Final Project Progress

Tomorrow I will doing my first interview with Tim Saucer, a graduate student and veteran. I am really excited to start filming and begin to see how the story unfolds with each interview we do. The student veteran organization has been extremely helpful in allowing us to find interviews. 

As for my own story, I am beginning to research it a bit more. I attended a student/faculty veteran lunch a few weeks ago and started speaking with some veterans on campus to get ideas. I somehow ended up in a picture and am on their website... you can find the picture yourself if you would like. 

During the lunch I learned about a Wounded Warrior benefit that will be taking place in a few weeks. I am in touch with one of the founders of Student Veterans association about a story revolving around wounded soldiers coming back from Iraq and how the University of Michigan medical services are helping veterans re-acclimate. Here is a link to the University of Michigan Veteran's Connection home page: 

U-M Veteran's Connection

I am also looking into topics regarding the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare system. So far I have been emailing a few people who volunteer with the Healthcare system. 

While so far my story has been focusing on events being held by the student veterans and health effects of the war recent events have shifted my attention. 

Tonight Pres. Obama announced his plans to send 30,000 U.S.troops to Afghanistan by the summer of next year and to withdraw troops by July 2011. 

Here is a nice photo slideshow from the Washington Post about his address tonight: 

Obama announces Afghanistan troop increase 

I think that this announcement could be very important to our project. I would like to look into the effect that this will have on a local level. During the address Obama discussed the economic issues facing our country and need to strengthen the country on an internal order to preserve power. I think that in relation to Michigan and the suffering economy, there is a very interesting parallel. 

I think that being on a college campus, there is a unique opportunity to observe reflections of the war in Ann Arbor, an area where the majority of residents voted for Obama in the Presidential Election just one year ago. 

Here is an article from the Detroit Free Press that brings the recent announcement to a local and national level. The article's organization is not entirely clear, but the information contained in the article is extremely relevant and illustrates the multi-layered effect this increase in troops will have. 

Detroit Free Press: Obama: 'Our security is at stake' in Afghan buildup 

Here is an article published on Newyorktimes.com this past Monday, November 23rd. The article talks about after-dinner drinks and a new addition to the traditional Thanksgiving meal. I think the article is a nice attempt to bring in Italy's dining culture with the tradition of Thanksgiving. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/dining/25pour.html?_r=2&hp

Coming home for Thanksgiving this fall, I am interested to see how a vegetarian diet affects my meal and sense of satiation at the end of eating. Everyone associates Thanksgiving with a turkey, and as I no longer eat poultry, I am wondering if I will leave the table feeling I have had a true meal. However, I think that the act of sitting down to eat a Thanksgiving dinner is a wonderful tradition. It shows how food, like in Italy, is more than just a simple way to feed yourself but rather a way for people to come together over a collective enjoyment of eating. We make the food with others  in mind on Thanksgiving and enjoy it together. 

Recipe: Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potato

Quinoa is a new grain that I recently tried at a pot-luck dinner. It is really tasty and extremely high in protein (with 11 grams of protein per cup), which is great for a vegetarian diet. It cooks similarly to risotto, couscous, or rice.  In general, I have found that grains and rice are really helpful when switching to a vegetarian diet. You can mix savory or sweet things into it and create a really wide variety of delicious foods! 

Here is a recipe that uses Quinoa and sweet potato (which is in season right now). I originally found the recipe on About.com: Vegetarian Food, a site that has some really nice vegetarian recipes and is easy to navigate. I stuck to the general recipe except I replaced cayanne pepper with red pepper flakes. I also added a vinegar-based dressing and pineapple to it for flavor. Let me know what you think!

Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potato and Vinegar-based dressing

Ingredients:

• 2 cup quinoa, uncooked
• 4 cups vegetable broth (I use vegetable broth from Trader Joes. I am looking for some with less sodium) 
• 2 sweet potato, baked and diced
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 cup pineapple slices
• salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for salad dressing: 

• 1 tbsp. mustard 
• 3 tbsp. vinegar
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Simmer the quinoa in the vegetable broth about 10-15 minutes (read directions on the kind you buy), until water is gone. Quinoa should be light and fluffy when stirred. Remove from heat. 

Mix together quinoa, sweet potato and bell pepper. 

In a separate small bowl, mix together mustard, vinegar and lemon. Then whisk in olive oil, salt and pepper. 

Stir the dressing into the quinoa salad and enjoy!

For this week's assignment, I focused on a video found on NewYorkTimes.com entitled, "The Three Deli Men". The story is about Moby's Delicatessen in New York. The deli, which opened in 1962, is run by the original owner and his two sons. The video discusses the "fall of the Jewish deli" and changes in eating habits over the past 50 years. I chose this story for its use of characterization to discuss larger trends in food. The story represents food as a communal aspect, something that is based in history. By focusing on a character who has remained in place as American dietary habits have been culturally influenced, the story provides an interesting light on the larger idea of how we decide what to eat and base our decisions off of. In relation to my blog, it made me think about the importance of community and food and also the changing trends we go through as a culture. 

Here is the link to the website that the video is posted on. You can scroll down the sidebar to find the story entitled, "The Three Deli Men". 

http://video.on.nytimes.com/

Enjoy! 

Local Organizations Bettering Our Community!

