Thursday's Thinking of Food

So, I haven't posted anything from this bygone series in quite a while...

I am excited to hear about this film by (and starring) Jon Favreau.  He's been a favorite of mine since Swingers.  
Sidenote: I also fell in love with Vince Vaughn while watching Swingers.  I still love him.

Chef looks to be funny and chock-full of amazing-looking food, and movie stars.  According to this SceneSC blog post, the soundtrack's pretty awesome as well.

Here's to hoping it plays somewhere nearby for us Columbians.

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Thursday's Thinking of Food

So, I have a few tidbits for you today--things I've read recently and my newest food obsessions:

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If you follow me on Twitter or FB, then you know that I took my virgin trip to Trader Joe's this week.  Despite the fact that I was so over-hyped for it that it was bound to not live up, and the fact that due to a power outage, the store had NO cold items for sale that day, it was still pretty darn cool, y'all.  My 2 favorite things thus far: TJ's Dark Chocolate Roasted Pistachio Toffee and TJ's Harvest Grains Blend of Israeli CousCous, Orzo, Red Quinoa...seriously, yum.  I also got some Apple Banana Crushers for the baby, pasta sauce, pesto, Organic Fruit Wraps, organic apples, 3 bottles of wine, cashews, almonds, a list of stuff for a co-worker and a few other odds 'n ends for $75.  Everything is super-cheap.  Now, if we could only get a TJ's in Columbia...

But, know what Columbia does have to look forward to?!  Whole Foods!  Set to open in October 2012--it can't come fast enough in my opinion...

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While reading my newest Eating Well magazine this week, I came across a couple things that I thought were interesting.  (Side note, Eating Well magazine is new to me, and it is awesome).

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First, National Food Day is October 24th.  This is new this year, and according to the website: "Food Day seeks to bring together Americans from all walks of life—parents, teachers, and students; health professionals, community organizers, and local officials; chefs, school lunch providers, and eaters of all stripes—to push for healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way."  So far there are no organized events planned in Columbia, SC--anyone want to create one or host one?!

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Second, here is an unsettling fact about agriculture in America: "$1,500 is the amount per US household that goes to farm subsidies.  [And we're not talking tiny, family farms here, folks...]  Subsidies for corn and other commodity crops, such as soybeans, keep the price of unhealthy foods lower than healthy foods, like fruits and vegetables, argues Thomas M. Kostigen in The Big Handout (Rodale, October 2011)."  Another book to put on my reading list.

And, that my friends, is Thursday's Thinking of Food.
XO, B

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Thursday's Thinking of Food (for babies)

Jones is eating baby food--and loving it!  He hasn't tried anything yet that he doesn't like; his favorite is peas.  I've posted before about making his food, which I am still doing and loving, but there are times when it's not the most convenient option.  Here is my short list of convenient, store-bought organic baby foods.  Here's what we've tried so far:

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The Plum Organics food pouches are organic and eco-friendly.  They have food for babies and toddlers, and you can find the line at Target and Whole Foods, as well as on-line.

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Boon makes a special reusable spoon that screws onto the end of Plum Organics' pouches for easy dispensing and serving on-the-go--genius!

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Ella's Kitchen organic baby food pouches are also easy to dispense and serve, and available at Target. 

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Jones has tried the sweet potatoes, pumpkin & apple and the carrots, apples & parsnips so far--loved both.

Got other recommendations on good store-bought organic baby food?

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Thursday's Thinking of Food

OK, so most of my Thinking of Food posts are about eating healthier, or organic, or farm-fresh and local.  Today is not like that.  At all.

Today I saw the words "Rolo McFlurry" on the marquee of the McDonald's near my house.  WHAT!?  Sounds amazing, right?  I hadn't even thought of Rolos since I was about 12...throw them in some soft serve and mix it up--heaven.

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I might have to try one...

Yes, I know how nutritionally bad they are, and no, I am not suggesting you eat McDonald's with wild abandon--or that I like their business practices.  I just want to try a Rolo McFlurry.

Anyone tried one yet?

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(The Return of) Thursday's Thinking of Food

So, after 10 months of pregnancy and 4 months adjusting to baby, I am ready to think about food again!

