tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2110359524257149162024-02-23T01:45:34.171-05:00Amy's Food RevolutionInspired by the movie Julie & Julia, Amy cooked her way through all of the recipes in Jamie Oliver's book, Jamie's Food Revolution in 365 days from March 2010 to March 2011. Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777892990716753574noreply@blogger.comBlogger196125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211035952425714916.post-28759735884712884202022-10-19T09:00:00.072-04:002022-10-19T09:00:00.347-04:00Looking Back on my White House Visit 10 Years Later<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uDEz42U4uVX6H13prjmhMdKYk4B8T71Hs56AjzR-p4zPXq6N4d4lCGyAagcZLLEeRGcq9QRMJEew9HCa9YYljL08WpHtiD-iFdzgV64PBQJLW991YJiUXPJxHLI7MiCX1wWQduZKoqgDcRz5qI32YiAzwAVnqb0GzUQwhgX1HMkgDpqtRv_kXWoI/s2592/IMG_2083.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1936" data-original-width="2592" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uDEz42U4uVX6H13prjmhMdKYk4B8T71Hs56AjzR-p4zPXq6N4d4lCGyAagcZLLEeRGcq9QRMJEew9HCa9YYljL08WpHtiD-iFdzgV64PBQJLW991YJiUXPJxHLI7MiCX1wWQduZKoqgDcRz5qI32YiAzwAVnqb0GzUQwhgX1HMkgDpqtRv_kXWoI/s320/IMG_2083.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I think you probably just need to look at the date of my last post (March 4, 2020) to figure out where I’ve been. Wow…that was a lot wasn’t it? I know at the time I promised a look back at favorite recipes and memories to celebrate the 10th anniversary of my blog but then 2020 happened and plans changed a bit. And while I wasn’t writing here I was still writing. But let’s talk about that some other time.</span></p><p></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Today I want to talk about another anniversary. The anniversary of my trip to the White House on October 19, 2012. For those that are new here, here is a quick recap from the beginning.</span></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In 2010, I was a young mom with a 2 year old and an 8 year old. I was a terrible cook. I could barely manage to boil water for pasta. I mean, on a scale of 1 to 10 we were starting at ZERO!</span></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">After watching the movie, <b><i>Julie and Julia</i></b>, about a woman that cooks her way through Julia Child's cookbook, I decided that I would do what she did. I’d pick a cookbook and cook my way through it. Hopefully along the way I’d learn to cook. For accountability, I decided I'd blog about the experience, just like Julie in the movie. At the time, blogging was a very new thing and I honestly thought my mom and sister would read it and that would be it.</span></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I picked British Celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver's <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Jamies-Food-Revolution-Rediscover-Affordable/dp/1401323596/ref=sr_1_1?crid=QRMPKYWDY1BM&keywords=food+revolution+jamie+oliver&qid=1666145768&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIxLjM3IiwicXNhIjoiMS41MyIsInFzcCI6IjEuMjkifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=food+revolution+ja%2Caps%2C75&sr=8-1"><span style="color: #0000e9;"><b><i>Food Revolution</i></b></span></a> cookbook for my challenge. The idea behind the book was that everyone could and should learn how to cook, which went great with my plan. So, in <a href="https://amysfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/2010/03/missing-ingredient.html"><span style="color: #0000e9;"><b>March 2010</b></span></a> I started to cook my way through Jamie's Food Revolution cookbook. The goal was 173 recipes in 365 days.</span></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">About three months into the cooking journey, I got an email from someone on Jamie Oliver's team. They had found me and asked if I wanted to be one of Jamie Oliver's “Food Revolution Heroes!” </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">That email kicked off a whole new leg of my crazy journey.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">I was also asked to be a lead in Jamie's Ambassador program. I taught cooking classes at Whole Foods. I was featured in newspaper articles. But the most surreal of them all was being invited to the <a href="https://amysfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-white-house.html" target="_blank"> <b>White House</b></a> on October 19, 2012. We were actually invited two days. On the first day we could bring our families for a tour. The second day was the “social media meet-up.” It was one of the first in the city. There were about 50 of us and we had been chosen from a pool of about 1,000 from around the country. We had an amazing tour of the White House gardens, including Michelle Obama's kitchen garden. We heard from the White House pastry chef and the White House social media team. We even got a wave from President Obama as he made his way to the West Wing that morning. It was such an amazing day and </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">I met so many lovely people that day. I love that we still keep in touch. </span></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">My cooking journey was so much more than just learning to cook. It taught me to be brave and bold. It taught me that you just never know who is watching and appreciating you. </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">As you can probably guess, my Food Revolution blog is a bit of a story within a story. I'm working hard to write the rest of that story. You never know, it could be a book someday! Stranger things have happened...like being invited to the White House!</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Happy Cooking!</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">xoxo,</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Amy</span></p><div><br /></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777892990716753574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211035952425714916.post-52603252463184133102020-03-04T10:13:00.004-05:002022-10-09T10:16:10.393-04:00 Where am I now? March 4, 2020<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #535353;">Today is the 10 year anniversary of starting my blog, </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #535353;"><i>Amy’s Food Revolution</i></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #535353;">. That ten years went by really quickly. My kitchen is ten years older. My cookbooks are ten years older. Jamie Oliver is 10 years older. My little babies are ten years older. I am definitely ten years older. While my blog has been a bit dormant the last 3 years, my enthusiasm for cooking and talking about cooking hasn’t been as quiet. I still get questions from friends and neighbors about my blog and I still tell the story of how it started and what I learned along the way.</span></span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-kerning: none;">“The Kid,” as I called her ten years ago, is in the midst of selecting a college and she’ll be leaving home this summer. I’m so proud of her for so many things. She works hard in school, has found her passion and knows what she wants to do in life. She also knows her way around the kitchen and she definitely knows how important it is to feed yourself good food. She is also still a bit of a food snob. And I absolutely love that about her. During the last ten years, she has become an amazing sous chef. Her chief responsibilities in our kitchen are sauces, dressings and aioli. She is also 3 inches taller than me and is super handy at reaching the things on the high shelves. When it is time to make dinner she’s the first one there to help. She tells her brother, “you know, when I’m gone, you’re going to need to know how to help mom in the kitchen.” She’s vowed to teach him her secrets before she leaves. “The Baby” is now in middle school. He’s still my pickiest eater and I still get a great sense of accomplishment when he discovers a new (or old) food that he now likes. Keeping him on task to consume enough fruits and vegetables is still a weekly conversation. But, he tries and he is educated about why eating well is important and I take that as a huge win. We make one meal, no special requests, and there is no complaining. I know he loves being at the dinner table and the conversations we have. He is always the first to share details about his day. The family dinner experience has made us a stronger and closer family and no one appreciates it more than this loving, sweet guy. This winter he did a cotillion class and loved learning about table manners, what all of the forks are for and when and how to place your napkin. I know all of these skills and priorities will serve him well his whole life. I know that he will be the type of parent that knows how important it is to sit down with your children and spouse every day to connect. That means just as much to me as the food on the table.</span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-kerning: none;">As for me, I still challenge myself in the kitchen. I love to find new books or recipes. I love checking out the latest trends in kitchen gadgets. (Instant Pot anyone?) And my heart is full every time we sit down to a family meal and my dear, sweet husband tells me how good it is. The struggle is real but we manage to sit down together most nights. My Jamie Oliver <i>Food Revolution</i> cookbook is tattered and frayed and falling apart. The pages of my favorite recipes have stains and the spine of the book is barely hanging on. Jamie Oliver’s <i>Food Revolution Ambassador</i> program has since been disbanded but I still keep tabs on all of my friends that I met through the program that live around the world. Honestly, the idea of blogging again is always on my mind. Learning how to cook turned out to be so much more than cooking. The experience has definitely been something I have been processing and thinking about for the last ten years. I’m not sure what’s to come but I think we’ll start by revisiting some of my favorite posts and maybe even cooking the recipes again along the way.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-kerning: none;">Happy Cooking and Happy Blog anniversary!</span></p><p style="color: #535353; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-kerning: none;">XOXO,</span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-kerning: none;">Amy</span></p><div><span style="font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777892990716753574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211035952425714916.post-58636762644978719852016-05-27T10:13:00.001-04:002022-10-09T10:13:43.820-04:00 Look Who’s Cooking<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">When I started my Food Revolution in 2010, my daughter–“the kid”– was seven (almost 8). She was a picky eater as a child but not your typical picky eater. She was a foodie. At a young age she would declare that a blueberry was not “round enough” or that the grape was “too squishy on top.” I swore she would grow up to be a quality control expert in some restaurant somewhere. She would choose asparagus over a banana. She dislikes pepperoni because it makes her “ears itch” and has always ordered the most expensive entree on the menu. I remember being so relieved when she finally would eat pizza or hot dogs because it made birthday parties and BBQs a bit easier for me. From a very young age she became my sous chef in the kitchen and she still makes all of the sauces and dressings for dinner. Need an aioli? “The kid” can whip one up for you.