| Jennie
Garth |
|
 The
new original web series "Garden Party," hosted by
celebrity mom Jennie Garth, ("Beverly Hills, 90210,"
"What I Like About You"), will premiere Tuesday,
January 19 on iVillage (www.iVillage.com/gardenparty).
The digital lifestyle series, from NBC Universal Digital Studio
and the makers of Hidden Valley® Ranch dressing, serves
to help families incorporate vegetables into their diets.
Garden Party celebrates a new vegetable each month. Host,
Jennie Garth, meets with farmers, chefs, moms and kids to
find new and exciting ways to get families to love their veggies.
From planting cucumbers at home, to visiting a kid’s cooking
school, to taking a tour of a family farm, Jennie infuses
her personality and experience as a mom into the series to
make the information come alive. Jennie shares her own experience
and tips with rich interactive elements including a "Cook
and Tell" cookbook, a "What's For Dinner" meal
planner and an opportunity for moms to tell their veggie stories.
Check
out Episode 1 here!
|
| Q:
It looks like you’re having a really good time selling the series
and interacting with the kids. How did this project come about?
How did you get involved with it? |
| Jennie
Garth: Well, you know, I did have such a great time doing
Garden Party. I didn't know that I would get to interact so
much with the kids but we ended up in the middle of a field
in LA and we were totally gardening and eating vegetables all
day. We had so much fun.
How I got involved was, you know, a lot of people my age
are moms. And so I'm a pretty recognizable face for a certain
age woman and people that grew up watching Beverly Hills 90210,
the original show. And so now a lot of us women have kids.
And one of the, you know, big issues is how to get - make
sure our kids are eating healthy. And I know I struggle with
it with my own kids. And I love to talk to other women about,
you know, relevant issues and this is definitely a relevant
issue so they came to me and asked me to do this Web series
and ended up being a really fun time.
|
| Q:
You seem also very comfortable talking about the foods and talking
about different serving options that exist and making them more
appealing to kids and that. Did you have this knowledge ahead
of time or did you find that you learned a lot yourself in doing
this series? |
| Jennie
Garth: You know, I thought I knew everything there was to
know about a vegetable but after I did this I learned so much
everyday just shooting this. I think that anybody that watches
it will be kind of surprised too. And I got some really great
tips. Everyday I would come home from shooting this Web thing
and I would try a new vegetable at home.
And the kids were into and so it did actually end up teaching
me about new vegetables, new little tricks I could try to
get my kids to eat them. And so it was a learning experience.
But I am kind of a foodie, I like food and I love to cook.
|
| Q:
What are some of your favorite vegetables? |
| Jennie
Garth: Oh my gosh I love sugar snap peas and asparagus.
I love every vegetable I swear to you. When I was doing this
series standing out in these beautiful fields full of fresh
vegetables I was going crazy because there were gorgeous vegetables
all around me.
And so I introduced - I got introduced to several vegetables
that I'd never even heard of. I can't remember the names of
them right now but like Japanese turnips and crazy things.
And they were so delicious straight out of the field. And
so I love - we cook a lot of carrots and broccoli stuff like
that at my house, you know, kid-friendly vegetables.
|
| Q:
Why do you think people will want to take their time to watch
Garden Party? |
| Jennie
Garth: Well I think that there are a lot of moms out there
that are like me and they’re a little lost when it comes to
how do I get my kids to eat vegetables? I know they’re supposed
to eat them and I know, you know, it’s our responsibility to
give these kids a balanced diet and not only just, you know,
feed them but teach them how to incorporate vegetables into
their own diets when they get old enough to choose, you know,
what they’re eating when they’re away from you.
So I think that that was - is the reason I did it was to
help, you know, educate other moms and educate myself about
vegetables.
|
| Q:
Other than a particular vegetable type that you were introduced
to was there something about vegetables in particular you learned
from doing this? |
| Jennie
Garth: Something about vegetables that I learned from doing
this? I learned about, you know, going straight to the fields.
If you can in your neighborhood going to local farmer’s markets
to get fresh produce and try to stay away from - try to buy
local which was something that I learned about, you know, that
I didn't really think of before.
But, you know, when you think about all the shipping and
how far the vegetables are traveling when they’re coming from
Chile and all these places. It’s best to get the freshest,
quickest, closest to you grown vegetable you can.
|
| Q:
Yes I'm sure your stomach appreciates you learning this new... |
| Jennie
Garth: I'm sure it does too. And I also learned that, you
know, I always thought maybe putting dressing or dip or whatever
was not so good for kids but this is actually a great alternative,
a way to get your kids introduced to vegetables and get them
to like them.
And I think a great tip is to when they’re hungry and they
come home from school they want a snack and just put out,
you know, some vegetables that you've cut up and a little
bit of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing and they dip it in there,
they eat it up because they’re hungry and all the sudden they’re
craving vegetables and dip.
|
| Q:
I know you grew up on a ranch. So was that kind of the start
of you really liking like fresh foods and things like that? |
| Jennie
Garth: Yeah we had a big garden since I can remember growing
up. We would always - and we lived way out in the country and
we didn't have a lot of money so my mom - we always had our,
you know, our vegetables grown in our garden and we would be
out there taking care of them and growing them and gardening.
So doing this Web series really sort of brought me back to my
roots I guess - excuse the pun.
And I really enjoy, you know, I can remember when I was
little walking in the corn fields in Illinois and just having
fresh corn whenever you wanted it right outside your door.
So......it was quite a luxury. I didn't know it then but I
appreciate it now.
|
| Q:
Was there ever a vegetable for you growing up that you really
dreaded that you did, you know, the old hide in the napkin trick
at dinner or anything like that? |
| Jennie
Garth: I wasn't very fond of zucchini when you cook it,
it gets a little slimy. |
| Q:
Now I want to know why is it important for children to learn
where their food comes from or even how to grow their own? |
| Jennie
Garth: Well I think it gives them a sense of sort of investment,
you know, they care about what, you know, when you teach your
kids instead of just sort of preaching to them, when you teach
them about why something is good for them they want to do the
right thing. Kids have this inherent quality to want boundaries
and they want to do the right thing.
So when they know how good for them eating fresh vegetables
from the garden is instead of, you know, packaged and processed
foods they want to take care of themselves and they want to
be healthy and strong and be able to run and play. So this
is, you know, it’s vital information to children to parents
to teach their kids that what they’re eating and how it’s
affecting their body and their performance at school, you
know.
|
| Q:
What have you found is the easiest way to introduce vegetables
into your children’s diet and make it fun for them? |
| Jennie
Garth: Well the, you know, the old go-to for any mom is
to dip it in the Hidden Valley Ranch because that stuff like’s
magic. It tastes really good and kids think that they’re having
a treat but really they’re getting the nutrients from the vegetables
and it really makes it a little easier. |
| Q:
You have a very busy life with your career and your husband
three beautiful daughters so how do you keep it all balanced? |
| Jennie
Garth: You know, I am just like any other person out there.
I make lists and I try to, you know, accomplish things everyday.
I could lay in bed and, you know, take the kids to school and
then go back to bed but I don't, I go and exercise and I jut
try to keep, you know, the ball rolling. You've got to keep
it going and keep accomplishing things with your time.
And I think also just prioritizing, you know, and really
sort of planning out work - your work commitments and your,
you know, family time, carving out dinner for family every
night.
And I do spend a lot of time thinking about what I'm going
to feed them too, you know, as mom I think about that a lot
and I prepare their meals everyday. So it’s just, you know,
it’s about balance and trying to keep it all together.
|
| Q:
What was your favorite part of filming the show? |
| Jennie
Garth: Oh, you know, I wasn't sure that I was going to have
as much as I ended up having. Just being out in the fields,
we were out at a local farm here and being out there with the
real farmers and with the kid and we got to spray off all the
fruits and pick them and, you know, chop them and eat them right
out there on the farm; it was a lot of fun.
And just I had a good time - we did like a neighborhood
veggie party one episode. And just chatting with like this
woman that was - we called her grandma because she was everybody’s
grandma.
And just hearing everybody’s stories, you know, and how
they like to eat their vegetables and what, you know, what
it means to them to feed their kids and their families fresh
healthy foods. I'm kind of one of those women that likes to
sit and gab with other women, you know, and share stories.
