Mrs. Gridiron

MVP Mom

Mom MVP: Veronica Bradley

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This month’s Mom MVP is a local mama who specializes in using the right words! Veronica Bradley is a creative director and copywriter with a gift for connecting words and inspiring brands. She spends her time helping people sound as great as they actually are!

Hi, I’m Veronica, mom of two and a helplessly creative individual. When the kids are sleeping, I’m a freelance creative director/copywriter, so I essentially make things sound pretty. I also build the occasional templated Website for clients on a budget, and photography is my taxed hobby. I love riding my bike around White Rock Lake.

What is your favorite meal? This is almost embarrassing to post, but pizza! I love pizza. If there’s pizza at a party, I will be first in line no matter what. It’s like the hunger games.

 What is your favorite restaurant? My favorite family-friendly restaurant, Zuzu’s, just temporarily shut down! I guess right now I love Resident Taqueria. I do the meatless thing, and they have excellent options for me. Plus my son goes to town on their pinto beans.

What is your favorite kitchen gadget/tool? As much as I want to say microwave, I’ll pick my enamel coated cast iron pan. I’m deadly with it, but not in the Loony Toons way! Eggs, pancakes, quesadillas, fried rice, veggies … I must use that pan at least twice a day.

What do you do to recharge your batteries? I have a three year-old boy and a four month-old girl—I never get to fully recharge my batteries! But the hour before I go to bed is MINE, so I sit on my bathroom counter, go through my skincare routine, pluck my eyebrows, and have something playing on Netflix on my laptop.

What is your go-to hostess gift? My husband and I usually bring a fancy local beer. He’s the Creative Director at one of the local breweries (Lakewood Brewing), so we always have a few interesting bottles around the house. We love to show people that not all beer is the same, and helping someone discover that (gasp!) they actually do like some beer is always rewarding. Aaaand I may or may not have been the model for one of the breweries most iconic labels!

 What is your entertaining must-have? Music. You have to have something in the background that’s loud enough to be noticeable but quiet enough to be ignored. And if it’s 90s music, bonus! It’s also a win whenever a singalong spontaneously begins.

What is your favorite holiday to host?
Now that I have small kiddos, Christmas has reclaimed that childish magic for me. I love having my house full of people I adore but don’t see enough, I enjoy the noise of a kitchen full of laughter, and I cannot get enough of reminiscing with my extended family.

Check out Veronica’s work here: www.veronicabradley.com

Mom MVP: Cassie McGregor

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You guys are going to love this month’s Mom MVP! We’re taking a closer look at local milliner, Cassie McGregor of The House of MacGregor. If you aren’t familiar with the term millinery, think hats! Oak Cliff-based Cassie McGregor knows the language of hats. Cassie has been creating hats using traditional millinery techniques since 2002. Raised in Dallas, Cassie began taking evening hat making classes for fun at the Fashion Institute of Technology while living in New York City. It was love at first hat! After many years of running her own label on the side, Cassie decided to hang her hat in Dallas for good. She owns and operates her own atelier near the historic Bishop Arts District. When Cassie isn’t at the studio or chasing her three adorable daughters around, you might find Cassie and her husband Rob cooking up a storm in the kitchen or dining out in the city.

“Hi! My name is my name is Cassie MacGregor and I own The House of MacGregor over in Oak Cliff.  We are a custom hat shop and we make men’s and women’s straw and felt fedoras plus special occasion hats for horse races and weddings.  We also have a wide selection of other designer’s hats in our studio located above Bolsa Restaurant.  I am also kept busy by my four kids, three of whom are five and under!”

What is your favorite meal? I love a good green chile stew on a cold day. I am currently day dreaming about being cold enough for that to sound good.

What is your favorite kitchen tool?  My Le Creuset red dutch oven.  It was my first present from my husband and I use it more than anything else in our kitchen.

What do you do to recharge your batteries?  I take yoga classes at SYNC Yoga 2-3 days a week and I don’t think I would be very livable without it!  We have 4 kids and it is the main way I squeeze in self care time.

