Backpacks for Life

Brett, CPL. USMC   (Images in the article by Alexa Modero and the team at Backpacks for Life) 

Brett D'Alessandro is a Corporal in the United States Marine Corps and a resident of Verona, NJ. After returning from active duty in Afghanistan and while working at his unit in Providence Rhode Island, Brett saw a homeless man who held a sign indicating that he was a Vietnam veteran.  That evening, Brett filled one of his own backpacks from his tour with some clothing and socks and gave it to the man the next morning. Some time later he saw a small child walking alongside the same man, wearing the backpack proudly. 

 "I stopped to say hello and the homeless man explained to me that his wife had become very sick and the warming layers were helping her tremendously. It was in this moment that I knew I wanted to help others get back on their feet and give them a second chance at life.”, Brett recounts.  And so Backpacks for Life was born. 

Supported by Co-Founders Alexa Modero and Kevin Clarke, the organization secures backpacks through donations and packs them with seasonal materials including toiletries, clothing, a notebook & pen, as well as resource pamphlets (where to find housing, insurance, jobs, etc.). Their mission is to provide homeless veterans with the basic life essentials that they cannot provide for themselves. With each backpack, they hope to not only provide homeless veterans with the things they need for daily living but also, give them hope and resources for the future. 

Founder Brett D'Alessandro and Co-Founders Alexa Modero and Kevin Clarke at Stand Down Weekend in Rhode Island.

Backpacks for Life is spreading their mission in the community. Since their launch in September, they've participated in Operation Stand Down's 'Stand Down Weekend' where they distributed 400 packs to veterans in need, hosted a Bocce Tournament raising $3,000 towards their mission, and packed backpacks with a troop of eager Brownies in New Jersey. Each and every pack distributed is distinct as it is marked with the Backpacks for Life patch, designed by Joanna Maher of Look North Inc. along with the logo, website, and branded identity materials. 

Co-founder Alexa Modero reflects on her journey thus far. "This experience of creating a nonprofit organization makes me realize everyone has the ability to leave this world better than how we found it. By supporting veterans who have fought for my freedom, I feel that this is my way of giving back to them. Its a truly humbling experience to see how appreciative and receptive homeless veterans are towards people willing to give them assistance."

While there is conflict and unrest at home and abroad, it is essential to remember the men and women who protect our nation and its people. We mustn't forget to support them after their formal duties have ended. The hardest battle for many is integrating back into civilian life. Backpacks for Life is providing a crucial service to forgotten veterans and we applaud them, but they need our help - to donate, visit their website. Interested in contributing materials, see what they provide in their packs.

& follow along with Backpacks for Life:

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About Look North Inc. 

Look North is an award-winning creative and technology studio located in Montclair, New Jersey. What started as a curiousity of all things digital grew into a full-fledged obsession with modern communication tools and techniques. We encourage and actively participate in professional, community and personal organizations and initiatives including volunteer programs and non-profit work. 

We've been fortunate to work with alongside these three inspiring young people who are making an impact in the Veteran community.  Creative Director and Designer, Joanna Maher, was responsible for logo, website, identity, and collateral design. To work with Joanna and the team at Look North Inc, visit our website. 

Mini Bacon Crusted Apple Pies

In another life, I was born in Nashville. I ate at the Loveless Cafe with my family on Sundays where we feasted on biscuits, chicken fried, and pie. Lots of pie. I grew up playing the banjo, listening to Loretta Lynn, and cooking with butter in cast iron skillets. 

In this life, which is a fine and love-filled one, I was born in New Jersey. I ate, and continue to eat with my family on Sundays, really most days, whether it be at home or at our favorite spots. I grew up playing the violin and clarinet, and listened to Motown and classic rock, my parents' favorites. We cooked with olive oil in huge pots, enough food to feed the family and any guests that wandered in. 

James came along and introduced me to Texas barbecue, taught me to cook in a Dutch oven over open flames, and took my family on our first family vacation in years to Tennessee. My two lives collided, and this Italian girl from Jersey has found her love of skillets and heavy cream. 

