AWCB NEWS

On February 9th, we held our first Pasta Luncheon Fundraiser for FAWCO which was a success! We’d like to thank Sue Frick, Director of Philanthropy at FAUSA and past AWCB President for being our guest speaker as well as members who attended and also provided tremendous support throughout the day. A special thank you to those who could not attend but made a donation.

The meal was cooked and donated by AWCB President Lorraine De Bock and raised 400 euros for FAWCO (Federation of American Women’s Clubs Overseas). Together we make wonderful things happen!

The featured recipe for February is Brie with Sun Dried Tomatoes and it comes from the AWCB cookbook. 

Ingredients:

• 2lb/900 gram young brie
• 5 tbsp minced fresh parsley
• 2.5 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 10 sun dried tomatoes, minced
• 2.5 tbsp sun dried tomato oil
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp minced fresh basil
• 3 tbsp chopped toasted pine nuts

Remove rind from the top of the Brie;place brie on a serving dish. Combine parsley, parmesan cheese, sun dried tomatoes, oil, garlic,basil, and pine nuts. Spread on top of brie. Chill 6 hours. Let stand at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before serving with slices of French bread.

Yield: 16 servings

Variation: To serve warm, bake at 350F/175C for about 15 minutes or just until cheese starts to melt. Serve immediately.

On November 25 AWCB members had a busy day of gift-wrapping and organizing at our Angel Tree gift-wrapping party! A heartfelt thank you to all those who donated to Angel Tree. The donations we received made it possible for AWCB to provide Saint Nicholas gifts to 285 underprivileged children in Brussels this year.

Your support and generosity are everything!

By Michelle, AWCB FAWCO Rep As well as rain and a cold snap, the beginning of November brought the FAWCO Region 4 meeting in The Hague. I was delighted to be able to attend the event, where I learned how to “Make a YOU Turn” to reduce my environmental impact. Having traveled to The Hague by electric car and then cycling to all the events during the weekend with other participants, I felt that we were already doing our bit. We heard from speakers and panelists about sustainable and environmentally friendly initiatives and created a Green Sheet (take a look!) that gives actionable ways to be environmentally responsible in little ways. We hope you can use it at home to make this world a greener place. There was also a special reception at the home of the new US Ambassador to the Netherlands, Shefali Rhazdan Duggal.   On December 2 Michelle hosted FAWCO’s First Friday online, for the latest FAWCO news and a full report on the Regional Meeting as well as information about Development Grants and Education Awards. Look for Upcoming FAWCO’s First Fridays in 2023!

Read the Latest Issue of FAWCO’s Inspiring Women Magazine Who would have thought that toy and hat-makers, a writer, a pianist, a mosaic artist, a reader, a tile maker, a bear hugger and a knitter, amongst others, would find their way into a single issue of Inspiring Women and these women would be living all over the globe? Surprised? Don’t be! Enjoy reading and please share the magazine link with your family and friends. Read the November 2022 Issue

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women November 25 to December 10 On November 25 the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women kicked off the annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. Wondering what you can do to recognize them? Here is an outstanding day-by-day guide to help us all Learn More, Speak Out More, and Do More. Please join us!

On November 18 we held our monthly joint tasting with the ACB. Held at the private Prince Albert Club in Brussels, sommelier Rupert Wittebols guided us to try many wines from across the lesser-known wine regions in France (Loire, Gascogne, Lubéron and Madiron) and we made several very lovely new discoveries of wines we had not had before!  

After each wine we had a discussion around the aromas in the wines, good food pairing combinations and also a guess at the prices of the wines – we have some sharp buyers!  In addition to many interesting facts like how to tell if a wine has gone bad, Rupert also had a few surprises for us – tasting the same wine twice which tasted like different wines because one glass was decanted and the other not. 

JOIN THE NEXT TASTING

Our next wine tasting on December 15th is the "Battle of the Bubbles" which will be a fun and tasty evening. It is already sold out but you can request to be put on the waiting list by emailing the ACB at: info@americanclubbrussels.org

Laura Oppenheimer, of Eat Dessert First, is AWCB’s newest sponsor. AWCB Secretary Nicole Wilder had a chance to do a quick interview with Laura to see where she got her start.

How did you get started in the cake business?
I grew up near San Francisco and was surrounded by food from an early age. In our house, life centered around food-preparing it, talking about it, eating it, then analyzing what we had eaten. My parents were interested in fine foods and took us to some of the famous restaurants of the area. We were constantly cooking and baking in the kitchen. I wanted to share a piece of me and where I come from with my children and then it just turned into something that I was doing for my neighbors. I started a career in marketing and communications but sharing a piece of my California with my family and community in Belgium was something I had dreamed about. It became a passion project for me - I wanted to share special high quality American desserts here. 

What brought you to Belgium?
My husband is Belgian and we came here 17 years ago. About 6 years ago, I had a shift in work and my daughter was diagnosed with a pretty serious health problem. Once she got better, I decided to go ahead and start my business. 

How does your business work?
I have a workshop in my residential home and produce only to order. My initial idea was to be a supplier to local businesses. I work with Rob The Gourmet’s Market, Filigranes Bookstore, and the Royal Theatre of Brussels. During COVID, there wasn’t a big demand from the bigger businesses. I offered free delivery to individual customers, reconfigured my webshop and that sector of the business just took off. I now do a lot of big celebrations and birthday cakes as well as supplying businesses. This Thanksgiving, we made large numbers of pies for Rob in Woluwe. I also now have 2 part-time employees. On a slow day, I have 5-6 orders to get ready. 

