Survival Strategies: Potluck 2008

Experienced Realm potluckers have chosen 3 proven recipes so that our friends and fans can get through this holiday season's potlucks without humiliation or indigestion!


Toffee Bars
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bar (4 oz) milk chocolate
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix brown sugar. margarine, egg yolk and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt. Press in greased 13x9x2 pan. Bake until very light brown, 25 to 30 minutes (crust will be soft). Remove from oven and immediately place separated pieces of chocolate on crust. Let stand until soft, spread evenly. Sprinkle with nuts. Cut into bars while warm.
Yield: 32.




Creamy & Delicious Cheese Pit
5 slices of buttered bread -cubed
3/4 pound of grated Cracker Barrel cheddar cheese
Alternate layers of bread and cheese in a buttered 3 qt. round baking dish
4 eggs slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon Lawry’s salt

Mix last ingredients together
Pour over bread and cheese
Let stand overnight in refrigerator.
Bake 45 min at 350º.
Serves 6 people



Chicken, Sausage and Wild Rice Casserole
1 pound pork sausage
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
4 whole chicken breasts (or a 2 1/2 - 3 lb chicken), cooked, boned and cut in bite-size pieces
1 6 oz box wild rice (not instant)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Pinch each of oregano, thyme and marjoram

Saute sausage in large skillet or Dutch oven; drain and set aside. In same pan with sausage drippings, saute mushrooms and onions; add sausage and chicken and set aside. Cook wild rice according to package directions. (Sherry may be substituted for part of the water in the rice.)

Mix flour with heavy cream in a medium saucepan until smooth; add chicken broth and cook until thickened. Add seasonings and combine with rice, sausage, chicken and vegetables. Put in a greased casserole dish and bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes. (Can also be made ahead and frozen.)
Serves 10-12

What goes into a logo design.

A logo is so much more than just a graphic and some text. At a glance, the mark needs to evoke emotions and draw on a person's schema. They need to "get it" right away - whether they realize it or not. Very often, the viewer doesn't know why they like the mark, but they do. It is the designer's job to make that happen.

This is that story.

What do you do when you are asked to create a logo mark for the Corporate Volunteer Council (CVC)of Atlanta? Well, first you check to see what the other guys are doing. After a few hours of research, a few things become apparent:

• What are volunteers? People. 
  
• What do they help with? Their hands.
  
• Volunteers have what? Heart. 
  

This was the first realization…
People, hands and hearts are everywhere. Why? Because they make sense and people can recognize these prime shapes at a glance.

But, the CVC wants to have its own identity. They want something special to them.

This is the challenge...
Design something that is unique. Something that will stand out from this crowd. Something that doesn't have hands, hearts or stick people.

Now we can start...
It was time to go and dig into what the CVC was really trying to say. Their three core points are: Connect, Impact, Inspire. What do these ideas mean? What effect do they have on the people around them? What is their ongoing message? So we went deep, and we came back.

After weeding through many ideas, both on and off the map, one finally stood out that seemed to say everything that the group needed to say:

• We needed to show movement.
  A volunteer group is always moving toward bigger goals. They are growing, morphing and constantly in motion to help the people around them.
• We needed to show unity.
  Perhaps the most important aspect of a group is that it is stronger than the individual. This unity exists both within the group itself and is present in the community where the CVC is involved.
• We needed to show strength and diversity.
  Through the cooperation of many, you gain different insights, new ways to solve problems and great drive to reach new goals. 

It finally comes together.
Thread is stronger when it is bound together. It can create something that it could never be on its own. Each color is vibrant and brings something to the final piece. There are three strands, each representing one of the core ideas.

The playful movement of the pieces shows the warmth and heart of each individual that contributes to the group. Where it all comes together is where we see strength and unity. It does not however knot at the end, because the CVC never stops there. They continue in their movement forward to become better themselves and to make a better community.

To balance the color and organic movement of the mark, we chose to use a more formal type treatment to show that the group is indeed strong, firm and serious about their objectives.

In the end, we came up with a mark that managed to represent all the vital aspects of the CVC of Atlanta in one simple metaphor. And while we are happy to say that it is people, hand and heart-free, it still manages to convey the spirit of all three.