What do you think of the USDA's elimination of the Food Guide Pyramid and replacing it with a plate?  In fact, you can't even find that pyramid anymore; when you go to my pyramid.gov, which used to be the USDA site, it now takes you to choosemyplate.gov.

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I love that half the plate is designated for fruits and veggies now, and the recommendation to make half your grains whole grains and to drink water instead of sugary drinks is admirable as well.  However, I wish they had recommended that a percentage of protein come from sources other than meat.  (Probably won't happen anytime soon because of backlash from the US meat producers, but, it would make us all healthier, and the environment as well).  Check out the research that says so here.

Check out this Healthy Habits Kids Plate--a great idea to help you and your kiddos remember how much of each food to eat at a meal.

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So, any recommendations for the new USDA"Plate"?  Do you try to go meat-free at least one day a week?

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Thursday's Thinking of Food-- Happy Animals

After a long hiatus, (constant nausea doesn't do much for wanting to think about food...), this weekly post about food is making a comeback!

November 2010- image via here

While reading the most recent Bon Appetit magazine last weekend I came across an article about a man named Patrick Martins, co-founder of Heritage Foods USA, or as the article dubbed him, "the heritage food hero."  He raises "happy animals"--and is on a mission to save heritage breeds of livestock and the family farms that raise them.

I love his answer about what makes a "happy animal": "It has room.  I think that's the biggest thing.  It can walk around.  No living creature should be forced to live in a box.  That should shoot through the heart of every American.  We live in a country that is wealthy, that is trying to improve itself, that is a moral beacon to the rest of the world.  We cannot keep animals in boxes.  Period."

Well said.  Hopefully we'll all think of this when purchasing the meat and dairy to feed our families with, and purchase organic, cage free, humanely-raised and slaughtered whenever possible.

And if you're in the market for a turkey this holiday season, my fellow Columbians, check out Earth Fare.  You can order your humanely raised, organic turkey now--and donate one to a family in need while you're at it--check with our local store for details.

And, I also found in Bon Appetit a recipe for Oatmeal Muffins that I just might have to try this holiday season...wish me luck!  (I have never had much--(who am I kidding, any)-- success with muffins, biscuits, or bread in the past, but I am determined!)

Anyone have any tips for successful bread/muffin/biscuit baking?  Are you as excited as I am for the impending holiday season!?

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Thursday's Thinking of Food (a day late)

Sorry this is late, but here is some food news, a freebie, and an upcoming foodie event in Columbia:

*The FDA has drafted guidance on "The Judicious Use of Medically Important Anti-Microbial Drugs in Food-Producing Animals."  Woohoo--finally, a step in the right direction to ending, or at least controlling, the antibiotics used in factory farms.  Questions remain about the next steps, but you can help by not waiting for the FDA to take action, but by asking your legislator to pass the Prevention of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act, which would withdraw the routine use of 7 classes of antibiotics vitally important to human health from food animal production.  I read about this here.

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*Earth Fare is giving away FREE watermelons this 4th of July weekend!  Click here for a printable coupon.

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*Palmetto Palate is July 22nd, 6-9 PM, at 701 Whaley Street.  This event is sponsored by the SC Farm Bureau, and will include great local food prepared by local chefs, an open bar, and a silent auction to benefit Friends of Farm Bureau PAC.  For tickets, ($50 each), call my friend Kristin Lavender at 803.936.4219.

I hope everyone has an amazing 4th of July weekend--what are your plans?
I am leaving this evening for Boca Grande, FL, and will return hopefully well-rested,  tanned, and ready to host my 3-year old nephew's birthday party in my back yard next weekend!

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Thursday's Thinking of Food

*You all know by now my affinity for the All Local Farmer's Market--I went last Saturday and it was hoppin', y'all!  It was the busiest I've seen it ever, maybe-and I didn't get there until almost 11.  There were lots more vendors than usual, including many with fresh produce like locally-grown tomatoes.  Here's what you can expect there this Saturday:
Any child with his/her Dad will receive a FREE doughnut in honor of Father's Day--and Dad will get one too!


