[null, {"document_url": "http://www.amysfoodrevolution.com/?s=white+house", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7ECcpwX_iqc/UJhFFQVrnsI/AAAAAAAAAH8/yvjAAFjtpE8/s320/IMG_2059.jpg", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7ECcpwX_iqc/UJhFFQVrnsI/AAAAAAAAAH8/yvjAAFjtpE8/s320/IMG_2059.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG", "rendered_width": 320, "rendered_height": 239}, null, {"document_url": "http://www.amysfoodrevolution.com/?s=white+house", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UOAZWvl9WCY/UJhFVmFfpxI/AAAAAAAAAIE/WiN4UPs_XnA/s320/IMG_2061.jpg", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UOAZWvl9WCY/UJhFVmFfpxI/AAAAAAAAAIE/WiN4UPs_XnA/s320/IMG_2061.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG", "rendered_width": 320, "rendered_height": 239}, null, {"document_url": "http://www.amysfoodrevolution.com/?s=white+house", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6N4_jOERZoM/UJhFuCS875I/AAAAAAAAAIM/F2uXUOTvK3M/s320/IMG_2063.jpg", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6N4_jOERZoM/UJhFuCS875I/AAAAAAAAAIM/F2uXUOTvK3M/s320/IMG_2063.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG", "rendered_width": 320, "rendered_height": 239}, {"document_url": "http://www.amysfoodrevolution.com/?s=white+house", "unformatted_src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZP7ZPskyj4Q/UJhFvCH3X5I/AAAAAAAAAIU/G7prYeWMuh8/s320/IMG_2064.jpg", "src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZP7ZPskyj4Q/UJhFvCH3X5I/AAAAAAAAAIU/G7prYeWMuh8/s320/IMG_2064.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG", "rendered_width": 320, "rendered_height": 239}, {"document_url": "http://www.amysfoodrevolution.com/?s=white+house", "unformatted_src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DhlNDVB63_4/UJhFwN83TSI/AAAAAAAAAIc/lZyGU5DSBTQ/s320/IMG_2067.jpg", "src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DhlNDVB63_4/UJhFwN83TSI/AAAAAAAAAIc/lZyGU5DSBTQ/s320/IMG_2067.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG", "rendered_width": 320, "rendered_height": 239}, null, {"document_url": "http://www.amysfoodrevolution.com/?s=white+house", "unformatted_src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rhza4Oy44Do/UJhHTpHPJvI/AAAAAAAAAIw/pJ2_AznhF9s/s320/IMG_2089.jpg", "src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rhza4Oy44Do/UJhHTpHPJvI/AAAAAAAAAIw/pJ2_AznhF9s/s320/IMG_2089.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG", "rendered_width": 320, "rendered_height": 239}, {"document_url": "http://www.amysfoodrevolution.com/?s=white+house", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H_rjJGx9IMY/UJhHVs2LlrI/AAAAAAAAAI4/7GOoV-NheZ8/s320/IMG_2093.jpg", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H_rjJGx9IMY/UJhHVs2LlrI/AAAAAAAAAI4/7GOoV-NheZ8/s320/IMG_2093.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG", "rendered_width": 320, "rendered_height": 257}, {"document_url": "http://www.amysfoodrevolution.com/?s=white+house", "unformatted_src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CRg0VLPUGBs/UJhHakMB4JI/AAAAAAAAAJg/Bh_toppcHHg/s320/IMG_2105.jpg", "src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CRg0VLPUGBs/UJhHakMB4JI/AAAAAAAAAJg/Bh_toppcHHg/s320/IMG_2105.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG", "rendered_width": 320, "rendered_height": 239}, {"document_url": "http://www.amysfoodrevolution.com/?s=white+house", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tDkxj81h3MI/UJhHYn3-2sI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/1yCQ9BHn66w/s320/IMG_2100.jpg", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tDkxj81h3MI/UJhHYn3-2sI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/1yCQ9BHn66w/s320/IMG_2100.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG", "rendered_width": 320, "rendered_height": 239}, null, {"document_url": "http://www.amysfoodrevolution.com/?s=white+house", "unformatted_src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VwrVDzDrT5M/UJhHdaGjOYI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/_hafKexNpEI/s320/IMG_2119.jpg", "src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VwrVDzDrT5M/UJhHdaGjOYI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/_hafKexNpEI/s320/IMG_2119.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG", "rendered_width": 320, "rendered_height": 239}, {"document_url": "http://www.amysfoodrevolution.com/?s=white+house", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AO4s-GkSjEQ/UJhHeCZbkZI/AAAAAAAAAKE/vzA2pvQ9ogQ/s320/IMG_2130.jpg", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AO4s-GkSjEQ/UJhHeCZbkZI/AAAAAAAAAKE/vzA2pvQ9ogQ/s320/IMG_2130.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG", "rendered_width": 320, "rendered_height": 239}, {"document_url": "http://www.amysfoodrevolution.com/?s=white+house", "unformatted_src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tRaafGrHUNk/UJhHfEyI99I/AAAAAAAAAKM/27TfSY185Sc/s320/IMG_2133.jpg", "src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tRaafGrHUNk/UJhHfEyI99I/AAAAAAAAAKM/27TfSY185Sc/s320/IMG_2133.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG", "rendered_width": 320, "rendered_height": 239}, {"document_url": "http://www.amysfoodrevolution.com/?s=white+house", "unformatted_src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f-1GY0gJn_0/UJhHf-ZPvkI/AAAAAAAAAKU/NzWu8OTaLhM/s320/IMG_2137.jpg", "src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f-1GY0gJn_0/UJhHf-ZPvkI/AAAAAAAAAKU/NzWu8OTaLhM/s320/IMG_2137.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG", "rendered_width": 320, "rendered_height": 239}, null, {"document_url": "http://www.amysfoodrevolution.com/?s=white+house", "unformatted_src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tHg23h39Bk8/UJhJF4oH1XI/AAAAAAAAAKg/4KWbKSe22cU/s320/PA191947_2.jpg", "src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tHg23h39Bk8/UJhJF4oH1XI/AAAAAAAAAKg/4KWbKSe22cU/s320/PA191947_2.jpg", "formatted_filename": "PA", "rendered_width": 320, "rendered_height": 240}, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null]
Search Results for: white house