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/category/occasion/jamies-food-revolution-recipes/#sOQxC7zquMBG1KlV.97">Jamie’s Food Revolution challenge</a></span><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"> this year got me thinking. No one wants to read about me learning to cook anymore. Been there. Done that. But, how fun would it be if my blog now was about “the kid” learning to cook? Like I said, she is an expert at sauces and dressings but still steers clear of the oven and stove. How fun would it be to write about my little foodie (who’s not so little anymore) learning to cook Jamie’s 10 Food Revolution recipes?</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">So, that is what we are going to do. She started with her first recipe this morning. She made us an <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/eggs-recipes/simple-cheese-omelette/#5AgZeaqSgWQ2bYi7.97"><span style="color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;">omelette</span></a> (yes, I know, in the U.S. it is omelet. We’re going to stick with Jamie’s spelling) for breakfast. It was delicious! My picky eater was pretty hard on herself. She said it was ugly. I reminded her that <a href="http://www.amysfoodrevolution.com/omelettes-omg/"><span style="color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;">my first omelette</span></a> turned into scrambled eggs! The fact that it looked like an omelette was impressive enough. Not only did it look good, it tasted good too. I asked the teenager, “What do you think? It tastes good, doesn’t it?” I got a shrug of the shoulders. Again, picky. But seriously! Color me impressed. She did great!</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"> </span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">How did your omelettes turn out?</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Happy Cooking!</span></p><div><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777892990716753574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211035952425714916.post-43867566117632841672016-05-20T10:12:00.001-04:002022-10-09T10:13:03.391-04:00 Let’s Get Cooking<p><a href="http://www.jamiesfoodrevolution.org/" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">It’s Food Revolution Day! </a></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">We’re going to start your Food Revolution with a bang and celebrate with the world. You’ve spent the past month getting on track and setting goals, getting inspired and finally getting your kitchen ready. Now, it is time to get cooking! I’m sure you are a bit scared. I was! I put off the start of my food revolution for over a week. I had gotten everything ready but was too scared to start. Trust me. You just need to do it and today is the perfect day!</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://www.jamiesfoodrevolution.org/about/">Jamie Oliver started Food Revolution Day</a></span><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"> in 2012 to inspire and motivate the world to start a movement and a conversation about good food. Access to nutritious food is every child’s human right. Over the last four years the Food Revolution Ambassadors have done all kinds of awesome events but, this year’s activity is what I am the most passionate about. This year, for Food Revolution Day, Jamie has given us 10 of his Food Revolution recipes that together can teach anyone the skills we need to feed ourselves and our families good, nutritious food. Teaching a generation of moms to cook that somehow missed learning those skills is what really resonates with me. It is why I started this whole thing in the first place. So, that’s what we are going to do! <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/category/occasion/jamies-food-revolution-recipes/#VEEP6wSIuHYH8pTV.97"><span style="color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;">We’re going to cook these recipes together. </span></a>We’ll start with the omelette recipe. Ready, class?</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"> </span></p><div><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777892990716753574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211035952425714916.post-7573404716056445502016-05-19T10:11:00.001-04:002022-10-09T10:11:58.874-04:00 Step 3: Getting Ready<p> <span style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">Step 3: Getting Ready</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">May 19, 2016</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">The next step is to make sure your kitchen is ready. Jamie has a great section in the front of his <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jamies-Food-Revolution-Rediscover-Affordable/dp/1401310478/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1463418922&sr=1-1&keywords=jamie+oliver+food+revolution"><span style="color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;">Food Revolution</span></a> book that lists what he thinks you need to be an efficient cook. It was a great help when I was getting ready to start my Food Revolution.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Below is my list of things that I think are “must haves” in your kitchen. There are a few things that I would suggest saving up to splurge on good quality items. I have starred those below.</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Pots & Pans*: Splurge on these! Any “set” should have all that you need but minimum should include: medium and large sauce pans, a frying pan, a dutch oven and an extra large pan with high sides. If you can, get a grill pan, it will change your life!</span></li>
<li style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Knives*: Another item you should splurge on if you can. Good knives are essential for efficiency and safety too. Be sure to take good care of your knives as well.</span></li>
<li style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Mixing bowls</span></li>
<li style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">metal tongs</span></li>
<li style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Cooking utensils: spoon, spatula, slotted spoon, wooden spoon, whisk, ladle</span></li>
<li style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Prep utensils: vegetable peeler, measuring cups, measuring spoons</span></li>
<li style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Large cutting board</span></li>
<li style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Colanders and strainers</span></li>
<li style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">can opener </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Apple Color Emoji"; font-kerning: none; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">🙂</span></li>
<li style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">food processor: I have a big one and a small one that is an attachment to my mixer.</span></li>
<li style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">blender*</span></li>
<li style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">salad spinner (such a time saver!)</span></li>
<li style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Baking sheets and pans: these items you can add as you go and build up your stash</span></li>
<li style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">garlic press: Life changing! I couldn’t live without mine. Isn’t that crazy?</span></li>
<li style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">citrus press: I hate picking lemon and lime seeds out of my food. This little gadget is awesome!</span></li>
<li style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Grater: Food processor with an attachment could substitute for this</span></li>
</ul>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">That’s it! Now we are ready to get started!</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Amy</span></p><div><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777892990716753574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211035952425714916.post-60145786526395827912016-05-16T10:10:00.000-04:002022-10-09T10:11:23.451-04:00 Step 2: Getting Inspired<p> <span style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">Step 2: Getting Inspired</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">May 16, 2016</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Oh, I could go on and on for days about this one! Below are some of the books that inspired me to take on this adventure. I’ve also included some inspirational favorites that I have read since my 2010 Food Revolution. Let’s get started….</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Julie-Julia-Year-Cooking-Dangerously/dp/031604251X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1463418947&sr=1-1&keywords=julie+and+julia"><b>Julie & Julia</b></a></span><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><b>, by Julie Powell</b></span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">Well, of course we would need to start with this one, right? My original inspiration for this cooking adventure was actually the movie version of this book. Now, the book is a bit different than the movie. I read the book in the middle of my 2010-2011 Food Revolution challenge and I could totally relate to some of Julie Powell’s thoughts and feelings.</span></p>
<p style="color: #c7a361; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jamies-Food-Revolution-Rediscover-Affordable/dp/1401310478/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1463418922&sr=1-1&keywords=jamie+oliver+food+revolution"><b>Jamie’s Food Revolution</b></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-kerning: none;"><b>, by Jamie Oliver</b></span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">In 2010, I had just seen the movie, <i>Julie and Julia</i>, and I had decided that cooking through a cookbook would be a great way to learn to cook. I went to the bookstore looking for a cookbook for my adventure and I found <i>Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution</i>. His Food Revolution message on the back of the book was like a “sign” and it inspired me to do this crazy Food Revolution thing. This cookbook definitely taught me how to cook. My copy of it is well-loved and I couldn’t live in the kitchen without it.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Back-Butter-Traditional-Nourishing-Ancestors/dp/159233587X"><b>Back to Butter</b></a></span><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><b>, by Molly Chester and Sally Schrecengost</b></span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">Molly Chester’s blog, <a href="http://www.organicspark.com/"><span style="color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;">Organic Spark</span></a>, was one of the first blog’s that I ever read. Reading her blog definitely gave me the courage to try writing a blog too. I was so excited when her book, <i>Back to Butter</i>, came out. It is an awesome addition to any cook’s collection. If you want to learn more about “real food” this is a great resource.</span></p>
<p style="color: #c7a361; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/100-Days-Real-Food-Wholesome/dp/0062252550/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1463418993&sr=1-1&keywords=100+days+of+real+food"><b>100 Days of Real Food</b></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-kerning: none;"><b>, by Lisa Leake</b></span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">Speaking of “Real Food,” this book is awesome! Lisa Leake and I were working on our food journeys at the same time which I think is so cool! I am totally in awe of her. I love her recipes and her thoughts and advice on making changes in your family’s eating habits. While most of my Food Revolution revolved around cooking at home, she inspired me to rethink those pesky school lunches.</span></p>
