National Salute Week

Yesterday, I spent the day at the Veterans Hospital in Lebanon, PA as a part of National Salute to Veterans Patients Week. This program recognizes Veterans for their service and is celebrated each year during the week of February 14th. The purpose of this national event is to:

*pay tribute and express appreciation to hospitalized Veterans

*increase community awareness of the role of the VA medical centers

*encourage everyone to visit hospitalized Veterans

*promote the value of becoming a VA volunteer

It was a moving experience to meet so many men and women who have courageously served our country and to have an opportunity to say thank you. I hope I brought some cheer to the patients as I delivered Valentines made by local schoolchildren and hundreds of my own homemade cookies (the baking of which was made possible by being snowed-in for two days!). They just opened a new Women's Health Center as well, and with so many women returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan, it's good to know that they can receive the best medical treatment possible as they return to families and communities.

Of the 23.2 military veterans living in the United States, over 1 million are Pennsylvania residents. Thank a veteran for his or her service today!

Latest Appearance

It's fairly clear from my frequent posting of my cakes and dinners that I love to be in the kitchen. This past weekend, I was invited to be in the kitchen with world-renown chef Georges Perrier at his restaurant Mia in Caesars in Atlantic City. He taught me how to make white chocolate mousse and we had a lot of fun with the crowd! Wouldn't I be cute on the Food Network?

Merry Christmas!

Best Christmas EVER!!!

I skated with kids, wrapped gifts to raise funds for Habitat, and spent time visiting some elderly ladies in a nursing home and shared in the joy of Christmas.

Thank you to all of the volunteers at the Laura Sims Skatehouse, Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County, and Little Brother Friends of the Elderly for inviting me to share the holiday with you. Thanks to Kate Hertzog, Manager of Civic Engagement at the United Way for all of the referrals. Finally, thanks to my kind and patient husband for driving me around and sharing this Christmas journey with me!

Christmas Volunteer-a-thon

First, I want to wish all of the Christmas celebraters out there a very Merry Christmas!!

This Christmas, I turned to my good friend, Kate Hertzog, Manager of Civic Engagement at the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, for some ideas on how I could use my title to give back to the community this year, specifically on Christmas Eve and Day.

In just a few minutes, I'll be heading to the Laura Sims Skatehouse in West Philadelphia to ice skate with over 200 kids and hand out Christmas stockings. Here's a link to the article in the University City Review newspaper. Then, it's on to the Neshaminy Mall, where I'll wrap gifts to benefit Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County. (Incidentally, I led a volunteer group years ago that did construction work on Habitat's Cherry Street project in Norristown. It's great to have an opportunity to reconnect with this organization.) Tomorrow morning, I'll spend a few hours visiting residents of Tucker House Nursing Home in North Philadelphia, as a volunteer for Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly.

Have a wonderful, safe, and Merry Christmas!

What's Wrong With World Peace?

One of the best aspects of pageantry is the friendships that you form, and I'd like to introduce you to one of my pageant friends, the brilliant and successful Ronica Licciardello. She has begun Pageant Consulting as one of the many services she offers at Ronica Communications. Her many years of competition coupled with an Ivy League education have given her great insight into what it takes to be the best and how to achieve that goal.

For those of you striving for pageant perfection, visit Ronica's new website What's Wrong With World Peace and make sure to sign up for the free email Newsletter, which is full of great tips, discussions and interviews. Ronica interviewed me for an upcoming edition and I really enjoyed the opportunity to reflect on my year, thus far, as Mrs. PA US and my love of pageantry.

Pageant Prep Expo

Today was the Pageant Preparation Expo is King of Prussia, PA, where I had a table to market my business as a singing teacher and vocal coach. At my neighboring table was my amazing and wonderful friend, Michael Hartman, who produces and choreographs for the America's National Teenager Pageant. Mrs. Delaware Valley (and hopefully Mrs. New Jersey US 2010) Kim Meehan, Mrs. New Jersey International Heather Cunningham, and Mrs. Pennsylvania International Sheri Jenkins were also in attendance and looking beautiful, as always.

It was a long day, but hopefully I'll get a few new voice students!

Dessert-Mania!

Tonight, I volunteered to serve at the Newtown Lions Club annual Spaghetti Dinner and I baked all of the desserts. My brother is a member of the Newtown Lions and it was a great opportunity to support both him and the Bucks County Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

Here's what I baked:

Apple pie

Rum cake

Black Forest Cake

White Chocolate Cheesecake with strawberry swirl

Cinnamon Merlot Roasted Pears

Tiramisu

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Chocolate Pie with Chocolate cookie crust and chocolate whipped cream frosting

Heres what I learned:

Both chocolate and cheesecake are in demand, pears are not.

Nobody wants to eat burned apple pie

The chocolate hazelnut torte recipe looks complicated for a reason-- it is.

It was a great night and I'm looking forward to next year already!