Chicken Fettucine Alfredo for ABC.....

My long-awaited Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo dinner for the ABC Unit was Friday March 26, and it went great! I'm still delivering meals when I can due to Covid, but I look forward to seeing my friends around the table again. I had some research to do to find the best Alfredo flavor, so I scoured the internet and my cookbooks and made three different test batches (for myself). By the time I was ready to make this for my friends, I couldn't remember which test batch I liked best, or what I kind cheese I used where (they were weeks apart), so I went with the shredded parmesan. Keep in mind, the guys I cook for could care less if it's great or just mediocre and, I have to say, I have had 'mediocre' fettuccine when I have ordered it from restaurants, so I don't know why I worry so much. All 2 lbs. of fettuccine fit perfectly in my Cuisinart Electric Skillet and, had I known that ahead of time, I would've made the two batches of alfredo sauce in one pot (instead of two) which would 've been a huge time-saver. I also made a big salad, garlic bread, and the usual banana pudding and cream puffs for dessert. My visits are always enjoyable and these guys definitely make me feel like part of the family. They're so appreciative and seem genuinely interested when they ask how I've been and what's new in my life -- I love that.

When I delivered my last meal to these guys in December, they asked if I had a traffic baton for my Citizen's on Patrol (COPs) volunteer work (one of our tasks is to direct traffic if there's a car accident if we can assist). I told them I didn't, but that we were supposed to get one. It has been three months since my last visit and guess what.....they gave me a traffic baton! I just thought it was super thoughtful that they even remembered.

I'll make this again soon and will revise this post with the recipe. It was delicious and this hungry bunch loved it! 💙

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.

I stand with this line.....

With Covid-19 and other world events going on, it hasn't been a good time for the officers to gather at my table. I miss seeing my friends around the table and looking out the window waitng for the first patrol car to round the corner, but it's not about me....it's about them, so I have been making a few meal deliveries. 

I have delivered meals before, but with so much unrest right now, it felt different. So much pressure on law enforcement officers. Protesting at unprecedented levels; so much hate; so much uncertainty. And for all those that disrespect the badge, the officers have to protect even those who hate and protest against them. 

They're our protectors. We work, and they protect. We sleep, and they protect.

I am so proud of my own CMPD and the few officers that I was honored to feed this past month.    

I made lasagna each time because it's so easy to transport. But after three deliveries and nine pans of lasagna in the last month, this will be it for lasagna for a while. I say that now, but truth be known, if they said that's what they wanted for dinner....that's what I'd make. 

Thursday, June 11 was lunch for the South Division. What a nice visit. I haven't seen these officers since March when Covid-19 exploded so I was really looking forward to my visit. It is the South Division officers I have known the longest, even though so many from my early days of cooking have now retired. I usually set up my meals in the roll call room. I was  there for about 2-1/2 hours as I watched the officers come, eat, and go. We kept our distance and we did a few 'elbow bumps' to say hello and goodbye. I'm smiling just thinking about it. That's my happy place. 

Friday, June 26 was dinner for the awesome detectives with the ABC Unit. Really, just a super bunch of guys. They have gathered at my table a few times and I have delivered once before. They all were so welcoming and made me feel like I was a family member they hadn't seen for a while. A few were sharing family and pet pictures with me from their cell phone while we enjoyed a nice dinner. They always make me feel like part of the family. I received a nice thank you note from the sergeant a few days later which surely guaranteed another dinner in their future. So nice....thank you, Sir. It was my pleasure.   

Saturday, July 18, I delivered lunch to the brave officers in the Independence Division. This was my first visit to Independence. After 10 years of cooking for my friends, I still get a little nervous when feeding a new bunch of officers, and nervous, in general, when I'm cooking for others, but the officers were very personable and made me feel welcome. 

I was so pressed for time I didn't take one photo. With 12 officers standing in line for food, taking a few photos for this blog post was not an option. The photos in this post are from my June 11 lunch, but the meals were identical.  :)

I tried my best to arrive 20 minutes early, but it's very hard. Everything is so unpredictable. Kitchen snafus, under-estimating cooking time, forgetting the ice (which is what happened Saturday). Oh, I remembered it, but I forgot to put it in the car. I'm not a professional caterer -- just a working girl -- and an 'old' working girl at that. The heat index was like 102 degrees outside, so after 6-7 trips from the kitchen to the garage to load the car, I looked like I had mowed the yard by the time I arrived. But I can't complain when these officers are working in this heat wearing a 6 lb. bulletproof vest and a 20 lb. duty belt. God bless them all! Now I know why one of my officers loves winter so much.  

This was the second time I made the lasagna the night before and popped them in the refrigerator to cook the next morning, but allowing enough time to bring them to room temperature takes longer than you would think. As a result, I had to cook them longer -- I just couldn't get them to heat through. So STRESSFUL! Because of the extra cooking time, I thought they were rather on the dry side, so I won't make these a day ahead again.   

