I felt rather clever when I came up with this themed lunch, but, if I am to be honest with myself, it was really laziness disguised with a clever title.
Miniature apples (how cute are they?); tangerine; banana; hardboiled egg; and pistachios. It's both a lunch and an exercise for developing fine motor skills.
waste generated: none :)
The chilly weather has finally taken hold, and for me, nothing says cold weather is here like hot soup and a sandwich. Today's version of that cold weather staple: Mexican Tomato Lime Tortilla Soup from Moosewood Cookbook (incredibly fast and easy); quesadillas made with sprouted wheat tortillas, monterrey jack cheese, chicken, corn and black beans; whole persimmon from a neighbor's tree; and berry muffin made with whole wheat and almond meal.
Don't worry, I didn't actually pack it all in that little camp pan, although that wouldn't be the worst idea I have ever had. The quesadilla and muffin packed nicely wrapped in the bandana. The persimmon was fine on its own and the funny little pan stayed home with me.
waste generated: none :)
I'm pretty sure some fast food restaurant started this concept (the french toast stick) a decade ago and, in fact, I do recall balancing said sticks on my lap while driving home from work one morning (this would be back in the days when I thought pulling all nighters at the office made me important and sophisticated). Now I am using that food of desperation for my son's lunch and writing about it. Have I evolved at all? I'll let you be the judge.
French toast sticks on whole wheat bread; maple syrup for dipping; half a Bosc pear; trail mix with peanuts, dried cranberries, almonds, raisins, and dried apricots.
waste generated: none :)
This calzone is made with mostly broccoli with a little ricotta and mozzarella all stuffed into a whole wheat crust. Pizza sauce on the side for dipping; kalamata olives; lettuce and red bell peppers. Frozen chocolate peanut butter bars for dessert (made with crushed Mid-Del wholewheat graham crackers, homemade organic peanut butter, and melted dark chocolate chips).
waste generated: small piece of unbleached parchment paper
Cream cheese and homemade apricot jam on sprouted whole wheat bread "wheels"; pineapple chunks; sweet and spicy pecans mixed with plain pecans; and multigrain flake cereal.
waste generated: none :)
If I am obsessed with gourds, my son is obsessed with lunchables. I don't believe that this will entirely soothe the itch, but I am hoping it will bring us closer to common ground. By the way, this is my children's favorite family dinner and the leftovers pack nicely with no alterations.
Make Your Own Taco Kit (all ingredients are organic): homemade corn and wholewheat flour tortillas; shredded lettuce; chopped tomatoes; shredded cheddar; and ground buffalo meat seasoned with tomato sauce, onions, cumin, chili powder and salt.
waste generated: square of wax paper
Tuna salad (made with line caught tuna, canola mayo, dijon mustard, shredded carrots, slivers of celery and capers) wrap on a sprouted wheat tortilla with crisp apple matchsticks; apple chunks; raw almonds; and all bran crackers.
waste generated: strip of wax paper used to hold wraps together
Today I was given instructions: "something warm that is not soup."
Annies whole wheat macaroni and cheese made with plain yogurt (instead of milk & butter) with peas and wheat germ. I put frozen peas in the colander and dump the boiling pasta on top, Instantly unfrozen, but not mushy, peas. I throw in a handful of raw wheat germ at the very end.
Fully Belly Farm nantes carrots, peeled but end left untrimmed (wrapped in the versatile, re-useable wrap-n-mat), and sliced cucumbers with Annie's Cowgirl Ranch dressing.
waste generated: one paper napkin leftover from a pizza delivery
If you're buying organic dairy products because you want healthier dairy products, be careful what brands you buy.
If you haven't already heard, Aurora Dairy in Colorado, although it has organic status is a factory farm. There is a lot of controversy around Aurora Dairy already because of its large scale operation with little space for the animals. It does not meet the criteria for the typical organic dairy. Yet it continues to produce dairy products under the organic label.
If you want truly organic quality dairy products from healthy animals raised in clean, healthy environments, you will want to avoid products from Aurora Dairy. They sell their products under the following labels:
