Ecology Service Learning Project Summary_Hayley Piazza

      The Service Learning Project is about doing what you would normally do in your regular life but making it more efficient for the economy and to benefit yourself. Through the project you are able to learn things that you never would have thought of doing in a way that helps you and improves the environment. Whichever project you choose will have you gain an understanding of the topic you have chosen and will enable you to see the perspective of how what you do effects you and the environment around you. It teaches you to take care of the life around you and use the resources accessible to you, and that it benefits everybody, because from what you come to learn from doing this project, you can teach others about it. Overall, the Ecology Service Learning Project gives you a better understanding of the resources around you and it's not bad to get your own hands dirty.
      Our group, A.H.E Cooking, decided to do a cooking demonstration in which we used local and healthy ingredients to create delicious meals. We chose this as our project over the others because personally I had never been to a farmers' market beforehand and wanted to experience what it was like to actually talk to the people who grew the food themselves. Also, my partners and I love to cook so we thought that through this project we can enjoy cooking while trying something new and healthy.
     I experienced many things while doing this project. First, I went to my first farmers' market. I got to converse with actual people while doing our shopping and learned how friendly (and unfriendly) people can be. It was also pouring rain, so it showed how dedicated people were to selling their produce to the people (like us) who were willing to come out and buy food. Also, I learned how easy it is to make a fresh meal on your own. One of the recipes we made was bruschetta, which I had been wanting to make for awhile, but didn't know how long it would take or how much it would cost for ingredients. Once I researched a few recipes I came up with my own, simple bruschetta recipe that was fresh and delicious. I also learned that cooking is something that you can do with anyone, especially with your friends, and at the end of the day, you get to try your results!
     Our efforts during this project can effect other humans by showing them how easy it is to prepare a healthy meal. During our demonstration, our meals to less than fifteen minutes each to demonstrate and they ended up tasting delicious! It also effects the people as the farmers' markets as well, if you don't know it, the money that is used to buy the produce is probably the only way those people may be making money, so we are changing their lives and appreciating what they do for the community. Our efforts also effect non-human organisms such as the plants. From using basil in one of our recipes, i decided to treat my little basil plant a little nicer so that it would produce better basil leaves. It made me appreciate my little plant and that it will end up being useful in the long run.
     Overall, this ESLP project was a very fun experience for me. I didn't think that creating my own food and recipes would be so easy. I have found a new way to benefit my eating style and that is my eating healthy and buying it fresh.

Ecology Service Learning Summary_ Angelina Taing

The Ecology Service Learning Project (ESLP) is about learning how to be more beneficial to you and the environment throughout your everyday life. The ESLP teaches us how to be better and more conservative with the things we do everyday. You can have a healthier and cleaner lifestyle by paying more attention to what you do everyday and treat the environment better and take care of yourself more.

Our project is called AHE Cooking, it is the letters of our first names. We decided to cook for this Fall ESLP over the other options because we thought it would be fun, I personally wanted to learn more about food and how to cook by myself. I wanted to learn what it would be like to go out and buy your own ingredients and go home and cook them.

From doing this I learned how to cook and cut food because at home I normally don't really cook or make food. One of the difficulties in doing this project was that it was hard to look for good recipes with in season fruits and vegetables. We would find a recipe that looked really good but it would have too much sugar or too much of something unhealthy or the fruits weren't in season.

The effort we put into this project effects humans because we are helping the small organic family farms who don't make much money instead of using our money on unhealthy big companies. We also helped nonliving things by making the environment better because these family farms don't use chemicals like the big companies.

This project was fun and makes me want to cook more, some of the recipes we came up with ourselves. It was fun making recipes and going to buy the things and coming home and cooking them.

Ecology Service Learning Project_Emily Barry

Fall 2014 ELSP Summary 

The Ecology Learning Service Project(ELSP) is about learning how to go about your average day, but being more economically aware of nature. The ELSP Project teaches you ways that you can help the environment. Every project teaches you something new and different about your economy. They open your eyes to the world and show you ways that you can help improve the environment. The ELSP project teaches you valuable skills like; cooking, gardening, composting, fighting for your beliefs, constructing,painting, and designing.

For the ELSP project I chose to cook with my two friends Hayley and Angelina. We chose the name of A.H.E. Cooking, The A, H, and E stand for the first letter in our names. We decided to cook for this semesters ELSP project because we wanted to learn more about food. for example we experienced a farmers market and how fun it was to pick out food from small food stands. We also learned how to cook healthy and low calorie meals that taste amazing. We chose to cook over all the other projects because we wanted to experience healthy cooking at its finest and we accomplished just that

There were many things that I learned from this project. for example we learned that healthy cooking doesn’t always have to be small portions and bland tasting. You can make healthy, low calorie food that is still full of flavor. we also learned how good fruits and vegetables are for your body. They are full of iron, protein, and antioxidants. they can also help your eyesight, lower your cholesterol, and prevent some types of cancer. We knew that this project would be fun from the beginning, but we didn't anticipate that we would learn so much. Now the three of us are confident in our cooking abilities and will continue on this path of good cooking as long as possible.

