School lunches, Week 2

Over the next month or so we'll narrow down our eating schedule for what kind of foods we'll have on what days; for example, Mondays may be breakfast for lunch, Tuesday is finger foods, Wednesday is soup day, Thursday is pasta or rice, Friday is...well, whatever is only mildly wilted at the bottom of the vegetable drawer and that plastic-wrapped burrito I'm always so happy to see at the end of a week of cooking! We'll eventually do the same for our breakfasts and dinners. I know this may seem horrifying to some, this regimented, pre-planned way of living but it's actually incredibly liberating. The busier I get, the more convinced I become that the key to sanity is being meticulously regimented in the things I have to do so that I can be spontaneous and relaxed in the things I want to do. I love to cook but it's stressful to do when it's past dinner time, everyone's starving and the fridge is empty so having dedicated prep times and meal plans takes away much of the burden and opens wonderful little pockets of time in the day.

Monday:

• Pepperoni, broccoli and tomato quiche (recipe from Elana's Pantry and found in The Gluten-Free Almond Flour cookbook)
• Mixed greens with peach and corn salsa (recipe follows)
• Carrots and cucumbers with hummus
• Cranberry/Pomegranate/Cherry gelatins
• Coconut milk, mango, raspberry, spinach, ginger smoothie

Tuesday:

Today was our first dud. I made the sweet potato falafels the night before, he said he loved them but I had a nagging feeling I'd hear otherwise. Sure enough, when I picked him up I got the, "Mom, no offense, but..." speech. I'm not giving up on these and I think I can turn it around with a little tweaking. Stay tuned!

• Sweet potato falafels
• Buttery peas and roasted broccoli
• Sesame rice crackers
• Watermelon
• Nectarine

Wednesday:

• Lentil vegetable soup
• Turkey and goat cheese rolls
• Pumpkin muffin (recipe follows)
• Apple and almond butter "sandwiches" (recipe follows)
• Seaweed chips

Thursday:

• Gluten-free spaghetti and meatballs
• Roasted Brussels sprouts
• Olives
• Salad with pepitas, dried currants and Tessamae's dressing
• Nectarine
• Spinach, cherry, ginger smoothie

Friday:

• Amy's gluten-free burrito
• Guacamole and salsa
• Plantain chips
• Tamari roasted almonds
• Peaches and cream (recipe follows)

Peach and corn salsa

It's not often that I come up with an original recipe creation that leads to a Frankenstein-creation moment of triumph but this one so does! Add corn and peaches as needed to serve your crowd, whether it's 1 or 10. You can omit the basil and add all kinds of seasonings to suit any summer meal. Enchiladas, pizzas, tacos, grilled fish, the sky is the limit.

Ingredients

2 ears corn, shucked and thoroughly cleaned

2 JUST ripe peaches (too ripe and you end up with a mess)

1/4 cup olive oil

4 tablespoons champagne vinegar, plus more to taste

Sea salt

Black pepper

Fresh basil (optional) or other spices/herbs

Directions

Hold corn vertically with one end in a wide bowl. Using a sharp knife, slice corn kernels off the cob working in smooth strokes, not a sawing motion. I've found a paring knife usually works best to get as many kernels off as possible. Slice peaches into 1/2" chunks and add to corn. Whisk together olive oil and champagne vinegar. Start with a couple tablespoons of vinegar and taste to see if you'd like it more or less acidic. Add olive oil or vinegar until it tastes right. Throw in a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper, then whisk again. Pour over corn and peaches then gently fold in. Add basil or other herbs and chill or serve. 

Pumpkin muffins

I've certainly had my share of Pinterest fails but sometimes you get a rare gem that quickly becomes a go-to. That's how we feel about these muffins. I doctor them up all kinds of ways and sub all kinds of squash/nut combos when I make them. Be sure to put them in the fridge or freezer once they're cool because they do tend to get funky quickly. 

Apple and almond butter sandwiches

Ingredients

1 apple

Almond or any kind of nut butter

Additional add-ins such as shredded coconut, honey, raisins, chocolate chips, sliced cherries, etc

Directions

Wash and core apple taking care to get all the seeds out. Firmly hold apple and cut into uniform slices approx 1/4" to 1/2" thick. Smear a slice with almond butter, add a topping if you'd like then put another slice on top. That's it! So easy and so, so delicious.  

Peaches and cream

Nothing makes me happier than throwing on a terrible, thick Southern accent and hollering, "Come on, y'all! Come getcha peaches and cream!" You can easily use whipping cream instead of coconut cream if you're so inclined. I've altered this slightly to make it lunch box friendly.

Ingredients

One can full fat coconut milk

1-2 peaches

Raw honey

Tiny pinch salt

Cinnamon

Directions

Place can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight. Once ready, gently open the can and make sure you have a thick, dense layer of cream on top with all the watery liquid below. If you don't, curse a blue streak and angrily put it in the freezer for a couple hours or start over with a new can. Once you have your cream, gently use a spoon to get out the cream and put it in a big bowl. Drizzle lightly with raw honey and add the tiniest little pinch of salt. Blend with a hand mixer or whisk until a true cream forms. Refrigerate (or put into thermos). Chop peaches and put into container or bowl. When ready to eat or assemble, put peaches into a bowl, top with cream and sprinkle with cinnamon. 

School lunches, Week 1

Please ignore my tragic photography. 6:30 doesn't feel too early until you're trying to take a picture of food. This next week I have the good camera all ready to go and I'll even wear my glasses while I take the photos. We were out of town on Friday so it was a short week.

Monday:

• Turkey, mustard, lettuce, avocado sandwich on sprouted grain bread
• Cherry tomatoes
• Kale chips
• Plum
• Citrus gelatins (recipe follows)
• Blueberry oatmeal muffin (recipe follows)

Tuesday:

• Nachos - Rice chips, refried black beans with raw goat cheese, guacamole, tomatoes, salsa
• Carrots with sunbutter
• Tropical protein balls (recipe follows)
• Coconut, cherry, spinach, ginger smoothie

We love these silicone smoothie holders! There's only been one spilling incident but I think it was likely user error. Since then I put it into a ziploc bag, just to be safe. 

Wednesday:

• California-esque rolls - brown rice, avocado, cucumber (recipe follows) and coconut aminos
• Hard boiled egg
• Strawberries
• Kale chips
• Blueberry oatmeal muffin

Thursday:

• Amy's gluten-free burrito with guacamole
• Cherry tomatoes
• Sliced apples topped with almond butter and shredded coconut
• Mango jerky
• Citrus gelatins
• Tangerine

On Fridays my son's school offers "Pizza Friday"...yay! But they don't offer options for gluten-free or dairy-free kids...boo! We accommodate this by giving him whatever other option he wants for those days. Sometimes it's burrito day, sometimes it's fruit crumble but I know it definitely makes it feel less unfair to not get pizza at school. 

Citrus Gelatins:

Ingredients
2 cups juice
1/3-1/2 cup grass fed beef gelatin, such as Great Lakes
Additional fruit (fresh or frozen) if desired
1 tablespoon coconut oil

Directions
Measure out juice in large pyrex (4 cup) or larger. Pour 1 1/2 cups of juice into saucepan and heat over medium. Sprinkle gelatin over remaining juice in pyrex or bowl. Add additional fruit, if using, to juice in saucepan and heat until just boiling. At this point I'll sometimes mash larger fruit like cherries or mangoes. Pour immediately over gelatin and stir to dissolve any remaining clumps. While gelatin mixture is cooling, lightly brush coconut oil onto 8 x 8 glass container. Once gelatin mixture has cooled slightly (about 10 minutes), gently pour it into the greased container and allow to set. Once cooled and hardened, move to the refrigerator and store. This gelatin will melt in the sun, so I always send it with a spoon, just in case when it's hot out or when it's being stored more than an hour or so in a lunch bag. 

Notes
There are lots of reported health benefits from gelatin and it's incredibly versatile. You can pour it into molds or cut into shapes using cookie cutters and we've yet to try a flavor combo we've not liked. You should note that gelatin really diminishes the flavor of whatever juice you're using, which is why I try to add fruit as well. Some of our favorite combos are: fresh grapefruit, orange and lemon juices, cranberry/pomegranate juice with frozen cherries mashed in and apple juice with mangoes and blueberries added.

Oatmeal Muffins: 
Adapted from this recipe

Ingredients
2 cups oats, (gluten-free if desired and NOT instant)
1/4 cup nuts, chopped (almonds, walnuts and pecans are all great)
1/4 cup seeds (pepitas, sunflower and sesame all work)
1 tablespoon cinnamon or ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
3/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 cup milk (dairy, almond or coconut will all work)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen fruit such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries or mangoes

Directions
Preheat oven to 375°. Line muffin tin with 12 cups. Combine oats, nuts, seeds, cinnamon or ginger (or both), and salt in a large bowl. Combine honey or syrup, coconut oil, milk and vanilla then pour over oat mixture and combine. Once blended, fold in fruit. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until tops of muffins have started to brown slightly. I'm guessing this recipe makes about 18 muffins but it's hard to say since I'm not sure how many servings my helpers swipe. Once cooled, remove from muffin tin and store in an airtight container on the counter for a few days or in the fridge for a week. You can serve these just in the muffin cups or put them in ramekins with yogurt or milk on top.

Tropical Protein Balls
Adapted from Nourishing Meals cookbook

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups raw cashews
1 cup Halawi or Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
Zest and juice from 1 lime
pinch sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, plus 4 tablespoons

Directions
Pulse cashews in food processor until a fine powder forms. Not too far or you'll end up with cashew butter! Add dates, coconut oil, lime juice, zest, salt, and vanilla. Keep processing until ingredients are combined a dough begins to form. Add 1/4 cup shredded coconut and continue to pulse to incorporate. Once coconut is blended in, take out dough and form balls, we do smaller than golf ball size. You can then roll them in the remaining shredded coconut if you'd like but we usually just leave them as is. You can store in the refrigerator or place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper then put them in the freezer. They take about 20 minutes to fully thaw but when it's hot I like to put them into a lunch frozen so they're less likely to make little hands really sticky.

California-esque Rolls

I used this recipe from Nourishing Meals but only had short grain brown rice and that seemed to work. We used cucumber and avocado to fill then topped with toasted sesame seeds and served with coconut aminos. This was the favorite meal of the whole week and I'm sure it'll become part of the regular rotation.

*I use Lunch Bots Duo and Trio containers and we've had this Nissan thermos for going on 4 years. I love the Lunch Bots but liquids DO seep from one compartment to the next, which is good to know so you can avoid a muffin soggy with pickle juice. Also, the colors tend to flake off the lids over time so the silver option is probably the best.

Back to Reality

Sitting here, just like I do every year, mumbling something like, "I can't believe school starts in a week." Smudged mascara, bedhead from trying to get two kids to sleep and a crunchy front yard worthy of a biker gang are proof that yes, summer's nearly gone and this party is over. The boys have had it pretty easy on the manual labor front since school's been out but with the start of a new school year we'll be getting back into our normal routine and along with regular bathing and decent bedtimes that also means chores.

At one point long ago we tried the whole allowance thing with the caveat that in order to get the allowance, we wouldn't remind you to do your chores. If you did them, you'd let us know and Friday would be payday. A couple weeks went something like this:

"Hey, what day is it?"
-"It's Friday."
"I forgot all my chooooorresss!!! Waaaaahhhhh!"

We quickly realized this was not the way for us and came to the decision that if the chore was something you would be called on to do in your adult daily life (assuming no live-in help) then we wouldn't be paying you to do it at our house. Each boy gets chores that are within his capabilities without help from us and rather than simply assigning them, we give a few different options to choose from and they can create their own responsibilities. Today when we talked about it, Flynn decided that after a year he's had enough of table setting and would like to move to dish washing some nights, which I think is crazy but I'm gladly willing to accommodate.

It's also essential that they help because 1. We live in a small home for 4 people and 2 dogs (roughly 1100 square feet with no garage) and things get funky very quickly 2. Jonah goes to preschool 3 mornings a week and I work from home. I could easily spend that precious time doing housework rather than work-work 3. They go to Waldorf school and won't have homework until 3rd or 4th grade, leaving plenty of time to play and still finish chores.  Here's a little run-down of what each guy is doing:

7 years old

• Make bed every morning 
• Help make younger brother's bed
• Have backpack ready for school
• Prepare any sports stuff
• On bath nights, set and clear table
• On non-bath nights, do all dishes (seriously, this will be a life lesson)
• Spend 5 minutes helping prepare lunch for school
• Lay out clothes for the next morning
• Tidy up bookshelves each night
• Brush dogs
• Read every day
• Sort laundry

3 1/2 years old

• Put pillows and friends onto bed every morning
• Put on own clothes
• Have a vague idea where backpack is
• Come to breakfast table with a minimal amount of screaming, crawling or moaning
• Responsible for catching all bugs that come into the house
• Responsible for helping with all baked goods
• Help clear table
• Take all used cloth napkins from table to laundry after dinner
• Feed dogs at night
• Sweep floor after dinner
• Tidy up toys at night

Yes, we have to nudge sometimes, and yes, we have to demand sometimes but for the most part we're very consistent and it's gotten easier. They are still fairly little and I'm willing to do pretty much whatever it takes to help them find some joy in their work so if that means speaking in a British accent while you sweep or listening to Janet Jackson while you clean that's totally fine. As they get older, more chores get added. Around 10 years old the hammer really comes down when they have to start doing their own laundry and each kid will be responsible for one family meal each week. They'll find or create the recipe, shop for ingredients, cook and serve it. 

Since there is no allowance offered we give Flynn opportunities to earn money by doing additional bigger jobs. The boys are working towards getting a bunny so they need to save up for alllll the supplies that go with it and this part has worked out so well. For example, one Saturday he organized my closet, cleaned out the fridge and cleaned the front porch for $15. We were both ecstatic at the end of the day!