Service with SMILES

"I love to serve!" It isn't just something Katy Carlson says, it's also how she LIVES.

Katy leads the awesome Meri Majesties team, and is also a mother of five, volunteer carpool patrol leader, church youth group leader, and volunteer yearbook teacher at a local school. She loves kids and is such a devout guardian of the safe and happy childhood, even her license plate reflects it:

So when Katy and her team learned about Close To My Heart's commitment to Operation Smile several years ago, Katy put her usual zeal on a mission. She organized a springtime crop to benefit Operation Smile that (now in its fourth year) is taking on epic proportions. Together with Meri Majesties team members Sandy Herring, Carolyn Wheeler, and Arabella Littlepage—who really are royal majesties in their own right—these amazing women and their customers raised more than $11,000 this past spring in a single weekend.

Katy involved some of her school children in the design of unique posters, with hand-drawn happy faces—a new face was added to the poster each time the crop weekend hit another $240 in donations, so that everyone could translate their efforts into the real faces that would be served by their generosity.

Understandably, the effort caught our attention at the corporate office, and we knew we had to do something to thank these awesome folks for their service. This past weekend, Monica and I (Kristine) flew to the D.C., area to cast a vote of our own: a vote of gratitude for all of the wonderful croppers, customers, and these four Meri Majesties who together are responsible for a cumulative 90 surgeries! For those of you doing the math at home, that's nearly $22,000 contributed over four years.

We held a daylong workshop complete with four layouts, two gift boxes, and six cards. Appropriately, each of the projects had a gratitude theme. Here are the layouts we made:

The projects were wonderful, but the day was exceptional. Thanks again to Katy, who truly does love to serve (And have fun—here's a shot of classic Katy, mugging for the camera).

She provided all the food for a gourmet lunch and plated dinner, prepared and served by her 16-year-old son, who is also an AMAZING chef! Special props to Katy's husband Chris, who was also slaving in the kitchen.

For lunch, we enjoyed "North Shore Salad," featuring market-fresh field greens, feta cheese, candied pecans, and the most incredible blueberry vinaigrette, which Katy happily shared the recipe for so you can make it on your own:

Blueberry Vinaigrette 

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tablespoon honey*

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup frozen, wild blueberries

dash of cinnamon

Combine vinegar, oil, sugar, honey and salt in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Whisk until sugar has dissolved.

In separate bowl, crush blueberries with a potato masher so that the juices flow, then add to the vinaigrette mixture. Add cinnamon and whisk until well blended. Let stand at room temperature for a couple of hours to enhance flavors, then store in refrigerator.

* Adding honey aids in the emulsion, keeping the oil and vinegar from separating.

Dinner was Swedish meatballs, hearty scoops of mashed potatoes and green beans, and the most singularly incredible Swedish cream with raspberries I've ever tasted. When Katy announced she had a few more servings to spare, there was a literal stampede to the kitchen! 

I was so hungry to plunge into my dinner plate (and so was Moni), that neither of us remembered to take a photo of the food. Sorry! If you want to savor these yummies for yourself, Katy suggests a getaway to Lutsen resort in her home state of Minnesota, where some of these tasty morsels originated. 

But here's not only a photo of the Swedish cream but a recipe so you can surprise, delight and serve those you love, too:

Swedish Cream 

1 1/2 teaspoons Knox unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup cold water

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 cups light sour cream

Put cold water into small glass or bowl and sprinkle unflavored gelatin on top. Do not stir. Let stand for 5-10 minutes.

Combine cream and sugar into saucepan. Using rubber spatula, blend gelatin mixture into cream mixture. On medium heat, bring cream to a low simmer (180 degrees). Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Add sour cream, vanilla extract and almond flavoring and blend with a whisk until smooth. Immediately put into individual serving dishes. Chill and serve with fresh raspberries or lingonberry jam. Makes approximately 8 servings.

We loved every minute—Katy's friends and customers raved about her kindness, her enthusiasm for Close To My Heart, and most of all, her commitment to bettering children's lives through the support of Operation Smile. Clearly, it's a vision all these great ladies share, and as Katy said,  "It's taken on a life of its own!" Their 2013 event is already sold out, and the donations and support are literally pouring in. Thank you to the "VIPS" and "Princesses" and other royal court we met this weekend:

We admire your work and thank you for your service. You make a majestic difference!