I think that i made a huge effort during this project. I do believe that my effort can affect the people around me. For instance the farmers at the farmers market. I love finding ways to aid my community and Farmers Markets are a great way to give back.

Balanced Meal: Bruschetta, Spinach Salad, and Minestrone soup,

To begin. Serve your guests the elegant Bruschetta.
Bruschetta:

Ingredients:

• tomatoes
• garlic cloves
• olive oil
• basil
• lemon juice
• salt & pepper
• french bread

Directions:

1. Deseed the tomatoes and slice into cubes
2. Mince garlic 
3. Cut basil into thin slices
4. Put tomatoes, garlic, olive oil,basil, salt & pepper, and lemon Juice in a bowl and stirr
5. Slice and toast bread
6. Place a spoonful of mixture on each slice
7. Enjoy!!!

Then You Toss the decadent spinach Salad
Spinach Salad:
Ingredients:

• Spinach
• strawberries
• apples
• Pecans

Directions:

1. Wash the spinach, apples and strawberries.
2. then slice the apples and strawberries
3. Chop up the pecans in a food processor
4. Mix ingredients in a bowl

Vinaigrette:
Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons finely minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup of hot water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a food processor combine garlic and mustard until well mixed
2. Whisk in balsamic vinegar, hot water and sugar
3. Slowly add in olive oil mixing until emulsified
4. Add salt and pepper to taste. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate

Finally you serve the savory Minestrone soup which is one that your guests are sure to love

Minestrone Soup:

Ingredients:

• 14.5 oz diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• ¼ cup sun dried tomato pesto
• 1 Parmesan rind
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup carrots, diced
• 1¼ cup celery, diced 
• 1½ cup white onion
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and pepper
• 1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can great north beans, drained and rinsed
• 1½ cups zucchini, diced 
• 1½ cups pasta
• 1 cup green beans
• 2½ cups baby spinach, chopped
• Parmesan
• slow cooker 

Directions:

1. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato pesto, Parmesan rind, vegetable stock, water, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, oregano, rosemary, and bay leaves to a slow cooker.
2.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook on low heat 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.
3. Add in red kidney beans, great northern beans, zucchini, and pasta and cook on high heat for an additional 20 - 25 minutes until pasta is tender. 
4. Stir in the spinach and green beans and cook for an additional 5 minutes until heated through.
5. Serve warm topped with Parmesan cheese and garlic toasts.

Author: Little Spice Jar
Your guests are sure to love this Healthy balanced meal.

Tofu Parmigiana Benefits

Tofu:

• naturally gluten free 
• low calorie 
• contains no cholesterol 
• good source of protein, iron, and calcium

 Onion 

• High in vitamin C, calcium, and minerals
• Reduces risk of bronchitis, TB (tuberculosis), liver disorders, diabetes, and fevers
• 1 garlic clove= 4 calories

Basil:

• High in vitamin K
• Provides lots of protein and help protect cell structures against radiation and oxygen-based damaged
• 2 tbsp =1 calorie

White Mushrooms

• benefit your bones
• beneficial antioxidants 
• 21 calories per cup 

Day 6: Tofu Parmigiana

Tofu Parmigiana 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 14-ounce package firm or extra-firm water-packed tofu, rinsed
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 8 ounces white mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup prepared marinara sauce, preferably low-sodium
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions:

1. Combine breadcrumbs and Italian seasoning in a shallow dish. Cut tofu lengthwise into 4 steaks and pat dry. Sprinkle both sides of the tofu with garlic powder and salt and then dredge in the breadcrumb mixture.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until they release their juices and begin to brown, 4 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl.
3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Add the tofu steaks and cook until browned on one side, about 3 minutes. Turn over and sprinkle with Parmesan. Spoon the mushroom mixture over the tofu, pour marinara over the mushrooms and scatter mozzarella on top. Cover and cook until the sauce is hot and the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and serve.

Author: EatingWell 

Spinach and Ricotta Pizza Benefits

Basil:

• High in vitamin K
• Provides lots of protein and help protect cell structures against radiation and oxygen-based damaged
• 2 tbsp =1 calorie

Tomato:

• High in vitamin A and C, and folic acid
• Reduces risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, depression,
• 1 tomato= 22 calories

Garlic:

• High in vitamin C, calcium, and minerals
• Reduces risk of bronchitis, TB (tuberculosis), liver disorders, diabetes, and fevers
• 1 garlic clove= 4 calories