Hallmark Channel's Home & Family Show is looking for America's best home cook and I know I have what it takes. Check out my VIDEO on the DreamJobbing website. If you would like to see me show you my amazing recipes and tips on the show, please vote for me and leave a comment. If I have ever inspired you to cook one of my dishes or you have used one of my recipes, please comment on the DreamJobbing website. I would love to hear that I am making a difference with my food, even if it's just one dish at a time. Also, if you have been inspired by my "meals are memories" message, please comment. I am so passionate about reminding people that "meals are memories" and how important it is that we gather our family recipes and stories before it's too late. I want to share that message with the Home & Family viewers. I know that I can make a difference in so many families because we are losing the art of passing down the family cookbook, and even worse we are not scrapbooking recipes anymore. I want to help change that, in a new and modern way. If you haven't seen my "meals are memories" video, check it out.
I think fall is the perfect time to remind people about gathering family recipes because the holidays will be here before we know it. We will see more family and friends between Thanksgiving and New Years than any other time of the year, so it's a great time to remind your family to bring their favorite recipes that have been passed down and share them. One of my favorite family recipe stories was when a cheesecake recipe lost for years was finally found. It was a staple in their family for generations, but somehow the recipe could no longer be found. The only woman in their family that knew the recipe by heart, now had Alzheimers. This family was celebrating Thanksgiving together and they viewed my Thanksgiving blog post and saw my "meals are memories" video. That started a conversation about how they wished they would have gathered their family recipes earlier because now they will never have that cheesecake recipe they grew up eating. But, it turned out that one family member spoke up and said "I think I have that recipe at home". And guess what? She did! By Christmas, every member of their family had that famous family cheesecake recipe. It's those stories that melt my heart, and I feel so grateful that I was able to put that message out there and save that family recipe. Recipes are simply ingredients and directions. It's not until we make memories, that they truly become meals. That is truly Home & Family...to me!
My Home & Family DreamJob video featured one of my family's favorite dishes, my Soba Noodle Chicken Satay. I make mine with peanut butter powder instead of peanut butter. Just swapping 2 tablespoons of the powder instead of regular peanut butter saves 13 grams of fat. You are left with the decadent flavor without the added fat. And this meal can be made in less than 30 minutes, so it's perfect for a busy family's weeknight meal. It can also be eaten hot or cold, so I love to make it hot for dinner and have it the next day for lunch as a cold soba noodle salad. It's a two-for-one meal. I know you guys are going to love this meal as much as my family does. Check out the recipe.
And, of course, I had to find a way to make a burger out of our favorite dish. Here's my Chicken Satay Burger with a Harissa Aioli on a Soba Noodle Bun. It is gluten free, dairy free and delicious!
Of course I would also love to showcase my gourmet burgers and, hopefully, do a grilling segment on the show. I love to teach people, especially women, how to get more comfortable with their grill. I hear this a lot, "my husband does the grilling for our family". Well, what if I could show you some easy tips so you can become a more confident griller? Then, vote for me! I am humbled to say that my burgers have had some amazing shout outs, from the likes of the NYCWFF, The Rachael Ray Show, ABC's The Chew, The TODAY Show Food Club, WZZM TV13, WISH-TV Indy Wish and WTSP Studio 10 Live. And maybe Home & Family will be next? Help make that a reality, vote and comment here!
Did I mention that this DreamJob is for an entire week? Yay....I'm getting excited just thinking about what it would mean to actually have my dream job (even if it's only for a week). It would be a dream, but it wouldn't feel like a job because it's my passion. As you guys know, I am a tailgating fanatic. With fall right around the corner, I would also love to show my tailgating tips, tricks, and recipes. Remember my tailgating segments from last fall? I had great feedback on my tailgating box and what I put in it. Also, my top ten party dips is also a popular post.
Gina Ferwerda - Tailgating Extraordinaire
I'm ready for football games and tailgating. If you follow my blog, you know that we watch the games and tailgate everywhere we travel. We bring our team spirit with us, even at 12,840 feet at Black Bear Pass in Colorado. Just after we took this photo, a Jeep drove by and the woman yelled out "Go Green". And, of course, we yelled back "Go White". It turns out that she was from Michigan and went to MSU. It's amazing who you meet out on the trail. We ended up Jeeping with them the rest of the day and then went into Telluride for lunch. (On a side note, when you are in Telluride you must go to Brown Dog Pizza for their famous Detroit Style Pizza. It's amazing.)
Another great idea for a segment on the show would be doing a food and travel segment with my Jeep. Since I am a Jeep Talk Show Contributor, I would love to showcase some of my family's favorite recipes that I make while out off-roading. We love finding new, beautiful places to have a picnic. Remember the segment that I did while heating my Reuben Sandwich Bowl underneath the hood of our Jeep? Or the best Salami Sammies to make for a picnic? Actually, we are taking our Jeep back out West this fall. Maybe, we can include a visit to the Universal Studios Lot for the Home & Family Show while we are out West.
Another great segment would be a dessert. Since I won Good Morning America's National Chocolate Cake Day contest, maybe it's time that I show another amazing dessert. What do you think?
Maybe I could show my Peanut Butter Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars just in time for Thanksgiving. Check out how I make these delicious fall cheesecake bars - video.
Or I could show my healthy substitution meals. How I take a decadent dish and transform it into a tasty, yet healthier version. Here's my Sweet Smell of Summer Burger along with the Paleo, Pegan, Vegan and Vegetarian versions. Here's the video from my WZZM segment.
Another favorite dish that I love to make is my Reuben Casserole, it is a family favorite around the holidays. Check out the video on how I make it.
I also love to teach people on what to do with their leftovers. I called it my "2 bite tip". Check out the video. These are great tips for parents that get frustrated on what to do with just a few bites of food left.
PS - And maybe if I get on Home & Family, they will let me join in with their song lyric game. I know my song lyrics! That is one of my favorite games that they play! :)