<p style="color: #c7a361; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_11?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=french+kids+eat+everything&sprefix=french+kids%2Cstripbooks%2C121"><b>French Kids Eat Everything</b></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-kerning: none;"><b>, by Karen Le Billon</b></span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">This book will stay with you, parents. If you have a picky eater at home, be sure to read this. It will change your thinking about the dinner table. I picked this one up after getting questions about picky eaters at some of my speaking engagements. Remember, unless you have a three year old with a debit card that can drive to the grocery store, you are the one making the food decisions for your family. Take back control. You can do it!</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/American-Grown-Kitchen-Gardens-America/dp/0307956024/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1463419038&sr=1-1&keywords=american+grown"><b>American Grown</b></a></span><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><b>, by Michelle Obama</b></span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">I read this book after I was invited to the White House for a Social Media event. The story of the White House’s Kitchen Garden really made me think about starting to grow food at home. Our shady yard can only support a herb garden, but my trips to the farmer’s market and dreaming about my own kitchen garden definitely came from reading this book. It is a beautiful book full of amazing photographs and inspirational stories.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">One last suggestion, read anything by Michael Pollan. I couldn’t pick one book to highlight but all of his books will make you think about food, where it comes from and how we interact with it.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">What books inspire you in the kitchen? Visit me on Facebook and Twitter and let me hear some of your favorites.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Happy Reading!</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Amy</span></p><div><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777892990716753574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211035952425714916.post-40213195531401779902016-05-04T10:09:00.000-04:002022-10-09T10:10:38.034-04:00Step 1: Getting On Track<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">Before you start your Food Revolution, you need a goal. But, before you have a goal, you need to know where you are starting. A lot of us don’t even realize what is going on in our kitchens. Do you make the same thing over and over again? How many times a week do you eat out? Do some cooking tasks petrify you? This month I want you to keep track of your dinners. Feel free to track the other meals if you’d like but, at the very least, write down every dinner for one month. Find a cheap calendar (mine is from the Target Dollar Spot) and record what you eat every night. This isn’t a meal planning calendar (we’ll get to that some other time), this calendar is to record what actually happened. We all know that sometimes our best plans get thrown out the window so remember, this calendar is for what actually ended up on your dinner table each evening. At the end of the month, look back and see if you can spot any trends that bother you. Then you’ll come up with your goal (or goals) for your Food Revolution. Maybe you’ll decide you want to eat out less, or try a new recipe every Sunday, or maybe you just want to get really good at one recipe. Maybe there is a cooking challenge that scares you to death, for me it was roasting a chicken. Your big goal at the end of this might be that you will conquer that fear. But, before you decide your goal, I want you to monitor your habits for a month.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">So, get to it! Find yourself a calendar and track what you eat.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Happy Tracking!</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Amy</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Coming Up Next…”Get Inspired.”</span></p><div><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777892990716753574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211035952425714916.post-76709725688895127572016-04-27T10:07:00.000-04:002022-10-09T10:09:24.208-04:00How To Start A Food Revolution in Your Kitchen <p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">It wasn’t that long ago that I was like a lot of you. Each night I struggled to figure out how to get dinner on the table. We were busy and time was an issue but the bigger issue was that I didn’t know how to cook. I mean, I really couldn’t cook, not even a little bit. I had left home for college successfully having dodged the kitchen despite my mom’s pleas. At college, there were food courts and dining halls and take out and I graduated still not knowing how to make a single thing. My first job out of college was extremely busy with long hours. My cute little apartment was in walking distance of a beautiful downtown restaurant district. Not knowing how to cook didn’t really ever bother me. It wasn’t even something that crossed my mind until one day I found myself standing in my kitchen with two small children and THEN, all of a sudden, it REALLY bothered me. I needed to be able to feed my family. I didn’t really know where to start but we had just navigated our way through the holiday season and I was a bit sad that I wasn’t making good food memories for my kids. They didn’t have a food that they could say, “My mom makes the best….” So, I decided I’d learn how to cook. If you’ve visited my blog before you’ll know that it started as a New Year’s Resolution (“Cook More”), and then I saw a movie (Julie and Julia) and lastly there was a trip to the bookstore where I discovered Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Cookbook. Mix all of these things together vigorously, add a blog and a ticking timer (I gave myself 365 days to cook my way through his book) and then you’d have my Food Revolution journey. That was six years ago. Along the way I heard from family, friends and strangers who could relate to my struggle. The struggle was happening to real people and I wasn’t the only one that was wrestling with it! Some of it was my own fault, I was an expert at disappearing when mom needed help in the kitchen. But, some of it was a change in our world. How we think about food, how we relate to others around food and the time we spend in the kitchen all changed quickly. So many times I’ve had people ask, “How did you do it?” or they would tell me, “There is no way I could do that.” Well, yes, I’ll admit my method was a bit extreme but there is no reason why everyone can’t start a food revolution in their own kitchen. Over the next several weeks, join me here on this blog for a simple step by step mini version of what I did. We’ll spend a few weeks prepping and then our big kick off will be on May 20, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Day. Be sure to join me on social media so you’ll be the first to know when a new blog post goes up. Next up is…”Getting On Track.”</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Hope you’ll join me and as always,</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Happy Cooking!</span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">Amy</span></p><div><span style="font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777892990716753574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211035952425714916.post-87179825821810214692016-01-24T10:07:00.001-05:002022-10-09T10:07:40.037-04:00Resolutions 2016<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">It is said that one in three people will ditch their New Year’s Resolution before the end of January. This is the time of year when I usually write and tell you about the only time I kept my New Year’s Resolution. In January of 2010, I made three New Year’s resolutions. I decided that each would have a positive spin and not include negative words. One of them was to “cook more,” how to accomplish it though completely stumped me. I had tried it before and had failed miserably and I was worried I would have to abandon this resolution yet again. That’s when I saw the movie, </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Julie-Julia-Meryl-Streep/dp/B002RSDW80/ref=sr_1_2?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1453659796&sr=1-2&keywords=julie+and+julia" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;"><i>Julie and Julia</i></span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;"> and the inspiration for how I would “cook more” hit me. After letting the idea sit in my brain awhile and mustering up the courage to do this crazy thing, I went to the bookstore to browse the cooking section. I stumbled upon </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jamies-Food-Revolution-Rediscover-Affordable/dp/1401310478/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1447684650&sr=1-1&keywords=jamie+oliver+food+revolution" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;">Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Cookbook</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;"> and I knew that it was the key. So, I started to cook more. I challenged myself to cook every recipe in the book in 365 days. To keep myself accountable, </span><a href="http://www.amysfoodrevolution.com/the-missing-ingredient/" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;">I started this blog</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;"> and wrote about my adventure and the journey to “cook more.” I not only “cooked more” but I also taught </span><a href="http://www.amysfoodrevolution.com/?s=cooking+class" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;">cooking classes</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">, became a </span><a href="http://www.jamieoliverfoodfoundation.org/usa/heroes" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;">Food Revolution Hero </span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">and later a </span><a href="http://www.jamieoliverfoodfoundation.org/usa/home" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;">Food Revolution Ambassador</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">. I even had the chance to visit the </span><a href="http://www.amysfoodrevolution.com/?s=white+house" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;">White House</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">. Now, six years later, cooking more has been a journey that outlived its New Year’s Resolution status.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">I hope for 2016 you will resolve to spend more time cooking. To help you with that, I’ll be starting a new series in the coming weeks on how to start a Food Revolution in your own kitchen. Make sure you are following me on social media so you can get timely updates on when it will start. Who knows, you might find out that it is the easiest and best resolution you ever kept!</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Happy Cooking!