So I think that was a lot of fun for me.
|
| Q:
I wanted to know what your thoughts are on doing a Web series
versus being involved in a TV series and kind of what differences
there were or if there were any differences involved in this
project from other projects you've worked on in the past? |
| Jennie
Garth: Well this Web - I've done Web series that were purely
for entertainment. I did one other Web series, it was for entertainment.
But this was more of an educational angle. I thought it was
a great way to sort of partner NBC up with Hidden Valley Ranch
and not only advertise the product but at the some time teach
people some valuable information.
So I was excited to jump on board and sort of be the vegetable
spokes-lady, you know. And I learned a lot along the way.
And it was very easy filming it. It was something that wasn't
a huge time commitment for me. And it was quick and voila,
now it’s on the Web and it’s going to be reaching just thousands
of people and it’s going to be teaching so many people about
vegetables that they - these things that they didn't know
and different ways for moms to get their kids to eat veggies.
|
| Q:
Have you taken any cooking and nutrition classes to prepare
for this role? And if not do you plan to in the future? |
| Jennie
Garth: Well, you know, I learned a lot doing this. I think
I learned so much about vegetables I don't need to take anymore
classes. So I feel that I brought home some really great healthy
tips for my family. And it’s just about incorporating those
things into their diets, you know. |
| Q:
Did any traveling for the show to go to any further away farms
or anything or if you mostly stay local? |
| Jennie
Garth: We stayed local. We, you know, we went to Santa Barbara
which was this, you know, great weather and a lot of beautiful
vegetables up there. And we went to Underwood Farms which is
local here about 30 minutes out of town. So, yeah, we kind of
stayed, you know, within a two hour radius of LA. |
| Q:
What other projects you have going on right now if you’re not
doing as much 90210 or if you have any more educational-type
projects or anything else coming up? |
| Jennie
Garth: I am the spokesperson for the American Heart Association
so I'm doing a lot of work with them especially with February
coming which is, you know, Heart Awareness Month. And I am working
on a children’s book. I love kids and I love to read to my kids
so I'm working on a book series for kids.
And I, you know, I have all kinds of irons in the fire.
My husband is writing a script that we’re sort of developing
for television so we'll see.
|
| Q:
We were wondering if you ever miss farm life enough that you
would want to move back to your ranch permanently and get out
of the city? |
| Jennie
Garth: You know, that’s something that Peter and I talk
about a lot. And it’s actually what - where my interest lies.
You know, I just have to get my city boy on board with that. |
| Q:
I wanted to know a little bit more about the Cook and Tell cookbook
and the What’s for Dinner meal planner that it said are elements
along with your veggie stories? |
| Jennie
Garth: Right well they go along with the Web series. And
they’re just really chocked full of helpful information that
you can take from the Website. And it’s just lots of great tips
for moms, ideas, you know, I'm always running out of ideas what
to cook for dinner and how to make a vegetable or how to get
a balanced meal in my kids. So these are just really helpful
tools that parents can sort of have in their toolkit. |
| Q:
Has having children changed the way you look at nutrition or
were you always a sensible eater? |
| Jennie
Garth: Well being pregnant, I mean, I was always - I took
the best care of myself when I was pregnant, you know, and when
I was thinking about feeding someone else. So now I know it’s
my sole responsibility to, you know, feed these kids balanced
food because if I just let them eat what they want they would
just, they wouldn't be very healthy let’s put it that way.
And, you know, I take it really seriously because I want
them to have the best, you know, performance at school that
they can. I want them to be able to run and do whatever they
want to do. And I know what a direct impact foods and sugars
and all the simple carbs out there and things that are available
to them. I know how bad that stuff is for them.
|
| Q:
What is it that you think that has caused our kids these days
to have a problem with their diets and do you think it’s just
the fast food or the - why they would rather grab something
that’s not natural and healthy for them? |
| Jennie
Garth: Oh my gosh because we’re so busy. I mean, you know,
everybody’s running a million miles an hour. And I get it but
it just takes a little bit of thinking ahead, you know, as a
parent, as a mom you've got to think ahead to stock your cabinets
with things that you know that they’re going to - they’re going
to want and they’re going to eat.
And preparing foods, you know, there’s so many - you walk
through the store and it’s just all prepackaged convenience
foods now. And you think oh I could just buy this and be done
with it but if you think about it it’s so much better for
you to go home and cook it from scratch actually make that
meal instead of just open a package, you know.
|
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