We interrupt this Food Revolution to bring you news of the most incredible full circle moment….
Getting the courage to start my blog began in a beautiful garden in Washington, DC and on October 19, 2012–almost three years later– I was completely blown away to find myself in another beautiful DC garden, this time at the White House, all because of this blog.
Almost three years ago, on a sunny day in late February 2010, I met my friend and colleague for lunch in the Enid A. Haupt garden behind the Smithsonian Castle. I’ve had many lunches in this garden with my friends at the Castle but who knew this one in particular would create such a ripple effect in my life. My lunch buddy on this day is a foodie, movie lover, fabulous amateur photographer and knew just what to say to give me a push to start my Food Revolution. I bounced the idea off of him but I was a bit afraid. His enthusiasm was contagious, and I had no idea about the journey it would take me on.  From writing a blog that I never expected would be read, to teaching cooking classes, to becoming one of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Heroes, and finally being invited to tour the White House Gardens.  Amazing.
I didn’t set out to do any of these things and I never thought I would be influencing others to get back into their kitchens.  One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is sometimes you need to sit back and see where life takes you.
Now, fast forward three years and I’m a social media guest at the White House’s Fall Garden Tour. I had submitted an application for why I should be chosen to participate and I was so surprised to get picked. I had been watching the weather all week and they were calling for rain. Sure enough, while we were waiting outside to get through security, the skies opened up and the small group of us waiting to get in shared our umbrellas and huddled together to try and keep dry. I’ve been thinking back and now I think that maybe the rain was a blessing in disguise. Standing under those umbrellas, we bonded and got to know one another maybe a bit better and a bit faster than if the sun had been shining. After getting through security, we were led down the driveway into the White House and through a short hallway. The next thing I knew, I was on the South Lawn of the White House overlooking the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial. Our tour guides were gracious hosts, especially Dale Haney, the Supervisor of the grounds. He has been working there since 1972 and he was a wealth of information. I learned so much and took some great pictures too! Here are some of the great fun facts and some photos from my tour….
The White House Grounds are the oldest maintained landscape in the US. These Magnolia trees were planted by Andrew Jackson. The Jacqueline Kennedy Garden…. The White House Kitchen Garden. In addition to being beautiful and functional at the same time it also has its own compost and beehive! The Rose Garden was the best part!  It was where I most felt like I was seeing a place where history is made. Also from the Rose Garden, we were able to see into the Oval Office which on this dark, rainy morning had its lights on and you could see the bustle of activity inside. Democracy at work. Standing there I was in awe of the history that surrounded me. The next thing we knew, President Obama was walking down the outdoor hallway on his “commute” from the residence to the Oval Office. It was an unexpected treat to get to see him! Photo credit: Deborah Fenelon

