Common Threads Blog

World Festival 2011 Chefs!!

2011-02-09T13:31:00.000-08:00

We are so lucky to have such AMAZING chefs that participate in our World Festival this year!! Drum roll please...

Jimmy Bannos, Jr., The Purple Pig; Jimmy Bannos, Sr., Heaven on Seven; Frank Brunacci, Sixteen at Trump Tower International; David Burke & Rick Gresh, David Burke’s Primehouse; Domenica Catelli, Momalicious; Christine Cikowski & Josh Kulp, Sunday Dinner; Chris Curren, Blue 13; Graham Elliot Bowles & Merlin Verrier, Graham Elliot ; Curtis Duffy Avenues at The Peninsula Chicago; David Dworshak, Carnivale; Patrick Fahy, Blackbird; Paul Fehribach, Big Jones; Meg Galus, Sofitel; Troy Graves, Supreme Lobster; Koren Grieveson, avec; Jason Hammel & Lea Tshilds, Lula Café & Nightwood; Roger Herring & David Gollan, Socca and Redd Herring; Kevin Hickey, Seasons; Brian Huston, The Publican; Stephanie Izard, Girl & The Goat; Harold Jurado, Chizakaya, Paul Kahan & David Posey, Blackbird; Bill Kim, Urban Belly and Belly Shack; Edward Kim, Ruxbin; Peter Klein, Seedling; Sarah Kosikowski, Sixteen at Trump Tower International; Gilbert Langlois, Chalkboard; Justin Large, Big Star; Ryan LaRoche, NoMI; Rob & Allie Levitt, The Butcher and Larder; Sarah Levy, Sarah’s Pastries & Candies; Anita Lo, Annisa Restaurant; Colin Lynch, Menton; Rod Markus, Rare Tea Cellars; Steve McDonagh & Dan Smith, Hearty; Jason McLeod, Balsan at The Elysian Hotel; Chris Nugent, Les Nomades; Jessica Oloroso, Black Dog Gelato; Chris Pandel, The Bristol; Mark Payne, deca Restaurant and Bar; Nicole Pederson, C-House; Ryan Poli, Perennial; Bill Reynolds, Sikia; Toni Roberts, C-House; Patricio Sandoval, Mercadito; Mario Santiago, May St Café; Adam Seger, Hum Spirits; Patrick Sheerin, The Signature Room at the 95th; Art Smith & Rey Villalobos, TABLE fifty-two; Todd Stein, The Florentine; Kristine Subido, Wave ; Giuseppe Tentori & Carl Shelton, BOKA; Heather Terhune, Sable; Dan Tucker, SushiSamba; Jared Van Camp, Old Town Social;; Paul Virant, Vie; Scott Walton, Markethouse ; Daven Wardynski, 676 Restaurant & Bar; Carol Watson, Milk & Honey Café; Jared Wentworth, Longman & Eagle; Roy Yamaguchi, Roy’s; Shelley Young, The Chopping Block; Andrew Zimmerman, Sepia; Randy Zweiban, Province; and more…

THANK YOU, CHEFS!!!!!!

February Volunteer Spotlight--Diane Heffernan

2011-02-09T07:17:00.000-08:00

Diane Heffernan says her favorite thing about volunteering is sharing her enthusiasm she has for food and cooking with kids. We can honestly tell you that our kids feel her enthusiasm every week. Diane has volunteered with Common Threads for the past 4 years. She has taught numerous kids how to mince, dice and sauté. She has “traveled” with them to Italy, China and Spain.

She feels strongly about educating kids about nutrition and diet and loves that Common Threads introduces the students to food from around the world. “What is created during class is a sense of accomplishment, teamwork, friendships, enthusiasm, laughter and “imprint” of healthy eating to share with their family and friends,” says Diane. We could not say it better ourselves.
Common Threads is beyond thankful for Diane’s support and dedication!

My Story and My Ingredients for Success

2011-01-25T11:51:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone. My name is Jeff Shwom and I am the development assistant at Common Threads. I joined the Common Threads staff in December, though I am not longer the newest employee. When I moved to Chicago in October 2010, I had been exploring non profits that worked with children and food. I had worked for a food organization in Washington DC that trained adults (actually, ex convicts and individuals who got into trouble with the law) to prepare and cook food. Common Threads had a unique environment that I was interested in: younger children, local and involved chefs, and fresh ingredients…What could be better!

I have made a personal commitment to my health and healthy eating. I cook probably 6 nights of the week and always bring my lunch (ask my co workers!). I have food that by coming home and focusing on my meals, I am eating healthier foods and enjoying what I eat. That is why I like Common Threads…it engages students and families in the family meal. It brings suggestions to them on how to make good food and learn about cultures at the same time. I myself have tried in my own test kitchen our recipes and let me tell you, they are easy, great, and healthy!

Well, I hope my enthusiasm, which comes from a more indirect service perspective being development, can explain how Common Threads has impacted me thus far.

One final thought for everyone: if an average joe like myself can cook recipes and be happy, then anyone can. So go for it!

National Pie Day!

2011-01-24T10:19:00.000-08:00

It's time to get your sweet treat fix!

Sunday January 23rd was National Pie Day...we think this should be celebrated the entire week so we've asked Heather Terhune, Executive Chef of Sable Kitchen & Bar and loyal supporter of Common Threads, to pass along one of her favorite pie recipes! Heather always supports the Common Threads mission and is always ready to lend a hand in a class guest teaching or offering a cool after party space in the new Palomar Hotel. Not many of our Common Threads classes include a sweet grand finale but every once in a while you can splurge. Try out Heather’s special dessert on National Pie Day as a treat from her is always a special occasion!

Key Lime Tart
Makes One 9-inch tart

9 to 10 graham crackers
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup coconut flakes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup fresh key lime juice or fresh lime juice
1 tsp fresh lime zest
4 large egg yolks
Pinch salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Process graham crackers, coconut and 2 tablespoons sugar in a food processor until fine crumbs form, add butter. Process until combined. Transfer mixture to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, pat into bottom and up sides.
3. Place pan on a baking sheet, and bake until crust is fragrant and slightly colored, about 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine condensed milk, lime juice, egg yolks, lime zest and salt; whisk until smooth. Pour mixture into crust (warm or cool is fine), leaving 1/8 inch at the top; return to oven. Bake until filling is set around edge but still slightly loose in center, 20 to 25 minutes.

Cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours. To store longer, cover and refrigerate, up to 2 days.

It's National Pizza Week! Executive Chef Sarah Grueneberg of Spiaggia Offers Her Healthy Pizza Recipe...

2011-01-10T10:54:00.000-08:00

Café Spiaggia’s Spicy Calamari Pizza

For the Marinade:

1 ½ pounds thinly sliced calamari rings
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons sea salt
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the Pizza Dough:

4 cups Italian caputo flour (oo)
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 packets active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 ½ cups lukewarm water

For the Topping:

Extra virgin olive oil for brushing
1 cup tomato sauce
½ cup Neonata, also known as Rosamarina, a spicy Calabrian chili paste

2 pounds fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 cup julienne escarole leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Makes 4 pizzas

In a blender or food processor, puree the paprika, oregano, pepper, salt, garlic, and olive oil until smooth to make a marinade.

Put the calamari in a non reactive shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the calamari and toss to coat evenly. Cover and marinate the calamari in the refrigerator overnight or for up to 24 hours.

Make the dough. In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, yeast and sugar. Add the water to the dry ingredients and mix until the water is absorbed and the dough forms shards. Turn the dough out onto a board and knead for 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth.

If using a stand mixer, mix the flour, yeast, salt and sugar together in the mixing bowl, stirring to combine. On low speed, pour in the water and mix using the dough hook. Mix on low until the dough forms around the hook, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix the dough again but on medium speed for another 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth.

On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Place on a floured sheet pan and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours.

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees with a baking stone if possible.

Working with one piece of dough at a time, (cover the remaining dough with a moist kitchen towel until ready to use) flatten the dough on a floured work surface. Carefully stretch the dough out with the edge of your hands. Next, gently roll out the pizza dough into a 12-inch circle, about 1/8-inch-thick.

Brush the dough with a thin layer of olive oil. Then brush on a thin layer of tomato sauce and neonata, spreading to the edge. Top with ¼ of the cheese cubes, and top with calamari and escarole and season with salt and pepper. Place the pizza directly on the pizza stone and bake for 10 minutes or until crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly.

Remove from the oven onto a cutting board and cut into 8 slices and serve.

Repeat the process to make the remaining 3 pizzas.

Healthy Eating Tip and Recipe by Chef Christine Cikowski and Josh Kulp of Sunday Dinner

2011-01-05T07:18:00.000-08:00

Christine and Josh have been strong supporters of Common Threads and our mission for over 3 years. Their commitment to quality ingredients sourced from locally responsible sources is evident in everything they do from their underground Sunday Dinner club to their delicious Eat Green Foods granola bars. Try out this recipe (one of the pairs favorite’s) and start 2011 off strong by eating well!

Complements of Chef Christine Cikowski and Josh Kulp
Sunday Dinner
www.sundaydinnerchicago.com
Minted Red Lentil Soup with Crab Salad and Crème Fraiche
Serves 4-6

Soup

1 medium onion
1 shallot
1 red jalapeno
1 cup red lentils
3 cups chicken or fish stock or water
10 mint stems tied into a bunch
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onion, jalapeno, and shallot in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a medium sauce or small soup pot until golden and caramelized about 10-15 min. Add stock and mint and bring to a boil. Season to taste (ie. make sure the stock tastes good). Add lentils and simmer until lentils are tender. Let soup cool slightly, remove the mint, transfer to blender and blend until smooth.

Crab Salad
1 cup crab meat
1 tsp chopped chives
juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp of julienned mint leaves (slice them)
1 tsp crème fraiche
salt and pepper to taste

Mix ingredients together- chill until ready to serve.

To Serve:
Reheat soup and re-season to taste. Add juice from the other ½ lemon if the soup needs a little brightness. Maybe add a pat of butter to make it richer or a splash of olive oil.

Pour soup in bowl, place mound of crab salad in center of soup.

Take ¼ cup crème fraiche and combine with 1 Tbsp of water and mix. Drizzle thinned crème fraiche over soup.

Sit. Relax. Eat.

2010-09-17T10:21:00.000-07:00

By: Candace Jordan

Memeber of Common Threads Board of Directors

My affiliation with Common Threads began with a glitzy party for Marc Jacobs in January of 2007. It was a packed house and I don’t think, at the time, I even knew what the event supported but I did know it was a GREAT party! So there I was, minding my own business, when a gorgeous woman came up to me and started asking questions. (She happened to be Linda Novick O’Keefe, Executive Director of CT). She was so charming and she asked me if I knew about Common Threads. I said I didn’t and she proceeded to tell me with such passion about this organization that I was immediately intrigued. Now, I am a proud member of the Board of Directors since 2008. What cemented my involvement was the dedication and clear impact that Common Threads has on so many children’s lives. When I first attended one of their after-school cooking classes, I quickly realized that there was a lot more to this than just cooking. To see the kids’ faces light up with happiness and understanding when they realize they will be capable of changing their families’ lives and keeping them all healthier than they have ever been before is an experience I will never forget. As a matter of fact, I brought several more of my friends to another class so they could see for themselves the importance of this program. Many of them are now involved today. Words can’t describe the difference Common Threads makes in the lives of so many children and their families across the country. I hope to see this organization grow into more national importance because of the great need for this very type of nutritional education and mentoring that we all need to grow and flourish. I am proud and honored to be a loyal supporter of Common Threads.

Check out the other links below for more Candid Candace stories about Common Threads:

http://candidcandace.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/03/common-threads-fifth-world-festivalbiggest-and-best.html

http://candidcandace.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/12/common-threads-cookbook-launch-party-a-hit-at-the-omni.html

http://candidcandace.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/03/the-museum-of-contemporary-artis-still-reeling-over-the-fourth-annual-common-threads-world-festival-event-which-rocked-their.html

2010-09-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

By: Hope Bertram

THE IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY AND HEALTHY EATING

On the surface, the event is a fun evening of healthy eating and friendly competition as cast members from Billy Elliot pair up with the Common Threads kids to compete against each other as they work to create a healthy Sunday dinner. The audience, of course, will get to taste and weigh in on which team should win.

On a deeper level, the event is in support of Common Threads, a non-profit started by celebrity chef Art Smith, aimed at “provide underprivileged youth with the magic that accompanies tasting new, fresh foods and the satisfaction and confidence that comes along with preparing your own meals and learning new skills.” It also keeps the kids off the street. Here’s a great article by Art about Common Threads and what he’s up to now with Michelle Obama’s initiative to bring healthy foods into the school system. It was also a reality check to hear about some of the common threads participants backgrounds. Several of them come from single parent or disadvantaged homes. It’s so easy for children in negative environments to lose a feeling of self confidence and be successful. We are all very lucky that programs like Common Threads exist. They help to build kids up and break unhealthy patterns.

I was at the studio when the kids were cooking and was impressed by the meals the kids came up with – if you plan on coming to the event, you are in for a BIG treat. I was also impressed by the Common Threads kids. They were mature and confidant and more well spoken than I was at their age. They were handpicked for the program and have made several TV appearances. They believe in what they are learning and are spreading the word about healthy eating.

Common Threads website states that, “82% of Common Threads’ students limited their junk/fast food intake to one or fewer times per week.” How many of us can say that for ourselves?

GETTING INVOLVED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY

Being involved with an event like this makes me want to find the time to actively volunteer again. There are so many great causes. What charities are you involved with?

Common Threads has a fantastic fundraiser coming up that’s a foodie lover’s delight. Check out their World Cook-Out for more information

BILLY ELLIOT COMMON THREADS PROMOTION

If you haven’t seen Billy Elliot, it’s definitely a must see. If you go from September 28 – 30, a portion of the ticket proceeds will go to Common Treads. Register here and use code THREADS to purchase tickets.

Thanks to Broadway in Chicago for giving my friend and I wonderful Orchestra seats to the show. First off, I was very impressed that the house was so packed on a Tuesday. The acting, singing and dancing was phenomenal throughout. The story line started out a little slow, but picked up tremendously after my favorite scene. I don’t want to give away too much, but it did involve boys dancing and large than life dresses. The case received a very well deserved standing ovation. By the end of the performance, I was sitting at the edge of my seat (even though I knew how things ended) and wanted to run up and push Billy’s brother off the stage for being a jerk – he was the antagonist of the play, delaying Billy from realizing his dream for an entire year.

Posted from Hope Bertram’s blog The Year of Hope

2010-09-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

It was all about love. Love of each other, love and respect of human rights, love of diversity and the deep love between Chef Art Smith and his long time partner, artist Jesus Salgueiro. The wedding weekend took place in Washington, D.C. August 21-22 and there was something historic and exciting planned for every minute. Among the 400 guests were friends from Sweden, Malaysia, Costa Rica and from almost every state in the U.S. Saturday began with a walk/run/stroll to the Lincoln Memorial. It was a hot day but that didn’t stop anyone from taking part in the Blessing Ceremony on the steps of the issue and invoked the names of Lincoln and Washington and the fact that the Constitution provided equal rights for all and not just for some. Art’s dear mother, Addie Mae Smith, looked on adoringly as did Jesus’ large family. Art also thanked the lady who arranged to have the blessing ceremony performed on this historic spot as well as his trainer, Az Ferguson, who saved his life with his incredible wellness program. (Art has lost 95 pounds to date.)

The wedding ceremony and reception began at 12:30 in Art’s famous Art & Soul restaurant, is located in the Affinia Liason Capitol Hill Hotel. Security was very tight and everyone had to be checked by security guards manning clipboards. The ceremony was also presided over by Ms. Williamson and was incredibly touching. (See their vows below). They both wore identical dark suits and white tennis shoes decorated with the wedding date and hearts. After the ceremony, guests were treated to entertainment from the popular a cappella group, Straight, No Chaser.

Then the mingling and eating began with BBQ brisket, ribs, pulled pork, peach BBQ baked beans, lamb burgers, mac and cheese, homemade guacamole, heirloom tomato salad, buttermilk fried chicken, homemade potato chips, coleslaw and so much more. The food was sensational. But the most noticeable aspect of this entire day was the amazing love and respect that everyone showed to each other—a direct result of the type of people Art and Jesus are and the of way they treat and feel about each other.

Next was the 6 p.m. pool party on the hotel’s roof. Beautiful floral arrangements and bars were everywhere. DJ EricJones was already playing the hottest mixes. And, as you would expect, the food here was spectacular as well. They had even brought pizza ovens to the pool deck and chefs were busy making three types of pizzas from scratch right before your eyes. Art and Jesus had on beautiful white Indian tunics over their little bathing suits. When Art shed his tunic and did an Olympic dive into the pool, the photographers went wild! After a while, Jesus appeared, danced for a while before his new mate and then dived into the pool. A bit later, they announced that world-famous DJ Moby was in the house. A roar went up from the happy guests as everyone crowded around the two newlyweds and the dancing began in earnest! Moby really blew the doors off with his danceable, pounding mixes. It was mucho caliente on the roof my friends! After the pool party, guests wound up in Art & Soul’s bar on the main floor.

Art and Jesus are honeymooning in Cabo San Lucas. Below are the vows they read at the ceremony:

Jesus Art, as here now the world is my witness, I say to you: Your love sustains me and makes me strong. You inspire me. I am an artist, but you are the Art—my Art. And it is with utmost pride that I say that you are my Art. Without you, the canvas of my life would be empty and bare. There would be no colors, no brush strokes, no desire to paint. So, Art, Art of my Heart, I ask you to be my inspiration, from now into forever, to be the colors, the brush strokes, the paintings that I make. And may God allow me to replicate, in no small measures, the gleam in your eye and the tenderness in your heart, and may the entire Universe recognize in me and in my work the life force that you are that so fuels my passion. I love you, Art, with an Infinite Love. (After Jesus said these vows so lovingly to Art, Marianne Williamson said to him, “Gosh Jesus, I wish you were straight!” which broke the crowd up!)

Art - Jesus, as here now the world is my witness, I say to you: Your love for me has been transforming. Because of the gift that you are, because of the vision that you hold, it is as if I have been given new eyes. You have made my life a kaleidoscope of colors. While I may set the table, be it known that you are the banquet and the feast, the incomparable spice in my life, the salt of the earth. So, Jesus, heart of my heart and soul of my soul, I ask you to share with me my life, in every respect, to the very end of time. While indeed I may set the table before you, be there no doubt that it is I who eat from the palm of your loving hand. Yes, you are an artist, but you are also a great teacher, and above all I have learned humility from you. Jesus, I love you. I love you with these new eyes, with this new heart, with a never ending longing in my soul.

(Art and Jesus requested no gifts but rather a donation to their charity, Common Threads.)

A Bitter Sweet Ending

2010-08-11T15:14:00.000-07:00

by: Katharine Brauschweiger

First and foremost I would like to thank the staff at Common Threads for welcoming me with open arms and warm hearts to be a part of their staff. I enjoyed every minute of being an intern at Common Threads. At age 18 I was not really sure what to expect from an internship but whatever my expectations may have been, Common Threads surpassed them tremendously. I enjoyed every minute of being an intern with Common Threads. Working in the office allowed me to learn about the non-profit sector and observe business relationships prosper. Each staff member taught me a different aspect of Public Relations, making me confident in my chosen major. It also assured me, when I graduate I want to continue to work in the non-profit district. I always looked forward to coming into the office because everyone always had cheery faces and positive attitudes which made all the difference. The relationships I formed with the staff members are stronger than I could have ever imagined and I learned a lot from them personally and professionally.

Summer camp was also a blast to partake in. I was absolutely blown away at how much the children knew about the preparation of food and the cuisine they were cooking.Embarrassing as it is, I must admit, I had not tasted Tofu until I went to the Common Threads summer camp and a group of children ranging from 8-12 chopped it up and served it to me in a Chinese soup. I was thoroughly impressed how well the children took direction and followed the recipe; something I still struggle with til this day. The camp counselors were very patient with the kids and stressed that they took their time and prepared the food properly rather than rushed through it and got the job finished. Common Threads has a unique mission that is vital to a healthier future.

I will truly miss everyone on the Common Threads staff and will cherish all the lessons I have learned from them and I know it will carry me along way when Ienter the professional world.

I.O.A.B (Interning on a budget)

2010-08-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

by: Elyse Siwinski

Life on a college budget isn’t always champagne wishes and caviar dreams. For those who might not fully understand what I mean by a “college budget”, let me paint the picture. Wednesday night is $1 burger night, the highlight of my week because for $3 I can get a burger, French fries, and sometimes I even splurge and add avocado. However, the best part about Wednesday night is that those $1 burgers bring my financially struggling college family together. Food allows us to connect, to laugh with one another and to share memories. Maybe this is why I LOVE interning for Common Threads.

When I applied for my internship with Common Threads I wasn’t 100% sure what the organization did, but I knew it had something to do with food and teaching kids how to cook. Anything food related, especially if was going to enhance my resume, made me think, “When do I start?” It was at my interview that I learned Common Thread’s mission, and knew right then and there I wanted to be a part of this organization. I thought teaching children about nutrition and culture through food was a great idea, but showing them how to do it on a budget (hey, I knew a thing or two about that) was outstanding.

Throughout my time at Common Threads I learned a lot, and although my internship has almost come to an end, I recently realized I have more than a few things in common with the students:

1) We both light up when we talk about Common Threads.
2) Common Threads is somewhere we look forward to going.
3) Food has brought us happiness, friendship, and great memories.
4) Our families are proud of what we have learned at Common Threads.
5) We are lucky to have been given the opportunity to be a part of the Common Threads family.

But perhaps the greatest thing the students and I will ever have in common… it’s not so easy saying good bye to Common Threads.