And, City Roots will be there with so many wonderful herbs, lettuces, and veggies, including chanterelle mushrooms, foraged from the mountains of NC!  That's pretty cool.

*And speaking of farmers markets, the Seeds of Hope markets have opened back around town--you may have noticed signs at various locations for these small markets.  Seeds of Hope invites small, local farmers to sell their produce directly to consumers, ensuring that they can earn a decent living from their farming.  "My" Seeds of Hope market is located at a small church off of Rosewood Drive; the couple who sells their produce there is from Kingstree, SC and they are so sweet.  And they grow the best cantaloupes I've ever eaten!  Seriously, I am eating their cantaloupe as I type this, and I will be back this Saturday to get another.  "My" market is open 8-12 on Saturdays.  Others around town are open different hours--there is one at Shandon Methodist Church, one at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, one at the Unitarian Universalist Church, and many more....check one out!  Click here for a list of all Columbia Seeds of Hope markets.

Angelo--he just exudes "chach," no?

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*Did you watch Top Chef last night?  It was exciting, although I don't have a clear favorite yet.  Obviously, Angelo is really good, (he won both the Quick Fire and the Elimination Challenge last night), but he's a bit of a "chach."*  So far, I think I like Kenny, just because he agrees with me that Angelo is indeed a "chach," and because he was pretty bangin' at the mise en place challenge. No other stand-outs to me, so far.  What did you think?  Here's another review of the season premiere.

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*On a sweeter note, I read about a fun new candy store, Sweeteeth, in Charleston, SC here.  Isn't the packaging cool?  And they specialize in artisan chocolates like peanut butter & chipotle dark chocolate or salted caramel with dark chocolate.  I really want to try some...and, lucky me, (and all the rest of you who don't live in Charleston), you can order the bars on-line here.  The bars are also sold at various local shops in and around Charleston, for list, click here.

Happy Thursday, folks!  I think I'm going to try the new Vista restaurant, Tako Sushi, Saturday night--I'll let you know my thoughts next week.

*"Chach" is a word that I learned from my sister and her husband...not sure of the origin, but I find it is the perfect word in many cases.  Basically, it means d*bag or tool...you know, a guy who is arrogant for no reason whatsoever.  I looked it up in Urban Dictionary, and it is defined there as "a person (usually male) who attempts to exhibit a cool and popular look but generally comes across as either an asshole and/or a total loser."  (We all just brought one to mind, right)?

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Thursday's Thinking of Food

Just a couple things today...some food art and a book about pet food.

* I was reading Design for Mankind, one of my daily blog-reads, by Erin Loechner, when I came across this post about Liz's Foodtography.  I absolutely love it and want a print for my picture wall in my den.  Liz takes time lapse photos of her meals and posts them to her Flickr stream 

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* I came across this book review here.  "If you've ever been curious about pet food, a new book by Marion Nestle and Malden Nesheim is sure to satisfy. Feed Your Pet Right examines the politics, marketing, and science behind pet food, and also serves as a research-based guide on how to feed your dog or cat sustainable and healthy foods." 

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Interesting to find out that the 5 major pet food producing companies in the US also produce "people-food": Nestle, Mars, Proctor & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, and Del Monte.  If this industry is as unregulated as the "people-food" industry in this country, (as I can only assume it is), then this should be an informative and eye-opening read for anyone who is an animal-lover.

Has anyone read the book?  Are you loving the local farmer's markets around Columbia, or what?!

 

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Thursday's Thinking of Food

Hope everyone's having a great week--I am so excited for the impending long weekend, aren't you? James and I are headed to Charleston to visit a dear friend of mine from high school, Austin, and her awesome husband, Collin. We're going to traverse the city, eat really good food, and sun ourselves silly--posts next week!

Exciting foodie information today--here goes:

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*Panera, the national soup, salad, and bread chain, has opened a "pay-what-you-can" store in a suburb of St. Louis. How freakin' cool is that!? The menu is exactly the same at this nonprofit location, but there are no prices. Customers are encouraged to pay what they can, and a price is suggested, but nothing is required. The motto that hangs over the counter of the store reads: "Take what you need, leave your fair share." The store just opened this month, but similar models have worked in the past. Click here to read a Washington Post article on the venture. I first read about the nonprofit Panera store here.

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*A newly-released study published in the journal Pediatrics, indicates that "Children exposed to higher levels of a type of pesticide found in trace amounts on commercially grown fruit and vegetables are more likely to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder than children with less exposure." Wow. This is the largest study of its kind to date, and it seems pretty well-conducted. The lead author of the study, Maryse Bouchard, Ph.D., states: "Organic fruits and vegetables contain much less pesticides, so I would certainly advise getting those for children. National surveys have also shown that fruits and vegetables from farmers' markets contain less pesticides even if they're not organic. If you can buy local and from farmers' markets, that's a good way to go." And buying organic or from a farmer's market is so easy these days, why not?


*The Big Shebang at City Roots, Columbia's urban farm, last weekend was really fun! There were local artisans selling their wares, a potluck lunch sponsored by Slow Food Columbia-all dishes included at least one local ingredient, and City Roots was giving farm tours. There was also plenty of locally grown produce, herbs, and plants for sale. I got some basil:

which I later turned into a homemade pesto to go on toast with mozzarella for my sister's baby shower last Sunday:

City Roots also has a tilapia tank and free range chickens, along with their 30 varieties of vegetables and fruit.

Go visit City Roots--the Farm Store is open Monday-Friday 9- 5:30 and Saturday 10-2.


*And, if you're planning a cookout for Memorial Day-here's a deal for you: get a FREE bottle of Earth Fare Organic Ketchup with any $5 purchase and this coupon.

Have a great weekend! I would love to hear what you're doing for the holiday.

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Thursday's Thinking of Food

This week I have seen and read about two very odd and disgusting foods that I had to share:

1) Has anyone seen the new IHOP commercial for the cheesecake pancake stackers? In their own words, "Cinnamon Apple, Blueberry, Strawberry...Pancake Stackers are sweet & silky cheesecake layered between two buttermilk pancakes. Crowned with a choice of cool strawberries, blueberry or cinnamon apple compote & creamy whipped topping."

See the ridiculous commercial below:


2) I read this article from NPR's Morning Edition: Kit Kat Kaleidoscope: Far-Out Flavors from Japan. Yes, the flavors are as weird as the title tells: Soy Sauce, Cantaloupe, Raspberry Passion Fruit, and Corn...to name a few. NPR staffers actually taste-tested all of the flavors and their comments are priceless--click on the article link to read for yourself. One of my favorite comments is from Steve Inskeep himself, after trying the corn-flavored Kit Kat: "Creepy."

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And in other news...

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My CSA is making it's first delivery next Monday! Round River Farms promises a delivery of lettuce, spinach, collards, some swiss chard, green onions and some herbs. Woohoo! And, the e-mail from them added: "The snap peas have blooms on them, the broccoli plants are getting pretty big, radishes have been planted, so things are coming along and there will be more to add to the shares in time." Can't wait to show you pictures and solicit some new recipes for all these wonderful veggies!

Yesterday, from 2-7 pm, the Farmers Market at the Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Garden re-opened. The market will be held every Wednesday through October. Each week from 2:30- 3:30 PM, Earth Fare will be at the market to perform a cooking demonstration. Next week, May 19th's, demonstration is "Strawberry Fields Salad."

And, don't forget the Farmers in the Forest, Forest Acres Farmer's Market, is also every Wednesday through October from 3-7 pm. It is located on the roof of Richland Mall.

What do you think of these weird/gross foods? Any local food news to share?

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Thursday's Thinking of Food

Today's Thinking of Food post has 2 parts...Part I will be the typical post, with food news I've read and heard in the past week, and Part II will be a review of the Great American Grill restaurant in Columbia.

Part I- Foodie News for the Week:

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*Heard this on NPR just this morning: "A new line of vanilla and chocolate-flavored baby formula has been released by Enfagrow." What?! I am appalled...let's just continue to feed our obesity epidemic and our taste for all things sweet and processed, right? Blogger and Dr. of nutrition, Marion Nestle, posted about this about a week ago on her blog Food Politics. What do you think?