</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Amy</span></p><div><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777892990716753574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211035952425714916.post-65029615419546324972016-01-01T10:03:00.000-05:002022-10-09T10:06:47.911-04:00Holiday Countdown #3: Shrimp and Corn Chowder<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">f you’ve been reading my blog since the beginning, you will know that this is our go-to family favorite meal on New Year’s Day. So, it should be no surprise that my third and final holiday favorite is this awesome recipe, </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jamies-Food-Revolution-Rediscover-Affordable/dp/1401310478/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1451681398&sr=8-2&keywords=food+revolution" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;"><b>Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution</b></span></a><b style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;"> Shrimp and Sweet Corn Chowder</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">. The blog post that I wrote when I first cooked this during my Food Revolution challenge is still one of my favorite posts. New Year’s Day always reminds me of my great-grandmother, Lena. If you’ve been reading since the beginning you’ll also know that she was a huge inspiration for me starting this blog. I hope you’ll take a minute to read the </span><a href="http://www.amysfoodrevolution.com/new-years-day-memories-and-looking-back-on-2010/" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;">original post </span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">and also this other </span><a href="http://www.amysfoodrevolution.com/chowder-for-lena/" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;">post about Lena</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">. Then, when you’re done reading, give this recipe a try! I’m actually heading to the kitchen right now to make it!</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Happy New Year and Happy Cooking from Amy’s Food Revolution!</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><b>Shrimp and Sweet Corn Chowder</b></span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><b>Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution</b></span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><b>pg. 294</b></span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Serves 4-6</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><b>Ingredients</b></span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">• 1 large leek washed and chopped • 1 pound of potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch chunks • 1 quart chicken broth • Olive oil • 6 rashers of smoked streaky bacon sliced • 1 2/3 cups sweetcorn • 1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled • 1 1/4 cups heavy cream • sea salt and pepper • 1 fresh red chili de-seeded and chopped (This is for garnish and is great without it if you don’t have it on hand)• 6 cream crackers crushed</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><b>To cook</b></span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Pour the chicken broth into a saucepan and bring to a boil</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Add bacon rashers to casserole type pan with olive oil, cook until golden and crispy. Using tongs transfer cooked bacon to a plate leaving the fat in the pan.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Add the leek and potatoes to the pan and cook for 3-5 min.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Add sweetcorn and shrimp. Add hot broth and cream.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Stir.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 min until potatoes are tender.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Remove off heat and blend. Season again to taste.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Serve with chopped chili, crackers and bacon on the side. (the pictures in the book also appear to have parsley and not chili, I used that instead.)</span></p><p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></p><p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></p><p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></p><p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></p><p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNRlDxzhmY_UcYxYd6VcdXRhNNHIHkcsJRVGmQBS4ydVc9Qy7ODE_nOc7u4D-KmXNM_U6dPf-6rSCo22Hx9Vf7KJrG0O1fP0ydR0-NefCNw8bAKualrsiHcm0ZjvHULcpqgRORFiPFAhfpstD2AC-jD9jLZdZoZw17TnPyTJX4AobPSEQyEPYNwzq/s225/Lena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="192" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNRlDxzhmY_UcYxYd6VcdXRhNNHIHkcsJRVGmQBS4ydVc9Qy7ODE_nOc7u4D-KmXNM_U6dPf-6rSCo22Hx9Vf7KJrG0O1fP0ydR0-NefCNw8bAKualrsiHcm0ZjvHULcpqgRORFiPFAhfpstD2AC-jD9jLZdZoZw17TnPyTJX4AobPSEQyEPYNwzq/s1600/Lena.jpg" width="192" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777892990716753574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211035952425714916.post-10431591595202576502015-12-23T10:02:00.001-05:002022-10-09T10:03:15.553-04:00Holiday Countdown #2: Spanish Style Grilled Steak<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">In my </span><a href="http://www.amysfoodrevolution.com/holiday-countdown-1-food-revolution-lasagne/" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;">last post</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">, I mentioned that </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jamies-Food-Revolution-Rediscover-Affordable/dp/1401310478/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1447684650&sr=1-1&keywords=jamie+oliver+food+revolution" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Food Revolution</i></b></span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;"> Lasagne is always a contender for Christmas dinner. Well, here is the other one…Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Spanish-Style Grilled Steak. </span><a href="http://www.amysfoodrevolution.com/valentines-day-part-2/" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;">I originally made this</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;"> for Valentine’s Day during my Food Revolution challenge. Later that year, I made it for my family for Christmas dinner and it became another family favorite for the holiday meal. My grandfather used to cook steaks on the grill for Christmas dinner when my mom was little and my dad took over the tradition when I was young. The first time I made this recipe for Christmas dinner it was definitely a nod to that family Christmas tradition. Jamie’s recipe for Spanish-Style Grilled Steak is simple and unique with a few awesome tricks that you won’t believe!</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Happy Cooking,</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Amy</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"> </span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Jamie Oliver’s Spanish-Style Grilled Steak</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Food Revolution, pg. 235</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Serves 2</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">2 fresh red chiles</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">1 red bell pepper</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">2 x 8-ounce beef top loin steaks</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">A good sprinkling of normal or smoked paprika</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Olive oil</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">1 large clove of garlic</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Extra virgin olive oil</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">1 lemon</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">1 cup crème fraiche or sour cream</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">To prepare your steaks:</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Put a grill pan on a high heat and let it get screaming hot. Halve and seed your chiles and bell pepper, then cut both bell pepper halves in two. Season your steaks really well with salt, pepper, and paprika. Drizzle with a good lug of olive oil and give the steaks a rub on both sides, making sure they are well coated in the seasoning.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">To cook your steaks:</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Lay the steaks in your hot pan with the chiles and bell peppers. Cut the tip off the garlic clove and discard. Your steaks should take 5—8 minutes in total to cook, depending on how you like them — every minute, turn them over, rub the hot, charred side of the meat with the garlic, and press down again. Don’t forget to flip your bell peppers and chiles over too. Remove the steaks from the grill to a plate to rest for about 5 minutes. Cook the bell peppers and chiles for another 2 minutes, or until slightly charred, then remove to another plate and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Halve your lemon and squeeze the juice from one half over the steaks.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">To serve your steaks:</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">You can either leave the steaks whole or cut them into strips and serve them with the bell peppers and chiles piled on top. Lovely with a dollop of crème fraiche or sour cream. Drizzle with the amazing meat juices, sprinkle with a pinch of paprika, and finish with a nice drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and the juice from the other lemon half.</span></p><div><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777892990716753574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211035952425714916.post-61085542156693590652015-12-21T10:01:00.001-05:002022-10-09T10:02:18.800-04:00Holiday Countdown #1 Food Revolution Lasagne<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">This week we are counting down to Christmas with three of my favorite holiday recipes.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Today’s recipe is one that my family begs me to make for Christmas dinner, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jamies-Food-Revolution-Rediscover-Affordable/dp/1401310478/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1447684650&sr=1-1&keywords=jamie+oliver+food+revolution"><span style="color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;">Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution</span></a> Lasagne. <a href="http://www.amysfoodrevolution.com/christmas-3-lasagna/"><span style="color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;">I first made it </span></a>when I was doing my Food Revolution Challenge in 2010. My family talks about this every year and each year it is one of the contenders for our Christmas dinner. The best part about this is that you can make the sauce the day before, assemble the layers on Christmas afternoon and stick it in the oven. Have other family members bring a salad, bread and dessert and you are good to go! This is a real crowd pleaser!</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Happy Cooking!