FIRST DAY

2010-08-03T16:50:00.000-07:00

by: Kay Kron

First day of camp I led the kids into the kitchen holding my breath. Industrial stoves, a double-door oven, rows of giant, gleaming knives. 20 ten year olds. That moment felt like a strange nightmare where I magically became responsible for not only protecting children from maiming themselves but turning out a delicious meal.
Gulp.
I looked down at the table to a bowl labeled "cardamom." "What are you cardamom?" I whispered. No reply. Class started. As I fumbled with the recipee, trying to speed read and orchestrate simultaneously, Barbra laid her hand on my arm. Looking up at me smiling, she said, "You know Kay, everything's going to be fine." Across the table Jasmine perused the veggies with her small hand. "I can do the onion," she announced, "Chef Lovely showed us how to cut these." Before I knew it the food was ready and the table set. After that my fears dissipated. The kids understand they are being trusted to take serious responsibility. They come together as a team and succeed brilliantly.

I wanted this opportunity so that I was there to teach, to and here I am learning so much.

Summer Vacation?

2010-07-30T15:02:00.000-07:00

by: Courtney Turner
When I was a child, my mother was very close to my two siblings and me. I mean, very close, to a fault, perhaps! No, I mean my mom has a beautiful soul and I love her dearly, but she felt very attached to us kids. She never wanted me to attend camp, because summer was her time to spend with us, I know, very sweet and endearing, but to me, I wished and prayed and begged, for summer camp.

Now I’m director of summer camp, after never attending one single day as a child. I am, in fact, living out my childhood dreams. I get to coordinate dream fieldtrips, things that children will never forget, no matter how old, jaded or ‘cool’ they grow up to be. I am so excited to go to camp, and my inner child comes out every time I step into Kennedy King College. “How I wish my mom put me in a cooking camp” I think to myself! What a wonderful opportunity it would have been for me to express my creativity and see that I could be good at something deemed, “so grown up.”

I see so many children in the Englewood neighborhood who have never attended summer camp either, but I was one of the lucky ones. My mom is a caring, nurturing woman, and I was well taken care of as a child. These children got a different role of the dice. I was grabbing something at Walgreens, just the other day, and I saw 2 children, both around age 8. I noticed them first, because I thought they looked young to be shopping by themselves. The second thing I noticed was that they were hungry, “ah, I wish I could buy this” one kid mentioned while pointing at a bag of chips, “I’m so hungry,” the other responded.

Pacing outside the Walgreens on the South Side of Chicago, I did not know what to do. I didn’t want to treat them like charity and embarrass them; I did not want to leave these children hungry. When they finally came out with a single bag of ice, I asked them, “Hey, did you guys eat lunch today?” as it was 2:00pm in the afternoon. One child responded, “No, it’s summer vacation.” I was confused, “I know it’s summer, but have you eaten?” the child yet again repeated, “No, it’s summer, we don’t get lunch in the summer, only in school.” My heart was crushed in one split second, like stepping on a glass and feeling the shock and the shatter through your whole body. Here I am, teaching kids how to cook healthy food everyday for 6 weeks, and these kids down the street have been going hungry every one of these days. I felt just sick to my stomach. I wanted to yell, to scream at someone and scoop these kids up in my arms and somehow, make this situation okay, but I can’t. I can’t save the world, the south side of Chicago, or perhaps even this family, but I was going to give them some food. I took them right over to Dunkin’ Donuts and bought for them bagels and cream cheese for their family.

I went back to camp with tears in my eyes that day. I looked out at the camp that I helped create with a much different perspective. What a haven we have created. What a wonderful experience for these lucky 200 children we have had the great opportunity to help this summer. Though Common Threads may not save the world, we will have enriched all these children’s lives and minds, and we have given them a safe and loving space for an amazing summer vacation, they & I will never forget.

Common Threads

2010-07-27T14:56:00.000-07:00

Guest blogger: Kate Vatter

One of the fun parts about working for a non-profit is that the non-profit community is very close-knit. Everyone knows everyone, and, for the most part, supports each other. About a month ago, I had the opportunity to tag along with a friend of mine to visit a non-profit that she supports – so I brought my camera along to capture the experience, natch. ;)

Common Threads was created by Wendy’s friend Art Smith, former personal chef to Oprah, who has also cooked for several of Florida’s governors (Wendy worked in Jeb Bush’s office when he was governor) and has been working with Michelle Obama on her obesity-prevention campaign. Common Threads is, quite honestly, the kind of place I would love to work. The organization offers 12-week, after-school cooking classes for underprivileged children – to teach and emphasize the importance of nutrition and well-being, but also to foster an appreciation of cultural diversity.

This is Chef Mimi, who runs the Miami-based program. The classes are held at FIU’s Biscayne Bay Campus (Florida International University, for those of you who aren’t down with the Florida school system acronyms), in the hospitality department’s student kitchens.

I tagged along with Wendy when she was going to volunteer, and everything about the program is amazing. Seriously. Each week focuses on a different county (see below). The kids are brought to the campus from their respective elementary schools, where they are fed a little snack, do stretches, and Mimi teaches a lesson about whichever county is the focus of that particular day. The day I was there, they were studying France.

Each of the kids gets a photo-copied packet of the recipes. In addition to focusing on certain cultural issues, each lesson also focuses on specific cooking techniques. The day I was there, the kids learned “emulsifying” and “searing.”

They made pork tenderloin with red pepper coulis, broccoli and cauliflower with cheesy sauce, and a goat cheese salad.

The necessary ingredients are already measured out and prepped for them, but…

…the kids do all of it themselves! Chef Mimi did a demonstration searing the pork tenderloin – “Now I’m going to teach you all how to sear.” – and this girl was the lucky duck who got to actually do the cooking. (They only made one piece of pork.)

The kids were all completely engrossed. It was amazing. The kids are divided up into two to three kids per adult volunteer, and each group makes each recipe. At the end, all of the individual dishes the kids made are thrown into one big dish and then served! The three on the left in the photograph below were in Wendy’s group, so I spent most of my time with them.

On the left is Chef Alison and C., and on the right is E., L., and F. Are the chef hats the cutest things you’ve ever seen, or what?

In previous lessons, the kids had learned safe chopping, cutting and dicing skills, and they did all of the food preparation themselves. The kids do all of the cooking themselves, actually, with the adults just supervising and giving instruction when needed.

L. had just come to the United States and barely spoke English, but when she was assigned the task of slicing red peppers, she knew exactly what she was doing.

Just look at her face! She was measuring vinegar for the salad dressing, and the look of pride on her face when she measured it accurately is just the sweetest thing. It breaks my heart – but in a good way!

This girl, the one with the skillet, was adorable. She had a little stool she carried around the kitchen with her because she was too short to reach any of the countertops.

This is E., on the right, with Chef Alison and two of the girls in her group. They were making a cheese sauce for fondue, and she confided to me, “They were a little over-zealous with the cheese.” I thought to myself, Clearly she doesn’t know who she’s talking to. I am the Cheese Princess, okay. I told her there were worse things in life than being over-zealous with cheese!

They put together the red pepper coulis (which was red peppers and yellow onions sautéed in butter and chicken broth, then Mimi and one of the adult volunteers poured all of them into a blender and puréed it); the salad (which required chopping veggies and emulsifying the oil and vinegar and mustard to make the salad dressing); and the cheese fondue sauce (which was…interesting). All of the groups food was combined, which also helped smooth out any issues individual groups had with particular dishes. Then the kids helped dish up all of the food onto individual plates.

Seriously, how cute is she?! I’m such a sucker when it comes to little kids.

The final meal:

The kids cleaned up their stations and then everybody sat down to eat. Before they ate, though, the whole group recited the Common Threads Creed, which I thought was really, really touching. (Imagine it in a bunch of children’s voices!)

Then everyone ate.

This was me with my group. Also, I had gone after work, so I was wearing a white pencil skirt and a white blouse. I would like to note for posterity that I was roaming around a huge kitchen full of kids carrying and splashing red pepper purée everywhere, and I did not get any on me.

Honestly, though, the best part was seeing how self-assured the kids were in the kitchen. I grew up helping my parents in the kitchen – both of my parents were amazing cooks (and bakers), and we have home videos of me “helping” cook when I was only three years old. I never cease to be amazed when I visit adult friends who can’t do anything in the kitchen. Or the youth that come to our programs and refuse to eat anything but junk food or fast food. When I work with our youth, who are in their late teens and twenties (many of whom have children of their own) and are feeding their infants and toddlers Cheetos and candy. When I scolded one of the girls for feeding her 9-month-old chips, she defensively told me that the Cheetos dissolved in the baby’s mouth and it was fine. It boggles the mind. Because to me, on what planet would you ever feed a developing child crap like that? But the saddest part is that kids who aren’t raised with health-conscious parents just don’t know any better. (Maybe they should bring back Home Ec! Ha. :) )

The thing I love about Common Threads is that it emphasizes cooking as a family, and cooking healthy meals as a family. For the final session, the parents come and eat the meal cooked by the kids, and at the end, each child gets to take home a kitchen starter-kit (with basic ingredients and spices) and some kid-friendly cookbooks. Wendy gave me the Common Threads press packet (I’m in charge of putting the information together for the press information for our organization, too, so I always like to check out other non-profits’ just to get new ideas for things to include) and some of the stats they list are really neat – 88% of the children who participate ask their parents for healthier food or food learned about in class at the grocery store, the kids report eating more fruit, more vegetables, and healthier lunches.

Right now, Common Threads only has a couple of affiliate sites – two in Miami, 14 in Chicago, a couple in Los Angeles and one in Washington, D.C. But I have been thinking a lot about Common Threads since I started went to see the program – I wonder what the process is for starting one in a smaller town. The whole program only costs $15,000 per session! (Although they do two per year, I believe, one in the fall and one in the spring.) Which is an amazingly low-budget for a non-profit. Anyway…something I’m keeping on my radar screen for the future…

Neighborhood Mash Up!

2010-07-23T13:40:00.001-07:00

by: Jillayne Samatas

I have found that for me, one of the neatest things about Common Threads’ Summer Camp is that kids come from neighborhoods all over the city. I know this may not seem like a big deal to some, but to me I recognize the power this simple fact has. Even though Chicago is so diverse, many children go to racially and culturally homogeneous schools with not much diversity. Our Summer Camp provides the kids an opportunity to work with other people that may look or act different from them. That’s why to both the program and me representation from many different neighborhoods has a direct effect on the immediate idea of diversity.

My obsession with Chicago neighborhoods and neighborhoods in general is one I have had for as long as I can remember. I remember being fascinated with how communities change. My work at Common Threads has only solidified my interest. Everyday on the news you hear about terrible things that happen in Englewood or Austin or other areas in the city. It starts to wear on you and you start to believe that the whole area is a place to stay far far away. However, as I drive in these neighborhoods there is a different feeling I get. People live there and are raising families, trying to put food on the table and trying to keep their families safe. The stigma attached to the names of some of these neighborhoods is one that hopefully the neighborhoods can grow beyond in the future, in the very near future.

