the art of juicing: washing, trimming, juicing + slurrying

the beginnings of my morning juicing frenzy: romaine lettuce leaves, celery, apples, pears, lemons + knob of ginger


Green Lemonade adapted from The Raw Food Detox Diet by Natalia Rose

Before you cringe at the combination.....its actually quite good and the taste has become quite habit forming as the lettuce w. celery, lemon + ginger do dress well together. I always thought lettuce juice or wilted lettuce was gross, but this turned my head to a nod. Natalia Rose's recipe includes the use of 1-2 Fuji apples to sweeten up the lemonade and I have thrown in two baby seckel pears for good measure.

That mellow rustic appeal of pear really smoothes out the aftertaste in this morning elixir......


what the juicer spits out after all the ruckus......



my mid~morning trinity toward enzyme peace......still trying to wean myself off coffee......painful



scrubbed + trimmed by a fanatic - it's not as crazy + time consuming as it may appear.....but maybe it's me.....kinda like bathing babies, trimming toenails + brushing the hair back to make goo goo glossy new.....remember how pretty babies look after a nice bath?


wwwhat?.....who's spending too much time with vegetables?!


scrubbed carrots with a vegetable brush while singing tunes + trimmed the top nobs bruised from delivery......

As you noticed, I have had to split down some of the vegetables and fruits to make their way through the portal with ease.


this has been lunch as well as a second batch to revive me from my late afternoon lull


there is actually a good use for the remains....will tell......


orange has never been a flattering color on me except for when I was twenty something and it was a Yves St. Laurent lipstick shade that was hot orange......


Okay before you think I am schizoid about my food posts - yes I am quite extreme....but I do love my vegetables, fresh fruits and I enjoy decadent feasting as if I were dining reclined @ Roman banquet après watching the games @ the Parthenon.....I have always wanted to raise a toast with a silver chalice full of mulled wine.

But really at the end of the day.....all that feasting & jousting makes it way back to me.......and I totally refuse to wear that girdle + snug tube thing they are selling now.......what's that thing called? Why?! ~ just because I adore sausages....esp. Louisiana Hot Links doesn't mean I have to dress like one.

I am a baby(beginner) raw foodist ~ and am trying to balance + make happy my love for healthy & passionate decadent foods like the stuff I recently came across at FXcuisine.com ~ truly lovely gorgeous crazy bejewelled dining.

It may be impossible.

I admit, I am an extremist about things.

But funny thing.....it has been working.

I am pretty raw 3/4 of the day (unless for lunch meetings where I try not to let all heck break lose) and at the end of the day eat a beautifully cooked dinner with lots of fresh vegetables.

I went through a transition period of just trying to do raw entirely and I did not do well. Was not a functional situation for me ~ I had to find the balance.....it was eventually found simmering 'neath the supper pot ;-)

The juicing has just become part of my ritual ~ when I am busy and away. I juice everything in the morning & take with or keep storage in the fridge for later in the day as needed.

As if I didn't have anything else to do ~ but for those of you that do juice & include the raw diet in your daily gear....boy, it does make a big difference in how you feel!

Trying to live healthy & happy.....essentially want my cake, lobster, sushi rolls + slim trim waistline at the end of the day.....we'll see.

Okay ~ what to do with pulp?

I posed this question, and my GF who has one of those blissful gardens where everything blossoms + its always insanely lush suggested to make a 'slurry' for my flower beds:

"I blend up all my vegetable leftovers in my blender with water until I come up with a slurry that I then go out and pour directly into the soil in my garden. Oh, I put in the egg shells too, blend 'em up. Banana peels. Tea bags and coffee grinds and also the coffee filters -- add water and blend away.

The reason is, there is no soil here in Florida -- it's all sand. Nothing organic in there at all except what I'm feeding it with my leftovers.

When you pour the slurry into the earth, it absorbs quickly, goes to work with the worms and bugs......Sometimes I water it in a little if it sits on top of the soil too much.

