My First International Interview!

Hi everyone!

I was recently interviewed by Hannah Kim, a writer for a children's newspaper Apple News in Los Angeles. Apple News is published through the Korea Daily and is distributed weekly to students in Korea. Hannah said, "I think it'll be interesting for the kids there to learn about what young people are doing here."

I was so excited, because this is my first interview published in a different language and printed internationally! I am now able to say that I've gone international! Thanks so much for including me in your article, Hannah! I had a blast!

Click on the image for the full size page:

Thanks for reading!

Lizzie Marie

Happy Easter! (With Crostini Video)

This weekend my family and I went to the Morningside Farmers Market in Atlanta to buy some fresh produce. I had a lot of fun! The farmer's market was small, but it had a lot to offer. We left with 2 purple bell pepper plants, 2 tomato plants, 2 dozen eggs, a head of red romaine lettuce (never saw that before), a head of red oak leaf lettuce, a bunch of spring onions, baby radishes, some yummy (and uber healthy!) granola made in Marietta, GA, English peas and heirloom tomatoes.

Then we went to an amazing bakery, Alon's that was just a hop, skip and a jump away. From there we picked up brie cheese: Toure de Marze, goat milk cheese: Fresco di Capra al Peporcin, apricot paste, baguette, salmon gravlox (salmon "cooked" in a brine), dark chocolate covered goji berries and a risotto cake filled with smoked mozzarella. For lunch we made crostini made with our fresh baguette (watch my video on how to make crostinis below), a tomato salad-like topping (panzanella), our cheeses, gravlox and apricot paste.

For dinner, we will be having marinated rib-eye, an updated version of my Ma's au gratin potatoes that we have once a year, English peas and carrots! I cannot wait!

Remember how I mentioned that frozen yogurt isn't super healthy? Well I found a frozen yogurt place that actually is healthy! It's called Yoguri, and I am in love with it! The yogurt is fat-free, doesn't have a lot of crazy amounts of sugar, and it comes in some unique and yummy flavors. I got taro yogurt (taro is a type of root vegetable which is amazing when in yogurt form!) and mixed with a little bit of oreo yogurt. I topped the combo off with shredded coconut, strawberries, walnuts, peanut butter candies and a touch of caramel (it's the weekend, so I splurged a bit). I absolutely loved it and I can't wait to go again! Sorry Menchies, you've got some major competition!

Thanks for reading!

Lizzie Marie

Post by Lizzie Marie Cuisine.

Interview: Camille Ronay

My mom and I recently picked up a CSA vegetable box and we were able to meet Camille Ronay. Camille's website, www.GeorgiaMadeGrown.com, shows people how Georgia made products and produce are special. I had the chance to ask her a few questions about her website.

The Interview

LL: I'm here with Camille Ronay. Would you mind telling us what you do for Georgia?

CR: I started Georgia Made Georgia Grown LLC about five years ago. For a couple years I consulted with the Georgia Department of Economic Development and helped create their Creative Economies Initiative. Since the beginning, Georgia Made Georgia Grown has worked to tie creative entrepreneurship, economic development and tourism together.

Georgia Made Georgia Grown works with creative entrepreneurs all over the state helping them market and promote themselves. We offer professional development workshops, venues to wholesale and retail product lines, and tourism product development.

LL: That's great! Why do you do this?

CR: Because I feel as if there are so many creative entrepreneurs within the state of Georgia who are artists, or craft makers, chefs, entertainers. We try to be a bridge in getting them into a better portion of the marketplace.

LL: Thanks for talking with me.

CR: Thank you.

Click here for a great video showing what Georgia has to offer

Camille shares one of her favorite recipes, Spinach Salad, which she has at least three times a week. One of Camille's healthy tips is to substitute fresh spinach leaves in place of lettuce in sandwiches.

Spinach Salad

• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup sliced strawberries, or blueberries, or blackberries
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
• To taste all-natural raspberry dressing

Servings: 2

If you want more information from Camille, she can be reached:

http://www.GeorgiaMadeGeorgiaGrown.com

http://www.facebook.com/GeorgiaMadeGeorgiaGrown

http://www.twitter.com/GAMadeGAGrown

Fun with Veggie Boxes

Every time we get a CSA veggie box, I always get really excited about seeing what vegetables are inside. This week we got a lot of delicious vegetables, including a purple basil plant! I'm not very good at gardening, so I hope I'll be able to keep this plant alive! The purple basil still smells and tastes like regular basil, but it has an eggplant color. My mom and I decided to make Mediterranean potato salad with the potatoes that came on our box. The potato salad is Mediterranean because it has hard-boiled egg, feta cheese, fresh dill and oregano as well as olive oil instead of mayonnaise, and red wine vinegar. It's really delicious!

I love finding new ways to exercise, because running on the treadmill or lifting a set of weights isn't very exciting. A fun way I exercise is by doing archery. Archery really engages your upper body. You need to have a lot of strength to be able to hold the bow (mine weighs 25 pounds) and be able to pull back the string. I really enjoy archery because, frankly, I'm pretty clumsy. Strangely enough, I do have fairly good hand-eye-coordination, so I'm pretty good at archery, volleyball etc. Another fun way to exercise is to go hiking. I love hiking because you can go early in the morning, hike and be back before noon. My dad and I recently started hiking Kennesaw Mountain. Each week we set new goals for getting to the top. Last week we climbed up the mountain in 25 minutes, and we took 2 breaks. This week my dad and I climbed up the mountain in 22 minutes and only stopped 1 time. You feel very accomplished (and tired) once you reach the top of the mountain. Hope I've helped your exercise become that much more fun!

Thanks for reading,

Lizzie Marie

Recipe: Waffadillas

This week I decided to get creative with the waffle iron. I wanted to see if I could make dinner using a waffle iron! My mom thought it would be fun to try and make quesedillas. They were delicious! Here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 whole grain tortilla - small fajita size
  
• 1 can all-natural refried beans (we used refried pinto beans with Roasted Chile and Lime)
  
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese
  
• 1/2 avocado, remove pit, slice into 4 pieces
  
• 1 tablespoon diced onions
  
• To taste fresh lime juice
  
• For dipping: 1/4 cup all-natural salsa

Spread refried beans (about 1/4 cup) onto half of tortilla and top with avocado, small squeeze of lime juice, and cheese. Fold tortilla in half and place onto waffle iron. Cook as long as your waffle iron usually cooks a waffle, about 4 minutes. Remove tortilla and cook another tortilla. If you waffle iron is big enough to fit both tortillas at the same time, they can cook together. Serve with salsa on the side. Have fun with this recipe by adding your favorite cooked meats and different vegetable combinations.

A lot of people ask me if I like to bake. Baking is fun once in a while, but I don't like it as much as cooking. When you bake, you have to use precise measurements and you have to follow the instructions exactly. When I cook, I can add a pinch of this and a dash of that, and I can be so much more creative. Plus, baking takes a lot of time, whereas I can whip up a snack or dinner in a matter of minutes.

A recent food trend I've noticed is frozen yogurt shops. Lots of people think that because frozen yogurt is yogurt and not ice cream, that it's healthy. The truth is, it's not always. Frozen yogurt can be just as bad as ice cream, or even worse, when it's flavored with chemicals and topped off with tons of candy. I'm a big fan of frozen yogurt, but what I'll do to make it healthier is get vanilla yogurt and at least 2 types of fresh fruit, and one sweet topping, like chocolate covered sunflower seeds. What do you like to have on your frozen yogurt? Send me a Tweet: @TheLizzieMarie.

Thanks for reading,

Lizzie Marie

Post by Lizzie Marie Cuisine.