</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Amy</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><b>Jamie Oliver’s Lasagne – Food Revolution, pg. 169</b></span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Serves 4-6</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">For the bolognese sauce:</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">– 2 slices of smoked bacon, preferably free-range or organic</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">– 2 medium onions</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">– 2 cloves of garlic</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">– 2 carrots</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">– 2 celery stalks</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">– olive oil</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">– 2 heaping teaspoons of dried oregano</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">– 1 pound of high quality ground beef or pork or mixture of two</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">– 2 14 oz. cans of diced tomatoes</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">– sea salt and pepper</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">– fresh basil</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">– 2 oz of parmesan cheese</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">For the lasagne:</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">– 8 oz dried egg lasagne sheets (I usually use 365 brand No Boil sheets, and they worked great)</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">– 2 cups of creme fraiche or thick sour cream</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">– 4 oz of parmesan cheese</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">– 1 large ripe tomato, sliced</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">– 4-6 basil leaves</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">To make the bolognese sauce:</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Finely slice the bacon and chop up the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery into small dice. Place a large casserole-type pan on medium to high heat and add 2 lugs of olive oil, bacon and dried oregano – cook until bacon is lightly golden.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Add veggies to the pan and stir every 30 seconds for around 7 minutes or until softened and lightly colored. Stir in the ground meat and canned tomatoes.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Fill one of the tomato cans with water and add to pan</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Stir in a good pinch of salt and pepper. Pick the basil leaves off and put in fridge for later. Finely chop the basil stalks and stir into pan. Bring to boil. Turn the heat down and simmer with lid on for 45 mins, stirring a couple times.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">To finish the sauce:</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Preheat oven to 375. Remove the bolognese sauce from heat. Finely grate 2 oz of parmesan into the sauce.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Tear and stir in any larger basil leaves, keeping smaller ones aside for top. Taste sauce and add more salt and pepper if needed.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">To make the lasagne:</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Grate 4 oz of parmesan. If you don’t use No Boil sheets, boil some water in a pan, then add the lasagne sheets with a drizzle of olive oil and blanch (slightly soften) for 3-4 minutes. Drain sheets and carefully pat dry with paper towel to absorb excess water. Spoon a third of the bolognese sauce into the bottom of a overproof dish.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Follow with a layer of lasagne sheets. Dollop a third of the creme fraiche and smooth over the lasagne sheets. Sprinkle one third of the parmesan cheese.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Add another layer of sauce and repeat with sheets and cheese, ending with creme fraiche and parmesan on top layer.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Top the creme and parmesan with sliced tomatoes and small basil leaves, drizzle with olive oil. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. After that, remove the foil and bake for 35 more minutes until the lasagne is bubbling and golden.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">**Lasagna vs. Lasagne</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">You will noticed that I use the “with an e not an a” spelling in my posts. Lasagna is a flat, wide pasta noodle. For the dish made from this pasta, North American English speakers use the lasagna spelling and English speakers from outside North America usually use the lasagne spelling. The word is Italian, of course, and in Italian, lasagna is the singular noun for a single noodle and lasagne is the plural noun that is used for the dish, since it is made using many lasagna noodles. Jamie uses the correct Italian spelling in his cookbook and I choose to use it as well.</span></p><div><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777892990716753574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211035952425714916.post-28616350949881287552015-11-30T09:59:00.001-05:002022-10-09T10:00:23.960-04:00Fall Favorite #3: Simple Chili<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">My third and final Fall Favorite recipe is a chili recipe that I have been using forever. I’m not sure where I got it or even what it originally looked like since I’ve tweaked it several times. What I love about this recipe is that the ingredients are simple and few. It makes for an easy and quick fall dish that tastes like comfort food without a lot of effort.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Happy Cooking!</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Amy</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"> </span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Simple Chili</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">serves 8</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">2 tablespoons olive oil</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">1 cup diced onion</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">2 cloves of minced garlic (I recommend using a garlic press if you have one)</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">1 pound lean ground beef (can also substitute ground turkey for turkey chili)</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">2 (15 oz) cans of kidney beans</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">2 tablespoons of chili powder (more or less depending on your preference)</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">1 tablespoon of white vinegar</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">salt and pepper to taste</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Directions:</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">1. In a large pot, sauté garlic and onion in olive oil until soft.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">2. Add the ground beef and brown. Pour off excess fat.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">3. Stir in crushed tomatoes, beans, chili powder and white vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">4. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat and cover.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">5. Simmer 30 minutes.</span></p><div><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777892990716753574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211035952425714916.post-86873482383240663782015-11-16T09:58:00.001-05:002022-10-09T09:59:29.656-04:00Fall Favorites #2: Pot Roast Meatloaf<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">This is the second post in my series of Fall Favorites where I’m introducing you to my family’s favorite fall recipes. Today’s pick is Pot-Roast Meatloaf and it is also from </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jamies-Food-Revolution-Rediscover-Affordable/dp/1401310478/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1447684650&sr=1-1&keywords=jamie+oliver+food+revolution" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;">Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;"> cookbook (page 161). This is another long standing favorite in my house and it is perfect for a cold, rainy Sunday. Pot-Roast Meatloaf requires a bit more time and attention then my first pick but I guarantee your family will definitely appreciate the effort and love that goes into making this recipe. I love the story that Jamie tells in his cookbook. This was one of his favorites to make for staff dinners at his restaurant and it is kind of fun to think about that when I’m making it. It is also a recipe that I’ve taught in my cooking classes. I hope you enjoy it…let me know what you think!</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Happy Cooking!</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Amy</span></p>
<p style="color: #c7a361; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://www.amysfoodrevolution.com/fall-favorites-sweet-potato-and-chorizo-soup/">If you missed my first pick, Sweet Potato and Chorizo Soup, check it out here. <span style="color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;"></span></a></span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><b><i>From page 161 of Jamie’s Food Revolution</i></b></span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><b>pot-roast meatloaf </b></span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><b>serves 4-6 </b></span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><b>ingredients</b></span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">• 2 medium onions</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">• Olive oil</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">• 1 level teaspoon ground cumin</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">• 1 heaped teaspoon ground coriander</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">• 12 cream or plain crackers, such as Jacob’s</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">• 2 teaspoons dried oregano</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">• 2 heaped teaspoons Dijon mustard</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">• 1 pound good-quality ground beef</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">• 1 large egg, preferably free-range or organic</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">• 2 cloves of garlic</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">• ½ – 1 fresh chile, to your taste</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, such as Lea & Perrins</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">• 1 x 15-ounce can of garbanzo beans, drained</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">• 2 x14-ounce cans of diced tomatoes</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">• 12 slices of smoked bacon, preferably free range or organic</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">• 1 lemon</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><br />
</b></span><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><b>To make your meatloaf</b></span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">Preheat the oven to full whack (475 degrees). Peel and finely chop one of the onions—don’t worry about technique, just chop away until fine. Place in a large frying pan on a medium high heat with 2 lugs of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the ground cumin and coriander. Fry and stir ever 30 seconds for around 7 minutes or until softened and lightly golden, then put into a large bowl to cool. Wrap the crackers in a kitchen towel and smash until fine, breaking up any big bits with your hands. Add to the other bowl of cooled onions with oregano, mustard and ground beef. Crack in the egg, and add another good pinch of salt and pepper. With clean hands, scrunch and mix up well. Move the meat mixture to a board, then pat and mold into a large football shape. Rub it with a little oil. You can either cook it straight away or put it on a plate, cover and place in the refrigerator until needed. Place the meatloaf in a Dutch oven-type pan or baking dish, put into the preheated oven, and turn down the temperature immediately to 400 degrees. Bake for a half an hour.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><br />
