Getting to Know You...A Little Better

Our second team meeting took place on Saturday, February 18. It was a sunny, pleasant winter day at the Lake of the Ozarks where we met for camaraderie, team photos and preparation. Our District Governor, Rita Esterly, was able to find us an available condo on the water to escape from our busy lives (cell phone service was spotty, representative of our time in Italy, I’m sure) and begin preparing for our exchange. The day started with food, of course. After munching on some lunch we begin running through our to-do list. Our conversation and discussion led us to our team identity or brand, if you will (that is the marketing person in me). We decided our team “skit” or “song” should be “Take me out to the Ball Game,” representing our World Series Champions, The Cardinals, and America’s favorite past time, baseball. (We’ll try and share a video of us performing this summer). As ideas came together, excitement built.

Next it was time for team photos. We got all dressed up in our official uniforms and I have to say we are a pretty good looking group. See for yourself below. Thanks to Jackie Howard for being our professional and patient photographer.

And then it was time for presentations. We diligently worked through the evening and night on the presentation we will present at the district meeting in Italy and to the Italian Rotarians. Okay, we may have had a comparative Missouri wine and Italian wine tasting, as well as some pizza, but when in Rome, right? Feeling accomplished and tired, we called it a night.

Sunday began with a delicious breakfast and Rita arrived just in time to watch us run through our presentation for the first time (in English). We ended our weekend by taking advantage of the outlet mall at the Lake and getting the rest of the pieces of our matching uniforms.

Our first overnight stay was a success. We all learned a little more about each other and left even more eager for our journey together. Next steps are translating our presentation to Italian and practice, practice, practice! We are meeting in early April to rehearse together and for a bike ride on the Katy Trail. Until then – Ciao!

Getting to Know You



Michael and Teah preparing the Tiramisu



The group met for the first time on January 21. Rita Esterly graciously hosted us at her home. Both Jackie Howard, GSE Chair, and our team leader, Nina Furstenau, along with Rita, helped to initiate and guide us through the next couple of months or as I like to call it, THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME.



Prior to our arrival, Nina had gathered some Italian recipes for us to prepare. Keep in mind, it was our first time to meet one another, so when Nina said, “I want you to prepare lunch together,” we were a little nervous. However, we quickly divided up the roles and began making our feast. Luckily, the recipe was in English.



Jill and Stephanie preparing the Tortellini Soup



We quickly got to know one another and from our first experience, learned a little about one another. I must say, we prepared a delicious meal. If you are interested in

re-creating the experience at home, scroll down to the bottom of this blog for the recipes – cooks not included.

After a great meal together, it was time to get down to business. We learned a little more about Rotary and the goodwill they are establishing throughout the world. We also discussed travel arrangements, presentation and gift ideas, our outfits – very important, and our goals while we were there. After several hours, we were given a full list of assignments to complete for our next meeting in February.

All in all is was a beautiful day – bellissima giornata! New friendships were made, ideas were discussed and adventures were planned. Until next time...Ciao!

The complete team with GSE Coordinator Jackie Howard and District Governor 6080 Rita Esterly

Want to make this at home?

Team Italy Menu for Saturday, January 14, 2012

• Italian bread, olive oil

·         Italian Tortellini Soup

• Spinach and goat Cheese Salad with Warm Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Tiramisu
• Italian wine, Ice tea

Italian Tortellini Soup

From Stop and Smell the Rosemary

4 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) Italian-style stewed tomatoes, chopped, plus liquid

2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) low-salt beef broth

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 medium zucchini, halved and thinly sliced

¾ pound green beans, snapped and cut into thirds

¾ pound Italian sausage, crumbled, browned and drained

1 package tortellini with cheese (6 to 8 ounces)

freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Combine tomatoes plus liquid, broth, basil and pepper in a Dutch oven. Bring to a oil. Reduce heat. Add zucchini, green beans, sausage, and tortellini. Cook approximately 10 to 15 minutes, or until tortellini is tender. Serve with grated Parmesan.

Spinach and Goat Cheese Salad with Warm Balsamic Vinaigrette

From Stop and Smell the Rosemary

Warm Balsamic Vinaigrette:

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

½ teaspoon honey

½ teaspoon poppy seeds

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salad:

2 pounds fresh spinach, torn and coarse stems discarded

2 red bell peppers, roasted*, seeded, and cut into strips

4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (1 cup)

1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced

For warm balsamic vinaigrette: Combine vinegar, mustard, honey and poppy seeds ina  small saucepan. Whisk in oil. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Remove from heat.

Arrange spinach on individual plates and drizzle with vinaigrette. Top with red pepper strips, goat cheese and red onion.

*to roast peppers, place peppers on the rack of a broiler pan 4 to 6 inches under the broiling element. Keep oven door ajar. Turn to blacken evenly on all sides.

**can also make this salad without roasting the peppers, just seed and cut into strips

Tiramisu

7 oz. lady fingers

3 large eggs

8 tablespoons sugar

8 oz. Mascarpone cheese

8 oz. cold, strong Espresso coffee

1 oz. powdered cocoa

semi-sweet chocolate shavings (opt)

Separate the egg yolks, then beat the 3 egg yolks with the sugar until a soft creamy mixture is obtained. Fold in the mascarpone cheese into the egg yolks/sugar and mix until smooth. Then, beat the egg whites separately until stiff. Gently, mix the egg whites into the egg yolk and mascarpone mixture.

Dip the lady fingers quickly into the coffee and place a layer of them very close together in a deep 9 x 13 inch dish. Spread half of the mascarpone mixture evenly over the lady fingers and sprinkle with cocoa powder. Make another layer of the lady fingers and top with the remainder of the mascarpone cheese. Sprinkle with cocoa, cover and refrigerate. Top with chocolate shavings just before you are ready to serve.

Buon appetito!