Back To The Table

What an exciting, rewarding day. For months, I've been the lead of a project to create a cookbook encompassing the recipes from my co-workers. At FamilyCare we make up a diverse population with rich heritage and culture. My passion being food and cooking brought to mind a cookbook sharing our family recipes. Last year, at our holiday party I shared the idea with the president of the company. He loved the idea and invited me to his office to further discuss my idea.

Fast forward >>> Today, after months of hard work from the cookbook committee and others the first edition FamilyCare Cookbook "Back To The Table" was in the hands of employees right in time for the holidays. Each employee received a FREE copy. **At this time cookbooks are not for sale to the public.

Grateful. Honored. Proud.

Food Chronicles 2014

After a tumultuous start to my year...it didn't keep me from sharing my passion for food with YOU. Thanks for inviting me into your homes, offices, schools, etc. Here's a look back at some of the deliciousness of 2014! I'm looking forward to making more food memories in 2015.

Chrisetta Mosley © 2014
Culinary Goddess

Harvest Healthy Snacks with Chrisetta

It had been a while since I held a cooking presentation, but I was back at it again at one of my favorite spots on Saturday. I had the pleasure of whipping up Harvest Healthy Snacks at the Cascade Park Community Library. As always, it was a great time. I'm so blessed to share my passion for food with YOU.Here's a look at the delicious fun!

On the menu:

-Fuji Apples with fresh squeezed lime juice and sprinkled with chili powder
-Fresh popped popcorn with honey butter, dried cranberries, and sliced almonds
-Apple Fennel Salad

Portland Iron Chef Competition 2014

It was an honor to attend Portland’s Original Iron Chef Competition on behalf of my employer, FamilyCare Health Plans. What a fantastic, first rate event. The food was delicious, the venue was perfect, the auction was lively, and the crowd was diverse – what’s better it was all for good cause. All proceeds support the two LifeWorks NW Children’s Relief Nursery locations in the Portland metro area.

   

Gabriel Gabreski - A Cena Ristorante
Warm farro salad with chantrelles, roasted beets, kale, and hazelnuts. This was out of this world delicious -- the picture does NOT do it justice.

Mirna Attar- Ya Hala
Seared halloumi with carrots and sweet peper melange and pomengranate glace. We could only vote for one, but this easily would've been my second place vote!

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A part of the Family!

So proud to be a part of the family!

I've been self-employed, out and about in the community; sharing my passion for food and health for the past six years. In August, I accepted a full-time position with an awesome, growing, local health plan. I knew if I ever returned to work for an organization it would have to be at a place where their values lined up with mine. I found that place -- FamilyCare Health Plans. They've been proving themselves over and over. Today, I was featured in the October Employee Newsletter. You can read more, here >>>


NEW EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

Chrisetta Mosley—touching lives in and outside of FamilyCare
Chrisetta Mosley joins our Navigation Services team on the front lines of
member navigation, fulfilling members’ every need, from changing PCPs to
inputting referrals and authorizations. Chrisetta’s first foray into healthcare, however, was back in the ‘90s, when she held several roles at Providence Health & Services here in Portland.

After years in the Seattle marketing scene, Chrisetta has returned to
Portland, and has since made a splash as a budding cookbook author. Her
journey to local fame began with a realization. “I’ve been overweight my
entire life...There comes a time when you just can’t do [it] anymore.” From
then on, her mission was clear: to regain control of her life. Through hard
work and determination, Chrisetta lost 170 pounds and recorded her weight loss journey on a blog: Farewell Fatso! But Chrisetta thought, “I can do more than this...maybe there is something else [I am] meant to do.”
Chrisetta’s passion for cooking had her creating and photographing
healthful dishes at home. The pictures on her blog created a buzz at her
local gym, and she was soon compiling the dishes into her first cookbook, Bringing Cooking Back.

The success of her cookbook caught the attention of a professor at Clark College in Vancouver, WA, where Chrisetta was also teaching cooking classes at a local food market. Chrisetta was asked to develop a second cookbook, strictly for students at Clark College. This is now the third year that Shop, Cook, Eat: Outside of the Box with Chrisetta Mosley has been a required textbook for Clark’s health students. Chrisetta has been touching lives in and around Portland, and we’re happy she’s here continuing the
mission at FamilyCare. Please welcome Chrisetta Mosley to the family.

