitat for Humanity. The core goal of Habitat is to help families own a home that may not have any other way to. It requires so many volunteers, time, and donations. And it doesn't have to be huge. Monday we were at Personal Touch Photography with food for everyone to taste and soup to sell. There were about 15 people there, and it was fun! Everyone just relaxed and enjoyed their evening. And in the end some money was raised. It will go to Habitat and it will help someone build a home. What a great feeling! This is what we need to remember and be thankful for. We have food for our families, a home to keep us warm, and the support of family and friends.

We love fundraisers. It allows us to support our community while helping our guests make wonderful healthy meals for their families. It's a win win. So far this year we've helped 2 families battling childhood cancer, a local MOPS group, Relay for Life, The Allergy Awareness Walk, Diabetes Walk, and a family raising funds for a needed surgery. We've also donated gift certificates and gift baskets to more fundraising events than we can name!! We have been given an opportunity to help our community though Dream Dinners, and we look forward to doing more in 2009! If you have a fundraising idea please let us know! We would love to hear more ideas.

Our final "fundraiser" of this year is a food drive. Starting next week and for the month of December we will be accepting canned goods to benefit our community. We are tying this in with a drawing for a free session. Everyone who comes in, makes some meals, and brings canned goods will be entered to win. We look forward to seeing you!

Welcome to our Blog!

We are entering the world of blogging. We have so much going on at Dream Dinners Lafayette, that one email a month was just not enough. Check back to this blog often for giveaways, special guest bloggers with information about menu planning, nutrition, fitness and more! We hope that you will be able to use this blog to help enrich you and your families lives. We look forward to seeing what's in store for Dream Dinners in our second year of business!