What is your go-to hostess gift? You can never go wrong with wine or flowers.

What is your entertaining must-have? I have a very colorful, striped Missoni table cloth that was a present from my mom.  It makes any dinner party look cheerful and happy plus the stripes cover up food stains well.

What it your favorite holiday to host? Thanksgiving is a big deal in our house.  We start the day by hosting a neighborhood Turkey Trot in our front yard that ends with mimosas and homemade goodies from all our friends.  Then we have to cut ourselves off from the mimosas so dinner will be ready before 10:00!

Visit www.thehouseofmacgregor.com to learn more about the hats and be sure to pop by this sweet mama’s shop – I know I’ll be making a visit soon!

Love,

Dad MVP : Mr. Donavan

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I am so excited to introduce you all to Mr. Donavan, although I am certain many of you already know and love him as my family does. Lil Hatt has been enjoying learning from Mr. D for several years now and Coach and I love his ability to know and understand precisely the best way to reach and motivate each child individually. If you haven’t tried his services yet, I highly encourage you to check him out as soon as possible! We LOVE Mr. D at our house and I know you will too!

Hi! My name is Mr. Donavan and I am the President of  MR.DONAVAN Mobile Athletic Concepts. I help kids develop physical coordination, motor skills, social interaction and team play through fun activities, decision making, and following directions.

What is your favorite meal?   Chicken & Steak Fajitas

What is your favorite local Dallas restaurant? Ida Claire

What is your favorite kitchen/bbq gadget/tool? 3 way spatula

What is your favorite outdoor activity? Horseback riding

What is your go-to spice/sauce?  Tone’s Peppercorn/Black pepper & Sauce Sweet Baby Ray’s  original

What is your entertaining must have? AWESOME Music Playlist

Love,

Mom MVP : Maegan Brown (aka: The Bakermama)

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Hi, I’m Maegan. I’m married to my best friend and fellow foodie, Brandon. We have 4 sweet (yet wild!) kiddos. I started The BakerMama in 2012 where I share easy delicious recipes, a glimpse into everyday life, and tasty travel adventures on my quest to find the best food wherever I go.

What is your favorite meal? That’s a tough one! I have so many favorite meals depending on the time of day and what I’m craving. My ideal day would include donuts for breakfast, a big salad for lunch and a charcuterie board for dinner!

What is your favorite restaurant? My favorite restaurant in Dallas right now is without a doubt Top Knot! Their Pisco Problemo is my favorite cocktail anywhere and all of the food is amazing! Our menu favorites include the yucca chips with edamame hummus, chicken karaage, crack broccoli, hot fried chicken bun, crispy rice nabe and all the desserts.

What is your favorite kitchen gadget/tool? Like most bakers, I don’t know what I’d do without my KitchenAid Mixer. I use it at least once every day.

What do you like to do to recharge your batteries? It’s amazing what a great workout (Les Mills Bodypump is my fave!) will do for my sanity and what baking a fresh batch of cookies will do for my soul.

What is your go-to hostess gift? I love to take homemade granola bars or muffins so they have something yummy waiting for them the next morning when they wake up after a long evening of hosting.

What is your entertaining must have? A great cake! Like the wise Julia Child once said “A party without cake is just a meeting.” And we don’t host meetings here at our house! 😉

What is your favorite holiday to host? We go to my parent’s house for most of the big holidays so we were thrilled to get to host them for Thanksgiving this past year. It was so special having it at our house and being able to prepare all of our family recipes along with some new ones we created that complimented the traditional menu so perfectly. Happy bellies, happier hearts!

MOM MVP : Kristen Massad

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Hi. My name is Kristen Massad, I am a mom of two beautiful girls and a sweet baby boy, the wife to the most supportive husband and a pastry chef for all to enjoy!  I am a graduate of The French Culinary Institute in NYC and owned and operated Tart Bakery in Dallas, Texas for over 8 years. After growing a successful retail and wholesale bakery, I had a great opportunity to sell it and enjoy this special time with my family. 

