Hi everyone and please click on the title of this post to read more. First off, an announcement that I will be hosting the final Parents Who Rock fundraiser to bring Little Kids Rock (www.little kidsrock.org) into the Montclair school district this Saturday from 2-5Pm -more details at www.parentswhorock.com.
Today, I would like to talk about being prepared in both life and in the kitchen. I will start with a description of last night and move on to what I did (or did not do) today. Last night I attended a cocktail party hosted by a benefactor of Little Kids Rock which is the non-profit my Org., Parents Who Rock, has been raising money for all year. To show how fabulous the program is, the director, David Wish, brought out some talented kids from Newark and Orange, NJ, who performed some songs.
Now, I don’t know about you, but when I see and hear children singing and performing, I lose it. Not just a tear in the eye, but streaming, uncontrollable tears. It is a little embarrassing and I always need to dash to the back of the room so no one will see me.
Now, if I know this about myself, why don’t I prepare myself by automatically running to the back of the room with a wad of tissues when I know I will be hearing children perform? Answer: Because I don’t take the time to think about what I need to do. If I invested this time, I would not make a fool of myself. (I want to add that Liberty Devito and Carmine Appice, two very famous rock musicians were there supporting LKR and they played with the kids-so cool).
While we’re on the subject of being prepared, I also want to tell you about a discussion I had with a new friend, Ed Miller, who was telling me about a company at GW University called D.C. snacks. This company provides convenience food snacks (and other interesting items that college students may need in the middle of the night, ahem) when all the stores are closed and they NEED snacks. needless to say, it is a VERY successful company.
I could not help wondering if these kids eat junk all day long or just in the middle of the night when they have the munchies. If their parents had modeled healthy eating and cooking and prepared them for healthy cooking by modeling or instruction, would they be more inclined to eat healthy during the day and maybe even at night after hours of partying? I was told that there was zero interest in purchasing healthy items by the students but I’d be interested in a research study with healthy vs. non-healthy support at home. I’m too busy to conduct the study, so please don’t ask me to.
Lastly, I’d like to tell you about my friend Leslie and how, knowing that I would never plant the herbs she gave me for my birthday (and that I would kill them), planted an entire herb garden in my backyard today. She knows, in her infinite wisdom, that having fresh herbs on hand at all times will allow me to do even LESS last minute, annoying food shopping, since I will always be prepared and have them when I need them to whip up a great meal or a snazzy garnish. She rocks (and check her out with her cool shirt in the video below).
In summation, I would like to say that if we are all prepared in life and in cooking, we will enjoy a less stressful, happier and healthier journey on this planet. Thank you, enjoy the following fava bean recipe with some fresh parsley garnish from your herb garden, and goodnight!
Creamy Fava Bean Dip:
2 cups prepared fava beans (Can get at some supermarkets, Middle Eastern or Mediterranean food stores)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
juice of one lemon
zest of one lemon
parsley garnish
Puree in a food processor until creamy and enjoy with carrot sticks, pita chips, as a spread on a sandwich or side dish.
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5 Responses
Get me out! Asa is so cute, as always. I too have started an herb garden in my mom's backyard. Being unemployed gives me time for projects like these. We have basil and cilantro from seeds, and rosemary and oregano starters donated by neighbors. You said to cook the foods I love, and Italian food is one of my favorites because of the basil and oregano. So now I'll be able to get them right out of the backyard as needed and not have to throw out half of an unused package. This is so exciting!
Oh great, now I can use those Fava beans…I was just looking at them today wondering what I was going to do with them!
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Evie loved the video of Asa so much, she made me play it 3 times! Enjoy your herbs, Alma. The lovely Leslie is right. They are hard to kill. I have a black thumb and I've successfully managed to keep 'em going for years. One thing I do sometimes to perk up burgers is just grab an assorted handful of basil, sage, mint, oregano, chives, whatever, and use a pair of kitchen shears to snip them into tiny pieces. Then you press about a tablespoon of the mix into the top of each burger patty. Put them on the grill and they are delicious! A subtle infusion of flavor.
Thanks for the comments Pam and Ariel. Good luck with your gardens and burgers-I will try that trick!