A few weeks ago, my friend Cordia (Founder of The Bakery Cos.) invited Jerry, my parents (Don and Nancy), and I to the Rock the Cradle fundraiser benefiting the NICU at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville, TN. The event was held at the picturesque country chic Loveless Barn. This was a very small and intimate venue, only about 200 people. Everyone was laid back and super causal. They were some of the nicest people you’ve ever met!
After cocktails and a silent auction, we lined up buffet style and had their famous fried chicken and biscuits with gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans and corn. Believe me, it was comfort food at it’s finest!
Not long after we finished eating, or maybe it was before we ate, honestly, I was so excited to meet Tricia Yearwood you could’ve knocked me over with a chicken wing, I don’t remember. Anyway… A few of us went backstage to meet her. She was so nice, down to earth, and funny! She immediately made me feel totally at ease. We chatted a bit.
I told her I was a big fan of her cooking show. She laughed and said she has a ton of fun doing it, which totally comes across! (Ok, honestly, I was really proud of myself for not going completely Fan Girl all over her. I kept thinking to myself, breathe… breathe… don’t dork out don’t dork out!) We took a bunch of pictures (she is so patient!), said our good byes, (I totally did NOT dork out! my teenage son would be so proud) and went back to our table while she finished getting ready to perform.
And boy did she give a great performance! Her voice gives me goosebumps. I have been a long time fan of her cooking show and only got into her music after falling in love with her food. I know, I know, I’m a total food geek. This Christmas I’ll be cooking up a storm while I’m boppin’ to her and Garth’s Christmas Together album.
But what really hit home for me, was just simply how gracious she was. Not only did Tricia donate her time and her talents that evening, but she spoke from her heart all night. Over and oven she continued to honored the doctors and nurses who work tirelessly around the clock saving the lives of so many tiny, fragile, and precious newborns of St. Thomas’ NICU. I couldn’t agree with her more.
All and all it was an incredible night! The Rock the Cradle auction raised close to $100,000 (if I’m off on this please somebody correct me) for new equipment for the NICU. Tricia even auctioned one of her guitars and matched the winning bid! Many of us were deeply touched by her generosity.
And to top it all off, Cordia gave my mom and I signed copies of Tricia’s latest cookbook Tricia’s Table. How awesome is that?!! Thank you so much, Cordia. You always know just the perfect way to make the most magic memories! And we certainly had a night we will always remember.
So guys, if you or if you know of someone who would like to make a contribution to the NICU at the Nashville St. Thomas Hospital here’s their direct link: St. Thomas Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Tricia did a GREAT job on this cookbook! She’s got so many fun tips and tricks and I love how she incorporates Garth’s spin on her recipes. It’s so much FUN! Everything I’ve made so far is awesome. I really liked her quiche recipe. In fact, I liked it so much it inspired me to make this Breakfast Casserole with Cordia’s Organic Marketside Bread (Walmart). YUM!!!
It’s perfect for holiday mornings because you can make it ahead of time, freeze it, and then warm it back up when you’re ready for it. I hope you like it as much as I do and I hope you get Tricia’s book too. It would make a great Christmas gift for your favorite foodie! 🙂
A very special Thank You to Susan Swartz for these awesome Rock the Cradle pictures! And if you’re planning a trip to Nashville, you might be interested in checking out my post about my girls’ trip there last year. What a great town!
Rock the Cradle Breakfast Casserole with Tricia Yearwood and The Bakery Cos.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Walmart Organic Market Side Bread cut into 1" cubes
- 16 ounces pork sausage browned and drained
- 10 eggs
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes chopped
- 10 ounces chopped frozen spinach thawed and squeezed dry
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese grated and divided
- 8 ounces mushrooms diced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1/3 cup fresh herbs finely chopped (I like parsley, thyme, and sage)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Spread bread cubes on a baking sheet and toast them for 5-10 minutes.
- Brown the sausage over medium heat, drain and set aside.
- Beat 10 eggs together and add 2 teaspoons baking powder.
- Stir well.
- Add the rest of the ingredients (reserve 4 ounces of cheddar cheese) and mix well.
- Butter a 9x13 casserole dish and pour in your egg mixture.
- Top with the reserved 4 ounces of cheddar cheese.
- Bake at 350F for 45 minutes or until the eggs have set.
Recipe Notes
In the video, I say to add 4 ounces of cheese to the egg mixture and top with 2 ounces right before putting it into the oven, but seriously... more cheese is always better. 😉
Looks delish! So happy you got to meet one of your food mentors!
It was a huge night! It was all I could do not to “fangirl” all over here! LOL