This gallery contains 2 photos.
I used a turban squash (a type of winter squash or pumpkin) that was sitting on my counter for the past week or so. It was in my last CSA bin of the season (too short). Winter Squash Soup 1 … Continue reading
Our kids’ school year just began the other day and I have decided to try something different to help our elementary school students eat more fruits and vegetables. At the last school year’s PTA meeting I had been given the idea to get some parent volunteers to come in to help the first graders get through the lunch lines on those first few days of school. Although they’d had a run-though of what to do/expect at the end of their Kindergarten year, it could be overwhelming for the wee ones when returning after their long summer break. I decided to use the opportunity to do a little coaxing when it came to the fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately our school lunch provider doesn’t automatically give the kids those, they usually just offer them. And not only are they just offered, they are in small plastic containers (except a couple of whole apples, oranges or bananas) that are set in a bin the kids have to reach to get (which can be tough for the smaller ones).
So, I organized my volunteers to gently persuade all the kids (grades1 through 4) to take as many of the small containers as they’d like by telling them what’s in them and to say, “which one would you like sweet red peppers or coleslaw… or both?” instead of just saying “would you like some vegetables?” And if they refused try to convince them they needed their vegetables and fruits for a well-rounded meal, to be strong, to be smart, to be healthy. Whatever they could think of that would work.
Interestingly I found that the lunch ladies hadn’t planned on the kids taking so many of these containers of vegetables and fruits as we’d run out during service for each grade every time in the first week (they were prepared but in the walk-in inside the kitchen — where I wasn’t allowed to go). Continue reading
My kids are lucky. They have no known food allergies, but of course going to school, they must be considerate of others who aren’t as lucky. All the class snacks and my soon-to-be kindergartner’s lunches must be nut-free. Sometimes they have to be free of dairy, soy, egg, and seafood, depending on the classroom. We get a list of nut-free foods that are safe to serve from the school nurse, but I always find so much junk on it. So I create my own list, which you can find some of below and in full here.
I find that fresh fruits (squeeze a little lemon juice in some cool water to keep the brown away) and vegetables are easy and safe. My middle son loves to dip his peppers, celery and carrots in organic ranch dressing. Whereas my youngest son loves hummus for dipping in carrots and pita chips… or even his fingers.
I often make popcorn at home either on the stove using canola, olive or grapeseed oils or in the microwave using a brown paper bag and oils. I’ll season with real melted butter and salt or my own spice mixture.
Here are more snack ideas for school:
More Nut-Free Snacks*
FRESH FRUITS & VEGGIES
Black Beans, Pinto Beans, etc.
Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans- plain or roasted with Moroccan spices
Broccoli
Sugar Snap Peas
Snow Peas
Green Beans
Sweet Potato
Sliced Bell Peppers
Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
Cauliflower
Roasted Beets or Trader Joe’s Ready to Eat Beets
Lentils – Trader Joe’s Steamed Lentils
Raw/Roasted Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas)
Sunflower Seeds
Mandarin segments in juice (not syrup)
DAIRY & EGG SNACKS & MEATS
Cheeses- TJ’s mini brie, mini goat cheese, sliced cheddar, organic cheese sticks, sliced muenster
Kafir milk or Lassi
All natural yogurts without hormones like Stoneyfield or Trader Joe’s, Brown Cow, Whole Foods, Horizon
Trader Joe’s yoyo squeezers Stoneyfield or Horizon tube yogurt (freeze to keep cold or as frozen morning snack)
Hard-Boiled Eggs with sea salt
Devilled Eggs
Applegate Farm salami, ham, chicken or turkey
Applegate Farm sliced cheeses
WHOLE-GRAIN SNACKS
Brown Rice
Couscous
Quinoa
Tabouli
Pasta (whole wheat, brown rice, etc) served cold or in thermos warm
Triscuits or Trader Joe’s Woven Wheat Wafers
Popcorn (can pop on stove or in brown bag in microwave)
Oatmeal (served warm in thermos)
Kashi Shredded Wheat (vanilla, cinnamon)
Finn Crisp Thin Rye Crispbread
Lundberg Brown Rice or Wild Rice Cakes
Wasa Rye Cripsbread Varieties
Ryvita Rye Varieties
Kashi Heart to Heart Whole Grain Crackers (Original & Roast Garlic)
Trader Joe’s Rice & Bean Chips
Trader Joe’s Veggie & Flaxseed Tortilla Chips
Happy Herbert’s Sesame Snack Sticks
Canned/Dried Fruits & Sauces
Organic Raisins, curents
Dried Plums
Dates
Mission Figs
Organic Dried Cranberries, Blueberries, Cherries, apple Rings, or Mangoes
Dried Unsulfured Apricots
Vermont Village Applesauce
GoGo Squeez Applesauces
Nature’s Child Grape or Berry Squeezers
Trader Joe’s Crushers
Trader Joe’s Fruit Leathers
Archer Farms Organic Fruit Strips, Bars or Pull Apart Peels
Fruitabü Organic Smooshed Fruitrolls
Trader Joe’s Fruit Flakes
Trader Joe’s Fiberful Fruit Bars
Clif Kid Organic Twisted Fruit Rope
Trader Joe’s Freeze Dried Mangos, Bananas, Grapes or Strawberries
Roasted Seaweed Snack (TJ’s or Costco)
Also homemade nut-free Leftovers!
*I need to update this list, as many new items that are gluten-free and/or nut-free are available since I wrote this.
I just got back from a wonderful few days in NYC. I was one of 5000 bloggers at the #BlogHer12 Conference. It was humbling, inspiring, exhausting, fun, a learning experience but the best part was that I’ve come away with new friends, contacts and a realization that I have a lot of work to get my blog looking the way I really want it to.