I completely understand the rationale of this fear; no one wants to go to a place you hear bad things about almost everyday. As I drive down these streets, many with boarded up houses, the feeling of isolation is prevalent, yet I have to believe there is hope in these areas; a sense of hope that things may change in a way that doesn’t move people out and but brings more, different and other people in.
A couple months ago I attended a meeting at one of our partner schools in Englewood. The meeting consisted of organizations that partnered with the school and parents of students that attended the school. There were approximately 10 parents there and to hear their perspectives was a life changing moment for me. We guess a lot of the time what it feels like or what it may be like to live in some of these neighborhoods we hear about on the news, but we really don’t know the half of it. The more we understand the plight and the path of the people trying to do right in those communities, the more knowledge and diversity can make real a difference.

It isn’t something that will happen overnight, it isn’t something that will happen with Common Threads alone. It will take the kids, the parents of those kids, the teachers of those kids, and the community of all the ones fighting to enrich their lives. Then and only then, will the reports we hear about Englewood or Austin or Beverly or Humboldt Park be about the great things happening in those neighborhoods. Maybe, just maybe it starts with Common Threads and a Neighborhood Mash-Up!

The Dream

2010-07-22T15:18:00.000-07:00

At a birthday party, I saw my daughter and son quietly grab a Hershey’s Kiss and run under the table to enjoy the candy. I asked my husband, “Who are they hiding from?” He looked at me knowingly.

Maybe I am crazy. Maybe my kids will become food hoarders. Maybe they will be embarrassed of me and the food I serve to them and their friends. But, I am holding out for my dream.

Here it is. Ready?

My colleague Allison told me about one of her and her husbands’ friends. They have three kids, are huge foodies and cook together as a family unit. One of the teenage boys was telling his dad one Saturday that he was off with a friend to the movies and to grab a quick bite to eat and the dad said, “Are you sure, because we are making this for dinner,” and proceeded to show him a recipe from a food magazine.

The teenaged boy quickly called his friend and they both joined the family for dinner.

I want that. What do you want?

Is the Party Over?

2010-07-16T13:50:00.000-07:00

by: Eleanor Leichenko

The countdown to March 1st has come and gone. The party…well, the party was fabulous. So is this food loving, kid-motivated non-profit now on padlock until the next World Festival rolls around? Most definitely not!
As an organization we continue to hold true to our mission in educating kids in urban communities about healthy, nutritious eating, and opening their eyes to the world around them. Every year we strive to better our fundraising efforts to be able to support our mission in working to enhance our after-school programming, along with introducing new ways to help the kids in the communities we serve to start taking action in their daily food choices, and working to educate their families on the importance of health and physical well-being.
Every day in our programming we work to plant a seed within our ‘mini-chefs’, and empower them with life changing skills. To be able to take a piece of produce, or any ingredient, and turn it into a life-sustaining meal is quite a skill. I always think about the families of our kids…of what neighborhoods they come from…of what their home life is like. I think about how well they do in their academics, or if they’re good at sports, but really once they’re in the kitchen, none of that matters. All of the kids come to the after-school programming on pretty much the same level playing field. They’ve either had little to no experience in the kitchen, and are really, really skeptical. It’s such a transformation 6-8 weeks into the programming to see how far the kids have come, and to know that we can trace back the ability to empower our kids to the fundraising efforts we hold throughout the year.
Perhaps not every supporter of Common Threads knows that there is more beyond the buzz of the annual gala. Or to that extent, what our fundraising efforts allow us to provide to the kids we serve in our programs.
I would love if every donor and/or party-goer could experience firsthand how much their donations mean in enabling us to fulfill our mission. Our fundraising efforts are a celebration of all that we know how to do best. Is that event planning? Not really. What it is, is a passion to be able to provide more substance in our programming and to our kids.
Our World Festival efforts this year have been the greatest to date…will we strive for more next year? Definitely.
The party is definitely not over…the party has actually only just begun.

Circle Crackers

2010-07-14T15:16:00.001-07:00

by: Linda Novick O'Keefe

Whether or not we pay tuition, why does recommending and wanting healthy food for our kids feel like war? I just don’t get it. Why are we taking sides regarding our children’s health; our kids are not food disposals.

A few weeks ago, my girlfriend called and told me that a few mommies in her daughter’s playgroup were speaking about this crazy mom who sent emails to her pre-school and all the parents condemning the school’s snack. For the record, not one of these ladies in the playgroup went to the school or were the direct recipients of any “crazy emails.” It was this moment that I realized I finally had left my birthright: the legacy of the crazy mom who doesn’t let her kids eat circle crackers.

Here is my side of the story…

OK, so we decided to pay a pretty penny to send both our kids to pre-school but felt it was an investment in helping kick start healthy physical, emotional and spiritual habits. Naturally, it drove and continues to drive me bananas that (when shopping for a school play-date) when I inquired to my little lovelies what their friends’ favorite foods are, they declare in their adorably cute and innocent voices “circle crackers!”

I do find myself twirling my hair into knots thinking about the significant tuition and the snack served everyday to the kids including crackers that contain bleached white flour, hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn-syrup, processed cheese and raisins.

I decided to let the organic cheese vs. non organic cheese argument go. While I am pretty crazy about only serving organic dairy to my own children and the Common Threads students, it is an argument that can be exhausting even for many of the dieticians, physicians, and nutritionists that we work with.

So I started sending the school emails with studies from the Mayo Clinic on the dangers of consuming high fructose corny syrup and hydrogenated oils. The Director seemed to think any crackers other than the ones she purchased would be more expensive. So I listed just a few fresh snacks priced at Whole Foods that cost between $5-8 that would feed 16-20 children.

Then the concern was related to meeting State of IL safety standards (all snacks have to be wrapped and or packaged). I then proceeded to get quotes from Stanley’s that indicated a significant cost savings by buying fruit in bulk, which would come packaged and sealed, to meet safety requirements. This is the email I think I copied the entire class list on.

The Director then seemed to be concerned with allergens. I couldn’t think of anyone I knew that was allergic to oranges and apples and I wanted to say that (I probably did and it is possible that I replied to all on the list serve).

I did get many emails of support from like-minded mommies. I did, however, get some other emails that made me want to curl up in fetal position in my own mommy’s lap. I wanted to respond, I wanted to say so much. I found myself typing “aren’t you scared that our kids might not outlive us? I am.” I backspaced…

My husband thinks that “food” is my religion. I just think that we all have a right to eat healthy. Unfortunately, not everyone is drinking the same kool-aid.

Family Time - in the Kitchen!

2010-07-13T09:07:00.000-07:00

by: Mimi Chacin - City Program Manager

I came to Miami 12 years ago – not knowing how to cook, not knowing a thing about kids. I discovered my love for both simultaneously. As a stay-at-home mom, I cooked often, and as my children grew into their toddler years, they would hang out with me in the kitchen. I would hand them a plastic bowl and wooden spoon to keep them entertained – even if it was just for a while. They quickly became curious about whatever ingredients I was using, and wanted to “help”. They washed vegetables, mixed dry ingredients, helped build sandwiches, took the green things off the top of the strawberries – they were more than happy to do anything at all in the kitchen. It got messy, but they were right next to me where I could keep an eye on them and I could continue doing what I had become so passionate about, cooking!
I quickly realized how great being in the kitchen was for them – they were refining their motor skills, learning about patience, cause and effect, and teamwork, to name a few. As they grew older yet, more advantages and learning opportunities became apparent – they were applying math and science skills they were learning at school, their awareness and appreciation of different cultures, social studies and geography grew, and best of all, they didn’t even realize it!
But, by far, the most incredible advantage to cooking with your kids, is the time you share together, and the tradition of cooking and eating as a family you instill in the process.
Now, 12 years later, I am lucky to be able to do it for a living. With other children, whose parents may not have the opportunity to cook with their own kids because they have two, sometimes three jobs. It is a privilege to share time with kids in the kitchen, and I am thankful to our students’ parents and caregivers for the trust they put in us to keep their children safe, healthy and engaged in the wonderful tradition of sharing time in the kitchen and at the table together.

Araceli's Story

2010-07-13T08:58:00.000-07:00

by: Maryann Weprin from July 9

Common Threads works with 8-12 year olds, even though high school aged kids have been a long time conversation in our offices. We want to include them, we want to make an impression on their lives, but there is so much to do and so little time.

None-the-less, in the summer of 2009, we dove right in. Common Threads partnered with Chicago Public Schools to bring high school students to the Common Threads kitchens. We wanted the students to assist the chef instructor and be able to work with the kids one-on-one. We wanted the high school students to help guide our mini chefs while helping out in the kitchen. We were nervous, almost scared about what would happen. Would they be helpful? Would they get in the way? Would they show up? Araceli Villanueva eased our nerves almost immediately. She showed up early, she stayed late, the kids and chef instructor loved her, and she tells us the feeling is mutual. She helps set up class, she welcomes the kids and serves as a great role model. She helps keep the kitchen moving, she helps kids with knife skills, and she is the chefs’ right hand girl.

Our program has made Araceli see that she really loves kids. So much that she wants to become a teacher. She has been accepted into Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois and plans to have her own classroom one day. “I have learned so much from the chef instructors and now know that I can do anything. By giving me the opportunity to be a part of class I have learned that I want to be a teacher and I have seen how important it is to give back to the community,” said Araceli. This school year, Common Threads was lucky enough to have Araceli as part of our Wednesday afternoon Kennedy King College class and she has signed on as a senior intern during our 6th year of summer camp programming.

Common Threads will add two more high school girls this summer to help Araceli and our chefs at camp. We believe it is important to include high school aged students in our kitchens. We know that our volunteers make a difference in our classes and we believe that high school volunteers have the ability to make a huge difference too. In general, volunteers serve as excellent role models for our kids and enable us to allow our kids to use real kitchen equipment each day in class. We believe that when we add high school aged students to the mix we are creating a full circle. We love that our mini chefs can learn from the high school students, the high school students can learn from the adult volunteers, the mini chefs learn from the adult volunteers and round and round it goes. We believe there is great power in all three age groups working together to create a meal. Each generation will bring a new experience to the future of Common Threads mini chefs!

Superwoman

2010-07-13T08:50:00.000-07:00

by: Mary Ann Weprin - from May 26

If you ask me, when you look up the word superwoman in the dictionary, you will find a picture of Kendall Bennett.

Lucky for us, Kendall moved to Chicago last year from Charleston. She landed a job at Art Smith’s Table 52 where she learned about Common Threads. Kendall quickly signed up to volunteer on Wednesdays. We were honored to have her and things kept getting better. Soon she was bringing friends to class and brought fellow employees from Table 52 to help out.

She volunteers each Wednesday at Kennedy King College. It is her day off and she comes to the kitchen to “travel” with the kids. She is fun, strict, easy going and an amazing person for the kids to spend time with. In addition to her Wednesday afternoon commitment to our kids, she volunteers most Fridays at our field trips. We love that she introduces new people to Common Threads. It is priceless.

