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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.

Gridiron Gadget : Time to Spiralize

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The Gridiron gadget for this month blends our the season for gardening, yummy vegetables and our love of gluten free cooking!  With our gardens set up and planted, we need a plan in place for what to do with all your garden goodies! We’ve included five our favorite spiralizers, so you can turn your squash, zucchini, potatoes into the freshest noodle replacement! Our Mrs. Gridiron customers love that we offer gluten free options to lasagna, pasta dishes, casseroles, and more and these gadgets will allow you to try to create recipes of your own! Our favorite site to learn and experiment is Inspiralized.  Be sure to check it out and let us know what fun you have in the kitchen with your new tool!

 

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.

 

Tuesday’s Tip : How do you PLATE Mrs. Gridiron

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We want to know…’How do you plate Mrs. Gridiron??’ First off, there is no right or wrong way! We want to share some tips and ideas on how to make your Mrs. Gridiron meal feel like home.

  1. Right out of the pan/container : No shame here, you’re getting a yummy, home cooked meal without the hassle of cooking. This is the fastest, most family friendly method for sure!
  2. Family Style : Set out all of your meal components and let your family serve themselves!
  3. Fine Dining | Plated : This is where Mrs. Gridiron comes in handy when you’re trying to impress your spouse or guests.  Throw the packaging away and plate your meal to perfection!

Our goal each week is to deliver a meal to your home and allow you to spend more time around the table with the ones you love.

Love, Mrs. Gridiron

Gridiron Garden : Top tools to get started

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The weather is feeling like spring, the trees are budding and we are itching to get back in our garden! For our family, the garden is a place to slow down, unwind and enjoy the outdoors! Lil’ Hatt has become invested in what we plant and the process and it’s such a joy to share our love of gardening with him. Like in all things, it’s important to have the right tools and gear to get started! We’ve rounded up six of our favorite new products that provide fashion + function in your garden. What are your go-to tools to keep you excited about getting your hands dirty?