In case you didn't already know it, this Saturday is FOOD REVOLUTION DAY! I'm joining celebrity chef Jaime Oliver, thousands of other people around the world, (and just a few of my friends), to raise awareness about eating real food, cooking without processed ingredients and, in general, putting FOOD back on the agenda. It's intended to be a day to get people talking about and sharing, and cooking, real food from fresh ingredients. It's about educating our children (and ourselves) about our right to good food. I've been "talking food" and cooking with my sons since they were young and I've seen, first hand, the impact that education has made now that they're making many of their own food choices.
I'm hosting a small gathering tomorrow night, cooking with fresh ingredients from local sources (including lettuce from the Potager that I built earlier this spring). I wanted it to have a casual feel and yet, to have a sense of purpose. I wanted a theme that would be memorable enough to cause my guests to be reminded of the reason that we're together (I mean, other than our common love of food and sparkling personalities! *wink*)
Given that I have boxes of my Grandmother's mason jars sitting in the cabinet waiting for canning season to roll around again and given that they're FREE, I decided to incorporate them into the theme for the evening. Out of that, the theme was born:
MUNCHIES, MOONLIGHT, AND MASON JARS
I made simple, triple-fold invitations using an image that I found at The Graphics Fairy. 
Clear and Turquoise Mason Jars:
- Filled with Epsom Salts and votive candles on the table and the patio
- Filled with White spring flowers: Peonies and Daisies (since the town flower of CH is the daisy...we even have an annual festival called "Daisy Days" which is held on Father's Day Weekend).
- As holders for silverware and beverages
- Colanders: filled with fresh produce and mason jars with flowers
- A Spray Bottle filled with home made veggie wash
- A Veggie brush and peeler
- A Re-usable bag for produce
- A list of the dates, times and locations of farmer's markets in the area.
Ingredients:
1 Cup water
1 Cup white vinegar
1 Tablespoon baking soda
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Combine all ingredients and put in a spray bottle. Spray produce with solution and let sit for 5 minutes. Rinse well.
On the menu:
Appetizers:
- Jaime Oliver Pineapple with Bashed up Mint Sugar
- Jaime Oliver Bruschetta
- Jaime Oliver Crostini
- Assorted veggies and dip
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Banana Pudding
- Malted Vanilla Pudding
If you're hosting an event, (or even if you're not), please let me know how you're celebrating so that I can include you in the wrap up post. Check back for photos and details on Sunday.
Have a wonderful weekend!
S
