A few weeks ago, I had the honor of attending the fourth annual Georgia Restaurant Association Crystal of Excellence (Grace) Awards at the gorgeous new Loew’s Hotel in Midtown, Atlanta.  I was really excited about this event, not only because my good friend and mentor, Kat Cole, was nominated for an Award but also because it was a “Green Tie” Affair.

The “Glitz Goes Green” event was a collaboration between the Georgia Restaurant Association and the Green Foodservice Alliance.  The event is also going to serve as a benchmark case study for the Sustainability Division of the Department of Natural Resources – big stuff!  The commitment to using Local, Sustainable, and Green resources was apparent throughout the event.  I had a ball running around, taking photos of all of the sustainable décor.  I loved the centerpieces made from fresh basil and oregano which was replanted after the event!

Sustainable Centerpieces: live basil & herb plants served as the centerpieces and were replanted after the event

As you might expect from an event hosted by the Georgia Restaurant Association, we were treated to an amazing meal featuring many locally sourced foods.  My favorite dish was the Apalachicola shrimp served with Athen’s Red Mule grits – absolutely delicious.  I seriously can’t remember the last time I had grits that good!  According to attendee Holly Elmore, pre-portioned meat was purchased to eliminate prep scraps and energy conservation was a focus with food preparation and dish washing procedures.

Keynote Address - Chef Kevin Gillespie

We heard from many distinguished chefs and award recipients including the winner of the Innovator Award, Chef Ron Eyester of Rosebud, also known as @TheAngry Chef on twitter,  the winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Mark and Nancy Oswald of Ruth’s Chris Steak house, and keynote speaker Chef Kevin Gillespie, Executive Chef and Partner at Woodfire Grill.  I especially enjoyed hearing Chef Gillespie speak about the Farm to Table movement, the connection between people and food, his roots, and what it was like to grow up in a sustainable family when sustainable wasn’t so cool.  He reminded us that food isn’t just something on your plate and it’s not just something that fills you up.  Food tells a story, it connects people like nothing else can.  The food we eat is what makes us who we are.

The highlight of the evening though was seeing my friend Kat Cole win the Distinguished Service Award.  Kat’s blog is titled: The Difference: Making the World a Better Place, One Person, Team & Business at a Time through Communication, Community, and Leadership. This title truly describes Kat.  While we all have 24 hours in our days, Kat must have at least 48 hours in hers because I have no idea how she accomplishes so much.  COO of Cinnabon, MBA student, author, athlete, speaker, volunteer, coach, Kat makes a difference in everything she does.  I want to congratulate Kat for winning this distinguished award and thank her for inviting me to share in this special moment.  I also want to thank her for making such an impact in my life.

Many thanks also to the Georgia Restaurant Association, the Green Foodservice Alliance, the Loew’s Hotel and everyone who helped organize this fantastic evening.  I hope this is the first of many future Green Tie events.

I had the good fortune to attend the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference in Atlanta last week and let me just say – WOW!  This organization knows how to put on a first class event.  The Conference was held at the beautiful Marriott Marquis Hotel in Downtown Atlanta – a nice change to actually attend an event in my hometown.   The Conference featured an exciting mix of speakers, workshops, and receptions, an Elevator Pitch competition and a Deal Makers Expo.  I’ve spent quite a bit of time on the Conference Circuit over the past year, this one is definitely at the top of my list!

I was blown away by the caliber of speakers at this event.  First off, best-selling author Lisa Nichols.  This woman is powerful, magnetic, and truly captivating.  Little did I know I would be one of the stallions, still listening to her speak, hanging on her every word, until 2:30am (more…)

When Alton Brown says he likes a particular dish, it means something. When Alton says it’s the best thing he ever ate, they make a television show about it.

That is exactly what happened when Alton Brown, star of “Good Eats” and several other series on the Food Network tasted the Fried Black-eyed Peas at Relish in Roswell, Georgia.  Alton said it was “Totally Unexpected” but the Fried Black-eyed Peas were “The Best Thing I Ever Ate”.   A few months later, (more…)

I recently had the opportunity to tour the Atlanta Community Food Bank. The ACFB is the official Peas for Prosperity partner organization so the majority of donations are directed toward them. I was looking forward to touring the facility, handing over my check, and meeting my contact, Michael DeCoursey.