</b></span><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><b>To make your meatloaf sauce</b></span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Peel the other onion and chop into 1/4-inch pieces. Peel and slice the garlic. Finely slice the red chile. Place the onion, garlic and chile in a large pan on a medium high heat with 2 lugs of olive oil, the paprika, and a pinch of the salt and pepper. Cook for around 7 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until softened and lightly golden. Add the Worcestershire sauce, garbanzo beans, tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil then turn the heat down and let it slowly simmer for 10 minutes. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper if needed.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><br />
</b></span><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><b>To finish off and serve your meatloaf</b></span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Pick the rosemary leaves off the woody stalks and put them into a little bowl. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and pour all the fat from the pan over the rosemary leaves and mix up well. Spoon your sauce around the meatloaf. Lay the slices of bacon over the top of the meatloaf and sauce. Scatter over the rosemary leaves. Put the pan back in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the bacon turns golden and the sauce is bubbling and delicious. Serve with a mixed leaf salad and some wedges of lemon for squeezing over—this will add a nice sharp twang.</span></p><div><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777892990716753574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211035952425714916.post-69880536894248201892015-11-03T08:00:00.001-05:002022-10-09T09:58:03.735-04:00Fall Favorites: Sweet Potato and Chorizo Soup<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">Today is the first post in my series of “Fall Favorites” where I’ll introduce you to my family’s favorite fall recipes. Today’s recipe is my absolute favorite </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jamies-Food-Revolution-Rediscover-Affordable/dp/1401310478/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1446563880&sr=8-2&keywords=jamie+oliver+food+revolution" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Food Revolution</i></b></span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;"> recipe by </span><a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;">Jamie Oliver</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">, </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">Sweet Potato and Chorizo Soup</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">. You know it is a hit when it keeps coming to mind when you sit down to write. I think this is the third time I’ve written about </span><a href="http://www.amysfoodrevolution.com/i-love-sweet-potatoes/" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;">this recipe</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">, more than any others. It is simple, delicious and it showcases my favorite food in the world…sweet potatoes! This yummy soup is a fall staple in our house and I get asked about it all the time. It has even been included in some of my cooking classes. When blended, the soup becomes thick and creamy but without using any dairy products. It is loaded with veggies but the small bit of sausage brings a bit of spice and meaty flavor to it.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Happy Cooking!</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><b>Sweet Potato and Chorizo Soup</b></span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><b><i>From Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution</i></b></span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Ingredients</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">1 3/4 quarts chicken stock</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">olive oil</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">2 large carrots, peeled</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">2 celery stalks, sliced evenly</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">2 medium onions, peeled and rough chopped</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">1 3/4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and rough chopped</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">7 ounces chorizo sausage, sliced</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">small bunch fresh parsley, fine chopped</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">1 heaped teaspoon Madras curry powder</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">sea salt and freshly ground black pepper</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">1 fresh red chile, fine diced (This is just for garnish at the end, I bought very spicy sausage so I actually topped mine with either plain yogurt or grated cheddar and also some nutmeg)</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Bring the stock to boil in a saucepan. Let it simmer on the back burner.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Bring a large pot to medium-high heat. Pour in the olive oil. Put all the chopped and sliced foods (all the veggies and the chorizo) into the hot oil. Add the curry powder and mix it all up.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Cook until the carrots have softened but are not falling apart and the onions have turned a little golden, about 10 minutes.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Pour in the hot stock. Give the soup a stir and let it come to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup until the sweet potato is cooked through, about 10 minutes.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Season the soup with salt and pepper. Stir. Taste. Season it to your taste.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Blend the soup with an immersion blender (easiest) or by pouring it into a large blender or food processor. This part is very important and totally “makes” the soup!</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Jamie says top with diced chile and serve but I used some plain yogurt and nutmeg.</span></p><div><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777892990716753574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211035952425714916.post-20118577237539750192015-10-07T09:54:00.001-04:002022-10-09T09:55:57.776-04:00Reboot.<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">Well, this is awkward, isn’t it? I didn’t mean to leave you in a lurch for so long. I guess, as you can probably tell by the LOOKS of things, I’ve been quite busy behind-the-scenes.</span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">When I started my blog in 2010, it was a very short term kind of thing. I didn’t think anyone would read it and I thought once I was done my little adventure that I would…well…actually I didn’t really think about what would happen after that. Seriously. I wrote the blog to hold myself accountable for the challenge I had taken on, to make all of the recipes in Jamie Oliver’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jamies-Food-Revolution-Rediscover-Affordable/dp/1401310478/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1444230814&sr=8-2&keywords=Jamie+Oliver%27s+food+revolution"><span style="color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;"><i>Food Revolution</i></span></a> cookbook in 365 days. That was five years ago. Back then, while I was cooking and blogging and blogging and cooking I learned that people were actually reading my blog. The craziest part was that I didn’t know all of them. Strangers were reading my blog and they were reading because I was a lot like them. I was the girl that didn’t really help out in the kitchen and then grew up and found herself standing in her own kitchen having no idea what to do. I needed to get food on the table for my family and I wanted it to be good food. I realize that I could have just taken a cooking class or done something else a little less dramatic but, I guess I decided to go big. The problem was that once I was done my Food Revolution challenge, I wasn’t really sure what to write about next. I quickly learned though that people wanted to keep reading. I still get notes and emails from people asking if I’m still writing. So, in a strange turn of events, I went from writing great stuff about not knowing how to cook TO knowing how to cook but not having great stuff to write about. This past March, when my five year blog-iversary hit, I realized that this little blog had been puttering along for five whole years and I needed to think about what was in store for it next. Did I keep it up? Quietly go off into the sunset?</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">What I realized is that a Food Revolution was still happening in my kitchen. I know how to cook now but I still have challenges that I am constantly working on. Better yet, I have things to say about those challenges. I also knew that there were moms (and dads) out there who are just like me five years ago and, it turns out, they still want to hear what I have to say. Also, since I’m one of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Ambassadors now, I am completing new assigned challenges each month that I want to share. I really hope that I can inspire people to start a Food Revolution in their own kitchen.</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">So, this blog is getting a reboot. As you can see (since I don’t do anything tiny) a reboot comes with a whole new look. I have to give a big shout out to my new friend, Emily, at <a href="http://www.designerblogs.com/"><span style="color: #c7a361; font-kerning: none;">Designer Blogs</span></a> who helped me create the look that I was envisioning but had no idea how to get on my own. Thank you, Emily!</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">I hope you’ll keep reading along and I hope you’ll get involved and tell me what you think. Don’t forget to click those cute little buttons up there and visit me on social media, it’s the best way to see what I’m up to and get a heads up when new blog posts come along.</span></p><p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Happy Cooking,</span></p>
<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;">Amy</span></p>
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<p style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></p>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777892990716753574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211035952425714916.post-76072680025825769702015-04-07T12:04:00.002-04:002015-04-07T12:04:45.637-04:00ER PIE<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
This blog post is late. During our Food Revolution Meat Free week my plan was to tell you about one of my favorite meat free recipes...Jamie Oliver's <b>Spinach and Feta Filo Pie</b> from the <i><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jamie-Olivers-Meals-Minutes-Revolutionary/dp/1401324428/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1428422574&sr=1-1&keywords=meals+in+minutes" target="_blank">Meals in Minutes</a> </b></i>Cookbook. I was going to tell you how easy this recipe is and how Jamie says it is a great meal to make when you have company over for dinner. I remember the first time I made this being so proud of myself because it is quite impressive when it's done and it makes you look like you pulled off some master chef skills in the kitchen. You can giggle to yourself knowing that it was really easy to make. That's what I was going to tell you. But instead I'm going to tell you about how I ended up in Urgent Care. Because of my pie. With Second degree burns. On my typing fingers. Sniffle. Sniffle. </div>
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So, this awesome recipe begins in a pan on top of the stove with some pretty green baby spinach. </div>