Next we headed over to the Old Executive Office Building for our briefing. One of my favorite parts of the day was hearing the stories and passions of the people I was with that day. Many were gardeners, beekeepers, foodies, activists, and expert twitterers, but what we all had in common was that we were wildly excited to be there. We came from all parts of the U.S., some from as far away as Hawaii, California, Missouri, Massachusetts, Florida as well as a few of us locals.
After we introduced ourselves, we were treated to more than an hour of briefing and Q&A from White House staff. Our speakers included White House Pastry Chef Bill Yosses, White House Photographer Sonya Hebert and Jon Carson, Director of the Office of Public Engagement. They were candid and fascinating to listen to and so generous with their time. I loved hearing Chef Yosses’ take on Pastry in a healthy White House. He believes (and so do I) that if you use good whole ingredients (like honey from those garden beehives in place of some sugar) and control the portions there is always room for a little dessert. I love that! Photographer Sonya had some great tips on taking photos and watching for the emotion in the moment to capture on film. Jon Carson encouraged us to keep reaching out into our communities and told us more about his growing office and their role now that social media has come onto the scene.
The small group of us who had been invited on the Social Media tour didn’t find out until the final minutes of our amazing morning that we had been chosen out of about 1,000 applicants. I think I can speak for most of us that we were shocked at the odds and despite rain and bad-hair days, we had just had the most incredible morning.
And that’s my full circle moment…garden to garden.
Hello! Happy Food Revolution Day Eve! Here’s another great idea for tomorrow night.
Here’s our menu:
Tray Baked Chicken
Squashed Potatoes
Creamed Spinach
Strawberry Slushie
So, how about a trip to your local farmer’s market tomorrow morning for some fresh ingredients including yummy local strawberries and make this for your family and friends tomorrow night? We have big strawberry news at my house! The strawberry plant that we planted in a pot and neglected all winter has come back and has lots of berries. The Kid squealed with delight last night when she tried the first red one! Happy cooking!
from Jamie Oliver’s Meal in Minutes page 102
1 1/2 pounds small red-skinned potatoes or baby white potatoes
A few sprigs of fresh rosemary
A couple of fresh bay leaves
6 cloves garlic
A bunch of scallions
A few fresh thyme tips
1 whole nutmeg, for grating
A large pat of butter
1 pound prewashed baby spinach
1 ounce Parmesan cheese
Dried oregano
Sweet paprika
A pat of butter
4 (6-ounce) skinless chicken breasts
1 lemon
2 ounces cherry tomatoes
4 slices smoked bacon
A couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt & black pepper
1 pound strawberries, fresh or frozen
A few sprigs of fresh mint
1/2 lemon ice cubes
Sugar, to taste
TO START: Get all your ingredients and equipment ready. Fill and boil the kettle. Put a medium saucepan on a medium heat, a large frying pan on a low heat, and a large shallow pan on a medium heat. Turn the broiler to full blast.
POTATOES: Wash the potatoes, then halve lengthways (or leave whole if using baby white potatoes), and add to the saucepan with a pinch of salt. Cover with boiled water, put the lid on, and boil hard for around 12 to 14 minutes, or until cooked through.
SPINACH: Trim and thinly slice the scallions. Add to the large shallow pan with a splash of olive oil. Crush in 3 cloves of unpeeled garlic and add a slug of boiled water. Pick in the leaves from a few sprigs of thyme, finely grate in 1/4 of a nutmeg, and add the pat of butter. Leave to tick away for around 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
CHICKEN: Turn the heat under the empty frying pan to high. Get out a large sheet of parchment paper. Sprinkle over a good pinch of dried oregano, salt & pepper, and paprika, then drizzle over some olive oil and add a lug to the hot frying pan now too, along with the pat of butter. Lay the chicken breasts on top of the parchment paper and roll them in the flavors. Add to the hot pan and fry for 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden on both sides. While this is happening, clear away the parchment paper and wash your hands.
SPINACH: Pile the spinach into the pan with the scallions and leave to wilt. You may need to do this in batches, but it will wilt quickly. Keep stirring so nothing sticks.
CHICKEN: Get out a nice roasting pan, then quarter the lemon and chuck it in the pan along with the tomatoes. Tip in the chicken breasts and any juices from the pan. Use tongs to arrange everything nicely, then lay the bacon on top of the breasts. Put the frying pan back on a medium heat, add the sprigs of rosemary to the pan, and move them around so that they get coated in the juices. Pop them into the pan, then put the pan under the broiler for at least 14 minutes.
POTATOES: Check the potatoes are cooked, then drain and let them steam dry for a minute or two. Add a couple of lugs of olive oil, leaves from a few sprigs of rosemary, and the bay leaves to the empty frying pan. Put the potatoes on top of the herbs in a flat layer, drizzle over some olive oil, and sprinkle over some salt. Crush in 6 unpeeled cloves of garlic, then turn the heat up to high. Get a flat lid from a smaller pan and really press down so you burst and squash the potatoes. Leave to color, then toss after about 3 minutes and squash down again.
SPINACH: Stir to help it along. Pour in the cream. Turn down the heat to low. Finely grate in the Parmesan and stir well.
POTATOES: Keep checking, squashing, and turning so the potatoes get golden all over.
DRINK: Hull the strawberries and add them to the blender with a handful of ice cubes, a few mint leaves, and the juice of 1/2 lemon. Add enough water to cover and whiz. Meanwhile, half fill a large pitcher with ice. Taste the mixture in the blender and sweeten if necessary. Pour into the pitcher and stir with a wooden spoon. Take to the table.
POTATOES: Check and squash down again.
TO SERVE: Take the pan of chicken out from under the broiler. Check the breasts are cooked through, then take straight to the table with the pan of spinach. Tip the potatoes onto a platter, take to the table, and tuck in!
Meals cooked: 4
Meals left: 46
Weeks left: 48 Oh, I could go on and on for days about this one! Below are some of the books that inspired me to take on this adventure. I’ve also included some inspirational favorites that I have read since my 2010 Food Revolution. Let’s get started…. Julie & Julia, by Julie Powell