I started Ink Foods as a creative outlets to highlight original recipes created by me as well as some of my favorite recipes from my Nannies recipe book, other books, magazines and the web that have been edited to meet my sweet tooth.

Last year, I launched JOY + OLIVER, a small batch confections company that specializes in sea salt caramels. I’m thankful to be back in the kitchen while home with my little ones!

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Favorite Meal : My favorite meal: and something that we make as a family once a week is Shrimp Aglio olio (garlic and oil).  It is one of the most simple meals to make but the flavors are pure and strong and my kids love it as well!

Favorite Restaurant: In Dallas there are some amazing restaurants, but a restaurant that we recently discovered and frequent to often is Sushi at The Mercury.  It is a tiny and hidden sushi bar inside The Mercury Restaurant.  Very fresh and unique sashimi and great appetizers.

Favorite Kitchen Gadget: I can’t live without my kitchen aid mixer.  I use it to bake and experiment with recipes all week long.  It sits on my counter ready to be used at all times.

Recharge Batteries: With 3 little ones and working from home, there is very little time to recharge, but simply a glass of wine with my husband once the kids are asleep helps to refresh.  I also love a facial to relax and feel energized!

Hostess Gift: A good bottle of wine or a box of sea salt caramels is my go to hostess gift because who doesn’t love that!

Entertaining Must Have: My husband and I love to entertain and we always have more appetizers than food for the main meal.  I feel like people always come hungry and it is the best place to snack and mingle.

Favorite Holiday to Host: Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, it is all about family time and food.

Mom MVP : Lorraine Holland

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My name is Lorraine Holland. I am a wife to a hard working football and track coach, a mom to three sweet (and often times wild!) children, and a skin care entrepreneur. I grew up in Corpus Christi, but moved to Dallas to go to SMU and have been here since. After school, I ended up finding a house I loved in Lake Highlands, and 13 years later, I am so thankful for this community. I met Bobby, my husband, a few years after college. When we met he was in the business world, but felt a pull to become a high school football coach. The day after our honeymoon he started his career as a coach. It has been at times a stressful and tiresome job, but we truly believe that he is doing lasting work as he has the opportunity to encourage and mold these boys at a very impressionable age. Plus my kids think their daddy has absolutely the best job ever. 

For almost four years, I have had the privilege of running my own skin care business with Rodan+Fields. I have met some incredible women who have become business partners and are now good friends. I’ve seen some remarkable transformation to people’s skin and their lives thanks to our products and business model. I love the flexibility that it provides for me as a mom and wife. I’m able to do things like serve at my kids’ schools, mentor a teen mom through Young Lives, and spend the days with my newest sidekick, my four month old Benjamin. 

I have a full and busy life, but my favorite time of day each day is when my husband walks through the door, and we sit down together for dinner. Mrs. Gridiron has been so helpful to make that dinner happen each night for our family. The woman behind Mrs. Gridiron is a dear friend of mine. It’s an honor to share with you on this blog.

What is your favorite meal? My all time favorite meal was at a little restaurant in Paris called D’Chez Eux on the first night of our honeymoon. We did the chef’s tasting and wine pairing. The escargot and frog legs were the highlight. We were given special treatment when the waiters found out it was our voyage de noces.

What is your favorite restaurant? My new favorite restaurant is Rapscallion. The fried chicken, the oysters, the red fish, all so good. My tried and true favorite is Louie’s. You can’t beat their pizza with italian sausage and sautéed onions with a side greek salad.

What is your favorite kitchen gadget/tool? I love my Kitchenaid mixer. When I get it out, it almost always means I’m baking with my favorite sous chef, my 5 year old daughter. She loves to bake and more importantly eat whatever it is we’ve baked. 

What do you like to do to recharge your batteries? At night, I love taking a bubble bath with a good book. During the day, I love going to the gym and doing dance jam, a cardio hip hop class. Best music, best moves. One of the highlights of my week.

What is your go-to hostess gift? It depends on the person! If I know someone enjoys wine, I love taking them a good bottle. If it’s a girls dinner, you can’t beat a sweet bouquet of flowers. If it’s a customer, it’s fun to surprise them with their favorite product. I try to think about what they might enjoy.

What is your entertaining must have? Appetizers! My favorite part of entertaining is people gathering in the kitchen before the meal is served. Catching up and chatting. Welcoming them to my home with a spread of appetizers.  This is true if I’m hosting a group of women, my husband’s track captains, or family friends. 

What is your favorite holiday to host? Not a holiday to most people, but I’d say the start of football season with my husbands players! I absolutely love starting the season welcoming his players into our home. For me, these guys are the reason why my husband does what he does. He left the business world to impact these kids. I love starting out the season knowing their names, knowing their stories, and forming a relationship with them.  Seeing our kids interact with them. I love being able to greet them by name, cheering them on during games.

 

February Mom MVP : JulieAnn Bever

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Meet JulieAnn Bever.  She’s our Mom MVP for February.  JulieAnn is a local Dallas mom and we’re thrilled to share her story and learn more about her and her small business, Pint-Sized Prints.

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JulieAnn is a Dallas native.  She received her business degree from UNT in 2004.  JulieAnn works at Lake Highlands High School and involved in her local PTA.  She is a member of 100 Women of Lake Highlands and is proud that Pint-Sized Prints allows her to give back to her community.  When not in her studio, you can find JulieAnn at the baseball field with her sons or at a gymnastics competition with her daughter.

 Pint-sized Prints was founded in 2012.  The brainchild of founder JulieAnn Bever, Pint-sized Prints was born from her desire to do something creative.  After watching her three children grow so quickly over five years, JulieAnn was inspired to capture their handprints in time so she could remember how small and innocent her children were during their first years for years to come. She was also inspired to do the same for other parents so they could have precious keepsakes of their children’s first years.

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MVP Mom Q+A

What is your favorite meal?

My favorite meal is hands down anything my mom cooks! It was not until I was an adult I realized how skilled she was in the kitchen. Some of my favorites she makes are: Lasagna, Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas, Chicken Spaghetti, and of course hamburgers on the grill with her famous baked beans.

What is your favorite restaurant?

My favorite restaurant rotates almost monthly. I LOVE all types of food and can’t seem to pick just one. My current favorite is the new Smoky Rose across from the Arboretum. Their brisket is incredible!  It has just the right amount of lean meat and moisture. There is no need for sauce because it just melts in your mouth.

What is your favorite kitchen gadget/tool?

I love my bread maker. I added it to my wedding registry as an impulse (I was a little trigger happy with that scanner ☺ ). When I received it I wasn’t sure I’d ever use it. After my first bake  I was hooked. I have used  many different recipes, but my favorite is just the classic buttermilk white bread. *Sometimes I even take my fresh baked bread up to Kroger to use their bread slicer in the bakery.

What do you like to do to recharge your batteries?

I love, love, LOVE a pedicure!

What is your go-to hostess gift?

I love to give a candle to those opening up their home. My favorite candle is Niven Morgan GOLD. 

What is your entertaining must have?

Sonic Ice! Every good cocktail is kicked up a notch with sonic style ice! 

What is your favorite holiday to host?Christmas! Every year I host my annual Spode Dinner. I have the entire set of Christmas Spode dishes (and I add to the collection every year). I invite my family and my husband’s family over for a sit-down “fancy” dinner. We change the menu a little every year, but one thing that remains constant is the place cards. I have place cards for everyone’s seat and change the assignments up every year.  One of the first things the guests do when they arrive is check the table to see who they are sitting next to (NO SWITCHING!). I like to split up couple’s and place people next to each other to encourage meaningful and interesting conversations.  Often we are sitting at the table still talking long after the coffee and dessert have been cleared.

January Featured Mom MVP

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I am so excited to launch this new featured Mom post where we will showcase one of YOU awesome Gridiron Moms. I could not think of a better Mom to kick start this off with other than MY Mom! After all, she is the foundation of Mrs. Gridiron! January is a memorial time of sorts for me as we celebrate my Mom’s birthday on January 12th and the anniversary of her death on January 20th. I still can’t believe it has been nineteen years since she passed. She would have loved the adventure of Mrs. Gridiron and been right alongside me for the ride. So here is a little bit about the best Mom, mine!