My latest experiment in Southern fare was a decadent mini apple pie with a lattice crust of crisp smoked bacon - a delightful combination of salty and sweet, inspired by this recipe from Loveless Cafe. And make sure you scroll to the very end, as there are a collection of Apple recipes from a fine group of foodie friends for #aisforalltheapples !

Ingredients

6 cups of sliced, peeled apples
I used mixed baking apples from a bushel my friend Demi brought me from Virginia. The varied sized and colors made for a lovely picture.

Dry ingredients
1 teaspoon cinnamon  |   2 tablespoons cornstarch  |  1/2 teaspoon nutmeg  |  1 teaspoon allspice  |  3/4 cup packed light brown sugar. The recipe calls for cardamom and cloves but I did not have them on hand.

Two 9 inch pie shells, unbaked. Additionally, you will need 6-8 slices of smoked bacon per mini pie. 

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Peel and slice your apples into 1/2 inch slices. In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients until blended. Add the apples to the dry ingredients and toss until coated. 

Place the pie shells over your mini pans. Leave about 1 inch of crust over the edge, and trim the remaining with a pasta cutter or knife. Reserve the extra crust for other use. 

James has taught me the beauty of cooking with cast iron. We collect Lodge pieces, all made in the United States and boasting of a rich cultural history. For these mini pies, I used these small round servers. 

Divide the apples and any juices that have accumulated among the two pans.  Weave the uncooked bacon in an alternating over and under pattern atop the apple filling. Tuck the bacon edges into the apple filling. Crimp the crust over the bacon edges to seal the pies.

Cover the pies with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil from the pies, and return them to the oven. Cook for 15 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Cool before serving, and enjoy! 

I am participating in a digital activation with a group of talented food bloggers and you can check out their delectable apple confections below. Enjoy!

Cloudy Kitchen’s Salted Caramel and Apple Babka

Square Meal Round Table’s Chai Spiced Tarte Tatin

The Wood and Spoon’s Maple Apple Cake

The Cooking of Joy’s Deep Fried Apple Dumplings with Miso Caramel Dipping Sauce

My Kitchen Love’s Bird’s Nest Caramel Apple Cake  

More Icing Than Cake’s Apple Butter Pretzels with Rosemary Cheddar Dip

Casey Joy Lister’s Waldorf Salad’s Twisted Sister

The Kitchen Sink’s Apple Cheddar Loaf

What Should I Make For’s Apple Puff Pastry Tarts

Jessie Sheehan Bakes’ Apple Fritters

Smart in the Kitchen’s Gluten Free Apple Cranberry Crisp

This Healthy Table’s Cardamom Apple Tart

Figs and Flour’s Apple Purple Potato PIzza

Something New for Dinner’s Savory Bread Pudding with Apples, Sausage, and Pecan

Always Eat Dessert’s Apple Spice Scones with Maple Bourbon Glaze

Rezel Kealoha’s Rose Poached Apples with Rosewater Reduction

The Soup Solution’s Fennel Sausage and and Apple Dressing (Stuffing)

