Food Revolution

Don't worry. The MOMD knows that Jamie Oliver is my boyfriend. I'm enamored all over again because he is on a mission to get people (and schools!) feeding their kids real food with real nutrients. I'm a little embarrassed about being such a disciple, but it's my parents' fault, really.

When my little brother and I used to take the Grehound from St. Paul to Duluth, MN, returning from visits with our dad, he would send us with snacks. No, not fruit roll-ups. Those hadn't been invented yet. Not Cheetos. No, our snacks were little baggies of sliced green peppers and carrots, and perhaps some whole wheat crackers and cheese.

At home it wasn't much better. There was no pop (that's Minnesota for "soda"), not an Oreo in sight, and even our macaroni and cheese was made of macaroni and... cheese, which Mom shredded using one of those rectangular shredders with four different ways to mutilate your knuckles.
So my brother and I suffered. We never got to eat anything that danced on TV, had a colorful box or a theme song of its own, and had to hang out at the neighbors' to score a popsicle or some Chef Boyardee.

And you know what? They were right. Jamie is right. Excessive sugar, salt and fat makes you crave sugar, salt and fat. Kids deserve food cooked at home. And I'm trying. Yes, they recognize our family at Chili's, and I'm personally a big fan of Noodles, Inc. Many days I just can't seem to get it together to assemble a few ingredients, and the family eats Greasy Crap From NoodlesChipotleChilisPapaMurphysWendys more often than I'd like to admit.

But tonight I was proud. Tonight we had Pasta Dish Made From Random Items I've Been Meaning to Use Up (others might call it pasta primavera. Ingredients: Some swirly shaped pasta, asparagus, sliced shallots, cubes of 2 leftover chicken breasts, and sauce made of olive oil, flour, milk, cheddar, and Romano cheeses). It was tasty. It had something with protein and something green in it.

Check out the Food Revolution. He's onto something.