I am so incredibly proud of my girlfriend Frances that I am dedicating this post to her. Frances was hosting a party the other day for her friend who sells Mary Kay, Rebecca Pereira. Simultaneously, Rebecca is encouraging Frances to join the Women’s Cancer Association. Anyway, the invitation called for Makeup and Munchies…little did the invitees know that the “munchies” part would be mainly veggies!!!!
I thought hosting a party was pressure enough, but I got a call from Frances that I did not expect. She said, “Caro I want to make a healthy dinner for this party.” At first glance, this may not appear to be a big deal. But the reality is that it is a huge deal. It is quite intimidating for a person that generally does not cook (FRANCES DOES NOT COOK!) to not only make a meal…but make an unpopular dish for a group of people and risk the whole thing to be a flop.
But my brave friend Frances decided this was a risk she was willing to take. We planned and plotted on what dish would be appropriate for this event. We thought Kale chips would be a good idea and at the suggestion of Orlando, we decided on Ratatouille as the main meal.
Frances even asked her friend to refrain from bringing dessert. What touched my soul deepest was the REASON Frances made this decision. She told me that she agreed with my post on Breast Cancer Awareness. She said that one of the things she wanted to bring to the Woman’s Cancer Association was the awareness that if we are going to get together to raise funds for cancer research and create support for women with cancer…we should participate fully and start with eating anti-cancer foods ourselves. She took this seriously and put all her energy in making this happen at her party. I am so impressed by her.
…On to the party….
Her party menu consisted of:
- grapes, multigrain crackers, hummus and kale chips as appetizers
- ratatouille as the main course
She took the Ratatouille recipe from Pile on the Greens, went to the store and bought all the ingredients.
Then she called in for a little help from the veggie expert:
Orlando taught her how to chop egg plant and guided her through the process. She followed our recipe and worked hard to make this incredible platter of pure veggies…
Then she sprinkled some cheese on top…
and voila!!!
She also made delicious kale chips. To make kale chips you just break off little chip like pieces…toss in olive oil, salt and pepper and put in the oven at 375 until crispy.
All the girls were totally impressed. Not only did the meal look and smell delicious…
it tasted delicious too!
At the end of it all we had happy girls that got to spend quality time together, laugh, play with makeup, and eat healthy, satisfying food.
Now THAT was a successful party!!!! Thank you Frances for supporting this cause, spreading the word, and walking the talk. You inspire me my dear friend.
As Frances’ sister-in-law, I am not only surprised, but am extremely proud of her as well. Not in a million years would I have thought Frances would learn to cook and much so a healthy dish. She’s come a long way with changing her eating habits. Great job Frances!!!
Wow! Frenchy, proud of you too. What a shame I could not go. Hope I get to try your delicious healthy meal another time. Yaimy
I am touched. Thank you for all your help and awareness on eating healthy. You and your family inspire me everyday. Thank you my friend.
Wow Franchy!!! I’m so proud of you and Caro! Hopefully, you girls can help me learn to make healthy meals too. I love to cook, but I need some inspiring ideas! Great Job!
I’ve always wanted to try Orlando’s ratatouille… Never thought I’d try Frenchy’s version of it! It was delicious – so proud!!!
That is great! Congratulations Frances.
It was awesome! Caro, I want to learn how to make those kayle chips and all this veggie delight! I’d also like to post your blog on ask Miami moms today – how can people subscribe? Lastly, I want to thank you all again for an amazing night!!!!!