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Then moves to the 400 degree oven. </div>
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I took the pan out of the oven just as my sweet husband was walking in the door. Since this is a pan that we usually use on top of the stove I wanted to make sure he knew not to touch the handle and that it had been in the very hot oven. So I said out loud, "Don't touch the pan on top of the stove, it has been in the oven and the whole thing is really hot." Not even a minute later, I don't know what I was thinking, I grabbed the pan handle. It hurt. It really, really hurt. I cried. One spot especially started to blister up and I knew I needed to get some medical attention. So, off I went to Urgent Care. </div>
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Now, normally I would have some nice photos of my Spinach and Feta Filo Pie for you. But, I don't have any photos of the beautiful pie. I was in Urgent Care with a doctor. But here's a photo of what my family had done to it when I got home (I think they liked it):</div>
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If you'd like to make your own Spinach and Feta Filo Pie here's the recipe. But, please be careful!</div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/videos/how-to-assemble-the-spinach-and-feta-filo-pie-from-30-minute-meals">http://www.jamieoliver.com/videos/how-to-assemble-the-spinach-and-feta-filo-pie-from-30-minute-meals</a></span></div>
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XOXO,</div>
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<i>Amy</i></div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777892990716753574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211035952425714916.post-969649644562610922015-03-22T20:11:00.000-04:002015-03-22T20:12:33.726-04:00M is for Meat Free<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This month, Jamie Oliver has challenged the Food Revolution Ambassadors to go Meat Free for one week, March 23-29. So starting tomorrow, whether they like it or not, my family will be going meat free. I have a couple of great recipes on tap to help us get through (this is a first for us) and I wanted to share them with you. <b></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first is a <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jamies-Food-Revolution-Rediscover-Affordable/dp/1401310478/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1427069295&sr=8-2&keywords=jamie+oliver+food+revolution" target="_blank">Food Revolution</a></i></b> favorite, Vegetable Jalfrezi. Here's a flashback to that blog post...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://amysfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/2010/12/curbside-service.html">http://amysfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/2010/12/curbside-service.html</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The second is a recipe from another Jamie Oliver cookbook, <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jamie-Olivers-Meals-Minutes-Revolutionary/dp/1401324428/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427069325&sr=8-1&keywords=jamie+oliver+meals+in+minutes" target="_blank">Meals In Minutes</a>. </i>This recipe is one my family also loves. Here's a video on how to make it and I'll be blogging about this one later this week...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/videos/how-to-assemble-the-spinach-and-feta-filo-pie-from-30-minute-meals">http://www.jamieoliver.com/videos/how-to-assemble-the-spinach-and-feta-filo-pie-from-30-minute-meals</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enjoy! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And don't forget to let me know if you try any of them out.</span><br />
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777892990716753574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211035952425714916.post-34114841914861850502015-03-19T13:56:00.001-04:002015-03-19T14:02:32.331-04:00Recipe Rewind<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
To celebrate the 5th anniversary of my blog, I made the first recipe from my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jamies-Food-Revolution-Rediscover-Affordable/dp/1401310478/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426787073&sr=1-2&keywords=food+revolution" target="_blank">Food Revolution Cookbook</a> Challenge, Mini Shell Pasta with a Creamy Smoked Bacon and Pea Sauce (pg. 52). This is the recipe that started my journey, where I cooked 173 recipes in 365 days. I thought it would be fun to go back and read my <a href="http://www.amysfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/2010/03/recipe-1-mini-shell-pasta-with-creamy.html" target="_blank">first blog post on this recipe</a>. First of all, that toddler that was crawling around by my feet is now in First Grade! I remember being so stressed to make this and thinking that it was so much work. Well, I think I've come a long way because making it again was so quick and easy. My family was shocked when a short 20 minutes after I started I called out that dinner was almost ready. The mint and the peas together make it a great spring time meal and how can you go wrong with bacon? </div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777892990716753574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211035952425714916.post-81151164429136580512015-03-03T20:17:00.001-05:002015-03-03T20:17:41.145-05:00A Blog is Born<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
It was still February of 2010. I had made a resolution to <a href="http://www.amysfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/2015/01/make-resolution-for-food-revolution.html" target="_blank">cook more</a>, had been inspired by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Julie-Julia-Meryl-Streep/dp/B002VXKYCS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425431656&sr=8-1&keywords=Julie+and+julia" target="_blank">Julie and Julia</a>, picked out <a href="http://www.amysfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/2015/02/he-had-me-at-hello-insert-british.html" target="_blank">Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution</a> for my project but now was faced with the other part of this daunting task....The BLOG.</div>
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I felt like this part of it was even more intimidating than the cooking part, and that part worried me quite a bit! I knew that it was an important part of the project because I needed something to keep me accountable and I knew that if I started it, I would need to see it through. That is just how I am. Kind of the like how I'm still reading Sue Grafton's murder mystery alphabet series even though I don't really like murder mysteries and I don't really care about what happens to Kinsey Millhone. I just need to get to Z. At the same time, who would read it if I did write a blog? How would I find time for all of those entries? And did I really want to put myself out there like that? I really didn't feel like I could pull this part of it off and had almost abandoned the idea all together...and then I went to visit my friends Johnny and Becky.</div>
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I had lunch with Johnny one day in late February and I knew once I told him my idea he would cue the instant pep rally. And he did! He loved the idea and he completely encouraged me to do it. Seeing him so excited made me even more excited. I also knew that if I didn't get started he would be calling me to make sure I did.</div>
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Now if Johnny is the pep rally guy, then Becky is the action plan girl. When I came back from lunch with Johnny and told Becky she immediately jumped into her supportive friend role and most likely gave me a "All you have to do is...." speech. Becky is great at breaking up daunting tasks into manageable chunks to show you that you really can do it. I love when she does this! They are the best friends ever and getting this blog started is largely due to their awesome support and encouragement.</div>
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So, that afternoon I went home and started researching blog platforms and wrote my first blog post and a few days later, on March 3, 2010, <a href="http://www.amysfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/2010/03/missing-ingredient.html" target="_blank">Amy's Food Revolution, was born. </a></div>
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Coming up next...</div>
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The Anniversary of my first recipe is up next and I'm making it again! My kids are so excited. It is one of their favorites and they can't wait.</div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777892990716753574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211035952425714916.post-58845794123022397642015-02-21T11:55:00.000-05:002015-02-21T12:15:59.005-05:00"He Had Me at Hello (insert British accent here)"<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
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So, since this is my blog's five year anniversary...my "blog-iversary" I'm spending a bit of time reminiscing and looking back at old posts and thinking of what was going through my head 5 years ago. Let me set the stage for you. I was frustrated. It was February 2010 and for New Year's one of the resolutions I had made was to <a href="http://www.amysfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/2015/01/make-resolution-for-food-revolution.html" target="_blank">cook more</a>. I was a mom with two kids that couldn't and didn't cook. I should be feeding my family better. Now, there is more to this story of course but I'm saving that for a book, or when I sit down with Oprah some day. </div>
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I had made this resolution but for the life of me I had no idea how I was going to accomplish this. Soon after New Year's we had watched Julie and Julia and the idea to do a similar exercise was still whirling in my head. But how would I go about writing a blog? And who would read it? And wasn't taking on cooking enough of a challenge without adding a blog to the mix? And there was no way my kids and husband were going to put up with a year of French cooking. And on, and on, and on.</div>
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So, the first thing I thought I would tackle was picking a book. I’d worry about the blogging part later. So, when I came across <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jamies-Food-Revolution-Rediscover-Affordable/dp/1401310478" target="_blank">Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution cookbook</a> in the bookstore that day in February of 2010 something took hold. The back of the book says:</div>
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<i><b>“This book is inspired by all the people I've met who thought they could never and would never learn how to cook. I believe that good home cooking is one of the most essential, fundamental skills that every single person on this planet should have in order to look after themselves, their families, and their friend. This food revolution is all about people learning how to make a recipe, then teaching that recipe to their friends and family…if enough people do this, pretty soon everyone will be cooking.” </b></i></div>
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And that's where he had me. I knew then if I was going to do this crazy thing that it would need to be Jamie Oliver that would teach me and it would have to be this book. I totally got it. It was like the back of that book was him writing a note specifically to me.</div>
