Project Progress: Month 2

Posted on July 13, 2014 by HeatherFrost-MalekRDN

July is typically the month I start thinking about the start of the fall semester, planning a few end of summer road-trips/vacations and head to a few outdoor concerts. This year, I feel the days are not long enough and my weekends are shortened as I am visiting libraries, restaurants, attending food festivals and talking with locals about the county’s cuisine. Yes, my practicum does involve eating, and no, I wouldn’t have it any other way. The experience has really been eye opening, learning about this great state and county I live in. Here are a few things I’ve been up to since mid-June.

Attended the Lenior County Farmers Market
Attended the NC Blueberry Festival in Burgaw, NC
Bought the domain for my website
Posted Farmers Market Series #1
Attended Midtown Farmers Market and the NC State Farmers Market in Wake County
Enjoyed BBQ at Skylight Inn (Pitt County), Kings BBQ and Ken’s BBQ (Lenior County)
Enjoyed dinner at Chef and the Farmer (Lenior County)
Posted on my blogging weekend workshop
Posted ‘My Mission’
Added a NC Food Festivals page to my blog
Researched the Moravian culture and Chicken Pie recipes
Subscribed to Our State Magazine
Researched Wake County – dined at Poole’s Diner and Mecca
Enjoyed NC State’s Howling Cow Ice Cream for the 1st time
Wrote emails and spoke with various people/organizations in specified counties

While there’s still so much more to accomplish in the next month….it has been a gastronomical few weeks! Check back soon as posts and pictures of my experiences will be making their way to the blog!

What is my mission?

Posted on July 5, 2014 by HeatherFrost-MalekRDN

It is now early July and I am near completing my second month of my practicum experience. What an adventure it has been so far! Visiting Old Salem in Forsyth County, talking with BBQ masters in Lenoir County and attending Got to be NC Festival in Wake County has been a few of the experiences this project has led me to. Throughout my research I feel as though I’ve had a challenge that has been lingering in the back of my mind since I started. What is my mission? I know Elena’s mission for her Tasting North Carolina project, but what is MY mission? How do I want to portray my thoughts and ideas on this blog as it connects my research together and continues after the practicum is complete?

The first question I asked myself was “How does this project relate to being a Registered Dietitian (RD) and a Gastronome? Second question, “What do I want to get across to my audience?” Thirdly, “What is my voice in social media as a health expert?”

My mission: To share my love and passion for food, nutrition, wellness and health.

Food – I am a Gastronome.

Nutrition – I am a RD.

Wellness – I am a Yogi. I embrace living in the moment and believe in the importance of mind/body health.

Health – Relating to all other facets of well-being: physical/mental/spiritual/social/cultural.

Through this project my hope is to express the importance of knowing where your food comes from while each of us supports our own health and the health of the local community.

As I continue my writing and research, I’m sure my mission may shift and sway as I encounter new experiences and meet new people. Until my next post, Eat & Be Well.

Blog Writing 101

Posted on July 3, 2014 by HeatherFrost-MalekRDN

I had the opportunity to spend a weekend with Elena in Wilmington, NC to discuss blog writing, food photography, recipe development and goals for my practicum project. We started out by visiting the Columbus County Community Farmers Market and stopped at Dale’s Seafood in Lake Waccamaw on the drive back. To my delight, this was the start of a summer filled with visiting small, local restaurants and trying the local cuisine such as steamed baby shrimp and hush puppies.

Throughout the rest of the afternoon and weekend we discussed many topics as I picked Elena’s brain to absorb all the knowledge I could and learn a few steps she took in becoming a successful food blogger. Below is a list of list of important and interesting tidbits of what I learned over the weekend. Talk about a motivating 24 hours! I walked away with pages of notes and a feeling of excitement and eagerness to dive into the project.

Blogging: How to connect further with readers and gain audience?

Stay consistent. Write quality posts on a regular basis.
- Google will start to verify posts as current

Photography: How to photograph food?

Use angles and beauty from natural light and serving dish to form beauty
Move body around subject
Keep an eye out for dishes online/thrift stores/clearance
Paint foam board preferred color for backdrop
Using a phone’s camera (specifically iPhone 5) can work as well as a DSLR camera, mainly for convenience purposes
Use Instagram for process shots
Check out Photojojo for gifts & gear for photographers

Posting articles with pictures: How to size images and edit?

Make photos the same width website theme/template
Photoshop
Phone photo editing app: VSCO cam

Using Widgets and plug-ins in WordPress: Which to use?

Plug-in to easily print recipes: Shareaholic
Option for embedding Twitter feed

Using social media: what to post where?

Post different content on different platforms
Creating a voice within each will lead to more followers

Computer: Which to buy?

MacBook Pro with Retina

Promoting blog: How to choose business cards?

Hundreds of online options for templates: MOO, Vistaprint
Emily PoeCrawford in Winston-Salem, NC

Recipe development: How to start?

Relate recipe back to personal life
Research basic recipes, experiment to make your own
Make recipe 1-2 times…or until satisfied
Follow other bloggers and read cookbooks and modify at least 2 ingredients to make it your own, credit original author for inspiration
Use Bloglovin’ to follow blogs
Use Flipboard to collect and save recipes by URL
Remember simplicity
Stay seasonal

‘Tis the Season for Farmers Markets! #1

Posted on June 25, 2014 by HeatherFrost-MalekRDN

It is officially summer. This may be my favorite time of the year. Not only do we have sunshine for over 12 hours, but the opportunities for in-season, local, fresh produce are almost endless. From farmers markets to roadside stands to CSA’s, each week we can be sure to find a mouthwatering summertime favorite.