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*On a more encouraging note for our nation's health, I read in my June 2010 Runner's World magazine, that "organic food is good for your running, your health--and the planet, too." There has been much debate in recent years over whether organic is truly more healthy, and now there is scientific evidence to prove that organic food really is better, in lots of ways. "In a study published in Environmental Health Perspectives, researchers analyzed urine samples of children who ate a chemical food diet and then samples from the same children after eating an organic diet. They found far fewer chemicals in the children's urine the same day they switched to an organic diet--and a return to high levels when they went back to a chemical diet." Enough evidence for me...

*Some local Columbia news--I went to the new Forest Acres Farmer's Market on the roof of Richland Mall yesterday and it was awesome! Many of the same vendors that I've seen at the All-Local Farmer's Market on Whaley St were there, as well as many others, including some local crafts. I took lots of pictures and will post about it this weekend; the only caveats are that it was pretty hot since it was on the roof, in the sun, and you have to make sure the vendor is selling local items, since it's not a requirement for this Farmer's Market. I will definitely return though; lots of good stuff! It will continue every Wednesday from 3-7 PM through the end of October.

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*And, if you're in Columbia this Saturday, check out City Roots' first ever farm tour from 1-3 PM. I am hoping to make it, as this really is a very cool and up-and-coming urban farm! Click here for more information.

Part II- And now, on to the restaurant review...
This "review" is going to be short on words and long on pictures because truly, I have nothing bad to say about any part of the experience. The Great American Grill is located inside the Hilton Garden Inn hotel off Harbison Blvd. Now, I know what you're thinking--hotel restaurants are not always the best--but believe me, this one is worth enduring the bland hotel furniture for.

We started with Fried Green Tomatoes, served with chunks of goat cheese and a balsamic vinegar reduction. My husband commented to our waiter, Ryan, (who by the way is super-charming and knowledgeable about food and wine), that these were the best fried green tomatoes he had ever had. Which, as Ryan pointed out, is quite a feat considering my husband grew up in SC, where fried green tomatoes are everywhere, in many different iterations. They were really tasty.

Fried Green Tomatoes
(sorry for the horrible picture quality)

Our second course was this salad, which I regretfully cannot remember the name of, but was good. It consisted of fresh greens, chick peas, goat cheese, tomatoes, a citrus vinaigrette and a saffron ailoi. It was huge, and a few bites would have sufficed since the dressing was quite pungent, but yummy nonetheless.

And for the main course, James selected a New York Strip served with skin-on potatoes and some sort of greens...(can't remember what). The sides were delicious and perfectly complemented the huge cut of beef. James is a big steak-eater, (I mean, he does work at Ruth's Chris), and even he was amazed at the size of the cut and the full flavor of the steak.

NY Strip

I chose the special Seared Scallops paired with summer squash and tomato pie, with a red curry tomato sauce and balsamic reduction. Sounds like a lot was going on, and it was, but it all came together beautifully. The scallops were seared beautifully, with just the right amount of carmelization, and the little squash and tomato "pies" were really good and a fun addition to the plate.

Seared Scallops

All in all we had an amazing evening. James paired his big steak with a really big red wine, Napa Cellars Syrah, recommended by our waiter, Ryan. I also ordered one of the special desserts--which change nightly-- Blood Orange Sorbet. I could not bear to eat another bite as we sat at the table, so I asked for it to go, (which is no easy feat with sorbet). But the kitchen staff obliged and wrapped up a healthy portion for me to take home. And I just remembered it in the freezer last night as I was starting to write this post and had to have some--it did not disappoint. As James said, "it's like an orange push-up," but much more adult and with a stronger bite. I will enjoy it for nights to come.

Stuart Partin, head chef at the restaurant was not there the night we dined, but another chef, Jeremiah, appeared at our table to make sure we had enjoyed ourselves.

Go try out The Great American Grill in Columbia--and tell Stuart or Ryan that Becca sent you. They will take great care of you. Thanks, guys!

