Around the Table with the Burkes: Solo Parenting

The potatoes are a treat for me; my children torment their Irish and German ancestors by hating on potatoes and, as such, I don’t make them often.

I left off last week with big plans to do some freezer meals and set myself up for an organized week of solo parenting. Best laid plans…

On Saturday my oldest son insisted we throw a surprise birthday party for his best friend who a) had already had a party, and b) hates surprises. My son was not to be deterred by these facts, so I made some macaroni & cheese, threw together a veggie tray, and ordered some cupcakes. Friends brought chicken to complete the meal. We all had a great time at the party no one actually wanted to happen.

Sunday I was struck down by whatever illness is floating around my kids’ schools, so my freezer meals were tossed out the window. However, I pulled myself together just enough to put a pork shoulder in the Instant Pot with barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and cider vinegar; 90 minutes later we had pulled pork, paired with spaetzle and green beans.

My husband’s job took him to Winston Salem for most of the week, and I felt like I had been hit by a truck, so after struggling through Monday I picked up Happy Meals and called it a night. All hail the red-haired clown.

I found myself feeling slightly better on Tuesday, so I made an actual dinner of pulled chicken, green beans, and roasted potatoes. The potatoes are a treat for me; my children torment their Irish and German ancestors by hating on potatoes, and as such, I don’t make them often. Peel potatoes, cut into 1-inch squares. Coat with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic, crushed rosemary, salt, and pepper. Roast at 425 for 20 minutes, increase to 450 for an additional 10. They’re ready when they start to brown.

Wednesday evening was spent in the company of two toddlers, so I busted out the leftovers. An unexpected benefit of being husband free is the abundance of food in my fridge. I might get away with only cooking once or twice a week from now on. Won’t that make for some interesting articles…

Travis made his triumphant return home on Thursday. A better wife would have made a welcome home dinner, this wife (who was still sick) ordered a pizza.

Today I went to the doctor and learned I have bronchitis. Armed with this information and some medicine I have higher hopes for getting my act together next week. As for dinner tonight, we have yet to have the circular “I don’t know, what do you want to eat?” conversation, but I’m already leaning pasta.

Weeks like this one remind me why a plan is a wonderful thing to have.

Norah’s Simple Roasted Potatoes: Peel potatoes, cut into 1-inch squares. Coat with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic, crushed rosemary, salt, and pepper. Roast at 425 for 20 minutes, increase to 450 for an additional 10. They’re ready when they start to brown.

Around the Table with the Burkes: 2019, A Year for the Burkes

As always, my husband and I do our best in the name of elusive family togetherness.

Thus far, 2019 has been a rough year in the Burke house (and it’s only February!). Sometimes the hits just keep on coming and it can be difficult to find your feet again. This is where I find myself at present. It’s hard, then, to do things like plan a week of healthy meals and get everyone to the table. As always, though, my husband and I do our best in the name of elusive family togetherness. I have also been unable to make it to the Farmer’s Market for a few Saturdays now, but I maintain the hope that tomorrow will be the day. So on to the week!

We had a full house on Saturday as we offered to feed our neighbors’ kids while they worked on an important home project. With six kids around the table, Travis grilled hamburgers (he is a hamburger master), served with broccoli and noodles. I would share his special hamburger spice blend, but he won’t even share it with me, alas.

Sunday was another big group dinner. In cleaning out our freezer we discovered a giant pack of steak that was an all or nothing defrosting endeavor. We invited our friends to join us for sweet potato fries, green beans, and grilled steak. Travis put on his chef hat once more and handled it all. We went the easy route with fries we also discovered in the freezer, but when I’m feeling ambitious I slice up sweet potatoes into eight sections each, coat with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chipotle chili powder if we’re feeling spicy. Roast at 425 for 20-30 minutes, until the outsides are crisp and the insides are soft.

I returned to an old staple on Monday with a chicken stir fry and rice. Tuesday I threw together pork chops, egg noodles, and corn as it was just me and the kids. My older children eat dinner at church on Wednesday nights before choir, so Travis, the toddler, and I took out leftovers that night.

Thursday night was pasta night, and tonight I’m thinking I’ll change my plans to something hearty and warm to stave off this ridiculous weather. Chili or a stew of some kind.