As part of my practicum project, I have the opportunity to make it a point to visit farmers markets outside the Raleigh area. This makes me happy, as I get to drive to new places, meet farmers from various counties and most importantly…..EAT! Eat real, wholesome, locally grown food. Anyone who knows me will agree that I absolutely love grocery shopping. It doesn’t get any better when you actually get to MEET the farmer who grew your food. When it comes to waking up early on a Saturday for a market, I’ll be there.

I decided I will start a series of posts of farmers markets I visit over the course of the summer, which will very well lead into fall and winter. I’m so grateful for those farmers who brave the weather all year round! (Thank goodness I live in the South!)

The first ‘non-Raleigh’ market of the year started with a trip to Columbus County. After a drive through back-country roads to meet Elena, not knowing what to expect, I ended up at the pavilion.

After speaking with a few farmers and buying cucumbers, beets, and turnip greens, grown mostly pesticide free, I was extremely ecstatic when I found a farmer from Higher Ground Gardens selling rhubarb!! Yes, North Carolina grown RHUBARB!!! Being from WI, this was a treat. I have not once found a farmer who was able to grow rhubarb in this state in the past 4 years I’ve lived here. Every time I asked about it, I received the same response: “It’s too hot for rhubarb to grow here.” Well, this farmer has proven that he is able to grow some great looking (and tasting) rhubarb!

The Columbus County Community Farmers Market is surely one I would recommend to anyone who is looking for good quality, wholesome food who lives south of Fayetteville, near Wilmington or even close to the eastern South Carolina border. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter!

Carrot, Beet, Rhubarb Smoothie
Serves 1

1 cup water
½ cup sliced raw carrots, frozen
¼ cup sliced raw red beets, frozen
¼ cup chopped raw rhubarb, frozen
½ tablespoon Coconut oil
Sprinkle of Ginger
Handful of Goji berries

1. Slice and chop carrots, beets and rhubarb after getting back from market. Freeze together in 1 bag for convenience.
2. Pour water into blender, add frozen ingredients and blend to break up.
3. Add coconut oil and ginger, blend. Taste. If the flavor is too earthy, add Goji berries to sweeten.
4. Enjoy!

I thank Elena for inspiring me to add beets to my smoothies and drink them out of blue mason jars!

Read more about my ‘Discovering North Carolina’ project here.

Food for thought: What is your favorite summertime food or favorite smoothie ingredient?

Got to be NC Festival

Posted on May 25, 2014 by HeatherFrost-MalekRDN

This month marks the start of my project, ‘Discovering North Carolina.’ Last weekend I had the opportunity to experience a ‘state-fair’ like festival held in Wake County, the Got to be NC Festival. This three day event had everything from carnival rides and antique tractor pulls to John Deere Ice Cream Makers, a Food, Wine & Beer Expo and a North Carolina local bluegrass band competition.

My focus of attending this festival was not only to enjoy the sunshine and listen to some traditional live bluegrass music, but I was hoping to speak with anyone who might be from Wake, Forsyth or Buncombe County who was selling a local food/product in which I could learn a little more about their particular unique food culture and heritage. (see ‘Discovering North Carolina’ page for project details.) While I was strolling in the Food, Wine & Beer Expo I came across a booth from Old Salem Museums & Gardens, featuring the renowned Moravian Cookies from Forsyth County, NC.

The two men who were tending the booth were both very knowledgeable and were able to tell me a brief but detailed summary of the history of the Moravian settlers. Topics we discussed included not only the history of the ever so famous Moravian cookies, but the mathematical origin of the Moravian Christmas star, traditional dishes such as the veggie-less chicken pie, and a potato and yeast bread known as Moravian sugar cake. Next to a couple cookbooks that were for sale was a gem of a book entitled ‘Preserving the Past – Salem Moravians’ Receipts & Rituals’. This book of “receipts contains a variety of topics ranging from 18th and 19th century etiquette notes to medicinal remedies to brief recipe descriptions for veggies, breads, meats, sweets and more. According to the author, this book is the first ever published recipe collection from the 250-year-old Moravian Archives in Old Salem. I immediately purchased a copy for myself as I felt this was a great find and productive start in researching Forsyth County.

Overall my experience at the ‘Got to be NC Festival’ was enjoyable and a success. Even though I didn’t partake of any fried Oreos or corn dogs, I did indulge in a chocolate chip cookie from a Triangle (and Wake County) favorite, La Farm Bakery. This festival had something for everyone and exhibited the past and present culture of North Carolina in food, music and agriculture. Stay tuned and check back often as I continue with my series of ‘Discovering North Carolina’!

Read more about my ‘Discovering North Carolina’ project here.
Food for thought: What is your favorite food or restaurant in Wake County, NC? I’d love to hear!

The Gastronome's Table

Be & Eat Well!

Category Archives: Discovering North Carolina

Project Progress: Month 2

What is my mission?

‘Tis the Season for Farmers Markets! #1

Got to be NC Festival