We are so proud to have Kendall as a volunteer with Common Threads and cannot thank her enough for her commitment to our program.

Sakiya Campbell

2010-07-06T08:57:00.000-07:00

Sakiya Campbell counts string beans and cauliflower among her favorite veggies, but “there are really too many of the ones I like to name,” she says. “When you try new things, you find out that food that’s good for you, tastes pretty good, too.”

The 11-year-old is the first to admit that she wasn’t always so willing to try new things, and she wasn’t always helpful in the kitchen. But after completing the Common Threads program, she learned about in class for her whole family. These days, Sakiya is comfortable and confident in the kitchen. She loves to steam broccoli and to create garnishes on the plates before serving them.

“She’s come more independent and creative with spices and making her own flavors,” says Sakiya’s mom, Veanca. She’s so engaged in the kitchen. I just love to watch her cook.”

For Sakiya, Common Threads isn’t just about food; it’s also about experiencing different cultures. “In class, you really get to imagine you’re somewhere else you really want to go, and maybe you don’t know about that place, but Common Threads helps you learn all about it.”

Jai Caldwell - Her Story

2010-06-28T14:33:00.000-07:00

Ten-year-old Jai challenges anyone who doubts her new culinary prowess to taste for them self. I’ll give them a sample of my food, and then see if they still don’t think Common Threads taught me how to cook.”
Since starting Common Threads, Jai is a frequent contributor to family meals, helping her mom sauté chicken and standing at the ready to add ingredients.
“I have to monitor my spice cabinet now because she experiments,” says Jai’s mom, LaVonnyah. “My red wine vinegar disappears quickly, but I don’t mind because she loves what des does. Commons Threads is a treasure and I proud to say my daughter attended the program.”
Jai admits that she’s changed a lot since participating in Common Threads. “Before I stated, I was very uncultured. Common Threads has made me more open as a person,” she says. “I also can as well as my mom, now”

New Kid on The Block

2010-06-25T12:23:00.000-07:00

by: Grace Lichaa

So I am the new kid on the block… or rather the new kid on the remote block. I started at Common Threads in April 2010 as the Washington, DC Program Manager.

Whenever I tell my friends about my new job, they would always say, “You get to teach kids how to cook and teach them nutrition and culture? Grace, this job was made for you.” I can remember thinking exactly the same thing the minute I walked into the school kitchen where our chef instructor Chef Sam Vick-McGill lead her class of 15 low-income 8-12 year old kids how to chop a pepper for Thai curry. I saw kids learning to use knives and learning the difference between mint and basil. What I was really seeing was kids wanting to succeed and learning to make healthy decisions in their food habits because they have never tasted or even smelled these herbs and never given that opportunity.

The best part about working at Common Threads is that it doesn’t feel like work at all. Every time I go to class I feel like I am at recess except that we all practice knife skills instead of kickball. Along with assisting in the kitchen, I reach out to community members, work with schools, organize volunteers, and talk to people who are as excited as me about our mission of promoting cultural acceptance, nutrition.

Blocks from where billons are being spent and some of the most powerful people in the country make decisions, Chef Sam, our amazing volunteers, and I hang out in a cafeteria with 15 students learning about Japanese culture and how to roll sushi. We are here putting into action and spreading the knowledge that the First Lady finds so important. We are doing our small part in increasing food security for these kids and giving them the skills to make better nutritional decisions. We are Common Threads and we are moving our future leaders in the right direction providing safe spaces, important skills, and knowledge to our students.

As I leave the kitchen I see Thomasin, the after-school coordinator, who has been an avid supporter of our program. She tells me that Eric was reluctant to walk out the door on the last class…. Man, I’m going to miss this cooking class. I totally understand him, it’s the feeling you get when recess ends.

The Power of Food

2010-06-18T07:28:00.000-07:00

by: Chef Art Smith via Huffington Post

On June 4, I was fortunate enough to be among the hundreds of chefs who visited the White House South Lawn, eagerly supporting First Lady Michelle Obama's launch of the "Chefs Move to Schools" program. This new initiative calls on America's premier chefs to join the First Lady's "Let's Move!" campaign by adopting local schools and giving nutrition advice and cooking tips to school officials, parents and kids.
The visit was particularly gratifying for me, as forging connections between chefs, schoolchildren and the foods that surround them has been my mission for the past seven years. The Common Threads program -- which I started in Chicago in 2003 with my life partner Jesus Salgueiro -- was originally an avenue to provide underprivileged youth with the magic that accompanies tasting new, fresh foods and the satisfaction and confidence that comes along with preparing your own meals and learning new skills.
These are rewarding experiences I was fortunate to grow up with. But it wasn't until the aftermath of 9/11 that I was reawakened to the wonderful bonds that foods - even the most basic ones - can create. I traveled to Ground Zero with admittedly little to offer to exhausted rescue workers. But the homemade cookies we did share with them seemed to bring a little comfort, or at the very least, a smile.
It would be tough to imagine a clearer illustration of the power of food.
Our goal when we started Common Threads was, simply put, to bring this experience to children in low-income situations, often living in the "food deserts" that the First Lady has brought to the forefront of our national nutrition conversation. By partnering with public schools and exposing children to new foods from different cultures, we gave them a unique experience in a safe after-school setting. By making meals together, they gained basic cooking skills which they then shared with their friends and families. But it would have been difficult to foresee just how deep the nutrition crisis ran and how intertwined it was with so many of the other problems today's generation of young people faces.
Children living with hunger have lower math scores and are more likely to have to repeat a grade. Those deficient in essential nutrients are more likely to be hyperactive, absent and tardy, and have academic difficulties, including behavioral and attention problems. And, paradoxically, our undernourished children are overweight. Obesity and under-nutrition are linked problems, ones that disproportionately impact low-income and minority children and families.
The depth and urgency of the situation shows just how necessary the "Chefs Move to Schools" program is. And the success we've had through Common Threads has me thrilled at the potential of using chefs and cooking skills as a valuable and effective tool in the fight against child obesity.
Our most recent program evaluation found that 94 percent of Common Threads student participants now make healthier lunch choices and 60 percent have started helping their parents with grocery shopping. These kinds of improvements, made in just the span of a 12- week program, are what lend credence to Michelle Obama's goals for "Let's Move" -- they are lofty, but achievable. Surely it's possible to take the successes we've had in just Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles and Washington DC, and bring them to cities across the country with the help of the nation's best chefs.
What have we learned as our program has evolved? First and foremost, we can't sell our kids short. They're open to trying new foods and hungry to tackle new skills.
We've learned how critical it is to make real food the norm again; our bodies were never meant to eat processed foods that can sit for weeks on the shelf at the local gas station. I'm sure you joined me as my heart sank upon seeing the students in Huntington, W.Va., who couldn't identify a tomato on "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution." But if you don't live near a farm or have access to a supermarket, produce isn't on your radar, especially in elementary school. By taking the extra effort to make sure that kids just encounter real foods, we're halfway to getting them to eat some.
As "Let's Move!" correctly recognizes, it's critical to bring parents and community members on board and build coalitions. Our comprehensive parent outreach initiative through Common Threads includes parent meetings with nutrition education and healthy cooking demonstrations, kid-friendly cookbooks, and pantry starter-kits for all participant families. We've had some parents go on to become chefs themselves and volunteer with us! Parents and family members have shared how liberating it is to be able to take charge of their food choices, no longer relying on processed, packaged foods and no longer intimidated by the preparation involved in home-cooked recipes.
Few things are more empowering for children than learning skills that have lifelong value. And we see the effects beyond even cooking -- through the classes, they work together, appreciate new cultures, and share a meal. Taken together, we're increasing appreciation for quality foods, reversing the trend of generations of non-cookers, and celebrating our cultural differences and the things people all over the world have in common.

Cooking and Process

2010-06-16T12:45:00.000-07:00

by: Allison Liefer

Common Threads teaches cooking skills, and our curriculum is filled with healthy ethnically diverse recipes that professional chefs have tested and approved. But at the end of class every week, it’s more important to me, personally, that our students were involved in the process of cooking. Of course, they should have a healthy meal to eat together at the end of class! But sometimes, as happened to one of our fine chef instructors, the kids’ empanada dough just doesn’t come together, and the chef has to improvise, happily instructing the kids to wet their fingertips and smash their balls of corn flour together to make – ta da – sopes!

So Common Threads’ program is a cooking class, but it’s also an after-school activity that lets children practice teamwork, creativity, follow-through, autonomy, and taking responsibility.

Who remembers learning to cook? Who remembers following instructions and getting to maneuver fascinating machinery? When I was a kid, my mom had an old fashioned hand-cranked cracker grinder; I got to grind crackers for the crumbs that she used to batter our pork tenderloin. No longer does my mother pan-fry pork chops in oil on the stove; health-consciousness has taken hold and she’s making recipes from the back of the spice catalog, using seasonings to flavor her food, not fat. But back then, we ate fried pork tenderloin. So, after I ground the butter crackers, I would get to take a turn banging the loins with our meat tenderizer, a small spiked mallet. It seemed very heavy; it made high-heel marks in the meat. Then we dredged the loins in egg, then crumbs, and then I stood back as she slapped the meat onto the hot frying pan and it spat! By the way, the meat was often overcooked, and I must have known even as a 9 year-old that my stomach prefers veggies & tofu. But the end result didn’t matter. What I enjoyed more than eating dinner was that kitchen time with my mom, helping grind and pound and dredge, and hearing the splattering fat in the hot pan.

