Author: foodjules

Here is to our Food Jules cooking experts!

The FOOD JULES cooking classes continue this Fall at the Edith Wheeler Memorial Library here in Monroe, after such a successful summer.

Yesterday, was our first class for the Fall semester and it was great. The kids (students) are just amazing. It is truly an honor to teach these kids. We have so much fun in these classes, working together in teams, cooking up different recipes. The kids have been learning all about nutrition, local farming, measurements, the environment and of course, how to cook. The kids were so excited to see we were using locally produced, ORGANIC MAPLE SYRUP from Connecticut. It is great for them to learn to support our local farmers and businesses. It is an honor to teach them about the benefits of creating your own garden, cooking fresh vegetables and fruits and eating healthy snacks and foods that are not only good for you, but that taste great!

Yesterday, we had BRUNCH and made homemade granola, ate it as a parfait with Organic Yogurt and Berries, we cooked two different kind of quiches – Quiche Lorraine and Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche and we made Organic Banana, Chocolate Chip Pancakes. I also brought some of our homemade Banana Nut Bread. They had quite a lunch!

Quiche Lorraine

Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche

The kids get a lot of enjoyment and feel proud to get a recipe, collect the items from our pantry table, measure them on their own, crack their own eggs, cook their own food and eating it all, together as a family. The kids even wash and dry dishes when they are done preparing their meal and help set the table to sit down and enjoy all of the food they made. It’s great team work! I am so very proud of all of them and their parents should be as well! I truly believe it is teaching them to look at food in a whole new light!

Our next class will be held on Saturday, October 8th. Sign up online at www.ewml.org. We’re all looking forward to another successful class!

Go FOOD JULES team!

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Warm, Sweet, Delicious Baked Goodies…

All of our baked goodies today smell DELICIOUS!!! Stop over at the Monroe Farmers Market today for some warm, sweet, yummy, organic APPLE PIE MUFFINS and BLUEBERRY LEMON MUFFINS as well as our sweet, BANANA PECAN BREAD and today’s feature…. MAPLE OATMEAL SCONES! All of these baked goodies will just melt in your mouth this afternoon.

We also have our organic CHICKEN EMPANADAS and SPINACH AND CHEESE EMPANADAS. Come early if you want to grab some of these divine empanadas for dinner tonight!

Hope to see you there!

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My Cousin

I’ve been blessed with some wonderful, sweet and genuine friends and family in my life. Of course, I’ve also come across those that are the complete opposite but I think we all can agree that we meet people that have their own agendas and intentions.

Well, one of my dear cousins is the sweetest, smartest, more caring person that I have ever met. She has always been by my side, without any of her own judgements. She gives all she can to those that she loves, she is considerate, she is gentle and she is beautiful, both on the inside and outside. She is truly an amazing person and anyone that is blessed with her friendship and love should feel honored.

This weekend, we  spent an entire day together, doing what girls love to do….  talk, eat, shop and we even cried. It was a great day and I look forward to spending more days with her and with my truly honest, genuine, sweet loved ones, those that remind me most of my sweet baby Julian and talk about his beautiful, yet brief, existence here on earth with us.

 

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Today’s Menu

We will have our famous ORGANIC CHICKEN EMPANDADAS today as well as a NEW ITEM for those looking for a non-meat option… SPINACH AND CHEESE EMPANADAS. They are soooo cheesy and so very yummy! All our empanadas are whole-grain, made with 1/2 organic whole wheat flour and 1/2 organic all-purpose unbleached flour. So you can feel good about eating all of them!

Our sweet treats today are BANANA BLUEBERRY bread, APPLE PIE CRUMB muffins, CORN muffins and DOUBLE CHOCOLATE muffins. All whole-grain and organic.

We will also have our ORGANIC Hot Fudge, Apple Pie Jam, Blueberry Jam, Strawberry-Blackberry Jam, Blueberry Peach Jam and my favorite, Triple Berry Jam.

Stop over at the MONROE FARMERS MARKET today, from 3-6pm on the Monroe Town Green.

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Silence

It seems that I haven’t been able to write much on my blog lately. Yes, we were on vacation for a couple weeks and yes, our electricity was lost for one week, but that was a relief because I couldn’t even find the words for you. I have been very silent about my feelings over the last few weeks and it is tearing me up inside. I just can’t stand it anymore. The tears haven’t subsided in days. I am so sad and so angry about a lot that has happened in my life over the past couple of years.

The weather is so cold and rainy outside today. It reminds me of the beginning of fall and it reminds me of our anticipation at this time last year for Julian to be born. The house was different. We were different.

Lilliana returned to school today. She is in third grade now and I am going to miss her so very much. Lucas starts pre-school tomorrow too. These were the days that I was looking forward too because it would allow me some alone time with Julian. It was his turn for my full attention and now he isn’t here and I will be all alone. Actually, I’ve been alone for a long time. Yes, physically I have family and friends but emotionally I am alone. I can’t express to you the overwhelming sadness that takes over your body when you lose a child, when you lose yourself. There is a big hole in my heart. I am dreading tomorrow. I should be happy for my little Lucas because it is a very exciting time in his life but tomorrow will be difficult. I’m not going to lie to you. It will be extremely difficult.

I have planned out what I will be doing on those three mornings when he is in pre-school and I pray to God that it helps me get through this most difficult time, but with the Fall approaching and our little baby Julian’s first birthday, the loneliness will take over my entire self. I can’t even think about Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas. It makes me so sick to my stomach to think about all of this, to think about all of it, all that has happened to me physically, emotionally and spiritually.

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Chaos!

Well, even though Hurricane Irene was pretty small compared to what the weather men were anticipating, it still left plenty of damage. We are still out of power as are many others. Luckily for us, our parents live nearby and we are able to sleep and eat there. It’s still a bit hectic running around from house to house and getting ready for the market tomorrow, but it’s nothing compared to everything else that has happened this year.

We have been visiting Julian a lot this week, thinking and dreaming about him every night and bringing him fresh flowers. I just love flowers and it feels good to go there and clean up his stone and put beautiful flowers there. Many have fake flowers and that probably makes the most sense, but I just can’t bring myself to put fake flowers there. I don’t know why but I feel he deserves real ones. Today, I was very upset when we got there and the beautiful red roses that we brought to him just yesterday, were gone. The deer must have eaten them for dinner last night. I was very upset with those deer!

Lucas continues to talk about Julian often. The other day, we were talking with a woman walking her little dog and she mentioned her other dog passed away. Our little Lucas said, “Oh, that’s like our baby. He passed away too.” It made me so sad to hear him say that. I know it’s real but I wish so much that it wasn’t and I wish so much that it didn’t happen to my children. I wish I could prevent this kind of sadness in their life.

Well, on another note, before I start crying again, just wanted to let you know I will  be at the Monroe Farmers Market tomorrow, Sept 2nd. We will feature our famous all organic, whole grain, CHICKEN EMPANADAS, RISOTTO BALLS, BANANA NUT BREAD, MORNING GLORY MUFFINS, DOUBLE CHOCOLATE MUFFINS and BLUEBERRY LEMON MUFFINS and as well as ORGANIC JAMS, HOT FUDGE AND GRANOLA!

Stop at the market for your goodies.

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