Celebration Kitchen Continues with Members Sharing What's In Their Picnic Basket

• By: SGMP
• On: 08/18/2021 18:58:28
• In: Membership

On August 2-6, 2021, SGMP celebrated its 40^th Anniversary with the second edition of Celebration Kitchen events. During the "What's in Your Picnic Basket?" event, we highlighted members with a virtual showcase of their amazing culinary talents or their favorite picnic food/beverage items by featuring recorded show-and-tell videos on social media throughout the week. 

What's In Your Picnic Basket?

Opening the Picnic Basket event was the NATCAP Chapter. Here's what several of the Board members shared: Nicole Roames, President, – watermelon feta salad along with her dog “Frosty” who likes to find Puparoni treats in his basket; Kim McKoy, First VP, always has chips and guacamole salsa when lounging by the pool; Christine Saragnese, Second VP, includes a tasty pasta salad with plenty of healthy vegetables and a chilled bottle of Prosecco to wash it down; Shannon Gallagher, Director, definitely includes water to stay hydrated during the summer heat; and for Melissa Woodruff, Immediate Past President, a nice cold CRISP beer does the job on a hot summer.

Our next video from Chef Wayne Callis and Chef Henry Harper, both GIL Trustees, showcased a greek pasta salad, cold cut sandwiches, fruit flan, and of course a bottle of chilled wine.  Their tip – don't forget to include an ice pack in your picnic basket to avoid food poisoning. Remember to check the SGMP website for details on the upcoming SGMP 40^th Anniversary Celebration Cookbook.  Recipes are now being accepted.  So, take a moment to submit your favorite recipe and reserve your copy today.

Our third video was from Kit Gonzales, SGMP Golden State Chapter.  Kit celebrated her 65^th birthday with a few chapter members and special friends who visited from Sacramento to her home in Idaho, where she and her husband Mike now reside. Kit held a picnic luncheon (…birthday party) at a local park.  Here's a taste of what was included – lobster rolls, tomato and artichoke salad, and sweet peppers stuffed with spinach artichoke dip.  Chapter members Marie Cicogni, Julie Moore, Crystal Spencer and best friends Katie, Judy, and Yvonne prepared the yummy dishes while Maxine Reyes was there in spirit.  Happy belated birthday, Kit!

Our final video was from Marie Arighi and the Von Braun Center, home of the NEC conference September 21-23, 2021 in Huntsville, Alabama. (Sign up now if you haven't already!) Kevin Glouner, Director of Food and Beverage, and Kevin McNeil, Catering Manager, had a ton of fun showcasing their basket for a Concert in the Park, or so they thought it was until they realized it was just another workday (Thursday).  Here's what they prepared and enjoyed in the park – charcuterie jar with fresh meats, veggies and cheeses, homemade chicken salad sandwich, cavatappi pasta salad, grandma's super-secret kettle chips (in other words … Sea Salt Kettle Potato Chips), and some delicious red wine to complete their four-course meal.   Hat's off to Kevin for showcasing his creative fun attire!   

Watch all these fantastic videos on our Celebration Kitchen playlist and interact with all the participants on the SGMP social media channels. If you missed this edition of the Celebration Kitchen, don't worry we have one more opportunity for you to participate. 

Up next: America's Favorite Meal 40 Years Ago

For this event, October 29^th, we're asking members to prepare or have a special meal from 40 years ago.  Instead of recording a video, we're asking you to share a snapshot of that meal so that we can share it with fellow members via SGMP social media channels.  We'll send you a reminder in early October.
We look forward to celebrating the next event with you!
Please direct any questions to the Celebration Kitchen committee celebrationkitchen@sgmp.org
 
THANKS to all participants for helping us celebrate SGMP's 40^th Anniversary!