The activity of helping cook is a lesson in order, in process, in full engagement, and in the impact of your actions. So many contemporary school teachers feel they must “teach to the tests” to make sure their state-mandated test results are high enough to ensure, in many cases, the continued existence of the school itself. And Common Threads’ curriculum does fulfill state Board of Education curriculum standards! But I am also glad we can offer kids a creative learning experience one day a week after school. Just listen to a few things our students have to say when asked to reflect upon their experiences in the kitchen:

“I want to learn from a good cook and how to make chicken stur frie (sic) and how to chop and dice vegetables without messing up and I want to learn more than what I know.”
- Camron, age 10

“I want to learn to make food to help my grandma.”
- Felix, age 8

"I was having a bad day today but am now having a good one because I am here!"
- Aliysha, age 11

The Privilege of Volunteering

2010-06-11T09:44:00.000-07:00

by: James Teague

The moment I walked into the Chicago Cultural Center, I knew it was going to be a long day. Through my place of employment, I had been asked to help set up for Common Threads’ World Festival event. It was my day off but it was only a three-hour commitment. I thought why not, I love to volunteer anyway so sure. What was suppose to have been a few hours, became all day and I haven’t missed a World Festival yet! My willingness to stay and help initially had to do with the need; I knew nothing of the organization. But by the next year, not only did I know more, I was ‘in love with it’ and I brought friends that year to lend a helping hand also. I was completely taken by the mission and I was so committed to the women who were committed it to it. Alex, Connie, and Linda, the three women who welcomed me into the folds, embodied the one characteristic that I believe is most important in life – Compassion! I knew I was willing to come back for every festival and/or event for which they needed help. I believed in the mission and them that much. When the offer to volunteer in the afterschool class came, I was a bit hesitant. I had never really been fond of kids and three hours a week on my day off gave me pause. After giving in I realized that as much as I loved the festival, the long day, the ability to see all the hard work pay off before your eyes as the evening unfolds; it couldn’t compare to being in class with the kids.
Ahh, these kids! Who, on paper are defined as disadvantage and underserved, and they may be. But they don’t seem to act like it or show, it’s just their life! After completing my day at the hotel, my ‘real’ job, I headed to my first afterschool class. That first class, that first day, I remember it like it was five minutes ago. Here I am waiting with the chef instructor and the other volunteers and I had no idea what to think, what to expect, what to say, do, feel! I was at a loss and for me that is a lot to say. When the students arrived, their faces lit up like it were Christmas Day and they were in their own toy store. They were excited, exuberant, rambunctious, and eager to get started.
It felt like instantly, but I was hooked, on the kids, on the class, on the value we all would get out of it. They were so hungry for this knowledge and opportunity and we all were just as hungry to share it with them. To watch these kids learn and grow over the 12 weeks of the afterschool classes was simply amazing to me and to be a part of it was nothing short of core changing. These kids, who were loud or funny or shy or scared all learned, some reluctantly all enthusiastically. I had some really great moments with some really great kids and each touched me in their own way. Yet there was one moment that sticks out above all. Picture it, Summer Camp 2009 I was having a rough time in many areas of life, work, home, social, romantic, you name it and it was weighing heavy. I was on my way to camp on a day I just wanted to be in bed with my head covered. One of the former students in the after school class was in summer camp and ran up to me and hugged me and said she missed me which made me smile I admit. But she also insisted that when her group ate, I would come eat with them, even though I was working with another group of kids. I agreed thinking by the time it happens, she would be so wrapped up in class it wouldn’t even matter. How wrong I was! After the food was prepared and the creed had been said, she had the entire class wait while she came to get me and took me to eat with her group. She has no idea what she did for me that day, I was there for them, to teach, to share, even to laugh. But she made me feel so special in those few moments and worrying about my life, in those moments ended.
What I know from personal experience is you do not have to be a product of your environment, cycles can be broken. You see, I would have qualified to be one of these kids in this program, by definition, labeled as underprivileged. Also, what I know from personal experience is it takes is one moment, a moment when someone gives you an opportunity you may not have access to in that day-to-day life. For me, back then, that was Barbara Britton and Greensboro’s Children Theatre, for me to believe that I can break out of that box, be more, do more, want more, have more, and ultimately give more. For over a 1,000 of those kids a year, it can and for some will be Common Threads.
I know I look back now and again and remember just how that first experience opened me up for the next one and the next one and so on. I didn’t know as it happened what in the end it would mean. What I did know in that moment, this is only my first door. Where’s the next?
What I gain is so much more tangible than the 3 hours a week I give up. My being in that class, with those kids in the end is as much for me as it is about them. I called this the PRIVILEDGE of volunteering and it is too, all mine!

Common Threads World Garden

2010-06-09T11:19:00.000-07:00

by: Linnzie Pandel

Common Threads World Garden is in full swing at Kenwood Community Park on 49th & Dorchester. The World Garden is an educational environment using horticulture to teach children how we, as a world family, share in the common threads of growing food. Our mission is to promote a nurturing relationship with the earth, encourage healthy eating and learn to embrace our cultural differences. We believe that our interactive approach can make a difference in understanding the ways in which food connects our communities.

Thirty five kids from Tuner Drew and Henderson Elementary Schools have helped wake up our sleepy winter garden into a flourishing spring array of blush English breakfast radish, spicy crisp greens and vibrantly colored Swiss chard. Herbs like basil, cilantro, oregano, mint, parsley and lavender have filled our once empty beds and surprise all of the kids week after week on the extent of their growth on their weekly return. You see, many kids in our world today and adults for that matter have never grown anything that they would one day consume. We write our grocery lists and enter a mega mart to purchase everything on that list without thinking of where it orginated. We don’t have the patience to wait for what we want now.
In the world garden, our kids planted broccoli 60 days ago and are now seeing the beautiful flowers bloom. It has been a proud moment when our kids run over to see the progress of something that once fit in the palm of their hands. They have never seen the stages of a real growing strawberry. “Why are they green?” someone asked during early spring. Just three short weeks later the kids were harvesting their first crop of perfect, bright red, sweet aromatic strawberries! It was a very exciting day for everyone involved in the World Garden.
The kids are excited to come back to the garden to see their plants grow but they have also enjoyed the meals that we have created with the fruits and vegetables of our garden. The garden doesn’t have a kitchen but with a small butane burner and lots of helping hands we have created a Garden Vegetable Stir-fry, Pesto Pasta with Brocolli Rabe and Thai Spring rolls. The kids have embraced all of the “new” food that they have been educated on except for the coconut milk that was strained out of the world’s largest seed, the coconut!
Last week the garden students had a special visitor, Urban Worm Girl, Amber Gribben. The students have seen garden helpers like butterflies and worms before, but Amber brought in information about worms that no one even knew about. “Worms eat your garbage! Worms don’t have teeth but they are able to ingest approximately half their body weight in food per day. The waste left behind is called castings and casting help to replenish the earth with vital nutrients.” The kids were all screaming with laughter and joy when they were able to hold a real Red Wiggler worm in their hands. Those little guys should be call red ticklers instead!
This isn’t your mud pie kind of place but the kids are having fun and enjoying their life in the garden. Like our Common Threads cooking classes, we educate about the importance of healthy affordable meals that families can cook together. We look forward to the future fruit of the garden in the summer and fall months in our Common Threads Summer Camp program. Educating the kids on foods’ foundation is a labor of love but a real reason to cheers around our picnic table!

Crossing the Food Desert

2010-06-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

by: Linda Novick O’Keefe

The other day, I asked our programming staff to provide me with a quick summary of what our kids our eating …

•The average diet of a Common Threads child coming into the program is as follows (per our surveys):

Breakfast: Fruit loops cereal, Doritos, pancakes, many indicated “I don’t eat breakfast”

Lunch: School lunches: tater tots and hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, cheeseburger and fries, nachos and cheese, flaming cheetos, mayonnaise sandwich, pasta with meat, Lunchables, Minute Maid fruit punch, chocolate milk

Dinner: McDonald’s, Shark’s, (other fast food), spaghetti, fried chicken, chicken tenders, homemade tortillas/flautas

I am a “problem, solution” gal. So what do we do? Well, pull soda and full-calorie beverages from schools. That’s good. Reinstate gym class? That would be nice. Put healthy snacks in vending machines; another step in the right direction.

Let’s be real. Where we live determines where we buy food, whether it’s Whole Foods, The Jewel, Dominicks, Aldi, White Hen, McDonalds, J&J, or the corner liquor store. Where we buy our food sways the choices we make and what we eat, whether our food is real and whole or over-processed, whether we opt to buy from local farmers, organic, what is on sale, what the special is, or what looks edible and attractive. What we eat factors into whether we're overweight, our physical and spiritual health, our success in school or at our job and our ability to be the best, happiest person we can be.

I am excited that we are beginning to see changes and that people are finally realizing that we have a serious problem here. I am thrilled that Michelle Obama is taking an active stand on obesity prevention; I love that Jamie Oliver is raising awareness on a national level about obesity and trying to fix our school lunch system—which in my opinion is BROKEN. However, I do believe that we are making small strides. For example, CPS, and several private schools, seem to be getting on the bandwagon of tooting whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables (CPS just mandated some pretty big changes that will begin this coming June, Pepsi and Coke are pulling out of all elementary schools, Pepsi is pulling full-calorie beverages out of secondary school). I think that schools that promote fresh fruits and veggies foods as a benefit are positioning themselves for funding, parental support and great PR. Healthy living and social responsibility are in—it is “hot” to be thoughtful.

I am pleased that small steps are being made every day. But I want to point out that we can talk about the energy balance (calories in calories out) and tell people to buy fresh fruits and vegetables until we're blue in the face, but if we don't address the social barriers of cost and availability, as well as crime rates and safety in low-income minority communities it’s change that is only for the rich.

Rody’s Story

2010-06-01T14:09:00.001-07:00

Rody LaFrance, a fifth-grader at William Jennings Bryan in Miami, wasn’t always interested in helping his mom and dad in the kitchen. But, after coming to Common Threads, that has changed.

“Now, I like to cook!” Rody says. “I do everything, like cutting, mixing ingredients together, and stirring the pot. Actually, the stirring, that’s my favorite part.”

Rody feels proud of his accomplishments in the kitchen. “I cook much better now, and I help my parents with cooking at home, too,” Rody says.

Rody is now a regular contributor to family meals, consulting his Common Threads cookbook for recipes. Some of the dishes have even become family favorites. “My mom and dad and twin sister thought the spaghetti was really good, and they liked other things we made, too” Rody says. “My recipe book has all the food from my class, so I can teach my parents the recipes.”

Rody also enjoys exploring a different part of the world during each Common Threads cooking class. The class’s trip to Mexico was an especially big hit. “We made tacos,” he says. “It’s fun because you can pick all of your fillings!”

Rody knows he’s learning a lot about himself and the world around him, but mostly he likes Common Threads because it’s fun. “I can make food and just have fun while we’re doing the cooking!” he says.

Every year, Common Threads teaches 1,000 low-income children, just like Rody, how to cook wholesome and affordable food because we believe that through our hands-on cooking classes we can help prevent childhood obesity and reverse the trend of generations of non-cookers, while celebrating our cultural differences and the things people all over the world have in common.

The proof is in the pudding. According to recent surveys: 90% of our students said that they feel like they can cook at home with the skills they learned in Common Threads’ cooking classes; 63% reported that they have used Common Threads’ healthy, ethnic recipes at home; and 90% of parents agree that Common Threads has helped improve their child’s self-esteem.

What’s on your plate?

2010-05-27T08:57:00.001-07:00

by: Jillayne Samatas

When I first started working at Common Threads I was not very knowledgeable about nutrition or what our plate should look like when I ate meals. I grew up in a very healthy household where chicken and vegetables were the typical meals; no chips, cookies or sugary cereals. Some of those “no” foods have come back to haunt me in my adult life; “moderation is key” I try to tell myself.

Although my meals were pretty healthy growing up I didn’t really know why they were good for me or why we ate a protein, grain and lots of vegetables at the dinner table. It wasn’t until I learned a healthy way to construct my plate that I really understood the benefits of balancing foods and thinking about the things I eat. Each week in Common Threads’ classes children have a large role in making the final product they sit down and eat at the end of each class. A beautiful display of colors and textures end up being on their plates which typically ends up being ½ of their plates filled with vegetables, ¼ with protein and ¼ with grains. It’s so simple, yet easy to remember. It can make meals fun to think about when it is broken down in that way; I have found myself cooking some random things in my kitchen, but keeping in mind this simple plate format for my meals.

