Greetings!
Spring has definitely sprung! This week I’m in Burlington VT where mud season has definitely arrived.
Here’s wishes for a happy, healthy and muddy April.
Susan 🙂
| Slow Food Westchester Event: Mount Kisco Child Care April 15th 6-7:30 pm |
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 The slow cooker can be a busy parent’s best friend. Come and join us in a delicious tour of what your “crock pot” can do and learn more about the edible gardens and innovative food based curriculum at Mount Kisco Child Care. Joining us with short presentations will be: The event is open to all members of Slow Food Westchester and families of Mount Kisco Child Care Center. Fee is $10 which covers food and a slow cooker recipe booklet. Join our raffle and take a chance to win your very own slow cooker along with a great slow cooker cookbook! If you’re not already a member of Slow Food USA, I strongly urge you to join! |
| The Real Deal on Food for Parents |
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 New Canaan Cares is sponsoring me in two more talks for parents of the New Canaan, CT community. I’ll be speaking on April 14th at the East School and April 21st at the West School. The Real Deal on Food is a thought provoking presentation I’ve created that is informative as well as inspiring. Designed to help you think out of the box, “nutrition will never be the same again once you know the Real Deal on Food! If you’d like to bring in this presentation for your school or organization, contact me via email by replying to this email ( put Real Deal in the subject line) or leave me a voice mail at (914) 864-1293 |
| My new career as a Food & Garden Evangelist |
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 Over the years, I’ve turned down many lucrative offers from nutritional supplement companies, food and beverage manufacturers and others who had “healthy” items to promote. I never felt impressed enough by their products to put my name behind them. Some have called me a purist for taking this stand, but integrity has always been extremely important to me. Teich Garden Systems is a product that I can whole-heartedly endorse. These gardens are the right prescription for healthier homes, schools and other institutions. They cost far less than a swimming pool, require less upkeep and, best of all, you can make a return on your investment within a few seasons. Instead of being an ordinary sales rep, I’ve created the job description of Food & Garden Evangelist. An evangelist is an enthusiastic advocate. I can help you with fundraiser ideas for your school or organization. Thanks to my years of experience with the SunRaven Mindful Gardening Project, I’ve got lots of good ideas of what grows well for home or school. A garden system like this is an extremely worthwhile family activity that is guaranteed to increase veggie consumption and decrease picky eating behaviors. It’s critter proof too! Owners Mark Teich and Jamie Friedman are great guys, they will personally consult with you on your property to see exactly what size and type of garden will work best for you. Call or email them and tell them an Evangelist sent you! 888-622 5822 |
| April Recipe: Asparagus with Lemon Vinaigrette |
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 Asparagus is coming into season in this part of the country. Here is one of my favorite asparagus recipes from Culinate a website filled with great food info. Lemons and asparagus are two great ingredients for this spring season. Enjoy! 1 bunch asparagus 1. To prepare the asparagus, snap off the woody ends and discard them. (If bent gently at the end, each asparagus spear will usually snap at the point that separates the tender top from the woody end.) If you like, trim the asparagus spears by paring off the ends and peeling the stalks with a vegetable peeler. 2. To cook the asparagus, place enough water in a large shallow pan to come 1 to 2 inches up the side of the pan. Add a big pinch of salt and bring the water to a boil. Add the asparagus spears, cover, and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook several minutes until tender, checking with the end of a paring knife stuck into the thickest part of a stalk. Once cooked, drain the asparagus. 3. While the asparagus is cooking, prepare the vinaigrette. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, mustard, and sugar. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking all the while, until the dressing emulsifies. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 4. To serve, spread the asparagus spears out on a platter, drizzle with the vinaigrette, and top with chopped parsley or chives. This is good served warm or cold. |
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The First Family Leading by Example
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| If you’ve been reading this newsletter for any amount of time, you know I’ve been a very vocal cheerleader of a White House vegetable garden project for a long long time. When the news came that Michelle Obama would be breaking ground on this garden with a handful of school children, I was moved to tears of joy. One could almost say MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! But we’re not done yet.
The first family is leading by example. As a parent, I’ve learned over the years that the most important thing I can do is walk my talk. It’s refreshing to see that sort of leadership in the White House. Growing 55 varieties vegetables on the White House lawn sends a strong signal to those of us who eat in America. Real food is important for our health. The best food is closest to home. We all would benefit by starting edible gardens ourselves in our own yards and communities. Identify a landscape near you that you think should be “edible-ized”. Chances are that you won’t have to look far. Start with your own yard, neighborhood, or child’s schoolyard. Got a town board that is wants to get involved with some green initiatives? A community garden in front of town hall fits the bill perfectly! Then, why not ask your elected officials at the state and local level to lead by example. The Governors of Maine, North Carolina and New York are already eating from gardens planted at their official residences. If you’d like to follow the trend that the first family has hopped on, I can help you with a food and garden consultation for your home, school or other organization. Simply reply to this email with “garden” in the subject line. |