The key is to not ever ever put any meat or protein or fats (oil) in with it ... and to throw in a little garlic if you have a clove, to keep critters away.

I do this several times a week. Always have a container on my counter for such stuff.

Other parts of the country they do actual composting, but here in Florida, too many bugs, bees, wasps, etc. so this has been a great solution. I have the yummiest flower garden soil this side of the Georgia line.

Just add water and pour it into your soil....maybe take a couple of good digs before and after to get it under the surface. Go check it in a week and see the fat earthworms chowing down.

If the earthworms are happy - then everybody's happy." ~ GF

Okay ~ so juicing can go full circle.

the rituals of the easter meal......

the makings of eggs benedict: perfectly creamy poached eggs await.....a whole wheat english muffin (so American this dish....), Canadienne bacon (across the border we ran), spinach (health factor for moi), drizzled with hollandaise sauce (or for special occasions aka holiday sauce at my house) with blueberry ice tea on standby mode.....

Easter Sunday is always a good excuse for eggs benedict.

It is an avid ritual that I have picked up from my *luv's* family.

There's a slight adjustment here and there with the addition of fresh spinach leaves slightly sauntered in boiling water with a dash of sea salt.

I doused it with cool running water with a slight conditioning of red wine vinegar to whisk away the slight aftertaste of cooked spinach.

Straight off the griddle, I have placed the delicate slices of Canadienne bacon on top of toasted whole wheat english muffins.

Another *must do* on my list of things to do is to make sure to use good n' healthy eggs. Organic, cage free, eggs from chickens roaming about their property able to do this and chitter chatter about in the sunshine make tasty eggs ~

I had fun poaching these in simmering water....let the water simmer but not dance to that threatening boil. Always at a high sustained simmer.

Then crack an egg in a bowl.

Lovingly slide in that swallow of an egg into the simmering water and watch it poach to creamy perfection.

the first bite is the deepest....

I am a bread freak.

When I was growing up in San Francisco, my family ran a deli in the Mission District.

I remember the mornings when the baker would arrive with freshly baked french bread snugged tightly in brown paper bags.

With that said.....wheat bread.....and WHOLE wheat bread has always been a slight issue for me.

Until I relented to think outside of things and try things outside of that safe house of my thinking.

Yes, I know it's just wheat.....in all it's plain glory.

Long story short ~ I like wheat bread now.

I actually love WHOLE wheat bread and whole wheat anything now.

Now about dinner......

baby baby lamb chops from Australia......I am not a vegetarian in case you were wondering what was up. Here they are all in the raw with my marinade of minced garlic, fresh rosemary + basil + thyme + parsley w. sea salt + freshly ground black pepper and of course a good douse of very good olive oil


hot off the grill and ready for the taking


lamp chops marinated with fresh herbs, sea salt and olive oil


you know they actually tasted like filet mignon with a juicier meat content....it was a very nice way to celebrate a feast day


'now....I am back to eating good & green ~ so let's be good.....well at least for awhile.

bare necessities: salad + veggie roll

my daily ritual relies on fruits from the avocado tree, endless roots of carrots, buds from baby romaines, the green asparagus plant......all quite underscored in a sprouted whole grain tortilla and not to be missed are those lively sprouts to make everything new again.....

This salad + veggie roll has been one of my favorites lately. I hesitate in saying the word 'wrap' since the ones I have tried at the restaurants try to imply they are healthy but often times I find over burdened with excessively cloying greasy substances.

Now don't get me wrong....I love oil in my cooking....can't do without ~ but I love really good olive oil.....sesame oil.....grape seed oil and even sunflower oil.

I just don't like recycled regurgitated hydrogenated oils that seem to burden our foods.

