Judith Natelli McLaughlin

Here is the link to an interview I did for NBC television in connection with their HEALTH WEEK! I was interviewed by Megan Meany and I also got a chance to recite my poetry. It was a fantastic experience. Click here to check out the interview. ENJOY! And remember, healthy eating starts with a poem.

Growing My Own Zucchini

Judy — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 14:12:28 +0000

This year I am trying something new. For as long as I have been in my house (17 years – where did that time go?) I have grown my own herbs. Each spring I plant basil, parsley, and rosemary. And, I watch with delight, as my chives, sage and mint come gloriously back, season after season. I routinely cook with these herbs, adding a fresh touch to my summertime meals. But this year, I decided to branch out. We removed our swing set and in its place I planted four zucchini plants! I LOVE zucchini. (My family does too). My zucchini illustration is the first water color picture I painted for my book, Poems on Fruits & Odes to Veggies, and, if you have ever seen me speak, you know how much I love to shout the word ZUCCHINI! So, it seemed only fitting that this would be the crop I should grow. I will post pictures of my zucchini crop so you can all see its progress. (This picture was taken on June 8^th). And I will post recipes too so you can cook up some zucchini right along with me.
If you aren’t growing your own zucchini, buy some at the grocery store, or at the farmers market! And remember, healthy eating starts with a poem. Give me a shout out at judy@aimwrite.net if you have a zucchini recipe you would like to share with me!

Zucchini & Parsnips Over Pasta

Ingredients
3 – medium sized zucchini
3 - medium sized parsnips
3 T extra virgin olive oil
Several shakes of sea salt
1 pound whole wheat pasta
Parmesan cheese to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 425
Peel Parsnips and Zucchini – dice
Place veggies in shallow baking tray. Drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with sea salt
Place in oven and roast for one hour
While veggies are cooking, bring water for pasta to boil
Cook one pound of whole wheat penne pasta, according to package
Drain
Mix pasta with veggies, sprinke with cheese and enjoy!

Stillman School Shout Out!

Judy — Thu, 27 May 2010 10:35:25 +0000

Hello to all my friends at Tenafly, NJ’s Stillman School. I spent the day with the teachers and students on Tueday, May 25th, and we all had a blast. Thank you to librarian Charlotte Shaffer for bringing me to this wonderful school. Here is an added fun fact, I grew up in Tenafly, so driving down Tenafly Road and passing favorite places, like Sunnyside Park, was a great, big, added bonus. And when Charlotte introduced me to the children, she made sure to mention I grew up in Tenafly and went to Maugham School. The children all seemed to think that was pretty cool. But here is the deal, it was the kids who were really cool. They were great listeners, great participants and excellent writers too. After each of my presentations, I taught the children a brainstoming exercise, and then, together, they wrote a poem. Here are their great creative works:

I Bought by, Kindergarten and First Graders

Strawberries - RED - are very good

I bought chocolate - just like I should

Cinnamon has a silly scent

Chocolate is very sweet

The Things That Make You Think, by Second and Third Graders

Strawberries are red and juicy

Purple is a beautiful color

Gold makes me think of money

Strawberries make me burp

Elephants squirt water in m face

Wax can chop you with an axe

Carrots are healthy and orange and swet

A ball is very bouncy

Death is not funny at all

It’s All Different Stuff by, Fourth and Fifth Graders

I like apple pie

I like how guitar strings roam on your fingers

I like gigantic cheese burgers

The small cow was purple

The frozen yogurt was poisonous

I like chocolate ice cream

The mice dance like ballerinas

The chicken ate watermelon

The llama turned around and ate some cheese

I drink milk every morning,

but dairy makes me sick

Great job kids! I love these poems. Keep on writing. Hey, let me know if you made up alliterative phrases using the names of your family members. If you want to share, give me a shout out at judy@aimwrite.net. I’ll post some results right here.

I have no more author visits until September. I will, however, update the site periodically. I am growing a few veggies in my tiny back yard this year, including zucchini, tomatoes and cucumbers. I will take some photos and share my results! Thanks to all my readers for the well wishes. If you want to, you can contact me at judy@aimwrite.net and finally, remember…healthy eating starts with a poem!

Young Author’s Day at Woodland School

Judy — Sun, 23 May 2010 12:12:02 +0000

I had a blast at the Woodland School in Warren, NJ on Friday, May 20! I was invited to the school by librarian Nancy Darby to participate in their annual Young Author’s Day. I was in the company of amazing authors including Cheryl Barnes, Tim Green, Dan Boltz, Margie Palatini and Judith Gantly. And I was also in the company of the Woodland School’s eager learners. These kids were fantastic and, with great joy, listened and helped me recite my poetry. Pictured above is the beautiful sign Woodland School students Rica, Robin and Grace made for me. I just loved the warm welcome and of course the sentiment “Eat your fruits and veggies!”

