Today is all about taking the time to genuinely thank those people who make feeding us possible. 
If you're going out to dinner tonight, express some extra gratitude and love towards the staff. If you're working tonight, remind yourself of how crucial your position is within the food service industry, and don't forget to smile...because you rock! 

"Businesses often forget the culture, and ultimately, they suffer for it because you can't deliver good service from unhappy employees." - Tony Hsieh

-Katie Wilks

The American Heart Association recently teamed up with The Shared Schoolyard Project. This program provides something very special for the community at large. Their mission is to provide a safe, clean space for the city's children and families to play and gather. Schools can offer a safe place for children and their families to play and engage in physical activity. It is crucial for children to have the opportunity and encouragement by having access to facilities like schoolyards. The American Heart Association emphasizes this point by highlighting research which has shown that lower-income people who live near parks or recreational facilities exercise 38% more than people who do not have easy access to such facilities (American Heart Association, 2014). It is common for schools to close to the public after hours and on the weekends for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to, liability and maintenance. However, The San Francisco Unified School District and the City and County of San Francisco decided to open the doors of numerous schoolyards to the community. The Shared School Yard Project has made this possible through turning their passion into action. 

With 28 public schools enrolled and interest continuing to grow, community members will play a central role in helping the program succeed. Please join the San Francisco Shared Schoolyard Project, September 26 at Bret Harte Elementary School for an exciting kick-off celebration marking the opening of the school’s playground on weekends. 

Don't miss out on the fun and a chance to show your support for open schoolyards across San Francisco! Here are the details for the celebration:

I will be at this event, along with many events in the future, representing the American Heart Association's Simple Cooking With Heart program. I will be tabling and conducting cooking demonstrations for children and their families. I would be thrilled if you could come show your support. Please feel free to invite your friends and family. We want to spread awareness to as many people as possible. 

Can't join us at Bret Harte Elementary School? See a list of upcoming events here: http://www.sfsharedschoolyard.org/events

Follow The Shared Schoolyard Project on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/sfsharedschoolyard 
& Twitter https://twitter.com/SFSharedSchools

Thank you & looking forward, 

Katie Wilks 



References

American Heart Association. (2014). Shared use agreements: Sharing school recreational facilities with the community. Retrieved from http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@adv/documents/downloadable/ucm_461121.pdf

I have a special place in my heart for pecans. They remind me of the holiday season, which is fast approaching. The mere smell of pecans sparks a cascade of memories and feelings of nostalgia (owed to the olfactory bulb and amygdala).  No only are they delicious, but pecans provide more than 19 vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, B vitamins and zinc. Pecans also provide 2.7 grams of fiber per serving, which is about 10% of the recommended daily value (USDA).

In honor of today, I want to share my Mom’s recipe for butter pecan cookies. She makes them on several occasions throughout the holiday season – they are my ultimate kryptonite.

Mom’s Pecan Butter Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

1 ¾ toasted pecans, chopped
1 tbsp + 1 c butter, unsalted, softened
1 c brown sugar
1 egg, separated
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 c self-rising flour
1 c toasted pecan halves

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cream brown sugar and 1 cup of butter until light and fluffy, beat in egg yolk and vanilla
2. Gradually add in flour until mixed, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour
3. Shape dough into 1 inch balls, roll in toasted pecans, pressing nuts into the dough
4. Beat egg whites until foamy, dip pecan halves in egg whites and press into each cookie ball
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes in an oven pre-heated to 375 degrees

In addition to Mom's cookies, last year I found an incredible recipe for paleo pecan cookies. The recipe contains only three ingredients. I remember loving the simplicity of them. They were quite tasty and satisfied my pecan cookie craving. I made several batches and gave them to my friends and family. Click here for the recipe. 

ENJOY! 
- Katie Wilks 



References

United States Department of Agriculture. (2015). National nutrient database for standard reference release 27: Basic report, 12142, nuts, pecans [data file]. Retrieved fromhttp://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/3711?fgcd=&manu=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=35&offset=&sort=&qlookup=12142