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Amy's Kitchen's Blog

  • Jesse Malin Interview

    Current mood:excited

    We love Jesse Malin.  He is a very talented singer/songwriter, who is currently on tour supporting his live album MERCURY RETROGRADE on Adeline Records (Billie Joe from Green Day's record label).  Jesse was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions about being a vegetarian on the road. 

    Check out the interview....


    *          Who are you and what do you do?
    Jesse Malin, singer/songwriter/situationist.

    *         How long have you been a vegetarian/Vegan?

    25 years - vegetarian. Vegan about 5 years somewhere in the middle.

    *          What is it like being a vegetarian on the road?
    What are the major challenges you  face?  Is it getting easier these days to be vegetarian & be on the road?

    When I first started touring in the old hardcore punk days people thought you were crazy unless you found a small hippy mom and pop health food spot it was difficult.  You ate a lot of cheese and a lot of starch.  It wasn't healthy and part of the reason I am vegetarian is health reasons and the other is environmental/political/animal rights.  Nowadays there are more vegetarian options: a garden burger at Denny's or in the supermarkets frozen sections in most cities.  The promoters at clubs are a mi llion times hipper to vegan and vegetarian needs.  Whole Foods and Trader Joes' have become chains all across the U.S.
    Europe though can still be hard, especially places like France and Germany. London is hip to vegetarians but the rest of the U.K. can be hit or miss.

    *          What are some of your favorite things to eat?
    Vegetarian Burritos, good tofu or tempeh burgers, lots of salads with beans and nuts and veggies, soy milk and cereal, pasta, vegan pizza, vegetarian chili, hummus sandwiches, steamed vegetables and raw juices. Preferably organic when available.

    Add Jesse Malin to your MySpace page (www.myspace.com/jessemalin)
    Tell him Amy's sent you!
    11:27 AM

  • Amy’s on TV

    Hello Everyone,
    Amy's Kitchen will be featured on TV in the next couple weeks. Check out the dates below.

    The Discovery Channel will feature our Kids Meals on their new show, "Factory Made" on Wednesday, May 28th at 8pm EST.

    Then two shows on the Food Network will also showcase Amy's. "Unwrapped" will air their episode entitled, "Can it" on June 2 at 9pm (E/P) where they show everything about Amy's chili.

    Then on June 16 at 9pm (E/P), "Unwrapped-Cozy Cuisine" will highlight our ultimate comfort food, Macaroni & Cheese.
    11:24 PM

  • Vickie Howell Interview!

    Vickie Howell is quite crafty. Some how she manages to host a TV show (Knitty Gritty on the DIY network), produce a line of organic yarns and be a mom. Not only that, she is an active volunteer for women's causes and for Habitat for Humanity. Victoria DeSantis, who works in our Sales department, interviewed this fabulous and crafty vegetarian:



    1.  Tell me about your show, Knitty Gritty.  How did that come about?

              Knitty Gritty is a knitting how-to series that airs on both DIY Network and HGTV.  It focuses on bringing the love of a needle art tradition to a modern audience,  through funky projects, veteran instructors, hot, new designers and a sense of humor. Really though, we just want people to get excited about being creative. With the help of respected gurus like Lily Chin, combined with rockin' yarn enthusiasts such as Lisa Loeb and Kelley Deal (The Breeders), we hope to prove that  knitting can be just as cool as wielding a guitar or knowing how to snowboard!
     
               Currently, we're in the middle of shooting a one-hour Knitty Gritty special (to air in February '08) that focuses on unique groups of knitters across the nation whose work will result in a finished blanket to benefit Warm Up America (www.warmupamerica.org ) .  Tori Spelling & Dean McDermott, Knitta (a group in Houston that " tags", using knitted pieces), and a roller derby team in Indianapolis are just a few of the unlikely people that'll be featured.  It's been such a fun project to work on!


    2.  What do you love about Knitty Gritty?

        I love that the show seems to appeal to people of all different ages and life spaces, unifying them with at least this one thing in common: knitting. 

    3.  Why knitting?

        This generation is about finding balance and knitting lends itself well to that pursuit. One can be in a boardroom with a project in their briefcase or on the sidelines of a child's soccer game with knitting in hand.  It offers a great way to nurture our creative side while at the same time producing something unique and beautiful to put out into the world.  My favorite thing though, is the community that knitting affords. Through national Stitch n' Bitch, online and local groups, people who may not have anything else in common are coming together now to knit and actually talk to each other.  I feel that we, especially women, have been missing the community that was part of daily life a few generations ago.  Knitting (actually, all mobile handicrafts) had brought a little bit of that back.

    4.  Now the veggie questions, how long have you been a vegetarian?

            Not that long, actually—maybe a year and a half.