Starla’s Story

2010-05-24T15:28:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Journet used to feed her nine‐year‐old daughter, Starla, and her siblings what she thought was kid‐friendly food: things like chicken nuggets and French fries. But, after Starla began attending hands‐on cooking classes at Common Threads, mom started to notice a marked difference in Starla that affected the whole family.

“Now, Starla asks me to change what I give the kids for dinner,” says Elizabeth. “For example, she asks for salad, or she asks if, instead of just rice, we can try some veggies on it.”
Starla is also eager to lend a hand in the kitchen. “The classes have made me feel more encouraged to cook at home,” Starla says. “ I like to cook meat and different vegetables, and I like telling my mom how to cook food from different countries.”

In addition to learning about foods that are good for her, Starla loves the cultural curriculum that Common Threads provides. “You make lots of different foods from different places, and it’s so fun and interesting to learn about new parts of the world!”
Starla’s mom is impressed with her daughter’s new enthusiasm. “

I have a buddy in the kitchen now, and sometimes I’m her assistant when we make things,” Elizabeth says. “She definitely wants to do more with recipes and eating right, and that makes me work harder as a mom.”

Every year, Common Threads teaches 1,000 low‐income children, just like Starla, how to cook wholesome and affordable food because we believe that through our hands‐on cooking classes we can help prevent childhood obesity and reverse the trend of generations of non‐cookers, while celebrating our cultural differences and the things people all over the world have in common.

Sometimes we say Food is Love. But is food love?

2010-05-10T13:33:00.000-07:00

by: Allison Liefer

The last image I hold of my grandmother before her stroke, she was in her big vegetable and flower garden, in the lawn of the farm where she was a working wife for sixty-odd years, wearing her house shorts, bending over at the waist to pull chard. She put the chard in a big plastic bowl, which she took to the pump and filled it with water. She sloshed the chard around in the bowl, dumped the water, pumped the well again, and on and on until the greens were clean enough to shake dry under the August sun, and send home, back to the city, with me. Giving is love. Selfless work is love. And making little offerings - these hold love. Being together with family, ideally, is love. So it’s not the food that’s love, it’s the togetherness and giving and effort expended to the end of giving – that’s the love.

It’s an important distinction, one I hope the students Common Threads teaches understand, and one our curriculum emphasizes: At the end of each Common Threads class, our students sit and eat together, having worked together as a classroom family to create their wholesome meal. And Common Threads is working to ensure our kids are taking home our recipes and their skills to their own families too – We’re giving parents cookbooks, inviting them to parent meetings to learn healthy cooking techniques themselves, and piloting two programs aimed at bringing the families we serve food they can’t always get in their neighborhoods: market baskets of fresh local produce at a great discount, and pantry kits full of things like olive oil, spices, and rice, the pantry staples that make healthy cooking at home easier.

At Common Threads, we believe the act of cooking and eating healthy food together is a priceless, valuable act, one that families can and should share together. Our simple hope is simply that children get enough healthy food and enough love to sustain them. And actually, it seems that at least some of our kids DO get it! Here are two answers to the question “Why do you want to take Common Threads?” from students at some of our partner schools applying for the next Cooking Skills and World Cuisine session:

“I like to cook because I can tell people how to cook. Also, I can tell my mom and dad new recipe[s] as l learn. “– Imani Janae Pearce, age 8

“I want to cook very healthy food so people can eat it. I want to make healthy food for everyone so we can celebrate.” – Altari McBride, age 8

My Common Threads Story

2010-05-07T08:57:00.000-07:00

by: Mary Ann Weprin

In the winter of 2007 I started volunteering for Common Threads. A good friend of mine encouraged me to sign up as a volunteer. I had just moved to Chicago and it was winter, I love kids, I wanted to meet new people and I love food so I figured it would be a decent way to spend an afternoon. I signed up for the Monday afternoon class having no idea what to expect. I hate to be dramatic but I would say my first visit changed my life.

I had been teaching for years and had never seen kids in this type of atmosphere. I was used to kids learning behind a desk. I had been the person drilling them about what they knew and what they did not know. This was an eye opening experience for me. These kids were interested, engaged, excited and eager to learn. The food was delicious, the other volunteers were lovely (one in particular, is a good friend to this day), the curriculum was amazing…I was hooked.

Fast forward three years later; I manage volunteers all day long for Common Threads. I find people to work with our kids every afternoon. These people believe in our mission and are committed to our kids. They give their time, energy, skills, knowledge, patience and love.
When I talk to potential volunteers, I tell them my Common Threads story. They always ask me what I loved about volunteering. My answer is simple: to me, volunteering with Common Threads is the best way to be with children. You are there to cook a meal together. You work side by side with kids who need your knowledge, support, help and friendship. They need you to tell them how to hold a knife, to ask about their math test and for you to be a positive role model each week. By cooking and sharing a meal with them each week you are giving them gifts that will last a lifetime. I can’t think of a better way to spend an afternoon.

Mary Ann Weprin is the Manager of Volunteer Programs at Common Threads. If you are interested in having your own life-changing experience, please contact MaryAnn@CommonThreads.org.

A Working Mom’s Dilemma

2010-05-05T08:19:00.000-07:00

by: Linda Novick O’Keefe

One of our parents works three jobs. I will say it again, three jobs. Sigh. She is a single mother with five children, who are quite particular about what they eat. I am exhausted just thinking about how she manages. She doesn’t have a car so grocery shopping has always been truly difficult. And when she is able to go to Aldi, once a month, she can only buy what she can schlep back home while managing five children. Deep sigh. Here is mom (a very tired mom) trying to get through each day supporting her family and trying her hardest to make them happy. She is trying to do her best and has had to rely on her community (as we all must do) and community businesses (McDonalds and Churches) to feed her children meals over the years, day after day. So mom’s kids, like many of the children that Common Threads works with, have grown up eating fried chicken, burgers and mac’n’cheese.

I love to see my kids wolf down food, being a food pushing Jewish Mother, it gives me deep pride. What mom doesn’t love to watch her children eat and smile and murmur things like “mmmm, delicious”? I work one job, have two kids, a husband that is a real teammate and continue to realize and affirm each day the fact that life is a juggling act and isn’t easy. For me, seeing my kids at the table each night trying a few bites of a simple healthy dinner makes me happy. If they throw a “this is delicious mommy” at me, I am over the moon.

We all could stand a lesson in moderation, in cooking healthy and eating a bit cleaner. Our bodies were never meant to eat and digest processed foods in the quantities that they are being consumed. It is easy for me to say that and then run over to Stanley’s or Whole Foods or the Green City Market and stock up on local, sustainable produce. But what about my single mother in Austin with her five kids, no car, and three jobs?

What I love about our program is that we are teaching young children, the next generation to cook, to explore and create in the kitchen. They are then more open to grocery shopping making the trek fun family time, making the trek and the schlep a bit easier for their parents. Our hope at Common Threads is that we not only teach our students and their parents how to cook and make healthier decisions but that we make it fun by learning about the world, how food connects us all and how we are all more similar than different.

There are obvious differences between myself and the single mother in Austin. We are both strong women; mothers; we share a desire to nourish and provide a loving and supportive environment for our children; we want the world for our children; and we want the world to be a better, safer, healthier place for them and their children.

Food access is a social justice issue. We all deserve the right to be healthy, to keep our families healthy and food plays an important role. Common Threads revolves around the idea that food connects us all regardless of where we are from, what race we are, what religion we practice. Our hope is that we will reverse the trend of generations of non-cookers one child, one family, one school, one community at a time.

Jamie Oliver made a really important comment about the power of parents “if we all sing from the same song sheet.” So let’s sing, let’s sing loud and strong… perhaps the politicians and the grocery stores will hear us.

Uncommon Pantry—Common Problem…

2010-05-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

by: Courtney Treutelaar

I input data into the Access computer program related to our programmatic activities. We use this data to then assess the culinary program and define our successes and areas of improvement. Much of this data is based on a survey that we give to the children on the first day of the program and the last day of the program. In Fall 2009 our survey asked if the children use the recipes in class while cooking at home. Malakye Hall responded, stating, “No, but I would like to”L. I don’t have the ingredients needed at home.

Malakye’s response caught my attention and I stopped what I was doing and noted this on a Post-it for me to come back to later. When I revisited this point I thought about the fact that although we try to measure how much the kids learn, we can’t measure their personal obstacles to actually reach the desired goal. This statement was Malakye’s voice and her attempt to be heard. She wanted to cook the recipes from class, but doesn’t have the means to do so. This is the problem for so many of the families who have children in our program.

As a child I certainly had a culinary interest and spent time in the kitchen. I had the interest and the means to whip up any strange concoction such as inedible “cakes” and palate “surprises,” from the vast array of my pantry. These kids don’t have the luxury of a stocked pantry to entertain their creative culinary minds. Keeping common pantry items such as flour and rice in their homes seems to be an unusual occurrence. As a chef instructor at Common Threads, I often ask, “Has anybody taken these recipes home and made them?” I typically receive a blank stare or endearing little faces shaking their heads no, a response that I was hoping to not receive. Unfortunately, I know why I receive this answer. They can’t. They simply do not have the means to do so.

A recent program improvement here at Common Threads has given me encouragement related to this common “pantry problem. One of our current priorities at Common Threads is to educate parents on the value of nutrition and to give them a “Common Pantry” starter kit which includes non-perishable food items like olive oil, red wine vinegar, canned tomatoes, pasta and various spices. Common Threads is dedicated to engaging parents and families alongside our students in hopes of building healthier, happier family units and, ultimately, healthier, stronger communities. As part of our comprehensive parent outreach initiative that began in the Fall of 2010, we have also invited the parents of our students to a meeting where they learn how to prepare a healthy, well-balanced meal and also receive important nutrition information. Our intent is that with this pantry and the nutritional information, we are providing the parents as well as the children a base to start cooking our healthy and affordable meals at home.

This is an important step in the right direction. I’m encouraged to hear recently from a child that she made homemade pasta at home from our Italy curriculum. Another child was proud that he served his mother Haitian chicken tenders, a new recipe this semester. I’m looking forward to receiving the survey data this spring and am hopeful that Malakye’s response served as an important lesson and that the responses in the survey are much different from the fall of 2009.

Kids Teaching Parents

2010-04-30T09:56:00.000-07:00

by Jillayne Samatas

As we have begun to start our parent outreach program this past year we have heard many interesting things from the parents that our students are learning and taking home. It’s wonderful! In our classes, we are always striving to teach the children basic cooking skills such as how to hold a knife, mincing and dicing to name a few. Not only are they learning these skills, but are learning how to work with others.

In the past before we started parent outreach we never really knew what our students were bringing home. We hoped they were sharing the recipes and information we shared with them to their parents, but we really had no idea. In fall 2009, we began parent meetings at each site which truly opened our eyes to the fantastic things the children are telling their parents. Parents were sharing with us that their children were teaching them skills in the kitchen and being disappointed in them when they ate McDonalds. It just goes to show the voice and power these children can have on their families and communities which can affect behavior and really make change. We can teach, teach, teach the children, but it is the parents buying the groceries and making decisions at home, therefore educating the adults can reinforce what we are teaching in our classes and make healthier communities.

