I did a ton of baking this past weekend but I also found time in there to put together care packages for our troops overseas and go see the Michael Jackson Cirque de Soleil show! The show was AWESOME. It was my first Cirque de Soleil show and I definitely wasn't disappointed. Back to volunteering - here are few quick snapshots of the packing party put on by Desert Angels, Inc. It was nice to see so many people come together to support those who have sacrificed so much for us. 

 

As I said, I did quite a bit of baking - and most of it was dessert, of course. However, I did manage to make a little "real" food, too. This recipe is one that my mom randomly sent me last year. It's cheap and a perfect staple for breakfast entertaining, especially because it looks (and tastes) like you put a lot of time and effort in!

Baked Eggs in Bread Bowls

8 crusty dinner rolls

8 large eggs

1/4 cup chopped mixed herbs, such as parsley and chives

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Salt, pepper, garlic salt

4 tablespoons grated parmesan

1/4 cup turkey sausage (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice off the top of each roll and remove some of the bread, making a hole large enough for the egg. Arrange on a baking sheet, but save the tops for later.

2. Crack an egg into each roll, top with some of the heavy cream, herbs, and sausage. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Sprinkle each roll with parmesan cheese. 

3. Bake until the eggs are set (but still slightly runny) and the bread is toasted, approximately 20 to 25 minutes. After 20 minutes, place the bread tops on the baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Place tops on rolls and serve warm!

*A few notes: 

Don't over-bake the eggs - next time I would do mine a little bit less (I ended up leaving mine in about 30 minutes) but the eggs are not supposed to be firm and will jiggle slightly. They were still delicious, but the bread was a little too crunchy at 30 for my preferences. 

These are great for being creative - change up the cheese on top, add different herbs or spices, or even add prosciutto or ham. 

(Recipe adapted from here)

I would just like to say THANK YOU to everyone who helped me raise money for the Capuchin Soup Kitchen over the last week. My class raised over $26,000! 

P.S. I'll be finished with finals on Tuesday so I'll be back in a few days!

As many of you know, I'm a student at the University of Michigan and for one of my classes our class has a group project where we are trying to raise $30,000 for the Capuchin Soup Kitchen in ONE week, meaning I'm responsible for $500. Detroit has been struggling for years, the soup kitchen has been a source of hope and opportunity for the people of Detroit. 

Some services provided include:

• 2,000 hot meals a day
• 300,000 pounds of food distributed per month to families
• 30,000 articles of clothing per month
• Over 500 pieces of furniture and appliances to families per month
• Showers and a change of clothing for the homeless and poorly housed individuals
• A 25,000 square foot urban farm project
• A children’s library and art therapy studio serving up to 800 children per month

If you can help me out in any way, please click here to donate. All I ask if that you email me a copy of your receipt at jzientar@umich.edu because otherwise I have no way of knowing how much I've raised so far! 

Thank you all so much, I appreciate it! 

After a few weeks off, my Friday charity post is back!

      I've always had a thing for canvas bags because not only are they sturdy, but you can find some really cute ones out there (my favorite is one that says "If the shoe fits..." with a picture of a giant shoe. $4.99, total score). Instead of paying for an resusable shopping bag from a grocery store, check out the bags from Africa Bags. It's a nonprofit started by a woman named Holly Petitt and her husband that is dedicated to providing the people in Malawi the skills necessary to make reusable bags, purses and backpacks. The canvas totes run as little as $7.00, and absolutely all of the profits go back to Malawi (there are currently seven villages participating).
     One really cool thing about Africa Bags is that each bag is signed by the village that made it on the inside edge, and you can look up each village on the website to find out more about it and what the money raised is helping do. The organization also offers ways to get involved with micro-lending (think Kiva).

Beach bag

P.S. On a related note, a few months back I blogged about the online design mag, Lonny. The March/April 2011 issue just went live last night, and they did a great interview with Lauren Bush, the CEO and founder of FEED (the organization that sells the FEED canvas bags!). Check it out here!

     Starting today, I'm going to feature a nonprofit every Friday. Giving back has been a huge part of my life for long time, and there are a lot of really great nonprofits that help a variety of people. Even if you can't donate your money, you can always donate your time or offer to help an organization in other ways.
     The first nonprofit I'd like to introduce is Art for a Cause based out of Birmingham, Michigan. My roommate gave me a gift from Art for a Cause for my birthday - they focus on "employing people with special needs; cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, cancer survivors, and a variety of cognitive challenges." They sell "tools to mend the world," ranging from kitchen utensils to gardening and hardware tools.
     Check out their website - www.artforacause.com - or email them at talk2us@artforacause.com if you're interested in purchasing their CuteTools! -- they make for great gifts! I have the wine opener and it's adorable.