This weekend I’m going to try my hand at making a supply of freezer meals. My husband is headed off to Winston Salem for work, leaving me to manage our circus alone for awhile. I’m hoping an ounce of preparation (and the help of the world’s best friends) will help me maintain just a tiny bit of sanity. Tune in next week to find out!

Around the Table with the Burkes: Survival is the Main Ingredient

Meal planning is a really useful tool for making sure we don’t have McDonald’s every day, but sometimes my ambition on Saturday doesn’t match up with my energy level on a Monday evening. Flexibility and a Plan B helps.

Crib rails and baby gates are merely training devices for the youngest’s future Ninja Warrior career.

Greetings Beacon readers! After a short hiatus Around the Table has returned with more tales of survival and food from the Burke household, survival being the key ingredient these days. I have been suffering from an overdose of tired lately. A death in my family, whirlwind travel, and major changes coming to my household have caused my brain to short circuit. Additionally, my youngest child (2) has decided that a.) he’s never going to sleep again, and b.) crib rails and baby gates are merely training devices for his future Ninja Warrior career. Meal planning is a really useful tool for making sure we don’t have McDonald’s every day, but sometimes my ambition on Saturday doesn’t match up with my energy level on a Monday evening. Flexibility and a Plan B helps.

Last Saturday I had a meeting all afternoon and was out later than I planned, so we ended up ordering pizza. Highlight of the evening was my food allergy kid getting his first slice after months of trialing different pizza components. He was so excited! Can I just serve pizza every day and still maintain “Okay Mom” status?

Sunday I planned on Beef Stew for “Hearty Superb Owl Man Food.” I was going to go with my quick and easy McCormick packet cheat, but that only works if you actually have a packet on hand. So I took to googling recipes and made a bit of a FrankenStew using my Instant Pot. Positives: delicious stew beef from the Farmer’s Market made ultra tender by the Instant Pot. Negatives: waaaaaaay too much tomato paste, and not enough beef broth. Not my finest dish, but not entirely inedible.

My good friend got chickens last weekend. The live, future-egg-laying variety. They’re pretty cute, and I am a bit of an animal nut, so hanging out with chicks instead of working was how I spent most of my days this week. Monday evening rolled around and I threw together some baked pork chops, noodles, and corn. Some days the most basic home cooked foods are a win. Tuesday’s dinner was leftovers. Thank goodness we had some.

Wednesday I shocked my husband by making “real” food – chicken chili and biscuits.

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White Chicken Chili:

• A pound and a half of chicken cut into bite size chunks (I use breasts, thighs also work)

• 3 cans of white beans, drained and rinsed

• Seasoning mix (per pound of chicken, I double this for 1.5 pounds):

  • ½ tsp sugar

  • ½ tsp corn starch

  • 1 tsp garlic powder

  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper

  • 1 tsp cumin

  • ½ tsp oregano

  • ½ tsp cilantro

• 1 cup frozen or canned corn

• 2-3 cups water

Brown the chicken on all sides, then add water, seasoning mix, and beans. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Add the corn and cook another 6-10 minutes. Serve with something you can use to mop sauce!

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Thursday I shocked Travis again with meatloaf, squash, and spaetzle. I also did dishes. Travis thinks I might be very sick.

As for tonight, I’m at a loss. I see turkey burgers on my plan, but that seems like a lot of effort. In all likelihood we’re going to end up having pancakes and French toast for dinner. Plan Brinner.

One of these days I’ll head back to the Farmer’s Market and one of these weeks I’ll have myself back on track with my goals for the year.

Around the Table with the Burkes: A Week Without Takeout

“[One] resolution for the new year is to eat out less, I’m going to call this week a success and enjoy this sense of pride before life happens and we get derailed. ”

Happy New Year, readers! There’s nothing like being home after travel, is there? I took my time at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday, it was slow and smaller than usual thanks to the holidays, but it’s the season for some of my favorite vegetables. Broccoli and Cauliflower! Mustard greens, some beautiful lettuce, and sweet potatoes rounded out my purchases for the week.

On Saturday I made chicken stir fry. To me, stir-frying is one of those magical cooking techniques where you put in things you like and the result is always delicious. Vegetable stir-fry, beef stir-fry, pork stir-fry, fish stir-fry, all good. Chicken stir-fry is one of the dishes my mom made when I was little to stretch a package of chicken to feed six people. I change my recipe pretty much every time I make it, but my starting point is usually the following:

Chicken Stir Fry

• 1-2 pounds boneless chicken breasts (or thighs if you like dark meat), cut into 1-2 inch chunks

• 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (here’s another place to change up the flavor by using sesame oil, or a blend of the two)

• Marinade:

• ½ Tbsp Garlic Powder, or 4-5 minced cloves (or more, you can never skimp on garlic IMO)

• 1 tsp Ginger

• 1 Tbsp Honey

• ¼ - 1/3 cup Soy Sauce

• 2 Tbsp Corn Starch

Additional Spice Options (I play around to see what we like): Chinese Five Spice, Chili Powder, Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Cinnamon, Wasabi. A shake here, a pinch there, sometimes nothing extra at all

Vegetables (pick and choose any or all): Baby Corn, Broccoli, Green Beans, Carrots, Snap Peas, Bell Peppers, Water Chestnuts, Onions, Mushrooms (I guess? If you like that kind of thing)

Put the chicken chunks into a bowl, pour in the marinade, and stir to coat. Prepare your vegetable selections, making sure everything is cut into uniform sizes. Vegetables that take longer to cook (corn, water chestnuts, carrots) should be cut smaller than faster cooking vegetables. In a wok (I used a cheap wok from IKEA for 10 years, and recently replaced it with this one since I stir fry a lot it’s worth the investment to me) heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil to shimmering hot. HOT is the key to stir fry (but don’t light your kitchen on fire, keep both eyes on it!). Drop the chicken and marinade into the wok and cook, stirring constantly, until the chicken is browned on the outside. Add your vegetables and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, but still brightly colored. Watch your heat, you want it to be hot, but not burn. If you like to have a little sauce, toward the end of cooking pour a few tablespoons of water into the pan, dribbling it along the side of the wok so it heats up before it hits the rest of the ingredients. Serve over the rice variety of your choice (my fave is Basmati, but any variety will do).

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My plan for Sunday was to rest in preparation for a big New Year’s Eve dinner, so my husband threw together some pasta and crusty bread. Quick, simple, and I didn’t have to make it!

“ I love making biscuits from scratch when I have a chance (isn’t it a requirement for Southern residency?).”

Monday I baked a spiral ham with sweet potatoes, spaetzle, and biscuits. I love making biscuits from scratch when I have a chance (isn’t it a requirement for Southern residency?). I start with Betty Crocker’s Baking Powder Biscuit recipe, which I found in my oldest, most beaten up cookbook, but is now online thanks to the magic of the internet. I replace the shortening with butter and the milk with buttermilk.

Tuesday we had leftover ham, much to my children’s delight. My son opted for rolled up deli turkey. Insert eye roll.

I got experimental on Wednesday, making a dish that was both new to us and vegetarian. I made a resolution to start incorporating more meatless meals into our dinner menu, to both save money and reduce our environmental impact. So I made quinoa and black bean tacos from my new vegetarian cookbook “Love Real Food.” I was pleasantly surprised, they were quite good. I’ll tweak the spices next time because the flavor wasn’t as in your face as we like, probably with more garlic (have you noticed yet how much I like garlic? Because I really like garlic. Fortunately, there is lots of garlic to be found at the Market), more chili powder, and possibly the addition of a homemade taco sauce because we were missing some moisture. But overall the tacos were really good, I think we’ll make them a regular addition. I topped mine with lettuce from the Market, cheddar cheese, corn, and some crumbled tortilla chips for crunch. If you’re wondering how they went over with the kids, well… it’s good to keep chicken nuggets in the freezer.

I threw together a quick chicken chili on Thursday with boxed cornbread.

Today we’ll clean out all of the leftovers from this week; there are lots of options. I’m sure my kids will complain about all of them and ask for McDonald’s, but I’m not going to give in because we made it through a week without takeout! Another resolution for the new year is to eat out less, I’m going to call this week a success and enjoy this sense of pride before life happens and we get derailed.

Enjoy your weekend!

