Friday Link-Around

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-- Yesterday, there was a segment on the Today Show that resonated with my long-term interest and work on children's poverty and hunger issues. (See here, here, here, here, here and here just for starters.) Giada De Laurentiis from the Food Network was on discussing a program that has been started in the Rock Hill, SC area to combat childhood hunger issues called "Back the Pack."  It is similar to something that communities all over the country have been doing to help kids in need on the weekends --and over the summer as well -- when they can't get meals at school, and the segment is well worth a watch.  We need to be doing more all over this country -- because these kids did not ask to be born into poverty, and they should not be consigned to doing poorly in school because of it.  I was really surprised -- and very pleased -- to see the Today Show feature this issue so prominently.  I'd love to see them do a follow-up on summer hunger as well, and talk about threatened budget cuts on hunger programs for children and especially the $500 million cut for WIC -- that needs a much, much brighter spotlight.

-- Speaking of school food, Marion Nestle is helping to advocate for better foods being served to kids.  She has put together some interesting resources on the issue that are worth a peek.  Also worth a read?  Take a peek at Marion's spotlight on members of Congress lobbying the FDA to change the name of "high fructose corn syrup" to "corn sugar."  A bad food by any other name is still a bad food, though, right?

-- I don't know about all of you, but I could use some better food myself.  It's been so crazy busy here this week that I've been eating horribly.  Just got Tosca Reno's latest cookbook in the mail -- The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook 2: More Great-Tasting Recipes That Keep You Lean -- and I'm going to put some of those recipes to use next week when life slows down to a more manageable sprint.  The sauteed scallops with four-herb pesto and quinoa on page 148 sounds especially nummy to me at the moment.

--Do go and read Matt Taibbi on Uncle Sam as Wall Street's sugar daddy.  I'd be shocked and appalled, but nothing surprises me any more.

-- No idea how I missed this hilarious song from Wierd Al (YouTube), but I did.  Go.  Watch.  Giggle.  Especially if you are a Star Wars movie watcher.

Happy Friday, everyone!