Meanwhile.....here's my favorite lunch time ritual:

salad + veggie roll
© 2008 Ingar Brunnett, TasteMemory.com

*Ezekial sprouted whole grain flourless tortillas or similar to your liking
*baby romaines or romaine lettuce leaves
*alfalfa sprouts
*avocado slices
*carrot sticks
*asparagus or sliced cucumbers or whatever you prefer
*optional: veganaise grapeseed oil dressing ~ omg; i luv this stuff....tastes + has the scent of mayonnaise! this is eggless and very heart & body healthy.
*optional: a few slices of meat of your choice

Roll forward tightly......you can cut in half with a sharp knife and wrap it in plastic wrap to take with you or enjoy now!

For lunch on the run ~ I end up eating two of these to fill me up.

Delicious with a simple dipping sauce made with a shot of soy sauce + shot of sriracha or hot sauce of your liking.

someone told me that alfalfa sprouts combined with avocado creates a taste sensation that is a match made in heaven......I do agree.

portrait of a garden

Friday night healthy meatless supper included my favorite ingredients for this jewel of a salad I have named 'Bethany's Garden'.....it just looks like that....it looks like Bethany's Garden to me.....


a simple bouquet of watercress is how it got started ~ I found this beautiful bouquet of organic watercress looking up at me @ the produce aisle at my local Native Sun. It reminded me of summer and running outside at night.....then it made me smile ~ so I decided it should come home with me......


the corn kernels are raw too....they're sweeter raw....when corn is served raw it's considered a vegetable & not a starch ~ let's save the starch for the BREAD

I made this gorgeous salad last Friday night with the organic watercress (the one shown above) that followed me home from Native Sun. This was literally a last minute supper thrown together in haste. It's also a meatless day for me (Lenten Fridays!) so I grilled a wild rice tempeh patty with water, wine & soy sauce, then topped it with organic rennet free cheddar cheese on Ezekiel bread - turned out to be a savory & filling Friday night dinner.

When was the last time I had fish sticks and tator tots for Fridays during Lent???

That might actually be a great cooking challenge to remake a healthy retro version of that......

The salad I made included the following organic ingredients which amped up the taste value considerably - organic watercress+beets+carrots and organic raw almonds.

I also prefer to use old fashion carrots in their natural born SHAPE - not the pre-formed baby carrots which are completely tasteless! Try going back to eating and cooking with big meaty carrots and you'll taste the difference in quality.

You'll return to the sweet, crunchy and earthy taste of a true root vegetable rather than biting into pre-meditated water-filled Styrofoam.

Unfortunately, I don't live in an area where farm fresh organic produce is overtly available in mass diverse selections....ie: think massive access @ New York's GREENMARKET.

I was in Manhattan last November '07, when I finally walked up from the subway onto Union Square Park and found myself in the middle of farmer's market heaven ~ i literally ~ nearly began to well up with tears....nearly....

Luckily what I do have access to is one of my favorite locales @ Native Sun, as mentioned earlier as well as my local grocery store Publix which is beginning to carry a significant selection of organic goods.

So work with what you have and at least try it. It makes such a significant difference in taste and ultimately in your health ~ as well as those that sit down and 'supp with you!

Here's the salad recipe I managed to orchestrate for Friday night's dinner:


really not too much prep time ~ YES these are raw beets and raw almonds and s w e e t as can be


Bethany's Garden: salad & dressing recipe
© 2008 Ingar Brunnett, TasteMemory.com

2 large carrots, shaved with a potato peeler
1/2 cup white onion, finely shredded
1 bunch of fresh watercress, bottom 'root' ends trimmed
2 ears of uncooked corn, kernels removed*
1 fresh beet, outer skin peeled off then sliced into matchsticks
1 cup raw almonds, hand crushed with mallet in a plastic bag

easy garlic ginger dressing
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup good olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced
1 fresh garlic clove, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk all the ingredients together for the dressing.

In a medium bowl, combine the carrots, onions and 1/4 portion of the prepared dressing. Combine dressing with shaved carrot mixture and set aside in refrigerator.

Prep salad ingredients as noted above.