Around the Table with the Burkes: Feeding the Frenzy

The holiday season is excellent for messing up a routine. Parties, outings, travel, family visits… the joyful events that leave us exhausted and not quite sure what day it is (Friday? Right. Friday).

This week began in Pennsylvania for the Burke clan, where meals were less planned than they were thrown together based on the easiest way to feed a crowd of 12 in a hurry.

Saturday we baked a spiral ham, roasted some squash, and mashed potatoes. Easy, quick, large quantities. Though according to my children, ham is “disgusting.” My husband, ham lover, was heartbroken by their declaration.

Sunday was a day for roasted turkey, cranberry sauce, egg noodles, and corn. My cranberry sauce is made fresh from berries, with fresh orange juice, cinnamon, and sugar. I talked briefly with Thea of Lil Rebel Bakery at the last Farmer’s Market I hit up, and we agreed that the key to baking and cooking with cranberries is to keep adding sugar until it tastes good. Fair warning – this sauce is not a health food.

“The key to baking and cooking with cranberries is to keep adding sugar until it tastes good. ”

Cranberry Sauce

• 1 Pound Cranberries

• 1 Cup Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

• 1 Cup Water

• 1 Cup White Sugar

• 1 Cup Brown Sugar

• 1 tsp Cinnamon

Rinse the cranberries and then mix the ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Place on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the liquid starts to boil. Keep stirring until the cranberries start to pop open. Turn the heat down to medium-low and let the sauce simmer for 30-45 minutes.

You can also make this in a crockpot, add all the ingredients to the crockpot and cook on high for 3 hours, then remove the lid and cook another 45 minutes.

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Growing up, my family Christmas Eve tradition was joining our close family friends at their home, helping to decorate their tree, and sharing an assortment of weird food (oyster stew and lasagna this year, I admit I missed the pigs in a blanket we made when I was a kid), gifts, and cookies. I have missed out on the tradition for years because of my holiday travel rule, much to the dismay of Kathryn, the matriarch of our friends’ family. She sends me a card every year asking when we’re going to show up, so this year I told my mom to keep our travel plans a secret. I don’t often succeed in surprising people, it was super fun, highly recommend.

On Tuesday, Christmas day, we opened gifts and then traveled back to Matthews. A whirlwind day ended with ham, mashed potatoes, and green beans delivered to our door by a dear friend.

Wednesday was a good day for recovering from travel and ordering takeout.

Thursday my husband took our older kids to Carowinds for Winterfest, and left me and our toddler to patch together dinner on our own: an assortment of chicken nuggets, French fries, and various fruit.

Today I’m going to get back to making my family real food. We’ll have roast beef (sirloin tip roast coated with garlic, onion, salt & pepper, roasted on a rack at 325 for 1.5 hours) for dinner with sweet potatoes from the farmers market and sautéed broccoli. After the last few weeks, I’m really looking forward to a large pile of vegetables for dinner tonight, and getting back to the Market tomorrow!

Around the Table with The Burkes: On Comfort

“Comfort Food: The foods we eat to soothe our souls: homemade chicken soup, freshly baked bread with jam, an apple right off the tree, a bowl of hearty stew. ”

Photo by Norah Burke

I have held on to a fairly steadfast rule in my six years as a parent: we don’t travel for winter holidays. The rule came about in part because I was terrified about flying with one, two, and then three small children, and in part, because I wanted to establish our own holiday traditions as a new family. I made a somewhat last minute decision to throw my rule out the window this year, my dear grandmother is in hospice and seeing her seemed like an excellent reason to throw travel worries away and take on the challenge.

Needless to say, the week has been a whirlwind of pasta, fast food, and cold sandwiches – it’s not much of a meal plan. It did get me thinking, however, about comfort food. I’m not talking about the mindless stress eating we sometimes fall into or the occasional overindulgence, but about the foods we eat to soothe our souls: homemade chicken soup, freshly baked bread with jam, an apple right off the tree, a bowl of hearty stew.

Photo by Norah Burke

Most of my farmer’s market purchases last week went into the freezer and pantry, but I bought some fresh bread and incredible jam, and as I worked through the stress over travel and worried about my family I kept returning to a piece of toasted bread with jam (at least until my husband polished off the loaf). It was just what I needed to get through the planning and packing.

