Marion Pellicano Ambrose
 |
| Master Chef Amy |
Amy is the master chef at the Center for Great Apes in Wachula, Florida. The fans she feeds – Orangutans and Chimpanzees of all sizes and ages. Each one has a special formula for what nutrition is needed. A mixture of fruits, veggies, special biscuits, proteins (such as peanut butter) and special treats like pickles, frozen lemonade pops, bamboo filled with frozen juice, and much more are concocted each and every day.
 |
| Each bucket contains special ingredients for each ape's diet |
From the moment Amy arrives in the morning until she leaves in the evening, she chops, peels, dices, slices and prepares. In between, she cleans like a white tornado. Every time a delivery of Ape Chow arrives, she completely empties the pantry, sweeps and scrubs and puts the new chow bags on the bottom and the older chow on top. The cabinets too are emptied and scrubbed regularly. All the perishable ape food is stored in one of three giant refrigerators or freezers(no people food allowed!). The large walk-in holds huge bags of onions, broccoli, mangos (I know because I peeled 4 cases of them today!), and other assorted veggies. The large freezer was filled with the several large cases of individually frozen lemonade cups that will help the apes keep cool and enjoy a frosty treat tomorrow. The large slider refrigerator was where I found the giant jars of pickles the apes love so much. I made 50 treat boxes which consisted of putting some crinkled brown paper in an empty box (pasta, cereal etc.) or empty paper towel rolls, then adding a handful of sliced pickles, then adding more crinkled paper. Other treats might include nuts, dried fruits and fresh fruits.The apes love to discover the treat hidden in the wrapping. They also enjoy tearing up the crinkled paper. Grub, the chimpanzee loves to use the paper to make masks!
 |
| Want some of my pumpkin? |
 |
| Frozen lemonade treats |
Amy makes sure each ape gets exactly what he or she needs to be healthy and happy at the Center for Great Apes. She’s even written a cookbook filled with the favorite recipes of all the apes. Most of the meals and treats they enjoy are good for people too! You can try Tango's Cucumber Melon Salad, Pongo's Vegetable Burgers, Angel's Sweet Potato Fries or Roger's Roasted Vegetable Hummus, These recipes and more can be found in The Center For Great Apes Recipe Book by Amy Knighton. Have trouble getting your kids to eat healthy food? Try Oopsies' Citrus Smiling Faces or Ripley's Mango Smoothie! Each recipe has a picture of the food with the Chimpanzee or Orangutan that loves it best! I'm making Geri's Lemon-Elderberry Pineapple Upside Down Cake this week!
Whenever I work in the Feed Room (what most people would consider the ape kitchen!), I have a blast making all the specialties Amy teaches me to concoct. Today, while I made the treat boxes outside the back door, Bam Bam sat right behind me watching and making "raspberries" to get my attention. I think he wanted to help. Either that or he couldn’t wait to have one of the special hidden enrichment treats! Check out the You Tube video below. It shows a Valentine's Day Enrichment treat. facebook.com/#!/CenterForGreatApes?sk=app_3801015922
Later I moved into the feed room to peel the mangos. Bam Bam moved to where he could peer in the window and watch while he cooled off in the shade with a large fan blowing his beautiful red hair around. He was one happy camper! I was too because he was great company.
 |
| Frozen Bamboo Pops are a favorite! |
Later I moved into the feed room to peel the mangos. Bam Bam moved to where he could peer in the window and watch while he cooled off in the shade with a large fan blowing his beautiful red hair around. He was one happy camper! I was too because he was great company.
 |
| Watermelon, Mango, Lychee Cake |
The Center receives huge fresh produce deliveries twice a week so all the fruit and veggies are super fresh. Everything is prepared in immaculate conditions under Amy’s watchful eye. From HUGE Christopher to little Stryker and special little guy, Knuckles, Amy gives them what they love and what they need for optimum health. But the reason we nominate her for the silver spoon is because, in addition to all this, it’s so obvious that she truly loves these special creatures, and they love her. So, here’s to you Amy, our choice for the Silver Spoon and Chef of the Century, for your love, compassion, kindness and expertise in service to the Center for Great Apes.
 |
| Halloween Enrichment Treats |
For information about The Center For Great Apes Recipe Book by Amy Knighton, contact: https://www.facebook.com/#!/CenterForGreatApes?sk=app_3801015922
