The Bread Art Project

"Cheapo, what is the Bread Art Project?"

Some thought it was a bread making class. Others thought was art made with bread...that you can eat! Hmmm...both of those are rather good ideas actually. Though, this was not either of them.

The Bread Art Project is an event sponsored by The Grain Foods Foundation to help raise money for Share Our Strength - the leading national organization working to end childhood hunger in America by 2015.

Hosted by the Sprouts Academy in Chicago, many bloggers gathered with Melissa D'Arabian (from the Food Network's Ten Dollar Dinners) to help raise awareness for this project.


Melissa shared with us stories from her childhood. She was raised in a single family home, often going without meals while her mother worked and attended school. She worked in the school cafeteria in order to get free lunches and was so thankful for the lady who offered that opportunity to her. Not only did it impact her well being as a child, it affected her life. Melissa is now an advocate of feeding hungry children wholesome, nutritious meals.

Not only did she share some helpful tips and recipes with us, we were offered wonderful foods to try made with whole grains - muffins, grilled sandwiches and even little clay pots filled with hummus and baby carrots!

One of her tips was about bread crusts. All of us pretty much admit that our children will not eat the crust from their bread. Don't waste it! You can do two things with the crusts:

• Place them in a baggie and freeze. When you need bread crumbs for a recipe, grind them up and use them! Much cheaper and nicer color than Panko.
  
• Cut off the crusts and use them as "dippers." She has found that her children will not eat them on a sandwich, but if she arranges the crusts on a plate with some "dip" (peanut butter, jelly, etc.) the kids love them!
  

Here's where you come in. Would you like to help this cause and participate in the Bread Art Project? I promise, it won't cost you a thing - except a few minutes of your time and a little creativity (and I KNOW you can afford that.) Go HERE and design your own piece of Bread Art. You can even get your kids involved! For every piece of Bread Art created by June 30, 2010, The Grain Foods Foundation will donate $1 to Share our Strength (up to $100,000.)

All it takes is one dollar to provide three nutritious meals to a hungry child. You can imagine what $100,000 can do!

Won't you please help?