I didn’t leave my husband with any pre-cooked meals, frozen ready-to-cook meals or instructions. He’s a chef and I figured the meals were the least of the problem. I did forget to tell him to water the hanging petunias on our front porch but I think they’ll recover. I was not shocked upon my return that the laundry was undone or the kitchen floor disgusting… hey, I barely ever get the laundry folded and away and I’m not a constant-enough mopper (though I do sweep daily). It was nice to feel appreciated; my husband said he realized why I hardly ever get the laundry completed. Though, really is it ever really finished?
So, before I left I did make what I thought was an awesome meal on a sticky humid evening. I’d bought a gorgeous looking cod filet (over 1 pound) and knew that I wanted to grill dinner on the hot and humid night. Who wants to cook in a hot kitchen in the dog days of summer? So this is how I grilled it:
Summer “Grilled” Cod
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground coriander
juice of one lime
palmful chopped cilantro
handful quartered cherry tomatoes
1 chopped scallion
1 chopped garlic scape (the center stalk of fresh garlic— good pic here)
salt and pepper
I took the filet of Cod and wrapped it in tin foil. Before closing it up I sprinkled the spices on it, added all other ingredients on top then placed on grill for about 10 minutes. While it was cooking I also grilled some zucchini, squash and eggplant. I did cook the snap peas inside, but they only take 3 minutes in a small pan of boiling water. I used my frozen TJ’s Org Brown Rice— 3 minutes in the microwave. I could have set my rice cooker before we left the house that morning but I didn’t know what I was going to see in the market. And since I knew not all my kids would eat the grilled vegetables, I made a plain green salad with avocado. Overall, a delicious and awesomely nutritious dinner.
Even Rosie thinks it’s hot tonight.
All three of my kids, weren’t as in love with the fish as I was, but still ate most of it. It was my middle son who ate the most. He also ate the zucchini but refused the eggplant. My youngest loves snap peas and salad, so success all round. 
Yesterday was a great day for this blog and I feel very grateful to all my followers. In the morning I hit 25,000 tumblr followers (now over 54,000 as of 4/1/13!), then in the afternoon I was selected as the Blog of the Month by Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. That is very thrilling and I am so honored. I admire Jamie and all that he’s done to change the way people think about food, cooking and serving kids healthful school lunches. 
The reason I started this blog was to help others. I didn’t think I had any magical touch. I certainly wouldn’t win any parenting and housekeeping awards. I really just believed that it comes down to cooking at home more than on an occasion, eating together, serving kids foods would eat (adult food not kid food) and just putting those vegetables in front of them— often.
Yes, I can cook, but I don’t always feel inspired to create amazing and gourmet meals. Sometimes, I just want to take the shortcuts and throw something together. But I do believe that even in those times, it is possible to throw together quick, healthful meals. There are times that my kids don’t eat the most healthy foods, but I just try to keep those times to the minimum. I want that balance for their attitudes towards food (like, so they won’t gorge on junk when it’s in front of them) and so they can see that even healthy foods taste good!
I attribute a great deal of my own growth in cooking to my husband, a chef, who has taught me much (but unfortunately is working many long hours day and night) and also because I joined a local farm’s CSA/Shared Harvest program. I was forced to use vegetables I’d pass by in the grocery store because I just didn’t know what to do with them. I enjoy good food and I want my kids to share in that enjoyment. It’s a wonderful part of life.
So, thank you. Thank you for giving me this platform to share. Thank you for keeping me going. Thank you for validating what I am trying to achieve. I hope I’ve helped you, your kids, or someone you know in eating well.
Me with my main reasons for cooking healthy foods!
This gallery contains 3 photos.
A simple way to make a delicious avocado salsa/chunky guacamole. Use Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde (Tomatillo salsa) to add nice spicy twist. I find sometimes chili peppers aren’t hot enough or are too hot and then sometimes their heat … Continue reading
This gallery contains 2 photos.
Ok, forgot to buy the Fruitabu fruit strips for a flag cake! Well, maybe will have to make a different cake today. Or maybe a pie. For the butter cream frosting it’s easiest to make in the food processor. All … Continue reading
This gallery contains 1 photo.
Sugar Snap Peas Kids love them for their sweetness and crunch. They’re fabulous raw as a snack or lightly steamed with a touch of butter for a side. Slice them for salads. Throw them in a stir fry. These … Continue reading
Snacks, snacks, snacks. Why are there so many snack foods? And why do kids need so many snacks in a day? Also why are most snack foods void of nutrients? Pretzels- not terrible as far as a processed snack food goes, but think… where’s the nutrition in them? I don’t mean where’s the health-food, but where are the nutrients that the body needs to function? So you’ve given your kids some calories to tide them over, but those potato chips, cheese puffs and corn chips are lacking any vitamins or minerals. So guess what? The body says, “great I’ve got something now, but in just 15-30 minutes when I realize I got nothing out of those calories, I will want more food to fuel me.” This cycle is a major reason our population is getting fatter… along with portions being too big plus a reduction in physical activity.
So think— is this snack food going to tide them over just to be hungry again or maybe some carrots, apples and cheese are better alternatives to the empty calorie snacks.
Also, try for the snacks that don’t have my 3 worst types of ingredients: artificial colors, preservatives and high fructose corn syrup.
Here are a few ideas for those in-between times when you really must fill a hole until mealtime.
Fresh Vegetables!
Ola Granola with Strawberry Rhubarb Compote and Yogurt
Dukkah
Fruit salad
Fresh Whole Fruit
Avocado on fresh bread
Roasted Seaweed
Another idea is to serve some hummus or vegetables with the chips, pretzels, etc.