Well, of course we would need to start with this one, right? My original inspiration for this cooking adventure was actually the movie version of this book. Now, the book is a bit different than the movie. I read the book in the middle of my 2010-2011 Food Revolution challenge and I could totally relate to some of Julie Powell’s thoughts and feelings. Jamie’s Food Revolution, by Jamie Oliver

In 2010, I had just seen the movie, Julie and Julia, and I had decided that cooking through a cookbook would be a great way to learn to cook. I went to the bookstore looking for a cookbook for my adventure and I found Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. His Food Revolution message on the back of the book was like a “sign” and it inspired me to do this crazy Food Revolution thing. This cookbook definitely taught me how to cook. My copy of it is well-loved and I couldn’t live in the kitchen without it. Back to Butter, by Molly Chester and Sally Schrecengost

Molly Chester’s blog, Organic Spark, was one of the first blog’s that I ever read. Reading her blog definitely gave me the courage to try writing a blog too. I was so excited when her book, Back to Butter, came out. It is an awesome addition to any cook’s collection. If you want to learn more about “real food” this is a great resource. 100 Days of Real Food, by Lisa Leake

Speaking of “Real Food,” this book is awesome! Lisa Leake and I were working on our food journeys at the same time which I think is so cool! I am totally in awe of her. I love her recipes and her thoughts and advice on making changes in your family’s eating habits. While most of my Food Revolution revolved around cooking at home, she inspired me to rethink those pesky school lunches. French Kids Eat Everything, by Karen Le Billon

This book will stay with you, parents. If you have a picky eater at home, be sure to read this. It will change your thinking about the dinner table. I picked this one up after getting questions about picky eaters at some of my speaking engagements. Remember, unless you have a three year old with a debit card that can drive to the grocery store, you are the one making the food decisions for your family. Take back control. You can do it! American Grown, by Michelle Obama

I read this book after I was invited to the White House for a Social Media event. The story of the White House’s Kitchen Garden really made me think about starting to grow food at home. Our shady yard can only support a herb garden, but my trips to the farmer’s market and dreaming about my own kitchen garden definitely came from reading this book. It is a beautiful book full of amazing photographs and inspirational stories.