As for the travel, we survived our flight, and Newark airport, and the Garden State Parkway. I got to hold my grandma’s hand and talk and laugh with her for a while. Now we’ll bake cookies with my mom, and I’ll show my kids how we celebrate Christmas in my childhood home.

I’ll leave you with the recipe for my favorite cookie of all time, perfect for sharing with friends and family during the holiday season. Comfort and joy to you all, Beacon readers.

Great Pumpkin Cookies

• 2 cups Flour

• 1 cup Oatmeal

• 4 Tbsp Wheat Germ (optional)

• 1 cup Shredded Coconut

• 1 tsp Cinnamon

• Dash Salt

• 1 tsp Baking Soda

• 1 cup Butter

• 1 cup Brown Sugar

• 1 cup White Sugar

• 2 Eggs

• 1 tsp Vanilla

• 1 1/2 - 2 cups Pumpkin (I find a 16 ounce can of pumpkin is perfect)

• 1 cup Chocolate Chips (or Raisins if you're feeling healthy)

• 1 cup Chopped Nuts (if desired)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix dry ingredients and set them aside. In a large bowl mix butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and pumpkin, mix well. Add chocolate chips and combine. Bake 15-20 minutes (for a small cookie scoop. I use a medium scoop which usually takes 22-25 minutes). They should be just browned on the edges and cakey in the middle.

It's a very forgiving recipe. My mom often cuts the sugar by 3/4 or 1/2; I also substitute wheat flour occasionally.

Photo by Norah Burke

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Matthews Mojo Runners: Running Adorned

Despite cold, humid weather Saturday morning, more than eight people showed up in their finest Halloween attire (ranging from a touch of orange to a full body Monsters, Inc. suit) for Mojo Run Club’s annual Halloween run. Dubbed the (annual) “Halloween Costume Run,” the event is held as a way to combine the business of running with……well….fun!

Photo by Norah Burke

“Halloween is my very favorite day of the year,” said Bethany Salisbury, VP of the Charlotte Runners Club and organizer of the Matthews Mojo Runners runs. “I'm crazy about th(is) holiday and the only thing I like more than actual Halloween (day) are costumed Halloween runs!” she said. (One year, Salisbury tried to run in a Halloween tutu and witch's hat and learned the hard way that that didn't work! Another year, she dressed up as an injured runner and the next day she hurt her knee!)

The group, an offshoot of the Charlotte Running Club, runs weekly each Saturday at 8 a.m. from  Temple Mojo (195 North Trade Street) in the center of town to the Greenway and back – approximately five miles, (although some members meet at 6 a.m. or even 7 a.m. and run to the Sportsplex beforehand). They now call the group the Matthews Mojo Run.

Photo by Norah Burke

To support the event, partner Temple Mojo offered pumpkin beer and Bethany baked cupcakes to share with the runners after the event. They were joined by more friends to imbibe. “Not everyone dresses up but I always do,” said Bethany. “I like to bake something pumpkin-related to share with the runners afterward, while we drink our coffee (and beer!). It's always a really fun time.”

Photo by Renee Garner

Photo by Renee Garner

Photo by Renee Garner

Photo by Norah Burke

Photo by Norah Burke

Photo by Norah Burke

Photo by Norah Burke

Matthews Morning Minute: October 12, 2018

News About Town: The rain in Matthews stays mainly in the drain…or sometimes not. If you can, please make sure the storm drains near you are clear of debris. Make sure yard waste bags are off the curb so water can flow freely. Republic Services didn’t collect trash or recycling yesterday, so they will operate on on a one-day delay. Public Works will continue to aid Republic with yard waste collection.

Photo by Norah Burke

News Around Town: School is out for the second day in a row and now we’re all secretly hoping it doesn’t snow this year.

Lots of Good Things: There are a lot of activities this weekend, so let’s recap, shall we?

Butler High School Softball Team Yard Sale: Proceeds will benefit Make A Wish Foundation and the school softball program. Cash-only. Saturday, October 13, 9 AM til 1 PM, 2308 Heathershire Lane, Matthews .