Today is the General City Election for Ann Arbor, MI. The election had me thinking about the sense of agency we have as citizens within a community and our obligation to better the community through action. As students, we have the opportunity to create a difference in Ann Arbor through the numerous clubs and organizations that are offered to us. Although our time within Ann Arbor may be finite, we still have an opportunity to volunteer. Here are some interesting community organizations that offer volunteer opportunities pertaining to nutrition, sustainable agriculture and hunger:


Growing Hope
Mission:
Helping people improve their lives and communities through gardening and healthy food access. Growing Hope fosters learning, improves nutrition, encourages self-reliance, and promotes positive community futures.

-This is a Washtenaw-based organization that offers numerous volunteer positions and educational opportunites. Visit their website for more information.


Washtenaw County Head Start
Mission:
Project Head Start was designed to help break the cycle of poverty by providing preschool children of low income families with a comprehensive program to meet their emotional, social, health, nutritional and educational needs.



Slow Food Huron Valley
Mission:
Slow Food Huron Valley is leading a food revolution through education. We identify culinary artisans and local producers who engage in sustainable agriculture and are committed to the viability of the land. By forming an educational network which connects producers to consumers, we will preserve and cultivate our culinary heritage and celebrate traditional Midwestern hospitality.

Visit their web site to find a list of local farmer markets



Food Gatherers
Ann Arbor based organization
Mission:
Food Gatherers exists to alleviate hunger and eliminate its causes in our community by: reducing food waste through the rescue and distribution of perishable and non perishable food; coordinating with other hunger relief providers; educating the public about hunger; and developing new food resources.

Website provides national and local hunger statistics, links to other food advocacy groups and volunteering information.

To get more information on volunteering you can also call: (734) 761-2796 or eric@foodgatherers.com


Ann Arbor Woman’s Farm and Garden Association
Mission:
The Ann Arbor Branch, Woman’s National Farm & Garden Association, is dedicated to ensuring opportunities for women in horticulture and providing children an environment that is green and safe to learn from and to steward; our fundraising supports educational scholarships in horticulture and related areas and grants for community gardens that further our mission and goals.

Next event is the Greens Market on December 3rd, at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens.



Project Grow
Mission:
Project Grow Community Gardens provides the space, education, and inspiration to make organic gardening accessible to all.

Project Grow offers classes, events and volunteer opportunities.

Link to their blog: http://a2projectgrow.blogspot.com/




These organizations offer a foot-in-the-door to someone looking to volunteer in community based projects that serve the local area.

Good Salad!

Rebecca's Fabulous Salad!


-spring mix
-4 raw mushrooms sliced
-half a red pepper
-half a handful of dried cherries
-one whole pear
-goat cheese
-1/4 avocado

dressing:
-3 parts olive oil
-1 part vinegar
-1 part mustard
-.5 part honey
-salt and pepper to taste


Enjoy!

Vegetarian Pledge

In my Introduction to Food for Thought, I pledged to be a vegetarian for 30-days. For a two years during high school I only ate fish, but this was my first experience being a lacto-ovo vegetarian (meaning you do not eat meat, fish or poultry). I made the pledge on PETA.com (PETA's blog) to not eat meat for thirty days. It has been 35 days and so-far an enjoyable experience.

I will be honest, I have slipped up three times. I ate a bite of meat-based lasagna- thank you Rebecca's Mom, a shrimp dumpling-thank you Rebecca, and a bite of pepperoni pizza-thank you Rebecca. However, outside of these extenuating circumstances, all at 2 in the morning, I have stuck to the vegetarian diet.

Eating vegetarian is very easy in college, especially when cooking for yourself. Meat expires quickly and is expensive. Plus, it takes time and some skill to cook. What I have found is when you go out to eat, it is harder to stick to the pledge. Some resturants and lunch places have great options, like Amers or Seva, but I have been surprised also. I went to Cafe Zola for a birthday dinner the other night and I was very surprised to find that they offered only 3 options for vegetarians.

During this time, I have reflected on the different reasons for being a vegetarian. For the purpose of this blog, it is largely based in eating locally and environmentally-friendly. Here is a link to a very beautifully written article in the New York Times Sunday Magazine about eating vegetarian that discusses behavior, attitude and facts about being vegetarian. The more I have read about factory farms, the more I hear about the incredible amount of pollution and emissions that they contribute.

When I first stopped eating meat in high school, it was about animal rights. I was unaware of the environmental impacts entirely, and it is not surprising that I was able to eat fish. Doing research about the environmental impacts has reminded me quickly of the animal rights aspect of eating-meat and the philosophical and ethical dilemmas.

My roommate on the other hand has become vegan for health reasons. She is into the notion that you are what you eat, and is talking about the way her body feels now that she has given up animal products.

Despite what your reason is for becoming vegetarian, I think it is an interesting experiment in your dietary habits and puts you in touch with your body. In the span of a month, I was able to get a good grasp on how behavior is linked to attitude. While this blog still won't be able promoting vegetarianism, I think it is a nice segway into a discussion about attitudes towards what we eat and our ability to make conscious decisions.

I am planning on continuing a lacto-ovan vegetarian diet for the rest of the semester and I will write about interesting recipes or information I come across.



A note about this blog: Up until now, my stories have been largely based in essay. I am going to try to start using more photos and video to hopefully create a more enjoyable experience!