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Good Grill Hunting

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As summer kicks in and temperatures soar, grilling rules. And what better way to simplify family meals while taking advantage the warm weather? Here are some tips on making it healthy but hearty enough for everyone:

Don’t Smoke – Avoid cooking on high heat for longer periods of time as this can produce carcinogens that have been linked to certain types of cancer. Cut off any burnt or black bits before eating. Also get in the habit of scrubbing down the grill rack after each use. Removing excess food prevents future charring, smoke and off-flavors in your food.

Look to Lean- The leaner the protein, the less chance of fat drippings causing smoke and burnt food. Look for cuts of loin, round or leg when selecting beef, pork or lamb. Try different fillets of fish (wrapped in foil.) Choose extra-lean ground beef, chicken or turkey for patties. Cook up veggie kabobs brushed in olive oil or grill portabella mushrooms for a rich, flavorful “burger”.

Dunk or Rub- Marinating or rubbing spices on meats and chicken before grilling adds flavor and may also reduce the formation of carcinogens. Use about ½ cup marinade for each pound of protein. Always discard the remaining marinade – never reuse after raw meat has touched it.

Think Outside the Grill – Get out of your steak, burger and hot dog rut. You can experiment with chili (place a cast iron pot right on the grill!), fruit, and even pizzas on your grill.

Portion Your Plate –Look to the new MyPlate food icon – fill half your plate with vegetables (grilled veggies, salad), a quarter with whole grains (rice, pasta, bread) and a quarter with lean protein (meat, chicken, fish, seafood, beans.)

Check out this month’s Sunshine Salsa recipe – the perfect summer side for grilled shrimp, chicken or fish!

Libby’s Jingle Contest Update: You Voted Dan Bakst as the $10,000 Grand Prize Winner!

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America’s votes determined our grand, second and third prize winners

Congratulations again to all of our finalists in the Libby’s Jingle Contest and thank you to everyone who took the time to vote for your favorite video! You selected the following winners*:

$10,000 Grand prize: Dan Bakst
$2,500 Second prize: Jennifer Westcott
$1,000 Third prize: Tim Roberts

Dan Bakst, created his video with friends by setting up a make-shift green screen in an empty room one night after hearing about the contest from his mother. His video, which features Dan and two friends popping out of Libby’s Fruit and Vegetable cans dancing, singing and playing instruments such as the ukulele, received over 1,800 votes making him the winner* of the $10,000 grand prize!

We hope everyone had fun whether you got creative and submitted your jingle contest entry or took the time to vote for your favorites after our partner, Jewel, narrowed it down to the finalists. Congratulations again to all the winners and be sure to watch out for Jewel’s version of the Libby’s jingle to be released this fall on the Libby’s Table Facebook page.

Libby’s Partners With Local Habitat For Humanity Chapters to Make Family Mealtime A Reality

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Getting families back to the dinner table and eating together has always been important to us at Libby’s and that’s why we’re partnering with local Habitat for Humanity chapters in cities across America to give less fortunate families the resources they need to enjoy a meal together.

According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, nearly 95 million Americans live in overcrowded or severely inadequate housing conditions. That’s nearly one-third of the U.S. population and Habitat for Humanity works hard to address that problem. Throughout 2011, Libby’s wants to help make new houses into real homes for families.

The partnership kicks off this month in Kansas City where Libby’s Fruits & Vegetables is providing 12 new Habitat for Humanity Kansas City home owners with everything they need to make family mealtime a reality – a dining set complete with place settings, as well as a stocked pantry. The program will kick off with a build day to benefit seven of the homes that will receive the donation.

Libby’s is also partnering with Kansas City Hen House markets to help provide meals to all Habitat for Humanity Kansas City families. Local residents can help their community by visiting one of 11 Hen House locations to donate nonperishable foods. All donations will benefit Habitat for Humanity Kansas City families through the organization’s food pantry. So if you live in Kansas City, stop by a Hen House store and donate today. If you don’t and still want to help, spread the word, and be a part of Libby’s giving.

A special thank you to our partners in Kansas City:

Multitask Your Cooking: Get Wise With Your Kitchen Time

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These days, it seems like we are juggling work, family, chores and errands 24/7. For this East Coast gal, during the summer, I don’t want to spend any more time indoors in the kitchen than I have to. So, here are my tips to deliver healthy and tasty meals to the table faster and easier. (I definitely need to practice what I preach more often – i.e. planning!)

Plan Ahead
Consider the biggest time saver of all: creating a monthly menu plan. It seems daunting but by dedicating a few hours, you can save yourself an entire month of wondering, “What’s for dinner?”
Simplify by:

    1. Using an online menu template.
    2. Relying on recipe favorites and repeating some throughout the month. Check out this month’s Chicken Fiesta Rice + more CANvenient recipes here.
    3. Making batch dishes on weekends and freezing extras.
    4. Scheduling a few nights for leftovers, “breakfast for dinner” or ordering take-out.

Smart Staples – By keeping some basic food items at hand, you can whip up a last minute meal for those days you don’t have time to plan ahead. My typical freezer and pantry stockers are ground meat and chicken, frozen shrimp, broth, pasta, rice, canned vegetables & fruit, peanut butter, canned tuna, canned tomatoes, olive oil and cereals.

Cooking Techniques that Simplify – My favorite hot weather tool, the grill, is also a fantastic multi-tasker. We often cook an entire meal outside while keeping the kitchen cool and clean (I’ll post more on grilling next month!) I use my microwave daily for speed – for defrosting or steaming foods. Also “no cook” meals such as cereal, salads and sandwiches are always easy yet nutritious time-saving options. We probably do cereal night almost every week!

Slow Cooker to the Rescue – Nowadays, there’s a gadget for every possible kitchen task, but the trusted Crock Pot® or slow cooker is a true time saver. Besides cooking a variety of meals ahead of time, you can use to reheat leftovers, cook oatmeal or even bake bread.

Here’s to summer and less stress in the kitchen!

Libby’s Jingle Contest Update: Jewel Selects the Final Four

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The Final Four Have Been Selected, and Now It’s Up to You to Pick the Winner!

First, a big thank-you to everyone who entered the jingle contest! After carefully reviewing all the entries, our partner, singer-songwriter Jewel, has selected these four entries (in no particular order) to compete for America’s vote to win the $10,000 grand prize.

  • Jennifer Westcott
  • Tim Roberts
  • Dan Bakst
  • Drew Elam

If you aren’t familiar with the Libby’s jingle contest, we partnered with Jewel to not only remind families of the importance of getting back to the table for mealtime, but also to encourage Americans to come together and show their creativity by remaking the Libby’s jingle. 

To view the finalists’ videos, head over to the Jingle Contest tab on the Libby’s Table Facebook page. You can vote for your favorite video up to once a day, and your votes will determine the $10,000 grand prize, $2,500 second place prize, and $1,000 third place prize winners.

Voting will end Friday, June 17, at 11:59 p.m. EST, so be sure to visit the Libby’s Table Facebook page before then to vote for your favorite video and determine our winners!

Thanks again to all of those who entered, and good luck to the finalists!