*Trim corn off the cobb: Place medium size bowl on a flat surface. Place flat corn cobb end inside the bowl with one end of the cobb on the bottom of the bowl. Hold the top end with one hand to keep upright. Use a small sharp knife to trim the kernels off the cob beginning from the top of the cobb and running the knife through to the bottom. Trimming the cobb inside the bowl will keep the kernels from shooting all over your kitchen counter and floor.

In a large salad platter, gently toss remaining dressing with watercress. Gently combine the marinated carrots to the watercress. Top with corn kernels, beets and almonds.

This savory melange of a salad is delicious with chewy, dense whole grain bread or you can make toastettes from my favorite sprouted whole grain bread: Ezekiel Bread with a brush of olive oil, light sprinklings sea salt & shavings of Horizon Organic Cheddar Cheese which is absolutely rennet free and tastes like the real deal.....

Also ~ Thank you for visiting me and all your awesome comments. I am really glad to have met all of you this past week through cybersphere - again thank you for stopping by! It's been great visiting your blogs too and reading about what is happening on your side of the globe.....and thank you to Blogger for highlighting Taste Memory as one of your blogs of note ;-) !!!

Also on the pending posting list for Korean Cooking fans.....Yuk Gae Jang: Spicy Korean Beef Soup.....that's up next since I can currently tell it's been a visual obsession of mine for the past week.

Peace

mandu mandu ~ how many ways & days do I love thee....

all dressed up and ready to go.....


the beginnings: mandu filling all chopped up and green as can be....even if you don't like vegetables, this recipe will jump hoops past any blind taste test


ground meat isn't always a pretty picture....but the veggies poking out are always cute......

First off - I want to thank you guys for voting on the recent poll - and you got it! The winner is Homemade Mandu aka Korean dumplings kinda like gyoza I'd say.

As you probably know by now, I am a freak about chopping vegetables.

I love to chop, mince, shred and pulverize vegetables.

I especally love to mince garlic ~ my favorite thing to do lately.

Many of you don't like this manic behavior.....so by all means use your food processor and/or other kitchen accessories to get this recipe off the ground.

I am just pure lazy about washing dishes.

When I was waitressing way back when.....had to force myself to help in dishwashing duties when it was my turn. It was even one of those mega industrial dishwashers and that still didn't have me convinced.

I liked scooping ice out though.....

Also - may I suggest to do this in steps, so you don't drive yourself nuts trying to conquer the world and make mandu in a day.

Day 1: Get groceries needed. Chop/prep vegetables and throw all the prepped veggies in an airtight container in the fridge

Day 2: Make the mandu filling. Cover & chill till needed that evening or the very next day to complete the filling

Day 3: Make the dipping sauce. Make the mandu with help of friends and family....I've prepped them solo w/the help of my 6 year old too....cook & enjoy! Mandu boiled, potstickers, fried and duk mandu soup make great leftovers too.....

I also suggest if possible using organic produce and meats if possible. Not only does it tastes so much better ~ the end results will leave you feeling more coherent about life sans the pest & bacteria killing elixers, additional fake hormones and other stuff that normally doesn't grow on trees or breathes air......

mandu as pot sticker babes basking......kinda like Japanese gyoza


Homemade Mandu: Korean dumplings
© 2008 Ingar Brunnett, TasteMemory.com
this is a recipe I am sharing with you ~ appreciate my credit ;)

1 lb. freshly ground turkey or ground chicken
1 package soft tofu, drained on paper towels
2 eggs
20 asparagus spears, finely sliced into rounds*
optional: 1 yellow squash or green zuchinni, finely shredded then minced
2 cups of white mushrooms, finely chopped up
4 green onions, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. **toasted sesame seeds (unsalted), grounded w/mortar & pestle or other
2 Tbsp. mirin or sweet sherry
1½ teasp. sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
*thanks to my mom's insight about using fresh asparagus ~ it makes this recipe even tastier
**use of toasted sesame seeds that are UNSALTED & GROUNDED is a very IMPORTANT aspect to this recipe. I have tested this recipe several upon several times and the ratio of the sesame seeds are perfect with the ratio of the sea salt mentioned fyi.