Evelyn Cary Briggle was a native Dallasite who was renowned for her wicked sense of humor, fashion sense, creativity, cooking and her parties. Oh, her parties! Evelyn had an innate ability to learn quickly about her guest’s likes and dislikes and to tailor her gatherings in a way that each guest felt special, tended to and honored. Her passion with every party she had was to create a moment where time stood still, and people were present in their fellowship with one another. As such, whether it was a Tuesday night supper or a Saturday night seated dinner with Royalty, each guest left full of delicious food and feeling as if they had been a part of something magical.

Evelyn got her start in the kitchen as a little girl with her Mother and her Grandmother and immediately took to cooking. She had a thirst for knowledge and for creating unexpected and ahead of their time dishes. It was through Helen Corbitt that she honed her skills as she cooked alongside her for many years. Their relationship began when Helen took the reigns as Executive Chef of the Zodiac Room at Neiman Marcus downtown. Helen was a pioneer of her time in many ways, least of which as the first female chef at the Zodiac Room. Helen decided to start doing cooking classes for the ladies and Evelyn was asked to be one of her sous chefs. It was an extraordinary experience that opened Evelyn up to another world of cooking and entertaining.

The mother of three grown daughters, Evelyn spent most of their childhood as a stay-at-home mom. In addition to cooking and entertaining she had many talents. She loved anything that tapped into her creativity such as needle pointing and interior decorating. As her girls grew older, she went to work in a needlepoint shop sharing her talents and helping others to improve their needlepoint skills. Later in life, she worked at an amazing gift shop helping young brides register for all the essentials they needed to begin their new lives and their new entertaining adventures.

Sometimes I sit and imagine what it would be like to cook with her today, and I imagine all the things she would have taught me, and I her. My Mom was a rare breed, and she is missed dearly every single day!

As a part of this ongoing feature, we will be asking a series of “favorites” questions. Since my Mom isn’t here to answer, I’ll share my favorites with you all.

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MVP Mom Q+A

What is your favorite meal?
This is a tough question because I love and appreciate all types of food. I get such joy over fixing someone else’s favorite meal and watching them enjoy it. If I had to pick just one meal that I love to make it would be braised short ribs with parmesan risotto and green beans with tomatoes, shallots and pine nuts. Now I’m hungry!

What is your favorite restaurant?
Picking just a favorite restaurant is like picking a favorite child! For Italian, it would be Taverna, for southern classics it would be Rapscallion, for BBQ it would be 18th and Vine, for French it would be Boulevardier, for German-American it would be Blatt, for sushi it would be Sushi Axiom.

What is your favorite kitchen gadget/tool?
I probably could not survive the most without my KitchenAid Mixer. I use it every single week for a variety of things, and it makes my cooking life so much easier and faster!

What do you like to do to recharge your batteries?
I am a people person, so what gives me the most reset is to spend time in fellowship with my friends and family. It feeds my soul, and I crave the connection.

What is your go-to hostess gift?
I love to bring a favorite bottle of wine. One that I know the host may not have tried before. We have found several new favorites from wine given to us!

What is your entertaining must have?
For me creating the right ambiance is the most important part of hosting any party. So, I start with thinking about the party from my guest’s perspective. I mimic the feel I want to convey with my menu, china, serving pieces, flowers, decor and party favors.

What is your favorite holiday to host?
This might have been the easiest question for me to answer. While we host several parties throughout the year, hands down my favorite is our annual Christmas party. Growing up, my parents always had a party on Christmas Day night. It was a typical buffet table of finger foods, and I just remember how much fun I had with my cousins and friends eating and playing. We started hosting our annual party a few years back, and while the recipes might be different, I serve many of the items my Mom did like meatballs, little smokies, and shrimp. I always change a few things up every year to keep it fresh and new. And as soon as the party is over, I take copious notes so I can remember the next year what to repeat and what to change.