Interview, Food Revolution, Training.

Yesterday, we listened to our granddaughter being interviewed with a couple of her stage friends. I was impressed with the interview, three youngsters in the 15 yr. age range, with all kinds of confidence speaking on BBC Radio Kent. They were talking about a new show they are due to perform quite soon. I didn’t catch the name of the show, I know her last one was Billy Elliot which is on in Toronto right now.

Last night we watched Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, his second week in LA. I cannot believe the school board will not let him in to the school kitchens in fact they were talking about calling the cops on him if he entered a school premises. Nor is he officially allowed to talk to the kids about their school lunches. What a crock of sh*t. As Jamie said, the Americans fought the Brits to obtain freedom and now the LASU are clamping down on the freedoms of students and parents in LA. Jamie is absolutely furious. He doesn’t do this for profit, he does it because he genuinely believes American school kids need help. There was one school kid, 17, in his class (he was eventually allowed to give a class but not to go into the school cafeteria) her sister got diabetes at 10, both her parents have diabetes, and she is just waiting for the axe to fall. Jamie promised to help where he could. It really is heart breaking to see these kids who need help in all kinds of ways and Jamie is not allowed to help with their school lunches. I do so wish I could assist although presumably by the end of this series of programmes something will have happened, give Jamie his due, he will fight tooth and nail for something he believes in.

Last night we went to the Elections Canada office for Matt to have training on being a Registration Officer. He ended up with a sheaf of paperwork including the forms he has to fill in. I figured it would be a good idea to go along so we can both remember what has to be done. My training is next Wednesday, I am going to be an Information Officer which is the same job I did last time and more or less remember what I had to do.

Well, how frustrating for me, I listened to the recording on BBC Radio Kent, in England, and just before the interview discovered that asparagus is already in the stores there because of the nice weather. I am beginning to receive more and more asparagus recipes as the annual favourite becomes freshly available in different areas. Ours is still not ready sadly.

Easy Creamy Baked Asparagus 

Kraft Kitchens

Serves 4

What You Need

1 lb. fresh asparagus spears, trimmed

1/4 cup KRAFT Peppercorn Ranch Dressing

2 Tbsp. KRAFT Shredded Parmesan Cheese

12 RITZ Crackers, coarsely crushed (about 1/2 cup)

Make It

HEAT oven to 350°F.

COOK asparagus in simmering water in large skillet 2 to 3 min. or until bright green, but still crisp; drain. Place in shallow baking dish

ADD dressing; toss to coat. Top with cheese and cracker crumbs.

BAKE 10 to 15 min. or until topping is lightly browned and asparagus is heated through.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Make Ahead

Prepare as directed except for baking; cover. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator 20 min. before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350°F for 15 min. or until heated through.

Healthy Living

Save 6-1/2 grams of fat per serving by preparing with KRAFT FREE Ranch Dressing and RITZ Reduced Fat Crackers. You will save 40 calories, too.

Trimming Fresh Asparagus

Asparagus spears snap off naturally where they are tough. Simply bend the spear near the bottom end and it will break off at the right point. Or, remove an inch or so of the "woody" portion off the bottom of the stalks with a sharp knife.

Have a great day