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Of course, now I know that I wasn't the only one of my generation who had skipped out on kitchen duty and now stared at the pots and pans with toddlers under their feet not knowing where to begin. Now I get it. Now I get that my problem was a bit of a generational one. We had lost the skills that had been passed down and that knowledge was replaced with factory frozen lasagnas and drive thru windows. I bought the book on the spot (along with a Max and Ruby book for my toddler). I didn't even open it. Who says you can’t judge a book by its cover? That day I definitely did.</div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777892990716753574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211035952425714916.post-34242103422927086032015-02-13T20:34:00.001-05:002015-02-13T20:34:24.410-05:00Love is in the Air....<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;">
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...and for our family that means it's time for our annual Tea Party. It is a day that the kids look forward to each year, especially our oldest. It means we prepare as close to a traditional English Tea as we can. I pull out the little collection of "tea books" that I have and the cutesy pink teapot that we have been using since she was a toddler. We invite some girls over, let them indulge in the sugar cubes and call it a party. She usually humors her little brother and lets him sit with them and everyone is happy. It's a day of treats but of the homemade, special occasion variety.</div>
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I thought she was outgrowing this little tradition. She hadn't mentioned it this year and I was thinking that since she is now twelve that meant my tea party days were over. Also, you never know with twelve year olds if it is a "Mom, you're cool" day or a "Really, Mom?" oh-so-not-cool day. So, I was completely shocked when she came home from school today (the day before Valentine's day) and said, "So, Mommy, what day should we have my tea party?" I turned around and there she stood, eye to eye with me. She's been just about my height for almost a year but it still takes me by surprise. How did this happen so fast? She said she had the menu planned out and knew who she wanted to invite. And that is when my heart skipped a beat. I was excited that this wasn't on the "I'm too old for this" list yet because I love doing this with her each year. And who knows, maybe her 13 year old self next year will think that she is too old. So I'll get out the teapot and run to the store early tomorrow morning so we can bake our favorite scone recipe together and slice strawberries and make cucumber sandwiches. Because the other thing about twelve year olds and this February 14th holiday, there aren't too many more left that she will want to spend with me. And I'm going to enjoy every minute of it. </div>
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If you aren't all ready....</div>
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Follow me on Twitter (@amysfoodrev), Facebook (Amy's Food Revolution page) and/or Instagram (amysfoodrev) to see photos of the tea party this weekend and to get our favorite scone recipe.</div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777892990716753574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211035952425714916.post-43536283541037020422015-01-10T11:41:00.000-05:002015-01-10T12:02:30.960-05:00Make a Resolution for a Food Revolution<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy New Year from Amy’s Food Revolution! 2015 is a big year for my Food Revolution because it marks the 5 year anniversary of when it all began. And, as some of you may know, it all started with a New Year’s Resolution. In fact, it is the only New Year’s Resolution that I have ever really kept. Most New Year’s resolutions are “lose something (weight),” “stop something (a bad habit),” “don’t do this” or “don’t do that.” On January 1st of 2010 I decided to make resolutions that had a positive spin on them. Each resolution had the word “more” in it and one of them was to “Cook more.” Now I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to accomplish this but I knew that if I was going to cook more I would need to learn how to cook. I could barely boil water for pasta (me and boiling pots still don’t really get along too well) so how was I going to learn how to cook? </div>
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A few weeks later my husband and I watched the movie “Julie and Julia” and the movie stuck with me. I was sure that it was the key to how I would learn to cook. If you haven’t seen the movie, Julie Powell cooks her way through Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” The famous cookbook has a daunting 524 recipes and I knew my young family was not going to let me get away with copying Ms. Powell’s journey exactly as she did it. I needed to find another book. Now, this was months before Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution TV show in the US and honestly I didn’t know a whole lot about him. But one day at the book store, I came across Jamie’s Food Revolution Cookbook (while chasing a toddler who was gnawing on Max and Ruby books and running through the store.) And the rest is, as they say, history. I did cook more. In 365 days, I cooked all 173 recipes in Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution cook book. I not only cooked more but I:</div>
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<li style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.amysfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/2010/03/missing-ingredient.html" target="_blank">started this blog</a></li>
<li style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.amysfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/2011/01/cooking-class.html" target="_blank">taught cooking classes</a></li>
<li style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/us/foundation/jamies-food-revolution/heroes" target="_blank">became a Food Revolution Hero </a></li>
<li style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/us/foundation/jamies-food-revolution/activists" target="_blank">and then a Food Revolution Ambassador</a></li>
<li style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.amysfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-white-house.html" target="_blank">visited the White House </a></li>
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My “Cook More” New Year’s Resolution has been a journey that outlived its New Year's Resolution status. </div>
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So, if you’ll humor me, this year I’ll be revisiting my original days of Amy’s Food Revolution. I hope that going back and looking at my journey will inspire others to take a bold step into their kitchen. </div>
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So, for 2015, I hope you will resolve to spend more time in your kitchen. "More" can simply mean to eat out a little less or cook a new recipe with your family just once a week. Who knows, you might find out that it is the easiest and best resolution you ever kept.</div>
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Happy New Year!</div>
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Amy</div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777892990716753574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211035952425714916.post-62773665777510535892014-11-03T17:40:00.000-05:002014-11-03T17:40:23.053-05:00October Corn Chowder<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">
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Our last October Food Revolution Ambassador Challenge was to make <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/us/foundation/jamies-food-revolution/recipes/CORN_CHOWDER?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Test%20-%20Ambassador%20newsletter%20-%20October%202014&utm_content=" target="_blank">Jamie’s Corn Chowder </a>recipe. My family loved this one! Not only did they love eating it, my oldest also loved helping to make it. She pretty much made this on her own while I read the recipe to her. It is a great comfort food recipe that is quick enough for a busy week night. I also love that it uses 1% milk instead of heavy cream. So give this a try on a crisp, fall night. Add a green salad and some fresh bread and as Jamie says, “tuck in.” </div>
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<b>Jamie Oliver’s Corn Chowder</b></h2>
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Serves 4</div>
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Ingredients</h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">1 celery stalk</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">1½ tablespoons butter</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">½ teaspoon dried thyme</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">1 tablespoon all-purpose flour</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">¼ cup chopped fresh chives and/or parsley (optional)</span></div>
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<li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir for a few more minutes. Pour in the milk, add the cut potatoes and bring to a boil, stirring the whole time so the soup doesn’t stick to the pot. Cook until the potatoes are tender, but not mushy – this will take around 10 minutes.</span></li>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777892990716753574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211035952425714916.post-86901805431525134532014-10-30T20:55:00.003-04:002014-10-30T20:55:39.772-04:00Throw Back Thursday!<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
October totally got away from me and that’s a shame because I loved October’s Monthly Challenges for the Food Revolution Ambassadors. Since I’ve run out of time I’ve decided to cheat a little bit and take advantage of the fact that today is Thursday. So, here’s a little <b><i>Amy’s Food Revolution </i></b>Throw Back Thursday to answer two of this month’s challenges.</div>
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1. <b>Using leftovers! Make something awesome from what you have left in your fridge and or cupboards without heading to the shops.</b> </div>
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<b>Answer:</b> One of my favorite leftovers recipes is from Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Cookbook. Here’s the post from when I made Leftover Curry Biriani during my food revolution.</div>
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<a href="http://www.amysfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/2010/06/leftover-curry-biriani.html">http://www.amysfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/2010/06/leftover-curry-biriani.html</a></div>
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2. <b>Scare yourself this Halloween! Try out a recipe that has always scared you. </b></div>
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<b>Answer: </b>This one is easy, before I started my Food Revolution I was scared to death to roast a chicken. </div>
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<a href="http://amysfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/2010/11/i-was-roast-chicken-virgin.html">http://amysfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/2010/11/i-was-roast-chicken-virgin.html</a></div>
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Tune in tomorrow for the last challenge!</div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777892990716753574noreply@blogger.com0