2 - 10 oz. packages small gyoza/won ton wraps, 3 ½” width and preferably round in shape
a bowl of water

Ganjang: seasoned dipping sauce
½ cup soy sauce
1 teasp. sesame oil
freshly ground black pepper
2 green onions, minced
1 teasp. toasted sesame seeds, grounded

optional: ½ teasp. mirin and ¼ teasp. dried Korean chili pepper flakes

preparing the marinade
In a small serving bowl combine the ingredients in the order listed. No need to mix, just serve with a small spoon on the side for communal use as needed. If you prefer a slightly sweeter sauce add the mirin in after the soy sauce. If you think you’ll be going through the sauce more – just double it. Serve Ganjang (seasoned dipping sauce) with mandu.....

making the mandu filling
In a large bowl, mash the tofu with potato masher or throw caution to the wind and use your hands.....it will just take a brief moment to create a chunky blend that is slightly smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients. Combine everything using a large spatula until all ingredients are thoroughly combined together. Koreans like to use their hands for this part, but a rubber spatula suits just fine.

Cover and chill until needed the same day or....

The mandu filling can be chilled overnight, but I suggest you prepare and cook it the very next day.

forming the mandu
Pull up a chair at the table :).....invite your friends, roommates....kids to help...

Arrange small bowl of cold water, mandu filling (you may want to bring half of it out at a time - keep the remaining half in the fridge), gyoza skins and a kitchen towel to wipe finger tips as needed and a lightly floured a dinner platter.

Place one gyoza wrap in the palm of your hand. Put one slightly heaping teaspoon size portion of the filling in the center of the wrap.

With your fingertip wet one half edge of the wrap with cold water.

Fold and seal tightly. Make sure there are no air pockets between the filling and the seal of the wrapper. Make sure the meat filling doesn't creep out towards the edges.

To crimp the edges: Lightly wet the outer edge and make about 4 to 5 overlapping folds one at a time and pinch down until secured....or can also pinch one corner of the wrap to the other to resemble a pillow (see fried mandu photo).

Lay out finished mandu on lightly floured platter. Be careful not to have any of the wet portions touch each other.

If you find the process of forming the mandu a little longer than anticipated; cover the completed mandu with plastic wrap and keep chilled in the refrigerator until ready to be cooked later in the day. Start another lightly floured platter to place your completed mandu and repeat as needed.

Don't worry that it may not come out perfect the first couple of times you do this. Its all in the heart & then the wrist....have fun and eat at the end of it all!

boiled mandu: easy
In a quart size pot filled with water add 1 teasp. sea salt, 1 Tbsp. olive oil or sesame oil and bring to a boil.

Gently drop in mandu, bring to medium simmer and cook completely for until the mandu rises from the bottom of the pot to the top. Allow the mandu to float to the top, thereafter cook for 2-3 minutes.

Remove with a slotted spoon onto serving platter and serve immediately with seasoned dipping sauce.

potstickers method:easy
In a large saucepan or frying pan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil or 2 tablespoons of sesame oil. Add mandu and be careful not to overcrowd. A large saucepan can accommodate about 20 to 25 pieces of mandu. Gently brown mandu on both sides for about 10 to 12 minutes on medium to high heat until deep golden brown. Then, pour ¼ cup of cold water and cover pan immediately. Bring heat down to a medium to keep the pan simmering for 3 to 6 minutes. Allow the mandu to absorb the water during the cooking process. The mandu should be puffy like a pillow and check for the meat’s doneness but slicing into one before removing off the pan.

I have a thing about grease – so I drain the cooked potstickers on paper towels prior serving.

Serve immediately with seasoned dipping sauce.


deep double fried method: patience required
In a deep fryer or deep frying pan heat 3 to 4 cups of canola or sunflower oil to 350 F. Gently drop in mandu in small batches. Deep fry until light golden brown for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels in between batches.