I was especially excited to meet Michael. Even though I had only known Michael for a very short time and we had never met face to face, he made a huge impact on me. He was encouraging, inspirational, and most importantly, he assured me I wasn’t crazy. Seeing that most of my friends and family were ready to hold an intervention and check me into the crazy house, this was extremely refreshing. Michael gave me the strength and confidence I needed to keep the factory doors open. I was ready to meet this man.

Let me first say, the ACFB is an extremely impressive building. It is a L.E.E.D. (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified building and it’s massive – 129,600 square feet massive. It glistens in the sunlight and there is even a community garden! So chic! Quite a contrast to their humble beginning as an emergency food provider in the basement of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Downtown Atlanta.

It was an honor and a pleasure to finally meet Michael. He took me on a tour of the entire facility and told me about the variety of programs offered by the ACFB. I was truly amazed. They distribute TWO MILLION pounds of food and other donated grocery items each month (that means TWENTY FOUR MILLION pounds each year) to more than 700 non-profit partner agencies in 38 counties in Metro Atlanta and North Georgia. They also have several other cool projects to help the community including Atlanta’s Table, Community Gardens, Hunger 101, Hunger Walk/Run, Product Resource Center, and Kids in Need.

I really enjoyed learning about the Kids in Need project. The ACFB has a School Supply “Store” on site. This is a free store for teachers – they are able to come in once a semester and fill up one cart of new school supplies for their students. The ACFB provides nearly 400,000 pounds of brand new school supplies annually for students! Something really clicked while I was standing in that store – sometimes it’s those little things that you would have never thought about. Every child deserves a pencil.

Our tour was winding down and it was time to hand over my check. Here is where the magic really happens. For every $1 donated to the ACFB, $7.91 of groceries is distributed back into the community. Where else can you get this much bang for your buck? Even though my first donation was not as large as I had hoped, it grew to over $2,400, instantly. Like I always say, every little bit counts. Especially with these odds.

Sometimes I wonder why I’m doing this. Why I don’t listen to my Dad and practice law. Why am I listening to this little voice inside my head, taking me down this rocky road, pursing this crazy idea to help people through peas? It’s people like Michael and organizations like the ACFB that make it all crystal clear.

Peas For Prosperity is Excited to Announce the Launch of our Eco-friendly Jewelry Line on Opening Night of the Green Shows during New York City’s Fashion Week.

The Peas for Prosperity jewelry collection is the perfect combination of Glam and Green.  The collection includes the “Lucky in Love” charm necklace, delicately embellished with black-eyed peas and sparkling crystals in shades of pink, red, and violet.  The collection also includes “The Fergie”, a show-stopper designer bracelet studded with black-eyed peas and crystals.  

Peas for Prosperity is GREEN

Well, our peas aren’t green, but our products are.  Our black-eyed peas are organic and compostable, packaged in 100% natural, unbleached cotton bags.  Recycle your PFP bag by using it at the grocery store instead of plastic or paper and load it with local, wholesome food for you and your family.

It’s perfect for storing dry goods, like coffee, beans, peas and grits, or use it as a travel bag for our eco-friendly jewelry!

Peas for Prosperity packages black-eyed peas in eco-friendly muslin bags.

We southerners know you HAVE to eat your black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day. Make sure your friends and family are ready!  Share this time honored tradition and help family and friends have a lucky and prosperous New Year by giving peas.

• Great gift for foodies or friends that love to cook.

• Perfect gift for clients

• Fun Secret Santa gift

• Perfect for office parties

• Packaged in a stylish reusable cotton bag – store peas or a host of other items in the bag year round.

• Rushing around from party to party?  Peas for Prosperity make great and unique hostess gifts!

• Looking for an affordable gift with meaning?  Look no farther than Peas for Prosperity.

• For the person who has everything – Everyone can use some good luck.  Everyone will love peas!

• Great gift to wish good luck for newly married or engaged couples

• Share our southern tradition with friends and family who live out of state

• Bags can be custom designed — perfect for creatives who want to give custom gifts to friend OR businesses who want to give branded gifts to clients!

• Want to have a fun holiday party without breaking the bank?  Have a Pea Party!

• A gift that keeps giving – helps someone who needs a Second Chance