*NEW EMPLOYEE MEET-AND-GREET CONTEST
The 5th person to introduce him/herself to Chrisetta Mosley will receive a free casual day. Chrisetta will write names on a Meet-and-Greet Contest sheet and present it to Communications once all ten slots are filled. The winner will be notified via email. Chrisetta is on the 13th floor. Let’s give her a warm welcome!

2014 Get Fit Challenge: Health Fair

What an awesome time I had last night at the 2014 Get Fit Challenge: Health Fair hosted by Emmanuel Church. I was invited to set up a table with info about food and health and sell my cookbooks.

It was a great mix of people eager to get ideas on how to live more healthy lifestyles.  I was able to do what I love -- greet and meet lots of folks and talk food. There's never a bad day at the office for me. Sharing my love of food with others - Winning!

Catering by Chrisetta: The Dawson-Dallas Wedding

A couple of months ago a friend of a friend asked me to cater her wedding. I was honored, but also a little apprehensive. I’ve done a few small catering events for about 30 guests, but this would be for 60 guests and –- a wedding!

I tell you – I NEVER worked this hard in my life. 

- Planning the menu

- Several meetings with the bride’s support team

- Placing orders for meat and seafood

- Grocery shopping at six stores (even a trip to a friend’s garden for fresh rosemary)

- Prepping and preparing the food (16 hours + with the help of two assistants)

- and finally presenting the food

  

This was by far the most challenging yet rewarding catering event to date.  I learned a lot about myself, the process, and things I can do differently in the future.Working with awesome people, receiving positive feedback and love from the bride and groom, their families, and guests made it all worth it. 

 

An overwhelming number of the guests came to me and raved over the food. One couple stopped and talked to me at length “We could taste the love in the food.” Bingo! That’s why I make all my sauces, dips, and spreads from scratch, hand chop my fruits and vegetables, and use fresh herbs -- I want you to taste the love.

I never want to lose my joie de vivre for preparing and cooking food. That’s why I’ve been apprehensive about catering on a large scale. I want to keep the events intimate, that way I'll always be able to hand chop the vegetables and make most things from scratch. I want to connect with the people I'm feeding. I want them to ask questions about the food, talk to me about the food, and it's origin. It's that whole Outside of the Box thing.  

 
Thank you Sue-Mar and Mel for inviting me to be the caterer on your special day. Here’s to a lifetime of love, happiness, and good food!

I was extremely busy on wedding day so I wasn’t able to get many of the finished photos, so I'm giving you what I got!

Poppy Seed Dressing

The  most talked about side dish was the Potato Gratin in a Parmesan cheese sauce. This classic, comfort dish was elevated to another level with the addition of fresh rosemary and shallots. When I write my next cookbook the recipe has earned a spot.

Marinated Vegetables (grill ready): Eggplant, squash, zucchini, and sweet yellow onions with fresh basil, Balsamic vinegar, olive oil, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Fruit Tray (with hand-cut melon)

Grown-Up Mac & Cheese

Grilled Shrimp Scampi Kebabs

 

Grilled Lemon Rosemary Chicken

The wedding scene

The bride, the bride's proud parents, and the groom

The Dawson-Dallas customized menu:

Hors d’oeurve

Assorted Fruit Platter

Crudités Platter with Hummus and Poppy Seed Dressing

Cheese Platter with Fancy Crackers

Hot Spinach artichoke Dip with Blue tortilla Chips

Olive tray

Assorted Nut Bowls

Sides & Vegetables

Wild Rice Sauté

Potato Gratin

Grown-up Macaroni & Cheese

Marinated and Grilled Vegetables

Salads

Arugula Quinoa Salad with Lemon Dressing (warm)

Greek Orzo Salad

Grilled Carrot Salad with Ginger Sesame Vinaigrette

Meat

Grilled Lemon rosemary Chicken

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken with Pineapple

Grilled Beef Kebabs

Seafood

Grilled Shrimp Scampi Kebabs

Grilled Salmon with Lemon and Dill