Then re-fry the batches mandu until a deep golden brown on all sides for another 3 to 5 minutes. To check for doneness, cut open a mandu to make sure the meat is completely cooked.

Drain on paper towels.

Serve warm or cooled with seasoned soy sauce on the side.


place about a heaping teaspoon of mandu filling.....


hey, if a 6 year old can do it....plus she knows how to make the 'crimps' on the edges too!


lightly dab with water half of the inner edge of the mandu skin, fold and then seal shut......


to crimp: lightly dab half the outer edge with water and pinch 4 to 5 crimps - kinda like one over the other....then pinch down.....


the crimp look - makes it tastier too...if you can't crimp (or don't have time), don't worry - go for the free flowing straight look.


lightly floured surface and don't let the wet parts touch eachother too long or ----aarggghhhhh-----they'll stick


potstickers are easier than frying and taste just as good - with way less the oil....


whole toasted sesame seeds in mortar waitin' for that pestle





Ganjang: marinated dipping sauce the Korean way....a must have....


the trick to tasty boiled mandu is sesame oil & sea salt in the water: in this photo the mandu is not ready cooked, it's still lingering on the bottom


it's near done when they become floaties.....


boiled mandu, just hot off their bath....


comfort & tang in each bite


mandu fried

duk mandu soup: rice cake dumplings & mandu soup....it's all in the broth my friend


yum

Okay is this the longest post ever?

blue plate special: veggie chopping freak + for the love of the veggie nori roll

meditation @ hand for the avid chopping freak I am


soup starter ~ I added the veggies after the broth was made. Since I have this thing about chicken fat; I prefer to use chicken breasts with the fat trimmed back to get the chicken broth started.....


my starter for dal @ my house


I have been spending more time writing about food: event planning about food, proposing about the preparation of food, how food works and who is making the food; rather than the ample time spent of preparing it myself.

It comes down to time.....

the beginnings of the nori roll....


a deliciously healthy combined effort!


calif style veggie nori roll
© 2008 Ingar Brunnett, TasteMemory.com

* 4 sheets of nori (roasted seaweed)
* romaine lettuce leaves or baby romaine or other salad greens you like
* alfalfa sprouts
* 1 avocado, seeded and sliced
* 2 large carrot sticks, peeled + cut lengthwise about 1/3" thick
* 1-2 cucumbers, cut lengthwise about 1/3" thick
* optional: pickled daikon, cut lengthwise about 1/3" thick
* small bowl of water

Lay sheet of nori on paper towel. Put lettuce leaves down horizontally on nori sheet. Top with generous handfulls of alfalfa sprouts. The lettuce and sprouts will be compressed during the rolling process, so feel free to use a generous hand of veggies. Place 3-4 slices of avocado on the bed of sprouts. Then place slices of cucumbers above the avocado. Top with carrots.

As the veggies are placed horizontally across the nori sheet, it will help in the rolling process that they are spread across vertically as well.....after the first roll ~ you'll see what I mean.

At the end of the nori closer to you, gently start to roll forward using both hands. Gently yet tightly force the roll forward until you have reached the end, while making sure you keep the vegetables tucked in as you are rolling. Keep the roll down with one hand, and dab the closing end of the nori with a thin spread of water to seal. Dry your finger tip on the paper towel.

Seal and press down until firmly shut.

Use a sharp knife and cut in half.

Enjoy with soy sauce, minced fresh ginger & wasabe.

If I am in a hurry, I just mix a bit of sriracha with soy sauce for lunch on the go.

I make four of these and have two at lunch with a raw salad made of shredded carrots and raw corn kernals. The last two rolls I save for my late afternoon snack before I pick up the kids.

The other thing I relish the most is reading about food.....which I have had little time for as well. But....I have been going out of my way to nourish my thoughts literally.

I recently came across a freakishly cool article in the New York Times about a Global Seed Vault opening up in the artic. A food vault? I didn't even know such a thing was in existence.....it has a doomsday sort of thunderdome or waterworld ~ end of tomorrow sort of appeal to it.

