Today I was on my way to learn from the very best Italian Chef in Raleigh, Nina, the owner of Nina’s Ristorante.   I was so excited as were Nina and her daughter, Anna Marie.  On the way there we got a call to confirm we were on our way…everyone was so excited.  When we got there and entered the restaurant, we were met by Anna Marie with a big smile and then we saw Nina on the phone in tears.  Her dad, Pappie, who is 94 and lives in Sicily, Italy had been admitted to the hospital and was not doing well.  Their lives changed in an instance, but they still wanted to help me.  They are an amazing family who came her many years ago and have worked so hard to achieve their dreams and raised money for so many foundations and she was even named “Woman of the Year” for all of her accomplishments.  She is on her way to see her dad…please keep her in your prayers and when you visit her amazing restaurant, please take time to look at all of her achievements over the years and her family photos that she is so proud of.  http://www.ninasrestaurant.com/index.html

Life can change in an instance … enjoy every minute.

Look at these great oven mitts I got as a gift and space Ice Cream from NASA when my friend and her family went to Florida and visited the Kennedy Space Center.  The ice cream tasted like a meringue and melted in your mouth.  I can’t wait to cook with them.

I would like to thank everyone at Salem Elementary for having me to the Town Hall to talk about healthy eating and making your own breakfast, lunch and snacks.  I had a great time with you and hope that you enjoy the recipes we made and that you enter my cooking competitions.  For breakfast we made yogurt parfaits with Chobani Champions, La Farm Granola, strawberries and blueberries; next was La Farm Croissants with egg, cheese and ham.  Lunch was up next with several varieties of La Farm bread with egg salad and we even added some diced pickles for a twist and fruit kabobs with Chobani Champions as a dip.  A big hit was the salad made with Organic Girl Kale and a wide variety of vegetables including three types of radishes.  Snacks included La Farm bread with cream cheese and cucumbers…mmm.  cheribundi cherry ice tea was served to all of the chefs that helped us cook.  Don’t they look great in the aprons donated by Horizon Products USA?  As always, I am very grateful to Whole Foods in Cary who donated food used in the demonstration   Please stop in their store to try all of the delicious food I shared with your children today.  They also have cooking classes for kids.

Master Baker Lionel Vatinet and his wife Missy own the best bakery right here in Cary, NC.  It is called La Farm Bakery and located at 4248 Cary Parkway…if you have not been there…you have to put it on your must do list.  I had the honor of meeting and cooking with Chef Lionel and learning all about their baking process and the wide variety of baked goods and products that they offer not to mention their delicious sandwiches and soups.  Chef  Lionel studied at the Guild in France and has brought his skills and passion for baking to NC and is proud to be working with local grain growers and using 100% organic whole wheat and locally ground cornmeal from historic Yates Mill in Raleigh and  Carolina Ground in Ashville.  Lionel enjoys sharing his love for baking with the customers and also has classes.  Stop in and grab a bite to eat or take some delicious bread home with you and make sure you say hi to Lionel!  His products are also available at Whole Foods and the State Farmer’s Market.  Visit their web site at   http://www.lafarmbakery.com/custom.aspx?id=13

Tzatzikii for our spread.  After that we  sampled our vegetables that were delicious!  Spinach, red peppers, yellow squash, zucchini  grated carrots and purple cabbage.  We took a whole wheat tortilla, spread our favorite hummus or Tzatziki and topped it off our rainbow of  vegetables.  We got to take a few bites and then took a group photo with our aprons that were donated by Horizon Group USA.  Please visit their Facebook page about the event.  https://www.facebook.com/HGUSA.

The kids could not wait to get back to the table where they got to sample a variety of Chobani yogurt and cheribundi drinks.  I encouraged them to start cooking and enter my contests and the Kiwi 2013 New Chef contest.  The afternoon was a great success with many kids trying new fruit or vegetable for the first time.  We even heard some parents say that they were so glad that they came as they never thought that their kids would try these new foods and like them.  Thank you for having me!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSFHPpZtIVE