Food Revolution- Cooking Co-Op Style

In my DVD, I call for a food revolution. Then Oprah on her Food 101 show calls for a food revolution. And now we have a reality show on Friday nights, "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution."The British chef goes to Huntington, W.Va to encourage people to choose fresh produce over processed foods. It is astounding to see school children eat pizza for breakfast, chicken nuggets for lunch and when asked what they had for dinner- chicken fingers! No wonder the Center for Disease Control named Huntinton, W.Va our country's unhealthiest city. And what is needed is a system where we band together to cook affordable, healthier meals. By cooking in quantity one night a week, you can shop more efficiently, enjoy the fruits of yours and others creativity, save 1 1/2 -2 hours a week(to exercise), all with a social twist getting to spend a little more time with neighbors, co-workers and friends. All that is needed is for this revolutionary way of enjoying dinner to become as fashionable as eating out. How much $$$, calories, fuel could be saved? Here in Richmond, Patrick Henry said, "... give me liberty, or give me death." Come on America- let's show the Brits a cooking co-op tea party!

Oprah and Food 101

Oprah repeated her Food 101 this week in which Michael Polland shares his food rules(google: Michael Pollan's 'Food Rules': Tips for Eating Healthily and see the video). In fact Oprah said,"... we need a food revolution." And we were given great information on food nutrition. But the show did not answer 2 big problems. How do we find the time to plan, shop, cook and clean up every night of the week? And how about the expense of eating meat, fruits and vegetables? The answer to time, expense and food revolution is cooking co-op! Get with fellow co-oppers who want to cook more nutritious meals. Then google:Canyon Ranch recipes etc. and get started. In several of my cooking co-ops we had one meatless dinner every week. During the Depression, pot luck dinners were started as an answer to the problems of that day. During these challenging times, let's start a wave of cooking co-op and improve our lives with better nutrition and more table talk with family and friends at a fraction of the cost of fast food and eating out!

"The Weight of the World"

In the February issue of Reader's Digest, this article , from the World Health Organization reports that more people worldwide now die from being overweight and obese than from being underweight. The country most aware of the dangers of obesity? Not U.S- it's Finland! Reread my blog on Aug. 3rd- Good Morning Richmond. In the 1970's, Finland had the most # of deaths from heart disease but a public health campaign of doctors, grocery stores etc. encouraged whole towns to change their eating, excercise and smoking habits. Towns actually competed for prizes based on how many people stopped smoking or lowered their cholesterol and/or weight. Finland cut heart disease deaths in the work force by 80% over the last 30 years and added almost 10 years of life-expectancy. What if we had community-based incentives to get back to the family dinner table- because through cooking co-op you can save calories, costs, and stress. Have you noticed your food costs creeping up? Many today are changing their spending habits. Go one step further- give cooking co-op a chance.

Great Depression Cooking with Clara

I highly recommend the YouTube clips of Great Depression Cooking with Clara. I have been using more olive oil as that could be one secret to Clara's longevity( now 94 years old). Ten years ago, I took my 4 yr. old son to visit my 104 yr. old client. She grew up in Washington, DC, and remembered her father taking her to a parade featuring the Wright Brothers and their plane! She lived in an apartment with no back yard, so she and her brother played with Quinton Roosevelt at the White House! She shared her secret to longevity- adapt. Be willing to adapt to change. Potluck suppers started during the depression. Cooking co-op is an adaptation of potluck suppers which allows you to save by buying in bulk and cooking in larger batches. Common meals still include chili, mac and cheese and soups as they are easy to make and much cheaper(and healthier) than fast food. This is the time to try a new system for getting a home-cooked dinner on the table during this period of economic slow-down and rising food prices. Bring your creativity to the dinner table. Necessity is the mother of invention. New foods introduced during the Depression:Nestle's Chocolate Chips, Toll House Cookies, Kraft Mac and Cheese,Ritz Crackers, Bisquick,Kool-Aid, and Krispy Kreme Donuts. So much we can learn from history.