What does the future look like for your business?
Now that COVID is pretty much past us, I am starting back up with supplying orders for bigger businesses. I continue to deliver my carrot cakes to Rob every Thursday, decorated gingerbread and sugar cookies for the holiday season, as well as pancakes on a regular basis. I am hopeful that I will be working with The Royal Theatre of Brussels and FIligranes again. I also just signed up to supply for a few branches of Carrefour. I will be at Woluwe-Saint-Lambert Commune’s Marché de Noel December 9-11 with cookies and slices of cake. 

Finally, I’m very pleased to be a part of the AWCB as a member and a sponsor. I look forward to baking for you all soon!

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Visit the Eat Dessert First website to discover more and order some amazing desserts!

AWCB President, Lorraine De Bock was invited to attend The Association of American Women in Europe 60th Anniversary celebration at the Cercle de L’Union Interalliée in Paris this afternoon by AAWE President Beth Austin. Guest speaker and author Janet Skeslien Charles gave a touching speech about the life and challenges of expat women that resonated amongst all. Lorraine and Beth will be collaborating on an event for both clubs in the near future and Lorraine has also invited Janet to be a guest speaker for AWCB.

Stay tuned for these wonderful events!

FAWCO News

Education Award and Development Grant Applications are live on The FAWCO Foundation website

As a member of the AWCB, you are eligible for The FAWCO Foundation Education Awards and Development Grants. Start your application today. Deadline is January 27, 2023. Learn more here.

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FAWCO Youth Cultural Volunteers Program 2023

The FAWCO Youth Cultural Volunteers Program is happy to announce that AWC Zürich will be hosting the program in 2023. Dates are during their Easter break April 8–15, 2023. Applications will be open from December 1 until January 31. Space is limited, so get your application in early!

The Cultural Volunteers module of FAWCO's Youth Program is designed to foster cultural awareness and volunteerism among FAWCO youths. FAWCO teens (in high school, aged 15 - 19) are hosted by FAWCO families for a week, and will experience a new culture while volunteering with local charities.

Upcoming FAWCO Events

November 4 to 6 – Region 4 Regional Meeting

Michelle, our FAWCO Representative, will be attending the Region 4 Regional meeting and therefore there will be no FAWCO First Friday in November but she looks forward to reporting back from the meeting in December.

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November 16, Wednesday at 19:00 – Global Issues Book Discussion Series

Meet the author as we discuss In the Shadow of the Mountain by Silvia Vasquez-Lavado. An adventurer, social justice warrior and a survivor of sexual violence who works with young women and girls to help them overcome trauma, Vasquez-Lavado has been featured on Hillary and Chelsea Clinton's "Gutsy Women" TV series, and her memoir is being adapted into a feature film. It's sure to be a great talk, register on the FAWCO website!

November 25 to December 10

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, November 25, kicks off the annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. Wondering what you can do to recognize them? Here is an outstanding day-by-day guide to help us all Learn More, Speak Out More and Do More. Please join us!

Ballots on the way – overseas voting

The United States of America will hold federal, state and local elections on November 8, 2022. You still have time to vote. To register to vote, visit the US Vote Foundation.

October 7, 11:30 - Our FAWCO First Friday in October

Join us on Zoom to find out more about FAWCO and how you can get involved.

Register online

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October 27, 18:00 – FAWCO for Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)

Join our expert panel to learn about the goals and progress of CEDAW, its offshoot "Cities for CEDAW," and how FAWCO members can use it to advance the cause of gender equality. This will be an empowering event during a time when the ERA is still stalled and there are renewed attacks on the rights of women.

Register on the FAWCO website

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November 4 to 6 – Region 4 Meeting 

AWC The Hague is delighted to host the FAWCO Region 4 Meeting from November 4–6, 2022. In alignment with the upcoming Target Project, the theme is “Make a YOU Turn.” What can we do as individuals, FAWCO Club members and communities to make the world a cleaner place? More information coming soon on www.fawco.org

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November 16, 19:00 – Global Issues Book Discussion Series (change of date)

Please join us as we welcome the Author Silvia Vasquez-Lavado to discuss her book In the Shadow of the Mountain. A unique opportunity to meet the author and hear more about her inspiring and amazing memoir. Silvia Vasquez-Lavado is a Peruvian-American who conquered the Seven Summits that mountaineers strive to achieve. Truly remarkable about her achievement is how her courage took her from a sexually abused child in Lima, to the heights of a Silicon Valley career and finally to the top of the world with feats of physical and mental strength. Silvia's achievements are inspiring for all who fear they can not overcome. Her achievements are long, her courage is endless and her compassion is inspiring. 

Register on the FAWCO website

It was great to see so many members at the Annual General Assembly on September 27th at the beautiful Prince Albert Club which is located centrally in Brussels between the Royal Palace and the Petite Sablon. 

President Lorraine de Bock opened the event and reviewed the wide variety of virtual and in person social and philanthropical events we had over the last year, as well as a view of all the exciting things we have planned for the upcoming year.

Treasurer Kristen Crosson then reviewed the complex financials for 2021 due to the sale of the clubhouse and liquidation of The Gift Boutique.  Following on, the proposed changes and legal updates to the Statutes wer reviewed by VP1 Jan Allen.

There were a lot of good questions and discussion over the financials and proposed statute changes. We are happy to report that all of the items up for vote were passed with an overwhelming majority. The minutes with full details of the meeting and a list of follow up actions will be circulated to members later this week. 

After the AGA we had a cava and a lovely 3 course lunch in the private dining room of the Prince Albert club.

See more images on our AWCB Facebook Group