This month is the birth of Taste Memory (bells*whistles!!!)

NEXT BLOG in just a few moments:
Homemade Mandu Recipe aka Korean dumplings.....how I love thee......

Baking and Breaking Bread with friends and family really.....

*The BE THE LOAF campaign began after Triumph the Church applied for a grant asking Panera Bread for day old bread to feed the children in their after school care program. They responded by offering one loaf a bread a month to feed the 50 or so children.......O K A Y.....


*"All children need some sort of after-school care," said Pastor Criswell, who has become known in his neighborhood for taking on thugs and street-sold drugs. "We have to break the cycle of poverty and crime through education. But growing children need an after-school snack."


*I'm wearing the green apron playing celeb chef making pretzels with the kids. So much excitement playing with dough.....mind you we worked with the pre-made Publix pizza dough to get the 'ball rolling'. First Coast News camera guy and all......


Once again, Publix pizza dough saved the day.....perfect for cinnamon rolls, pretzels (really!), flat bread pizza & I made pepperoni rolls.....give me a break ~ I am by no means a pastry chef....too much math involved. This got the job done deliciously.......


the girls admiring the flat bread pizza ~ just cooling down before snack time


*Moi~TasteMemory Girl gladly takes on the role of celebrity chef of the day with Triumph's awesome kids. Mucho Thanks Suzanne for inviting me to launch the baking campaign....!


*How fun is it to make your own chocolate chip cookies?


*Sheri Weitzner (left) came with her husband Jeffrey to share their all-time cookie recipe with the kids......


This was fantastic fun.

Rolling.....stretching......dusting.....mending.....lending and baking bread with these little ones was way too much fun.

The best part of it was they had a blast! They also gave me pointers about not too much salt or too much sugar. Very good nutritional advice from these savvy kids!

This was all part of the recently launched BE THE LOAF campaign in an effort to provide a safe haven and after-school care program for children in Jacksonville's troubled northside.

The brain child behind this campaign is Suzanne Yack.

btw: If you don't know her.....you definitely should.

Suzanne has a tried and true history that will outshine the brilliance of any newly buffed diamond as far as heaven sent integrity goes. Out of pure dust (a bit of flour and words of wisdom too) she has voluntarily pioneered a campaign that is reflective of the loaves and fishes miracle. BE THE LOAF has arisen with hope for the children at Triumph the Church's after-school care program lead by Pastor Moses Criswell and Suzanne's Yack's insight.

Last week, the program was not only amped with special coverage on First Coast News and the Florida Times Union, but the campaign received the honorary Points of Light Award from Florida Governor Charlie Crist. On February 27, Pastor Moses traveled to Tallahassee to the governor's mansion to receive the award from the governor.

Now that is a launch.....done well.........

An excerpt from their press release started simply by asking for a miracle:

"Triumph the Church offers a safe sanctuary and tutoring for children on Jacksonville's low-income northeast side is asking for the community of good usable bread-making machines, peanut butter, jelly and juice."

Well, you know what happened at the Sermon of the Mount don't you? To make the invitation wider to all our friends - perhaps the concept of stone soup mixes well too.....

Well.......It's been quite and outpouring of bread machines. After they maxed out on bread machines; donations are slowly trickling in to feed these children healthy after school snacks, a little money to pay the gas bill and maintain stability for this program.

The 'celebrity chef' baking program has morphed from baking pretzels, cinnamon rolls, pizza and now chocolate chip cookies to showing the children how to make nutritious meals using 5 ingredients is scheduled as well.

BE THE LOAF is still in it's infancy and asking for donations and community support to help build a strong and lasting foundation for these children. All contributions go directly to the BE THE LOAF campaign.

More will be posted on this program.....

For more details and/or would like to make a donation you may contact SuzanneYack@operamail.com

For details visit http://betheloaf.wordpress.com/

Triumph Community Development Corporation is a 501c3 at Triumph the Church. All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

*photo credit © 2008 Suzanne Yack