Fort Worth TV host celebrates her 10th anniversary by giving us list of helpful tips

by PegNews wire

FORT WORTH — Bringing recipes and tips for healthy family lifestyle, "peaceful home" expert Christy Rost celebrates the 10th anniversary of her popular television show, Just Like Home.

Broadcast from her studio in Fort Worth, Rost's program has provided inspirational moments throughout its 10-year history to show viewers how to live better and happier lives. The cooking and lifestyle show started in September 1998 on Community Cable Television in Fort Worth. Just Like Home was originally hosted by both Christy Rost and Arlington television chef Carol Ritchie, who left the show in 1999 to continue hosting her own program, Cookin' with Carol.

Just Like Home is broadcast on Channel 31 in Fort Worth by Charter Communications. Since its launch, Just Like Home has expanded to Fargo, North Dakota and Des Moines, Iowa. And in an ever-expanding effort to reach new viewers, AT&T will begin broadcasting Just Like Home in Fort Worth in November 2008 on Channel 99.

The focus of Just Like Home is on dining together as families, friends, and neighbors. Host Christy Rost shares with viewers the immeasurable joys of the kitchen - from ease of preparation to nutritious recipes that look fabulous on the plate and earn rave reviews for their layers of flavor. In each episode, Christy shares her own original recipes, designed for home cooks, plus entertaining tips, ideas for creative and colorful table décor, crafts, and centerpieces.

Themes and annual holidays with family are important elements in the show, including such features as the annual summer cocktail show, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and winter holiday shows, the ever-popular "gifts from the kitchen" show, as well as special focuses on Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Fourth of July, "grillin' and chillin'," a romantic Valentine's Day dinner for two, as well as a more family-oriented Valentine's Day meal, and much more.

Just Like Home is filmed "live-to-tape." Viewers watch Christy cook in real time, without editing, so kitchen reality is all a part of the show.

Guest chefs and wine experts have been an important part of the show over the years. Some of Christy's favorite guests have included PBS Host and Master Chef, Martin Yan of Yan Can Cook, Executive Chef Jason Weaver of the French Room at the Hotel Adolphus, former KRLD show host and Savor Dallas co-founder Jim White; Just Like Home co-creator and television chef Carol Ritchie; tablescapes designer extraordinaire, Jay Cooper of Ducky Bob's Event Specialists; cookbook author and owner of The Mozzarella Company, Paula Lambert; and Fort Worth culinary school owner and original creator of Super Suppers, Judie Byrd.

Rost shares her perspectives on how life has changed and how Just Like Home has reflected changes in the culinary arena in the past 10 years:

-Viewers are busier than ever.

-Christy shares more quick recipes.

-There's an increased emphasis on better nutrition.

-During the past few years, Christy has started emphasizing that our home can be an oasis of calm and peace, and the simple pleasures of cooking, decorating, and gathering with others help us achieve that balance.

-In recognition of our economic times, Christy features less expensive ingredients in her many of her recipes.

-Tablescapes are of greater interest in home décor and entertaining, so Just Like Home has added segments on how to create tablescapes.

-Christy has published two cookbooks since she started Just Like Home.

Just Like Home's sets have recently been upgraded.

-Shows are transferred to DVDs instead of video tapes.

-Cooking shows are now more popular than ever!

There are elements of the show that haven't changed during the past 10 years:

-The pleasure of dining together as family and friends is more important than ever.

-Christy continues to believe cooking is creative and FUN!

-Christy still describes entertaining as "a gathering of family & friends, meant to be an enjoyable outlet, not a stressful endeavor."

-Cooking is a creative process that nurtures relationships just as food nurtures the body.

-Christy, her director Reggie Burrell, and the crew at Community Cable Television in Fort Worth have become a family over the years.

CHRISTY ROST'S TEN SECRETS TO STRESS-FREE ENTERTAINING:

*Avoid last-minute changes to the menu, especially when it means an extra trip to the supermarket.

*Make a list and check off tasks as they're completed. Checking items off a list helps the host to budget time, get the house ready, complete the shopping, and have time to cook.

*Select recipes that may be prepared one or two days ahead.

*Entertain outdoors. Entertaining is a fancy word for gathering people together. If the house isn't clean or your time is limited, keep the event short and host it outdoors. Some of my favorite parties have been on the driveway.

*"Cook what you know." Trying new recipes just to impress guests can be stressful for the host. Stick with tried-and-true recipes, but serve them a new way. Make individual lasagnas or casseroles in au gratin dishes, serve mashed sweet potatoes in shot glasses with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chopped chives or caviar, create single serving desserts such as cupcakes with extra frosting, fruit & yogurt parfaits, or individual deep dish pies with crumble topping in small ramekins.

*Set the table one or two days before your event. You'll feel more relaxed when the table is ready for guests.

*Skip the dining room table entirely and provide trays for each guest - then gather informally in the den or on the back porch.

*When the weather is chilly, invite a few guests for a bowl of soup or stew in front of the hearth. Place pillows on the floor around the coffee table, arrange lots of candles in the center, and enjoy the simplicity of gathering with others.

*Keep it simple. If you vow every year that this is the year you'll host a holiday party, and have yet to make that vow a reality, host a simple gathering for just a few guests. A warm gingerbread with a bowl of whipped heavy cream, a pot of flavored coffee, and a dish of decadent chocolates is the perfect place to start. The goal of any gathering is sharing time with your family and friends, not an elaborate menu.

*Limit the number of guests. Dinner parties for six are far less work than cocktail parties for twenty-five. Entertaining on a small scale, but more frequently is the key to stress-free gatherings.

Source: Just Like Home