Finally, the children I spoke with wrote their own fun, group poems and here they are:

The Fruit Poem - K & 1

Ice cream cake is the best

I like pie

i like tomatoes because they are so juicy

I am squishing squash

I am eating an apple

Food, Animals & People - 2 & 3

Godzilla is gigantic, strong and black

Pizza is crusty, orange and cheesy

Ice cream is cold

John, Paul, George & Ringo rock the Beatles

Animals come in all shapes and sizes

Soap smells good

Swill cheese, cheddar cheese, I love them all

Chocolate is milky & delicious

Paul got a Nutella jar stuck on his head

Orange is round

I have one more author visit before schools close for summer vacation.

Tuesday, May 25- Stillman School, Tenafly, NJ - I have been invited to the school and can’t wait to recite poetry with all the Stillman School children. Get ready to shout the word zucchini!

That’s it for now. I will keep you posted as more events pop up. Give me a shout out if you make it to one of these events. I would love to hear from you at judy@aimwrite.net. Until then, remember, healthy eating starts with a poem.

Glenwood School Shout Out! And a Teacher Shout Out Too!

Judy — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:21:09 +0000

What a day I had yesterday. About ten years ago, when my oldest daughter was in kindergarten, the author, Dan Gutman, came to her school. I was lucky enough to see him and boy, was I impressed. I turned to Katie’s kindergarten teacher and said, “someday, I would like to be visiting schools talking about my books!” And now…I am! My dream (with lots and lots of hard work) came true. I spent the day at the Glenwood Elementary School in Short Hills, NJ, talking to those eager learners about poetry, healthy foods and writing. We had a blast! The kids were all amazing when it came to shouting the word zucchini. (I think there is a hole in the roof now!) They were also amazing when it came to writing their own poem. I am posting three poems here. Enjoy!

Funny Poem - Grades K & 1

My dog is Jackson

Panda Bears are cute

I like popcorn that pops

I like ducks

and dolphins too

With the seals in water blue

My favorite color is green

My bird is fighting

a little pretty butterfly

and a great big elephant

Roses are red and so are you

Mini Stuff - Grades 2 & 3

The sky is blue with clouds

It would be funny if candy were falling from the sky

Cheese gets rotten - by mice

It stinks around here of rotten cheese

I see a weird monkey doing ballet

The baseball is flying very far

Pie is yummy

Cheese cake with cherries looks good

Lacrosse is a sport with a ball

People perform on a stage

Crazy Stuff - Grades 4 & 5

Mario loves to eat ice cream

Chocolate gives you cavities

Green monkeys taste good

Fairies love screaming

Grandpas love to eat chicken wings

Tomatoes are yellow

Crunchy belly buttons jiggle

The other day I found cheese stuck in between my toes

Cookies are delicious

Soccer ballsl like doing the walkie-talk

I also had the chance to have dessert with five Glenwood students. We are pictured here along with librarian Shea Stansfield (Thanks, Shea! I loved being at your school). These kids read to me poems they wrote, and let me tell you, I was blown away! Their talent is evident. Thanks for sharing, gang!

After my Glenwood visit, I spent the early evening at the Barnes & Noble in Hackensack, NJ. Thanks, Jill, for bringing me in!! I had the opportunity to talk to some amazing teachers, show them my book, and help them bring my book to life in their classrooms. These teachers were enthusiastic and a pleasure to meet. Hope you all enjoy the book. And give me a shout out if you have any questions or comments. I would love to hear from you at judy@aimwrite.net.

As for future events, they follow:

Thursday, April 15 - Barnes & Noble, Princeton, NJ - The time of this event is 1:30 p.m. and is open to the public. I sure hope to see you there.

Saturday, April 17 - Summit, NJ YMCA - I am part of Healthy Kids Day from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Stop by and say hello!

Monday, April 26 - Stillman School, Tenafly, NJ - I have been invited to the school and can’t wait to recite poetry with all the Stillman School eager learners!

Friday, May 21 - Woodland School, Warren, NJ - I have been invited take part in Young Author’s Day a the Woodland School. I can’t wait to take part in such an exciting, school-wide event!

The Real Kitchen Garden!

Judy — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 19:51:35 +0000

Okay, so I couldn’t be more excited to share with all of you. This past weekend, my family and I were in Washington, DC for a mini-vacation. We had so much fun! We toured the Air & Space, Natural History, American History and National Gallery of Art Museums. We visited the Capitol, with a guided tour and all. We entered the National Archives and saw, with our own two eyes, the Declaration of Independence! I mean, I couldn’t have been more moved. We saw the Washington Monument, the Lincoln, Jefferson, WW II and Vietnam War Memorials, and felt the real spirit of our country at each turn. The whole vacation was a historical treat. And of course, what visit to Washington, DC would be complete without seeing the White House? Well, it is magnificent. And right there, on the South Lawn, I saw it….the White House Kitchen Garden!