Fire Department Recruiting Fair and New Truck Wet Down:  236 Trade Street, Matthews. Saturday, October 13th, 10:00 AM-1:00 PM. The department will “wet down” their new truck as a way to kick off its service. Also tour the station, see the gear they use up close, gain hands-on experience, and learn about becoming a Volunteer Firefighter, Emergency Medical Technician, Fire Corp member, or Explorer.

Kids in Nature Day sponsored by HAWK: Saturday, October 13 from 10 AM til 1 PM at Squirrel Lake Park, 1631 Pleasant Plains Road, Matthews, NC. Join Habitat and Wildlife Keepers, the Town of Matthews, and the NC Wildlife Federation for fishing, STEM activities, learn about animals and enjoy all sorts of nature exploration.

Matthews Animal Clinic 50th Anniversary: Saturday, October 13 from 2:00-5:00 PM. 10600 Monroe Road, Matthews. They’ll have food, fun games, giveaways, and hospital tours. 

Fungi Underfoot

With all the rain lately the fungi are coming out of the wood work (so to speak).

Photo by Norah Burke

Photo by Norah Burke

Photo by Norah Burke

Photo by Norah Burke

Photo by Norah Burke

Photo by Norah Burke

Also, DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity and edibility. We admire the beauty of these fungi, but have no idea if they’re poisonous, as many mushrooms are.

Morning Minute: October 8, 2018

News About Town: The Board of Commissioners will meet at 5:30 with Glenn Harbeck, Community Planning Director for Wilmington, NC, for a special meeting to discuss the draft vision statement for the Town. The draft vision statement is a summary of the Desired Future and Unwanted Future residents listed at the Vision for Matthews community discussion this past April. This document will be an update to the 2005 Our Vision, Our Town document. After the 5:30 meeting is the regular Town Council meeting at 7:00 PM. As usual, if you’d like to speak about general issues at the Council meeting you must sign up on the sheet outside the Hood Room doors prior to the meeting starting.

If it’s going to be stormy like the current prediction, just stare at these perennial sunflowers in that brilliant sky.

News Above Town: The Weather Channel says storms, but not until the kids are getting out of school. Temperatures will get up to 82 and things look likely to be overcast.

News Around Town: I know it feels too early to think about the holidays, but November 3 the Charlotte City Ballet will perform Prelude to the Holidays at the Matthews Community Center, 100 East McDowell Street, Matthews. They’ll have two performances, 1 and 4 PM, on November 3. After each performance, they’ll have cupcakes and a meet and greet with the dancers. Take our word for it, get your tickets now. They’re also posting updates as they practice and prepare, so follow them on Instagram @charlottecityballet #charlottecityballet.

One Good Thing: Have a-hankerin’ for some smoked hog? If you have kids, Monday evening is the perfect time to dine at Moe’s, 111 Matthews Station Street. When you dine in on Monday after 4 PM, kids eat free. If you’re not in the mood for pork, Moe’s Monday special is a blackened salmon sandwich. Consider dinner taken care of.

Morning Minute: October 5, 2018

News Around Town: The agenda is online for Monday’s Board of Commissioner’s meeting. The applicant for the rezoning of 269 South Trade Street, a project which has made recent news, has asked for deferral until November 12. If the Board denies the deferral they will vote whether to rezone the property. The board will vote on whether to approve the overlay of the 3 small area plans.

News Above Town: The Weather Channel has been pretty accurate this week, at least temperature-wise. They do keep saying cloudy skies and I keep seeing gorgeous Carolina blues dotted with happy clouds. Hopefully pretty skies again tomorrow, but temps will still be in the low 90s.

News About Town: The Hundred Dresses opens at Matthews Playhouse next week. Based on the Newbery Honor-winning book of the same name, The Hundred Dresses tells a tale of Wanda Petronski, a girl who has one faded blue dress but claims to have a hundred dresses at home. Wanda is mocked by her classmates until her father pulls her from school. This story of bullying is timely for Bullying Prevention Month, and the Playhouse is sure to do an outstanding job. Tickets sell quickly for Playhouse productions and this play will be no different.

One Fun Thing: We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again: you don’t want to miss COS Kids’ Blues & BBQ tonight. Tickets are $35 per person and include food and beverages as well as live music. The best part is that the event funds a child care program for limited- income single parents. (Bonus points if you recognize Norah and introduce yourself!)