Just this morning, I saw a commercial (actually several) that showed various snack items and cereals that were pretty unhealthy. For example, Apple Jacks had these two characters, a cinnamon stick and an apple that were animated; talking to each other, laughing, having fun. I could see how this could draw kids in and make them want to tell their mom or dad that they wanted that cereal with the talking characters. The truth of the matter is that Apple Jacks, while tasty, is full of sugar (not a lot of cinnamon) and I don’t think there are any apples in it. It just tastes like apple because of artificial flavoring.

Again, I strongly believe in moderation and every once in a while having a treat that you truly enjoy that might not be so good for you, however, we are teaching our children at a young age about so many of those unhealthy snacks and are using media to do that. The parents possibly get so tired of hearing it or may not have the nutritional knowledge themselves so they will purchase the item.

We need to go back to the basics to educate our parents, students, families and communities the basics of eating well. It doesn’t need to be the molecular components of food, but more so
portioning and understanding the benefits of why certain foods are good for you. Common Threads is beginning to do this and our goal is to continue this to build healthier communities that are making nutritious decisions.

The Importance of the Paper Towel

2010-04-27T07:43:00.000-07:00

By Kurt Lewis

“The importance of the paper towel,” my dad would say, “is threefold. First, I use the paper towel to dry the apple after I have washed it. Second, I wrap the apple in the paper towel to protect it in your lunch bag. And third, you may then use the paper towel as a napkin during your meal. Threefold.”

My dad would go through this speech with me every morning as he packed my lunch, and it never got old to me. He worked a lot when I was a kid, and early morning before he left for work was often the most time I would get to spend with him in a day. I would sit and eat my breakfast while he strolled around the kitchen packing my lunch. He would make my sandwich, bag up some pretzels and always make sure that I got my apple and my paper towel.

Mornings like that will always be special to me. To this day, I wrap my apples (and pears, peaches, plums or whatever fruit I pack) in a paper towel, repeating that threefold mantra in my head. It’s a great way to start my day and a warm reminder of my dad’s love. To me, moments like this are what being a good parent is all about.

If you are a parent, or even if you are not, packing a lunch is a great way to be sure that the food you are eating is the best it can be. School lunches are often not nearly as nutritious as parents would like, and adults certainly don’t set a great example with the food that we grab for lunch. I have put some pretty awful things in my body simply because I only had a few minutes to run out and pick something up.

These days, I pack my lunch most of the time. It’s a guarantee that I have food at hand when I need it and a conscious effort to eat healthier. Now it’s me strolling around the kitchen, making a sandwich and extolling the virtues of the paper towel. It’s a time to clear my head before I head for the train and the workday that awaits. It feels great to take that time to take care of myself, not to mention that cutting out fast food has certainly improved my health.

I encourage you to give it a go for a week. Pack your lunch each day and see how you feel. If you have kids, get them involved. Give them choices in the morning that will pay off in the afternoon. Take the time to be present with them as you all get ready for your day.

And when you pack them an apple, don’t forget to wrap it in a paper towel.

Here's a quick article on healthier lunch choices you can make at home.

We're Back!

2010-04-19T08:10:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Everyone!

Beginning this week, Common Threads will be posting regular blog updates once again. We are excited to be able to share our work with you! CT staffers have so many amazing stories to share and we hope that you will stop in each week to see what we've been up to.

Please feel free to share any comments or questions. If there is something you would like to know more about, leave a comment and we'll get back to you.

Enjoy!

-Kurt

More Photos from the Kitchen

2009-07-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

It wonderful to see the progression in campers over the 3-week camp period. They are more willing to attempt new skills in cooking and more accomplished at the basics of chopping. Every day, they learn about a different type of food and they are therefore always asking questions of chef instructors on new techniques. Learning new skills and getting better at chopping, sauteing and baking build confidence in the campers. They often have to work together to gather components of a recipe and are always communicating with their counselors and instructors to stay on task.

The Children's Farm at the Center

2009-07-27T13:11:00.000-07:00

For our last summer field trip, we took the campers to a farm south of Chicago named The Children's Farm at the Center. The day was spent learning about different farm animals and how they are raised. The campers got to touch chickens, rabbits, lambs, and many other species. We enjoyed a warm day and took a tour of the land on a hay ride.

For more images of our field trip, check out our Flikr album here

Learning the Paso Doble

2009-07-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

Although Common Threads is focused on nutrition and balanced eating, we also encourage campers to create healthy lifestyle that includes physical activity. Each week of camp, they learn a new style of "movement". Through studying African dance, yoga, and the paso doble, our campers are immersed in a different culture. The food, classroom lessons and recipes all tie into a region of the world. We hope to create an environment that exposes children to new aspects of a foreign culture and encourages acceptance.

These photos are the the paso doble session of movement. Like Spanish bull fighters, the campers stood tall and proud while practicing this traditional routine.

Skewered Veggies

2009-07-27T12:44:00.000-07:00

Chef Instructor Josh Katt shows the campers how to make kabobs.

Mini World Fest at Common Threads

2009-07-13T20:11:00.000-07:00

These photos are from the last day of the first session of summer camp. This day is called World Festival and is an opportunity for the campers to invite their families to enjoy food from different regions of the world and to show off their cooking skills.

The menu included food from four different places: Hawaii, Sweden, Japan, and France. Some of the favorite dishes from the buffet included: ratatouille, sushi, coconut shrimp and crepes with a strawberry reduction.

The lunch was finished with a wonderful treat from Berry Chill, who provided their fresh and tangy frozen yogurt that is a healthy alternative to ice cream.

In addition to cooking, students learn about different regions of the world through classroom activities. The crafts they made throughout the camp were displayed on the last day for their families.

While studying India, campers created a large batik mural by compiling wax drawings.

The campers each made and decorated a mask while studying Africa. Each mask was accompanied by a short story, written by the camper.

It was a bittersweet goodbye, to see all of the familiar faces exit camp for the last time this summer; however, we have a lot to look forward to as a new group of kids walk through the door on Monday.

Campers do Yoga

2009-07-08T12:13:00.000-07:00

Quaker Oats

2009-07-08T12:11:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Quaker who provided Common Threads with enough oats to send every one of our campers home with a container of freshly made granola!

Guest Chefs at Summer Camp

2009-07-08T11:52:00.000-07:00

Phillip Foss, who made chicken picada and a caesar salad with the kids.

Carol Watson, chef of Milk and Honey

A big group from Whole Foods joined us, too!

And Stephanie Izard

Stephanie Izard visits Common Threads

2009-07-07T16:44:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the photographer, Tommy Blue.

More photos to come!

Words From the Garden: Week 1

2009-07-01T07:56:00.000-07:00

Its difficult to describe my initial feelings for my summer assignment as gardening assistant. I didn't know how to feel about it: being outside was a pro, but my thumb is anything but green. If I could assign a color to it, I think its something close to the color of rot. Imagine that brown oozing hue that overtakes an apple after someone bites it and then forgets to finish it. Got it? Now you have a color with which to rate my gardening abilities.

I walked in on the first day, ready for work but fairly confident that every single plant would meet its end in my hands. And then the kids came.

Our first group walked in and for the first five minutes I was too preoccupied calming the mingled cries of 'DIRT!' 'GROSS!' BUGS!' and 'WHAT IS THAT!?' to actually think about how poor a guide I was. I found myself down in the dirt with them, ripping up grass to reveal all the creatures that lived under. Slowly but surely, we got over our fears of bugs and planting. We gardened.

As the kids became more comfortable in the garden, so did I. The first week, I lived day-to-day off their energy and realized that my joy in the garden was measured by theirs.

We had several kids come in on their second day already with self-assigned jobs:
'I'll water!'
'I'll weed!'
'I'm looking for bugs!'
We had to settle down the excitement in order to teach our lessons and quickly learned that It was a good idea to kick off each session with a game, so as to exhaust any excess energy. I found myself running in every day after the first, heart-pumping, and squealing to Katie (the gardener), 'What are we doing today?!' I could hardly contain my readiness to learn, a trait taught directly from our little Common Threaders themselves.

Portraits

2009-06-30T17:21:00.000-07:00

Garden Activities

2009-06-30T17:17:00.000-07:00

Twice a week campers go to the Common Threads garden located in Hyde Park. Each camper has the opportunity to learn about organic gardening through interactive lessons with the garden teacher. The campers are responsible for the maintenance of the garden; they get rid of unwanted weeds, mulch needed areas, and plant fruit, vegetables and flowers. Below are pictures of campers enjoying an afternoon in the garden!

Snapshots from the Kitchen

2009-06-29T22:27:00.000-07:00

Campers enjoy daily classes in healthy cooking while preparing food from all over the world. Students learn basic kitchen skills, cooking techniques, and the importance of fresh ingredients as they prepare ethnic cuisine together! Before cooking, instructors provide a brief overview with cultural information and nutritional tips.

In addition to learning new and healthy recipies, campers have an opportunity to earn "Kitchen Stars." Stars are given daily, on the basis that campers were respectful, responsible, safe, listening, and working together while in the kitchen for the day. Counselors, volunteers, and the chef instructors decide if the star is given. At the last day of camp, the team with the most "Kitchen Stars" wins a special prize.

Below are some of our favorite chefs having fun and cooking some savory dishes.

From Common Threads

Chef Aleka and campers smile for the camera!

From Common Threads

Yum...Salmon shish kabob's from Latin American

From Common Threads

Campers are awarded with a "Kitchen Star"

Indo-American Hertitage Museum

2009-06-26T16:24:00.000-07:00

Campers go on a field trip every Friday. The first field trip was held at the Indo-American Heritage Museum in Rodgers Park. Campers spent the day learning about Asian Indian culture by eating ethnic food, listening to the presenters, and going on a scavenger hunt.

Yoga!

Counselor, Hayley models a Sarie

First Week Wrap-up

2009-06-25T16:04:00.000-07:00

Campers are split up into groups on the first day of camp.

Whitney goes over a recipe before the students begin.

Students learn from the Muntu Dance Company.

Camp is just Beginning...

2009-06-24T19:13:00.001-07:00

As the children poured into Kennedy King College for the first day of camp, you could see the fear in their faces. Everyone was timid when meeting new adults and when being split into groups. About half of the kids have been to a Common Threads after-school cooking class before, the others were very unfamiliar with what exactly they would be doing. This shyness, discomfort and intimidation seemed to melt away in the heat of the kitchen. Everyone was eager to help, eager to learn knife techniques, and eager to try new food. These photos are from the first three days at camp - moments inside the kitchen and in the classroom.

In the classroom, the students learn how to make paper mache masks.

Champion cheese grater!

Listening for the recipes of the day.

Grilled summer veggies.

Sitting contest, ouch!

The children learn Muntu dance.