I couldn’t believe it. I have blogged about the Kitchen Garden. I have blogged about Michelle Obama planting this garden with the kids from the Bancroft Elementary School in 2009. And then, there I am, looking in awe at the White House and right there, I see it. A plot of land planted with food for the First Family to actually eat! How inspiring to see, first hand, that which I had been talking about. So, here, for all you to see, is my photo of the Kitchen Garden and the sign that accompanies it. I was proud to see that the garden is growing, and hopefully so is our nations’ knowledge of healthy foods.

If you are growing spinach in your garden (or feeling adventurous to buy fresh spinach at the grocery store) try this recipe:

Beans & Greens

Pour two tablespoons of extra virgin oil oil in heated pan. Chop up two cloves of garlic and saute in oil over medium heat(but don’t burn). Add four cups of fresh spinach (or one package of frozen) and cook until wilted (if frozen, cook until thawed). Add one can of white beans and cook over stove until heated through. Then, serve it up. YUM! Let me know what you think!

Back to spreading the word on healthy foods…I know that I am very busy the next few weeks visiting schools and bookstores, talking about my book Poems on Fruits & Odes to Veggies and introducing kids to some new healthy food choices. The following is my upcoming schedule. Can’t wait to see you at some of these events.

Tuesday, April 13 - Glenwood Elementary School - Short Hills, NJ. I have been invited to the school by librarian, Shea Stansfield, to read from my book and get kids interested in poetry and healthy eating. I can’t wait to meet the eager learners at Glenwood!

Tuesday, April 13 - Barnes & Noble at Riverside Square in Hackensack, NJ. I have been invited to this Barnes and Noble as part of Teacher Appreciation Week. I will talk to a great group of educators and tell them how they can use my book to promote the marriage of healthy eating and poetry in their schools!

Thursday, April 15 - Barnes & Noble, Princeton, NJ - The time of this event is 1:30 p.m. and is open to the public. I sure hope to see you there.

Monday, April 26 - Stillman School, Tenafly, NJ - I have been invited to the school and can’t wait to recite poetry with all the Stillman School eager learners!

Friday, May 21 - Woodland School, Warren, NJ - I have been invited take part in Young Author’s Day a the Woodland School. I can’t wait to take part in such an exciting, school-wide event!

Three in One Recipe

Judy — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 14:27:57 +0000

So, I had a bunch of nothing in the frig the other night and a hungry family. I had to figure out a meal, and fast. And so, I created a dinner called Zucchini, Carrots & Arugula over Whole Wheat Pasta.

I had a bunch of carrots starting to go soft, so I peeled them and cut them into juilanne strips. I had two small zucchinis (use many more if you want!) so I peeled them and cut them into julianne strips. I heated up two tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and cooked the carrots and zucchini, letting them brown just a bit. I saw some garlic on the counter, so what the heck, I added two cloves (sliced because I like the chunks). Then, I saw a bag of arugula in the frig. I didn’t feel like making a side salad, so I tossed a healthy bunch of arugula into the pan with the zuchs and carrots. I cooked it all until the arugula wilted. (While all this was going on I boiled water and cooked up whole wheat penne) When the penned was done I poured the veggies over the pastas and called the fam for dinner for my “Three in One” recipe. We topped it with Parmesan cheese. It was delicious! Try it.

As we head into April, National Poetry month, I am gearing up for an exciting and busy schedule! Here is a listing of the places I will be. Can’t wait to see you at some of these events. Let me know if you tried my dinner recipe!

Thursday, April 15 - Barnes & Noble, Princeton, NJ - The time of this event is 1:30 p.m. and is open to the public. I sure hope to see you there.

Monday, April 26 - Stillman School, Tenafly, NJ - I have been invited to the school and can’t wait to recite poetry with all the Stillman School eager learners!

Friday, May 21 - Woodland School, Warren, NJ - I have been invited take part in Young Author’s Day a the Woodland School. I can’t wait to take part in such an exciting, school-wide event!

Blog - Where Healthy Eating Starts With a Poem

Judy — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:27:54 +0000

I started a new blog on YahooShine.com. Appropriately enough it is called Where Healthy Eating Starts With a Poem. It runs every Wednesday and features a fruit or vegetable, a piece of art, a poem, and a healthy eating nugget. Let me know what you think at judy@aimwrite.net

Carrots Orange, Long and Bright Make My Snowman’s Nose Tonight

Judy — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:53:33 +0000