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Thursday's Thinking of Food

Happy Earth Day! I will be attending EdVenture's Girls Night Out this evening, and am excited about the yummy food that surely awaits--Mr. Friendly's, Solstice, Cellar on Greene, and Cupcake--yum!

Your food 4-1-1 for the week:

Clockwise, from top left, David Rocco of “Dolce Vita”; the chef Joshua Sharkey being filmed for “Unique Eats”; Laura Calder of “French Food at Home”; Roger Mooking of “Everyday Exotic”; Bal Arneson of “Spice Goddess”; and Darryl Robinson of “Drink Up.”
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*There is a new Food Network spin-off channel, (and I am a FN junkie, so I couldn't be more excited!). "Called the Cooking Channel, it is lining up low-key programs targeted at a hipper crowd interested in the grass roots of food culture," Allen Salkin of NT Times reports. Mo Rocca will be hosting a show on the channel called "Foodography," and they will air an hour a day of vintage episodes of Julia Child's "The Galloping Gourmet." Yes, please.

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*Lay off the Salt! And another tidbit from the NY Times, this time the food blog, Diner's Journal: the FDA is planning a 10-year initiative to bring down sodium levels in processed foods. Processed foods account for 77 percent of the sodium Americans consume...(just went to check the Weight Watchers Smart Ones Chicken Quesadilla meal that an office mate has in the freezer--620 grams of sodium--and this is by definition a "diet meal.")



*Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution will wrap up this Friday on ABC at 9 PM...if you haven't watched it yet, it's not too late to tune in. I have loved the show, and I feel like he's really made some changes in the West Virginia community where he's been preaching and teaching about less processed food, more fresh food, and just eating more sensibly. It has to start at the school level too--so many children get their only substantive meals at school and when the schools are serving crap, it's just not right. If you haven't signed the Food Revolution petition, click the logo at the left sidebar of my blog to do so.

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*And speaking of affecting change when it comes to school lunches, click here to become a healthy school lunch advocate. "The Healthy School Lunch Campaign, sponsored by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), is dedicated to improving the food served to children in schools by educating government and school officials, food service workers, parents, and others about the food choices best able to promote children’s current and long-term health." The site has practical things we all can do to advocate for healthy school lunches, click here for the 5 things you can do now, including contacting your congressmen and women and asking them to support The Healthy School Meals Act of 2010 (H.R. 4870).

Please, share your foodie facts/experiences of the week...

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Thursday's Thinking of Food

Happy Thursday everyone! I don't know about you, but I am sooo ready for the weekend--this has been a really busy week at work. AND-this is my last week in the HHAC Biggest Loser competition! We have our final all-team weigh-in and challenge this Sunday. The challenge is to run a 2-mile loop around the gym, with the last 1/2 mile being a long, pretty steep hill up to the finish line--wish me luck!

Ready for some food facts and opportunities for action?
Here you go:

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*First, for all of you Columbians, the next Slow Food Columbia meeting will be held Monday, April 19th at 6:30 pm at City Roots. Slow Food is a national movement that seeks to create dramatic and lasting change in the food system by reconnecting Americans with the people, traditions, plants, animals, fertile soils, and waters that produce our food. Sounds good, right? I can't make the meeting this month, but hope to next month; they meet every 3rd Monday. Click here to check out the Slow Food Columbia blog.

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*I received my Humane Society Legislative Fund newsletter, Humane Activist, in the mail this week. (As a teacher of Social Policy, I do take policy issues very seriously and tend to think that all citizens should..I used to be one of those people who said "politics is just not my bag," but I think it's our duty as Americans to make it "our bag." Not only for ourselves, but for those who can't advocate for themselves). [cue soap box dismount].

Anyway- on the back of the newsletter they have a section called AYES & NAYS, where they applaud groups and legislators for taking action in the interest of animal well-being, and reveal unsavory practices by others. An exciting "AYE" this month states that "Wal-Mart has confirmed that all of its private label eggs in the US, sold under the Great Value brand are cage-free. And Hellman's has announced that its Light Mayonnaise product in North America will contain 100 percent cage-free eggs--and that it aspires to switch over all its mayonnaise once cage-free eggs become more available." A small step, but bravo for big companies taking any step towards more humane treatment of animals!

