Annie Hauck-Lawson, Ph.D., R.D.

Brooklyn Mompost Founder

A registered dietitian and master composter, Dr. Annie Hauck-Lawson founded Brooklyn Mompost: a composting service dedicated to teaching composting and green living at events all over the city. As a mother of two, Annie has tailored her composting abilities to include children. Learn more about Annie Hauck-Lawson below and learn how to turn kitchen scraps into “black gold” with Brooklyn Mompost! 

Website: www.brooklynmompost.com

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/compostwithmompost

Twitter: @BrooklynMompost

Instagram: http://instagram.com/brooklyn_mompost

What was your favorite food to eat as a child?

Freshly whipped cream

Do you have children? If so, what do you like to make for them or with them?

I cook from scratch almost every night and I have both a daughter and a son who are now young adults. Broccoli rabe was their first vegetable fed to them at six months and, growing up, Alana Grace loved bowls of pasta topped with broccoli rabe sautéed in olive oil and garlic with lots of grated pecorino cheese. Phillip Hunter loves steak or chicken breast ‘socks’; the meat is wrapped in bacon strips & cooked in a cast iron pan.

What is your favorite childhood memory in the kitchen?

My father cooked daily breakfast for us. ‘Eggs in the Nest’ was one Sunday specialty. He put a ring of hot mashed potatoes or steaming rice with melted cheese on a big plate and set sunny-side up eggs in the middle. Dad put it in the center of the breakfast table and we spooned out our portions from there.

What was your favorite recipe to help make when you were a kid?

Everything except liver, as I was my Mother’s right hand/prep cook before dinner. I peeled and chopped vegetables and made salad while she was at the stove. Hard to pin it down to one thing (my Mom is a great cook), but I’ll say artichokes made in a pressure cooker with garlic and olive oil, then served with melted butter alongside. Or maybe skirt steak pinwheels with wine sauce.

The Creative Kitchen™, LLC, teaches children about food and how to cook in a fun, safe, and educational manner. Targeting families with children ages two to teen, the company focuses on teaching, writing creative content and curriculum, special events, recipe development, spokesperson work, webisode production and consulting to present educational and entertaining content through food-related activities. The founder, Cricket Azima, is an expert in cooking for and with children. She inspires kids to express themselves creatively through food and cooking, while complementing lessons with traditional educational material such as social studies, math, arts, science, and more. Visit www.thecreativekitchen.com for more information.

 At The Creative Kitchen, we try to use Earth-friendly, sustainable products whenever possible. That is why we were so excited when we came across Mika Pak, a company dedicated to manufacturing products created from renewable resources! Their products, including plates, utensils, containers, and cups, are plant-based – making them biodegradable and compostable. Mika Pak’s products are not only sustainable, but stylish too! We love the natural look of their Palm Leaf Plates (made from fallen palm leaves), the bright colors of their PLA Bio-Plastic Utensils (made from a sugar-based, plastic-free material), and the simplicity of their Bagasse Bowls (made from crushed sugar cane fibers). These environmentally friendly products are sturdy enough to handle your heaviest foods and natural enough to compost in 120 days! 

From the Eyes of a Parent:

These products are great to keep on hand. I love to use them at big events like birthday parties or family dinners when I know a lot of dishes and utensils will be used. Knowing that Mika Pak’s products are eco-friendly and made from sustainable resources makes me feel better about using disposable products, since these products will have less of a negative impact of the Earth. 

Fascinating Features:

Mika Pak offers a wide array of products including:

• Plates 
• Utensils 
• Bowls
• Containers
• Cups & Lids
• Stirrers
• Straws
• Bags

 All products are made from biodegradable and compostable materials from sustainable sources. These materials include:

• Bagasse Sugarcane
• FSC Paper
• FSC Wood
• PLA Bio-Plastic
• Pressed Palm Leaf
• Sustainable Packaging Films
• Tapioca/Starch

The Icing on the Cake:

Bagasse products are made from crushed sugarcane fibers, making them tree free and a great substitute for Styrofoam. They are biodegradable, compost in 60-120 days, and are fridge, freezer, and microwave safe.

The sturdy pressed palm leaf products are USDA certified organic and are biodegradable, compostable, disposable, and washable. They are also refrigerator, freezer, and heat safe.

PLA Bio-Plastic is a non-toxic, sugar-based, plastic-free material. The plastic-like products are made from corn grown in the USA and are fully compostable within 90 to 120 days. 

The Creative Kitchen™, LLC, teaches children about food and how to cook in a fun, safe, and educational manner. Targeting families with children ages two to teen, the company focuses on teaching, writing creative content and curriculum, special events, recipe development, spokesperson work, webisode production and consulting to present educational and entertaining content through food-related activities. The founder, Cricket Azima, is an expert in cooking for and with children.  She inspires kids to express themselves creatively through food and cooking, while complementing lessons with traditional educational material such as social studies, math, arts, science, and more. Visit www.thecreativekitchen.com for more information.