Thank you!

Our American Flatbread fundraiser was amazing. My family was one of the first to arrive and we could have stayed all night! Thank you to everyone who came out to support us and our great program. We sure have alot of friends and fans! It was incredible to connect with so many folks who love BCS and have been a part of the community in one way or another over the past 26 years!
Our fearless leaders Sarah (with her dad)...



and Jed (on the left)... enjoy the evening at Flatbread!



asian slaw
we are crazy for cole slaw this summer, and a few weeks ago I tried a new version of the red cabbage and carrot one we've been loving the most. I've had lots of requests so I'm (finally) posting the recipe here..

Serves 6-8

1 smallish head of red cabbage, shredded or chopped well
1 smallish head of green cabbage - napa would be really good
1/2 of one red onion diced small
6 or 7 medium sized carrots shredded or chopped into small, thin pieces
that's it for the veggies!

dressing
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sesame oil
1 Tbsp finely shredded ginger
1/2 tsp tamari or soy sauce
whisk everything together!
pour it over the veggies and toss!
add black pepper to taste!

It's really good and if you can entice the kids to try it on the merits of its cool appearance, they will quite likely enjoy it and come back for more.





homemade croutons


The other day my friend and colleague Jackie brought me a beautiful loaf of bread that was just a little to hard for slicing and suggested I cut it up and make croutons. Neither one of us had ever done it, but she was sure that tossing them around in a little olive oil in a skillet would do the trick. So I did just that, along with some garlic powder and salt and pepper and oregano, and they came out DELICIOUS!! The best part.... the kids were picking them out of the salad bowl.
Hooray for new salad discoveries!

Happy Summer!

We need your support!

If you're reading this, you're likely a friend of BCS, and so I'd like to invite you to join us at American Flatbread in downtown Burlington for a simple, delicious fundraising event!
Flatbread for School Lunch - BCS Bake is happening tomorrow night from 5-10pm at the Burlington Hearth. A portion of the proceeds from all the flatbreads sold during the event ( eat in or take out) will benefit the Burlington Children's Space food program!
We are so grateful to American Flatbread for hosting us - and we can't wait to eat! Please stop by if you can, or order some food to go - you will be helping us fulfill our mission and fill hungry bellies all year long!


In other news... the Summer of Salads continues!
We have been enjoying all kinds of seasonal deliciousness at lunch. Fruit salad with nectarines and blueberries, chicken salad with dill, chopped salad with local greens, and even chef salad as a main dish, with ham, cheddar cheese, chick peas, and red grapes. The kids loved it, and so I pass the recipe ( though it's more of an idea than a recipe, really) on to you. I've made it at home twice for dinner on super hot nights and it's lovely to keep the kitchen cool, and still eat something satisfying.

Chef's Salad

(Serves 4)

1 head soft lettuce, like bibb, roughly chopped
About 4 cups crunchier greens, like romaine, chopped
A handful or two of spinach, also chopped

Arrange a good amount of the mixed greens on each of 4 plates

From there, just go crazy. Add as many veggies as you like, at least a cup of each, cut into bite sized pieces.
I used carrots, red cabbage, red onion, and cucumbers. Absolutely anything you like will work. Arrange little piles of the individual veggies on top of the greens.
Next comes the protein. I used chopped deli ham and cheddar cheese in little chunks, plus chick peas. Make sections of each. I also added halved red grapes for a little sweetness.
Serve with bread and butter, and a few choices of dressing. Salad for dinner!



Here we have a happy table of salad eaters... everyone pictured tried, and enjoyed, the greens!


Please come support our food program tomorrow night, and stay cool!
xoxoxo
Erinn

Summertime Family Dinner

It was a perfect afternoon, warm and breezy. Kids, families and teachers relaxed and ate outside on our mid-renovation playground.










We served cold sesame noodles, broccoli salad, and the most fantastic juicy watermelon, along with lots of fresh fruit and veggies brought by familes. The kids couldn't eat the berries and watermelon fast enough.
The broccoli salad disappeared as well...


And I've had lots of requests for the recipe, so here it is.

Broccoli Salad

2 lbs broccoli crowns, cut into manageable pieces, blanched ( dunked in boiling water for two to three minutes, just until it's bright green) and rinsed in cold water

1/2 cup of cooked bacon, chopped

1/4 cup mayonaise
1/4 cup plain yogurt - you can play with these amounts as much as you like. Use all mayo, all yogurt, more or less of each, it's just to taste, really.

1/2 cup red onion chopped fine

1 T salt

1 tsp pepper

2 T sugar or honey - these last three can be adjusted according to your taste as well.

Optional - a handful or two of any of the following:
raisins, craisins, almonds, walnuts, peanuts or sunflower seeds

Mix everythying together in a large bowl. Done! It's best after it's had an hour or so to chill in the fridge, and it doubles or triples easily. We made a ridiculous amount for the dinner. It's delicious and the bacon makes it a really satisfying dish.

It was a beautiful night, thanks to everyone who came to share dinner with us!