    5.  I know you have 2 adorable boys, are you raising them vegetarian?

              Well, yes and no.  When they're with my husband (whose also a veggie) and me, they have a totally meat-free diet.  I split custody of them with their dad       though, who's not a vegetarian. We try and educate them about animal rights and meat alternatives so that when they're ready, they can make their own decision without discounting their dad's opinion.   
                
               My kids are actually one of the main reasons I became vegetarian, though. After my divorce from their dad I realized that my anti-hunting beliefs didn't hold the   same weight in the household, once I wasn't a part of it anymore.  Since he comes from a long line of hunters my absolute worst fear is the possibility that my    children will someday have a gun in their hands.  Once my oldest son was old enough to realize the hypocrisy (this happened at about age 6) in me eating meat but being against killing animals I knew that it was time to make some changes in my own life.
     
               Honestly though, when the boys are with us they don't even seem to miss meat.  Companies like yours offer so many great alternatives that it's easy now to be a vegetarian without feeling like you're missing out on yummy foods.


            6.  Tell me about your new yarn you have coming out?  I saw that one of them has organic cotton.  How did that come  about?

               The Vickie Howell Collection currently consists of 4 yarns: CRAFT (made from organic cotton and milk protein), ROCK (a wool/hemp/soy blend), LOVE (silk and bamboo) and the newest, VEGAS (fine wool/SOYSILK—made from the byproduct of tofu—and lurex).  I teamed up with Southwest Trading Company (www.soysilk.com ) who specializes in alternative fibers, to put out this line.  I'm really excited about all of the yarns and the endless possibilities that using unlikely resources to create them, offers.  If people are interested, they can check out the complete scoop on the yarn and patterns to use with them on my website and blog: www.vickiehowell.com .
     

            7.  Anything else you want to add....

    For those mamas and papas out there, I also write an eco-friendly craft column in the healthy parenting magazine, KIWI (www.kiwimagonline.com )!
     
    Thanks, I really appreciate what Amy's does.  Your products are a staple in our house!
     
    Xo,
    Vickie
    7:46 AM

  • Legislation calls for ORGANIC Farming!

    Senator's legislation calls for bigger payout for farmers switching to organic

    Legislation calls for each farmer receiving up to $80,000 to help with transition

    by Sustainable Food News September 6, 2007

     

    U.S. Senator, and organic farmer, Jon Tester (D-Mont.) Wednesday introduced legislation calling for assistance to American farmers, who want to begin farming without fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. Tester said the legislation is aimed at helping farmers voluntarily make the switch from traditional farming techniques to certified-organic farming by providing up to four $20,000 annual payments to farmers whose land has not been previously certified as organic. "Making the switch to organics shouldn't be a make-or-break decision for family farmers," Tester said. "It should be a decision that ultimately saves them time and money while increasing the value of the stuff they grow." The conversion process can take three years, resulting in a temporary decline in crop yields and production. And, farmers can't sell their chemical-free crops for higher premiums until they're certified as organic. The disbursement would allow farmers to pay for technical assistance, conservation management to protect the environment and wildlife and animal welfare, according to the legislation. Under Tester's legislation, farmers who receive organic conversion assistance must sign contracts with the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. They must also verify that they're complying with the certification process every year. Tester said the legislation is being included for consideration in the upcoming 2007 farm bill.

    Tester, one of only two farmers in the U.S. Senate, stopped using chemicals on his 1,800-acre farm near Big Sandy nearly 20 years ago. He made the switch to organic farming because the chemicals made his wife ill, and because it increased the value of his crops. Montana has more acres of organic wheat production than any other state. "Organic farming is a good deal for Montana's farmers and ranchers," Tester said. "It's a win-win for agriculture in our state. It's good for the land and it's good for folks who want to sell their crops for higher premiums."

     

    Write your senator today to express your support for Senator Tester's legislation: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

    4:54 PM
    • Post a comment...
      • Robert Ramone

        As much as I'd prefer to live in an organic farmed nation, and although I'm sure the intentions behind this are noble... I have to disagree with this.

        The reason we have such high cost of food now, high cost of fuel, high cost of medicine is due to the governments involvement in the free market. Our government relatively stays out of the field of electronic manufacturing and look how cheap and high tech our tools are becoming (cell phones, computers, video games). But all the other fields the gvmnt gets involved in always end up a flop. Look at Social Security and FEMA. Look at the war on drugs, and 4 basic food groups that are taught in our schools.

        The government is not permitted by the constitution to loan or give out money for such programs as the one mentioned in this blog. Just like it doesnt have the right to give money to help cattle ranchers out, on the tax payers dime. Nor have the right to bail out the bankers when the economy shifts.

        We as Americans need to start taking responsibility for ourselves and quit giving the Federal Government our freedoms and liberties, thinking they are working in our best interest, or can help us better than we can help ourselves.

        The constitution is our contract with our government. It clearly states our inalienable and permanent rights, and also sets the limits of power that our government can have.

        To take money from one person, and spend it on another... is a crime.

        4 years ago

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