One officer invited me to do a ride-along which made me feel all the more welcome. They are more than happy for you to ride with them if you complete the required paperwork and application (and I have to complete it too each time), but I can't recall anyone ever asking me first. I have done four ride-alongs in the past 10 years (South, Steele Creek, Metro, and Hickory Grove). I enjoy seeing the response area each officer is protecting -- some roads I have never traveled. I'll enjoy a ride with Independence in the near future.

My long-time and best girlfriend in Tampa surprised me with a generous contribution towards my lunch for Independence. I won't call her out so not to embarrass her, but last week she sent me a photo taken several years ago of the two of us and another mutual friend. I was expecting the photo in the mail, but the check that fell in my lap was a big surprise. You are a true 'BLUE' friend, dear girl, and I love you. 💙  We all have that one 'forever' friend, and she is mine.

While coordinating this lunch, in one of my emails exchanges with the sergeant, he ended his email with "Thanks so much for caring for us." 

It made me tear up a little.

You are very welcome, Sir....you are very welcome!

♥

Table for 25-ish please....

A few months ago, I ran into a detective downtown and he said my name had come in conversation (I love it when that happens), and he asked if I would consider cooking for them one night during CIAA. They asked me again when they came for dinner in January and I told them I would love to.

So March 3rd was the big day and another first in the wonderful world of AHOP.  I had the pleasure of cooking dinner for 25+ law enforcement officers -- the most ever at one time! I initially thought dinner would be for 12 ABC Unit detectives (Alcohol Beverage Control) with the CMPD, but then the list grew to 22, then to 25-ish, to include ALE special agents (Alcohol Law Enforcement), and two from the Charlotte Fire Department. All were assisting with the CIAA and, once again, I have no pictures to show for my monumental dinner!

My ONLY photo....a boring picture of two EMPTY pans. 

I thought lasagna would be the easiest to transport, so that's what I made. The officers funded the entire meal which consisted of two giant 20" pans of lasagna (that's a lot of lasagna), salad, rolls, banana pudding, my cream puffs, and two gallons of sweet tea. The event got too big to host the dinner at my home, so we moved it to the FOP (Fraternal Order of Police) Lodge. I have always wanted to see where it was, so I was glad about that. 

As if making lasagna isn't a big enough production (and anyone who has made lasagna knows what I'm talking about), there were major kitchen snafus where, at one point during the day, I thought I would lose my mind...really! But I managed to pull everything off. My cook-top is going out and each pot of water I put on to boil for the noodles, took a minimum of 30 minutes to even resemble a slow boil. It was very stressful. The afternoon was ticking away and I had to be out the door at a certain time. I have the utmost respect for anyone in the catering profession. But these guys are very sweet to me. Even when they come to my home for a meal, they know not to ring the door bell early. I can get a lot done in two minutes and sometimes it's down to the last minute. I am not a professional cook by any means and I learn something new every time I host a dinner.  

Like this....

Did you know that if you put plastic wrap over your cooked lasagna before adding the tin foil (if you need to transport it or keep it warm), the cheese won't stick? Seems logical, doesn't it, like it would be something you would think of on your own, but I never thought of this! I learned this helpful tip from Chef's Catering. They have catered a few events for my work, and a few weeks ago one of the cooks actually delivered the meal himself, so don't you know I was asking a bunch of questions! That's when I learned about the plastic wrap. I have transported lasagna several times to three different CMPD divisions (Metro, South, and Steele Creek) and never thought about this before, not to mention how many times I have kept lasagna warm on my own stove, only to have all the cheese stick to the foil. You can also spray PAM cooking spray to the foil, but I like the plastic wrap tip the best. 

One of the highlights of the entire evening (for me) was that I got to stay for roll call. One detective invited me to do a ride-along with them one night which I thought was very sweet. Comments like that make me feel accepted into a big family that's not so easy to get into unless you work there. I will have to complete all the necessary paperwork to do the ride-along, but I am already looking forward to it. 

A big thank you to my neighbor, Sheilah, who cleared one shelf in her refrigerator to store my banana pudding. It was a huge help and she even delivered it back to me. You can find this delicious recipe here in a previous post.

And another thank you to Chef's Catering, who gave me an unbelievable deal on tablecloth rentals. We ended up not using them after all, but I appreciated their kindness and support of what I do.

Three things I know for sure before another officer sits at my table for a meal is 1) my 25-year-old cook-top is on its last leg and I'll have to replace it, and 2) a second refrigerator for the garage is a must-have, and 3) I will designate a picture-taker!

The day following this big meal was Sunday, and the old girl rested. It was a wonderful weekend!

FOP Lodge #9 (notice the Thin Blue Line across the door - I love that!)

♥