Lemon Thyme and Ginger’s Smoky Maple Apple Dutch Baby

Gobble the Cook’s One Pan Pork Chops and Sausages with Apple

Hola Jalapeno’s Fluffy Apple Chili Biscuits

Salt and Wind’s Pomegranate Ginger Apple Cider Punch

What Annie’s Eating’s Butternut Squash/Apple Soup with Asiago and Sage Croutons

Flours in Your Hair’s Brown Butter Bourbon Apple Pie

Confetti Kitchen’s Kale Salad with Chicken and Apple

Salted Plains’ Gluten-Free Apple Crumb Cake

Easy and Delish’s Fun Candy Corn Apple Pops

This Mess is Ours’ Easy Baked Apple Custard

Butter Loves Company’s Gingerbread with Brandied Apples

Zestful Kitchen’s Puffed Apple Pancake

Sweet Pillar Food’s Apple Honey Brie

A Farm Girl’s Dabbles’ Peanut Butter Apple Cookies

A Savory Dish’s Peanut Butter Protein Dip

Especially Southern Dishes’ Apple Pie Egg Rolls

Pie Girl Bakes’ Salted Caramel Apple Pie

Cocoa and Salt’s Vegan Apple Stuffin’ Muffins

Contentment is a pop tart

I've developed such a strong affection for food over the years firstly, because it is sustaining and essential. Loving the things that we need to survive is pragmatic and rewarding all at once. Food nourishes our bodies, it pleases us, and is subjective. I may love one herb, and another person may not. They may avoid this herb like an infectious disease and view it with furious disdain. BUT, we will not war over it as our disagreement is not polarizing. In these turbulent days of division and labeling, this is a powerful attribute. 

The pastry dough was flaky, truly delightful. I used the recipe from the "Megpie" feature in Sweet Paul's Fall 2014 issue. 

Secondly, it reminds us of who we are and the memories we've made over time. Some bad, others joyous. Pangs of hunger during difficult times or the abundance charactertistic of holiday gatherings and festivities. I can swear I recall the cake I had on my first birthday. This is highly unlikely and I have been heavily influenced by the pictures I have seen from the event, but the notion is the same. We remember where we were, who we were with, and what we ate. 

I live with James in my late grandmother and grandfather's home where my dad grew up. We called them Nonny and Homer. Nonny, the gentle Calabrese grandmother, and Homer for his days as a baseball player. The amenities in the kitchen are not elaborate, but what they lack in modernity they more than compensate for in memories.

I adapted Joy the Baker's pumpkin pie filling around what was in my pantry and spice preferences. 

The counter top, a vintage swirly pattern, is worn away in the corner closest to the sink as Nonny likely did the majority of her preparation there. As a young woman, she came to this country not having known English or ever attending school. She made a great life for herself and her family, and fed them generously despite being far from wealthy. (My dad, her son, is 6 foot 3, 290 pounds, so I would say he was nurtured adequately.) 

There is no dish washer. In the evenings, and sometimes the mornings depending on what is cooking, I stand firmly in front of that sink and wash away. Often it takes an entire hour to finish them all as James is a chef and creates lots of dirty dishes, and I follow in close second as his sous chef. I let the dishes air dry, so if you visit for a meal there may be water streaks on the glassware. As a person that is hard on myself, I like these pockets of vulnerability in my life to affirm that flaws are beautiful, and make us relatable, even more appealing. 

I've taken to rising early in the morning to spend time alone in the dimly lit kitchen. The sunlight pours in the windows in front of the sink. I sip on coffee and plan the meals for the day. If I had my way, there would be a warm cake every morning; I settle for three days out of the week. Standing where Nonny would have stood, I affix a small garbage bag to the utensil drawer, like she did, to prevent walking back and forth to the garbage pail. There is always an excess of vegetable peels, egg shells, and packaging so this little practice she left with us is ingenious. The people that leave us, never truly do.

Recently, I made a childhood favorite as a reminder of my upbringing: pop tarts! They were also inspired by my time living in DC, frequenting Ted's Bulletin on Capitol Hill and eating copious amounts of their to-die for pop tarts. I cut the dough into hearts with a large pancake mold, filled them with pumpkin pie filling, and topped them with a maple glaze. The fall flavors have been in full swing in this house. 

After distributing to family and friends, one lone pop tart was left for me to enjoy. I had it with a cup of coffee served in one of my prettiest mugs. Nonny was tasting it too I am sure. 

Falling slowly

“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.”

— Lauren DeStefano

With all due respect to the other seasons, Fall is a special beauty. Everything bursts with its last beauty. She is fleeting and vulnerable. Once she shows her very best, it is just as quickly gone. Her hues are rich and earthy, temperatures crisp and desserts cinnamon topped. The mums arrive, the leaves turn, and darkness creeps in steadily. 

I've fallen for Fall; really I've always been intrigued with her. When I was younger, she marked new beginnings at school. These days she provides respite from the Summer heat and hectic merriment. She is patient and nurturing. As she has finally arrived, I'm reminded of the lovely tune from Once, called "Falling Slowly."  (Have a listen, it will give you chills.) This past month, I became engaged, to a man I have been falling for over the last three years. Fall will always mark this special moment in my life. We will also wed in the Fall, and my already pronounced adoration will flourish. 

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To welcome this beauty, I've given one of my favorite treats some Fall flare. It's mightily easy to prepare, difficult to ruin, and ever indulgent. On top of that, there are only five ingredients! I give you a Pumpkin Icebox Cake. 

You'll need:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons canned unseasoned pumpkin puree

And one sleeve Famous Chocolate Wafers.

Before whipping, chill the bowl in the refrigerator. Whip the cream, vanilla, and sugar in a stand mixer with a wire whisk until stiff peaks form. Gently mix the pumpkin into the cream. You'll notice it takes on a lovely orange tint. 

Place a piece of wax paper on your work surface and begin to stack the chocolate wafers alternatively with dollops of cream. Arrange as you wish; I make a long log but I've also made a round cake from five piles of wafers.  

Once you have used all the wafers, spread whipped cream to cover the outside of your cake. 

Roll the wax paper along the sides of your cake to seal and chill for three hours.

Slice and serve. Happy Fall y'all. 

On Criticism

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.” - Teddy Roosevelt (1910) via Brené Brown

Since joining the digital sector as a project manager, I have been doing my fair share of reading to get acquainted with the nuances of the industry, best practices, and opinions of the practitioners who so generously share their knowledge. At this moment, it escapes me how I found this writer in particular, but I am grateful I did.  Paul Jarvis is proficient in web design, sure, but I am especially fond of his weekly newsletter, the Sunday Dispatches. He has a knack for relating business and design concepts to practical life lessons, and I find his weekly reads enriching from both a professional and personal vantage point. I highly recommend subscribing.

 A few weeks back, Paul wrote about managing critics, or "trolls" as he called them and it struck a chord with me. As a sensitive person, I am especially, well, sensitive, to criticism. While others' comments aren't always relevant or constructive and I would be better off to disregard them entirely, they still register. I hear the words, I internalize them, search for any truth behind said words, and then hold on to them if they evoke enough negative feelings.

Unfortunately, as a fallible human being I have the ability/urge to be critical as well. As much as we hate criticism, we are all capable of doling it out, and sometimes do. Webster says to criticize is to indicate the faults of (someone or something) in a disapproving way. Criticism ranges from trivial comments about preferences in dress or music, to deeper value judgements about efforts, behaviors, choices, and beliefs. We can be critical without even realizing it, and I this may be due in part to our obsession as a culture with comparing and conforming, rather than celebrating what makes us special. 

The quote at the beginning of this post was shared by Paul, and I found great comfort in these words from our former President, as conveyed by one of the leading scholars in the fields of empathy and vulnerability research, Brené Brown. I would consider myself passionate, and full of life. I thrive off associating with others who are thirsty to explore, learn more, and live with their feet firmly planted in the beauty that this world, although broken, has to offer. Especially refreshing are people who acknowledge weaknesses, accept them, even become comfortable with this state of brokenness. Those that can encourage advancement and diligence but allow for the shortcomings that will undeniably arise on the quest to competence. "...who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly."

For anyone who has ever doubted themselves, been judged unfairly, or judged another person before considering the compassionate approach, you're surely not the only one. Personally, when I am critical of others or myself, it reveals an evident insecurity. I can only speak for myself, but I would go so far as to say it is beneficial to overcome the urge to criticize, when not constructive, as it serves neither the critic nor the judged. The great strength of humanity is that we have the free will to choose - actions that build up others or tear them down. It makes choosing love and understanding all the more celebratory, and as a people we can learn from each instance of said love. 

(PS- Well worth your time is Brené's TED Talk, below, on the "power of vulnerability". If there were a curriculum for life, this in my humble opinion would be essential content.)