My Christmas Eve....

My Christmas Eve is a heartwarming poem written by retired Ohio State Trooper, Bob Welsh.

The first time I heard this poem was when the retired trooper shared it before a small group and I found it on YouTube seven years ago. I shared in an old blog post. 

I knew it was a special story and a few years later, I was delighted to see that the California Highway Patrol had embraced it and recreated the story in this touching video. It is bittersweet to share it when there is so much sadness in the law enforcement community right now. May God bless and protect those who continue to shine the badge and serve their community with honor and courage.

Merry Christmas to you all....wishing you peace and happiness in 2021!

Holiday cheer for the ABC Unit.....

Guess what.....more lasagna, LOL! I really wanted to make Chicken Fettucine Alfredo, but since Covid has snafued any officers gathering at my table, I wasn't sure how well it would travel. I'm not a professional caterer, nor do I have all the warmers and equipment for catering, so I was worried the alfredo sauce wouldn't be hot, or it would spill in the car, or the noodles would all stick together - so many things could go wrong - and I would end up mortified if it wasn't terrific, so I erred on the side of caution. I hope to see these guys again after the new year, so maybe I'll have the Alfredo thing all figured out by then.

One thing that has stayed with me since that night, and what I love the most about what I do, is just sitting back and listening to these guys laugh and tell stories at the table. I love the camaraderie the officers have with each other. The thin blue line runs deep and they really do have each other's back (their 6). This has been a particularly tough year for all law enforcement officers, so being able to bring this small unit together before their shift to enjoy a meal at the same table made me very happy.

Part of the conversation during dinner (and they brought it up) was how to get me set-up with a food cart to sell my cream puffs. I mean, they were working on a price and a menu, LOL....($4/each or 3/$10). See what I mean....they're hilarious -- or maybe they just love them that much. But whatever the reason, their interest made me feel loved. They even had a location all planned out! It's definitely something I think about - like maybe in my retirement - but there would be so much to work out - ie: business license, food truck, kitchen facilities, safety, etc.

I used my two 'Rachel Ray Lasagna Luggers' again and they worked out great. They're still available if you've been looking for something like this - Macy's has them and, of course, Amazon. They're about $38/each.

Law enforcement officers need our support now more than ever. If you've been wanting to do something for the officers where you live, just do it! It will make you feel as good as it will them. It doesn't have to be anything big. They'll appreciate your support and kindness.

Stay safe my friends....until next time. ♥

Cream Puffs

Banana Pudding

Rachel Ray Lasagna Lugger -- keeps food hot!

I did a blog post on my food truck dream in 2018 and you can read it here. I think I like these two the best.

Lunch for CMPD's RTCC and CIU....

Last month, November 12, I had the pleasure of delivering lunch to CMPD's Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) at CMPD Headquarters. It was just one of those visits that went perfectly and as I update my blog (almost a month later), I'm smiling as I think back at how perfect the day was, despite the rain. 

The rain was extremely heavy that day and emergency warnings were going off like crazy. Some roads were blocked due to flooding and I had to take a detour to get there. I'm not sure how, but l arrived 25 minutes early to set-up for an 11:30 am lunch.

It felt weird to roll out of bed at 6:00 am and immediately put two big pots of water on to boil for the lasagna noodles. But for ONCE, everything went like clockwork -- I couldn't believe it and I was so proud of myself. 

The Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU) joined the lunch too and everyone (RTCC and CIU) couldn't have been nicer. So warm and welcoming. It was one of those visits that left me smiling all the way home and still thinking about into the night. It just made me so happy to know that they enjoyed it and had been looking forward to it.

The RTCC monitors cameras all over Charlotte. They're able to catch car thieves, stolen tags, and missing people, to name a few. Their office is dimly lit with about 8 big screens on one wall that can be split into at least 4 cameras per screen. I found it all quite interesting. 

After everyone fixed a plate, the Lieutenant and a CIU detective came up to me and gave me their department's 'challenge coin'. I don't think they freely give these out, so it made it all the more special. The ABC Unit gave me one a few years ago, so now I have a small collection started.

Because I'm not a professional caterer and lasagna travels so well, that's what I made. On the menu was Lasagna, Salad, Garlic Toast, Banana Pudding and Cream Puffs. I made 20 puffs and 24 servings of banana pudding and in 90 minutes the desserts were GONE! There was just a few servings of lasagna and salad leftover so we put that in the refrigerator for 3rd shift.

Despite the rain and gloom that day, I am reminded why I love doing this so much. Every visit is different because people are different. I think some officers 'get me' and some don't, and that's OK. The officers that day 'got me' and the old girl knocked this lunch out of the park! 💙

I started wrapping the napkins and plasticware due to Covid.

After everyone fixed a plate, the Lieutenant and a CIU detective came up to me and gave me their department's 'challenge coin'. I don't think they freely give these out, so it made it all the more special. The ABC Unit gave me one a few years ago, so now I have a small collection started.