Winter 2014 Newsletter

Greetings!

What a winter! After three major snow storms spring is finally around the corner. It is hard to believe with snow still on the ground, that this weekend we will have temperatures in the 60's.

As we all look forward to warmer temperatures, it is never too early to start planning for your spring or summer events. Company picnic season will soon be starting. Let my team and I know if we can be of any help to you as you begin to plan your firms celebration.

A wonderful space to host an outdoor event is Carr Workspaces on Pennsylvania Avenue:

With striking views of the Washington monument consider Carr Workspaces for your Fourth of July Celebration.

Thank you for a great start to the year.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

 

People always ask me about fun ways to engage team members and clients. You can't go wrong with passes to fun spring events:

• With the Cherry Blossom Festival around the corner consider some of their events to share with your network.
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• The Washington Nationals season is about to begin. Grab some friends, clients and coworkers and enjoy some peanuts and cracker jacks.

Celebrating

25 Years of Giving

 Cream of Asparagus Soup

 Ingredients:

2 pounds asparagus

1 large onion, chopped

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup crème fraîche

Cut tips from 12 asparagus

1 1/2 inches from top and halve tips lengthwise if thick. Reserve for garnish. Cut off stems (white in color) and discard.Chop remaining stalks into 1/2-inch pieces. Saute onion in 2 tablespoons butter in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add asparagus pieces and salt and pepper to taste, then cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add 5 cups broth and simmer, covered, until asparagus is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.While soup simmers, cook reserved asparagus tips in boiling salted water until just tender, 30 seconds, and then drain. Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth, transferring to a bowl (use caution when blending hot liquids), and return to pan.Stir in crème fraîche, then add more broth to thin soup to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil and whisk in remaining tablespoon butter. Add lemon juice and garnish with asparagus tips.

Chef Tip: Soup keeps, covered and chilled, 2 days. If making ahead, add last tablespoon butter and lemon juice after reheating.

Community Corner Geppetto Catering, Inc Celebrates 25 Years of Giving   January: Food and Friends Geppetto team prepared specialized meals and groceries for people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-challenging illnesses.   February: A Wider Circle Clients and friends spent a morning at A Wider Circle in Silver Spring, MD. We sorted donations, organized the warehouse, stocked shelves and assisted clients as they selected items to take home.   March: District Alliance for Safe Housing (DASH) Join us on March 29th as we participate in DASH's new community service learning program; "Revolution: DASH"; by packaging over 400 meals with "Kids Against Hunger" and discuss issues with food access and safety. Email: Shaina Bindeman sbindeman@geppettocatering.com