“What Food Revolution Day Means to Me”

Four years ago, I couldn't cook. I was a mom of two and I could barely boil water to make pasta without making a complete mess. My husband often took over in the kitchen and we would throw dinner together every night. It made me feel awful. I wanted to cook for my family and I was determined to become a good cook. I have great memories of my own family cooking amazing meals from scratch and I was feeling the impact of not passing those traditions on to my children. After watching the movie, Julie & Julia, I decided that I could do something similar and that might also teach me to cook. I would cook all of the recipes in a cookbook in 365 days and I knew at the end I'd HAVE to be a better cook. When I started looking for a book, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution was just hitting the stands here in the US and the first season of his TV show by the same name was also about to begin. The idea of his book, teaching everyone how to cook for their families and then teaching others to do the same with the "pass it on" pledge was just what I was looking for. I started in March of 2010 and cooked all 173 recipes in 365 days. It was a life changing experience. Not only did I learn to cook but through my blog (which I honestly only thought my family and friends would read) I encouraged others to do the same. Then, in a strange turn of events I ended up teaching cooking classes at Whole Foods and becoming one of Jamie's Food Revolution Heroes. It was more than I could have ever imagined! Fast forward four years later and I’m still a Food Revolution Ambassador and today we are celebrating the third annual Food Revolution Day.

Teaching children to cook is one of Jamie’s biggest missions and it is what Food Revolution Day is all about. He talks about how passing on food traditions has skipped a few generations and now people aren’t cooking at home. I love that Jamie is teaching children to cook and I’d like to help out by encouraging the mothers of those children to start a Food Revolution in their own kitchens. One thing I’ve learned from my blog is that I’m not alone. A lot of the women of my generation missed the boat in the kitchen department, however it’s never too late. Start small. Start today. Ask your kids to help you and learn together. Talk about where the food comes from while you cook. Keep in mind that even though it’s about the food, it’s also not about the food. It’s about togetherness and cooking together is one of the greatest gifts you can give to your children.

If you can’t get to an FRD event and need an idea for dinner or an after school snack follow me on Instagram or Twitter today for a virtual tour of the produce section and some great recipes.

@amysfoodrev

#amystour

May 16, 1 p.m. EDT

Have a great Food Revolution Day!