One last suggestion, read anything by Michael Pollan. I couldn’t pick one book to highlight but all of his books will make you think about food, where it comes from and how we interact with it.

What books inspire you in the kitchen? Visit me on Facebook and Twitter and let me hear some of your favorites.



Other posts in this series:

How to Start A Food Revolution in Your Kitchen

Getting on Track It is said that one in three people will ditch their New Year’s Resolution before the end of January. This is the time of year when I usually write and tell you about the only time I kept my New Year’s Resolution. In January of 2010, I made three New Year’s resolutions. I decided that each would have a positive spin and not include negative words. One of them was to “cook more,” how to accomplish it though completely stumped me. I had tried it before and had failed miserably and I was worried I would have to abandon this resolution yet again. That’s when I saw the movie, Julie and Julia and the inspiration for how I would “cook more” hit me. After letting the idea sit in my brain awhile and mustering up the courage to do this crazy thing, I went to the bookstore to browse the cooking section. I stumbled upon Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Cookbook and I knew that it was the key. So, I started to cook more. I challenged myself to cook every recipe in the book in 365 days. To keep myself accountable, I started this blog and wrote about my adventure and the journey to “cook more.” I not only “cooked more” but I also taught cooking classes, became a Food Revolution Hero and later a Food Revolution Ambassador. I even had the chance to visit the White House. Now, six years later, cooking more has been a journey that outlived its New Year’s Resolution status.

I hope for 2016 you will resolve to spend more time cooking. To help you with that, I’ll be starting a new series in the coming weeks on how to start a Food Revolution in your own kitchen. Make sure you are following me on social media so you can get timely updates on when it will start. Who knows, you might find out that it is the easiest and best resolution you ever kept!

Happy Cooking! Happy New Year from Amy’s Food Revolution! 2015 is a big year for my Food Revolution because it marks the 5 year anniversary of when it all began. And, as some of you may know, it all started with a New Year’s Resolution. In fact, it is the only New Year’s Resolution that I have ever really kept. Most New Year’s resolutions are “lose something (weight),” “stop something (a bad habit),” “don’t do this” or “don’t do that.” On January 1st of 2010 I decided to make resolutions that had a positive spin on them. Each resolution had the word “more” in it and one of them was to “Cook more.” Now I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to accomplish this but I knew that if I was going to cook more I would need to learn how to cook. I could barely boil water for pasta (me and boiling pots still don’t really get along too well) so how was I going to learn how to cook?
A few weeks later my husband and I watched the movie “Julie and Julia” and the movie stuck with me. I was sure that it was the key to how I would learn to cook. If you haven’t seen the movie, Julie Powell cooks her way through Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” The famous cookbook has a daunting 524 recipes and I knew my young family was not going to let me get away with copying Ms. Powell’s journey exactly as she did it. I needed to find another book. Now, this was months before Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution TV show in the US and honestly I didn’t know a whole lot about him. But one day at the book store, I came across Jamie’s Food Revolution Cookbook (while chasing a toddler who was gnawing on Max and Ruby books and running through the store.) And the rest is, as they say, history. I did cook more. In 365 days, I cooked all 173 recipes in Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution cook book. I not only cooked more but I:
My “Cook More” New Year’s Resolution has been a journey that outlived its New Year’s Resolution status.
So, if you’ll humor me, this year I’ll be revisiting my original days of Amy’s Food Revolution. I hope that going back and looking at my journey will inspire others to take a bold step into their kitchen.
So, for 2015, I hope you will resolve to spend more time in your kitchen. “More” can simply mean to eat out a little less or cook a new recipe with your family just once a week. Who knows, you might find out that it is the easiest and best resolution you ever kept.



All of the thoughts and words here are mine and mine alone and do not represent Jamie Oliver, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution or anyone else mentioned.