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*zpizza was voted the winner of the 2010 Libby Award from peta2 for the Most Vegan Friendly Restaurant! If you haven't tried zpizza, you should. They have so many healthy options-gluten-free, vegan, organic, vegetarian, whole wheat...and they have meat for meat-lovers as well. Columbia's zpizza, located on Gervais St., runs specials all week long; become a Fan on Facebook to get all the latest offers.

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*Don't let big food control what you eat! CREDO Action urges us to do something: "America's supermarket bounty is deceiving. Of those hundreds of brands on grocery store shelves, the vast majority are owned by a handful of industrial food companies like Kraft, Conagra and General Mills. But there was nothing inevitable about this kind of corporate control of our food. Decades of deregulation and governmental inattention to industrial consolidation brought us our broken food system, one that features non-stop food safety recalls, an obesity epidemic and the hollowing out of rural America as family farmers are forced to sell out to corporate interests."

Click here to find out more about the initiative to rethink food in America and sign a thank-you letter to Attorney General Holder and Secretary Vilsack for taking seriously the concerns of family farmers, rural advocates and consumers by holding workshops that address the lack of competition and excessive market concentration in our food and agricultural sectors.

Not convinced?-- watch Food, Inc. Or, click here to read First Lady Michelle Obama's call to "entirely rethink the products that you're offering, the information that you provide about these products and how you market those products to our children."

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*And finally, Earth Fare in Columbia has just announced that as of April 22, 2010 they are eliminating all plastic bags from their store. And, the first 200 people through the door on April 22nd receive a free reusable market tote! Click here to read the Top 5 Reasons Earth Fare is kicking the plastic bag habit.

And that, my friends, is my Thursday's Thinking of Food. Have a wonderful weekend!

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Thursday's Thinking of Food Continued...

These two things came to my attention after I posted today's Thinking of Food, but I thought they were really cool, so here's the continuation:

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*Food & Think, a Smithsonian blog that I newly follow, and love, posted What's Your Beef? Grass-Fed and Other Beef Terminology. The post gives some insight, from an insider, as to what questions we as consumers should be asking to really find out the nitty-gritty about what the meat we're about to eat ate before it was killed, and possibly more importantly, what it didn't eat.

April's In Our Own Words e-mail
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*Just received my monthly e-mail from Anthropologie, In Our Own Words. April's edition is all about gardening and the plans some of the Anthro stores have for Earth Day. Awesome quote from the e-mail: "Gardens are a form of autobiography," says writer and NY Botanical Garden instructor, Sydney Eddison.

So true.

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Thursday's Thinking of Food

Well, I have a couple interesting food-related stories for you, as well as a book recommendation and a link to a cookbook giveaway...so dig in!

*I read this post on hunger on change.org's Poverty in America blog, which then linked me to these amazing photographs and stories of hunger by Michael Nye. His new exhibit "About Hunger and Resilience" is on display at San Antonio's Witte Museum. Click here to see/hear his interview with NPR. Did you know that in 2008, 49.1 million Americans lived in food insecure households? Go to Feeding America for more facts about hunger and ways you can help.

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*This past Sunday I prepared 2 very healthy and delicious, (if I do say so myself), spinach lasagnas to feed my students when they came to eat dinner at my house Monday night. The recipe I used is from the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, Camille Kingsolver & Steven L. Hopp. I have yet to read the entire book, but it is on my short-list.

Here's the recipe, with my tweaks:

SPINACH LASAGNA
Ingredients:

1 lb. whole grain lasagna noodles-Prepare according to package directions
4 cups chopped spinach (I used fresh spinach, and didn't steam it--worked fine)
Steam for 2-3 minutes, let excess water drain
16 oz. tomato sauce (I used an Earth Fare brand organic pasta sauce)
2 cups fresh ricotta (I used reduced fat)
2 cups mozzarella

Directions:
Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of a large casserole. Cover surface with a layer of noodles, ½ of the ricotta, ½ of the spinach, 1/3 of the remaining sauce and 1/3 of the mozzarella. Lay down another layer of noodles, the rest of the ricotta, the rest of the spinach, 1/3 of the sauce and 1/3 of the mozzarella. Spread a final layer of noodles, the remainder of the sauce and mozzarella, bake uncovered at 350 for 40 minutes. (I found the top layer of noodles got a bit crispy cooking it uncovered, so if you don't want a crispy top-layer, cook it covered for most of the 40 minutes)

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*Sarah McColl of Pink of Perfection--one of the first blogs I ever started reading, years ago--gave me the go-ahead to include a link to her awesome giveaway-- In the Green Kitchen by Alice Waters. I would looove to have this book, and I am seriously diminishing my chances of winning it by sharing the giveaway with all of you, but I'm selfless like that. :) Leave a comment describing your favorite thing about Spring cooking on this post by 12 midnight tomorrow, Friday, April 9th to be entered to win.



*And, for those of you who say you have no room for a veggie garden, or those who live in an apartment or big city--here's your answer: window-farming. This is a fast-catching-on fad apparently; there is even a website windowfarms.org that explains more about the project and can help you set up your own window farm. Watch the video above. I first read about it on NPR, here.

And speaking of farming...I promise to post about our veggie garden this weekend. Anyone else planting a garden this year? I'd love to hear about it.

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Thursday's Thinking of Food

Food News this Week--and I want to hear YOUR opinions on some of this stuff!

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*Should Happy Meal toys be banned from your child's fast food meal? That very question is being examined in Santa Clara County, CA. (Incidentally, this is the county where I taught school when I lived in CA--you know, the same one that I mentioned served sushi as a daily option on the public middle school lunch line--I loved it there!) Anyway-"Ken Yeager, the Santa Clara County Supervisor, presented a law at yesterday's county board meeting to ban toys given away with unhealthy food. He believes the toys are used to encourage children to eat fatty, sugary, high-calorie meals that can lead to childhood obesity, according to the Silicon Valley Mercury News." What do you think? Is it the toys that make the kids eat unhealthy? Would the parents take the kids to the unhealthy restaurants even if there were no toys in the meals?

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Healthy Carolina Farmers Market at USC

*The State paper ran an article Sunday called "The greening of SC: Local food crops up." The article mentions the All-Local Farmer's Market as well as the Healthy Carolina Farmers Market at USC, as well as highlighting some local farmers. I am so excited to see South Carolinians embracing such change and growing (no pun intended) such an important local market for food.

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*Are School Lunches Worse Than Fast Food? Earth Fare's blog, Tomato Talk, addresses this question in yesterday's post. Pretty disturbing answers point to yes--did you know currently schools only have about $1 per student to spend on actual ingredients for lunches. Meat that KFC won't buy because it's from "old birds" is being put on school lunch trays! What!? This should outrage parents--and anyone who cares about kids. And it should also outrage us as tax-payers--why, in a country where we have a huge obesity epidemic and we're spending billions of dollars on illnesses related to obesity, are we feeding our kids crap and calling it lunch?


BUT...we can do something about it right now...Slow Food Columbia's recent blog post reminded me recently that we can contact our legislators and ask them to Strengthen the Child Nutrition Act by investing in healthier food, strengthening nutrition standards and linking schools to local farms. Click here to e-mail your representatives asking them to support helping schools serve healthier food.

*Health Care reform includes a provision requiring chain restaurants and vending machines to include calorie counts. Love it--I think this is really powerful and important. What do you think?

*Local restaurants are Going Green by recycling cooking oil. Midlands Biofuels, in Winnsboro, is using waste cooking oil, (Waste Vegetable Oils or WVOs), to make biodiesel fuel. Click here to see a video about this cool endeavor...local restaurants participating include Kristian Niemi's Rosso and Gervais & Vine. Click here to see a more comprehensive list of local participating restaurants and businesses.

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*And finally, I am reading the book The Butcher and the Vegetarian: One Woman's Romp Through a World of Men, Meat, and Moral Crisis, and though it took me a minute to get into...I am really enjoying it now. I also really enjoy the author, Tara Austen Weaver's, award-winning blog, Tea and Cookies.

Whew--that is a lot of information. I would love to hear from you on these issues...

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